CSUB (GPA, SAT Scores and ACT Scores for Admission)

Cal State Bakersfield, one of the 23 schools in the  California State University System, accepts around 70% of all applicants, and students with decent grades and average test scores should have little difficulty getting in.   Cal State Bakersfield GPA, SAT and ACT Graph CSUB, Cal State Bakersfield GPA, SAT Scores and ACT Scores for Admission. Data courtesy of Cappex. Discussion of Cal State Bakersfields  Admissions Standards: In the graph above, the green and blue dots represent accepted students. The majority of students who got in had GPAs over 2.75, SAT scores (RWM) of 900 or higher, and ACT scores of 17 or higher. However, note that there are a few spots of red (rejected students) in the middle of the graph. Some students with grades and test scores on target for CSUB still get rejected. Unlike the University of California System, the California State University admission process is not holistic. Except for EOP students, applicants do not need to submit letters of recommendation or an application essay, and extracurricular involvement is not part of the standard application. Thus, the reason why an applicant with adequate scores and grades would be rejected tends to come down to a couple factors such as insufficient college preparatory classes or an incomplete application. To learn more about the California State University at Bakersfield, high school GPAs, SAT scores and ACT scores, these articles can help: CSUB Admissions ProfileWhats a Good SAT Score?Whats a Good ACT Score?Whats Considered a Good Academic Record?What is a Weighted GPA? If You Like Cal State Bakersfield, You May Also Like These Schools: University of California - Davis:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of California - Riverside:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphChapman University:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphMills College:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphPitzer College:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphStanford University:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT Graph GPA, SAT and ACT Graphs for Admission to Other Cal State Campuses Bakersfield |  Channel Islands  |  Chico  |  Dominquez Hills  |  East Bay  |  Fresno State  |  Fullerton  |  Humboldt  |  Long Beach  |  Los Angeles  |  Maritime  |  Monterey Bay  |  Northridge  |  Pomona (Cal Poly)  |  Sacramento  |  San Bernardino  |  San Diego  |  San Francisco  |  San Jose State  |  San Marcos  |  Sonoma State  |  Stanislaus

Abstarct. This Paper Will Review And Discuss Michael Pollan’S

Abstarct This paper will review and discuss Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma, A Natural History of Four Meals, which was named a New York Times best seller. Michael holds the prestigious title of the John S. and James L. Knight Professor of Journalism at Berkeley, as well as being a contributor to the New York Times Magazine. He also has the distinction of being named one of the one hundred most influential people in the world by Time magazine. The author will discuss the book, its references to the omnivores dilemma, but most importantly how the author views the content of the book. Which is how the government and the agribusiness have their hands on our dinner table deciding what and how American’s should eat.†¦show more content†¦Though at what cost? These animals are biologically engineered to eat pasture grass not corn. They are fed a cocktail of antibiotics, corn, fat supplements, liquid vitamins and synthetic estrogen and whatever the CFO’s d ecide they should be ingesting. One thing is for sure, it is not a natural diet. Very concerning, is what was witnessed on Michael’s trip, how the diet of the cattle has been changed from grass to corn solely for financial reasons. It is unfortunate that economics has OMNIVORE’S DILEMMA 4 dictated how we cultivate, process and prepare the food we eat. The commonly eaten corn-fed meat has an abundance of saturated fat while containing less healthy omega-3 fatty acids. There is a prevalence of heart disease when there is too high a ratio of omega-6 to omega-3. This ratio has increased from 1 to 1 to an alarming 10 to 1 in the contemporary diet of many Americans. Just as concerning is the fact the cattle develop resistant strains of bacteria as a result of including corn in cattle feed. Consequently, becoming resistant by the use of antibiotics, such as Tylosin which is used to prevent bloa t, which results from feeding cattle with corn, which leads to the development

