Ultrasound risk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ultrasound risk - Essay Example These bounce off the baby and the returning echoes are translated by a computer into an image on a screen that reveals the baby's position and movements. Hard tissues such as bone reflect the biggest echoes and are white in the image, and soft tissues appear grey and speckled. Fluids (such as the amniotic fluid that the baby lies in) do not reflect any echoes so appear black. It is the contrast between these different shades of white, grey and black that allows your sonographer to interpret the images.Most parents look forward to their scan because it gives them the first glimpse of their baby. The sonographer will give you an ultrasound report with a printout of your baby's images. Some hospitals may even give a photograph of your baby's images as a keepsake at an additional cost. However, it is important to remember that the main purpose of the scan is not to provide the first photo for your baby album, or to find out your baby's sex, either. It is to check that your baby is growin g and developing normally." (What is an Ultrasound Scan) The risks involved in Diagnostic are believed to be very controversial and the risks involved aren't known completely. This uncertainly makes this whole process a very daunting one for some women. Several authors have written on this controversial subject and concluded that ultrasound has no ill effects; on the contrary some authors have succeeded in proving that this process involves more risks than perceived by the human beings. "Although the effects of ultrasound are still being studied, no harmful effects to either the mother or the baby have been found in over 20 years of use. The long-term risks of ultrasound, if any, are unknown, but there are many benefits." Others warn that it is insufficiently tested, and make comparisons with X-rays and DES, which were once considered safe. The main area of debate is whether ultrasound is being used too frequently in a routine fashion in healthy pregnancies, without thorough enough testing. There may be some association between ultrasound and low birth weight (Blatt). (Altho' this is difficult to prove because the opposite assertion is known to be true: i.e. if there is IUGR (intra-uterine growth retardation) US will be performed more regularly to assess the progress of the baby.) Some people express concern about the heat and cavitation (bubbling in the cells). Others wonder whether routine ultrasound is cost effective, or whether the money involved would be more effectively spent elsewhere." (What are the Risks of Ultrasound) Effects and Mechanisms The study of transducer is pivotal as far as diagnostic ultrasound is concerned, this process is also known as probe or scan-head. The overall clinical quality depends on this scan-head, it is heavily dependent to determine more important things than one. "Modernultrasoundtransducers often contain 128 and in some cases 288 or more elements. It is well known that with time and normal wear and tear, individual elements within the transducerarray can cease working altogether (i.e., dead elements) or demonstrate significantly reduced sensitivity compared to their original specification. Further, these compromised elements (either "dead" or degraded) fundamentally affect the operation of the entiretransducer, and therefore can have a negative impact on clinical results, and potentially, the efficacy of the entireultrasoundstudy.

A Tragedy that Resulted from the African Diaspora Research Paper

A Tragedy that Resulted from the African Diaspora - Research Paper Example However, the concept of African Diaspora resulted when the West Africans regained their traditional customs, and reformed their religion, language, and culture. However, they have not been able to regain that identity that they lost in the slave trade. This loss of identity has made them suffer from racial discrimination since the time they were transported into the Western hemisphere (Berkin et al. 2011). It was not planned, but was a natural course of action. The Diaspora has given rise to anti-black sentiments all around the globe. These sentiments are not only for African-Americans, but for all blacks anywhere in the world, including African, Caribbean, and otherwise dark people. There is an interesting history of a mish-mash of African identity in America. This paper tends to discuss the theory of cultural materialism in relation to loss of identity in African Diaspora, and strives to answer the complex question regarding how the African Diaspora has created an impact upon the A frican identity throughout history. The anthropological theory of cultural materialism has been presented by the iconoclastic anthropologist, Marvin Harris (1927-2001). Erickson and Murphy (2008, p.148) state in their book that, â€Å"Cultural materialism addresses a central problem for scientific anthropology: people can be both subjects and objects of scientific investigation.† This means that people have the right to think as they like, and say about them as they wish. Where the true knowledge resides, is answered by Harris in two domains. One is mental domain, and the other is behavioral domain. Mental domain is based on what people think, and the behavioral domain is based on what people actually do. The Diasporic sense of blackness relates to cultural materialism in that, the mental domain makes the Africans fight back for their lost identity, while the behavioral domain is based on how they behave in the society, and how the society understands their behavior. This beh avioral domain is what has been the reason for labor market discrimination or racial discrimination that the African-Americans have been seeing through ages (Mason, as cited in Conrad, 2005, p.141). The question that arises now is- How the African Diaspora has affected the African identity throughout history? Thesis: Africans lost their identities in the African Diaspora. Anti-thesis: Africans regained their identities in the African Diaspora. Synthesis: Although Africans have made struggles to regain their traditional customs, religion, and cultural practices in the new world, yet they have been unable to find their lost identities, due to which they have been subject to racial discrimination since the slavery trade till date. To start with, let’s define who a slave is. A slave is a person who is owned by another person for labor, and who does not have an identity of his own. Does this definition mean that Africans should always be understood as objects of ridicule, not havi ng identities of their own, and meant for slavery of white people? This question has yet not been answered even after the end of the period of slavery. Black people in America are yet supposed to suffer from discrimination and a loss of identity, in all physical, mental and social terms. Nothing has been done ever, or can be done, to make them reform their true identities with which they lived in their own homeland. Affirmative action policies and anti-racism actions cannot bring

Will Smiths Roles And Performances Film Studies Essay

Will Smiths Roles And Performances Film Studies Essay Born to Reign was the album released by Willard Christopher Smith Jr. also known as Will Smith, in the year of 2002. Although it did not reach the levels of success his previous albums had, it had a very clear and intended message behind it in relation to this essay. Within it, he addressed his true beliefs and intentions of life which are now backed up by his acting in his never-ending list of films. This essay will simultaneously look at Will Smiths roles and performances mainly within three of his movies filmed within five years of each other. The first of the three being one of the most challenging physically and mentally as described by himself Ali, Michael Mann, 2001. At the time, this was something completely different to any of his other work. This film being a biopic meant he had to accustom himself into the role of one of the most influential figures and one of the greatest fighters of all time. Not an easy task for an average actor. But is Will Smith average? Far from it i n fact, in his 1997 pop/rap lyrics of Gettin Jiggy Wit It from the hit album Big Willie Style, Will Smith says that Muhammad Ali would call him the greatest. Four years later, he was the lead role in Ali working alongside the great man himself. The second film is Bad Boys II, Michael Bay, 2003, an action/adventure film which can be said to be a typically standard Will Smith movie consisting of comedy throughout. And finally, the third film is Hitch, Andy Tennant, 2005 which again showed his versatility as an actor and his capability to adapt to any given role within a film with this being of a romantic comedy genre. The reason behind these film choices is simply because of the fact that they all come under different genres with Will Smith maintaining his high standards throughout each of these films. This has made people ask themselves the question whether there is anything he can not do in film. By the end of this essay, when the films have been analyzed and his performances within them observed, we will have come to the conclusion as to why Will Smith is regarded as the most powerful actor in Hollywood. The word Renaissance is defined in the oxford dictionary as the revival of art and learning under the influence of classical models. Considering the formidable success achieved by Will Smith in the numerous arenas of the entertainment industry, music, producing as well as acting, this multi-talented individual must be regarded as the original Renaissance man. Remembering back to the time Will Smith first hit the big screen in the family friendly sitcom The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air in September 1990, he was a little known pop/rapper. Unknowingly, this sitcom based on a poor kid living with a rich Beverly Hills family relative from the Warner Bros executive Benny Medina would be an emergence of black comedy. This proved to be a runaway hit lasting for six seasons, but in fact this would just be the beginning of what was to come. His exploits within The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air prove that it was just the birth of a true star of entertainment. According to Dyer, R. 1998, p35, stardom is an image of the way stars live. For the most part, this generalised lifestyle is the assumed backdrop for the specific personality of the star and the details and events of his/her life. With that in mind and bearing Will Smith was given the freedom to be himself within the sitcom, he was given an opportunity to put across his true personality which in turn gave the show a distinctive genuine feel. This way, the audiences were treated to the real life star but unusually on stage. This gave the show a natural look which allowed the audience to appreciate the true characteristics and traits of the star of the show, Will Smith. In actual fact, it did not stop there. Since then most of his films have had Will Smith written all over them. Most of the films that Will Smith is associated with are action/adventure with a touch of his trademark comedy which is known to be his strength due to his personality. But in fact it appears to have been the epic creation of the biopic Ali, in which he had the lead role that earned him his first Oscar nomination. His well studied performance also earned him severe praise as at the time, it was something completely different to any of his other mainstream films. Playing the lead role in this biopic of the great Muhammad Ali was no easy task as in the footage of the Making of Ali, Will Smith stated that to play the role of a living legend is the hardest thing to do for an actor. Few would disagree as Muhammad Ali himself was on set for some of the shooting to keep an eye on things! The basic narrative of the film is that Ali thrills the world with his ground-breaking boxing victories in the 60s and 70s. But the man behind the legend is grappling with a tumultuous romantic life, his de eply held religious beliefs and the pressures of staying on top. A quick witted, winning personality and strong friendships with close associates including renowned newscaster Howerd Cosell help Ali float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. But faced with a life changing conflict outside of the ring, the famously opinionated boxer is forced to rely on the one person he knows the best, himself. With this narrative, Will Smith did not just have to worry about getting the acting part right, but also the part of getting into the right physical shape. This meant he had to train rigorously for his most demanding role yet. Darrell Foster, his boxing trainer, talked about the training regime in Behind the Scenes of Ali. He intimated that they trained for just over a year, six hours a day. The training began at six in the morning and finished by five in the evening with rests and other acting exertions in between. Weighing at just 189 pounds when they began, Will Smith scaled at 222 pounds by the time they had finished training and started filming. These facts simply show the dedication and commitment he has for the cause of being an actor and more importantly, a success. His ability to change his whole appearance via a physically demanding regime as the one he was on in order to fill his role show what an exceptional character he has. The courage and compassion he showed by doing this was what got him the most recognition by critics and audiences alike as he went out of his way in order to tell a real life story in the best way he possibly could. His general behaviour and intelligence within this film got people questioning how good he really was and is as an actor never mind an entertainer. This quote from Will Smith himself out of the Making of Ali I had to learn to think like a fighter, eat like a fighter, sleep like a fighter and assess situations in life like a fighter shows vital skills of adapting to any given role which is a sign of an if not good, then a great actor. It also shows that it was not just the physical aspects he had to adapt to but in fact his mentality too. This was on show when watching the film as you could see the narrative of the film insisted on him to cut out his usual comedy traits in order to try and emulate one of the most influential figures to grace sport. He managed to show some unique characteristics within the film as alt hough the film did include various scenes of comedy, the trademark so called goofy comedy of Will Smith was nowhere to be seen. In truth, it was the poetic rhymes that Muhammad Ali was so famous for that Will Smith imitated all to well. Changing his whole style of acting, beginning with minor things such as his walk, line of speech (phrases) and other characteristics to accommodate his role within the film showed a mean feat in itself. In reality, this was the film that put Will Smith at the top in regards to acting as although it was not the biggest selling film of that year, the hard work put into completing this film gained him endless praise and respect from critics, peers and audiences alike. After his Oscar nomination performance in Ali, Will Smith went on to executive produce the Robert De Niro/Eddie Murphy comedy Showtime in 2002. However what came after is our next focal point. Bad Boys II, a 2003 film by Michael Bay, was a film that topped the box office but by now, that was to be expected with a film starring Will Smith. This film consisted of a thrill ride from beginning to end. In brief, the film is about one hundred million dollars worth of confiscated heroin getting poached from police custody and the two most witty of detectives, Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) are on the case. The missing drugs now threaten to shut down their narcotics division of the Miami Police Department. Bullets fly and cars crash as they pursue a dead beat drug lord from the streets of Miami to the barrios of Cuba. But this being a Will Smith film, the real fireworks result when Marcus discovers that playboy Mike Lowrey is secretly romancing his sister. This is the box office topping film we have now come to expect from Will Smith. A typical action/adventure genre with plenty of nice cars, plenty of shooting and plenty of blow ups, not forgetting the secret romance on the side. In a particular scene of an intense car chase, you see him driving his Ferrari over pavements and executing plenty of stunts while maintaining his trademark comedy with his witty comments. This really fulfils the credentials of an action/adventure genre therefore is very productive in catching the attention if its audience through its action packed acting. It has to be noted that Will Smith is complimented very much so by the presence of Martin Lawrence throughout this film which is fantastic from the comedic aspect of the film as they are two good entertainers but together, they show that they can become great. Director Michael Bay insisted on giving Will Smith a new sexy, bad image in the original Bad Boys to overcome his existing image of providing young goofy comedy seen in his sitcom The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air. This obviously continued from their on in which shows his intentions to be able to learn and cultivate on his acting from a young age. All this has led him to reach the heights that he is at today. Preparation for this film was far from the same level as Ali as that was just on a completely different scale. But he still managed to put in some extra work by attending a school for policing to learn shooting and basic combative movements. This propelled him to greater heights in the world of Hollywood as he could have been said to be reaching a point where the question what he can not do was beginning to rise. Then came a slight indication as to there might just being something but as that question was about to be raised, then came Hitch. While Will Smith had proven himself as an action star time and again and had received high marks for his dramatic work, it remained to be seen if he could carry a romantic comedy. How wrong were the doubters as all the speculation ceased in early 2005 with the release of Hitch, starring Will Smith as a fabled date doctor. The film had the biggest opening weekend for a romantic comedy to date. Basically, Will Smith, as Alex Hitchens within the film, is the cure for the common man. Most men have difficulty finding love because its hard to be yourself when your self thinks you should be someone else. Thats where Hitch comes in. as a tactical advisor who specialises in first impressions, he customises and orchestrates a clients first three dates. He is secretly responsible for hundreds of New York City weddings. Sara (Eva Mendes) is a gossip reporter for a da ily tabloid who, after a chance meeting with Hitch, finds her professional life and personal life on a collision course. She makes Hitch re-evaluate his game and teaches him that love is not a feeling, its in fact an action. In relation to this narrative, the director Andy Tennant hinted that with all the charm and charisma Will Smith naturally possessed, this script was written purely for him and that this would come as second nature to him. His theory proved to be correct as Will Smith walked away with the kids as well as the teens choice awards for this film as well as being nominated for another six staggering awards including the BET comedy award. The following year, Will Smith starred in the period drama The Pursuit Of Happyness. This film recounted the true story of Charles Gardner and tapped new reserves of compassion in Will Smiths persona. He managed to fully embody another real-life character while maintaining all of the qualities that endeared him to audiences in the first place; his humour, his hustle and his ingenuity. This is no coincidence then that people have already begun to talk about him as playing the role of Barack Obama if a biopic of his life and the road to the United States presidency as the first black president is ever produced. Looking at his achievements to date and his ambitions for the future, you can understand the reasons behind him now being labelled as the most powerful actor in Hollywood. Having started rapping at the age of twelve and having won his first Grammy at the age of twenty, he is now in a position with a countless number of awards and nominations under his belt at the age of forty. The most recent one (November 2008) being voted number one on the list of Americas favourite stars by readers of parade magazine and viewers of the US television show Entertainment Tonight. Currently working on producing for film, music and television as well as acting, you can see that he is not yet ready to relinquish his work. Through the years he has distinctively demonstrated his own commercial viability and sturdy appeal to a broad cross section of viewers which has allowed him to arguably cement his place deservedly as the most powerful man in Hollywood never mind actor. Could his very own lyrics of 1997 from the hit single Gettin Jiggy Wit It when he claimed Muhammad Ali would call him the greatest be accurate? Would it be justifiable to think so in relation to what he has achieved and what he is destined to do?

