Report Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5

Report - Coursework Example This process is called transmutation. An element keeps changing as the nucleus loses energy and mass. Coins are metallic. They also are elements that contain mass. They are fit because they have heads and tails. Radioactivity can be determined when the coins land on a different side to mean that they have lost energy and mass. It is a probabilistic method, but it works well to establish the hypothesis involved. Probability is used in these experiments determine half-life and the process of decay. It is a game. It uses random actions to prove certain trends. Probability is also used here to track progress of decay of the coins. It eliminates decayed coins against non-decayed. Two random experiments were conducted to determine radioactive decay of random coins. The purpose was to come up with a statistical explanation for their radioactivity and to establish the procedure. The coins were tossed and probability was used to determine the process of decay. The coins were tossed and each coin that landed on its head was decayed. Each coin that was on its tails was not decayed. This was the mode of separation for the decay process. The second hypothesis is also a little faulty. It is almost 3. An average of 2.97 is recorder in the table to mean that the throws after the first are mostly two or three to create two or less coins

Advances in Composite Laminate Theories

Advances in Composite Laminate Theories This paper reviews the Composite Laminate Theories that have already been proposed and developed in the recent years. These theories mainly focus on the macro mechanical analysis of the composite laminates which provides the elastic relations of the lamina. Stress-induced failure can occur in multiple ways in composite materials. Hence to understand and predict transverse shear and normal stress accurately, various composite laminate theories have been developed. The advantages and disadvantages of each model are discussed in detail. In this study, the Composite Laminate Theories are divided into two parts: (1) Single Layer Theory, where the entire plate is considered as one layer and (2) Layer Wise Theory, where each layer is treated separately for the analysis. It starts with displacement-based theories from very basic models such as Classical laminate theory to more complex higher-order shear deformation theory. [6] INTRODUCTION The requirement of composite materials has grown rapidly. These materials are ideal for applications that require low density and high strength. Composite materials provide great amount of flexibility in design through the variation of the fiber orientation or stacking sequence of fiber and matrix materials. The mechanical behavior of laminates strongly depends on the thickness of lamina and the orientation of fibers. Hence, the lamina must be designed to satisfy the specific requirements of each particular application and to obtain maximum advantage from the directional properties of its constituent materials. The normal stresses and through-thickness distributions of transverse shear for composite materials are very important because in laminate composite plates, stress-induced failures occur through three mechanisms. For instance, when the in-plane stress gets too large, then the fiber breakage occurs. However, normally before the in-plane stresses exceed the fiber breakage point, inter laminar shear stress failure occurs when one layer slips tangentially relative to another. Alternatively, transverse normal stress may increase enough to cause failure by which two layers pull apart from each other. Therefore, it is imperative to understand and calculate transverse shear and normal stress through the thickness of the plate accurately. In general, two different approaches have been used to study laminated composite structures, which are: (1) single layer theories and (2) discrete layer theories. In the single layer theory approach, layers in laminated composites are assumed to be one equivalent single layer (ESL) whereas in the discrete theory approach, each layer is considered separately in the analysis. Also, plate deformation theories can be categorized into two types: (1) displacement and (2) stress -based theories. A brief description of displacement-based theories is given below: displacement-based theories can be divided into two categories: classical l aminate theory (CLT) and shear deformation plate theories. Normally, composite laminate plate theories are described in the CLT, the first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT), the global higher-order theory, and the global-local higher shear deformation theory (SDT). DESCRIPTION: In the studies carried out in last few decades, many different theories were presented to overcome various issues and explain the behaviors of composite materials more accurately. In this paper, these theories are reviewed, categorized, and their advantages, weaknesses and limitations are discussed in detail. LAMINATED COMPOSITE PLATES Classical Laminate Theory (CLT) The simplest ESL laminate plate theory is the CLT, which is based on displacement based theories. In the nineteenth century Kirchhoff initiated the two-dimensional classical theory of plates and later on it was continued by Love and Timoshenko. The principal assumption in CLT is that normal lines to the mid-plane before deformation remain straight and normal to the plane after deformation. The other assumptions made in this theory are (1) the in-plane strains are small when compared to unity (2) the plates are perfectly bonded (3) the displacement are small compared to the thickness. Although these assumptions lead to simple constitutive equations, it is also the main limitation of the theory. These assumptions of neglecting the shear stresses lead to a reduction or removal of the three natural boundary conditions that should be satisfied along the free edges. These natural boundary conditions are the bending moment, normal force and twisting couple. Despite its limitations, CLT is s till a common approach used to get quick and simple predictions especially for the behavior of thin plated laminated structures. The main simplification in this model is that 3D structural plates ( with thickness ) or shells are treated as 2D plate or shells located through mid-thickness which results in a significant decrement of the total number of equations and variable, consequently saving a lot of computational time and effort. Since they are present in closed-form solutions, they provide better practical interpretation and their governing equations are easier to solve [6]. This approach remains popular because it has become the foundation for further composite plate analysis theories and methods. This method works relatively well for structures that are made out-of a balanced and symmetric laminate, experiencing either pure tension or only pure bending. The error which is introduced by neglecting the effect of transverse shear stresses becomes trivial on or near the edges and corners of thick-sectioned laminate configurations. It is observed that the induced error increases for thick plates made of composite layers. This is mainly due to the fact that the ratio of longitudinal to transverse shear elastic moduli is relatively large compared to isotropic materials [2]. It neglects transverse shear strains, under predicts deflections and overestimates natural frequencies and buckling loads [3]. Composite plates are, subjected to transverse shear and normal stresses due to their discontinuous through-thickness behavior and their global anisotropic nature [3]. In order to achieve better predictions of the response characteristics, such as bending, buckling stresses, torsion, etc., a number of other theories have been developed which are presented in following sections [6]. Figure1. Deformation Hypothesis [Taken from class notes. Advanced Plate Theory.1] Displacement and strain field for CLT are given below: [Taken from class notes. [1]] First-order shear deformation theories (FSDT) Reissner and Mindlin developed the conventional theories for analyzing thicker laminated composite plate which also considered the transfer shear effects. These theories are popularly known as the shear deformation plate theories. Many other theories, which are extension of SDT, have also been proposed to analyze the thicker laminated composite. These theories are primarily built on the assumption that the displacement w is constant through the thickness while the displacements u and v vary linearly through the thickness of each layer. In general, these theories are known as FSDT. The primary outcome of this theory is that the transverse straight lines will be straight both before and after the deformation but they will not be normal to the mid-plane after deformation. As this theory postulates constant transverse shear stress, it needs a shear correction factor to satisfy the plate boundary conditions on both the lower and upper surface. The shear correction factor is introduced to adjust the transverse shear stiffness values and thereby, the accuracy of results of the FSDT will depend notably on the shear correction factor. Further research has been undertaken to overcome the limitations of FSDT without involving higher-order theories to avoid increasing the complexity of the equations and computations [2, 7]. Authors like Bhaskar and Varadan [23] used the combination of Naviers approach and a Laplace transform technique to solve the equations of equilibrium. Onsy et al. [4] presented a finite strip solution for laminated plates. They used the FSDT and assumed that the displacements u and v vary linearly through the thickness of each layer and are continuous at the interfaces between adjacent layers. They also postulated that the displacement w does not vary through the thickness. These assumptions provide a more realistic situation (when compared with CLPT) where in the shear strains are not continuous across the interfaces between adjacent lamina. The other limitations are (1) assumption of constant shear stress is not correct as stresses must be zero at free surfaces. (2) FDST produces accurate results only for very thin plates. In order to calculate transverse shear more accurately, to satisfy all boundary conditions and to analyze the behavior of more complicated thick composite structures under different loading condition and to overcome the limitations the use of higher-order shear deformation theories are imperative[1]. Figure2. Reissner Mindline Plate [picture taken from MAE 557 class notes. 1] Higher Order Shear Deformation Theory: The limitations of the CLT and the FSDT have persuaded the researchers to develop a number of global HOSDT. The higher-order models are based on an assumption of nonlinear stress variation through the thickness [1]. These theories are developed for thick plates but are predominantly 2D in nature. These theories are capable of representing the section warping in the deformed configuration. At the layer interfaces, some of these models do not satisfy the continuity conditions of transverse shear stresses. Although the discrete layer theories do not have this concern, they are computationally slow when solving these problems because of the fact that the order of their governing equations purely depends on the number of layers [24]. Whitney attempted to examine the problem with inter laminar normal stress [25]. Several authors were involved in developing this theory , for instance the calculation of inter laminar normal stress was studied by Pagano [26], a boundary layer theory by Tang [ 6], the perturbation method by Hsu and Herakovich , and an approximate elasticity solutions by Pipes and Pagano. In most of these models, the laminate is assumed to be reasonably long. The stress singularities were considered in a model presented by Wang and Choi. In order to determine the stress singularities at the laminate free edges, Wang and Choi used the Lekhnitskiis [27] stress potential and the theory of anisotropic elasticity. The Eigen function technique developed by them uses a collocation system at every ply interface to satisfy continuity. The major limitation of this theory is that it can be applied to only relatively thin laminates [17]. In order to explain plate deformation for composite laminate plates with thickness, Ambartsumian proposed a higher-order transverse shear stress function. Various different functions were proposed by Reddy [2], Touratier , Karama and Soldatos. The results of some of these methods were compared by Aydogdu [23]. For example, a 2D higher -order theory is developed by Matsunaga to investigate buckling in isotropic plates for in-plane loads where the effects of transverse shear and normal deformations are predicted in his study. Higher-order theories, which consider the complete effects of transverse shear, normal deformations and rotary inertia, have been studied for the vibration and stability problems of specific laminates. In general, researchers who have wanted to simulate plates have used the third-order shear deformation theories (TSDTs) which was first published by Schmidt and later developed by Jemielita. This theory is also known as parabolic shear deformation plate theory (PSDPT). Researchers like Phan and Reddy [30] applied this theory for the free vibration, the bending and the buckling of composite plates [23]. The same unknown displacements as those used in FSDT were used. This theory also satisfies transverse shear-free conditions at the outer surfaces. The results obtained show that for the thick lami nates the in-plane stresses are predicted much well than those identified using FSDT, but still these results have errors when compared with 3D models. This theory is not based on the layer-wise type, therefore, unlike most of other ESL theories, it does not satisfy the continuity conditions of transverse shear stresses between layers [9]. Vuksanovic proposed another parabolic distribution of shear strains through the laminated plate thickness which has a cubic variation of in-plane displacement. The results confirm that this model can predict the global laminate response better than previous used parabolic methods. The primary limitation is that it is challenging to accurately compute the inter laminar stress distributions [9]. In the third-order shear deformation theories assumes (1) the in-plane displacements are a cubic expression of the thickness coordinate (2) the out-of-plane displacement is a quadratic expression. Carrera presented a third-order shear deformation theory whic h based on the model which was presented by Vlasov for equation of bending plates. By imposing homogeneous stress conditions with correspondence to the plate top-surface the reduced third-order shear deformation model with only three displacement variables was obtained. This was further modified in the same research for the non-homogeneous stress conditions[6]. Figure2. Displacement field and transverse shear stress field for the various composite laminate theories. [* Figure taken from class notes. Advanced_plate_theory.pdf] Trigonometric shear deformation plate theory (TSDPT) Shear deformation plate theories which use trigonometric functions are called TSDPT. In this theory the ability to predict accurate solutions has been enhanced by combing trigonometric terms with the algebraic through the- thickness terms assumed for the displacements. Touratier [48] chose transverse strain distribution as a sine function [23]. Stein developed a 2D theory wherein the displacements are stated by trigonometric series. Stein and Jegley studied the effects of transverse shear stress on the cylindrical bending of the laminated composite plates [31]. The results obtained from these theories show that this theory calculates the stresses more accurately than other theories. Kassapogolou and Lagace used the principle of minimum complimentary energy to introduce a straightforward method to analyze symmetric laminate plates which are subjected to tension/compression [15, 16]. Afterwards Kassapogolou [28] generalized and modified this approach for general unsymmetrical laminate loads i.e. in-plane and out of- plane common moment and shear loads. The shortcomings of this model are that it does not solve the weaknesses of inequality in Poissons ratios. Becker [29] made use of cosine and sine functions for warping deformation of v and w displacement, respectively and developed a closed-form higher-order laminated plate theory. Mortan and Webber presented an analytical method which took into consideration the thermal effects in their model and by using the same approach as Kassapoglou and Becker. Lu and Liu [22] proposed an inter laminar shear stress continuity theory in which the inter laminar shear stress is directly obtained from the constitutive equations. This theory was postulated in order to develop an accurate theory for inter laminar stress analysis by considering both the transverse shear effects and continuity requirements. The drawback in this model is that the deformation in the thickness is neglected and therefore it cannot calculate the inter la minar normal stress directly from the constitutive equations. Later, Lu and Liu [21] developed the interlayer shear slip theory based on a multilayer approach model by investigating the effect of interfacial bonding on the behavior of composite laminates. Finally, Lee and Liu also derived the closed-form solutions for the general analysis of inter laminar stresses for thin and thick composite laminates under sinusoidal distributed loading. Both inter laminar shear stress and inter laminar normal stress at the composite interface were satisfied in this model and also the inter laminar stresses could be calculated directly from the constitutive equations. Touratier [20] proposed a theory based on using certain sinusoidal functions for shear stress. After comparing the results obtained numerically for the bending of sandwich plates it was shown that this theory is more accurate than both FSDT and HOSDT [17]. Hyperbolic shear deformation theory (HSDT): Soldatos proposed the hyperbolic shear deformation theory [6]. Timarci and Soldatos combined the various shear deformation theories to formulate this HSDT. The major advantage of this unified theory is the ability to vary the transverse strain distribution [19]. Authors like Ramalingeswaran and Ganesan [18] have used parabolic and hyperbolic function to uniform external pressure and a simply supported cylindrical shell for cross ply laminated composite by considering an internal sinusoidal pressure [17]. Karama et al. proposed an exponential function for the transverse strain for his study of the bending of composite [6]. Layerwise Theory (LT): (Zigzag effect) In order to present accurate results many new theories like the layerwise theory and individual layer theory have been formulated. Some of the eminent researches involved in developing these theories are Wu, Chen, Plagianakos[13], Saravanos, Fares and Elmarghany[14]. The basic technique employed in these theories is that assuming certain displacement and stress models in each layer of the composite laminates and in order to reduce the unknown variables, equilibrium and compatibility equations are defined at the interface. These theories are often computationally time consuming and very expensive to obtain accurate results due to the fact that they use many different unknowns for multilayered plates. To predict both gross response and the stress distributions accurately a number of layer wise plate models which can represent the zigzag behavior of the in-plane displacement through the thickness have been developed in the recent past. However, in the Layerwise Theories the major drawba ck is that the number of unknown increases significantly with the number of layers and consequently the computational weight becomes considerably heavier and higher. To overcome this problem, various solutions were suggested. Cho and Parmerter presented a model where in the number of the unknowns is independent of the number of layers. They achieved it by superimposing a cubic varying displacement field on a zigzag linearly varying displacement [6]. This method was very efficient as it satisfied the transverse shear stress continuity at the layer interfaces and shear-free surface conditions. The theories that have been developed to justify through-the-thickness piece-wise behavior of stresses and displacement are often subjected to zigzag theories (ZZ). The zigzag effect can be termed as the different tangential elastic compliances of the plies which cause the displacement components to show a quick change of their slopes in the thickness direction at each layer interface. To summar ize, the in-plane stresses can be discontinuous at each layer interface, while the transverse stresses, for equilibrium, must be continuous. In ZZ theory, the compatibility of the displacements and the inter laminar equilibrium of the transverse stresses in the thickness direction are assured by defining a new stiffness matrix [12]. Lekhnitskii was one of the pioneers who tried to define a ZZ theory. The main drawback for this model is the limitation of the approach to only multi-layered composite where each layer is isotropic. Ren later improved this model by using an extension of the theory developed by Reissner to multi-layered plates. This approach used a Lagrange function with five parameters, which represents the DOF of the structure. These are the set of displacement field equations used in zigzag theory. This equation are taken from the class notes, advanced plate theory [1] Mixed Plate Theory: In order to overcome the limitations of each composite laminate theory researchers have started to unify the different laminate theories. Unified equations have been proposed for mixed layer wise and mixed ESL theories. The main aim is to formulate these unified theories in the most general way for users to be able to choose from the approaches like ESL, Layer wise zigzag, etc. and at the same time choose the order of the expansion of displacements and transverse stresses. This class of model has been contemplated over the last few decades. The so-called mixed variation approach based on the variation principles developed by Hellinger was proposed and then improved by Reissner. In this theory the number of variables that must be computed should be at least 2n, where n is the total number of layers. By using the weak form of Hookes Law the number of variables can be significantly reduced, which shows the variables in terms of the three displacements only. Shimpi et al. [11] derived tw o novel formulations with only two variables, which work perfectly for moderately thick isotropic plates. The major limitation is that it requires accurately calculated shear correction factors for transverse shear stresses in multilayered composite plates. Conclusion In this literature review, various composite laminate plate theories have been categorized. The advantages and limitations of each model have been discussed in detail. This paper mainly focused on how efficiently and accurately the various models can predict the transverse shear effects. It is explained that CLT and FSDT are unable to efficiently predict transverse shear stresses of both moderately thick and thick laminated composite plates. Higher order shear deformation theories were developed in order to obtain accurate transverse shear stresses. Also, the zigzag theories satisfying inter laminar continuity of transverse shear stresses at interfaces is unable to accurately compute transverse shear stresses directly from constitutive equations. 3D equilibrium equations have to be adopted to accurately obtain transverse shear stresses which also require heavy computational processing because of the large number of variables which depend on the number of layers, they become impractic al for engineering applications. Some researchers have recently tried to use the transverse shear and warping effect in highly anisotropic composite to passively control the composite structure. Smart passive adaptive structures are a new technological approach for introducing smart and predictable composite materials with wide ranging applications. They can be used to exploit the effects of shear and elastic coupling and link stretching to bending to twisting of the structure. This requires a higher understanding and in-depth knowledge of inter laminar shear. Therefore, predicting transverse shear effect accurately and in practical way for various engineering applications is imperative.