Effectiveness Of Advertisement Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Effectiveness Of Advertisement. Answer: Introduction Advertising is one of the means of communication, which is used by the companies to interact with the consumers of their product. Advertisements are messages that are sent by the organizations to the consumers so that they can be pursued and influenced to buy the products in the market. The current world consists of advertising but many of the population are not aware of the fact but advertising is using every possible medium to penetrate the market and get through the message to the consumers (Aaker and Biel 2013).. The ideas of the organization are converted by the agencies in an effective manner in form of text, visuals, themes and layout which are used for the purpose of communicating with the consumers. The organization hires the advertisement agency and provides them with all the details such a brand image, values and the ideals. These are transformed by the agency for influencing the target consumers in the market (De Mooij 2013). Advertisement Effectiveness The multinational companies use advertisement to gain new consumers and retain the present consumers so that profit of the organization is maximized. The organization spent huge amount of money on this advertising campaigns so they will have to monitor the return on investment on the programs. The organizations measure whether the talent, treasures and time invested in the advertisement campaigns have been able to make an improvement in the performance of the organization. The measurement factors include profit maximization and the consumer satisfaction which will indicate the effectiveness. According to (Moriarty et al. 2014), it is essential to measure the effectiveness of the advertisements and the author has provided valid reasons for it. As stated by the author, it facilitates in making future decisions sound and have a clear breakup of the overall situation in the market. this also assists in impressing the higher-level officials and identify the point of saturation so that the organizations can be prepared for it. Moreover, it will help to identify the new trends in the market and be in touch with them. The two measures that are generally used for the measurement of the effectiveness of the advertisement are brand recall and persuasion. The connectivity of the consumers with the product can be considered as brand recall. This can be measured with surveys and questionnaires which will assist to understand the loyalty of the consumers towards a particular brand. There are generally two types of brand recall one is the aided recall and the other is the unaided recall. The aided recall can be done by bringing up a discussion about a particular product and the unaided recall happens when the consumer is connected to the product and is well aware of the brand. Persuasion is another which used to pursue the consumers to buy a particular product by catering to the needs of the target audience. Print media is one of the forms of advertisement which is being used by the companies as it has its own sets of advantage over the other form of media. The print media provides unlimited exposure for the organizations, magazines and newspapers do not have any scheduled timing so the potential exposure is more than radio and television. Moreover, the print media gets repeated viewership which is one of the biggest advantage of using the print media. Print media is non-intrusive when compared to other forms of media. The viewer has control over it and they can read it according to their own time. This means that it eliminates the chances of interruptions and thus, avoids annoyance to its consumers (Valette-Florence and De Barnier 2013). There are certain forms of print media which can be used for target marketing at high level such as the companies who manufacture upscale clothes for corporate officials will target their [print towards professional target group. Print media have loyal readership which means that the people subscribe to newspapers and magazines for a long period of time. This helps to reinforce message to the regular user of the content and improves their credibility in the market. Print media has position flexibility which means that the organizations can chose the location where they want to publish their advertisements depending upon their budget (Ghersetti 2014). The print ads provide the flexibility of choosing the size of the poster and the adviser may choose the location which will provide them with highest level of visibility. As stated by (Kilbourne 2012), it is difficult to measure the effectiveness of the advertisement, as it cannot be measured empirically, mathematically and standards. Advertisements are quite different from selling of products in the market. Various other factors are included in advertising such as quality, price, product and packaging. These factors will help in the increase of the sales and this is the sole reason that the organizations spent a large amount of money on advertising. The testing of the advertisement effectiveness will have to measured based on four factors which are market, message, motive and media. Initially the target market will have to be identified and then the effect of the advertisement on the target market will have to be measured. When talking about the motives identification of the motivational factors for the target consumers has to be analysed after the consumers have made their actions and reactions. The best possible way of conveying the message will ha ve to be identified so that the communication is effective. This will be measured by identifying the extent the message is registered within the minds of the consumers. Media is the most important factor and the combination of the processes, which are best for market penetration, will have to be used. These four factors will have to be analysed to identify the most appropriate advertisement campaign, which will able to obtain the desired objectives. This will facilitate in making the decision of choosing the advertising that is suitable (Song 2013). Olbrich and Schultz (2014) states that testing of the advertisement campaign can be done at any stage of the process and it can analyse the advertisement campaign before its commencement, during the process and after full execution of the process. There are three types of testing and they are pretesting, post testing and concurrent testing. Pretesting is executed before the commencement of the campaign and a huge amount of capital is invested in pretesting. The main objective of using the pretesting to choose the best headlines, copy appeals, slogans, matter, media and illustrations. The methods that are used in pretesting are opinion test, checklist test, inquiry test, mechanical test, portfolio and dummy magazine test. The checklist method provides rating scale or ranking to the advertisement based on their characteristics. The different parameters of characteristics are attention, honesty, convincing ability, readability and selling ability. These factors are used to evaluate vari ous advertisements and the scores given will determine the best advertisement. The opinion will gather opinion of group of potential consumers to gain feedback about the advertisement and their understanding about the product. The consumers rate the advertisement based on their attributes to identify the most effective one. The dummy magazine will consist of the standard materials along with ads which have already been tested. However, it will also contain the ad which has to be tested. These sample magazines are being distributed to all the potential consumers and they are requested to read the magazine. Then the consumers are asked questions and based on that the effectiveness of the advertisements are decided. The portfolio test is similar to the dummy test but in this scenario the ads are placed in a folder along with the control ads. These folders are distributed to the consumers and then are asked to choose the most interesting advertisements among all of them (Stevens et al. 2014). Print Advertisement A vs Print Advertisement B These two advertisements are promoting health drinks, one under the brand name of Tropicana, another as Capri Sun, with both behaving different approaches to the delivery of the message to the readers. Advertisement A (most effective) Main message: Introduction of a healthy drink that is enriched with 100% Vitamin E and contains essential antioxidants that are supposed to be helping in the maintenance of a healthy immune system. Target market: Women and men, especially those who are health concerned Persuasion tactics: Promotion of the major benefits like presence of vitamins and antioxidants for healthier lifestyle (unique selling promotion) This advertisement was published in the People magazine, which is a weekly magazine for the general audience, both men and women, specifically concentrating on celebrities who are currently popular and in news or special events (like Grammys or Oscars) and present offerings in TV or movies, books and records. Tropicana ad has been able to successfully reach the target market as their commercial has concentrated on the men and women who are sensitive to a healthy lifestyle. The tagline of Youre cold, youre wet, youve never felt healthier has been able to grab the attention of the audience with the help of using a different text font than the rest of the ad, limited words and located just beside the focal area of the print ad for communicating their key selling point. Moreover, the message has an implication in the tagline, which is stimulating the readers interest for putting effort in understanding what the advertisement, and the advertiser is actually attempting to say and deliver. Based on that the desire of consumers is generated. Remarkably, the image in the ad is placed sufficiently and in a position, that would make it easier for the reader in acting on the message and promoting the offering (Danaher and Dagger 2013). Advertisement B Main message: The old Capri Sun mix that was available in solver pouches is now available in drink mix package. Target market: general audience, especially women Persuasion tactics: using of the particular situation for highlighting the brand trust This advertisement was placed in the Ladies Home Journal, which is a service magazine catering to women and covers stories and articles like beauty, home design, fashion, health and interesting personalities. The ad is attempted at reaching out the mothers who are readers of this magazine, but it failed in attracting eth attention of the potential customers due to the writing style, which is hard to read even if any reader attempts at engaging into comprehending the ads content. It might be touching the feelings of some audience by the demonstration of a typical activity of childrens lives, but it was still not attractive enough in pulling people. The mentioned benefit of the product displays appreciation of the product and the likeability of the customers and their expectations from it, but still there was room for more persuasiveness. The ad also displays a poor colour and font combination for catching the attention of the audience in the first impression and the conveyance of the benefits are also not clear enough. Even though the ad has a clear and simple construction, it lacks in good appeal and impact on customers. Criteria Advertisement A Advertisement B Attention grabbing capability 4 3 Depicting product benefits 4 3 Visual attraction and clarity 2 4 Believability of the ad 4 3 Table 1: Advertisements rated based on their effectiveness on a scale of 0 to 5. Print Advertisemen t C vs Print Advertisement D The next pair of ads are from the category of zip bags with different brands. One advertisement is from Glad Stand, the second one from Ziploc, both of them competing with each other in the market. Advertisement C Main message: The sturdy plastic and large space would be helpful in easy filling and standing up all by themselves Target market: General audience Persuasion tactics: Use of visuals in effectively highlighting the benefits Starting with, the ad manages to attract attention of both new and existing customers, majorly influencing women audience of Bon Appetit, which is a monthly magazine, focused on food, travels, wines and interior designs. The picture used in the ad is colourful but actually fails in conveying the message of the product offering or creating any lasting impression. Advertisement D (most effective) Main message: Hard material, easy use, stands up tall and stays open. Available in different sizes. Target market: General audience Persuasion tactics: Attractive visuals Clearly, the ad has managed to attract the attention of the reader by means of the comparison picture of two Ziploc bags. The picture clearly shows the difference of this Ziploc from other similar bags and why we should be interested in choosing Ziploc. The ad was published in Ladies Home Journal, which is a service magazine catering to women and covers stories and articles like beauty, home design, fashion, health and interesting personalities. The picture makes an effective product statement, with large words used to differentiate actually why Ziploc is easier to use and why the consumers would desire to buy it. Blue and white colour of the ad creates a good contrast in making the text stand out from the background, which has ultimately built up the visual attractiveness through the print ad, tumbling the ad towards action from the side of the consumers. Criteria Advertisement C Advertisement D Attention grabbing capability 3 5 Depicting product benefits 2 4 Visual attraction and clarity 2 5 Believability of the ad 3 4 Table 2: Advertisements rated based on their effectiveness on a scale of 0 to 5. Recommendations The above analysis of the comparison of the two pair of print ads is effectively showing the real significance of increasing the pulling power of advertisements. The main idea is not about acquiring the maximum number of people but actually getting conveyed to the appropriate target audience. It is necessary that successful advertisements are able to acquire the attention of consumers, convey the benefits and motivate them in the direction of the offering with a proper and clear message. As per evaluation, ads B and C needs improvement as per below recommendations: Advertisement B As per the main problem, this ad needs improvement with the visual picture, font style and size and colour combination. Advertisement C As per the main problem, this ad requires to convey the message with a proper picture, with detailed reasons of why this should be chosen over others. Conclusion On a concluding note, it has been understood that print ads are still holding a strong place in the advertising industry for enhancing the awareness of the consumers and communication with them. Effective advertisements are there for gaining customer attention and reflecting a particular benefit that would make customers easily recall and identify the product. References Aaker, D.A. and Biel, A., 2013.Brand equity advertising: advertising's role in building strong brands. Psychology Press. Aitchison, J., 2012.Cutting edge advertising: How to create the world's best print for brands in the 21st century. FT Press. Bartels, L.M., 2014. Remembering to forget: A note on the duration of campaign advertising effects.Political Communication,31(4), pp.532-544. Danaher, P.J. and Dagger, T.S., 2013, August. Comparing the relative effectiveness of advertising channels: A case study of a multimedia blitz campaign. AmericanMarketing Association. De Mooij, M., 2013. Global marketing and advertising: Understanding cultural paradoxes. Sage Publications. Drewniany, B.L. and Jewler, A.J., 2013.Creative strategy in advertising. Cengage Learning. Ghersetti, M., 2014. Still the same? Comparing news content in online and print media.Journalism Practice,8(4), pp.373-389. Jewell, R.D. and Saenger, C., 2014. Associative and dissociative comparative advertising strategies in broadening brand positioning.Journal of Business Research,67(7), pp.1559-1566. Kilbourne, J., 2012.Can't buy my love: How advertising changes the way we think and feel. Simon and Schuster. Moriarty, S., Mitchell, N.D., Wells, W.D., Crawford, R., Brennan, L. and Spence-Stone, R., 2014.Advertising: Principles and practice. Pearson Australia. Ogilvy, D., 2013.Ogilvy on advertising. Vintage. Olbrich, R. and D. Schultz, C., 2014. Multichannel advertising: does print advertising affect search engine advertising?.European Journal of Marketing,48(9/10), pp.1731-1756. Parente, D. and Strausbaugh-Hutchinson, K., 2014.Advertising campaign strategy: A guide to marketing communication plans. Cengage Learning. Percy, L., 2016.Strategic advertising management. Oxford University Press. Rossiter, J.R. and Smidts, A., 2012. Print advertising: Celebrity presenters.Journal of Business Research,65(6), pp.874-879. Song, M., 2013. Estimating platform market power in two-sided markets with an application to magazine advertising. Stevens, R.E., Loudon, D.L., Clow, K.E. and Baack, D., 2014.Concise encyclopedia of advertising. Routledge. Valette-Florence, R. and De Barnier, V., 2013. Towards a micro conception of brand personality: An application for print media brands in a French context.Journal of Business Research,66(7), pp.897-903.

Security Threats in Social Sites

There are quite a couple of benefits for a firm that invests in information security. The ability to cope effectively with today’s security threats in social sites such as web hacking to steal consumer identity, and other internet disruptions is at the verge.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Security Threats in Social Sites specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Insecurity has caused complexity and slow progression in delivery of products and services in the virtual market since people want to countercheck viability before any engagements. Risks involved in virtual transactions or commitments are huge threats especially sites such as Facebook, MySpace or emails servers, since they necessitate submission of personal information. Today, information requires proper security for an effective collaboration. The service providers are able to invest heavily on the security due to possible negative effect, for instance the recent attacks on giant search engines, Google and Yahoo in China. Major risks may include stolen patent laws, compromise of data integrity and worse cases such as total loss and manipulation of information to gain profits. Various government regulations and business policies or requirements quantify the sites’ information security as a competitive advantage. Regulations make the customer to feel comfortable transacting in such firms and provide a legal platform in case of violations. The group sites and other social accounts must engage security measures to ensure privacy of information. Contrasting speculations that the sites lack security or privacy, the involved firms recognize benefits of investing in Information Security, thus the need to understanding methodologies behind risks experienced by the clients (Schneier, 2009). Security is quantifiable through evaluation of performance or comparison between the prospective or potential competitors. The quantitative risk analysis shows how the control adds value in a reputable and comparable manner. Lack of major cases involving private data violations is a good sign of enhanced privacy. Companies are able to control the data losses by investing in proper security control measures such as server configurations.Advertising Looking for report on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Today, ability to prove availability of system security such as assuring privacy of data or information in social sites falls upon business proceedings. None of the companies that manage social sites has experienced critical performance hitches such as bleach of data or highly impacts on reputation due to compromised clients’ data. Although it is difficult to predict the value and amount of Information Security that protect privacy, it is helpful and important to determine availability. Data privacy depends on information security, which also ensures full protection of the information and systems from attacks such as unauthorized access, malicious attacks, theft, unauthorized disclosure or use, disruptions and illegal modifications. As a standard in support of privacy, information security has to involve safe usage and transfers. Security enhances easy and quick data and information exchange for the end-users during communication in both private and public networks. Information security is more beneficial in the public domain because of the advanced setup and high possibilities of attacks. Today the security of data links that are more susceptible to exploration occurs through data encryption or public key cryptography, which is a very common practice by the companies owning the collaborative sites (Schneier, 2009). When using the sites, a consumer can note protection of profiles as an assurance over application. Enhanced government policies and regulations ensure protection of privacy, intellectual property rights and e nhance management of information by defending against challenges of unauthorized system access. Another protective mechanism involves isolation of untrusted form of malicious or unsecure users through authentication and enhancement procedures. The information security protocol also prevents systems’ attacks by locking down the server systems or ensuring only authorized access. The operational procedures during the security enhancement process involves checking eavesdropping and, enhancing use of strong passwords to stop gathering of information by the system users or visitors through authentication of access. The security procedures also enhance encryption of information during transfers between servers or other workstations (Easttom, 2006).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Security Threats in Social Sites specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More References Easttom, C. (2006). Network Defense and counter measures principles and practices: Security Series. Pearson Prentice Hall Schneier, B. (2009). Security ROI Fact and Fiction. Retrieved from https://www.schneier.com/ This report on Security Threats in Social Sites was written and submitted by user Jeffers0n to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Harringtons

