Essay on Leonard Bernstien A Legendary Composer - 1377 Words

Leonard Bernstein is seen as one of the greatest composers in America. Bernstein composed great music, conducted great music, and also preformed great music as a pianist. Bernstein is probably most known for his film score in the production West Side Story. According to The New York Times, he was one of the most prodigiously talented and successful musicians in American history.† Being born and educated in the United States, Bernstein was the first American to obtain worldwide acclaim. He is also cited in the Encyclopedia of World Biography, that â€Å"his special gift of bridging the gap between the concert hall and the world of Broadway made him one of the most glamorous musical figures of his day.† Bernstein was born in August 25, 1918,†¦show more content†¦She said that â€Å"His brain was on fire with curiosity. And what he loved most was to communicate his excitement to others.† Bernstein was greatly involved at Harvard. He was an avid member of the Harvard Glee Club. After graduating from Harvard, Bernstein continued to study music in Philadelphia at Curtis Institute of Music. At this school, Bernstein studied orchestration. According to New World Encyclopedia, Bernstein received the only ‘A’ that Fritz Reiner ever gave out in his conducting class. While at Curtis, Bernstein studied with, and was influenced by, great musicians and pianists, such as Heinrich Gebhard and Isabella Vengerova. After studying at Curtis, Bernstein attended the Berkshire Music Festival that following summer. That summer he met Serge Koussevitzky. He became the protà ©gà © of Koussevitzky. Bernstein blossomed from his educational successes and later, in 1943, caught his big break, according to PBS. Bernstein was signed on as the assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Bernstein received this honor by the recommendation of Koussevitzky, according to the Gale Encyclopedia of Biography. One night on short notice, he had to fill in for Bruno Walter. PBS said â€Å"Bernstein found himself on the cover of The New York Times — an instant celebrity. Within two years he was named the director of the New York City Symphony.† The orchestra was

Calorimetry Prelab Free Essays

Experiment 12 Calorimetry and Heat of Reactions ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ PERFORMANCE GOALS: 1. To learn how to use of a calorimeter 2. To learn how to collect and manipulate data in the computer 3. We will write a custom essay sample on Calorimetry Prelab or any similar topic only for you Order Now To calculate the calorimeter constant 4. To use Hess’ Law to find the heat or formation of magnesium oxide CHEMICAL OVERVIEW: †¢Enthalphy: (? H) : when chemical or physical changes occur at a constant pressure. †¢Calorimeter: is an instrument with insulating walls where the reaction happens. Eq. 1: q rxn = -qsurrounding Heat of capacity of the calorimeter: â€Å"Cp† must be calculated at the beginning of every calorimeter experiment in Joules/  °C Heat Capacity of the Calorimeter: The calorimeter constant is easily found by adding a fixed amount of hot water to a known amount of cold water and the change in temp for each recorded, due to the Law of Energy Conservation the amount of heat released by the hot water should be equal to the amount of heat absorbed by the cold water: Eq. 2 q released( Hot Water) = -q absorbed (Cold Water) If there is a discrepancy between these two values use the following equation: Eq. 3q= m x spht x ? T Where spht is the specific heat of the substance in J/ g °C ?T is the temperature change in  °C andm is the mass in grams Mass of Cold Water|51. 20 g| Initial temperature of cold water|20. 3  °C| Mass of hot water|49. 82 g| Initial temp of hot water|98. 2  °C| Final temp of the mixture|58. 3  °C| Eq. 4qHot = mHot x sphtWater x ? THot qHot = (4. 184 J/  °C-g)(49. 82g)(58. 3  °C-98. 2  °C) = -8317 J Eq. 5qCold = mCold x sphtWater x ? TCold qCold = (4. 184 J/  °C-g)(51. 20g)(58. 3  °C-20. 3  °C) = 8142 J 8317-8142 = 175 joules Cp = ( 175 J ) / (58.  °C – 20. 3  °C) Cp = 4. 6 J/  °C HEAT OF REACTIONS: q released = -q absorbed Eq. 6 q released = – (q solution + q calorimeter ) Eq. 7 qSolution = mSolution x sphtWater x ? TSolution sphtsolution= 4. 184 J/ g  °C Eq. 8q calorimeter= Cp x ? T Eq. 9 q reaction = ? Hreaction Hess’s Law Hess’s Law states that the enthalpy of a reaction is independent of the steps tha t it takes to get from reactants to products because enthalpy of reaction is a state function. State Function- depends on initial and final state but not on the path taken ?Temperature ?Volume ?Pressure ?Energy Mg (s) + 1/2 O2 (g) – MgO ( s) PRE-LAB ASSIGNMENT 1. Predict the product, balance the questions and write the net ionic equations for the reactions: a. Mg (s) + HCI (aq) — b. MgO (s) + HC: (aq) — 2. Write the reaction that represents the enthalpy of formation ( ? Hfor ) of water. 3. Use the table of the thermodynamic data in your text book to calculate the ? H for each of the three reactions REMEMBER Eq. 10 ( ? H  °rxn = ? ( n? H  °for )prod – ? ( n? H  °for )react 1) 2) 3) 4. Use Hess’s Law combining the three molecular equations to calculate the ? Hrxn for the reaction of the formation of MgO. PROCEDURE A. CALIBRATION OF THERMISTOR 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. B. DETERMINATION OF THE HEAT CAPACITY OF THE CALORIMETER 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. C. REACTION OF MgO AND HCI 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. D. REACTION OF Mg AND HCI 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. E. DATA AND CALCULATIONS A. Calorimeter Constant Mass of Styrofoam cup with lid + spin bar (g)|| Mass of cup with lid + spin bar + 50mL of room temp. water (g)|| Initial Temp of Room Temp. Water (  °C )|| Initial Temp of Hot Water(  °C )|| Total mass at the end (g)|| Calculated Heat released by Hot Water (J) (Eq. 4)|| Calculated Heat absorbed by R. T Water (J) Eq. 5)|| Calculated Heat absorbed by Calorimeter (J)|| Calculated Heat Capacity of the Calorimeter, Cp (J/ °C) (Eq. 8) || B. Heat of Reaction of MgO Mass of weighing boat (g)|| Mass of weighing boat + Magnesium oxide (g)|| Mass of Magnesium oxide (g)|| Mass of Styrofoam cup with lid + spin bar (g)|| Mass or Styrofoam cup with lid, spin bar (g) + HCI|| Calculated Mass of HCI (g)|| Total Mass of solution at the end|| Calculated Mass of MgO (g) (using total mass of solution)|| Initial Temperature of Solution ( °C) (before MgO was added)|| Final. Temp of solution ( °C) (after MgO was added)|| Calculated Heat absorbed by solution (J) (Eq. 7)|| Calculated Heat absorbed by calorimeter (J) (Eq. 8)|| Calculated Total heat absorbed|| Calculated Total heat released by the solution (Eq. 6)|| Calculated Moles of MgO|| Calculated Moles of HCI|| Heat released per Mole of MgO|| Molar Heat Reaction (kJ/mol)|| C. Reaction of Mg with HCI Mass of weighing boat (g)|| Mass of weighing boat + Magnesium (g)|| Mass of Magnesium (g)|| Mass of Styrofoam cup with lid + spin bar (g)|| Mass or Styrofoam cup with lid, spin bar (g) + HCI|| Calculated Mass of HCI (g)|| Total Mass of solution at the end|| Calculated Mass of Mg (g) (using the final mass of solution)|| Initial Temperature of Solution ( °C) (before Mg was added)|| Final. Temp of solution ( °C) (after Mg was added)|| Calculated Heat absorbed by solution (J) (Eq. 7)|| Calculated Heat absorbed by calorimeter (J) (Eq. 8)|| Calculated Total heat absorbed|| Calculated Total heat released by the solution (Eq. 6)|| Calculated Moles of Mg|| Calculated Moles of HCI|| Heat released per Mole of Mg|| How to cite Calorimetry Prelab, Essay examples

Neverfail Computing Samples for Students â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Questions: 1. What are the qualities of Neverfail that attract venture capitalists?2. Examine the valuation of Neverfail: Assume that Pacific Ridge Capital expects to realize an IRR of at least 40 percent per year over five years on this round of investment. What does this imply for the future sales and income of Neverfail? Bear in mind that there will possibly be another round of investment in about 12 months. 3. Appraise the conditions on the term-sheet from the perspective of both Pacific Ridge Capital and Neverfail.4. Why does Neverfail insist on signing the deal before the new-year? Answers: 1. Neverfail Computings search for the venture capital started with presentation of six minute at the venture capital conference of American Electronics Association. In that presentation, Tim gave an overview of Neverfail computing, the computer industrys future as well as how they were positioned for prospering (Drover et al. 2014). Leo stated that they would invest early money in the company at the first meeting. The company has also conveyed a casual and a relaxed negotiating attitude. The reason is, according to Tim, they were not interested in the raising capital. The partners of Neverfail computing conceded as the serious negotiations started that they required venture capital. In reality, the urgency was growing ass the company has faced a cash crunch. On the other hand, sales were not being able to meet the fourth-quarter objectives (Aggarwal et al. 2014). Neverfail has finished fourth quarter 30 % under the plan. Therefore, the organization required money to finance continue s and deals the rapid growth of it. George was approached for a loan of short-term goal. Therefore, the straight forward nature of the company management as well as the cool and calm negotiation nature of the organization has attracted the venture capital the most. 2. According to the valuation if the IRR of investment is about 40 % that is the rate that implements the present value of the cash flows of investment equivalent to zero (DeFusco et al. 2015). Therefore, it can be said that the project is desirable. Thus, it can easily be said that the future sales as well as the income of the company would be impact in a positive manner. However, it cannot be said that the IRR of investment would be same for another 12 months investment after the five years. Thus, the future sales and the income of the company would vary depending on the change in the IRR rate of investment for those 12 months. 3. All of the deal points on the term sheet were not appropriate from the perspective of both Neverfail Technology and Pacific Ridge. Two deal points were not liked by Neverfail Technology (Jackson et al. 2012). These are regarding a 20% accruing annual dividend and an On-demand IPO registration rights. From the Pacific Ridge perspective, if Pacific Ridge cannot be able to conclude the deal at the weekend there was no way that the deal could be signed by the New Year. 4. According to the dilemma, described by Ted, even if a deal is negotiated by Pacific Ridge that weekend, little time for due diligence investigation of Pacific Ridge as well as for drafting the deal would be there (Bierman Smidt, 2012). There was no way that the contract can be signed by the New Year timeline, if they did not make any conclusion the deal at that weekend. Therefore, due to this dilemma, Neverfail insists Pacific Ridge on signing the deal before New Year. References Aggarwal, R., Kryscynski, D., Singh, H. (2015). Evaluating Venture Technical Competence in Venture Capitalist Investment Decisions.Management Science,61(11), 2685-2706. Bierman Jr, H., Smidt, S. (2012).The capital budgeting decision: economic analysis of investment projects. Routledge. DeFusco, R. A., McLeavey, D. W., Pinto, J., Runkle, D. E., Anson, M. J. (2015).Quantitative investment analysis. John Wiley Sons. Drover, W., Wood, M. S., Payne, G. T. (2014). The effects of perceived control on venture capitalist investment decisions: A configurational perspective.Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice,38(4), 833-861. Guerra, M. L., Magni, C. A., Stefanini, L. (2014). Interval and fuzzy Average Internal Rate of Return for investment appraisal.Fuzzy Sets and Systems,257, 217-241. Jackson, W.E., Bates, T. and Bradford, W.D., 2012. Does venture capitalist activism improve investment performance?.Journal of Business Venturing,27(3), pp.342-354.

