Long-Term Debt Gaap V Ifrs

Long-Term Debt U. S. GAAP vs. IFRS Scott Bailey Acc 311 Debruine Every company in the world must raise funds in order to finance its operations and expansion. The most common form of this funding is through the use of long-term debt. Depending on where the company does business and who uses their financial statements, there are different ways of recording this debt through the use of United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (U. S. GAAP) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).The main differences between the two accounting standards, with regards to long-term debt recognition, deal with debt issue costs and convertible bonds. Debt issue costs are the payments associated with issuing debt, such as various fees and commissions to third parties. According to U. S. GAAP these payments generate future benefits that under ASC 835-30-45-3 are recorded on the balance sheet as deferred charges. These charges are capitalized, reflected in the balance sheet as an as set, and amortized over the life of the debt instrument. Early debt repayment results in expensing these costs.Under IFRS costs are deducted from the carrying value of the financial liability and are not recorded as separate assets. Rather, they are accounted for as a debt discount and amortized using the effective interest method. (IAS 39, par 43) The debate between which set of standards correctly portrays the financial implications of these costs is centered on the idea of matching expenses and revenue. Those for U. S. GAAP argue that the deferred costs create an asset to which we can then match the revenue with the expenses over the useful life of the debt.This is in compliance with the matching principle of the conceptual framework for financial accounting. Under IFRS the costs are said to be immaterial and do not require consideration of the matching principle. This brings up possible issues of managed earnings based on when companies are issuing debt and when they are recogni zing the issue costs. A convertible bond is a type of bond that the holder can convert into shares of common stock in the issuing company or cash of equal value, at an agreed-upon price.The difference between US and international standards arises when determining how to measure and account for convertible feature of the bond. Under U. S. GAAP, ASC-420-20-25-6 states: A contingent beneficial conversion feature shall be measured using the commitment date stock price but shall not be recognized in earnings until the contingency is resolved. This basically says that the convertible feature of the bond is not recognized until it is actually resolved.Under IFRS they refer to the convertible part of the bond (equity element) as an embedded derivative which must be accounted for separately from the liability element of the bond. (IAS 39, par 11) These embedded derivatives are treated the same as stand-alone derivatives in that they are measured at fair value with all changes in fair value r ecognized in profit or loss. (IAS 39, par 46) This process of recording causes a company to be less stable and more reactive to changes in the market. This is not necessarily a bad thing because it accurately portrays the value of the future benefits of the bonds.Accounting for convertible bonds and debt issue costs is likely to change in the future. The US and international standard boards are constantly working on a convergence in order to have a single set of accounting standards for every business. The issues with long-term debt are only a few of many differences that need to be resolved between IFRS and U. S. GAAP. They have been working on the idea of a convergence for many years and personally I do not believe there will be any type of convergence in the near future.With that being said it is important that we know the differences in reporting between IFRS and U. S. GAAP and are able to recognize the financial implications of these differences. Works Consulted Financial Accou nting Foundation. (n. d. ). Financial Accounting Standards Board. In FASB Accounting Codification Standards. Retrieved October 11, 2012, from http://www. fasb. org/home IFRS Foundation. (n. d. ). International Financial Reporting Standards. In eIFRS . Retrieved October 11, 2012, from http://eifrs. ifrs. org/IB/Register

