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Habits and Traits of Gall Wasps

Habits and Traits of Gall Wasps Have you ever seen those misshapen lumps on the twigs of oak trees? Those peculiar growths are called galls, and theyre almost always caused by gall wasps. Although theyre quite common, gall wasps (family Cynipidae) often go unnoticed because of their diminutive size. How Are Gall Wasps Classified? Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ArthropodaClass: InsectaOrder: HymenopteraFamily: Cynipidae What Do Gall Wasps Look Like? Cynipid wasps are quite small, with few species measuring over 5 millimeters in length, and usually drab in color, which makes them rather inconspicuous. Its often easier to identify gall wasps from the galls themselves. Tracks and Sign of Insects and Other Invertebrates is an excellent reference for identifying North American gall-makers from the galls they leave behind. Cynipids infest plants in the rose, willow, aster, and oak families. Cynipid galls vary greatly in size, shape, and appearance, depending on the host plant and the gall wasp species involved. Gall wasps arent the only organisms that trigger gall development in plants, but they are probably the most prolific gall-makers, especially in oak trees. About 80% of gall wasps target oaks specifically. In North America, well over 700 gall wasp species create galls in oaks. Gall wasps look like tiny hunchbacks. When viewed from above, the abdomen may appear to have just two segments, but the rest are simply compressed beneath, in telescoping fashion. Gall wasps have minimal wing venation and filiform antennae (usually consisting of 13 segments in females, and 14-15 segments in males). Youre unlikely to see gall wasp larvae unless youre in the habit of dissecting galls. Each tiny, white larva lives within its own chamber, feeding constantly. They lack legs and have chewing mouthparts. What Do Gall Wasps Eat? Gall wasp larvae derive nutrition from the galls in which they live. Adult gall wasps are short-lived and do not feed. Surprisingly for an insect that eats so much, the larvae dont poop. Gall wasp larvae dont have anuses, so there is simply no way for them to expel their waste. They wait until the pupal stage to rid their bodies of fecal matter. The Life Cycle of Gall Wasps The cynipid life cycle can be quite complex. In some species, male and female gall wasps mate and the female oviposits in the host plant. Some gall wasps are parthenogenetic, and produce males rarely, if ever. Still others alternate sexual and asexual generations, and these distinct generations may use different host plants. In very general terms, the gall wasp life cycle involves complete metamorphosis, with four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The female deposits an egg into the meristematic tissue of the host plant. When the egg hatches and the larva begins to feed, it triggers a reaction in the host plant, causing the formation of the gall. The larva feeds within the gall and eventually pupates. The adult gall wasp usually chews an exit hole to escape the gall. Special Behaviors of Gall Wasps Some gall wasps dont produce galls in their host plants but are instead inquilines of other species galls. The female wasp oviposits into an existing gall, and her offspring hatch and feed on it. The inquiline larvae may indirectly kill the larvae that induced the gall to form, simply by outcompeting them for food. Where Do Gall Wasps Live? Scientists have described 1,400 species of gall wasps worldwide, but many estimate that the family Cynipidae may actually include as many as 6,000 species. Over 750 species inhabit North America. Resources and Further Reading   Capinera, John L., editor.  Encyclopedia of Entomology. 2nd ed., Springer, 2008.Frogge, Mary Jane. â€Å"Most Leaf Galls Dont Hurt Trees (Galls).†Ã‚  Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources: The Nebline, University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Lancaster County, May 2012.Johnson, Norman F., and Charles A. Triplehorn.  Borror and DeLongs Introduction to the Study of Insects. 7th ed., Cengage Learning, 2004.Leung, Richard, et al. â€Å"Family Cynipidae - Gall Wasps.†Ã‚  BugGuide.Net, Iowa State University, 13 Apr. 2005.

Functions of Uniformed Police Officers Research Paper

Functions of Uniformed Police Officers - Research Paper Example Other authorities are to maintain peace and security in their respective areas. A uniformed police officer performs many functions, such as, traffic control, crime prevention, and implementation of law. In this paper, we will describe crime prevention, which is one of the most important functions of a uniformed police officer. Crime Prevention Lab (2010) states, â€Å"Many crime prevention programs rely heavily on police activity† (p. 85). Crime prevention is an attempt to either prevent the crimes or reduce the level of criminal acts. Reducing the risk of being a victim is the basic objective of crime prevention. Gilling (1997) states, â€Å"Crime prevention incorporates not only the practices of the entire criminal justice system, but also those of many other social and public policies† (p. 2). A uniformed police officer reduces the crime rate and disorderly situations implementing effective crime prevention strategies. Crime prevention is a function, which involves d eploying protective people, prevention policies, and strategies (Hayes, 1997). These strategies are implemented in various judicial and extra judicial settings. It is one of the prime responsibilities of a uniform police officer to take proper measures to reduce the level of crimes in the country because crimes and violence not only make the lives of people insecure but also proves to be a risk for economy of a country. Implementation of crime prevention strategies plays a great role in the successful prevention and reduction of crime levels in a country. Sherman (2002) states, â€Å"Comprehensive crime prevention strategies frequently involve the mobilization of community members to participate actively in planning and implementing prevention activities† (p. 168). These strategies not only help the government in reducing the level of crimes but also help in generating the sense of security in the public living in any specific society. Crime prevention is a skill-based activi ty (Arrington, 2007, p. 27). The ultimate goal of crime prevention is to provide people with trustworthy security by eradicating crimes from the society. In order to achieve the goal of crime prevention, uniform police officers put an end to those specific factors or opportunities, which enable a criminal to get involved in any specific criminal activity. The main goal of crime prevention is not only to secure the lives and properties of the public but also to eliminate those reasons, which act as the root cause for the unlawful activities. It is one of the main goals of uniformed police officers to reduce or remove the opportunities for criminals from the country, and this goal can be achieved by increasing the desire among the public to act as the contributor to the improvement of society. Uniformed police officers create fear of punishment in the minds of criminals in order to prevent them from getting involved in any sort of criminal activity. Fear of punishment cannot be inject ed in the minds of criminals rather it is created by taking such steps, which should practically detain the criminals in order to create a risky environment for criminals. Crime rate in small part of a country puts a negative and fearful impact on whole country. People avoid going to those areas where there is no protection of life and property because security is always the first priority for every individual. It is the major responsibility of the uniformed police officers to apply such crime prevention