Why Branded Podcasts Have Become So Popular

Although they aren’t new, podcasts have surged in popularity. Nearly 20% of American adults listen to podcasts at least once a month and studies show that about 98 million Americans tune into a podcast each year. Consequently, more and more brands have been betting big on these audio shows, producing their own branded podcasts that allow them to tell stories and reach target audiences in a new way. If you’re considering podcasts in your content strategy, I’ve put together a few elements to consider and a few examples of brands who are nailing this channel. What Is a Branded Podcast? Brands have almost always been involved with podcasts. But their involvement has usually taken the form of sponsorship with listeners hearing a few ads sprinkled throughout a show. Branded podcasts break away from this model as they typically don’t contain explicit advertising. The marketing is more subtle, centering on stories and content which work to reinforce a brand’s voice and values. Branded podcasts tend to help audiences understand what a brand is all about and often aim to establish thought leadership in a space. Companies are also embracing branded podcasts as part of a trend toward longer-form content in general. After years of favoring short, â€Å"snackable† content, many companies are now leaning heavily toward more in-depth pieces. Long-form articles, videos and case studies are making a comeback, and branded podcasts offer brands an ideal opportunity to tell longer, meatier stories. Must-Watch Branded Podcasts A few big brands have set the bar high for branded podcasts, creating top-notch programming that captures huge audiences. Here are a few standout examples: Microsoft: The tech behemoth is one of the more recent forays into the branded podcast arena, launching a thought-provoking series entitled â€Å".future.† The program explores the future of innovation, showcasing various situations where technology and humanity intersect. For example, one episode highlights Chris Dancy, better known as â€Å"the most connected man on earth,† and discusses how he uses up to 700 apps, sensors and devices to collect data about himself and optimize his life. Slack: The work-collaboration app company has already launched two successful branded podcasts. Their first creation was the Slack Variety Pack – a light-hearted mix of anecdotes and stories that touched on various aspects of work and life. After 28 episodes, Slack wrapped up that series and launched a new program entitled Work in Progress. This podcast explores the role that work plays in our lives, showcasing stories about people finding identity and meaning through their work. Shopify: Shopify launched its TGIM (Thank God It’s Monday) podcast with entrepreneurs in mind – or people who can’t wait to begin a new workweek. The program showcases inspirational stories about people who turned their passions into successful businesses as well as business advice from top entrepreneurs. Explore New Ideas Branded podcasting is an exciting new frontier in content marketing and it’s poised for more growth in the years to come. Not every business will be able to dive into the world of branded podcasting as the high costs involved in creating a quality program will deter many with leaner budgets. Still, there’s no doubt that the medium offers a unique way for brands to reach new audiences and tell stories connected to their target customers. Ideally, they serve as inspiration for people to look deeper into a brand when they’re interested in buying.

Free Essays on T.s Eliot

T.S. Eliot In his article, â€Å"Prufrock, J. Alfred Prufrock,† Christopher Ricks talks about one of T.S. Eliot’s famous poem, â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.† T.S. Eliot wrote the poem in 1910 at the mere age of twenty one till 1911. The same thing is said about â€Å"The Waste Land.† in Helen Vendler’s â€Å"The Poet T.S. Eliot† â€Å"Seriously eclipsed by fiction.† These author’s points of views are about T.S. Eliot’s well written poems that made an impact in writing. T.S. Eliot’s full name is Thomas Stearns Eliot. Born in 1888 in St. Louis, Missouri from an old New England family. A businessman and poet, Henry and Charlotte Eliot. He was educated in English, European Literature and Eastern and Western philosophy and religion. In his mid twenties he moved to England, leaving behind his career in philosophy at Harvard. He then got married to a woman by the name of Ezra Pound. It was then he brought out his famous work†Prufrock† around 1917, which was about the unfulfilled yearning for love, for a love. But Christopher Ricks questions the poem. The voice of someone, not â€Å"the poet† but the voice that the poet has called into being. Who is the â€Å"You and I†? Is T.S. Eliot speaking to another, and if so to whom? Mr. Ricks supposes that the title of the poem will make us believe that the â€Å"you† is the loved one the one at least hoped for in love, as a lover, but who is it? Every one that reads it will have his or her opinion on the poem and say who might be it. â€Å"The Waste Land â€Å" however has a different tone to it. T.S. Eliot had a nervous breakdown 5 years after Prufrock and stayed in a Swiss Sanatorium in Laubanne. Not many people were impressed by it and thought of it as a piece of rhythmical grumbling. It has a turn of religious beliefs and unpleasant straight forward feelings from T.S. Eliot as some would understand it as. Its up to the reader to decide on what their aspects a... Free Essays on T.s Eliot Free Essays on T.s Eliot T.S. Eliot In his article, â€Å"Prufrock, J. Alfred Prufrock,† Christopher Ricks talks about one of T.S. Eliot’s famous poem, â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.† T.S. Eliot wrote the poem in 1910 at the mere age of twenty one till 1911. The same thing is said about â€Å"The Waste Land.† in Helen Vendler’s â€Å"The Poet T.S. Eliot† â€Å"Seriously eclipsed by fiction.† These author’s points of views are about T.S. Eliot’s well written poems that made an impact in writing. T.S. Eliot’s full name is Thomas Stearns Eliot. Born in 1888 in St. Louis, Missouri from an old New England family. A businessman and poet, Henry and Charlotte Eliot. He was educated in English, European Literature and Eastern and Western philosophy and religion. In his mid twenties he moved to England, leaving behind his career in philosophy at Harvard. He then got married to a woman by the name of Ezra Pound. It was then he brought out his famous work†Prufrock† around 1917, which was about the unfulfilled yearning for love, for a love. But Christopher Ricks questions the poem. The voice of someone, not â€Å"the poet† but the voice that the poet has called into being. Who is the â€Å"You and I†? Is T.S. Eliot speaking to another, and if so to whom? Mr. Ricks supposes that the title of the poem will make us believe that the â€Å"you† is the loved one the one at least hoped for in love, as a lover, but who is it? Every one that reads it will have his or her opinion on the poem and say who might be it. â€Å"The Waste Land â€Å" however has a different tone to it. T.S. Eliot had a nervous breakdown 5 years after Prufrock and stayed in a Swiss Sanatorium in Laubanne. Not many people were impressed by it and thought of it as a piece of rhythmical grumbling. It has a turn of religious beliefs and unpleasant straight forward feelings from T.S. Eliot as some would understand it as. Its up to the reader to decide on what their aspects a...

3 Steps to Acing Your Truck Driving Job Interview

3 Steps to Acing Your Truck Driving Job Interview Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to get a trucking job? Whether you’re a rookie driver or a seasoned veteran, the rules are the rules- you’re going to need to interview in order to get hired. Follow these three steps, and you’ll be well on your way. Have a quality resume on-handNo matter how much- or how little- trucking experience you have, you still need a professional resume. Not just some scribbles on a sheet of notepaper, or a hastily-crafted bullet list. You need a properly formatted, proofread, thorough resume on high quality paper. You can get special resume paper at any office supply store. Make sure to have at least 20 copies on hand. If you’re not good with computers, consider asking a friend to help. If you throw them a few bucks, you’ll probably get a great resume out of it.Create an info packetA resume isn’t all you need. Make yourself a folder with the following, and make sure to take it with you on every interview. This kit will include all you’ll need for the interview, as well as the on-boarding process with HR. That way you won’t have to delay starting- or getting paid.A copy of your CDLAn official copy of your birth certificateA copy of your social security cardAn official copy of your truck driving school certificate, if you have onePre-hire letters from other companies considering hiring youYour CSA and DAC reports (if you have worked previously as a truck driver)A copy of your motor vehicle record (MVR)A copy of an updated DOT physical (which is required to get your CDL)Having all of this put together shows hiring manager, the HR rep, and your new boss that you are organized, professional, and respectful of your colleague’s time.Do your pre-interview  homeworkWe all know that an interviewer asks most of the questions. But there is always a point in every interview when the hiring manager will ask what questions you might have. It’s best to be prepared. If you’ve gone to so many interviews that you can’t keep them all straight, make yourself a list to study before each interview. Make sure to note the name and location of the company, whether they have multiple offices throughout the country, who you’d be working for, the name of the HR manager, the name of your interviewer, and any other information you might be able to gather about the company from a Google search or two, as well as your sense of the types of jobs and hauls the company offers.Following these steps will ensure that you remain in control during the interview process. You’ll be ready for anything, so you’ll be at your best and most confident to go in there and land the job.