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Five

The full moon was directly overhead when Stefan came back to the boarding house. He was giddy, almost reeling, both from fatigue and from the glut of blood he'd taken. It had been a long time since he'd let himself feed so heavily. But the burst of wild Power by the graveyard had caught him up in its frenzy, shattering his already weakened control. He still wasn't sure where the Power had come from. He had been watching the human girls from his place in the shadows when it had exploded from behind him, sending the girls fleeing. He had been caught between the fear that they would run into the river and the desire to probe this Power and find its source. In the end, he had followedher , unable to chance her getting hurt. Something black had winged toward the woods as the humans reached the sanctuary of the bridge, but even Stefan's night senses could not make out what it was. He had watched while she and the other two started in the direction of town. Then he had turned back to the graveyard. It was empty now, purged of whatever had been there. On the ground lay a thin strip of silk that to ordinary eyes would have been gray in the dark. But he saw its true color, and as he crushed it between his fingers, bringing it slowly up to touch his lips, he could smell the scent of her hair. Memory engulfed him. It was bad enough when she was out of sight, when the cool glow of her mind only teased at the edges of his consciousness. But to be in the same room with her at the school, to feel her presence behind him, to smell the heady fragrance of her skin all around him, was almost more than he could bear. He had heard every soft breath she took, felt her warmth radiating against his back, sensed each throb of her sweet pulse. And eventually, to his horror, he had found himself giving in to it. His tongue had brushed back and forth over his canine teeth, enjoying the pleasure-pain that was building there, encouraging it. He'd breathed her smell into his nostrils deliberately, and let the visions come to him, imagining it all. How soft her neck would be, and how his lips would meet it with equal softness at first, planting tiny kisses here, and here, until he reached the yielding hollow of her throat. How he would nuzzle there, in the place where her heart beat so strongly against the delicate skin. And how at last his lips would part, would draw back from aching teeth now sharp as little daggers, and- No . He'd brought himself out of the trance with a jerk, his own pulse beating raggedly, his body shaking. The class had been dismissed, movement was all around him, and he could only hope no one had been observing him too closely. When she had spoken to him, he had been unable to believe that he had to face her while his veins burned and his whole upper jaw ached. He'd been afraid for a moment that his control would break, that he would seize her shoulders and take her in front of all of them. He had no idea how he'd gotten away, only that some time later he was channeling his energy into hard exercise, dimly aware that he must not use the Powers. It didn't matter; even without them he was in every way superior to the mortal boys who competed with him on the football field. His sight was sharper, his reflexes faster, his muscles stronger. Presently a hand had clapped him on the back and Matt's voice had rung in his ears: â€Å"Congratulations! Welcome to the team!† Looking into that honest, smiling face, Stefan had been overcome with shame. If you knew what I was, you wouldn't smile at me, he'd thought grimly. I've won this competition of yours by deception. And the girl you love-you do love her, don't you?-is in my thoughts right now. And she had remained in his thoughts despite all his efforts to banish her that afternoon. He had wandered to the graveyard blindly, pulled from the woods by a force he did not understand. Once there he had watched her, fighting himself, fighting the need, until the surge of Power had sent her and her friends running. And then he'd come home-but only after feeding. After losing control of himself. He couldn't remember exactly how it had happened, how he'd let it happen. That flare of Power had started it, awakening things inside him best left sleeping. The hunting need. The craving for the chase, for the smell of fear and the savage triumph of the kill. It had been years-centuries-since he'd felt the need with such force. His veins had begun burning like fire. And all his thoughts had turned red: he could think of nothing else but the hot coppery taste, the primal vibrancy, of blood. With that excitement still raging through him, he'd taken a step or two after the girls. What might have happened if he hadn't scented the old man was better not thought about. But as he reached the end of the bridge, his nostrils had flared at the sharp, distinctive odor of human flesh. Humanblood . The ultimate elixir, the forbidden wine. More intoxicating than any liquor, the steaming essence of life itself. And he was so tired of fighting the need. There had been a movement on the bank under the bridge, as a pile of old rags stirred. And the next instant, Stefan had landed gracefully, catlike, beside it. His hand shot out and pulled the rags away, exposing a wizened, blinking face atop a scrawny neck. His lips drew back. And then there was no sound but the feeding. Now, as he stumbled up the main staircase of the boarding house, he tried not to think about it, and not to think about her-about the girl who tempted him with her warmth, her life. She had been the one he truly desired, but he must put a stop to that, he must kill any such thoughts before they were started from now on. For his sake, and for her own. He was her worst nightmare come true, and she didn't even know it. â€Å"Who's there? Is that you, boy?† a cracked voice called sharply. One of the second-story doors opened, and a gray head poked out. â€Å"Yes,signora -Mrs. Flowers. I'm sorry if I disturbed you.† â€Å"Ah, it takes more than a creaky floorboard to disturb me. You locked the door behind you?† â€Å"Yes,signora . You're†¦ safe.† â€Å"That's right. We need to be safe here. You never know what might be out there in those woods, do you?† He looked quickly at the smiling little face surrounded by wisps of gray hair, the bright darting eyes. Was there a secret hidden in them? â€Å"Good night,signora .† â€Å"Good night, boy.† She shut the door. In his own room he fell onto the bed and lay staring up at the low, slanting ceiling. Usually he rested uneasily at night; it was not his natural sleeping time. But tonight he was tired. It took so much energy to face the sunlight, and the heavy meal only contributed to his lethargy. Soon, although his eyes did not close, he no longer saw the whitewashed ceiling above him. Random scraps of memory floated through his mind. Katherine, so lovely that evening by the fountain, moonlight silvering her pale golden hair. How proud he had been to sit with her, to be the one to share her secret†¦ â€Å"But can you never go out in sunlight?† â€Å"Ican , yes, as long as I wear this.† She held up a small white hand, and the moonlight shone on the lapis ring there. â€Å"But the sun tires me so much. I have never been very strong.† Stefan looked at her, at the delicacy of her features and the slightness of her body. She was almost as insubstantial as spun glass. No, she would never have been strong. â€Å"I was often ill as a child,† she said softly, her eyes on the play of water in the fountain. â€Å"The last time, the surgeon finally said I would die. I remember Papa crying, and I remember lying in my big bed, too weak to move. Even breathing was too much effort. I was so sad to leave the world and so cold, so very cold.† She shivered, and then smiled. â€Å"But what happened?† â€Å"I woke in the middle of the night to see Gudren, my maid, standing over my bed. And then she stepped aside, and I saw the man she had brought. I was frightened. His name was Klaus, and I'd heard the people in the village say he was evil. I cried out to Gudren to save me, but she just stood there, watching. When he put his mouth to my neck, I thought he was going to kill me.† She paused. Stefan was staring at her in horror and pity, and she smiled comfortingly at him. â€Å"It was not so terrible after all. There was a little pain at first, but that quickly went away. And then the feeling was actually pleasant. When he gave me of his own blood to drink, I felt stronger than I had for months. And then we waited out the hours together until dawn. When the surgeon came, he couldn't believe I was able to sit up and speak. Papa said it was a miracle, and he cried again from happiness.† Her face clouded. â€Å"I will have to leave my papa sometime soon. One day he will realize that since that illness I have not grown an hour older.† â€Å"And you never will?† â€Å"No. That is the wonder of it, Stefan!† She gazed up at him with childlike joy. â€Å"I will be young forever, and I will never die! Can you imagine?† He could not imagine her as anything other than what she was now: lovely, innocent, perfect. â€Å"But-you did not find it frightening at first?† â€Å"At first, a little. But Gudren showed me what to do. It was she who told me to have this ring made, with a gem that would protect me from sunlight. While I lay in bed, she brought me rich warm possets to drink. Later, she brought small animals her son trapped.† â€Å"Not†¦ people?† Her laughter rang out. â€Å"Of course not. I can get all I need in a night from a dove. Gudren says that if I wish to be powerful I should take human blood, for the life essence of humans is strongest. And Klaus used to urge me, too; he wanted to exchange blood again. But I tell Gudren I do not want power. And as for Klaus†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She stopped and dropped her eyes, so that heavy lashes lay on her cheek. Her voice was very soft as she continued. â€Å"I do not think it is a thing to be done lightly. I will take human blood only when I have found my companion, the one who will be by my side for all eternity.† She looked up at him gravely. Stefan smiled at her, feeling light-headed and bursting with pride. He could scarcely contain the happiness he felt at that moment. But that was before his brother Damon had returned from the University. Before Damon had come back and seen Katherine's jewel-blue eyes. On his bed in the low-roofed room, Stefan moaned. Then the darkness drew him in deeper and new images began to flicker through his mind. They were scattered glimpses of the past that did not form a connected sequence. He saw them like scenes briefly illuminated by flashes of lightning. His brother's face, twisted into a mask of inhuman anger. Katherine's blue eyes sparkling and dancing as she pirouetted in her new white gown. The glimmer of white behind a lemon tree. The feel of a sword in his hand; Giuseppe's voice shouting from far away. The lemon tree. He must not go behind the lemon tree. He saw Damon's face again, but this time his brother was laughing wildly. Laughing on and on, a sound like the grate of broken glass. And the lemon tree was closer now†¦ â€Å"Damon-Katherine-no!† He was sitting bolt upright on his bed. He ran shaking hands through his hair and steadied his breath. A terrible dream. It had been a long time since he had been tortured by dreams like that; long, indeed, since he'd dreamed at all. The last few seconds played over and over again in his mind, and he saw again the lemon tree and heard again his brother's laughter. It echoed in his mind almost too clearly. Suddenly, without being aware of a conscious decision to move, Stefan found himself at the open window. The night air Was cool on his cheeks as he looked into the silvery dark. â€Å"Damon?† He sent the thought out on a surge of Power, questing. Then he fell into absolute stillness, listening with all his senses. He could feel nothing, no ripple of response. Nearby, a pair of night birds rose in flight. In the town, many minds were sleeping; in the woods, nocturnal animals went about their secret business. He sighed and turned back into the room. Perhaps he'd been wrong about the laughter; perhaps he'd even been wrong about the menace in the graveyard. Fell's Church was still, and peaceful, and he should try to emulate it. He needed sleep. September 5 (actually early September 6-about 1:00 a.m.) Dear Diary, I should go back to bed soon. Just a few minutes ago I woke up thinking someone was shouting, but now the house is quiet. So many strange things have happened tonight that my nerves are shot, I guess. At least I woke up knowing exactly what I'm going to do about Stefan. The whole thing just sort of sprang into my mind. Plan B, Phase One, begins tomorrow. Frances's eyes were blazing, and her cheeks were flushed with color as she approached the three girls at the table. â€Å"Oh, Elena, you've got to hear this!† Elena smiled at her, polite but not too intimate. Frances ducked her brown head. â€Å"I mean†¦ can I join you? I've just heard the wildest thing about Stefan Salvatore.† â€Å"Have a seat,† said Elena graciously. â€Å"But,† she added, buttering a roll, â€Å"we're not really interested in the news.† â€Å"You-?† Frances stared. She looked at Meredith, then at Bonnie. â€Å"You guys are joking, right?† â€Å"Not at all.† Meredith speared a green bean and eyed it thoughtfully. â€Å"We have other things on our minds today.† â€Å"Exactly,† said Bonnie after a sudden start. â€Å"Stefan's old news, you know. Passe.† She bent down and rubbed her ankle. Frances looked at Elena appealingly. â€Å"But I thought you wanted to know all about him.† â€Å"Curiosity,† Elena said. â€Å"After all, he is a visitor, and I wanted to welcome him to Fell's Church. But of course I have to be loyal to Jean-Claude.† â€Å"Jean-Claude?† â€Å"Jean-Claude,† said Meredith, raising her eyebrows and sighing. â€Å"Jean-Claude,† echoed Bonnie gamely. Delicately, with thumb and forefinger, Elena drew a photo out of her backpack. â€Å"Here he is standing in front of the cottage where we stayed. Right afterward he picked me a flower and said†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Well,†-she smiled mysteriously-â€Å"I shouldn't repeat it.† Frances was gazing at the photo. It showed a bronzed young man, shirtless, standing in front of a hibiscus bush and smiling shyly. â€Å"He's older, isn't he?† she said with respect. â€Å"Twenty-one. Of course,†-Elena glanced over Tier shoulder-â€Å"my aunt would never approve, so we're keeping it from her until I graduate. We have to write to each other secretly.† â€Å"How romantic,† Frances breathed. â€Å"I'll never tell a soul, I promise. But about Stefan†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena gave her a superior smile. â€Å"If,† she said, â€Å"I am going to eat Continental, I prefer French to Italian every time.† She turned to Meredith. â€Å"Right?† â€Å"Mm-hmm. Everytime.† Meredith and Elena smiled knowingly at each other, then turned to Frances. â€Å"Don't you agree?† â€Å"Oh, yes,† said Frances hastily. â€Å"Me, too. Every time.† She smiled knowingly herself and nodded several times as she got up and left. When she was gone, Bonnie said piteously, â€Å"This is going to kill me. Elena, I am going to die if I don't hear the gossip.† â€Å"Oh, that? I can tell you,† Elena replied calmly. â€Å"She was going to say there's a rumor going around that Stefan Salvatore is a narc.† â€Å"A what !† Bonnie stared, and then burst into laughter. â€Å"But that's ridiculous. What narc in the world would dress like that and wear dark glasses? I mean, he's done everything he can to draw attention to himself†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her voice trailed off, and her brown eyes widened. â€Å"But then, that may bewhy he does it. Who would ever suspect anybody so obvious? And he does live alone, and he's awfully secretive†¦ Elena! What if it's true?† â€Å"It isn't,† said Meredith. â€Å"How do you know?† â€Å"Because I'm the one who started it.† At Bonnie's expression, she grinned and added: â€Å"Elena told me to.† â€Å"Ohhhh.† Bonnie looked admiringly at Elena. â€Å"You're wicked. Can I tell people he's got a terminal disease?† â€Å"No, you cannot. I don't want any Florence Nightingale types lining up to hold his hand. But you can tell people whatever you want about Jean-Claude.† Bonnie picked up the photograph. â€Å"Who was he really?† â€Å"The gardener. He was crazy about those hibiscus bushes. He was also married, with two kids.† â€Å"Pity,† said Bonnie seriously. â€Å"And you told Frances not to tell anyone about him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Right.† Elena checked her watch. â€Å"Which means that by, oh, say two o'clock, it ought to be all over the school.† After school, the girls went to Bonnie's house. They were greeted at the front door by a shrill yapping, and when Bonnie opened the door, a very old, very fat Pekingese tried to escape. His name was Yangtze, and he was so spoiled that no one except Bonnie's mother could stand him. He nipped at Elena's ankle as she went by. The living room was dim and crowded, with lots of rather fussy furniture and heavy curtains at the windows. Bonnie's sister Mary was there, unpinning a cap from her wavy red hair. She was just two years older than Bonnie, and she worked at the Fell's Church clinic. â€Å"Oh, Bonnie,† she said, â€Å"I'm glad you're back. Hello, Elena, Meredith.† Elena and Meredith said â€Å"hello.† â€Å"What's the matter? You look tired,† said Bonnie. Mary dropped her cap on the coffee table. Instead of answering, she asked a question in return. â€Å"Last night when you came home so upset, where did you say you girls had been?† â€Å"Down in the-Just down by Wickery Bridge.† â€Å"That's what I thought.† Mary took a deep breath. â€Å"Now, you listen to me, Bonnie McCullough. Don't youever go out there again, and especially not alone and at night. Do you understand?† â€Å"But why not?† Bonnie asked, bewildered. â€Å"Because last night somebody was attacked out there, that's why not. And do you know where they found him? Righton the bank under Wickery Bridge .† Elena and Meredith stared at her in disbelief, and Bonnie clutched at Elena's arm. â€Å"Somebody was attacked under the bridge? But who was it? What happened?† â€Å"I don't know. This morning one of the cemetery workers spotted him lying there. He was some homeless person, I guess, and he'd probably been sleeping under the bridge when he was attacked. But he was half dead when they brought him in, and he hasn't regained consciousness yet. He may die.† Elena swallowed. â€Å"What do you mean, attacked?† â€Å"I mean,† said Mary distinctly, â€Å"that his throat was nearly ripped out. He lost an incredible amount of blood. They thought it might have been an animal at first, but now Dr. Lowen says it was a person. And the police think whoever did it may be hiding in the cemetery.† Mary looked at each of them in turn, her mouth a straight line. â€Å"So if youwere there by the bridge-or in the cemetery, Elena Gilbert-then this person may have been there with you.Get it ?† â€Å"You don't have to scare us anymore,† said Bonnie faintly. â€Å"We get the point, Mary.† â€Å"All right. Good.† Mary's shoulders slumped, and she rubbed at the back of her neck wearily. â€Å"I've got to lie down for a while. I didn't mean to be crabby.† She walked out of the living room. Alone, the three girls looked at one another. â€Å"It could have been one of us,† said Meredith quietly. â€Å"Especially you, Elena; you went there alone.† Elena's skin was prickling, that same painfully alert feeling she'd had in the old graveyard. She could feel the chill of the wind and see the rows of tall tombstones all around her. Sunshine and Robert E. Lee had never seemed so far away. â€Å"Bonnie,† she said slowly, â€Å"did you see somebody out there? Is that what you meant when you said someone was waiting for me?† In the dim room, Bonnie looked at her blankly. â€Å"What are you talking about? I didn't say that.† â€Å"Yes, you did.† â€Å"No, I didn't. I never said that.† â€Å"Bonnie,† said Meredith, â€Å"we both heard you. You stared out at the old gravestones, and then you told Elena-† â€Å"I don't know what you're talking about, and I didn't sayanything .† Bonnie's face was pinched with anger, but there were tears in her eyes. â€Å"I don't want to talk about it anymore.† Elena and Meredith looked at one another helplessly. Outside, the sun went behind a cloud.