Book smarts with intellectualism and street smarts with Essay

Book smarts with intellectualism and street smarts with anti-intellectualism - Essay Example By agreeing with his premise, this student will retrace Graff’s logic and provide a level of external analysis that will provide the reader with a more informed understanding and logical progression with respect to how Graff’s transformation took place. Firstly, before delving directly subject matter, it must be understood that scholars and societal stakeholders alike oftentimes to distance intellectualism from anti-intellectualism. It is without question that there is tension and strife between these two points of view; with both intellectuals and anti-intellectuals being distrustful, spiteful, and downright cruel to one another. Lunch has with regards the way in which individuals of different classes have separated themselves, lunch in the same way that individual races have been sidelined within American society, Graff argues the fact that intellectualism has separated itself from anti-intellectualism, and vice versa, to such a degree that these two distinct groups have come to an even further level of conflict within the current world. However, these social constraints aside, it is clear and apparent that the similarity that exists between these two groups is greater than the dissimilarity that they purport to espouse (Fridlan 890). For instance, Graff represents the early childhood disagreements, arguments, and disputes that he had with fellow adolescents in his youth. Instead of serving as mindless and un-intellectual banter, as many might assume, these levels of argumentation encouraged and coaxed the stakeholders into providing a level of substantiation, facts, and representative understanding with respect to the position that they espouse. Although they most certainly did not understand it at the time, the need to substantiate their beliefs and promote a level of understanding concerning their points of view was

The American Frontier and the Western Hero Essay

The American Frontier and the Western Hero - Essay Example He is a real hero who possesses the features of an ideal man, and personifies high moral values and physical strength. Wister depicts the Virginian as a person who is able to distinguish what is good and what is bad, and who follows his personal beliefs. He is described as: "The dealer had styled the Virginian "a black-headed guy." This did well enough as an unflattered portrait" (Wister, 34). The Virginian tries to make a better world paying a special attention to universal order and peace during the Johnson County War in Wyoming. The main character of Susan Warner's novel is "Christian Character", Ellen Montgomery. Female characters in the novel are depicted through minor themes such as the themes of motherhood and religion. Christianity and church was a strong force which dictated social norms and social order. At the beginning, Ellen is depicted as a devoted parishioner who follows all values and commandments. he main similarity between the male and female characters is their desire to fight for freedom and justice which limits their behavior. The Virginian is a leader who possesses self-belief and tolerance, which helps him to create the reality; he is a high moral person who fights for justice, harmony and orderliness of the universe.

