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Saturday, August 31, 2019

Being Self-Employed vs. Working for Someone Else

Being self-employed vs. working for someone else Self-employment and working for someone else has many of the same benefits and disadvantages. Although self-employment will allow a person to be his or her own boss and have endless financial possibilities, it also can be harder than working for someone else. Just because a person is able to work for their self, it does not mean that it will be any easier than working for someone else or even be more successful. Self-employment allows individuals to create his or her own schedule, allowing flexibility in the time that will be spent working.The flexible schedule of a self-employed individual is a good benefit. However in order to be successful at it, a lot of time has to be invested in it. If time is not put into the job, it will be difficult to maintain it. Having a flexible schedule allows the individual to have more time at home and also enable’s the person to work the hours convenient for their schedule. People normally find it easier to be self-employed because they feel that the freedom of working whenever they want or feel the need to may make the individual feel like they have power and authority they would not have working under a supervisor.However, good time management is essential to for self-employment. It is imperative that a person who is self-employed manages their time wisely and maintains themselves organized. It may take some time to get organized properly, but if the person practices how to best maintain organization with time, they will eventually come up with a work routine that best fits their work. Discipline is the key to being self-employed. If not, they run the risk of disorganization to the point where they will no longer be able to run their business or continue with their work.Without discipline and disorganization, the chances of financial success will be slim. Self-employment can be a financial success. There is the possibility of living very well when owning a business or si mply just work on your own. It also depends on what type of business or career path the person chooses in order to work for them selves. A person must consider that there are sometime’s many cost’s in initiating a self-owned business. Maybe start-up materials, hardware and financial management software to keep track of finances will often be needed when a person is self-employed.Organization and financial responsibility is crucial when owning a business or being self-employed. If the person that is self-employed does not manage money well, they run the risk of losing their business due to mismanagement. This will be a great disadvantage because not only is the person not able to be self-employed but they might have been out of the work field for a long time and did not gain much experience in a field that they would go out and try to work in after they figure out that working for themselves is not going to work for them.When the person tries to find a job and the hirin g manager sees how long they have been out of work and not enough experience, they may be hesitant to hire the individual. Working at a place of employment for someone else also has many benefits. For the most part, the employee will have a set schedule weekly and the employee will have to follow that schedule. Normal business hours are 8:00 a. m. to 5:00 p. m. unless of course the person works part-time, they work at a restaurant, a retail location, or maybe just a job that will schedule the employee when they are needed.In this case however, the employee does not set their own schedule, their supervisor, or boss will be responsible for that. There is not much flexibility with the schedules at a place of employment. While working for someone else, he or she is normally working under someone that they need to answer to and flexibility is very rare in the corporate world. A supervisor however, will take any time off needed as in vacation time, personal and sick time. Employees are en titled to the time off when working at a place of employment.Depending on the work field and if the individual is a full-time or part-time employee, the time off will be paid by the employer. The rate of pay at work place may not always be what the employee needs or is looking for. It could just be enough to make ends meet but it can also be exactly what the individual is looking for. Many companies require college degrees in order to make what the individual needs or should make with regards to their salary. Along with having a college degree, experience is absolutely necessary to earn top dollar.A degree does not necessarily mean that a person will be the most qualified to do the job but it does give the hiring employer that the employee they are considering has a sense of discipline, responsibility and knowledge that comes from a person with a college degree. Without the requirements, it will not be easy to obtain the type of salary the person wants. There are instances where eve n if the person meet’s the requirement’s needed to obtain a high or decent salary, some small companies are not able to pay these high salaries even if they wanted to.That is when individual either settle for what they are offered, continue searching for a job that meet’s their expectations, or become self-employed. Being self employed vs. working for someone else has many of the same advantages and disadvantages. To be self-employed, an individual needs to make sure they are organized and are prepared for the overhead cost’s that come with either owning a business or possibly just providing for your self and not having to answer to someone else. Working for someone else is not bad.A person has to be prepared and make every effort they need to in order to be successful at their place of employment. People in life have to make choice with regards to their careers. Do they work for themselves or do they work for someone else? In the end, he or she must choo se what makes the most sense and what he or she will know they can handle or not. Just because someone works for themselves, it does not necessarily mean that it will be easy. It can be just as hard as working for someone else.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Codification Master Glossary Essay

Question 1 Is the Enterprise a VIE as defined in the Codification Master Glossary? If so, what criteria cause it to be deemed a VIE? Assume that (1) the Enterprise does not qualify for any scope exceptions and (2) the equity investment by the Nominee Shareholders in the Enterprise represents equity investment at risk. The enterprise is a VIE as defined in the codification of the master glossary. From the narrative, nominee equity holders do not absorb the losses of the enterprise and do not benefit from the residual gain the residual gain rather goes to the WFOE. The nominee equity holders though they own 100% of the share cannot run the activities of the enterprise; the activities are run by the WFOE as they provide the intellectual property, employees, resources and other services to run the schools. The nominee shareholders equally pledge their equity rights to the WFOE and cannot transfer, sell or give their equity for encumbrance. This descriptions in the narrative are in line with the def inition of a VIE as per ASC 810-10. Question 2 If the Enterprise is deemed to be a VIE, would the WFOE (excluding any related party or de facto agency relationships) consolidate the Enterprise? The WFOE would consolidate the enterprise following ASC 810-10-25-38 because it says a reporting entity shall consolidate a VIE if the reporting entity has a variable interest that absorb a majority of the VIE’s expected losses, receives a majority of the VIE’s expected residual income or both. The WFOE receives a majority of the enterprise residual income and so should consolidate the enterprise. Question 3 What impact, if any, does the POA agreement have on the conclusion reached in Question 2? The POA does not change the conclusion reached in question 2 because the nominee shareholders still act on behalf of the WFOE and the provisions that made the enterprise a VIE does not change with the POA 4. Does the accounting analysis or conclusion change for each of the questions above when analyzed in accordance with IFRS? IFRS does not have VIEs they  have special purpose entities which are similar to VIEs. According to IAS 27 SPEs should be consolidated where substance of the relationship indicates that the SPE is controlled by the reporting entity. This may arise even where the activities of the SPE are predetermined or where the majority of the voting or equity are not held by the reporting entity.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Business Management : Financial And Business Activities Essay -- Managem

In business management, the goals are making a great income and developing should have a good business sense in a company. The purpose of business management shows how to improve the economy. There are two proposes that explained. First is financial purpose; gaining profit is the most important of firms in business process. Second is social purpose; it is providing goods and services for people. It is important thing to improve because of public benefits. Business is not doing all of things in the company, it just focuses on manage, how to develop and maintain business job of company, organization. For example of some activities like, build up business process, business systems, business income statement. As the result, the most important in business management is having schedule, plans of what people can do in the future. A person is working with business management always active, confident, bcompany. The opportunities will come to people who try hard to work to become a manager. I would like to find more information and sources about my research. â€Å"Resource could include magazine and newspaper articles which will display how this topic is relevant to general public†(page 56 in text book).I would like to find options from people who have experiences of business about how to become a good business management and how apply the job to the social. Over all, business management is a crucial part of our society nowadays. Every product that we use in our daily life is the results of business management. To achieve the desirable results, managers need to master specific skills in guiding his or her employees reaching the goals of the organization. A manager is considering successful when he or she can generate revenue for the company and satisfy customers’ needs.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Impacts of Incarceration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Impacts of Incarceration - Essay Example The individual families usually undergo a lot of hardship as it may lead to the loss of income. When the bread winner of the family is incarcerated, the individual family usually ends up losing their income and hence creating financial difficulties. The relationship between the family members and the incarcerated individual is also eroded as they may be unable to visit the member due to various reasons including the financial difficulties. The composition of the house hold is usually restructured forcibly due to the incarceration of a family member. For example, the wives have to play all the roles in the family when their husbands are incarcerated. On the other hand, the fathers have to play all the family roles when their wives are incarcerated. This trend is increasingly becoming common among the poor black neighborhoods where the levels of incarceration are high as noted by the US Department of Justice (Liebling & Maruna, 2013). The individual families usually face a lot of stigm a as they are associated with the crime. This leads to more difficulties with most of the families becoming isolated. This causes a lot of stress and pain to the individual families. According to the media reports, the prison population in the United States of America has undergone tremendous growth in the last 35 years. The high number of population in the prisons has affected the community. Mass incarceration of members of a particular community usually leads to the weakening of the labour market within the community as people with different expertise in the community are in prison. The rate of marriage has also been seen to reduce among the African Americans in the United States of America due to the high number of incarceration of the community members (Schnittker, et al, 2011). The health outcomes of the community are usually impacted negatively and a high rate of