How Organisms Cope With Biotic Environmental Factors Essay

How Organisms Cope With Biotic Environmental Factors - Essay Example Initially, organisms could survive without oxygen but with the evolution of the life forms, oxygen became inevitable for survival, which could be understood with the help of soft-bodied metazoans. This aids in the development of oxygen growth curve. On the other hand, ozone provides a shield that protects the biotic forms from harmful UV radiations of sunlight, without this shield life would have been impossible on the planet. Evolution of biotic forms from simple to the complex took place in a gradual manner. Single-celled life forms interact with each other, such interaction resulted in an evolutionary impact, as various species evolved due to such meaningful interactions, namely, symbiotic associations and other interactions, animal diversity prevailed. Evolution in life forms generated competition for food and shelter. Those who could survive the competition were considered as evolved and supreme. These organisms started adapting themselves to the environmental modifications and to the kind of food available, consequently, further diverse forms evolved. Eventually, some of the organisms migrated to land and demarcated themselves as land animals while others remained as sea animals. Over the eras, both these forms developed into numerous life forms from Prokaryotes to eukaryotes encompassing invertebrates protists, fungi, to vertebrates encompassing fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Q. 3. Give a detailed account of the structure and differentiation of the fungi. Fungi are the eukaryotic life forms, they occur in filamentous form with the rigid cell wall of chitin (chain of N-acetylglucosamine), and yeast forms with a cell wall made up of mannose, but are devoid of chlorophyll. They are saprophytic, free-living organisms and derive their nutrition from dead, organic matter, by breaking down of complex chemical macromolecules, leading to the spoilage of food, leather, and other organic matter. They diverged from animal Kingdom 1.5 billion years a go. Fungi exist in three forms, which are: 1. Unicellular forms, e.g., yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (budding yeast). They possess oval, ellipsoidal or rod-shaped morphology. The size is larger than the bacterial cells, they grow on agar as compact colonies. They display asexual mode of reproduction with the birth scar on daughter cell while a bud scar on the mother cell. Budding could be multipolar or bipolar. However, there are certain organisms which are capable of modifying their morphology and physiology so as to form discrete structures such as spores. Further, a swing between the filamentous and yeast forms could also be displayed in Histoplasma capsulatum, these forms are directed by growth conditions such as temperature, nutrient, and oxygen availability. Filamentous in the soil, asexual reproduction leads to conidia formation. Conidia disperse spores which may reach the lungs if inhaled leading to tissue damage and lesions. The yeast form does not produce conidia. 2. Mou lds which are filamentous and proliferate as elongated and branched hyphae called mycelium, which may be vegetative hyphae or aerial hyphae. The growth of the mycelium occur at the tip, they have well-developed vacuoles and vesicles which are involved in elongation.

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Natural gas in Saudi Arabia - Research Paper Example From recently however after compression it is pumped through pipes to its separate refinery. Natural gas like oil and coal are sources of non-renewable energy. The gas is usually pumped up from its underground deposit. It is channeled through pipes to a storage site. Common uses of natural gas include production of heat in industries and residential areas. It also serves the same purpose in the commercial area, in electrical power generation and fueling vehicles. Brief history Saudi Arabia is among the largest Arab states. It is located in western Asia. It is a country that is bordered by Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Oman. It lies between the red sea and the persian gulf. It has a total surface area of 2.25 million square kilometres.It has population of 27 million people as per 2010 estimates.It is the 46th largest country in the world by population. Its yearly GDP is USD 733.14 billion as per 2012 estimates. This country is one among the leading worldâ €™s energy producer. It produces over 10 million barrels of liquid petroleum per day. A large percentage of this oil is exported. 90 % of the income of this country comes from petroleum exports. Saudi Arabia has approximately 260,000 million barrels of known oil . ... Major natural gas exporting countries are Algeria, Norway, UAE, Russia and Canada. Reserve estimation. Saudi Arabia is estimated to hold natural gas reserves that are 4.14% of the whole world. This is 7,835 bcm .50% to 60% of the natural gas in this country occurs with other petroleum deposits. The other percentage occurs combined with sulfur. Only a small percentage is developed from this mixture. In the world’s ranking its natural gas reserves are the fifth largest but in production of the gas they are 9th in position. They produce a paltry 3 % of the world gas. Compared to 13% of the world’s oil they produce. Oil fields The country has around 100 main gas and oil fields. Eight of these fields account for half of the oil reserves. The Ghawar field is the largest oil field in the world. It is about 1,260 sq. mile. A third of the world’s natural gas comes from this field while 57% of the gas in this country is mined from the field. Other fields where the gas is b eing produced include a giant onshore and offshore Zuluf fields and Safaniya. Safaniya Field has a reputation of being the largest offshore oil field. It is in the Persian Gulf. It produces 1200,000 barrels per day. It was discovered in discovered in 1951. Its natural gas reserve amounts to 152?109Â  m3. Shaybah Field is a giant field which is found in the Rub’Al-Khli desert. It was established in 1990. Materials to build it were gotten 800 kilometers away from its location. It has dwelling facilities for a thousand men, it has offices for administration, there is a recreation centre, airstrip and workshops. It is linked to radio system by 650 kilometer fibre optic. It has estimated 14,000 million of unrefined oil and 25,000 billion ft 3 of gas. It was established in

Memo 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Memo 3 - Essay Example Secondly, in line with Petrolia’s success, it is on the negative since the mining of oil has been destructive and harmful to the people hence she may not awarded the justice it deserves. For the state of Petrolia to pursue this case versus the United States, the international law embraces world wide peace to be upheld by all member states. It is stated in the united Security Council charter that no member state shall be involved in the internal affairs of any nation. All member states enjoy their right of sovereignty without external influence. It is on this note that the united sates failed to follow and obey the rule of law in involving the crisis between Petrolia and the rebels. The Security Council was supposed to give consent on the issue for the United States to move in with the interest of solving the crisis. It is on this ground that the international law favors Petrolia since her rights has been violated. Secondly, she surprised the world community to strike Petrolia in the name of preserving international peace. This was totally out of order since our affairs do not pose any harm in the region thus there was no need to attach us. In addition, The united states was biased in dealing with these issue it was like supporting the northwest to be independent so as to avail her interest of oil in the region. It is evident that her rush to announce war on Petrolia was an act of catalyzing the effort of declaring her interest in the oil fields. This shall be enough evidence to show that their move of attacking Petrolia’s military was negative driven. This articulates that the international law shall favor Petrolia. In regard to the second question of succeeding in this dispute, the office of the attorney wishes to note that the sate will not succeed since in the process of oil mining it has failed to take care of her citizens. It has exposed her people to health hazards, which has seen an increase of cancer cases in the area as a

Gender and Sexual Orientation Personal Statement

Gender and Sexual Orientation - Personal Statement Example Question 1: Sexism Sells In the video developed by the Women’s Media Center, the current treatment of women by the media in broadcasts and other shows was highlighted. The greatest point raised by the video was that sexism has become the new trend in the broadcast media. This popularity of sexism stems from the idea that â€Å"sexism sells†. However, the creators of the video disagreed that sexism sells, and that discrimination of females is still very pervasive in today’s society. More specifically, the WMC stated that â€Å"they were not buying [sexism]†. As for me, I agree with the video. When I first watched some of the clips in the television, some of them appeared hilarious. Indeed, at first, I did not realize that they were sexist. However, after viewing the video, I realized that some of the comments indeed, were rather discriminatory, especially when the broadcasters labeled Hillary Clinton within the stereotype of a nagging wife. I am not essentially a feminist but I str ongly believe that some of the comments by the broadcasters were stupid and unfair. In fact, they displayed some sort of microaggression wherein it was as if they were projecting their negativities about women towards a single person who, at that time, happened to be Hillary Clinton. As portrayed in the video, I totally agree that sexism has now evolved to take a more insidious and subtle form. Perhaps the sadder part is that some of the discrimination are unintentional, and some are even unaware that they are not doing any form of sexism. Question 2: Kimmel: â€Å"Bros before Hos† The quote to be analyzed in this section is the one in Page 55: â€Å"There is only one complete unblushing male in America: a young, married, white, urban, northern, heterosexual†¦ Any male who fails to qualify may view himself as unworthy, incomplete, and inferior†. This quote can be found in the section involving the psychological development of boys, or where the Guy Code Begins. Th is quote struck me the most among all the other parts of the readings in â€Å"bros before Hos† because of the implications and effects of such an event in a male’s life. Such a system that works even in the earliest days of the boy’s development is something that reflects the sad state of today’s society. The readings in this section also made me ponder about the upbringings of a male relative. I have a distant male cousin who lived in a farm with his family. Their family rarely goes out of the countryside and when we came to visit, my cousin would often be forbidden from playing with us, because he had to learn to be a man and the process of doing so does not allow for playing. In addition, during a time when my cousin fell and broke an arm, he was not allowed to cry or else he would be called a sissy. From these, I realized that somehow, there is a burden among males to conform to the society’s definition of what a male is. Still, the fact that males have to be â€Å"boxed-in† into a certain criteria before they can even begin to feel â€Å"macho† is rather absurd. Thus, I believe that in this sense, females are a little bit luckier. Indeed, although females have their own stereotypes that they have to fall into, they are freer in discovering their identities because societal norms allow then to reveal much more emotions than those permitted for males. Females are also now given more flexibility in the choice of the roles they want to play in the society, wherein they can now function in roles that were previously exclusively dominated by males. It is also sad to realize that as developments can be observed in the world’ perception of females, the males’ perception of themselves remained the same. Therefore, improvement is need so that males may be able as well to create more flexible definitions of flexibility. Question 3: Video Analysis (Impressions) The video on 30 Days â€Å"A Straight Man in a Gay World† is an interesting film. I have known long before that the arguments