Management Seminar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Management Seminar - Essay Example ial scandals from the leading companies such as –the Enrons, Worldcoms, Adelphia and Tyco’s over spending as well as distortion of accounting statements. SOX stipulate that there should be several checks and balances in the companies to provide accurate financial record to the public. Financial officers are required to provide accurate financial statements that should be monitored by both internal and external auditors. For that reason, they are held accountable for their actions; and lest there be any incorrect financial information, and then they are liable for high fines and imprisonment. This act very important to both the public and the companies as well, this is through establishing a more energetic shareholder’s environment. The common public has more confidence that organizations will not swindle their money as they are subject to federal regulations. It is due to this reason the firm financial officials have opted to submit accurate financial statements. As required by this act, any unethical actions in the organization should be punished; employees, therefore, have been encouraged to report any wrong doings in the organization because it is the same act that will defend them. However, The Sarbanes-Oxley Act has been challenged by a number of negative aspects. Many companies have decided not to go public as they do not need to be SOX compliant if they are privately held. Once this Act was passed, many companies have become privately held, and some public companies have also removed their names from the stock exchange list. Moreover, the exercise has also proved to be very expensive; the cost involved in hiring the qualified accounting, legal, and technology expertise to support maintaining accurate records of the organizations’ financial statements is high. In addition, the maintenance fee that is required for this act has really squeezed the bottom-line profits of many organizations; as some mid-size companies are unable to afford the fee

Oral hygiene Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Oral hygiene - Essay Example Oral care is imperative to promoting a healthy patient, especially in the seriously ill, geriatric and cancer patients. Good oral hygiene is linked to the prevention of somatological diseases in older residents (Ship 2002), as well as periodontal diseases and infections in diabetic patients (Nursing 1993), and oral care reduces pneumonia in older patients (Yoneyama, 2004). However, it stands to be shown that very often nursing staff is unaware of the importance and method of appropriate oral hygiene (Adams 1996). Oral care is very cost effective and when appropriately applied, it can prevent diseases and infections, yet there is very little information on oral care for the intensive care unit and seriously ill patient other than in the geriatric, cancer and diabetic related studies. Currently, the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center is sponsoring a study on Oral Care to Reduce Mouth and Throat Infections in Critically Ill Patients (ClinicalTrials 2005). Their research uses phase three longitudinal studies of one-thousand to three-thousand patients in intensive care units to evaluate a program of oral hygiene that may prevent respiratory infections in patients, which "occur five times more often in critically ill patients compared with patients in general hospital wards and result in longer hospital stays and an increased risk of death" (ClinicalTrials 2005). It stands to be noted that there is a higher likelihood of a patient leaving an intensive care unit with a mouth infection or respiratory infection because of inadequate oral hygiene. This rate of infection, according to ClinicalTrials.gov and Maryland Health Institute is due to the presence of disease causing bacteria in the patient population. Their study is planning to asses oral care effective ness amongst seriously ill patients from Washington DC related areas, and the Maryland Health Institute study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center seeks to define the effectiveness of oral care in patients over the age of eighteen with a focus on: These hospitals have ICUs more representative of ICU's nation-wide. This study will test the effectiveness of a comprehensive and systematic oral care program to reduce the oral assessment scores, mucosal plaque scores, and the amount of pathogen inoculum present in the saliva and plaque. Incubated and non-incubated patients will be compared as well as meticulous care with or without the addition of the oral antiseptic, chlorhexidine. Consistency of practice performance will also be evaluated when nursing staff has dentist/hygienist instruction and monitoring versus the traditional nurse instruction. The following research proposal will come to a slightly different approach in developing mouth care for seriously ill patients. The proposal is to seek the manner in which ICU nurses give oral care and their understanding of method, procedures and guidelines as well as prevention techniques. It is obvious from previous studies that the health care industry as a whole is not entirely aware of preventative measures (Adams 1996) and that there are few studies devoted specifically to the seriously ill pat

Advantages and Disadvantages of Globalization Essay Example for Free

Advantages and Disadvantages of Globalization Essay Globalization is the integration of states through increasing contact, communication and trade to create a single global system in which the process of change increasingly binds people together in a common fate. Some economists see globalization as being in the best interest of all states involved, while others believe that increasing modern trade and global economic relations is harmful in many ways. While globalization marks a move in the direction of a more open world-trading government, it can also be connected to damages on independence, making countries lose the ability to be totally independent. As a result, issues of globalization and free trade are surrounded by an excited debate and controversy. The economic demands of globalization have made countries less independent, making them incapable of taking care of their own issues, economies, and governments, with out the help of foreign aid. The more the weaker countries take from the more fortified countries, the greater their dependence and inability to take care of themselves they will become. While they depend on other countries for financial and political support, they do not learn how to be more self sufficient. They do not create enough revenue or have enough political power to stand on their own with out the threat of a financially or governmentally crashing. The more self-reliant countries therefore have to use their own resources to support these nations and therefore there will is less money and goods available to support their own societies and economies. Globalization slowly drains capital and commodities from the stronger, more independent countries. The resources go to countries that will probably never be able to thrive with out aid, but with out it would dissolve and disrupt the balance of the political and economic scales. To make global or worldwide in scope or application of trade, communication, and resources is what is known as globalization. The idea of unifying the world markets, the infinite numbers of ways to correspond, and the limited resources of humankind sounds like an intelligent idea. Many have come to realize however that by helping countries by giving them financial aid and the resources they need makes them dependent, not any stronger or self- sufficient. Advantages: Productivity increases faster when countries produce goods and services in which they have a competitive advantage. Living standards can increase more rapidly. Global competition and cheap imports keep a constraint on prices, so inflation is less likely to disrupt economic growth. An open economy promotes technological development and innovation, with fresh ideas from abroad. Jobs in export industry tend to pay about 15% more than jobs in import-competing industries. Unfettered capital movements provide the United States access to foreign investment and maintain the low interest rates. Disadvantages: Millions of Americans have lost jobs because of imports or shifts in production abroad. Most find new jobs that pay less. Millions of other Americans fear of getting laid-off, especially at those firms operating in import-competing industries. Workers face demands of wage concessions from their employers, which often threaten to export jobs abroad if wage concessions are not agreed to. Besides blue-collar jobs, service and white-collar jobs are increasingly vulnerable to operations being sent overseas. American employees can lose their competitiveness when companies build state-of-the-art factories in low-wage countries, making them as productive as those in the United States.

Human Resource Challenges of the 21st Century Essay examples -- Huma

The traditional administrative role of human resource practices are a thing of the past and new roles for HRM are emerging at an alarming rate in the 21st century. HR is increasing its support for business goals and objectives while at the same time becoming strategic business partners. Challenges for the 21st century include, changing roles, shifting demographics, and globalization. In order for HR to stay current they must adapt and make necessary changes in retraining, alternative work schedules and technological advancements. Then, these successes have to be analyzed and evaluated for effectiveness. HUMAN RESOURCE CHALLENGES With the 21st century in motion human resource management will face some of the old struggles and HR will be forced to face many new challenges. The main objective of HR is to recruit, retain, train, retrain and keep workers satisfied. Indeed, these responsibilities can be challenging in the 21st century, especially with changing roles, a multi-generational workforce, and globalization. Changing Roles. Traditionally, HR has been an administrative position-processing paperwork, benefits, hiring and firing, and compensation. However, recently HRM has moved from a traditional to a strategic role, the emphasis is on catering to the needs of consumers and workers. Before, HR was seen as the enemy and employees believed that HR’s main purpose was to protect management. Now, the position requires HRM to be more people oriented and protect their human capitol, the staff. In addition, human resource management has to be business savvy and think of themselves as strategic partners in the 21st century. Multi-generational workforce. Another major challenge human resources department’s face in the 21s... ... but will continue to transform. Just as HR has changed from 10years ago the same will be true 10 years from now. Works Cited Effron, Marc, Robert Grandossy, and Marshall Goldsmith (eds). "Chapter 3 - The 21st Century Workforce". Human Resources in the 21st Century. John Wiley & Sons, Â © 2003. Books24x7. Web. Apr. 6, 2012. Greengard, Samuel. "Technology Finally Advances HR." Workforce 79.1 (2000): 38. Academic Search Elite. Web. 6 Apr. 2012. Gueutal, Hal G., and Dianna L. Stone (eds). "Chapter 9 - The Next Decade of HR—Trends, Technologies, and Recommendations". The Brave New World of eHR: Human Resources in the Digital Age. Jossey-Bass, Â © 2005. Books24x7. Web. Apr. 6, 2012. Noe, Raymond A., John R. Hollenbeck, Barry Gerhart, and Patrick M. Wright. Human Resource Management: Gaining a Competitive Advantage. 7th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2010. Print.