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

USA Trade to Latin America Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

USA Trade to Latin America - Research Paper Example Trade between the United States and Latin America grew to approximately 82 % between 1998 and 2009, more than the 52% with the European Union, 72% with Asia, and 64 % for the rest of the world, according to the Congressional Research Service (Hornbeck, 2011). Last year’s growth elevated trade between the United States, and the region to a historic high of $772 million (Weintraub, Rugman &Boyd, 2004). Exports to the region have grown by 22%, while imports reached increased to 20 percent. Growth in trade between the United States and the Latin America has traditionally been high. This is because of the high population of Hispanics living in the United States and Latin America’s proximity to the U.S. There are approximately over 50 million Hispanics living in the United States. Latin American countries have made prominent advancement in trade liberalization over the past three decades, reducing tariffs significantly and entering into multiple subregional agreements of their own. Countries such as Chile, Peru, Brazil and Colombia helped through their efforts to liberalize trade and become more competitive. Recently, Colombia and the United States signed a free-trade agreement. Early Latin American trade agreements (1960s) were inward looking, defensive in nature, exclusive of industrialized countries, and so minimally successful in leading to lasting regional integration and facilitating development. Agreements struck more recently, under the rubric of the â€Å"New Regionalism,† have gone farther, cultivated by the desire to integrate more fully, and by the growing belief, that trade liberalization can be a cornerstone for promoting structural reform, development, and international competitiveness. Historically, growth in U.S. trade with Latin America has outpaced that of all other regions, and over the last 15 years, the United States has signed reciprocal free trade agreements (FTAs) with 11 Latin American countries and implemented with nine of them. These include the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and bilateral FTAs with Peru and Chille. FTAs with Col ombia and Panama were signed but not implemented, as they awaited congressional action. Still, a number of large economies in South America are not part of U.S. FTAs. They have resisted a region wide agreement, the Free Trade Areas of the Americas (FTAA) because it represented an extension of the same trade model used by the United States in bilateral agreements. Many countries south of the Caribbean Basin have been hesitant in entering into such a deal because it does not meet their principal negotiation objectives. Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela do not rely on U.S. regional unilateral preferential arrangements (e.g., the Caribbean Basin Initiative or Andean Trade Preference Act), and would have to redefine their sub regional trade pacts). They are less compelled to capitulate to U.S. demands because they are far less dependent on the U.S. economy (Chauffor & Maur, 2011) On the other hand, Chile, which has long followed a policy differing from that of its neighbours, has signed t he Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership (P4) with Singapore, New Zealand and Brunei. The P4 came into force in May 2006. All party countries are members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. The United States was to join the group as well, but has not yet done so. The US also

Monday, August 26, 2019

Self-Esteem Brands and Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Self-Esteem Brands and Marketing - Essay Example Example, celebrity with healthy, beautiful tanned skin, advertises and promotes a skin cream, hinting that anybody's skin could look as beautiful if they use the cream. This of course is not true, as people with very bad skin could only hope to improve or hide their bad skin. So why not create and market a brand that gives true information to the consumer The hypothesis I would like to prove in my proposal is that the average person will more likely buy products and brands that are targeting their specific problems and concerns. My research will also show that consumers are much more informed and become antagonised when marketers under-rate their intelligence and try to prescribe what they should use, wear or look like. The underlying fact that will be proven is that customers in today's world wants to be recognised as individuals who have a choice and who are educated enough to understand what promotion and marketing strategies are untrue, superficial, threaten their individuality and questioning their intelligence. The method I will The method I will use to source my information will include surveys among 18 to 30 year old customer (men and woman) segment, with the main outcomes supported by literature information sourced from text books, journals, magazines and the internet. Due to time restriction, sampling will be restricted to 20 persons, striving to obtain an equal sample from men and woman. Introduction Self-Esteem marketing has become a hot topic highly debated by scholars and philosophers. It is within this context that my proposed research could be of great value within the fashion industry. Celebrity labels promotion and marketing may have a detrimental effect on the average customer's self-esteem. As some people may never be able to wear sexy outfits, or have nice teeth or a soft mark free skin. Yet many brands promote only perfect people, making the normal person in the street feel inferior, resulting in lowering of self-esteem. Some academics have argued that lower self-esteem leads to higher school drop out rates, lower changes of promotion in the work environment, and reduced changes for a long term relationship. This I see the main stream of fashion marketing and promotion bordering on the un-ethical and believe that "Self-Esteem Marketing" is a much more ethical approach that could be used to promote and market apparel that are better suited for the target customer segment. By meeting the unique fashion needs of a target group, it is possible to enhance their self esteem as this will show acceptance in a society. What makes different target groups unique can be seen as market niche opportunities for players in the fashion industry, which could increase sales and this the market share of companies implementing such a strategy. As an example, the marketing strategies towards Hispanics in the United States can be seen as

Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder and Effective ways for their Essay

Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder and Effective ways for their Educational Practices - Essay Example 25). . Nevertheless, all of the children who are diagnosed with a form of Autistic Spectrum Disorder have commonalities, and this paper explores what they are. Further, there are intervention strategies that can be successful in helping the autistic child negotiate the areas where he or she is most weak, and these are explained as well. What is Autistic Spectrum Disorder? Autistic spectrum disorder encompasses a wide range of the disorder, and there are different diagnostic categories for the syndrome, and these are Asperger’s syndrome, Kanner’s autism (classic autism), and â€Å"atypical† autism (Jordan, 1999, p. 1). The DSM-IV-TR states that the autistic spectrum includes autistic disorder, Asperger disorder, Rett disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (Ozonoff et al. 2003, p. 4). For purposes of expediency, the autistic spectrum will simply be known as â€Å"autism,† although Aspergerâ⠂¬â„¢s will also be delineated as such later in this paper Autism is a continuum, in that there are individuals with pure autism, which means that the symptoms described below are severe, to high-functioning, in which the symptoms are mild (Durig, 1996, p. 98). ... 19). One of the forms of autism is known as Asperger’s syndrome. Asperger’s syndrome is marked by social deficits, such as those seen in autistic individuals, yet language and cognitive abilities, at least early in life, are preserved (Klin et al., 2000, p. 25). While individuals with Asperger’s syndrome may not have impaired language, they will speak differently, such as children speaking like â€Å"little adults† by using a large vocabulary in a pedantic way (Mesibov et al., 2001, p. 12). Individuals with Asperger’s social deficits are less pronounced then autistic individuals, but they still have social difficulties. One reason is because individuals with Aspberger’s are generally unable to have a conversation, because they lack the ability to reciprocate. They will talk, but they will not listen. Because of this, they will have a difficulty making friends, and will often be teased (Atwood, 2007, p. 13). Individuals with Asperger’s also have difficulties with social conventions (Frith, 1991, p. 152), where an individual with Asperger’s has a desire to engage with others, unlike those with autism, but their capacity to engage with others is impaired by their social deficits (Rhode & Klauber, 2004, p. 33). As with autistic individuals, individuals with Asperger’s also have obsessive interests in different things, such as collecting facts and objects. They also tend to be hypersensitive to criticism (Schopler & Mesibov, 1998, pp. 12-13), and have a low tolerance level which leads o frustration easily (Dubin, 2009, p. 44). Not surprisingly, because individual’s with Asperger’s tend to be socially isolated and frustrated, therefore teens with Asperger’s run

Sunday, August 25, 2019

An evaluation of the planning and delivering of nursing care Essay

An evaluation of the planning and delivering of nursing care - Essay Example Considering the case of the patient, this study will discuss the importance of health promotion / health prevention, the acute management of ischemic stroke, and other nursing consideration whilst living with or managing the long-term health condition of the patient. Health Promotion / Health Prevention Aspect Health promotion aims to educate the patients not only on how they can effectively prevent the onset of a disease but also ways on how they can improve their overall well-being (Leddy, 2006, p. 24). Considering the case of the 52-year old patient, this study will focus on discussing the health promotion or health prevention related to ischaemic stroke. Primary Prevention Ischaemic stroke happens in case the brain artery is blocked (Stroke Association, 2012). This causes the blood supply unable to circulate in the brain. According to Wills (2007, p. 16), the three levels of health prevention includes: the primary prevention, secondary prevention, and tertiary prevention. In line with this, primary prevention is all about implementing some strategies that could effectively reduce the risk of a disease. The risk factors of ischaemic stroke can be used to determine what specific health promotion should be advise to the patient. Ischaemic stroke can be triggered by several monogenic disorder (i.e. mutation in Notch 3 gene, etc.) (Hassan and Markus, 2000). Although genetic disorders that can lead to stroke can be hereditary by nature, most of the risk factors of stroke are highly modifiable. Since the modifiable risk factors associated with ischaemic stroke include: smoking, hypertension, diabetes, poor diet, atrial fibrillation, lack of exercise, and obesity among others (Ahmad and Lip, 2012; NHS, 2008; Sudlow, 2008; Goldstein et al., 2006), the nurses can provide a primary prevention by teaching the patient the importance of healthy eating (i.e. eat more fish, fruits and vegetables, leanmeat, whole grain, restriction on fat, sugar, and salt intake), include a 30-minutes of regular exercise each day or at least five (5) times each week, refrain from binge drinking and limit the intake of alcohol, and avoid or stop the use of tobacco (WHO, 2012; NHS, 2008). Through health teachings, the nurses can empower the patient through self-actualisation. After conducting a health teaching, the nurse can refer to patient to stop smoking clinics in case the patient is a smoker. In case the patient is at risk of stroke due to poor eating habits, the nurse can refer the patient to a professional nutritionist. Secondary Prevention The secondary prevention is all about shortening the incidence of stroke through early diagnosis and treatment (Wills, 2007, p. 16). Assuming that the patient has suffered from a mild stroke, the secondary prevention should include encouraging the patient to modify their lifestyle and receive early treatment. If the patient has a history of smoking, the nurse should educate and encourage the patient to stop smoking. Likewise, it is equally important for the nurse to encourage the patient to avoid alcohol consumption, watch his diet, and maintain his accepted body weight through regular exercise (Sudlow, 2008; Goldstein et al., 2006). On top of modifying the patient’s lifestyle, the nurse should encourage the patient to receive annual check-up and treatment for signs of risk factors related to the development of a vascular disease. Hyptertention is one of the common risk factors of ischemic