Abuse of Power Reflected in the Politics and Drama of Ancient Greece Es

Individual Abuse of Power Reflected in the Politics and Drama of Ancient Greece The Greeks believed that too much power entrusted in one person was dangerous. They were the first democratic society in a tumultuous world of kings and emperors, and they were proud of their ideology. Considering their fervent belief in rule by many, its not surprising that many Greek dramas revolve around an individual hero or a king's fall from power because of pride or some other personality flaw. Well-known characters in some of the greatest Greek tragedians' plays illustrate this idea. In Aeschylus's Agamemnon, the title character is a returning king who behaves arrogantly and thoughtlessly. He is murdered by his wife and his kingdom falls apart. Sophocles's character Oedipus ends up killing his father, losing his kingdom and his wife and mother, and becoming a blind, wandering outcast for the rest of his life. Jason in Euripides's Medea deserts his family for a new marriage which he hopes will further his station, but his old wife kills his new wife and his children, ending hi s hopes for a shining future. The evolving theme of an individual's weakness and subsequent downfall supports the Greek's democratic system, where no individual becomes too powerful. Agamemnon is a great warrior, but not a great family man. On his way to the Trojan war, he sacrificed his daughter to the gods so that his ships would be able to arrive safely and swiftly. This is an especially rotten thing to do because the war is being waged to reclaim just one woman, Helen. It is hard to justify killing one’s own daughter so that somebody else can get his wife back. However, war is what he is good at, and if he didn’t sacrifice his daughter he would be letting down ... ...ach fall from their power into death or despair. They had become too powerful, too arrogant, and too ambitious, and so the gods cut them down. This pattern of kings falling from power because of weaknesses and character flaws is very common in Greek dramas. The Greeks were proud of their democratic system, and their dramas reflected their belief that their society, ruled jointly by representatives of the people, was best in a world full of unstable and dangerous monarchies. The gods despise men who rise too high and seek to become too great. So do the Greeks. Works Cited Aeschylus. Agamemnon. Greek Tragedy. Eds. A. Cook and E. Dolin. Dallas: Spring Publishing, Inc., 1992. Euripedes; Medea; Trans. Rex Warner. The Harcourt Brace Anthology of Drama: Third Edition. Orlando: Harcourt, 2000. Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1991.