Aqualisa Quartz: Simply a Better Shower Essay

INTRODUCTION Our report aims at developing a marketing plan for Aqualisa Quartz shower. The product was launched and in spite of being much better than the existing showers in the U.K market in terms of water pressure, ease of installation, use and design, it didn’t have very impressive sales figures in the first four months. This report delves into the details as to why the launch was not successful and what can be done now to improve the situation of the product and the company. It is very important to reflect on the ways through which a company can increase sales together with its brand quality because usually, there is a strong competition in the industry and the companies have to choose among the ways through which they might win the market and this requires a lot of research. Companies should be aware of one key concept which is â€Å"you can’t be everything to everybody.† Our report elaborates on the industry, the company, the customers and the product itself to give a n overview of the whole situation and finally, it suggests the recommendations and the implementation plan. INDUSTRY ANALYSIS Quartz entered the market when only about 60% of U.K homes had showers and archaic plumbing some of which dated back to the Victorian period was still common in many houses. There were two major problems regarding the shower system in the U.K: low pressure and high fluctuations in temperature, which were addressed through the use of either electric showers or special U.K shower valves. The three main types of shower that existed in the market were Electric showers, mixer showers and power showers each having their own positive and negative features. Electric showers had one advantage over the other two types and that was â€Å"not requiring hot water supply.† The disadvantage of such a shower was that the electrical components were usually mounted in a cumbersome white box which could be seen in the shower stall. Another weak point in these showers was that they had not solved the problem of low flow rate. Aqualisa sold electric showers under the separate brand name of â€Å" Gainsborough.†Electric showers covered 61% of the units sold in the market. (See EXHIBIT 1) The mixer shower which covered 30% of the  units sold in the market (see EXHIBIT 1) came in two types; manual and thermostatic. The thermostatic type created comfortable temperature but manual ones were very inconvenient. The mixer shower required both hot and cold water, additional pump to address pressure problems, and the installation typically required excavation of the bathroom. No wonder it was selling half the volume electric showers were selling. Aqualisa had Aquavalve and Aquavalve 609, the latter being the core product of the company. The third type was integral power showers which covered only 9% of the units sold in the market. These showers required both hot and cold water as well. The bulky box on the wall was another problem with these ones and more importantly, they were regarded as less reliable compared to mixer showers. Aqualisa’s primary product in this category was Aquastream thermostatic. What was noteworthy in the shower industry was the fact that there was hardly any innovative movement in the industry in terms of functionality ,that is to say, possible innovations mostly happened in the cosmetic part of the product and major manufactures recycled their product line every four or five years. Aqualisa could take advantage of this weak point in the industry and be the winner. The question that remained to be answered was how? CUSTOMER ANALYSIS Most customers disliked two major problems of the existing showers- poor pressure and varying temperature. Consumers complained about other problems as well. They were not happy with hard-to-turn valves, leaky seals and worn-out showers. On the other hand, brand awareness was very low among the customers and only one brand (Triton) had been able to build brand awareness at the customer level (see EXHIBIT 1). Shower buyers in the U.K fell into one of these three pricing segments: premium, standard and value. Customers in the premium segment cared about the style of the shower and the performance or service of the product was not of importance to them. They normally shopped in showrooms. On the contrary, customers in the standard segment preferred performance and the  service provided with the product and they usually relied on an independent plumber to recommend a shower to them. Thirdly, customers in the value segment were primarily concerned with convenience and price. They did not like the idea of excavation in their showers and they mainly relied on a plumber to select the product for them. In addition to these segments, there were two more segments: do-it-yourselfers and developers. Do-it-yourselfers shopped at retail outlets and were interested in cheap models that were easy to install and they did not care about the unattractive bulky shape of the showers. Landlords and apartment dwellers were the main customers and electric showers were the overwhelming choice in this segment. Finally, developers were the customers who preferred reliable, nice-looking products that could work in multiple settings. Besides, developers did not have to worry about the pressure problems because new houses were almost exclusively built with high-pressure systems. The important characteristic of this segment was their price sensitivity. Aqualisa, knowing this behavior, had sold them its redesigned Aquavalve showers under the brand name of ShowerMax at a lower price and the developers loved it because it gave them the Aquavalve technology at a remarkable lower cost. Are plumbers regarded as channels or customers? Channels are customers too. Either way, they are important buyers and, at the same time, influential ones. Plumbers tried to install a special shower wherever they normally went for a job because unfamiliar showers could bring about unknown problems regarding and a revisit to fix the problem led to an extra cost for the plumbers. Furthermore, plumbers could receive some sort of service form the manufacturer if they stuck to that special brand. Generally, plumbers did not trust innovation especially if it involved electronics because of their bad experiences with the poorly designed products in the past. They wanted a shower that was easy to install with a guarantee to not break down or require servicing. Plumbers had a remarkably strong involvement in mixer shower selection (48%) whether directly or indirectly (see EXHIBIT 2).Apart from that, 54% of the mixer shower installation was carried out by them (see EXHIBIT 3).Aqualisa had the second biggest market share in mixer showers having Aquavalve 609 as their core product in that category (see EXHIBIT 1). Aquavalve 609, selling 60000 units per year, was considered Aqualisa’s  top-selling shower and it was regarded by the plumbers as being a high-quality reliable mixer shower with state-of-the-art technology. Therefore, Plumbers perception of the brand was quite positive. THE COMPANY AND THE CHANNELS OF DISTRIBUTION Showers were sold through three channels of distribution, which were trade shops, showrooms and DIY outlets. Trade shops carried products of all the brands in the market and all they cared about was to make sure they had the right stock of products that were in demand. The main customer of trade shops were plumbers who worked for developers, showrooms, contractors and customers. Aqualisa brand was available in 40% of trade shops. The second channel was showrooms which tended to be more high-end. Showrooms often offered more than just showers and they offered installation services by subcontracting with contractors and plumbers. Aqualisa brand was sold in about 25% of them.DIY sheds offered discount, mass-market do-it-yourself products. Electric showers, being cheaper, were selling really well in this channel (see EXHIBIT 4).Aqualisa had no product in this channel but its Gainsborough was available in 70% of these outlets. Aqualisa’s brand had always been considered as a strong one in the U.K and the company had been recognized as having top-quality showers, a premium brand and a good service. The company’s market share in mixing showers was ranked second and ranked third in the overall U.K shower market. The company had to take these facts into consideration and not make a decision regarding positioning and target marketing that would lead to a decrease in these values. However, the company had encountered some problems too. There was a strong competition in terms of product quality in the first place and the company had to be on its toes to deal with this case. Moreover, Aqualisa products were seen to be overpriced and this was something the competitors could take advantage of. Also, in terms of services, Aqualisa had become a little sloppy and it had not improved its 10% rate of break down for many years. Although it had a 25% net return on sales, its future was not secured. PRODUCT ANALYSIS Aqualisa’s new product would eliminate almost all the problems that the customers had including the cumbersome box in the shower, the low pressure and the varying temperature. Aqualisa had come up with the idea of locating the mechanism remotely outside the shower which would eliminate the need for excavation. Aqualisa launched Quartz into the market after three years of development. The product came into two versions: standard shower designed for installations that already had a pump and pumped shower which included a pump. One of the key advantages of quartz was its ease of installation. While other showers took two whole days to install, Quartz would take only four hours and this was a great source of pleasure both for the customer and the plumber. In addition to all other advantages like high pressure, stable temperature, ease of installation and remote mechanism, the one touch control mounted on the shower wall was appealing to the customers as well. Quartz was loved by everyone; parents liked it because its automatic temperature control was safe for their children who could shower on their own now; the elderly loved it because they did not have to struggle with stiff valves and so on. Quartz had some other potential features as well, which had not yet been put into effect. The Body Jet product and the Slave Remote were two additional products that could boost the sales of the product in the future. The Body Jet product was so popular among women because they could wash their bodies without getting their hair wet and the slave remote enabled the consumer to control the temperature from a distance. STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS It is time to recommend the best target market to Mr. Rawlinson now. We would recommend that he choose the first option which is targeting the customers directly. Before we talk about the pros and cons of this approach, let’s consider the other two options which are targeting do-it-yourselfers and targeting developers. The do-it-yourself sheds, as said before, simply offer cheap and easy to assemble showers. Therefore, this place is not a proper place for a premium brand like Quartz. Besides, Quartz is an expensive product and it cannot be a fit in the DIY sheds; the customers who go there are basically looking for cheap showers rather than expensive ones no matter  what the function is. As long as the customer is unaware of the fantastic features of the new product he/she will not consider buying it when there are much cheaper alternatives which have proved to be good enough for their price. The advantage of targeting the DIV sheds is that because these outlets introduce easy to install showers, the customers who have that advantage in mind, will go there and they will get interested in the unique features of Quartz especially its ease of installation. As a result, some of them may buy the product and after experiencing the convenience in using it they will recommend it to others. The third option which is targeting the developers may seem interesting at first because they can have a huge volume of sales at the start and increase their profits but in practice, it is not going to be so. The developers want a very low price for their mass purchases and this is not what the company might want to encounter for two reasons; firstly, the image of the product as an innovative premium brand is lost and secondly, the company’s profits plummet due to the almost 50% discount that the developers might expect. If the company focuses on developers, it will only cover 15% of overall shower sales in the U.K (see EXHIBIT 6) while there is a much more potential for shower installation because of other reasons like replacement or new penetration. One might say that targeting developers is beneficial because developers subcontract plumbers to install the showers for them and the plumbers having experienced the ease of installation may use Quartz for their independent jobs as well. However, this does not sound practical because plumbers are not satisfied with electric showers whatsoever and they try to avoid new products because those types of showers might cause unprecedented problems which lead to extra costs for them. Apart from that, plumbers receive less installation fees working for 4 hours while with other products they will spend a lot more hours and receive higher installation fees. The first option which is targeting the customers directly seems less disadvantageous although it is more risky. As rule of thumb, higher risk is associated with higher return. Targeting the customers directly using the media might be costly but the probable high returns from that cover the  costs very quickly. A large scale campaign would cost about â‚ ¬3 million to â‚ ¬4 million over two years. The company is presently in a good financial status with 25% net returns on sales. Therefore, it would be rational if it used some of that profit on advertising its new product and thought of this expenditure as investment rather than cost. The breakeven point for Quartz is 18710 units (see EXHIBIT 5).Since Aqualisa has a good market share; it could definitely sell more than the breakeven point units. Total number of units sold in a year only for Aqualisa products (excluding Gainsborough) is 122000(see EXHIBIT 1).This big number looks promising. Here is what Aqualisa should do: It should have a large-scale advertisement on the product, flood the trade shops with the product and enjoy results! You might say this is insane and there is going to be a deadly cannibalization by applying this plan. Well, there might be some cannibalization but it does not do much. Let’s consider a pessimistic result in terms of units sold if cannibalization occurs. Currently, Aqualisa is yearly selling 6000 units of electric showers, 94000 units of Mixer showers and 22000 units of Power showers (see EXHIBIT 1). Assume that in case of cannibalization, the number of units sold per year change into: 0 units of electric showers, 70000 units of mixer showers, 15000 units of power showers and 30000 units of their new product, Quartz. By looking at the manufacturer’s price in EXHIBIT 8 and multiplying them by the number of units sold accordingly we can calculate the sales for each case. The normal case has sales of â‚ ¬37.3 million and the second case that happens after the launch of Quartz and the consequent cannibalization has sales of â‚ ¬44.71 million. It brings about a â‚ ¬7.41 million increase in sales (see EXHIBIT 9). Quite remarkable! The two channels that are proper for Quarts are trade shops and showrooms. Quartz has already attracted a lot of customers in the showrooms and the company just has to keep that excellence in place using their great service. Currently, only 40% of trade shops offer Aqualisa’s products. Aqualisa should improve this number to 70% or more through the launch of Quartz. In addition, this approach may encourage the plumbers to switch to Quartz as their default shower for installation although they might not like to switch to a new product with unprecedented f eatures. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN For the implementation plan, we will elaborate on the strategies the company should apply in terms of the 4Ps which are _product_, _price_, _placement_ and _promotion_. The product was analyzed in the product analysis sector and there is much more to say about it. Regarding price we should say that Quarts seems to be overpriced but in reality it is not. Here is the reason we claim so. Consider the top-selling product Aqualisa has in the market, that is to say, Aquavalve 609.the price of this product is â‚ ¬715.but once the customer buys the product the real costs begin to show themselves. This type of shower needs two days for complete installation which means 16 hours for the plumber; the plumber charges â‚ ¬60 per hour. Then, the installation fee is â‚ ¬960(16*60).there are also other costs like additional booster pump(â‚ ¬450) and excavation charge(â‚ ¬200).the sum of all these is â‚ ¬2325 which is the total cost for Aquavalve showers. Now let’s see how mu ch a Quartz Standard costs: â‚ ¬850 for product purchase and â‚ ¬240 for four hours of installation (4*60) and 450 for additional booster pump. No excavation is needed. The sum of these ones is â‚ ¬1560.it is remarkably lower than the one incurred by Aquavalve. The role of Promotion begins from this stage. The company should clearly inform the customers of the hidden charges of other showers (not mentioning Aquavalve) through the advertisements in different media like the TV, newspapers and magazines. On the whole, the company should implement a problem solving approach in their advertisements.This simple information will create a good image in the minds of the customers and they will know that the price is placed somewhere between their valuation of the product and the cost of it. The company could also apply transformational appeals in their approach regarding creative strategies to persuade the customer. One example would be displaying a happy businessman who has had a great day and at the end of the day when he wants to take a shower, he faces the low pressure or the varying temperature of the shower. The ad could quickly turn that situation to a pleasant one by focusing on Quartz and the difference it makes. The actions to be taken regarding product placement were mentioned in the recommendation part, which was targeting trade shops and showrooms as their channels of distribution. This creates a mainstream positioning ,which will be more profitable because the product is not highly priced if you look at it economically, taking all its advantages over the other showers into  consideration.