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Leading Strategy Change Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Leading Strategy Change - Case Study Example This again proved, most changes are not physical but in the mental state of men and women. 1968 - Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore found Intel. (Intel Corp, 2006). Intel has seen rapid progress from that date till today, nearly four decades later. Intel has been known for its innovation. As a chip maker, they started doing RAM chips. In 1969, they launched 3101 Bipolar RAM. Soon they followed it up with innumerable number of inventions starting from the 4 bit microprocessors, EPROM chips, Microcontrollers, 8 bit microprocessors, chips for supercomputers, DRAMs and many other innovative products. It is the largest semiconductor manufacturer in the world. It makes the number one chip that is on more than 85% of the Desktop computers. Intel Corp., has grown from a small start up firm that wanted to innovate to a large mega corporation that was to be emulated. The point of change that is to be looked at today is when Intel launched its all new Pentium Processor with much fanfare. We will take a close look at the sequence of events that headed for a change in the management doctrine in Intel. 1. Year 1993, Intel realized that their processors were predominantly employed, more than 90%, in making of the personal computers. They wanted to have the public know that it is their processor inside. Though most people talk of the Intel chip that goes into the processor and that the processor is the heart of the computer. Intel rolled out what they called as the Intel Inside logo. 1993 saw the launch of the campaign across the world in all countries. In China, they even had the cycle reflectors with Intel Inside logo for awareness. (Andrew S Grove, 1996). 2. Pentium was launched after much research in 1994. During the course of the testing exercise, it was found that Pentium had a floating point problem that occurred once every nine billion divisions. If this has to occur on a spreadsheet, it has to be used for nearly 27000 years. With this in mind, Intel went on to release the processor into the market. 3. Pentium evoked good response from the market. IBM adopted Pentium and so did others. But one response from a professor who did math calculations said that he found that there was a calculation error when multiple divisions were done. This escalated and the problem on the Pentium was blown into the media glare. 4. November, 1994 - media was fully on the Pentium FPU (Function Point Unit) calculation error. Every magazine, techie or otherwise, reported the event. CNN covered the whole episode. The net result was that the people suddenly and over night declined to accept the chips. By December, 1994, IBM stopped shipping PCs with Pentium Chips. 5. In order to restore confidence with the people, Intel corrected the chip and replaced every one of the bad chips already sold to all those who asked for a replacement. This meant replacing millions of chips costing over $475 million. Managing the Change - Loss and Later The change that happened in Intel needs to be closely studied. Intel CEO, Mr Andrew S Grove, calls the change that shook Intel out of its perceived safety as Strategic Inflection Point. This changes the course of a company either takes it to the next level

Friday, August 23, 2019

How Domestic Commitment Contribute To Our Understanding of War Essay

How Domestic Commitment Contribute To Our Understanding of War - Essay Example Similarly, international factors affect domestic structures and processes of peace, economics, democratization, global issues and state systems or machinery. Modern political science professionals and scholars are faced with the challenge or question of why some conflicts end quickly while others last years and even decades. Consequently, their interest has been in unearthing and understanding what separates the wars or conflicts that cause deaths, suffering, and displacement of millions of people from those in which the death and displacement magnitude is of a lower order. Although most studies in on this topic seem to narrow on specific war or conflict mechanism, with variations in extremity or value from place to place, recent wars and conflict-related studies show that different distinct mechanisms explain the differences in the duration and consequences of war and other forms of conflict. The three main mechanisms that are used to explain this disparity among conflicts are the private information and incentives to misrepresent, domestic politics and its principal agent problems and commitment problems. The latter mechanism is often powered by shifting powers. Generally, domestic commitment problems are associated with increased war duration and increased war intensity. Thus, commitment problems offer reasons for people to believe that they are responsible for the largest wars. This paper discusses the manner in which the concept of domestic commitment has contributed to the current understanding of war. The idea or logic behind the domestic commitment problem is that big and quick shifts in power are highly likely to result in war regardless of the available information supporting a contrary scenario. The inkling of commitment problem as a mechanism of war is quite uncomplicated. For instance, if a country expects another to become stronger in the next period, expectedly, the latter country would require a bigger share of the territory tomorrow.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Lack of Connection between Educational Research and Practice Essay Example for Free

Lack of Connection between Educational Research and Practice Essay Educational research is conducted on the premise that an expansion of knowledge in the area of classroom teaching should automatically lead to improvements in the classroom, not only with respect to teaching styles but also the academic progress of students. All the same, this enhancement of knowledge is not always welcomed by teachers (Kennedy, The Connection). According to Mary M.  Kennedy, the author of â€Å"The Connection between Research and Practice,† teachers may fail to apply new knowledge based on research for the following reasons: (1) The research is not authoritative or convincing enough to move teachers to alter their practices; (2) The teachers find it difficult to directly apply the new knowledge because they consider it irrelevant to their particular concerns or questions on the subject of teaching; (3) The research findings may not have been communicated in an understandable way; and (4) It is impossible for the educational system to accept the changes entailed by new research-based knowledge (Kennedy, The Connection). G.  Reid Lyon, the Chief of the Child Development and Behavior Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, expresses dismay at the lack of connection between educational research and practice: Scientific research can inform beginning reading instruction. We know from research that reading is a language-based activity. Reading does not develop naturally, and for many children, specific decoding, word recognition, and reading comprehension skills must be taught directly and systematically. We have also learned that preschool children benefit significantly from being read to. The evidence suggests strongly that educators can foster reading development by providing kindergarten children with instruction that develops print concepts, familiarity with the purposes of reading and writing, age-appropriate vocabulary and language comprehension skills, and familiarity with the language structure. †¦One hopes that scientific research informs beginning reading instruction, but it is not always so. Unfortunately, many teachers and administrators who could benefit from research to guide reading instructional practices do not yet trust the idea that research can inform their teaching (Lyon). The lack of connection between educational research and practice astounds many researchers. Even so, this lack of connection is sometimes approved by researchers. In the case of reading, for example, there are researchers who perceive that theories are â€Å"neither practical nor profitable† given that reading is â€Å"a complex phenomenon (Calfee and Drum 183). † These researchers even assume that â€Å"theoretical analysis is unnecessary, if not impossible† in this area (Calfee and Drum 183). Thus, there appears confusion with regards to applying educational research in the classroom. Seeing that the educational researchers do not always agree amongst themselves, it is unsurprising that teachers find it hard to understand new research-based knowledge before they can apply it. Teachers may not only disagree with educational researchers, but they also disagree with education reformers that base their ideals on current educational research after sifting through the disagreements among researchers (Kennedy, Reform Ideals). Research suggests that the teaching practice is strongly influenced by the values of the teachers themselves (Aguirre and Speer; Brickhouse). In other words, teachers may simply disagree with educational research that blatantly conflicts with their beliefs about their practice. According to Argyris and Schon, such is the difference between â€Å"espoused theories† and â€Å"theories in use. † Despite the advice of researchers as well as reformers, teachers may simply find it impossible to apply educational research in the classroom when their own beliefs conflict with the ideals of others. Kennedy has experienced the conflict between teacher practice and expectations while teaching in a different culture. Working in Thailand, without immediately appreciating the practice of teaching expected in the new culture, she was rather confused about the method of teaching that she was expected to adopt. She believed that she was right in her teaching style; however, the expectations of the Thai school administrators and students differed. â€Å"It took me a long time to adjust my practice to accommodate their expectations,† she wrote later (Kennedy, Learning to Teach). Of course, if she had failed to adjust, she would have found it difficult to succeed in the new culture as a teacher. Educational research is meant to influence teacher practice (Kennedy, Means and Ends). Nevertheless, resistance to change is a reality that must be confronted by all organizations, whether they are academic in nature or purely for profit. Teachers may believe that a certain educational finding is irrelevant to their concerns or questions about teaching. Still, the real reason why teachers do not always apply current educational research in the classroom is that they believe that their own practices are correct at any given time. In spite of Kennedy’s focus on the connection between educational research and practice, it took her a â€Å"long time to adjust† to a new culture of schooling. Given that educational research is growing by leaps and bounds nowadays, it is but natural for other teachers also to take a long time to adjust to new knowledge in the classroom. Change may sometimes be imposed upon the teachers, as in the case of new technologies that must be adopted in our times in a large number of schools around the globe (Bell, Codde and Bell). When change is not imposed upon the teachers, it is difficult for them to decide on the kinds of changes to adopt and disregard. According to a website on education: Educational research is potentially a great resource for supporting learner-centered practices, but there is a disjuncture between the worlds of the educational researcher and the practitioner (whether faculty member, instructional technologist, or learning designer). A few ears ago at the International Conference on Learning Sciences held in Ann Arbor, keynote speaker Linda Roberts commented on a 500+ page proceeding, saying This is fabulous, relevant, and meaningful work the only problem is: no one who needs it is going to read it. That is, there is not much of a bridge between research and practice (â€Å"Bridging Teaching and Learning Research and Practice†). Educational research has consistently focused on student-centered practices. Nonetheless, the constantly growing amount of research is expected to bewilder teachers about the appropriate teaching styles to adopt at any given time. The adoption of new technologies was considered necessary change. In cases where change is not considered urgent, however, there is bound to remain a wide gap between educational research and teacher practice. As mentioned previously, even educational researchers disagree about the kinds of changes that must be considered relevant or irrelevant. Hence, teachers are left with no choice but to take â€Å"a long time to adjust. † Teachers may additionally choose not to adjust to new knowledge. This is because the teacher’s values are imperative in the classroom. His or her belief system may not concede to a certain change in teaching style. Besides, change is often very difficult to adjust to. Hence, the lack of connection between educational research and practice is unavoidable in reality.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Importance of Couseling Essay Example for Free