Strategies for Marketing Organic Food Products

Strategies for Marketing Organic Food Products There is a global growing demand and supply for organic foods. This has resulted from increased health awareness and food safety, a growing demand to protect the environment and animal welfare. The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement (IFOAM) defines organic production as a process that relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects (IFOAM, 2010). Marketing the product will provide the link that will satisfy both the demand and the supply. Thus marketing the products will provide the link between the producers and the consumers. While the marketing of these products is developed in the U.S.A, the Asian marketing is just developing. This essay will analyze marketing of organic food products in the U.S. and in Asia. The organic food production in the Asian countries is mainly done for the export market as the domestic consumption is still emerging (IFOAM, 2004). This is in contra st with the U.S. market where the number of organic food product consumers has been increasing gradually (Dimitri Oberholtzer, 2009). Production In most Asian countries organic production is mainly for small farmers in order to assist them to be self sufficient and improve the quality of the soil. It is mainly done for export. Organic food production in Asia is yet to develop. Though the Asian countries form 25 percent of the members of (IFOAM) the area engaged in organic farming is still very small as by 2003 all the Asian countries had only utilized less than 1 percent of all agricultural land in organic farming with the exception of china IFOAM, 2004). The local markets in Asia are not established and are only emerging. Marketing initiatives are in the process of being launched. There are National Initiatives to develop the organic sector. There are initiatives by NGOs supporting to practice organic agriculture and training them on how to market the organic food products. Most of the organic farming has support from the grassroots level. In most Asian countries there are very rare national scale of organic production and only India has a government initiative. The Indian government (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APFPEDA)) initiative is only meant to assist in exporting of the organic food and not to develop the domestic market. APFPEDA offers training to producers and certification agencies, research and development services: promoting certification programs, developing policies, improving quality of services, promoting Indian organic foods. Lack of proper regulations and certification processes has hindered the development of the organic food production and marketing. However this trend is changing as there are already several countries that have developed National Organic Regulations to promote both export and domestic production. The regulations are responsible for setting the standards. Currently most of the Asian organic foods are certified by foreign bodies, with only China, Israel, Japan, Thailand, India and Philippines being the only Asian countries with their own certification (IFOAM, 2004). As one of the largest consumers and one of the countries with a high per capita income, any change in the U.S consumption trend will have an effect. Thus organic food production and growth has been affected by the U.S consumption. The organic food production industry noted an increase of 16-21 percent in 2008. The industry receives government support both in monetary terms and in developing policies. This contrasts with the Asian industry which is still in the process of setting policies (Report buyer, 2010). The 2008 Farm Act allocated $5 million to do further research on the marketing system of organic food products in U.S. There are regulations in the U.S. which are provided by the 2002 USDA National Organic Standards. Challenges The main challenges facing the organic food marketing are the pricing competition and logistics arrangements. The organic foods have to compete with other non-organic foods in terms of pricing, varieties and the frequency of production. The organic food products are expensive to produce. Their infrastructure is yet to be developed and thus it is hard for the marketing organizations to sell them at a competitive price. The organic food products are expensive both in the Asian countries and in US. In US organic foods are 10 to 30 percent more expensive than the conventional food products (Dimitri Oberholtzer, 209). The domestic consumers are not informed on the benefits of using organic products. Consumers have little information on organic food products and most consumers will only compare the prices of the food products as they do not know the benefits of organic foods to themselves and to the nature. Apart from this, the organic foods have faced competition with the already developed conventional food products. Since there are only a few informed consumers, the organic food companies have to compete for this small number of consumers. There is a need to create consumer awareness. There is therefore a need for the relevant authorities to device ways to first develop a domestic market for organic foods. There is potential of growth that results from the fact that there are concerns by most consumers with the high chemical such as pesticides remnants in many foods. In addition to this organic foods are also preferred by those who are been sick. Another challenge faced in Asia is that the producers lack in marketing skills. This leads to the producers facing challenges from having to compete with supermarket chains. Most of the organic suppliers are smaller as compared to the conventional food suppliers. This leads to discontinuation of those organic foods that are slow moving, thus disrupting the already developing trend. In addition to this, most of the countries have not developed labeling laws. Consumers will have more confidence when purchasing labeled products. This is crucial for assurance of quality considering there are many self proclaimed organic products in the market. In the U.S the organic foods are sold in branded product lines as well as private-label organic products, whereby this has resulted to an increase of the private-label products from 35 in 2003 to 540 in 2007 (Dimitri Oberholtzer, 2009) . There is a high consumption of organic products in the U.S. The consumption rate continues to increase. As a result of this increase, the retail prices of organic food products increased from $3.6 billion in 1997 to $21.1 billion in 2008, (Dimitri Oberholtzer, 2009). The growth rate was partly as a result of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) efforts of setting standards that gave consumers confidence in using the products. USDA also gave a guideline on how one would recognize that a product is an organic product. The consumption rate has however increased at a higher rate than the growth of the organic foods, thus creating a shortage in the supply of the products. This has mainly been attributed to the regulations that are required in converting and certifying a farmland to an organic farm. Product and marketing development In the Asian countries the farmers lack confidence in the organic food production. Again, the supply of the products has been growing at a higher rate than the demand, thus farmers have been left with surpluses of their produces. The marketing organizations will at times fail to buy all the produces from the farmers, thus the farmers have to look for their own markets. This frustrates the farmers who will shift to other farm produces. Being a new and young developing market, the producers have had to compete with unscrupulous traders. Again, the structure of marketing organization has had an effect in developing the market. Most of the marketing organizations were small organizations and they faced challenges, e.g. recruiting and retaining quality staff. Again due to the challenges of shortage of investments funds, they will go for direct marketing, such as home deliveries and mobile markets. There is a need for the producers and markets to unit and cooperate in order to fight these unscrupulous traders. The Asian market is in the same position as the U.S. market in the 1990s where independent small chain outlets and food-cooperatives were the sole distributors of the organic food products. Currently these food products are mainly supplied in the supermarkets. This is a trend catching up in the Asian markets. There are ways to develop and help support the marketing organizations for the organic food products in Asia. The local initiatives should provide those strategies that eliminate intermediaries, thus reducing the prices of the products and thus encouraging more buyers, while at the same time promoting the producers. Any non-commercial external funding should accompanied with organizations own increase in capital investment. This assures continuity after the external funding is pulled out. Most of the marketing organizations start small whereby some do not even have an office, and operate from home. This may be satisfactory to start with, but as the company grows, it should have an official location of operation. The location chosen is very important. It should be close and easily accessible to the customers and close enough to the producers. This gives it a professional appearance. The company should be particular on the choice of produce it starts with, e.g., vegetables, and then add the products as it grows. Pricing is crucial for the marketing organization, thus it should come up with the preferred pricing strategy. Most organic food products marketing organization prefer price differentiation. Another point to be considered is the connection between the producer and the consumer. This should be discussed so as to reduce disagreements between the two. The marketing organizations should learn to market themselves through the press. The marketing organization should learn the target market and stay updated on any new products that they may require. Conclusion The marketing of organic food products is more advanced in the U.S than it is in the U.S. The success in the U.S. market can be attributed to development of policies and guidelines that especially encourages the domestic consumption. The Asian countries should learn from the U.S. and develop their own domestic market. In addition to this, there is a shortage in the U.S of the organic products. Proper marketing strategies in Asian countries should satisfy this demand in the US market. Something the Asian authorities should think about and act on.

