Egoism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Egoism - Essay Example It sometimes refers to psychological egoism. It provides a description of the human nature as self-motived and self-centered (Welsh 62). Psychological egoism points that individuals usually act in their interests; however, they may conceal their motivation regarding their duty or help for others. Diverse individuals portray this kind of egoism differently. Opponents argue that it renders useless ethics. However, proponents refute this claim and assert that the opponents need to exploit counterfactual evidence while criticizing psychological egoism. It is the second variant of egoism, and it specifies the agent, which ought to promote the self above other values. The theory of normative egoism does not provide the description of human nature in a direct way. However, it points out how individuals ought to behave. Two forms of normative egoism exist, which include ethical and rational. Rational egoism argues that the promotion of one’s interest is usually in accordance with reason. Proponents argue that selfishness is a virtue that human beings need to pursue (Welsh 81). Therefore, ethical selfishness encompasses a commitment to reason rather than emotions. On the contrary, opponents posit that the reason dictates an individual’s interest and does not govern one’s actions. Ethical egoism argues that the promotion of an individual’s good is in accordance with morality. Ethical egoism, thus, highlights that it is usually moral to promote an individual’s good and it is immoral not to promote it. An example of psychological egoism is when a person gives something, which he or she owns to another individual. Here, the intention of giving is good to himself or herself. A free-rider scenario provides an example of rational egoism, which is a form normative egoism. A teacher may argue, while marking students’ papers that her life can be easier is she offers inflated grades, hence, it is in her self-interest. Marking otherwise may attract

Two Bildungsromans in One Story Essay Example for Free

Two Bildungsromans in One Story Essay In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout and Jem Finch become more cultured and mature young-adults by experiencing different events. Scout became more lady-like when she observed and helped Calpurnia at her Aunt Alexandra’s brunch. Jem learned from Atticus and Miss Maudie that you should not take pride in your talents. Jem and Scout Finch became more adult-like and mature young people by experiencing different events. It begins with Scout sitting in on her Aunt Alexandra’s missionary brunch. Scout Finch became more lady-like when she observed and helped out at her Aunt Alexandra’s brunch. Scout saw that Calpurnia was doing everything, so she asked if Cal needed any help. ‘â€Å"Can I help you Cal?’ I asked, wishing to be of some service.† (Lee 306). Even when Miss Stephanie Crawford asked Scout if she wanted to be a lawyer when she grew up, Scout stopped and thought for herself, rather than to please others. ‘â€Å"Don’t you want to be a lawyer?† Miss Maudie’s hand touched mine and I answered mildly enough, ‘Nome, just a lady.†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Lee 308) Scout learned in this chapter how to be a lady, just as Jem over the course of chapters, learned how to be a gentleman. Jem learned from Atticus and Miss Maudie that a gentleman never takes pride in his talents. When Jem saw his father shoot a wandering mad dog dead-on, he realized something very important; a gentleman should never take pride in his talents. â€Å"Jem became vaguely articulate: ‘D you see him, Scout? D’ you see him just standin’ there?’n’ all of a sudden he just relaxed all over, an’ it looked like that gun was a part of him†¦an’ he did it so quick, like†¦I hafta aim for ten minutes ‘fore I can hit somethin’†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Lee 129). Miss Maudie had to explain to Jem why his father never told him about his talent in hunting. ‘â€Å"People in their right minds never take pride in their talents,’ said Miss Maudie.† (Lee 130). Both Jem and Scout Finch had small, different realizations throughout the book. Both Jem and Scout Finch learned to become adults in their own different ways. With Scout, she figured out that if you want there to be change in the world, you can’t sit around and do nothing, you have to go out and get it, wherever you can. â€Å"‘Jem, how can you hate Hitler so bad, an’ then turn around and be ugly about folks right at home-†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Lee 331). For Jem, growing up is more about facing the world for it is, and not what he wished it would be. â€Å"Atticus said that Jem was trying hard to forget something, but what he was really doing was storing it away for a while, until enough time passed. Then he would be able to think about it and sort things out.† (Lee 331). In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout and Jem Finch became more informed, and mature young-adults by watching the examples set by their family, and the people who love them. Scout learned from Calpurnia that if you can help someone, then you should. Jem learned from Miss Maudie that people in their right minds never take pride in their talents. Even though they learn it by going through different events, they both come to the conclusion that to change the world, you must first change what is around you. Works Cited Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 1960. Print.

Teaching as an Art or a Science Essay -- Arts Sciences Teaching Educat

Teaching as an Art or a Science Teaching: Is it an Art, or is it a science? I think that teaching requires both art and science. They both play a role on each other, because if a teacher only demonstrates one of these types of teaching, their classroom will most likely be very boring. Teaching as an art demonstrates ways in which the teacher may use creative ways to present the material so it is fun and interesting for his or her students. Some examples are games, â€Å"hands-on† activities, and/ or movies relating to the topics being covered. In The First Year, Genevieve DeBose gave disposable cameras to her students for a†getting to know each other† activity. The point of this activity was for her students to be creative and learn about their peers. During this activity Genevieve also learned about her students, like their attitudes toward participating and some of their social skills. She could use what she learned from this activity to help plan her lessons. I agree with Gilbert Highet, who argues that in â€Å"The Art of Teaching that successful teaching must be considered an art because it involves two things that cannot be objectively and systematically manipulated: emotions and values.† (Pg 11) I feel emotions play a main role i n teaching because the emotion that is being expressed by the teacher will be reflected on his or her students. Although emotions are some main roles, you must also make sure you are teaching the correct values. In order to be a good teacher ...