Importance of Couseling Essay The study was limited to only sixteen secondary schools: thirteen government secondary schools and three mission secondary schools in Benin City with practicing school counsellor(s). In all, there were four hundred and twenty respondents (420). Sex was not a factor in the study. Two four-point Likert type scale questionnaires were used to obtain data for the study. These are: Secondary School Counsellors’ Questionnaire (SSCQ); and Secondary School Students’ Questionnaire (SSSQ). The reliabilities of 0.69 and 0.80 were obtained respectively SSCQ and SSSQ using the Cronbach Alpha Internal Consistency reliability. The findings show that there are insufficient counsellors in schools; inadequate availability of counselling facilities; and that the qualification of guidance and counselling personnel has impact on the quality of guidance services they provide to secondary school students in Nigeria. These findings suggest that these variables will help to promote students’ adjustment in the school and the society at large. Paradoxically, the absence of these variables could precipitate students’ maladjustment. Recommendations on ways of improving guidance and counselling services to promote students adjustment were proffered. Keywords: Counselling Qualities; Guidance and Counselling; Students adjustment;; Nigeria 1. Introduction Guidance and Counselling happens to be one of the developments in the field of Education in Nigeria. It became popular with the introduction of the 6-3-3-4 educational system. It is generally accepted that in Nigeria, the organized/formal guidance started in 1959 at St. Theresa’s College, Oke-Ado in Ibadan by some Reverend Sisters, out of concern for the products of their school. They felt that there was need to offer vocational guidance to their outgoing final year students. As a result, the Rev. Sisters invited twenty educated people from Ibadan community who were in different professions and therefore knew more about the emerging world of work than the students and the Rev. Sisters. Fifty-four out of the sixty students benefited from the experts’ advice and were placed in various jobs. The innovation was highly accepted by the society because in later years this group of people, though not trained counsellors, organized career talks, seminars, guidance workshops and lectures for the class five students. Later on, the vocational guidance services spread to other secondary schools outside Ibadan and across the entire federation. The ministry officials became so interested in these organized services that this group of â€Å"Career Advisers† was invited to provide career workshops for teachers and career masters. Eventually the term â€Å"Career Advisers† became a national issue. In an attempt to overhaul the old educational system, towards the needs of the nation, the Nigerian Educational Research Council (NERC) in September 1969 organized a conference on curriculum development. The curriculum conference was followed by a government sponsored National Seminar in 1973 under the chairmanship of Chief S.O. Adebo to deliberate on all aspects of a National Policy on Education using the report of the 1969 curriculum conference as the working document. The conference came up with recommendations for a New National Policy on Education, which the Federal Government accepted and published in 1977 and revised in 1981, 1989 and 2004. With the highlighted changes in the Nation’s educational system, the need for guidance and counselling services in Nigerian secondary schools became more glaring. Consequently, Guidance and Counselling Services became an integral and essential component of the educational process for all students as they progress through the educational system. According to Egbochuku (2008), the aims of school guidance and counselling services, which are based on a developmental hierarchy, are to provide students with: 1. Opportunities to develop knowledge and appreciation of themselves and others; 2. Opportunities to develop relationship skills, ethical standards and a sense of responsibility; 3. Opportunities to acquire skills and attitudes necessary to develop educational goals which are suited to their needs, interests and abilities; 4. Information that would enable them to make decisions about life and career opportunities (: 15). Today, guidance and counselling has gained prominence in t he Nigerian educational system and many people are getting interested in the guidance of youth in making wise educational, vocational and personal/social decisions. Consequent upon the expansion of counselling activities in Nigeria and the need to form a larger association to embrace both counsellors and career masters, the Counselling Association of Nigeria (CAN) was launched on the 11th November 1976. To facilitate efficient management of guidance and counselling services in Nigeria secondary schools, guidance and counselling personnel are being trained in the tertiary institutions and sent to schools to deliver these services. Also, basic courses in guidance and counselling feature in all teachers-education programmes. Prominent among the services rendered by guidance and counselling personnel in secondary schools are Information, Appraisal, Referral, Guidance, Counselling and Planning, Placement and follow-up services for the proper guidance of students. Against this background therefore, the focus of the study is to assess the realities of guidance and counselling services in providing adequate guidance for Nigerian secondary school students. 1.1. Statement of the problem It is assumed that with the increasing complexities in the society, industrial and technological development all going hand-in-hand, the succeeding generation will find it difficult to adjust themselves both to the society, work, family and schools. Failures in proper adjustment to all the facets mentioned could affect the education of young people and expose them to environmental as well as personal problems in development. Guidance and Counselling, as a delivery service, should not be misconstrued as the traditional type that is based on the principles of â€Å"to guide, to direct on a course, to enlighten, or to assist†. This traditional type of counselling was principally carried out in African setting by heads of families, Priests, and church leaders (Olayinka and Omoegun, 2001). Because of the complex nature of Nigerian society, the counselling profession has assumed a wider role. Present day Guidance and counselling is based on the process of helping individuals understand themselves which will lead to the better understanding of the other aspect of their lives (Egbochuku, 2008).  \ According to the literature, these services are the formalized actions taken by the school to make guidance operational and available to students. These formalized actions typically consist of a set of processes, techniques and functions that serve to carry out the guidance and counselling goals of a particular educational level. For students to be properly informed, they need the assistance of trained guidance and counselling personnel. Hence, the government made it a policy that guidance and counselling should feature in teacher-education programmes because teachers are closer to the students. Furthermore, the department of Guidance and Counselling has been established in most Nigeria Universities to train counsellors at the B.Sc., Master and PhD levels, to equip them with the appropriate counselling techniques to carry out guidance and counselling services in secondary schools. There is need therefore to assess the guidance and counselling services rendered by school counsellors to find out if these services actually provide adequate guidance for students’ development. It is therefore hypothesized that Qualification of guidance and counselling personnel, availability of guidance and counselling facilities, quality of guidance and counselling services will not significantly predict students’ adjustment 1.2. Purpose of the study This study assessed the quality of guidance and counselling services in secondary schools with practicing school counsellors in Edo state. To achieve this, the researcher examined the qualification of personnel providing guidance and counselling services, availability of materials for the successful execution of Nigerian secondary school guidance and counselling services and the impact of guidance programs on students’ adjustment. 1.3. Significance of the study Guidance and counselling is the bedrock for achieving self-actualisation. It is a process of helping individuals to understand themselves by discovering their own needs, interests and capabilities in order to formulate their own goals and make plans for realizing those goals. An analysis of guidance and counselling services in providing adequate guidance for secondary school students is of paramount importance; hence the this study. The result from the study will help in throwing more light on how guidance and counselling services is being implemented in secondary schools in Nigeria and the quality of guidance services received by secondary school students. In addition, it provides information to education planners and school administrators on their responsibility in providing adequate facilities for guidance and counselling services in order for students to receive quality guidance. It also reveals the extent to which guidance and counselling services influence the total development of the potentials and proper adjustment of secondary school students. 2. Methodology This is a survey study using correlational research design. The scope of the study covers some selected government and mission secondary schools with practicing school counsellors in Benin City of Edo State Nigeria. This is because Benin City is a metropolitan city and consists of three well-populated Local Government Areas (Egor, Oredo, Ikpoba Okha LGA) in Edo –South Senatorial District, out of the 18 LGAs in the 3 Senatorial Districts of Edo State. Purposive sampling techniques and simple random sampling techniques were employed in selecting the sample for the study. This study was limited to only sixteen (16) secondary schools thirteen (13) government secondary schools and three mission secondary schools in Benin City because only these schools had practicing school counsellor(s) as at the time the study was carried out. In all, there were four hundred and twenty respondents (420). Sex was not a factor in the study. 2.1. Instrumentation Two different four-point Likert type scale questionnaires were designed by the researcher to obtain data for the study. These are: (1) Secondary School Counsellors’ Questionnaire (SSCQ); (2) Secondary School Students’ Questionnaire (SSSQ) The SSCQ consisted of two main sections viz: Section ‘A’: This consisted of three items requesting information about the level of qualification in guidance and counselling from the respondents. Section ‘B’: This consisted of five items requesting information about the availability of guidance and counselling facilities\materials in the school. The SSSQ also consisted of two sections viz: Section ‘A’: This consisted of eleven items eliciting information about the quality of guidance services rend by counsellors in the school from the respondents. Section ‘B’: This consisted of twelve items requesting information about the impact of guidance and counselling services on Nigerian secondary school students’ adjustment. The respondents in each case were requested to indicate the extent to which they agreed or disagreed to each item. Items one to three in section â€Å"A† of the SSCQ and items one to eleven in section â€Å"A† of the SSSQ were used to test hypothesis one. Items one to five in section â€Å"B† of the SSCQ and items one to eleven in section â€Å"A† of the SSSQ were used to test hypothesis two. Items one to eleven in section â€Å"A† of the SSSQ and items one to twelve in section â€Å"B† of the SSSQ were used to test hypothesis three. The scoring of the instruments was as follow: Strongly Agree (SA)-4 Agree (A)-3 Disagree (D)-2 Strongly Disagree (SD)-1 For all positive worded items the above was the case, while the reverse was the case for all negative worded items in the questionnaire. 2.1.1. Validity and Reliability of the instruments Both construct and face validity was established. The reliability of 0.69 and 0.67 were obtained respectively for sections A and B of the instrument for Counsellors (SSCQ) using the Cronbach Alpha Internal Consistency reliability test. The Students’ Questionnaire (SSSQ) yielded an alpha coefficient of reliability 0.80. 2.1.2. Administration of the instruments Permission was obtained from the school before administering the questionnaires, which were personally administered by the investigator to the respondents in the various secondary schools selected for the study. 2.2. Analysis of Data Descriptive Statistics and Pearson Product Correlation were used were used for analysis. 3. Results Variables Qualification of guidance and counselling personnel Quality of guidance services The table 1 shows an r. value of .169 testing at an alpha level of .05 and a p .001. The p. value is less than .05 (p