Philosophy †Free Will vs. Determinism Essay

The dialogue between philosophers over the existence of free will versus the inevitability of determinism is a debate that will always exist. The discussion centers around the true freedom of humans to think and act according to their own judgment versus the concept that humans are intrinsically bound by the physical laws of the universe. Before I enter this chicken and the egg debate I need to quantify my terms: Free will is defined by the great philosopher, St. Thomas Aquinas as â€Å"vis electiva† or free choice. It is the ability of man to contemplate and judge the effects of the actions he is about to take. â€Å"†¦But man acts from judgment, because by his apprehensive power he judges that something should be avoided or sought. But because this judgment, in the case of some particular act, is not from a natural instinct but from some act of comparison in the reason, therefore he acts from free judgment and retains the power of being inclined to various things. † (Aquinas. Suma Theologica) Determinism is a complex notion but is best described by David Hume as the notion that something cannot come from nothing and that all actions have causes preceding them. â€Å"I conceive that nothing taketh beginning from itself, but from the action of some other immediate agent without itself. And that therefore, when first a man hath an appetite or will to something, to which immediately before he had no appetite nor will, the cause of his will, is not the will itself, but something else not in his own disposing. So that whereas it is out of controversy, that of voluntary actions the will is the necessary cause, and by this which is said, the will is also caused by other things whereof it disposeth not, it followeth, that voluntary actions have all of them necessary causes, and therefore are necessitated. † (Hume. Liberty and Nessessity. ) Philosophy and world religion alike were born of the same origins. Each of the two ancient disciplines arose from the quest for the answers to life’s ominous questions. These human questions, archetypical to people of all geographic locations; where did we come from; why are we here; where do we go when we die; unite us as a race. It is no coincidence that each religion and theology from all four corners of the earth tackles these black holes of human logic. Each religion carves their own individual explanations of these unanswerable questions into their core belief systems, each one centrally different than others. However, they all share one common thought; each shares a belief in an afterlife determined by the choices made in life. Free will is the common denominator in all world religions, because all share the essential concept of morality. The widespread acceptance of the concept of morality implies that there is a choice to be had at each and every juncture or life. The choice comes from recognition of good and evil. For good and evil to exist, then there has to be the ability to decipher between the two and also decide to accept one over the other. The existence of morality alone proves that free will exists, because without the freedom to choose right or wrong in any given situation there would be no qualitative measure of the â€Å"rightness† or â€Å"wrongness† of ones actions. David Hume comments on the origin of morality and its place in our everyday decision making processes, â€Å"Only when you turn your reflexion into your own breast, and find a sentiment of disapprobation† (Hume.Treatise of Human Nature). In other words, there are no outside stimuli that can decipher good from evil; the line can only be drawn by internal thought. Hume was a naturalist in that his vision of the world and therefore stance of philosophy was based directly through the experiences of the senses. His stance on many issues directly originated from his ability to experience it with the five senses, and on the subject of morality he takes exception. Even he recognizes the existence of morality in everyday life, even though it cannot be explained through the lens of the senses. It would seem that morality’s acceptance must therefore prove that free will exists, but there is one essential school of thought yet to weigh on this topic; science. Science was the latest bloomer of the three major disciplines of existential explanation and in the post modern era is becoming more and more popular. As the world becomes further secularized and the reaches of scientific logic continue to exceed their grasp, many of the world’s intellectuals identify â€Å"truth† on a scientific scale. Science does not support the theory of morality, because it can’t be proven to exist. The notion of â€Å"free-will†, something which world religion and philosophies alike recognize as a fundamental part of our human anatomy, is called into question in a few simple and logical ways. Science supports the theory of determinism as the only logical explanation of the unfolding of the actions of our lives. First off, science has recently developed the discipline known to us as physics, in which the laws of the universe have been defined. In the short time in which humans have been graced by the scientific understanding of the laws of the universe, human kind has yet to fully step back and contemplate the magnitude of this discovery. In generations past, humans believed that we were made special with â€Å"free will†, but now we know that like all things in the universe we are subject to the physical laws. This is a huge step forward in rational thinking because it allows us to understand that our previously God given concept of â€Å"free will† was really a result of a lack of understanding of the deterministic laws of the universe. For instance a law as simple and commonly accepted as â€Å"gravity† challenges the idea of free will. Gravitational pull determines