Reflections on Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reflections on Learning - Essay Example This led to a great improvement in my prowess on the field, and quenched my thirst for knowledge as a student. Some of the practical applications of our course open new doors to many opportunities that would have previously seemed distant. This has showed me that the growth in technology is diverse and the information to be gathered even the more. The following paper describes how my experience has been with the different concepts that I have acquired. It will also show some of the challenges I faced, and how they helped me to learn more from them. Reflection During my course curriculum, I came across many ideas. The ideas helped me understand the working of things in IT. In systems theory, some of the paradigms I learnt really gave me an in-depth understanding of how things work. I got to appreciate the connection between the different branches of IT and how they are interrelated. The most amazing and course changing moments are those when I learnt how all the branches are inter con nected and how the concepts from one branch spreads over to the other branches. This information helped me understand how to apply some frameworks and systems semantics from one platform to another .This kind of learning helped me open my mind up. It gave me an opportunity to be creative with my practices. During practical sessions, it was interesting to see how development of systems could be made easier by using time saving methods (Skyttner, 2008). These methods include; how to use different classes for different programs, and how to use data sets across different programs. These are some of the practices we got to learn. It showed me how technology could be used to achieve so much and make man’s work easier. Some of the insights I got were mostly from system design analysis and development. I got to learn the dynamics of implementing systems in organizations. I also learnt how these systems are used to improve the functionality of that organization (Skyttner, 2008). I und erstood the cost implications that are incurred by the organization. This also made me see how organizations justify the cost they incur when they have deployed a new system. They improve performance and make the staff understand why they need to embrace information technology. I learnt that this is achieved through training and making the staff understand the importance of this change. During the course, I faced numerous challenges that helped me learn a lot from the curriculum. Some of the concepts that were taught I had a problem understanding them and seeing their practicality. They posed a challenge especially when I had to justify their use, some concepts that were taught were also contradicting and they left me confused on which to apply. I later learnt that some of the concepts and practices might be contradicting, but they are applied in different scenarios. This is because the different scenarios require different approaches. This explained why some of the ideas might seem contradicting. An example is the approach used in programming. The two models; bottom up and top down, are applicable in different scenarios. Due to the extent of exposure we got from the class. My level of understanding of the topics we covered is sufficient. I knew this by trying different exercises to check and the results were quite satisfactory. I did the tests on a practical and theoretical level. This showed me that my learning was all rounded, and not skewed to one aspect. Conclusion Throughout the course,

Antibiotic Resistant Bactria Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Antibiotic Resistant Bactria - Lab Report Example Through natural selection mechanism, the organisms that survive the killer antibiotic give rise to a new generation of resistant bacteria. This article analyzes various ways on how the menace of drug resistance can be curbed. To achieve the objectives, the article focuses on research done by experts on the issues and possibilities of mending any loopholes in the research so as to eliminate cases of drug resistance. Available data in the heath sector shows that some of the diseases that medical practitioners used to cure with ease are becoming more expensive and difficult to cure. Moreover, the WHO (world health organization) has a recently been announcing the rising trend in the demand of new types of antibiotic. In this, the global body claims that the existing antibiotics have consistently been failing to eliminate some microorganisms, Ochiai (2011). The data has clearly indicated that the cases of drug resistance by microbial is on a rising spree. Though the data is consistent with the many deaths resulting from formerly curable diseases, experts have not been able to provide sufficient evidence of new resistant mechanisms apart from the ancient rationale of gene resistance, p. 158. To close the information gap, Collins (2002) suggests that researchers have to find out a justification for the new resistance mechanism. Among the many techniques that used to eliminate cases of drug resistance, completion of antibiotic dosage has proved to be quite reliable. Shnayerson & Plotkin (2003) declare that when a patient successive undergoes a complete antibiotic therapy, microbial is given little time to mutate. In the circumstance that the treatment is not completed, a new generation of bacteria that cannot be eliminated with that particular drug would begin p.526. On the other hand, introduction of a mild form of bacteria in the form of vaccination has failed to curb resistance. Coates (2012) asserts that the immune

Traditional Thai Shapes, Lines and Curves, Especially in Buddhist Art Literature review

