A Chilling History of Frozen Food

When we crave fresh fruits and vegetables in the middle of winter, we can thank an American taxidermist for making possible the next best thing. Clarence Birdseye, who invented and commercialized a method for quick-freezing food products in convenient packages and without altering the original taste, was  simply seeking a way for his family to have fresh food all year round.  The solution came to him while conducting fieldwork in the arctic, where he observed how the Inuit would  preserve freshly caught fish and others meats in barrels of sea water that quickly froze due to the frigid  climate. The fish were later thawed, cooked and most importantly tasted fresh -- much more so than anything at the fish markets back at home. He surmised that it was this practice of rapid freezing  in extremely low temperatures that allowed meat to retain freshness once thawed and served months later. Back in the U.S., commercial foods were typically chilled at a higher temperature and thus took longer to freeze. Compared to conventional techniques, fast freezing causes  smaller ice crystals to form, which is less likely to  damage the food. So in 1923, with an investment of $7 for an electric fan, buckets of brine, and cakes of ice, Clarence Birdseye developed and later perfected a system of packing fresh food into waxed cardboard boxes and flash-freezing under high pressure. And by 1927, his company General Seafoods was applying the technology to preserve beef, poultry, fruit, and vegetables.   Two years later, The Goldman-Sachs Trading Corporation and the Postum Company (later the General Foods Corporation) bought Clarence Birdseye’s patents and trademarks in 1929 for $22 million. The first quick-frozen vegetables, fruits, seafoods, and meat were sold to the public for the first time in 1930 in Springfield, Massachusetts, under the trade name Birds Eye Frosted Foods ®.   These frozen products were initially only available at 18 stores as a way to gauge whether consumers would take to what was then a novel approach to selling food.  Grocery shoppers could choose from a fairly wide selection that included frozen meat, blue point oysters, fish fillets,  spinach, peas, various fruits and berries. The products were a hit and with the company continued to expand, with frozen food products transported by  refrigerated boxcars to distant stores. Today commercially frozen foods are  a multi-billion dollar industry and  Birds Eye, a top frozen-food brand, is widely sold just about everywhere.  Ã‚      Birdseye served as consultant to General Foods up until 1938 and eventually turned  his attention to other interests and invented an infrared heat lamp, a spotlight for store window displays, a harpoon for marking whales. He would also establish companies to market his products.  By the time of his sudden passing in 1956 he had about 300 patents to his name.

A Hero Essay - 939 Words

Paul Aponte January 25, 2013 English Literature / Expository Hero A hero is defined as many things. While many people consider heroes to be larger than life figured, Christopher Reeves says that, A hero is an ordinary person, who preserves, and endures despite overwhelming challenges. This quote analyzes an unconventional definition of a hero from Christopher Reeves point of view. What truly makes a hero is the courage to say that, it is not one, which is the hero it is someone else. Someone else that fought and worked hard for the position to be called a hero, because he/she gave up and put everything in risk for the greater good. This can be from†¦show more content†¦It was not Roy Benavidez’s plan to go into that combat zone to get shot, he just wanted to save his friends. He just went forth through the problem, which was a matter of life or death, and did what he thought was right. Roy was a true hero right in that glorious moment. A mothers love for her child is like nothing else in the world. â€Å"It knows no laws, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path. -Agatha Christie. My mom Luisa is not a blanket but she always comforts me. She may not be Michelangelo but she brings colors into my life, and she may not be a sweet, juicy apple or a yummy pumpkin pie, but she is still my greatest life ingredient that brings me joy and happiness to me. Therefore, despite the fact that she is already my mother, I call her my hero. In El Capital, Dominican Republic, late December 2006, we were visiting my family in their farm. I never sought to notice that they had gotten new animals, and they did not know me. Theyve gotten a new sheepdog and that sheepdog did not know me. When this dog saw me moving the sheep into their gathering cage, I believe he got mad that I was doing his job without him, and deliberately attacked my leg. I dont blame the dog; no one told me there were new pets to the farm. When my family had heard my screaming and shouting ofShow MoreRelatedThe Hero As A Hero1529 Words   |  7 PagesWhen the term â€Å"Hero† is brought up, many people will have a different definition of it. According to website dictionary.com, the real definition of a ‘hero’ is â€Å"a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character; and a person who, in the opinion of others, has special achievements, abilities, or personal qualities and is regarded as a role model or ideal.† Nowadays, the word â€Å"hero† can be associated with literally anyone. Heroism can be associated such as famous people, fictional charactersRead MoreThe Hero As A Hero1009 Words   |  5 PagesI could never fully understand what the title hero represents. It is very confusing thinking about a definition of the word hero. Growing up I had a lot of heroes. My favorites heroes changed as I was growing older. As a kid, Superman was my favorit e hero. He could fly, stop bullets, he had laser eyes, and see through walls. It was exciting. When I grow older, John McClane was my hero. He will stop terrorist all by himself, risking everything that he got just to save the people he cares about. ItRead MoreThe Hero Of A Hero907 Words   |  4 Pagesexemplifying a hero developed into something everyone longed to do. This ambition remains today. However, obtaining a hero-like persona constitutes much more than saving a cat from a tree or helping an elderly woman cross the street. A hero not only affects the direct person in need of help, but the many around as well. In order to have the classification of a hero, one must adopt a courageous, determined, selfless, and inspiring attitude while also attaining an opportunity to show heroism. A hero must manifestRead MoreA Hero As A Hero889 Words   |  4 Pages Anyone can be a hero, even you! A hero does not have to be someone with powers or a costume. A hero is someone or something that you can look up to or admire. All heroes are not perfect, and they can make mistakes as would a regular human. There is a difference though because heroes have the enormous responsibility. They are always being signaled, and they are always expected to do the right thing. Heroes are many times forced to test their character which leads them to realize their potentialRead MoreA Hero : The Characteristics Of A Hero820 Words   |  4 Pagesa firefighter and policemen can be a hero. Firefighters and policemen are strong and courageous. They risk their lives just to save and protect an everyday stranger. That is what a hero does. Being a hero does not require having super strength or need to read minds, but being a hero does require certain qualities that make a hero. One of those qualiti es is being a leader and also being courageous. Since leadership and courage are two necessary traits of a hero, heroes are usually not weak but strongRead MoreBeowulf : A Hero Or Hero?1092 Words   |  5 PagesCole Jackson Miss Sibbach Honors English IV 10 December, 2014 To Be a Hero, or To Not Be a Hero Countless people have tried to say that Beowulf represents the qualities required of an epic hero, but many people also suggest that Beowulf does not show any of these qualities. While Beowulf shows heroic characteristics in all of his acts, both pride and greed motivate his actions. The story of Beowulf contains all of the information needed to show this, but people do not notice that which they do notRead MoreA Hero Is An Epic Hero1997 Words   |  8 Pagesâ€Å" A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles†(Reeve, Christopher). Every culture in country across the world has their own ideals for what a proper hero should be. Most will say a hero must have these core values compassion, bravery, strength, humility, and integrity. However a person does not always have to possess they traits to be considered a hero. An example of this is an epic hero, these heroes only exist in stories andRead MoreWhat Makes A Hero Or Hero?812 Words   |  4 Pagesthat man may be, in essence, a hero. Because of this stereotypical â€Å"hero†, we do not see the real heroes in life. What really IS a hero or heroine? A hero is what we make of them, although some are undeserving of this title. We make a hero. You, me, society; we all make heroes. We give them this title. Heroes are role models, and role models, in my eyes, should possess three very significant qualities. Courage, humbleness, and morality; these form a hero. The classic hero. Ah, he’s brave and bold. HeRead MoreA Hero : A Comparison Of The Hero Of Beowulf884 Words   |  4 Pagesof one of the early heroes written about. But what is a hero? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a hero as: an object of extreme admiration and devotion; a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability. Beowulf has many of these characteristics including great strength, and is portrayed as a legendary figure by those who look up to him. Through the entire poem, he is the epitome of a hero and displays many heroic qualities. In the poem, it states:Read MoreBeowulf As A Hero910 Words   |  4 PagesWhy We Need Heros A hero, â€Å"a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character†(â€Å"Hero†). A hero shows much more than honor and glory, they sacrifice their own life to selflessly help out the lives of others. By having heroes it gives us hope, wisdom, and justice throughout the nation. The three main types of heroes include an epic hero, superhero, and your own personal hero. These heroes show that it s more than the cape or armour they wear, they show the true meaning of a hero by defining