Critique of Health Related Information Sources

Critique of Health Related information sources Abstract Background – The internet is a vast source of information containing over 70 000 health related sites and discerning credible sites can often be a challenging task. It is important however so that reliable information can be obtained. Methods – A series of critique questions were devised to determine the credibility of a health based online journal article and health based website. Questions were determined according to guidelines based on accuracy, links to authority, current relevance, scope of coverage, objectivity and design of each source advised by Hendrix and Winters (2001) [2].Findings – Journal Article; was deemed a credible source coming from a peer reviewed journal with many credible references and no apparent bias or conflict of interest. The main author had significant authority and relevance in the given field and discussions were examined in depth. Most limitations are accounted for though no mention was made regarding possible complications of using slightly out dated data. Findings – Website; was deemed a non-credible source according the critique questions.Very few authors could be linked to articles and most articles were associated with product promotion indicating high levels of bias. While articles were maximum 4 years old, no references were made to original findings and therefore age and accuracy of data could not be confirmed. Conclusion – keeping in mind critiquing criteria is important when discerning any information sourced from the internet whether it is peer-reviewed or not as this does not guarantee 100% credibility. The website chosen was relatively easy to discern.More thought and critical thinking would be required to discern more popular health websites. Introduction Websites can be created by anyone with access to a computer and internet [1] and are subject too misleading or incorrect information whether accidentally or maliciously [2]. There are over 70 000 health-related websites available [3] the form of journals, websites, blogs, other social media, the list goes on. As a health professional, one needs to be aware of the extensive amounts of new and existing research available over the internet, but also how to valuate, discern and decide which information is reliable. Deciding the credibility of a website is not always straight forward. Research shows that even credible websites may not necessarily always provide highly accurate health information [4]. A study found internet to be a desirable medium used by collage students with 74% of participants obtaining health information from the internet via websites such as Yahoo, Ask Jeeves and health. com [5].Some of these sites may seem reputable but are not subject to peer-reviewing. Information subject to peer-review, such as online journals, is significantly more likely to be credible and contain reliable information [6]. The aim of this report is to evaluate an d critique, two health related internet sources, a journal article ‘Energy density of foods and beverages in the Australian food supply: influence of macronutrients and comparison to dietary intake’ [7] and a website ‘Goodhealth. com’ [8] MethodsSources were critiqued based on criteria adapted from Hendrix and Winters (2001) [2]. Detailed questions were answered in regards to the following topics; accuracy, links to authority, current relevance, scope of coverage, objectivity and design of each source. This information was then critically analysed to determine the reliability and credibility of each source. Findings Journal Article – Energy density of foods and beverages in the Australian food supply: influence of macronutrients and comparison to dietary intake. [7]This article explores the relationship between energy density and the percentage of energy as fat, carbohydrate or percent water weight of individual foods and beverages listed in the 1999 Australian Food and Nutrient Database [9] composed by Food Standards Australia and New Zealand [10], as well as Australian dietary intake data obtained from the 1995 National Nutrition Survey (9). Links are made between relationships found in this and other studies towards the increase in overweight and obesity in Australia and worldwide.Analysis This is a peer-reviewed study sourced from the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, straight away indicating likely reliability. Methods, while generally clear, failed to sufficiently describe how energy density was calculated for Australian dietary intake data. Logical assumptions can be made as to how this was done, but further clarity is required. Data used was collected from 3673 individual foods, 247 beverages and dietary information from 13 858 people.This high volume of information and participants allowed for greater range of variances and increased reliability of findings. Results clearly presented findings and statistical evid ence to support relationships (or lack of) between energy density and main macronutrient energy source. The article is well referenced, citing 23 references, particularly articles from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition plus other journals and databases such as the Australian Food and Nutrient Database. According to SciVerse Scopus [7] this article is cited in 13 additional articles.Author, TC Crowe, Associate Professor and academic at the School of Exercise and nutrition at Deakin University has been involved with many studies prior to and since this article [11,12]. Though published in 2004, all the data used is from 1999 and 1995, making it slightly outdated. Due to the nature of the study, date is an unlikely relevant criteria. It is possible an influx of new products could have affected results of the study, though for this to be determined, a similar study would need to be carried out using the most recent AusNut from 2007 [9] .Recent studies that support the findings of this article are referenced throught the discussion, though most focus more on the relationship between energy density and overweight and obesity problems. As this is published in a nutrition journal, it can be assumed that the target audience is a combination of health professionals, academics, university students and government officials. The depth in which the article explains its findings is thorough yet simple, making it easy to understand even without a health or science background.The results section visually represents the data so that relationships can easily be seen and supports with appropriate statistical evidence. The discussion section does not go into great scientific detail but includes supporting information from other studies and focuses on the relationships between energy density and macronutrients and the links towards overweight and obesity issues. There is no apparent evidence towards any conflict of interest regarding the main author and study. Crowe was gu arantor and involved in all stages of the study with support from the remaining authors [7].Data used was collected by independent organisations, which further eliminates any possibility of any bias while publication in a European journal increases credibility from an Australian circle to a more global view. This is an observational study design which provides level III-3 evidence according to the NHMRC guidelines [13]. The design of the methods allowed results to be presented in a clear and concise manner, easily portraying the studies findings. The study acknowledges that it was, however, limited by the following; 1. Population daily food intake was collected over a 24 hour time period.Dietary habits are subject to change daily and different days could present different results. 2. No weighting system was used regarding daily food intake thus may lead to bias by under or over representing a particular food. 3. Comparisons cannot be made between individual foods and population dail y intake due to differences in data sets. Other limiting factors may include differences in food consumption habits and availability between 1995 and 1999. Evaluation The evaluation provides sufficient information to determine this study is a reliable source.While there is some room for improvement in methods and certain limitations need to be noted, it comes from a reliable source and cites many articles from similarly reliable sources. There are no apparent conflicts of interest and whilst slightly outdated, the results are not likely to vary greatly over time. Health Related Website – www. goodhealth. com. au The website titled ‘Good Health Now! ’ [9] is a small collection of health related articles ranging from 2009 to 2012 along with links to recent health related news articles from ABC News [14] and Natural news [15].Many (non news) articles have an external link located within the article. The website is well presented, aesthetically pleasing and seems to supply a varied range of health topics. After short investigation, however, it is apparent information on each topic Is quite limited. Analysis When looking at the accuracy of the website there appears to be no process in which the information has been reviewed or critically analysed before being posted. No references are found within the text nor listed at the end with the exception of one article, which had a direct link to an article from the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition [16].There were however, links in many articles to generally unfamiliar sites relating to the issue of discussion, often offering a product or service. While ABC News appears a reputable source, some headline appear to have authors and quotes or references while others appear to be press releases containing relatively general and basic information. Articles within the website have 1 of 3 author names; Admin, Katrina or Guest. Searching Admin or Katrina produced no information though some information cou ld be found regarding the Guest articles.The end of each Guest article presented a small biography titled either Author Bio, Bio or no heading at all. Those without the heading Author Bio assumed the biography was not regarding the article author. While it is possible to contact site administrators through the site, not contact information is available. Accounting these factors no judgment can be made on any authors level of authority or expertise with the exception of the few named Guest authors where further research would need to be done.Considering the high number of links to related sites promoting products, there is a strong bias towards product awareness, particularly regarding Guest articles. No specific ‘last update’ date was found on the website though each article states the publishing date. Articles range in date from 2009 to 2012 appearing relatively current, however the audience are unable to determine the age of the data this information was sourced from. Aimed at health conscious adults, the website boasted a motto of ‘enabling all the live a healthy, happy life’ with a not so hidden agenda towards advertisement and product promotion.While some articles provided some detailed information many were lacking in detail. The provided a brief overview to draw the customer in [17] but then required them to search further if truly interested. Language and detail was very simple therefore there was lots of room for improvement in detail and coverage of article in general. Evaluation While initially appearing professional, lack of evidence and references significantly demises the source’s credibility, with the high amount of product promotion suggesting excessive levels of bias in featured articles.Combined with lack of detailed, sufficient information this site appears to be neither reliable nor credible. Conclusion Completion of reviewing sources illustrates the importance of evaluating information found on the internet . The critiquing criteria used provided a solid guide to deciphering the reliability of each source. While journal articles are generally deemed a reliable source care must be taken to ensure they are peer-reviewed, even then, this does not guarantee 100% reliability. Consequently, the critiquing criteria should always be kept in mind. Lack of credibility of the Good Health Now! 9] website was quickly apparent once investigation started. A lot more attention and investigation would be required if investigating more well known health websites such as health. com or WebMD. Credibility is a lot less apparent and investigation would become significantly more reliant on the critiquing framework. ? References (1) McGowan J. Evidence-based health care and the Internet. Canadian Medical Association. Journal 1998 Oct 06;159(7):843-843. (2) Hendrickx L, Winters C. Evaluating healthcare information on the Internet: Guidelines for nurses. Crit Care Nurse 2001;21(2):62-5, 67-8. 3) Ahmann E. Supp orting families' savvy use of the Internet for health research. Pediatr Nurs 2000;26(4):419-23. (4) Kunst H, Groot D, Latthe PM, Latthe M, Khan KS. Accuracy of information on apparently credible websites: Survey of five common health topics. Br Med J 2002 Mar 09;324(7337):581-2. (5) Escoffery C, Miner KR, Adame DD, Butler S, al e. Internet Use for Health Information Among College Students. Journal of American College Health 2005;53(4):183-8. (6) Lazaroiu G. The Quality and Credibility of Process Control in Research. Economics, Management and Financial Markets 2012;7(2):185-191. 7) Crowe TC, La Fontaine ,H. A. , Gibbons CJ, Cameron-Smith D, Swinburn BA. Energy density of foods and beverages in the Australian food supply: Influence of macronutrients and comparison to dietary intake. Eur J Clin Nutr 2004;58(11):1485-91. (8) Good Health Now! [internet] No Date [cited 2012 Sep 13] Available from: http://www. goodhealth. com. au/ (9) Australian Food and Nutrient Database (1999): Australia n and New Zealand Food Authority. Available from: http://www. foodstandards. gov. au/ (10) McLennan W ; Podger A (1998); National Nutrition Survey. NutrientIntakes and Physical Measurements, Catalogue No. 4805. 0 Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics. (11) Crowe TC, Cameron-Smith D. Low-carbohydrate diets in Australia: prevalence and public perceptions. Med J Aust 2005 Jun 06;182(11):594-5. (12) Crowe TC, Seligman SA, Copeland L. Inhibition of enzymic digestion of amylose by free fatty acids in vitro contributes to resistant starch formation. J Nutr 2000;130(8):2006-8. (13) Australian Government – National Health and Medical Research Council. NHMRC Levels of Evidence and Grades for recommendations for developers of guidelines. 2009 Dec. 14) ABC News [Internet] No date [cited 2012 Sep 13] Available from: http://www. abc. net. au/news/ (15) NaturalNews. com [Internet] Not date [cited 2012 Sep 13] Available from: http://www. naturalnews. com/index. html (16) Njike V, Faridi Z, Dutta S, Gonzalez-Simon A, Katz DL. Daily egg consumption in hyperlipidemic adults – Effects on endothelial function and cardiovascular risk. Nutrition Journal 2010;9(1):n/a. (17) Good Health Now! – True Causes of Diabetes [internet] No Date [cited 2012 Sep 13] Available from: http://www. goodhealth. com. au/220/conditions/diabetes/the-true-causes-of-diabetes/

