Segmentation, Targeting & Positioning Case Study

Segmentation, Targeting & Positioning - Case Study Example Other criteria that will be considered is the frequency and sustainability of each market: while the need for ornamental art might be erratic, a long-term advertising campaign would provide a much more stable demand and is therefore a more profitable market. Related products can be grouped initially into â€Å"commercial† and â€Å"non-commercial.† Commercial products are mostly composed of advertising and similar artwork, which can be further broken up into long-term advertising campaigns, singular advertisements, and miscellaneous items. Non-commercial products would include decorative artwork and illustrated content. Products are defined mostly by the need for the products that are produced by the aforementioned artist. Purchasing habits, as dictated by influences such as socio-economic status, demographics, location, and other psychologically-influenced factors will also be taken into account. The commercial art would mostly be targeted at business and advertising agencies. As the artist in question has a degree, he is therefore more likely to be hired by an advertising agency or business for long-term campaigns. This makes long-term campaigns the most profitable market, as individual art for businesses can be sporadic. Also, singular advertisements are not so dependent on the stipulation that the artist has a degree, making it a less-profitable, though still primary, market. Ornamental and content-based artwork will be a secondary market. Ornamental artwork and content-based artwork can be sold to individuals. The price range required in order to make decorative artwork profitable as a primary limits the market to wealthier individuals, but as a secondary market, there is opportunity for smaller works to be offered to culturally-aware individuals throughout the upper- and middle-class. Also, there is significant competition in this field, which makes it a less profitable market. Content-based artwork, which includes web-based art

Diabetes Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Diabetes - Research Paper Example The research paper shows the prevalence of the disease. It gives information on the age group; race, ethnicity, body size and sex that have high chances of are getting diabetes mellitus. The paper also highlights on some minor causes of diabetes mellitus, and the severe complications resulted from the disease if it is not diagnosed at an early stage. Diabetes mellitus known as diabetes is the number of chronically metabolic diseases that are identified by rise in glucose levels in the blood; scientifically know as hyperglycemia (Chandalia at al., 2012). It may occur due to the pancreas producing inadequate amount of insulin, defect in insulin action, or both. It is considered to be the seventh cause of death in United States. The food we consume is catalyzed to glucose which is utilized by the body to provide energy. Hormone insulin, which is synthesized by the beta cells of the pancreas, regulates sugar levels in the blood. According to LeRoith et al. (2004), this is achieved by assisting the glucose in circulating blood to enter the body cells (p.225). Once the glucose has entered the body cells it is used to synthesize energy that is used in all body functions. Long term hyperglycemia result to ailments of the coronary artery, increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as strokes, heart attack, angina and heart failur e and causes diseases associated with peripheral arteries (macro vascular) and also micro vascular complications in patients. In some cases, it also results in lower limb amputation. The data received for statistics of the number of US residents that were diagnosed by diabetes and prediabetes in 2010 was derived by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Patient Information Reporting System (NPIRS) and the United States renal data system of the national institute of health. The number of residential Americans aged 20 and above was 25.6 million which is

Pros And Cons Of Devolving HR Roles

Pros And Cons Of Devolving HR Roles Human Resource Management (HRM) has become more global and strategic and hence of higher importance to any organisation. Although many companies have recognised it, few are practicing many things in order to make their management of human resources more effective especially working more closely with the line managers. The success of an organization depends heavily on effective Human Resource Management practices and the competency of its human resources. Excellent companies recognize that human resources are their number one asset. This is true in the dynamic organization or industry. Therefore, employees must be adequately trained and retrained to ensure that their knowledge, skill and competency remain relevant and useful. It is a fact that the primary concern of an organization is its variability and hence its efficiency. One of the most distinguished management scientist, Tom Peters mentions in his book, In Search of Excellence using Hewlett Packard (HP) as a successful organisation that has implemented good use of line managers using HRM functions to become successful. He states, Although most top managements assert that their companies care for their people, the excellent companies are distinguished by the intensity and pervasiveness of this concern. He continues to describe this by giving various examples which are interesting to consider. According to him, eighteen out of twenty HP executives that were interviewed spontaneously claimed that the success of their company depends on the companys people-oriented philosophy. It is called the HP Way. It is the tradition of treating every individual with consideration and respect and recognising personal achievements. Dave (co-founder Packard) also believes in this philosophy. The dignity and worth of the individual is a very important part. A philosophy that has been a driving force in the organisations success is, First there should be highly capable, innovative people throughout the organisation second, the organisation should have objectives and leadership which generate enthusiasm at all levels. People in important management positions should not only be enthusiastic themselves, they should be selected for their ability to stimulate enthusiasm among their associates. The introduction to the revised corporate objective statement concludes: Hewlett-Packard should not have a tight, military-type organisation, but rather give people the freedom to work toward overall objectives in ways they determine best for their own areas of responsibility. In short, the most extraordinary trait at HP is uniformity of commitment, the consistency of approach and attitude. Wherever you go in the HP empire, you find people talking product quality, feeling proud of their divisions achievements in that area. HP People at all levels show boundless energy and enthusiasm (In search of Excellence Page 242 -246) To summarise, the philosophy behind this example is that the excellent companies emphasise the philosophy that says, in effect, respect the individual, make people winners, let them stand out, treat people as adults (In search of Excellence Page 277) Many researches in the recent years have highlighted the importance of line managers within HR processes. They carry out various duties of HR functions especially recruitment and selection and undoubtedly play a significant role in guaranteeing that employees are motivated, productive, competent and parallel with the business strategy as well as making sure that the organisation complies with the relevant laws and regulations. A line manager is responsible for an employee or a work group to a higher level of management line who is generally in the lower layer of the management hierarchy and the employees who report to him/her do not themselves have any managerial responsibility. One may find that occasionally a line manager may not have formal management education because he/she is generally promoted from within. The common management duties of a line manager may include as follows: People management Measuring operational performance Organising work allocation and rotas Monitoring work processes Dealing with customer/clients Line managers can play an important role and can assist the process of the revitalisation of an organisation with enhanced customer focus and staff performance. They ensure employees are motivated, productive and competent, and aligned behind the business strategy. They are also vitally important in making sure that the organisation complies with relevant laws and regulations. The people and performance research carried out for the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) by a team at Bath University (Hutchinson, 2003) found that the line managers played a vital role in terms of implementing and enacting HR policies and practices. They found that where employees feel positive about their relationship with their line managers they are more likely to have higher levels of job satisfaction, commitment and loyalty which are associated with higher levels of performance or discretionary behaviour. Discretionary behaviour is defined as that which goes beyond the requirement of the job to give extra performance which can boost the bottom line. Line managers also play the strongest part in structuring peoples actual experience of doing a job. According to an online survey of 121 organisations, collectively employing almost a quarter of a million people, shows that four in five (80.2%) organisations have devolved responsibilities such as managing flexible working requests and handling grievance and disciplinary procedures to line managers over the past few years. And two in three predict the role of line managers will take on even more HR functions over the next few years. (Williams, 2008) Also, another interesting finding was that the line managers claimed to be satisfied with the HR responsibilities that have been devolved to them and are keen to take on activities that relate explicitly to the development of their team. Most line managers report working closely with their HR counterparts and see the configuration moving towards a partnership. The line managers main concern is that a lack of support from HR during the delivery of the service can detract from the overall effectiveness. They also note that junior level line managers are likely to feel less supported by HR and comment that it is merely their high level position that drives the HR-line partnership in their situations. (Susan Whittaker, 2003). The role of line managers in both public and private organisations has changed quite significantly in recent years. The line managers have been allocated more responsibilities and are accountable not only for budgeting and allocating of resources, but most importantly for people management issues as per Hoogenboorn Brewster (1992.). According to some sources such as Storey (1992: 190), he argues that line managers may well be playing a far more central role in labour management than HR personnel. Whereas another source, Hales (2005) traces the greater involvement of line managers in HR issues to two developments. He argues that the line managers have been taking on the role of a coach , conductor or a leader of a highly motivated team as a result of the spread of Human Resource Management and the adoption of more participative forms of management concerned with securing high performance through commitment rather than control. Human Resource Devolvement has led to line managers acquiring middle management functions and becoming mini-general managers accompanied by the loss of supervisory functions downwards to work teams. It is hence more appropriate for line managers to take responsibility for people development since they operate alongside the people they manage and therefore it is argued that that their reactions are more immediate and appropriate (Whittaker and Marchington, 2003). Indeed, across Europe, Larsen and Brewster (2003: 229) suggest, there is now a widespread drive to give line managers more responsibility for the management of their staff and to reduce the extent to which personnel or HR departments control or restrict line management autonomy in this area. Initial research indicates some positive support for line manager HR involvement. Hutchinson and Purcell (2003) found that line manager involvement in coaching, guidance and communication positively influences organisational performance. Likewise, a case study of line manager involvement in HR in the NHS by Currie and Proctor (2001) found that line managers are important contributors to strategic change when provided with discretion in implementing HR strategies within their own work groups. Whittaker and Marchington (2003) maintain that line managers increasingly welcome HR responsibilities and are prepared to take them on as they add variation and challenge to their work. Gibb (2003) argues that requiring line managers to be more involved in the HR issues may also lead to a transformation of managers own attitudes towards HR, organisational change and thus a transformation of human relations at work (Gibb, 2003). By increasing line manager involvement in HR, it is argued that better workplace conditions will result as line managers have better understanding than specialists of the type and range of interventions needed. In this pursuit, line managers are assisted by more effective and user-friendly human resource information systems, new technologies and Human Resource call centres, making it possible for line managers to handle some HR work without the assistance of Human Resource Department. It is seen that a speedy resolution of conflicts and lower rate of employee turnover is possible by moving Human Resources responsibilities closer to employees through line managers. Indeed, providing greater authority to line managers and encouraging greater initiative taking may address a long-standing criticism levelled at HR departments; namely a lack of appreciation of the immediacy of the line managers problems (Harris, L, Doughty, D. Kirk, S. (2002). According to Maxwell and Watson (2006), business partnerships between HR specialists and line managers have emerged as the dominant model for Human Resources operations within organisations. Similarly, Ulrich (2005) outlines the role of HR Strategic Partners as working alongside line managers to help them reach their goals by crafting strategies to maximise productivity through alignment of corporate resources to these goals. We can hence understand that devolving HR responsibilities to line managers offers a number of benefits to organisations. A greater freedom to HR specialists to engage with strategic issues is provided enabling them to forge closer relationships with line managers and a partnership model towards managing employees is developed. Similarly, line managers understand and appreciate the complex nature of dealing with the employee issues and become more encouraged and involved in everyday workplace management tasks. However, line managers have pointed various issues concerning HR involvement despite the above mentioned benefits of participating in HR activities. It will obviously increase their workload by getting involved in HR tasks. Increased workload leads to feelings of incompetence among line managers and reluctance to take responsibility for devolved HR activities. Indeed, this has led to feelings amongst some line managers of being dumped upon (Renwick 2003: 265) or pushed upon to take new HR responsibilities (Harris, L, Doughty, D. Kirk, S. (2002):) due to a climate of fear and mistrust driven by HR. The experience and ability of line managers to take responsibility for HR issues may present a major barrier to devolvement. Both Whittaker and Marchington (2003) and Hailey, V.H., Farndale, E. Truss, C. (2005) suggest that line managers skills and competence in HR practices may be limited and a lack of training in this area will undoubtedly affect a line managers overall effectiveness. I ncapability and misunderstanding of HR practices on the part of line managers will prevent the organisation from developing a strong learning culture (McCracken and Wallace, 2000) with McGovern et al. (1997) arguing that a lack of training may lead to inconsistencies in implementing organisational HR policies potentially exposing the organisation to lawsuits and employment tribunals. Their research though, indicates that management development is not a priority for the top management and reliance on the notion of trial-and-error is prevalent in organisations. Furthermore, the failure of organisations to take a long-term developmental view is exposed by a reluctance to set aside a specific budget for training and the belief that management development is the individuals responsibility. Many line managers get under pressure to meet operational targets, and often struggle to fulfil their people management duties. This is partly because they are not equipped with the tools, skills and knowledge they need to be effective. As a result, managers sometimes effectively abdicate responsibility for aspects of people management. A commonly used phrase is thats HRs job often tends to be heard a lot in many companies whether relating to employee development, managing an individuals performance or dealing with absenteeism issues. Recent research involving nearly 3,000 employers by the Work Foundation and the Institute for Employment Studies found that organisations with a comprehensive, structured approach to people management, covering areas such as recruitment, development plans and employee appraisals, perform better than those without, as indicated by higher profits per employee, higher profit margins and ultimately higher productivity. Sometimes its easy to be critical of managers, but often theyre not properly equipped to be effective. Investment in management training requires clearly set-down policies and procedures. There appears to be lack of clear guidance and easily accessible information, its not surprising that many line managers response when an issue arises is either to pick up the phone to HR or to ignore the problem and hope it would goes away or transfer responsibility to someone else. It is interesting but to be fair to line managers, sometimes part of the problem may also lie with the HR department itself. For all the talk about wanting to devolve more responsibility to the line, in practice HR professionals are sometimes reluctant to trust line managers to manage. They are unwilling to give managers the tools and information they need to do the job effectively: after all, knowledge is power, and by being the gatekeepers of all information relating to employees, policies and processes, HR may feel that it has power. This is clearly not in the long-term interests of the HR function. HR teams must realise that if they are to fulfil their potential and be true partners to the business, then they need to trust their managers with the day-today stuff. This doesnt mean being unsupportive but continued support to line managers to assist them with responsibility for the way that people are managed. It does mean defining strategies and policies and then putting in place the frameworks and the systems that enable managers to take accountability for the day-to-day execution but in a controlled, informed and effective way. Line managers must aim to be more accountable whereas HR professionals being more strategic could assist when working together. Better solutions are needed to support key people management processes and its likely that intelligent use of technology is likely to represent at least part of the answer. Technology-based services offer organisations the potential to give much greater support to their line managers, but in a highly cost-effective way. Line managers can be given tools to walk them through common processes, access to comprehensive information about their employees, guidance on how to manage effectively, and prompts when tasks or actions are due all accessed via a single web-based service. In view of the above, making line managers responsible for the delivery of HR can be complex. Line managers may not possess the required skills needed to implement HR initiatives and may feel ill-equipped or insufficiently trained to accept responsibility for day-to-day HR tasks. Devolving HR responsibilities may also represent a lack of appreciation of the workloads, time pressures and overall priorities of line managers threatening the overall standards of HR delivery across the organisation and diminishing the value of HR. It is found that getting line managers involved in HR tasks is a step towards achieving a more strategic, value-added approach to managing employees. Line managers play an important position in the organisational hierarchy and can directly affect the quality of front-line services. It will greatly increase the existing pressures of excess workload and the need to deliver on short-term priorities by devolving line managers with HR responsibilities. It will also mean the requirement of display of a higher level of HR competency by the line managers which calls for the need for high-quality training programmes for line managers to ensure that they feel confident in discharging their new HR responsibilities. Such training may help organisations avoid costly litigation and damage to their public reputation. HR professionals must engage with line managers and develop a partnership to bring about a speedier resolution to workplace conflicts by allowing line managers to seek guidance and advice whenever required thereby making line managers more responsible for HR. Table 1: Pros and Cons of Devolving HR roles to Line Managers Pros Cons Increase speed of decision -making Line management responsibility for people issues Local management accountability Potential cost savings Strategic role for central HR/IR Short lines of communication Lack of time to perform HR duties Increase in line managers workload Additional costs of training managers Increase in grievances/tribunal cases Potential for HR/IR to be marginalized People management not considered to be part of the line managers job