Freud, Jung, Adler Free Essays

Assignment One Jeremie William Edwards PSY/250 Elaine Parks Assignment Two Freud, Jung, and Adler are commonly referred to as the fathers of modern Psychology. The three men spent much time delving into why people act and think the ways which they do. Freud’s psychoanalytical approach tells us that the human psyche consists of three different parts that drive us to our thoughts and actions; the Ego, Super-Ego, and the Id (direct Latin translation is the it). We will write a custom essay sample on Freud, Jung, Adler or any similar topic only for you Order Now Adler was at differences with Freud in this separation of these three parts. Adler believed that the Ego, Super-Ego, and the Id were not separated but viewed as a whole; He believed that it was more important to look at the entire picture rather than trying to separate these parts, as Freud would. Jung and Freud had a difference on personal motivation that drives each of us. Freud believed that all human motivation was sexually based, where Jung thought that every person suffered from a type of inferiority complex. I can agree with portions from all of the doctors and their theories. I believe that there is a sexual connotation to most everything that people do, whether it is out-right or hidden in context. I can also see where most everyone suffers from some type of inferiority complex. Every person can admit to be lacking in some area in which they would rather excel. As far as Jung and his individuation on the other hand, I believe this to be lacking in substance. His thoughts on humans being social creatures and the influence that our surroundings have on us are quite valid. I also believe that we do have an Id or a primal instinct inside of us, but that Id is not in conflict with our Ego and Super-Ego. These three parts work in unison to drive us and propel each of us into becoming better people yet not letting us forget from where we originate. Sigmund Freud had a five stage theory on human personality development. The five stages in order are; Oral/Dependency, Anal/Potty Training, Phallic, Latency Period, and Genital. The Oral stage is from the time of birth up to about two years old. This stage talks of breastfeeding and how a person can develop an oral fixation if weaned too early from the teat. An oral fixation can manifest in the forms of smoking, eating, or drinking. The second stage, Anal, is where the child is learning to use a toilet properly. The child uses the anal sphincter as a means of maintaining control of the situation. For example, if a child does not want to learn how to use the toilet they may withhold their feces or defecate in places or at times that are seen as inappropriate. These actions will allow the child to perceive that they are still in control of the situation. Under this understanding is where Freud believes that a person can develop obsessive compulsive disorder or dreams of spinning out of control and the person left trying to get everything back in order. The Phallic stage is the third stage of Freud’s. This stage is from the ages of three to five, this is the time where a child starts to become more aware of the differences between men and women. This time frame is when a person can develop an Oedipus or Electra complex, depending on the gender of the person. What this entails is the child becoming jealous of the same sex parent. For boys this would present because of the child wanting a relationship with the mother that the father has, this scenario in turn makes the boy child adopt the acts and mannerisms of the father in order to live vicariously through him in this relationship. For a girl child, she is jealous of the mother and wants the father’s penis (penis envy). The fourth phase is a latency period where no real advancement is made. The final stage of Freud’s five stages is the Genital stage. The Genital stage starts around the age of 12 and ends in the peak of puberty. This stage is a reawakening of a person’s sexual interest. In this stage a person will start to feel sexual attraction towards the opposite sex (the writer does not know about homosexuality in this theory as of yet). The urges and needs are to pleasure the genitals and a sort of coming of age, or growing up. Freud had many different defense mechanisms. The three we will be looking at are; Denial, Rationalization, and Repression. Denial is a fairly self-explanatory defense; it is when a person argues with the reality of what has actually happened. E. G. When a woman has been raped she must deal with an extraordinary situation which she had no choice in. Some women face this reality with denying that it ever actually happened. Rationalization is a bit different in a person will fabricate a truth rather than facing what the observable truth is. Say a person gets fired from a position; he/she may claim that it is because they refused to kiss up to the boss when in reality it was because of a lack in performance. Repression is when a person forces something out of memory, often a person will repress memories of child abuse. How to cite Freud, Jung, Adler, Essay examples

Cultural Differences between Australia & Korea-Free-Samples

Questions: 1.How Hofstedes Cultural Dimension can be applied to explain Lees Company 2.What Lee can do to remain and Work Comfortably in the Company. 3.What the Korean Manager can do to deal effectively deal with Individualistic Employees. Answers: Introduction Cultural differences in among nations present various challenges to employees who work in nations different from their countries of residence. Lee is one of the workers who experienced challenges of organizational cultural differences. He studied and spent many years in Australia, and therefore, got accustomed to the Australian culture. After a long time in Australia, he gets employed in his home country Korea, which has an organizational culture that is different from what he is used to. He faces rough time from the staff members, the senior management and even the senior staff due to failure to understand and adjust to the existing corporate culture of the new company (Lim and Kim, 2011, pp. 21-38). 1.Geert Hofstede researched on the operation of the workplace and concluded that the prevailing culture influences the values at the workplace. He found that these values are sustained by the culture and affects the motivations of the employees and affects the productivity of employees with a different culture and geographical backgrounds. Hofstede came up with six dimensions of culture at the workplace. This includes individualism versus collectivism, pragmatic versus normative, the masculinity versus femininity, the high versus low power distance, high or low uncertainty avoidance and indulgence versus restraint. These dimensions of culture can be used to explain the situation of Lee in his new workplace (Minkov, 2007). Individualism versus Collectivism (IVC) Hofstede described culture as individualism or collectivism. IVC describes the strength of the peoples ties with others in the society. It describes the degree of interconnection that people have within a community and how much they care for others and the decision they make. In individualism, there is a loose interpersonal connection of the people in the community, and people are not concerned with the effects and outcomes of the decision of others in the society. On the other hand, a collectivist society, people value others and keep loyalty to them. Thus, their decisions and consequences concern them (Kim, Lim, Dindia and Burrell, 2010, pp. 543-566). According to Hofstede, the Australian culture can be described to be individualism, and Lee was used to this culture because he expects people to express themselves, make their own decisions and others should not be concerned about them. In meetings, proposes ideas and is willing to take the responsibilities of himself. On the other hand, the Korean culture is collectivism because people are concerned about the decision and action of others and they prefer deciding with one voice as a group. Lees collogues dislikes his culture of standing out in meetings, and they expect to stand together in decisions as a group (Lim and Giles, 2007, pp. 349-364). Indulgence versus Restraint (IND) According to Hofstede, culture can be tolerance or restraint. This is usually used to describe the degree to which people do control their desires or the impulses which entail how people control their drives and the emotions. Countries with indulgence (or high IND level) allow people to work and live freely doing the small things that give them joy. On the other hand, a country with low IND level (Restraint) will have its people with restrictions to behavior and conduct to enjoying life and pursuing pleasure. Australia has a high IND ratio while Korea has a lower IND ratio (Adler, 2008). This evident when Lee dyed his hair and wore casual clothing on a working day he was considered rude before his superiors. Casual clothing and dyed hair are acceptable in Australia but not allowed in Korea, thus revealing the cultural IND differences (Ertmer, Newbe, Liu, Tomory, Yu and Lee, 2011, pp. 213-228). Power Distance Index (PDI) Power Distance Index, abbreviated as PDI, is one of the Hofstedes cultural dimension that is used to describe the inequalities of differences that exist in the society between those in power and those without power (both seniors and juniors). In low PDI countries, both seniors and juniors are consulted, and the information is frequency shared unlike in countries with high PDI where there exists a hierarchy of authority. Australia has a low PDI score of 36 while Korea has a higher score of 60. This is proofed in Lee's Korean company where hierarchy is observed, and people respect those in power. Leaving the workplace earlier than the seniors is rude and unacceptable unlike in Australia where there is no hierarchy (Fischer, 2009, pp. 25-48). Masculinity and Femininity (MAS) A country with a culture that driven by competition, the achievement and success of people are considered to be masculine (high MAS index). The feminine culture (Low MAS index) is characterized by advocating for equality and caring for others. In a low MAS index society, the quality of life is the sign of success but standing out from the crowd is likable. Australia is highly masculine with a score of 61 which is above average while Korea is highly feminine scored at 39 which is below average. Lee's is used to Austrian masculine culture where employees stand out in the crowd and find it rough when he practices this value in a Korean company that is highly feminine. His colleagues dislike his culture of standing out during meetings (Moussetes, 2007, pp. 443-445). The Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) UAI the degree to which the people tolerate the unknown future states. Countries with high Uncertainty avoidance (UAI) are fear the future and are not willing to engage in uncertain activities are risky while those with low UAI index can tolerate uncertainty. Korea is one of the countries that have a high UAI of 85 while Australia is medium with UAI of 51. Lee proposes innovative ideas for implementation by the management, but none of them are implemented. This is because the Korean company fears and avoids the risks that are likely to be associated with implementing this idea (Reynolds and Valentine, 2011). Long Term Orientation and Short Term Normative Orientation (LTO) This dimension describes how the people in the community keep links or interconnect the present with the past happening. Korea is among the countries with the highest LTO of 100 while Australia has 21. Therefore, this describes the situation of Lee whereby people are negative about him with his new culture (Janavaras, 2012, pp. 10-14). This means, from the history, they believe that such practices are wrong. 2.There are various aspects that Lee should consider to manage for a stay at the company and at the same time be comfortable. Firstly, for Lee to continue to work comfortably with the organization, he needs to get a good understanding of the Korean culture. This is the primary inevitable step towards successful adjustment to the new culture. He needs to understand the perceptions, evaluations, and interpretations of the social situations within the organization and make efforts to work within them (Smith, Peterson and Thomas, 2008). After getting a good understanding of the Korean culture, Lee should learn to the new culture. There are various aspects of the new workplace culture that seems to lack meaning, but for the sake of survival, Lee should respect and embrace them. In many cases, respecting a new culture is challenging because Lee will often find himself thinking that this culture is superior that the new culture. Thus, Lee should learn to respect and appreciate any cultural differences that exist (Minkov, 2011). The next step is to take significant moves towards successful working in the company. This includes an analysis of the new culture and then comparing it with the old Lees Australian culture and thus understand what he should do and what he should not. Lee will be forced to sacrifice some of his cultural values that are not acceptable n the new workplace for his comfortable living in the organization. Lee should also use his Australian culture to get more understanding of the new culture at the workplaceThe Korean manager needs to make efforts to help Lee, a new employee with cultural differences. Firstly, the Korean manager should understand the cultural differences that exist and then take action on them. This could be arranged for training to teach the new workers about the existing culture and then encourage them to comply and respect them. Also, in some cases, the manager should ignore the cultural differences and make Lee's colleagues understand and appreciate their culture (Hum es and Reilly, 2008, pp.118-137). 3.As a strategy, the management should ensure that there is regular communication. Accurate, prompt communication is critical for the management of the cultural differences. The management should also make team-building. Individualist employees will require building teams to enhance the teamwork in the society. The Korean manager should, therefore, put in more efforts to promote team work so that Lee can work with others to develop the groups (Beebe and Mottet, 2010). Therefore, putting these strategies in place is likely to help talented employees to stay in the organization and thus assist the company retains its competitive advantage. Conclusion In conclusion, understanding the culture is an inevitable aspect for the success of every culture. International management brings together people with different geographical and cultural backgrounds thus; there is need to understand and address the existing differences. This is best done using the Hofstede's theory. Also, there are certain aspects that the company acts on them to support and address the cultural differences. Besides, as a new employee in an environment that has a different culture, he should make efforts to understand and respect the prevailing culture. References Adler, N. (2008). International dimensions of organizational behavior. (5thed.). Cincinnati, Ohio: South-Western Beebe, S., and Mottet, T. (2010).Business and professional communication: Principles and skills for leadership. Boston: Allyn Bacon. Dowling, P., Festing, M., and Engle, A. (2008). International Human Resource Management (5ed), London: Thomson Learning. Ertmer, P., Newbe, J., Liu, W., Tomory, A., Yu, H., and Lee, Y. (2011). Student's confidence and perceived value for participating in cross-cultural wiki-based collaborations. Education Technical Research Development, pp. 213228. Fischer, R. (2009).Where is Culture in Cross-Cultural Research? An Outline of a Multilevel Research Process for Measuring Culture as a Shared Meaning System. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, pp. 25-48. Humes, M., and Reilly, A. (2008). Managing intercultural teams: The Organization Exercise.Journal of Management Education,pp.118-137. Janavaras, B. (2012). Teaching and learning global marketing using the web. AIB Insights, pp. 10-14. Kim, J., Lim, T., Dindia, K., and Burrell, N. (2010). Reframing the cultural differences between the East and the West.Communication Studies, pp. 543-566. Lim, T. and Kim, J. (2011). A missing link in individualism-collectivism research.Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, pp. 21-38. Lim, T., and Giles, H. (2007). Differences in U.S. and Korean college students evaluations of one-year age differences.Journal of Multilingual Multicultural Development,pp. 349-364. Minkov, M. (2007). What makes us different and similar: A new interpretation of the World Values Survey and other cross-cultural Data, Sofia, Bulgaria. Minkov, M. (2011). Cultural differences in a globalizing world. Bingley, UK: Emerald. Moussetes, A. (2007). The absence of womens voices in Hofstedes Cultural Consequences: A postcolonial reading. Women in Management Review, pp. 443-445. Reynolds, S., and Valentine, D. (2011). Guide to Cross-cultural Communication. (2nded). New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Smith, P., Peterson, M. and Thomas, D. (2008).The Handbook of Cross-Cultural Management Research. Thousand Oaks CA: Sage.