Religion As A Means For Political And Economic Gains Essay

Religion As A Means For Political And Economic Gains - Essay Example This statement will be tested through qualitative analysis of the existing literature on religion and a case study of Taliban. By looking into the question of whether Pakistan used Islam through Talibanization of Afghanistan essentially to stem the growing Pashtun nationalist movement, I will attempt to show that religion was used for political gains and virtually economic gains by a country which broke apart at the hands of a similar nationalist movement three decades ago. The outcome of this research can help to bring us closer to understanding religion and add to an ongoing debate on religion and its correlation with politics and economy. Keywords: religion, religious exploitation, religious values, fundamentalism, Taliban, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Pashtunistan Research Design in Anthropology (Final Project) 1. OBJECT The main function of religion is maintaining a desirable social order which protects the individuals and the society from physical and emotional harm caused by fellow members and "promises deliverance from deprivation" (Columbia Encyclopedia), but since it has the ability to gain a high level of acceptability among its followers, sometimes to the level of reverence, it demands a blind faith from who follow the rituals without reasoning. In their introduction to the first volume of the famed "Fundamentalism Project, " Fundamentalisms Observed, editors Martin Marty and R. Scott Appleby (1991) claim that the religious aspect of fundamentalism tends to express itself in the following four ways: as a "fighting for" the worldview associated with the religion; a "fighting with" the myths, traditions and doctrines created by the religion; a "fighting against" those who do not subscribe to the religion; and finally, a "fighting under" the god or other transcendent reference thought to be the religion's ultimate source. In under-developed societies religion has a stronger hold over the poor and the powerless who seek protection in its name and solace when they when they fail to achieve the desired goals in life. Since the clergy claim ownership of religion their role becomes the most important for the society as well as for the individual, sometimes even more important than God himself. Some high-priests become so powerful that their ascendancy rivals the powers of the rulers and other pressure groups. Thus religion commands absolute obedience from the poor and the powerless which enslaves them to the custodians of religion namely the clergy which in turn gives them the power to alter social behavior. More recently, such a phenomenon has come to be identified as "fundamentalism" whereby the clergy and associates have sought or achieved change of social, political and economic nature. "Any socio-political movement that requires of its members a strict adherence to specifi ed "fundamentals" or doctrines; that seeks to impose those fundamentals, by persuasion or force, on any who are outside the movement; and that claims for its motivation in doing so a divine, or otherwise transcendentally grounded, mandate." (Carr & Saha, 2001) This has happened in some societies while elsewhere other social factors emerged to mollify or cancel the magic of the religion and its custodians such as interfaith or sectarian rivalry, rise of progressive forces which further the power of reasoning and science and so on. History is full of incidents where clergy using religious edicts and faith have tried to alter social

Advanced HealthCare Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Advanced HealthCare Management - Assignment Example The first approach which is based on equity in maintaining a smooth business relationship with employers actually stresses fair and equal perception of employees to the tasks accomplished and to the remuneration that is received. Likewise, it was noted that it is natural for people to compare what is received with those that are received by others – given similar inputs. When there is some indication of inequality or unfairness within the work setting, the disparity would ultimately allegedly lead to anxiety, tension, and demotivation in the workplace. In the equity theory, employees apparently judge the fairness of the reward system. The fairness of the reward system was acknowledged to be evaluated in terms of the ratio between an employee’s outcomes and inputs, and on how this ratio compares with those of others. If the employees perceive the reward as equitable, they would probably continue to perform at the same level of output. However, if the reward is perceived as inequitable, they will apparently experience tension that could motivate them to react in a manner so as to reduce the inequity. The reaction would ultimately aim to bring outcomes and inputs on balance with each other and with those of others. The second approach, the expectancy theory reportedly relates to the connection between effort and performance. This theory allegedly indicates the strength of belief that performance will be determined materially by corresponding effort. The stronger the connection between effort and performance, the higher the expectancy. Likewise, one is convinced that the formation of expectancies is influenced by the worker’s own evaluation of his competence. In addition, it was explicitly discussed that the expectancy theory contains four relevant components, to wit: job outcomes; valences (or the individuals’ feelings about the expected job outcomes); instrumentality, which refers to the link between performance