Life in the Community Essay -- Gender Roles, Racism

Life in the Community Aren’t you supposed to be smart because you’re Asian? Aren’t you supposed to be a trouble maker because you’re African American? We are discriminated against because of our multicultural society. In our multicultural society we experience these terrible racist comments due to the diversity we have. Our society is one of the worst because of the diversity of people and religions. We have different languages, foods, religions, movies, music, and games making life confusing for the average person. We have trained our minds to think of everyone as different; judging them without even knowing them. We live with all these freedoms and choices that can led to bad reasoning. Lois Lowry explores the concept of Sameness in The Giver and shows that while there are problems with Sameness ultimately it is a positive way to run a society. Living in a society that employs Sameness corrects the problem of racism and sexism. Lily had exclaimed, â€Å"One of them—a male; I don’t know his name – kept going right to the front of the line† (Lowry 5). Lily only describes the child as a male not introducing the thought of a race. She does not describe him as anything else than a male, meaning she doesn’t know the concept of racism. It is shown that racism can also lead to there being sexism in a society. Jonas shows this by saying, â€Å"Mother, who held a prominent position at the Department of Justice, talked about her feelings† (Lowry 8). Jonas shows the reader that in his Community the idea of anyone becoming anything is true. It does not matter if they are male or female; it only matters if they are capable, making... ... violence. When violence is present in a community it normally leads to crime, and in The Giver crime is not one of the major problems. Sameness also helps the citizens of the community to make good choices. No one in Jonas’s society has the wrong job, spouse, or children. All this is due to the idea of Sameness. Would you trust someone to bath you? Sameness is the reason Elders in Jonas’s Community are not scared of being bathed by a random stranger. Sameness also gets rid of all the hardships of the climate, and environment. Sameness makes the climate and environment constant meaning no random changes will occur in it. Would you like to live in a world on no crime, violence, entrust, hardships, racism, and sexism? Lois Lowry reveals to use that a community with Sameness is more productive and reasonable that one without.

Southern Hospitality

Imagine living near your entire family in your hometown. Imagine that one of those people is your 6 months pregnant fiancee. Now imagine the fact that you have just received a job opportunity some 900 miles away, and the best thing for your future family is to take that job. What would you do? There are three major things that affect you and your life when you move away from home. Those three things are, missing your family, adapting to new living conditions, and expanding your responsibilities as a person and eventually a parent. When you live any distance away from your family, you will miss them with varied amounts of difficulty. Some of us have no problem missing our families, however. When I was eighteen years old I joined the United States Air Force. My first duty assignment was RAF Mildenhall, England. After the first year I became accustomed to missing my family. The largest difference about this move from Michigan to Georgia was, in fact, that I was engaged and that my fiancee was six months pregnant with my son, Derek. This was the most difficult thing I had ever had to endure as a person. When I first moved, she didn’t immediately want to move with me because it was much easier to move by myself, because we had no money, and no place to live. Eventually, after about three months and the birth of our son, she moved down with the help of her parents, and grandparents. When I first arrived in Georgia, it was much hotter than Michigan. Remember now, that I’ve lived in two different places in my life. The first place was Michigan, with its icy and brash winters and mild to medium summers. The second place, being England, with is bone chilling still aired winters and extremely mild summers. Now we move to Georgia with its extremely tolerable winters and scorching hot summers. Think about the differences here and imagine how much anyone would have to adapt to those differences. When I first moved here I had a ratty old Ford Explorer with no air conditioning and only two windows that worked. There was an immediate difficulty trying to regulate body temperature when such extremes are encountered. One thing that helped adapt to it was the friendly people that the â€Å"south† is so famous for. Everywhere you went, someone would say, â€Å"How are you hun? † or â€Å"Can we get you something sweetie? † This is one thing that anyone could get used to experiencing every day. All of these things have helped me grow into a better person. When I found out that my fiancee was in labor, it was an unbearable situation to deal with. I was able to take off of work for two weeks so I could make the sixteen hour drive back to Michigan to be with my family and see the birth of my son. When I made it back, I was able to witness the birth of my son. It was the single-handed most exciting moment and day of my life. After the two week â€Å"vacation† I had to make the trip back to Georgia, again, without my family. Now if that doesn’t make your stomach churn, I’m not sure what will. That was the most difficult thing I’d ever had to do. Think about the things that make you who you are. If I am having difficulty with anything in my life, I think of my children and one simple verse. Philippians 4:13 which reads, â€Å"I can do all things in God who gives me strength. †

Case Study – Bowel Cancer

Bowel Cancer The bowel is a long tube that is made up of the small bowel, colon and rectum. The bowel absorbs nutrients from food and also processes waste products into faeces to be removed from the body. Bowel Cancer is cancer of the rectum or colon. Bowel cancer develops from small raised growths called polyps which are found in the inner lining of the bowel. These polyps can either be non cancerous and harmless (benign) or they can be cancerous (malignant).All polyps should be removed to reduce the risk of these polyps becoming cancerous or spreading the disease further. Most polyps can be removed without surgery with a procedure called a colonoscopy. If these polyps are not removed, they can grow deeper into the bowel and spread into areas close to the area and later can spread to the liver or lungs. Causes Bowel cancer can be hereditary passed down from a before generation but mainly age and lifestyle factors also contribute to the development of bowel cancer.According to the Be tter Health Channel (BHC)(2011), There is some evidence that having a diet that consists of red meat and drinking alcohol can lead to the cause of bowel cancer. Bowel cancer is more common in people aged 50 years or older. In relation to â€Å"Lou† who is 75, eats red meat from the cattle from his farm and also drinks alcohol, his risk factors for bowel cancer was high. This inability to pass bowel movements showed that he had a very high chance of having bowel cancer. Symptoms * Blood or mucus in the faeces Weakness and paleness * Diarrhoea * Constipation * Finding your faeces are narrower than usual * Feeling that your bowel doesn’t empty completely Prevalence rates According to Bowel Cancer Australia (BCA)(2010), Bowel cancer is the responsible for the second biggest cancer related deaths after lung cancer with 14,234 people being diagnosed with bowel cancer each year and 4047 deaths occurring due to bowel cancer. The older you become the greater the risk of develop ing bowel cancer becomes with Cancer Council Australia CCA)(2011), quoting that 1 in 12 Australians develop bowel cancer before the age of 85. Bowel cancer is the most curable cancer and if detected and removed early, the cure rate is 90%, however in most cases; bowel cancer is detected in its later stage and therefore has a 60% cure rate. Table: Age vs Number of cases. Obtained from Australian Institute of Health and Wellfare (2006). Socio-Ecological Model Socio-Ecological Model (SEM) is a framework that recognises the relationship that is present between an individual and its surrounding environment.This model looks at not only at an individual reducing risk and improving health but also looks at the outer environment. These include the public policy, the community, organisations, interpersonal and the individual themselves. People who are diagnosed with bowel cancer can suffer from psychological problems due to the trauma of going through the procedures when diagnosing the cancer (such as colonoscopy) or from during the procedure where the doctor has to perform surgery on the patient.Mainly psychological affects will come from the fear of death and can lead them to withdraw themselves from friends and family leading to the sufferer not being socially active and not having that connection that is needed to get through the mental trauma that can be associated when dealing with bowel cancer. In this case the SEM can be implemented as for a patient that is suffering from psychological problems as they would need good interpersonal relationships (friends and family) and organisational involvement (social institutions) to be there to help the patient deal with their illness as best as possible.As in the case of â€Å"Lou† from the case study, he is moving 50 km away from his home, friends and family and therefore could lead him to feel that he can’t connect with anyone and lead to emotional and social consequences which include depression. Social Se rvices and Programs There are many support groups and services that are available to help a cancer patient when needed. If these are utilised, it can be beneficial in dealing with the emotional and social impacts that come with the disease.These include: * Homecare: This I when a social worker or nurse provides a cancer patient with their basic needs e. g. running errands, preparing meals, medication delivery and can have regular visits from physical therapists. This is a good asset as patients often feel more comfortable in their own home where they can be close to friends and family. This puts a great demand on other people like social workers, nurses and physical therapists to play a major role for home care to be achieved. This is also applied from the (SEM). Social workers: Can either be seen at home from home care or cancer patients can go see social workers. Social workers can offer counselling, counselling for the future, access to support groups and referrals to specialists . This Is good as it can help a cancer patient during and after they have cancer. * Cancer rehabilitation programs: The Cancer Nutrition Rehabilitation Program gives cancer patients information about diet, physical activity, treatment and other needs to successfully become rehabilitated.The social worker helps the patient obtain the needs necessary and give them general direction on how to become and maintain a healthy state after cancer. Conclusion Bowel cancer can be successfully treated and cured if early detection is made. This early detection will heighten the chances of survival then if it is found at a later stage. Regular checkups for people over 50 years of age are necessary to ensure that this early detection occurs. While an individual is responsible to obtain a healthy lifestyle, other factors need to be taken into account as outlined from the SEM.If individuals and the surrounding environment are linked together as one then becoming and staying healthy can be achieved. Reference List. 1. Polglase A (2010) Let's beat bowel cancer. Australian Pharmacist. Vol 29, issue 5, 414-416. Available from, http://ea3se7mz8x. search. serialssolutions. com/? ctx_ver=Z39. 88-2004;ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8;rfr_id=info:sid/summon. serialssolutions. com;rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal;rft. genre=article;rft. atitle=Let%27s+Beat+Bowel+Cancer;rft. jtitle=Australian+P