Chlamydia Essays (714 words) - , Term Papers

Chlamydia The sexually transmitted disease caused by microorganisms that live, as parasites within a cell would commonly be known as Chlamedia. These microorganisms have properties in common with both viruses and bacteria, and cause infection in humans. The causes and risk factors of the Chlamydia infection is caused by the organism Chlamydia trachomas. It is to be the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United states with an estimated 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 people per year. (Even with the 2,000,000 people of gonorrhea, reported and unreported) The spread is higher among lower society groups and among teenagers. Chlamydia is very important because of the consequences of untreated infection. The importance of genital chlamydia infections is without symptoms until complications appear. Chlamydia: In men, chlamydia produces symptoms similar to gonorrhea. Chlamydia (female): Infection with chlamydia frequently leads to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) which can cause scarring of the Fallopian tubes and sterility. An estimated 20% of women who get PID will be infertile. Tubule wounds also increases the likelihood of a bad pregnancy (tubule pregnancy). If women are infected with chlamydia while pregnant the infection can cause premature labor and delivery. Plus the infant have a chance of Developing chlamydial conjunctivitis (eye infection) and a 15% chance of developing chlamydial pneumonia. A meaning of chlamydial infections do not cause symptoms; but when they are present; it is similar to those of gonorrhea. In men, this may include burning with urination, discharge from the end of the penis, tenderness or pain in the testicles and lower abdomen and fever and. Women may also have urinary burning, increased frequency, and a mild urethra discharge. Infection of the female reproductive tract can include the Bartholin ducts, vagina, cervix, endometrium, and fallopian tubes. Chlamydia can also cause rectal infections. There are three strains of chlamydia that are responsible for another sexually transmitted disease, and is called lymphogranuloma venereum. This disease is seen more in under developed countries but has gone worldwide. In the United States it is seen mostly in homosexual men. For the reason that Chlamydia infections is often found in conjunction with gonorrhea. People who are get with gonorrhea should also be evaluated for chlamydia infection. The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends annual chlamydia screening for all sexually active adolescent girls and for other females who may be at high risk for the infection. People that are 25 years old don't use contraceptives all of the time and have new or multiple sex partners. They probably have signs of a possible cervical infection have previously had an STD. Females who are at risk because of their age and sexual activity need to get screened at least once a year. Other chlamydia experts have recently questioned whether that is even a lot. Based on a study experts had conducted in 1998, colleagues at Johns Hopkins University recently recommended a twice-yearly screening of sexually active female adolescents. In tracking more than 3,000 sexually active Baltimore high school girls for three years, they found that more than a quarter of them tested positive for chlamydia at least once in that time frame. By keeping with this test screening was recommended for pregnant women, also, because of the risk that their babies will become infected with chlamydia at birth. No screening was given to males. Because it could have been overlooked. "There is a lot of chlamydia in men that we're missing, and they are a major reservoir of infection". Said the experts. "We're really only putting a band-aid on the problem because, even if we're screening the women, some are going back to their partners and getting reinfected." There has been major progress in the treatment of chlamydia with antibiotics over the past few years. Common side effects of these treatments include diarrhea (7%), nausea (5%), abdominal pain (5%), and vomiting (2%). Once again a person can get and spread chlamydia through unprotected vaginal and anal sex. Preventing chlamydia means approaching sexual relationships responsibly: limit the number of your sex partners, use condoms, and if you think you are infected, avoid any sexual contact and visit a local STD clinic, hospital, or your doctor. Bibliography The Food and Drug Administration. FDA Consumer Magazine: Chlamydia's Quick Cure: Fight Against 'Silent' STD Includes New Screening Test, One-Dose Drug, July-August 1999. (Online) http://www.fda.gov/ fdac/features/ 1999/499_std.html Excite. STD Home Page. 2000 Article http://adam.excite.com/info/?id=001345 Copyright ?2000 Google Inc. http://www.unspeakable.com/facts/chlamydia.html Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Home page http://www.cdc.gov/health/diseases.htm, http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/dstd/chlamydia_facts.htm

The Name Is Not the Thing

The Name Is Not the Thing The Name Is Not the Thing The Name Is Not the Thing By Mark Nichol Writers sometimes have difficulty differentiating in their syntax between something and its name. Here are some examples of this type of error, with explanations and solutions. 1. â€Å"The cartoon series is so inspired by the city that all characters are local street names.† Here, the writer attempts to explain that names in the cast of characters of a television series were selected by going through a list of streets located in the city in which the series is set; this decision exemplifies the extent to which the city inspired the program. This can be stated more simply with just a slight correction of the original sentence: â€Å"The cartoon series is so inspired by the city that all characters are named after local streets.† The following variation is even closer to the writer’s wording but is repetitive and less elegant: â€Å"The cartoon series is so inspired by the city that all characters’ names are local street names.† 2. â€Å"What is a BNP? This relatively new blood test, which stands for ‘b-type natriuretic peptide serum,’ measures the level of a hormone released when the heart chambers stretch larger than normal.† This writer makes the mistake of implying that the blood test is an abbreviation for â€Å"b-type natriuretic peptide serum.† But it is BNP, the preceding initialism for the test, not the test itself, that represents the full name, and that distinction must be explicit: â€Å"What is a BNP? This relatively new blood test, the initials for which stand for â€Å"b-type natriuretic peptide serum,† measures the level of a hormone released when the heart chambers stretch larger than normal.† 3. â€Å"They created an Advisory Committee on the Protection and Use of Sandy Point.† This wording implies that creation of advisory committees on the protection and use of Sandy Point is a regular occurrence, and that this was just another instance of that commonplace event. The sentence should avoid this minor but distracting confusion by referring to creation of a generic entity that is then named: â€Å"They created a body called the Advisory Committee on the Protection and Use of Sandy Point.† Alternatively, assuming that the revision fits the context, the sentence might read something like, â€Å"To that end, they created the Advisory Committee on the Protection and Use of Sandy Point.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:"Based in" and "based out of"Deck the Halls20 Ways to Laugh

Advantages and Disadvantages of EU Research Paper

Advantages and Disadvantages of EU - Research Paper Example This has promoted economic progress and convergent political ideology that has significantly boosted the peaceful co-existence of the member states. EU has some challenge to the stronger economies that are members like Germany. Their economy is vulnerable to sump in regard to homogeneous currency due to the burden from unstable economies like Greece. The reduced barrier to trade has facilitated cross border transaction. This means significantly lower cost of business among member states with greater gain in terms of efficiency and consistent supply of goods and services. Divergent political ideologies have facilitated internal disagreements on macro and micro-economic policies. This has led to instabilities in specific policy recommendations especially in the aspect of political and economic performance disparities among member states. EU members use a common currency which helps citizens from member states to transact easily in any of the countries. This has promoted economic strength of the region and socio-political co-operation in the region. The effect has been seen in stronger currency relative to the US dollar. Mass consumption that results from this scenario continue to expand the economic performance of the Union. The economic disparity among member states means that the poor performers are exposed to indirect suppression and face significant macroeconomic pressure to comply with the Union’s requirements. This has a structural socio-economic huddle that has seen some member states exhibiting uncooperative behavior. Besides, the globalization effect seems to override some member states capability hence leading to unpredictable economic prospects. Owing to the strong economic ranking of most member states and the mass industrialization that characterize the region, it offers better bargaining power in international market. This has significant boost in industrial growth, political

