Acne and Its Phychosocial Impacts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Acne and Its Phychosocial Impacts - Essay Example 438). In a society which places high regard for appearance, and a healthy, glowing skin, skin disorders are often associated with uncleanliness, In many cases, people with skin conditions are avoided, because of the perception that all skin problems are contagious. Minor skin conditions can have major psychosocial effects to individuals experiencing it. Such condition affects a person’s self image, as well as how an individual interacts with others. Interpersonal relationships often suffer and affected individuals are traumatized with stares and expression of revulsion that they receive from society. In cases when skin conditions are chronic, affected persons may be branded as social outcasts, hence leading to other psychological issues such as depression or social anxiety. For the purpose of this paper, the author will explore the effects of acne on an individual’s social experience. Acne vulgaris (common name, acne) is a â€Å"disease of the hair follicles of the fac e, chest, and back† (Rockoff & Cole, 2011). It is considered as the most common disease and almost all males and females have experienced it. It usually appears during puberty, peaks at around 14 to 19 and resolves by mid-twenties (Adityan & Thappa, 2009, p. 272). The disease tend to be more persistent in females but the more severe form is more commonly experienced by males. To gauge its severity, lesion counting is often used. Acne typically appears as blackheads or whiteheads (congested pores called comedones) or tender red bumps more commonly known as pimples. In more severe cases, acne takes the form of pustules and cysts. Acne happens when an hair follicles attached to oil glands enlarges. This causes the bump visible on the skin. Sometimes the walls holding the follicle may rupture which then allows skin bacteria to enter the deeper levels. When this happens, inflammation can happen. Pimples are inflammation in the deep levels, but deeper levels produce cysts. Whitehead s are oil which breaks out of the surface of the skin while blackheads are â€Å"black oil†, they are either oxidized oil or they may have accumulated melanin. In a study conducted by F. Ballanger, P.Baudry, J.M. N’guyen, A. Kammari, & B. Dreno (2006) shows that heredity is a prognostic factor for severe acne but in the case of minor to mild conditions, heredity does not matter. Moreover, there is indication that the parents experience is not always the same as that of their children. Choice of food can aggravate acne but there is no real evidence showing that it has a direct impact on the occurrence of the skin disease. Stress is also often cited as a cause of acne, but researches show that its effects are not direct (Rockoff & Cole, 2011). Some factors which may contribute to acne includes increased pressure from helmets, suspenders, etc., use of drugs containing steroids and prednisone, and use of comedogenic (skin clogging) products. While acne is a normal conditio n among adolescents, and will typically resolve on its own, there are instances when it will require treatment. Harald Gollnick, Andrew Finlay, & Neil Shear (2008) presents several indicators when acne should be considered a chronic disease: when its distribution and severity is constantly increasing, when acne treatment becomes necessary for months at a time, and if it affects the individual’s quality of life. The authors believe that acne should be treated as a chronic disease and that effective treatment must be made available through research. Several studies show that people suffering from acne are more â€Å"prone to depression, social withdrawal, anxiety, and anger and are more likely to be

Christmas carol Essay Example for Free

Christmas carol Essay Set in Victorian England Dickens A Christmas Carol famously shows a transformation of the character of Ebenezer Scrooge he is portrayed as a tight fisted old man. Scrooge ends up repenting with the help of the ghost of his old business partner, Jacob Marley, and the three spirits. The last stave celebrates Scrooge enjoying Christmas e. g. I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. In this essay I intend to explore in detail, the variety of ways Dickens uses to show the development of Scrooges character Stave 1 In stave 1 we see Scrooge presented as an old, grumpy and selfish man. Jacob Marley, his business partner, had recently passed away on Christmas Eve. Scrooge attended the funeral but on the same day Dickens tells the reader that Scrooge went back to work, where he gained an undoubted bargain. This shows that Scrooge is more interested in money than his business partners funeral. The first words at the start of stave 1 are, Marley was dead Dickens had to make this abrupt point to make it clear Marley had died to prepare the reader for the fact that his ghost can come back. Charles Dickens uses a narrator, to both describe Scrooge and to judge him. The more the narrator describes Scrooge the angrier he seems to become and the harsher he speaks of him e. g. when he exclaims that Scrooge is a tight fisted hand at the grindstone Scrooge! he then uses a long list of adjectives to emphasise the meanness in scrooge and how he is prepared to hurt others deliberately so that he can be more wealthy. These are: A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner. The narrator also makes it clear that scrooge is self-contained and as solitary as an oyster. This is a simile. This may imply that Scrooge is a cold creature protected by his own hard shell, but in the interior he may have the ability to create a beautiful pearl this may be saying that scrooge has the ability. This may be saying that scrooge also has the ability of creating something beautiful and long lasting. No warmth could warm, nor wintry weather chill him. The narrator is saying that Scrooge is unnatural in some ways and the weather doesnt affect him however hot or cold it is. Even the blind mans dog stays away from Scrooge. This tells the reader even the natural world knows that he is a man to be avoided and feared. Dickens uses contrast to highlight Scrooges character at this stage. On page 4 Scrooges nephew comes to meet Scrooge He greets him with a Merry Christmas. Scrooge then replied bah humbug, which shows Scrooges disbelief in Christmas and his sullenness. Later Scrooge asks, What reason do you have to be merry? Your poor enough. This shows that Scrooge bases his happiness only on wealth Scrooge then had two visitors. They were portly gentlemen who ask Scrooge if he will donate money for the poor and destitute Scrooge didnt give them anything. This shows how tight fisted and selfish Scrooge is. Scrooge suggests to the men that work houses and prisons are the place where the poor should go, Scrooge is showing that he does not believe he has any responsibility to help others. This was a common attitude in Victorian England, which Dickens wants to challenge. When Marleys ghost appears for the first time he suspects the ghost is a figment of his imagination. He tries to hide his fear of it by assuming it is an upset stomach which is causing these disturbing images. However when the ghost speaks he begins to believe it is true. The arrival of the ghost disturbs him. The ghost tells him he is going to be visited by three spirits. Scrooge takes this news and replies to it as a chore or menial task. The ghost speaks of why he is weighed down by chains and shackles. He told Scrooge these chains represent all the bad things he did in his life. He also told scrooge that he had a similar chain but longer. His reaction to this is of disliking. He doesnt like what he hears. He asks the ghost to speak comfort to him, but the ghost cannot speak comfort to him because he has done nothing good or pure in his life. His greed and loathing for everything has turned him into an evil bitter man who has no time for friends of family and he is heartless to his employee Bob Cratchit. Now Scrooge has had a terrible warning about what may come to him if he does not change his ways. Stave 2 Scrooge is visited by the ghost of Christmas past in stave 2 who takes him back in time to see his childhood. This is a very effective way of enabling the reader to see how Scrooge was when he was younger and bring the reader to understand why Scrooge is so mean and to show he hasnt always been like that. Scrooge is shown sitting in a classroom on his own while all the other children have gone home for Christmas. This is because Scrooge and his father didnt get on very well and his father didnt want him home for Christmas. We know this because his sister comes to take Scrooge home one Christmas and she says father is much kinder than he used to be Charles Dickens uses this to show the reader that scrooge was very used to being alone and this might explain why he is so solitary when he grows up. This would have had a great affect on Scrooge at an early age and could be the reason why he is so cruel, mean and bad tempered. At this point the reader starts to have some sympathy for Scrooge and care about his future life. The first change in Scrooges personality is when Scrooge looks back at his younger self and is reminded of the carol boy he saw earlier that night. He feels guilty for not giving the boy anything. We can tell this because he says I should have liked to have given him something thats all. This is the first example of kindness and regret we see from Scrooge, reinforcing the point that Scrooge is not completely heartless and cold and shows he is able to change. Dickens involved Scrooges sister fan to remind Scrooge of his nephew because they are similar generous characters. We can see that Scrooge cared about fan. This may be a sign that there is the potential that Scrooges view of his nephew may also change. Dickens next includes a visit to Fezziwig, Scrooges old employer. This is to show a contrast between how scrooge as an employer treats Bob Cratchit and the way Fezziwig treats Scrooge. Whereas Fezziwig threw a party for Christmas. Bob Cratchit had to ask Scrooge for the day off and Scrooge was still reluctant to give it to him. We can see that Scrooge liked Fezziwig by his reaction when he first saw him. He exclaims, Why its old Fezziwig alive again. This makes Scrooge think of Bob Cratchit. He says I should like to be able to say a word or two to my clerk just know. Again Dickens involves this episode to show that a change in Scrooges personality is possible.

directors notebook on a scene :: essays research papers

DIRECTOR'S NOTEBOOK SYNOPSIS As Jon Jon walks in the club, all the attention is drawn on him. The people who are waitin in the line, the people inside , and especially the women. He usually he walks in with his crew but this time he goes to meet up with his long time friend Daquan. They have a quick conversation until JonJon spots one of the most gorgeous women in the club. He uses his deceiving techniques by offering her a drink. She quickly accepts. He then exchanges numbers but then has to leave for unknown reasons. TIMES The Setting takes place in a club where the gang goes every weekend in the downtown area of Manhatten , New York City. It’s July in the summer of 2004. The club is crowded with young adults , inside and out. IMAGERY/TONE The only lights I will have outside the club , are the streetlights and the lights from the cars on the street. I will use dim lights facing toward the characters inside the club to create a real atmosphere with the cameras shooting eye level to make the audience feel as if they were there inside with the characters. THE CORE The crowds or extras will consist of adults between the ages of 18 and 25. Most of the crowd will be mostly young Black and Hispanic men and women. They can all be wearing the latest urban clothing lines to show that this story is believable. The most flashy on them all will be JonJon. On the waiting line I want all eyes drawn on him because he just walks in after greeting to the bouncers. Many women inside wll be drawn to him because of the flattery look on their faces. A couple of women I will use in the background to look at him as if they were talking to each other about the main character. The scene inside the club will be showing the typical club scene that goes on in most cities, which have drinks, bathrooms , bouncers and a V.