Discourse on Method Essay Example for Free

Discourse on Method Essay Are there any identical restrictions on the ways in which human beings may use and treat nonhuman animals? If so, what are they and how are they considered morally justified? In this philosophical enterprise, I will first review three standard responses to these questions and briefly indicate why none of them is entirely satisfactory. Afterwards, I will elucidate what axioms should be adopted as the kernel of truth in each of three responses, and finally juxtapose them into the fourth axiom, which is more adequate position. In so doing, I will argue the importance, from an ethical point of view, of further inquiry into the nature and extent of consciousness in nonhuman animals. Historically, Western philosophers have established three postulates explaining the validity of using and treating nonhuman animals in experiment disregarding the questions about its nature and its extent of ethical restrictions. One, they argue on the basis of our indirect obligation to animals maintaining that act of expending animals for different experiments is only impermissible if and only if we have a direct obligation. Two, humans do not have any obligation to animals, and given this fact humans can do whatever they want with animals. And lastly, direct obligation posits that ethical restrictions on the use of animals are possible only on the basis of considering their sake. Among the most noted philosophers in the western tradition, St. Thomas Aquinas and Immanuel Kant have acknowledged restrictions on human conduct with regard to the utility and treatment of animals, but these restrictions are, in their stance, ultimately grounded upon the obligation to other human beings, and to animals. Amalgamating views that can be traced both to the Bible and Aristotle, Aquinas held a hierarchical or means-ends view of the interplay between plants, animals, and humans respectively: There is no sin in using a thing for the purpose of which it is. Now the order of things is such that the imperfect are for the perfect†¦ things, like plants which merely have life, are alike for animals, and all animals for man. Wherefore, it is not unlawful if men use plants for the good of animals, and animals for the good of man, as the Philosopher states (Politics i. 3) Nevertheless, it does not follow for Aquinas, that one can do anything to an animal. For example, one is still prohibited from killing another person’s ox because this will be an act of injury other’s property, which is an undeniable act of theft or robbery. And there may even be similarly indirect grounds for not harming animals that are no one’s property. Thus, Aquinas explains, if any passages of Holy Writ seem to forbid us to be cruel to dumb animals, for instance to kill a bird with its young: this is either to remove man’s thoughts from being cruel to other men, and lest through being cruel to animals one become cruel to human beings: or because injury to an animal leads to the temporal hurt of man, either of the doer of the deed, or of another. Kant also held such position insofar as humans obligated to restrain themselves in their dealings with animals due to their obligations to other humans. Thus, So far as animals are concerned, we have no direct duties. Animals are not self-conscious and are there merely as means to an end. That end is man†¦ our duties towards animals is merely indirect duties towards humanity. Animal nature has analogies to human nature, and by doing our duties to animals in respect to manifestations of human nature, we indirectly do our duty to humanity†¦ If†¦ any acts of animal are analogous to human acts and spring from the same principles. We have duties towards animals because thus we cultivate the same duties towards human beings. If a man shoot his dog because the animal is no longer capable of service, he does not fail in his duty to the dog, for the dog cannot judge, but his act is inhuman and damages in itself that humanity which it is his duty to show towards mankind. The arguments provided by these philosophers validate the philosophical perspective incorporated in the axiom of indirect obligation. Albeit the fact that we are in a way have obligations to animals, this should not be misconstrued as obligations that humans owed to the animals but rather these obligations are owed to humanity. Nonetheless, there are significant problems with Aquinas and Kant’s conjectures, at least in their present forms. First, insofar as Aquinas assumes that it is necessary for humans to use animals for food and hence to deprive them of life, his position must be reconsidered in the light of modern knowledge about nutrition. It has been maintained, for example, that a perfectly nutritious diet may require little or no deprivation of animal life and, even if it does, that the average American consumes twice as much animal protein as his/her body can possibly use . To such an extent, we continue to consume large quantities of animal foodstuff requiring pain and the deprivation of life, then. We do so, not so much to serve vital nutritional demands, but rather to indulge our acquired tastes. Secondly, insofar as Aquinas’ view is based upon hierarchical worldview and presupposes that those lower in the order or less perfect are to serve good of those higher or more perfect, it is open to a serious theoretical objection. Unfortunately, it is not difficult to imagine that a group of beings ? perhaps from another part of the universe ? who are more rational and more perfect than we. Let say that such beings are impeccable than we are, it seems to follow, if we adopt the principles underlying Aquinas’ stance, that we ought to acquiesce in their using us for whichever of their purposes they fancy we would serve. But do we want to agree with the rightness of this? And if we take Aquinas’ standpoint, would we have any grounds on which to disagree. As for Kant’s view, the main difficulties have to do first with his emphasis on self-consciousness as a condition for being the object of a direct obligation, and second with his assumption that all and only human beings are self-conscious. I will postpone consideration of the first difficulty until later. For the moment, let me simply develop the second. Even supposing that self-consciousness is a necessary condition for the being the object of direct obligation, it does not follow either that all human beings are the object direct obligations or that no animal can be the object of such obligation. First, advances in the medical knowledge, techniques, and technology have, among other things, preserved and prolonged the lives of a number of human beings who are severely retarded or otherwise mentally impaired due to illness or accident. In our day, then, if not in Kant’s, one cannot assume that all human beings are self-conscious. Second, some contemporary researchers have suggested that at least some non-human animals have a capacity to become self-conscious that has, until recently, been undetected or ignored by men. Whence, even if we follow Kant and accept self-consciousness as a condition for being the object of direct obligations, it is does not follow that all and only humans satisfy this condition. Some humans, it may turn out, will not be the objects of direct obligations and some animals will. If animals are not conscious, that is, if they are not sentient and have no capacity for pleasure, pain, or any mental conditions, they may not even be the objects of indirect obligations. Insofar as Aquinas says that it is possible to be â€Å"cruel to dumb animals† and Kant says that â€Å"he who is cruel to animals becomes hard in dealings with men,† each presupposes that animals, unlike plants and machines, are sentient and are thereby capable of sensation and consciousness. Thus it is surprising to find Rene Descartes comparing animals to machines. Nevertheless, this is just what he did in Discourse on Method when he compared machines made by the hand of man with human and nonhuman animal bodies made by the hand of God: From this aspect the body is regarded as a machine which, having been made by the hands of God, is incomparably better arranged, and possesses in itself movements which are much more admirable than any of those which can be invented by man. † Living human bodies were, for Descartes, distinguished from living animal bodies by the presence of an immortal soul which was a prerequisite for mental experiences. Without a soul, a biological body was a natural automaton, â€Å"much more splendid†, but in kind no different from machines. For Descartes, the criterion for dichotomizing those living bodies which were ensouled from those which were not was the capacity to use language. The former, he posited, included all and only human beings. , there are none so depraved and stupid, without even exempting idiots, that they cannot arrange different words together, forming of them a statement by which they make known their thoughts; while on the other hand, there is no other animal, however perfect and fortunately circumstanced it may be which can do the same. Insofar as Descartes’ position presupposes that all and only human beings have the capacity to use language, it is open to the same sort of criticisms and objections that we raised against Kant. That is, advancements in medicine are providing more nonlinguistic humans and advances in science are suggesting that at least some nonhuman creatures have more linguistic facility than we previously assumed. Moreover, even the if Descartes were correct on his reasoning that the capacity to use language is uniquely human, why should this, rather than the capacity to feel pain and experience distress, be the principal criterion for determining the nature and extent of ethical restrictions on the expenditure and treatment of animals? It is this objection which sets the stage for positions which hold that humans have direct obligations to at least some animals. Jeremy Bentham argues that pain and pleasure were what governed behavior and that any ethical system which was founded on anything but maximizing the net balance of pleasure over pain, dealt in â€Å"sounds instead of sense, in caprice instead of reason, in darkness instead of light. † Every action for Bentham was to be assessed in terms of its likelihood of maximizing the net balance of happiness. But, he noted, if the capacity to experience pleasure and pain was what qualified one to be taken into account in estimating the effects of various courses of action, then nonhuman as well as human animals would have to be taken into account insofar as they, too, had the capacity to experience pleasure and pain. Thus, for Bentham, it is sentience, or capacity for pleasure and pain, that determines whether a being qualifies for mortal consideration. The question now is what grounds we have to consider that animals do suffer from our â€Å"cruel† acts. In response to such question, one holding a utilitarian direct obligation theory must show why individuals believe that animals are conscious. There are number of ways one might go about this. One, one could stress behavioral similarities between men and animals in their respective responses to certain standard pain and pleasure producing stimuli. Comparing the behavior of animals to infants would be valid indication of such similarities. Two, we could stress relevant neuropsychological similarities between humans and animals. The fundamental insight of indirect obligation theories is their recognition of difference between simple and reflective consciousness. Beings having only simple consciousness can experience pain, have desires, and make choices. But they are not capable of reflecting upon their experiences, desires, and choices and altering their behavior as a result of self-conscious evaluation and deliberation. Beings who can do this I will, following John Locke, label â€Å"persons†. A person, in Locke’s stance, is â€Å"A thinking intelligent being that has reason and reflection and can consider itself as itself, the same thinking thing, in different times and places. † although they are mistaken in believing that the class of human beings, indirect obligation theorists were correct to emphasize the social status of persons. For only persons are capable of tracing the consequences and implications of various courses of action and then deliberating and deciding to embark on one rather than another on grounds other than self-interest. To do this is part of what it means to have a morality, and it is the capacity for taking the moral pint of view (that is, voluntarily restricting one’s appetite or desire for the sake of others) that gives the person their special worth. The fundamental point of Descartes’ no obligation axiom was to recognize the connection between the development and exercise of language. As Stuart Hampshire has recently pointed out, although people often associate the use of language primarily with communication, â€Å"language’s more distinctive and far-reaching power is to bring possibilities before the mind. Culture has its principal source in the use of the word ‘if’ in counterfactual speculation†. Only language, then, gives us the power to construct complex unrealized possibilities. Therefore, a being cannot be considered a person without the incorporation of language in human psyche. Finally, the fundamental argument of direct obligation principles was to note that one need not be a person to be the object of a moral obligation. Simple consciousness and sentience is sufficient to entitle a being to be considered for its own sake in the ethical deliberations of persons. If, for example, the capacity to feel pain is sufficient for prima facie obligation not to cause gratuitous pain to persons, why it is not also valid ground for a similar obligation not to cause pain to animals? With regard to the evil of avoidable and unjustifiable pain, the question is, as Bentham emphasized, not â€Å"Can they reason nor can they talk? † but, â€Å"can they suffer? † Putting all of this together, we can say that persons, who are characterized as possessing reflective consciousness, may have a higher status than beings having only simple consciousness. Their special worth is a function of the extent to which they use language â€Å"to bring possibilities before the mind† and then restrain their more trivial desires for the sake of not harming others whom they recognize, from the moral point of view, as their equals in certain respects. Among the beings whose interests must be taken into account for their own sake in the moral deliberations of persons are beings possessing only simple consciousness. To the extent that persons reluctantly cause pains, suffering, and even death to beings possessing simple consciousness in order to meet important needs, what they do may be justified by appeal to their higher status or greater worth. But, to the extent that persons inflict avoidable pain and suffering on such beings merely to satisfy certain trivial tastes or desires, they pervert their greater capacities. In so doing, they ironically undermine their claim to higher status or worth and thereby weaken any justification they may have had for sacrificing beings having only simple consciousness for important ends. References: Aquinas, S. T. (1981). Summa Theologica (F. o. t. E. D. Province, Trans. ): Christian Classics. Bentham, J. (1988). The Principles of Morals and Legislation: Prometheus Books. Descartes, R. (1999). Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy (Fourth ed. ): Hackett Pub Co Inc. Hampshire, S. (1979). Human Nature. New York Review of Books. Kant, I. (1963). Lectures on Ethics (L. Infield, Trans. ): Harper and Row. Lappe, F. M. (1975). Fantasies and Famine: Harper and Row. Locke, J. (1994). An Essay Concerning Human Understanding Prometheus Books. Velasquez, M. (1985). Ethics Theory and Practice: Prentice-Hall Inc.