Inquiry learning Essay

Introduction Discovery learning or Inquiry Learning has a long history in education and has regained popularity over the last decade as a result of changes in the field of education that put more emphasis on the role of the learner in the learning process. Zachos, Hick, Doane, and Sargent define discovery learning as â€Å"the self-attained grasp of a phenomenon through building and testing concepts as a result of inquiry of the phenomenon. † The definition emphasizes that it is the learner who builds concepts, that the concepts need to be tested, and that building and testing of concepts are part of the inquiry of the phenomenon. Computer simulations have rich potential to provide learners with opportunities to build and test concepts, and learning with these computer simulations is also referred to as simulation-based discovery learning (Lester, Vicari, & Paraguacu, 2004). Students engaged in discussions – raising questions, resting ideas, challenging each other’s assertions – is at the heart of inquiry learning. Such discussions enable students to go beyond hands-on activities to interpret and reflect on their experiences and develop new ways of thinking. Reflecting their understanding of inquiry learning, the originators of network science aimed to have students in distant classrooms use the network to discuss science with one another like collaborating scientists (Feldman, 2000). Literature Review The main goal of discovery learning activity is to obtain and/or construct knowledge about a domain by performing experiments and inferring rules and properties of the domain from the results of those experiments. Research on discovery learning has shown that learners can experience a range of problems that can prevent successful learning. Discovery learning requires learners to act in the same manner as scientist when discovering the properties and relations of the domain that is simulated, using processes that are very similar to the processes of scientific discovery. Learners need to generate hypotheses, design experiments, predict their outcome, interpret data and reconsider hypotheses in order to construct knowledge about the domain. With each of these learning processes, problems can arise. Learners can fail to state testable hypotheses, design uninformative experiments or interpret experimental results badly (Gauthier, Frasson, & VanLehn, 2000). In order to make discovery learning successful, learners can be supported from within the learning environment. The learning environment can contain cognitive tools that can be directed at the support of one or more learning processes. Cognitive tools can offer support to the learner in several ways of support, creating a learning dialogue between the learning environment and the learner and at establishing the conditions under which profitable learning processes takes place. Cognitive tools play a role in supporting and provoking these learning processes (Gauthier et al. , 2000; McTighe & Wiggins, 2005). Like in discovery learning, the idea of simulation-based discovery learning is that the learner actively engages in a process. In an unguided simulation-based discovery environment learners have to set their own learning goals. At the same time they have to find and apply the methods that help to achieve these goals, which is not always easy. Two main goals can be associated with simulation-based discovery learning; development of knowledge about the domain of discovery, and development of skills that facilitate development of knowledge about the domain (Lester, Vicari, & Paraguacu, 2004). Those who read Guthrie, Cornford, Allen, and Bluck, among others, will find there what we might call the â€Å"traditional view. † According to this view, the paradox is a dilemma about one’s epistemic resources at the outset of inquiry and the role those resources play at the inquiry’s conclusion. The alternatives that the dilemma proposes are beginning with 1) total, explicit knowledge or 2) absolute ignorance. The doctrine of recollection provides the solution with its proposal that all inquiry begins with something intermediate between 1) and 2): latent, unconscious, or implicit knowledge. When these commentators speak of â€Å"total knowledge,† they seem to have in mind â€Å"self-consciously clear† or â€Å"conscious† knowledge (Anton & Preus, 1989). There are three points to be borne in mind in any discussion on learning by discovery. First, what is involved primarily is the learning of facts, concepts and principles rather than skills, techniques or sensitivities; and the subjects most relevant to discovery learning are mathematics, science and environmental studies. Second, it is usually associated with the traditional classroom, and third learning by discovery does not just happen; it comes about as a result of a particular teaching method or strategy. Numerous strategies can be distinguished in this connection; perhaps the most common one to be found is that of guided discovery (Manion, Morrison, & Cohen, 2004). Discovery or Inquiry must ultimately in the history of the race precede instruction; for if it’s this teacher who teaches from someone else who learned it from another teacher that cannot go back indefinitely. Somewhere in the knowledge that we pass on in the process of teaching, someone must have discovered it for himself. so we see, first of all, that learning by discovery is primary (Loucks-Horsley & Olson, 2000). Learning by instruction is secondary. And if this is so then we also see that teachers are, in an absolute sense, dispensable. For nothings which can be learned by instruction with teachers is impossible to learn without teachers. I don’t mean teachers aren’t useful; they are. For most of us would not be able to learn without the help of teachers or learn as rapidly or learn as easily the things we have to come to know in the course of our lifetime. But I do not mean that teachers are only helps. And this understanding of the teacher as an aid, as something which helps in the process of learning, is the deepest insight into the nature of teaching in relation to learning (Adler, 2000). Learning by instruction, learning with the help of teachers is no less active than learning by discovery or inquiry. Perhaps it would be better then, instead of saying learning by instruction and learning by discovery, to call them both learning by discovery; learning with a teacher as â€Å"aided discovery† and learning without a teacher, as â€Å"unaided discovery (Adler, 2000). Analysis Many network science projects have not lived up to their potential to involve students in productive inquiry. Firstly, the network science model of curriculum typically constraints classrooms by imposing rigid schedules for data submission and exchanges. The low level of completion for many network science projects – which, was less than 50% of classes in one project submitting data – may reflect teacher’s inability to fit the real lives of their classrooms, punctuated by school events and holidays and snowstorms, into the schedule demands of many network science projects (Feldman, 2000). Aiming to coordinate work among classes, many network science projects are constrained by centralized schedules. To refocus science learning on inquiry, teachers and students need flexible schedules to allow questions to be pursued in greater depth. Without such flexibility, the potential of the curriculum to support student inquiry is greatly diminished (Feldman, 2000). Secondly, network science encourages the use of scientific and social problems to spark learning, focusing on the importance of investigating questions for which the answer is not known. However, this emphasis on questions for which the answer is not known and the questions are of genuine interest to scientists excludes the possibility of students investigating concepts that may be well known to scientist but no longer of interest to them. Because such concepts are still unknown to students and potentially of great interest, they offer a scientific excursion through which students can reliably have successful and powerful learning experiences. For example, students might investigate phenomena as simple as why some objects float – a topic that is unlikely to be of any interest to scientists (Feldman, 2000). Inquiry learning, under appropriate conditions, is highly desirable; an elaborate pattern of ideas must be built up in a child’s head and only the child can built it; it is the teacher’s job to help the child to build up this elaborate structure of interrelated ideas, and to help the child correct the structure of interrelated ideas, and to help the child correct the structure whenever it is found to be in error (Solomon, 1988). By means of discovery learning we may reasonably expect children to learn something new; and to do so through some initiative of their own. Moreover, a teacher supports a child’s self-chosen activity with questions, commentary and suggestions (Manion et al. , 2004). Conclusion In this paper, we presented a view on combining collaborative learning and the discovery learning. The aim was to show how we can benefit from theoretical knowledge on discovery learning to enhance the added value that collaboration can have and, vice versa, how collaboration in itself can serve as support for the processes of discovery that learners can engage in. Mutual gain can be created from combining collaborative and discovery learning by increasing the mutual awareness in tools supporting either type of learning. Adding knowledge about discovery to collaborative tools can enhance collaborative tools to adapt themselves or give feedback on their contents. On the other hand, collaborative processes take the role of cognitive tools for discovery learning in making learning processes explicit. Of course the examples given in the paper are only a small part of what become possible combining two powerful paradigms of learning (Gauthier et al., 2000). In the latter part of the paper we show how a theory of discovery learning can help to design architecture for communicative support for discovery learning. A central place is taken by a common frame of reference that supports the communication between the different components in the architecture (Gauthier et al. , 2000). References: Adler, M. J. (2000). How to Think About the Great Ideas: From the Great Books of Western Civilization. Chicago and La Salle: Open Court Publishing. Anton, J. P. , & Preus, A. (1989). Essays in Ancient Greek Philosophy: Plato. New York: SUNY Press. Feldman, A. (2000). Network Science, a Decade Later: The Internet and Classroom Learning. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Gauthier, G. , Frasson, C. , & VanLehn, K. (2000). Intelligent Tutoring Systems. Germany: Springer. Lester, J. C. , Vicari, R. M. , & Paraguacu, F. (2004). Intelligent Tutoring Systems. Berlin Heidelberg, NY: Springer. Loucks-Horsley, S. , & Olson, S. (2000). Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards: A Guide for Teaching and Learning. Washington DC: National Academies Press. Manion, L. , Morrison, K. R. B. , & Cohen, L. (2004). A Guide to Teaching Practice. London and New York: RoutledgeFalmer. McTighe, J. , & Wiggins, G. P. (2005). Understanding by Design. Virginia USA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Solomon, C. (1988). Computer Environments for Children: A Reflection on Theories of Learning and Education. Cambridge, Massachusetts; London, England: MIT Press.

The Five Big Reasons to Earn an MBA Degree

The Five Big Reasons to Earn an MBA Degree An Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree  is a type of business degree offered through business schools and graduate-level programs at colleges and universities. An MBA can be earned after you have obtained a bachelors degree or the equivalent. Most students earn their MBA from a full-time, part-time, accelerated, or executive program. There are many reasons people decide to earn a degree. Most of them are tied in some way to career advancement, career change, a desire to lead, higher earnings, or genuine interest. Lets explore each of these reasons in turn. (When youre finished, be sure to check out the three main  reasons why you shouldnt get an MBA.) Because You Want to Advance Your Career Although it may be possible to climb the ranks over the years, there are some careers that require an MBA for advancement. A few examples include areas of finance and banking as well as consultancy. Furthermore, there are also some companies that will not promote employees who do not continue or improve education through an MBA program. Earning an MBA does not guarantee career advancement, but it certainly doesnt hurt employment or promotion prospects. Because You Want to Change Careers If you are interested in changing careers, switching industries, or making yourself a marketable employee in a variety of fields, an MBA degree can help you do all three. While enrolled in an MBA program, you will have the opportunity to learn general business and management expertise that can be applied to nearly any industry. You may also get the chance to specialize in a particular area of business, such as accounting, finance, marketing, or human resources. Specializing in one area will prepare you to work in that field after graduation regardless of your undergraduate degree or previous work experience.   Because You Want to Assume a Leadership Role Not every business leader or executive has an MBA. However, it may be easier to assume or be considered for leadership roles if you have an MBA education behind you. While enrolled in an MBA program, you will study leadership, business, and management philosophies that can be applied to almost any leadership role. Business school may also give you hands-on experience leading study groups, classroom discussions, and school organizations.  The experiences that you have in an MBA program can even help you develop entrepreneurial capabilities that might allow you to start your own company. It is not uncommon for business school students to start their own entrepreneurial venture alone or with other students in their second or third year of an MBA program.   Because You Want to Earn More Money Earning money is the reason why most people go to work. Money is also the primary reason why some people go to graduate school to obtain more higher education. Its no secret that MBA degree holders tend to have higher earnings than people with a lesser undergraduate degree. According to some reports, average MBAs earn  50 percent more after earning their degree than they did before earning their degree. An MBA degree doesnt guarantee higher earnings - there is no guarantee for that, but it certainly wont hurt your chances of earning more than you do now.   Because You Are Truly Interested in Studying Business One of the best reasons to get an MBA is because you are truly interested in studying business administration. If you enjoy the topic and feel like you can increase your knowledge and expertise, pursuing an MBA for the simple sake of getting an education is probably a worthy goal.