Repairing the Problem with Americas Transportation System Essay

Repairing the Problem with America's Transportation System   There is a serious problem with our nation's roads and highways.   I find myself repeatedly avoiding trips to the city for this very reason, as I'm sure many others do as well.   This nerve-wracking congestion is even beginning to find its way into the suburbs and surrounding areas of large cities.   It is a  Ã‚   serious problem that affects everyone who owns an automobile, as well as, businesses that are dependent on reliable and convenient transportation.   To top it all off, this problem is getting worse every year.   The population of this nation is growing, which translates to an increase in cars on the road.   More people are moving to cities and the suburbs that surround them, creating gridlocks everywhere.   No matter what any politician in Washington or employee of the Federal Highway Administration may say, there is a serious and immediate problem with our nation's transportation systems.   The Texas Transportation Institute has recently done several studies that have produced some very alarming results.   For example, the average American spends approximately 26 hours a year stuck in traffic.   Let?s think about that.   The ?average? American spends this long cruising at five miles per hour and cursing at other cars around.   By saying average, the study means this figure also takes into account people living in rural areas who spend maybe one hour a year stuck in traffic.   That means for the majority of us, in the Phoenix area and other large cities, we spend 3 or 4 times more wasting our valuable time in traffic.   For people who drive into the city   everyday for work, it might even be worse (Fay 3).   Now that?s a lot of time if you ask me. To make matters worse... ...ve. Works Cited Fay, William D. & Slater, Rodney E.   ?Q: Should gasoline taxes be used exclusively for  Ã‚   highways Insight on the News   May 26, 1997: 24. Henderson, Rick. ?An end to highway robbery Reason August-Sep 1996: 12. Peratta, Ed.   ?Despite bumps in the road, privatization races on.?   American and City and   County Oct 1995: 50. Peters, Eric.   ?Privatization: the Road Ahead   Consumers? Research Magazine   Dec   1995: 10. Roth, Gabriel.   ?How to Solve our Highway Problems.?   Consumers? Research Magazine  Ã‚   June 1997: 10. Samuel, Peter.   ?The case for privatizing America?s highways.?   USA Today Jan 1997:  Ã‚   60. Voinovich, George V. ?Federal highway spending needs to be road less traveled.? Insight  Ã‚   on the News Jan 6, 1997: 29. West, Jim.   ?Different Views of Gasoline Taxes.?   The Oil and Gas Journal   August 14,   1995: 9.   

Pestal Analysis of Airline Industry in India Essay

Economics Project Submitted To : suhana malik Submitted By :raJbeer kaur Enrollment no. :m 8023863880 Class Roll NO : 62 Course : MBA Company Chosen: British Airways Existing Line of Business: Aviation New Market: Indian Aviation Industry British Airways Future Indian Plans: British Airways global CEO Willie Walsh finds India to be one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world. Walsh, who was in Mumbai on September 3rd, 2010 to announce a code-share agreement with Kingfisher Airlines, says that despite the airline facing mounting competition from other international carriers operating in India, he is not worried as India has huge growth potential and each player can have a decent pie of the expanding market. On the flip side, he tells that though the future of the aviation industry is consolidation and many foreign carriers want to invest in India, Indian law does not permit them to do so. Mr. Willie Walsh said, â€Å"India is the second largest market for us after the US. In fact, after the recession, India was among the fastest regions to recover from the downfall. We are operating in and out of India for the past several decades and will continue to o so in a consolidated fashion. We have a huge customer base here and we still find growth opportunities in the region. Though I can’t divulge revenue details from India, I have always said that India will be one of the biggest aviation markets in the future and clearly, we want to have a very strong presence in this market. † PESTLE Analysis: The Indian Airline Industry Political Factors industry existing in the country. Like it or not, the political interference has to be present everywhere. Given below are a few of the political factors with respect to the airline industry: The airline industry is very susceptible to changes in the political environment as it has a great bearing on the travel habits of its customers. An unstable political environment causes uncertainty in the minds of the air travellers, regarding travelling to a particular country. Overall India’s recent political environment has been largely unstable due to international events & continued tension with Pakistan. The Gujarat riots & the government’s inability to control the situation have also led to an increase in the instability of the political arena. The most significant political event however has been September 1 1 . The events occurring on September had special significance for the airline industry since airplanes were involved. The immediate results were a huge drop in air traffic due to safety & security concerns of the people. International airlines are greatly affected by trade relations that their country has with others. Unless governments of the two countries trade with each other, there could be restrictions of flying into particular area leading to a loss of potential air traffic (e. . Pakistan & India) Another aspect is that in countries with high corruption levels like India, bribes have o be paid for every permit & license required. Therefore constant liasoning with the minister & other government official is necessary. The state owned airlines suffer the maximum from this problem. These airlines have to make several special considerations with respect to selection of routes, free seats to ministers, etc which a pr ivately owned airline need not do. The state owned airlines also suffers from archaic laws applying only to them such as the retirement age of the pursers & hostesses, the labour regulations which make the management less flexible in taking ecision due to the presence of a strong union, & the heavy control &interference of the government. This affects the quality of the service delivery & therefore these airlines have to think of innovative service marketing ideas to circumvent their problems & compete with the private operators. Economic Factors Business cycles have a wide reaching impact on the airline industry. During recession, airline is considered a luxury & therefore spending on air travel is cut which leads to reduce prices. During prosperity phase people indulge themselves in travel & prices increase. After the September 11 incidents, the world economy plunged into global recession due to the depressed sentiment of consumers. In India, even a company like Citibank given first class railway tickets instead of plane tickets. The loss of income for airlines led to higher operational costs not only due to low demand but also due to higher insurance costs, which increased after the WTC bombing. This prompted the industry to lay off employees, which further fuelled the recession as spending decreased due to the rise in unemployment. Even the SARS outbreak in the Far East was a major cause for slump in the airline industry. Even the Indian carriers like Air India was deeply affected as many flights were cancelled due to internal (employee relations) as well as external problems, which has been discussed later. Social Factors The changing travel habits of people have very wide implications for the airline industry. In a country like India, there are people from varied income groups. The airlines have to recognize these individuals and should serve them accordingly. Air India needs to focus on their clientele which are mostly low income clients & their habits in order to keep them satisfied. The destination, kind of food etc all has o be chosen carefully in accordance with the tastes of their major clientele. Especially, since India is a land of extremes there are people from various religions and castes and every individual travelling by the airline would expect customization to the greatest possible extent. For e. g. A Jain would be satisfied with the service only if he is served Jain food and it should be kept in mind that the customers next to him are also Jain or at least vegetarian. Another good example would be the case of South West Airlines which occupies a solid position in the minds of the US air travelers as a reliable and convenient, fun, ow fare, and no frills airline. The major element of its success was the augmented marketing mix which it used very effectively. What South West did was it made the environment inside the plane very consumer friendly. The crew neither has any uniform nor does it serve any lavish foods, which indirectly reduces the costs and makes the consumers feel comfortable. Technological Factors The increasing use of the Internet has provided many opportunities to airlines. For e. g. Air Sahara has introduced a service, through the internet wherein the unoccupied seats are auctioned one week prior to the departure. Air India also provides many internet based services to its customer such as online ticket booking, updated flight information & handling of customer complaints. USTDA (US trade & development association) is funding a feasibility study and workshops for the Airports Authority of India as part of a long-term effort to promote navigation, surveillance, and air traffic management systems for India’s aviation sector that will help the country meet the expected growth and demand for air passenger and cargo service over the next decade. A proposal for restructuring the existing airports at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata through long-term lease to make them world class is under consideration. This will help in attracting investments in improving the infrastructure and services at these airports. Setting up of new international airports at Bangalore, Hyderabad and Goa with private sector participation is also envisaged. A good example of the impact of technology would be that of AAI, wherein with the help of technology it has converted its obsolete and unused hangars into profit centers. AAI is now leasing these hangars to international airlines and is earning huge profits out of it. AAI has also tried to utilize space that was previously wasted installing a lamination machine to laminate the luggage of travelers. This activity earns AAI a lot of revenue. These technological changes in the environment have an impact on Air India as well. Better airport infrastructure, means better handling of airplanes, which can help reduce maintenance cost. It also facilitates more flights to such destinations. Legal Factors Prior to 1953, there were 9 private airlines in operation with too many surplus aircraft and the airline industry was sick. There was no competitive environment in the onopolized aviation market.