The Return: Midnight Chapter 33

Elena was waiting for the fog to disperse. It had come in as always, bit by bit, and now she was wondering if it would ever leave, or if it were actual y another trial itself. Therefore, when she suddenly realized she could see Stefan's shirt in front of her, she felt her heart bound for joy. She hadn't messed anything up lately. â€Å"I can see it!†Stefan said, pul ing her up beside him. And then, â€Å"Voil†¦Ã¢â‚¬  – but in a whisper. â€Å"What, what?†cried Bonnie, bounding forward. And then she stopped too. Damon didn't bound. He strol ed. But Elena was turning toward Bonnie at the time, and she saw his face as he saw it. In front of them was a sort of smal castle, or large gateway with spires that pierced the low clouds that hung above it. There was some kind of writing over the huge cathedral-like black doors in front, but Elena had never seen anything like the squiggles of whatever foreign language it was. On either side of the building, there were black wal s that were nearly as tal as the spires. Elena looked left and right and realized that they disappeared only off at the vanishing point. And without magic, it would be impossible to fly over them. What the boy and girl in the story had discovered only by fol owing the wal s for days, they had simply walked straight into. â€Å"It's the Gatehouse of the Seven Treasures, isn't it, Bonnie? Isn't it? Look!†Elena shouted. Bonnie was already looking, both hands pressed against her heart, and for once without a word to say. As Elena watched, the diminutive girl fel to her knees in the light, powdery snow. But Stefan answered. He picked up Bonnie and Elena at the same time and whirled them both. â€Å"It is!†he said, just as Elena was saying â€Å"It is!† and Bonnie, the expert, gasping, â€Å"Oh, it real y, really is!†with tears freezing on her cheeks. Stefan put his lips to Elena's ear. â€Å"And you know what that means, don't you? If that is the Gatehouse of the Seven Treasures, you know where we are standing now?† Elena tried to ignore the warm, tingling sensation that shot up from the soles of her feet at the feeling of Stefan's breath on her ear. She tried to focus on his question. â€Å"Look up,†Stefan suggested. Elena did – and gasped. Above them, instead of a fog bank or incessant crimson light from a sun that never stopped setting, were three moons. One was enormous, covering perhaps a sixth of the sky, shining in swirls of white and blue, hazy at the edges. Just in front of it was a beautiful silvery moon at least three quarters as big as it was. Last, there was a tiny moon in high orbit, white as a diamond, that seemed to be deliberately keeping its distance from the other two. Al of them were half ful and shone down with gentle, soothing light on the unbroken snow around Elena. â€Å"We're in the Nether World,†Elena said, shaken. â€Å"Oh†¦it's just like in the story,†Bonnie gasped. â€Å"Exactly like. Even the writing! Even the amount of snow!† â€Å"Exactly like the story?†Stefan asked. â€Å"Even to the phase of the moons? How ful they are?† â€Å"Just exactly the same.† Stefan nodded. â€Å"I thought they would be. That story was a precognition, given to you with the purpose of helping us find the largest star bal ever made.† â€Å"Well, let's go inside!†cried Bonnie. â€Å"We're wasting time!† â€Å"Okay – but everyone on your guard. We don't want anything to go wrong now,†Stefan said. They went into the Gatehouse of the Seven Treasures in this order: Bonnie, who found that the great black doors swung open at a touch, but that she could see nothing, coming in from bright sunlight; Stefan and Elena, hand in hand; and Damon, who waited outside for a long time in the hopes, Elena thought, of being deemed â€Å"a different party.† Meanwhile the others were having the most pleasant shock since they'd taken the Master Keys from the kitsune. â€Å"Sage – Sage!†Bonnie shril ed as soon as her eyes adjusted. â€Å"Oh, look, Elena, it's Sage! Sage, how are you? What're you doing here? Oh, it's just so good to see you!† Elena blinked twice, and the dim interior of the octagonal room came into focus. She went around the only piece of furniture in the room, the large desk in the middle. â€Å"Sage, do you know how long it seems? Did you know that Bonnie almost got sold for a slave at a public auction? Did you know about her dream?† Sage looked as he always had to Elena's eyes. The bronzed, terminal y fit body, like a model of a Titan, the bare chest and bare feet, the black Levi's, the long spiraling tangles of bronze hair, and the strange bronze eyes that could cut steel, or be as gentle as a pet lamb. â€Å"Mes deux petits chatons,† Sage was saying. â€Å"My two little kittens, you have astounded me. I have been fol owing your adventures. The Gatekeeper is not provided with much entertainment and is not al owed to leave this fortress, but you were most brave and amusing. Je vous felicite.†He kissed first Elena's hand and then Bonnie's, then embraced Stefan with the Latin two-cheeked kiss. Then he resumed his seat. Bonnie was climbing Sage as if she were a real kitten. â€Å"Did you take Misao's star bal ful of Power?†she demanded, kneeling on his thigh. â€Å"Did you take half of it, I mean? To get back here?† â€Å"Mais oui, I did. But I also left Madame Flowers a little – â€Å" â€Å"Do you know that Damon used the other half to open the Gate again? And that I fel in too, even though he didn't want me? And that because of that I almost got sold as a slave? And that Stefan and Elena had to come after me, to make sure I was okay? And that on the way here Elena almost fel off the bridge, and we're not sure if the thurgs are going to make it? And do you know that in Fel ‘s Church the Last Midnight is coming, and we don't know – â€Å" Stefan and Elena exchanged a long, meaningful glance and then Stefan said, â€Å"Bonnie, we have to ask Sage the most important question.†He looked at Sage. â€Å"Is it possible for us to save Fel ‘s Church? Do we have enough time?† â€Å"Eh bien. As far as I can tel from the chronological vortex, you have enough time and a little to spare. Enough for a glass of Black Magic to see you off. But after that, no dawdling!† Elena felt like a crumpled piece of paper that had been straightened and smoothed. She took a long breath. They could do it. That allowed her to remember civilized behavior. â€Å"Sage, how did you get stuck way out here? Or were you waiting for us?† â€Å"Helas, no – I am assigned here as punishment. I got an Imperial Summons that I could not ignore, mes amis.†He sighed and added, â€Å"I am just Out of Favor again. So now I am the ambassador to the Nether World, as you see.†He waved a languid hand around the room. â€Å"Bienvenue.† Elena had a sense of time ticking away, of precious minutes being lost. But maybe Sage himself would do something for Fel ‘s Church. â€Å"You real y have to stay in here?† â€Å"But assuredly, until mon pre – my father† – Sage said the word savagely and resentful y – â€Å"relents and I am al owed to return to the Infernal Court, or, much better, to go my ways without ever returning. At least until someone takes the pity on me and kil s me.†He looked inquiringly around the group, then sighed, and said, â€Å"Saber and Talon, they are well?† â€Å"They were when we left,†Elena said, itching to get on with their real business here. â€Å"Bien,† Sage said, looking at her kindly, â€Å"but we should have your entire group in here for the viewing, no?† Elena glanced at the doors and then again at Stefan, but Sage was already cal ing – both with voice and telepathy – â€Å"Damon, mon poussinet, do you not want to come in with your comrades?† There was a long pause, and then the doors opened and a very sul en Damon stepped in. He wouldn't reply to Sage's friendly, â€Å"Bienvenue,† instead saying, â€Å"I didn't come here to socialize. I want to see the treasures in time to save Fel ‘s Church. I haven't forgotten about the damned hick town, even if everyone else has.† â€Å"Alors maintenant,† Sage said, looking wounded. â€Å"You have al passed the tests in your way and may look upon the treasures. You may even use magic again, although I am not sure that it wil help you. It al depends upon which treasure you seek. Felicitations! â€Å" Everyone but Damon made some gesture of embarrassment. â€Å"Now,†Sage continued, â€Å"I must show each gate to you before you can pick. I wil try to be quick, but be cautious, s'il vous pla?t. Once you choose a treasure, that is the only door that wil open again for any of you.† Elena found herself clutching at Stefan's hand – which was already reaching for hers – as one by one the doors shone with a faint, silvery light. â€Å"Behind you,†said Sage, â€Å"is the very gate you entered to get into this room, yes? But next to it, ah†¦Ã¢â‚¬ A door brightened to show an impossible cavern. Impossible because of the gems lying on the ground or sticking out of the cave wal s. Rubies, diamonds, emeralds, amethysts†¦each one as big as Elena's fist, lying thick in great piles for the taking. â€Å"It's beautiful, but†¦no, of course!†she said firmly, and reached out to put a hand on Bonnie's shoulder. The next door lit up, brightened, then brightened more so that it seemed to disappear. â€Å"And here,†Sage sighed, â€Å"is the famous kitsune paradise.† Elena could feel her eyes widen. It was a sunny day in the most beautiful park she had ever seen. In the background a little waterfal spil ed into a creek, which ran down a green hil , while directly in front of her was a stone bench, just the size for two, underneath a tree that looked like a cherry in ful bloom. Blossoms were flying in a breeze that rustled other cherry and peach trees nearby – causing a rain of dawn-colored petals. Although Elena had only seen the place for a moment, it already seemed familiar to her. She could just walk into it†¦ â€Å"No, Stefan!†She had to touch his arm. He had been walking right into the garden. â€Å"What?†he said, shaking his head like someone in a dream. â€Å"I don't know what happened. It just seemed as if I were going to an old, old home†¦Ã¢â‚¬ His voice broke off. â€Å"Sage, go on, please!† The next door was already lighting, showing a scene with rack after rack of Clarion Loess Black Magic wine. In the distance, Elena could make out a vineyard with lush grapes hanging heavily, fruit that would never see the light of the sun until it was made into a famous liquid. Everyone was already sipping at their glasses of Black Magic, so it was easy to say â€Å"no†even to the luscious grapes. As the next door brightened Elena heard herself gasp. It was bril iant midday. Growing in a field as far as she could see were tal bushes thick with long-stemmed roses – the blossoms of which were a velvety-looking black. Startled, she saw that everyone was looking at Damon, who had taken a step toward the roses as if involuntarily. Stefan put an arm out, barring his way. â€Å"I didn't look very closely,†Damon said, â€Å"but I think these are the same as the one I†¦destroyed.† Elena turned to Sage. â€Å"They're the same, aren't they?† â€Å"But yes,†Sage said, looking unhappy. â€Å"These are al Midnight roses, noir pur – the sort in the white kitsune's bouquet. But these are al blanks. The kitsune are the only ones who can put spel s on them – like the removal of the curse of a vampire.† There was a general sigh of disappointment among his listeners, but Damon just looked more sul en. Elena was about to speak up, to say that Stefan shouldn't be put through this, when she tuned in to Sage's words and the next gate, and felt a surge of simple, selfish longing herself. â€Å"I suppose you would cal it ‘ La Fontaine of Eternal Youth and Life,'†Sage said. Elena could see an ornate fountain playing, the effervescent spray at the top making a rainbow. Smal butterflies of al colors flew around it, alighting on the leaves of the bower that cradled it in greenery. Meredith, with her cool head and straightforward logic wasn't there, so Elena dug her nails into her palms and cried â€Å"No! Next one!†as quickly and forceful y as she could. Sage was speaking again. She made herself listen. â€Å"The Royal Radhika Flower, which legends say was stolen from the Celestial Court many mil ennia ago. It changes shape.† A simple enough thing to say†¦but actual y to see it†¦ Elena watched in astonishment as a dozen or so thick, twining stems, topped by gorgeous white cal a lily blossoms, trembled slightly. The next instant she was looking at a cluster of violets with velvet leaves and a drop of dew shining on a petal. A moment later, the stems were topped with radiant mauve snapdragons – with the dewdrop Stillin place. Before she could remember not to reach out and touch them, the snapdragons had become deep, ful y open red roses. When the roses became some exotic golden flower that Elena had never seen, she had to turn her back. She found herself bumping into a hard, masculine, bare chest while forcing herself to think realistical y. Midnight was coming – and not in the form of a rose. Fel ‘s Church needed al the help it could get and here she was staring at flowers. Abruptly, Sage swung her off her feet and said, â€Å"What a temptation, especial y for a lover of la beaute like you, belle madame. What a foolish rule to keep you from taking just a bud! But there is something even higher and more pure than beauty, Elena. You, you are named for it. In old Greek, Elena means ‘light'! The darkness is coming fast – the Last, Everlasting Midnight! Beauty wil not hold it back; it is a bagatel e, a trinket, useless in times of disaster. But light, Elena, light wil conquer the darkness! I believe this as I believe in your courage, your honesty, and your gentle, loving heart.† With that, he kissed her on the forehead and set her down. Elena was dazed. Of al the things she knew, she knew best that she could not defeat the darkness that was coming – not alone. â€Å"But you're not alone,†Stefan whispered, and she realized that he was right beside her, and that she must be wide open, projecting her thoughts as clearly as if she were speaking. â€Å"We're al here with you,†Bonnie said in a voice twice her size. â€Å"We're not afraid of the dark.† There was a pause while everyone tried not to look at Damon. At last he said, â€Å"Somehow I got talked into this insanity – I'm Stillwondering how it happened. But I've come this far and I'm not going to turn around now.† Sage turned toward the final door and it brightened. Not by much, however. It looked like the shady underside of a very large tree. What was odd, though, was that there was nothing at allgrowing under it. No ferns or bushes or seedlings, not even the normal y ever-present creepers and weeds. There were a few dead leaves on the ground, but otherwise it was just dirt. Sage said, â€Å"A planet with only one corporeal form of life upon it. The Great Tree that covers an entire world. The crown covers al but the natural freshwater lakes it needs to survive.† Elena looked into the heart of the twilit world. â€Å"We've come so far, and maybe together – maybe we can find the star bal that wil save our town.† â€Å"This is the door you pick?†asked Sage. Elena looked at the rest of the group. They al seemed to be waiting for her confirmation. â€Å"Yes – and right now. We have to hurry.†She made a motion as if to put her cup down and it disappeared. She smiled thanks at Sage. â€Å"Strictly speaking, I shouldn't give you any help,†he said. â€Å"But if you have a compass†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena had one. It was always dangling from her backpack because she was always trying to read it. Sage took the compass in his hand and lightly traced a line on it. He gave the compass back to Elena and she found that the needle no longer pointed to the north, but at an angle northeast. â€Å"Fol ow the arrow,†he said. â€Å"It wil take you to the trunk of the Great Tree. If I had to guess at where to find the largest star bal , I would go this way. But be wary! Others have tried this path. Their bodies have nourished the Great Tree – as fertilizer.† Elena scarcely heard the words. She had been terrified at the thought of searching an entire planet for a star bal . Of course, it might be a very smal world, like†¦like†¦ Like the little diamond moon you saw over the Nether World? The voice in Elena's mind was both familiar and not. She glanced at Sage, who smiled. Then she looked around the room. Everyone seemed to be waiting for her to take the first step. She took it.