She :: essays research papers

Khadijah and her brother was home alone on a Monday night. No they were not trying to have a wild party. They were waiting by the phone expecting a call from there parent. I know this sounds strange, teenagers waiting for a call from their parents. But this was not a "Is the house okay" call. There Aunt Marla was in the Hospice House for the terminally ill. They wanted to know how she was doing and was every thing okay. When the phone rung they ran to it like horses at the race track. It was their father telling them that their Aunt was doing fine and will have to stay there a couple of months. They felt relive to hear the good news, but Khadijah knew something was not right. As she got in the bed it felt kind of strange like someone was in it. (Let's not forget this is the same bed Khadijah use to share with her Aunt when she lived with her family.) Khadijah went to sleep with her Aunt Marla in her mind. The next morning Khadijah woke up feeling like something was wrong. She got dress as usual and went down stairs for breakfast. But she did not sit to the table with her brothers. Instead she sat in the rocking chair her Aunt read her stories in. When her mother came down stairs she ask was everything was okay. Khadijah said "yes everything is fine." Everything was not fine, but Khadijah did not no what was wrong yet. When Khadijah got out of the chair to take her bowl to the kitchen she notice it started to rock on its own. She thought nothing of it and guess it came from her getting up real fast. Every morning Khadijah's mother takes her and her brother to school. And on the way there is a graveyard. Khadijah hardly ever looks at the graveyard when she passes by, but something about it today made her look. It look like it had some kind of glow to it. As she pass by Khadijah said "Somebody's dead", her brother Carl said " No duh! The people in the graveyard are.". But Khadijah was not talking about the people in the graveyard. Then Khadijah ask her mother what time was it. Her mother said it was 8 o'clock. Her brother ask "Why does it matter?

Benefits of Drinking Coffee and the Benefits of Green Tea Essay

Compare and contrast the benefits of drinking coffee with the benefits of green tea? It is nice to have a cup of hot drink in the morning, there are many options which to choose, such as coffee and green tea, two famous drinks in the world. They have different effects on body, and could prevent different kind of diseases, one similarity thing is both of them contain Caffeine. Coffee could effects on body, prevent diseases and contain vast caffeine. Your muscle strength will be stronger after you drink coffee because of caffeine, coffee couldn’t make you fatter, but if you put sugar into your coffee, it will make your stature fatter, and almost everyone put sugar in theirs coffee. According to Brian Fung (2012, July 3rd), â€Å"We are learned that coffee can protect your heart, reduce the risk of prostate and breast cancer, and curb the risk of fibrosis among those with fatty liver disease.† Drink coffee is not a preferred option before you go to bed, because of the caffeine, it could stronger refresh you, so it better to drink it in the morning. Green tea could make you body slim, prevent diseases and contain caffeine. An antioxidants called catechins was found in green tea, it could inhibits the cholesterol produce, decrease the cholesterol content could make you body healthy. According to Leslie Beck (2011, July 5th), â€Å"It’s a beverage that’s touted to boost metabolism, prevent cancer, ease arthritis pain, even fight dental cavities. Now, new study findings suggest there’s one more reason to drink green tea: It lowers blood cholesterol.† If somebody was drunk, green tea could help you get out of that bad condition because the caffeine that in green tea could boost metabolism. In conclusion, different people have different opinions, both coffee and tea is benefit for us. So what drinks is not important, the important thing is to understand yourself and find an appropriate drink. References Fung, Brian. (2012, July 3rd). The Case for Coffee: All the latest research to defend your caffeine addiction, in one place. The Atlantic . Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/07/the-case-for-coffee-all-the-latest-research-to-defend-your-caffeine-addiction-in-one-place/259404/#.UGODjDyjSBw.email Beck, Leslie. (2011, July 5th). Why green should be your cup of tea. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/why-green-should-be-your-cup-of-tea/article4210709/

Proctor and Elizabeth Relationship

‘The Crucible’ is a novel which was written by Arthur Miller in 1953. It takes place during the times of the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts. This was a time of much hypocrisy in the people of the town of Salem. Many people believed anything they heard or saw. Although The Crucible is fictitious, the story depicts the historical information of the Salem witch trials, and blends them with fictitious characters to create a very realistic plot and conflict in the story. Miller wrote this play as a response to the political environment in which he lived. The story relates to the McCarthy trials. During the 1950's Senator Joseph McCarthy accused many American leaders of being communists. This lead to many accusations that people were communists. Some people believed him because they had fear of communism. McCarthy was, in effect, conducting â€Å"witch hunts†. The Red Scare was a witch hunt where the US government was searching for â€Å"dangerous communists. † Accusations came from left and right, much the same as the characters did for â€Å"real witches† in The Crucible. This meant that people were forced to either confess to the crime of witchery or shove the blame towards a different person. As an effect of this bias, the accused were never discharged, but were given the opportunity to confess to the crime of witchcraft to lessen their sentence. With the red scare, the accused were given a chance to give up names of other suspected communists to lessen their sentence as well. In both situations, there were people who confessed even though they had no relation to the crime at all. The majority, however, valued their morals and refused to give into political pressure by lying. This is shown as abuse of power. The puritans were a group of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th century. The entire plot of the novel is moulded by the repressive Puritan society. Like many puritan women, Elizabeth Proctor is dutiful and loves her husband dearly. Yet, Elizabeth is hurt by the fact that her husband was having an affair with their â€Å"strikingly beautiful† young servant (Abigail). She finds it hard to show emotion and this affects her relationship with John Proctor vastly. In Act One we can see that there is ‘heat’ and ‘passion’ between John and Elizabeth. When Abigail says, ‘I know how you clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near! ’ She's saying that John still lusts after her, breaking into a sweat when he sees her. She's holding the affair over his head and reminding him how he has sinned would like to sin again. We can see that Abigail has real feelings for John and they have a sexual attraction between them. With Abigail being a 17 year old puritan girl and John being a married man, this is clearly outrageous and shows that he was prepared to break his rules. Proctor convinced himself he was a sinful man that had done wrong, and to have respect for himself once again, he must break off all ties with Abigail. When Abigail mentioned to Proctor the relationship she and he once had, he said to her, â€Å"No, no, Abby. That's done with,† and, â€Å"Abby, you'll put it out of mind. I'll not be comin' for you more. Even when Abigail tried to persuade Proctor to admit his love for her, he still denied it and claimed he had no love for her any longer. In all of Abigail's persuasion to try to get him to admit his love for her, Proctor replied, â€Å"Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I'll ever reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind. We never touched, Abby. † Proctor saying to Abigail that they never touched was his way of trying to get through to her that the relationship between the both of them had to end here. In Proctor's mind, saying that to Abigail was a finalization of their affair and gave him the closure that he needed to truly forget what he and Abigail had between them. The affair between Proctor and Abigail also had made his love for Elizabeth grow stronger. The guilt of the affair made him realize how Elizabeth was a good woman and deserved more than a cheating husband, and he refused to allow Abigail to speak wickedly about her. Abigail said bitterly to Proctor, â€Å"Oh, I marvel how such a strong man may let such a sickly wife be -,† in which he interrupted angrily with, â€Å"You'll speak nothin' of Elizabeth! Abigail, realising the respect he now had for Elizabeth as to not let her speak of Elizabeth in such a manner, then tried to convince Proctor otherwise, saying, â€Å"She is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold, snivelling woman†¦ † Elizabeth is shown as a ‘cold’ woman whereas Abigail and Proctor have ‘heat’ – ‘no wintry man’. The anger he felt at this time was not only towards Abigail, but also towards himself. He felt he had sinned greatly and did not provide Elizabeth, a mother of three children, with the respect and loyalty that one would expect out of a husband.

