European Film Studies - How useful is the concept of the auteur in the Essay

European Film Studies - How useful is the concept of the auteur in the context of post-war European cinema - Essay Example This system emerged due to the increase in demand for films from Hollywood. The system evolved gradually in the years following the World War 1, which ended in 1918. To meet the demand for more movies, it focused more on quantity than on quality. It was Thomas Ince, himself a film director (Civilization, [1916] was his best known film) who conceived film production as a factory system, thus paving the way for the emergence of Hollywood studio system. Adolph Zukor, the long time head of Paramount Pictures, was another key personality who played a major role in the development of the studio system in Hollywood. He is the one who conceived the idea of the star system, which converted actors into stars and made them commercially salable icons. The studio system consisted of companies that owned the studios where films were produced. These companies decided the material to be filmed; they owned and controlled regularly paid stars who were treated like workers, (â€Å"More stars than there are in the heaven† was the motto of Metro –Goldwyn Mayer, one of the five major film producing companies in Hollywood, during it’s hey day), dictated which directors would make which films. Their motto was to produce more movies at lower cost. It was this powerful studio system that ran Hollywood from the late 20s through the 60s. Thus production process was broken down to and organized into various compartments. The producer with a budget was the central figure. Under him there were directors, Script writers, actors, technicians, mechanics, costumers, makeup men and people who took care of the publicity materials. It was an entertainment factory with clear division of labor. The production plan for every year is prep ared well in advance; budget decided and the assembly line is kept flowing. EMERGENCE OF ATEURISM: The problems with the trends in Hollywood stem from the fact that they are

The Benefits of Home Schooling Essay Example for Free

The Benefits of Home Schooling Essay The education in our public schools has been on the down slope for many years. With the increased amount of drugs, school shootings, and other dementia in these schools, more and more parents are making the choice to home school their children. Although many people claim that public education is better and more suitable for children, many facts and statistics show that home schooling is equally, if not more, beneficial. Home schooling parents have many different reasons for choosing to home school their children. According to the Parent-NHES:1999 (http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2001033), almost 50 percent of the home schooled students whose parents were surveyed said that the reason for choosing to home school their children was because their child would have a better education at home. Most children would be able to learn better at home because they are able to learn at their own pace while, in public schools, they have to learn at the pace the teacher sets, which may be too fast or too slow for different students. Also, at home, the child is able to have more hands-on activities and be more in touch with nature and the outside world and even include many of these things in his or her studies. Most parents object when someone teaches their children and idea or theory contrary to theirs or teaches them something the parent does not deem appropriate, which occasionally happens in public school. This is also one of the more popular reasons for parents to choose to home school over public school. Home schooling allow the parent to instill upon their children moral and religious values without having anyone else, such as in public school, try to change that. The children can grow up with the rest of the family in the religious and proper surrounding that the parent provides, with no boundaries as to what they can teach. Most children go to school for 7-8 hours a day with 20-30 students in the classroom and only one teacher. It is very difficult for a teacher to have  one-on-one contact with each student each day. Let us say that an elementary school teacher has 20 children in her class for 8 hours a day, and she wanted to have one-on-one tutoring with each student. That would let her have 24 minutes for each student, which is definitely not enough time for the teacher to get a whole days worth of teaching in. when at home, the child can have one-on-one tutoring all the time and it would take them a whole lot less time than 7 or 8 hours to get through with all their work for the day. Just over a quarter of home schooled students whose parents participated in the Parent-NHES:1999 gave the reason of Poor learning environment at school for choosing to home school their children. A good and safe school environment is a place where teachers are able to teach and students are able to learn in a warm environment, without the fear of intimidation and violence. Students who are afraid to go to school because they feel unsafe or unaccepted by their teachers or peers could find it hard to concentrate on their studying, which would obviously prevent them from doing well in school. Health Canada (Trends in the Health of Canadian Youth. 1999) surveys have recorded that bullying victims are more likely to have low self-esteem, matters are made worse when they are harassed by other students. The public schools can try to lessen this mistreatment, but there is really nothing they can do to stop it completely. Some people who have objections to home schooling argue that home schooled students have low self-esteem because they are schooled at home rather than in public school. In 1992, Larry Shyers conducted a study to test the difference between the self-esteem of 70 home schooled children and 70 traditionally schooled children, both groups between the ages of eight and ten. Using the Piers-Harris Childrens Self-Concept Scale, a regularly used way of measuring self-esteem, there was no difference found between the two groups of children. (Larry Edward Shyers obtained his PH.D. degree at the University of Florida in part by conducting the research reported in his thesis, Comparison of Social Adjustment Between Home and Traditionally Schooled Students.) For many parents, one of the better benefits of home schooling their children is that the family can spend more time together. Most families whose children are in public school never get to spend quality time together, because they never have time. The kids leave for school in between 7:15 and 8:15 and do not return until 3 or 4, or even later if they participate in extracurricular activities. Then they come home and they have to do their homework and there is barely any time left for family time. Almost 17 percent of home schooled students are home schooled for this reason. A great benefit of home schooling is the flexible schedule. Vacations and other outings can be planned for times when the family is ready and oftentimes when the crowds are smaller and the costs are lower. The children do not have to worry about missing school and having to make up work because they can easily take their work along with them or just make it up later. Also, with the flexible schedule, the children can learn at their own pace. If they understand something completely, they can just breeze right through it. IF they do not understand something else very well, they can take as much time as needed for them to understand. In the same year that Larry Shyers completed his doctoral degree thesis research on home schooling socialization, Thomas Smedley completed research for a masters degree at Radford University in Virginia with a similar experiment (Socialization of Home School Children A Communication Approach. http://www.members.aol.com/to Msmedley/smedleys.htm). Smedley states that John Dewey, the Father of modern public education, emphasized the fact that socialization is the primary goal of the educational process. Smedley referred to Deweys Moral Principles in Education, stating that if Deweys conviction was summarized as a research hypothesis, it would read: Public education aims for, and will result in, great social competence for children On page 11 in Deweys book, he said that, Apart from participation in social life, the school has no moral end nor aim. In Smedleys thesis, he investigated the assumption that public school  teaches students socialization better than home schooling. The subjects of this experiment were 33 children, 20 home schooled and 13 public schooled. He evaluated the childrens socialization and daily living skills using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales. The scores the children received when combined, reflected their maturity levels. After all data was processed using the Statistical Program for the Social Sciences, it was shown that home schooled children were much better socialized and more mature than the public schooled children. The overall conclusion we would come to is that home schooling parents are providing the adequate social needs for a child. Socialization is the big opposing factor when people are considering home schooling their children. Many people think that home schooled children do not have many friends, but that is only true if that is what the parents choose for their children. Since home schooled students do not have friends in school with them, they find other places to socialize, such as church, Scout groups, athletic teams, home schooling support groups and other places. They also find other ways to spend their time, such as volunteering in the community, like working at nursing homes or the libraries. By participating in the community, home schooled children are around many different people of different backgrounds and ages, so they are very comfortable with just about anyone. For most home schooled children, doing their work for the day only takes a few hours compared to the 7 or 8 hours in public schools; there are no questions from the parents about whether the learning environment is safe or whether the children are being taught something contrary to what they believe; the schedule is very flexible; they have better speaking skills and are more comfortable with being around a variety of people rather the public schoolers; and there are many more benefits than those discussed in this report. But hopefully, those examples will be enough to show that home schooling really is equally, if not more, beneficial.