A Silent Angel †Short Story

A Silent Angel – Short Story Free Online Research Papers My memory is like the treasured, antique chest which sits locked in the attic untouched, just holding my life’s story. It is a collection of dreams and endeavors. It’s an album filled with snapshots of the people and places I once knew. The early pages are wrinkled with age; but through a single flashback or reminiscing moment, I am transported back to that instant in time. Not every memory is a pleasant one, there are some I wish I could forget, but in all truthfulness, â€Å"life is like a storm. You could be basking in the sunlight for a second, and be shattered upon the rocks the next.† Trial and error brings about strength, and victory comes after you’ve survived the storm and realize that you’re still standing. I often think about the day April 8, 1997, or at least what I remember about it. That was the day I lost my grandmother, not to the angel of death, but rather to her own demon of limitation. It had been a warm spring day, but as quickly as the coolness of the evening set in, so did the sun’s rays disappear. It was always a joy to visit Edmonton; my grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousins lived there and still do to this day. Traveling was such a habit that Edmonton became a home to me. I forget what we had been in town for that week; perhaps Easter had come early, or maybe it was nothing more than a traditional visit. I believe that somehow, God had summoned us home, knowing that our presence, support, and love would be needed, especially by my grandpa. Just following dinner that evening, my cousins, sisters, and I decided to resume the football game we had started earlier that afternoon. One of the neighborhood boys, Troy I think his name was, had come over to my grandparent’s house to play too. I’m sure he felt an overwhelming desire to display what amazing athletic ability he had to a yard full of seven girls, ranging in age. My mom, grandparents , aunt, and uncle were inside the house cleaning the dinner mess that the girls and I had made in our race to satisfy our hunger. I remember my father’s absence; he was in Australia at the time, away on business. It had gotten chilly outside so I went in the house to retrieve my warmer jacket. I stepped in the backdoor and was instantly met by my mother, who was on the phone at the time. She had a panic-stricken look on her face, her eyes wide with fear. The words she spoke into the receiver left me unable to breathe. â€Å"My mom has fallen to the floor†, was all I heard her say before she physically herded me out the door. I stood on the porch for a moment trying to gather my thoughts and interpret what I had just heard. I knew something serious had happened; I had never seen that indescribable look of apprehension on my mom’s face. I ran as fast as I possibly could over to where my cousins and sisters played, completely ignorant of the situation at hand. I gasped for air and tried to explain what little I knew. â€Å"Grandma’s on the floor! Grandma’s on the floor!† I remember trying to shout. Apparently everyone understood my words through my panting; without hesitation we ran to the backdoor, where I had just come. It was locked. Wasting no time knocking, we climbed on the picnic table which was conveniently placed on the porch, just outside the kitchen window. We tried to peak through the drawn blinds. Why didn’t anyone want us to know what was going on? What came next would haunt all of us forever; it was the dreaded sound of sirens that confirmed how critical grandma’s condition was. The next five minutes were a total blur; my mind had gone into shock and my body had numbed itself. I guess the ambulance had gotten to the house in a quick fashion because the next thing I remember is turning around and catching sight of my beloved grandmother, eyes closed, lying motionless on a stretcher. I instantly felt as paralyzed as she had become. My eyes began to swell with tears, and with a single blink, they began spilling down the course of my face. My grandpa clambered into the back of the ambulance and assisted the paramedics with the lifting of the stretcher. I am sure the drama at 1008 Sherwood caused the naturally more introverted neighbors to come out of hiding; although I was too preoccupied to notice. As soon as the ambulance and its flashing, blood-red lights disappeared from my sight, my whole body began to shake. My mom and her brother Scott, my uncle, took a car and followed immediately behind my grandparents to the old Hospital not more than five miles away. At this point, my Aunt Mary directed all seven, grandchildren into the house; there was nothing else to do. Now eight years later, I feel some pity for my aunt. She had the job of calming seven wailing girls and me. I applaud her effort. She offered us everything from leftover lemon cake to popsicles- anything to stop our hysterical sobbing. We settled fo r popsicles, but although our crying stopped, we were relentless with our questions, questions to which she had no answers. That night, Mary made a bed for all of us on the living room floor and we fell asleep watching Disney’s, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. This is the point at which I can no longer tell the story from what I remember, but rather by what my mom has told me. My story shifts from my experience to hers. She was where it all happened, with my grandpa through every waking moment of this traumatic ordeal. She was in the emergency room surrounded by the cruel truths and harsh realities of a stroke. My Grandma, had been diagnosed. She had suffered a massive stroke in her brain stem. Forever she would be severely paralyzed, but tonight, that was the least of anyone’s worries. The doctors had somehow summed up her condition into a mathematical percentage. She had a twelve percent chance of making it through the night. Upon hearing this news, my grandpa collapsed in the emergency waiting room, yet my mother said the tears didn’t come. Similarly, he too was in shock. After waiting around the hospital for two, elongated and agonizing hours, the Hoffman party of three was finally able to see my Grandma who had been moved to the ICU. My mom said that seeing her was more frightening than anything else she had ever experienced. She told me, several years later, that it had been difficult to even recognize her own mother’s face; Grandma had looked alien with all the tubes and machines hooked up to her. My mom noticed that the nurses had hooked a plastic bag up to G randma as she was excreting all her bodily fluids- a sign of death. Worst of all, was that Grandma had postured. Her hands and feet were twisted outwardly, in a way that confirmed significant brain damage had been done. Around 11:30, the doctors suggested to my grandpa, that he, my mom, and my uncle, go home. There was nothing left to do at the hospital but wait. The doctors said that they would call, my grandfather, if anything regarding Grandma’s condition changed- which they had predicted as likely. Obviously, sleep was not in the realm of possibilities for any adult that night. Grandpa came home, accompanied by my mom and my uncle; they found Mary in the living room, quietly playing Solitaire while we slept. Relaying the facts back to her took a few short moments. Afterwards, my mom proceeded to call my dad, the only member of the family still unknowing about what had happened. He promised to be aboard the next flight from Sydney to Edmonton. Now, there really wasn’t anything left to do but wait. Mary, Scott, my mom, and my grandpa waited for that anticipated phone call; the one that would begin the process of funeral arranging. Back at the house, it was finally quiet enough to sit in silence. The thoughts they had abandoned for hours began to consume their minds; and their emotions washed over them like a tidal wave that crashes on the shore. The minutes passed by with uncertainty; every second seemed to drag on for an eternity. They waited until six, until dawn crept over the surrounding mountains and a sliver of the sun’s light waded down into Edmonton. My mom and my grandpa departed for the Hospital despite their fatigue. After getting there they realized that nothing had changed; she hadn’t gotten better; but, she had lived. Her story inspires me every time I tell it. Despite the tragedy of the tale, it is unequivocally, an absolute success story. My grandmother wasn’t ready for her life’s story to end- heaven would just have to wait. For eight years we kept our grandmother close to our hearts. She stayed in the comfort of her own home- the only place she knew- surrounded by people who loved her profusely. Despite the physical confinements her stroke had enforced upon her body, my grandmother was extremely intact mentally. It was like her mind and spirit were trapped inside a broken body that no longer was hers; she was a prisoner. Unfortunately, many of her grandchildren, including me to some extent, did not know her any other way. Yes, it’s true. I do not remember my grandma rocking me, teaching me how to sew, or practicing her patience when I burned a batch of cookies, but I don’t regret that. She was special; and she was ours. With her handicap, I learned to appreciate so many of life’s simple pleasures that we shared together. I would see her sitting alone in her wheelchair, isolated from everyone else. Compassion flowed into my heart as I sat beside her and gently entwined my fingers i n hers. Her grip was loose at first, her fingers were warm and her skin soft and wrinkly- just as a grandmother’s should be. As the seconds would pass by, I could begin to feel her grip tighten; she hung on to my hand as if it was her own individual way of expressing how much she loved me. With her, it always seemed as though she had a myriad of emotions and thoughts gathered inside and what she needed was an outlet or friend to understand. For eight years her smile was seen every time the family was together, at Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and birthdays. We watched her suffer selflessly, silently, with dignity and grace. I don’t believe anyone actually knew how much of a comfort it was to have her in our presence- even if she couldn’t say much. We wouldn’t know until the day God called her home. The day her soul departed for the clouds and her misery and anguish was over. â€Å"The End† had finally come. ~ ~ ~ The morning of June 6th, 2005 came early for my family- the rooster had not yet crowed. We were all asleep. Unconsciously, we waited for the delicate sound of our alarm clocks to wake us, indicating the beginning of another school day. I awoke unexpectedly to the ringing of the telephone and then to a mumbled, fairly inaudible message over our answering machine. The words were difficult to understand but the voice was unmistakably my grandfather’s. Seconds later, my mom rose out of bed and rushed downstairs. She played the recorded message twice before she could comprehend what grandpa said. â€Å"Sherri, it’s Dad. Um†¦gimme’ a call.† Said in a low, meek, and dismal tone, my mom immediately anticipated the worst and tiny beads of sweat emerged from her brow. Her fingers slipped as she tried dialing so she tried again. First, the numbers 1-780- Edmontons area code for long distance phone calls- followed by the seven numbers that composed my grandpaâ €™s home phone number. He answered. Somehow knowing it was her he said only, â€Å"I lost her Sherri, I’m so sorry.† Breaking down, he handed the phone to Scott, who was also standing there. Scott explained what had happened. Grandma had been coughing a great deal the night before and grandpa had contemplated taking her in. However, he had decided to wait and check on her in the morning. Little did he know that her eyes would never dilate to the day’s light again. At four o’clock he had awoken to check on her before returning to his dreams. Three hours later, grandpa found grandma lying in bed next to him, just as she did every night, but this morning something was not right. Her skin was white and cold to the touch and her non-existent breathing, soundless. And that was it. Within four hours our family was in Edmonton. Over the next day, relatives came from all over Alberta, Saskatchewan, and even Texas to be there for the final â€Å"farewell† to Grandma Fran. Her funeral was the most heartbreaking yet most joyful commemoration I have ever been to. Tears fell from people’s eyes as liberally as raindrops fall from the sky. I was in such an indescribable state of pain during the funeral, but now, I can smile. She is in a better place; her suffering is over and now she waits until the end of my days when I shall see her once again. I miss my grandmother dearly but she has left her legacy here for all of us to remember. I and everyone else who had the privilege of knowing her as, Fran Hoffman, â€Å"a silent angel†, will always remember her. Research Papers on A Silent Angel - Short StoryThe Spring and AutumnNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceThe Hockey Game19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraHip-Hop is ArtThe Fifth HorsemanEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionThree Concepts of PsychodynamicStandardized Testing

Free Essays on Directing A Film Using The Yellow Wallpaper

Journal 2:directing a film using The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman as the theme If I were a film director, I would choose the story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman as the theme. In the following paragraph, I will talk about why I would choose this story, who I would choose for the actor and actress, and where I would select as the site to shoot the film. I choose this story because it is an interesting story which truly describes the mental problems of the woman, how she became insane, her state of mind and the way in which the surrounding (the room and the wallpaper) affect her. Beside of that, the story also describes the environment of family life, so I can follow the rules to create the same theme which the writer wants to show. Also, I can use new technology, including computer graphics, in the film. What the writer describes the woman seeing in from the wallpaper can be shown to the audience, with no need to picture it themselves. Moreover, the most important difference is that film can fully show the narrative style of the story, how disjointed, confused, dis-organized is the life of the woman. For the selection of the main actress and actor, I would choose some Chinese actors, as I know more of them than other actors in other countries. I would also choose some actors with lots of experience in film. Therefore, I would choose Dide Yip as the main actress. She is a good actress on some â€Å"interior-telling† films, and she is good at presenting what the script and director are asking for. For the main actor, I would choose Chow Yun Fat to act as the husband of the woman. It is because he is so famous around the world, even got the â€Å"king of the film† too. I think it would be so good if two great actors can join their forces to produce a good film. At last, I will think of the place where I would shoot the film. The writer mentioned the place where the main chara... Free Essays on Directing A Film Using The Yellow Wallpaper Free Essays on Directing A Film Using The Yellow Wallpaper Journal 2:directing a film using The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman as the theme If I were a film director, I would choose the story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman as the theme. In the following paragraph, I will talk about why I would choose this story, who I would choose for the actor and actress, and where I would select as the site to shoot the film. I choose this story because it is an interesting story which truly describes the mental problems of the woman, how she became insane, her state of mind and the way in which the surrounding (the room and the wallpaper) affect her. Beside of that, the story also describes the environment of family life, so I can follow the rules to create the same theme which the writer wants to show. Also, I can use new technology, including computer graphics, in the film. What the writer describes the woman seeing in from the wallpaper can be shown to the audience, with no need to picture it themselves. Moreover, the most important difference is that film can fully show the narrative style of the story, how disjointed, confused, dis-organized is the life of the woman. For the selection of the main actress and actor, I would choose some Chinese actors, as I know more of them than other actors in other countries. I would also choose some actors with lots of experience in film. Therefore, I would choose Dide Yip as the main actress. She is a good actress on some â€Å"interior-telling† films, and she is good at presenting what the script and director are asking for. For the main actor, I would choose Chow Yun Fat to act as the husband of the woman. It is because he is so famous around the world, even got the â€Å"king of the film† too. I think it would be so good if two great actors can join their forces to produce a good film. At last, I will think of the place where I would shoot the film. The writer mentioned the place where the main chara...