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Nano Science and Nano Technology Comparison

Nano Science and Nano Technology Comparison Whenever the topic nano technology comes up most of us dont have a clear idea of what it is. Especially when it is about the difference between nano science and nano technology. Then what is nano science? Nanoscience is the study of objects with size less than hundred nanometers at least in one dimension. When objects go to nanometer scale in size, their behavior get changed applied laws may not be the same as when they were larger in size. Nanoscience involves finding governing laws of these tiny objects, deriving theoretical models to describe the behavior of those nanoscale materials and analyzing the properties of them. So, what is Nano technology? Nanotechnology is engineering the nanoscale objects at molecular level using different techniques. Nanotechnology is all about techniques and tools to come up with a nanoscale design or system that exploit the properties at molecular level to be more accurate and efficient. Using the knowledge on material behaviour at nanoscale which is got from nanoscience, nanotechnology focuses on properties such as strength, lightness, electrical and thermal conductance and reactivity to design and manufacture useful items. How did all start? The emergence of nanotechnology in the 1980s was caused by the convergence of experimental advances such as the invention of the scanning tunneling microscope in 1981 and the discovery of fullerenes in 1985, with the elucidation and popularization of a conceptual framework for the goals of nanotechnology beginning with the 1986 publication of the book Engines of Creation. The conceptual origin The American physicist Richard Feynman lectured, Theres Plenty of Room at the Bottom, at an American Physical Society meeting at Caltech on December 29, 1959, which is often held to have provided inspiration for the field of nanotechnology. Feynman had described a process by which the ability to manipulate individual atoms and molecules might be developed, using one set of precise tools to build and operate another proportionally smaller set, so on down to the needed scale. In the course of this, he noted, scaling issues would arise from the changing magnitude of various physical phenomena: gravity would become less important, surface tension and Van der Waals attraction would become more important. The Japanese scientist called Norio Taniguchi of Tokyo University of Science was the first to use the term nano-technology in a 1974 conference,[11] to describe semiconductor processes such as thin film deposition and ion beam milling exhibiting characteristic control on the order of a nanometer. His definition was, Nano-technology mainly consists of the processing of, separation, consolidation, and deformation of materials by one atom or one molecule. However, the term was not used again until 1981 when Eric Drexler, who was unaware of Taniguchis prior use of the term, published his first paper on nanotechnology in 1981. In the 1980s the idea of nanotechnology as a deterministic, rather than stochastic, handling of individual atoms and molecules was conceptually explored in depth by K. Eric Drexler, who promoted the technological significance of nano-scale phenomena and devices through speeches and two influential books. In 1980, Drexler encountered Feynmans provocative 1959 talk Theres Plenty of Room at the Bottom while preparing his initial scientific paper on the subject, Molecular Engineering: An approach to the development of general capabilities for molecular manipulation, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 1981.[1] The term nanotechnology (which paralleled Taniguchis nano-technology) was independently applied by Drexler in his 1986 book Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology, which proposed the idea of a nanoscale assembler which would be able to build a copy of itself and of other items of arbitrary complexity. He also first published the term grey goo to describe what might happen if a hypothetical self-replicating machine, capable of independent operation, were constructed and released. Definition Nanotechnology is a multi-disciplinary engineering field, which draws from and benefits areas such as materials science and engineering, chemistry, physics, biology, and medicine Nano-engineered materials, addresses the synthesis, characterization and engineering application of several classes of advanced materials, including nanocrystalline materials and nanopowders used in electronics and photonics applications, as catalysts in automobiles, in the food and pharmaceutical industries, as membranes for fuel cells, and for industrial-scale polymers. The design, synthesis, characterization, application and fundamental studies of new crystalline metal oxide nano-materials that may be used for next-generation rechargeable batteries. Nano-engineering of polymer electrolyte membranes. Hydrogen fuel cells use these membranes to combine hydrogen and oxygen and produce energy. Development of nano-particles as powerful catalysts for petrochemical refinery applications. Basic and applied research in photonic and photonic band gap crystals for optical and microwave communications. Design, synthesis, fundamental understanding and processing of polymer nano-composites, which are used in several applications for the automotive, aerospace, electronic components and packaging industries. Nano-electronics, addresses the development of systems and materials that will enable the electronics industry to overcome current technological limits. Also part of this theme area is a new generation of electronics based on plastics, which is expected to create new markets with applications ranging from smart cards to tube-like computers. Experimentation in electron beam lithography, to fabricate nanostructures and nanoelectronic devices, and to determine how the arrangement of molecules affects the chemical properties of substances. Fundamental studies and development of nanocrystalline thin-film semiconductors, devices and circuits for electronics and spintronics. Development and fabrication of Micro- and Nano-Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS/NEMS). New devices being researched include NEMS-based metamaterials, miniature signal processing devices, biomedical, diagnostic and image processing devices, tiny wireless components (filters, mixers, antennas), miniature opto-electromechanical devices (optical relays, optical multiplexers, deformable optics), miniature biosensors and environmental sensors, and micro- and nano-fluidics devices. Organic synthesis, characterization and application of molecular organic semiconductor materials for electronic/optoelectronic devices. These materials are uniquely positioned to allow low cost fabrication processes (e.g., printable electronics) and to enable novel applications, such as, flexible- and molecular-electronics. Nano-biosystems, addresses the molecular manipulation of biomaterials and the engineering of nanoscale systems and processes of biological and medicinal interest, such as, for example, the targeted delivery of therapeutic agents and the design of DNA, peptide, protein, and cell chips. Interfacing nano-chips to bio-molecules. Creation of nano-vehicles that mimic the way viruses interact with specific cells. This will facilitate the delivery of drugs directly to targeted cells, and could, for instance, eliminate the toxic side-effects of chemotherapy by directing the therapeutic agents to cancer cells only. Development of nanotechnology methods for therapeutic applications, for example, for replacing faulty DNA or RNA strands with corrected strands. Development of nano-techniques for inactivation of microbes: an efficient and cheap method of food sterilization. Nano-instruments addresses some of the most far-reaching yet practical applications of miniature instruments for measuring atoms or molecules in chemical, clinical, or biochemical analysis; in biotechnology for agent detection; and environmental analysis. Lab-on-chip and micro-nano fluidic devices for biodiagnostics and protein sequencing. Fundamental studies leading to development of theories behind measurements at the nano-scale. Fabrication of instrumentation and development of methodology for micro- and nano-analytical chemistry for measurements of pollutants on-site. Using micro as an interface between the nano-scale and the macroscopic, human-scale. Development and characterization of mobile micro- and nano- instruments that are small, cheap and under wireless control. Measurement of how nano-materials grow and form on surfaces. Studies of polymer interfaces, adhesion and confinement of polymer chains glass transition in confined geometries. What do we have so far? scientists at the Department of Energys Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a catalyst made of carbon, copper and nitrogen and applied voltage to trigger a complicated chemical reaction that essentially reverses the combustion process. With the help of the nanotechnology-based catalyst which contains multiple reaction sites, the solution of carbon dioxide dissolved in water turned into ethanol with a yield of 63 percent. Typically, this type of electrochemical reaction results in a mix of several different products in small amounts. How it started The ideas and concepts behind nanoscience and nanotechnology started with a talk entitled Theres Plenty of Room at the Bottom by physicist Richard Feynman at an American Physical Society meeting at the California Institute of Technology (CalTech) on December 29, 1959, long before the term nanotechnology was used. In his talk, Feynman described a process in which scientists would be able to manipulate and control individual atoms and molecules. Over a decade later, in his explorations of ultraprecision machining, Professor Norio Taniguchi coined the term nanotechnology. It wasnt until 1981, with the development of the scanning tunneling microscope that could see individual atoms, that modern nanotechnology began. Once scientists had the right tools, such as the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and the atomic force microscope (AFM), the age of nanotechnology was born. Although modern nanoscience and nanotechnology are quite new, nanoscale materials were used for centuries. Alternate-sized gold and silver particles created colors in the stained glass windows of medieval churches hundreds of years ago. The artists back then just didnt know that the process they used to create these beautiful works of art actually led to changes in the composition of the materials they were working with. Todays scientists and engineers are finding a wide variety of ways to deliberately make materials at the nanoscale to take advantage of their enhanced properties such as higher strength, lighter weight, increased control of light spectrum, and greater chemical reactivity than their larger-scale counterparts. Manufacturing at the nanoscale is known as nanomanufacturing. Nanomanufacturing involves scaled-up, reliable, and cost-effective manufacturing of nanoscale materials, structures, devices, and systems. It also includes research, development, and integration of top-down processes and increasingly complex bottom-up or self-assembly processes. A product of nanomanufacturing: A 16 gauge wire (above), approximately 1.3 millimeters in diameter, made from carbon nanotubes that were spun into thread. And the same wire on a 150 ply spool (below.) Courtesy of Nanocomp. In more simple terms, nanomanufacturing leads to the production of improved materials and new products. As mentioned above, there are two basic approaches to nanomanufacturing, either top-down or bottom-up. Top-down fabrication reduces large pieces of materials all the way down to the nanoscale, like someone carving a model airplane out of a block of wood. This approach requires larger amounts of materials and can lead to waste if excess material is discarded. The bottom-up approach to nanomanufacturing creates products by building them up from atomic- and molecular-scale components, which can be time-consuming. Scientists are exploring the concept of placing certain molecular-scale components together that will spontaneously self-assemble, from the bottom up into ordered structures. Within the top-down and bottom-up categories of nanomanufacturing, there are a growing number of new processes that enable nanomanufacturing. Among these are: Chemical vapor deposition is a process in which chemicals react to produce very pure, high-performance films Molecular beam epitaxy is one method for depositing highly controlled thin films Atomic layer epitaxy is a process for depositing one-atom-thick layers on a surface Dip pen lithography is a process in which the tip of an atomic force microscope is dipped into a chemical fluid and then used to write on a surface, like an old fashioned ink pen onto paper Nanoimprint lithography is a process for creating nanoscale features by stamping or printing them onto a surface Roll-to-roll processing is a high-volume process to produce nanoscale devices on a roll of ultrathin plastic or metal Self-assembly describes the process in which a group of components come together to form an ordered structure without outside direction Structures and properties of materials can be improved through these nanomanufacturing processes. Such nanomaterials can be stronger, lighter, more durable, water-repellent, anti-reflective, self-cleaning, ultraviolet- or infrared-resistant, antifog, antimicrobial, scratch-resistant, or electrically conductive, among other traits. Taking advantage of these properties, todays nanotechnology-enabled products range from baseball bats and tennis rackets to catalysts for refining crude oil and ultrasensitive detection and identification of biological and chemical toxins. A high resolution image of a graphene transistor with a sheet of carbon only one atom thick. This high speed electronic device was createdÂÂ   using nanoscale processes, and may one day be used for better computerÂÂ   hips. (Courtesy of James Yardley, Columbia University Nanocenter, an NNI-sponsored NSEC) Nanoscale transistors may someday lead to computers that are faster, more powerful, and more energy efficient than those used today. Nanotechnology also holds the potential to exponentially increase information storage capacity; soon your computers entire memory will be able to be stored on a single tiny chip. In the energy arena, nanotechnology will enable high-efficiency, low-cost batteries and solar cells. For more products and applications that use nanotechnology, see Benefits Applications or browse our database of the NNIs Major Achievements in Nanotechnology. Nanotechnology RD, and the eventual nanomanufacturing of products, requires advanced and often very expensive equipment and facilities. In order to realize the potential of nanotechnology, NNI agencies are investing heavily in nanomanufacturing RD and infrastructure. Over 90 NNI-funded centers and user facilities across the country provide researchers the facilities, equipment, and trained staff to develop nanotechnology applications and associated manufacturing processes. The NNI helps drive the nanomanufacturing field by providing researchers and small businesses with access to this specialized equipment in order to maintain global U.S. competitiveness. To assist in agency coordination in the area of nanomanufacturing, the Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee created the Nanotechnology Innovation and Commercialization Ecosystem (NICE) Working Group. The Presidents FY 2017 Budget provides $1.4 billion for the National Nanotechnology Initiative, including an estimated $37 million for nanomanufacturing. The National Nanomanufacturing Network (NNN) is an alliance of academic, government and industry partners that cooperate to advance nanomanufacturing strength in the U.S. The NNI and its member agencies actively participate in, support, and contribute to the NNN in its mission to advance nanomanufacturing. The NNN functions as part electronic resource, part community of practice, and part network of experts working on the development of nanomanufacturing. The NNN fosters technology transition and exchange through a host of activities including reviews and archiving of emerging materials, processes, and areas of practice, strategic workshops and roadmap development. InterNano is the information arm of the NNN-a digital library resource of timely information on nanomanufacturing and a platform for collaboration, providing information archiving in areas of processes and tools, standards, reports, events, and environmental health and safety databases. A scanning tunneling microscope (STM) is an instrument for imaging surfaces at the atomic level. Its development in 1981 earned its inventors, Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer (at IBM ZÃ ¼rich), the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1986.[1][2] For a STM, good resolution is considered to be 0.1 nm lateral resolution and 0.01 nm (10 pm) depth resolution.[3] With this resolution, individual atoms within materials are routinely imaged and manipulated. The STM can be used not only in ultra-high vacuum but also in air, water, and various other liquid or gas ambients, and at temperatures ranging from near zero kelvin to over 1000ÂÂ °C.[4][5]Â   Â   STM is based on the concept of quantum tunneling. When a conducting tip is brought very near to the surface to be examined, a bias (voltage difference) applied between the two can allow electrons to tunnel through the vacuum between them. The resulting tunneling current is a function of tip position, applied voltage, and the local density of states (LDOS) of the sample.[4]Information is acquired by monitoring the current as the tips position scans across the surface, and is usually displayed in image form. STM can be a challenging technique, as it requires extremely clean and stable surfaces, sharp tips, excellent vibration control, and sophisticated electronics, but nonetheless many hobbyists have built their own. Atomic-force microscopy (AFM) or scanning-force microscopy (SFM) is a type of scanning probe microscopy (SPM), with demonstrated resolution on the order of fractions of a nanometer, more than 1000 times better than the optical diffraction limit. The information is gathered by feeling or touching the surface with a mechanical probe. Piezoelectric elements that facilitate tiny but accurate and precise movements on (electronic) command enable very precise scanning. The AFM has three major abilities: force measurement, imaging, and manipulation.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Essay --