Life Lessons Essay

ife (â€Å"Hard Work Beats Talent, When Talent Doesn’t Work Hard†) – (Kevin Durant) Over this past summer, I experienced a lot of events that I think will change my life for the better. It seemed like everything started falling in place when I got an unexpected call from a college coach from a small school called Samford University. I was shocked that I received the call because for one, I’d never even heard of the school he was calling from. Also, I never actually played a full game of football in high school.The reason he’d called me is because he said he was at one of the previous scouting camps I attended a few weeks prior, and he liked my athleticism and how I always worked hard and never gave up, even when he saw I was having a hard time. He wanted me to attend one of the school sponsored scouting camps that he was putting together, and he offered to get me in for free so I gladly accepted. When I arrived at the camp, I was very nervous becaus e there were a lot more major college coaches there than I expected, and the combine included college students also, so I wasn’t just competing against any regular competitors.There were 6 different events that we were doing that day, and I had never done any of them at any previous camps so I had no faith in myself from the start. At the first event, the 40 Yard Dash, I had to race a college linebacker from another school so I had to prove to my coaches that I could take on any challenge they threw at me from the beginning. But everything didn’t go quite as I expected. On my first try I false started 2 seconds early, and everyone was laughing at me so I started to down myself. On the 2nd attempt, I false started again!It wasn’t as early as the previous one, but I was wasting all of my chances at getting an official time because I was too nervous to even start on time. On the 3rd and final attempt, I managed to get off on a good start and run a 4. 92, but the sc outs weren’t very impressed by that because they knew and I knew that I could do better than what I was showing them. At the next event, the Running back drills, I was already nervous because of how bad I had done at the previous event, and it showed in my actions.When I went up to catch passes from one of the quarterbacks that was attending the camp with me, normal passes that I could catch in my sleep became difficult for me to complete. I was so worried about messing up again that I wasn’t performing to my full potential. The coach that recruited me to attend the camp took notice at my performance and pulled me aside and talked to me. He told me â€Å"he knows for a fact that I could do better, and he wants to see the athlete that he saw at the previous camp, not the nervous one that he had seen today.Just believe in myself and perform to the best of my abilities for the duration of the camp and everything would be fine†. Then he gave me a quote to think of w hen I got down, â€Å"Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard†. Now I don’t know what it was about that speech, but when I went back to the drill, everything seemed to fall into place. I was catching every single pass the quarterback threw me, even the ones that were badly placed. When I re-did my 40 Yard Dash, my time dropped from a 4. 2 to a 4. 8. From that point on, I exceed all my expectations at every other event that was available to me at the camp. After that day, I learned that I can’t down myself every time I mess up at something, I have to just keep doing my best and to forget the rest. And whenever I get to the point where I want to just give up, I always remember that quote that the coach told me, â€Å"Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard. Word Count: 695