that no matter the size of an object, once separate from the surface of the earth will be dragged back down at the same force every time. This is a simple concept that we take for granted, but it works in the free will v. determinism argument. We are ruled by gravity, and therefore all of our lives activities answer to it. We can’t choose to jump off a building and float in the air because we’ll be pulled back to the ground to our imminent deaths. We can’t choose to stay younger and keep our skin tight to our faces because gravity’s long-term effect causes our skin to droop down towards the ground. The choices I just listed may seem farfetched to some, however, if we examine the notion that we have â€Å"free will† in the empirical sense of the word we see that not all of our decisions are controlled by us, and that we fall victim to the tyrannical rule of the physical laws of the universe. We aren’t truly â€Å"free† to create our own actions in life. Albert Einstein offers a particularly apt synopsis, â€Å"Everything is determined, the beginning as well as the end, by forces over which we have no control. It is determined for the insect as well as the star. Human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust, we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper. † (Albert Einstein) The rule of physical law aside, which hinders us from truly being â€Å"free† to choose our own actions in life, is a much more simple scientific argument that dispels the notion of free will. For example: Say a 20 year old man murders another man in cold blood. They have no affiliation, no prior knowledge of who each other is, or reason to dislike each other. Man A walks up to random Man B and shoots and kills him. Was this action of Man A a result of â€Å"free will†? To examine the notion fully you need to look at his action coming from two sources. Either Man A was born with the moral flaw to allow himself to find killing another human acceptable, or that Man A was influenced during the course of his life by interactions and actions of others and came to that conclusion based on his own experience. There is no other explanation for Man A to willingly choose to open fire on Man B and kill him. If we look at the first option, Man A’s natural moral compass was skewed, allowing for him to conceive the notion that killing another is okay. This speaks to the determinant nature of our chemical makeup. Its possible his DNA made a mistake coding somewhere and he developed overtime and understood that killing another is â€Å"wrong† or maybe that his entire sense of â€Å"right from wrong† was skewed inside his mind. This would lead Man A to lead a life normally on the outside, and yet without regard for consequence, open fire on another man and kill him as easily as he could have held a door for him. This is the idea that he naturally had the capacity to kill, and that he could not control it. Eventually one of his animalistic impulses would finally stick and he’d be in the right place at the right time, and that it was only a matter of time until he killed someone. If you don’t subscribe to that theory and believe that he chose to kill Man B that day, try and consider that the results will still be pre-determined. If Man A killed Man B due to his choice, then his own â€Å"free will† and judgment that he finds reprehensible to kill another man can’t be attributed to truly â€Å"free† will of choice. Not every human kills others as part of their natural lifestyle, as they might kiss or mate with another. In fact a very small percentage of people in the world murder other humans, and this begs the question of why? What makes this small percentage of people â€Å"choose† to kill another person? The answer is that if they choose to do it, and they weren’t previously miswired so as said in the prior paragraph, then they must have been influenced by their surroundings. When Man A was six years old he didn’t choose to murder Man B, the events of his life led him to make this decision about whether or not murder was okay. This is yet another reason that he wasn’t truly free to choose; outside influence hinders the ability to choose freely. Whether he was abused, molested, lost a loved one, or just plain fed up with the monotony of everyday life in society, something pushed him over the edge. Something allowed for him to justify his actions; that something is outside influence. This deterministic train of thought explains why people do what they do, but not when. What makes us actually hit the point of no return, or when will the right opportunity hit the right mood leading the right action? (In our example the murder of Man B) The paradox between â€Å"free will† and â€Å"determinism† exists because of the influence of the different schools of thought. If one aligns his personal truth based on religious fervor, then an understanding of â€Å"free will† can exist logically and on the other hand if one bases his logic around science then â€Å"determinism† seems to be the only answer. So where does that leave philosophy, the great bridge between the two polarized schools of thought? It leaves philosophy somewhere in the middle, examining the validity of both sides of the argument, and helping to shed light on the debate over whether or not we truly are free to make a choice or if we are merely floating along the currents of the universe. Personally, I’m lost somewhere in the middle, hoping that the answer to this time-old question will be revealed. Works Cited: * Aquinas, St. Thomas. Sancti Thomae Aquinatis †¦ : Suma Theologica †¦ Parisiis: Apud Sebastianum Et Gabrielem Cramoisy, 1640. Print. * Hume, David. A Treatise of Human Nature: in Two Volumes. London: Dent, 1934. Print. * Hume, David. Liberty and Necessity: an Argument against Free-will and in Favor of Moral Causation. London: Progressive Pub. 1890. Print.