Free Essays on Japan Culture

Japan, which is located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the Asian Continent, is a nation composed of almost 7,000 islands, many are small. The four main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Japan has the seventh largest population in the world. With approximately 125 million inhabitants, the only countries with a higher population are China, India, the United States, Indonesia, and Brazil. The population which is about half of the United States, lives on only 1/25 as much total land mass, this computes to being one of the highest population densities in the world. These conditions reflect in the Japanese cultural values and their desire for being a collective society. The Japanese style of conducting business differs greatly from the western model. It has grown out of the nation’s unique history cultured philosophy. The Japanese people are isolated in an island nation’s unique history, culture, and philosophy. The island nation is under constant bombardment by the harsh forces of nature, have traditionally placed a strong emphasis on working together as a group in order to survive. Their culture is deeply influenced by Confucianism, with its rigid rules governing conduct and its emphasis on trust, consensus, and hierarchy. These ancient roots have influenced every aspect of Japanese business; from the way formal meetings are conducted to the importance placed on after-hours socializing. It has shaped a business culture in which long-term, mutually beneficial relationships are of paramount importance. By understanding and adapting to this business culture, Western executives eager to do business in Japan will be able to be enlightene d to be more productive associations with their Japanese colleagues and will increase the probability of achieving the goals of their meetings there. It is important to understand the role of the female entertainer in Japanese culture. That is why the Geisha has a specific role. ... Free Essays on Japan Culture Free Essays on Japan Culture Japan, which is located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the Asian Continent, is a nation composed of almost 7,000 islands, many are small. The four main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Japan has the seventh largest population in the world. With approximately 125 million inhabitants, the only countries with a higher population are China, India, the United States, Indonesia, and Brazil. The population which is about half of the United States, lives on only 1/25 as much total land mass, this computes to being one of the highest population densities in the world. These conditions reflect in the Japanese cultural values and their desire for being a collective society. The Japanese style of conducting business differs greatly from the western model. It has grown out of the nation’s unique history cultured philosophy. The Japanese people are isolated in an island nation’s unique history, culture, and philosophy. The island nation is under constant bombardment by the harsh forces of nature, have traditionally placed a strong emphasis on working together as a group in order to survive. Their culture is deeply influenced by Confucianism, with its rigid rules governing conduct and its emphasis on trust, consensus, and hierarchy. These ancient roots have influenced every aspect of Japanese business; from the way formal meetings are conducted to the importance placed on after-hours socializing. It has shaped a business culture in which long-term, mutually beneficial relationships are of paramount importance. By understanding and adapting to this business culture, Western executives eager to do business in Japan will be able to be enlightene d to be more productive associations with their Japanese colleagues and will increase the probability of achieving the goals of their meetings there. It is important to understand the role of the female entertainer in Japanese culture. That is why the Geisha has a specific role. ...

How Does Send A Cow Essays

How Does Send A Cow Essays How Does Send A Cow Essay How Does Send A Cow Essay These phrases are very strong and really hurt us inside, they have several example of If you are poor.. because this shows that if you are poor you lose a lot of things. This makes you feel very bad because, you the reader have everything. You have choice, and your future does not look bleak. There is a rhetorical question. What difference can we make? Everyone knows the answer to this. Send a cow. That is the aim of this advert. Persuading us to help the underprivileged children in Africa.Thats how we all feel, but it takes just one person to believe that something can be done to bring a change to this suffering world. You can pass on the gift. This sentence reassures us that we can do it. Really make a difference. I think that if you really read and think about this advert you can obviously see that they are persuading in various ways. First of all, they really make the reader feel sorry for those children. By using information such as There are no state benefits or national health service and schooling. Secondly they tell us that by supporting its cause, it will generally make you feel better. To be able to give help where once you could only receive it restore dignity, a sense of self worth and a fundamental change in your perspective on life itself. Thirdly they use very emotive language. In what we call the developed world we have so much choice set out before us in an ever growing supermarket of goods ranging from food to computers, that we hardly imagine what it is like to have no choice.Sentence like this that makes you want to help them, andgive them better lives that they deserve. And finally they really encourage us, reassuring us that we can make a difference. Using the rhetorical question. What difference can I make? And a sentence like Thats how we can all feel, but it takes just one person to believe that something can be done to bring a change to a suffering world. Personally I think that this is a well written advertisement because it made me want to help those people in Africa.

bla essays

bla essays The democracy we have in America today is very complex. This democracy starts out with political parties whose main purpose is to gain control of the government by winning elections Appelbaum and Chambliss(1997:366). In the United States, unlike in most other democracies, there are only two political parties with any substantial influence over government policies Appelbaum and Chambliss (1997:366). Third parties are also apparent in elections. These third parties are often successful in smaller elections, but when we are dealing with national elections it is very difficult for the third party to survive the bigger two due to the lack of funding and publicity of the PACs and other interest groups. However, third parties serve a very good purpose. They provide us with more candidates giving us more choices which is what democracy is about. According to my class notes (lecture on government) third parties are sometimes chosen when people are opposed to the candidates from the other two parties. Third parties stand as a sign of choice as well. Voting for a third party is also seen as voting for a better selection of candidates rather than voting for the usual two candidates from the other parties. The president of the United States is not chosen on the popular vote of the people alone but on the Electoral College whose vote is determined by the popular vote of each state Appelbaum and Chambliss (1997:367). This Electoral College is in a sense a vote of the people but at the same time it keeps bigger states from becoming to powerful overwhelming the smaller states. The United States also has three branches of government the legislative, judicial and executive branches. The constitution of the United States provides a system of checks and balances Appelbaum and Chambliss (1997:369). This system of checks and balances pu...

Methods Used to Assess Learners Writing Ability Assignment

Methods Used to Assess Learners Writing Ability - Assignment Example As a result of their proven utility, tests as well as other standardized assessments are broadly applied in educational settings. To reap the potential benefits that are associated with tests, it is critical that they are understood completely and their strengths and weaknesses evaluated (Wall & Walz, 2004). Testing is a special way of collecting information that can be employed while making decisions about a person, a program or an organization and tests consist of items that prompt responses from a person. Testing does not comprise of the simple administration of a set of questions or tasks that have to be performed as the tests need to be scored and the results used for evaluation (Wall & Walz, 2004). Essay tests are usually considered to be more valid as compared to multiple-choice questions when measuring the writing ability of students as they have the ability of sampling a broader range of composition skills. On the other hand, variance in the scores associated with essay tests can demonstrate irrelevant factors like speed and fluency under the pressure of time or penmanship (Weigle, 2002). Multiple choice testing over-predicts the performance of minority students as far as essay testing is concerned and there is no certainty as to whether these tests have fundamentally equivalent predictive validity for candidates who are not in the same academic discipline where what they are supposed to write is not the same. The best tests that assess writing ability blend both essay and multiple-choice questions but this approach may be too expensive while the alternatives that may be relatively cheaper may have a compromising effect on the quality of the assessment. Â  

Information Technology - Analyze the impact of the digital economy on Essay

Information Technology - Analyze the impact of the digital economy on the company IKEA - Essay Example At the showroom, customers were able to see and handle the furnishings before purchasing them and the company was able to present its products with function, quality and low price.(www.ikea.com). In response of competitor induces boycott of IKEA showrooms by customers, the Company began to design its own furniture, producing the unique flat products, which the customer was able to assemble at home. Such furniture also occupied less storage space and there was less scope for damages occurring during transportation of the products. The IKEA stores were based on the self service model , and customers were able to walk around the IKEA showrooms, inspect furniture and then select the pieces they liked, which were provided to then in flat designs for easy transportation with less damage.(Jeffreys 1992). The Company soon expanded into other countries and its global sales now totals over $17.7 billion annually. The success of IKEA has been largely due to its policy of offering quality products with low prices. The Company accomplishes this by maintaining a network of global suppliers who bid competitively for projects and the Company is thus able to manufacture and supply the products to IKEA at the lowest prices.(Solomon, 1991). It is constantly on the lookout for ways and means by which it can reduce its costs in order to continue to supply low cost yet quality products to its customers. As a part of this strategy to reduce costs, the company was examining ways and means to consolidate its supplier base such that the focus was on those suppliers located in low cost countries. However, longer lead times, higher demands on the planning process and an inability to quickly adapt to change were some of the drawbacks which IKEA sought to address through IT solutions. The Company has incorporated software developed by JDA – Demand and Fulfillment Solutions, with the Demand Management solution able to support all the 12,000 items in

Events Leading to the Creation of DHS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Events Leading to the Creation of DHS - Essay Example In a quest to prevent similar events as those of 9/11, specifically through assessing the events and circumstances that facilitated the orchestration of such a massively deadly event, the government was willing to assess any options and allocate any resources necessary that would prevent a similar occurrence. As such, the government had three main options to choose from that included sharing of power between various agencies, leaving the overall control to the White House, or establishing a congressional control. Critical decision was impending bearing in mind that the country was facing a challenge that was bigger than any natural disaster the country had seen before. This was bigger because in the history of the U.S, the only agency that had been mandated primarily to deal with terror treats was FEMA but it was still small as its capabilities were only domestic. Such previous ideas suggested that handling future possibilities that are connected with protecting the lives of Americans would require a broader entity. This suggested amalgamation of various agencies with the key idea in mind being central coordination of activities and sharing of information rather than centralizing the idea on mere control.