Qué es NOA1 y NOA2 en las peticiones de green card

Quà © es NOA1 y NOA2 en las peticiones de green card   Si has enviado una solicitud al USCIS pidiendo una tarjeta de residencia para un familiar o una visa para tu prometido recibirs NOA1 y NOA2. Pero,  ¿quà © son y para quà © valen? Antes de empezar a explicar que son NOA1 y NOA2 recordar que en peticiones de familia: Los ciudadanos americanos pueden solicitar la tarjeta de residencia (conocida popularmente como greencard) para sus esposos, hijos, padres y hermanos. Tambià ©n pueden solicitar una visa K de prometido para sus novios/as cuando la intencià ³n es casarse inmediatamente. Sin embargo, los residentes permanentes legales sà ³lo pueden reclamar los papeles para sus esposos y para sus hijos solteros. En el caso de matrimonios, los beneficios migratorios se reconocen tanto a las parejas conformadas por un hombre y una mujer como a las de dos hombres o dos mujeres. Quà © es el NOA1 Cuando envà ­as al Servicio de Inmigracià ³n y Ciudadanà ­a (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s)  una solicitud para una visa de prometido o una tarjeta de residencia para un familiar, el gobierno te envà ­a un documento conocido como NOA1 o tambià ©n como I-797 para comunicarte que ha recibido la documentacià ³n. NOA son las siglas en inglà ©s de Notice of Action, o nota de accià ³n. Es importante por varias razones. La primera es que contiene un nà ºmero (track number) con el cual puedes verificar por internet el estatus de tu caso. Adems, ese documento seà ±ala la fecha exacta en la que se recibià ³ la documentacià ³n (received date). Esa fecha se convertir en el NOA2 en la fecha de prioridad en el caso de tarjetas de residencia sujetas a cupos anuales. Es decir, aquellas en las que hay que esperar a que haya visas de inmigrante disponibles para darle al solicitante ya que sà ³lo se puede dar un nà ºmero limitado por aà ±o que es inferior al nà ºmero de solicitudes, y de ahà ­ los retrasos y esperas en situaciones como peticiones hechas por residentes permanentes, o las hechas por ciudadanos para sus hermanos. Quà © es el NOA2 El NOA2, que tambià ©n se conoce como I-797C por ser ese el nà ºmero que aparece en el documento, notifica que la peticià ³n ha sido aprobada. Eso no quiere decir que la green card se va a aprobar, sà ³lo que la fase inicial -que hay realmente situacià ³n de parentesco para pedir la residencia- ha sido aprobada. Tampoco quiere decir que ya se acabà ³ el proceso, sino que se pasar a la fase de ajuste de estatus si la persona para la que se ha pedido la tarjeta de residencia est ya en Estados Unidos y puede hacerlo o a la fase de Centro Nacional de Visas (NVC, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) y posteriormente de tramitacià ³n consular, si est en el extranjero.   Adems, tener en cuenta que: hermanos, hijos mayores de 21 aà ±os e hijos casados de cualquier edad de ciudadanos americanosesposos e hijos solteros de residentes permanentes tienen que esperar en el NVC por una visa disponible para ellos. Puede tomar aà ±os, incluso muchos. Verificar su fecha de prioridad del NOA2 con la publicada cada mes por el boletà ­n de visas. Cà ³mo pedir en 10 pasos la green card para un hermano. La tramitacià ³n sirve para entender cà ³mo es todo el proceso de peticiones familiares cuando el pedido est en una categorà ­a sujeta a là ­mites anuales.  ¿Quà © pasa si se extravà ­a el NOA2? Si segà ºn el rà ©cord del USCIS el documento fue enviado pero se extravià ³ por correo o se recibià ³ pero por alguna razà ³n se guardà ³ pero no se encuentra es posible pedir un duplicado del mismo llenando la planilla (forma) I-824.  ¿Cunto tiempo pasa entre el NOA1 y el NOA2? No hay un tiempo exacto y varà ­a mucho de caso a caso, dependiendo muchas veces del trabajo que tengan acumulado en la oficina del USCIS en la que se tiene que tramitar. Adems, habr ms demora si se recibe uno o varios RFE (request for evidence), donde Inmigracià ³n pide informacià ³n o documentacià ³n adicional. Si no hay RFE se estima que si ha transcurrido ms de seis meses desde que se recibià ³ el NOA1 y no se ha recibido el NOA2 es aconsejable llamar al USCIS a la oficina donde se tramita la solicitud y preguntar. En casos muy excepcionales se puede producir un retraso del USCIS que es ms grande de lo habitual para un tipo de trmites. En estos casos, consultar con un abogado para analizar si procede demandar mediante un writ of mandamus.  ¿Quà © pasa si la solicitud no es aprobada? Si el USCIS responde no a la peticià ³n de una tarjeta de residencia -tambià ©n conocida como greencard- para un familiar o una visa de prometido es posible apelar esa decisià ³n. Test Toma este quiz o  test sobre la residencia permanente para asegurarte de que sabes lo principal sobre el proceso de tramitacià ³n y sobre cà ³mo conservarla, una vez que se saca.

Free Essays on Betrayal In The Cryptrogram

Betrayal â€Å"To betray you must first belong.† - Harold Philby (paralumun) Betrayal when realized is a phenomenally existential feeling. Without warning the world around the betrayed is not what it was before the incident. There are many feelings that accompany a breech of confidence such as betrayal; most of them are symptoms of depression. If an incident is an immense violation of ones trust for another, associated feelings may include rage and despair (Brewer 3). By dissecting the actions of the person that was betrayed after the incident occurs we can evaluate the level of betrayal. Depending on the level of the betrayal the betrayed may be able to forgive the person that has defiled them. Some instances of betrayal may lead to Betrayal Trauma. This theory â€Å"predicts that the degree to which a negative event represents a betrayal by a trusted needed other will influence the way in which that event is processed and remembered† (Freyd 1). The word ‘betrayal’ in loose terms has a broad range of classification. A simple white lie in some instances could be considered betrayal, and on the opposite end of the spectrum, infidelity most certainly is regarded as betrayal. â€Å"It is so very important to remember that trust given and trust broken is at the core of the betrayal issue† (Brewer 2). From this it is safe to say that any act which subsequently the victim feels like they need to re-evaluate their relationship with the offender would be classified as betrayal. In David Mamet’s play, The Cryptogram (1994) each individual character (Donny, Robert, Del, and John) betrays the others in some way or another. Each character copes with the situations solitarily and unique to the other characters present. Del and John were subjected to a higher level of betrayal; this is proven by studying their behaviors after the incidents occur. Let’s start wit... Free Essays on Betrayal In The Cryptrogram Free Essays on Betrayal In The Cryptrogram Betrayal â€Å"To betray you must first belong.† - Harold Philby (paralumun) Betrayal when realized is a phenomenally existential feeling. Without warning the world around the betrayed is not what it was before the incident. There are many feelings that accompany a breech of confidence such as betrayal; most of them are symptoms of depression. If an incident is an immense violation of ones trust for another, associated feelings may include rage and despair (Brewer 3). By dissecting the actions of the person that was betrayed after the incident occurs we can evaluate the level of betrayal. Depending on the level of the betrayal the betrayed may be able to forgive the person that has defiled them. Some instances of betrayal may lead to Betrayal Trauma. This theory â€Å"predicts that the degree to which a negative event represents a betrayal by a trusted needed other will influence the way in which that event is processed and remembered† (Freyd 1). The word ‘betrayal’ in loose terms has a broad range of classification. A simple white lie in some instances could be considered betrayal, and on the opposite end of the spectrum, infidelity most certainly is regarded as betrayal. â€Å"It is so very important to remember that trust given and trust broken is at the core of the betrayal issue† (Brewer 2). From this it is safe to say that any act which subsequently the victim feels like they need to re-evaluate their relationship with the offender would be classified as betrayal. In David Mamet’s play, The Cryptogram (1994) each individual character (Donny, Robert, Del, and John) betrays the others in some way or another. Each character copes with the situations solitarily and unique to the other characters present. Del and John were subjected to a higher level of betrayal; this is proven by studying their behaviors after the incidents occur. Let’s start wit...