School Hierarchy Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

School Hierarchy - Coursework Example The ability to ethically implement decisions in schools is a function of the school management. Different characteristics school hierarchies exist and have their direct effects on the implementation of decisions. This paper will look into the characteristics that are detrimental to the ethical implementation of decisions This is the characteristic of school hierarchies that recognizes only a single channel of information flow. In such hierarchies, the top management are the sole source of information. The decisions made at the top flow downwards and access to feedback is limited. When this happens, the ethical requirements of the community such as inclusion of students with special needs do not obtain feedback from the community (National Research Council, 2012). The lack of feedback deters application of evaluation measures and is thus detrimental to the implementation of ethical decisions. Decision making is an activity that should be done with precautions. The precautions ensure that there is ethicality in the decisions and that the implementation of the decision will have the intended effects on the involved parties. When this is done, positive outcomes are anticipated and achieved (National Research Council, 2012). To achieve such a situation, the school should involve all the relevant stakeholders to ensure that all the affected people are consulted before decisions are made. This ensures that there are no complaints regarding the decisions and their ethicality. When the stakeholders are not involved in the school hierarchy, the decisions made are hard to implement. Any organizations should have all their activities directed towards the achievement of set objectives. This is also true for school hierarchies. When the hierarchies are based on objectives that are ethical, the activities and decisions made are directed towards the achievement of the objectives (Brazer et al., 2010). When; however, the

Reflection Paper on The Game Diplomacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reflection Paper on The Game Diplomacy - Essay Example We were excited to get to once again see each other and couldn’t wait to catch up on what we had done, or had happened to us over the course of spring break. Needless to say, my friend had had a more interesting spring break as his grandparents lived in California at a location that was relatively within walking distance from the sea. I on the other hand had merely spent the entire spring break away on a scout’s summer camp. My best friend excitedly told me that while on holiday visit at his grandparents, his grandfather had taught him how to play an interesting board game called diplomacy which although having proved to initially be quite complex, had eventually proved to be much more fun than all the games that we used to play. He promised me that once I got hooked on the game, it would be quite difficult for me to go back to enjoying the old games that we used to play. While I was thrilled with the prospect of learning a new game, I also had a bit of apprehension as its name did not sound as flashy or as interesting as some of the other games that we used to play. We agreed to call up a few of our games playing buddies so that we could meet up at my friend’s house the very next day and get a chance to play diplomacy on the board that he received from his grandfather as a present. As we all enjoyed the challenge of mastering a new game, we soon found ourselves hooked to the game and continue to play the game to this day. Diplomacy is essentially a game in which negotiating skills and diplomacy are used in a quest to try and control Europe. The game is set to begin in the years before World War I and is played by seven players who each represent the major European powers of the time which were France, Austria-Hungary, England, Turkey, Russia, Italy and Germany. Each player is randomly assigned a nation that they will

Childs future life chances

Childs future life chances Your life chances and opportunities depend on the social circumstances of the family you were born into. discuss drawing upon academic literature and research examples The likelihood of a child succeeding in life is still largely determined by their familys income and social position. This essay will begin by introducing the debates which centre around this topic. It will then go on to examine four key domains which affect a Childs future life chances: family income, education, class status and family background. The concept of life chances was originally introduced by Max Weber who believed that factors such as low, economic position, status and power were interlinked and together presented the problem of poorer life chances in the future. In current literature life chances signifies the opportunities which are available for people to improve there quality of life in the future for example access to quality education. Some of these influences are likely to be affected by the social circumstances of the family to which they are born into. This could be directly: well educated parents, all things being equal, will probably provide a more intellectually stimulating home-life than those parents who left school early. Other influences will be indirect: better-educated parents may have higher than average incomes and hence be able to finance educational excursions, or in other ways to provide life enhancing experiences for their offspring. some of these additional opportunities will be cumulative, reinforcing other positive characteristics, while others may serve to compensate for some forms of disadvantage. Some people believe that it is strictly genes that affect our opportunities in life. Research focusing on the causal relationship between genes and subsequent IQ, range from 0 to 80% this provides inconsistent results. Recent research, has suggested that genetic and environmental factors are not distinct determinants of intelligence and life chances. Instead it is the interaction between these two factors which gives rise to a childs intelligence levels. The role that nurture has to play in developing intelligence is clearly demonstrated from data published by Inequality in the early cognitive development of British children. The data suggested that the social circumstances of the family influenced future educational attainment. Those children brought up in families with low Socio-economic Status (SES) with attainment levels ranked as low, at 22 months, were also prone to have low attainment at age ten. On the other hand those children from a high SES background were as likely to sho w high attainment at age ten, even if their attainment was ranked low at 22 months. This data suggests that it is nurture and the social circumstances of the family which influences the future chances of these children and not their initial genetic abilities. Mayer notes that children who are born into low income parents also seem to have less success than those parents who have more money. Children from low income families also tend to score lower on measurers of cognitive ability, more likely to drop put of school, to have behavioural problems and essentially earn less in later life. This is drastically demonstrated in a 1970 British cohort survey showing that at age 26 young adults experience an earnings penalty of 9% if they were brought up in a household with an income below half the average (after controlling for educational attainment) therefore this suggests that young people from poor backgrounds are disproportionately observed at the lower end of the earnings distribution when they are in work. Further research in the US by Isaac (2007) which focused on the intergenerational aspect of income focusing on families economic position and how this is influenced by that of there parents: He found that 42 percent of children born to pa rents in the bottom fifth of the economic distribution remain in this section as adults with only 23 percent rising to the second fifth, meanwhile 39 percent of children born to parents at the top of the income distribution remain at the top, with only 23 percent moving downwards to the second fifth. From this research alone it is clear to see that a parents income is influencing there childrens future income opportunities. One possible reason for this difference is that of social class. The role of SES is well-documented in the literature concerning life chances. Using the National Child Development Stufies and the British Cohort study, Carneiro et al (2007) and Blanden et al (2006) illustrated that there is clearly a strong relationship between a childs social and cognitive abilities and their parents SES. This has been demonstrated by Fienstein (2003) who found that those children who were originally brought up in low socio economic status background who scored poorly on cognitive tests at an early age were more likely to remain with low scores as they grew through the life course, however those children from a higher socio economic status with lowe scores were much more likely to catch up. These results from the NCDS and the BCS do allow for informative feedback However in order to test the validity of these findings it is very important that these relationships are tested throughout generations. This recent research has been carried out by Sylva et al (2007) who analysed data from a recent programme the Effective Pre-School and Primary Education (EPPE) programme which aimed to test childrens cognitive attainment (reading and mathematics) from that age of three to the end of Key Stage 2.

Tim Paterson :: essays research papers

Tim Paterson, also known as the "Father of Dos" is the computer programmer who created the world's most widely used computer program: DOS. Creating DOS at age 24, Paterson claims, "it is an accomplishment that probably can't be repeated by anyone ever." After Paterson graduated from University of Washington in Seattle with a bachelors of science degree, he tried going to graduate school but lost interest. "I thought they were too oriented towards theory and not what I needed." Although he received a good education at U of W, Paterson did not learn the majority of his computer skills from text books. "I learned it by reading and playing with it. I got a lot of exposure to electronics stuff at home." Throughout his education and experience with computers, Tim Paterson as become one of the most genius computer programmers of our time. After college, Paterson landed a job as a computer technician at a Seattle area retail computer store. Because of his experience with computers, Paterson stared designing his own peripheral boards on the side. Through his job and his computer experience, Paterson was hired into a better job. "I got to know Rod Brock of Seattle Computer when he came into the store periodically. We were selling his boards. Eventually he asked me to consult for Seattle Computer." After helping the company fix there memory boards at fifty dollars a day, they offered him a full time position and Paterson quit his job at the retail store. The first major task Seattle Computer threw at Paterson was building an operation system for their new computer; the CP/M. Paterson was a little hesitant at first in creating such a program but he put up to the challenge. "I had always wanted to write my own operating system. I’ve always hated CP/M and thought I could do it a lot better." Little did he know before he started the project that he was about to create the "the world's most widely used computer program." By the spring of 1980, Paterson had created a program called QDOS.10 (stands for Quick and Dirty). After finding bugs in the program, he fixed the problem and named it QDOS.11. By the end of August 1980, the program was working well and being shipped. Not knowing the great potential of his new program, Paterson was not expecting much from it. "I was aghast," says Paterson, "When I heard that IBM was using it (QDOS.