Traditional Thai Shapes, Lines and Curves, Especially in Buddhist Art and Sculpture - Literature review Example â€Å"Positive emotion† are ways that broaden habitual modes of thinking or acting which are represented by various thought-action tendencies from their own well being i.e. to optimize, to play, or to explore and to appreciate. Buddhism lays the basis for Thai cultures. Arts, whatever the type, act as tools to guide and persuade people to think and take action in a righteous way. As an ordinary person, one is still persuaded by the â€Å"religious defilements† such as beauty. Therefore, art forms are an obvious tool for myself to teach and direct the way people think from my experience in the work which has been experimented towards myself. My work portrays the perfect combination of concepts and related traditional Thai art components shown through the interplay of shapes that interact upon my emotion to being still and relief. I am mostly interested in a traditional Thai culture and the search on forms/shapes to find myself, as a wearer and a jewelry designer into a better condition of emotion. Jewelry is, therefore, the best medium to articulate these ideas since it extends beyond the body surface and has to be touched or felt from the close distance within the body, which can be reflected the mind. It is as though we must enter the wear’ personal space of mind so that this personal space aspect created will disclose stories. The shapes, which are created into jewelry pieces, can heal the wearer such as myself emotional asserting my intention. I can feel the smoothness and puff up to form of the porcelain when touching. The smooth feel and puff up form remind me of the importance of this emotional reflection, which is very personal to me in terms of shapes/forms that can have the potential to heal myself into a better condition of emotion.   

To what extent has the current financial crisis affected people's Essay

To what extent has the current financial crisis affected people's living standards in the UK - Essay Example Similarly, the real income remains at levels in 2002 whereas Consumer Price Inflation has risen by 25% (Croucher, 2013). This indicates the growing disparity between people’s purchasing power and the cost of commodities. Therefore, people are worse off with the increased prices and falling incomes. The commodity prices in UK have been affected largely by the current financial crisis. Prior to the financial crisis, the rapid oil price hike (including that in UK) had generated hope that the UK government would focus on renewable energy projects. However, the oil prices stabilized following the global recession owing to falling demand for fuel (Alvarez-Ramirez et al., 2012). As a result, the prices of commodities in UK, including both direct commodities such as petroleum and indirect commodities such as food stabilized. On the contrary, prices of diamonds saw a sharp decline in 2008 which was followed by a â€Å"rebound† whereby diamond prices exceeded equilibrium levels ( White & Rowley, 2013). This is referred to as a â€Å"commodity boom†. Thereafter, in 2011 when economic activity slowed down, the commodity prices suffered a fallback from their previously high levels. Commodity exporting countries such as the UK are greatly dependent on demand from commodity importing countries and BRIC economies such as India and China. Until 2007 and the first half of 2008, commodity prices increased rapidly due to boom in demand from India and China. However, the recessionary pressures soon caused demand for fuel and other commodities to slow down in these economies (El-Gamal & Jaffe, 2010). The international commodity demand for base metals soared with the demand for oil increasing simultaneously. This had led to an increase in food-based inflation with an increase in prices of petrol, food and other expenses. This inflation held back the Central Bank from reducing interest rates to provide financial comfort to UK citizens during the credit crunch. Furt hermore, with falling economic activity and new housing construction, construction contracts by the UK government also fell significantly from 2007 to 2009 (BBC News, 2012). This reduced the fall in demand for energy with the affect of a short-lived descent in oil prices in the UK during the period. The price of Gold, on the other hand, has been steadily rising following the recession. This is because gold has historically been viewed as a safe haven for investors to save their money during times of economic volatility. Gold boomed as stock markets collapsed and large amounts of money were printed with the dollar â€Å"floundering†. Furthermore, in the financial crisis marked by illiquidity, gold provided a highly liquid investment for investors (Shafiee & Topal, 2010). Emerging markets have had a â€Å"worst-than-expected† demand which shows how demand has fallen drastically resulting in a fall in overall commodity prices in the UK. To conclude, the financial crash ha d the effect of reducing or stabilizing the prices of fuel such as oil which had a spiraling effect on the prices of other commodities. One of the biggest causes of this (as highlighted earlier) has been the falling demand of commodities from BRIC economies in the aftermath of the crisis which has put prices of commodity exporting countries such as UK on a backburner. Furthermore, prices of gold increased due to strengthening of dollar

Risk management practices in the service Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Risk management practices in the service - Essay Example 14). The manual further defines the fire department's mission as "managing risk for others" (FEMA, 1996, p. 23). In carrying out this mission, the manual lists ways a fire department can manage individual risks or "things that go wrong when departments attempt to deliver services that define this mission" (FEMA, 1996, p. 24). The areas discussed include personnel, fire inspection precautions, administration and communication. Next, the manual discusses application of risk management. Recommendations are given regarding assessment of risk and bravery in the face of risk. Bravery may be accepted to save lives but it is inappropriate to risk one's life, "when there are no lives to be saved" (FEMA, 1996, p. 64). The manual describes public expectations, occupational safety and health, principles and development of incident action plans, incident commander responsibilities, and roles in the firefighting organization. Examples are given with regard to unoccupied buildings, unusual situational risks, time factors, unacceptable risks, strategies, communication, personal protective equipment, experience, judgment and training. The manual also emphasizes the importance of pre-incident planning and management of information. Even with this focus on concept and application, the manual is missing key elements that could reduce fatalities among firefighters.