Atlantic Slave

Even before the first humans on Earth, there has always been a constant change in the landscape. From the first cultivated fields of the Neolithic period to the great structures of the first dynasty in China, the landscape has ever been evolving. Arguably one of the most dynamic changes were those of Europe from the 1500-1 sass. During this time, cultural, social and economic beliefs were remodeled or evolved to help create the foundations of societies today.Out of the three areas the most influential were the economic changes which not only took place in Western Europe but throughout other continents s well. Most recognizable of these changes was the importance of slavery in the Atlantic World. Slavery in the Trans- Atlantic world referred to the use of people from Africa who had been captured and used for their labor to create goods for Europe. [I] Though there are multiple examples of the benefits, the real SUCCeSS was due to the economic factors which allowed the slave trade and slavery to expand from 1550- 1800. Through the Atlantic economy, increased trade through the colonization of the New World and also the interdependence of countries and diversity are the three factors that allowed the slave trade and slavery to grow in the Atlantic World as well as the increased wealth of Europeans. One of the factors that expanded the slave trade and slavery was the growth of the Atlantic economy through capitalism. Modern capitalism known today started around this time period. This meant that economic institutions such as banks and the stock market came to fruition. Ii] This capitalism then translated overseas with the collection of cash crops which boosted the Western European economy. In the third document for example there is an example of capitalism in action in the British West Indies. Iii] The sugar [cash crop] is in barrels which would have been shipped off to Europe where it would have been sold to people to create money to circle within the economy. Some may wonder how this boosted the economy if money was spent on these mills across the Atlantic. This is due to the use of slaves which were much cheaper and therefore cost effective for the countries in Europe.As shown in document 7, thousands of slaves were carried off to the New World to work at the mills and plantation field to produce goods for Europe. [iv] The number of slaves abroad the ship indicate that it has to be a large sell to hold many slaves during one trip. The reason they were so cheap was because African slaves were resistant to diseases more than the natives and also were more productive than them also. [v] Also they could serve fore a lifetime to one owner while previous settlers were indentured servants meaning they worked for a set amount of time; overall a better long- term investment which saved money. Vi] Another reason why they were in demand was because of the number of workers needed in a plantation for it to work. In the documents 4 and 5, the data shows exactly why African Slaves were a better than the natives Meridians) or any of the indentured s ervants. In document 3 it shows the different jobs that had to be done on the plantation. [vii] Due to the number of jobs that had to be filled not just once but by multiple people is was difficult to do so with Meridians who kept dying out due to the new diseases which made it harder to fill the spots available. Viii] The fifth document shows the birth and death rate that a plantation would have during this time. [ix] From the data given it makes more sense as to why a plantation owner would invest a lot of money initially buying slaves knowing hat they would save much more in the end. This is because with slaves that lasted longer, the need to replace them was less. The second factor which led to the expansion of slavery and the slave trade was the increase in trade due colonization of the New World.One of the big changes during this time was the number of people who started to explore new places such as the Americas. In document 6 for example, it shows a map of the new colonies created by the big nations in Europe at the time. [x] France for example has created New France in Canada and also down into Florida and Spain had a large portion Of Mexico and Southern America. [xi] These new colonizes helped create trade between the New and Old World. Government ventures landed money for explorers to set forth and trade in the West and elsewhere. Xii] This also led to the role of mercantilism in the Atlantic as well. They helped promote overseas trade between a country and its own colonizes. [xiii] As they controlled more trade, different trading companies began to emerge in response to mercantilism. The Dutch West Indian Company and the royal African Company chartered by their otherworld all participated in a system which included other non- European countries as well. This system was known as the Atlantic Circuit which was a clockwise network of trading links that moved goods, wealth and people around the Atlantic system. Xiv] This helped make the slave trade more efficient because now a vast amount of slaves could be transported to their specific destinations as requested by a country. As document 8 shows, the slaves which came from Africa each followed a specific route in the Atlantic Circuit. [w] tying in with document 4 the work that had to be done on the alienation was a lot and that is why with the help of city ports in Africa they were able to get a large number of slaves to help in the Americas. An example of the type of work they did can be seen in document 1. In this picture of the SST. Crosss Sugar Mills, the large numbers of slaves were able to make a lot of sugar which in turn meant more goods for the second leg of the circuit. [xvi] With this incentive, owners of the mills or plantations along with traders back home would continue to pay for more slaves to be deported for their services. Not only was there a demand for the work the slaves provided but also the totality during these trades led more slaves to be sent off as replacements. The conditions in these voyages were very harsh, with the captured slaves being abused, malnourished and gravely ill. Xvii] Document 2 shows just how high the number of these deaths in transit to their destinations was during the middle passage. [xviii] From the graphs shown, it is easy to understand why slaves would have to constantly replace. If slaves did not eventually die from being worked on the plantation or the mills they surely would have died in the middle passage where diseases like dysentery and malaria were meant. Referencing back to document 7, months of living on such a boat would surely weaken the slaves and constant abuse from the slave traders would make them more ill. Xix] The last factor which led to an expansion in the slave trade and slavery was the interdependence and diversity. The first reason it was able to expand so much was because of the reliance of many different countries that all contributed to one goal. Amsterdam for example, had one of the best financial institutions at the time which meant more people along with companies would invest their money there. [xx] These investments would hen be put into the ventures abroad like in the West Indies to help with the plantations. Exile Not only is that but the Atlantic Circuit an example of the growing interdependence between nations. As document 6 showed, the manufactured goods from the Americas would go to Western Europe where it would be traded for more slaves in exchange for the goods. [xii] This global market created a demand for many nations which spurred the further transport of slaves. What is also seen during this period is that not slaves during the time were of the same ethnicity. As document 9 shows, some laves which were captured has also been Muslim. Xiii] This meant that not only were the traders and companies diverse in the people they did business with but also slaves were ethnically diverse as well. This diversity however may have contributed to more slaves being transported. This is because in document 9 it explained how the Muslim slave had never been used to this sort of lifestyle and therefore could adjust well and handle to work which is why he was given back. [xiv] This might indicate this sort of lifestyle which had not been as popular in some societies might mean that the slaves used room these places would not be adjusting well into this lifestyle. Thus slave traders would need to have more slaves sent over to replace the ones who could not handle the work and had to be returned. The factors which led to the expansion of slavery and the slave trade in the Atlantic was because of the Atlantic Economy, increased trade with the New World and lastly the increase in interdependence and diversity. Capitalism which emerged during this time period helped provide money to start up plantations. The goods that it then produced was used to help boost the economy in Western Europe. The increased trade between nations helped create incentive to send over more.Through the Atlantic Circuit slaves were sent more efficiently and in bigger loads to earn even more goods to trade in the old World. Lastly the interdependence with different nations provided more money to be involved with colonizes abroad. The interdependence with these nations had also meant the source of their slaves also created diversity among them. The evidence provided gave a lot of insight into the slave trade however there are some pieces missing. Real life accounts of the slave traders ND how they felt may have also been useful.Other articles such as a daily schedule of a slave on plantations might have been useful in explaining how the slaves needed to be replaced due to the hard work. Overall, from what is given it is clear that the slave trade though not morally correct provided many benefits for the people of Europe. It is one of the main events in history which helped Western Europe so strong and feared.

Saltman Engineering Co Ltd V Campbell Engineering Ltd2 Essay

Saltman Engineering Co Ltd V Campbell Engineering Ltd2 - Essay Example This essay discusses that where information has economic value, it can be treated like any form of consideration. This is because it has a worth which becomes the property of the original owner or holder of it. And as such, when the 'owner' of such information feels his rights have been breached, he can take legal action against any losses. This situation has led to the development of confidentiality laws. Cases involving the abuse of rights to information are handled under the category of breach of confidence. In the earliest cases of the 19th century, people who brought action for the breach of confidence were required to show proof of a contract that restrained the defendants from making economic use of information given to them. This means that the initial courts invoked a common law position which required plaintiffs to insert clauses in the contracts they signed which involved the transfer of information that could potentially be used to the advantage of defendants. However in Saltman Engineering Co Ltd V Campbell Engineering Ltd a significantly different ruling came to force. In this case, Saltman Engineering conceived a business idea. They asked Campbell Engineering to draw up the plan and put it on course for the commercialisation of the invention. Campbell instructed a third party company to proliferate the idea and put the final product on the marketplace as though it was Campbell Engineering's original invention. Saltman Engineering took the matter to court. ... The case was therefore decided in favour of Saltman Engineering. This case was decided on the basis of equity. In other words, the common law position which required plaintiffs to show proof that there was some kind of contract which restrained the defendant from giving off the information was sidelined and the court pursued fairness. This laid the precedence for courts to use the principles of equity to decide cases involving the breach of confidence. Equity and the Breach of Confidentiality The concept of the breach of confidence was to be decided on the basis of equity rather than common law after the Saltman case. From the way it emerged, the concept of confidentiality was to cut across four main aspects of interaction and communication: personal information3, government information, artistic/literary secrets and trade secrets4. However, there was an issue related to the invocation of equity in cases relating to confidentiality. This mainly has to do with the inherent nature of t he development of the principles of equity. By default, equity acts in personam and this therefore means that every case had to be examined according to the special facts and cases relating to it. This meant that the courts would always have to spend considerable time looking at the main elements of each case they receive, appraise it and take decisions where appropriate. This called for the need to build some hedges around the concept of the breach of contract and define the parameters of this legal concept. This finally came in the landmark case of Coco V AN Clark5 where Judge Megarry made the landmark ruling: 'I doubt whether equity would intervene unless the circumstances are of sufficient gravity: equity ought

Role of professional nursing organizations in maintaining a healthy Research Paper

Role of professional nursing organizations in maintaining a healthy workplace - Research Paper Example The research â€Å"Role of professional nursing organizations in maintaining a healthy workplace† investigates the professional work of healthcare workers in ensuring healthy workplaces. In the healthcare setting, the main players are hospital administrators, doctors, nurses and patients. Nurses play a particularly important role in the provision of healthcare services to patients the other stakeholders not necessarily playing a lesser role in this respect. One of the main concerns of nurses in the course of fulfilling their duties is maintaining a healthy working environment. Indeed a healthy environment plays a key role in ensuring that health workers, doctors, patients and other people visiting the hospital face less risk of getting infected with diseases that they previously did not have. At this point, however, it must be noted that maintaining a healthy working environment is not limited to a clean environment. Instead, a healthy working environment (HWE) encompasses a w hole set of factors including skillful communication and accountability as noted by Medscape. Indeed according to AACN, a healthy environment means an atmosphere that is â€Å"productive, able to give quality care, satisfying, and able to meet personal needs†. In fact, maintaining a healthy environment also helps in ensuring positive patient-staff outcomes according to Laschinger and Leiter. On the contrary, an unhealthy environment negatively impacts on nurses’ willingness to continue offering services in the workplace and patient safety Medscape. (2001). Apart from hospital staff, professional nursing organizations play an enormous role in the maintenance of a healthy work environment. This paper will focus on the role played by professional nursing organizations in the maintenance of such environments. Strategies used by Professional Nursing Organizations to Foster Healthy Work Environments The safe care of people who are sick is positively correlated with the quali ty of the work environment that nurses encounter (Alspach, 2009). Furthermore, HWEs are practically linked to the retention and satisfaction of patients, reduced job stress among healthcare workers, increased job satisfaction as well as heightened attraction (Kramer & Schmalenberg, 2008). There are numerous professional organizations that have established strategies to ensure that the healthcare environment remains a healthy workplace. Some of these organizations include the Joint Commission for Accreditation of Hospitals, Institute of Medicine, American Nurses’ Credentialing Center, Nursing Organizations Alliance, American Association of Colleges of Nursing, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), and American Organization of Nurse Executives (Kramer & Schmalenberg, 2008). In ensuring healthy workplaces become a reality, these organizations commonly focus on instituting systems, policies, structures and programs that reflect the domain and point of view of nurse s in executive as well as leadership roles (Kramer & Schmalenberg, 2008). Training programs for example may be established so as to equip nurses with skills that will help them be at the forefront of establishing a healthy work environment. The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (2005) states that the ingredients for achieving a healthy work environment successfully are effective decision making, true collaboration, proper staffing, good communication, authentic leadership, and meaningful recognition. The organization has developed standards to help hospital and other healthcare centers achieve healthy work environment standards. The standards developed by the organization focus on quality improvement, evidence based practice as well as informatics (AACN, 2011). Instead of providing exhaustive dimensions of nursing practice that already are addressed by regulations and professional agencies, the standards are presented as a basis for engaged dialogue and thoughtful reflect ion about the work environment. Skilled communication as a strategy for creating a healthy work environment involves two way communication in which individuals

Analysis of the film Gattaca in reference to its discussion about Essay

Analysis of the film Gattaca in reference to its discussion about eugenics and getenics engineering - Essay Example However, despite a very firm belief that any attempt at perfecting the human condition through selectively engineering children will have a detrimental effect on the human species, it is undeniable that if allowed, I would go back and have things corrected. It is in this desire to be perfected and saved, balanced against the detriment to society that supports the idea that legislation must prevent this from being a part of reproductive options. The concept of eugenics is defined by Francis Galton, British eugenicist and scientist, as â€Å"science that studies all the influences that may potentially effect reproduction, with the purpose of preventing degeneration and attaining the improvement of the human species† (Lavrin, 1998, p. 161). While the concept of eugenics seems to be defined by a pure intent, the central problem with eugenics is that it weeds out diversities and challenges that inspire human innovation. Morris (2006) states that â€Å"Another fear about this new e ugenics is that we might one day breed a race of clones designed genetically to be placid slaves. In this very frightening scenario, eugenics is envisioned as a tool to suppress people† (p. 70). Gattaca takes this fear one step further as those without genetic enhancement are subjugated to lower level job positions, serving those who are of a genetically superior make-up. Vincent is considered an in-valid, his genetic make-up not fitting into the standard that has been set for the upper class, meanwhile his social class does not allow him the opportunities that he desires. His life expectancy, as determined at the time of his birth, is only 30.2 years and the list of potential problems, none of which is guaranteed, is vast and daunting. There is no doubt that this type of predictability about the future of the potential outcomes would be disheartening and place that child within a social framework that was undesirable. This is what happens to Vincent, but as an adult he determ ines to write his own fate. Through impersonating someone with a better genetic code, he proves that he is valuable enough to achieve his goals. The director of the film, Andrew Niccol, who also wrote the piece, provides his beliefs on genetic engineering a forum through the film. One of the first lines of narration, â€Å"They used to say that a child conceived in love has a greater chance of happiness. They don’t say that anymore† provides the context on how social and cultural class divisions had changed the nature of predicted futures for the people within the universe of the film (Niccol, 1997). In the contrast between Vincent and the wheelchair ridden ’perfected’ human, Jerome, the aspect of chance shows that expected life expectancies and the use of genetic manipulation to ’perfect’ the human species will never account for the challenges that chance will put in the way of ambitions and desires. Vincent narrates that â€Å"He suffered under a different burden: the burden of perfection† (Niccol, 1997). Niccol uses this theme to frame his position on the danger of genetically engineering children. The character of Irene, an almost perfect who is