The Palestine-Israel Conflict and the United States Essay - 2

The Palestine-Israel Conflict and the United States - Essay Example History identifies land ownership and religion as the main problems in the conflict. The two societies believe that the subject land is their ancestral land and that they have a right over its ownership. Religious differences could also play a secondary role in facilitating the conflict through undermining resolution initiatives (Whitbeck 1; Khalidi 4-5). The conflict has been a serious one and its gravity can be identified from its effects and failure to find a solution over the long time of the conflict’s existence. Even efforts by international institutions such as the United Nations has failed to resolve the problem and this means that involved parties have intensive interest that they are not willing to compromise (Whitbeck 1). The conflict has manifested in diversified scopes that include large number of Arab refugees (Childers 1) and the level of oppression that Palestine citizens experience under Israeli forces (Carter 1). The scope of the problem that establishes land ownership in the conflict indicates the cause of the conflict. The urge to posses land for a Jewish nation led to immigration into the location that was occupied by the Palestine. The Zionist movement then led to violence that forced Palestine from their homes. Even though different explanations are offered for the Palestine emigration, all the versions point to the violent move by the Zionists. Some Palestine moved out of their homes because of the Zionist violence while others moved because of a directive from their Arab leaders who presumably planned a war in the region. In either case, the relocation of the Palestine from their land and the perception among Israelis that the remaining Palestine citizens should leave the area remains the cause of the continuous conflict. Related to interest in the land and the relocation of Palestine citizens is the United Nation’s recommendation of land allocation between the Zionists and the Palestine.

Interview with entrepreneur Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Interview with entrepreneur - Essay Example The reason why these individuals will propose to be their own bosses is because of the various merits that are associated with entrepreneurship. Some of the benefits are becoming their own bosses as well as the ability to enjoy freedom on the areas of businesses (Erik, 2011). The creativity and innovative nature of an individual molds the entrepreneurship skills in them. Since the 1700s many creative and innovative young professionals have become entrepreneurs and the driving force behind their entry into entrepreneurship world are the various benefits that are associated with entrepreneurship (Erik, 2011). Good practice of entrepreneurship requires application of qualities like dedication, flexibility, determination, and creativity. CHAPTER ONE Introduction The process of entrepreneurship starts with introduction of new things in areas where those introduced things are missing. Once the new things have been discovered these things are combined with the already existing resources (Er ik, 2011). The process of combination of these things with the already existing resources entails creativity. ... The generation of their energy takes place internally because of their focused minds and the urge to achieve success in all that they do. Possession of naivety and smartness at the same time These people tend to have high level of intelligence as well naivety in venturing into new areas (Brown, 1989). The naivety originates from divergent thinking since this thinking is associated with separation of good ideas from bad ones. Ability to combine both discipline and playfulness Creative people are always capable of combining both irresponsibility and responsibility quality and they are able to work late at night unlike uncreative individuals (Brown, 1989). Ability to navigate between imagination and fantasy Creative people always have a sense of reality and this reality emerges from imagination that these people obtain from art and science. Possessions of introversion and extraversion These possessions are able to differentiate the personality traits in individuals and measurement of th ese differences is possible. Studies have shown that these qualities can be both found in creative people. Stephen Murtagh seems to have much of the above qualities and this is because through his efforts AW Bell Machinery manufacturing firm was able to emerge as a medium company for the year (Casey, 2013). The company was not able to export its products in previous years and through his effort they were able to reverse this culture and the company could now export most of its products as well as to come up with innovative and creative products. CHAPTER TWO-Literature review According to Teresa Amabile (1988), some of the factors that enhance individual creativity are self motivation, cognitive

The Palestine-Israel Conflict and the United States Essay - 2

The Palestine-Israel Conflict and the United States - Essay Example History identifies land ownership and religion as the main problems in the conflict. The two societies believe that the subject land is their ancestral land and that they have a right over its ownership. Religious differences could also play a secondary role in facilitating the conflict through undermining resolution initiatives (Whitbeck 1; Khalidi 4-5). The conflict has been a serious one and its gravity can be identified from its effects and failure to find a solution over the long time of the conflict’s existence. Even efforts by international institutions such as the United Nations has failed to resolve the problem and this means that involved parties have intensive interest that they are not willing to compromise (Whitbeck 1). The conflict has manifested in diversified scopes that include large number of Arab refugees (Childers 1) and the level of oppression that Palestine citizens experience under Israeli forces (Carter 1). The scope of the problem that establishes land ownership in the conflict indicates the cause of the conflict. The urge to posses land for a Jewish nation led to immigration into the location that was occupied by the Palestine. The Zionist movement then led to violence that forced Palestine from their homes. Even though different explanations are offered for the Palestine emigration, all the versions point to the violent move by the Zionists. Some Palestine moved out of their homes because of the Zionist violence while others moved because of a directive from their Arab leaders who presumably planned a war in the region. In either case, the relocation of the Palestine from their land and the perception among Israelis that the remaining Palestine citizens should leave the area remains the cause of the continuous conflict. Related to interest in the land and the relocation of Palestine citizens is the United Nation’s recommendation of land allocation between the Zionists and the Palestine.

Leadership in TQM Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Leadership in TQM Theory - Essay Example This is an erroneous assumption, predicated on a misunderstanding of the distinction between authoritarian leadership and involved, proactive leadership. The distinction between the two is not only real but is one which makes all the difference between organisational success and failure; between organisational atrophy and organisational flexibility. As Baker et al. (1993) asserts, effective organisational leadership is a leadership which acknowledges the inherent value of delegation and autonomy but which at the same time, is present and involved; a leadership which displays, not only acumen in decision-making and strategic planning but which has the capacity to proactively to extraordinary circumstances through the utilisation of both change and crisis is management tools, such as demanded by the specific of the situation/crisis/change at hand. The effective leader is, in other words, one who has successfully negotiated the fine balance between involvement and delegation. Defining effective leadership is a challenging endeavour and within the limits of the present research, an impossible one. Nevertheless, by clarifying the research's focus and delimiting the scope of its exploration, the study shall communicate the characteristics of the effective leader within the matrix of Total Quality Management [TQM]. The reason for selecting TQM as the theoretical paradigm from within which the characteristics of the effective leader shall be defined is not because it happens to be the most popular and result-oriented management paradigm today but because, as Gilbert (2004) notes, leadership within TQM organisations are, by definition, highly effective leaders who have successfully negotiated between the exigencies of involvement and delegation, on the one hand, and who function as the founding bloc for an organisational culture which, beyond being fundamentally founded upon strategic management and planning, is constructively responsive to both change and cri sis. Indeed, empirical studies have established that leaders within TQM organisations tends towards the display of higher levels of decision-making and strategic planning acumen than those in non-TQM organisations because strategic planning is both research-based and holistic, on the one hand and because decision-making is shared and knowledge-based, on the other. Following a review of the characteristics of the effective leader and an analysis of effective leadership within the matrix of strategic planning and decision making the research shall look towards case studies drawn from the IT sector in order to demonstrate the extent to which effective leadership is an inherently TQM one, based on an acknowledgement of the imperatives of information-based strategic planning and shared decision-making, while ineffective leadership is the very antithesis of the stated. 2 Leadership in TQM Theory TQM is, as Easton and Jarrell (1998) maintain, a comprehensive organisational management system which is based upon the integration of several managerial perspectives, approaches and theories into one, in acknowledgement of the complexity of organisational structures themselves. However,

Hoosiers Essay Example for Free

Hoosiers Essay ‘Hoosiers’ was a film released in 1986 and is one of very rare hits in the series of sports films. The film is set in the year 1952 in a small town in Indiana and this was the time when in Indiana each high school has the goal of winning one or the other states championship. It is based on a true story but with strong characterization, a story with its own logic and aspects of motivation and inspirational scenes as well along with characters having specific and distinguished qualities. 1. On his first night in Hickory, Coach Dale was provided with lots of suggestions by the town’s men but he was very sure that all these suggestions were not going to work. He had his goals and decisions firm and assertive and on the very first day of practice, he tells the temporary coach that his days of coaching were over and also dismisses Buddy. 2. Jimmy Chipwood is considered as the star player with experience and the team members too needed him but Coach Dale tried to ignore him initially and focused on the whole team because he believed that the team that plays collectively preventing selfish play, only has a chance to succeed. But he unintentionally convinces Jimmy to play and it seemed he persuaded him to play for him alone, which encourages the team and they finally win the state championship. 3. At the first prep rally, Coach Dale exhibits the authoritative style of leadership and dismisses a player because he doesn’t follow his instructions word by word. He believes that games when played on fundamentals could win and the most important thing was discipline. 4. During the first game, Coach Dale felt that his team was not able to make a shoot and he decided to make a speech in half time and tried to calm down his players as also give them hints so that they play accordingly after half time. He also makes Ray stay out of the game. 5.â€Å"Shooter† in the movie, ‘Hoosiers’ has the real passion for the game, basketball and of course knows about the game very well. The only thing lacking in him is self-esteem because he had missed an important shot during his playing days and is also the victim of ostracism. Treating these kind of people in the way Coach Dale does is very important because the real thing is how important one is for the purpose i.e., the basketball game here. Promoting the Shooter reveals that personal drawback can be overcome by the knowledge. 6. During sectionals, Coach Dale keeps himself cool and firm and applies the authoritative style of leadership because the team still believed that they could not do without Jimmy. Coach Dale wanted each and every player to perform their best and remember the fundamentals of the game. 7. Coach Dale tries to moderate the pressure of the game of the State Championship among the players but he himself is under pressure because winning this championship meant a lot for him. The pressure is because he was put out of this game for more than a  decade and that guilt stayed in his mind and had made his soul cover with a thick skin of wisdom. The reminder of this incident every now and then makes Coach Dale cynical and of course his arrogance can also be related to the same thing. At the back of the mind he is nervous and wants his players to not to face any such kind of situation, which would make them have regrets throughout their lives. This is what is made clear by Ronald Heffeitz when his work depicts that leading with an open heart needs a lot of courage and writes that it is first and foremost important for ones own identity and spirit. And this Coach dale does during the state championship game and encourages each player to perform his best.