Impact of Composition on Pore Throat Size in Mature Shales

Impact of Composition on Pore Throat Size in Mature Shales The impact of composition on pore throat size and permeability in mature shales: an example in Middle and Upper Devonian Horn River Group shale, northeastern British Columbia, Canada Tian Donga, Nicholas B. Harrisa, Korhan Ayrancia, Cory E. Twemlowb, Brent R. Nassichukb a Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E3, Canada, b Trican Geological Solutions Ltd., Calgary, AB T2E 2M1, Canada, Abstract Shale reservoirs of the Middle and Upper Devonian Horn River Group provide an opportunity to study the influence of rock composition on permeability and pore throat size distribution in mature formation. Sedimentological, geochemical and petrophysical analyses reveal relationships between rock composition, pore throat size and matrix permeability. In our sample set, measured matrix permeability ranges between 1.69 and 42.81 nanodarcies and increases with increasing porosity. Total organic carbon (TOC) content positively correlates to permeability and exerts a stronger control on permeability than inorganic composition. A positive correlation between silica content and permeability, and the abundant presence of interparticle pores between quartz crystals, suggest that quartz content may be another factor enhancing the permeability. Pore throat size distributions are strongly related to TOC content. In organic rich samples, the dominant pore throat size is less than 10 nm, whereas in organic lean samples, pore throat size distribution is dominantly greater than 20 nm. SEM images suggest that in organic rich samples, organic matter pores are the dominant pore type, whereas in quartz rich samples, the dominant type is interparticle pores between quartz grains. In clay rich and carbonate rich samples, the dominant pore type is intr aparticle pores, which are fewer and smaller in size. High permeability shales are associated with specific depositional facies. Massive and pyritic mudstones, rich in TOC and quartz, have relatively high permeability. Laminated mudstone, bioturbated mudstone and carbonate facies, which are relatively enriched in clay or carbonate, have relatively low permeability. Key words: Pore throat size; Permeability; shale composition; Horn River Group shale; Western Canada Sedimentary Basin 1. Introduction Typical shales or mudstones are sedimentary rocks with a dominant grain size less than 63 ÃŽÂ ¼m, serving as source rocks if organic matter is rich and as seals preventing hydrocarbon migration because of fine-grained nature (Schieber, 1998). Permeability is a fundamental property in conventional reservoirs that strongly influences hydrocarbon production rate. Permeability is presumably also important in shale reservoirs for long term flow rates, although initial production rates are also influenced by natural and artificial fracture systems (Jarvie et al., 2007; Rickman et al., 2008). Permeabilities in mudstones are typically several orders of magnitude lower than in coarser grained lithologies, such as siltstones and sandstones (Dewhurst et al., 1999; Nelson, 2009; Yang and Aplin, 2010). Published absolute permeabilities, measured on a variety of shales and by different analytical methods, typically fall in the nano-darcy range (Kwon et al., 2004). Because of the extremely low p ermeability, accurate measurements of permeability in shale samples are challenging (Sakhaee-Pour and Bryant, 2011; Tinni et al., 2012; Moghadam and Chalaturnyk, 2015). Steady-state flow techniques are impractical because it is difficult to achieve flow through shale plugs in a period of time short enough to permit analysis of large numbers of samples (Mallon and Swarbrick, 2008; Sakhaee-Pour and Bryant, 2011). Consequently, transient pulse decay methods, which require much less time, are generally employed to measure shale permeability on both plugs and crushed particles (Cui et al., 2009). One potential problem in using core plugs for pulse-decay measurements is that induced fractures may influence the measurements (Ghanizadeh et al., 2015); therefore, a crushed rock technique (the GRI method) may be a favorable method to measure the matrix permeability (Cui et al., 2009). On the other hand, where microfractures exist naturally in a shale, the GRI method might not be appropriate. In mudstones, permeability primarily depends on the abundance and size of pores and pore throats (Yang and Aplin, 1998; Dewhurst et al., 1999); under reservoir conditions, pore throats and consequently permeabilities may be substantial lower than measured under ambient conditions due to compression of pore throats. Permeability under in-situ conditions is difficult to measure, but it can be estimated from more easily determined petrophysical properties such as pore size and pore throat size distribution as well as surface area (Yang and Aplin, 1998). Mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP) measurements provide a qualitative understanding of permeability by giving useful information about the pore throat size and connectivity. MICP data suggest that pore throat size distributions in mudstones are influenced by porosity, grain size and clay content (Dewhurst et al., 1999; Yang and Aplin, 2007). Previously published data indicate that pore throat sizes in shales ranges from 5 nm to more than 100 nm (Nelson, 2009). Reported permeabilities in mudstones vary by ten orders of magnitude, primarily controlled by the presence of clay minerals, which decreases permeability by clogging mineral associated pores (Neuzil, 1994; Yang and Aplin, 1998, 2007, 2010; Dewhurst et al., 1998; Dewhurst et al., 1999). Permeabilities are also impacted by diagenetic processes such as destruction of porosity by mechanical compaction and cementation, and enhancement of pore throats by mineral dissolution (Pommer and Milliken, 2015). Most samples in these studies are either organic lean mudstones or low maturity, and the dominant pores exist between particles. Recently, high resolution scanning electron microscopy combined with ion milling techniques applied to mudstone samples has documented another important set of pores, i.e. those developed within organic matter (Loucks et al., 2009; Loucks et al., 2012; Nelson, 2009; Slatt and OBrien, 2011; Chalmers et al., 2012a; Curtis et al., 2012a; Curtis et al., 2012b; Dong and Harris, 2013; Dong et al., 2015; Mastalerz et al., 2013; Klaver et al., 2015; Tian et al., 2015). However, little work has been done on the control exerted by organic matter and other compositional variables on pore throat size distribution and permeability . Some studies have described pore features and factors controlling the matrix permeability in the Horn River Group shale (Ross and Bustin, 2009; Chalmers et al., 2012b), but none have been sufficiently detailed to determine the compositional factors influencing pore throat size distribution and permeability. In this study, we present a large dataset of permeability measurements on crushed samples and pore throat structure determined by MICP data By integrating geochemical data and petrophysical data for the Horn River Group shale, we investigate the potential effects of shale composition and organic matter on pore geometry, pore throat size distribution and permeability. We then link permeability to lithofacies, which can be used to predict spatial variation in permeability. 2. Geological setting The Horn River Basin, an area of nearly 12,000 km2, is situated in the deep northwest portion of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin in northeastern British Columbia, Canada (Fig. 1) (Oldale and Munday, 1994). It is bounded to the south and east by carbonate barrier reefs (Presquile barrier) and to the west by the Bovie Fault, a Cretaceous structure associated with Laramide tectonism (Ross and Bustin, 2008). During the Middle and Late Devonian, the southern part was proximal to the paleo-shoreline and received more siliclastic input than the more distal northern part of the Horn River Basin (Fig. 1) (OConnell, 1994; Dong et al., 2016). The Horn River Group shale includes the Evie and Otter Park Members of Horn River Formation and the Muskwa Formation (Fig. 2), all deposited within a roughly 8 m.y. interval spanning the Givetian to early Frasnian Stages (~ 392 to 384 Ma) (Oldale and Munday, 1994). In the Horn River Basin, most of the Horn River Group shale is within the dry gas windo w with a vitrinite reflectance (Ro) ranging between 1.6 and 2.5% (Ross and Bustin, 2008, 2009; Rivard et al., 2014). The Evie Member is a dark grey, organic rich, variably calcareous mudstone that overlies the shallow marine carbonates of the Lower Keg River Formation (McPhail et al., 2008; Hulsy, 2011). The Evie Member is up to 75 meters thick near the Presquile barrier, thinning to less than 40 meters to the west (McPhail et al., 2008). The average TOC content for the Evie Member is 3.7 wt.% (Dong et al., 2015). The Otter Park Member is typically a grey, pyritic, argillaceous to calcareous mudstone. It is much thicker than the underlying Evie Member and the overlying Muskwa Formation, as much as 270 meters in the southeast Horn River Basin (McPhail et al., 2008). The Otter Park shale generally has lower organic content than either the Evie or the Muskwa, averaging 2.4 wt.% TOC (Dong et al., 2015). Portions of the Otter Park Member are rich in organic carbon with up to 7.09 wt.% TOC (Dong et al., 2015). The Otter Park shale varies geographically in composition, becoming argillaceous in distal part s of the basin to the north and west. The Muskwa shale is a gray to black siliceous, pyritic, organic-rich shale that overlies the Otter Park Member. The Muskwa Formation varies in thickness from 50 to 90 meters (Oldale and Munday, 1994). Organic carbon enrichment in the Muskwa Formation is generally higher than in the Otter Park Member but slightly lower than in the Evie Member, averaging 3.41wt.% TOC (Dong et al., 2015). The Muskwa Formation is overlain by the Fort Simpson Formation which is poor in organic matter. 3. Methodology We obtained core samples from four wells drilled in the Horn River Basin distributed from the northern distal part of the basin to southern proximal part: EOG Maxhamish D-012-L/094-O-15, Nexen Gote A-27-I/094-O-8, ConocoPhillips McAdam C-87-K/094-O-7 and Imperial Komie D-069-K/094-O-02 (Fig. 1). All samples were slabs cut from a 10 cm diameter core and were, on average, approximately 10 cm long and 6 cm wide. Splits were cut vertically along the sides of the core samples for geochemical analysis, permeability measurements, MICP analysis and SEM image analysis, so that the different analyses were performed on the same interval of rock. Before sampling, these four cores were stratigraphically logged in order to identify the sedimentological and ichnological characteristics and define lithofacies (see Dong et al., 2015, 2016 for methods on sedimentological analysis). Weatherford Laboratories analyzed total organic carbon (TOC) content using LECO combustion. Acme Analytical Laboratories determined the major element concentrations, including SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, MgO, CaO, Na2O, K2O, TiO2, P2O5, MnO and Cr2O3 by using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Detailed information on analytical procedures for TOC and major oxides was provided in Dong et al. (2015). We selected ten samples (Table 1) for bulk mineralogical analysis and Based on the lithofacies classification, we selected five samples (Table 2) representing different lithofacies for QEMSCAN analysis, carried out by Whiting Petroleum Corporation, Denver. QEMSCAN is an automated SEM-based mineralogical analysis tool, and can be used for the quantitative determination of mineral abundance and identification of micro-texture (Ahmad and Haghighi, 2012). Permeability and porosity were measured on one hundred samples (Table 3) by Trican Well Service Ltd., Calgary, Alberta. Samples were crushed, sieved with a 10 mesh screen and dried in an oven at 105ËÅ ¡C to remove any existing fluids. Matrix permeability was measured on the crushed and sieved samples using the GRI method (Luffel et al., 1993). Helium pycnometry was used to measure the grain densities of each crushed sample. Ultra-high purity helium was used to maximize penetration of pore space and minimize potential reactions with the samples (Cui et al., 2009). Permeability was calculated at ambient conditions based on a method refined from ResTech (1996) and Luffel et al. (1993), and was not calibrated to insitu conditions. Pore throat size distributions were measured by mercury porosimeter on shale chips. We selected thirty-six samples (Table 4) from the four wells representing a wide range of TOC contents and mineralogical compositions to do the mercury injection analysis (Klaver et al., 2015). Mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP) analyses force mercury into pore throats and pores under increasing applied pressure. Pore throat diameters, not pore diameters, are then interpreted from the MICP measurements. The samples were dried in a vacuum oven over 12 hours and then intruded with mercury from 2 to 60000 psi using Micromeritics AutoPore IV 9500 V1.09 apparatus at the Department of Physics, University of Alberta. The minimal pore throat diameter can be measured by this instrument is 3 nm. Scanning electron microscopy enabled visualization of pores on samples polished with ion milling, which produces extremely smooth surfaces (Loucks et al., 2009). Eleven shale samples (Table 5) from core plugs were first mechanically polished and then further polished using ion milling (Fischione Model 1060 SEM Mill at the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta). Composition of the 11 samples is provided in Table 5. Ion milled samples were mounted to SEM stubs using carbon paste and coated with carbon to provide conductive surfaces. The prepared samples were imaged with two different field-emission SEMs. One was a JEOL 6301 F field-emission scanning electron microscope at the Scanning Electron Microscope Facility at the University of Alberta. We performed the FE-SEM analysis using an accelerating voltage of 5.0 kV and working distance range from 10-15 mm. The other was a Zeiss Sigma field-emission scanning electron microscope coupled with an EDX EBSD at t he nanoFAB facility, University of Alberta. The FE-SEM was performed using an accelerating voltage of 10.0 kV and working distance around 8.5 mm. Secondary electron (SE) images document the pore systems and topographic variation. Backscatter Electron Detector (BSE) and Oxford Instruments 150mm X-Max Energy Dispersive X-Ray Detector (EDX) provided the compositional and mineralogical variation. 