Economic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Economic - Essay Example The Assad regime, as well as the rebel forces, violated an otherwise, failed UN - backed cease-fire, led by the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Koffi Anan, in late October. The fighting has heightened in neighbouring Lebanon, home to Iran-backed Hezbollah, and prompted cross-border shelling between Syria and Turkey. The unrest also proved to be an attraction for global jihadists like the al-Qaeda-linked groups, fighting for the formation of an Islamist state (Landis 75). Following the Syrian civil war, the Arab League acted swiftly and immediately suspended Syrian membership to the organization, In addition, the league imposed imposed stringent economic embargos in November 2011(Masters). Despite the lack of support from Syria’s friendly nations like Russia, the sanctions have had a noticeable economic impact. The European Union sanctions have also served to redefine partnerships with other powers, both globally and in the Middle East. The EU, supported by the US sanctions, initially asked Al-Assad to negotiate with the opposition to cease repression, and  leave office as from August 2011 (Balfour). The sanctions against Syria are unprecedented since they accumulated the whole set in just a few months. Some of the notable sanctions entail an energy embargo. Prior to the embargo, the EU’s import of Syrian crude was worth over â‚ ¬3 billion a year, mostly to Italy and Germany. The economic sanctions have had a significant impact on the Syrian economy. Oil is the mainstay of the Syrian economy, and the Western ban has exacted a heavy toll on the country. In view of these developments, Sufian Allaw, the Wyrian oil minister, indicated that the imposed restrictions cost the country about $4 billion (â€Å"Syria Says†). The United States also placed a range of sanctions on Syria that prevent aid and restrict bilateral trade. Before the

Switch boards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Switch boards - Essay Example Just from the beginning of switching systems, a large number of the transformations have been done in the switching technologies. In this regard this paper is going to analyze and evaluate the old strowger switches and mechanical cross-bar switches based on circuit switching technologies with some modern network switches. In this report I would like to provide a technological overview of these technologies and a brief comparison of these technology systems. The basic use of the telecommunication networks is to carry data and information signals among different entities which are located geographically. In this situation we can say that an entity can be a resource like a human being, a computer, a Tele-printer, a duplicate machine, a communication data workstation and so on. These communication entities are linked with the overall working and process of the transferring information which can be in the form of a file transfer between two systems, or telephone chat (a call) or message transmission between two workstations etc. In this present age of technology, the communication is perceived as a symbol of the new age of technology. In this scenario the introduction of this communication technology has started from the development of the telephone systems (Farahmand & Zhang, 2007). However, due to considerable increase in the number of users and less number line availability, a need was experienced to develop some switching system which c an be used for the switching purposes among line to facilitate large number of individuals with small number of available communication lines. Today the technology has gained an extensive limit of advancements but some of the communication restrictions still exist. One of the key issues in these limitations is the highest availability of the communication line. In an attempt to tackle this problem, the technique of the switching was formulated,

Analysis of the film Gattaca in reference to its discussion about Essay

Analysis of the film Gattaca in reference to its discussion about eugenics and getenics engineering - Essay Example However, despite a very firm belief that any attempt at perfecting the human condition through selectively engineering children will have a detrimental effect on the human species, it is undeniable that if allowed, I would go back and have things corrected. It is in this desire to be perfected and saved, balanced against the detriment to society that supports the idea that legislation must prevent this from being a part of reproductive options. The concept of eugenics is defined by Francis Galton, British eugenicist and scientist, as â€Å"science that studies all the influences that may potentially effect reproduction, with the purpose of preventing degeneration and attaining the improvement of the human species† (Lavrin, 1998, p. 161). While the concept of eugenics seems to be defined by a pure intent, the central problem with eugenics is that it weeds out diversities and challenges that inspire human innovation. Morris (2006) states that â€Å"Another fear about this new e ugenics is that we might one day breed a race of clones designed genetically to be placid slaves. In this very frightening scenario, eugenics is envisioned as a tool to suppress people† (p. 70). Gattaca takes this fear one step further as those without genetic enhancement are subjugated to lower level job positions, serving those who are of a genetically superior make-up. Vincent is considered an in-valid, his genetic make-up not fitting into the standard that has been set for the upper class, meanwhile his social class does not allow him the opportunities that he desires. His life expectancy, as determined at the time of his birth, is only 30.2 years and the list of potential problems, none of which is guaranteed, is vast and daunting. There is no doubt that this type of predictability about the future of the potential outcomes would be disheartening and place that child within a social framework that was undesirable. This is what happens to Vincent, but as an adult he determ ines to write his own fate. Through impersonating someone with a better genetic code, he proves that he is valuable enough to achieve his goals. The director of the film, Andrew Niccol, who also wrote the piece, provides his beliefs on genetic engineering a forum through the film. One of the first lines of narration, â€Å"They used to say that a child conceived in love has a greater chance of happiness. They don’t say that anymore† provides the context on how social and cultural class divisions had changed the nature of predicted futures for the people within the universe of the film (Niccol, 1997). In the contrast between Vincent and the wheelchair ridden ’perfected’ human, Jerome, the aspect of chance shows that expected life expectancies and the use of genetic manipulation to ’perfect’ the human species will never account for the challenges that chance will put in the way of ambitions and desires. Vincent narrates that â€Å"He suffered under a different burden: the burden of perfection† (Niccol, 1997). Niccol uses this theme to frame his position on the danger of genetically engineering children. The character of Irene, an almost perfect who is

Switch boards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Switch boards - Essay Example Just from the beginning of switching systems, a large number of the transformations have been done in the switching technologies. In this regard this paper is going to analyze and evaluate the old strowger switches and mechanical cross-bar switches based on circuit switching technologies with some modern network switches. In this report I would like to provide a technological overview of these technologies and a brief comparison of these technology systems. The basic use of the telecommunication networks is to carry data and information signals among different entities which are located geographically. In this situation we can say that an entity can be a resource like a human being, a computer, a Tele-printer, a duplicate machine, a communication data workstation and so on. These communication entities are linked with the overall working and process of the transferring information which can be in the form of a file transfer between two systems, or telephone chat (a call) or message transmission between two workstations etc. In this present age of technology, the communication is perceived as a symbol of the new age of technology. In this scenario the introduction of this communication technology has started from the development of the telephone systems (Farahmand & Zhang, 2007). However, due to considerable increase in the number of users and less number line availability, a need was experienced to develop some switching system which c an be used for the switching purposes among line to facilitate large number of individuals with small number of available communication lines. Today the technology has gained an extensive limit of advancements but some of the communication restrictions still exist. One of the key issues in these limitations is the highest availability of the communication line. In an attempt to tackle this problem, the technique of the switching was formulated,