An Overview of Venus Essays

An Overview of Venus Essays An Overview of Venus Essay An Overview of Venus Essay Venus Venus is merely the 2nd planet from the Sun. It’s besides the closest planet to Earth. It’s besides the closest planet to Earth. It’s nicked Earths Twin as it’s the most similar to Earth in size, mass, volume, and denseness. Scientists believe these belongingss and characteristics suggest the 2 planets had a similar history. It is named after ancient Roman goddess of love and beauty. It likely got its name because it was the brightest thing to ancient civilisations after the Sun. Venus has been known since pre-historic times. But, like Mercury it was believed to be 2 separate organic structures, the eventide star and the forenoon star. The Grecian uranologists knew better in this 1 every bit good, they realized this is besides 1 organic structure. Equally beautiful as it to us we wouldn’t see any of that in Venus as it’s invariably obscured with a thick bed of clouds. This bed of clouds makes it hard for worlds to detect and analyze the plane t. Venus besides has a massive ambiance which is largely made of C dioxide. This atmosphere traps heat which is the ground Venus is the hottest planet in the Solar System. Most information about Earths twin comes from Mariner 2’s visit in 1962. Venus lies between Mercury and Earth’s orbit. It is the 2nd of the four members of the interior planets. It’s about every bit big as Earth, but clearly is smaller in a spot. Venus is.72 AU off from the Sun. Venus’ surface is cratered like Mercury but Venus has immense sums of volcanic activity something Mercury deficiencies, which is good. Venus, like Mercury, has no Moons nor does it hold rings. Venus is the 6th planet in Sun, merely losing out on Earth but is much larger than Red planets and Mercury. As I said, it is nicked Earth’s Twin for their similar size, denseness, mass, and volume. It has a mass of 4,867, 300,000,000, 000,000,000,000 kilogram. It has a diameter of 12,104 KM compared to Earth’s which is about 12,756 KM. Its mass is about 80 % of Earth’s and its volume is some 95 % of Earth’s. Venus’ volume is 928,415,345,893 Km^3. As we all know every individual planet in the solar system revolves around the Sun in an ellipse shaped egg-shaped orbit. However, from the full planet’s Venus is likely the most round. It orbits the Sun at around 108 million kilometer, in distance, on norm. That’s about.72 AU. It completes one orbit around the Sun in 225 Earth yearss, intending a individual twelvemonth on Venus is 225 Earth yearss. However, like Mercury, Venus spins on its axis with a sulky rate. It completes one orbit on its axis every 243 Earth yearss. These 2 gestures of travel combine to do a twenty-four hours Venus some 117 Earth yearss. Therefore, Venus is more spherical than any of the other planets. Venus besides rotates on the opposite way as the other planets do, Uranus is the lone exclusion. Venus and Uranus are the lone planets in the Solar System to revolve utilizing antagonistic clockwise. Therefore, the Sun would lift on the West instead than the E. But that that doesn’t matter mu ch because you won’t see the Sun anyhow from the bed of clouds. Venus is tilted some 30 grades on its axis comparative to its plane orbit so the opportunities of a season are merely a bantam fraction. Venus lacks a magnetic field, a planetary 1 at least ; this could be a ground for its slow rotary motion. Venus’ atmosphere is composed of chiefly C dioxide ( 96 % ) with the staying most likely being Nitrogen. The ambiance would look clear until the bed of clouds with float above the surface in some 50 kilometers. These clouds are most likely made of sulphuric acid and some other compounds and elements. Venus has little or no H2O ; the possibilities of H2O in the ambiance are really little. The force per unit area on the surface on the planet is 90 times that of Earth’s surface. The surface temperature can make up to 500 grades, that’s manner more than Mercury. Scientists believe if the temperature is this high there must be something that traps heat. This is called the nursery consequence. Despite Venus’ slow rotary motion on its axis its ambiance seems to go around the planet with high gait. At cloud degree, the ambiance circulates the planet every 4 yearss. Besides at cloud degree the air currents blows at 360 KM/H. As you get closer to the surface the vel ocity decreases. Venus is the 2nd planet from the Sun but still absorbs less heat and visible radiation than Earth ; this is because of the bed of clouds. About 85 % of the light received by Venus is reflected back. As I said, the midst ambiance on Venus traps the heat which means the surface temperatures are really hot. The light can’t escape a C dioxide atmosphere every bit easy as seeable visible radiation can. This called the green house consequence is the chief beginning for Venus’ high temperature. The mean surface temperature is 465-500 grades C. Scientists observe and survey this nursery consequence really carefully because they are afraid it might go on to planet Earth because of planetary heating. Venus has a dry, bouldery, and smooth surface. The lone information we know about Venus’ surface comes from the Soviet Union’s Venera Spacecraft Series. The surface was found to be smooth, but non every bit smooth as first theorized. Since even lead can run on Venus from the nursery consequence, the surface is nil but lava on fields. But still Venus has some land characteristics like canons, lava flows, mountains, rift vales, fields and craters merely like Earth’s. Venus besides has vents which could be still active boulder clay today. We don’t cognize when but they do erupt. Venus, like Mercury and the Moon, have craters. These craters form when organic structures like comets or asteroids strike the surface and cicatrix it. Planetal scientists have ever theorized that the Earth’s inside is larger than that of Venus. Like Earth, Venus besides has a nucleus, a crust, and a bouldery mantle. Venus’ nucleus likely is some 3000 kilometer from the centre and likely has Iron and Nickel in its nucleus merely like Earth does. But it likely besides has other elements in it that are less heavy like Sulfur. Unlike most other planets Venus lacks a planetary magnetic field significance that there is no grounds for a metallic nucleus. The mantle makes up most of the planet with gravitative informations proposing the mantle to be 20-50 kilometer midst. It’s besides theorized that it includes basalt every bit good. Like Mercury, Venus likely doesn’t have home base tectonics. Let’s go back to Venus’ find. In the 15Thursdaycentury Galileo made his first observations of the planet. By 1610 he had already discovered its stages. If Earth was really the centre of the Solar System like they believed Venus wouldn’t show phases. This find was the first of all time observation to back up Copernicus and his heliocentric theory. Subsequently on in the 18Thursdayand 19Thursdaycentury of import finds were made when Venus’ transits occurred. Venus is called the forenoon and eventide star because when it transits it looks really bright, something like a close star. The last clip Venus’ transited was in 2012, before that 1892 and 2004. The following clip it will go on is 2117. The first ballistic capsule to get at Venus was Mariner 2 which came along its orbit in 1962. It was followed by a ballistic capsule from the Soviet Union and others that subsequently landed on Venus for a few hours. NASA’s Magellan ballistic capsule was prepared with devices that could pierce through to atmosphere of Venus and uncover the surface below it. It grounds of volcanic activity and impact craters but nil about home base tectonics. The latest ballistic capsule sent to Venus is the European Space Agency Express which arrived in 2006 and is doing observations of all time since that. The Earth The Earth every bit good all know is planet figure 3 from the Sun and is the topographic point where everything known to hold life exists in. Earth is the 4th smallest planet. Not until the 16Thursdaycentury did we recognize Earth is nil but a planet. Besides non until the 20Thursdaycentury did we hold a full map of Earth. Earth was personified a batch in the ancient times. For illustration, the Ancient Egyptians believed Earth is level land with the sky dividing it from heaven. By 2500 BC people started to believe Earth was really a sphere. Pythagoras is credited for making this decision. Approximately 200 old ages subsequently Greek philosopher Aristotle proposed thoughts for believing Earth is really a sphere. Aristotle was right with the thoughts and since so some people believed Earth is a sphere. Aristotle is regarded as one of the most superb heads in ancient history. Yet, many people didn’t cognize about his instructions so the thought wasn’t classified as official until subsequently on. Grecian and Indian uranologists accepted the theoretical account and in the 9Thursdaycentury Islamic bookmans besides begun to utilize it. Christian Europe accepted it by the 13Thursdaycentury. It is known that the perimeter at the equator is 40,075 KM and the diameter at the equator is 12,756 KM. But in world Earth’s non an existent domain because it is flattened at the poles. The poles’ diameters are some 12,719 KM. Earth has a radius of 6,371 kilometers, a volume of 1,083,206,916,846 Km^3. It besides has a mass of a astonishing 5,973,140,000,000,000,000,000,000. Ever since Nicholas Copernicus explained that Earth revolved around the Sun mathematicians worked hard to analyze the orbit utilizing math. The rate at which Earth moves around the Sun is 108,000 Km/h. This means Earth go some 940 million kilometer during a individual orbit. The Earth completes one orbit around the Sun every 365.242199 yearss precisely. This explains why we need another calendar twenty-four hours every 4 old ages, a leap twelvemonth. The clip it takes Earth to go around around the Sun once is called a twelvemonth. Like all planet’s Earth’s orbit is besides egg-shaped. But like Venus, it’s a small handbill, non every bit much as Venus though. This means the difference between its farthest point and its closest point is rather a little sum. Earth takes 24 hours to revolve on its axis, therefore a twenty-four hours on Earth is 24 hours. Earth is tilted 23.5-24 grades to its plane of orbit which is why we experience seasons. The ambiance that surrounds Earth is chiefly Nitrogen ( 78 % ) with Oxygen ( 21 % ) the remainder being other gases. Earth’s atmosphere is divided into 5 beds, most conditions and clouds are found in the first. The beds: 1 ) Troposphere: The first bed contains half the ambiance and conditions occurs here. 2 ) Stratosphere: The 2nd bed is stable and includes the ozone bed which protects us from harmful beams of the Sun 3 ) Mesosphere: The 3rdbed to the ambiance where meteors are burned. 4 ) Thermosphere: The 4Thursdaybed where Auroras occur, besides where infinite shuttles orbit. 5 ) Exosphere: Upper bound, atmosphere here subsequently merges with outer infinite as it is truly thin. The ambiance is indispensable for us as without there would be no life. It blocks harmful sunbeams from making us, the ozone. It besides traps adequate heat doing Earth hold a comfy temperature and the O within the ambiance is an of import ingredient to life. Over the past century, nursery gases and air pollutants have been released into the ambiance. These have been doing large alterations to the ambiance such as ozone holes, planetary heating and acerb rain. Earth’s surface as I’m certain you’ve heard of is 70 % H2O while the staying is the continents. Underneath the H2O that packs the oceans and the dirt that clutches the continents is a thin bed of bouldery atoms. This bed formed a bouldery and difficult crust where lava really cooled down the surface 4-5 billion old ages ago. The crust is broken up to many big home bases that easy pull each other. Mountain ranges signifier when 2 home bases collide and their borders are forced upon each other. Many other surface characteristics such as canons and vales are formed from traveling home bases. These home bases move about 1 inch a twelvemonth. This means 1000000s of old ages ago the continents were in complete different places. Some 25 million old ages ago the continents were one immense piece that easy divided into the 7 continents. There are tonss of periods in Earth’s history such as the Pre-Cambrian and Welsh clip periods. The inside of the Earth is made up of metal and stones and is made up of 4 chief beds which are: The interior nucleus: solid metal nucleus that is made of Ni and Fe, is 7440 kilometer in diameter The outer nucleus: a liquid centre of liquefied liquid lava The mantle: dense, largely silicate stone, includes the upper mantle and lower mantle The crust: thin silicate stone stuff The Earth’s beds in deepness: 0-40 Crust ( Quartz ) 40-400 Upper mantle ( Iron, Nickel, Magnesium, Silicate, Calcium, Aluminum ) 400-650 Transition parts 650-2700 Lower mantle ( Silicon, Magnesium, Oxygen ) 2700-280- P Layer 2890-5150 Outer nucleus 5150-6372 Inner nucleuss Mass of Earth: Atmosphere: 0.0000051 Oceans: 0.0014 Crust: 0.026 Mantles: 4.043 Outer nucleus: 1.835 Inner nucleus: 0.09675 The temperature in the nucleus is really hotter than the Sun’s surface. The heat from the inner nucleus causes the outer nucleus and the mantle to travel. The home base tectonics easy move other from the cause of other motions. It could besides be that the heat motion generates out magnetosphere. Earth is the closest planet to the Sun that has a natural orbiter, the Moon. It’s more than one-fourth the size of Earth itself. The Moon is 3,474 Km in diameter. The moon’s gravitation is 1/6 of Earth’s gravitation. There are merely 2 basic types of parts on the moon’s surface. But, there are many surface characteristics in the Moon. Such as craters, mountains, vales, and lava fields, which are tough to analyze. The moon’s top beds are besides solid like Earth ( 800 kilometer ) . The Moon might even hold a little Fe nucleus say some lunar scientists but it’s non confirmed yet. But an Fe nucleus would be unlikely because the Moon has no magnetic field. There is no air current on the Moon ; besides the Moon doesn’t possess its weak atmosphere so there is no conditions. Besides, there is no ambiance to pin down heat do so at midday it could 100 grades C and at dark it could be -173 grades C. It doesn’t bring forth energy but it do es reflect off light, similar Mercury. The lunar stages of the Moon alteration as the Moon orbits the Earth ; I will take a deeper expression at the stages of the Moon subsequently on