4. Results 4.1 Lithofacies classification We identified five lithofacies based on thin section analysis and core observation from the four cores within Horn River Basin: massive mudstone, massive mudstone with abundant pyrite lenses and laminae (pyritic mudstone), laminated to heterolithic bedded mudstone (laminated mudstone), bioturbated mudstone, and carbonates. More detailed descriptions and photographs of the lithofacies are presented in Dong et al. (2015). Massive mudstone, lacking physical sedimentary structures and primarily comprising quartz (Figs. 3A and 4A), dominates the Muskwa Formation and the Evie Member (Figs. 5 and 6). Pyritic mudstone is characterized by pyrite-rich laminae and pyrite nodules (Figs. 3B and 4B), and dominates the Muskwa Formation in all four cores, and also dominates the Otter Park Member in the EOG Maxhamish core (Figs. 5 and 6). This lithofacies has less quartz but more clay than massive mudstone. Laminated mudstone is common in the Otter Park Member (Figs. 5 and 6) and consists of millimeter scale clay-rich mudstone laminae with quartz- and calcite-rich silt laminae (Figs. 3C and 4C). Bioturbated mudstone is characterized by moderate to intensely bioturbation and weak lamination (Figs. 3D and 4D) and primarily occurs in the lower part of the Otter Park Member (Figs. 5 and 6). Compared to the massive and pyritic mudstones, the laminated and bioturbated mudstones are relatively rich in clay (Figs. 4C and D) . The carbonate lithofacies, rich in calcite (Figs. 3E and 4E), is restricted to the lower part of the Evie Member (Figs. 5 and 6). 4.2 TOC content, major oxides concentration and mineralogy TOC content for all samples in our data set ranges from 0.04 to 8.25 wt.%, with a mean value of 3.09% (Dong et al., 2015). Lithofacies vary systematically in TOC content (Fig. 7A). Massive mudstone samples are richest in TOC, ranging from 0.82 to 8.25%, averaging 4.23 wt.%. Pyritic mudstone samples have TOC values ranging from 0.3 to 6.81 %, averaging 3.44 wt.%. Laminated mudstone samples have relatively low TOC, between 0.24 and 7.09 % (mean TOC = 2.02 wt.%). Bioturbated mudstone and carbonate mudstone samples have the lowest TOC values, between 0.04 and 3.05 % (mean TOC = 1.11 wt.%). TOC content is highest in Evie Member, moderate in Muskwa Formation and lowest in Otter Park Member (Dong et al., 2015). The oxides SiO2, Al2O3 and CaO represent the major components of quartz, clay and carbonate minerals, indicated by the strong correlation coefficient between major oxides and quantitative mineralogy from XRD analysis (Fig. 8). Thus concentrations of these oxides can be used as proxies for quartz, clay and carbonates. Oxide compositions differ greatly among lithofacies (Figs. 7B-D). The massive mudstone and pyritic mudstone lithofacies are relatively rich in SiO2, ranging from 9.9-80.1% and 12.3-89.4% with average values of 56.3 and 66.5%, respectively. The laminated mudstone and bioturbated mudstone lithofacies are richer in Al2O3, with concentrations of Al2O3 ranging from 2.0-17.0% and 9.1-19.7% with average values of 9.2 and 17.1%, respectively. The carbonate lithofacies is richest in CaO, ranging from 43.8-52.6% with an average of 47.6%. SiO2 concentration is highest in Muskwa Formation, Al2O3 concentration is highest in Otter Park Member, whereas CaO concentration is highest in E vie Member (Dong et al., 2016). Mineral components identified by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) are presented in Table 1 and include quartz, K-feldspar, plagioclase, calcite, dolomite, pyrite and clay minerals (Dong et al., 2016). The clay fraction is dominated by illite and mixed-layer illite/smectite, plus a trace of chlorite in some samples. 4.3 Permeability Matrix permeability profiles from the EOG Maxhamish, Imperial Komie, Nexen Gote and ConocoPhillips McAdam cores are shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The average permeability for all samples is 15.6 nD, ranging from 1.69 to 42.81 nD (Table 3 and Fig. 9). Permeability is highest in the Evie Member (average permeability = 17.15 nD), moderate in Muskwa Formation (average permeability = 15.18 nD), and lowest in the Otter Park Member (average permeability = 14.44 nD). 4.4 Pore systems Porosity measured on core samples ranges from 0.62% to 12.04%, averaging 5.1% (Dong et al., 2015). Pores are categorized as micropores (pore diameter 50 nm) by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (Sing, 1985). Loucks et al. (2012) recognized three general types of pores in shales: organic matter pores, interparticle pores developed between grains and crystals, and intraparticle pores contained with a particle boundary. All three pore types were observed in our shale samples (Figs. 10, 11 and 12). In our Horn River Group shale samples, mesopores and macropores were observed in the high resolution SEM images (Figs. 10, 11 and 12). Micropores are smaller, below the limit of the SEM images resolution (Dong and Harris, 2013). Pores are common in organic matter and are predominately round or elliptical in cross-section with a wide size range from a few nanometers (Figs. 10B, D and E) to greater than 1 micron (Fig. 10C). Pore abundance within organic matter is strongly heterogeneous, with both non-porous solid organic matter and porous organic matter commonly observed (Figs. 10A and F). Even within the same patch of organic matter, we observed dense area and porous area (Fig. 10B). The size of organic matter pores is also highly variable; for example, mesopores dominate the pore system in sample IK4 (Fig. 10E), whereas macropores dominate sample M2(Figs. 10A and C). Interparticle pores are observed between quartz crystals, calcite crystals and other detrital particles, such as feldspar (Fig. 11). These pores display triangular and elongated shapes (Fig. 11), substantially different in morphology and size from organic matter-hosted pores which are typically ovoid and elliptical in shape. The pore size and morphology of interparticle pores depends on the surrounding minerals, geometry and arrangement of adjacent particles. Most interparticle pores are much larger than organic matter pores, typically greater than 100nm. Interparticle pores are also present between fine-grained phyllosilicate particles that occupy primary pores between carbonate particles (Fig. 12F), displaying smaller size. Intraparticle pores are found within particles or mineral grains, such as clay minerals, carbonate grains, pyrite framboids and apatite. They include primary pores preserved during burial and diagenetic processes and secondary pores generated by dissolution of feldspar and carbonate. Pore spaces within clay flocculates are common in clay rich samples (Fig. 12A). Pyrite framboids, aggregates of submicron pyrite crystals, are relatively common in Horn River Group shale and contain mesopores developed between the submicron pyrite crystals (Fig. 12B). Apatite also provides sites for porosity development (Fig. 12E). Numerous intraparticle pores are present within carbonate grains due to carbonate dissolution (Figs. 12D and E). All fractures observed in the Horn River Group shale are completely open and lack cement filling (Figs. 12C and D). In clay rich samples, the fractures are probably artificial shrinkage cracks produced as the clays dehydrated (Fig. 12C). In the carbonate rich samples (Fig. 12D), fractures surrounding calcite grains are narrower and shorter than fractures in clay rich samples and are interpreted to be natural. 4.5 Pore throat size distributions Porosity and pore size distributions, calculated from nitrogen adsorption analyses, were presented in Dong et al. (2015). These date show that the Horn River Group shale samples contain mixtures of macropores, mesopores and micropores. Pore throat size distributions are more critical than pore size distributions to permeability (Nelson, 2009). Sample preparation and applied injection pressure of up to 60000 psi may either cause artificial fractures in our samples or results in collapse of large pores (Yang and Aplin, 2007; Chalmers et al., 2012a). In this study, pore throats related to artificial fractures were removed from the distributions (Fig. 13). Samples in Figs. 13 are grouped by increasing TOC content. Pore throat diameter distributions are increasingly skewed towards smaller values with increasing TOC content. Samples with low TOC content (Figs. 13A, B and C) are characterized by asymmetric distributions with dominant pore throat radii greater than 20 nm. Pore throat diameters less than 10nm dominate in the organic rich samples (Figs. 13D, E and F). Median pore throat diameter is thus negatively correlated to TOC content (Fig. 14A), but no association with major inorganic components is evident (Figs. 14B, C and D). Mercury intrusion porosimetry also can be used to calculate effective porosity. Porosity calculated from mercury injection ranges from 0.6% to 2.9%, averaging 1.5%, which is much lower than total porosity measured by helium pycnometer. There is a positive correlation between TOC content and effective porosity, yielding a correlation coefficient of 0.44 (Fig. 15). 5. Discussion 5.1 Relationship between porosity and permeability Previous studies have shown that the relationship between porosity and permeability in mudstones is primarily controlled by the clay content (Yang and Aplin, 2007; 2010). At a given porosity, Dewhurst et al. (1998, 1999) found that clay poor mudstones are much more permeable than clay rich mudstones. The samples in the Dewhurst et al. (1998, 1999) studies were shallowly buried London clay, with a TOC content between 0.2 and 0.9 wt.%. The samples in the study of Yang and Aplin (2007) are core samples from North Sea and Gulf of Mexico, with a range of TOC from 0.1 to 2.4 wt.%. Samples in those studies are organic lean mudstones and no organic matter pores were reported in their studies. The loss of porosity and permeability is largely driven by the preferential collapse of large primary pores. The wide range of permeability (3 orders of magnitude) likely can be explained by the variation in grain size, which is in turn affected by the clay content (Dewhurst et al., 1998, 1999; Yang and Aplin, 2007). In our Horn River Group shale dataset, however, the relationship between porosity and permeability do not vary systematically with the concentration of Al2O3 (Fig. 9B), which is an approximation for clay content. Unlike the studies cited above, samples with high clay content does not show lower permeability at a given porosity than samples with low clay content. The primary reasons for the contrast between our results and those of Dewhurst et al. (1998, 1999) and Yang and Aplin (2007) are probably the high organic content and the high maturity of the Horn River samples and the definition of clay content. In their studies, clay content is defined as particles less than 2 ÃŽÂ ¼m regardless of mineralogy, whereas we defined the clay content as the abundance of clay minerals including smectite, illite, mixed layer of smectite+illite and chlorite. The samples in this study have a TOC content range of 0.04-8.25 wt.%, with a mean value of 3.09%, approximately 3 to 10 times higher than in the Dewhurst et al. (1998, 1999) and Yang and Aplin (2007) data sets. Ross and Bustin (2008, 2009) showed that Horn River Group shale is highly mature, with vitrinite reflectance from approximately 1.6 to 2.5% in contrast to the low maturities in Dewhurst et al. (1998, 1999) and Yang and Aplin (2007). Dong et al. (2015) reported that hydrogen index (HI) and oxygen index (OI) are very low in Horn River Group shale, indicative of dry gas window. Compared to economically successful shale gas plays in North American such as Barnett Shale (Jarvie et al., 2007) and Eagle Ford Shale (Pommer and Milliken, 2015), Horn River Group shale is more mature, although it is less mature than the gas-productive Silurian black shales in Sichuan Basin, southwestern China, which have an equivalent vitrinite reflectance (%Ro) range of 2.84 3.54 (Tian et al., 2013). We propose that the extensive development of organic matter pores in mature shales impacts the relationship between clay content and porosit y-permeability behavior. Porosity-permeability relationships are shown in Fig. 9. Our permeability data show a positive correlation with porosity, yielding a correlation coefficient of 0.72 for all the samples (Fig. 9A). Porosity is the strongest individual predictor of matrix permeability, stronger than any correlation between any compositional parameter and permeability. 5.2 Relationship between shale composition and pore throat size distribution TOC and median pore throat size calculated from mercury injection capillary pressure data (Fig. 14A) are negatively correlated, suggesting that smaller median pore throat size occurs in organic rich samples than in organic lean samples. The smaller pore throat size in organic carbon rich samples (predominantly less than 10 nm) is also evident in histograms of pore throat size distribution (Figs. 13D, E and F). This relationship is consistent with observations from scanning electron microscopy (Fig. 10), where most of the organic matter pores are less than 100 nm. Similar phenomenon have been observed in Devonian shales, Appalachian Basin, where pore throat size is much smaller in organic rich samples (averaging 8 nm) than in organic poor samples (averaging 22 nm) (Nelson, 2009). Bernard et al. (2012) suggest that in the Barnett Shale, organic pores formed not in kerogen, but rather in bitumen which derived from thermally degraded kerogen in the oil window and in pyrobitumen, which resulted from secondary cracking of bitumen in the gas window. In this study, bitumen, solid bitumen and pyrobitumen are defined as secondary organic matter, following terminology in Pommer and Milliken (2015). Although it is operationally challenging to distinguish bitumen or pyrobitumen from kerogen on SEM images, organic matter in the Horn River Group shale probably consists of mixtures of kerogen, bitumen and pyrobitumen (Fig. 10), as all the stratigraphic units are currently in the dry gas window. A certain fraction of the buried detrital and marine kerogen apparently has been converted to hydrocarbon and secondary organic matter, generating the numerous bubble-like pores (Fig. 10). Pommer and Milliken (2015) identified similar processes in the Eagle Ford Shale, where, over a range of thermal maturities from oil window to gas window, original primary mineral-associated pores are largely infilled by secondary organic matter, in which much smaller organic matter pores (median size 13.2 nm) later develop. Primary intergranular pores between rigid grains such as quartz, calcite were clogged by kerogen, bitumen and pyrobitumen, where small organic matter pores were generated because of the thermal conversion from kerogen to hydrocarbon (Figs. 10B and E). Clay content does not appear to be significantly related to pore throat size in the Horn River Group shale, in contrast to some previous studies (Yang and Aplin, 2007; 2010) (Fig. 14C). At deposition, pore throat size and connectivity is a function of the shape, size and packing pattern of the constituent clasts. Clay-sized particles damage matrix permeability by clogging pores and throats (Yang and Aplin, 2007, 2010). Large primary pores may have been present in the Horn River Group shale at low maturities and relatively shallow burial depths, but at its present-day high thermal maturity (gas window), primary pores have been largely lost due to compaction, suggested by the twisted clay flakes (Fig. 12A). In clay rich samples, only a minor amount of secondary organic matter pores are present (Fig. 12B). Any correlation between clay content and pore throat size that may have existed at low maturity was effectively erased by diagenesis. 5.3 Shale composition and permeability Organic matter pores, which generally are interpreted to be generated during burial and maturation (Jarvie et al., 2007; Zargari et al., 2015), have been well documented in organic rich shales such as the Barnett Shale, Woodford Shale, Marcellus Shale and the Kimmeridge Clay Formation (Loucks et al., 2009; Passey et al., 2010; Curtis et al., 2012a; Fishman et al., 2012