Book Review on Undaunted Courage

Book Review on Undaunted Courage Book Review on Undaunted Courage Book review: Undaunted Courage by Steven Ambrose In his book, Undaunted Courage, Steven Ambrose brings to our attention the life history of young Lewis before the expedition to the pacific coast. He gives us an impression that Lewis was an intelligent young boy, an attribute that saw him lead the expedition. According to the author, Lewis’ childhood was promising and his future was bright. He made good choices in his youthful life. The Lewis and Clark expedition was influenced by the relationship between Lewis and Thomas Jefferson, who was a family friend. The author comes up with a summary of the 2000-mile expedition in an amazing prose. During the exploration, Lewis wrote his characteristic voluminous journals expressing their two years joy as well as the mysteries they were experiencing. President Thomas Jefferson chose Lewis to lead the expedition whose purpose was to explore and discover a northwest route to the Pacific Ocean and opening commercial ties with the inhabitants of the area. Lewis is a perfect choice to lead the expedition because of his military background where he was a captain. Again, it is indicated in numerous instances that he was very intelligent, something that began since he was a small boy. Lewis is presented by the author as a reasonable man with a natural gift in scientific observation. He is even said to have been a skilled and experienced naturalist. These are some of the qualities that made him catch the eye of the president of course considering the two were friends from home. In his troop, the second in command was Lieutenant William Clark, a friend to Lewis who still was a younger brother to an activist and a war general, George Rogers Clark. The troop went by the name ‘corps of discovery’ and consisted of 30 other recruits. The expedition started in May 1804 and they sailed the river using canoes with others walking on foot along the banks. The leader had strict instructions from the president to keep a journal, which he wrote about the daily events taking place around them. This included daily measurement in latitude and longitude and his scientific observations. As the expedition goes on, a Canadian decided to join the ‘corps of discovery’ with his teenage wife who later on plays a big role in the survival of the voyage. Lewis is disappointed as there is no connection between the river Missouri leading to the pacific so the troop had to traverse through the great falls of the Missouri river and the Rocky Mountains. By this time, their food reserves were running low and were forced to trade their horses against foodstuff for survival. The troop reached the pacific coast in November 1805, were they put up a fort that was named Fort Clatsop. The following spring, the expedition having suffered low supplies begun their voyage back. Lewis and Clark however decided to split the troops into two and explore the east and west water routes. At this time, the corps encountered a hostile military engagement but the troops remained intact without losing anyone of them. However, two lives were lost in the attacking community. Upon their return, Lewis and Clark are received back home as heroes and Lewis is appointed as governor. This was the beginning of his troubles since he was not a good politician and eventually he became an alcoholic, as he was depressed. He unfortunately loses his life at an early age of thirty-five years after committing suicide. Ambrose has used the journals from the expedition and presented the story in a systematic way that reveals the history of Lewis’ background. In my opinion, the presentation of the chronological events that took place in regards to Lewis prior, during and after the expedition is very clear and informative. The author has dedicated his efforts to establish and impart basic knowledge on the details and circumstances surrounding the historic expedition by Lewis. This is an excellent piece of art that I would recommend anyone to read as it is based on the accounts of the historic expedition in the pacific. Feel free to buy a book review online, on any topic you need. All custom book reviews are written from scratch by professional review writers.

HEALTH AND WORK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HEALTH AND WORK - Essay Example Cox: 1996) In light of the preceding nuances on racism institutional racism can be thus perceived as a way in which particular racial groups are denied rights or benefits or on the other extreme, get preferential treatment. "Institutional racism (or structural racism or systemic racism) refers to a form of racism which occurs specifically in institutions such as public bodies, corporations, and universities." (Institutional racism: Wikipedia 2008) According to the source cited above the term was coined by Black Nationalist, pan-Africanist and honorary prime minister of the Black Panther Party, Stokely Carmichael. In the late 1960s, Carmichael defined the term as "the collective failure of an organization to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture or ethnic origin". There is resonating concurrence in various theories and perspectives on institutional racism that this form is an elaborate form of racism that purports to circumvent the acute nature, application and effects of orthodox racism. Some Examples drawn from American history illustrate the dynamics of institutional racism. In 1935, the U.S. Congress promulgated the Social Security Act. The act was guaranteeing an income for millions of workers after retirement.

Customer involvement in new product development Essay

Customer involvement in new product development - Essay Example 84). At the end of the day when the products are introduced to the market it is the customers who will buy them. This is the reason as to why some marketing professionals have the assertion that customer contribution can be of high importance to the process of introducing a new product (Hesselbach & Herrmann 2011, p. 207). Some people disagree with this assertion with claims that customers cannot really know if they want something that does not exist already. The purpose of this report is to enhance the understanding on the role that customers can play in the product development process. By the use of marketing theory, practice, and other marketing concepts this reports will prove just how important customer contribution can be to the development process of new products. It is important for a business organization to know that improving the relationship between them and the customers should go beyond just the economic relationship of buyers and sellers. The main aim of all organizations in the business world is to get a competitive advantage that cannot be undone. The ways through which they can be able to get such an advantage is through making sure that their products are valuable, rare, un-substitutable and un-imitable. Developing such a product is in no way something that can be considered a walk in the park. If in any case a product is to become valuable it is the customers who have to value it if in any case it has to do well in the market (Sandmeier 2008, p. 56). Therefore, it will be important for a business organization to know exactly what their targeted market values (Foss 2012, p. 129). By knowing what they value the company can also come up with a product that is not substitutable because they will be able to add the values that the oth er products that are already in the market are missing. In the process of developing and introducing a new product to the market, there is always some uncertainty. The

Answer the question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 29

Answer the question - Essay Example Academic achievement, also referred to as the academic performance is the outcome of education as far as results is concerned. It is the extent to which a teacher, student or institution has achieved their educational goals. It is determined through examinations. On the other hand, educational attainment is a term commonly used by statisticians to define the highest degree or level of education an individual has completed or attained. Social stratification is the way the society categorizes of people into socioeconomic classes, based upon their income and occupation, social status and wealth, and derived social and political power. As such, stratification is the social position of persons in relative with a social category or group. On the other hand, patterns of inequality are the socially defined characteristics of persons that add up to social status and, therefore, inequality or equality within a society. The occupational structure of a society is the combination of various types of occupations found there. Additionally, it also defines the distribution of persons among those occupations. As such, it gives some logic of which kinds of occupation dominate the society. Occupational structure is sociologically significant due to its effects on social class and social