Successful implementation of ERP Systems: issues and obstacles

Introduction: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are packaged (but customizable) software applications, which manage data from various organizational activities and provide a fully integrated solution to major organizational data management problems. It integrates all data and processes of an organization into one single and centralized system. These systems comprise of many components of hardware and software, in order to achieve integration from various departments in the organization. With the development of new technologies it’s an essential part of their long-term competitive strategy. ERP software applications can be used to manage product planning, purchase, inventory, interacting with suppliers, customer relationship management service, and order tracking.Discussion: Enterprise resource planning (ERP) packages touch many aspects of a company’s internal and external operations. Consequently, successful deployment and use of ERP systems are critical to org anizational performance and survival. This paper presents the results of a study of the problems and outcomes in ERP, a project which was conducted under the sponsorship of an ERP systems vendor. Enterprise systems (or enterprise resource planning systems – ERP) have been instrumental in advancing efficiency in organizations throughout  the world.However, David Hebert of the Hackett Group stated, â€Å"Only a select few companies have gotten value out of their ERP implementations, and those are world-class companies†. Many companies are radically changing their information technology strategies to maintain a competitive advantage, become more responsive to change markets, and deliver better service at lower cost by purchasing off-the-shelf integrated ERP software instead of developing IT systems in-house. [1][2][3]ERP System: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are software packages that use relational database technology to integrate various units of an organ ization's information system. ERP systems provide several separate, but integrated modules, which can be installed as a package for any organization [4]. Many large corporations use several different and separate information systems, often because they have merged with and/or acquired other companies with varied systems. An ERP system integrates these separate information systems and results in improved data reliability and processing efficiency.ERP systems quickly became popular with large corporations that needed a seamless integration of their business, but are now frequently used by small to mid-sized companies. The excellent ability of ERP systems to simplify business transaction processing, eliminate work that adds little or no value, and simultaneously improve customer service are the main reasons for the outstanding success and popularity of these systems [5] ERP Model:Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are off-the-shelf software packages that support most of the key functions of an enterprise, such as logistics, sales, and financial management. These systems are generic, and the functionality they provide can serve a large variety of enterprises. ERP is a critical strategic tool to achieve business goals. However, ERP adoption is not always successful despite using substantial amount of time and human and material resources. To prevent ERP failures, proper adoption processes and selection criteria should be considered to minimize possible losses. To explain the ERP Fig: Modelin an easily understandable format you have to know about the 4ps marketing  model. Usually the 4Ps marketing model was a general marketing model where the 4Ps originally stood for people, product, promotion and price [6]. Over the years, this model has been changed to become a business model and was modified by replacing promotion and price with process and performance [7]. The modified 4P business model was created to architect the ERP Conceptual model because several people working in management are familiar with the concept of the 4Ps.The ERP model is made of 4 components that are implemented through a methodology. This figure demonstrates the integration between the components. Methodology encircles all four of the components to illustrate that each component is addressed and implemented in an integrated manner. [7] [8]ERP System implementation: With the development of new technologies many companies now consider technological improvements an essential part of their long-term competitive strategy, and consequently try to apply these technologies. Computer technology has brought about many benefits in helping the construction industry meet increasingly complex challenges. It has achieved a wide range of successful applications at the project level such as engineering design, project estimating, scheduling, planning and control, and integrated project management.H. Klaus and G. Gable analyzed the concept of ERP, in order to explain its origin. T hey consider that the designation is not related to the role and characteristics of this system. The integrated system of type ERP is not focused on the resource management and it is not very developed within planning area, as its name may suggest it. It is rather focused on the integration of all organization departments, functions and processes within a single computer informational system, capable of supporting all these areas, with their individual and specific requirements. [8]Design of Evaluation Model for ERP System: ERP allows employees to share information, query data, and run reports. This eliminates the need to store duplicate information in more than one place and reduces the amount of work necessary to gather and analyze information  [9]. ERP systems increase efficiency by freeing employees from performing time consuming, manual work. For example, legacy systems often require hours or days to run reports. With ERP, reports can be produced in seconds. These efficiencie s allow employees to spend time on other tasks; reducing operating expenses. Here’s a proposed evaluation design model for ERP system-The proposed ERP evaluation model [8]Issues in Implementing ERP: A Case Study: Information technology/systems play a major role in improving the competitiveness of organizations. There are numerous enterprise information software packages available in the market. One of them is enterprise resource planning (ERP). ERP can provide signiï ¬ cant improvements in eï ¬Æ'ciency across a company, but only when implemented correctly. Otherwise, an ERP system could be a curse and drag the whole enterprise into spiraling ineï ¬Æ'ciency.Planning for ERP systems and their implementations requires an integrated approach to meet the requirements of various functional areas. With a brief overview of ERP implementations, this paper describes some experiences of an ERP implementation in a water corporation. The case study reveals some of the intricacies duri ng the planning and implementation stages that may occur in any company in any part of the world. Suggestions are oï ¬â‚¬ered in resolving the issues of implementing ERP.The criteria for success (and failure): Whether a system is branded as a success or a failure is a judgment, usually made at some point in time by one or more people with the benefit of hindsight. Most people, for example, consider that the new system at Heathrow airport’s Terminal 5 was a failure when it opened in 2008. Now, however, that same system (more accurately, system of systems) is operating successfully with few reported problems on a day-to-day basis.[10] The judgment of whether a project has ‘failed’ is not a simple yes/no decision. It is common for systems that initially did not live up to expectations to evolve over time to deliver useful services. However, management usually regard a project tends as a success if it meets three high-level criteria:It should be delivered on time It should be delivered within budget It should deliver the expected functionalityIn addition to these should be added the considerations of the users, to make sure that the system fits in with their everyday working: It should be acceptable to the users (and hence used).If a project fails to satisfy one or more of these criteria when it is deployed, it is likely to be labeled a failure. If we closely examine the causes of system failures, we see that most of them are not attributable to failures of the technology. Instead, they are failures of the socio-technical system, often arising because the social and organizational aspects either have not been appropriately considered, or have been separated from the technological aspects.It is important that the social and technical aspects of the overall system are developed in parallel, because they are often interdependent. If they are developed separately, any mismatches may not be detected until late in the project when they are invariabl y expensive and time-consuming to correct, and can even lead to the project being abandoned.The most important problems of ERP system implementation: There are several studies dealing with difficulties in enterprise system implementation. The researchers use different concepts, which have various scopes and meanings. As a result, comparing and integrating their findings is difficult. The number of recognized categories of problems and issues experienced by companies adopting ERP system varies from two through three to five. The identified groups cover issues of various nature and scope, e.g., technical, operational, legal, business/economic, organizational, managerial etc. The respondents opinions regarding the problems observed in ERP system, divided into the described categories, are presented in Table 1. Within each category, various difficulties are listed together with a short description. [11]Table: Problems occurring during ERP system implementation [11] ProblemDetailsOrganiz ational problems: Project goalsLack of clearly defined goals of the implementation project; incorrectly defined goals; lack of prioritiesCompany’s conditionPoor company organization; unclear organizational procedures; unclear strategyCommunication Problems with communication and information flow; different understanding of the same ideas by different departmentsDecision makingProblems with decision making (e.g., regarding personnel); indecisiveness of company representativesPersonnel availabilityKey employees unavailable; workers’ lack of timeConflicts Conflicts between a company’s departments; conflicts during organizational changeImplementationMistakes in project management; lack of risk management; lack of implementation tasks’ coordinationmanagementOrganizational and ownership changes during the project; changes in requirements;Changes in a companychanges in company organizational structure imposed by the introduced systemTrainingInadequate training p hase of a project; cutting trainingSocial problems: Employees’ knowledge and educationLack of management competence; lack of personnel computer literacy; lack of knowledge about company operations, enterprise systems and their implementationTop managementLack of top management support and involvement; lack of project understanding by top managementImplementation teamLack of implementation team members’ commitment; inadequate composition of implementation team (e.g., too few people, people not empowered to make decisions)MotivationLack of employees’ motivation to perform implementation tasks and learn new skillsResistance to new systemResistance of middle management, IT staff, and system users; people avoiding implementation dutiesResistance to changePeople highly accustomed to existing solutions and unwilling to changeProject managerLack of a project manager; inadequate person appointed as a project manager; necessity of sharing time between implementation tasks and organizational dutiesSystem provider’s competenceConsultants lacking competence, knowledge, and experience; problems with the availability of system provider’s servicesProject acceptancePeople not convinced about the project; lack of general acceptance for the project; problem with project acceptance by people not involved in implementation dutiesPersonnel’s fearFear about possible consequences of implementation project: loss of job, position, and statusUsers’ responsibility Lack of responsibility and care among people entering data into the systemTechnical problems: DataProblems with completing and organizing system data; problems with transferring data from legacy systems to ERP systemSystem efficiencyUsers unable to enter data on-line; problems with customer and provider order handlingSystem drawbacksImplementers unaware of program’s errors and shortcomings; lack of efficient application testing;Economic problems: High costsInadequate finan cial budget for the project; loss of financial resources; lack of financial flexibility and resource allocationThe problems discovered in Table 1 refer to practically all stakeholders involved in the project: employees, implementation team members (who are functional departments’ managers in enterprise X), and top management representatives. Next, the organizations suffered from the high costs involved and problems connected with goals definition.Conclusion: There is no silver bullet that can be used to kill off the potential for failure of ERP system development projects. The proportion of failures remains stubbornly high, even though several of the factors that are associated with failures appear to be known. A quick look at several of the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Top 10† style lists of factors associated with failures (and successes) reveals that no two lists are identical, although there are several factors that recur on many lists.The lack of agreement suggests that the analyses of the reasons for failure may be overgeneralising, by treating all failures as being more or less the same, whereas there are really different types of failure that arise through different combinations of factors. Reference 1. Markus. L. â€Å"learning from adopters’ experiences with ERP: problems encountered & success achieved†, online journal , available at- http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CEUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.farrell-associates.com.au%2FBPI%2FPapers%2FERP%2520Research.pdf&ei=fWEdUPOyGIWIrAez_oGwAg&usg=AFQjCNFh8bwBuLBbiHMbCVvoLWoej1TJOQ&sig2=Oe695TrVDvjagLr3jWUNbA , accessed on 26th July 2012. 2. Marnewick. C. and Labuschagne. L. (2005),†A conceptual model for enterprise resource planning (ERP)†,Information Management & Computer Security, Vol. 13 Iss: 2 pp. 144 – 155, available at- http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09685220510589325 , accessed on 1st aug 2012 . 3. Hooks, A. (2002), â€Å"Change management: how to reduce the risk of change†, available at: www.internext-group.com 4. Bae. B. 2004. â€Å"Implemantation of ERP Systems† Journal. 5. Gibbs, Jeff. â€Å"The power of enterprise computing.† Internal Auditor . Feb. 1997. 6. Alexandrou, M. (2002), â€Å"Supply chain management (SCM) definition†, available at: www.marialexadrou.com/glossary/scm.sp 7. Marnewick, C. and Labuschagne, L. (2005),†A conceptual model for enterprise resource planning (ERP)†,Information Management & Computer Security, Vol. 13 Iss: 2 pp. 144 – 155 8. Bryson, K. amd William E. Sullivan, (2003),†Designing effective incentive-oriented contracts for application service provider hosting of ERP systems†, Business Process Management Journal, Vol. 9 Iss: 6 pp. 705 – 721. Available at- http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14637150310506648. Accessed on- 25th july 2012. 9. D.P. Goyal, Gurbinder Randhawa, (2007),†Design of evaluation model for ERP systems: an empirical study of Indian Industry†, Journal of Advances in Management Research, Vol. 4 Iss: 1 pp. 63 – 73 available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/972798108000125. Accessed on 28th july 2012 10. Kakouris, A.P. and Polychronopoulos.G, (2005),†Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System: An Effective Tool for Production Management†, Management Research News, Vol. 28 Iss: 6 pp. 66 – 78 11. Joseph R. Muscatello, Michael H. Small, Injazz J. Chen, (2003),†Implementing enterprise resource planning(ERP) systems in small and midsize manufacturing firms†, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 23 Iss: 8 pp. 850 – 871