Behavioral Influences Essay Example for Free

Behavioral Influences Essay Expectancy theory is related to the motivation of the employees which is dependent upon the employees’ behavior and incentives given by the management. If the management is able to motivate its employees they will put in more effort while working, which means efficiency higher returns for the company. The three components of the expectancy theory are expectancy, valence and instrumentality (Vroom, 1964). All of these three variables are required if an employee needs to be motivated positively. The expectancy component is the belief that increase in efforts will accounts for better performance and vice versa. This means that a person is motivated if there is a positive relationship between efforts and performance given that he has proper training, resources and direction to perform the job. Expectancy is also affected by the confidence the employee has about on his capabilities. Valence component in the expectancy theory refers to the value people place on the expected outcome or rewards of their efforts. If a person is motivated mainly by money, he might not value free insurance given by the company. Valence is the intensity of the desire of a worker for extrinsic and intrinsic rewards such as promotion, fringe benefits, bonuses, overtime and satisfaction (Droar, 2003). Instrumentality, the third component of expectancy theory is the confidence on the higher authorities that if the performance is well, the desired or promised reward will be received (Vroom, 1964). Instrumentality will be affected by the trust in people who make decisions of the outcomes and degree of biasness of the process of getting an outcome. Therefore the theory tells us that the relationship between the effort and performance is positive, which means that increase in effort will enhance performance (Vroom, 1964). According to the theory the relationship between performance and rewards is also positive, which implies that better performance will result in more rewards. In the given scenario, Supervisor A’s employees are facing difficulty in coping up with the new production process. The main reason for this is that the employees are not being compensated for their work. Those who achieve their goals are not given enough compensation therefore they feel unmotivated. When employees are not motivated, they do not put in enough effort to achieve their goals and hence their performance is not fine. The employees who have mastered the production process are not worried about accomplishing their goals because they know that even with added effort if they attain their goals, the compensation they will get is not worth the effort. Other employees, who have not mastered it, are not putting in enough effort because they think they are not capable of doing so. Therefore there is a dire need for motivation of the employees who are under Supervisor A. The supervisor should find out what resources, training or management of employees is needed to motivate the employees; this is the expectancy component of the expectancy theory. The supervisor should also find out what do the employees value, their bonuses and salaries should be increased according to their performance; this is the valence part of the expectancy theory. Supervisor also has to make sure that the perception of the employees about their supervisor’s promises is correct, they should be compensated as promised; this is the instrumentality component. In the scenario, the employees’ salaries are not being increased as promised by the supervisor; their bonuses after withholding tax are very small. Thus if the supervisor is able to fill the gaps in all of these three components, he will be able to motivate the employees to increase effort and hence performance and the goals will be achieved. Task 2 The leadership style of Leader B is transactional, Leader C is transformational and Executive has a â€Å"Level 5† leadership style. Transactional leadership focuses on setting specific goals for each team member and encourage them to meet the agreed upon goals (Bryant, 2003). In the scenario it is given that Leader B establishes clear goals by clarifying role and task requirements and continually guiding subordinates in the direction of these goals, and therefore it is a characteristic of transactional leadership. In transactional leadership, the team members are awarded when they are able to achieve their goals on time and punished when agreed upon goals are not achieved or are not achieved on time (Iain, 2007). In the scenario given, Leader B considers the team member to be personally at fault if the delegated task is not completed and issues punishments for failures. Transactional leadership recognizes accomplishments of individual subordinates and they are rewarded for achieving the objectives agreed upon (Iain, 2007). In the scenario given, Leader B believes in a clear chain of commands and in rewarding good performance and recognizing employee accomplishments. Leader B also rewards subordinates for their successes. Leader B’s transactional leadership style has been justified now by including the examples from the given text. Transformational leadership depends more on personal relationship with subordinates and is supported by trust rather than committing to contracts (Jung Avolio, 1999). In the scenario it is given that Leader C tried to remember his team members’ birthdays and makes an effort to work with them as their coach instead of their manager. Transformational leadership also tries to satisfy its followers’ self-interest and encourages the followers to replace these interests with the interests of the team. In the scenario, Leader C encourages the group to surpass their own self-interest for the betterment of the organization. This type of leadership also focuses on organizational change through stress on new values and different vision of the future which transcends the status quo (Gellis, 2001). Leader C in the scenario also believes that the group can have great success when they are passionate and enthusiastic about a vision. Transformational leaders motivate its followers to achieve their goals through nurturing their individual skills and capabilities (Barbuto, 2005). Leader C in the scenario sets high hopes for subordinates, instills individualism of employees for the benefit of organization and takes a rational problem-solving approach. The Level 5 leadership is described as being hesitant and unruly, shy and fearless and modest with a stern commitment to high standards (Jon Jenkins and Gerrit Visser, 2001). This type of leadership takes struggling organizations from being fine to great and produces other fine leaders within the organizations for future. The Level 5 leadership takes responsibility for the failures and accredits other leaders for accomplishments (Jon Jenkins and Gerrit Visser, 2001). This leadership also establishes unique ideas, long-term vision and values for the organization. In the scenario, Executive A is clearly a level 5 leader as he shies away from attention and accredits others for achievements. He accepts responsibility for failures and poor results; and feels delighted to produce strong leadership within the organization. Therefore it is apparent that Executive A is a Level 5 leader as he took the struggling organization into hands and reshaped the stock prices and company profits into eye-catching ones and he also shares his long-term vision, ideas and values with other leaders of the company. When the Executive A retires and if Leader B is appointed as the CEO, then most of the employees in the organization will start working for their own interest as they will be held responsible for their failures and accomplishments and will be compensated accordingly. Supervision of the employees will become an integral part of managers’ routine as they may use organization’s resources for their personal interests. Transactional leadership is successful in stable organizations because it helps to improve control over employees and reinforces constructive administrative actions through rewards and punishments. Therefore Leader B may find his style appropriate in the organization. Transformational leadership maintains employees’ performance through loyalty to organization, trust in the leader and changes in values and standards of the organization. Leader C has this style of leadership, and if appointed the CEO, the employees will surely have higher motivation and self-confidence; they will get chances and supervision to improve their skills and capabilities. Through self-realization of employees and personal relationships with them, Leader C will be able to make them feel an integral part of the organization and increase their performance beyond expectations. Task 3 Individuals often take one of the bases of power in an organization in which they are employed. There are five bases of power which act as a source of organization; they will be discussed one by one. The first one is Position in Hierarchy (Woldring, 2001), that is the rank of the individual in an organization. The higher the individual’s place in the organizational rank structure, the greater the power he will have. In the given scenario, Employee 1 is using position in hierarchy as the source of his power. He has worked in the marketing department for 12 years and he frequently comes to the office on weekends or stays late to make sure smooth running of tasks. The second base of power is Referent Power (Woldring, 2001); this is the personal relation of an individual with others who are higher in the organizational hierarchy. It only exists if the individual can actually reference the authenticity of relationship so that it can act as a basis of power. Employee 2 has this power as he negotiated with his manager to work four days a week and is the only person who is allowed to have a shorter work week. Third type of power is Reward Power (Raven, 1959); individuals who have a greater degree of control over resources of organization, have greater power. Individuals even lower in the organizational hierarchy can have greater controller over resources of the organization (Woldring, 2001). This power is based on the ability to give valuable reward to others who perform well (Raven, 1959). In the scenario given, Employee 1 has this power as he is controlling the resources of his department to get the large bonus at the year end, and he will spend this bonus on his vacations. The fourth base of power is Demonstrated Expertise (Woldring, 2001); an individual who has an exceptional capability or special knowledge that no other has in the organization. Only having expertise is not sufficient, others should know about the importance of this person’s expertise and its value. Employee 2 has this power as he is the only company employee who can prepare financial statements. The fifth and final source of power is Personality Power or Coercive Power (Woldring, 2001); the perceived personality of the individual is the power here. If the person has strong interpersonal skills, charming and attractive personality, then he will be able to influence others to conform to his ideas or demands (Raven, 1959). This is the case with Employee 3, who has been in the organization for just a year, but because of his personality power, he was able to change entire department’s beliefs. Relationship between Bases of Power and Dependency: The Bases of Power use the concept of Dependency. An employee can only use its base of power on another employee if the other one is dependent on him. As Emerson (1962, p. 32) argues that â€Å"power resides implicitly in the other‘s dependency† and that â€Å"the power of A over B is equal to, and based upon, the dependence of B upon A†. Therefore if a person B is dependent of another person A, only then the power of A exists. The level of power of person A depends upon the degree of dependence of person B on person A and the alternatives available to person B. If there is no dependence then power over another person does not exists. The accounting manager in the given scenario is the person who is dependent upon Employee 2 because of the Expertise power of Employee 2. Employee 2 is the only person in the organization who can prepare the financial statements and so the manager is dependent upon him to prepare it. Employee 1 is dependent upon marketing manager for the award he wants, that is why he stays late in the office to make sure of the completion and accuracy of the work and he often come to office on weekends. Employee 3 was selected as the leader of the team working on new project; all others related to the project are dependent upon him because of his Coercive power. Task 4 The first problem with the company’s current evaluation form is that the rating scales in the form mostly focus on relationships with other employees and on the personality; it is more of a personality test rather than performance and skills evaluation. Instead of evaluating the neatness of the workplace, relationships with peers, attitude with others and friendliness, the questions should be more specific to the performance and quality of work. Performance factors such as knowledge, skills, abilities, quality and timeliness of work, efforts of the employee, works habits, supervisory factors, cooperation, adaptability and effectiveness of communication should be evaluated. The second concern in the evaluation form is that the rating scales are not specific and measurable. The scale being used is to rate an attribute is not numeric or scalar, high, low-medium, medium are being used to score against the attribute. A better approach of scoring will be to use a scale with numeric scale, the highest described as â€Å"Superior† and lowest as â€Å"Unsatisfactory†. Another option of â€Å"Not Applicable† should also be present with all attributes. The use of measurable scale will ease the work for evaluator and he will be able to rate the employee’s attributes more accurately. The third concern in the evaluation form is that the performance factors are not specific. When the manager had to give rating on the engineer’s attitudes, he had to take in to account the engineer’s attitudes towards his job and tasks that he is assigned to do and also his attitudes towards co-workers and manager. The factors should be more specific so that the evaluator can give the ratings to specific attribute and every attribute is taken into account. In the scenario, the manager gave engineer a low rating in the attitude factor although his attitude towards work was very serious and he completed his tasks in a very well manner. He got a low rating because of his poor attitude towards the peers and manager. The 360-degree approach to employee evaluation involves supervisor, peers, and subordinates into the evaluation of an individual. This approach has its own pros and cons. Many people participate in evaluating a person so it gives complete view of the performance of the person. The performance view is captured from the supervisor, peers and the subordinates, they respond as they see the person’s performance. It reduces the bias of the supervisor or the manager towards an employee. It the supervisor does not likes the attitude of appearance of the employee, and then he might rate the employee with a lower score. If the employee’s attitude with the supervisor is not favorable but the peers and subordinates like the attitude of the employee, then this can be captured in the evaluation process. Many people participate in the evaluation process, so the score becomes more reliable and more accurate. The supervisor may not have a personal relation with the employee and may not know him too well to rate his personality and attitude towards work. It is also possible that the employee have had some kind of incident with the supervisor in the past and since then the attitude towards the employee had become unfavorable. Then the supervisor would obviously rate him low in the performance factors. Most of the times in an organization, peers and co-workers know the employee better than the supervisor; so when the peers will evaluate the employee, they will be able to give the ratings more accurately and their ratings will be more reliable than any others. The attitude of a person towards his sub-ordinates is also very important, this attitude can be recorded when sub-ordinates will take part in the evaluation process of the employee. And then after the evaluation, the employee can leverage his strengths according to others’ perception of his performance and personality. So, 360-degree approach to performance evaluation helps in evaluating the employee from many views and in recording reliable and more accurate information then the traditional forms of evaluations and is not only helpful to the management to make important decisions but also is useful to the person being evaluated . There are some disadvantages too of including the supervisor, peers and subordinates in the evaluation process. One of the main disadvantages is that all the peers and subordinates may not like the personality of the employee being evaluated and may rate him very low based on his attitude and personality. The main purpose of evaluating an employee is to evaluate the performance and skills and attitude towards the work and tasks assigned to him. The co-workers and subordinates may have issues with employee being evaluated because of personality clash, and although his work is up to the mark and performance is well, but still the peers, supervisor and subordinates might give him low score on performance. There are a handful of employee performance evaluation methods; three of them are top-down, peer-to-peer and 360-degree. Top-down is the most commonly used in the organizations today. It involves the direct manager of the employee in the evaluation process and is only useful if the manager knows his employee well enough. Peer-to-peer entails the employees of the same levels to review each other. Nobody knows the capabilities and performance of an employee better than his peer or co-worker. While it can be effective method, it can also be very unsuccessful at times. If there is jealousy among the co-workers or if there is competition then it is obvious that they will not rate each others in a reliable manner. When there are multiple managers or multiple peers of an employee then these methods prove successful. The third method is 360-degree evaluation which takes into account the reviews of peers, subordinates and the managers or supervisors. In some organizations even suppliers and customers are involved in the evaluation process. While the advantage of multiple points of views is clear, it poses some threats also. Sometimes the subordinates may not give the true feedback of their managers because of the fear that manager will get to know about it. The following are the errors and biases that commonly affect the accuracy of performance evaluation. The first one is that the employees may favor the evaluation questions of their manager as they will fear that the manager will find out and so their review will not be true. The second is that the peers might not be mature enough or experienced enough to evaluate each other and they may form a cartel and rate each other well. The third example is that the manager does not the performance of his employee whom he is to evaluate because of no interaction with him, and he might just do the evaluation providing inaccurate information. In the given scenario, the evaluation form should be made more reliable and bias free and should be more oriented towards the performance of the employee rather than the friendliness and the attitude towards the co-workers. The scale used should be numeric with the highest being the best and lowest being the most poor. Customers, subordinates, and co-workers should also be included in the evaluation process to make it fairer. References Online Journal Iain, Ph. D. Hay. (2007 ). Transactional and Transformational Leaderships Compared. Leadership of Stability and leadership of vola tility, Volume 4, Issue 4. Retrieved 04 16, 2009, from Academic Leadership database. Website Organization/Website/Author name. (Year, Month Day). Title. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from www. url. com Value Based Management. net/Victor Vroom. (2009, 03 23). Motivation and Management Vroom’s Expectancy Theory. Retrieved 04 14, 2009, from http://www. valuebasedmanagement. net/methods_vroom_expectancy_theory. html Arrod. co. uk/Dave Droar. (2006, 12 31). Expectancy theory of motivation. Retrieved 04 14, 2009, from http://www. arrod. co. uk/archive/concept_vroom. php Imaginal Training/Jon Jenkins and Gerrit Visser. (2001). Level 5 Leadership. Retrieved 04 14, 2009, from http://www. imaginal. nl/articleLevel5Leadership. htm Workplace Competence International Limited/Roelf Woldring. (2001). Power in Organizations: A way of Thinking About What You’ve Got, and How to Use It. Retrieved 04 16, 2009, from http://www. wciltd. com/pdfquark/powerorgv2. pdf