Complete List of American Revolution Battles

Complete List of American Revolution Battles The battles of the American Revolution were fought as far north as Quebec and as far south as Savannah. As the war became global with the entry of France in 1778, other battles were fought overseas as the powers of Europe clashed. Beginning in 1775, these battles brought to prominence previously quiet villages such as Lexington, Germantown, Saratoga, and Yorktown, forever linking their names with the cause of American independence. Fighting during the early years of the American Revolution was generally in the North, while the war shifted south after 1779. During the war, around 25,000 Americans died (approx. 8,000 in battle), while another 25,000 were wounded. British and German losses numbered around 20,000 and 7,500 respectively. American Revolution Battles 1775 April 19 - Battles of Lexington Concord - Massachusetts April 19, 1775-March 17, 1776 - Siege of Boston - Massachusetts May 10 - Capture of Fort Ticonderoga - New York June 11-12 - Battle of Machias - Massachusetts (Maine) June 17 - Battle of Bunker Hill - Massachusetts September 17-November 3 - Siege of Fort St. Jean - Canada September 19-November 9 - Arnold Expedition - Maine/Canada December 9 - Battle of Great Bridge - Virginia December 31 - Battle of Quebec - Canada 1776 February 27 - Battle of Moores Creek Bridge - North Carolina March 3-4 - Battle of Nassau - Bahamas June 28 - Battle of Sullivans Island (Charleston) - South Carolina August 27-30 - Battle of Long Island - New York September 16 - Battle of Harlem Heights - New York October 11 - Battle of Valcour Island - New York October 28 - Battle of White Plains - New York November 16 - Battle of Fort Washington - New York December 26 - Battle of Trenton - New Jersey 1777 January 2 - Battle of the Assunpink Creek - New Jersey January 3 - Battle of Princeton - New Jersey April 27 - Battle of Ridgefield - Connecticut June 26 - Battle of Short Hills - New Jersey July 2-6 - Siege of Fort Ticonderoga - New York July 7 - Battle of Hubbardton - Vermont August 2-22 - Siege of Fort Stanwix - New York August 6 - Battle of Oriskany - New York August 16 - Battle of Bennington - New York September 3 - Battle of Coochs Bridge - Delaware September 11 - Battle of Brandywine - Pennsylvania September 19 October 7 - Battle of Saratoga - New York September 21 - Paoli Massacre - Pennsylvania September 26-November 16 - Siege of Fort Mifflin  - Pennsylvania October 4 - Battle of Germantown - Pennsylvania October 6 - Battle of Forts Clinton Montgomery - New York October 22 - Battle of Red Bank - New Jersey December 19-June 19, 1778 - Winter at Valley Forge - Pennsylvania 1778 June 28 - Battle of Monmouth - New Jersey July 3 - Battle of Wyoming (Wyoming Massacre) - Pennsylvania August 29 - Battle of Rhode Island - Rhode Island 1779 February 14 - Battle of Kettle Creek - Georgia July 16 - Battle of Stony Point - New York July 24-August 12 - Penobscot Expedition - Maine (Massachusetts) August 19 - Battle of Paulus Hook - New Jersey September 16-October 18 - Siege of Savannah - Georgia September 23 - Battle of Flamborough Head (Bonhomme Richard vs. HMS Serapis) - waters off Britain 1780 March 29-May 12 - Siege of Charleston - South Carolina May 29 - Battle of Waxhaws - South Carolina June 23 - Battle of Springfield - New Jersey August 16 - Battle of Camden - South Carolina October 7 - Battle of Kings Mountain - South Carolina 1781 January 5 - Battle of Jersey - Channel Islands January 17 - Battle of Cowpens - South Carolina March 15 - Battle of Guilford Court House - North Carolina April 25 - Battle of Hobkirks Hill - South Carolina September 5 - Battle of the Chesapeake - waters off Virginia September 6 - Battle of Groton Heights - Connecticut September 8 - Battle of Eutaw Springs - South Carolina September 28-October 19 - Battle of Yorktown - Virginia 1782 April 9-12 - Battle of the Saintes - Caribbean

Male and female consumer buying behaviours Essay

Male and female consumer buying behaviours - Essay Example Two California companies, Jan Stuart and Inner-Face also launched men’s lines during the 1980s that flopped. â€Å"Skin treatment lines for men have come and gone, because the population just wasn’t ready.† Said Pamela Baxter, VP-Marketing at Aramis. But the expanding number of over-35 men led Aramis execs to believe that there is now a legitimate men’s market. Aramis recently launched Lift Off!, an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) product for men. The overall men’s cosmetic market is now too tiny to count, Baxter said, but Aramis estimates Lift Off! could eventually account for as much as 12% of sales. However, it is still undecided on an overall marketing strategy. â€Å"It’s easier to sell a man if a woman is with him,† said Baxter. Aramis has two radio commercials in test in Kansas City, Dallas, and Miami. One targets men, and the other is aimed at women (Campbell, 2000). Men are often introduced to skin lotions by their wives or girlfrien ds. When Beauticontrol, a Dallas-based direct-sales cosmetics company, introduced an AHA product called Regeneration last year, â€Å"We had wives writing to us saying their husbands were using the product and loved it,† said Ed Hookfeld, director of product marketing. The company packaged the same lotion in a gray and black box, shot a new ad campaign featuring CEO Dick Heath, and renamed the product, Regeneration for Men. Wendy Liebmann, president of New York-based WSL Marketing, said there is a potential for growth in men’s cosmetics, but cautioned against expecting dramatic sales increases.† You’re talking about educating somebody who washes their face with soap and shaves,† she said (Campbell, 2000). Chad Schexnyder of New Orleans remembers how it used to be; approaching the counter of a local drugstore with a bottle of Noxema in his hand, the cahier accosted him. â€Å"This is for women,† she said with a dismissive air. â€Å"I’v e never seen a man buy Noxema.†

How business adjusts (fails to adjust) to the change in its external Essay

How business adjusts (fails to adjust) to the change in its external environment - Essay Example The main objective of this study is to understand how organizations adjust in change, more specifically a change coming from the external business environment (Kazmi, 2008). Introduction It has been seen that entrepreneurs operate with respect to the environment in which they are established. There is a significant relationship which businesses have with their respective external environment (Chidi et al., 2011). Though environment brings opportunities for the business like growth opportunity or expansion opportunity, but there are certain threats too like competition or rivalry. Environment has three major components including globalization, market and competitors which can change rapidly or be rigid for a longer aspect of time (Adekola & Sergi, 2007). It all depends on how the market evolves and how businesses compel in the present environment situation. Hence the progress of entrepreneurs depends on two things, first how much they accept the change from environment components, and second how quickly they adjust to that change (Chidi et al., 2011). Interaction is very important in this respect as it sets the ground for developing a positive relationship between the entrepreneur and its environment (Chidi et al., 2011). ... Theoretical background When entrepreneurs adjust to the change they have to analyze each components of the external environment. According to modern literature, components include the market, the competitor and company’s individual business domain. All areas are parts of company’s external environment and come out separately in devising company’s growth or expansion strategy (Weiss et al., 2008). Globalization is one of the major components of external business environment, holding a direct influence for companies at the time of change (Adekola & Sergi, 2007). When companies are highly internationalized, they have to review all the features (culture, politics, society, and economics) associated with globalization in order to appropriately adjust to the change (Adekola & Sergi, 2007). Multinationals often find it a challenge, as they have to analyze all the features which are important from their global business point of view. This is one core requirement which hy per-globalists have to fulfil; otherwise they are out from competition or even out from the state of heading forward (Singla, 1993). According to several classical business theories like The Uppsala Model, when entrepreneurs are in a position to internationalize, they should target the developing regions, where new markets are waiting and new trends can be set (Jain & Griffith, 2012, pp.136). Companies can become pioneers in those regions if they understand the diversity and cultures of the new place. With respect to the Uppsala model, business expansion is itself a change where adjustment can be brought if organizations make the right decision. A right decision for an expanding entrepreneur would be to target the developing nation, where there is less

Management and leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Management and leadership - Essay Example It is a well-known and understood fact that it takes the display of very fine management skills in order to be a good leader. Generally, good leaders are first good managers. Body One of the most fundamental differences between managers and leaders is their way of motivating the subordinates or followers. While the managers usually are risk averse in their approaches, leaders tend to take risks. Some traits that differentiate a manager from a leader are; managers prefer routine over change whereas leaders prefer the other way round; the vision of managers is short-term generally whereas leaders tend to have a long-term vision, leaders visualize things in a broad perspective whereas managers work upon details to make the plans of the leader practicable; finally, as the terms suggest, managers tend to manage whereas the work of a leader is to leader, though it takes sound management skills to be able to lead. The foundation on which leadership stands is the commitment and obedience of the followers. A leader cannot do without the help, support, and compliance of the followers. It takes management to get the followers in the position where they are ready to accept the leader as an individual with power and authority over them. Leadership without management is like trying to lead a herd of wild buffaloes. No matter how hard a leader tries, the wild buffaloes would get scattered and the man would not be able to lead them to their destination. Management essentially tames the workforce so that they get in the mood to listen to the leader and give him/her the due respect he/she deserves for being in the position of a leader. Management is about inculcating the sense of work ethics, respect for the principles of work, and a willingness to abide by them in the workplace in the workforce. These factors prepare a worker mentally and psychologically to be submissive to the leader for the matters related to work. In turn, the level of obedience of the subordinates is raised and this has a very healthy effect on the relationship between the leader and the subordinates. When managed rightly, workers know that they have to listen to the leader to be able to work toward attaining the goal as a group while keeping their personal egos aside. In this way, management essentially set the stage for a leader to perform on. Without that stage, the leader might be called as a leader but he/she might not be truly recognized as a leader, and without the recognition of a leader as such, leadership cannot be thought to be effective. The duties and responsibilities of a manager and a leader are to a large extent similar. While not every manager is a leader, every leader has to be a manager also. Although the individual with the utmost powers and the decision making authority in an organization is usually one or a small group of people who are recognized as leaders, yet down the line, every manager is a leader for the people working under him/her. For example, letâ€⠄¢s take the example of the manager of kitchen in an organization. While the manager of kitchen has to follow the menu set by the leader and use only the ingredients made available to him/her by the leader, the manager of kitchen necessarily serves as a leader for the cooks, the chefs, the purchasers, the kitchen cleaners, and other workers working in the kitchen. Management in this example means providing the workers with the resources and help they require to achieve the tasks assigned to them individually and collectively, supervising them so as to make sure they are actually working and not wasting time in gossip and other activities, making sure that the kitchen is cleaned regularly and that