Urine Culture and Urinalysis Experiment

Urine Culture and Urinalysis Experiment Abstract This lab report analyses the findings of two important tests. These are microbiological analysis of urine on CLED agar plate (urine culture) and biochemical analysis of urine (urinalysis). Urine culture test examined urine sample cultured on cystine-lactose-electrolyte deficient agar plate for any possible bacterial growth after the incubation period. Gram positive or gram negative bacteria growth can be found or not. However the presence of 10 colonies of each in this experiment which were E. coli and S. aureus bacteria indicated either possible contamination of the urine sample or infection of the urinary tract by various disease and disorders of the urinal tract. The biochemical analysis of urine was also done where by the sample urine both positive and negative controls were subjected to tests for presence of different constituents not normally found in normal urine using test strip with absorbent pads capable of testing different constituents by observation of color change. Presence of unexpected urine constituents indicates infection of the urinal tract and sometimes certain diseases, disorders and nutrition imbalance. Introduction Urinalysis which is also termed as biochemical analysis of urine is a biochemical test on urine sample purposely meant to assist in diagnosis of a wide range of urinary tract diseases. Examples of such diseases include high urinary glucose levels in people suffering from diabetes, high ketone bodies levels in urine in situations of ketunia among other urinary disorders. Urine is also subject to immunological analysis and these tests are the ones used to detect pregnancy (Carricajo, 1999). Microbiological analysis of urine also termed as urine culture is a microbial test responsible for detection of pathogenic microbes capable of causing urinal tract diseases and disorders (Martinko, 2005). The enumeration of such microbes for our case is by use of cysteine-lactose and electrolyte-deficient agar mostly abbreviated as CLED agar. However other types of agar media that can be used instead of CLED agar include blood agar and MacConkey agar. CLED agar medium is a non selective medium which is able to support growth of many pathogens found in the urinary tract and has the ability to give a clear differentiation of such pathogens colonies with minimum or no proteus species spread (Kee, 2001). Methodology For biochemical analysis of urine, both positive and negative control samples of urine were conducted by strict following of the instructions by the manufacturer. A test strip detecting eight different substances was dipped into the urine sample, then the strip was taken out and the extra urine was removed by wiping the edge of the strip to the inner side of the tube. The color of the pads on the strip was observed for any changes and the pads were read in the direction of the arrow and within the time given in the container. The reading was recorded and the test was repeated for a negative control urine sample (Clarridge, 1998). For the urine culture test, the cysteine-lactose and electrolyte-deficient agar medium was prepared according to the instructions provided on the label by the manufacturer by first weighing accurately and dissolving in appropriate amount of distilled water. Sterilization of the media was then conducted at 121 degrees Celsius for fifteen minutes in an autoclave (Nunez, 1995). The sterilized media was the poured on to several sterilized plate for solidification and this was done on a clean and sterile microbiology working bench. After obtaining the urine sample for microbial analysis, the sample was mixed gently to avoid foaming and the end of a sterile 10 micro-liter calibrated loop was dipped in the urine sample to just below the surface and was removed vertically. Then the volume of urine within the calibrated loop was inoculated over the entire surface of CLED agar plate, which was then incubated in ambient air overnight at 37 degree Celsius (Chernecky, 2001). Results For the urine culture test, this examined a urine sample cultured on cystine-lactose- electrolyte deficient agar plate for any possible bacterial growth after the incubation period of 24-48hours. Urine culture was positive with two bacterial species growth observed according to the typical colonial morphology and colors on the CLED agar plate. A count of 10 colonies of Gram negative bacteria E.Coli were recorded ÂÂ  on the CLED plate as well as ÂÂ  10 colonies of gram positive S.aureus. The number of colony from each bacterial species isolated on the agar plate was then multiplied by the dilution factor of 1.000.000 to obtain a density of 10.000.000 CFU/L of urine. For urinalysis, a test that enables us detect abnormal constituents of urine such as glucose, protein, ketones bodies, blood and bile pigment, the positive control urine test results showed abnormalities in its constituents by the presence leukocytes, blood, nitrites, proteins and ketones bodies in the sample compared to the negative control urine which showed normal results in its constituents. Discussion of the results Urine is a by product and it is produced in the kidneys and then into the urinary bladder where it accumulates till enough stretching of the bladder walls is achieved which leads to its release via the urethra. Urinalysis is very important to determine whether the urine is normal or if it is from unhealthy individual since it contains different ranges of waste products which should be present in normal urine and others which are not expected in normal urine thus there presence indicates certain diseases and disorders. Urinalysis gives us a clear indication of the internal biochemical processes of the patient under test. According to this experiment, the presence of leukocytes, blood, nitrites, proteins and ketones bodies in the positive control urine sample indicated the following. Presence of leukocytes indicates shows us that the urinary tract from which the urine was obtained was infected and this is evident due to detection of esterase enzyme which is normally absent is normal ur ine. This indicates that this sample of urine should be subjected to further tests like culture test, sensitivity and even microscopy (Kouri, T. (2000). Healthy individuals do not contain ketone bodies in their urine. Therefore presence of ketone bodies in the urine sample tested indicates that the individual was deprived of carbohydrates since ketones and acetones are actually the byproducts of metabolism of the fat. This shows that the individuals was either suffering from diabetes mellitus or he individual was lacking carbohydrates since both of them are possible causes of presence of ketones and acetones in the urine. When urine is detected to have blood, it indicates a condition known as hematuria. Sometimes the blood may not be visible to our naked eyes and this is called microscopic hematuria while sometimes the blood stains are visible to our eyes and this is known as frank hematuria. Many renal conditions exhibit this condition of henaturia. These include renal, urethral and ureteric calculi, acute nephritis, malignant papiloma, renal ca, and chronic kidney diseases and sometimes the administration of sulfonamides or anticoa gulants may cause hematuria (Wallach, 2000, p. 26). The salt of nitrous acid is known as nitrate. So when the urine tests positive of nitrates, it indicates firmly that the urinary tract is infected and possibly by bacteriuria which is an indication of pyelonephritis, cystitis and sometimes urethritis disorders. But sine the second sample of urine did not show any of this constituents, it indicates that the urine came from a healthy individuals. However other dangerous constituents that should not be found in normal urine include urobinogen, glucose, Bilirubin, urobilinogen among others (Henry, 20005). In the case of urine culture test, E. coli is a bacteria that is often found in the gut and it is harmless unless it if finds its way to wrong venue of the body like the bladder. Therefore presence of these bacteria which is a gram positive bacterium detected by pinkish color on the plates and S. aureus which is a gram negative bacteria indicated by bluish or purple coloration on the plate indicated that the person from which the urine was obtained from might be suffering from urinal tract infections mostly the bladder infections. It might also indicate contamination of the urine sample as the results obtained suggests a probable contamination as two bacterial species were isolated and there was no predominance between the two of them (Aspevall, 2000). Conclusion In conclusion, these test results were expected and significant in both urine culture and urinalysis. Urine culture on CLED agar plate was very useful for the growth and enumeration of gram positive and gram negative urinary tract microorganisms while urinalysis was equally essential for providing critical information to assist in diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of wide range of diseases.

Huck Finns Ending Essay -- essays research papers

Dear Mark Twain,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After reading your famous novel, â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,† I don’t feel that the ending you have created is suitable for the book. Throughout the entire novel, Huck is going to all extremes to help out a friend in need, Jim. As a slave, Jim is grateful for having such an honest and open friend like Huck, but it seems as if when he finds out he was free all along, things change. When Jim and Huck found themselves at the end of their journey, neither had anything left to run from because Huck’s dad was dead and Jim found out that Mrs. Watson freed him when she passed away a few months ago and hoped he would soon be with his family. Because of this ending of your choice, we never find out Huck’s true feelings about helping a run away slave besides what we learned earlier in the book. It seems as if the special bond that Huck and Jim shared was over, each were going their own separate ways and moving on in their lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I found the ending very disappointing because throughout all the situations that took place in the book, Twain develops Huck as a character growing up and accepting his innate ideas of right and wrong, but we soon find out that Huck hasn’t grown at all. It seems as if Huck and Jim have formed a strong friendship with each other and Huck no longer looks down upon his as a slave, but sees him as an equal individual and a friend. When Huck is re-united with Tom, we find this to be false because he goes back to his old ways in which he was taught through his child hood and refers to Jim as property.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another major disappointment is that Twain ends the novel as he started, with Huck running away from a civilized life style. In the beginning of the novel, Mrs. Watson was trying to civilize Huck so he decided to run away, at the end of the novel he fears that Aunt Sally is going to try and civilize him, so he decides to run west to the enchanted territory. This is an important technique that Twain uses to try and indirectly point blame at anybody, but it is obvious to the reader. Huck does not decide to leave because he thinks that society is rotten, he decides to leave because he thinks that he is the one that is rotten, and cannot be civilized, so he decides to go somewhere far away from civilization. Ironically, it is the corrupting... ...n. He applied what little knowledge he had well, and managed to help several people, including himself, along his journey down the river.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One idea that I found very interesting was that Huck and Jim were two completely different people running in the same direction in the beginning, and at the end they become the closest of friends, but when we soon learn that it seems as if all has faded away and the journey was useless. It comes across to the reader that both Huck and Jim were on the raft together for one reason and that would be to escape civilization. That would be the original idea but because of their bond that’s not the intent of the book. Huck and Jim both had one thing that held them together and that was the goodness at heart, not only did Huck go against everything he was taught, but he didn’t have a problem doing it and by you ending the book in such a way just seems like everything that happened doesn’t matter and an incredible journey traveled by two amazing individuals doesn’t matter in the end. It just seems like Huck gave up on everything he worked so har d for and not only let himself down, but his best friend and companion Jim also.

Origins of the British East India Company and Its Influence on the Brit

The British East India Company played a key role in one of the most successful periods of British history. The East India Company was responsible for the invasion of the Indian subcontinent, which became one of the empire’s leading supplier of profits. The East India Company was responsible for the overthrow of Hong Kong and other Asian countries; it was responsible for creating Britain’s Asian empire. The British East India Company began as a joint-stock corporation of traders and investors which was granted a Royal charter by Queen Elizabeth 1 to trade with the East. The original name of the corporation when it first formed was Governor and Company of Merchants of London Trading into the East Indies (Landow). They joined together to generate money importing spices from South Asia. James Lancaster was in charge of the 1st company voyage in 1601 that sailed around the coast of South Africa and across the Indian Ocean, arriving back in London in 1603 with ships filled with pepper. In the 1600s, pepper was the most significant part of the British East India Company’s commerce. The group established its first Asian factory in Bantam and â€Å"it was here that the English were able to expand into other parts of Asia† (The [British East India] Company Story). Market at Bantam was multicultural because of other merchants from Arab, Turkey, Iran, and China trading products from their own nations. The company had woolen cloth and silver, but Asian traders favored Indian textiles which were good quality; therefore, it had to uncover ways to get fabrics from India. In 1611, after failed attempts to enter into agreement with Mughal Emperor, Jahangir, the British East India Company enquired King James 1 to send a representative. The ambassad... ...t finally â€Å"went out of existence in 1873† (Landow). In the course of its supremacy, the British East India Company created trade across the Middle East and Asia. It regulated its own regions and played a role in influencing the American Revolution. The company’s products were the source of the Boston Tea Party in colonial America. Works Cited "The [British East India] Company Story." History. Trading Places. The British Library Board, n.d. Web, 3 Jun 2011. "The Boston Tea Party, 1773." EyeWitness to History. Ibis Communications, Inc., 2002. Web. 3 Jun 2011. Landow, George P. "The British East India Company: The Company that Owned a Nation (or Two)." George P. Landow, Professor of English and Art History, Brown University. Victorian Web. George P. Landow, Professor of English and Art History, Brown University, 6 Apr. 2010. Web. 3 Jun 2011.