DNA Based Biosensor in Diagnosis: A Review

DNA Based Biosensor in Diagnosis: A Review The advent of fast and easy DNA testing has given the space for the Science to develop small and easy-to-handle equipments called Biosensors. DNA based biosensors have been proven very useful and are accorded with much importance in detecting the target genes responsible for diseases. This article enlists different types of biosensors, their basic principle of operating system, the preparation of DNA microarrays, lab-on-a-chip and their role in diseases diagnosis. DNA biosensors provide swift, sensitive, selective, simple and economical detection of DNA hybridization. New strategies for DNA biosensor are enumerated and are used meticulously in recent trends and for future directions. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) amplify the electrochemical signal when used with DNA hybridization. Electrochemical, piezoelectric, SPR, optical DNA biosensors are used to detect various viruses like hepatitis virus, HCMV, HIV, orthopox virus etc. and also for the diagnosis of various diseases like cancer, tube rculosis, COPD, genetic diseases (sickle cell anemia i.e. due to single point gene mutation), cystic fibrosis, diabetes etc. The methodologies of detecting such diseases using different types of DNA based biosensors and gene chips are described in this article. PCR free DNA chips, cell- omic sensors and nanosensor are emerging tools in the field of diagnosis. Recent advances in developing such devices provide myriads of new opportunities for DNA diagnostics. Introduction A rapidly developing area of biotechnology arousing intense scientist interest is that of biosensor. Biosensor has become popular in the field of food analysis [1], bioterrorism [3], environmental [2-3] and in the area of human health monitoring and diagnostics [4-6]. Recent advances are being mad in all areas of biosensors technology. Presently, most fascinating and prospective sensors are immunosensors based on affinity reactions between antibody and antigens and DNA biosensors based on the hybridization between DNA probes and their complementary DNA strands. In general, biosensor is an analytical device which employs biological recognition properties for a selective analysis. Such sensors combine a biological element with a physiochemical transducer for the electronic signal output which is proportional to the concentration of analytes [7]. A basic biosensor assembly includes a biological element, transducer and detector. The sensing material may be antibodies, enzymes, whole cell or nucleic acids that form a recognition layer which is integrated with the transducer via immobilization by cross linking, adsorption or covalent binding. Transducers may be amperometric (measuring the current at constant potential) [8], potentiometric (measuring the potential at constant current) [9], piezoelectric (measuring the changes in mass), thermal (measuring the changes in temperature) [10] or optical (detects changes in transmission of light) [11]. The interaction between the analyte and the biological material, used in biosensors may be of two types: a) Bioaffinity sensors: depend on the selective and specific attachment of the target molecule to the surface-attached ligand partner (e.g. antibodies, nucleic acids). b) Biocatalytic sensors: an immobilized enzyme is used as a tool to recognize the target substrate (sensor strips with immobilized glucose oxidase used for personal monitoring of diabetes). A number of steps, much labor, time and costly instruments are required in usual analytical technique whereas biosensors are economical, fast and simple and can be used in small laboratories and hospitals of remote areas which are devoid of sophisticated instruments facilities. DNA Biosensors Nucleic acid recognition process is the basis of DNA Biosensors. These are being developed with a rapid pace with an ambition for inexpensive testing for genetic and infectious disease and for detecting DNA damage and interactions. The study of gene polymorphisms and the analysis of gene sequences play a fundamental role in rapid detection of genetic mutations, opens up new opportunities for reliable diagnosis even before any symptoms of a disease appear. Thus recent advances in developing such devices offer the opportunities for DNA diagnostics. DNA biosensors are made by immobilizing single stranded (ss) DNA probes on different transducers for measuring the hybridization between the DNA probes and their complementary DNA strands [12-13]. The current methods to identify specific DNA sequence in Biological samples depends on the isolation of double stranded (ds) DNA and further polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify the target sequence of DNA. The PCR product is then subjected to electrophoresis or adsorbed onto a suitable membrane and exposed to a solution containing DNA probe. Surface Chemistry and Biochemistry The immobilization of DNA probe onto the transducer plays an important role in the performance of the DNA Biosensor. It should be in well-defined probe orientation and should be readily accessible to the target. The mode of immobilization is the determining factor for the type of environment of probes that are immobilized at the solid surface. On the basis of nature of physical transducer, various schemes can be opted for the DNA probes attachment to the surface such as thiolated DNA utilisation for self binding onto gold transducers, the formation of a complex by the use of biotylated DNA with a surface-confined strepavidin or avidin, covalent binding to the gold surface through functional alkanethiol-based monolayer and coupling covalently (carbodiimide) to the functional groups on carbon electrodes or adsorption onto carbon surfaces. Introduction of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) has paved way for many exciting and new opportunities to DNA biosensors. Peptide Nucleic Acid is a DNA mimic, the only difference is that the sugar-phosphate bone is replaced by a pseudo-peptide one. Like use of surface-confined PNA recognition layers provides remarkable sequence specificity on DNA biosensors and offers other advantages. DNA dendrimers may also be utilized for imparting extreme sensitivity onto DNA Biosensors. By shape, these are tree-like superstructures which possess numerous ss arms that are able to hybridize to their complementary DNA sequence. The immobilization of these dendritic nucleic acids onto physical transducer gives an amplified response [14]. Recent advances in the field of biomolecular techniques may be used to design new generation miniaturized biosensor. Types of DNA based Biosensors 1. Optical Type Fiber optics Biological Element Laser Interferometry Transducer DNA Advantages Optical fiber Highly sensitive Disadvantages Expensive equipment and not portable turbidity interference 2. Electrochemical Type Potentiometric Biological Element Conductometric Transducer Amperometric DNA Advantages Carbon paste electrodes Cheap, Fast Limitations Interference of highly buffered solution 3. Piezoelectric Type DNA Biological Element Quartz Crystals Advantages highly sensitive, Fast 4. DNA chips DNA Quantitative Optical DNA based Biosensor Optical methods are the most commonly used for the detection of analytes. DNA optical biosensors are based on a fiber optic which transduces the emission signal to a fluorescent label and that can carry light from one region to another through a series of internal inflections. The methodology of fiber-optic DNA bio-sensors involves placing of a single stranded DNA probe at the ending-site of fiber and assessing the fluorescent changes resulting from the combination of a fluorescent indicator with the double stranded DNA hybrid [15 16]. The first DNA optical bio-sensors were developed by Krull and Co workers using fluorescent indicator ethidium bromide. A fiber-optic DNA sensor array was developed by Watts group for the detection of multiple DNA sequences at one time [17]. The hybridization of fluorescent labeled complementary oligonucleotides was assessed by observing the increase in fluorescence. A real label free optical detection of DNA hybridization can be offered by a different type of optical transduction based on evanescent wave devices. The different types of optical biosensors include: 1.1 Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) It is a quantum optical electrical phenomenon based on the interaction of light with metal surface. Only at specific resonance wavelength of light, the energy carried by photons of light is transferred to packets of electrons (photons) on a metal surface [17]. These biosensors depend on change in surface optical properties (change in resonance angle because of alteration in interfacial refractive index) which results from the surface binding reaction. Thus, these devices integrate the simplicity of SPR with the sensitivity and specificity of wave guiding devices. The SPR signal that is expressed in resonance units is therefore a measure of mass concentration at the senor chip surface [18-20]. 1.2 Molecular Beacons (MBs) MBs are oligonucleotides possessing a stem and loop structure that are labeled with a quencher at one end and a fluorophore on the other end of the stem that converts into fluorescent upon hybridization. MB probes possess high sensitivity and specificity and direct monitoring capability. A biotinylated molecular beacon probe was developed to prepare a DNA sensor using a bridge structure. MB was biotinylated at quencher site of the stem and linked on a glass through streptavidin that act as a bridge between MB and glass matrix. The fluorescence change was measured by confirmation change of MB in the presence of complementary target DNA [21-23]. Quantum Dot It is an ultra sensitive nanosensor based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FREET) that can detect very low concentration of DNA. In these neon sensors, quantum dots (QDs) are linked to specific DNA probes to capture target DNA. The target DNA strand binds to a fluorescent dye (Fluorophore) labeled reporter strand and thus forming FREET donor acceptor assembly. Quantum dot also functions as target concentrator as well as FREET energy donor [24]. DNA nanosensor contains two target specific DNA probes i.e. reporter and capture probe. The reporter probe is labeled with fluorophore whereas capture probe is labeled with biotin that binds with streptavidin conjugated with QD [25]. The fluorophore acceptor and QD donor in close proximity produce fluorescence from acceptor by means of FREET on illumination of the donor. The presence of target DNA is indicated by the detection of acceptor emission. The un-hybridized probe does not give fluorescence. The CdSe Zns core shell nanocrys tal can be used as donor and Cy5 (fluorophore) as acceptor for developing QD based DNA nanosensors [25]. For this type of optical bio sensors fluorescent dyes used as standard labels are very expensive and can rapidly photo bleach. An alternate used is chemiluncinscence format, which overcomes the use of fluorescent dyes. A Fiber-optic DNA biosensor array A new method of preparing the fiber-optic DNA biosensor and its array for the simultaneous detection of multiple genes is described. The optical fibers were made into fiber-optic DNA biosensors by adsorbing and immobilizing the oligonucleotide probe on its end but were first treated with poly-l-lysine. The fiber-optic DNA biosensor array was well prepared by assembling the fiber-optic DNA biosensors in a bundle in which each fiber carried a different DNA probe. Hybridization of fluorescent- labeled cDNA of Rb1 gene, N-ras gene and Rb1 p53 gene to the DNA array was monitored CCD camera. A good result was achieved [61]. 2. Electrochemical DNA Bio sensors These are very useful devices for sequence specific biosensing of DNA. The inherent miniaturization of such devices and advance micro fabrication technology make them excellent tool to diagnose DNA. DNA hybridization is detected electrochemically by monitoring the current response at fixed potential. Detection of hybridization is also commonly done through the increased current of a redox indicator or from other changes induced by hybridization in electrochemical parameters such as capacitance or conductivity [26-28]. The discovery of carbon nano tubes (CNTs) plays an important role in development of electrochemical DNA sensors. Various CNT based electrochemical are developed because the combination of unique electrical, thermal, chemical, mechanical and 3-D spatial properties of CNTs with DNA hybridization offers the possibility of creating DNA bio sensors with specificity, simplicity, high sensitivity and multiplexing. Two major groups in which CNTs divided are single walled CNTs (SWCNTs) that are comprised of a single graphite sheet rolled with a tube and multi walled CNTs (MWCNTs) that are concentric closed graphite tubes [29]. CNT enables immobilization of DNA molecules and also used as powerful amplifier to amplify signal transduction of hybridization [30]. Two types are generally used to immobilize the CNT on electrodes aligned and non-aligned. Two approaches are generally used for the immobilization of bio molecules onto CNTs that are non covalent attachment (physical absorption) and covalent binding (some cross linker agents (1-ethyl 3-3 dimethylaminopropyl) carbodilimide hydrochloride (EDC)/N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS)] or affinity binding (avidin biotin interaction). CNT also act as novel indicator of hybridization. The application of arrayed CNT into DNA chip requires small amount of sample and development of CNT base biosensor has an important role in DNA based diagnostics in hospitals or at home [30]. Various methods are used for immobilizations step i.e. for attaching the DNA probe onto the solid surface that are (a) the use of thiolated DNA probe for self assembled monolayers (SEM) onto gold transducers by covalently bonding to the gold surface through functional alkanethiol based monolayers.