The First Latina to Conquer Hollywood Essay -- Salma Hayek, Eva Mendes

Hollywood has not always been accepting of Latinas. Current stars Salma Hayek, Eva Mendes, and Penà ©lope Cruz follow in the footsteps of pioneering Dolores Del Rio. Lauded as â€Å"The Princess of Mexico", Del Rio was a star whose allure captivated legendary figures Orson Wells, Marlon Brando, Elvis Presley, and Frida Kahlo. Fast friend Marlene Dietrich labeled Dolores, "The most beautiful woman in Hollywood. She has better legs than Dietrich and better cheekbones than Garbo". A beauty that lead to wild rumors of an orchid petal diet, or that Del Rio slept 16 hours a day to maintain her loveliness. Sadly, in a fundamental way, Del Rio’s talent became a prisoner of her splendor. Del Rio’s life was not always glamorous, born in Durango, Mexico, in 1905, she was the only daughter of Jesus Jacques and Antonia Lopez-Negrete. Her father was the director of the Bank of Durango, but the family lost their wealth in the Mexican revolution. A forced relocation to Mexico City, when Dolores was five, quickly reestablished the familial standing in society. Little Dolores studied at prestigious Liceo Franco Mexicano convent (taught by French nuns), gaining a lifelong passion for literature, dance, and art. A debutante’s life came at a price; for the 16 year-old Dolores it was an arranged, loveless marriage to lawyer Jaime Del Rio. Jaime was 18 years her senior, his family one of the oldest and most influential in Mexico. Their wealth allowed for a European honeymoon, where they were invited to dine with the Spanish Royal family. The honeymoon morphed into a three year romp, with Dolores delighting in voice and dance lessons at stately Madrid and Paris schools. In 1921, the couple returned to Mexico City, Jaime intent on advancing his career whil... ...e best dramatic female performance in Del Rio’s honor. Vestiges of Del Rio remain in America, such as a statue at Hollywood-La Brea Boulevard in Los Angeles, honoring ethnic leading ladies of the cinema, featuring Del Rio with Mae West, Dorothy Dandridge and Anna May Wong. Del Rio also has a star on the iconic Walk of Fame, located on 1630 Vine Street. Author Salvador Novo gave a perfect, if unintended, eulogy a year before her death. â€Å"With Dolores Del Rio we are in the presence of a case in which extraordinary beauty is only the material form of talent. She has been gifted with grace, and fresh and vibrant nimbleness that, being natural, seems exotic.† Time had finally caught up to the ageless beauty, which she herself never a vain person had never worried about. "So long as a woman has twinkles in her eyes, no man notices whether she has wrinkles under them."

Children of a Lesser God Essay

This film is based on a stage play of the same title. It tells about James Leeds, a man who teaches children with special needs in a school for the deaf and those who are hard of hearing. He is a devoted and inventive teacher who shows a deep compassion for his students, applying teaching methods he could think of just to draw out the interest of his students to learn, do more and accomplish things to the fullest of their capacity. James meets and falls in love with Sarah Norman, a beautiful woman who works for the same school and has been deaf since she was a baby. At first Sarah avoids James until he is able to draw her out from her shell and eventually he is able to convince her to live together. Sarah is full of bitterness, hurt and other emotional scars over the mistreatment she experienced while she was growing up because of her impairment and this jeopardizes their relationship. Sarah has to come to terms with her personal issues and needs to feel that she is an independent woman. In due course, they are able to settle things amidst the difficulties they come across in communication. The movie made me realize the significance of communication among people and people who have communication disorders should be given special attention in order for them to be heard. Even individuals who are fully capacitated physically have a hard time in getting messages understood. I just hope that there will be more teachers like James Leeds in this world who loves what he does and changes the lives of other people. The movie, which focuses mostly on the hearing impaired, is very much relevant to this course. It gives us the glimpse of how they live and struggle to be understood and to understand others. It portrays the complexity of their lives and helps us appreciate how difficult things are for them and moves us to do something for them. WORKS CITED Children of a Lesser God. Dir. Randa Haines. Perfs. William Hurt, Marlee Matlin, Piper Laurie, Phillip Bosco. VCD. Paramount Pictures, 1986.

How Accurate Is It To Describe The Government Between 1822-30 As Liberal Tories? Essay

When we use the word Liberal, its intended meaning is open to opinion. The person or group is very open-minded and open to change. The Tories during 1822-30 appeared to be very Liberal at this time. They appeared to be changing their minds on a number of issues, such as Religious Freedom, Political Rights and Free Trade. They also appeared to be changing their attitudes about people’s freedom of expression. The Six Acts, created to prevent people grouping together, in fear of a revolution. This Act was abolished as the masses appeared to be content with life, and not in an uproar with the country. The Tories appeared to be Liberal with the supposed arrival of new men into the Cabinet. Lord Goderich was introduced as Chancellor of the Exchequer. William Huskisson became President of the Board of Trade. With George Canning also becoming Foreign Secretary. These new men brought with them new ideas and propositions to the House of Commons. Compared to the previous men they appeared brilliant. But the truth was these men were not new at all. They were simply back-benchers from the Cabinet, rarely seen doing anything. They were brought forward into the main Cabinet in order to please the people. Compared to the old Cabinet they were nothing new, but to the people they appeared radical and open to change. Really it was just their better ability of conveying ideas to the Commons, which made them appear brilliant. All their supposed new ideas were also nothing new. They were all ideas that had been thought up years ago, from the years of Pitt. These ideas were postponed due to war or economic crisis, and the new Cabinet simply set the ball rolling again. On the Economic side of things, a lot changed. The Corn Laws were placed on a sliding scale by 1828, ensuring cheaper food prices for all. Duties on trade relaxed. With reduced costs for materials, it paved the way for wage increases in the workplace. With lower taxes, foreign countries were ready to trade with Britain. Compared to the previous Protectionism trade of previous years, this appeared absolute Free Trade. And with the Reciprocity of Duties Act and relaxation of the Navigation Acts, trade seemed to be booming. But these changes weren’t totally Liberal. The sliding scaled for the Corn Laws may have reduced the cost of corn, costs remained high. Rather that 80s a quarter, it was reduced to 70s. It may have seemed to be paving the way to new, cheaper living, but very little changed. Although trade was rather free, compared to previous years, it still remained tightly controlled. Free Trade only appeared in order to benefit the Government, not in order to help the people. The Exchequer received increased income from the heightened trade. But most importantly it reduced the increasing problem of smuggling, which was a big problem during the times of high taxation in trade. The cheaper costs of materials for factories and other such workplaces, did not create the wage increases expected. People still suffered with a low wage and poor living conditions. Socially the country experienced great change. The Penal Code was rewritten. Sentences for crimes were lessened, to ensure the Law was easily enforceable. Previously many people were seen not guilty due to the high penalty of death for such minor offences such as stealing. The Gaols Act cleaned up the prisons of the country. Trade Unions were once again legal, and allowed people to discuss disputes with their manager over items such as pay and work hours. But these Trade Unions were not allowed to strike, thus making them rather powerless. Such reforms in the Penal code and new Acts such as Gaols, were in fact not new at all. They were all thought up during the time of the Napoleonic Wars, and were placed on the back-burner of Governmental issues. But with the â€Å"new† group of people in Cabinet, now was the time to pass these changes. Politically little changed. Nothing was changed about the electoral system itself except for Grampound. In 1821 Grampound was disenfranchised. It lost its MPs because it was a rotten-borough. The seats were moved to Leeds by the House of Commons. Leeds being a large industrial city. But the House of Lords intervened and forced the seats to go to Yorkshire instead, where they knew there would be little opposition from the people. This goes to show that despite all changes the House of Lords still had overall power in the Government. Ironic since they are the only ones who are not voted into Parliament. Lord John Russell gets 164 votes for his reform Bill but the Commons still opposed to the proposition, believing that the people were content with what they had and that there was no need for reform. Religiously nothing would have happened if it wasn’t for Daniel O’Connell. If he had not won the vote in the bi-election, despite him being a Catholic, this would not have happened. In 1829 Catholic Emancipation was finally allowed, which gave the Catholics and Non-Conformists the same rights as Protestants in the country. The Government only allowed it due to the fear of rebellion in Ireland, which they could not allow no matter what. Also the Test of Corporations was repealed in 1828. In conclusion the Liberal Tories were in fact the same as they had been in previous years. They were no more Liberal than before. The only reason the appeared Liberal was due to the apparent new men on the Cabinet, whose ability to speak well in the Commons, made them appear very liberal. Almost all ideas they brought forward had been created in the days of Pitt. They just re-ignited the flame and set the ball rolling again. The only things that may have appeared very Liberal would have been the passing of Catholic Emancipation and the idea of Free Trade. But these two ideas were only created to appease problems the Government faced. The uprising and possible rebellion in Ireland forced them to pass Catholic Emancipation. While the increasing problem of smuggling and evasion of trade duties, meant the Government needed to relax the laws on trading. Also compared to the Whig Reformers of 1830-41, they could not possibly be called Liberal Tories

Maps of the Ancient Near and Middle East

Maps of the Ancient Near and Middle East Maps of the ancient Near East that can be used for personal research, for classroom or lecture use, or for publication on your website can be found on the Internet, it just takes a little digging. The websites listed below are portals for what are in some cases decades of research by dedicated scholars, some based in universities, some independent scholars. Youll find an index and a few examples of the maps available on each website listed here. Note that terms of use are also listed in the descriptions for each site, but also know that these can change with little notice, so if you plan to use the maps on a website, be sure to contact the editors first to make sure you wont be in copyright violation. The University of Texas at Austin: Perry-Castaeda Library The Perry-Castaà ±eda Library is based at the University of Texas at Austin, and truly the best of the bunch. UTAs PCL Map collections include high-resolution scans of historical atlases from all over the world.   Terms of Usage: Most of the maps are in the public domain, and no permissions are needed to copy them, no matter where you are using them. They would appreciate credit (and a small donation) to University of Texas Libraries as the source of the scanned images. PCL Map collections IndexMaps of the Middle EastAncient Jerusalem, 356K JPG city map, scanned from Palestine and Syria. Handbook for Travellers by Karl Baedeker, 5th Edition, 1912, showing elevations, landmarks, modern and ancient walls.The Macedonian Empire, 326-323 BCE, from the Historical Atlas by William R. Shepherd, 1923. Insets: The Aetolian and Achaian Leagues. Includes a plan of Tyre.Palestine in the Time of Saul about 1020 BCE, scanned from the From Atlas of the Historical Geography of the Holy Land. Smith, George Adam. London, 1915 David Rumsey Map Collection David Rumsey has collected over 85,000 geo-referenced maps over the past thirty and more years, focused on very high-resolution scans of rare 16th- through 21st-century maps of the world. They are astonishing in their detail and resolution. Middle Eastern maps are in the Asia collection, with a specialized Luna viewer to assist in the creation of slideshows suitable for classroom use. Terms of Usage: Images may be reproduced or transmitted under a Creative Commons license that allows education and personal use, but not commercial use. For commercial use, contact the editors. Main Index pageAtlas indexLuna Viewer of Asian mapsClaudius Ptolemys Map of the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East from Cyrpus to Babylonia, published in 1561 by Girolamo Rscelli and M. Giuseppe MolettiHenry Schenk Tanners 1819 map of the worldHistorical maps from Google Earth, some georeferenced maps are also made available by the David Rumsey Map CollectionGeo-referenced Buddhist map of the world made in 1710 The Mapping History Project The Mapping History Project at the University of Oregon has developed a set of interactive and animated maps of fundamental history problems that require Shockwave, as well as straight downloadable images. English and German versions. Usage Terms: Contact the editors for academic and commercial use. Main Index of the Mapping History ProjectEurope Map Archive (including Ancient Near East, as well as Greek and Roman maps)Europe Image Library. John Nichols photographs of Roman and Greek ruinsPolitical Change in Mesopotamia 3000-1000 BCE Interactive map using shockwave to show successive political waves from Sumerian to Kassite with Babylonian, Assyrian, and Agade along the way.Sea People of the Late Bronze Age. Map of the Near East shows major cities all located along waterways, from Troy in the north to Nile Delta cities and Memphis in the south. Also shows movements of armies and naval forces.Ancient Near East Empires 700–300 BCE, Shockwave interactive map. Oriental Institute: Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) The OIsCenter for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) has made pdf versions of maps of the Islamic World available on its website. Terms of Use: The terms are not specifically identified with regard to the maps, but there is a contact page that you should use before publishing these maps elsewhere. Index of MapsArabia before the Muslim conquestsThe Mongol Empire 1260 CE Oriental Institute: CAMEL The Center for Ancient Middle Eastern Landscapes (CAMEL) project at the University of Chicagos Oriental Institute has a vast collection of maps and other images from the Near East, but only a handful of the maps are currently online. Terms of Use: Publication, distribution, exhibition, or reproduction is prohibited without prior written permission. Main Index for CAMELCAMEL Maps, a list of available sources of public domain holdings, but youll need to contact the OI to obtain copies.Search engine for OI collections. Use this to search CAMEL for maps or other resources.Survey of Egypt: Orographical Map of the Nile BasinSurvey of Egypt: Map of Cairo Showing Islamic MonumentsAncient Near East Site Maps IndexIraq Site Map. A greyscale map of archaeological sites in Iraq, including Akkad, Babylonia, Assyria, and Sumer located alongside the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Major cities and other rivers included in line drawing. My Old Maps Independent scholar Jim Siebold has been collecting and scanning old maps and writing detailed monographs about them since the turn of the 21st century, under a range of different websites beginning with the Henry Davis Consulting Firm. His most current and up-to-date version of the ongoing project is the My Old Maps website. Terms of Use: Low-resolution images may be downloaded and used with accreditations; high-resolution images are available for free from Siebold on request. My Old Maps Main indexMaps from Antiquity  indexBabylonian Clay Tablet World Map. Circular map from 600 BCE which if the interpretive redrawing is correct shows Babylon, Armenia, and the Bitter River.The Earliest Known Map, town plan of 6200 BCE Catal Hoyuk. HyperHistory Online HyperHistory Online is a long-term project by architect and independent scholar Andreas Nothiger, whose main claim to fame is a huge History Chart that begins with the Old Testament prophets of David and Solomon and ends with World War II. He has a substantial collection of maps, drawn for his project. Terms of Use: Not listed on the website, but an email contact is provided. Main Map Index for HyperHistory OnlineIndex of Maps of AntiquitySumerIsrael and Judah. Bible Maps Bible Maps is a Canadian website that has loads of maps, constructed on the basis that the Bible is literal fact, pure and simple; chronologies are based on strict biblical interpretations. Terms of Use: Free to look at, print, and share in churches and schools, but not permitted to sell or post on line. Details on use and construction are listed on the home page. Main Index Twelve Tribes, as described in the book of JoshuaAbrahams Journey from Ur Al Mishraq: The Levant Al Mishraq is a Norwegian site dedicated to the history and archaeology of the Levant region of western Asia. The site has a handful of interesting maps, but they are spotty in quality. Terms of Use: Not provided on the site, but an email address is provided on the homepage. Index of Maps and Geography15th Century Map of the Arabic World, high-resolution image of Nazam al-Din al-Hussein bin Muhammad al-Nishapuris Sharh al-Tadhkarah map.Map of Beirut, 1876, from the Danish Vice-Counsel Julius Là ¶ytvedA Glimpse of Yesterday. In addition to showing the place name variations between Aramaic, Canaanite, and Arabic, the site explains the arbitrary temporal and geographic distinctions between Ancient Near East and Middle East.