Neologisms in film and Televison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Neologisms in film and Televison - Essay Example It is considered normal in children but a symptom of altered thought content and indicative of a mental illness (likely in the psychotic spectrum such as schizophrenia) in adults. [2] Usage of neologisms may also be related to aphasia acquired after brain damage such as from a cerebral vascular accident or traumatic injury. In theology, a neologism is a relatively new doctrine (for example, rationalism). In this sense, a neologist is an innovator in the area of a doctrine or belief system, and is often considered heretical or subversive by the mainstream church. Every country has got different cultural profile and sometimes there are many cultures prevailing at the same time in one country. [3] Neologism is more seen in countries where the culture is constantly being changed.They are often created by combining existing words or by giving words new and unique suffixes or prefixes. Neologisms often become accepted and can become the part of the language. Other times, however, they disappear instantly. There are certain factors involved in order to become a part of a certain language. The most important factor is of public acceptace. Acceptance by linguistic experts and incorporation into dictionaries also plays a part, as does whether the phenomenon described by a neologism remains current, thus continuing to need a descriptor. This is quite unusual for a word to enter in common use if it does not resemble another word or words in an identifiable way. When a word or phrase is no longer "new," it is no longer a neologism. Neologisms may take decades to become "old," though. There are different opinions regarding how long a word can be considered under neologism? Different experts have their different opinion in regard but one thing is definate which is neologism after being a part of certain language cannot be considered as neologism any more. Acceptance of neologism in a

Measure and assessment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Measure and assessment - Research Paper Example If they are available from secondary sources, the task becomes easier for the researcher. If not, they have to necessarily resort to collection of primary data. So long as the requirements are confined to quantitative information, they can be collected easily. At the same time, if qualitative information is required, the problem gets compounded. In particular, when a researcher is interested in capturing the behavioral pattern of the chosen samples, task would not be as easy as collective quantitative information. Given the fact that the researcher cannot enter into the minds of respondents, at the best what goes on in the minds of respondents can be captured by designing appropriate questions / statements and eliciting their responses. While the subject matter has been debated over the years, there is a consensus amongst researchers on the usefulness of measurement scales. These scales are tools which sorts or rates or ranks the respondents view points on the pre-determined criteria. They have been used widely in the areas that call for using psychometric exercises. The behavior of respondents thus gets captured by noting the respondents responses on a scale, and these responses when codified become the data for further analysis. Once the researchers decide what kind of measurement scales are to be used, it is equally important to determine if the tools used reliability and validity. Of course, a researcher could use a number of measurement scales, but choosing the right scale is a challenge. Only those scales which are reliable and valid alone will have to be chosen for measurement purposes. When a tool used for measurement produces similar results on repeat, that tool could be considered as reliable. In fact, reliability of a tool is nothing but the degree to which what has been measured yields consistent result each time it get used. Moreover, if what get measured remains free of error, the tool used to measure them is considered as reliable. On the

Where Am I Now Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Where Am I Now - Essay Example Although college was challenging, I graduated from the University of Peru with a degree in Communication. Using my degree, I published a 400-page book of nonfiction about preserving nature: I called it The Dream of the Dolphins. After this, I found a job with IBM selling large, mainframe computers to banks. In 1999, I met and later married my husband who I met at an IBM advertising conference. We married six months after the conference and we moved to the United States. Currently, we live in a small, friendly, community in Norwich, Vermont. Our home is on a farm, and we have four horses, four dogs and four children. I am currently working full-time as a graphic designer at a very successful advertising agency in Woodstock, Vermont. In addition, during my free time, I enjoy reading a good book and working out in the gym. Some of my hobbies include skydiving, hiking and horseback riding. One challenging issue for me is the fact that English is my second language. This means that I ofte n have to use an editor in order to make sure that I am writing the words correctly. What many people do not realize is that students with English as their second language have to use other ways of learning English that natural English speakers. According to Yau-hau Tse (2011) â€Å"students used six dimensions of language learning strategies: cognitive, social, association, compensation, assistance and constructive strategies† (p. 33). ... I notice that I basically ask many questions in class to make sure that I understand what is going on. I learn best through hands on learning, face to face and lectures. These methods suggest that I am a visual, kinesthetic and auditory learner (Fleming, 2011). This means that I need to hear and see what I am learning on one level and if the course adds some type of hands on ability, it allows me to totally engage in the learning of that subject. I find that if I have more than one way to approach a subject I have a better understanding of what I need to do to be successful with that subject. Luu Trong (2011) states that understanding the learning styles is important in order to engage students into specific learning. He calls learning styles â€Å"a consistent way of functioning which reflects cultural behavior patterns †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 291) which means that because learning styles are based within cultures, they also can be stretched to accommodate more styles as they are develo ped. I am not sure that I am developing new learning styles yet, but perhaps this will happen later. Barnes, Marateo and Ferris (2007) suggest that there are many different styles to consider when working with learners and students today are part of a generation that they call The Net Generation. They say that this generation is very interested in education and that they are brought up in education from a very young age. I see myself as part of this particular generation and I do believe that my education is very important to my future goals. As they state, I have been involved with the Internet for a very long time and have and I understand my learning style very well. As a teacher/counselor/mentor/leader, I

Measure and assessment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Measure and assessment - Research Paper Example If they are available from secondary sources, the task becomes easier for the researcher. If not, they have to necessarily resort to collection of primary data. So long as the requirements are confined to quantitative information, they can be collected easily. At the same time, if qualitative information is required, the problem gets compounded. In particular, when a researcher is interested in capturing the behavioral pattern of the chosen samples, task would not be as easy as collective quantitative information. Given the fact that the researcher cannot enter into the minds of respondents, at the best what goes on in the minds of respondents can be captured by designing appropriate questions / statements and eliciting their responses. While the subject matter has been debated over the years, there is a consensus amongst researchers on the usefulness of measurement scales. These scales are tools which sorts or rates or ranks the respondents view points on the pre-determined criteria. They have been used widely in the areas that call for using psychometric exercises. The behavior of respondents thus gets captured by noting the respondents responses on a scale, and these responses when codified become the data for further analysis. Once the researchers decide what kind of measurement scales are to be used, it is equally important to determine if the tools used reliability and validity. Of course, a researcher could use a number of measurement scales, but choosing the right scale is a challenge. Only those scales which are reliable and valid alone will have to be chosen for measurement purposes. When a tool used for measurement produces similar results on repeat, that tool could be considered as reliable. In fact, reliability of a tool is nothing but the degree to which what has been measured yields consistent result each time it get used. Moreover, if what get measured remains free of error, the tool used to measure them is considered as reliable. On the

Benefits of Reading Essay Example for Free

Benefits of Reading Essay Most of us have been exposed to reading since we were young but not many of us have the habit of reading for leisure. Most students read only because they have to study for their examinations but reading is not only limited to study materials. It is fun to read storybooks, novels, magazines, comics, newspapers and other reading material that is of interest to us. Reading is a good hobby. It is a form of pastime which brings many benefits. Reading trains our minds to be more imaginative. It also helps us to process new information faster and develop our ability to understand how other people think and feel. People who love to read are more open to new ideas. Thus, we can train our minds to think faster and more efficiently if we read more. We also can improve our awareness of the current events worldwide by reading newspaper. Besides improving our general knowledge, knowing what is going on around us, will also help us socialize with others by discussing the current issues with them. Nowadays, we need not solely rely to newspapers for news. We can also read real-time news online via the internet. Many news networks update the information on their websites every hour just to keep the readers updated with the latest events. Reading is important to help us to improve our language proficiency. By exposing ourselves to the proper use of language, we can improve our grammar and vocabulary. By reading, we would also enhance our understanding of world usage in different contexts. Therefore, we can eventually improve to our writing and speaking skills. The benefits of reading are numerous. It is also a cheap activity as we can go to the library to borrow books for free. We could also exchange books with our friends. This will help us save a lot of money. Some people prefer to buy their books so that they can keep them in their collection. As book are a source of knowledge, spending money to acquire them is not a waste, it is a form of investment.

Sport Science Energy Systems Assignment Physical Education Essay

Sport Science Energy Systems Assignment Physical Education Essay The duration of as netball game is approximately around an hour split into four quarters of 15 minutes with a couple of minutes between each quarter. Netball can be played at different speeds depending on what the position is that the player is occupying at that time and whether or not the player is continuously running or moving in that position played, for example, the goal keeper (GK) only has to use energy and actually move is when the ball is down that end of the court, in that third. Where as the centre (C) has to be moving continuously up and down the court to receive the ball and to take an intercept. A full game consists of mainly high intensity throughout the game depending on the position. This includes mainly two processes that our body experiences of the ATP-PC body system for fast bursts of energy and the Lactic acid energy system for running and using a lot of energy for long periods of time, this system is mainly used for team sports because of the pauses throughout t he game the player doesnt usually go into the aerobic stage yet although if the game is intense and your constantly running and moving it is possible to go into your aerobic stage. Some players have around about the same intensity, some are different than others, and they can vary from player to player. Explain how the ATP-PC system works. Describe the aspects of the game in which this is the predominant energy system. ATP-PC is constantly being relied on at the beginning of any form of exercise regardless of what the intensity is. It is the first Energy System that our body goes into when experiencing any type of sport. People who play Netball use this system a lot and more than any of the other energy systems because netball players need that extra burst of energy to get the ball or to defend it, ATP-PC system has fast spurts of energy for this. The ATP-PC system provides immediate energy bursts because of the breaking down process of the energy phosphates. If this energy system is fully stored and your body hasnt used any of the ATP-PC system then the energy in your body will provide maximal power intensity for a short duration from between 10-15 seconds until your body moves into the next system, since your body hasnt started using any fast and immediate energy burst it hasnt broken down any phosphates, this will provide maximal energy as your body doesnt need to replace any until you move into your next system and it provides you with the maximal amount of intensity because the ATP-PC has been produced; however the negative theory of the ATP-PC system is the bursts of energy run out quickly. ATP-PC is used in netball because it has a high intensity for the short bursts of energy, such as sprinting. In netball when leading toward the ball you need to sprint to receive the ball or jump high for a pass. However the rest of the time you are either waiting for the ball to come down that end or third of the court or you might have gone past that system and have moved onto your lactic acid system. Explain how the Lactic Acid system works. Describe the aspects of the game in which this is the predominant system. To replace the ATP in your system when you play netball is the lactic acid system, this system is generally used for team sports and MED HIGH intensity levels (85% or higher intensity). The Lactic Acid systems only fuel is carbohydrates; this is what the Lactate runs on and is its only energy source. The Lactic acid system lasts from approximately 10 seconds to 3 minutes until your body moves on to the next energy system. This system is a complete breakdown of glucose being released into the muscles and starts to build up causing the muscles to become fatigue. Netball uses this system for fast bursts also as well as the ATP-PC system and it lasts for a decent time in team sports, but if used too much it can cause sore muscles, mainly in the legs due to the lactate running through your muscles. The lactic acid is conflicting with the muscle which is tensing and then expanding again because of the combination of the calcium and Troponin in your muscles. The acid encourages the nerves to separate influencing the lactic to cause pain within the muscle. When you push yourself too far your body cant supply enough oxygen to your muscles quick enough there for your muscles will burn the glucose quicker and then produce a lot of lactic acid to your body, because of the build up of lactate your muscles will then become really sore after a game and will reduce your maximal effort that you are putting into the game. Explain how Aerobic system works. Describe the aspects of the game in which this is a predominant system? After the Lactic acid system is the Aerobic system, this system produces large amounts of energy even though it has the lowest intensity level of all our energy systems. Due to at the start of your exercise your body can not transport the oxygen to your muscles quick enough to begin the chemical reactions in the Anaerobic stages until you are in your Aerobic stage. The Aerobic stage is broken down into three different stages; Glycolysis, Citric acid cycle and lastly into the electron Transport chain. Firstly the Glycolysis is the breakdown of the carbohydrates (which is one of the aerobic systems fuels) the Glycolysis breaks down into Pyruvic acid which forms into 2 ATP molecules which is a total of 10 separate chemical reactions and also takes place in the muscle. Once the Carbohydrates have broken down, the second transformation then develops which is called the Citric acid or the Tricarboxylic acid system. Other reactions also continue within our muscles to resynthesis the two ATP molecules as well. The by-products such as, Carbon Dioxide and hydrogen joins to the process, which then constructs into a chain reaction starting the cycle all over again. The Electron Transport Chain involves the Hydrogen noted above is located into the membranes of the Mitochondria and is then split into and atom and an electron which creates at lot of energy in preparation to resynthesise into ATP. In netball the Centre is using the aerobic system the most of all the players on the team as the Centre has to run from one end of the court to the other, if the game is really intense then she will be running constantly as the ball would be going from one end of the court to the other. This proves that she has little rest to replenish all her PC at 100% as it takes 3 minutes to rest in a stationary position, but if the ball is in the goals circle then she may have some time to replenish but it highly likely that she wont have replenished completely. Choose a position/player in your sport. What percentage of game time would each of the energy systems be seen as the predominant system? Explain. The Goal Defence; Before the game has even started and all the players are in their positions, waiting for the whistle to be blown, the goal keeper is instantly using the aerobic system as she is standing there waiting for the game to commence. If she sprints for the ball, intercepts the ball or if she is defending the ball in the goals circle and jumps up to defend she is also instantly using the ATP-PC system for a fast burst which has high intensity levels and is the predominant source. If she continues running or sprinting for more than 15 seconds then she would then entre her lactic acid stage. Throughout the game she would be mostly using the aerobic system. In between each quarter of the game she would have replenished a high amount of her PC stores if not around 98% then her system will start all over again. If for most of the game the ball is down the other end of the court more often than it is at the other end of the court then this also gives time to recover for each energy system. It take s 20 -30 seconds for the ATP in our bodies to recover at least 50%, which works out to around 3 minutes for it to recover a complete 100%. (Although it varies for the type of sport that you are playing, 30 seconds or less for endurance, 30-90 seconds for hypertrophy, 2-3 minutes for strength and 3-5 minutes for power. Netball would be a power type of sport as it includes high intensity power bursts regularly.) If the game is really intense they may fit in 15-20 seconds of their recovery, which is only a small amount of time around 20-25% of their ATP-PC would be replenished. For a game that wouldnt be as intense they may possibly reach up to half of their recovery but not completely. Your body may not fully recover after a high intensity Aerobic exercise for up to 3-4 days afterwards, but it all depends on how high the intensity was of the game. Explain the accumulation of Lactic Acid and the required recovery time using the above percentages. The accumulation of lactic acid is due to high the rate is in demand for lactate, when your body is demanding more and more lactate in a high intensity sport, your body produces more and more lactate until it reaches the point where there is so much that our body cant remove it quick enough and the concentration begins to rise to where there is a build up of lactate that isnt being removed, if you stop whatever the sport or activity is the lactic acid does not get removed from the muscle then causes pain later on unless you do a recovery to remove it otherwise thats what creates the soreness in your muscles. There are different ways that you can remove the lactic acid but it approximately takes up to an hour for it to be 100% replenished. To speed the process up one which removes it quickly would include a fast pace cool down which allows oxygen to the muscles and helps remove the lactate quicker.