Essay Comparing Beowulf and A Knights Tale :: comparison compare contrast essays

Comparing Beowulf and A Knight's Tale In the stories of Beowulf and A Knight's Tale, there are many different themes. One of the major themes is the religion that runs through both of them, yet both stories have a very different view of religion. In Beowulf, it seems as if God has chosen where our life will end and where it will begin, everything happens by the will of God in a fair and just way. In The Knight's Tale, we see Greek gods playing with the characters and when they "play" with them, there is no real pattern to how they choose things. Each vies is different and this affects the stories in different ways. Beowulf has multiple references to God and how God chooses what happens in his life. For example on the very first page of the story (Beowulf, 27) we see that God saw the need for a king so he sent a king to the Danes. This shows us that God is able to see his people and in a fair and just way he sends them a much needed king. Later on, we see how God punishes those who go against his will. On page 29 we read that Grendel is from Cain. For the eternal Lord avenged the killing of Abel. He took no delight in that feud, but banished Cain from humanity because of his crime. From Cain were hatched all evil progenies: ogres, hobgoblins, and monsters, not to mention the giants who fought so long against God - for which they suffered due retribution. (Beowulf, 29) This shows that for Cain's sin of killing Abel, he receives a just punishment not only to him but also to his "offspring." Also in Beowulf, God decides when people will die in advance. This is shown many times by Beowulf himself. For example, every time Beowulf is faced with a major battle, he always goes in with the faith that if it is God's will, he will be brought out alive. Also, God must give him the victory because he cannot win it by himself. "Tonight we will do without weapons ... God in His wisdom must allot the victory as He thinks fit.

Myself, my setting and my learning Essay

The aim of this reflective account is to discuss my developing practice and how as a childminder I ensure my setting meets the requirements of the curriculum which I follow. This is based on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS, DfES, 2007), whilst still keeping true to my own beliefs in the best environment for learning to meet the needs of all the children whom attend my setting. My setting has eleven children enrolled, from one to ten years; all children are able bodied, although some have specific behavioural needs. I belong to a local quality assurance and childminding network. As an early years provider I have a responsibility to implement the four themes of the EYFS; A unique child, Positive Relationships, Enabling Environments and Learning and Development including the sixteen commitments. I believe the EYFS has brought positive changes to settings, as it ensures that no-matter what type of setting, there is now a set of standards which all must meet. This can only be seen to offer peace of mind to parents and as a benefit to children’s well-being. 1 The course has taught me the background of the EYFS, as a key part in The Ten Year Childcare Strategy, (DfES, 2004c) and the Childcare Act 2006 (DfES, 2006), ensuring the Every Child Matters agenda is implemented. The five major themes combined with the five outcomes of the Children’s Act 2004, highlights the important role required of the Early Years Services and multi-agency working. As a result of the recent changes of the Childcare Act 2006, one of the biggest impacts I have noticed is the training available. The aim of The Children’s Plan (DCSF, 2007); ‘To make England the best place in the world for children and young people to grow up in’, has many measures in place to support this and one of the changes needed is for professional development to be coherent in the children’s workforce . (KU3) As Sylva et al points out, â€Å"Quality of provision is dependent on the quality of the staff who work in the settings† (Melhuish et al, 1999; Sylva et al., 2003). 2 Because of the funding available not only have I been able  to access this course, I have also recently completed courses on ‘Observing children in the home setting’ and ‘Senior Safeguarding Children’. I ensure parents are updated of any new training to demonstrate my professional attitude to my setting. (CS1, CS2 & CS3, KU3) I also show a professional attitude to my role by using parent evaluation forms and having a suggestions box (for children and parents). Due to some of the children coming from broken families I send the diaries via e-mail or paper copy, it is also one of the EYFS principles ‘Positive Relationships’.3 (KS4) Parents receive a parent information booklet, which includes policies and procedures to comply with the EYFS statutory requirements and to highlight my roles and responsibilities, such as; safeguarding children, positive behaviour management, medicines and first-aid, equal opportunities, health and safety, fire procedure, accident and emergency plan and my complaints procedure. A significant change from the EYFS has been the need for planning to focus on each child’s individual learning, development and care needs and to ensure that the children and their families are fully included in all aspects of care. The importance of observations and planning to meet individual needs was stated in an article a in the Child Care magazine (November 2007), â€Å"It is important you know what level the child is at, what their next steps are, what their interests are and how you can enhance those interests†. This was before the introduction of the EYFS, in September 2008 and it demonstrates that is was good practice to use observations before it became a requirement in order to give each child a valuable learning experience. By being a reflective practitioner and using observations to construct my planning, I understand when I need to adapt activities within my setting to meet the needs of all children. I regularly observe and plan the curriculum around individual needs and it also my responsibility to facilitate learning and ensure correct resources and materials available to ensure inclusion for all; this could be something as simple as ensuring I have left handed scissors available, to ensuring younger children are able to participate in forest excursions by having them in back carriers and having spare waterproof clothing. (CS1, CS2 & CS3) 4 Compared to many other early years’ settings, I have a strong emphasis on  being outdoors and I work from a large log cabin amongst trees in my garden. This encourages the children to explore their natural environment and often leads to unintended curriculum such as; finding lots of snails on a rainy day and then making ‘home’s for them amongst the trees. In Norway, almost 10% of kindergartens are based outdoors www.teachers.tv/video/35165 and I share their attitude to children and the outdoor environment with the saying â€Å"There is no such thing as bad weather just bad clothing†. We often go on forest excursions, build out door dens using natural resources and the children have the freedom to explore. I believe my role in this helps the children develop a positive and confident ‘can do’ attitude no matter what the elements. (CS1 & CS3) 5 It wasn’t until I completed the activity in ST3 ‘Reflecting on Approaches to Curricular’ that I noticed that I use some similar practices to the Steiner approach such as; we sing songs to inform everyone it is tidy up time, and song time is a very active affair. I encourage the children to explore their natural environment and we celebrate the changes in season first hand. I believe this approach enhances the EYFS guidance as it is a play led approach, the main difference with the EYFS is what it expects children to achieve academically before they are five years than the Steiner approach expect of children of seven years. Which is also when countries, such as Sweden believe is the best age for children to begin formal education www.teachers.tv/video/12090 (CS1, CS2 & CS3). 6 Although I do feel that the children who attend my setting benefit greatly from my outdoor curriculum compared to the rather small outdoor area at the ‘Lark’s Children’s Centre’ (DVD 1), the Centre has a well equipped indoor space, where there is a professional attitude by the multi-agency professionals. It was encouraging to see the way they shared information, to ensure the best outcome for the parents and the children. In comparison I work alone although I do participate in network meetings. I share information regularly with nursery staff and teachers and use observations to support parents in discussing concerns with other professionals. It was obvious from the different projects that the Children’s Centre has good funding; in comparison I work privately and my setting relies on my income  to supply equipment and resources (CS1 & CS3). However both settings have a positive ethos in working with parents and children. 7 Meanwhile similar targets to Sure Start have been set within other countries in the United Kingdom such as the Early Years Strategy in Northern Ireland (DENI, 2007), The Early Years Framework (Scottish Government, 2009a) and the Flying Start programme and the Framework for Children’s Learning in Wales (Welsh Assembly Government, 2008), all of which have the aim of improving the life chances of the very young members of our society, by ensuring they have access to good quality child care and education.