What are Harringtons claims about the relationship between big business and government in the United States? Do you agree or disagree with them and why? He makes a proposal about one way to begin to address the problem (which he acknowledges is limited and not a complete solution by any means). If you agree that there is a problem, what are other ways (alternatively or in addition to his proposal) it could be addressed? He calls our current system corporate collectivism. He talks to a concept he refers to as trickle down, which is the concept of the government rewarding the corporate rich more than anyone else, and he thinks of it as the ruling policy of America. He believes that the rich makes much more money than everyone else. He even goes as far to suggest that the welfare system does much more for the corporate rich than for anybody else. His belief is that there is a structure of power that dictates pro-corporate outcomes to democratically elected representatives. In conclusion, he believes that the government will on all occasions maximize corporate priorities first and foremost. I dont know if I agree with him, I mean President Clinton didnt come from a rich family, (even though Bush did), but he proved that it is possible to come from a plain background and make the seat. His first job as President was to make a huge tax cut, isnt that for the people? I know that our g! overnment isnt perfect, I might just be young and naive but I dont know if there is this whole hidden conspiracy that Harrington seems to be pointing too. He suggests that we run the Hawkins-Humphrey Full Employment Bill, which would call for the President to make an analysis of all the investment decisions both public and private every year and use this information to figure out what level of unemployment will result. I dont know how much help this plan would be, but I couldn&...

About Ground Beetles, of the Family Carabidae

About Ground Beetles, of the Family Carabidae Turn over a rock or log, and youll see dark, shiny beetles running for cover- ground beetles. This diverse group of predators are among the top 10 beneficial garden insects. Though hidden by day, at night the Carabids hunt and feed on some of our worst garden pests. Description The best way to get to know the ground beetles is to observe some up close. Since most are nocturnal, you can usually find them hiding under boards or stepping stones during the day. Try using a pitfall trap to collect a few, and check for the telltale Carabid characteristics. Most ground beetles are black and shiny, though some display metallic colors. In many Carabids, the elytra are grooved. Look at a ground beetles hind legs, and youll notice the first leg segments (the hips) extend backward  over the first abdominal segment. Threadlike antennae emerge from between the eyes and the jaws of the ground beetle. The pronotum is always wider than the area of the head where the eyes are present. Classification Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ArthropodaClass:  InsectaOrder:  ColeopteraFamily: Carabidae Diet Nearly all ground beetles prey on other invertebrates. Some Carabids are specialized predators, feeding exclusively on one type of prey. A few ground beetles feed on plants or seeds, and others are omnivores. Life Cycle Like all beetles, Carabids undergo complete metamorphosis with four stages of development: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The entire cycle, from egg to reaching reproductivity, takes a full year in most species. Ground beetles usually lay their eggs on the surface of the soil or cover their eggs with soil. In general, eggs take up to a week to hatch. Larvae go through 2-4 instars before reaching the pupal stage. Ground beetles which breed in the spring typically overwinter as adults. Carabids that breed during the summer months tend to overwinter as larvae, then finish their development to adults in the spring. Special Adaptations and Defenses Many ground beetles employ chemical defense systems to fend off attackers. When handled or threatened, they use abdominal glands to produce pungent odors. Some, like the bombardier beetles, can even make chemical compounds that burn on contact. Range and Distribution Ground beetles live in almost every terrestrial habitat on earth. Worldwide, about 40,000 species in the family Carabidae have been described and named. In North America, the ground beetles number well over 2,000.

The Cafe Business in the Technical School Research Paper

The Cafe Business in the Technical School - Research Paper Example This results in several deductions that conclusively support the questions under study by looking at all angles affecting the college of technology. The results reflect a generalization that shows how the business is fairing in the college and thus, tastes and preferences among student and staff are deduced with ease.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The information provided indicates that students in higher levels find the cafà © a suitable joint since it saves time. The demand for the products is high among the student's fraternity. As a result, cafà © personnel needs to look for ways of attracting the freshmen and sophomores in order to increase demand.†Ã‚   â€Å"From the graph, many of the students did not respond to this question. In the 1-2 weeks interval, 35 students visit the cafà © while 20 of the faculty members visit in the same duration. Only 3 students visit the cafà © 5 or more times, yet none of the faculty members frequent the cafà © this number of times.† â€Å"The info rmation stipulated in the graph indicates that the cafà © needs to investigate the main reasons leading to the low number of visits to the cafà © by both staff and students in the 5 or more interval. The recommendation is to introduce products that will attract students and staff in order to increase the number of weekly visits. These will emphasis on their desired product and services in order to satisfy the customers of the cafe.†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The graph indicates that the highest number of students (113) did not respond to the question. However, those who said yes to purchase of pizza are 25 and 13 for the faculty/staff. The largest number of students (18) also do not purchase from the cafà ©, whilst the staff was 10.† â€Å"From the above information, it is evident that many participants of the survey were not ready to answer questions.  

Report on the feasibility of the overseas expansion of acomb tyres in Essay

Report on the feasibility of the overseas expansion of acomb tyres in india - Essay Example The best beneficiaries in this case would rightly be India & China, with Russia just beginning to emerge to becoming a challenger to them in this are. The world has seen similar advances in other domains of trade & commerce as well. Companies today feel pride in declaring themselves as multinational corporations rather than be known more as local or regional players. The tyre industry is one such area, which has seen similar changes. Today major tyre industries like Bridgestone & Dunlop are popular & financially very strong owing to the fact that they are MNCs (Multi National Corporations). But, Yadong Luo (1997) is of the positive view that this must not deter other SMEs (Small & Medium Enterprises) from aspiring to go global as has been cited by Zoltan J Acks (2001). This report is written as an advisory statement to the Acomb Tyres of the UK (which is an SME) as to what are the pros & cons of setting up shop in other countries. In this report, the country under discussion is India. The reasons for selecting this country as the most favorable destination is discussed in the following sections of the report. As the Acomb tyre Industries' major area of production is in the area of agricultural tractor tyres, the report concentrates on analyzing a suitable market for the same type of products. The present section concentrates on what are the reasons for global expansion as also what are the best strategies to initiate such expansions. Examples in support of the argument are discussed in the section that deals with the expansion of Acomb in India. REASONS FOR OVERSEAS EXPANSION & STRATEGIES TO DO SO There is no doubt that Acomb Tyre Industries is established & considerably popular in its native market in the UK with an estimated annual turnover of around 22m. But the following points that are described below outline the prime reasons as to why Acomb should consider a major overseas expansion: Limited Home Market It is a known fact that Acomb industries has won several awards for its unique and innovative products and has earned a solid reputation among farmers and other users of agricultural vehicles in the Northeast England and its surrounding regions. But a point to note is that the tyre market in the UK has been found to become stagnant in terms of growth & the economy. The tyre industry is no longer seen as a major contributor towards the development of the economy as it used to be so previously. Siobhan A Austen (1999) says that a prime reason for this can be attributed to the fact that the amount of sales of tyres on an annual basis; especially in the agricultural sector has reached its optimum levels owing to the limited amount of land available in the UK. Acomb has also been feeling the effect of the limited market, which is one of the company's prime reasons for asking us to prepare this report. The analysis of the prevailing market conditions in the UK have led us to the conclusion that it is time for Acomb to start looking for greener pastures. Better Profit Margins History has shown that today's major companies have come to dominate the market,