Sound Waves Essays - Waves, Acoustics, Wave Mechanics, Hearing

Sound Waves Essays - Waves, Acoustics, Wave Mechanics, Hearing Sound Waves Sound is part of our everyday lives. Just like we have eyes for, we are given ears for hearing sound. We rarely take the time to think about the characteristics of sound and the ways that they are made. The basis for an understanding of sound and hearing is the physics of waves. Sound is a wave, which is created by vibrating objects and spread through a medium from one location to another. In this paper, we will look at the nature, properties and behaviors of sound waves. A wave can be described as a disturbance that travels through a medium, transporting energy from one location to another location. The medium is simply the material through which the sound, or disturbance, is moving; it can be thought of as a series of interacting particles. The example of a slinky wave is often used to illustrate the nature of a wave. A disturbance is typically created within the slinky by the back and forth movement of the first coil of the slinky. The first coil becomes disturbed and begins to push or pull on the second coil; this push or pull on the second coil will shift the second coil from its balanced position. As the second coil becomes shifted, it begins to push or pull on the third coil; the push or pull on the third coil displaces it from its balanced position. As the third coil becomes shifted, it begins to push or pull on the fourth coil. This process continues one after the other, each individual particle acting to displace the neighboring particle; ev entually the disturbance travels all the way through the slinky. As the disturbance moves from coil to coil, the energy which was originally introduced into the first coil is transported along the medium from one location to another. A sound wave is similar to a slinky for a couple of reasons. First, there is a medium, which carries the disturbance from one location to another. Usually, this medium is air; though it could be any material such as water or steel. The medium is simply a series of interconnected and interacting particles. Second, there is an original source of the wave, some vibrating object capable of disturbing the first particle of the medium. The vibrating object, which creates the disturbance, could be the vocal chords of a person, the vibrating string and sound board of a guitar or violin, the vibrating tines of a tuning fork, or the vibrating diaphragm of a radio speaker. Third, the sound wave is transported from one location to another by means of the particle interaction. If the sound wave is moving through air, then as one air particle is shifted from its balanced position, it exerts a push or pull on its nearest neighbors, causing them to be shifted from their equilibrium position. This pa rticle interaction continues throughout the entire medium, with each particle interacting and causing a disturbance of its nearest neighbors. Since a sound wave is a disturbance, which is transported through a medium via the means of particle interaction, a sound wave is characterized as a mechanical wave. The creation of sound waves are often demonstrated by using a tuning fork. A tuning fork is a metal object that has two tines(spikes) that vibrate if they are hit by a rubber hammer or mallet. As the tines of the tuning forks vibrate back and forth, they begin to disturb surrounding air molecules. These disturbances are passed on to neighboring air molecules by the means of particle interaction. The motion of the disturbance, originating at the tines of the tuning fork and traveling through the medium (in this case, air) is what is referred to as a sound wave. Sometimes, the tuning fork is mounted on a soundboard. When this happens, the vibrating tuning fork, connected to the soundboard, sets the soundboard into a vibrating motion. In turn, the soundboard sets the air inside of the it into a vibrating motion. As the tines of the tuning fork, the structure of the soundboard, and the inside of the soundboard begin vibrating at the same frequency, a louder sound is produced. In fact, the more particles which can be made to

Cope dont Mope Professor Ramos Blog

Cope dont Mope In 6th grade I had just finished running laps in my p.e class and since it was my last class of the day i was gonna go change and then wait for my ride to come pick me up. I found a big tree at the front of the school so i was just gonna lay there while I waited because it was pretty hot that day so it was nice to be in the shade. I was so tired after my run that I actually ended up closing my eyes for a bit and i didnt open them until I heard someone walking up to me. When I opened my eyes, all I saw was someone in a grey hoodie throwing a punch at my face. This was nothing new though, this was just the most recent attack in a year full of bullying at all that bullying put me in a really bad spot that took me years to recover from. I had to figure out how to cope with the bullying and basically had to prove to myself that I was worth it. I was bullied from 5th grade up to 7th grade and a little into 8th but by the end of 8th grade i had grown taller than everyone else so no one dared to mess with me anymore but those years of abuse left a big mark on me and my mental health. It actually got so bad that the latter part of 6th grade and the early part of 7th grade when my family would leave for work or school and i was home alone i would actually get my dads handgun load it and put it to my head and sit there until someone comes home then I would hide it again. I did that until i heard two quotes that at least got me to stop contemplating suicide. I have no idea who said them or where i heard them but they absolutely changed my life they are â€Å"Suicide is a permanet solution to an impermanent problem† and â€Å"suicde does not get rid of your pain, it only takes it and gives it to someone else†. The second quote was the one that really saved my life because imagine my dad coming home and finding me dea d in his bed, with his gun in my hand. I know my dad and he would feel like he failed me and our family and I could not put my family through all of that. It wasnt until I was out of highschool when I really got past that stuff. It was a long and bumpy road though, i lost a lot of people I cared about because i came up with this tough guy alter ego to try and counteract everything that had happened but all that did was isolate me even further because i kept pushing people away so i needed a new way to cope. To add to all the mental and physical abuse I suffered in middle school immediately after middle school my dad ended up moving me away from all my friends, away from the people that made me feel safest. I went into my freshman year of highschool completely alone again so I had no one to turn to when things got bad. About half way through the semester I had started talking to people and actually making friends there was even this girl Dhalila that I really liked who I was gonna go see a movie with but we ended up moving again but this time to arizona. Instead of moving from one town to another like before this time it was to a completely different state so once again I was alone but this time I was alone in a 100 degree desert with nothing to comfort me but cactuses (which dont give great hugs I ended up finding out). So once again I have to put myself out there and make new friends but this time it was way faster because I met this girl Julie who actually introduced me to all her fri ends and one of those people actually ended up becoming my girlfriend but im hoping shell say yes when I ask her to be my fiance. So I hang out with julies friends all the way until the end of the school year then BOOM I switch schools, I dont end up moving but i end up switching schools so once again I have to make new friends even though by now im old enough to have a phone so I keep in contact with some of the people from my last school. But by now I had started pushing people away with this fake me i created and I hated that I kept doing it. I mean it was so bad that I would ask a girl out and when she rejected me i wouldnt get sad i would get mad like how dare she not want to date me. And it was awful. So now it is my sophomore year of highschool now and im doing a little bit better because the friends I made at my new school actually ended up getting me into sports. At first it was just playing catch or something at lunch but eventually they got me to try out for the football team and I liked it. I made the team as a wide receiver because im tall and can run fast. I loved the camaraderie between the guys on the team and the lights shining on the field when we played at night. Those games where the happiest id been in a very long time but after about 10 games it happened. I went up for a catch and as I was up in the air a defender from the opposing team hit me right in the chest as I was coming down and actually broke one of my ribs and put my rib into my lung which ended up puncturing it. After that I was in the hospital and bed ridden for weeks and even after i could get up I could barely move or breathe which put me back into that hole i had just climbed out of and I felt lost a gain. I thought that football was gonna be my thing, that was gonna be my thing that got me past my depression and heck maybe id even make a career out of it. But sadly it was just a nice escape for a few months but then I lost it. In December of my sophomore year I met this girl cayce through my friend Julie who I started talking to over Facebook and really quick it felt like there was some kind of connection like it seemed as though we were the same person. After only 4 or 5 months and prompting from Cayces friend I took the leap and asked her out and to my surprise she actually said yes. Ever since that day my life has been on an uphill climb even though in between sophomore and junior year I moved back to California leaving my girlfriend in Arizona. She was the one that truly got me past all that stuff that happened in 6th grade. So nearly 6 years later I finally started recovering and it was because we would always talk about our dream dates or dream house which allowed the real me to come out. Before her I had that tough guy alter ego that would say mt perfect date is sex and mt perfect house is an expensive one but with Cayce i was able to let my walls down and really go into detail on stuff and be me. F or once in years i was able to be me and I loved it. So I guess this whole paper and my whole journey boils down to be yourself no matter what people say, no matter what people do if you be you then you can do anything you want. I am about to finish my first full year of college and in only one more year I will have 3 associates degrees all because my girlfriend and my friends helped me see who the real me is. Plus this is my way of flipping off all the people that bullied me years ago, this is my way of proving them wrong.