Introduction To Cricket In The 21st Century History Essay

Introduction To Cricket In The 21st Century History Essay When considering the extensive amount of research that has been directed toward the sporting world from a mathematical, statistical and operational research perspective, the Duckworth/Lewis method (Duckworth and Lewis, 1998, 2004) perhaps stands alone as the most significant contribution to sport. The common practice in dealing with interrupted one-day cricket matches until 1992 was to compare the run rates (the total number of runs scored divided by the number of completed overs) of the competing teams; the team with the higher run rate was declared the winner. However, this rule tended to benefit the team batting second (Team 2) at the expense of the team batting first (Team 1), leading to the common practice of inviting the other team to bat first if rain was expected. The difficulty with run rates is that targets are determined by taking the remaining overs into account, while ignoring the number of lost wickets. As is well known, batsmen tend to bat less aggressively and score fewer runs when more wickets have been taken. The first team does not have the same strategic options as the second team and, in that sense, the rule does not provide both teams with equal opportunities. Realising that this rule is biased towards the side batting second, the Australian Cricket Board introduced its most productive overs rule during the 1992/93 season. This rule calculates the target for Team 2 by taking the n highest scoring overs of Team 1 where n is the number of played overs (for example, 40 if 10 overs are lost due to rain). Ironically, this rule was now considered as tending to favour the side batting first and transparently unfair to the team batting second. To illustrate, Suppose that Team 2 requires 20 off 19 balls to win, when a short shower takes three overs away. The reset target would now be 20 off 1 ball since the three least productive overs are deduced from the original target (which we may believe were three maiden overs in this case). However, this seems to be unfair and even ironic: the second teams excellent bowling (three maiden overs) in the first innings is now turning against them; it would have been better for Team 2 in this case if Team 1 had reached the same total score without any maidens. The Duckworth/Lewis method was utilised and gained prominence during the 1999 World Cup, and since that time, it has been adopted by every major cricketing board and competition. In one-day cricket, the Duckworth/Lewis method is based on the recognition that at the beginning of a match, each side has resources available (typically 50 overs and 10 wickets). When the match is shortened, the resources of one or both teams are reduced and the two teams usually have different resources for their innings. In this case, in an attempt to be fair, a revised target for the team batting second is set. The determination of the target using resources is known as the Duckworth/Lewis method. What makes the adoption of the Duckworth/Lewis method remarkable is that the method is widely perceived by the public as a black box procedure. Generally, people do not understand how the targets are set but they do agree that the targets are sensible or at least preferable to the approach based on run rates. Although the Duckworth/Lewis (D/L) method was designed for one-day cricket, it has also been applied to Twenty20 cricket. Twenty20 is a relatively new version of limited overs cricket with only 20 overs per side. In contrast to the one-day game and first-class cricket (which can take up to five days to complete), Twenty20 matches have completion times that are comparable to other popular team sports. With the introduction of the biennial World Twenty20 tournament in 2007 and the Indian Premier League in 2008, Twenty20 cricket has gained widespread popularity. Although Twenty20 (t20) cricket is similar to one-day cricket, there exist subtle variations in the rules (e.g. fielding restrictions, limits on bowling, etc) between the two versions of cricket. The variations in the rules, and most importantly, the reduction of overs from 50 to 20 suggest that scoring patterns in t20 may differ from the one-day game. In particular, t20 is seen as a more explosive game where the ability to score 4s and 6s is more highly valued than in one-day cricket. Since the D/L method (and its associated resource table) is based on the scoring patterns in one-day cricket, it is therefore reasonable to ask whether the D-L method is appropriate for t20. With the rise of Twenty20, an investigation of the D/L method applied to t20 is timely. Up until this point in time, such an investigation might not have been possible due to the dearth of t20 match results. Now analysts have at their disposal nearly 200 international matches, and through the use of efficient estimation procedures, the question may be at least partially addressed. Also, since t20 matches have a shorter duration, to date, few matches have been interrupted and resumed according to D/L. Consequently, if there is a problem with D/L applied to t20, it may not have yet manifested itself. This was true before the third editon of the World t20 in May 2010 when a controversial outcome occurred in a game between England and the West Indies. The criticism directed at the usage and appropriateness of the method by players, commentators and fans provide sufficient motivation to adjust the table in this project. In Section 2, the construction of the Duckworth/Lewis resource table is reviewed as well as its effective inception relative to past rain rules. Some comments are provided on aspects of the table and the limitations of the method. In Section 3, an alternative Twenty20 resource table is obtained using a non-parametric approach based on Gibbs sampling. The data used in the construction of the new table consist of all international Twenty20 matches to date involving Test-playing nations as recognised by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The project concludes with a short discussion in Section 4. A heat map is provided to facilitate comparisons between the two tables. 2. For their eyes only: Evaluation of the current method and its appropriateness A condensed version of the Duckworth/Lewis resource table (Standard Edition) is shown in Table 1 (taken from the ICC Playing Handbook 2008-09). In an uninterrupted innings of one-day cricket, a team starts batting with maximum resources available, equivalent to 50 overs and zero wickets taken. Reflect now on a one-day match where Team 1 scores 276 runs at the end of its 50 overs, as a simple example of the use of the Duckworth/Lewis resource table. Before Team 2 has a chance to start their chase of Team 1s total, it rains and they only receive 30 overs for their innings. A look at the resource table shows that Team 2 has only 75.1% of their resources in hand and, consequently, their target for winning the match is set at 276(0.751)=208 runs. Contrast the Duckworth/Lewis target with the unreasonably low target of 276(30/50)=166 runs based on run rates. Table 1. Abbreviated version of the Duckworth-Lewis resource table (Standard Edition) Overs available Wickets lost 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 50 100.0 93.4 85.1 74.9 62.7 49.0 34.9 22.0 11.9 40 89.3 84.2 77.8 69.6 59.5 47.6 34.6 22.0 11.9 30 75.1 71.8 67.3 61.6 54.1 44.7 33.6 21.8 11.9 25 66.5 63.9 60.5 56.0 50.0 42.2 32.6 21.6 11.9 20 56.6 54.8 52.4 49.1 44.6 38.6 30.8 21.2 11.9 10 32.1 31.6 30.8 29.8 28.3 26.1 22.8 17.9 11.4 5 17.2 17.0 16.8 16.5 16.1 15.4 14.3 12.5 9.4 1 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.4 3.2 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 The table entries indicate the percentage of resources remaining in a match with the specified number of wickets lost and overs available. The D/L method has several advantages, which make it undoubtedly preferable to all previously used retargeting rules: completeness (it is able to handle all kinds of interruptions, even multiple interruptions and other unusual situations); the underlying mathematical model is internally consistent; tables are easily accessible/the computer programme is user-friendly; and the method compared to previous rules preserves the chance of winning by providing a relatively realistic reset target. Duckworth and Lewis (1998) only make available incomplete information relating to the creation of the resource table. Nevertheless, they do reveal that the table entries are based on the estimation of the 20 parameters Z0(w) and b(w), w=0, †¦, 9 corresponding to the function where Z(u,w) is the average total score obtained in u overs in an unlimited overs match where w wickets have been taken. While the utility of the Duckworth/Lewis table in one-day cricket cannot be questioned, a number of questions arise based on (1) and the estimates found in Table 1: Is (1) the best curve when considering that there are several parametric curves that could be fit? Is there any benefit in using a non-parametric fit to derive the table entries? The function (1) refers to unlimited overs cricket but is formed from a basis of one-day rules. Since one-day cricket is limited overs cricket, is there an advantage in taking the structure of the one-day game into account? How are the parameters estimated? If the 10 curves corresponding to w=0, †¦, 9 are fit separately, there are little data available beyond u=30 for fitting the curve with w=9. Also, the asymptotes for the curves with w=0,1,2 (see Figure 1 of Duckworth and Lewis (1998)) fall beyond the range of the data. In Table 1, the last two columns have many identical entries going down the columns. Although very few matches occur under these conditions, is it really sensible for resources to remain constant as the available overs decrease? This is a consequence of the asymptote imposed by (1). Although the D/L method maintains the margin of victory, it does not preserve the probability of victory. The resource table employed by the D/L method, and throughout its several updates, is based on detailed information from a large number of first innings scoring patterns. Therefore, the method assumes that the expected proportion of overall scoring for a particular over when a given number of wickets have been lost is the same in both innings. The validity of this assumption (that scoring patterns are the same in both innings) can be questioned. It has been found that there are a greater relative proportion of runs scored in the early and late overs of second innings, than in the first innings. The rule assumes that run-scoring accelerates right from the beginning of the innings so that runs come at a faster rate for every over completed; an exponential relationship between runs and overs is assumed. Although this captures the fact that run-scoring accelerates at the end of an innings, the moment of stabilisation somewhere after the relaxing of fielding restrictions is overlooked. 50 overs has been the standard format for a One-day International (ODI) for so long (over 20 years) that there is a period between the end of the fifteenth over and the start of the 41st where the batting side keep the scorecard ticking over through nudged and nurdled singles whilst the fielding side are perfectly happy to concede. Furthermore, no consideration is given to powerplay overs in which fielding restrictions are in place. Losing two overs during a period of fielding restrictions reduces a teams resources more than when a team loses the same couple of overs somewhere between, say, overs 25 and 30. The D/L method does not reflect the fact that the first period has a much higher run-scoring capacity than the second. The asymmetry between the equations for resetting targets impairs the quality of impartiality and may even lead to strategic options which are not equally open to both teams. When the target is large and Team 2 forsees a substantial reduction of its innings, Team 2 could take the strategic option to keep as many wickets as possible in hand, even if the scoring rate is less than required: a score of 99/1 (or 110/2, 123/3†¦) after 25 overs in the second innings against a target of 286 for 50 overs would win if no further play is possible. This distorted result is not merely due to the scaling of limited early data but also stems from an idealised assumption of how batting sides deploy their resources during an innings. The D/L method, like other (target) prediction algorithms, tries to fit historical data into a function curve, and uses this to predict future match states. Although this approach is generic and scales well, the specificity of the match is lost. For example, say in two instances a match is interrupted in the first innings with the score at 100/3 after 25 overs. The prediction (extrapolation) for both the matches will be the same. However, if one of the teams were 90/0 after 15 overs and the other team were 40/3 at the same stage, it is highly probable that the second team would have gone on to score more than the first. 