Spanking is Positive Essay -- Children Obedience Discipline Essays

Spanking is Positive Have you ever been spanked, when you were a child? Do you remember how it felt? Did it have an effect on your attitude as you grew older? Now, when you look back at it, do you think it was a good thing? I have interviewed three random college students that have been spanked when they were a child. Even though spanking may be an example of physical abuse, I believe it is positive and not as serious as hitting with a fist or object. The following gives examples of how students felt during the time being spanked, how their behavior was after being spanked, and how being spanked affected his/her life. At the time of being spanked NAU student Lindsey Richardson said, â€Å"being spanked was an embarrassment for me at the time, mainly because my parents would spank me in public, so I could feel embarrassed to show how embarrassed they felt when I put on a tantrum.† For Lindsey, being spanked was to embarrass her, not to feel pain for what she has done, but to feel how her parents did when they would get embarrassed. As for Megan Marlatt, also a NAU student said, â€Å"at the time of being spanked it was pain, it was for punishment and feeling of regret for doing what I did†. When Megan was being spanked her parents had to show her how it would feel if she misbehaved the next time. While doing these interviews I have also done research to why parents would chose to spank their child. And according to Abraham Andero and Allen Stewart who conducted a survey in the fall and summer of 2001, of 500 parents on why they spank their child, 100% of the parents responded with, â€Å"for disobedience.† Therefore, Andero and Stewart said, â€Å"parents saw corporal punishment as a connective measure and ha... ...ng about people’s stories of when they were spanked, do you think you can remember how you felt when you were spanked and how it affects you now. In the way you represent yourself as a person and represent your family as well. As a result, we students never knew spanking was an example of physical abuse, until we grew older. Back then, spanking was a sign of punishment not abuse. Now, that these students and myself know, we still believe it was a good idea and a good way to discipline us. This worked affectively for the parents and made their child learn to obey their elderly and have respect for others. â€Å"So what would you do? Would you have a child disobey you as young as they are? Or have a child respect you and know what you’re doing is out of discipline and love for the child, in trying to raise that child in knowing what is appropriate and what’s not. Spanking is Positive Essay -- Children Obedience Discipline Essays Spanking is Positive Have you ever been spanked, when you were a child? Do you remember how it felt? Did it have an effect on your attitude as you grew older? Now, when you look back at it, do you think it was a good thing? I have interviewed three random college students that have been spanked when they were a child. Even though spanking may be an example of physical abuse, I believe it is positive and not as serious as hitting with a fist or object. The following gives examples of how students felt during the time being spanked, how their behavior was after being spanked, and how being spanked affected his/her life. At the time of being spanked NAU student Lindsey Richardson said, â€Å"being spanked was an embarrassment for me at the time, mainly because my parents would spank me in public, so I could feel embarrassed to show how embarrassed they felt when I put on a tantrum.† For Lindsey, being spanked was to embarrass her, not to feel pain for what she has done, but to feel how her parents did when they would get embarrassed. As for Megan Marlatt, also a NAU student said, â€Å"at the time of being spanked it was pain, it was for punishment and feeling of regret for doing what I did†. When Megan was being spanked her parents had to show her how it would feel if she misbehaved the next time. While doing these interviews I have also done research to why parents would chose to spank their child. And according to Abraham Andero and Allen Stewart who conducted a survey in the fall and summer of 2001, of 500 parents on why they spank their child, 100% of the parents responded with, â€Å"for disobedience.† Therefore, Andero and Stewart said, â€Å"parents saw corporal punishment as a connective measure and ha... ...ng about people’s stories of when they were spanked, do you think you can remember how you felt when you were spanked and how it affects you now. In the way you represent yourself as a person and represent your family as well. As a result, we students never knew spanking was an example of physical abuse, until we grew older. Back then, spanking was a sign of punishment not abuse. Now, that these students and myself know, we still believe it was a good idea and a good way to discipline us. This worked affectively for the parents and made their child learn to obey their elderly and have respect for others. â€Å"So what would you do? Would you have a child disobey you as young as they are? Or have a child respect you and know what you’re doing is out of discipline and love for the child, in trying to raise that child in knowing what is appropriate and what’s not.

Happiness in Aldous Huxleys Brave New World Essays -- Brave New World

When we look to define happiness, many different ideas come to mind. Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary uses three definitions for happiness: good fortune, a state of well being and contentment, and a pleasurable satisfaction. In Brave New World, Aldus Huxley argues that a society can redefine happiness through the government’s manipulation of the environment and the human mind itself. The government accomplishes this by mind conditioning throughout the process of maturing, keeping a caste-based society, and obliterating problems. The government thus defines happiness as the absence of all conflict. This differs from happiness as the American society sees it: the ability to pursue and enjoy individual desires.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The conditioning of minds allows the government to impress its ideas upon maturing children. The process used is hypnopà ¦dia, or repetition of sayings during sleep. After many repetitions of one phrase, the idea is hardened within the human mind, proving most difficult to undo. Evidence of this method to provide artificial happiness surfaces in both Lenina and Bernard’s actions. Huxley states this coldly during Lenina’s trip home with Henry Foster, â€Å"‘What a hideous color khaki is,’ remarked Lenina, voicing the hypnopà ¦dic prejudices of her caste† (62). Khaki is a color worn by lower castes in the society and the higher castes are taught not to associate with them. Bernard’s hypnopà ¦dic lessons did not work as well as most. He sees everything in this artific...

Essay on A memorable day Essay

India is a country of different communities belonging to different religions. So almost every day we see a festival being celebrated with joy and fun. The festivals make our life colourful and charming. There are some religious festivals, some are based on seasons and some are of national importance. They are celebrated with great joy and fun. The Indian religious festivals are Deepawali and Dussehra, Id-ul- Fitr and Id-ul Zuha. X’mas day and the New Year’s day, Mahavir Jayanti, Buddha Jayanti, Guru Nanak’s Birthday etc. Though these festivals are marked by different communities, yet they are celebrated by all without any ill-will and communal hatred. Festivals promote the feelings of com ­munal harmony. Holi, Baisakhi and Basant are important seasonal festivals. Basant declares the arrival of spring season. Holi is a festival of colours. It marks the end of the winter season. Baisakhi is the seasonal festival of the Punjab. It is celebrated at the end of harvesting season. The Independence Day, the Republic Day and the Gandhi Jayanti are national festivals. These are celebrated with great joy by all the communities throughout the country. The Independence Day is cel ­ebrated on 15th August, 1947 on this day we got freedom from the British Empire. The Prime Minister hoists the national flag on the Red Fort on this great historic day. The Republic Day is celebrated on 26th January. On this day a colourful parade starts from Vijay Chowk which ends at the Red Fort. Gandhi Jayanti (Oct. 2) is the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi-the father of nation. Thus we find that the festivals bring a new charm in the life of Indians.