Violent Video Games Are Bad for You

Today, children, teenagers, and adults are exposed to violence throughout their lives. They are exposed through television shows, movies, maybe even on the streets, but what researchers and scientists have proved to be an increasing factor of violence in children and adults is their being exposed to violent video games in which â€Å"they can produce violence, emotional outbursts, and inappropriate language†. According to Violent Video Games: The Newest Media Violence Hazard, about 85% or more video games include violent content.Violent content includes: blood and gore, killing, inappropriate language, and sexual content. Since then, many people have been saying that these games promote bad behavior and cause people to be more violent. As people play violent video games, it influences bad behavior in the player because when you play these games, you control the person who causes the crimes, shoot and kill your enemy, whether it is a criminal or policeman depending on the game you are playing. Since you are playing the game, you feel more connected with your character in the game and it may affect you in the real world.This is proved according to the article Computer Games Can Rot Your Brain. According to it, â€Å"researchers have shown that playing or watching violent video games has led to alcohol consumption, destruction of property and other bad behavior. Video games can also lead to stealing of items, mainly vehicles. † Although the article says that, Akemi, a long term gamer now 22 years old, says otherwise. He says â€Å"I have been playing games since I was at least 7, I have no criminal record. I have good grades and have often been caught playing well into the night (that is, 4 hours or more). Even though Akemi has no criminal record, Brad Bushman, a scientist that has been studying the effects of violent games on people says â€Å"aggressive behavior may appear not as criminal activity or physical violence but in more subtle ways in w ays people react to or interact with other people in everyday life. † This would mean that Akemi, a gamer for years with no criminal record, may not cause crimes, but inside of him he has some kind of violent behavior that he expresses while interacting with people without him knowing it.Not only do violent videos promote bad behavior, they also destroy students’ grades. If someone is already influenced by the bad behavior in video games, it is certain that the student will not succeed in school. If he is not influenced by bad behavior and are getting unacceptable grades in school, then it may be the game’s addictiveness. Games are fun, especially when you are defeating monsters and killing people which cause you to do it for hours on, making you addicted to it.When you are at school, you would only think about these games and ignore your education. This is supported by Bushman when he says â€Å"The link between violent media and aggression is stronger than the link between doing homework and getting good grades. † People disagree with this and say that violent video games don’t cause bad grades because it might have been that the student was already receiving unacceptable grades before his exposure of violent games concluding that the games had no affect on his poor performance at school.This may be true but, what makes it a bad argument is that the student that is doing poorly in school and is playing these games will never get out of their habit of getting bad grades. If this student was to switch up his games with educational games for instance, then he may have gained the smarts to get out of his habit and become a better student. In the end, violent video games are harmful for you, and everyone else.They cause disruptive behavior, promote violence most more often than not, and encourage students to get poor grades. Many people disagree with this but Bushman says â€Å"many scientific studies clearly show that violent v ideo games make kids more likely to yell, push, and punch. † If we do not see an effect now, we would see it take place later on if they continue to play the games. As a final word, he says â€Å"We included every single study we could find on the topic. Regardless of what kids say, violent video games are harmful. †

3 Cases of Complicated Parenthetical Punctuation

3 Cases of Complicated Parenthetical Punctuation 3 Cases of Complicated Parenthetical Punctuation 3 Cases of Complicated Parenthetical Punctuation By Mark Nichol Inserting additional information into a sentence without careful consideration of sentence organization can create barriers to comprehension, especially when the parenthesis is complicated. Here are several sentences in which complex parenthetical phrases are not treated with care, followed by discussion and revision. 1. Consumers have the right to speak out or complain, and to seek compensation- payment or a replacement item- or redress- have a wrong corrected. Here, the use of dashes to set off a pair of parenthetical phrases confuses the reader’s eye; use mirror-image parenthetical marks instead for a clearer picture of the sentence’s syntactical organization: â€Å"Consumers have the right to speak out or complain, and to seek compensation (payment or a replacement item) or redress (have a wrong corrected).† 2. They had an unwavering belief that they simply could not- or maybe more accurately stated, would not- be defeated. Because â€Å"maybe more accurately stated† is a parenthesis within a parenthesis, a comma must precede as well as follow it: â€Å"They had an unwavering belief that they simply could not- or, maybe more accurately stated, would not- be defeated.† 3. If thorough controls are not in place, over time, as updates and changes are made to your environment, conflicts are likely to arise, posing varying levels of risk to your business and ultimately forcing you to revisit your design. The number of commas in this sentence is excessive; when the phrase â€Å"over time† and the rest of the parenthetical phrase (ending with environment) is transposed, the comma between them becomes extraneous and the sentence structure is clearer: â€Å"If thorough controls are not in place, as updates and changes are made to your environment over time, conflicts are likely to arise, posing varying levels of risk to your business and ultimately forcing you to revisit your design.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Great Similes from Literature to Inspire YouEnglish Grammar 101: Verb MoodTitled versus Entitled

Free Essays on Edger Allan Poe

Edger Allen Poe Edgar Alan Poe was born in Boston in 1809, the son of itinerant actors. Both his parents died within two years of his birth. Edgar was taken into the home of a Richmond merchant, John Allan, although he was never legally adopted. His early work as a writer went unrecognized and he was forced to earn his living on newspapers, working as an editor in Richmond, Philadelphia, and New York. In 1836 he married his cousin, Virginia, who was then fourteen; she died eleven years later of tuberculosis. Poe died a few years later in 1849 and was buried in Baltimore beside his wife. His early work as a writer went unrecognized and he was forced to earn his living on newspapers, working as an editor in Richmond, Philadelphia, and New York. He is known as "The Portable Poe". After a reconciliation, Poe entered the Military Academy at West Point in 1830; he was dishonorably discharged in January 1831.... Free Essays on Edger Allan Poe Free Essays on Edger Allan Poe Edger Allen Poe Edgar Alan Poe was born in Boston in 1809, the son of itinerant actors. Both his parents died within two years of his birth. Edgar was taken into the home of a Richmond merchant, John Allan, although he was never legally adopted. His early work as a writer went unrecognized and he was forced to earn his living on newspapers, working as an editor in Richmond, Philadelphia, and New York. In 1836 he married his cousin, Virginia, who was then fourteen; she died eleven years later of tuberculosis. Poe died a few years later in 1849 and was buried in Baltimore beside his wife. His early work as a writer went unrecognized and he was forced to earn his living on newspapers, working as an editor in Richmond, Philadelphia, and New York. He is known as "The Portable Poe". After a reconciliation, Poe entered the Military Academy at West Point in 1830; he was dishonorably discharged in January 1831....

The Script Writing of Ancient China

The Script Writing of Ancient China Ancient China is one of the places where writing appears to have developed independently, along with Mesopotamia, which developed cuneiform, and Egypt and the civilization of the Maya, where hieroglyphs developed. The earliest examples of ancient Chinese writing come from oracle bones at Anyang, a Shang Dynasty capital, and contemporary bronze inscriptions. There may have been writing on bamboo or other perishable surfaces, but they have, inevitably, disappeared. Although Christopher I. Beckwith thinks the Chinese may have been exposed to the idea of writing from Steppe nomads, the prevalent belief is that China developed writing on its own. Since the oracle bones belonging to the Shang dynasty were discovered, it is no longer doubted by sinologists that Chinese writing is an autochthonous and very ancient invention of the Chinese....The Use of Writing in Ancient China, by Edward Erkes. Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 61, No. 3 (Sep., 1941), pp. 127-130 Origins of Chinese Writing The Cambridge History of Ancient China, by Michael Loewe and Edward L. Shaughnessy, says the likely date for the earliest oracle bones is about 1200 B.C., corresponding with the reign of King Wu Ding. This speculation is based on the earliest reference to the origins of writing, which dates to the 3rd century B.C. The legend developed that a scribe of the Yellow Emperor invented writing after noticing bird tracks. [Source: Francoise Bottero, French National Center for Scientific Research Chinese Writing: Ancient Indigenous Perspective.] Scholars in the Han Dynasty thought the earliest Chinese writing was pictographic, meaning the characters are stylized representations, while the Qing thought the first writing was of numbers. Today, the earliest Chinese writing is described as pictographic (picture) or zodiographic (graph of the name of the thing), words that for non-linguists mean similar things. As the writing of the ancient Chinese evolved, a phonetic component was added to the pi ctographic, as is true of the paired writing system of the Maya. Names of the Chinese Writing Systems Ancient Chinese writing on oracle bones is called Jiaguwen, according to AncientScripts, which describes the characters as pictographic. Dazhuan is the name of the script on Bronze. It may be the same as the Jiaguwen. By 500 B.C. the angular script that characterizes modern Chinese writing had developed in the form called Xiaozhuan. Bureaucrats of the Qin Dynasty used Lishu, a script still sometimes used. Pictographs and the Rebus During the Shang Dynasty, the writing, which was pictographic, could use the same graphic to represent homophones (words with different meanings that sound the same). Writing could be in the form of what is called a rebus. The rebus example AncientSites lists is two pictures together, one of a bee, and one of a leaf, to represent the word belief. Over time, signs known as determinative symbols were added to clarify the homophones, phonetic symbols were standardized, and symbols were put together to form new words. Chinese and the Sino-Tibetan Language Family Writing and spoken language are different. Period. The cuneiform of Mesopotamia was used to write a variety of languages, including languages from the Indo-European and Afro-Asiatic families. As the Chinese conquered their neighbors, their writing was exported to neighboring countries where it was applied to the indigenous languages. This is how the Japanese came to use Kanji. The spoken language of Chinese is thought to be a member of the Sino-Tibetan language family. This connection between Chinese and Tibetan languages is made on the basis of lexical items, rather than morphology or syntax. However, the similar words are only reconstructions of Old and Middle Chinese. Ancient Chinese Writing Implements According to Erkes (above), the usual objects used in writing were a wooden stylus, to write on wood with lacquer, and the brush and ink (or some other liquid) used to write on oracle bones and other surfaces. Inscriptions also produced Chinese scripts by means of tools that removed rather than wrote on surface material. Suggested Appreciation Activities for Chinese Writing Ancient writings seem so much more artistic than modern computer-generated script or the scrawls most of us now use when we need to leave a handwritten note. To appreciate the elegance of the ancient Chinese writing system, observe and try to emulate it: Try writing letters with a brush and ink.Compare the characters in a column of Chinese writing with Japanese Kanji preferably for the same text (possibly something connected with their shared religion of Buddhism)Look at old Chinese characters and rewrite them, then copy them without the determinatives. (The AncientScripts site has samples to work from.)

Career Opportunities Application Form Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Career Opportunities Application Form - Essay Example Use lots of action-oriented words, such as developing, solving, monitoring, checking, inspecting, controlling, supervising, preparing etc). Furthermore, one of the highlights of my experience would be the evaluation of the current warehouse practices and procedures, as well as the development and implementation of improved warehouse practices and procedures. (describe how you implement the procedures, in which part of the organisation have you implementation taken effect, then describe specifically the objectives met, it is not good enough to say achieve departmental objectives). I am also proficient with WMS, barcode reader, forklifts, word, excel (insert other warehouse systems that you know). (Would be great if you could provide specific examples of working with statistical data and variances, even if you only occasionally use them or so much as to play a tiny role in preparing it. I'm sure you would have helped in the compilation/manual keying of the data when preparing quality a ssurance reports, even though you are not the one who completes it.) (Provide an incident when you took the initiative to do something).