Plan balanced meals snacks Essay Example for Free

Plan balanced meals snacks Essay

Trace Evidence Essay examples -- essays research papers

Crime scenes are known to have many clues left behind. The obvious would be a the body or bodies, clothing, and sometimes even the murder weapon. While these are great way to solve a case there's another kind of evidence; trace evidence. Trace evidence are small pieces of evidence that are laying around a crime scene. There are many types of trace evidence some of them include metal filings, plastic fragments, gunshot residue, glass fragments, feathers, food stains, building materials, lubricants, fingernail scrapings, pollens and spores, cosmetics, chemicals, paper fibers and sawdust, human and animal hairs, plant and vegetable fibers, blood and other body fluids, asphalt or tar, vegetable fats and oils, dusts and other airborne particles, insulation, textile fibers, soot, soils and mineral grains, and explosive residues. Although these are the most common found elements, they are not the only ones. The Trace Evidence Unit is known to examine the largest variety of evidence types a nd used the biggest range of analytical methods of any unit. materials are compared with standards or knowns samples to determine whether or not they share any common characteristics. In this paper I will discuss the different kinds of trace evidence and how crime scene investigaros use it to solve cases and convict criminal. Trace evidence was first discovered by Edmond Locard. Edmond Locard was born in 1877, and founded the Institute of Lyon’s Institute of Criminalistics. He is also known for advancing the science of fingerprints. In 1910 he was authorized to start a small forensic laboratory in the Palais de Justice which he directed until 1951.While there he worked on criminal identification methods including poroscopy- the microscopic examination of fingerprints; analyses of body fluids, hair and skin; and graphometry or handwriting analysis. He is the man responsible for coming up with the theory that when two objects come in contact with each other they leave some kind of material matter behind. This theory was later called Locard’s Exchange Principle. The idea is that the evidence can be used to associate objects, individuals or locations with one another." A person typically loses about 100 hairs a day. These hairs may be of evidentiary value to show contact between two people. With an adequate hair standard, a trace chemist will be able to microscopically compare a... ...furniture which may be locked. They then use the small paint chips and metal as evidence and process them the way that individual piece of evidence should be processed. Believe it or not, wounds from a victim are also evidence. The wound can allow the investigators to match up any marks that could have been made from the weapon and therefore allows them to determine at what angle, distance, and how fast the weapon was used. The last type of evidence I will discuss are documents. Everyone has a different handwriting and different characteristics that make it unique. Computers are also unique in the way they type and print out things. Document examiners can look over these and establish the similarities in the handwriting and computer forensic specialists can extract logs and other data from most devices. As you can see there is no perfect crime. The littlest piece of hair or paint or anything left behind can be found. Suspects often miss these tiny peieces of evidence and while they looked over it, it is still lurking at the crim scene. It is guarenteed that a Crime Scene Investigator will find this evidence no matter how small and use it to find, prosecute, and convict a criminal. Trace Evidence Essay examples -- essays research papers Crime scenes are known to have many clues left behind. The obvious would be a the body or bodies, clothing, and sometimes even the murder weapon. While these are great way to solve a case there's another kind of evidence; trace evidence. Trace evidence are small pieces of evidence that are laying around a crime scene. There are many types of trace evidence some of them include metal filings, plastic fragments, gunshot residue, glass fragments, feathers, food stains, building materials, lubricants, fingernail scrapings, pollens and spores, cosmetics, chemicals, paper fibers and sawdust, human and animal hairs, plant and vegetable fibers, blood and other body fluids, asphalt or tar, vegetable fats and oils, dusts and other airborne particles, insulation, textile fibers, soot, soils and mineral grains, and explosive residues. Although these are the most common found elements, they are not the only ones. The Trace Evidence Unit is known to examine the largest variety of evidence types a nd used the biggest range of analytical methods of any unit. materials are compared with standards or knowns samples to determine whether or not they share any common characteristics. In this paper I will discuss the different kinds of trace evidence and how crime scene investigaros use it to solve cases and convict criminal. Trace evidence was first discovered by Edmond Locard. Edmond Locard was born in 1877, and founded the Institute of Lyon’s Institute of Criminalistics. He is also known for advancing the science of fingerprints. In 1910 he was authorized to start a small forensic laboratory in the Palais de Justice which he directed until 1951.While there he worked on criminal identification methods including poroscopy- the microscopic examination of fingerprints; analyses of body fluids, hair and skin; and graphometry or handwriting analysis. He is the man responsible for coming up with the theory that when two objects come in contact with each other they leave some kind of material matter behind. This theory was later called Locard’s Exchange Principle. The idea is that the evidence can be used to associate objects, individuals or locations with one another." A person typically loses about 100 hairs a day. These hairs may be of evidentiary value to show contact between two people. With an adequate hair standard, a trace chemist will be able to microscopically compare a... ...furniture which may be locked. They then use the small paint chips and metal as evidence and process them the way that individual piece of evidence should be processed. Believe it or not, wounds from a victim are also evidence. The wound can allow the investigators to match up any marks that could have been made from the weapon and therefore allows them to determine at what angle, distance, and how fast the weapon was used. The last type of evidence I will discuss are documents. Everyone has a different handwriting and different characteristics that make it unique. Computers are also unique in the way they type and print out things. Document examiners can look over these and establish the similarities in the handwriting and computer forensic specialists can extract logs and other data from most devices. As you can see there is no perfect crime. The littlest piece of hair or paint or anything left behind can be found. Suspects often miss these tiny peieces of evidence and while they looked over it, it is still lurking at the crim scene. It is guarenteed that a Crime Scene Investigator will find this evidence no matter how small and use it to find, prosecute, and convict a criminal.

Equality in Harrison Bergeron Essay

Kurt Vonnegut’s short story â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† is set in the future (2081), when the government has supposedly made everyone â€Å"equal. † The people of this era are forced equal by technology. These people are denied individuality, and the governments have taken their freedom by enforcing laws. Vonnegut’s story is a satire because the society he depicts is not truly equal, but rather a totalitarian regime under the pretense of equality. I will examine how Vonnegut seems to be implying that in such a society, the government gains too much control and people gradually lose their individuality. In Vonnegut’s story, â€Å"everybody was finally equal. They weren’t only equal before God and the law. They were equal in every which way. † So how does this differ from the equality we enjoy in our current society? Vonnegut goes on to explain that, in such a society, equality means that â€Å"nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. † But how would this be possible if every human being is born differently? The government forces citizens to wear different levels of handicap devices according to their differing abilities. For example, a handicap radio is forced on anyone considered smart, a mask is forced on anyone considered beautiful, and heavy bags full of birdshots are forced on anyone considered strong. All these rules are enforced by the â€Å"211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution,† and the â€Å"unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General. However, this also implicates that equality is not actually achieved because the Handicapper General is evidently not restricted in the same manner. In fact, the Handicapper General, which seems to represent the government, controls the life of citizens. People like George might possess intelligent thoughts such as â€Å"maybe dancers shouldn’t be handicapped. † However, these thoughts might undermine the Handicapper General’s power, so the handicap radio works â€Å"every twenty seconds or so† to â€Å"keep people like George from taking unfair advantage of their brains. George’s son Harrison Bergeron, who according to the news channel is â€Å"a genius and an athlete,† is regarded as â€Å"extremely dangerous. † After Harrison escapes from jail â€Å"under-handicapped†, he is quickly tracked down by authorities and shot by the Handicapper General herself. Vonnegut seems to imply that ironically, power are in the hands of only a few people under the pretense of equality, and that extraordinary people has no place to live in such an authoritarian society. Controlled by the government, citizens also lose their individuality. Masks are worn so beauty is hidden. When George and Hazel were watching ballerinas on the television, the ballerinas’ â€Å"faces were masked, so that no one, seeing a free and graceful gesture or a pretty face, would feel like something the cat drug in. † Moreover, people who are strong have to wear weights on their bodies. George had a â€Å"forty-seven pounds of birdshot in a canvas bag, which was padlocked around [his] neck,† which even Hazel finds pitying. Even voices are controlled. Reading a bulletin, a ballerina had to â€Å"apologize at once for her voice† because her actual voice was â€Å"a warm, luminous, [and] timeless melody. Therefore, people in this society lose their individuality and humanity. Vonnegut seems to imply that the government intrudes the everyday lives of citizens under the pretense of equality, just like the communist totalitarian regime of Mao Ze Dong in China. Vonnegut seems to think that equality in the sense of eliminating individual differences would never work. If the government forced handicaps on gifted people, how could we improve our society? Creative thinkers wouldn’t be able to come up with new ideas, technology development would stagnate and the quality of life would deteriorate. Suppose there weren’t anybody capable of inventing the mobile phone, how would contact your friends and family on the road? In conclusion, â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† portrays how people can potentially lose their individuality and unwillingly accept totalitarian control under the pretense of equality. Vonnegut wants to warn us about how dangerous such a society is and how the improper usage of equality is fatal for the human race. We should never sacrifice individuality for equality!

Creative Writing †Whangamata Beach Essay

As I gaze over my photo album I pause on a particular photo. It’s dark but I can just make out the shadowy figures posing in the background, the murky night enclosing itself around them. Brightly coloured flames shoot up from the wood in front of them; I can still feel that warmth of the fire. I search my mind trying to place the exact details of that night only they blur and condense until there are only specs of a memory. That photo always brings me back to one place, Whangamata. Looking up to the sky, glimmering with brightly illuminated stars I breathe in only to have my lungs become coated with the thick sea salt that travels up the sandy banks of the beach every time a wave begins to crash down on the shore. I reach for my camera which has been swallowed up by the surrounding sand. Brushing it off I focus it on everyone’s shadowy faces. They all gather around, they huddle to try fit into the screen of the camera. Taking the photo I hear the shutter click, lying back I close my eyes. The heat of the blazing fire penetrates my skin as I sink into the sand. I think about all the complications I’ll have when I get back to Auckland. As I sigh, I position my head on a piece of drift wood. Aiming my stare towards my friends I see them singing and dancing around the fire. Lazily I smile at them when they begin to call my name. ‘You’re no fun!’ Erin shouts as I stick my tongue out at her in mock response. After a while more people begin to join me beside the fire, their bodies tired from the erratic movement of tonight’s adventures. Rose begins to hush everyone and as it quietens a clearer noise is audible. Laughter and shouting from the distance booms and echoes around us. Everyone turns to give each other puzzled looks. This is our spot, how could anyone find us here? I squint trying to make out who they are but the blackness of midnight is too dark and hazy. Hidden from my eyesight for a while, shadowy silhouettes eventually emerge from the dimness behind the fire. A group of people were making their way towards us, shouting. One by one our group stood up, I was the last to stand but the first to approach them. Erin ran to catch up with me, linking her arm through mine when she reaches me. Her icy skin gives me goose bumps; I rub my arms to stay warm. Thunder rumbles in the distance as the cool offshore breeze begins to whip my hair lightly backwards and forwards. When we reach the intruders I speak, ‘I’m Kayleigh, this is Erin and they’re our friends’ I motioned towards everybody standing around the fire. The group standing before me smiled. ‘Can we sit with you for a while; we’ve been walking for hours’ the boy closest to me asks huskily. I nod in re ply. Instead of

Rising of Islan and West Central Africa essays

Rising of Islan and West Central Africa essays Islam began in the Near East and developed both religiously and culturally due to the Roman Empire. Then, Africa becomes a resource base and develops more substantial markets, which Islam had an impact on. Both Islam and West Central Africa had an impact on the modern world, due to their pre-modern facets. Part of the Islamic region, including Levant and Syria, had religions including Christians, Jews, and animists, which were also known as Pagans. There were also Muslims who worshiped Allah. Their name in Arabic meant, one who submits. Islam urbanized through the climate, which was desert, even though it needed resources. As for the population, people would travel immensely before Mohammed, the Prophet, existed. Arabs were not very much into agriculture due to the fact that there was no central state of living. They would be pre-modern in the sense that they would fight for themselves and rely on trade for their assets. Also, before Mohammed, the Gods spirits would dwell in the natural worlds. Arabs worshiped spirits of the world and found caves, trees, and stones to be of value. Mohammed, 570 to 632, was the prophet of Islam. He attempted to bring unity to people; therefore they would have the ability to store up their resources, instead of fight. Even though Mo hammed was born poor, he married into wealth. Islam involved both Judaism and Christianity, with hope that it would bring together the people. Mohammed began having revelations and his first one was received in 612. It was dictated by the angel Gabriel, who is Mohammeds authority for the entire meaning of the Koran. They say today that the angel never came to him. Mohammed begs to differ and said that her exact words were, Recite thou, in the name of thy Lord who created; created man from clots of blood: Recite thou! For thy Lord is the most beneficent, who hath taught the use of the pen; hath taught man that whi...