Kotters 8 Steps Process Analysis Essay

Kotters 8 Steps Process Analysis Essay Kotter’s 8 Steps Process Analysis Essay Kotter’s 8 Steps Process Analysis Essay The 8-step change process was initially established by John Kotter in the year 1996. The instigation of the theory is in line with the procedures that are employed for the purpose of transforming an organization. In fact, the ulterior objective of Kotter was to introduce a model that would be useful for the managers to cope with transformational changes. John Kotter was observing various leaders and companies that were in the quest of implementing the change models. As a result, he evaluated and presented the success factors combined into a methodology that embeds the 8-step process. The model incorporates eight overlapping practices, all of which revolve around organizational change. For the leaders of organizations, change management is an integral task whose efficiency is a function of its success rate. Therefore, organizations should utilize the model by functioning in a flexible network that incorporates a traditional hierarchy (Kotter, 2012). The current paper will give a detai led analysis of each step as well as its strengths and weaknesses. A Detailed Analysis of Strengths and Weaknesses of Kotter’s 8-Step Process Step 1 The first step in the model is the creation of a sense of urgency by helping others to feel a strong determination to win (Kotter, 2012). It involves driving people out of their comfort zones. An organization can increase a sense of urgency by embarking on examination of market as well as competitive realities. In addition, it will be of paramount importance to provide evidence that the change is necessary. However, the evidence should arrive from external environment. The first step can only be considered as being a success when one inculcates a compelling urge to change the organization. Moreover, the urge should be felt all across the organization (Burke, 2010). In my personal experience, the impetus behind an urgent behavior should be driven by the fact that the world is a hub of opportunities and great hazards alike. Strengths The major strength of the process is that it is effective for leaders who understand the essence of urgency because they are capable of controlling their organization (Kotter, 2012). As result, the process will succeed because leaders will connect to the deepest values of their people. Subsequently, they will inspire the workforce to soar to greater heights by engaging their senses. The other strength of the step is that it assists in sparking the initial motivation through examining opportunities that ought to be exploited (Burke, 2010). Therefore, while examining the opportunities, one can use the platform to request support from stakeholders, customers as well as industry players. Weaknesses The weakness inherent in the process is that complacency will be bound to occur notwithstanding whether the organization is facing bankruptcy or succeeding. Moreover, there is also the aspect of false urgency where people might be busy working but their actions are not contributing to the primary goal. Thus, the process does not strategize procedures that will negate or discourage the innate false urgency. Step 2 The second step is coming up with a powerful coalition by assembling a group that is capable of handling a collaborative change effort (Lewis, 2011). The coalition acts as a vision for change and helps everyone understand why there is a sense of urgency. However, it is vital to acknowledge that other people can see solution to problems from the creation of a compelling situation. In the process, one should strive to encourage people to work as a team by showing commitment and enthusiasm. In my personal experience, I noted that a single individual cannot develop the right vision regardless of their level of competence. Thus, more people ought to be brought on board so as to introduce the short-term wins and eliminate any obstacles (Spector, 2013). However, the people involved should also exhibit the necessary credibility, expertise and leadership. Strengths The strength of the step is that it increases the ability to anchor new approaches within an organizational culture (Kotter, 2012). Moreover, having the right coalition of people can be effective in managing dozens of change projects. Introducing the right team with trust levels yields a guiding coalition that can make change happen. The strength is that the process can be a success after the formation of a guiding coalition. Weaknesses The weakness in the process is that transformational leadership is an uphill task and it ought to be done in accordance with a prescribed protocol (Lewis, 2011). Then again, in most predicaments, the strategies to execute a vision are not in line with the goal as prescribed under change coalition. The other weakness is that the process places excessive emphasis on the levels of trust within the organization. In fact, trust seems to be the glue that ensures proper functionality among the teams. Therefore, any mistrust amongst members might sabotage the entire process. Similarly, the maintenance of high trust levels will necessitate for adjustment of members that have been part of the organization for longer time periods. Step 3 The third step revolves around the formation of a strategic vision as well as initiatives that would act as a blueprint in achieving the set targets (Kotter, 2012). The vision will be useful in steering a change effort that develop strategic initiatives to achieve the targets and objectives in question. In fact, whenever someone starts contemplating the organizational changes, there will be many distinct ideas on what ought to be put in practice. For a vision to be feasible and reliable, it has to be desirable, imaginable and communicable. A feasible vision is easily applicable to all operation aspects, which are inclusive of training and performance reviews (Spector, 2013). Strengths The strengths of the process include the fact that it specifies a decision from past detailed activities (Burke, 2010). The process can also be useful in motivating people to take the necessary actions that will bring them closer to their corresponding goals. The process can also be effective in the coordination of actions from various people in an efficient manner. Moreover, a clear vision will be of paramount importance in helping everyone to control their progress. Moreover, the stage is also imperative in determination of values that are central to change. Weaknesses A major weakness of the third stage of Kotter’s model is that it solely depends on the visions that are set in place as well as the goals and targets established before (Spector, 2013). Consequently, there ought to be a close liaison between the vision and the corresponding goals. Therefore, if the two are not in line, an organization might not attain its objectives. Additionally, the vision can be mundane and be part of large system that incorporates several budgets, divisions, and strategies. For the purpose of creating a better future, the vision ought to be a feasible factor that considers the multiple realities of an organization. Step 4 The step entails communication of the vision in frequent and effective manner. Therefore, calling for special meetings for the purpose of communicating the vision will not suffice (Lewis, 2011). Instead, one should walk the talk and utilize every opportunity in sensitizing the staff members with all the proponents of the vision. Keeping a vision fresh in everybody’s mind is also helpful because they will always remember it. In addition, the means used in communicating the vision should always be a reflection of what is expected from the recipients. While communicating the vision, the management might try to address people’s concerns and anxieties through an open forum where everyone can participate. The strategy will be effective in eliminating any qualms or queries that the staff members might have. Even after communicating the vision, one should also ensure that the staff members are ready and willing to bring the change. Moreover, as a rule of the thumb, the change s hould always be in line with the proponents of the communicated vision. Strengths The strength of the step is that it always ensures that most people have understood the vision. Moreover, leader in an organization can manipulate the methods used for communication so as to suit the staff members (Spector, 2013). For example, company’s newsletter might be boring and monotonous and one might not have to read the contents. As a result, an organization might opt to device lively articles that lay special emphasis on the set visions. Similarly, instead of relying on generic education programs, the organization can implement active learning sessions that embark on the vision and different business problems. Weaknesses The major weakness of the step is that an organization may under-communicate their vision thus missing the essence of the process. Additionally, the method is technical and the leaders might easily miss the point (Lewis, 2011). For instance, communication that includes emails, meetings and presentations will not be equal to patterns that embrace one communication channel. The idea shows that the process can only be successful if reliable channels are used in broadcasting the vision. One should also observe the communication language used to ensure that it is simple, repeatable and vivid. Step 5 The fifth step is to remove barriers so as to enable action. The process contributes to changing systems or structures that may hinder the achievement of the set vision (Kotter, 2012). Removing barriers will enable people to accomplish the goals within the given time frame. The essence of the step is to eliminate anything that might act as a hindrance towards the achievement of the set vision. Strengths The strength of the process is that it can easily increase the ability to accomplish the set vision. However, the management has to ensure that the performance appraisal procedure corresponds to the realignment of incentives. In addition, the process also allows for the change of leaders who might be more acknowledged about bringing the change. Moreover, people who resist change might be assisted in s understanding the expectations. Weaknesses The major weakness in the process is that there are some difficult barriers which can be difficult to avoid. As a result, an organization might waste unnecessary energy and resources in eliminating inherent obstacles. The other problem is that in most predicaments, the internal structure of companies does not correspond to the change vision set in place. Step 6 The sixth step aims at generation of short-term wins to gauge whether vision achievement is on the right track (Kotter, 2012). In fact, the generation of short-term wins acts as a motivational strategy to celebrate the accomplishments. Celebrating current wins is followed by correlating the achievements to the initial vision and objectives. Therefore, it, acts as a benchmark. Strengths The major strength of the process is that it offers performance appraisal which is vital in target achievement. It encourages the staff members by showing them what they have achieved as well as what is pending. Thus, complementing the personnel makes them more anxious to work on the remaining part. Therefore, it serves as a very crucial point in change management. Weaknesses The main weakness associated with the step is that it might give the team members a pressure to perform. Even though they are celebrating their achievements, it also shows them that they have a remaining part to be completed successfully. In most instances, the process brings about performance anxiety. Step 7 The step entails building on change and the sustenance of acceleration. The process is vital in increasing the credibility of the change systems and focusing on vision achievement. Strengths The strength of the step is that it allows for the promotion of employees that have shown success in implementing the vision (Kotter, 2012). One can also give an analysis of what went wrong or what improved the achievement of the vision. Weaknesses In the step, it is a prerequisite for one to always look for improvements so as the process can be successful. Moreover, the ideas always have to be fresh so as to be useful for the change coalition. Step 8 The final process of Kotter’s model is to anchor the changes as part of organizational culture (Burke, 2010). The change will endure as a result of attaching new approaches that revolve around change sustenance. Strengths The process articulates the connections that draw a correlation between organizational success and new behaviors. Moreover, the inertia of change can always be maintained by employees within an organization. Weaknesses The process cannot be a success when an organization continues to support change. Similarly, a company will have to continue supporting the existing staff as well as the team who brought about the change. Kotter’s 8-step process is an effective model that can bring change in an organization. However, the different steps are interdependent, and one process cannot solely introduce the needed change. The model is recommendable as the gradual processes increase the ability of an organization to change and adapt quickly.

How to Write A Ph.D. Thesis

How to Write A Ph.D. Thesis How to Write A Ph.D. Thesis Writing a Ph.D. thesis or dissertation takes time and energy. The process of conceptualizing, designing, developing, and the final presentation of the work requires students to devote their undivided attention to be able to complete the study on time, not to mention having to gain the approval of the examiners. If you’re nearing the finish line of your doctorate and you’re currently at the initial stages of your dissertation, here are some helpful suggestions for writing your doctoral thesis. Choosing A Topic Choose a topic of interest that coincide with your program’s area of expertise or interest. In most cases, graduate students develop their studies around a specific question that their programs have emphasized and proceed to work with supervisors in the faculty who possess the technical knowledge and expertise in those areas. If you are given a free hand to determine your focus, you will be expected to explore diverse themes related to your discipline before zeroing in on a final direction. Here are a few tips to consider during topic ideation: Identify â€Å"hot issues.† Bounce off ideas with your research supervisor and determine the key topics or pressing issues in your field. Widen your knowledge by reading up on the latest studies, published journals, academic case studies, annual reports, news articles, or data summaries around your topic. Journal your ideas. Write down your thoughts and discoveries so you can revisit, modify, or change them when needed. This will help you to focus your thoughts and keep track of ideas to develop and that may be important in improving your theme. Don’t seek a â€Å"perfect† topic. Some students might fall in the trap of overthinking their research topic. If you ever stall out, get in contact with your supervisor and get expert advice. Consult a faculty member. The Graduate School of the University of British Columbia suggests that researchers familiarize the specializations of individual faculty members in their graduate program. This helps you know if these members are the right fit for your research supervisory committee. Developing Your Topic As you develop your research topic, consider your career goals after earning your doctorate. A graduate student that’s worth their salt uses their dissertation to define the trajectory of their career path after university. Choose a topic that not only resonates with your interests and that of your program but also propels your career forward. Consider the following questions when developing your topic: Can the question sustain your interest and enthusiasm? Are there solutions to the problem? Could these lead to other problems worth researching? Can it make an original contribution to the field? Can you deliver the promise of the research? Drafting Your Research Proposal Once you’re sure of your topic, the next step is to draft your research proposal. A proposal must detail the first few chapters and the core sections of the dissertation. It must include the following parts (in order): Statement of the Problem (also called Background Information) Review of Related Literature (RRL) Planned Research Method Here are some additional helpful suggestions for focusing and writing your research proposal: Read proposals from other researchers. This will help you get a general idea of how a finished proposal should be. Ask for one exemplary paper from your field of study. Take note of: How the proposal was organized The types of headings used The level of clarity and specificity The author’s breadth of knowledge on the subject Write a quality Review of Literature. Don’t wait until the dissertation proper to prepare for this essential chapter. Your RRL should cover two arguments: Why your research is needed The essence of your methodology in answering the question raised Allocate sufficient time to develop your arguments. The longer you work on your RRL, the more time you have to locate resources, and the better a literature review you can produce. Archive all relevant resource materials. Make sure to organize them according to sections, arrange them in sequential order, and copy all bibliographic citations. This will come in handy when you need to reference a specific piece for your bibliography. Zero in on one area. Put a laser focus on your topic. Devote enough time to create specific and definite arguments for your research. Decide on a proposal title. A carefully considered title helps your readers immediately understand your research at a glance. Steer clear of confusing or vague language, and put the essential words at the beginning of your title. It can be useful to include keywords that will aid other researchers to find your work. The success of your proposal lies in the quality of your project and how well your presentation is on paper. If you need assistance writing your proposal, there are many proposal writers in Toronto who can guide you through the process. Defining The Scope Of Your Research To gain clarity and create a defined structure, narrow the scope of your research. Defining what you will and will not tackle should be discussed in your proposal. As you refine your scope, consider these points: Choose your methodology judiciously. Your methodology is one of the vital elements that will set the structure of your research. Consider methods used in your field and single out processes that your program and supervisory committee support. Your research supervisor will discuss some methodological questions with you as you develop your proposal. Choose a qualified and supportive supervisory committee. The committee you will work with will play a significant role in the success of your research. Select committee members that are not only experts in the field, but are willing to work with you towards your goal. They should be a source of guidance and encouragement for your labours. Be as open and objective as possible when receiving criticism from your committee. Meet with your committee as often as needed. It is during these meetings that you can thoroughly discuss your proposal and set goals and procedures. Writing Your Dissertation Writing is a vital skill that you need to hone early in the process. Use your proposal as your guide. Write in a way that reflects what you said you would accomplish in your methodology. Do the same for the Statement of the Problem and your RRL. Write clearly; avoid ambiguity. Have a list of keywords that are important to your research and use them throughout your dissertation. Don’t alternate between words or phrases when you’re referring to only one thing. This will help keep your meaning clear to your readers. You don’t have to write your paper in sequence (i.e. from the first chapter to the end); in fact, it is usually best to not write the introduction until the paper is completed.   Start with the parts you’re most comfortable with, and work from there. During revisions, you can rearrange sections to best support your arguments and present your evidence. Here are a few more tips for writing your dissertation: Plan a dissertation structure carefully with your supervisor. Create rough drafts as you go, and refine them as your topic becomes more focused. Create a filing system to easily track relevant results as you write each chapter. Use a reference manager to keep track of your references and notes. Back up your work. Make a digital backup of all the key parts of manual records, logbooks, or diaries you’ve used. Writing a dissertation can be challenging as you work toward completion. However, with the right guidance and effort, you can complete this undertaking and earn that doctorate you’ve worked hard for. If you need help in writing your dissertation, you can also get a professional writing service to make the process easier. is here to be your partners in this endeavour. We offer comprehensive dissertation/thesis services for advanced level students in the GTA. Contact us to get started with your project.