Chronic heart disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chronic heart disease - Essay Example This is a slowly progressing condition that ultimately acts to restrict blood flow to the heart, thus the supply of oxygen to the brain and body. More formally known coronary artery disease, the build-up of plaque in the arteries, atherosclerosis, narrows and hardens the arterial passages. Fats and cholesterol are the main substances found in plaque (â€Å"Heart Disease FAQs†, 2007). Heart diseases can also be congenital (born with the disease), caused by an abnormality of the heart valves, arrhythmia (an electrical malfunction within the heart) or a deteriorating of the heart’s ability to pump effectively because of toxins or infection (â€Å"Heart Disease†, 2005). Heart disease causes the deaths of nearly one million people in the U.S. every year, accounting for more than 40 percent of total fatalities. It is the primary cause of death worldwide among both women and men. The American Heart Association reports that â€Å"cardiovascular disease accounts for more deaths per year in the United States than the next six causes of death combined† (â€Å"Heart Disease Overview†, 2007). Nine controllable factors are the basis for almost all instances of heart disease. Diet and exercise are two and will be discussed more at length following a brief discussion of the other seven. Obesity, particularly of the abdomen, more than doubles the risk for heart disease. A large ‘tummy’ causes hormonal issues which produces high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, all of which puts the individual at greater risk. Having diabetes or abnormally high cholesterol quadruples the risk for heart disease. High blood pressure triples the risk. The moderate use of alcohol (one drink per day) actually reduces the risk for heart disease, by 12 percent for men and an amazing 60 percent for women. Drinking too much promotes heart disease. The inability to successfully manage the stresses of everyday life which

Carbon Tax vs. Cap-and-Trade in the USA Research Paper

Carbon Tax vs. Cap-and-Trade in the USA - Research Paper Example Nevertheless, approximately five hundred and fifty billion dollars in subsidies is available every year all over the globe. Several nations have executed carbon taxes or energy taxes that are associated with carbon content and most of the environmentally linked taxes with ramifications for the emission of greenhouse gases in OECD nations are imposed on energy products as well as motor vehicles instead of direct carbon dioxide emissions. Opposition of the rising regulation of the environment like the carbon taxes usually concentrates on concerns that firms might relocate and there is a possibility of people losing their jobs. However, there have been arguments that carbon taxes have a higher level of efficiency compared to direct regulation and may result to increased rates of employment. Numerous large users of carbon resources in the generation of electricity like the US and china among others, remain opposed to carbon taxation. If a tax is put in place, policymakers would levy a particular fee for every ton of carbon dioxide emitted or for every ton of carbon that is contained in fossil fuels. Through the tax entities would be motivated to reduce their emissions in the event that the cost of this reduction is lower than the costs associated with paying the related taxes. Consequently, the tax would create an upper limit on the cost of reduction of emissions but the overall amount of carbon dioxide that would be generated in a specific year would remain uncertain. Conversely, through the cap-and-trade initiative, policymakers would set a limit on overall emissions in a particular period and would obligate the regulated entities to hold allowances to the emissions that are allowed under the cap (Hordeski 196). Every allowance would permit companies to emit a single tone of carbon dioxide of have one tone of carbon in the fuel they sell. Consequent to the distribution of the allowances for a specific period, entities would have the freedom to

CLASSICAL CULTURES (GREEK MYTHOLOGY) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CLASSICAL CULTURES (GREEK MYTHOLOGY) - Essay Example However, one of the big problems in trying to live this way is the problem of temptation which sometimes thwarts our best efforts. In this essay, I will explain what I mean by this statement. The Odyssey is a great story to examine issues such as ethics and values. It is the story of a man trying desperately to return home after many years away fighting in a terrible war. But he is being punished and his journey is very dilatory. He must constantly deal with obstacles. Each obstacle presents in its way a moral or ethical challenge that will try Odysseus. Although my own life is very different that Odysseus’, and much less straightforward, nevertheless, I too have been challenged by obstacles that have made me think hard about the values I live by. But I have been challenged by more than obstacles. I have also been challenged by the temptations that come with obstacles: the temptation to give in to what is easiest or safest and avoid taking responsibility for fighting on, for continuing to sail home. Temptation is a powerful force that can make us turn our backs on the values we hold closest to our heart. This is a lesson from the Bible, when Jesus is tempted by Satan, but it also a lesson that again and again comes up in the Odyssey. When Odysseus spends time with Circe he begins to forget those he truly loves, he is caught in her spell and the temptation of an easy life that she offers. Also, when Odysseus approaches the Sirens, he is likewise tempted, but this time has taken precautions, asking his men to tie him to the mast to prevent him jumping into the sea to get close to the Sirens and their song, which would mean he would never see his wife or children again: They sang these words most musically, and as I longed to hear them further I made by frowning to my men that they should set me free; but they quickened their stroke, and Eurylochus and Perimedes bound me with still

Recommendations on the matter of enhanced interrogation and the War on Case Study

Recommendations on the matter of enhanced interrogation and the War on Terror - Case Study Example Issues The ethical issue that faces the intelligence community is the fact that torture is condemned by the human rights groups; so many people are viewing it as unethical. The advocating of human rights globally is known to be spearheaded by the United States of America; hence, when it is using torture as a method of interrogation, it means going against their principles. If enhanced interrogation is used on a level that is humane and safe, then the ethical dilemma encountered by interrogators will be easier to handle. The ethical theory of utilitarianism stipulates that the consequences of an action are justifiable morally if they result in more good than harm (Mill 2007). If one considers enhanced interrogation in a case where the suffering of a detainee results in saving the lives of thousands of people, then the ethical issue no longer presents itself. It is important to note that most terrorists are followers of Islam; hence they view giving information as betraying their faith , making them impermeable by ordinary interrogation methods. This makes it hard for the intelligence community to follow regulations set by the United Nations on how uninformed combatants should are being treated. For instance subjecting them to physical harm is prohibited (Angelovicova, 2009). The issue is raising constitutional matters. The first one is based on international law while the second is resting on the laws enacted in the United States of America and regulating how military personnel are being treated in the battlefield. According to Article 5 of the Geneva Convention, a detainee’s status is determined by a tribunal whether he or she is an unlawful combatant according to the laws and regulation of the country (Linnan 2008). However, before the tribunal determines the fate of the detainee, the country should be treating and referring to him as a prisoner of war. My recommendation dealing with this issue is that detainee should be subjected to enhanced interrogati on since they are termed as unlawful combatants by tribunals, military courts, and civilian courts in the United States of America (Angelovicova 2009). Moreover, a huge percentage of detainees are people known to have carried out terror attacks on the American soil and in other countries, thus rendering them unlawful combatants. This situation has a wide range of stakeholders. First and foremost, each and every country around the world is a stakeholder in this issue since they are all affected by terrorism. The intelligence community is also a stakeholder since they are tasked with getting information that will help protect thousands from terrorism. The intelligence community wants to be allowed to use enhanced interrogation in order to yield positive results. Options An alternative option that the intelligence community has is to ensure that terrorist suspects are offered deals that are acceptable according to Islamic standards. This is where green cards, good education for family members, good healthcare among others are offered to detainees as part of their plea bargains. However, this should be done carefully to ensure the detainee has been completely turned and posses no terror threat whatsoever. Another option is to ensure that terror threats are dealt with precision in order to ensure that te

O'Brien v. Ohio State University Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

O'Brien v. Ohio State University - Assignment Example The researcher states that to be absolved in the eyes of the law, University had to prove that OBriens actions, which were in violation of the contract, in fact, caused severe damage to the reputation of the University. The court found that OBriens act of lending a sum of $6000 to a recruit did not do material damage the university’s reputation. Jim O’Brien won the case and received about $2.5 million in damages. If the judge had interpreted that OBriens actions caused serious harm to the good name of the Ohio State University then they would most certainly have rejected the plaintiff’s claim. For instance, if they had discovered that Jim O’Brien had a history of breaching the University contract, then the court’s decision might have gone the other way. Ohio State had to prove that Jim O’Brien’s actions have caused their name significant bad reputation. However, the Ohio Court of Claims concluded that O’Brien’s actions an d his breach were not material to cause his termination. The weakening aspect of Ohio States case was they relied too much on specific contractual language. They put too much stress on the wording of the contract that OBrien would be breaking the terms of the contract if he breaks NCAA rules. Moreover, he was also supposed to report any breach that could have happened which he was aware of, and he had reasonable cause that a violation, in fact, had occurred. Jim all Brian failed to report this loan for almost five years. The NCAA rules clearly state that the staff member or the institution itself cannot give financial aid or any such benefit to recruits. This decision is a wake-up call for other colleges. It would be wise for the parties to such future agreement to be extra careful in adequately detailing the terms of the agreement, however, the analysis of materiality is a complicated task that hugely depends on the circumstances.

Recommendations on the matter of enhanced interrogation and the War on Case Study

Recommendations on the matter of enhanced interrogation and the War on Terror - Case Study Example Issues The ethical issue that faces the intelligence community is the fact that torture is condemned by the human rights groups; so many people are viewing it as unethical. The advocating of human rights globally is known to be spearheaded by the United States of America; hence, when it is using torture as a method of interrogation, it means going against their principles. If enhanced interrogation is used on a level that is humane and safe, then the ethical dilemma encountered by interrogators will be easier to handle. The ethical theory of utilitarianism stipulates that the consequences of an action are justifiable morally if they result in more good than harm (Mill 2007). If one considers enhanced interrogation in a case where the suffering of a detainee results in saving the lives of thousands of people, then the ethical issue no longer presents itself. It is important to note that most terrorists are followers of Islam; hence they view giving information as betraying their faith , making them impermeable by ordinary interrogation methods. This makes it hard for the intelligence community to follow regulations set by the United Nations on how uninformed combatants should are being treated. For instance subjecting them to physical harm is prohibited (Angelovicova, 2009). The issue is raising constitutional matters. The first one is based on international law while the second is resting on the laws enacted in the United States of America and regulating how military personnel are being treated in the battlefield. According to Article 5 of the Geneva Convention, a detainee’s status is determined by a tribunal whether he or she is an unlawful combatant according to the laws and regulation of the country (Linnan 2008). However, before the tribunal determines the fate of the detainee, the country should be treating and referring to him as a prisoner of war. My recommendation dealing with this issue is that detainee should be subjected to enhanced interrogati on since they are termed as unlawful combatants by tribunals, military courts, and civilian courts in the United States of America (Angelovicova 2009). Moreover, a huge percentage of detainees are people known to have carried out terror attacks on the American soil and in other countries, thus rendering them unlawful combatants. This situation has a wide range of stakeholders. First and foremost, each and every country around the world is a stakeholder in this issue since they are all affected by terrorism. The intelligence community is also a stakeholder since they are tasked with getting information that will help protect thousands from terrorism. The intelligence community wants to be allowed to use enhanced interrogation in order to yield positive results. Options An alternative option that the intelligence community has is to ensure that terrorist suspects are offered deals that are acceptable according to Islamic standards. This is where green cards, good education for family members, good healthcare among others are offered to detainees as part of their plea bargains. However, this should be done carefully to ensure the detainee has been completely turned and posses no terror threat whatsoever. Another option is to ensure that terror threats are dealt with precision in order to ensure that te