3. Turn the tables: A new model for Twenty20 matches For ease of discussion, it is convenient to convert the Duckworth/Lewis resource table to the context of Twenty20; the resource table is shortened to 20 overs and the entries scaled so that an innings beginning with 20 overs and zero wickets corresponds to 100% resources. Table 2 gives the full Duckworth/Lewis resource table (Standard Edition) for Twenty20 where the entries are obtained by dividing the corresponding entry in Table 1 by 0.566 (the resources remaining in a 1-day match where 20 overs are available and zero wickets taken). Table 2. The Duckworth/Lewis resource table (Standard Edition) scaled for Twenty20 Overs available Wickets lost 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 20 100.0 96.8 92.6 86.7 78.8 68.2 54.4 37.5 21.3 19 96.1 93.3 89.2 83.9 76.7 66.6 53.5 37.3 21.0 18 92.2 89.6 85.9 81.1 74.2 65.0 52.7 36.9 21.0 17 88.2 85.7 82.5 77.9 71.7 63.3 51.6 36.6 21.0 16 84.1 81.8 79.0 74.7 69.1 61.3 50.4 36.2 20.8 15 79.9 77.9 75.3 71.6 66.4 59.2 49.1 35.7 20.8 14 75.4 73.7 71.4 68.0 63.4 56.9 47.7 35.2 20.8 13 71.0 69.4 67.3 64.5 60.4 54.4 46.1 34.5 20.7 12 66.4 65.0 63.3 60.6 57.1 51.9 44.3 33.6 20.5 11 61.7 60.4 59.0 56.7 53.7 49.1 42.4 32.7 20.3 10 56.7 55.8 54.4 52.7 50.0 46.1 40.3 31.6 20.1 9 51.8 51.1 49.8 48.4 46.1 42.8 37.8 30.2 19.8 8 46.6 45.9 45.1 43.8 42.0 39.4 35.2 28.6 19.3 7 41.3 40.8 40.1 39.2 37.8 35.5 32.2 26.9 18.6 6 35.9 35.5 35.0 34.3 33.2 31.4 29.0 24.6 17.8 5 30.4 30.0 29.7 29.2 28.4 27.2 25.3 22.1 16.6 4 24.6 24.4 24.2 23.9 23.3 22.4 21.2 18.9 14.8 3 18.7 18.6 18.4 18.2 18.0 17.5 16.8 15.4 12.7 2 12.7 12.5 12.5 12.4 12.4 12.0 11.7 11.0 9.7 1 6.4 6.4 6.4 6.4 6.4 6.2 6.2 6.0 5.7 The table entries indicate the percentage of resources remaining in a match with the specified number of wickets lost and overs available. To build a resource table for Twenty20 (t20), it is imperative to consider the scoring patterns specific to the shortest version of the game. Hence, consider the 141 international t20 matches involving ICC full member teams that have taken place from the first in 17 February 2005 through to 14 January 2011 (details of these matches can be accessed from ESPN Cricinfo). The shortened matches where the Duckworth/Lewis method was present have been excluded along with the t20 matches involving non-test playing nations (ICC Associates); the latter disqualification is in place to ensure matches are of a consistently high standard. Since scoring patterns in the second innings show a level of dependency to the number of runs scored by Team 1, consider first innings data only in the examination of t20 scoring patterns. Note that in their development of a simulator for one-day cricket match results, Swartz et al (2009) consider batting behaviour in the second innings. Match summary results are obtainable from ESPN Cricinfos statistics website but this study calls for ball-by-ball data. For this, Stephen Lynch (statistician) took pains to compose the associated commentary log for each match and store the data in a tabular form for easy access. For each match, define z(u,w(u)) as the runs scored from the point in the first innings where u overs remain and w(u) wickets have been taken until the conclusion of Team 1s innings. Calculate z(u,w(u)) for all values of u that occur in the first innings for each match beginning with u=20 and w(u)=w(20)=0. Next calculate the matrix T=(tuw) where tuw is the estimated percentage of resources remaining when u overs are available and w wickets have been taken. Calculate (100%) tuw by averaging z(u,w(u)) over all matches where w(u)=w and dividing by the average of z(20, 0) over all matches; the denominator is the average score by a side batting first in a t20 match. In the case of u=0, set tuw=t0w=0.0%. Table 3 displays the matrix T, an initial attempt at a resource table for t20. Note that t20,0=100% as desired. Although T is a non-parametric estimate of resources and makes no assumptions concerning the scoring patterns in t20, it is less than ideal. First, there are many table entries where there are missing data for the given situation. In addition, Table 3 does not exhibit the monotonicity expected. Logically, there is a requirement for a resource table that is non-decreasing from left to right along rows and a requirement for a resource table that is non-decreasing down columns. Also o bserve some conspicuous entries in Table 3, particularly the entry of 110.2% resources corresponding to 19 overs available and two wickets taken. This entry is clearly misleading and should be less than 100%. It arises due to the small sample size (three matches) corresponding to the given situation. For this non-parametric resource table (upcoming), the estimation procedure is robust to observations based on small sample sizes as the surrounding observations based on larger sample sizes have greater influence in the determination of the table. Therefore, there is retention of conspicuous observations such as 110.2%. This investigation of Duckworth/Lewis in Twenty20 should be viewed as one of discovery rather than an attempt to replace the Duckworth/Lewis table. Table 3. The matrix R=(r ow) of estimated resources for Twenty20 Overs available Wickets lost 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 20 100.0 19 93.6 83.0 110.2 18 90.4 85.8 78.3 17 86.7 80.5 82.8 53.7 16 81.7 74.5 81.9 70.7 32.8 15 76.5 71.4 71.5 65.9 59.9 14 68.3 69.1 67.6 66.2 58.4 13 63.8 68.2 62.4 62.9 59.0 24.3 12 62.1 62.3 60.6 57.3 58.8 44.1 11 60.5 56.3 57.0 53.6 61.0 39.7 10 57.6 49.6 52.1 52.8 48.1 38.6 41.0 35.2 9 54.9 52.1 43.6 49.0 44.1 33.8 35.0 29.7 8 51.0 46.4 41.7 42.2 41.2 36.7 27.5 28.7 7 48.6 45.8 38.9 35.9 39.1 34.8 24.1 25.5 6 54.0 37.9 36.6 30.3 36.2 31.3 20.9 21.4 26.7 5 44.0 32.5 25.4 28.7 29.4 23.9 17.1 14.9 4 28.2 23.4 22.5 22.2 20.9 14.3 10.6 3 20.6 19.9 16.9 17.8 15.8 12.4 7.6 2 21.2 17.6 11.9 13.4 10.6 11.0 7.2 1 8.7 5.2 7.3 6.0 5.5 6.0   The table entries indicate the percentage of resources remaining in a match with the specified number of wickets lost and overs available. Note: Missing entries correspond to match situations where data are unavailable. To impose the monotonicity constraints in the rows and columns, refer to the general problem of isotonic regression. For these purposes, consider the minimisation of with respect to the matrix Y=(yuw) where the double summation corresponds to u=1, †¦, 20 and w=0, †¦, 9, the quw are weights and the minimisation is subject to the constraints yuwgreater than or equal toyu,w+1 and yu,wgreater than or equal toyu−1,w. In addition, impose y20,0=100, y0,w=0 for w=0, †¦, 9 and yu,10=0 for u=1, †¦, 20. Although the fitting of Y is completely non-parametric, there are some arbitrary choices that have been made in the minimisation of (2). First, not only was the choice of squared error discrepancy in (2) convenient for computation, minimisation of the function F with squared error discrepancy corresponds to the method of constrained maximum likelihood estimation where the data ruw are independently normally distributed with means yuw and variances 1/quw. Second, a matrix Y: 20 10 based on overs is chosen. Alternatively, a larger matrix Y: 120 10 based on balls could have been considered. The overs formulation is preferred as it involves less missing data and leads to a less computationally intensive optimization. With a matrix Y based on overs, it is possible to interpolate on a ball-by-ball basis if required. Third, a simple choice has been made with respect to the weights quw. 1/quw is set equal to the sample variance used in the calculation of ruw divided by the sample size. The rationale is that when ruw is less variable, there is stronger belief that yuw should be close to ruw. Table 4 gives a non-parametric resource table based on the minimisation of (2). An algorithm for isotonic regression in two variables was first introduced by Dykstra and Robertson (1982). Fortran code was subsequently developed by Bril et al (1984). An R code implementation has been used that is available from the Iso package on the Cran website (www.cran.r-project.org). The programme requires 27 iterations to achieve convergence. What is unsatisfactory about Table 4 is that it suffers from the same criticism that was directed at the Duckworth-Lewis resource table. There is a considerable number of adjacent entries in Table 4 that have the same value. Again, it is not sensible for resources to remain constant as available overs decrease or wickets increase. The problem is that in the minimization of (2), various fitted ys occur on the boundaries imposed by the monotonicity constraints. Table 4 is also unsatisfactory from the point of view that it is incomplete; missing values corresp ond to match situations where data are unavailable. To address the above criticisms, it is necessary take a slightly different approach to estimation. As previously mentioned, it can been seen that (2) arises from the normal likelihood Therefore, consider a Bayesian model where the unknown parameters in (3) are the ys. A flat default prior is assigned to the ys subject to the monotonicity constraints. It follows that the posterior density takes the form (3) and that Gibbs sampling can be carried out via sampling from the full conditional distributions subject to the local constraints on yuw in the given iteration of the algorithm. Sampling from (4) is easily carried out using a normal generator and rejection sampling according to the constraints. Although in statistical terminology, (3) takes a parametric form, the approach is referred to as non-parametric since no functional relationship is imposed on the ys. Table 4. A non-parametric resource table for Twenty20 based on isotonic regression Overs available Wicket lost 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 20 100.0 19 93.6 85.5 85.5 18 90.4 85.5 80.8 17 86.7 80.8 80.8 64.7 16 81.7 77.4 77.4 64.7 55.9 15 76.5 71.5 71.5 64.7 55.9 14 68.8 68.8 67.6 64.7 55.9 13 66.6 66.6 62.6 62.6 55.9 38.4 12 62.2 62.2 60.6 57.3 55.9 38.4 11 60.5 56.8 56.8 54.8 54.8 38.4 10 57.6 52.1 52.1 52.1 48.1 38.4 34.1 29.3 9 54.9 52.1 46.5 46.5 44.1 36.3 34.1 29.3 8 51.0 46.4 42.0 42.0 41.2 36.3 28.6 28.6 7 48.6 45.8 38.9 37.3 37.3 34.8 25.3 25.3 6 39.7 39.7 36.6 32.8 32.8 31.3 23.0 21.4 21.4 5 39.7 32.5 28.0 28.0 28.0 23.0 17.1 15.5 4 27.9 23.4 22.5 22.2 20.9 14.3 10.7 3 20.7 19.9 17.4 17.4 15.8 12.4 7.7 2 20.7 17.6 12.5 12.5 10.8 10.8 7.2 1 8.7 6.6 6.6 6.0 5.7 5.7 The table entries indicate the percentage of resources remaining in a match with the specified number of wickets lost and overs available. Missing entries correspond to match situations where data are unavailable. In Table 5, the estimated posterior means of the ys obtained through Gibbs sampling are given, and these provide an alternative resource table for t20. The computations pose no difficulties and the estimates stabilize after 50,000 iterations. For cases of missing data, the Duckworth/Lewis table entries are used to impute the missing rs. The imputation is in the spirit of a Bayesian approach where prior information is utilised. Unlike Table 4, Table 5 is a complete table. Also, there are no longer adjacent table entries with identical values and this is due to the sampling approach. Finally, it can be stated that the methodology allows the input of expert opinion. For example, suppose that there is expert consensus that a table entry yij ought to be tied down to a particular value a. To force this table entry, all that is required is to set rij=a and assign a sufficiently small standard deviation Unfortunately we are unable to provide accessible alternative text for this. If you requi re assistance to access this image, please contact [emailprotected] or the author Table 5. A non-parametric resource table for Twenty20 based on Gibbs sampling Overs available Wickets lost 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 20 100.0 96.9 93.0 87.9 81.3 72.2 59.9 44.8 29.7 19 95.6 90.9 87.7 83.0 76.9 68.3 56.5 42.0 27.2 18 91.7