(b) Attachment of biotinylated DNA probe through biotin avidin interaction on electrode surface for e.g. avidin modified polyaniline electro chemically deposited onto a Pt disc electrode for direct detection of E. Coli by immobility a 5 biotin labeled probe using a differential pulse Voltametric technique in the presence of methylene blue as an DNA hybridization indicator [31,32]. The electrochemical DNA biosensors may be labeled free and labeled based. Label Free In this direct detection technique the target molecule does not need to be labeled [27]. The elimination of labeling steps simplifies the readout the speed and ease of nucleic acid assays. Thus recently increased attention has been accorded to new label free electrochemical detection schemes. There is a possibility in exploiting the changes in DNAs intrinsic electroactivity (Guanine oxidation peak of hybridization). To deal with the drawbacks of the probe sequences i.e. absence of G, guanines were substituted by inosine residues (pairing with C) and detection of hybridization was done through the target DNA guanine signal. The change in the guanine oxidation and intrinsic DNA redox signals detects the chemical and physical damage [33]. Label Based In label based electrochemical biosensor specific organic dyes, enzymes or metal complexes are used for hybridization detection. Redox active molecules such as methylene blue, dacinomycin that is inserted between the dsDNA and gives signal which is used for detecting hybridization [26] (e.g. of two commercialized DNA chips based on redox active molecules are eSensor TM produced by Motorola life sciences [34], Inc. and Genlyser TM by Toshiba)[35]. Piezoelectric DNA Biosensor These are the mass sensitive devices rely on quartz crystal that oscillate at a defined frequency when oscillation voltage is applied. Increased attention has been given to piezoelectric method due to their simplicity, cost, sensitivity and real time label free detection. The quartz crystal microbalance is an extremely sensitive piezoelectric device that monitors the hybridization events. These biosensors DNA probe is immobilized on the surface of oscillation crystal. The increased mass due to hybridization reaction results in change in oscillating frequency [36-37]. A Piezoelectric sensor for determination of genetically modified soyabean roundup ready [RR soyabean] by immobilizing probe related to 5-enolpyrllvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) gene onto gold piezoelectrodes [38]. For detecting a point mutation in a human gene (apolipoprotein-E polymorphism) a combination of DNA piezoelectric biosensor and PCR was developed by immobilizing biotinylated probe on the streptavidin coated gold surface of quartz crystal. The hybridization probes with complementary, non-complementary and mismatched DNA of synthetic as well as amplified PCR samples from human blood DNA was taken out and the device was able to distinguish polymorphism [39]. Colorimetric or Strip type DNA sensor Using these sensors the direct detection of DNA hybridization is possible [40-42]. The dry-reagent strip type biosensor has been developed for visual detection of double stranded DNA within a short time [43]. Oligonucleotides conjugated gold particle is used as probe. The main advantage of these biosensors is not requiring any instruments, multiple incubation and washing steps. Integral part of strip consists of gold particles, with oligo (dT) attached to their surface. Biotinylated PCR products are hybridized with poly (dA) tailed oligo, switched to the top of strip and immersed in the appropriate buffer. With the migration of buffer in upward direction, the nanoparticles that are linked through target DNA through poly (dA/dT) hybridization are rehydrated. Immobilized streptavidin then capture the hybrid in the controlled zone of the strip. The test is 8-10 times more sensitive than ethidium bromide in agarose gel electrophoresis. The detection limit is abysmally low of 2 fmol of amplified DNA products. DNA Biochips Microarrays, DNA arrays, gene chips or biochips are same terminology often being intermixed. DNA microarrays are small, solid supports which themselves are usually microscopic slides, but can also be silicon chips or nylon membranes onto which the sequences from thousands of different genes are immobilized, or attached, at fixed locations. The DNA may be spotted, or synthesized directly onto the support. DNA microarrays detect the change in gene expression levels, genomic gained and losses, mutations in DNA and infectious agents, diagnosis of genetic diseases, drug screening or forensic analysis. Developing the methods for detecting target hybridization, designing probe arrays, data analysis and reconstructing the target sequence are required for successful implementation of DNA chip technology. Such array technology thus forms the basis of integration of molecular biology, surface and analytical chemistry, advanced micro fabrication, robotics, software and automation. In this technique, RNA extracted from two samples are labeled with two different fluorochromes (generally the green cyanine 3 and the red cyanine 5 (Cy3, Cy5)) before being hybridized to a biochip consisting of large numbers of cDNAs/oligonucleotides arranged orderly onto a glass microscopic slide. After hybridization, a scanner records excitation of the two fluorochromes at given wavelengths and the intensity of the fluorescence emission signals that is proportional to transcript levels in the biological samples. The data is analyzed using specific software that enables clustering of genes with similar expression patterns, with the assumption that they share common biological functions [33, 44]. A new ultrasensitive electronic sensor has been developed by Singapore scientists that would speed up effectively DNA testing for disease diagnosis and biological research. The novel electronic sensor array would be faster, accurate and cost-efficient. Excellent sensitivity has been shown by the Nanogap Sensor Array in detecting the trace amounts of DNA. By saving time and cutting expenses, newly developed Nanogap Sensor Array offers a scalable and viable alternative for DNA testing. The presence of DNA is translated into an electrical signal by biosensor for computer analysis. The distinctively and meticulously designed sensor chip has the ability to detect DNA efficiently. The novel vertical nanostructure design and two different surfaces of the sensor allow ultrasensitive detection of DNA [45]. Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) Lab Chip is a device which involves preparation of sample and detection of DNA array. The objective of this technology is to integrate multiple processes, including collection of sample and pretreatment of it with the DNA extraction, hybridization and detection, on single self-contained microchip i.e. on a microfluidic platform. The capability to do all the processes on a single chip merits excellent advantages in terms of cost, speed, efficacy, effectiveness, contamination, sample consumption and automation. Laboratory transportation to the source of sample will be enabled by such miniaturization of analytical instrumentation. The development of these credit-card sized microlaboratories is commonly based on latest micromachining and microfabrication technologies, utilizing processes well known in the manufacture of electronic circuitry [14]. Cell-omic sensors Cell based detection systems can be combined with the microarray probes generating the hybrid arrays of cells within arrays of DNA/protein probs. This allows multiparameters analysis [46]. Applications of DNA Biosensors Biosensors plays a distinguished role in the field of environmental quality, food analysis, study of biomolecules and their interactions, drug development, crime detection, medical diagnosis, quality control, industrial process control, detection system for biological warfare agents, manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and replacement organs. The applications of DNA biosensor can be classified into three broad categories: sequencing, mutation detection and matching detection [47]. Their main use is for diseases diagnosis. Numerous diseases can be diagnosed and variety of infectious agents can be detected using DNA biosensors. 1. Viral diseases By DNA microarrays Either viral detection were being carried by immunological techniques (i.e. use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for the detection of circulating virus-specific antibodies) or PCR based techniques (i.e. reverse transcriptase (RT) PCR is used to detect the presence of specific viral genes). Both these approaches possess some limitations. Immunological tests need specific antisera and the production of antisera is laborious and time-consuming task whereas PCR is prone to failure in its ability to identify multiple viruses simultaneously [48]. Therefore, recent advances in DNA and protein microarray methodology fulfill the need of a rapid and sensitive detection of viral infections (also identify multiple viruses in parallel). DNA microarrays for viral analysis can be divided into viral chips and host chips. Each not only detects and identifies but also monitor the viral populations. In 1999, the first viral DNA microarray for the temporal profiling of viral (human cytomegalovirus, HCMV) gene expression was described. Viral replication or de novo protein synthesis was blocked by treatment of infected cells with cycloheximide or ganciclovir and then the expression profiles of viral genes was generated using microarray. Using this approach, the HCMV genes were classified to immediate-early, early or late expression classes, on the basis of their expression profile in response to the drug treatments. This can be used as an identifying hybridization signature for the molecular staging of an infection [49]. Orthopoxvirus causes smallpox and has two subtypes variola major and variola minor, of differing pathogenicity. This problem of orthopoxvirus subtype discrimination was solved by producing an array capable of correctly identifying the four of the orthopoxvirus species by laassri etal. [50]. HIV genotyping was done using chip technology [51]. A unique signature that is derived from viral is provided by viral chips. Host chip is used for examining the host response i.e. changes in host gene expression. This provides a molecular signature of infection. Cummings and Relman exposed an idea of host chips [52]. Vant wout etal. examined HIV 1 infection in CD4+ T-cells to detect changes in host gene expression that were specific to HIV infection [53]. Proinflammatory genes and genes involved in endoplasmic reticulum stress pathways, cell cycle, and apoptosis were the host gene signatures identified. Detection of hepatitis B virus Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the causative agents of viral hepatitis which is leading cause of liver cancer. Infection of HBV is a public health menace for worldwide resulting acute and chronic clinical consequences. Acute HBV infection may lead to liver failure or may progress to chronic liver disease. Some chronically infected individuals may subsequently suffer cirrhosis and liver failure or develop hepatocellular carcinoma. Effective antiviral therapy may inhibit or retard the progression to severe liver disease. By DNA optical biosensor Bacterial alkaline phosphatase (phoA) gene and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA were used as target DNA. For capturing the target gene onto streptavidin coated magnetic beads, a biotinylated DNA probe was used. A calf intestine alkaline phosphatase labeled DNA probe was used for subsequent enzymatic chemiluminescences detection. The detection cycle was less than 30 min, excluding the DNA hybridization time that was about 100 min. at fematomole or picogramme levels both phoA gene and HBV DNA could be detected. No response signal was obtained when in sample target DNA did not exist [54]. By Piezoelectric DNA biosensor HBV nucleic acid probe was immobilized onto the coated gold surface of quartz crystal using polyethyleneimine adhesion, glutaraldehyde cross-linking (PEI-Glu) method or the physical adsorption method. Better results were obtained with the coated crystal with the PEI Glu method to immobilized HBV nucleic acid probe than physical adsorption method with respect to sensitivity, reproducibility and stability. With the hybridization reaction, the mass is increasing that resulted change in oscillating frequency. The frequency shifts of hybridization have better linear relationship with the amount of HBV DNA, when the amount was in range of 0.02-0.14 microgram/ml [55]. By electrochemical DNA biosensor An electrochemical DNA biosensor that is a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with label free21mer single-stranded (ss) oligonucleotides (related to hepatitis B virus sequence) via covalent immobilization. [Cu(dmp)(H2O)Cl2] (dmp = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline) is used as an electrochemical indicator. The method is simple, economical and allows the accumulation of copper complex within the DNA layer. Cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry were used for electrochemical detection. The detection of hybridization is accomplished by using [Cu(dmp)(H2O)Cl2], where electroactivity and strong association with the immobilized dsDNA segment lead to significantly enhanced voltammetric signal. The differential pulse voltammograms for the cathodic signals of [Cu(dmp)(H2O)Cl2] at a bare GCE, and at ss- and dsDNA-modified GCEs are also recorded. The peak currents of [Cu(dmp)(H2O)Cl2] increased in the order of bare GCE, ssDNA/GCE, and dsDNA/GCE. After hybridization process, a greater peak current was observed from dsDNA/GCE than at ssDNA/GCE, because that more [Cu(dmp)(H2O)Cl2] molecules are concentrated or bound to dsDNA helix than to ssDNA. Thus, [Cu(dmp)(H2O)Cl2] can be used as an electroactive indicator for recognition of the surface hybridization process. The sensitivity of the electrochemical hybridization assay was investigated by varying the target oligonucleotides concentration. The different current value obtained in the DPV response of [Cu(dmp)(H2O)Cl2] after hybridization of probe with target is recorded with three repetitive measurements. The current response at about 0.485V increased in proportion to the amount of the target sequence used [56]. Detection of hepatitis C 3a virus An electrochemical DNA biosensor i.e. a gold electrode modified with a monolayer of a peptide nucleic acid probe and 6-mercapto-1-hexanol was used that depends on covalent binding of the14-mer PNA probe (related to the HCV genotype 3a (pHCV3a) core/E1 region) onto the electrode. This self-assembled PNA could selectively hybridize with a complementary sequence in solution to give dsPNA-DNA on the surface, and this increases the peak current of methylene blue (MB) which is used for detecting target DNA sequence. Diagnostic performance of the biosensor is described and the detection limit was found to be 5.7  ÃƒÆ'-  10à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢11  M with a relative standard deviation of 1.4% in phosphate buffer solution, pH 7.0. This sensor exhibits high reproducibility and could be used to detect the target DNA for seven times after the regeneration process [57]. Cystic fibrosis Mikkelsens team, pioneered the utilization of redox indicators, demonstrated utility of electrochemical DNA biosensor for detecting the cystic fibrosis F508 deletion sequence which is associated with 70% of cystic fibrosis patients. For the 4000-base DNA fragment, 1.8 fmol was the detection limit in relation to a Co(bpy)33+ indicator. High selectivity for the disease sequence (not for normal DNA) was accomplished by doing the hybridization at high (43 °C) temperature [14]. 3. Diabetes Diabetes is a worldwide public health problem. The diagnosis and management of diabetes requires a tight monitoring of blood glucose levels. Thus millions of diabetics test their blood glucose levels daily by making glucose the most commonly tested analyte. The challenge is to provide such reliable and tight glycemic control. Electrochemical biosensors for glucose thus play a leading role. Amperometric enzyme electrodes, based on glucose oxidase (GOx) bound to electrode transducers, have thus been found the subject of substantial research [58]. Glucose sensors are commonly used to measure the blood glucose level of diabetes patients. Using the latest DNA chip technology, many scientists at Diabetes Center have discovered the implication of new gene in the cause of type 2 diabetes. They created an abnormality in one of these genes known as ARNT (aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator gene which is a member of a family of transcription factors) in mice and the mice developed changes in insulin secretion which were same as in patients with type 2 diabetes. The ARNT is required for the development of normal embryo. It is also related to responses to hypoxic stress condition and certain environmental toxins, such as dioxin and thus for integrating genetic and environmental insults it is present at specific potential sites. The expression of many other genes in the cell is regulated by transcription factors like ARNT and thus they are the master regulators of cellular functions. The first use of DNA chips has been represented by this study,