Judaism is a religion mainly all jews believe in. Judaism comes from a latin based word; Iudaismus. Judaism is a monotheistic religion, monotheistic means a belief in only one god or praiser. Judaism is thought as the relation god established with the children of israel. The jewish holy bible is called a torah, the torah can also be referred to as tanakh or hebrew bible. there are different time periods of the jewish people sadducees and hellenistic judaism during the second temple period,the karaites and sabbateans during the medieval period, and now a days orthodox and reformed jews. Judaism roots start in the middle east during the bronze age. Of all the major world religions, Judaism is considered one of the oldest monotheistic religions. Judaism is a very sacred religion to the jews and is a way of life for many jews. Jews are ethnoreligious group, In 2012, the world population of jew was estimated at about 14 million, or 0.2% of the world population. About 42% of all Jews l ive in israel and about 42% live in the U.S.A and Canada, with most of the remaining jews in Europe,South America, Asia, Africa, and Australia. jews are considered jews. Jews are considered jewish if they're born with a jewish mother. American reformed judaism and British Liberal judaism accept the child of any jewish blood from either mom or dad. jews can switch to another religion but in some forms of judaism is no longer considered jews.Jews pray 3 times daily and a 4th time on special occasions, the three prayers are Shacharit,Mincha, and Ma’ariv. these are recite in the morning,before drinking and eating, and after drinking or eating. Jews were a kippah, a rounded skull cap,worn by many Jews while praying, eating, reciting blessings, or studyi... ... Depending on which yeshiva, might either be the person responsible for ensuring attendance and proper conduct, or even supervise the emotional and spiritual welfare of the students and give lectures on Jewish ethics.mashgiach - Supervises manufacturers of kosher food, importers, caterers and restaurants to ensure that the food is kosher. Must be an expert in the laws of kashrut and trained by a rabbi. The three major beliefs in judiasm is 1. All humans were created in the image of God 2. Live by the teachings of the Torah and keep the commandments. 3. Judaism teaches that one day a Messiah, or person of God, will unite the world bringing peace to all of humanity. I talked a lot about connecting think these are the most important because judaism teaches that one will be connected with god and the world shall come to peace and these three would be my top choice

Knowledge and Poverty in The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara Essay example

Toni Cade Bambara addresses how knowledge is the means by which one can escape out of poverty in her story The Lesson. In her story she identifies with race, economic inequality, and literary epiphany during the early 1970’s. In this story children of African American progeny come face to face with their own poverty and reality. This realism of society’s social standard was made known to them on a sunny afternoon field trip to a toy store on Fifth Avenue. Through the use of an African American protagonist Miss Moore and antagonist Sylvia who later becomes the sub protagonist and White society the antagonist â€Å"the lesson† was ironically taught. Bambara identifies with race through class and demographics in her story The Lesson. The African American children come to terms with their classed society while visiting a pricey, Manhattan toy store. Sylvia states â€Å"Then we checked out that we on Fifth Avenue and everybody dressed up in stockings. One lady in fur coat, hot as it is. White folks crazy† (643). Sylvia discovers that White people don’t dress like African Americans, even if they share the same type of weather condition. She recognizes that they have money and they have a tendency to give you an idea about how wealthy they are. â€Å"Must be rich people shop here, say Q.T.†(645). One of the children on the trip was able to identify with the demographic of the area. He acknowledged that people who had status and wealth were the one most likely to buy toys and things that expensive. Bambara give readers an insight about the 1970’s and what life was like for those of status in white society. How Whites could afford costly toys while those of African American society could not. Sylvia also recognized behavior patterns in a White atmos... ...he refused to let white society stand in her way. Sylvia made up her mind and would strive to get what she wanted. Throughout The Lesson Toni Cade Bambara illustrated how education is the means by which one can escape out of poverty. This was not done in a classroom structured environment it took place on a sunny afternoon field trip in which the children on the trip was confronted with their own deficiency. There was resistance but as each individual longed for a toy in the store the apparent realism displayed itself. The extremely high price for the toys was an amount that their families could live on for a while. Each child was put in a place where he/ she had to examine themselves, their social conditions and their future. Bambara used race through social status, economic inequality, and literary epiphany to identify the hidden realities in each child life.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Philosphy and Science :: essays research papers