Of Thinking Globally and Acting Locally Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Of Thinking Globally and Acting Locally - Essay Example Thus, business organizations like Coca-Cola (Coca-Cola) Company take on the challenge of "thinking globally but acting locally." Coca-Cola is currently one of the most recognizable and widely sold commercial brands in the global arena. The company capitalizes on its extensive distribution network comprised of 9 million retailers in more than 200 countries (Klebnikov 2003). Amidst its being a global brand, what is apparent is the company's innate desire of satisfying each locale according to their needs. This aim of Coca-Cola can be seen its products and promotion strategies. Coke, the flagship brand of the company is marketed worldwide. It should be noted that this product has been warmly accepted by the global market because of its universal taste. Coke has a "universal taste" which discounts the differences in nationality, culture, and traditions. However, the company recognizes that the product portfolio offered in each foreign market should be differentiated as not all product appeal to all consumers. Thus, Coca-Cola strives to develop a product portfolio which is unique for each market. Quoting the company's annual report: "Consumer demand can vary from one locale to another and can change over time within a single locale.

Discuss the ethical issues in the Monsanto case Essay - 1

Discuss the ethical issues in the Monsanto case - Essay Example The company in the recent times has been involved in dictating on what the world consumes. The company has continued to generate many biotech crops. The company however has generated controversies in the world due to the issue of production of biotech crops that are produced and increasing the control of food supply by huge corporations. The company before getting involved in seed technology was involved in production of chemicals. Production of crops and new seeds through biotechnology by the company has predicted doubling of food production in the future meeting the food demand of the growing population. Food security will be maintained by the company. The company has also formed coalitions with other public researchers and charitable organization to focus on green revolution to allow conservation of the environment with production of more food and inventions to satisfy food need of the population. The organization has made itself to be in the leading dealing with advancement in global fight against hunger. Working with other organization in poor nations, the company helps to reach needy farmers. Moves that are made by the company is seen to be parallel to the commercial sales that are made by the organization. The organization upholds its principles by encouraging farmers that are in the poor nations and do not concentrate much in improving those in the wealthy nations. In the sales of the organization, sales of seeds and chemicals that are of high prices are done to countries that are wealthy (Forrestal, 2007). These products are sold to farmers in poor countries in low prices. The organization has been encouraged by the department of agriculture in the United States and the government to incorporate public institutions, foundations and academics to determine how the production can be improved to make food abundant globally. The company before getting involved in seed technology was involved in production

Business Innovation - Six Sigma program and Motorola Term Paper

Business Innovation - Six Sigma program and Motorola - Term Paper Example This process saves a great deal of time that is used to improve on design and general quality aspects of products. Introduction Motorola’s history is quite helpful for many businesses especially in the manufacturing sector. Its major contribution to this sector is the Six Sigma initiative in production where focus was shifted from measuring quality in percentages to parts per million. This idea stemmed from the realisation that the advancement in technology cannot stick with the conservative forms of measurement. Six Sigma was introduced to achieve the set quality goals so as to minimise chances of wastage in terms of resources and time. The company since the adoption of this strategy has saved its shareholders billions of dollars in terms of resources and time. The initiative has also enabled it to deliver high quality products to its consumers all over the world. Cell phone sales have shot up tremendously in the last decade and Motorola was well positioned in the 1990s to ca ter for the rising demand. For the initiative to work the company has to ensure that it changes its leadership and invest in rewarding innovation coupled with creating the right metrics. This paper will aim at discussing the circumstances that led to the innovation of Six Sigma in Motorola, how Six Sigma project was implemented at Motorola and the results achieved by the company after implementation. Company overview Motorola is one of the leading companies in the electronic communications business. It deals in designing and manufacturing cellular and cordless phones, broadband products and modems among other products. It ranks as the second largest producer of mobile phones behind Nokia. It has for a long time controlled about 17% of the entire world market in regards to mobile phones but leading in two-way radios (Pande, Neuman & Cavanagh, 2000). It has concentrated a great deal in wireless communication and internet related technology. The company further produces a wide range of products for use in the automotive industry together with computer and navigation. It is also important to appreciate that the company enjoys a bigger market outside the USA at almost 60%. Motorola’s glory can be attributed heavily on its quality products which in 1988 saw it receive Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. This award recognises businesses that act as role models for others in various areas of management and general operations. It is the Six Sigma initiative at Motorola that attracted this admiration. Motorola acted as the first company to incorporate this Six Sigma in its operations back in January 1987 and due to its almost-immediate success, many other companies followed suit. Before this initiative Motorola was experiencing one of the most turbulent times since it was Galvin Manufacturing Corporation in 1928 (Coronado & Jiju 2002). However, since February 2011 Motorola became two separate companies; Motorola Mobile and Motorola Mobility. Motorola and Six Sigma Before Motorola came up with the Six Sigma initiative, it was on its downward trend and it required an intensively innovative approach to the market. The competitive market arena had become too competitive for the company to rely on its traditional management practices and operational methods. The changes towards a fully-fledged Six Sigma project

Viruses Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Viruses - Assignment Example Scientists had hypothesized that one of the ways in which the first cellular organisms developed was through the mutations that were spread by viruses. This is also how viruses are able to adapt and sometimes jump across species. The HIV virus is a retrovirus meaning that it carries RNA instead of DNA. Once the RNA is injected into the host cell, the machinery begins to start manufacturing viral proteins and other RNA strands in order to replicate. First, the best way to prevent infection would be to give the cells the correct coding in order to prevent the virus from binding to the surface and passing through the membrane. If the virus was able to pass through the membrane, the next line of defense would be to prevent translation from occurring in order to prevent the viral proteins from assembling and replicating. This means inhibiting enzymes such as RNA polymerase and other protein-assisting enzymes. The only way for this to be accomplished would be through advanced genetic sequencing or through molecular restructuring of the immune system to counteract the binding effects of the

History of America since 1877 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

History of America since 1877 - Essay Example During that period politically, the nation was mostly dominated by Republicans. In around 1900, there was an era which came up known as the Progressive Era. This era brought political and social reforms, such as better and improved education and a higher state of recognition for women, and modernization of many areas of government as well as society (Capozzoli, 45). During this period, around 1877 and 1900, there was a great battle against corruption which was put up and it actually worked to the reduction of corruption. There was an unprecedented wave of European immigration and these immigrants provided the labor; hence the expansion of industry and agriculture and also increased population leading to fast-growing urban America. In around 1898, there were two important wars where the US fought against and defeated Spain, which resulted in Cuba gaining independence and eventually also the Philippines in 1946 (Capozzoli, 75). America tried and failed to negotiate a section of settlement for  WW1 then entered the war to oppose German militarism. The U.S. got victorious due to its financial, agricultural, industrial as well as its military strength.