The Difference Between the Words Aural and Oral

The Difference Between the Words 'Aural' and 'Oral' The words aural and oral are often confused, most likely because theyre nearly homophones (that is, words that sound the same). While the two words are related, theyre not interchangeable and in fact are in contrast with one another. Heres what you should know before using these words in your writing or speech. Definitions The adjective aural refers to sounds perceived by the ear. For instance, a musicians aural skills might refer to their ability to identify melodies and intervals by hearing them, rather than seeing them written out in sheet music. The adjective oral relates to the mouth: spoken rather than written. In everyday life, its often used in the context of dentistry (i.e. an oral exam checks for cavities, gum disease, etc.). It can also be used to describe something spoken, often in contrast with writing. For instance, a foreign language class might have a two-part exam: a written exam as well as an oral exam that requires speaking the language aloud. Origins Aural derives from the Latin word auris, which means ear. Oral dervies from the Latin oralis, which in turn derived from the Latin os, meaning mouth. Pronunciations In common speech, aural and oral are often pronounced similarly, which can contribute to the confusion between the two words. However, the vowel sounds at the beginning of each word are technically pronounced differently, and one can consciously emphasize those differences if confusion seems likely. The first syllable of oral is pronounced as it looks: like the conjunction or, as in this or that. The first syllable of aural, with the au- diphthong, sounds more similar to the ah or aw sound, like in audio or automobile. Examples: Harlems brand of ragtime was not made to accompany dancing or seduction; its only aim was aural delight. . . . The music flourished where it could feed, and feed off of, high spirits.(David A. Jasen and Gene Jones, Black Bottom Stomp. Routledge, 2002)Poetry remembers that it was an oral art before it was a written art.(Jorge Luis Borges) Usage Note: For many speakers of English, these words sound the same. But for all, their meanings are distinct. Aural refers to the ear or to hearing: aural disease, a memory that was predominantly aural. Oral refers to the mouth or to speaking: an oral vaccine, an oral report.In certain contexts, the difference can be more subtle than might be expected. An oral tradition is one that is conveyed primarily by speech (as opposed to writing, for example), whereas an aural tradition is one that is conveyed primarily by sounds (as opposed to images, for instance). (The American Heritage Guide to Contemporary Usage and Style. Houghton Mifflin, 2005) Answers to Practice Exercises: Aural and Oral (a) Tall tales and legends have filtered down to us through oral traditions and early written records.(b) Her music is the aural equivalent of a deep breath of country air. Glossary of Usage: Index of Commonly Confused Words

Personal journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Personal journal - Essay Example At least I’ll have my own four wheels and freedom to get places I need to be. It’s funny because I know I’ll mostly be using it to get to school and work on time. Oh well, it’s still liberating to know you have your own car; a vehicle you can use anytime you want to. Sometimes I notice people and the types of cars they drive. It almost defines them and their personality. I saw an elderly lady driving the other day, hands firmly on the wheel, back slightly hunched, eyes focused, and forehead wrinkled in concentration. She was driving a neat little, Ford, a family car suitable for basic day to day needs and errands. Something safe, reliable, and comforting, just like her. I wonder if people will look and analyze me when I’m sitting in my car driving down the street. First, I need to pick one out though. God, I hope I don’t get something too shabby. Maybe I’ll get it painted a bright blue or even silver to make it cooler. I’ll be o ne of the first ones among my friends to have one. We would all be able to hang out more often once school is over; cruising down in my car I don’t have yet. I still have to get a summer job though. I’ll start looking at the wanted ads tomorrow. I’ll talk to my dad again tonight and see for sure how much he can pitch in. I’ll be able to help around more with outside chores and tasks. Yeah that’ll be a good starting point to reel in my dad.

Chapter 14 discussion question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chapter 14 discussion question - Essay Example One of the goals of all managers is to maximize shareholder’s wealth. The community that lost those jobs will perceive the CEO to be an immoral and unethical person that has no sense of patriotism. The made in America label has a lot of value in the United States consumer markets. 2. There are hundreds of examples of ethical and unethical behavior in the business world. A case of an unethical act that occurred over a decade ago is the Nike Corporation sweetshop scandal. Nike Corporation is one of the leading apparels and shoe manufacturers in the world. Back in the 1990s Nike expanded its operation into several developing countries. The reason the firm choose these locations was to save in labor and operating costs. The company lost control and a managerial staff composed of immoral leaders created sweetshops at these locations. A sweetshop is a shop or factory in which employees work long hours for low pay in an unsafe working environment (Merriam-webster, 2011). An example o f a company that is using high ethical standards in its operating decisions is Starbucks Cafe. Starbucks Cafe sources its coffee using a practice known as fair trade coffee. Fair trade coffee guarantees poor farmers a price of $1.26 per pound of coffee which is twice the going rate for that product. 3. Unethical behavior can occur for a leader that has proper values and intentions. The reason that this can occur is that ethics is relative to the person or group that analyzes an act. A simple way to visualize ethics in the corporate world is through the stakeholder perspective. Each stakeholder group is going to react differently to an action. A leader may have great intentions and proper values, but sometimes budgetary constraints force the hand of a leader. If a leader closes down an operation knowing that the community needs those jobs the person despite wanting to help was force to make a decision that will be viewed as unethical by the community. 4. The glass ceiling effect that limits the managerial opportunities for women occurs for a variety of reasons. Our society believes the positions of power are better handled by men. In the United States there has never been a woman president. In the past there were more men in the workforce than women. The current trend is for more women to continue to enter the labor force. As of 2004 women represented 46% of the US labor force (Dol, 2004). Another social stigma that has helped men get better paying jobs is the belief that the man is supposed to be the provider of the household. It is also possible also that man visualize women as a threat to the corporate power structure which has historically been dominated by men. 5. In order to level the playing so that women can have better job opportunities including managerial spots at the executive level companies have to change from within. The corporate culture of companies has to change. The executive managerial staff has to implement strategic diversity plans. To tar get the problem of the lack of women in corporate management firms could create managerial training programs that utilized quotas to ensure enough women are getting a chance. Based on the fact that 46% of the labor force is composed of women a fair quota would be a 54:46 split. The use of quotas will also ensure that ethnic minorities are properly represented in the managerial ranks. Our educational system has to do a better job at recruiting women

Engineering technology and sustainbility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Engineering technology and sustainbility - Essay Example It can be said that technological improvements are due to two reasons; one is the requirement or the necessity of such a product and the other reason is when an opportunity presents itself. It was by a natural process by which farmers around the world learned the methods of practising irrigation and also developed mechanisms to conserve the water which would be available at irregular periods during the year. (Duiker William & Spielvogel Jackson, 2010) Sometimes opportunities present itself like the case of a Chinese princess who accidentally dropped a silkworm cocoon into a cup of hot tea. The events that unfolded thereafter led to the production of silk. Another example is that of tin being discovered in Anatolia. This led to the beginning of the Bronze Age in the Middle East. (Duiker William & Spielvogel Jackson, 2010) The strategic locations of certain advanced civilizations with other developing civilizations was also a contributing factor since mutual exchange of ideas led to mo re technological advances taking place in both regions. Abbasid Empire which had its communication channels open through the Mediterranean Ocean and the Indus River valley had a robust growth in technology. In this scenario Papua and New Guinea who were one of the earliest civilizations to practise farming bananas never had any major technological advancement since it was cut off from major developing regions.( Duiker William & Spielvogel Jackson, 2010) Communication between different regions then manifested itself in many forms. Since man was always restless, the desire for mobility led him to discover the motor vehicle. This then further led to the development of the steam engine and finally the aeroplane. Source: www.eastgwillimburywow.blogspot.com This is not the only form how communication has kept changing. The advent of information technology which stands as the next best thing about the Scientific Revolution has brought about advanced computing methods which the revolutioniz ed the communication field. (Advancing Technology, 2005) Several patterns of thinking have brought about this change in information technology. Compared to the human the computer was capable of doing more work at a lower cost. The degree of accuracy obtained was of a higher quality compared to the same work done by the human hand. (Mahoney Michael et al, 1998) The time involved in such an exercise was also a small percentage of the time required to do it manually. Modern computing methods apart from offering the above advantages also increase the quality of life as a whole. Advanced computing has brought about a large degree of automation thus effectively reducing mishaps caused due to human negligence. Forecasting weather, information on the radar regarding approaching ships and banking transactions are some of the areas that information technology is playing a vital role. Source: U.S. Army Photo" Console of BRLESC-II computer, front view, from the archives of the ARL Technical Lib rary However technology has its share of criticisms. Primarily, it defines what a person should possess in order to be seen as successful in society. (Forman Paul, 2007) The answer which most would give are items that have an element of luxury like cars, television, electronic gadgets. This leads to man having materialistic leanings and unhealthy egos. Technology also tends to tamper with the laws governed by nature which produces a backlash in the natural