Acoustic Signal Based Traffic Density Engineering Essay

Traffic monitoring and parametric quantities estimation from urban to battlefield environment traffic is fast-emerging field based on acoustic signals. This paper considers the job of vehicular traffic denseness appraisal, based on the information nowadays in cumulative acoustic signal acquired from a roadside-installed individual mike. The happening and mixture weightings of traffic noise signals ( Tyre, Engine, Air Turbulence, Exhaust, and Honks etc ) are determined by the prevalent traffic denseness conditions on the route section. In this work, we extract the short-run spectral envelope characteristics of the cumulative acoustic signals utilizing MFCC ( Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients ) . The ( Scaly Conjugate Gradient ) SCG algorithm, which is a supervised acquisition algorithm for network-based methods, is used to calculate the second-order information from the two first-order gradients of the parametric quantities by utilizing all the preparation datasets. Adaptive Neuro-F uzzy classifier is used to pattern the traffic denseness province as Low ( 40 Km/h and supra ) , Medium ( 20-40 Km/h ) , and Heavy ( 0-20 Km/h ) . For the development geographicss where the traffic is non-lane driven and helter-skelter, other techniques ( magnetic cringle sensors ) are unsuitable. Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy classifier is used to sort the acoustic signal sections crossing continuance of 20-40 s, which consequences in a categorization truth of?95 % for 13-D MFCC coefficients, ~95 % for first order derived functions and ~95 % for 2nd order derived functions of cepstral coefficients. Keywords: Acoustic signal, Noise, Traffic, Density, Neuro-Fuzzy. Introduction As the figure of vehicle in urban countries is of all time increasing, it has been a major concern of metropolis governments to ease effectual control of traffic flows in urban countries [ 1 ] . Particularly in first-come-first-serve hours, even a hapless control at traffic signals may ensue in a long clip traffic jam doing a concatenation of holds in traffic flows and besides CO2 emanation [ 2 ] . Density of traffic on roads and main roads has been increasing invariably in recent old ages due to motorisation, urbanisation, and population growing. Intelligent traffic direction systems are needed to avoid traffic congestions or accidents and to guarantee safety of route users. Traffic in developed states is characterized by lane driven. Use of magnetic cringle sensors, picture cameras, and velocity guns proved to be efficient attack for traffic monitoring and parameter extraction but the installing, operational and care cost of these detectors significantly adds to the high operational disbursal of these devices during their life rhythms. Therefore research workers have been developing several Numberss of detectors, which have a figure of important advantages and disadvantages relative to each other. Nonintrusive traffic-monitoring engineerings based on ultrasound, radio detection and ranging ( Radio, Laser, and Photo ) , picture and audio signals. All above present different features in footings of hardiness to alterations in environmental conditions ; industry, installing, and fix costs ; safety ordinance conformity, and so forth [ 3 ] . Traffic surveillance systems based on picture cameras cover a wide scope of different undertakings, such as vehicle count, lane tenancy, velocity measurings and categorization, but they besides detect critical events as fire and fume, traffic jams or lost lading. The job of traffic monitoring and parametric quantity appraisal is most normally solved by deploying inductive cringles. These cringles are really intrusive to the route paving and, hence cost associated with these is really high. Most video analytics systems on main roads focus on numeration and categorization [ 4 ] , [ 5 ] , [ 6 ] , [ 7 ] , [ 8 ] . Using general intent surveillance cameras for traffic analysis is demanding occupation. The quality of surveillance informations is by and large hapless, and the scope of operational conditions ( e.g. , dark clip, inclement, and mutable conditions ) requires robust techniques. The usage of route side acoustic signal seems to be good attack for traffic monitoring and parametric q uantity appraisal intent holding really low installing, operation and care cost ; low-power demand ; operate in twenty-four hours and dark status. Conventional pattern categorization involves constellating developing samples and tie ining bunchs to given classs with restrictions of lacking of an effectual manner of specifying the boundaries among bunchs. On the contrary, fuzzed categorization assumes the boundary between two neighbouring categories as a uninterrupted, overlapping country within which an object has partial rank in each category [ 9 ] . In brief, we use fuzzed IF-THEN regulations to depict a classifier. Assume that K forms, p= 1, .. K are given from two categories, where is an n-dimensional chip vector. Typical fuzzed categorization regulations for n = 2 are like If is little and is really big so = ( ) belongs to C1 If is big and is really little so = ( ) belongs to C2 Where are the characteristics of form ( or object ) P, little and really big are lingual footings characterized by appropriate rank maps. The firing strength or the grade of rightness of this regulation with regard to a given object is the grade of belonging of this object to the category C. Most of the categorization jobs consist of medium and large-scale datasets, illustration: familial research, character or face acknowledgment. For this different methods, such as nervous webs ( NNs ) , support vector machines, and Bayes classifier, have been implemented to work out these jobs. The network-based methods can be trained with gradient based methods, and the computations of new points of the web parametric quantities by and large depend on the size of the datasets. One of the network-based classifiers is the Neuro-Fuzzy Classifier ( NFC ) , which combines the powerful description of fuzzed categorization techniques with the larning capablenesss of NNs. The Scaled Conjugate Gradient ( SCG ) algorithm is based on the second-order gradient supervised learning process [ 10 ] . The SCG executes a trust part measure alternatively of the line hunt measure to scale the measure size. The line hunt attack requires more parametric quantities to find the measure size, which consequences in increasing preparation clip for any learning method. In a trust part method, the distance for which the theoretical account map will be trusted is updated at each measure. The trust part methods are more robust than line-search methods. The disadvantage associated with line-search method is eliminated in the SCG by utilizing the trust part method [ 10 ] . We start with a word picture of the route side cumulative acoustic signal which consisting several noise signals ( tyre noise, engine noise, air turbulency noise, and honks ) , the mixture weightings in the cumulative signal varies, depending on the traffic denseness conditions [ 11 ] . For low traffic conditions, vehicles tend to travel with medium to high velocities, and therefore, their cumulative acoustic signal is dominated by tyre noise and air turbulency noise [ 11 ] , [ 12 ] . On the other manus, for a to a great extent congested traffic, the acoustic signal is dominated by engine-idling noise and the honks. Therefore, in this work, we extract the spectral characteristics of the wayside acoustic signal utilizing Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients ( MFCC ) , and so Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Classifier is used to find the traffic denseness province ( low, Medium and Heavy ) . This consequences in 95 % truth when 20-30 s of audio signal grounds is presented. We begin with description of the assorted noise signals in the cumulative acoustic signal in Section II. Overview of past work based on acoustic signal for traffic monitoring is provided in Section III, followed by characteristic extraction utilizing Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients in IV. Finally, the experimental apparatus and the categorization consequences by SCG-NFC are provided in Section V, and the decision is summarized in Section VI. VEHICULAR ACOUSTIC SIGNAL A vehicular acoustic signal is mixture of assorted noise signals such as tyre noise, engine tick overing noise, noise due to wash up, engine block noise, noise due to aerodynamic effects, noise due to mechanical effects ( e.g. , axle rotary motion, brake, and suspension ) , air-turbulence noise and the honks. The mixture weighting of spectral constituents at any location is depends upon the traffic denseness status and vehicle velocity. In former instance if we consider traffic denseness as freely fluxing so acoustic signal is chiefly due to tyre noise and air turbulency noise. For medium flow traffic acoustic signal is chiefly due to broad set thrust by noise, some honks. For heavy traffic status the acoustic signal is chiefly due to engine tick overing noise and several honks. A typical vehicle produces assorted noise depends on its speed, burden and mechanical status. In general, estimate can be done as vehicular acoustic signal is categorized as, Tyre noise Tyre noise refers to resound produced by turn overing Sur as an interaction of turn overing Sur with route surface. The tyre noise is besides considered as chief beginning of vehicle ‘s entire noise at a velocity higher than 50 kilometers per hours [ 12 ] , [ 13 ] . Tyre noise has two constituents: air noise and vibrational noise [ 13 ] , [ 14 ] . Air noise dominant in the frequence ranges between 1 KHz to 3 KHz. On the other manus vibrational noise is dominant in the frequence scope 100 Hz to 1000 Hz. Effect is generated by route and Sur, which forms a geometrical construction that amplifies the noise ( elaboration consequences in tyre noise constituent in the frequence scope 600 Hz to 2000 Hz ) , produced due to tyre-road interaction [ 14 ] , [ 15 ] , [ 16 ] . The directionality of horn depends upon tyre geometry, tyre yarn geometry, weight and torsion of Sur. The entire Sur noise power along with horn consequence lies in the frequence scope 700-1300 Hz. Fig. 1. Relationship between the noise of the Sur and the noise of the vehicle harmonizing to its velocity. The Sur noise is caused by three different factors: The Sur hitting the land ( Fig 2 ) The quiver of the air through the tread form ( Fig 3 ) The quivers go throughing through the Sur ( Fig 4 ) ( B ) ( degree Celsius ) Fig. 2. ( a ) Tyre hitting the land, ( B ) Vibration of the air through the pace form, ( degree Celsius ) Vibrations go throughing through the Sur Engine noise Engine noise is produced due to internal burning of engine. Engine noise contains a deterministic harmonic train and stochastic constituent due to aerate intake [ 11 ] . The fuel burning in engine cylinder leads to deterministic harmonic train where lowest harmonic tone refers to cylinder fire rate. On the other manus stochastic constituent is mostly due to the turbulent air flow in the air consumption, the engine chilling systems, and the alternator fans. The engine noise varies with velocity and the acceleration of vehicle [ 11 ] , [ 17 ] . A stationary vehicle produces distinguishable engine tick overing noise whereas traveling vehicle produces different engine noise in correspondence with cylinder fire rate. In the recent old ages, makers designs quieter engine to stamp down the noise degree. So engine noise might be strong on front side of auto compared to other waies. Exhaust noise The exhaust noise is produced due to full fumes system. The system goes from the engine burning compartment through exhaust tubings to the exhaust silencer nowadays at the dorsum of the vehicle bring forthing exhaust noise. The exhaust noise is straight relative to burden of the vehicle [ 18 ] . The exhaust noise is characterised by holding power spectrum around lower frequences. Exhaust noise is affected by turbo coursers and after ice chest [ 18 ] , [ 19 ] . Air Turbulence noise Air turbulency noise is produced due to the air flow generated by the boundary bed of the vehicle. It is outstanding instantly after the vehicle base on ballss by the detector ( e.g. mike ) . It produces typical drive-by-noise or whoosh sound. The Air turbulency noise depends on the aeromechanicss of the vehicle, wind velocity and its orientation [ 20 ] , [ 21 ] . ACOUSTIC SIGNALS FOR TRAFFIC MONITORING Today ‘s urban environment is supported by applications of computing machine vision techniques and pattern acknowledgment techniques including sensing of traffic misdemeanor, vehicular denseness appraisal, vehicular velocity estimate, and the designation of route users. Currently magnetic cringle sensor is most widely used detector for traffic monitoring in developing states [ 22 ] . However traffic monitoring by utilizing these detectors still have really high installing and care cost. This non merely includes the direct cost of labour intensive Earth work but besides, possibly more significantly, the indirect cost associated with the break of traffic flow. Besides these techniques require traffic to be orderly flow, traffic to be lane driven and in most instances it should be homogenous. Mentioning to the developing parts such India and Asia the traffic is non lane driven and extremely helter-skelter. Highly heterogenous traffic is present due to many two Wheelers, three Wheelers, four Wheelers, auto-rickshaws, multi-wheeled coachs and trucks, which does non follow lane. So it is the major concern of metropolis authorization to supervise such helter-skelter traffic. In such environment the cringle sensors and computer-vision-based trailing techniques are uneffective. The usage of route side acoustic signal seems to be good option for traffic monitoring intent holding really low installing, operation and care cost. Vehicular Speed Appraisal Doppler frequence displacement is used to supply a theoretical description of individual vehicle velocity. Premise made that distance to the closest point of attack is known the solution can suit any line of reaching of the vehicle with regard to the mike. [ 23 ] , [ 24 ] . Feeling techniques based on inactive sound sensing are reported in [ 25 ] , [ 26 ] . These techniques utilizes microphone array to observe the sound moving ridges generated by route side vehicles and are capable of capable of supervising traffic conditions on lane-by-lane and vehicle-by-vehicle footing in a multilane carriageway. S. Chen et Al develops multilane traffic feeling construct based inactive sound which is digitized and processed by an on-site computing machine utilizing a correlativity based algorithm. The system holding low cost, safe inactive sensing, unsusceptibility to adverse conditions conditions, and competitory fabrication cost. The system performs good for free flow traffic nevertheless for congested traffic public presentation is hard to accomplish [ 27 ] . Valcarce et Al. work the differential clip holds to gauge the velocity. Pair of omnidirectional mikes was used and technique is based on maximal likeliness rule [ 3 ] . Lo and Ferguson develop a nonlinear least squares method for vehicle velocity appraisal utilizing multiple mikes. Quasi-Newton method for computational efficiency was used. The estimated velocity is obtained utilizing generalized cross correlativity method based on time-delay-of-arrival estimations [ 