Viruses Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Viruses - Assignment Example Scientists had hypothesized that one of the ways in which the first cellular organisms developed was through the mutations that were spread by viruses. This is also how viruses are able to adapt and sometimes jump across species. The HIV virus is a retrovirus meaning that it carries RNA instead of DNA. Once the RNA is injected into the host cell, the machinery begins to start manufacturing viral proteins and other RNA strands in order to replicate. First, the best way to prevent infection would be to give the cells the correct coding in order to prevent the virus from binding to the surface and passing through the membrane. If the virus was able to pass through the membrane, the next line of defense would be to prevent translation from occurring in order to prevent the viral proteins from assembling and replicating. This means inhibiting enzymes such as RNA polymerase and other protein-assisting enzymes. The only way for this to be accomplished would be through advanced genetic sequencing or through molecular restructuring of the immune system to counteract the binding effects of the

Planning an Educational Program Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Planning an Educational Program - Article Example The early educational practitioners realized the significant differences between adult education and the education of younger people. Consequently, adult educations programs were theoretically scrutinized and redesigned to meet the needs of the adult population. Currently, most of the educational programs that are targeting adults are increasingly being planned to ensure quality education for this particular social group (Merriam and Caffarella, 1999, p.47). The history of the contemporary adult educational program models dates back to the periods when the Veteran administration public schools were formed in the 1930s during the great depression. Throughout the 20th century, adult educational programs continued to develop along various disciplinary lines and, therefore, affected the larger organizations (Knowles, 1980, p.70). Some of the notable disciplines that contributed to the growth of these programs included psychology, philosophy, and sociology. For example, the early philosophers attempted to synchronize the theories of adult learning with the learning models through experimental learning. One of the most significant practitioners who championed the use of learning philosophy as a basis of adult learning programs was John Dewey. Dewey particularly pioneered the sub-field of reflective learning which eventually brought a number of new experiences to adult educational theories and perspectives. According to Dewey (1963), â€Å"lea rning is a lifelong process and individuals continue to learn new things and grow throughout their life times† (p.19). This view, however, contradicted the previous view that both growth and learning processes are finite and diminish once an individual has reached adulthood. Dewey also proposed that learning can only take place best within an institutional setting which does not obstruct any experience, and, therefore, learning environments should be designed to create new experiences and develop personality of the learners. The current workshop model of adult education programs is largely built on Dewey’s ideas. The modern models of adult educational programs have also been significantly shaped by developmental psychology, particularly through the use of social psychological theories of adult learning and development. According to these theories, adults are psychologically different from the normal young college students who are often in their adolescence ages. Consequ ently, the adult educational program models should demand a relatively different learning structure. For example, the theory of psychological development suggests that personality development occurs throughout the life span of an individual. As a person grows and matures, there is often a desire for new meanings which naturally is absent in childhood. On the other hand, Havinghurst (1971, p17) believed that the learning processes of adults are largely shaped by their subconscious social developmental tasks such as their need to find a mate, quest of how to live with a partner, how to develop their career goals, and how to establish their civic responsibilities. According to this perspective, adults can only learn best when they use learning programs that motivate and allow them to learn new behaviors that will enable them to achieve these task demands. Similarly, other moral development model of adult education programs were developed on the basis of the demands of cognitive develop ment in adults.

Battle to Save the Seas Essay Example for Free

Battle to Save the Seas Essay Once upon a time there lived a naughty boy who lived in a cottage near the sea with his parents that loved polluting the sea. His parents were one of his biggest inspirations when it came to polluting the sea. Every time they needed to dump garbage, they’d dump it in the sea. Soon the sea was filthy and organism died so therefore, it caused them lack some food too because they loved eating fishes from the sea that was nearby. The most important issue is we need to keep the sea clean. People of every kind who don’t take value, pride and withhold the possessions of the sea will have no respect for it. So therefore, we need to battle to save the sea. People will just literally dump any spoiled food items, household stuff etc. into the sea. They’ll just have a don’t care attitude about and towards the sea. We need to enforce strict regulations on people who love to dump trash in the sea. It they’re caught doing so, they should pay a high fine that they can’t afford and be thrown into jail. Secondly we need to battle to save the sea because the sea is a gift from God, not human. With the nature of the sea, tourists are attracted by it which helps to grow and benefit from our number one industry â€Å"Tourism†. Once tourist see that our seas are filthy and unprotected, they won’t feel pleasant coming to our island ever again. Soon we’ll even lose our number one industry for a lifetime. We are way too much dependent on tourism, we wouldn’t want it to shut down forever nor do we? The tourists love to snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming and fishing in the beautiful seas. So why wouldn’t we want to fight to save it? After all the sea contains all our living creatures, those that survive in water. We’ll lose our queen conch, groupers and spiny lobsters which will affect our agriculture and marine industries. We wouldn’t be able to export and make profits from our spiny lobsters etc. We also wouldn’t be able to eat seafood which is where our Bahamian dishes mainly come from. Imagine living on an island that is surrounded by dirty waters on hot summer day, now think about it? No swimming will be the answer to your imagination. In conclusion I suggest that our minister who’s responsible for the sea etc. should establish laws, activities and persuasive ideas to persuade people not to liter in our seas because the sea is a special gift from God and we need to take more care of it with great respect, joy and content.