How Technology Enhances Teaching and Learning Essay

Students at the Owen School’s Strategy in the New Economy seminar enter a classroom that looks like any other, except that a projection system and video screen have been installed. Their professor announces that today they will be joined by a guest lecturer, a senior VP from a Fortune 500 corporation. What makes this guest lecture unique is that the students are sitting in a Nashville classroom but the guest lecturer is speaking from his home office in Estonia, via video technology. This is an example of one of the creative ways faculty members at Vanderbilt are using technology to enhance their students’ learning. In the scene described above, Owen Professor David Owens, along with Professor Bart Victor, use video conferencing to bring an international guest speaker to their organization studies seminar. Across the University, faculty are using technology to help students master subjects from elementary and secondary school instruction to bioengineering to structural equation modeling. They are developing their own skills while making students comfortable with the technology that will help them be successful after leaving Vanderbilt. As they introduce more and more technology into the classroom, faculty are finding it raises the quality of class discussion and involves students much more deeply in their own education. The employers of today are looking for the very best employees to fill positions in their organizations. The desired traits of an employee used to be centered on experience. The more experienced an applicant was, the more likely they were to get the job for which they applied. Today, employers are not only looking for experience, they are also looking for a person that has a degree in the field. Employers have begun to realize the importance of strategic thinking and leadership skills that an education affords. Because of this shift in desired qualifications, modern adults have been unable to adequately compete in the job market. The aforementioned time and responsibility constraints, as well as the fact that they have been focused on building the experience that was previously desired has put adults at a disadvantage. Being able to obtain a college degree via technology-based education methods has greatly reduced that disadvantage. It has also had an impact on their ability to execu te the functions of the position when the  job is obtained. For this issue of the Teaching Forum, we spoke to four Vanderbilt faculty members, each of whom is using technology to enhance their students’ learning. Owen Management Professor David Owens uses videoconference links to bring in guest speakers and incorporates video and audio technology into most of his lectures. Psychology Professor Andy Tomarken teaches methods and statistics courses in a computer lab, allowing him to integrate traditional lecture with demonstration projects using the methods he is teaching. Peabody Professor Margaret Smithey guides her students in the preparation of multi-media classroom presentations including clips from the Internet, video, audio, and news archive footage. She has opened an e-conference for interns from her courses who want to stay in touch with their fellow students and professors, and she maintains a library of digitized video clips, taken from live and simulated classroom settings. Department of Biomedical Engineering Chair Tom Harris directs a new NSF-funded center focused on developing technology-based bioengineering teaching materials and curriculum. He is collaborating with several partners, including Peabody Professor John Bransford. What Technology Brings to the Classroom What these faculty members have in common, and what they share with many others across the campus, is a commitment to exploring the opportunities technology offers for improving the quality of classroom instruction. Professor Margaret Smithey describes how technology allows her to capitalize on unexpected turns in class discussion. â€Å"Yesterday afternoon my students had specific questions about classroom management, so at that point I said ‘let’s look at these scenarios that I have on a CD.’ The CD brought to life  their questions. I think seeing actual classroom scenarios related to their questions makes learning come alive for my students better than if I gave my opinion or told a story.† Professor Tomarken, who teaches advanced statistics and methods classes, says incorporating computers into class discussion can also make extremely difficult courses much easier for students to grasp. One of the challenges of teaching advanced statistics to students who often lack a strong math background is â€Å"translating theoretical stuff into a workable set of concrete analysis, â€Å"Tomarken says. â€Å"I find that it’s really important to talk about different types of models from the point of view of specific problems and that’s really where the ability in class to have stuff be on the projection system is critical.† Access to a computer-equipped classroom can also be important. â€Å"I like to get students interacting with software in the class, â€Å"Tomarken says. â€Å"I find if you just send them home to do it on their own, they run into real problems. When they follow me, typing in on their own computers, that facilitates their learning.† Last semester, Tomarken also faced another problem – the lack of a good textbook for teaching structural equation modeling to social science students – that he solved using technology. â€Å"There is no book that is perfect, that really is appropriate, for this class. There are either books that tend to be too easy or too hard or just not broad enough in scope.† Tomarken solved this problem using the Prometheus system, by placing his lecture notes on the web. This not only replaced the textbook, it allowed students to spend more time focused on the lecture and less time copying formulas from the board. â€Å"I told them, you don’t have to write anything, it’s all on the web, just listen.† Technology Changes Teaching, Not Teachers While all the faculty members interviewed for this article believe technology has great power to influence their teaching, no one feels it fundamentally changes them as teachers.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I’ve always wanted a very interactive classroom,† Smithey says. â€Å"I want it to be very theoretically based and I know exactly what I want my students to learn. I think technology has improved the quality of what we can access.† Smithey also emphasizes the importance of technology being used for a clear purpose. â€Å"I never want to use technology just for technology’s sake but to support my students’ learning.† Professor Tomarken feels that integrating statistical software and visual models into his courses means he comes into class â€Å"better prepared† but doesn’t think it changes him as a teacher. â€Å"I usually am pretty interactive with the class.† He does, however, credit the accessibility of computers with reducing the â€Å"passivity factor† in his classes. â€Å"They have to type things in, they have to click on the mouse. I think it’s pretty lively in a lot of ways.† How Technology Enhances Learning Professor Owens, Smithey, and Tomarken all feel they can see technology enhancing their students’ learning, particularly when students use the technology directly. David Owens requires his students to do at least one group project entirely over the Internet. â€Å"They’re not allowed to do it face to face,† Owens says. â€Å"They aren’t allowed to say, â€Å"I’ll call you tonight.’ They have to do everything virtually. In this project, they have a lot to figure out about group process, what things are done best face to face, what things are done best asynchronously, what things are done best in an anonymous chat room. And they figure it out. It’s†¦so much more powerful than my sitting up there saying â€Å"the group process models show†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Professor Smithey requires her students to complete a series of computer assignments from a course CD that she has developed. Smithey values these pre-class assignments because they save classroom time and improve the quality of class discussion. â€Å"When the students complete their CD assignments, they come to class with a common context. We are able then to discuss particular class dilemmas or teaching dilemmas that everyone has watched, analyzed and reflected upon. So, we can start there and go with our class discussion rather than having to take 20 or 30 minutes of class  showing the video and asking the specific questions. They’ve done all that in the computer lab.† Technology can also improve the dynamics between teachers and students, often leading to enhanced learning. â€Å"Students can see you’re doing a lot of work to further their education and I think that there’s an appreciation factor that ultimately contributes to their own motivation,† Tomarken says. Students who may question how much their professors care about teaching can also see evidence of the time and trouble taken to prepare for class. â€Å"I think sometimes graduate students, or possibly even undergraduate students, go in with the mindset that this teachers doesn’t really give a darn about teaching and I think using technology is a real way of communicating ‘yes I do,’† Tomarken adds. Technology Brings Challenges Introducing technology into the classroom can also bring a set of challenges. First among them is finding the time needed to incorporate new technology into courses. Professor Smithey not only uses the technology herself but also requires her student to produces multi-media projects during the semester. â€Å"If you’re going to ask the students to do such a challenging project, you have to be available to them. You have to have support. There has to be some relief time to learn about the technology. You don’t have to know the details of technology but you have to understand it well enough that you can envision what your students need to know about using it.† The technology itself can fail, leaving an instructor to resort to back up. Technology also changes rapidly and it takes time to keep up with technical changes that influence how equipment and software perform in the classroom. Professor Owens points to a digitized news show he purchased from CBS: â€Å"I have the CD in here and one of my fears is that someday I’ll pop it in the classroom and it won’t work. It’s a constant upkeep.† Professors Tomarken and Owens also note that having computers in the classroom can distract students from the class itself. Teaching in a  classroom equipped with computers â€Å"actually introduces the potential for students to be doing something on the computer that doesn’t have anything to do with the class,† Tomarken says. â€Å"I occasionally go parading around and check out what people are up to,† Owens says. Some people take notes on the computer, some people try to get the lecture slides up on their screen so they can see them up close, some people do e-mail, surf the net, do whatever.† He agrees with Tomarken that students’ personal use of computers in class is an issue that needs to be examined, â€Å"through whether that’s worse than day dreaming I don’t know.† Need for University Support Support by the University for the use of technology is also critical. Bringing technology into the classroom uses resources ranging from computers to classrooms to graduate assistants, and university wide coordination is essential for ensuring an effective learning environment for students. â€Å"One element that is essential is support in the form of graduate students to help students with technology,† Smithey says. â€Å"It is impossible for one faculty member to support an entire class of students in creating innovative ways to use technology. You can continue to use CDs that you have in your own library, you can continue to connect to the Internet from the classroom, but additional faculty support is necessary to take technology use to the next level of requiring our students to use technology in a way that prepares them for using it in the future classrooms.† Physical facilities are also important. Keeping the technology in working order is crucial but so are other issues such as ensuring a classroom’s physical design supports the best possible use of the technology. â€Å"You have a very real problem if you have big nice screens and nice projectors but the screen is in front of the white board; if you want to write and have slides at the same time, it’s difficult if not impossible,† Owens says. Moving Forward with Technology As the University moves towards an increasingly coordinated approach to the use of technology, several efforts  are underway at Vanderbilt to determine just how technology can be used to most effectively enhance learning. One effort is the VaNTH Center in Bioengineering Educational Technologies, a joint effort between Vanderbilt, Harvard University, University of Texas, and Northwestern. Among is several priorities is research into the value of technology, such as web-based education for teaching bioengineering. The research team is collaborating with specialists from the Learning Technology Center at Peabody and with the Institute for Software Integrated Systems (ISIS). â€Å"It’s recognized that bioengineering teaching materials are not very well developed and there is not a broad consensus on bioengineering curricula,† says Thomas R. Harris, chair of Vanderbilt’s Department of Biomedical Engineering. â€Å"We need a new way to look at bioengineering education. Why not use the modern methods that we’ve been developing in the learning sciences and learning technology, and really take a look at this from an entirely new point of view?† The result is a $10 million NSF grant for Vanderbilt and its academic partners to develop a new curriculum in bioengineering, one that utilizes fundamental principles of learning science and â€Å"is driven by technology, web based technology, simulations, slides, interactive systems, and tutoring and homework systems,† Harris says. Although the grant focuses on the development of bioengineering, the collaboration between Peabody’s Learning Technology Center and the Department of Biomedical Engineering has the potential to benefit students and faculty in all areas of the university because part of the research involves determining exactly which technological tools best enhance learning. â€Å"One of the things of concern is that in higher education a lot of people are very critical of technology as being just a waste of time and money and so forth. Well, is that right or not?† Harris asks. â€Å"If a particular piece of learning technology is no good, we’re going to be happy to identify it as such. We’d like to be able to guide the decision of  educators and administrators about what is effective and what is not. And if you can begin to show major advances for some of this, then the justification for the additional investment is there.† Another potential benefit this research offers is the opportunity to develop a much better understanding of the kinds of resources required for faculty to use technology in ways that consistently enhance student learning. â€Å"There could be a small investment that could dramatically increase our effectiveness if we do it right,† Harris says. â€Å"That’s the key. We have to know how to do it and what to do. So if we get in and do research in this center and we find out some of the mistakes and things you ought to avoid, I think that you could tailor a system that could dramatically increase effectiveness and make faculty more effective.† Harris believes that effective use of technology has the potential to transform the student-teacher relationship at the undergraduate level. â€Å"I think we’re going to see a revolution in the interaction between students and teachers,† he says. â€Å"I think the relationship to undergraduates is going to become more like the relationship to graduate students in the sense of more direct personal interaction. By using technology we’re going to be able to use the power of the person, who they are and what they are. The teacher’s inspirational role is going to become much greater.† Like Harris, Professors Owens, Smithey and Tomarken also see new opportunities to use technology in the classroom. David Owens wants to pursue his interest in virtual teams by developing a course run exclusively on the Internet. Andy Tomarken plans to continue integrating computer interaction with more traditional classroom activities. Margaret Smithey would like to use videoconference links to allow her students to observe a live classroom setting and then interview the teacher afterward, all via video. In each case, these faculty members, like many others across the University, will continue to use technology to challenge both themselves and their students.