Leadership in strategy formulation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leadership in strategy formulation - Assignment Example .As the headline itself suggest, the article is an effort to emphasise the crucial role of leadership in strategy formulation and implementation. It has been pointed out that ‘strategy’ as such has undergone a change over the years and in today’s context the market forces play a key role in influencing strategy formulation.It has also been stated that, â€Å"†¦.Strategy must be a dynamic tool for guiding the development of a company over time†. This implies that strategist must be constantly on the watch regarding the process of implementation. In addition, in order to come out with desired results, the strategists must also monitor the policies being adopted by companies in the competition. Michel Porter, suggested that a company could gain sustainable competitive advantage provide it follows any of the three generic strategies, namely; If the company is able to become the lowest cost producer of the product or service in the industry and is able to e ffectively pass it on to the customers, then it can very well acquire the cost leadership. To support the argument Montgomery has cited the example of Ryan air, a successful low cost airline. Ryan air started off as a full service airliner priced at less than half the fares of rival companies, but soon realised that in order to make inroads into the customer base of rival companies it has to do something innovative on prices front, and thus converted to no-frills, low cost airline. Product or Service Differentiation: The article too emphasises the importance of product differentiation in order to be able to do successful business, gain profitability and establish a brand identity. Montgomery points out that this has been possible with the infusion of economics into strategy formulation. In this strategy, companies try out efforts to offer some pleasant surprises to the customer. Some innovative features are added to the product or service so that the customer could perceive some uniqueness in the product or service. Montgomery cites the example of IBM, when its CEO solicited views from the employees of IBM on; If our company disappeared tonight, how different would the world be tomorrow Is there something about our company that makes a unique contribution to the world The article further emphasises that, "It (strategy) has become more about formulation than implementation and more about getting the idea right at the outset than living with strategy over time". This statement depicts the dynamic and evolutionary nature of strategy formulation. The rapid pace, with which changes are taking place, makes it pertinent on the part of the strategists that they should formulate the strategy in such a manner that it can deliver the optimum benefits to the company the very first time itself. Because, once the strategy is known to competitors, they are bound to come out with a counter-strategy. As has been elaborated in the article itself that while gaining depth, the strategy has lost breadth, which implies that the strategy has become more focused towards its objective/s. 2. How do these three current views of strategy - the RBV(resource-based view), strategy positioning and emergent theory - fit with Montgomery's idea that strategy must be a "dynamic tool "and needs to be "lived with over time". Three current views of strategy include, the Resource Based View (RBV), strategy positioning and emergent theory. RBV is a method for analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the company. Such a view helps in explaining the competitive edge of the company based on the resources and capabilities of the company. For the purpose of RBV analysis, resources for a company can be classified in three broad categories, namely tangible assets, intangible assets and organisational capabilities. Positioning of the strategy is another crucial aspect which determines the success or failure of the strategy. It is

The Nature of Phobia Essay Example for Free

The Nature of Phobia Essay Your heart starts beating faster. Your palms start to sweat. Youre shaking, and suddenly youre short of breath. This is fear, an emotion we all experience at some point in our lives. It warns us when something is not safe, or even when we are outside our own comfort zone. Like, for instance, some of us might be glossophobic. Not familiar with the term? Well, it means youre afraid of public speaking. According to a recent study, it affects at least 75% of the population. Glossophobia is the most common phobia, even more so common than Necrophobia, the fear of dying. But what exactly is a phobia, anyway? Well, to have a phobia of something is to have an extreme and irrational fear of something to a point where it is disabling and is considered a mental disorder. Sometimes people will say they have a phobia when theyre just afraid of something. For example, many people tend to say that theyre arachnophobic, which is the fear of spiders and other arachnids. But really, most people are just afraid of them and dont have an actual phobia for them. In fact, an American study found that only somewhere between 8.7% and 18.1% of Americans suffer from a phobia. Now Ive introduced, what, three phobias to you already? Well, thats just the tip of the iceberg. There are literally hundreds of phobias out there, and if you can name it, theres probably a phobia for it. Like theres heliophobia, the fear of sunlight; anthophobia, the fear of flowers; phonophobia, the fear of loud noises; and tetraphobia, the fear of the number four. These may seem a bit ridiculous to us, these phobias affect hundreds of people around the world. And I suppose one must wonder†¦ how is it possible for someone to develop a fear of flowers? There are a few ways. People can be taught to fear something, by predisposing someone to something specifically to frighten them or simply by telling them they should be afraid of it. For example, if a small child is told not to play by the well because its dangerous, this child could very possibly develop a fear of wells. Another way to develop a phobia is to have a traumatic experience regarding the object they fear. For instance, if a child were to fall down a well, the child may develop a fear of wells in general, aquaphobia (the fear of water), acrophobia (fear of heights) or claustrophobia (the fear of enclosed spaces). So theoretically, its possible for someone to develop an irrational fear of just about anything.