Disadvantages Of Arv Treatment Health And Social Care Essay

Disadvantages Of Arv Treatment Health And Social Care Essay Herbs have been used extensively in hopes of improving immune response and reducing symptoms. No known herbal remedy has been shown to cure AIDS or even reduce chances of AIDS-related infections. Still, some herbs can be worth trying if used safely and in consultation with a qualified practitioner who not only understands herbs but also has experience treating AIDS and HIV infection. Immunity-boosting herbs (such as Astragalus, Echinacea, and Ginkgo) may help revive an ailing immune system, and certain herbs (such as Garlic) may help battle bacteria and viruses. Deglycyrrhizinated licorice can soothe the mouth and throat ulcers that often accompany full-blown AIDS. Unfortunately, there is no known scientific explanation yet, for how herbs have these powers in treating AIDS and the only information available about how useful herbal treatments and remedies can be, is based on the knowledge gained from people living with HIV/AIDS. This means that not all herbs and remedies have the same effect on all people. Some communities have their own knowledge of health and nutrition, based on local traditions and culture. This may complicate the administration of herbal remedies from region to region, as the fundamental factor is now depending whether the patient is willing to cross cultures in order to obtain treatment. In some extreme cases, any external medical recommendations that a patient may receive is compared with their cultural practices and the recommendations of their traditional healers. Patients will only take action if the recommendations they receive appear to make sense and provide some benefit. Ironically, some traditional beliefs and food practices may not be useful at all, judging that a herb like Garlic root should work whether the patient is of Chinese or African descent. Patients with HIV/AIDS often become frustrated with management of the disease and are willing to try anything in the hope of staying healthy and living longer. One of the greatest disadvantages is that HIV/AIDS is not a traditional illness and so far, there is no hard evidence to believe that traditional medicines or herbal remedies can treat HIV and cure AIDS. However, certain herbal medicines may help to treat many of the symptoms of opportunistic infections that are part of AIDS. While some of these medicines may be undoubtedly helpful, others may be dangerous as they may do more harm than good. This happens when the patient mixes pharmaceutical drugs and herbs resulting in contra-indications or when they take certain foods that should be otherwise avoided. The notion that herbal medicines are natural and therefore safe is as widespread as it is misleading. Some of these remedies have been associated with severe adverse effects caused by the toxicity of the herbal ingredients. Others may cause problems because of contamination or adulteration [9]. Herbs and spices should be used in moderate amounts. Exceeding these amounts may cause problems and have a toxic effect; moreover, the function of the herbs and spices will not be increased. Herbs do not replace healthy eating and should not be used in place of a healthy and balanced diet but they do retain the bodys natural pH (alkaline) and this in turn, as discussed before, forces the microzymes to stop mutating into bacteria, viruses and funguses that cause opportunistic infections. 2.1.7 Advantages of Herbal Treatment: On general note, Herbal therapies seek to boost patients immune systems, inhibit opportunistic infections, alleviate symptoms, and inhibit HIV itself. Herbal medicines are very cheap in comparison to the conventional form of medication Herbal medicine helps the body to maintain its natural pH, which is alkaline; this in turn starves and inhibits all adverse microzymes from growing or mutating. Herbal medicines can be consumed without the aid of any kind of prescription, although a herbal or medical practitioner has to be consulted prior Herbal medicines are known to be more productive in comparison to other forms of medication in curing certain conditions. Herbal medicines offer long lasting benefits in terms of overall wellness. In certain situations, Herbs are considered a possible means to minimize drug side effects. Unlike with the convectional highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), herbs do not need to work in combination in order to get effective results Herbs are readily available and once a patient knows which herb to use, he/she can grow their own. 2.1.8 Disadvantages of Herbal Treatment: Curing period is usually longer in comparison to conventional medication Drug-interactions can be hazardous to a patient ,if they decide to mix herbs and drugs Herbal medicines are known to be ineffective against serious ailments Herbal medicines are taken without prescription which means that in some cases, individual might be undergoing a trial and error process with their medication. Herbal medicines can cause allergic reactions in some cases Herbal medicines will not eliminate the HI virus out of the body Most governments do not approve of any kind of herbal medication. Its usually consumed upon the persons own risk, and when it comes to branded herbal supplements one cant expect any kind of quality assurance 2.2 Expert Systems and their use on the Internet 2.2.0 Expert systems An expert system is a computer program that incorporates concepts derived from experts in a field, uses the available information, heuristics and inference to suggest solutions to problems in that particular discipline or give advice. An expert system should have good decision making, this is strongly dependent on various capabilities that include the effective acquisition, storage, distribution and sophisticated use of the human experts in the field in question. The most widely used way of representing domain knowledge in expert systems is as a set of production rules which is also how humans generally infer decisions. Expert systems were made to provide knowledge and advice to a larger number of users than one user. An Expert system can be viewed as a teaching tool because it is equipped with the unique features which allow the users to ask questions on how, why and what format, expert systems also allow automation of many tasks that could not be effectively handled by human experts. In addition, an Expert system attempts to emulate how a human expert solves a problem, mostly by the manipulation of symbols instead of numbers. As a result because of the low cost per user and automation of numerous tasks ,expert system making has become very attractive and in the long run is much cheaper than getting human expert advice, its development is however relatively costly but its operation is easy and quite cheap. Maintenance is easy as well because once an expert system is developed it is simple to add new information to the knowledge base and new rules can be developed. 2.2.1 Advantages of Expert systems Availability: The expert system is always available 24 hours a day and will on no account tire Can capture scarce expertise, collected from a number of experts and integrate their opinions. Consistency: The computer does not make common futile human mistakes such as forgetting, getting drunk or strike when it is most needed. Data can be kept up-to-date. Efficiency: Expert systems have an increased output and productivity as well as decreased decision making time. Flexibility: Expert systems can operate in hazardous environments. They can also work with incomplete or uncertain information. Scalability: The system can be used at a distance over a network therefore can reach a large population. The computer can store far more information than a human expert. 2.2.2 Disadvantages of Expert systems Expertise can be hard to extract from humans Expert system users have natural cognitive limits (therefore can not perform as perfectly as a human) Experts vocabulary is often limited and highly technical Expert systems may not be able to arrive at valid conclusions and sometimes produce incorrect recommendations Knowledge is not always readily available Lack of trust by end-users Most experts have no independent means to validate their conclusions 2.3 Structure of Expert systems A typical expert system consists of: A knowledge base; this contains the specific domain knowledge that is used by an expert to derive conclusions from facts The inference engine, which is responsible for using the rules and facts to derive conclusions whether it is through forward, backward chaining or a combination of both. An explanation system, which provides information to the user about how the inference engine arrived at its conclusions A fact database, which contains the case-specific data that are to be used in a particular case to derive a conclusion and A User interface, which provides access to the inference engine, the explanation system, and the knowledge-base editor. KnowledgeBase Fact Database Expert System Shell Inference Engine Knowledge Base Editor Explanation System User Interface User Figure2.1 A basic structure of an Expert System. An Expert System can be rule-based, frame based or both. In a rule-based system, the knowledge base is a database of rules. Rule-based systems are computer systems that use rules to provide recommendations or diagnoses, or to determine a course of action in a particular situation or to solve a particular problem. Its line of reasoning or the inference engine technique can be forward chaining, backward chaining, or a combination of both and the Rete algorithm. 2.4 Inference Engine The knowledge in the knowledge base is used for reasoning and inferring conclusions. An inference rule is an abstract structure that contains a set of rules that mathematically delineates a (usually infinite) set of finite length strings over a (usually finite) alphabet. It is a two part structure using First Order Logic for knowledge representation. If then The brain of expert system is the inference engine which is generally a large number of rules and facts. The inference engine matches facts and data, which is in the fact database against the inference rules to infer conclusions which result in actions. The process of matching the new or existing facts against inference rules is called Pattern matching. Pattern matching in the inference engine can use any of the following algorithms: Linear Rete Treat Leaps Most of the rule engines under study implement and extend the Rete algorithm. Leaps is also used widely but is questionable due to poor maintenance. Rete based engines have proprietary enhancements to the Rete algorithm like RetePlus, Rete III and ReteOO. The Rete algorithm is responsible for ensuring that there is a clear distinction between rules and facts in the database. This algorithm takes the form of a network, with nodes and paths. Each path from the root node to a leaf in the tree represents the left-hand side of a rule. Each node stores details of which facts have been matched by the rules at that point in the path. In situations where new data or facts are added, it means the Rete algorithm will propagate and change data stored at the node accordingly. In this way, the system only needs to test each new fact against the rules, and only against those rules to which the new fact is relevant, instead of checking each fact against each rule. 2.4.1 Methods of Inference Engine execution There are two methods of execution for rule based expert systems, forward chaining and backward chaining. And systems that implement both are called hybrid production rule systems. 2.4.2Forward Chaining This is a data driven and thus reactionary method. When applying forward chaining, the first step is to take the facts in the fact database and see if any combination of these matches all the antecedents (conditions) of one of the rules in the rule database. When all the antecedents of a rule are matched by facts in the database, then this rule is triggered. Usually, when a rule is triggered, it is then fired, which means its conclusion is added to the facts database. 2.4.3 Backward Chaining This method is goal driven, meaning that we start with a conclusion which the engine tries to satisfy. An inference engine using backward chaining would search the inference rules until it finds one which has a then clause that matches a desired goal. If the if clause of that inference rule is not known to be true, then it is added to the list of goals. Searches for sub goal conclusions begin, in hopes that, that will help satisfy some part of the current goal. It continues this process until either the initial conclusion is proven or there are no more sub goals. 2.5 Expert system shells Expert systems can be built that contain all the useful methods without any domain specific knowledge. These systems are called skeletal systems, shells or Artificial intelligence tools. The interpreter is separated from the domain-specific knowledge and thus creating a system that could be used to construct new expert systems by adding new knowledge corresponding to the new problem domain. Examples of shells include CLIPS, eGanges, OPS5, ART, JESS, and Eclipse. 2.6 Systems currently in use 2.6.1 Expert System for HIV/AIDS information The above expert system was created under the motivation of a Microsoft sponsored project called IHISM, which aims to contribute to the digital divide by developing an HIV and AIDS public information portal accessible through mobile phones [10]. The Expert system was tailored made with reference to Botswana, according to UNAIDS estimates, HIV/AIDS has affected every segment of Botswana society and one-third of Botswanas sexually-active population between the ages of 15 and 49 (out of a total population of 1.5 million) are infected with the virus, which is the highest rate in the world [11]. The information service portal would allow the public to request for information on topics related to HIV and AIDS such as descriptions, infection, testing, counselling and support, opportunistic diseases and paediatric care etc. The portal represents this information in the form of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) service where the user inputs a query on any of the subjects. The system is meant to act as an online expert in HIV and AIDS information such that, some information may have to be derived through inference as opposed to simple data retrieval. The system is to accept as input a FAQ from the user and provide the most relevant answer to the question. Challenges of the system: Users may ask the questions differently in pursuit of the same answer System should be able to systematically analyse the questions and provide an appropriate answer System should be able to determine the various forms in which a typical FAQ question could be mapped to the relevant answer. Participants agreed that the expert system was not only easy to use 2.6.2 A Self-Learning Fuzzy Discrete Event System for HIV/AIDS Treatment Regimen Selection The HI virus mutates often and so a patient has to be frequently changing their medication course. And because of the strict drug adherence guidelines, it therefore becomes desirable to have a treatment- decision support system that is capable of self-learning. Basing on the fuzzy discrete event system (FDES) theory, a self-learning HIV/AIDS regimen selection system for the initial round of combination antiretroviral therapy, which is one of the most complex therapies in medicine, was developed [12]. The system consists of a treatment objectives classifier, fuzzy finite state machine models for treatment regimens, and a genetic-algorithm-based optimizer. System focuses on the four historically popular regimens with 32 associated treatment objectives involving the four most important clinical variables (potency, adherence, adverse effects, and future drug options). Advantages of the A Self-Learning Fuzzy Discrete Event System for HIV/AIDS Treatment Regimen Selection: Higher flexibility and scalability Easier knowledge upgrade for accommodating fast treatment strategy evolution with minimal system modification. Challenges of the A Self-Learning Fuzzy Discrete Event System for HIV/AIDS Treatment Regimen Selection: Patient-specific medical simulation raises several moral, ethical and policy questions that need to be answered before the methodologies can be put to widespread use. 2.6.3 A grid-based HIV expert system This system is for physicians to provide an adaptive interactive advice on treatment applied to drug resistant HI virus. Its knowledge base comprises of distributed data from infectious disease patient databases, literature on in-vitro and in-vivo pharmaceutical data, mutation databases, clinical trials, simulations and medical expert knowledge. The research uses a variety of statistical and numerical methods to identify relationships between HIV genetic sequences and antiviral resistance to investigate consistency of results. Access to and integration of data is done through existing Internet servers and emerging grid-based frameworks like Globus [13]. Advantages of the grid-based HIV expert system: Cellular automata-based simulations are used to predict the drug behaviour overtime Limitations of grid-based HIV expert system: Little data privacy. Sensitive clinical information is often kept on highly secure hospital networks 2.6.4 HIVPCES: a WWW-based HIV patient care expert system Diagnosing HIV-patients and prescribing the correct drug regimen can be a complex task whose outcome is dependent on a large number of variables. The cost of an incorrectly administered drug even for a very short time can be enormous; the HIV virus has specific drugs that can manage its growth at different levels of its life cycle. HIVPCES is a WWW-based HIV patient care expert system. It is an interactive expert system to diagnose HIV patients, and is managed centrally and accessed either as part of an intranet, or as an Internet site.781273 The user interface has been carefully designed to provide a high-level of interaction and therefore improve some of the current limitations of Web applications. The system comprises three modules: (1) A patient self-monitoring personal diary, to create a follow-up patient record; (2) A data analysis and visualisation tool; and (3) A section to allow patients to ask for advising and remote doctor support. abstract Advantages of a WWW-based HIV patient care expert system: Provides health professionals with new means for tele-monitoring and tele-caring patients. Limitations of a WWW-based HIV patient care expert system: Low system security Users anonymity features are required but hard to incorporate in this clinical domain. 2.7 Outline of proposed system In the vast world of medical expert systems there is little attention given to HIV /AIDS and when the topic does get acknowledged, little focus is put into the treatment and much more attention on the common FAQs about the virus. This system aims to center on HIV/AIDS suffering patients and offer advice on supplementary natural treatments such as herbal medicines that these patients can use. Unlike some of the current existing systems, which look at drug adherence plan, i.e. narrowing the users down to only, those on the HAART program, the proposed system can be used by patients whose CD4 count has not yet plummeted therefore allows the patient to have a informed decision on how to maintain a healthy life and have a boosted immune system. Proposed system will offer information on particular herbs, that is, the name, healing effects and the contra-indications and explanations for every herb it advises. Advantages of proposed system: Caters for both physicians and patients Caters for patients not yet on the HAART program, thus serves a wider user range Knowledge base is an integrated pool of various expert views therefore each answer supplied is about 85% System is a web based application, which is easily accessible from any computer or location with Internet access. 2.8 Conclusion The collected information above was used for the design and methodology of the proposed system. This chapter reviewed the domain in study i.e. HIV/AIDS, expert systems and a review of systems currently in existence. The following chapters of the document consist of the integration and modification of the gathered literature.