Sources of Government Power in a Nation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sources of Government Power in a Nation - Essay Example In the introductory paragraph, the paper mentions two major forms of governments. These forms are the major sources of government power. Monarchical government is a form of government that is disliked by many nations due to its nature that one becomes the leader of a nation whether the Nationals like it or not. Citizens will always want to hear an individual’s ideological ability. Various nations have their cultural and political beliefs and would expect to have them maintained. With the hereditary monarchy, nationals are not able to evaluate and choose their leaders. An example is the Great Britain where the newborn King William has to become the next king. The king may not bother to maintain the doctrines of the nation because of the guarantee of leadership assured. Family leadership is a duplication of the same leadership since it comes from the same people. This means that the prince will emulate father’s governance, limiting the chances of change in the country. Ac cording to; â€Å"Globalizing Democracy† by Fierlbeck K., a potential leader proves to nationals of fulfilling the promises made to citizens, unlike hereditary monarchy. The promises one makes should be factual and ones that cope with the doctrines of the country. Once somebody has gotten into power, he/she gets the strength to either fulfill the promises made to nationals or not. This is because of the superiority one gets, overlooking the voters who took him/her to the same power. This now creates domination (Fierlbeck 22).

Leadership and Management in Nursing Care Delivery Models

Leadership and Management in Nursing Care Delivery Models A care delivery model is an integral component for delivering patient care. Nursing care delivery model is a way of organizing at the unit level to facilitate the delivery of nursing care to the patients (Tiedeman Lookinland, 2004). Organization of care is a key factor that determines quality of nursing care (Tiedeman Lookinland, 2004). Various types of care delivery models have been designed to meet the goals of efficient and effective nursing care While many different care delivery models are practiced in the wards and departments of the acute care hospital that I work in, it is beyond the scope of this paper to discuss them all. In the 20 bedded medical oncology ward that I work in, nursing care delivery is organised into team and primary nursing. Six beds are allocated to transplant patients. One registered nurse is assigned to be the primary nurse of three transplant patients each. The other fourteen patients are split between two teams of nurses. Each team has a registered nurse, an enrolled nurse and a patient care assistant. Thus, this paper is concerned with these two modes of organization of care. An overview of primary and team nursing models of care will be presented. Thereafter, the experiences of nurses involved in the delivery of care using these models of care will be discussed with regards to job satisfaction and quality of care. Description of Care Delivery Model Primary Team Emerging in the United States in the1960s, the primary nursing model involves patients being allocated to individual nurses (Tiedman Lookinland, 2004). One registered nurse is allocated a number of patients for whose care this nurse is accountable during the patients hospital stay (OConnell, Duke, Bennett, Crawford, Korfiatis, 2006; Tiedman Lookinland, 2004).The nurse-patient relationship is the backbone of primary nursing. The primary nurse collaborates with other health team members, the patient and family to continually assess, plan, implement, and evaluate the patients nursing care (Reed, 1988; Sellick, Russell, Beckmann, 2003; Tiedman Lookinland, 2004). When the primary nurse is unavailable to provide care, associate nurses follow the plan of care developed by the primary nurse, unless a change in patients condition necessitates a modification of the care plan, so as to maintain the continuity of care for the patients (Tiedman Lookinland, 2004). Team Nursing Implemented in the 1940s as a response to the nursing shortage resulting from the World War II, team nursing is based on the premise of collaboration and division of responsibilities for the nursing care of patients (Tiedman Lookinland, 2004). In team nursing, nurses and ancillary staff with different levels of education, skills and licensure are assigned to teams and each team provides total nursing care to the patients assigned to that team (OConnell et at., 2006; Tiedman Lookinland, 2004). Leadership for each team is provided by a team leader, who is an experienced registered nurse responsible for planning and supervising the provision of nursing care for patients cared for by team members. The team leader has overall accountability for coordinating the nursing care provided, while the team members are accountable for completing their assigned tasks and for documenting the care delivered (OConnell et at., 2006). Nursing Staff Job Satisfaction Primary Team One of the most important gains of primary nursing for the nurses interviewed was more contact and enhanced relationships with patients. One nurse said, I know more about each of my patients and do not constantly have to get to know new ones. These views are consistent with Mccleod and Stellas (1992) study where nursing staff on medical and surgical wards were asked what they liked about primary nursing. Participants liked the enhanced relationships and collaboration with patients and other members of the healthcare team. To be able to take care of the same patients day after day was greatly appreciated by the nurses interviewed. This continuity of care led to the development of good relationships between the primary nurse and the patient as well as with relatives. This is an aspect that the nurses found increased their levels of job satisfaction (McCleod Stella, 1992). Primary nursing facilitated an in-depth knowledge of their patients and as a consequence, the nurses felt more able to act as a patients advocate. Nurses verbalised they had additional responsibility and accountability as all duties and responsibilities in taking care of a patient for his or her duration of stay is delegated entirely on a single nurse. The primary nurses interviewed perceived that they had the authority to make clinical judgments and decisions for the benefit of the patient. Their use of phrases such as freedom from control by others, ability to plan and organize the workday, using knowledge to make decisions and advocating for the patient described autonomy. Autonomy refers to the ability to act according to ones knowledge and judgment, providing nursing care within the full scope of practice as defined by existing professional, regulatory, and organizational rules (Gagnon, Bakker, Montgomery, Palkovits, 2010). The nurses noted that through practicing primary nursi ng, their autonomy was increased. There is a substantial body of evidence indicating that nurses perceived autonomy is linked to job satisfaction. A study by Melchior, Halfens, Abu-Saad, Philipsen, van den Berg Grassman (1999) investigated the effects of a primary nursing care delivery system on the work environment among nurses working in long-stay psychiatric care settings. Results showed that as a result of primary nursing, the nurses found more autonomy in their work and thus experienced increased job satisfaction. Similarly, Macguire and Botting (1990) analysed the perceptions of nursing staff, following the introduction of primary nursing into an acute medical ward for elderly people. Nurses reported better communication, improved relationships and increased responsibility after implementing primary nursing. It appeared that both increased autonomy of practice and increased knowledge of specific patients, coupled with a greater continuity of care, gave nurses a high level of satisfaction than did previous meth ods of care delivery (Macguire Botting, 1990). On the downside, some nurses commented that working in a primary care system tends to be isolating and this proved to be particularly difficult when they were looking after a critically ill patient. These experiences mirrored those reported by nurses in the study by Manley, Hamill, and Hanlon (1997). Team Nursing Nurses practicing team nursing commented that working as a team was a lot better, because then they can have somebody else backing them up. According to OConnell et at. (2006), working collaboratively with team members serves to enhance job satisfaction, as many find this to be a learning experience that utilizes the expertise of each team member. This was supported by Rafferty, Ball, and Aiken (2001) who demonstrated that nurses who report a higher level of teamwork are more satisfied with their jobs, plan to stay in them, and are likely to experience less stress. However, enrolled nurses and the patient care assistants interviewed added that they felt the staff nurses were spending too much time with medications and writing reports while they were left to do the heavy manual work. A similar finding was demonstrated by OConnell et al. (2006). In this study, both registered nurses and enrolled nurses felt that the team-nursing model sometimes involved an uneven and unfair division of tasks that overburdened some nurses. The medication responsibilities of registered nurses within the team-nursing model imposed excessive demands on enrolled nurses as they were left with meeting the hygiene needs for the patients in their group without assistance. These tensions led to a decrease in job satisfaction. Quality of Care Primary Team The nurses interviewed felt patients were more satisfied when primary nursing was in place because they received individualized care as a result of continuity and coordination of care. Primary nursing has led to the nurses having a better knowledge of the patient. Nurses pointed out that primary nursing enabled them to know each patient more closely. One nurse remarked, I know my patients like the back of my hand. Therefore, it was easier to find out what each patient needed and to meet those needs appropriately. Jenny and Logan (1992) suggest that greater knowledge of the patient is linked to the increased likelihood of picking up subtle changes in the patients condition. In addition, Perala and Hentinen (1989) found that through primary nursing, doctors received information about patients that was more exact and relevant because nurses knew their patients better. This enabled nurses to provide more applicable and effective patient centred nursing care. In response to this therapeut ic relationship, the patient feels more secure about and satisfied with nursing care (Jenny Logan, 2000). The nurses views were supported by the findings of Radwin (2000). In this study conducted over a 3-year period, oncology patients were asked to identify qualities of nursing care that were important to them. Professional knowledge, joint decision making between the patient and the nurse, individualized treatment plans, promptness to addressing individualized needs and continuity of care were some aspects of care delivery that were identified. Team Nursing Nurses interviewed said that since staff was supervised more closely, the likelihood of missing things out was low. This, they felt, resulted in patients receiving better care. This sentiment was echoed by the nurses in OConnell et al.s (2006) study. Moreover, nurses added that the patients benefitted from the combined skills of the team. According to the study by Cioffi and Ferguson (2009), team nursing made a difference to patient care as it was patient-oriented, all the nurses in the team were familiar with the patients receiving care, care was more complete as things were missed less often and staffs were supervised more closely. This resulted in patients receiving better care. In conclusion, providing care to a group of patients require nurses to be more efficient and use their time more effectively. Nursing care delivery models facilitate this. This paper has provided an overview of primary and team nursing care delivery models. The experiences of nurses were discussed with regards to job satisfaction and quality of care in the two models. Literature supporting the nurses experiences was then explored.