How should I study to improve my academic performance in school Essay

Studying is not reading. It requires a more intense and organised effort. To study effectively, you must have good planning, memory, reading, note taking and time management skills. To study effectively you must master certain skills: planning, memorising, time management, note taking, and sometimes managing stress. Everyone has a different â€Å"learning style†. Consequently, everyone has a different â€Å"studying style†. But the way that you are studying right now might not be the best for you. How would you know? Easy: If your grades aren’t what you’d like them to be, then you probably need to change how you study! A). A Good Study Place Although studying in a sitting room or dormitory room (for students in boarding schools), is convenient, it is often a poor place to learn. The dorm/sitting room has a plethora of distractions including sweet voices of your singing friends. If you want to improve your concentration and efficiency as a student, learn to study from the class, library or any other quiet place. You need a good study place to be prepared to study. You should be able to answer YES to all of the following questions: 1. Is my study place free from interruptions? It is important to have uninterrupted study time. You must maintain silence in class. Research shows that most students study best in a quiet environment. Study at the same time and at the same place, devoted to study only. This helps you to associate the time and place with studying and concentrating. You will find that you get into a habit of studying as soon as you sit down. However, change of environment may help in managing stress. 2. Does my study place contain all the study materials I need? Be sure your study place includes reference sources and supplies such as pens and pencils, paper, ruler, calculator, and whatever else you might need. 3. Does my Study Space contain a clean desk or table? While working on an assignment or studying for a test, use a desk that is free from other distractive materials. Allow enough room for writing and try to avoid clutter. You need enough room to store your study materials. Be sure you have enough storage space to allow you to keep your desktop or other work surface clear of unnecessary materials that can get in the way. B) Manage Your Time Schooling is a full-time job. And managing your time is important. If you have an activity after class that you do just for fun or if you participate in co-curricular activities (whether school-related or not), keep your priorities in mind: Your academic work should come first! Set yourself a grade goal. If you don’t meet it, cut down on some of the activities you are involved in. C) Take Notes in Class & always Rewrite during prep time Good studying begins with good notes taken in class. Just as everyone has a different learning style, different teachers have different teaching styles: Some teachers lecture, some lead discussions, some â€Å"facilitate† individual work (as in a lab), etc. Consequently, different classroom settings will require different note-taking techniques. The following are some of the suggestions: i. Take Complete Notes The key idea of taking good notes in class is to write down as much as possible. There are several reasons to take notes that are as complete as possible: 1. It will force you to pay attention to what’s going on in class. 2. It will keep you awake (!) 3. There will be less that you’ll have to memorize that time since you have a reference. 4. It enhances understanding when you review your notes. But if you have incomplete notes, it will be hard for you to learn what you didn’t take notes on. ii. D) Ask questions and make comments If you have a question or something comes to mind as you’re taking notes, you have two choices: You can contribute to the class discussion by asking your question or making your comment. Or you can jot your question or comment down in your notes. I suggest always doing the latter, but also doing the former as often as possible. One reason that you should always put your question or comment in your notes is so that you won’t forget it; you can then always bring it up later, either in class or one-on-one with the teacher or a fellow student. By the way, if you have a question, especially if you need clarification of something that the teacher said or wrote (possibly because it was inaudible or illegible), ask it! Do not be embarrassed about asking it! I can guarantee you that there will be at least  one other student in the class (and often many more) who will be extremely grateful to you for having asked the very same question that they were too embarrassed to ask, and they will come to view you as wise and brave for having asked it. (So will the teacher!)