Seperate Views of Architectural Design essays

Seperate Views of Architectural Design essays Separate Views of Architectural Design What should we do to solve the problem posed by the use and availability of the virtual reality design concept? This question was answered by two very similar yet different magazine articles. The first article was Intelligent Architectural Modeling from the AEC Magazine, which is a specialized magazine for professionals in the field of design and architecture. The second is Diving Deeper into Designs from the magazine Java World, which is used by many people in the information technology field. Both magazines cover the topic very well. There are however many differences in the two separate articles. The first of the two articles Intelligent Architectural Modeling was written with the audience suppose to be a more technical or professional person. It was written to cover the problems with the virtual reality design and how people who use it with their profession approach the problems, such as companies like Graphisoft, Nemetschek, and Revit. In contrast the article Diving Deeper into Designs has more of a feel like it was written for college students or people learning to use the virtual reality system. Penn State University is referred to as one of the first schools in the country to use the system for training students. It also describes how it is so hard for this system to be implemented in more schools because of price and availability. In the audience analysis, to see how each was written to appeal to different types of readers, it is easy to see who the writers are trying to reach. Why the writers have chosen differently is a very interesting question. In the first of the two articles I believe the author Martyn Day is trying to reach colleagues to help solve and to help diagnose problems with the system. He is talking to software developers for help in designing new software. He knows software is always changing and ...

Banking System and Macroeconomic Effects †MyAssignmenthelp

Crypto currencies are forms of digital currency. These currencies use encryption techniques in order to regulate the generation of currency units. Bitcoin is one such crypto currency. Crypto currency is not yet considered as a legal tender in most countries. In fact, at present most of the central banks of the world are putting efforts to ban the trade of crypto currencies. Over the last few years, certain crypto currencies like Bitcoin have garnered immense attention from across different traders owing to their volatile nature. Bitcoin was introduced in the year 2009. The currency is traded without a middleman and with zero bank involvement. It is a peer to peer network through which this currency is traded and transactions are made directly to the parties. Bit coin can be used to trade in goods and services, some use it as a form of investment and some are using it for making payment of businesses (Popper, N., 2015). However, most countries have yet not accepted it as a legal payme nt methodology. It is similar to digital cash transaction as Bitcoin can also be sent through mobile applications and puters. Bitcoin is stored in a digital wallet. These wallets are used as a virtual bank account that allows users to save, send and receive their payments. These wallets are not recognised by the FDIC as methods of paying for goods or services. Bitcoin works as a medium of exchange for goods and services in four countries at the moment which are Japan, Canada, Germany and Holland. Bitcoin is considered to be a form of currency as it can be stored for future investments (Forrester and Solomon, 2013). Bitcoin investment of an individual can also reflect upon the purchasing power of consumer. Consumer have the option to buy the currency, hold it in their accounts or book profits as they deem profitable depending upon the volatility in the market (Bit coin, 2018). Merchants who accept Bit coin as a payment can convert it into standard currency that is in Dollars, Euros etc. Bitcoin has some advantages as it introduces a new payment mechanism; tipping system, automated payment solution, time locked payment management, public asset tracking, low trust escrow services, micro payment channels and more such facilities (Bit coin, 2018). Another advantage of Bitcoin is that its high volatility in the currency market makes it a ‘high risk and high return’ asset. Pegging any currency against the dollar refers to the act of fixing the currency value with respect to the value of Dollar. In other words we can say that the value of US dollar against the other currency is fixed and will not move irrespective of how the market functions. The process of pegging currency with US dollar is often conducted in oil extracting countries as US is the largest importer of oil. GCC economies are the third largest economy. The growth of this economy is highly dependent on selling oil (The Economist, 2018). By pegging the GCC against Dollar has several advantages and disadvantages. Pegging of currency eliminates the risk of currency fluctuations and the risks associated with it. This provides stability to the currency in the international currency market. Pegging encourages the regional currency valuation as the dollar is considered to be the standard currency and by pegging with dollar, currency of other country does not fluctuate (Brooking, 2018). In countries like Saudi Arabia and Venezuela pegging with US dollar has been done in order to protect the countries from the risk of currency fluctuations because US is the major importer for oil. Various countries opt for pegging in order to increase external trade in the country. As external trade increases, the GDP of the country also increases. When pegging of a currency is done to a higher value currency then the value of the country enhances in the public opinion making it an attractive destination to invest. Therefore investment b es easier in that country. This process also protect country from speculation Pegging also gives freedom to set rules and economic policies, interest rates and help to control inflation in the country. Therefore countries must peg their currencies to dollar in order to limit their risks. If a country currency is pegged with the US dollar then the country can take more loan as it will have a more stable environment and economy. Pegging also helps in getting better deals for international loans and interest rates provided the economy’s inflation is in control. The loan taken in the dollar value is harder to pay off because dollar has the high value as pared to the other currency. Therefore in the longer run, pegging would result in rising cost of capital and increased import prices (Espinoza and Prasad, 2010).   The country which pegs it’s currency with the USD has to maintain a high reserve of dollars. It means central bank of that country has to hold a high amount of reserves in US dollars (Financial Times, 2018). Holding of foreign currency reserve (dollar) indulges a cost which adversely affects the economy. Pegging also leads to an increase in inflation. Growth and development of a country is dependent on the performance of dollar. Monetary policies are restricted in every country and are wholly dependent on the performance of the currency to which the currency is pegged. Similarly in the case of US dollar and countries pegged with it, it means that if the value of US dollar falls the currency of other country will also fall and vice versa. Bitcoin, 2018. ‘Bit coin for developers’. [Online]. Available at:   https://Bit coin.org/en/Bit coin-for-developers [ACCESSED ON 30 th march 2018] Bitcoin, 2018. ‘Bit coin for individual’. [Online]. Available at:   https://Bit coin.org/en/Bit coin-for-individuals. [ACCESSED ON 30 th march 2018] Brooking, (2018). ‘Sustaining the GCC currency pegs: The need for collaboration’. [Online]. Available at: https://www.brookings.edu/research/sustaining-the-gcc-currency-pegs-the-need-for-collaboration/. [ACCESSED ON 31 th march 2018] Espinoza, R.A. and Prasad, A., 2010.  Ã¢â‚¬ËœNonperforming loans in the GCC banking system and their macroeconomic effects (No. 10-224)’. International Monetary Fund. Financial Times, 2018. ‘Gulf’s dollar peg makes sense’. [Online]. Available at:   https://www.eiu /industry/article/1725886356/will-the-gulf-co-operation-council-currency-pegs-survive/2017-09-13. [ACCESSED ON 31th march 2018] Forrester, D. and Solomon, M., 2013.  Ã¢â‚¬ËœBitcoin explained: Today's plete guide to tomorrow's currency’. CreateSpace Independent publishing platform. Popper, N., 2015.  Digital gold: Bitcoin and the inside story of the misfits and millionaires trying to reinvent money  (pp. 156-197). New York: Harper. Tanha, H. and Dempsey, M., 2017. Derivatives usage in emerging markets following the GFC: Evidence from the GCC countries.  Emerging Markets Finance and Trade,  53(1), pp.170-179. The Economist, 2018. ‘Financial Services’. [Online]. Available at:   https://www.eiu /industry/article/1725886356/will-the-gulf-co-operation-council-currency-pegs-survive/2017-09-13. [ACCESSED ON 30 th march 2018]. The National, 2018. ‘Why GCC states should ditch the dollar peg and switch to a currency basket’. [Online]. Available at: https://www.thenational.ae/business/economy/why-gcc-states-should-ditch-the-dollar-peg-and-switch-to-a-currency-basket-1.700668. [ACCESSED ON 31 th march 2018]

Why and in what ways did the Oxford Movement make an impact on Essay

Why and in what ways did the Oxford Movement make an impact on religious life in England - Essay Example Their influences were felt in the spiritual and doctrinal levels.1 The Oxford movement brought to the forefront some of the problems within the Church of England. One of the major forces that caused the movement occurred in the year 1832 where there was the passage of the Reform Act. This Act required that ten Irish bishops be eliminated from the Church. One of the major participants of the movement was John Keble. He voiced his objections against that reform and even described it as a form of apostasy by the nation. He voiced these complaints in a Sermon at Oxford during the year 1833. The leaders of the Oxford movement felt that adherents to the Anglican faith were not as devoted as they should be to the church and the clergy. Standards of worship had declined and something needed to be done in order to change this. They also felt that tradition no longer formed a central part of worship and there was a need to return to that. The movement protested against involvement of the government in matters of the Church. This was highlighted in the famous sermon of 1833. Newman asserted that the church was a holy institution and as such should be left to run its own affairs without interruptions from external bodies. He also spoke against the way the government had ruined the apostolic succession principle which required that bishops should be succeeded in a religious and not a political manner.2 Leaders of the movement were also instrumental in making the people of England realise that there were certain linkages between the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church. These beliefs caused the formulation of the Branch Theory in which The Orthodox, Anglicans and Roman Catholics were termed as branches of the real Catholic Church. These movement’s leaders compared some elements of the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church to prove the latter fact. They asserted that the 39 articles of their church and the Council of Trent were one