28 ] . Cevher et Al. uses individual acoustic detector to gauge vehicle ‘s velocity, breadth and length by jointly gauging acoustic moving ridge forms. Wave forms are approximated utilizing three envelop form constituents. Consequences obtained from experimental apparatus shows the vehicle velocities are estimated as ( 18.68, 4.14 ) m/s by the picture camera and ( 18.60, 4.49 ) m/s by the acoustic method [ 29 ] . They besides had estimated a individual vehicle ‘s velocity, engine ‘s unit of ammunitions per minute ( RPM ) , the figure of cylinders, and its length and breadth based on its acoustical moving ridge forms [ 17 ] . Traffic Density Estimation Time appraisal for making from beginning to finish utilizing existent clip traffic denseness information is major concern of metropolis governments. J. Kato proposed method for traffic denseness appraisal based on acknowledgment of temporal fluctuations that appear on the power signals in conformity with vehicle base on ballss through mention point [ 30 ] . HMM is used for observation of local temporal fluctuations over little periods of clip, extracted by ripple transmutation. Experimental consequences show good truth for sensing of transition of vehicles Vehicular Categorization Classification larning strategies normally use one of the undermentioned attacks: Statistical classifiers based on Bayes determination theory, assume an implicit in chance distribution for unknown forms, e.g. maximal likelihood appraisal, maximal posterior chance appraisal, Gaussian mixture theoretical accounts, concealed Markov theoretical accounts or k-nearest neighbour method. Syntactic or structural classifiers based on additive or nonlinear interrelatednesss of characteristics in the characteristic vector lead to linear/non-linear classifier. Acoustic characteristic coevals are chiefly based on three spheres: clip, frequence, and both time-frequency sphere. Time sphere characteristic coevals offers really low computational demand, but characteristics are frequently hampered by environmental noise or air current effects. Frequency sphere characteristic coevals see a stationary spectrum in a given clip frame. As traveling vehicles are non-stationary signals, the influence of Doppler effects and signal energy alterations either have to be neglected or the investigated clip frame must be chosen short plenty to afford quasi stationary signal behaviour. Time-frequency sphere characteristic coevals see the non-stationary signal behaviour of go throughing vehicles and it lead to accurate steps of signal energies in clip and frequence sphere at the same time, these attacks are holding a high computational complexness. TABLE I. Vehicular acoustic characteristic extractors and classifiers Sphere Ref. Feature Extractor Classifier used Accuracy Time [ 31 ] TE, PCA Fuzzy Logic, MLNN 73-79 % 95-97.5 % [ 32 ] Correlation based algorithm Frequency [ 33 ] HLA NN Vehicle: 88 % Cylinder: 95 % [ 34 ] HLA, DWT, STFT, PCA k-NNS, MPP kNN: 85 % MPP: 88 % [ 35 ] AR mod. MLNN up to 84 % Time-Frequency [ 36 ] DWT MPP 98.25 % [ 34 ] HLA, DWT, STFT, PCA k-NNS, MPP kNN: 85 % MPP: 88 % TABLE II. Acronyms from subdivision III and IV TE Time Energy Distribution MLNN Multi Layer Neural Network. PCA Principal Components Analysis NN Artificial Neural Network HLA Harmonic Line Association k-NNS K – Nearest Neighbor Search DWT Discrete Wavelet Transform MPP Maximum Distance Approach STFT Short Time Fourier Analysis AR mod. Autoregressive Mold CWT Continuous Wavelet Transform FEATURE EXTRACTION USING MFCC An omnidirectional mike was placed on the prosaic pavement at approximately 1 to 1.5 m tallness, and it recorded the cumulative signal at 16000 Hz trying frequence. Samples were collected for clip continuances of around 30s for different traffic denseness province conditions ( low, medium and heavy ) . The assorted traffic denseness states induce different cumulative acoustic signals. To turn out the above statement, we have examined the spectrograph of the different traffic province ‘s cumulative acoustic signals. Fig. 3. Spectrogram of the low denseness traffic ( above 40 kilometers per hour ) . Fig. 4. Spectrogram of the Medium denseness traffic ( 20 to 40 kilometers per hour ) . Fig. 5. Spectrogram of the Heavy denseness traffic ( 0 to 20 kilometers per hour ) . For the low denseness traffic status in Fig. 3, we merely see the wideband drive-by noise and the air turbulency noise of the vehicles. No honks or really few honks are observed for low denseness traffic status. For the medium denseness traffic status in Fig. 4, we can see some wideband drive-by noise, some honk signals, and some concentration of the spectral energy in the low-frequency ranges ( 0, 0.1 ) of the normalized frequence or equivalently ( 0, 800 ) Hz. For the heavy denseness traffic status in Fig. 5, we notice about no wideband drive-by engine noise or air turbulency noise and are dominated by several honk signals. We note the several harmonics of the honk signals, and they are runing from ( 2, 6 ) kilohertz. The end of characteristic extraction is to give a good representation of the vocal piece of land from its response features at any peculiar clip. Mel-Frequency cepstral coefficients ( MFCC ) , which are the Discrete Cosine Transform ( DCT ) coefficients of a Mel-filter smoothed logarithmic power spectrum. First 13-20 cepstral coefficients of a signal ‘s short clip spectrum compactly capture the smooth spectral envelope information. We have decided to utilize first 13 cepstral coefficients to stand for acoustic signal for matching traffic denseness province. These coefficients have been really successfully applied as the acoustic characteristics in address acknowledgment, talker acknowledgment, and music acknowledgment and to vast assortment of job spheres. Features extraction utilizing MFCC is as follows, Pre-emphasis Pre-emphasis stage emphasizes higher frequences. The pre-emphasis is a procedure of go throughing the signal through a filter. It is designed to increase, within a set of frequences, the magnitude of some ( normally higher ) frequences with regard to the magnitude of the others ( normally lower ) frequences in order to better the overall SNR. Y [ n ] = x [ n ] -?x [ n-1 ] , ? ˆ ( 0.9, 1 ) ( 1 ) Where ten [ n ] denotes input signal, y [ n ] denotes end product signal and the coefficient ? is in between 0.9 to 1.0, ?= 0.97 normally. The end of pre-emphasis is to counterbalance the high-frequency portion that was suppressed during the sound aggregation. Framing and Windowing Typically, address is a non-stationary signal ; therefore its statistical belongingss are non changeless across clip. The acquired signal is assumed to be stationary within a short clip interval. The input acoustic signal is segmented into frames of 20~40 MS with optional convergence of 1/3~1/2 of the frame size. Typically each frame has to be multiplied with a overacting window in order to maintain the continuity of the first and the last points in the frame. Its equation is as follows, W [ n ] = ( 2 ) Where N is frame size Y [ n ] = X [ n ] * W [ n ] ( 3 ) Where Y [ n ] = Output signal Ten [ n ] = Input signal W [ n ] = Hamming Window Due to the physical restraints, the traffic denseness province could alter from one to another ( low to medium flow to heavy ) over at least 5-30 min continuance. Therefore, we decided to utilize comparatively longer primary analysis Windowss of the typical size 500 MS and displacement size of 100 MSs to obtain the spectral envelope. Fig. 6. Primary Windowss of size=500 MS and shifted by 100 MSs to obtain a sequence of MFCC characteristic vectors. DFT Normally, Fast Fourier Transform ( FFT ) is used to calculate the DFT. It converts each frame of N samples from clip sphere into frequence sphere. The calculation of the FFT-based spectrum as follow, Ten [ k ] = ( 4 ) Where N is the frame size in samples, x [ n ] is the input acoustic signal, and. X [ k ] is the corresponding FFT-based spectrum. Triangular bandpass filtering The frequences range in FFT spectrum is really broad and acoustic signal does non follow the additive graduated table. Each filter ‘s magnitude frequence response is triangular in form and equal to integrity at the Centre frequence and diminish linearly to zero at centre frequence of two next filters. We so multiply the absolute magnitude of the DFT samples by the triangular frequence responses of the 24 Mel-filters that have logarithmically increasing bandwidth and cover a frequence scope of 0-8 kilohertz in our experiments. Each filter end product is the amount of its filtered spectral constituents. Following equation is used to calculate the Mel for given frequence degree Fahrenheit in HZ: F ( Mel ) = 2595 * log 10 [ 1+f/700 ] ( 5 ) The ith Mel-filter bank energy ( is obtained as ( = ( * , thousand ˆ ( 0, N/2 ) ( 6 ) Where ( is the triangular frequence response of the ith Mel-filter. These 24 Mel-filter bank energies are so transformed into 13 MFCC utilizing DCT. DCT This is the procedure to change over the log Mel spectrum into clip sphere utilizing DCT. The consequence of the transition is called Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficient. The set of coefficient is called acoustic vectors. = cos ( ?j ) , j ˆ ( 0, 12 ) ( 7 ) Data energy and Spectrum The acoustic signal and the frames alterations, such as the incline of a formant at its passages. Therefore, there is demand to add characteristics related to the alteration in cepstral characteristics over clip. 13 characteristic ( 12 cepstral characteristics plus energy ) . Energy=? X2 [ T ] ( 8 ) Where X [ t ] = signal Fig. 7. Input Acoustic signal, matching log filterbank energies and Mel frequence cepstrum for low traffic denseness province Fig. 8. Input Acoustic signal, matching log filterbank energies and Mel frequence cepstrum for Medium traffic denseness province Fig. 9. Input Acoustic signal, matching log filterbank energies and Mel frequence cepstrum for Heavy traffic denseness province ADAPTIVE NEURO FUZZY CLASSIFIER An adaptative web is a multi-layer feed-forward web where each node performs a peculiar map based on incoming signals and a set of parametric quantities refering to node. Fuzzy categorization systems, which are founded on the footing on fuzzy regulations, have been successfully applied to assorted categorization undertakings [ 37 ] . The fuzzed systems can be constituted with nervous webs, and attendant systems are called as Neuro-fuzzy systems [ 37 ] . The Neuro-fuzzy classifiers define the category distributions and demo the input-output dealingss, whereas the fuzzed systems describe the systems utilizing natural linguistic communication. Nervous webs are employed for developing the system parametric quantities in neuro-fuzzy applications. An ANFC consist of input, rank map, fuzzification, defuzzification, standardization and end product beds [ 37, 38, 39 ] . Fig. 10. An Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Classifier Figure 10 demonstrates generalized classifier architecture with two input variables x1and x2. The preparation informations are categorized by three categories C1 and C2. Each input is represented by two lingual footings, therefore we have four regulations. Membership bed: The end product of the node is the grade to which the given input satisfies the lingual label associated to this node. Normally, bell-shaped rank maps are chosen to stand for the lingual footings. ( U ) = exp [ – ( ) 2 ] ( 9 ) Where [ ai1, ai2, bi1, bi2 ] is the parametric quantity set. The bell-shaped maps vary harmonizing to alterations in the values of these parametric quantities, therefore exhibiting assorted signifiers of rank maps on lingual labels Ai and Bi. In fact, any uninterrupted, such as trapezoidal and triangular-shaped rank maps are besides campaigners for node maps in this bed. The initial values of the parametric quantities are set in such a manner that the rank maps along each axis satisfy ˆ-completeness, normalcy and convexness. The parametric quantities are so tuned or trained with a descent-type method. Fuzzification bed: Each node generates a signal corresponding to the conjunctive combination of single grades of lucifer. All nodes in this bed are labelled by T, because we can take any t-norm for patterning the logical and operator. The nodes of this bed are called regulation nodes. In order to cipher the grade of belongingness to certain category label the additive combination of the firing strengths of the regulations at Layer 3 and use a sigmoid map at Layer 4. If we are given the preparation set { ( ) , k = 1, .. .. , K } where refers to the k-th input form and = Experimental Consequences We have collected the route side cumulative acoustic signal samples from chhatrapati square to T-point of Nagpur metropolis. Datas were collected with 16 KHz trying frequence. These informations covered three wide traffic denseness categories ( low, medium and heavy ) . Feature extraction is done utilizing MFCC where primary window size is 500 MS and displacement size is of 100 MS. Case 1: First 13 cepstral coefficients were considered. TABLE III. Classification truths of assorted traffic denseness categories based on individual frame. Traffic Density Class Accuracy ( % ) Low 74 Medium 64 Heavy 72 Case 2: The full characteristic vectors consisted of the first 13 MFCC coefficients and their first and 2nd order clip derived functions computed. This led to a 39-D characteristic vector per frame. TABLE IV. Classification truths of assorted traffic denseness categories based on first and 2nd order derived functions of first frame. Traffic Density Class First order derived function Second order derived function Low 75 74 Medium 66 64 Heavy 78 72 Case 3: MFCC coefficients correspond to full frames are considered ( i.e. T= sample signal length in clip, ex. T=30s ) . Decision This paper describes a simple technique which uses MFCC characteristics of route side cumulative acoustic signal to sort traffic denseness province as Low, Medium and Heavy utilizing Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Classifier. As this technique uses simple mike ( cost: 500 Rs ) so its installing, operational and care cost is really low. This technique work good under non lane driven and helter-skelter traffic status, and is independent of illuming status. Classification truth achieved utilizing Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy classifier is of ~95 % for 13-D MFCC coefficients, ~95 % for first order derived functions and ~95 % for 2nd order derived functions of cepstral coefficients. The research on vehicular acoustic signal which is mixture of engine noise, tyre noise, noise due to mechanical effects etc. expands from vehicular velocity appraisal to denseness appraisal. The usage of route side acoustic signal seems to be an alternate, research shows acceptable truth for acoustic signal. Vehicular categorization with Acoustic signals proved to be first-class attack peculiarly for battleground vehicles, and besides for metropolis vehicles. Clearer definitions of scenarios and applications are required to bring forth a more consistent organic structure of work. New application countries are likely to emerge for traffic signal timings optimisation utilizing cumulative acoustic signals and besides categorization of bikes proved to be emerging country for research. Finally the categorization systems can be extended in a manner that extracted characteristics are utilised as characteristic fingerprints, which affords trailing of vehicles over multiple detector nodes.