Software testing

Software testing 1.0 Software Testing Activities We start testing activities from the first phase of the software development life cycle. We may generate test cases from the SRS and SDD documents and use them during system and acceptance testing. Hence, development and testing activities are carried out simultaneously in order to produce good quality maintainable software in time and within budget. We may carry out testing at many levels and may also take help of a software testing tool. Whenever we experience a failure, we debug the source code to find reasons for such a failure. Finding the reasons of a failure is very significant testing activity and consumes huge amount of resources and may also delay the release of the software. 1.1 Levels of Testing Software testing is generally carried out at different levels. There are four such levels namely unit testing, integration testing, system testing, and acceptance testing as shown in figure 8.1. First three levels of testing activities are done by the testers and last level of testing (acceptance) is done by the customer(s)/user(s). Each level has specific testing objectives. For example, at unit testing level, independent units are tested using functional and/or structural testing techniques. At integration testing level, two or more units are combined and testing is carried out to test the integration related issues of various units. At system testing level, the system is tested as a whole and primarily functional testing techniques are used to test the system. Non functional requirements like performance, reliability, usability, testability etc. are also tested at this level. Load/stress testing is also performed at this level. Last level i.e. acceptance testing is done by the cus tomer(s)/users for the purpose of accepting the final product. 1.1.1 Unit Testing We develop software in parts / units and every unit is expected to have defined functionality. We may call it a component, module, procedure, function etc, which will have a purpose and may be developed independently and simultaney. A. Bertolino and E. Marchetti have defined a unit as [BERT07]: A unit is the smallest testable piece of software, which may consist of hundreds or even just few lines of source code, and generally represents the result of the work of one or few developers. The unit test cases purpose is to ensure that the unit satisfies its functional specification and / or that its implemented structure matches the intended design structure. [BEIZ90, PFLE01]. There are also problems with unit testing. How can we run a unit independently? A unit may not be completely independent. It may be calling few units and also called by one or more units. We may have to write additional source code to execute a unit. A unit X may call a unit Y and a unit Y may call a unit A and a unit B as shown in figure 8.2(a). To execute a unit Y independently, we may have to write additional source code in a unit Y which may handle the activities of a unit X and the activities of a unit A and a unit B. The additional source code to handle the activities of a unit X is called driver and the additional source code to handle the activities of a unit A and a unit B is called stub. The complete additional source code which is written for the design of stub and driver is called scaffolding. The scaffolding should be removed after the completion of unit testing. This may help us to locate an error easily due to small size of a unit. Many white box testing techniques may be effectively applicable at unit level. We should keep stubs and drivers simple and small in size to reduce the cost of testing. If we design units in such a way that they can be tested without writing stubs and drivers, we may be very efficient and lucky. Generally, in practice, it may be difficult and thus requirement of stubs and drivers may not be eliminated. We may only minimize the requirement of scaffolding depending upon the functionality and its division in various units. 1.1.2 Integration Testing A software may have many units. We test units independently during unit testing after writing required stubs and drivers. When we combine two units, we may like to test the interfaces amongst these units. We combine two or more units because they share some relationship. This relationship is represented by an interface and is known as coupling. The coupling is the measure of the degree of interdependence between units. Two units with high coupling are strongly connected and thus, dependent on each other. Two units with low coupling are weakly connected and thus have low dependency on each other. Hence, highly coupled units are heavily dependent on other units and loosely coupled units are comparatively less dependent on other units as shown in figure 8.3. Coupling increases as the number of calls amongst units increases or the amount of shared data increases. The design with high coupling may have more errors. Loose coupling minimize the interdependence and some of the steps to minimize the coupling are given as: (i) Pass only data, not the control information. (ii) Avoid passing undesired data. (iii) Minimize parent / child relationship between calling and called units. (iv) Minimize the number of parameters to be passed between two units. (v) Avoid passing complete data structure. (vi) Do not declare global variables. (vii) Minimize the scope of variables. Different types of coupling are data (best), stamp, control, external, common and content (worst). When we design test cases for interfaces, we should be very clear about the coupling amongst units and if it is high, large number of test cases should be designed to test that particular interface. A good design should have low coupling and thus interfaces become very important. When interfaces are important, their testing will also be important. In integration testing, we focus on the issues related to interfaces amongst units. There are several integration strategies that really have little basis in a rational methodology and are given in figure 8.4. Top down integration starts from the main unit and keeps on adding all called units of next level. This portion should be tested thoroughly by focusing on interface issues. After completion of integration testing at this level, add next level of units and as so on till we reach the lowest level units (leaf units). There will not be any requirement of drivers and only stubs will be designed. In bottom-up integration, we start from the bottom, (i.e. from leaf units) and keep on adding upper level units till we reach the top (i.e. root node). There will not be any need of stubs. A sandwich strategy runs from top and bottom concurren tly, depending upon the availability of units and may meet somewhere in the middle. (b) Bottom up integration (focus starts from edges i, j and so on) c) Sandwich integration (focus starts from a, b, i, j and so on) Each approach has its own advantages and disadvantages. In practice, sandwich integration approach is more popular. This can be started as and when two related units are available. We may use any functional or structural testing techniques to design test cases. The functional testing techniques are easy to implement with a particular focus on the interfaces and some structural testing techniques may also be used. When a new unit is added as a part of integration testing then the software is considered as a changed software. New paths are designed and new input(s) and output(s) conditions may emerge and new control logic may invoke. These changes may also cause problems with units that previously worked flawlessly. 1.1.3 System Testing We perform system testing after the completion of unit and integration testing. We test complete software alongwith its expected environment. We generally use functional testing techniques, although few structural testing techniques may also be used. A system is defined as a combination of the software, hardware and other associated parts that together provide product features and solutions. System testing ensures that each system function works as expected and it also tests for non-functional requirements like performance, security, reliability, stress, load etc. This is the only phase of testing which tests both functional and non-functional requirements of the system. A team of the testing persons does the system testing under the supervision of a test team leader. We also review all associated documents and manuals of the software. This verification activity is equally important and may improve the quality of the final product. Utmost care should be taken for the defects found during system testing phase. A proper impact analysis should be done before fixing the defect. Sometimes, if system permits, instead of fixing the defects are just documented and mentioned as the known limitation. This may happen in a situation when fixing is very time consuming or technically it is not possible in the present design etc. Progress of system testing also builds confidence in the development team as this is the first phase in which complete product is tested with a specific focus on customers expectations. After the completion of this phase, customers are invited to test the software. 1.1.4 Acceptance Testing This is the extension of system testing. When testing team feels that the product is ready for the customer(s), they invite the customer(s) for demonstration. After demonstration of the product, customer(s) may like to use the product for their satisfaction and confidence. This may range from adhoc usage to systematic well-planned usage of the product. This type of usage is essential before accepting the final product. The testing done for the purpose of accepting a product is known as acceptance testing. This may be carried out by the customer(s) or persons authorized by the customer. The venue may be developers site or customers site depending on the mutual agreement. Generally, acceptance testing is carried out at the customers site. Acceptance testing is carried out only when the software is developed for a particular customer(s). If, we develop software for anonymous customers (like operating systems, compilers, case tools etc), then acceptance testing is not feasible. In such c ases, potential customers are identified to test the software and this type of testing is called alpha / beta testing. Beta testing is done by many potential customers at their sites without any involvement of developers / testers. Although alpha testing is done by some potential customers at developers site under the direction and supervision of testers. 1.2 Debugging Whenever a software fails, we would like to understand the reason(s) of such a failure. After knowing the reason(s), we may attempt to find solution and may make necessary changes in the source code accordingly. These changes will hopefully remove the reason(s) of that software failure. The process of identifying and correcting a software error is known as debugging. It starts after receiving a failure report and completes after ensuring that all corrections have been rightly placed and the software does not fail with the same set of input(s). The debugging is quite a difficult phase and may become one of the reasons of the software delays. Every bug detection process is different and it is difficult to know how long it will take to find and fix a bug. Sometimes, it may not be possible to detect a bug or if a bug is detected, it may not be feasible to correct it at all. These situations should be handled very carefully. In order to remove bugs, developer must first discover that a problem exists, then classify the bug, locate where the problem actually lies in the source code, and finally correct the problem. 1.2.1 Why debugging is so difficult? Debugging is a difficult process. This is probably due to human involvement and their psychology. Developers become uncomfortable after receiving any request of debugging. It is taken against their professional pride. Shneiderman [SHNE80] has rightly commented on human aspect of debugging as: It is one of the most frustrating parts of programming. It has elements of problem solving or brain teasers, coupled with the annoying recognition that we have made a mistake. Heightened anxiety and the unwillingness to accept the possibility of errors, increase the task difficulty. Fortunately, there is a great sigh of relief and a lessening of tension when the bug is ultimately corrected. These comments explain the difficulty of debugging. Pressman [PRES97] has given some clues about the characteristics of bugs as: The debugging process attempts to match symptom with cause, thereby leading to error correction. The symptom and the cause may be geographically remote. That is, symptom may appear in one part of program, while the cause may actually be located in other part. Highly coupled program structures may further complicate this situation. Symptom may also disappear temporarily when another error is corrected. In real time applications, it may be difficult to accurately reproduce the input conditions. In some cases, symptom may be due to causes that are distributed across a number of tasks running on different processors. There may be many reasons which may make debugging process difficult and time consuming. However, psychological reasons are more prevalent over technical reasons. Over the years, debugging techniques have substantially improved and they will continue to develop significantly in the near future. Some debugging tools are available and they minimize the human involvement in the debugging process. However, it is still a difficult area and consumes significant amount of time and resources. 