How to Add Resource Files in Delphi Executables

How to Add Resource Files in Delphi Executables Games and other types of applications which use multimedia files like sounds and animations must either distribute the extra multimedia files along with the application or embed the files within the executable. Rather than distribute separate files for your applications use, you can add the raw data to your application as a resource. You can then retrieve the data from your application when it is needed. This technique is generally more desirable because it can keep others from manipulating those add-in files. This article will show you how to embed (and use) sound files, video clips, animations and more generally any kind of binary files in a Delphi executable. For the most general purpose, youll see how to put an MP3 file inside a Delphi exe. Resource Files (.RES) In the Resource Files Made Easy article you were presented with several examples of the use of bitmaps, icons, and cursors from resources. As stated in that article we can use the Image Editor to create and edit resources that consist of such types of files. Now, when we are interested in storing various types of (binary) files inside a Delphi executable well have to deal with resource script files (.rc), the Borland Resource Compiler tool and other. Including several binary files in your executable consists of 5 steps: Create and/or collect all the files you wish to put in an exe.Create a resource script file (.rc) that describes those resources used by your application,Compile the resource script file (.rc) file to create a resource file (.res),Link the compiled resource file into the application’s executable file,Use individual resource element. The first step should be simple, simply decide what types of files you would like to store in your executable. For example, we will store two .wav songs, one .ani animations and one .mp3 song. Before we move on, here are a few important statements concerning limitations when working with resources: Loading and unloading resources is not a time-consuming operation. Resources are part of the applications executable file and are loaded at the same time the application runs.All the (free) memory can be used when loading/unloading resources. In other words, there are no limits on the number of resources loaded at the same time.Of course, resource files do double the size of an executable. If you want smaller executables, consider placing resources and parts of your project in a dynamic link library (DLL) or its more specialized variation. Lets now see how to create a file that describes resources. Creating a Resource Script File (.RC) A resource script file is a just a simple text file with the extension .rc that lists resources. The script file is in this format: ResName1 ResTYPE1 ResFileName1ResName2 ResTYPE2 ResFileName2...ResNameX ResTYPEX ResFileNameX... RexName specifies either a unique name or an integer value (ID) that identifies the resource. ResType describes the type of resource and the ResFileName is the full path and file name to the individual resource file. To create a new resource script file, simply do the following: Create a new text file in your projects directory.Rename it to AboutDelphi.rc. In the AboutDelphi.rc file, have the following lines: Clock WAVE c:\mysounds\projects\clock.wavMailBeep WAVE c:\windows\media\newmail.wavCool AVI cool.aviIntro RCDATA introsong.mp3 The script file simply defines resources. Following the given format the AboutDelphi.rc script lists two .wav files, one .avi animation, and one .mp3 song. All statements in a .rc file associate an identifying name, type and file name for a given resource. There are about a dozen predefined resource types. These include icons, bitmaps, cursors, animations, songs, etc. The RCDATA defines generic data resources. RCDATA let you include a raw data resource for an application. Raw data resources permit the inclusion of binary data directly in the executable file. For example, the RCDATA statement above names the application’s binary resource Intro and specifies the file introsong.mp3, which contains the song for that MP3 file. Note: make sure you have all the resources you list in your .rc file available. If the files are inside your projects directory you dont have to include the full file name. In my .rc file .wav songs are located *somewhere* on the disk and both the animation and MP3 song are located in the projects directory. Creating a Resource File (.RES) To use the resources defined in the resource script file, we must compile it to a .res file with the Borlands Resource Compiler. The resource compiler creates a new file based on the contents of the resource script file. This file usually has an .res extension. The Delphi linker will later reformat the .res file into a resource object file and then link it to the executable file of an application. The Borlands Resource Compiler command line tool is located in the Delphi Bin directory. The name is BRCC32.exe. Simply go to the command prompt and type brcc32 then press Enter. Since the Delphi\Bin directory is in your Path the Brcc32 compiler is invoked and displays the usage help (since it was called with no parameters). To compile the AboutDelphi.rc file to a .res file execute this command at the command prompt (in the projects directory): BRCC32 AboutDelphi.RC By default, when compiling resources, BRCC32 names the compiled resource (.RES) file with the base name of the .RC file and places it in the same directory as the .RC file. You can name the resource file anything you want, as long as it has the extension .RES and the filename without the extension is not the same as any unit or project filename. This is important because, by default, each Delphi project that compiles into an application has a resource file with the same name as the project file, but with the extension .RES. Its best to save the file to the same directory as your project file. Including (Linking/Embedding) Resources to Executables After the .RES file is linked to the executable file, the application can load its resources at run time as needed. To actually use the resource, youll have to make a few Windows API calls. In order to follow the article, youll need a new Delphi project with a blank form (the default new project). Of course add the {$R AboutDelphi.RES} directive to the main forms unit. Its finally time to see how to use resources in a Delphi application. As mentioned above, in order to use resources stored inside an exe file we have to deal with API. However, several methods can be found in the Delphi help files that are resource enabled. For example, take a look at the LoadFromResourceName method of a TBitmap object. This method extracts the specified bitmap resource and assigns it TBitmap object. This is *exactly* what LoadBitmap API call does. As always Delphi has improved an API function call to suit your needs better. Now, add the TMediaPlayer component to a form (name: MediaPlayer1) and add a TButton (Button2). Let the OnClick event look like: One minor *problem* is that the application creates an MP3 song on a user machine. You could add a code that deletes that file before the application is terminated. Extracting *. Of course, every other type of a binary file can be stored as a RCDATA type. The TRsourceStream is designed specially to help us extract such file from an executable. The possibilities are endless: HTML in an exe, EXE in exe, empty database in an exe, and so and so forth.

Contributions to Nursing essays

Contributions to Nursing essays There are many types of nurses and they undertake different functions in the treatment of their patients. Of the lot, the type of nurses who are in regular touch with the families are the medicine nurse. They provide care to the patients, educate the families about health and promote the proper care for health for both individuals and families. They are often the first point of contact between the families under their charge and the overall healthcare system. When the doctors come, they are also an important point of contact. They ensure that the care that patients get is the most suitable for the patient, and also cost effective. (About the Due to their close contact with the families they get to know the families and individuals well. They provide care that can be accessed by all without regard to the financial position of the family or the geographical location, social status, cultural background or other differences. They are continually involved with the families and the members of all age levels and help them to pass through the different health related happenings. All health care providers get their first knowledge about the family from the nurses attached to the family. They also help the families and the members to plan for their own health care. The profession of nursing was given a proper image by Florence Nightingale. Her first step in nursing was to sit in the homes of sick people in her village and investigate local hospitals and nursing practices. She had originally wanted to be a nurse, but was not permitted by her parents, as it was then not considered a suitable profession for women as well educated as Florence Nightingale. The discussions about her future were still going on when all agreed that Florence would make a...