It is sometimes maintained that the conflicts of the twentieth century (war and international contests in general) might best be characterized as between the left and right political persuasions (e.g., â€Å"communism† against â€Å"fascism† or â€Å"democracy† against â€Å"fascism†). Defend or dispute such a characterization using the two socioeconomic and political systems that have been the central concerns of our readings and discussion: that of Sun Yat-sen (The Kuomintang on the Chinese mainland and on Taiwan) and that of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism (the Chinese Communist Party) in the People’s Republic of China. Your answer should include (1) ideological components (both domestically and internationally relevant), (2) structural features (leadership and political party properties), (3) economic strategies (both domestically and internationally relevant) and (4) general consequences. What are you prepared to argue are the major differences betwee n the two systems here discussed? Now, answer that question in a coherent fashion. Don’t try to answer each question in particular, except where the questions are numbered, for example, #1 ideological components, #2 structural features, #3 economic strategies, make sure that is clear so the readers understand that’s what you are answering. For example you say, as for ideological components, so something to indicate that you are answering that specific part of the question. Now, I think the question is relatively clear. It is a complex, but relatively clear question. I don’t know exactly what experience you have. You know again, as I told you, I am sort of visiting the planet sodospeak. I mean you are completely outside the range of my comprehension. I don’t know what you know, what you don’t know. Education nowadays has become so impoverished, I’m not even sure that you have the prejudices that we used to have. So right on this campus, my sense is, the world is divided between the left and the right. And so when they look back on the past experience of the preceding century, they think that the conflicts of the preceding century were on the left and the right, you see? And somehow the world is divided into the left and the right. Now, part of this, and if you read any of the material, again I am being very generous in my expectations, but if you read any of the material, for years, the second World War was characterized as a conflict between the left and the right. That carried over into Asia. Philosphy and Science :: essays research papers It is sometimes maintained that the conflicts of the twentieth century (war and international contests in general) might best be characterized as between the left and right political persuasions (e.g., â€Å"communism† against â€Å"fascism† or â€Å"democracy† against â€Å"fascism†). Defend or dispute such a characterization using the two socioeconomic and political systems that have been the central concerns of our readings and discussion: that of Sun Yat-sen (The Kuomintang on the Chinese mainland and on Taiwan) and that of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism (the Chinese Communist Party) in the People’s Republic of China. Your answer should include (1) ideological components (both domestically and internationally relevant), (2) structural features (leadership and political party properties), (3) economic strategies (both domestically and internationally relevant) and (4) general consequences. What are you prepared to argue are the major differences betwee n the two systems here discussed? Now, answer that question in a coherent fashion. Don’t try to answer each question in particular, except where the questions are numbered, for example, #1 ideological components, #2 structural features, #3 economic strategies, make sure that is clear so the readers understand that’s what you are answering. For example you say, as for ideological components, so something to indicate that you are answering that specific part of the question. Now, I think the question is relatively clear. It is a complex, but relatively clear question. I don’t know exactly what experience you have. You know again, as I told you, I am sort of visiting the planet sodospeak. I mean you are completely outside the range of my comprehension. I don’t know what you know, what you don’t know. Education nowadays has become so impoverished, I’m not even sure that you have the prejudices that we used to have. So right on this campus, my sense is, the world is divided between the left and the right. And so when they look back on the past experience of the preceding century, they think that the conflicts of the preceding century were on the left and the right, you see? And somehow the world is divided into the left and the right. Now, part of this, and if you read any of the material, again I am being very generous in my expectations, but if you read any of the material, for years, the second World War was characterized as a conflict between the left and the right. That carried over into Asia.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Fight to Win (Race of My Life) Herman Meyer

McVittie 1Fight to Win The two novels pivot around that central theme, strength of character. The first novel, †The Race of my Life† is an autobiography by alpine ski racer, Herman Meyer. The second book   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Fighter† was a biography of George St-Pierre, a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter. Two contemporary, highly skilled athletes in completely unrelated sports. Both are at the top of their game and are face with a large obstacle that they will have to overcome to proceed with their career. You are ultimately only as strong as you character. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but when faced with adversity, it is only those with supreme sense of character that will come out on top. Hermann Maier is on top, winning world cup as well as Olympic gold in his sport, downhill alpine ski racing. He has been consistently breaking records with grace and speed through hard work and natural talent. But in the summer of 2001 Hermann Maier’s skiing career comes to a screeching halt. It is not just a question of â€Å"will he race again? †, but â€Å"will he survive and will he ever walk again? †. The accident didn’t occur during a death defying ski race, but instead on a break from training out cruising on his custom made Harley Davidson motorcycle. The near fatal motorcycle crash breaks his leg so badly, almost to the point of amputation and Maier is in the Intensive Care Unit battling infections as a result of a 9 hour reconstructive surgery to peace his leg back together. Maier speaks of waking up after surgery, not knowing if he still has a leg. â€Å"during a ski race, a split second will make the difference between victory or defeat. But now much more was at stake. †(Hermann. Page 1) This gives you some insight as to how bad the situation really was. Not unlike Hermann, George St-Pierre’s (GSP) career may also be in jeopardy. Having fought to get to the top in the vicious sport known as MMA, Mixed martial arts, Saint Pierre has achieved the title, the gold belt. He is the first MMA fighter to receive mainstream corporate sponsorship and endorsement deals. He is sitting in the number one position for his weight class when the unexpected happens. GSP is challenged to protect his position in a title fight against welterweight champ GJ Penn. Penn who holds the title in the next weight class up from GSP. Penn wants to drop down to light weight division to fight the number one ranked GSP. â€Å"Just when I thought I was on top of it all, Penn announces that he will be dropping a weight class to fight me for my belt. (GSP. Page 26) If GSP looses this fight, not only will he lose the belt and the tile, there are fortunes to be lost in endorsements and revenue from future fights. Both Maier and GSP who have achieved success in their sport, are faced with dealing with a possibly career ending situation. Neither sport is for the weak minded and they have fought long and hard, through focused and disciplined training to get where they are in their careers. They will have to muster all the strength in their character to overcome such adversity now.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Manage People Performance Essay

It is important when allocating work to ensure that resources are appropriately allocated and that they are available for use as and when they are needed. When drawing up a plan you need to focus on what you want to achieve, what you can do to achieve it and what might happen while you are moving toward achievement. You must consider what will be done, when and how it will be done and by whom. You need to identify and communicate organisational vision and develop a unified sense of direction. You will need to conduct an environmental scanning/analysis. Identify short a long term goals and make sure they are realistic and achievable. You would need to develop with relevant personnel strategies and plans for goal achievement as well as financial plans. These plans would need to be communicated to stakeholders and then implement these plans. During this process you must set appropriate KRA’s and KPI’s and track, monitor and evaluate the procedure. When allocating work, the competencies and availability of staff must be considered so that work is allotted to those who are best equipped to do it. You must consider employee experience, skills, knowledge, understandings and workloads. You must consider checking their understanding and give support and opportunities to ask questions. When allocating work the goals and objectives must be clearly defined so that employees can put them into action plans and achieve these goals. Managers and leaders must take into consideration, the interests of the staff members, their availability and the likely outcomes of involving specific employees. You must also consider resource management. When planning work and allocating tasks to employees and employee groups teams efficiency, productivity, cost management and outcomes must all be considered. When allocating work and drawing up plans you must consider a project plan as it shows a description of what is to be done, when and by whom and what funds are available. It covers the entire set of tasks that a project requires and allocates the different aspects of the project to the employees who are best equipped to produce the required outputs. It shows the major products, milestones, activities and resources required on the project. It is necessary to develop KRA’s and KPI’s that meet the organisations needs because they include clearly defined and achievable goals. They measure progress during the year in terms of identified targets, manage skills development, identify areas for development, contribute to the company’s wealth creation, obtain feedback that allow a change of direction when needed and promote an environment of self management. They point to what needs to be achieved. They indicate areas of current and ongoing success. It is also necessary to develop and implement performance management systems because they enable management to track, monitor and evaluate work to ensure that it is contributing towards the success of the organisation. To have a code of conduct in an organisation is vital because it has rules outlining responsibilities of proper practices for individuals and the organisation. It contains descriptions of the principles, values, standards, and rules of behaviour that guide the decisions, procedures and systems of an organisation in a way that contributes to the welfare of its key stakeholders and respects the rights of all constituents affected by its operations. A code of conduct provides a guide to staff for appropriate behaviour it will impact on the way they do their work and on the performance standards expected of the employees. Regularly monitoring and evaluating the work of employees enables the organisations manager to maintain current knowledge of what is happening, to pinpoint problem areas and to solve problems before they become destructive. Monitoring and evaluating will help achieve the intended outcomes, goals and objectives. Giving feedback and reinforcement to employees and acknowledging good work should be a continuous process. Feedback is the information that is given to people to let them know what they are doing well and what needs to improve. It also lets employees know that their efforts have been noticed. Acknowledging reinforces good work practice/behaviour and encourages us in continuing improvement. It acts as a source of recognition for the contribution made by the employees. Employees whose contribution to improvement processes and organisational success is recognised will be motivated to continue improving and you will have created higher levels of enthusiasm. It is important to acknowledge employees efforts and give feedback because employees who feel ignored and exploited will stop caring about their performance levels and quality. The employee will start underperforming, give poor customer service and relationships in the workplace will become strained. Giving effective feedback, reinforcement and acknowledgment will result in learning, improved competence, observable behavioural change and motivation. It will also make the employee feel valued and encourage good work. It is necessary to have systems in place to manage poor performance because they will help monitor, evaluate and keep track of the performance. Performance issues are most easily addressed and resolved when they are at a low level of difficulty and of short duration. Having systems in place will help you see what is doing well and what isn’t and you will be able to change, address and fix it. Problems that are not addressed might go underground, to represent at a later time at a higher level of disruption and significance. Having systems that manage poor performance in place will lead to improvement in performances. It is necessary to understand the organisations termination policy and the legislation to which it relates because unfair termination or dismissal can lead to consequences of dismissal under unfair dismissal laws. Employees can claim that their dismissal was harsh, unjust or unreasonable and unfair and file a complaint or go to court. Unlawful dismissals are primarily based on discrimination grounds and notice periods.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