The Classification Of Outliers Psychology Essay

The Classification Of Outliers Psychology Essay The concern over the outliers is one of the challenge existed for at least several hundred years. Outliers are the observations those are apart from the bulk of data. Edgeworth (1887) wrote that discordant observations those appeared differently from other observations with which they are combined. Almost every data set has the outliers in different percentages. Grubbs (1969) said that an outlier is one that appears to deviate significantly from other values of data. Sometimes outliers may not be noticed but most of the times they can change the entire statistical data analysis. As Peter (1990) explored those observations which do not follow the pattern of the majority of the data are called outliers. At the earlier stage of the data analysis, summary statistics such as the sample mean and variance, outliers can cause totally different conclusion. For example a hypothesis may or may not be rejected due to outliers. In fitting regression line outliers can significantly change the slope. The detection of outliers before analyzing the data analysis is not done then it may lead to model misspecification, biased parameter estimation and incorrect results. It is therefore important to identify the outliers prior to proceed further for analysis and modeling. An observation (or subset of observations) that appears to be inconsistent with the rest of data set is called an outlier (Barnet1995). The exact definition of an outlier depends on the assumption regarding the data structure and the methods which are applied to detect the outliers. Outliers are observations that appear to be unusual with respect to the rest of the data. Classification of Outliers Outliers are classified into one of four classes. First, an outlier may arise from procedural error, such as a data entry error or a mistake in coding. These outliers should be identified in the data cleaning stage, but if overlooked, they should be eliminated or recorded as missing values. Second, an outlier is the observation that occurs as the result of an extraordinary event, which is an explanation for the uniqueness of the observation. In this case the researcher must decide whether the extraordinary event should be represented in the sample. If so, the outlier should be retained in the analysis; if not, it should be deleted. Third, outliers may represent extraordinary observations for which the researcher has no explanation. Although these are the outliers most likely to be omitted, they may be retained if the researcher feels they represent a valid segment of the population. Finally, outliers may be observations that fall within the ordinary range of values on each of the var iables but are unique in their combination of values across the variables. In these situations, the researcher should be very careful in analyzing why these observations are outliers. Only when specific evidence is available that discounts an outlier as a valid member of the population should it is deleted. Outliers may be real or ericaceous. Real outliers are observations whose actual values are very different from those observed for rest of the data and violate plausible relationships among variables. Erroneous outliers are observations those are distorted due to misreporting errors in the data-collection process. Data set either come from homogeneous groups or from heterogeneous groups, have different characteristics regarding a specific variable, outliers occurred by incorrect measurements including data entry errors or by coming from a different population than the rest of the data. If the measurements in correct, it represent a rare event. Outliers are often caused by human error, such as errors in data collection, recording, or entry. Data from an interview can be recorded incorrectly, upon data entry. Outliers may cause from intentional or motivated misreporting. Many times the outliers come when participants purposefully report incorrect data to experimenters or surveyors. A participant may make a conscious effort to sabotage the research or may be acting from other motives. Depending on the details of the research, one of two things can happen: inflation of all estimates, or production of outliers. If all subjects respond the same way, the distribution will shift upward, not generally causing outliers. However, if only a small sub sample of the group responds this way to the experimenter, or if multiple researchers conduct interviews, then outliers can be created. Another cause of outliers is sampling error. It is possible that a few members of a sample were inadvertently drawn from a different population than the rest of the sample. Outliers can be caused from standardization failure like the weak research methodology, unusual phenomena; faulty equipment is another common cause of outliers. By these causes data can be legitimately discarded if the researchers are not interested in studying the particular phenomenon in question. One type of data entry error is implausible or impossible values, for they make no sense when considering the expected range of the data. An out-of-range value is often easy to identify since it will most likely lie well outside the bulk of the data. Another common cause for the occurrence of outliers is the rare event. Extreme observations that for some correct reason are just fine, but do not fit within the typical range of other data values There are many possible sources of outliers. Firstly, purely deterministic reasons those include: reading or measurement error, recording error and execution error. Secondly, some reasons are pointed out by Beckman and cook (1983) they arrange the reasons of outliers into three broad categories. These are global model weaknesses, local model weaknesses and natural variability. When we replace the present model with a new are revised model for the entire sample. Measurement of response variables are in the wrong scale is called Global model weakness. Local model weaknesses are applied only on the outlying observations and not to the model as a whole. And Natural variability is the variation over the population rather than any weakness of the model. These reasons are uncontrollable and reflect the properties of distribution of a correct basic model describing the generation of the data. The outliers occurs due to entry error or a mistake in coding should be identified in the data cleaning stage, but if overlooked, they should be eliminated or recorded as missing values. 1.3 Problematic effects of outliers Outliers of either type may influence on the results of statistical analysis, so they should be identified by using some suitable and reliable detection methods prior to performing data analysis. When potential outlier(s) is encountered, the first suspicion may be that such observations resulted from a mistake or other extraneous effect, and should be discarded. However, if the outlier in real it may be contained some important information about the underlying population of real values. Non judicious removal of observation that appears to be outliers may results in underestimation of the uncertainty present in the data. In the presence of outliers, any statistical test based on sample means and variances can be distorted. There will be Bias or Distortion of estimates and it will give wrong results. The inflated sum of squares makes it unlikely and will partition sources of variation in the data into meaningful components. The decision point of a significance test, p-value, is also distorted. Statistical significance is changed due to presence of a few or even one unusual data value. The strong building of the statistical methods is based on weak legs of assumptions. Incorrect assumptions about the distribution of the data can also lead to the presence of suspected outliers. If the data may have a different structure than the researcher originally assumed, and long or short-term trends may affect the data in unanticipated ways. Depending upon the goal of the research, the extreme values may or may not represent an aspect of the inherent variability of the data. Outliers can represent a nuisance, error, or legitimate data. They can also be inspiration for inquiry. Before discarding outliers, researchers need to consider whether those data contain valuable information that may not necessarily relate to the intended study, but has importance in a more global sense. . The considerable effects of outliers are bias or distortion of Estimates, inflated sum of square and ended analysis of the entire data set at faulty conclusions. The key features of descriptive data analysis like the mean, variance and regression coefficient are highly affected by outliers. 1.4 Aspects of outlier There are two considerable aspects. The first aspect explains that, outliers have a negative effect on data analysis. Outliers generally cause to increase error variance and reduce the power of statistical tests. Outliers violate the assumption of normality. Outliers can seriously influence estimates. The second aspect of outliers in that they are correct, and they may be provides useful information about data set. It the outliers are most information points they should not be automatically discarded without justification. In this case the analyses perform the analysis both with and without these outliers, and examine their specific influence on the results. If this influence is minor, then it may not matter whether or not they are omitted. If their influence is substantial, then it is probably best to present the results of both analysis, and simply alert the researcher to the fact that these points may be questionable. The data set may contain outliers and influential observation. It is thus important for the data analyst to be able to identify such observation; if the data set contains a single outlier or influential observation then identification of such an observation in relatively simple. On the other hand, if the data set contain more than one outlier or influential observations the identification of such observation becomes more difficult. This is due to the marking and swamping effects. Masking occurs when an outlying subset goes undected because of the presence of adjacent subset of outliers. Swamping occurs when good observations are incorrectly identified as outliers because of the presence of other outliers. An outlier is the observation that occurs as the result of an extraordinary event. In this case the researcher must decide about that event. If it represents the sample then that outlier should be retained in the analysis. If that event should not represent the sample it should be deleted. Some time outliers may represent extraordinary observations but the researcher can not explain it. These types of the outlier may be omitted but sometime the may be retained if the researcher feels that they represent a valid segment of the population. Both the detection and the suitable treatment of outliers are therefore important. In the present scenario of modern sciences where the messy data sets are generated, potentially troublesome outlier detection method(s) should be researched and presented at one place The main feathers of such identify criteria is that imperative to correctly identify outliers amongst large masses of data, so that experts can be alerted to the possibility of trouble and investigate the matter in detail. Outliers can provide useful information about the process. An outlier can be created by a shift in the location (mean) or in the scale (variability) of the process. Though an observation in a particular sample might be a candidate as an outlier, the process might be shifted. Numbers of treatments are taken in order to deal with outlier(s) involved studies. Accommodation of outliers uses techniques to mitigate their harmful effects. One of its strength is that accommodation of outliers does not need to precede identification. These techniques can be used with prior information that outlier exist. One very effective way to work with data is to use nonparametric methods which are robust in the presence of outliers. Nonparametric statistical method fit into this type of analyses and should be more widely applied to continuous or interval data than their current use. Often the observed data set do not follow the any of the specified distribution then it is better to transform the data by applying appropriate transformation(s) so that data set could follow the specific distribution. Only as a last resort should outliers be deleted, and then only if they are found to be errors they can not be corrected or lie so far outside the range of the remainder of the data that they distort statistical inferences Our goal in this thesis is firstly to collect the outliers detection methods in univariate and bivariate/ multivariate studies followed the Gaussian and Non-Gaussian distributions and secondly to modify them accordingly. 1.5 Univariate Outliers In unvariate data sets, the study of outlier(s) is relatively simple but demands careful attention. Outliers are those values located distant from the bulk of the data and can often be revealed from simple plot of the data, such as scatter plot, stem-and-leaf plot, QQ-plot, etc. Sometimes univariate outliers are not easy to identify as would appear at first sight. Barnet and Lewis (1994) indicate that an outlying observation, or outlier, is one that appears differently and deviate markedly from other members of the sample, in which it occur. A common rule for outlier identification might be to calculate the sample mean and standard deviation, and classify all those points as outliers which are at 2 or 3 standard deviations away from the mean. It is an unfortunate reality that the presence of two or more outliers could leave some or most of the outliers invisible to this method. If there is one or more distant outlier and one or more not so distant outlier in the same direction, the more distant outlier(s) could significantly shift the mean in that direction, and also increase the standard deviation, to such an extent that the lesser outlier(s) falls less than 2 or 3 standard deviations from the sample mean, and goes undetected. This is called the masking eff ect, and results in this particular method and all related methods being unsuitable for use as outlier identification techniques. It is illustrated with an example, borrowed from Becker and Gather [1999]. Consider a data set of 20 observations taken from an N (0, 1) distribution: -2.21, -1.84, -0.95, -0.91, -0.36, -0.19, -0.11, -0.10, 0.18, 0.30, 0.31, 0.43, 0.51, 0.64, 0.67, 0.72, 1.22, 1.35, 8.1, 17.6, where the latter two observations were originally 0.81 and 1.76, but the decimal points were entered at the wrong place. It seems clear that these 2 observations should be labeled as outliers; let us apply the above method. The mean of this data set is 1.27 while the standard deviation is 4.35. Two standard deviations from the mean, towards the right, would be 9.97, while three standard deviations would be 14.32. Both criteria regard the point, 8.1, as expected with reasonable probability and do not consider it an outlier. Additionally, the three standard deviation boundary for detecting outliers seems rather extreme for an N (0, 1) dataset, surely a point would not have to be as large as 14.32 to be classified as an outlier. The masking effect occurs quite commonly in practice and we conclude that outlier methods based on classical statistics are unsuitable for general use, particularly in situations requiring non-visual techniques such as multivariate data. It is worth noting, however, that if instead of the sample mean and standard deviation, robust estimates of location and scale were used (such as the sample median, and median absolute deviation, MAD), both outliers would be detected without difficulty. 1.6 Multivariate Outliers Multivariate outliers are the challenges that do not occur with univariate data sets. For instance, visual methods simply do not work in case of multivariate case studies. Even plotting the data in bivariate form with a systematic rotation of coordinate pairs will not help. It is possible (and occurs frequently in practice) that points which are outliers in bivariate space, are not outliers in either of the two univariate subsets. Generalization to higher dimensions leads to the fact that a multivariate outlier does not have to be an outlier in any of its univariate or bivariate coordinates, at least not without some kind of transformation A successful method of identifying outliers in all multivariate situations would be ideal, but is unrealistic. By successful, we mean both highly sensitive, the ability to detect genuine outliers, and highly specific, the ability to not mistake regular points for outliers.