Descriptive paper on metal of honor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Descriptive paper on metal of honor - Essay Example Smith renowned himself in 1864 after saving his regimental colors; this is after the killing of the color bearer during the Battle of Honey Hill in South Carolina. On the same day in the afternoon, the 55th regiment was pursuing the enemy and in the process they found themselves in a swampy region where the Confederate Army was waiting. The thick underbrush and the surrounding woods obstructed artillery support and infantry movement. The 34th and 55th regiments created columns to progress towards the enemy in a side movement. The other units were repelled by the Confederates but the 34th and 55th regiments persistently moved into the tanking positions. They were forced by the enemy into a narrow gorge and this is where the 55th’s Color-Sergeant was murdered by an exploding shell. The Regimental Colors held by the slain soldier were taken Corporal Smith and he carried them through intense canister and grape fire (Richardson 3). Despite the fact that almost half of the unit was wounded and killed by the enemy, Corporal Smith continued to expose himself to the enemy by carrying the Regimental Colors throughout the fight. Through Corporal Smith, the 55th Infantry Regiment Regimental Colors were not taken by the enemy (Richardson 4). Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt His rank was lieutenant colonel in the United States Army and his organization, the First Cavalry Regiment. His citation for the award was â€Å"for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty† (Gomez-Granger CRS-3). Lieutenant Colonel Roosevelt renowned himself by his acts of gallantry in 1898 in the Republic of Cuba while directing a courageous charge up in San Juan Hill. Risking his personal safety and escorted only by five men, he lead a heroic and desperate charge up in San Juan Hill. He encouraged his troops to go on with the assault through contemptuous enemy fire over the open landscape. In the face of the opponent’s he avy fire, he showed astonishing bravery throughout the charge. He was the first among his troops to reach the rival’s trenches. In the trench he murdered one of the enemies using his pistol and this gave room to his men to go on with the assault. His courage and leadership brought unexpected results in the Battle for San Juan Hill (Gomez-Granger CRS-3). The Differences The two officers displayed extraordinary courage in the fight against the enemy. However, there are differences in the way these soldiers showed their gallantry. In Corporal Smith’s case, he took a position that was not assigned to him. Corporal Smith was not the carrier of the Regimental Colors but after the killing of the bearer of the Regimental Colors, he took it and carried it throughout the battle. Thus, the corporal saved the Regimental Colors from being taken by the enemy. He did this despite the fact that most of the men were either wounded or killed. On the other hand, Lieutenant Colonel Roosev elt showed extraordinary courage by leading only four or five men in a charge up in San Juan Hill. Though there was intense exchange of fire in the battlefield, he courageously encouraged his men to advance towards the enemy. He was able to open

Evaluation of dietary advice given to patients receiving external beam Essay

Evaluation of dietary advice given to patients receiving external beam radiotherapy to the prostate with recommendations to curr - Essay Example However, due to inadequate instructions and disagreements to such treatment and dose instructions, conflicting results have been obtained in relation to the appropriate practices for prostate cancer patients and their diet, bladder, and rectal volumes. Comparison between previous studies and application of findings into standard clinical practice have become a challenge that should be effectively addressed to ensure optimal health among prostate cancer patients who have been undergoing radiation therapy (Smitsman et al. 2008). Treatment for prostate cancer requires patients to obtain adequate nutrition through a well-balanced diet, although greater difficulty can be experienced due to the fact that the body is exerting effort in fighting the cancer. Moreover, it is also working ultimately for the repair of healthy cells which radiation therapy may have damaged. At the same time, radiation therapy can bring about adverse side effects which considerably reduce the patient’s stre ngth and debilitate his appetite. As radiation therapy damages the healthy cells in one’s body along with the prostate cancer cells, this can cause irritation to the intestines. The intestines play a fundamental role in the intake of food and fluids into the body; thus, the irritation that can be experienced by the intestines due to radiation therapy will reduce its ability to process food and water, causing abdominal pain as well (Heemsbergen, Hoogeman, and Witte 2007). Intestinal irritation can be experienced during and after the radiation therapy with which its adverse side effects can be experienced for an estimate of 6 to 18 months after the duration of the therapy. As such, being provided with the most effective and suitable dietary advice is of paramount importance. On the whole, an increase in vegetable, fruit, and healthy grain intake has been suggested along with the reduction or complete avoidance of fatty foods, dairy products, high levels of sugar intake, and har mful beverages (Chan, Ghan, and Giovannucci 2005). Aside from dietary changes, certain medications are also provided to prostate cancer patients to alleviate the intestinal irritation symptoms attributed to radiation treatment, including loose bowel movements, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps. An enzyme in the body that is significantly affected by radiation therapy is lactose, which assists the body in digesting milk and other dairy products (Agarwal et al. 2008). Doctors or registered dietitians tend to recommend a diet that is low in lactose intake after the patient has undergone radiation treatment as it makes lactose difficult to be digested for a period of time. Compared to while milk, fermented milk products, such as yogurt and sour cream, can be more easily digested by cancer patients; cheese, puddings, ice cream, and other food products that contain high levels of lactose should be avoided. Because commercial foods can be incorporated with lactose, such as instant cof fee, it is important that food labels are carefully checked. Foods that contain high levels of fiber, including whole grain and bran products, should be avoided as well as these can accelerate the digestion process and exacerbate bowel movements. A low-fiber diet can, thus, help in the

Demings point Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Demings point - Essay Example Result orientation focuses on the output of the process. Result orientation focuses on the quality and quantity of the output. In the workplace, it includes having a setup list that is used to determine if the goals of the process have been achieved. For example, in factory, the management is supposed to make sure all the departments are taken care of. The departments, which include manufacturing, sales, processing, human resource and the finance department, should be well coordinated so that whole process smooth. A neglect of any one department can lead to the collapse of the whole system or the whole system being inefficient. A firm should have a good relationship with its customers, community and the employees themselves. A good relationship with the community is reached when the firm has a social responsibility programme that benefits the community. The programmes may include funding community projects,organizing trade fairs that educate them and giving the locals a priority during hiring of employees. A good working relationship enhances the firms image; hence boosting its

Community College Essay Example for Free

Community College Essay An analysis of the public school system reveals one challenge facing community colleges and universities: Rising costs are putting pressure on enrollment or forced schools to limit the number of courses they can offer. Every year the result has been a dramatic drop in the number of students the system can afford to teach. Most colleges have also reduced the size of their staff, and provided fewer student services. Without staff, these young people fail to understand why they are unable to get an education or even graduate from a college or university. The best way to help students avoid budget cuts is Proposition 30, which will not only prevent a possible $6 billion in cuts to public schools and colleges, but it will also provide billions of dollars in public funding that schools at all levels desperately need. Taking this into account, this essay considers the pros and cons of proposition 30, particularly in the form of increasing the personal income tax of higher earning Californians by 1 to 3 percent for seven years. The students who go to a college or university right after high school would benefit immensely from proposition 30. These community college students may find it easier to get classes now that voters have approved a tax measure to help fund public education. Proposition 30 is aimed at sparing college students another round of tuition increases that will prevent them from getting classes. Californias community college system will restore thousands of classes, which means putting an ease on a huge backlog of students unable to complete their degrees. Proposition 30 will make a difference this year by providing community colleges with $210 million in additional funds in 2012-2013 by adding approximately 3,300 classes to the spring 2013 semester. The passage of Proposition 30 means more classes for community college students. â€Å"The passage of Proposition 30 not only saved us from cuts totaling $8.6 million, but provided $1 million in new money for Mt. SAC to add 130 course sections for the spring semester,† said Mt. SAC President Bill Scroggins in a news release (Johnson, 2013). This will help students achieve their goals of continuing their education. Students who choose to go to a university would also benefit from proposition 30 because it would prevent them from having classes cut and being put on a waiting list to get into a class. These students will go from having no or minimal classes to about 200 more classes this spring. Without proposition 30, many of these young people face larger class sizes, tuition hikes, more teacher lay-offs, and will lose over half a billion in funding. Many young people did not understand the consequences if prop 30 did not pass and that the money from prop 30 will go directly to schools and public safety services. Prop 30 prevents deep school cuts, puts more cops on the streets, and helps balance the budget by raising income taxes for the wealthiest Californians. Proposition 30 was placed on the ballot by Governor Jerry Brown and supporters of the proposition include the California Teachers Association. Another group to consider is young people who wish to graduate and continue on to graduate school. Proposition 30 is a critical step in addressing the continual budget crisis that continues to affect many undergraduate and graduate students wishing to continue their education. Many recent undergraduate students end up without any classes to help keep them in the public school system in order to be able to register for the next quarter or semester. For these people proposition 30 is especially important because it will help them be able to continue their education and to graduate with their Master’s degree in whatever major they decide to pursue. If the budget had not passed the cuts would target public schools, community colleges, and universities. The University of California would have seen tuition increase by 20%. Many students cannot afford fee increases year after year. This is causing student loan debt to rise continuously, which is not fair to young people at the start of our adult lives. One argument against proposition 30 is that it does not guarantee one penny of new funding for public schools. Another argument is that California is already a very high tax state and we have the 2nd highest income tax rate, as well as the highest state sales tax rate. If Proposition 30 is approved, California will be by far #1 in income tax rates. There are some people who generally support tax increases in California. The Wall Street Journal stated, â€Å"That California Governor Jerry Brown is trying to sell his tax hike to voters this November by saying it will go to schools. The dirty little secret is that the new revenues are needed to backfill the insolvent teacher’s pension fund.† (FOX, 2012). The people who are opposing Proposition 30 do not fully understand what the measure entails and what benefits it will bring to our California public schools. In conclusion the best way to help students avoid budget cuts is Proposition 30, which will not only prevent a possible $6 billion in cuts to public schools and colleges, but it will also provide billions of dollars in public funding that schools at all levels desperately need. The students who go to a college or university right after high school would benefit immensely from proposition 30. Students who choose to go to a university would also benefit from proposition 30 because it would prevent them from having classes cut and being put on a waiting list to get into a class. Another group to consider is young people who wish to graduate and continue on to graduate school. Proposition 30 helps a big minority of people and this is something us students and teachers should vote on. References FOX, J. (2012). California general election. Retrieved from http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions/30/arguments-rebuttals.htm Johnson, M. C. (2013). Diamond bar walnut patch. Retrieved from http://diamondbar-walnut.patch.com/articles/prop-30-means-more-classes-for-mt-sac-students

Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) Experiment

Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) Experiment Abstract Artificial neural networks (ANNs) is applied for prediction of product selectivity in biological sulfide removal. An experimental setup is constructed for investigation of biological sulfide removal in a fed batch bioreactor. In this process, sulfide is biologically converted into elemental sulfur and sulfate by the bacterium Thiobacillus thioparus. In addition, thiosulfate is produced in a side reaction. The effect of various parameters (dissolved oxygen, concentration of bacteria and sulfide load) is investigated on the types of products. The main product is elemental sulfur at low dissolved oxygen or at high sulfide loads and also more sulfates are produced at high dissolved oxygen. At high concentration of bacteria, sulfur and sulfate selectivity are increased, and thiosulfate selectivity is decreased. By using gathered experimental data, an artificial neural network model is developed to calculate the selectivity of products at different operating conditions. The comparison betw een proposed ANN model and the experimental data demonstrates a great precision of the model. Introduction Hydrogen sulfide as an extremely toxic gas is emitted by many industries such as oil, gas and petrochemical industries [1]. It has potential for the damaging nervous system at low-dose exposures. Furthermore, sulfide is highly corrosive and has a very unpleasant odor. The threshold limit value for air 0.5–10 ppbv [2], natural gas 4 ppmv [3] and for fresh or salty water fish is 0.5 ppm [4]. In the recent years, biological sulfide removal at ambient temperature and pressure has been investigated as an alternative to the conventional methods. A review on the bacteria of the sulfur cycle was discussed by Tang et al which contributes to a better understanding of the process [7]. Also, a review of the biological removal of H2S from gas streams was studied by Sayed et al [8]. Several microorganisms, namely sulfur compound oxidizing bacteria (SOB), are capable of oxidizing H2S at ambient temperatures and pressures. Different types of bioreactors are used for biological sulfide removal, the more common types are: bioscrubber, biotrickling filter, and biofilter. In the last two processes, the H2S-containing gas passes through a moist, packed bed of particles, which are coated by microorganisms. The biotrickling filter, and biofilter are proper for low sulfide capacity, which the sulfide is mainly converted to sulfate [8]. In the case of biological H2S removal from natural gas, the bioscrubber is more preferred. In a bioscrubber, H2S is washed from the natural gas stream by an alkaline such as NaOH (Eqs. 1 and 2) in a gas absorber, then the rich alkaline solution is sent to an agitated bioreactor where the sulfide ions (HS) are converted to elemental sulfur or sulfate (Eqs. 3 and 4). The produced elemental sulfur is separated by sedimentation [8-11]. Production of elemental sulfur is preferred since it is less harmful than sulfate. Furthermore, hydroxyl ions, consumed in the absorption of H2S in the alkaline liquid, are regenerated upon oxidation of sulfide to elemental sulfur (Eq. 3). Also, elemental sulfur is easily separated by sedimentation. In addition to the biological reactions, dissolved sulfide can react with S0 to produce polysulfide ions (), according to Eq. 5, and ions are abiotically oxidized to S0 and, according to Eq. 6 [12]. Teder [13] has shown that the chain length of polysulfide ion (Sx2-) increases with increase of temperature (x = 5.0 at 25  °C and x = 6.5 at 80  °C). At moderate alkaline conditions, the average chain length of polysulfide (x) varies from 4.6 to 5.5 [12-15]. The product selectivity in the biological sulfide removal process depends on different parameters such as bacteria concentration, sulfide load to the bioreactor and dissolved oxygen [*** Roosta]. This study investigates the applicability of artificial neural networks (ANNs) for the prediction of the biological sulfide removal performance in a fed batch bioreactor. Materials and Methods In this study, Thiobacillus thioparus (DSMZ 5368) was used as sulfur oxidizing bacteria for producing elemental sulfur in the biological sulfide removal process.In this regards, a bioreactor with total volume of 3.8 liter operated under fed batch conditions was used, as shown in Figure (1). During all experiments, the temperature was controlled at 30 ±0.3  °C, and the pH was controlled at 8 ±0.2 using 1N HCl and 1N NaOH solutions. Dissolved oxygen (DO) as a manipulated variable was changed between 0.5 and 6 ppm and controlled using nitrogen and oxygen injection. The bioreactor was charged with 2000 cc of the medium inoculated with biomass. After stabilizing of the temperature in the bioreactor at 30  °C, feeding of the sulfide solution was started. The concentration of sulfide was determined based on the methylene blue method proposed by Trà ¼per and Schlegel [16], by using a spectrophotometer (Zeiss) at 665 nm. The sulfide solution was injected to the bioreactor by an infus ion pump (JMS OT-701), after calibration of the pump. During the experiments, the sulfide solution is applied at different flow rates (between 1.5 and 23 ml h-1) to achieve different HS load (between 0.5 and 4.0 mmolL-1h-1). The flow rate of recirculating gas was adjusted to 15 L min-1 and was spread by a diffuser; this caused a good mixing of the broth. The concentration of sulfur compounds were measured during the process. In this regards, the total concentrations of sulfide (HS and polysulfide) were determined based on the methylene blue method [17]. The concentration of polysulfide was determined based on Teder [14] method. The concentration of sulfide (HS) is the difference between total sulfide concentrations and polysulfide concentration. The concentration of sulfate was determined via the turbiditimetry method at 420 nm [17], and the thiosulfate concentration was determined via the methylene blue method at 760 nm [18]. Finally, the concentration of elemental sulfur is calculated by the mass balance on sulfur. The present study investigates the effect of operating variables: dissolve oxygen (DO) value (0.5 – 4 ppm), HS load (0.5 – 4 mmol L-1 h-1) and optical density (OD) of bacteria (0.4 – 0.6) on the sulfide removal and product selectivity. ANN Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) with different structures has been proven to be universal function approximators. The major advantage of ANN model is to be constructed without detailed information about the underlying process. ANNs as black box modeling tools have already been used for many applications in industry, business and science [19]. Since in white box modeling approaches, the model of development is based on the information of mechanistic and relevant equations and detailed knowledge for a specific system is usually not directly available, most efforts in the white box modeling approach are devoted to revealing all relevant mechanisms and quantifying these mechanisms correctly. This usually requires an extensive research program (including experiments, which can also be very time- and money-consuming). Here a compromise must be made in order to save time and money. Therefore, white box models often have limited accuracy, because in developing the models, minor mechanisms are neglected and only the major mechanisms are taken into account. The major advantage of the artificial neural networks is that they can be constructed without the need of detailed knowledge of the underlying system. One of the applications of artificial neural network models is to map an input space to an output space and function as a look-up table. Thus, in recent years, artificial neural networks have been applied to biotechnology and biochemical engineering researches [20-27]. In this study, a Multi Layer Perceptron (MLP) neural network is utilized in order to develop an appropriate model for the prediction of products selectivity. MLP This type of network consists of an input layer, an output layer and one or more hidden layers (Figure 2). The number of neurons in the input and the output layer depends on the number of input and output parameters respectively. However, the hidden layer may contain desired neurons. All the layers are interconnected as shown in Figure (2) and the strength of the interconnections is determined by the weights associated with them. Each input of neurons (p) is weighted with an appropriate (w), the sum of the weighted inputs and the bias (b) forms the input to the transfer function (f). Neurons can use any differentiable transfer function f to generate their output (n) and is given as: Multilayer Perceptron networks often use the log-sigmoid transfer function (Eq. 8); however, other functions are commonly used. In this work, one hidden layer was chosen for the networks (as shown in Figure 2), and the optimum neuron numbers for hidden layer was calculated. By using Bayesian regularization back propagation, the MLP neural network was trained. This training method updates the weight and bias values according to the Levenberg- Marquardt optimization [28]. It minimizes a combination of squared errors and weights, and then determines the correct combination so as to produce an artificial neural network that generalizes well. Training was carried out until the mean absolute relative error (MARE) which represented by Eq. 9, was minimized. When the training was terminated, to avoid over learning, the error of test and training data were calculated. As illustrated in Figure (2), the inputs of the proposed networks are DO value, bacteria OD and HS load, and the outputs are elemental sulfur, sulfate and thiosulfate selectivity. To choose the best network structure, different configurations of MLP networks were trained and tested. Network parameters such as: numbers of hidden layers, numbers of neurons in each hidden layer, transfer functions and training algorithm were studied in this attempt. Eventually, the network structure that produced the smallest error for testing and training data was determined. The needed experimental data were measured at different DO values, bacteria ODs and HS loads, and comprise 300 observations. Using the random selection method, 75% of all data (225 data sets) were assigned to the training set, while the rest of the data were used as the validation set. Results and Discussions A part of the obtained experimental data are shown in Table (1). According to the results, increasing of bacteria OD leads to more sulfur and sulfate selectivity, but leads to decrease of thiosulfate selectivity. Although, by increasing DO value, sulfate and thiosulfate selectivity increase, and sulfur selectivity decreases. In addition, increasing sulfide load leads to increase of elemental sulfur and thiosulfate selectivity, and decrease in sulfate selectivity. After many attempts, the best ANN obtained is a MLP with one hidden layer. The optimum number of neurons in the hidden layer is 15 neurons as shown in Figure (3). The transfer function of the first layers is a hyperbolic tangent sigmoid (Eq. 9) and that of second layer is a positive linear function. The parameters of the ANN structure are shown in Table (2). As shown in Figure (4) the ANN model has been able to capture all the features of the system reasonably and can be used for estimating the product selectivity within the range in which it has been trained. Figure (4a) compares the results of applying the training data and Figure (4b) compares the applying test data to the MLP with experimental data at different conditions. The correlation coefficient (R2) value of the ANN model is near to one, which indicates a good accuracy of the ANN model. The relative error between experimental data and calculated values, for verification data are illustrated in Figure (5). As seen in this figure, mean absolute relative error (MARE%) for sulfate, sulfur and thiosulfate selectivity are 4.4, 1.77 and 0.23% respectively. The results show that the proposed model is in a good agreement with experimental data which ANN did not observe in the training phase. Conclusion In biological sulfide removal, elemental sulfur production should be maximized to save more hydroxyl ions. Thus, the prediction of product selectivity is essential in the design of the biological sulfide removal system. An artificial neural network based model was developed for the prediction of product selectivity as a function of DO, OD of bacteria and HS load, in the biological sulfide removal system. The best architecture of the MLP network was obtained by trial. Application of the proposed ANN model for training and test data indicates that it can predict the product selectivity with a considerable accuracy.