Final Research Project Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Final Project - Research Paper Example I started by looking at the main company website which is at http://www.chevron.com/ I was interested to find out how the company chooses to present itself and so I looked under the tab â€Å"About Chevron† which was on the top left of the screen. There was a short statement: â€Å"At Chevron, we are relentlessly focused on producing safe, reliable energy now and for the future. How are we doing it? By applying the energy we have most in abundance Human energy.† This was not what I expected, because I know already that the main product area is fossil fuels like oil and gas, and I did not expect it to focus on its people. On other tabs there was information on the manufacturing side of things, and distribution through pipelines, shipping and gas stations. The company profile section provided the most factual information such as the founding date in 1879, in an area near Los Angeles, California. The global workforce is about 60,000 employeees and there are another 4,000 s ervice station employees who are linked to the main company. Its production figures are a little out of date, quoting 2.7 million barrels of net oil-equivalent production per day. From its location in California the company expanded in the 1920s to ventures in the Philippines, Alaska and Colombia in the quest for oil. In the 1930s they worked in Saudi Arabia and then from the 1940s through the 1970s they built pipelines to transport the oil from their wells. In 2001 the company merged with Texaco to become the second largest U.S. based energy company. The future ventures of the company focus on the Gulf of Mexico and Kazakhstan. There is a recognition that all kinds of energy are going to be needed in the future, not just oil and gas, and so I was pleased to note that a lot of money is being invested in research. This is an area that I would be interested in working for. The company is bound to present itself in the best possible light and so I looked next for external sources that would give more neutral information. The website www.business.com/directory/ provided a link to the Chevron company website that I had just been looking at, and it also had a link to the Wall Street Journal share prices for Chevron. This is the second source that I used. It gives an up to date snapshot of the company’s performance on the markets and I noted that the share price over the last 12 months had risen: Chevron stock prices, year to 1/14/11 Source: http://online.wsj.com/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=CVX As my third source I followed the course instructions to look at the Hoovers business information page and there I found a list of subsidiaries and locations for the Chevron company. I was interested to note that Chevron U.S.A. which manages the US side of the business has its headquarters in San Ramon, California. The offices and research areas are not located in the same place as the oil and gas fields. I was reassured by my research on the company because I foun d its home web pages to be professional and positive. The market trend over a year is positive, with share prices rising despite the increasing costs of finding oil resources as older fields are getting used up. The company has been involved in mergers, and shows flexibility in its links with other countries, always looking for new sources of raw material. I could see also that there were areas of the business outside pure manufacturing, like the development of additives and various kinds of research. In

An investigation into the image of Bangkok as a tourist destination Dissertation

An investigation into the image of Bangkok as a tourist destination from British consumer perspectives and Thai industry provide - Dissertation Example The research inferred that Bangkok might not be one of the top vacation places for the British because there are many problems in the city which are causing British tourists to lower their number of visits here. Firstly there is the flood, along with the theft, no security, scams, prostitution, environment and dirt, which is de-motivating the British to come to Bangkok. Useful recommendations have been given like improving the security, the canal system, the law and order, environmental consciousness, marketing efforts, training and development of the hotel industry and an active role played by the government in making improvements in the city so that its attractiveness increases and more British tourists come to visit. Contents Table Contents Table 1.Chapter introduction 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Background 2 1.3 Methodological approach and data sources used of the study 3 1.4 aims and objectives of the research 4 1.5 Hypothesis 6 1.6 The layout of the research 6 1.7 Conclusion 7 2.L iterature review 8 2.1 Introduction 8 2.2 Pest Analysis 9 2.2.1 Political Environment 9 2.2.2 Economic environment 11 2.2.2.1 The tourism industry 11 2.2.3 Social factors 12 2.2.4 Technological factors 14 2.2.5 Ecological environment 15 2.3 SWOT Analysis 17 2.3.1 Strengths 17 2.3.1.1Shopping 17 2.3.1.2 Privately owned tourist spots 18 2.3.1.3 Asian Weather 19 2.3.1.4 Culture 19 2.3.2 Weaknesses 20 2.3.2.1 Counterfeit products 20 2.3.2.2 Pollution 20 2.3.2.3 Gems and Jewellery 20 2.3.2.4 Vehicles rental 21 2.3.2.5 Low maintenance of tourist spots 21 2.3.3 Opportunities 22 2.3.3.1 Investments 22 2.3.4 Threat 23 2.3.4.1 Floods 23 2.3.4.2 Spread of widespread diseases 24 2.3.4.3 Terrorism 25 Chapter 3 Methodology 26 3.1 Introduction 26 3.2 Role of the researcher 26 3.3 Methods 27 3.3.1 Research on British subjects 28 3.3.2 Questionnaire for British subjects 29 3.3.3 Questionnaire for the tourist industry 30 3.3.4 Interview of the British subjects 30 3.3.5 Interview of tradesmen from the tourist industry 31 3.4 Subjects 31 3.4.1 British subjects 31 3.4.2 Criteria for selection 32 3.4.3 Tradesmen selection method 33 3.4.4 Tradesmen selection criteria 33 3.5 Data Analysis 34 3.6Trustworthiness of the method 35 3.6.1 Reliability 35 3.6.2 Validity 35 3.6.3 Ethical validity 36 3.6.4 Generalized validity 36 Chapter 4-Results and discussion 37 4.1. what motivates British consumers 37 4.2 What attracts British tourists to Bangkok 44 Chapter 5-Conclusion and Recommendations 60 5.1 Conclusion 60 5.2 Recommendations 66 5.2.1 Improve the flood-affected areas 66 5.2.2 Maintenance 66 5.2.3 Scams and thefts 67 5.2.4 Environmental social responsiveness 67 5.2.5 Technology 68 5.2.6 Epidemics 69 5.2.7 Legal system 69 5.2.8 Tourist security 69 5.2.9 Marketing 70 5.2.10 Improve service and placement 70 5.2.11Training and up gradation 71 5.2.12 Ecotourism 71 5.3 Limitations 71 6. Appendix 72 7. References 75 1.Chapter introduction This chapter gives a brief overview of the research whe re the topic has been explained in detail along with a background of the research. The aims and objectives have been described, the layout of the research report has been given along with the methodology used. Lastly there is the conclusion of the whole chapter.