Entrepreneurship in the Brazilian offshoring industry Essay -- Brazil

Case 1: Entrepreneurship in the Brazilian offshoring industry Brazil is one of the nations included in BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China). In the past, Brazil’s outsourcing industry has been the smallest of the four BRIC nations. This is very surprising due to the close proximity to the United States and the current trend of â€Å"near-shoring†. However, due to recent governmental backing and inflows of capital Brazil has begun to improve and could possibly overtake Russia, India and China in the offshoring industry. The most promising sector in Brazil is their IT sector. Capital Access Index 2009 Access to Capital Brazil is the fourth-best country in Latin America for access to capital for entrepreneurs. Much of this improvement can be seen from their significant advances in bond market development and alternative sources of capital[1]. At the end of 2008, local and foreign investors had committed $28 billion in venture and private equity capital to Brazilian companies. That's up from $6 billion in 2004, amounting to a hearty 50% compound annual growth rate over the last four years[2]. On June 25 2009, Brazilian stock exchange Bovespa hosted the world’s largest IPO, a $4.3 billion offering by Brazilian credit-card processor VisaNet. Conditions in Brazil have been improving steadily. The country has achieved macroeconomic stability and institutional maturity and is now undergoing broad and fast-paced expansion, driven by an increase in income and social ascension as well as an increasingly important position in international trade. As well, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) will reach an a nnual record of US$60 billion in 2011[8]. Even though entrepreneurs are currently enjoying easy access to capital, it is a concern that co... ...et and Trade Profile, December 2011, Visit Britain. http://www.visitbritain.org/Images/Brazil_tcm29-14673.pdf [10]Nes, Egil, May 23, 2011, The Brazil Business. http://thebrazilbusiness.com/article/trends-of-doing-business-in-brazil-in-2011 [11] Brazil Economic Outlook At A Glance, June 26, 2011, Finance N Investment.com. http://www.financeninvestments.com/economics/brazil-gdp-growth.html [12]Background Note: Brazil, November 30, 2011, U.S. Department of State. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35640.htm [13] Baby Steps, September 17, 2011, The Economist. http://www.economist.com/node/21529045 [14] Comparing Exports of Goods Among BRIC Nations, November 8, 2011, Seeking Alpha. http://seekingalpha.com/article/306378-comparing-exports-of-goods-among-bric-nations [15]Underwood, Graham, 2012, sourcingfocus.com. http://www.sourcingfocus.com/site/opinionscomments/757/