Postoperative pain management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Postoperative pain management - Essay Example Some tissues like the liver and lung alveoli do not respond to strong pain stimulus, while skin tissues are very sensitive. Traditionally, pain was considered as a symptom or manifestation of a disease or diseased state. Currently, this view still holds, but more than that, pain is considered as a condition that needs to be managed separately from the medical condition from whence it arose. The understanding of the elements that cause pain has been a pursuit of many researches in medical science. People with various life-threatening and non-threatening medical conditions could suffer diverse form of pain, although acute pain could arise from surgical procedures. Chronic pain is a condition suffered by many. The myriad of medications developed for pain relief alone is an indication of the number of individuals who suffer from chronic and acute pain. In a clinical setting, pain is a subjective condition and its definition is based on what the patient decides it to be. The role of the clinician is to know what the patient actually means, and needs. However, many clinicians, nurses included, do not have a clear understanding of pain and its management. As a result, pain management could be ineffective. Understanding pain at the anatomical and physiological level will increase the clinician’s knowledge of it nature and the interventions that can alleviate it. How pain develops was first described in the classic work of Melzack and Wall in 1965, which proposed the â€Å"gate control theory of pain†. According to Melzack and Wall, pain is perceived by a neural mechanism by the substantia gelatinosa layer of the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, which acts like a gate modulating the flow of nerve impulse from the peripheral nervous system to the central nervous system (CNS). The pain stimuli are felt by nociceptors, receptors in the somatic and visceral tissues. The nociceptors are free nerve endings that are connected to

Buyer Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Buyer Behavior - Essay Example Globalization has contributed to the complete transformation of the fashion industry coaxing the fashion magazines to cater to a wider consumer base, and include articles, editorials and fashion insights which are globally competent and relevant. Vogue and Elle, are two of the oldest and most esteemed brands in the world of fashion which have the power to influence societal ideologies through their articles and depiction of women’s fashion. The magazines’ primary goal of catering to the huge female customer base, and their association with known international brands, by way of advertisements and sponsors, have contributed to the creation of a unique brand image. Clothes represent identity and the fashion magazines such as Vogue and Elle bank on their grasp on the industry, to promote their respective products by indulging in aspirational marketing tactics, and endorsing the concept of self-esteem and image of their female consumers (Tungate, 2008; Easey, 2009). Fashion, in contemporary times has assumed greater significance, and has become an inevitable part of our cultural identities. Clothes today are not mere pieces of garment but symbols of one’s self-image, personality, status and values as well (Craik, 2009). Recently there has been a slight shift in the target market segment for fashion magazines, which initially catered to a young female consumer. Due to changing cultural ideologies, the concept of fashion which was invariably associated with youth and beauty, has now begun to accommodate a wider age group, as is apparent from the marketing strategy of Vogue. Beauty and fashion are no longer restricted to age younger age groups. High end magazines such as Vogue for instance, are breaking this cultural conundrum by catering to women... The study of consumer behaviour that is presented in this essay helps the management in establishing a marketing strategies and in marketing their products to the specific target markets identified in the process. As observed in the case of Vogue and Elle magazines, that are used as examples in this essay, the fashion magazines mostly cater to high end fashion conscious female consumers, hence the target market for both the magazines, more or less, comprise of consumers with similar characteristics. The buying behaviour of the consumers is influenced by their perception of self, which is used as a fundamental frame of reference while buying any brand or a product. The final decision to buy a product is influenced by matching this self image with the qualities endorsed by the brand. The premier fashion magazines, have also included innovative marketing tactics, that were described in the essay, such as including intelligently scripted editorial sections, and simultaneously retaining t heir lavish fashion spreads by way of adverts featuring high end lifestyle brands such as perfumes. Almost all the fashion magazines bank on the revenues from advertising as their primary source of cash inflows, their brand positioning and market segmentation strategies, are of key significance to both the fashion stalwarts. In conclusion, the researcher states that Vogue and Elle, have so far successfully stayed afloat in the industry which is growing at a rapid rate, thus indicating their successful marketing strategies.

A critical review of methods of water quality assessment Essay

A critical review of methods of water quality assessment - Essay Example As per the report of Chapman, it is easier to note that biological methods allow careful screening of any effect which may be arising because of any reservoir or water body (Hartje 2002). It should also be noted that the biological methods are applied in order to help measure the intensity of the change in the ecological cycle. However, there are many indicators which would give a clear idea as to what extent is being noted in terms of ecological change (Yamaguchi andWesselink 2000). These indicators can be dead fish or the changing colors of the water etc. At one hand these indicators might help in analyzing the changes which are undergoing in the ecological cycle while on the other hand there are some of the aquatic changes which will take place and cannot be identified without the usage of aquatic biota. One of the biological assessments which is being commonly used in order to undergo water quality assessment is the past time assessment of the environment (Dinar and Albiac 2009). This is in the context of the fact that aquatic organisms leave their traces to affect the ecological cycle which can be noted when the changes is already on its final stage. In simpler words, it is complicated for the biologists to evaluate the change in its initial stages (Roy, Oborne and David 2009). It is because of this reason that assessment is undertaken by considering past time and the present time of the environment. Another method which is being employed world wide is acute toxicity testing which is applied in cases where water is greatly affected by pollution (EnecoTech 2004). Chemical method for assessment of water quality is noted as a very expensive form of quality measuring tool. Chemical method does not show a longer duration result as in the biological method in which organisms give a longer period results. In this way assessment can be done without loosing any sample (Northern Territory Government

Avoiding Overspend Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Avoiding Overspend - Essay Example Whenever there is a deviation from the planned programme causing change, recovery, rework, panic that lowers the specifications for project to be completed in time, it invariably results in overrun and consequent overspend that may lead to penalties. M'pherson The control measures adopted in project management usually aim at mapping the deviation from the defined plan. There are hardly any measures to identify areas of cost saving. The urgency to save, therefore precipitates at a near final stage which is an inappropriate time for cost saving. Cost saving needs maximum consideration at the planning and design stage itself. Once implementation begins, changes only escalate costs and cause delays. he key lies in managing requirements in such a way that overspend can be avoided. Cost control is necessarily an important step towards avoiding overspend. Some strategies for cost control are discussed below: 1. Involvement of Executive Management: Project cost control manifests its effectiveness best, when the executive management is involved in the decisions at all major phases of the project. It helps if the executive management can "recognize the importance of project risk management for identifying and planning to head off at least the most obvious potential risk events" (Max). 2. Estimating Project Budget: The cost of the total work of the project needs to be estimated at the planning stage. Detailed estimating, bottom up estimating, order of magnitude, analogus or parametric estimates can be used to project the cost of all activities and the entire project. If planning is done well, overspending at a later stage can be avoided. The risk management approach to planning can also help evaluate the assumptions and environmental conditions that dominate the project plan, so that weaknesses can be identified and the effect of any risks thus identified, can be avoided. A contingency fund or reserves is usually then set aside to cope with such risks. The budget also needs to accommodate the inflation factor. For this, final estimates are arrived at and then inflation cost is added as a percentage or lump sum. The inflation allowance then gets allocated to each cost item in relation to the actual expected inflation over the period for which costs are expected to b e incurred. 3. Establish baseline cost for each activity: To establish a realistic baseline, communication and integration of various types of information is extremely important. This may require robust

Buyer Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Buyer Behavior - Essay Example Globalization has contributed to the complete transformation of the fashion industry coaxing the fashion magazines to cater to a wider consumer base, and include articles, editorials and fashion insights which are globally competent and relevant. Vogue and Elle, are two of the oldest and most esteemed brands in the world of fashion which have the power to influence societal ideologies through their articles and depiction of women’s fashion. The magazines’ primary goal of catering to the huge female customer base, and their association with known international brands, by way of advertisements and sponsors, have contributed to the creation of a unique brand image. Clothes represent identity and the fashion magazines such as Vogue and Elle bank on their grasp on the industry, to promote their respective products by indulging in aspirational marketing tactics, and endorsing the concept of self-esteem and image of their female consumers (Tungate, 2008; Easey, 2009). Fashion, in contemporary times has assumed greater significance, and has become an inevitable part of our cultural identities. Clothes today are not mere pieces of garment but symbols of one’s self-image, personality, status and values as well (Craik, 2009). Recently there has been a slight shift in the target market segment for fashion magazines, which initially catered to a young female consumer. Due to changing cultural ideologies, the concept of fashion which was invariably associated with youth and beauty, has now begun to accommodate a wider age group, as is apparent from the marketing strategy of Vogue. Beauty and fashion are no longer restricted to age younger age groups. High end magazines such as Vogue for instance, are breaking this cultural conundrum by catering to women... The study of consumer behaviour that is presented in this essay helps the management in establishing a marketing strategies and in marketing their products to the specific target markets identified in the process. As observed in the case of Vogue and Elle magazines, that are used as examples in this essay, the fashion magazines mostly cater to high end fashion conscious female consumers, hence the target market for both the magazines, more or less, comprise of consumers with similar characteristics. The buying behaviour of the consumers is influenced by their perception of self, which is used as a fundamental frame of reference while buying any brand or a product. The final decision to buy a product is influenced by matching this self image with the qualities endorsed by the brand. The premier fashion magazines, have also included innovative marketing tactics, that were described in the essay, such as including intelligently scripted editorial sections, and simultaneously retaining t heir lavish fashion spreads by way of adverts featuring high end lifestyle brands such as perfumes. Almost all the fashion magazines bank on the revenues from advertising as their primary source of cash inflows, their brand positioning and market segmentation strategies, are of key significance to both the fashion stalwarts. In conclusion, the researcher states that Vogue and Elle, have so far successfully stayed afloat in the industry which is growing at a rapid rate, thus indicating their successful marketing strategies.