1.2.2 Debugging Process Debugging means detecting and removing bugs from the programs. Whenever a program generates an unexpected behaviour, it is known as a failure of the program. This failure may be mild, annoying, disturbing, serious, extreme, catastrophic or infectious. Depending on the type of failure, actions are required to be taken. Debugging process starts after receiving a failure report either from testing team or from users. The steps of the debugging process are replication of the bug, understanding the bug, locate the bug, fix the bug and retest the program. (i) Replication of the bug: The first step in fixing a bug is to replicate it. This means to recreate the undesired behaviour under controlled conditions. The same set of input(s) should be given under similar conditions to the program and the program, after execution, should produce similar unexpected behaviour. If this happens, we are able to replicate a bug. In many cases, this is simple and straight forward. We execute the program on a particular input(s) or we press a particular button on a particular dialog, and the bug occurs. In other cases, replication may be very difficult. It may require many steps or in an interactive program such as a game, it may require precise timing. In worst cases, replication may be nearly impossible. If we do not replicate the bug, how will we verify the fix? Hence, failure to replicate a bug is a real problem. If we cannot do it, any action, which cannot be verified, has no meaning, how so ever important it may be. Some of the reasons for non-replication of bug are: ÂÂ · The user incorrectly reported the problem. ÂÂ · The program has failed due to hardware problems like memory overflow, poor network connectivity, network congestion, non availability of system buses, deadlock conditions etc. ÂÂ · The program has failed due to system software problems. The reason may be the usage of different type of operating system, compilers, device drivers etc. there may be any above mentioned reason for the failure of the program, although there is no inherent bug in program for this particular failure. Our effort should be to replicate the bug. If we cannot do so, it is advisable to keep the matter pending till we are able to replicate it. There is no point in playing with the source code for a situation which is not reproducible. (ii) Understanding the bug After replicating the bug, we may like to understand the bug. This means, we want to find the reason(s) of this failure. There may be one or more reasons and is generally the most time consuming activity. We should understand the program very clearly for understanding a bug. If we are the designers and source code writers, there may not be any problem for understanding the bug. If not, then we may even have more serious problems. If readability of the program is good and associated documents are available, we may be able to manage the problem. If readability is not that good, (which happens in many situations) and associated documents are not proper, situation becomes very difficult and complex. We may call the designers, if we are lucky, they may be available with the company and we may get them. Imagine otherwise, what will happen? This is a real challenging situation and in practice many times, we have to face this and struggle with the source code and documents written by the per sons not available with the company. We may have to put effort in order to understand the program. We may start from the first statement of the source code to the last statement with a special focus on critical and complex areas of the source code. We should be able to know, where to look in the source code for any particular activity. It should also tell us the general way in which the program acts. The worst cases are large programs written by many persons over many years. These programs may not have consistency and may become poorly readable over time due to various maintenance activities. We should simply do the best and try to avoid making the mess worse. We may also take the help of source code analysis tools for examining the large programs. A debugger may also be helpful for understanding the program. A debugger inspects a program statement wise and may be able to show the dynamic behaviour of the program using a breakpoint. The breakpoints are used to pause the program at any time needed. At every breakpoint, we may look at values of variables, contents of relevant memory locations, registers etc. The main point is that in order to understand a bug, program understanding is essential. We should put desired effort before finding the reasons of the software failure. If we fail to do so, unnecessarily, we may waste our effort, which is neither required nor desired. (iii) Locate the bug There are two portions of the source code which need to be considered for locating a bug. First portion of the source code is one which causes the visible incorrect behaviour and second portion of the source code is one which is actually incorrect. In most of the situations, both portions may overlap and sometimes, both portions may be in different parts of the program. We should first find the source code which causes the incorrect behaviour. After knowing the incorrect behaviour and its related portion of the source code, we may find the portion of the source code which is at fault. Sometimes, it may be very easy to identify the problematic source code (second portion of the source code) with manual inspection. Otherwise, we may have to take the help of a debugger. If we have core dumps, a debugger can immediately identify the line which fails. A core dumps is the printout of all registers and relevant memory locations. We should document them and also retain them for possible futu re use. We may provide breakpoints while replicating the bug and this process may also help us to locate the bug. Sometimes simple print statements may help us to locate the sources of the bad behaviour. This simple way provides us the status of various variables at different locations of the program with specific set of inputs. A sequence of print statements may also portray the dynamics of variable changes. However, it is cumbersome to use in large programs. They may also generate superfluous data which may be difficult to analyze and manage. Another useful approach is to add check routines in the source code to verify that data structures are in a valid state. Such routines may help us to narrow down where data corruption occurs. If the check routines are fast, we may want to always enable them. Otherwise, leave them in the source code, and provide some sort of mechanism to turn them on when we need them. The most useful and powerful way is to do the source code inspection. This may help us to understand the program, understand the bug and finally locate the bug. A clear understanding of the program is an absolute requirement of any debugging activity. Sometimes, bug may not be in the program at all. It may be in a library routine or in the operating system, or in the compiler. These cases are very rare, but there are chances and if everything fails, we may have to look for such options. (iv) Fix the bug and retest the program After locating the bug, we may like to fix the bug. The fixing of a bug is a programming exercise rather than a debugging activity. After making necessary changes in the source code, we may have to retest the source code in order to ensure that the corrections have been rightly done at right place. Every change may affect other portions of the source code also. Hence an impact analysis is required to identify the affected portion and that portion should also be retested thoroughly. This retesting activity is called regression testing which is very important activity of any debugging process. 1.2.3 Debugging Approaches There are many popular debugging approaches, but success of any approach is dependant upon the understanding of the program. If the persons involved in debugging understand the program correctly, they may be able to detect and remove the bugs. (i) Trial and Error Method This approach is dependent on the ability and experience of the debugging persons. After getting a failure report, it is analyzed and program is inspected. Based on experience and intelligence, and also using hit and trial technique, the bug is located and a solution is found. This is a slow approach and becomes impractical in large programs. (ii) Backtracking This can be used successfully in small programs. We start at the point where program gives incorrect result such as unexpected output is printed. After analyzing the output, we trace backward the source code manually until a cause of the failure is found. The source code from the statement where symptoms of failure is found to the statement where cause of failure is found is analyzed properly. This technique brackets the locations of the bug in the program. Subsequent careful study of bracketed location may help us to rectify the bug. Another obvious variation of backtracking is forward tracking, where we use print statements or other means to examine a succession of intermediate results to determine at what point the result first became wrong. These approaches (backtracking and forward tracking) may be useful only when the size of the program is small. As the program size increases, it becomes difficult to manage these approaches. (iii) Brute Force This is probably the most common and efficient approach to identify the cause of a software failure. In this approach, memory dumps are taken and run time traces are invoked and the program is loaded with print statements. When this is done, we may find a clue by the information produced which leads to identification of cause of a bug. Memory traces are similar to memory dumps, except that the printout contains only certain memory and register contents and printing is conditional on some event occurring. Typically conditional events are entry, exit or use of one of the following: (a) A particular subroutine, statement or database (b) Communication with I/O devices (c) Value of a variable (d) Timed actuations (periodic or random) in certain real time system. A special problem with trace programs is that the conditions are entered in the source code and any changes require a recompilation. The huge amount of data is generated which although may help to identify the cause but may be difficult to manage and analyze. (iv) Cause Elimination Cause elimination is manifested by induction or deduction and also introduces the concept of binary partitioning. Data related to error occurrence are organized to isolate potential causes. Alternatively, a list of all possible causes is developed and tests are conducted to eliminate each. Therefore, we may rule out causes one by one until a single one remains for validation. The cause is identified, properly fixed and retested accordingly. 1.2.4 Debugging Tools Many debugging tools are available to support the debugging process. Some of the manual activities can also be automated using a tool. We may need a tool that may execute every statement of a program at a time and print values of any variable after executing every statement of the program. We will be free from inserting print statements in the program manually. Thus, run time debuggers are designed. In principle, a run time debugger is nothing more than an automatic print statement generator. It allows us to trace the program path and the variables without having to put print statements in the source code. Every compiler available in the market comes with run time debugger. It allows us to compile and run the program with a single compilation, rather than modifying the source code and recompiling as we try to narrow down the bug. Run time debuggers may detect bugs in the program, but may fail to find the causes of failures. We may need a special tool to find causes of failures and correct the bug. Some errors like memory corruption and memory leaks may be detected automatically. The automation was the modification in debugging process, because it automated the process of finding the bug. A tool may detect an error, and our job is to simply fix it. These tools are known as automatic debugger and come in several varieties. The simplest ones are just a library of functions that can be linked into a program. When the program executes and these functions are called, the debugger checks for memory corruption, if it finds this, it reports it. Compilers are also used for finding bugs. Of course, they check only syntax errors and particular type of run time errors. Compilers should give proper and detailed messages of errors that will be of great help to the debugging process. Compilers may give all such information in the attribute table, which is printed along with the listing. The attribute table contains various levels of warnings which have been picked up by the compiler scan and which are noted. Hence, compilers are coming with error detection feature and there is no excuse to design compilers without meaningful error messages. We may apply wide variety of tools like run time debugger, automatic debugger, automatic test case generators, memory dumps, cross reference maps, compilers etc during the debugging process. However, tools are not the substitute for careful examination of the source code after thorough understanding. 1.3 Software Testing Tools The most important effort consuming task in software testing is to design the test cases. The execution of these test cases may not require much time and resources. Hence, designing part is more significant than execution part. Both parts are normally handled manually. Do we really need a tool? If yes, where and when can we use it? In first part (designing of test cases) or second part (execution of test cases) or both. Software testing tools may be used to reduce the time of testing and to make testing as easy and pleasant as possible. Automated testing may be carried out without human involvement. This may help us in the areas where similar data set is to be given as input to the program again and again. A tool may do the repeated testing, unattended also, during nights or weekends without human intervention. Many non-functional requirements may be tested with the help of a tool. We want to test the performance of a software under load, which may require many computers, manpower and other resources. A tool may simulate multiple users on one computer and also a situation when many users are accessing a database simultaneously. There are three broad categories of software testing tools i.e. static, dynamic and process management. Most of the tools fall clearly into one of the categories but there are few exceptions like mutation analysis system which falls in more than one the categories. A wide variety of tools are available with different scope and quality and they assist us in many ways. 1.3.1 Static software testing tools Static software testing tools are those that perform analysis of the programs without executing them at all. They may also find the source code which will be hard to test and maintain. As we all know, static testing is about prevention and dynamic testing is about cure. We should use both the tools but prevention is always better than cure. These tools will find more bugs as compared to dynamic testing tools (where we execute the program). There are many areas for which effective static testing tools are available, and they have shown their results for the improvement of the quality of the software. (i) Complexity analysis tools Complexity of a program plays very important role while determining its quality. A popular measure of complexity is the cyclomatic complexity as discussed in chapter 4. This gives us the idea about the number of independent paths in the program and is dependent upon the number of decisions in the program. Higher value of cyclomatic complexity may indicate about poor design and risky implementation. This may also be applied at module level and higher cyclomatic complexity value modules may either be redesigned or may be tested very thoroughly. There are other complexity measures also which are used in practice like Halstead software size measures, knot complexity measure etc. Tools are available which are based on any of the complexity measure. These tools may take the program as an input, process it and produce a complexity value as output. This value may be an indicator of the quality of design and implementation. (ii) Syntax and Semantic Analysis Tools These tools find syntax and semantic errors. Although compiler may detect all syntax errors during compilation, but early detection of such errors may help to minimize other associated errors. Semantic errors are very significant and compilers are helpless to find such errors. There are tools in the market that may analyze the program and find errors. Non-declaration of a variable, double declaration of a variable, divide by zero issue, unspecified inputs, non-initialization of a variable are some of the issues which may be detected by semantic analysis tools. These tools are language dependent and may parse the source code, maintain a list of errors and provide implementation information. The parser may find semantic errors as well as make an inference as to what is syntactically correct. (iii) Flow graph generator tools These tools are language dependent and take the program as an input and convert it to its flow graph. The flow graph may be used for many purposes like complexity calculation, paths identification, generation of definition use paths, program slicing etc. These