Mothers Smoke Less around Their Children after Counseling :: Essays Papers

Mothers Smoke Less around Their Children after Counseling In Melbourne F. Hovell’s article: â€Å"Effect of Counseling Mothers on their Children’s Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke: Randomized Controlled Trial,† the author persuades the reader effectively through showing evidence about the dangers of second hand smoke. He also introduces the effectiveness that counseling has on mothers who smoke in front of their children. The article presents a study of the effectiveness of counseling for smoking mothers, and shows the decline of children's exposure to smoke in their environment. The article states many valid points, and backs the evidence with statistics to insure that the reader is persuaded by the article’s points. The article begins by introducing the problem of second hand smoke to children, and has a delayed thesis which states his main point about the effectiveness of therapy. The author then explains the methods and who participates. Many statements backed up with evidence co ntinue throughout the article. The article also shares individual stories of mothers who have gone through this type of therapy and how it has helped them. Hovell’s article was believable because it included statistics as well as success stories. His research is also believable because he displays it with credibility and logic, and he appeals to the reader’s values. There are numerous reasons as to why smoking should be banned around small children, specifically in the United States. Hovell addresses these reasons with statistics. The World Health Organization estimated that half of the world’s children are in danger due to second hand tobacco smoke (1). In the United States, 43% or about 15 million children live in homes polluted with tobacco (1). This is a higher percentage compared to other countries across the globe. Many of these children will suffer from asthma, repertory tract infections, otitis media, and sudden infant death syndrome (for fetuses whose mother’s smoke) because of their exposure. The article states that counseling tends to decrease children’s exposure and mother’s smoking while increasing the number of quitters (1). The study done for this article involved recruiting of certain mothers and families who would undergo the counseling process.

Essay --

Cindy Christensen CCR092021 19, November 2013 Analysis 4 Argumentative Has Child Behavior Gotten Better or Worse In the Years? than it was years ago? My argument is that child behavior has worsened over the years. Through my research I’ve learned that there are many causes such as, parents that do not make time for their children because, they hold down two jobs. Children raised in poverty increases their involvement in crime. Kid’s manners are no longer here to exist. They also getting away with lying, stealing and fighting. Another cause is children today have too many options, such as television and video games, drugs and less parent supervision. Children are not as well behaved as they used to be. Children are not well behaved because, they are being raised by single parent or both parents carry jobs. â€Å"Research does shows that growing up in poverty, especially sustained poverty and extreme hardship during early childhood, increases the risk of later involvement in crime†(U.S. Census Bureau figures). Children that do not have their parent’s home to give them the attention they need will cause, kids to act out for example, kids will get into trouble at school or at a friend’s place and in up in a detention center or to jail. I think a lot of parents today do not realize how they affect their children, because if they did, kids would be better behaved. There would be less kids ending up in detention centers and less crime. Kids are not as well-mannered today due to parent’s lack of time. In the past one parent would work and the other would stay at home and spend time with his or her children. I’ve seen some of my friend’s homes and even their bedrooms and they are destroyed. Therefore the parent was too busy working or talk... ...nts would get more respect from their children as well. Parents have too much going on and let their work life or friend’s, problems and drama in their lives effect how they treat or teach their child. Unfortunately that means more bad behavior in the future and can lead to more crimes and drugs. A child will do anything to get attention and regrettably, it will be bad attention. Work Cited Healthychildren.org:Http://www.healthychildren.org/english/familylife/workplay/pages/working-parents.as Date 7/9/2013 Web 11/10/2013 Harvard Health letter: Harvard Health Publisher Database Date Oct 2010. Web 11/10/2013 Will Child Poverty raise crime rate? Http://www.politico.com/news/stones/1110/45527.html Date 11/23/2010 Web. 11/10/2013 Spiteri, Ylenia Galea, Elizabeth M. Psychology Research Progress: Psychology of Neglect, Publisher Nova Science Publishers, Inc. 2012 Print.