Avoiding Overspend Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Avoiding Overspend - Essay Example Whenever there is a deviation from the planned programme causing change, recovery, rework, panic that lowers the specifications for project to be completed in time, it invariably results in overrun and consequent overspend that may lead to penalties. M'pherson The control measures adopted in project management usually aim at mapping the deviation from the defined plan. There are hardly any measures to identify areas of cost saving. The urgency to save, therefore precipitates at a near final stage which is an inappropriate time for cost saving. Cost saving needs maximum consideration at the planning and design stage itself. Once implementation begins, changes only escalate costs and cause delays. he key lies in managing requirements in such a way that overspend can be avoided. Cost control is necessarily an important step towards avoiding overspend. Some strategies for cost control are discussed below: 1. Involvement of Executive Management: Project cost control manifests its effectiveness best, when the executive management is involved in the decisions at all major phases of the project. It helps if the executive management can "recognize the importance of project risk management for identifying and planning to head off at least the most obvious potential risk events" (Max). 2. Estimating Project Budget: The cost of the total work of the project needs to be estimated at the planning stage. Detailed estimating, bottom up estimating, order of magnitude, analogus or parametric estimates can be used to project the cost of all activities and the entire project. If planning is done well, overspending at a later stage can be avoided. The risk management approach to planning can also help evaluate the assumptions and environmental conditions that dominate the project plan, so that weaknesses can be identified and the effect of any risks thus identified, can be avoided. A contingency fund or reserves is usually then set aside to cope with such risks. The budget also needs to accommodate the inflation factor. For this, final estimates are arrived at and then inflation cost is added as a percentage or lump sum. The inflation allowance then gets allocated to each cost item in relation to the actual expected inflation over the period for which costs are expected to b e incurred. 3. Establish baseline cost for each activity: To establish a realistic baseline, communication and integration of various types of information is extremely important. This may require robust

Crime and Punishment Essay Example for Free

Crime and Punishment Essay The saying that crime does not pay lies at the heart of a great deal of literature and many films. It appears in a large number of fairy tales and childrens story. This is to teach children from an early age that it is wrong to commit a crime, no matter how small, and that every criminal is eventually punished. Of course this is not true, many crimes, especially smaller crimes, are never punished. This can either be because no one has discovered a crime was committed or because there was no punishment fit for the criminal. For instance, because the criminal wasnt conscious of committing the crime (mentally retarded, been drugged etc), because he is a minor and has a clean record or even because he is dying or deceased. However the criminal can be punished by other members of society as well and/or instead of by law. This would be in the form of revenge. Then there is self-inflicted punishment. Criminals often feel guilty and this can drive them to depression, sometimes leading them to inflict physical pain on themselves or to commit suicide. If the criminal is Christian or Moslem, he will also have to endure the thought of going to Hell. If the criminal is Hindu or Buddhist, he will know he is destroying his chance for a good rebirth, dirtying and ruining his karma, which will cause him to suffer for lifetimes to come. Criminal acts might in the short run satisfy them or fill their pockets, will in the long run, from a spiritual perspective, hurt the criminal. Indeed, in the long term, and from the moral and ethical, psychological and spiritual points of view, it appears to be almost always true that Crime does not pay. Literature often portrays reality; therefore this moral is present a great deal. Examples of crimes that are punished more by psychological means appear in The Millers Tale in Geoffrey Chaucers The Canterbury Tales. This was written before the 15th Century yet it already refers to crimes that were not punished by law but indirectly by the general public. This tale is of a rich carpenter, his newly wed young wife, Alison, and his lodger. The carpenter is an old, jealous man who doesnt give his wife any freedom for the fear she will cheat on him. The lodger, Nicholas, is always after women and he soon flirts with the beautiful Alison. She soon falls in love with him and they decide to trick the carpenter so they can sleep together. Nicholas, who is fascinated by astrology, tells the carpenter that by studying the moon he  found out that in an hour there will be a great flood and the world will be drowned. The carpenter, who is sworn to secrecy, believes him and obeys his orders. He hangs up three kneading-troughs in the attic which are to be used as boats and at night the three of them get in their boats. The carpenter falls in a deep sleep after all his work so he doesnt know the two lovers have secretly gone downstairs to bed. However Absalon, a young parish clerk who is in love with the carpenters wife, hears that the carpenter hasnt been to work since Saturday. He uses this as an opportunity to tell Alison, through the bedroom window, of his love for her. After being told to leave, he agrees on the condition that she gives him one kiss. She consents but tricks him and he comes to learn that he has kissed a completely different part of her body. To take revenge, Absalon comes back with a hot iron and tells Alison he wants to give her a golden ring in exchange for another kiss. This time its Nicholass bottom that appears out of the window and is subsequently branded with the hot iron. His screaming awakens the carpenter who thinks the flood has started and cuts the rope tied to his tub. The boat falls and the carpenter breaks an arm and starts screaming that the world is flooding. Nicholas and Alison use this occasion to make him out as mad and for the rest of his life, nothing the carpenter says will chan ge this in the eyes of the public. He is treated as a reject but his wife is also mocked for being married to him. Notice that ever single character is punished by some means. The carpenter is mocked and cannot ever live a normal life again. He is forced to live with wife who betrayed him and will forever be considered a madman. It is clearly shown on page 106, that no one believed the carpenter: No matter what the carpenter asserted it went for nothing, no one was converted. He also has a broken arm and many bruises. His wife is also teased for living with him and has to endure the guilt of her criminal actions and their consequences. Nicholas is also humiliated and he is branded for life. Absalons punishment was being tricked into kissing Alisons bottom. He has to live with the shame of this and that he was rejected by Alison. The characters mentioned above all committed a crime: Alison committed adultery, Nicholas deliberately made Alison cheat on her husband and Absalon  also tried but failed. Nicholas and Alison furthermore lied to Absalon and the carpenter. They lied to the whole neighbourhood saying the latter was mad. Lying is not a crime that can be punished by law but it is still wrong. In Christianity and many other religions, it is thought of as a sin. It is to be debated whether Absalon also committed another crime: branding Nicholas with a hot iron. In doing this, Absalon was taking revenge for a crime that had been committed against him; a crime that would not be grave enough to be punished by law. By chance, Absalon was taking revenge on a character who had also committed other crimes. For this reason, the author might have excused Absalons drastic action against Nicholas and therefore given him the lightest punishment. According to the Chaucer, the carpenters crime was to marry a much younger and very beautiful young woman and then to forbid her of her freedom. He did not think of her feelings. Chaucer quotes at the bottom of page 89:A man should marry someone like himself; A man should pick an equal for his mate. Youth and old age are often in debate. However, he had fallen in the snare, And had to bear his cross as others bare.Here Chaucer already predicts that Alison is going to cheat on her husband. The carpenter fell in the trap and now he has to bear the consequences. Indeed, all the characters mentioned above committed a crime and quickly learnt that crime does not pay. They were all psychologically and often also physically punished. I wanted to see if the quote crime does not pay also applies in The shipmans tale. This tale tells of a kind, generous merchant who was married to a beautiful woman. This merchant was on very good terms with a monk, Sir John, and invited him to stay for dinner, some days before he was to leave on business. The monk stayed with them for a few days but one morning when he was speaking to Sir Johns wife, she poured out all her sorrows to him. She told him she wished she were dead and that she had no respect for her husband, she hated him, because he neglected her. She then asked the monk for a hundred francs so she could look smart and do my husband honour (page 162). The monk promised to lend her the money. However, he then privately  asked the merchant for the same amount using the reason that he wanted to buy some cattle. The merchant lent it to him and swore not to reveal the monks debt. When the merchant left, Sir John visited the wife and gave her the money in exchange for her keeping him company at night. The merchant then came back and asked the monk for his money but learnt from him that the money had already been returned to his wife. The merchant felt he had been rude and reprimanded his wife for not telling him the debt had been paid. His wife then explained the situation, cursed the monk for having broken his promise and told her husband she needed the money because he didnt supply her with enough. She asked for forgiveness. Her husband forgave her but asked her not to be so extravagant again (page 168). The obvious crimes here are adultery and breaking a promise. Both the merchants wife and Sir John are guilty of this. It is possible but unlikely, that the merchant committed the crime of not caring for his wife properly. The merchant is described as generous and though he might not always be at home with his wife, this is because he is earning money to support his wife and himself. However, he has the worst deal at the end of the tale: he loses hundred francs. The wifes punishment is that her secret is found out and she is shamed in front of her husband. It is not a heavy punishment but then she only cheated on her husband once. In addition, she has to live with the guilt of what she has done. Maybe she even has to sacrifice something in exchange for spending her husbands money on herself. Sir Johns only punishment is that he is now not regarded in the same light as before. He is also insulted by the merchants wife, but it is debatable whether this is a punishment as he did not have the humiliation of hearing himself be insulted. I think it is difficult to decide whether this moral also applies for The Shipmans tale. It depends who one thinks is guilty of committing a crime. The husband has learnt his lesson: to watch over his wife more closely. The wife learns she has done a foolish thing and will hopefully, for the merchant, now live a better life. However, not much ill seems to befall the monk. Of course, we could argue that he was only trying to help the merchant and his wife. He went too far in cheating on the merchant but he will presumably feel the consequences: his relationship with the merchant and his  wife will not be the same again. Therefore, I think the moral also applies for this tale, but it is not as obvious. I believe the moral that crime does not pay is present not only lies at the heart of a great deal of literature, but also in many films, comics and stories told by mouth. This is important as nowadays people no longer act morally only because they are afraid of God or of hell. Today, atheists are tolerated and many who are religious do not believe every word in the Bible, they no longer fear the word hell. Therefore, to keep society working peacefully, one needs to teach people to be morally good and to teach them that if they dont, they will be punished. Often, one is not punished for doing something morally wrong. This fact is often hidden, to encourage people to commit fewer or no crimes because they believe every crime will have a bad consequence. People, especially children, are taught this, often indirectly, through reading, watching films and hearing about personal experiences where the criminal eventually paid for his crime.