International Ballroom

Bachate is a unique dance that I have the privileged to learn in my PE-154 international ballroom dance class taught by professor Jane Edwards. This dance originated from the Dominican Republic. It can be difficult to identify the precise style of the Bachata due to the fact that are so many variations throughout the world. However, in all of these different styles throughout the world there are the same basic steps with a tap with hip movement on the 4th beat. The original style of Bachata was developed with the music in the 1950s and 1960s.This dance was well known in the countryside and rural neighborhoods. The creation of the Bachata is given credit to the servants of large households who were the first ones to use the movements and steps. Musicians would use everyday items like trash cans and fences to create music. The term Bachata is said to mean trash, however, other believe it is actually a word for party. For a time the Bachate was only affiliated with the poorer parts of D ominican society forcing these styles of dance only to be performed in the rougher parts of town like brothels and bars, which only further tarnished its name.Nevertheless, the increased popularity of the music eventually caused Bachata to be accepted by the upper classes of Dominican society. There also are some skeptics that believe that the dance was brought over from Italy from an Italian Ballata. Bachata is known to be connect the emotions of romance and heart ache. There are five main styles of Bachata, the Original, Traditional, Modern, Bachatango, and Ballroom. The original is the basic style that can alternate between an open and closed position.The traditional is a simpler style that was developed in the late 1990s with a basic steps side to side changing direction after every tap. The modern style began around 2005 and is an abbreviation of the â€Å"traditional† style. This still is believed to originate from Spain. The modern has the basic Bachata steps with the integration of salsa, tango, zouk-lambada, and ballroom. The bachatango it true to its name and is a mixture of Baracha and Tango. The Ballroom is a style used in various formal dance competitions and there is an extreme use of the hips all throughout the music.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

General Electric Medical Systems

1. Q 1. What is the underlying logic behind the global product idea? What are the costs and the benefits that are expected? Global Products Company(GPC) strategy is based on the following underlying logical premises: a. Markets for medical equipment are systems are becoming increasingly global in nature. They are no more restricted to only the developed First and Second World countries having advanced healthcare systems. The burgeoning market is that of emerging and developing economies. Thus, there is a need to meet the growing demand for affordable medical equipment in these economies and retain its market leadership b. Needless to say that low-cost leverage is the only way to win a large chunk of this new pie and therefore GEMS has to shift to a cost-efficient strategy c. GEMS realised the potential of tapping production & sourcing centres where there was parity in output quality and labour skill-sets but overall cost was much lower. d. The GPC strategy involved sourcing quality components from the most cost-effective suppliers and establishing the manufacturing bases in most cost-effective geographies. e. As most of the GEMS manufacturing involved sourcing complicated components from across the globe to two-three manufacturing/assembling centres and then distributing across the globe from these centres, the challenging aspect of GPC was in the development of intermediaries along the supply chain to ensure un-interrupted supply & production flows. The following are some of the costs and benefits of the above mentioned strategy of globalizing production to facilitate a low cost production: Benefits: 1. As materials form 80% of the manufacturing cost, sourcing of materials from low-cost countries would enable a significant amount of saving. The key would be to develop long-term relationships with local suppliers and once that is done, it means unparalleled cost savings in future. 2. Having manufacturing centres in low-cost-labour countries would also enable a substantial cost reduction as labour formed 20% of the manufacturing cost. 3. Now, as labour and materials form almost 85% of the total variable cost, substantial reduction in both would enable GEMS to have a cost reduction to he tune of approximately 30% in the total cost. It has to be noted that the incremental fixed cost in case of GEMS was close to nil (Exhibit 7). Costs: 1. In addition to the fixed costs that had to be incurred additionally to enter into the low-cost countries, other GPC-specific costs included inventory, logistics, documentation, and import- duty costs relating to moving materials and products around the world. 2. Developing a long-standing relationship with new suppliers in these low-cost countries was another area that required considerable allocation of time and effort. . Reducing investments in developed countries, from where bulk of their demand came, meant deteriorating relationship and loss of concessions from these countries. 4. Costs related to hiring less experienced workforce in these new locations, and human toll on the workforce as a result of long trips from home for the employees from both old locations and headquarters. If we analyse GEMS’s strategy mentioned in the body above using the AAA model, we can conclude that it is primarily using the arbitrage strategy of globalization with some elements of aggregation. Q. 2 Should the global product philosophy be changed or altered to suit the China market? Please identify both sides of the argument and take a position explaining the rationale behind your stand. Does it make economic sense? The choice between continuing with the current Global Product Concept(GPC) and adopting â€Å"In China for China† for the low end products is a very difficult call for GE managers. On one hand there are several advantages of adopting â€Å"In China for China† such as: In China there is a huge growth potential for medical diagnostics and as of now it is the world's third largest market for the same. By adopting â€Å"In China for China†, GEMS can design and customize products according to local needs in China and further the GE managers believe that China being a nationalistic country, domestically produced products will have greater demand than imported ones. There are other factors like low incremental fixed cost for moving facilities to China, avoidance of duties and tariffs, availability of cheaper local labor and low transportation cost all of which would help in cost saving for GEMS. On the other hand in order to adopt â€Å"In China for China† strategy GEMS will have to break the GPC concept which may result in ecreased quality due to lack of readily available skilled labor and reduced cost cutting efficiency. Also the management will have to address the challenge of development of suppliers which may result in inefficiency. GEMS do not have good history of managing joint ventures because of the unethical practices of the partner which eventually lead GEMS a cquiring the partners. As understood from the case there are two different market segments in China namely the high end markets served which is served only through imports and the low end markets which is served through domestic production. The adoption of â€Å"In China for China† strategy will result in the company distancing itself from high end customers which will end up in losing the revenue for the business to high end customers. Considering all these factors we suggest that it is better for GEMS not to adopt â€Å"In China for China† strategy and to stay with Global Product Concept. Q3. Should GEMS be aggressively pursuing genomics and healthcare-IT related opportunities in addition to or instead of the China opportunity? What priorities would you suggest? Explain your reasoning carefully? No doubt, being third largest healthcare market with tremendous growing potential in future, China is a lucrative market that GEMS can’t easily neglect. But at the same time, with the growth of technological advancement in the field of healthcare, genomics and healthcare-IT related products and services going to have an important role in the coming decades and the companies having those expertise will bound to dominate the global healthcare market in future for sure. So we think that GEMS should take both the China opportunity and the genomics and Healthcare –IT related opportunities seriously. We believe that GEMS has the capacity to look at both the opportunities simultaneously obviating the need to sacrifice one for the other. The company’s strong financial condition along with its strong emphasis on R&D would help the organization in meeting both the objectives. China Opportunity : But in doing so GEMS should initially put more focus on the China market than the R&D on genomics and healthcare-IT projects. Because it is very important for GEMS to catch hold of the China’s market before other competitors like Siemens, Philips. Also the gestation period of genomics and healthcare related projects are too high usually 5-10 years and in such a situation to maintain a good balance sheet GEMS should have a good market share in China. The low end product accounts for 20% of the global sales and to succeed in the low end , presence is Chinese market is a must for any company. Secondly, The China opportunity requires GEMS to shift the production from the other parts of the world to China. The incremental cost associated with that shift in production process is a mere $1 million which should not be an obstacle in GEMS China policy. So GEMS can easily do that without worrying too much about the financial aspects. Genomics and healthcare-IT related opportunities Genomics and preventive health care is going to play a deciding factor in coming decades. But these projects are far more complex than what GEMS did till now. Genomics requires not only technological know-how but also expertise on biomedical science which presently GEMS lacks off. So for better output from these R&D, Tie-up with pharmaceutical companies that develop viruses and chemical reagents would help GEMS to understand and increase their expertise on bio medical science. Collaboration with leading universities around the world on researches on topics relevant to these projects would also help GEMS. Funding for these researches, Supplying machines and tools to support those researches would help GEMS in getting good responses from R&D teams around the world. So with the steps mentioned above and few modifications to the present system, GEMS can take both the opportunities