Vampire Academy Chapter 24

TWENTY-FOUR IN SPITE OF ALL THE training I'd received, all the lessons on Strigoi habits and how to defend against them, I'd never ever actually seen one. It was scarier than I'd expected. This time, when she swung at me again, I was ready. Sort of. I dodged back, slipping out of reach, wondering what chance I had. I remembered Dimitri's joke about the mall. No silver stake. Nothing to cut her head off with. No way to set her on fire. Running seemed like the best option after all, but she was blocking my way. Feeling useless, I simply backed down the hall as she advanced on me, her movements far more graceful than they'd ever been in life. Then, also faster than she'd ever moved in life, she leapt out, grabbed me, and slammed my head against the wall. Pain exploded in my skull, and I felt pretty sure that was blood I tasted in the back of my mouth. Frantically, I fought against her, trying to mount some kind of defense, but it was like fighting Dimitri on crack. â€Å"My dear,† murmured Victor, â€Å"try not to kill her if you don't have to. We might be able to use her later.† Natalie paused in her attack, giving me a moment to back up, but she never took her cold eyes off me. â€Å"I'll try not to.† There was a skeptical tone in her voice. â€Å"Get out of here now. I'll meet you there when I'm done.† â€Å"I can't believe you!† I yelled after him. â€Å"You got your own daughter to turn Strigoi?† â€Å"A last resort. A necessary sacrifice made for the greater good. Natalie understands.† He left. â€Å"Do you?† I hoped I could stall her with talking, just like in the movies. I also hoped my questions would hide how utterly and completely terrified I was. â€Å"Do you understand? God, Natalie. You†¦you turned. Just because he told you to?† â€Å"My father's a great man,† she replied. â€Å"He's going to save the Moroi from the Strigoi.† â€Å"Are you insane?† I cried. I was backing up again and suddenly hit the wall. My nails dug into it, as though I could dig my way through. â€Å"You are a Strigoi.† She shrugged, almost seeming like the old Natalie. â€Å"I had to do it to get him out of here before the others came. One Strigoi to save all of the Moroi. It's worth it, worth giving up the sun and the magic.† â€Å"But you'll want to kill Moroi! You won't be able to help it.† â€Å"He'll help me stay in control. If not, then they'll have to kill me.† She reached out and grabbed my shoulders, and I shuddered at how casually she talked about her own death. It was almost as casual as the way she was no doubt contemplating my death. â€Å"You are insane. You can't love him that much. You can't really – â€Å" She threw me into a wall again, and as my body collapsed in a heap on the floor, I had a feeling I wouldn't be getting up this time. Victor had told her not to kill me†¦but there was a look in her eyes, a look that said she wanted to. She wanted to feed off me; the hunger was there. It was the Strigoi way. I shouldn't have talked to her, I realized. I'd hesitated, just as Dimitri had warned. And then, suddenly, he was there, charging down the hallway like Death in a cowboy duster. Natalie spun around. She was fast, so fast. But Dimitri was fast too and avoided her attack, a look of pure power and strength on his face. With an eerie fascination, I watched them move, circling each other like partners in a deadly dance. She was stronger than him, clearly, but she was also a fresh Strigoi. Gaining superpowers doesn't mean you know how to use them. Dimitri, however, knew how to use the ones he had. After both giving and receiving some vicious hits, he made his move. The silver stake flashed in his hand like a streak of lightning, then it snaked forward – into her heart. He yanked it out and stepped back, his face impassive as she screamed and fell to the floor. After a few horrible moments, she stopped moving. Just as quickly, he was leaning over me, slipping his arms under my body. He stood up, carrying me like he had when I hurt my ankle. â€Å"Hey, Comrade,† I murmured, my own voice sounding sleepy. â€Å"You were right about Strigoi.† The world started to darken, and my eyelids drooped. â€Å"Rose. Roza. Open your eyes.† I'd never heard his voice so strained, so frantic. â€Å"Don't go to sleep on me. Not yet.† I squinted up at him as he carried me out of the building, practically running toward the clinic. â€Å"Was he right?† â€Å"Who?† â€Å"Victor†¦he said it couldn't have worked. The necklace.† I started to drift off, lost in the blackness of my mind, but Dimitri prompted me back to consciousness. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"The spell. Victor said you had to want me†¦to care about me†¦for it to work.† When he didn't say anything, I tried to grip his shirt, but my fingers were too weak. â€Å"Did you? Did you want me?† His words came out thickly. â€Å"Yes, Roza. I did want you. I still do. I wish†¦we could be together.† â€Å"Then why did you lie to me?† We reached the clinic, and he managed to open the door while still holding me. As soon as he stepped inside, he began yelling for help. â€Å"Why did you lie?† I murmured again. Still holding me in his arms, he looked down at me. I could hear voices and footsteps getting closer. â€Å"Because we can't be together.† â€Å"Because of the age thing, right?† I asked. â€Å"Because you're my mentor?† His fingertip gently wiped away a tear that had escaped down my cheek. â€Å"That's part of it,† he said. â€Å"But also†¦well, you and I will both be Lissa's guardians someday. I need to protect her at all costs. If a pack of Strigoi come, I need to throw my body between them and her.† â€Å"I know that. Of course that's what you have to do.† The black sparkles were dancing in front of my eyes again. I was fading out. â€Å"No. If I let myself love you, I won't throw myself in front of her. I'll throw myself in front of you.† The medical team arrived and took me out of his arms. And that was how, two days after being discharged, I ended up back in the clinic. My third time in the two months we'd been back at the Academy. It had to be some kind of record. I definitely had a concussion and probably internal bleeding, but we never really found out. When your best friend is a kick-ass healer, you sort of don't have to worry about those things. I still had to stay there for a couple of days, but Lissa – and Christian, her new sidekick – almost never left my side when they weren't in class. Through them, I learned bits and pieces about the outside world. Dimitri had realized there was a Strigoi on campus when they'd found Natalie's victim dead and drained of blood: Mr. Nagy of all people. A surprising choice, but since he was older, he'd been able to put up less of a fight. No more Slavic art for us. The guardians in the detention center had been injured but not killed. She'd simply slammed them around as she had me. Victor had been found and recaptured while trying to escape campus. I was glad, even though it meant Natalie's sacrifice had been for nothing. Rumors said that Victor hadn't seemed afraid at all when the royal guards came and carried him away. He'd simply smiled the whole time, like he had some secret they didn't know about. Inasmuch as it could, life returned to normal after that. Lissa did no more cutting. The doctor prescribed her something – an anti-depressant or anti-anxiety drug, I couldn't remember which – that made her feel better. I'd never really known anything about those kinds of pills. I thought they made people silly and happy. But it was a pill like any other, meant to fix something, and mostly it just kept her normal and feeling stable. Which was a good thing – because she had some other issues to deal with. Like Andre. She'd finally believed Christian's story, and allowed herself to acknowledge that Andre might not have been the hero she'd always believed him to be. It was hard on her, but she finally reached a peaceful decision, accepting that he could have had both good and bad sides, like we all do. What he'd done to Mia saddened her, but it didn't change the fact that he'd been a good brother who loved her. Most importantly, it finally freed her from feeling like she needed to be him to make her family proud. She could be herself – which she proved daily in her relationship with Christian. The school still couldn't get over that. She didn't care. She laughed it off, ignoring the shocked looks and disdain from the royals who couldn't believe she'd date someone from a humiliated family. Not all of them felt that way though. Some who had gotten to know her during her brief social whirlwind actually liked her for her, no compulsion necessary. They liked her honesty and openness, preferring it to the games most royals played. A lot of royals ignored her, of course, and talked viciously about her behind her back. Most surprising of all, Mia – despite being utterly humiliated – managed to wiggle back into the good graces of a couple of these royals. It proved my point. She wouldn't stay down for long. And, in fact, I saw the first signs of her revenge lurking again when I walked past her one day on the way to class. She stood with a few other people and spoke loudly, clearly wanting me to hear. † – perfect match. Both of them are from completely disgraced and rejected families.† I clenched my teeth and kept walking, following her gaze to where Lissa and Christian stood. They were lost in their own world and formed a gorgeous picture, she blond and fair and he blue-eyed and black-haired. I couldn't help but stare too. Mia was right. Both of their families were disgraced. Tatiana had publicly denounced Lissa, and while no one â€Å"blamed† the Ozeras for what had happened to Christian's parents, the rest of the royal Moroi families continued to keep their distance. But Mia had been right about the other part too. In some ways, Lissa and Christian were perfect for each other. Maybe they were outcasts, but the Dragomirs and Ozeras had once been among the most powerful Moroi leaders. And in only a very short time, Lissa and Christian had started shaping one another in ways that could put them right up there with their ancestors. He was picking up some of her polish and social poise; she was learning to stand up for her passions. The more I watched them, the more I could see an energy and confidence radiating around them. They weren't going to stay down either. And I think that, along with Lissa's kindness, may have been what attracted people to her. Our social circle began to steadily grow. Mason joined, of course, and made no secret of his interest in me. Lissa teased me a lot about that, and I didn't yet know what to do about him. Part of me thought maybe it was time to give him a shot as a serious boyfriend, even though the rest of me yearned for Dimitri. For the most part, Dimitri treated me just like anyone would expect of a mentor. He was efficient. Fond. Strict. Understanding. There was nothing out of the ordinary, nothing that would make anyone suspect what had passed between us – save for an occasional meeting of our eyes. And once I overcame my initial emotional reaction, I knew he was – technically – right about us. Age was a problem, yes, particularly while I was still a student at the Academy. But the other thing he'd mentioned†¦it had never entered my mind. It should have. Two guardians in a relationship could distract each other from the Moroi they were supposed to protect. We couldn't allow that to happen, couldn't risk her life for our own wants. Otherwise, we'd be no better than the Badica guardian who'd run off. I'd told Dimitri once that my own feelings didn't matter. She came first. I just hoped I could prove it. â€Å"It's too bad about the healing,† Lissa told me. â€Å"Hmm?† We sat in her room, pretending to study, but my mind was off thinking about Dimitri. I'd lectured her about keeping secrets, but I hadn't told her about him or about how close I'd come to losing my virginity. For some reason, I couldn't bring myself to tell. She dropped the history book she'd been holding. â€Å"That I had to give up the healing. And the compulsion.† A frown crossed her face at that last part. The healing had been regarded as a wondrous gift in need of further study; the compulsion had met with serious reprimands from Kirova and Ms. Carmack. â€Å"I mean, I'm happy now. I should have gotten help a long time ago – you were right about that. I'm glad I'm on the medication. But Victor was right too. I can't use spirit anymore. I can still sense it, though†¦I miss being able to touch it.† I didn't entirely know what to say. I liked her better like this. Losing that threat of madness had made her whole again, confident and outgoing, just like the Lissa I'd always known and loved. Seeing her now, it was easy to believe what Victor had said about her becoming a leader. She reminded me of her parents and of Andre – how they used to inspire devotion in those who knew them. â€Å"And that's another thing,† she continued. â€Å"He said I couldn't give it up. He was right. It hurts, not having the magic. I want it so badly sometimes.† â€Å"I know,† I said. I could feel that ache within her. The pills had dulled her magic, but not our bond. â€Å"And I keep thinking about all the things I could do, all the people I could help.† She looked regretful. â€Å"You have to help yourself first,† I told her fiercely. â€Å"I don't want you getting hurt again. I won't let you.† â€Å"I know. Christian says the same thing.† She got that dopey smile she always did when she thought about him. If I'd known what idiots being in love would make them, I might not have been so keen to get them back together. â€Å"And I guess you guys are right. Better to want the magic and be sane than to have it and be a lunatic. There's no middle ground.† â€Å"No,† I agreed. â€Å"Not with this.† Then, out of nowhere, a thought smacked me in the head. There was a middle ground. Natalie's words reminded me of it. It's worth it, worth giving up the sun and the magic. The magic. Ms. Karp hadn't become Strigoi simply because she'd gone crazy. She'd become Strigoi to stay sane. Becoming Strigoi cut a person completely off from magic. In doing that, she couldn't use it. She couldn't feel it. She wouldn't want it anymore. Staring at Lissa, I felt a knot of worry coil within me. What if she figured that out? Would she want to do it too? No, I quickly decided. Lissa would never do that. She was too strong a person, too moral. And so long as she stayed on the pills, her higher reasoning would keep her from doing something so drastic. Still, the whole concept prodded me to find out one last thing. The following morning, I went to the chapel and waited in one of the pews until the priest showed up. â€Å"Hello, Rosemarie,† he said, clearly surprised. â€Å"Can I help you with something?† I stood up. â€Å"I need to know more about St. Vladimir. I read that book you gave me and a couple others.† Best not to tell him about stealing the ones in the attic. â€Å"But nobody told how he died. What happened? How did his life end? Was he, like, martyred?† The priest's bushy eyebrows rose. â€Å"No. He died of old age. Peacefully.† â€Å"You're sure? He didn't become Strigoi or kill himself?† â€Å"No, of course not. Why would you think that?† â€Å"Well†¦he was holy and everything, but he was also kind of crazy, right? I read about it. I thought he might have, I don't know, given into that.† His face was serious. â€Å"It's true he fought demons – insanity – his whole life. It was a struggle, and he did want to die sometimes. But he overcame it. He didn't let it defeat him.† I stared in wonder. Vladimir wouldn't have had pills, and he'd clearly continued to use magic. â€Å"How? How did he do that?† â€Å"Willpower, I guess. Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused. â€Å"That and Anna.† â€Å"Shadow-kissed Anna,† I murmured. â€Å"His guardian.† The priest nodded. â€Å"She stayed with him. When he grew weak, she was the one who held him up. She urged him to stay strong and to never give in to his madness.† I left the chapel in a daze. Anna had done it. Anna had let Vladimir walk that middle ground, helping him to work miracles in the world without meeting a horrible end. Ms. Karp hadn't been as lucky. She hadn't had a bound guardian. She hadn't had anyone to hold her up. Lissa did. Smiling, I cut across the quadrangle toward the commons. I felt better about life than I had in a very long time. We could do this, Lissa and me. We could do it together. Just then, I saw a dark figure out of the corner of my eye. It swooped past me and landed on a nearby tree. I stopped walking. It was a raven, large and fierce-looking, with shining black feathers. A moment later, I realized it wasn't just a raven; it was the raven. The one Lissa had healed. No other bird would land so close to a dhampir. And no other bird would be looking at me in such an intelligent, familiar way. I couldn't believe he was still around. A chill ran down my spine, and I started to back up. Then the truth hit me. â€Å"You're bound to her too, aren't you?† I asked, fully aware that anyone who saw me would think I was crazy. â€Å"She brought you back. You're shadow-kissed.† That was actually pretty cool. I held out my arm to it, half hoping it'd come land on me in some sort of dramatic, movie-worthy gesture. All it did was look at me like I was an idiot, spread its wings, and fly off. I glared as it flew off into the twilight. Then I turned around and headed off to find Lissa. From far away, I heard the sound of cawing, almost like laughter.