Designing An Online Dating Service Information Technology Essay

Designing An Online Dating Service Information Technology Essay Valentinos has been a very successful dating service since 1976 as it provides a round the clock assistance to their clients. The company allows the client to request as many introductions as they can and also facilitate the modification of the information as many times as the member wants to free of charge. The agency is very popular because it not only provides better customer care but also effective matching with largest number of members. Weakness Time consuming in terms of matching from database Lack of investment in technology No provision of online matching as the website is information only The technology used for maintaining the database and language used for writing the code are very old The system is poorly documented Valentinos is losing its profitability as the services it provides are old fashioned and consume a lot of time. The process of match making is done offline which delays the service. The technology used in the system is also a decade older which the new staff finds difficult to use and maintain. Opportunities Make use of new and improved technology Provide online matching of compatible clients Bring innovation to their marketing strategy by advertising online Including winks, flirts and various emotions along with messages Valentinos can make best use of the recent advancements in the technology so that they can attract more clients and serve the existing clients in a better way. They can advertise on the internet on different websites along with newspapers and public transports due to the increase usage of internet over the past few years. Threats Different agencies providing better and advanced interactive interfaces Some agencies providing registration free of cost Changing government laws on accessing personal information Due to the competition from various new dating agencies which provide more and more interactive services using of the new technologies at hand, Valentinos is losing its market share. Changes made in the government policies in the past decade also contribute to the loss in the profitability of the organization. BALANCED BUSINESS SCORECARD Financial Objectives Measures Targets Increase the revenue from membership Application processed per day Increase the application processed per day by 15% in next 1 year Reduce advertisement cost More online advertisements Reduce the advertisement cost by 20% within next 6 months Reduce manpower cost Number of queries handled per employee Reduce the cost of manpower by 5% in next one year Customer Objectives Measures Targets Increase response time Time taken to process an application Response time should be within 24 hours Decrease registration fee cost for membership Registration fee should be reduced to 125 pounds More matches per list List of compatible members Compatibility list should have 10 person/ list Internal Objectives Measures Targets Increase manpower utilization No. of applications processed/ employee Increase the No. of applications processed/ employee by 10% Speed up the process of displaying members details Time taken to display members information Members information should be displayed within 24 Provision of online matching No. of matches per application Increase no. of matches per application by 15% Innovation Objectives Measures Targets Market survey To make use of the new technology at a faster pace Quarterly progress Interactive environment of the website Use of more winks and emotions with better look and feel of website Include new features in the website within 2 months VISION STATEMENT For all the people in U.K. who are single and in search for their special someone, Valentinos- the personal introductions agency is an online matchmaking agency that will help them to find the companion they are looking for. The agency allows the users to create a profile on its website to search for their suitable partners without the need to display much of their personal information. The information held is fully confidential, secure and assisted by trained personnel of the company 24*7. The system will increase the revenue of the agency by 20% in the first year of its use. Unlike the current offline matching system our new system will provide the customers with the option of online dating allowing them to find their partners in no time. The customers will be able to interact with their partners effectively and a lot of time will be saved in finding the right match. Scope Diagram Help Desk Administrator Client Website Maintains Member profiles Output Result Query Database Registers Compatible Profiles Customer Assistance Valentinos Membership MatchmakingOut of scope: Marketing Techniques Advancement in technology used Market survey Costs: Cost of development of online matchmaking system The cost that will be involved in creating the software for matching profiles online. Cost of software updation As the software is very old it needs to be updated so it covers the cost involved in any updation of the website. Hardware installation cost This include the cost of setting up of new servers to handle the increased traffic of member and also of the new systems to be set up having advanced technologies. Staff training cost It covers the cost involved in arranging seminars and sessions for the employees to train them so that they can provide efficient service. Software maintenance The cost involved in maintain the software i.e. various updates needed and instalment of new versions of it. Cost of customer Assistance It covers the cost of providing assistance to the clients i.e. setting up of various telephone lines and hiring new people to provide assistance. Benefits: Increased revenue from membership fee There will be an increase in revenue as with new services there will be increase in demand for the membership of the agency. Better throughput The profiles of the clients will be made available in less time thus the process of adding members will increase. Increased customer satisfaction As the services provided will be faster and more proficient the customers will be satisfied to a greater extent. Fast profile matching With online profile matching the compatible list can be generated in very less amount of time thus speeding up the process of dating. Fewer Complaints With the matches been made available in less time there would be fewer problems in related to the delivery of matches and hence the complaints from the clients will also decrease. Increased reliability The dating system will be more reliable as the matches are made online which will result in the decrease in human errors and the success of delivery of results will increase. Functional requirements Membership Creating user profiles Managing user profiles Registration Priority: Medium Profile matching 2.1 Search the members database 2.2 Match the compatible profiles 2.3 Display the matching profiles Priority: High Managing Staff 3.1 Employees responsible for the development 3.2 Employees maintaining database 3.3 Customer assistance staff Priority: Medium Customer support 4.1 Helping with the membership form 4.2 Providing counselling 4.3 Listening to and providing solutions to customer complaints Priority: High Online dating 5.1 Provide online compatibility matching 5.2 Speed dating Priority: High Payments 6.1 Make payments for the membership and new introductions 6.2 Record payments 6.3 Printing statements of the payments made 6.4 Accept membership fee Priority: High Editing user profiles 7.1 Modification to user records by the user any number of times 7.2 Deletion of personal profile Priority: Low Maintaining database 8.1 Creating a database containing user information 8.2 Updating the database 8.3 Deleting the profiles from the database who do not want to be a member anymore Priority: Medium Advertisement 9.1 Increase in online advertisements 9.2 Better graphical advertisements Priority: Low Non-functional requirements Software Quality Attributes Availability-1: The system should be available to the users any time of the day so that they can use it according to their ease. Reliability-1: The capacity of the system should also be planned so that it can handle any amount of user traffic anytime and should not slow down when lot of users are accessing the service at the same time. Performance Requirements PE-1: Response time for answering the general query of the user should not be more than 10 seconds. PE-2: At least 10 matches should be displayed while providing the matching list to the user. PE-3: The members profiles should be made available on the website in no more than one day. PE-4: The compatibility list should be handed over to the member within a day. Security Requirement SE-1: The transactions made online through credit cards should be totally secure so that no theft takes place. SE-2: Members should be asked for verification username and password so that only authorized users can access the service. SE-3: Ensure that only authorized users can modify the account details and personal information of their own profiles. Legislative Requirements LE-1: The system should comply with rules and regulations of the Data Protection Act. LE-2: Personal information provided by the users should be kept confidential i.e. should not be shared with any other entity without the prior permission of the person. Product Requirements PR-1: The software used for providing the service should be easy to upgrade. PR-2: The system should be able to work with all the standard applications. PR-3: The maintaining of the database should not be outsourced to a third party. Employees should be hired to maintain it within the organization. Detailed description of functional requirements Source: Planning Priority: High Owner: Planning Manager Requirement Id: 4.0 Functional requirement: Customer Support To be able to provide counselling to all the users who need one and answer to the complaints of members. Non-functional requirement(s) Description Target Value Acceptable Range Comments Response time 1 day 5 days Analysing the complaint and looking for solution Service hours 24 hours a day Benefits Will enable the agency to improvise the services they offer by finding solutions to the customer complaints. Comments/suggested solutions The user can also provide feedback. Related Documents Related requirements Resolution Source: Planning Priority: High Owner: Planning Manager Requirement Id: 5.0 Functional requirement: Online Dating To be able to match the compatible profiles online and displaying the results to the user. Non-functional requirement(s) Description Target Value Acceptable Range Comments Response time 1 hour 2-3 hours Searching the large database Benefits Will enable the user to find his/her compatible profiles list in a very quick time. Comments/suggested solutions Instant display of compatible profiles. Related Documents Related requirements 2.0 Profile Matching Resolution (Goodland, 2010) Use Case Model For Valentinos (created using StarUML)Detailed description of a single Use Case Use Case 6.1 Make Payment Goal in Context New user deposits the registration fee to use the services of the agency and existing user deposits the charge for getting new introductions Scope Level Online Dating System, User goal Precondition System available, Finance manager available Success End Condition Payment made successfully, Registration fee paid, receipt of the payment handed to user Failed End Condition Payment not successful, receipt not accepted Primary, Secondary Actors Client, Finance Manager, Credit Card Company, Bank Trigger Request for Introductions Description Step Action 1 Client is asked to make the payment to get the introductions. 2 Client enters his/her account details 3 Makes the required payment 4 Finance Manager records the payment made 5 Finance Manager generates a receipt 6 Client prints the receipt Extensions Step Branching Action 1a If the client is the first time customer: 1a1. Asked to register first 1a2. Deposits the membership fee also 2a If the client enters the wrong password: 2a1. Give him few more chances to enter the right one 2a2. Allow the client to change the password if he does not get it right. 4a If the client is using the system for the first time: 4a1. Create a new account for him. Variations Step Branching Action 3 Client may pay through Credit card, Demand draft, Pay pal Related information Make Payments Priority High Performance 5 minutes for the payment, 1 minute to handover the receipt Frequency 500/day Channels to actors Online Open issues Due Date à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦any other management informationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Included in Inclusions (Goodland, 2010) Assumptions made while modelling use case diagram Client can also provide a feedback in the form of complaints if he is dissatisfied with the services or the agency or if he wants to recommend any changes to the service. Administrator will maintain the information supplied by the client. He will also maintain the history of every client i.e. the introductions offered to the client. Administrator will hold the details of all the employees of the company. Customer service providers will not only provide solutions to the queries of the clients but also will be responsible for handling the complaints if any made by the client. Finance manager will be responsible for recording all the payments made by the clients so that the information can be used by the credit card company. He will also be required to produce statements of all the payments made by the client. Developer will have to run the match list to find compatible profiles and also manage the user traffic on the companys website. Areas Requiring Further Definition The use case Make Payments can further be expanded by including the different ways by which user can pay i.e. the user can either pay by credit card, a demand draft or even through services such as pay pal. The use case view online matches can be viewed in further detail by adding various features of online dating like chatting, winking, emotions etc. Rich Picture for Valentinos Reduced cost of offline matching Why cannot i have more than 6 matches Provide faster matches earn more money Will it be secure from hackers? This system will help us compete with new agencies Now I can see matches instantly Administrator Online matchmaking service Manager More work and new technology Maintain client records and their history Manage the traffic and run the match list for users Design the new system with latest technology Make the site more interactive Less queries about delivery success Decrease in number of complaints Developer Customer AssistanceC:UsersDeepankerAppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5P2TU6YUZMC900055561[1].wmfC:UsersDeepankerAppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5XUXPG77LMC900332528[1].wmf wow a faster and a convenient dating service Client C:UsersDeepankerAppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5XUXPG77LMC900410797[1].wmf Police Is the company following the Data Protection Law C:UsersDeepankerAppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE56NVVFFGMC900150005[1].wmf C:UsersDeepankerAppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5P2TU6YUZMM900365263[1].gif Hacker More chances of getting caught Solve the problems of customers Various Stakeholders Primary stakeholders Client, Shareholders, Developer Secondary Stakeholders Administrator, Finance manager, Customer assistance staff, Hackers Key Stakeholders Client, Shareholders Stakeholders Attitudes Clients that are already using the dating service might not be comfortable with the new system at first. But as they get used to it they will find the new features of the system easy and better to use. The Shareholders at first might fear that the investment for the new system will not be worth the money and the effort. They have to be convinced that it is for the better as the services provided will be enhanced with greater customer satisfaction resulting to increased revenue. The employees may also find it hard to operate the new system as they are used to working with the older one for many years. There should be proper training provided to all the employees on the new system so that they can handle the new system efficiently. The development team may also find it a cumbersome job to create a new system and integrating it with the existing one. There will be an increased amount of work for the customer assistance department in the beginning when the new system is implemented. The lines might be flooded with assistance so they may demand an increase in pay or else new employees have to be recruited. Change Management The development team might not be very proficient or they may be wasting a lot of time in developing the new system. The project may be delayed and wasting a lot of money of the company. The senior managers might have to provide a warning of execution to the present team. If the development process still does not takes the required pace new development team has to be hired. During the developmental stage there might be a change in technology in demand which is cheaper and provides better functionality. Developers will be interested in that but the investors who have already invested in the existing technology will be reluctant. Both the teams have to agree on one common solution for the project to continue. If the new investment in the technology yields a profit on the combined total investment then the management gives a go ahead for investment in the new technology. Possible Developmental Approaches Scenario 1: Development by an external contractor who will specify the system and have it programmed by their sister company Select user story for release Suitable development approach would be Extreme Programming (XP). XP is chosen as it is an agile development technique which helps in developing a more effective product. A the programming is outsourced to the sister company it will be convenient for the contractor to follow this approach as the development can be done with only one customer n only 3 weeks of time. The process of development involves informal story narration of requirements between a customer and developer which can be easily understood. The programming is done by the programmers in pair. There is daily interaction with the customer so if he feels that the system has reached the desired level further work may be prevented. (Source: Cockburn A., 2008) Stories broken down into tasks Release planning Develop/ test software Software release System evaluation Extreme Programming Release Cycle (Sommerville, 2007) Advantages Cost saving in development as the development team consists of 3-10 members only. Development can be done with one customer also in a single room. The process of development is done in interactions over a period of 3 weeks. Each iteration provides the code that is tested and running. The customers as well as the programmers can reprioritize the tasks over time. Pair programming is followed. The delay of finding the solution is less. Rapid feedback. The design is simple. (Cockburn, 2008) Disadvantages The requirements are not documented. To proceed with development discussion is needed between developer and customer after every iteration. Optimization of code is left for the end. No overtime. (Goodland, 2010) Risks Involved There might arise a conflict between the two programmers and they may not be able to reach to a common conclusion. Hence the development can be delayed or even not be able to proceed. In such a case a new team has to set up and the work has to be done all over again. If there is a sudden change in the development team, new employees will find it hard to understand the progress of the work as the requirements are not documented anywhere. (Cockburn, 2008) Scenario 2: Purchase of rival agency and customisation of their software The development lifecycle suitable for such a scenario will be Incremental Model because the software is already present with the rival agency. The development team of Valentinos only need to structure some components and provide extra functionality to it according to their ease. It is an iterative model for the waterfall lifecycle approach i.e. each iteration follows the waterfall model and the iterations are done till the desired functionality of the end product is reached. (Ruparelia, 2010) Design system architecture Assign increments to requirements Define requirements Final system Validate system Integrate increment Validate increment Develop system increment System Incomplete Incremental Model Cycle (Goodland, 2010) Advantages The functionality of the software is made available quickly and in the early stages. Previous iterations provide feedback to the new ones. While the iterations are smaller testing and debussing is an easier job. Stakeholders view can also be incorporated throughout the development cycle. Risk of failure of the project is very low. Potential issues with the development can be found out easily and can be resolved. (Ruparelia, 2010) Disadvantages The individual iterations done are not flexible and they do not overlap with one another. All the requirements for the system life cycle are not clearly framed out during the initial iterations which may lead to problems. (Source: http://qastation.wordpress.com/2008/04/27/software-development-life-cycle-part-5/ )