The Masque o the Red Death Essay -- essays research papers

Edgar Allen Poe's The Masque of the Red Death is an elaborate allegory/microcosm that combines objects in the story with visual descriptions to give focus to the reader's imagination. In the story, a prince named Prospero tries to dodge the Red Death through isolation and seclusion. He hides behind seemingly impenetrable walls of his castellated abbey and lets the world take care of its own. However, no walls can stop death because it is inescapable and inevitable. Visual descriptions in the story are used to symbolize death. Poe's use of language and symbolism is shown in his description of the seventh room in the suite, the ebony clock, and the fire. The first symbolic mean of death is depicted in the seventh room in the suite. Poe says, "The seventh apartment was closely shrouded in black velvet tapestries that hung all over the ceiling and down the walls, falling in heavy folds upon a carpet of the same material and hue". He uses the seventh room to symbolize the final stage of life, death. He sees the black velvet tapestries as blood flowing from the ceiling and walls to the floor. The relationship between blood and death is important because he wants the reader to have a visual image of the blood pouring down the walls as a form of death. The fire lighting the suite of rooms is another object in the story that represented death. He says, "...There stood, opposit...

Affirmative Action is Discrimination in a New Form Essay -- Argumentat

Affirmative Action - Discrimination in a New Form    The roots of affirmative action can be traced back to the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act where legislation redefined public and private behavior. The act states that to discriminate in private is legal, but anything regarding business or public discrimination is illegal ("Affirmative" 13). There are two instances when opposing affirmative action might seem the wrong thing to do. Even these two cases don't justify the use of affirmative action. First is the nobility of the cause to help others. Second, affirmative action was a great starter for equality in the work place. The most prominant variable in deciding affirmative action as right or wrong, is whether or not society is going to treat people as groups or individuals. Affirmative action is a question of morals. The simplicity to form two morals that are both correct but conflicting is the reason for the division of our nation on affirmative action.    Affirmative action is very noble when looking at who benefits from the outcome. Take a closer look at affirmative action. The people that are involved and the damage it takes on our society surfaces many doubts. Taking a closer look also stirs up a question of nobility that needs to be answered before making a decision on affirmative action. Does affirmative action simply change who is discriminated against and makes it legal for the new discriminators?    Coming from my point of view, the view of a white male, this is a serious question. One example of this came to my attention from Dave Shiflett who once worked at Rocky Mountain News wrote "Rocky Mountain Hire". In this article he tells about a new hiring strategy used at the Denver news paper Rock... ...countered. The gap between mean SAT scores for black and whites is 938 for whites and 740 for blacks(Shipler 16) These test scores sometimes become the discrimination against minorities. Another form of evaluating students is where the Universities and government need to focus, to establish a standard in education that spans across all levels of income. Affirmative action is definitely not the answer for equality in this day in time.    Affirmative action has balanced for thirty years on a moral threat. It is now time to apply new moral threats, not towards the employers and colleges but towards the government. For it is the government that needs to change its polices. The government needs to take action towards the real problems of equality: poverty, not the bad white man from the past. Affirmative action is simply the same old discrimination in reverse.