Determining Justification for Rfid Technology

Running Head: DETERMINING JUSTIFICATION FOR RFID TECHNOLOGY Determining Justification for RFID Technology Bahram Izadi, Master Student of Business Management, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran and John Boyd, BASc, Computer Engineering, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada Abstract â€Å"What are  the  benefits? † is a  common question for any organization considering implementing a new  technology. This is an especially  important question  for small or developing companies, where an error in  investment could  result in unrecoverable  operating capital loss. As Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems are making  deep and impressive  improvements in manufacturing, distribution, and supply chain management and military logistics, it is time to consider  the  quantifiable financial and operational benefits  of RFID in  an organization's competitive strategic plans. This article will review the benefits of RFID implementation against its costs, and demonstrate  how the introduction of an RFID system can reduce production, distribution, and warehousing costs, while increasing  the operational efficiency of an organization. Through financial metrics, value equations, and numerical  analysis this article  will demonstrate  how  RFID implementation  can improve not only an  organizations bottom line, but also  intangible benefits such as internal focus, industry  leadership, and differentiation from its competitors. A sample business case study will be presented to demonstrate to the reader valuable insight to both real-world advantages and limitations associated with RFID adoption. 1. Introduction The focus of this paper is how to develop an RFID strategic plan to quantify RFID justification through return on investment (ROI). RFID offers strategic advantages for businesses, private or state organizations because it can improve efficiency, cost savings, and yield greater returns  in virtually all areas of business processes and operations. However due to the complexity associated with an RFID system, its uncertain proven capabilities, and high costs of implementation, it is crucial to create solid a business case and justification in terms of ROI, either quantifiable or intangible, which offer the greatest benefit to the company. 2. Background – What is RFID? Radio frequency identification, or RFID, is a wireless automatic data collection technology which uses electronic tags for data storage. An RFID system consists of an RFID tag, a reader/writer unit with antenna, and a computer, as shown in Figure 1. [pic] Figure 1 RFID System The reader/writer emits radio signals from its antenna to power the tag, and can read or write data to the tag without a direct line of site. Reader/writer units are available in various shapes and sizes depending on requirement or application. Similarly RFID tags are available to suit most any application or environment from unobtrusive paper thin tags suitable for traditional barcode applications, to large heavy-duty brick sized tags to track heavy machinery. The computer or middleware allows communication between the RFID hardware and system applications. 3. RFID Benefits and Costs RFID offers strategic advantages for businesses because it can improve productivity, efficiency, cost savings, and yield greater returns in virtually all areas of business operations. As an example, Air Canada was losing $2 million USD worth of food carts per year. This initial problem of asset tracking resulted in the deployment of RFID systems which yielded a 2% reduction in total inventory, 5% reduction in maintenance costs, 20% to 50% in trucking charges, 80% reduction in shrinkage, 100% reduction in costs for auditing yearly inventory counts and ROI within 18 months. [Internet, 4] In general some of the main advantages of RFID usage are: †¢ Reduced warehouse and distribution labor costs due to increased data automation †¢ Reduced inventory by omitting inventory errors Improved forecasting and planning due to improvements in visibility of supply chain †¢ Reduced theft by tracking the products point to pint †¢ Reduced out-of stock conditions via better RFID product tracking RFID is used for everything from tracking cows and pets to triggering equipment down oil wells. The most common applications are payment systems, toll collection systems, access control, track people, assets and products without the need for human intervention or direct line of site. [Internet, 5] All of the applications listed have been deployed because they haven proven ROI. . RFID Costs When considering RFID costs a company must consider the total cost of ownership rather than just the initial RFID hardware and tags costs. A complete RFID system includes not only hardware infrastructure, but also service such as design, development, deployment, maintenance, ongoing support, and training. Also to consider are the future costs as the system is scaled beyond its initial pilot or trial phase. Costs should also be associated with restructuring or introducing new business practices. 5. Creating Justification for RFID The potential applications and benefits of RFID are only constrained by a company’s level of innovation. However, before rushing to adopt RFID technology a company can ensure the greatest rate of return and success by having in place a comprehensive strategic plan which quantifies all encompassing aspects of RFID including technology and business processes in order to deliver its benefits for maximum value. In order to justify the costs of an RFID system it is vital a companies RFID strategic plan contains quantifiable  metrics assigned to values of each area which RFID impacts. Therefore when a company does decide to implement RFID, such a strategic plan will allow them to proceed confidently to their strategic objective while ensuring the maximum potential value areas are achieved. By contrast a poor RFID strategic plan without careful and insightful study, risks to dilute the focus and resources of the business and may prove to be detrimental and wasteful, instead of beneficial. Each RFID deployment will have its unique application varying with the application of the company and the company’s goals so there is no single ROI or total cost of ownership criteria for RFID. On the other hand, ROI in many cases is not only found financially but also in intangible factors. For example a distribution center may place value on increasing efficiency throughput in order to save money on labor and reduced shipping errors, where a hospital or healthcare center would place value on increasing visibility of surgical equipment so to have a better chance to save a persons life due to increased response time – economic cost would not be so much as a constraint in this case, but rather the service is of more importance than straight financial justification. . Creating a RFID Strategic plan to determine ROI justification As previously mentioned, there are often uncertainties and reservations when an organization first considers introducing RFID, such as concern of high price or hesitation at the risks of being an early adopter and risking mistakes and learning costs. This is usual behavior in small companies and especially in developing countries where  an er ror in  investment could  result in  unrecoverable  operating capital loss. To overcome this uncertainty and to proceed confidently with the company-wide acceptance of RFID deployment, a plan must include strategic thinking and financial justification. [Sweeney, Patrick J II, Chapter 16] By thinking strategically, we uncover the hard data and information that enables members of organization to make informed decisions and to communicate the rationale of RFID deployment effectively. Performing an ROI study on RFID will allow a company to become reacquainted with current business processes and to identify opportunities for optimization (if RFID is decided to be used or not. Through analysis and calculations, in this process we examine every RFID affected area and assign to them associated value metrics in terms of quantifiable or intangible returns. However in order to obtain the information and data necessary to perform ROI calculations and value equations it is necessary to create a solid and detailed rich strategic plan comprised of but not limited to the fo llowing sections, Figure 2. [pic] Figure 2 Involved Steps of an RFID Strategic Plan 6. 1 Form Business Team Since an RFID implementation will affect business process as well as technological change, it is beneficial that the business team includes internal management personnel capable of RFID analysis from all related functional departments. Internal team members, working closely together with external experts and consultants, will be able to offer valuable procedural insight to the development and design of an RFID system. 6. 2 Define Scope and Assumptions A strategic plan should clearly define how RFID will affect the business and define key elements of RFID operation. A clear understanding of affected processes, departments, and areas of coverage, is essential. Assumptions are necessary to ensure a common understanding of how the RFID system will be implemented and what processes will be affected. 6. 3 Identify Strategic and Economic Benefits Benefits represent one of the most important factors in building an RFID business case. To determine justification and feasibility of an RFID system a company must summarize its expected strategic impacts and quantifiable benefits obtained through more efficient RFID enabled processes. Since strategic or intangible benefits can not be easily quantified, it is important for the company to articulate why an RFID introduction is important to business and have a clear understanding of its associated value. This is especially important for companies which place value on product or data visibility. Examples of strategic benefits include internal focus, industry  leadership, and differentiation from its competitors, and product visibility. Quantifiable economical benefits can be tested through metrics and measured with calculations. Quantifiable benefits will vary with industry and RFID application but will generally be attributed to time or process improvements through automation and improved efficiency. 6. 4 Develop Business Process Models Process modeling consists of creating business-flow diagrams and use-cases to determine and quantify how RFID will impact those processes and associated applications. Adoption of RFID technology will most likely create new additional processing steps, and therefore modified business use cases will be introduced to reflect optimized RFID use. Some sub processes might get streamlined and thus provide efficiency gains, whereas some other sub processes might need to include additional processing steps, which might impact their efficiency rates. The use cases associated with the impacted and newly introduced processes can then be analyzed for benefit [Lahiri, Sandip, Chapter 8]. 6. 5 Determine Costs When considering ROI, one must consider the total cost of ownership rather than just the initial RFID hardware and tags costs. A complete RFID system includes not only hardware infrastructure, but also service such as design, development, deployment, maintenance, ongoing support, and training. Also to consider are the future costs as the system is scaled beyond its initial pilot or trial phase. Costs should also be associated with restructuring or introducing new business practices. 6. 6 Create an Implementation Road Map An implementation roadmap breaks up the complete RFID solution into a series of objective milestones within set time-frames. The main tasks involved in completing this step are developing a scale of implementation from trial or pilot stages to full deployment, and assigning associated metrics of costs and benefits with each stage of milestone. 6. 7 Create Business Case Finally all information should be compiled to form a business case. Each benefit should be associated with a level of impact and time to realization. The level of impact takes three factors into account: whether a benefit generates revenue, mitigates risk, or reduces cost. We may assign low-impact to benefits that meet one factor and high-impact to benefits that meet two or more factors. Time frame is a time period in which the business will see benefit. Short term could be one to two years and long term three to five years. It is difficult to forecast beyond five years. 7. Criteria and Justification Metrics to Justify ROI In order to justify the costs an RFID system it is vital a company complete RFID strategic plan contains quantifiable  metrics assigned to values of each area RFID impacts on including procedures and personnel to ensure  RFID investments yield the greatest  rate of return. Through study numerical analysis value equations and modeling, the  value of various RFID systems can be made apparent and determined to be financially feasible or  cost prohibitive. It is important to present a cost benefit analysis in order to justify the investment in an RFID system and establish a clear ROI. Upon the completion of the strategic plan, the quantified figures and resultant findings can be processed through value equations to justify and determine feasibility of an RFID system. However, ROI in many cases is not only found financially but also through intangible factors. In this case, VOI (Value of Investment) should also be considered. Value of Investment is much more holistic approach to the benefits delivered and includes, next to the hard costs figures, the soft and difficult to measure benefits such as improved quality, staff moral and service perception, and customer loyalty. 8. Sample of RFID Justification through Case Study 8. 1 Introduction This example will show the Return on Investment (ROI) of an RFID solution for a company which sends shipments from its manufacturing plant to its distribution center. The system will be closed loop which means that the tags and their data will be limited to internal company use and will not be used beyond the limited area of distribution center. RFID technology will be used to help automate the transfer process. The overall objectives are: †¢ Demonstrate how RFID technology may be utilized to improve the efficiency of the transfer of shipments. Demonstrate a case which is justifiable in cost due to positive ROI analysis. 8. 2 Background A company’s distribution center is plagued by errors and inefficiencies when receiving shipments from the manufacturing plant. Especially problematic areas are delay in receiving pallets and loss of pallets to be returned. 8. 3 Assigning Metrics to Processes Estimation time to completion (ETC) of items entering the distribution center, wit hout and with RFID is described as in Table1. |No. Process |ETC |Process with RFID |ETC with RFID | |- |- |- |Precondition – RFID tags are|0 sec | | | | |affixed to pallets and | | | | | |individual items at the | | | | | |manufacturing plant. | |1 |Personnel scans barcode on pallet|30 sec |Pallet is placed in RFID |5 sec | | |to validate order and manually | |reader portal and scanned | | | |compares to expected manifest | |along with all contained | | | |list. | |items. Order is checked | | | | | |automatically. | | |2 |If pallet is valid expected |3 min |If pallet is valid but found|3 min | | |personnel enters pallet as | |to have exception it is | | | |received and breaks open the | |broken own, all items are | | | |pallet | |automatically scanned and | | | | | |noted, and extra item is | | | | | |brought to return area. | | |3 |Else pallet is invalid it is |4 min |Else pallet is invalid it is|4 min | | |moved to return area. | |moved to return area. | |4 |Personnel scans all individual |6 min |- |- | | |bar-coded items to validate the | | | | | |pallet contains all ordered items| | | | |5 |If item is invalid personnel |2 min per item |- |- | | |manually notes this and places | | | | | |item in return section. | | | | |6 |Else item is valid and is placed |6 seconds per item|Else pallet valid and all |1 min | | |into received area to be moved | |contained items are present,| | | |into inventory section. (Pallet | |entire pallet is placed in | | | | contains 20 individual items. ) | |received area to be moved to| | | | | |inventory. | | |Time to unload a pallet with no |11min, 30sec |- |1min, 5sec | | |invalid items | | | | Table 1 Estimated time to completion to process pallet at distribution center From Table 1, the estimated completion times (ETC) of Time to unload a pallet with no invalid items is 11min, 30sec without RFID, compared to 1min, 5sec with an RFID system. 8. 4 RFID Solution and Process Detail Placing RFID reader portals at the distribution centers dockside gate allows for automatic identification of all pallets and included pallet items to be scanned upon arrival. This would eliminate the manual steps of unpacking and checking each individual item separately before adding to inventory. An additional processing step of placing RFID labeling on items and pallets before them leave the manufacturing plant would be occurred; however this would not affect distribution center processing time. 8. 5 RFID Benefits Incorporating RFID into the distribution center process provides the following quantifiable and intangible benefits: †¢ Quantifiable benefits include: Pallet processing time increased of 90%, Reduction of loss as all pallets due to total visibility, Labor savings, and Reduced keyboard entry errors †¢ Intangible benefits: Neater docking area, Improved work atmosphere 8. 6 Risks and complexity Potential risks and complexity associated with RFID implementation may include Tag Misread due to damaged tag, moisture on the pallet tag, or proximity to metal surfaces. Site evaluation and proper RFID technology can minimize this risk as well as running barcodes in parallel with the RFID tags. 8. 7 RFID Components and System Costs The proposed RFID system will require estimated infrastructure and services consisting of the following: |Description |Costs Low $ |Costs High $ | |Hardware/Software | | | |RFID gate portal reader (4) |28,000 40,000 | |RFID handheld readers (4) |6,000 |8,000 | |Accessories: Cables, etc |1,000 |1,000 | |Servers and Accessories (5) |10,000 |15,000 | |Software |30,000 |50,000 | |RFID tags (10,000) – Closed loop system, tags can be recycled |2,000 |5,000 | | | | | |Integration | | | |Engineering, Installation and Integration services, training, |60,000 |100,000 | |maintenance (60 person days) | | | | | | | |Business Process Modification | | | |RFID tag application retooling at the manufacturing plant |35,000 |55,000 | | | | | |Total |172,000 |274,000 | Table 2 Estimated RFID Costs 8. 8 Summary of Results Through RFID implementation if you compare the pallet processing times of Table 1, you can see that a savings of 10min, 25secs can be realized per pallet. This is equivalent to a 90% increase in processing throughput times with the condition of a valid pallet and items. If the distribution center receives 500 pallets per day it can realize investment between 10 and 16 months depending on RFID costs, with assumed personnel costs of $10 hour and a 261 working-day per year calendar. If the distribution center is free of invalid pallets 95% of the time return on investment can be seen as in Table 3, as follows: Pallets received per|Savings per day |Savings per day |Savings per year |ROI with low RFID costs|ROI with high RFID costs | |day | |(in $USD) |(in $USD) |(in months) |(in months) | | |(in hours) | | | | | |300 |49. 5 |495 |129,140 |16 |26 | |500 |82. 5 |824 |215,234 |10 |16 | |700 |115. 5 |1155 |301,328 |7 |11 | Table 3 Time to ROI Sample calculations are as follows for 500 pallets received per day: 11min,30sec * 500 pallets = 690sec * 500 = 345000sec. 1min,30sec * 25 pallets = 690sec * 25 = 17250sec. 1min, 5sec * 475 pallets = 65sec * 475 = 30875sec 17250+30875 = 48125sec 345000sec – 48125sec = 296875sec 296875sec/3600 = 82. 46hr, round to 82. 5hours 82. 46hr*$10=$824. 65/day , round to $824 824. 65*261=$215,233. 65/year 215,234. 38/172,000=1. 27 0. 79*12=9. 58, round to 10months 215,234. 38/$274,000=0. 799 1. 27*12=15. 27, round to 16months Once RFID familiarity has been gained and estimated metrics have been realized, RFID may be moved to other areas of the company such as the picking from inventory at the distribution center, or some other RFID application at manufacturing center itself. However, the processes, equipment, results, and lessons learned will be applicable to other distribution centers, and acquired knowledge may be applied to other potential cost saving areas. 9 Conclusion The capabilities and limitations of RFID much be understood on a technical level, but also on a business procedural level to determine how RFID will ultimately impact on business. The decision to implement an RFID system must be carried out diligently with ROI equations. Also important to consider is intangible value which may not be apparent on a balance sheet. RFID is ultimately a business tool like many other IT options and to access its maximum capability, a company must have solid business procedures and plans in place. References Lahiri, Sandip (2005, August). RFID Sourcebook. Prentice Hall PTR. ISBN: 0-13-185137-3 Larsson, Bjorn & Qviberg, Ola (2004, December). Evaluation and Justification of an RFID Implementation Pilot at IKEA Customer Distribution Centre. Master thesis LiTH-EKI-EX—04/083—SE Institute of technology – Linkoping University Department of Management and Economics Industrial Engineering and Management Sweeney, Patrick J. II (2005). RFID for Dummies. Wiley Publishing, Inc. ISBN: 0-7645-7910-X Ustundag, A. Cevikcan, E. (2007, October). Return on Investment Analysis for Evaluation of RFID Implementation on Cargo Operations, Istanbul Tech. Univ. , Istanbul; Appears in: RFID Eurasia, 2007 1st Annual Publication Date: 5-6 Sept. 007 ISBN: 978-975-01566-0-1 INSPEC Accession Number: 9777002 Digital Object Identifier: 0. 1109/RFIDEURASIA. 2007. 4368145 Date Published in Issue: 2007-10-29 Internet 1 Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility. What is RFID? Retrieved September 2, 2008 from http://www. aimglobal. org/technologies/RFID/what_i s_rfid. asp 2 Axios Systems. (2007, March) Return on Investment: Fact or Fairy Tale? White Paper. Version 1. 1. 0 Retrieved September 5, 2008 from http://www. axiossystems. com/six/shared/downloads/pdf/ROI_fact_or_fairy_tale. pdf 3 Miles Technologies. Common Applications Using RFID for Asset Tracking and Other Applications. Retrieved September 5, 2008 from