‘Of Mice and Men’ is a famous novel written by John Steinbeck Essay

‘Of Mice and Men’ is a famous novel written by John Steinbeck; Steinbeck was born in 1902 in Salinas Valley, California and he set ‘Of Mice and Men’ during the Great Depression. He based the storyline on his personal experiences and ventures. The novel was later adapted into a motion picture starring John Malkovich and Gary Sinise. This essay will examine various aspects of the film; the films treatment of the story, characterisation, camera work, symbolism, special effects and the use of music. The film does not follow the book exactly as several scenes from the novel have been edited to add climax and tension. For example some important aspects of the book have been changed. The first change is George and Lennie going into the boss’ house to meet him instead of the boss meeting them in the bunkhouse; George doesn’t scold Lennie for talking in front of the boss when he strictly told not to say a word; George is introduced to Slim over dinner but in the book they first meet in the bunkhouse; George comes into Crooks’ room to get Lennie while in the book Candy joins Lennie and Crooks and they all discuss the dream, then even Crooks starts to believe in the dream and asks if he can be part of it. Some scenes from the book are not included at all, for example Curley’s wife doesn’t threaten Crooks in the film whereas in the book she threatens to frame Crooks for rape purely out of spite because the men reject her company. The hallucinations that Lennie has of Aunt Clara and the rabbit telling him how bad he has been in the last chapter of the novel are not portrayed in the film and when Slim and the other men console George after he has killed Lennie is not shown in the film either. Although some scenes have been cut from the original storyline others scenes have been added to the film. For example the opening of the film which shows the girl running in the red dress and the men chasing George and Lennie (this is only hinted at in the book); the train scene where George and Lennie jump on the train escaping to Salinas Valley and grabbing their work tickets in town; the work scenes which show the power of Lennie’s strength; Curley’s wife talking to George alone in the barn; Curley practicing his boxing skills on his punching bag and George and Lennie speaking to Curley’s wife after they have just left Crooks’ room. This treatment of the story shows us that not all scenes in a novel makes a good or interesting scene in a film so a novel can not just be filmed as it is, it often needs changing to make it a film the audience wants to watch. In film the director usually tries to bring a romantic element into the film to keep the audience guessing, will the couple get together or not? For example, there is an underlying sexual tension between George and Curley’s wife in a couple of scenes. The characterisation is fairly faithful to the way they are described in the book. The way Lennie is portrayed is as a large, tall man with the strength of a giant. He is shown to be innocent like a child but as strong as an ox. The actor playing Lennie, John Malkovich matches Lennie’s description in the book, â€Å"A huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders†. Gary Sinise also fits George’s physical description, â€Å"Small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features†. He is shown to be the brains and Lennie the brawn. He is like the responsible father of Lennie, always taking care of him and trying to keep him out of trouble e.g. the scene where George gets Lennie out of Weed because he got into serious trouble for touching a woman’s red dress. Candy, the swamper, is faithful to his description in the book, â€Å"A tall, stoop-shouldered old man† and so is his character. Curley, the Boss’ son is described as, â€Å"A thin young man with a brown face, with brown eyes and a head of tightly curled hair† (hence the name) but the actor in the film has straight hair. However some characters differ from the way they are described in the book. In the book Slim, the jerk line skinner, is described as â€Å"Prince of the ranch†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦he moved with a majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsmen† and he has a lot of authority and respect among all the ranch men in fact, â€Å"His authority was so great his word was taken on any subject, be it politics or love†. In the film his authority and respect doesn’t come across as much as it does in the book. The actor playing Slim didn’t look the way the reader would have imagined him, â€Å"His long, black, damp hair straight back. His hatchet face was ageless. His hands, large and lean, were as delicate in their action as those of a temple dancer†. Curley’s wife is physically the same as how she is described in the book. However, the audience has more sympathy for her in the film than in the book because she doesn’t threaten Crooks in the same vindictive, spiteful way. Her vulnerability is also highlighted when she is seen breaking down in tears after Curley has broken her records. In addition Crooks, the stable buck, (his nickname is derived from his crooked spine) is much more bent over then the audience would have expected. He is crueller than in the book e.g. he enjoys tormenting Lennie about George possibly not returning ever again therefore is seen to be quite malicious. The camera work is very cleverly done and emphasises certain aspects of the story very well e.g. the close up of Lennie crushing Curley’s hand and the close up of Lennie breaking Curley’s wife’s neck, make the scenes more dramatic. The lighting affects the mood of the story like the semi-darkness in the barn when Lennie kills the puppy and the bunkhouse when Carlson takes Candy’s old dog to be shot display a sombre mood. The golden glow of the men playing horseshoes outdoors displays a happy and optimistic mood. There are also several interesting special effects used in the film to intensify the drama. For example the fight between Curley and Lennie is exciting to watch as you see the blood dripping from Curley’s crushed hand, the killing of Curley’s wife as she panics and he breaks her neck and the shooting of Lennie when George shoots him in the back of the head. Most scenes in the film symbolise things for different characters for instance the dark side of the men’s lives when they are on the train and the light flickers symbolises an uncertain future ahead, violence could flare at any time. It could also symbolise a gloomy, depressing future. Scenes with a lot of light symbolise happier times, signs of hope or the men just enjoying life for a change. The ‘rabbits’ symbolise the dream and a symbol for Lennie of a better life. The ‘dead mouse’ symbolises death and a sense of foreboding (that something bad is about to happen). Music is a key element in any movie because it helps to build up tension e.g. the famous theme tune of ‘Jaws’ or the music used in ‘Physco’ as the person is being murdered the beat is set by every stab. Music also shows the mood and is there to accompany the action on screen e.g. when the men are chasing George and Lennie at the beginning of the film the music gets louder and louder. In contrast to this is the use of complete silence to set the mood e.g. when they are on the train and when they are hiding in the ditch. The silence can represent calm or tension. The music when they are discussing the ‘Dream’ is very relaxing and soothing, which again reflects the mood. Overall the novel is a tragedy because you feel sympathy for George because he had to kill his friend who had become like a brother to him. The film relays the novel, keeping along the lines of the story but is still a film worth watching even if the audience has not read the book. This is because the director has altered and added scenes to include tension, drama and climax. People who have read the book would be satisfied that the characters and storyline follow the book almost to every aspect.

Fiction and Australian Identity Essay

The novel Cloudstreet, by Tim Winton resonates the idea of engaging readers through its focus on optimism despite hardship throughout the narrative. The text has the ability to be appreciated and understood through its textual integrity and realism, making it an inspirationally driven text for those engaged readers. A cultural perspective of the novel highlights how the characters in the novel overcome hardships and gain that sense of optimism, which is a true acknowledgment of the sentiment of the stereotypical â€Å"Australian† character. Winton’s focus on the overcoming of segregation in the novel, thoroughly emphasizes this notion of how after hardship, comes optimism, as once the family unites, there is this strong sense of optimism felt in the text. These ideas engage the reader to an extent of realisation that this text is one full of inspiration and encouragement, despite the hardship present at times. The cultural perspective of the novel incorporates the acknowledgment of the Australian identity, making the readers engage and relate with the various characters who posses similar traits. Sam Pickle’s lifestyle, focusing on vices and addiction, causes a great deal of hardship for himself and those around him. The influence gambling has on his life is shown in the quote, â€Å"He loved to gamble, for it was another way of finding water, a divination that sent his whole body sparking. † Comparing Sam’s gambling addiction to that of water allows for realisation of the importance of gambling in his life, as water is a necessity for life. This also creates a distinct connection between Sam and Fish, as Fish’s character thrives for water, bringing happiness and satisfaction to his life, as it is a â€Å"divination†. This creates the parallel that Sam may see gambling in this necessary way. It is known throughout the novel of the importance of water, and this quote portrays Sam’s view on gambling, thoroughly reflecting on its influence on his life. The hardships depicted in the novel are a realistic truth that creates textual integrity; recognizing the Australian identity, as a way to accept the hardships and move on with life, as Sam does throughout the novel. The significance of the inclusion of the Australian identity, is key in the characterization of the various characters, each bringing their own flaws and qualities to the narrative, giving it its engaging effect. The cultural perspective give the hardships faced in the novel a sense of realism, and relatability. Rose’s character is one that signifies the overcoming of these hardships, as she arguably faces the most significant adversities throughout her life. Rose’s private feelings regarding the impact of her parents’ vices is expressed in how, â€Å"There was too much shame, too much cowering under the neighbours’ eyes, too much agonizing embarrassment going to school with a black eye †¦Ã¢â‚¬  The repetition of â€Å"too much† evokes empathy for her circumstances as she is compelled to suffer not only neglect but physical abuse from her mother as well. The obvious physical pain, as well as her lowered moral shown throughout the novel, seem to entice the idea of the negativity hardship can have on ones life. It forces Rose to want to breakaway from her family ideas and values, and explore the world, looking for that sense of optimism. Her character proves the underlying attributes in the Australian identity; attributes that focus on pursuing happiness, to gain a greater perspective of life. The narrative allows for the idea of segregation to act as an aspect of the hardship faced by the characters. It distinguishes the differences between those who are separated, identifying their different lifestyles and values as factors, which has caused this disconnection. The segregation and major personality differences between the two families are highlighted in the quote, â€Å"Sometimes they squared off at one another like opposing platoons. † The metaphor of comparing the two sets of children to â€Å"platoon†, a word commonly used in war, parallels the separation caused by the war. This emphasizes a key aspect of the contextual features of the storyline, as the war has a major impact on the lives of the characters. This also exaggerates the level of separation between the two families, suggesting they have a war-like standing against each other, caused by different views and opinions. The notion of segregation between the families is an obvious cause of hardship, as the two families share so much, whilst being completely different. There is strong symbolism throughout Cloud Street that parallels this idea of segregation. The end of the novel signifies the overcoming of these symbols, in order to unite. The divided backyard is achieved through â€Å"old signs patched together,† symbolizing the patching together’ of lives after the previous hardships faced. The families of Cloudstreet are very different, one who works hard for their own benefit and the other strongly focused on taking life in its stride, letting luck decide life’s path. Winton tends to favour the Lamb families determination, as the constant reliance on luck is not always dependable, as it causes much disruption and conflict between members of the Pickle family. Representatives of the different families work collaboratively in removing both the physical and emotional barriers. â€Å"A square little woman unpegged and folded a tent another woman stepped forward, tottering a little. She crossed the long gash where yesterday there’d been a fence, and took a corner of the tent herself. † The families are literally brought together by the folding of the tent. Corner to corner, their lives are intertwined in a fashion that shows overcoming the hardships created by segregation, allowing for a united nature to be founded in Cloudstreet due to the determination of two family representatives overcoming mutual prejudices. Tim Winton’s novel Cloudstreet is inspirational in the sense that the realism that is created through the narrative, makes the text relatable and appreciated for different contexts. This enables for the reader to be engaged with the storyline, which acknowledges key features such as the Australian identity, and the overcoming of segregation.