Power of One III Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Power of One III - Essay Example The evaluation will be founded on a combination of quantitative and qualitative research which will include widespread references with the society participants and exhaustive interviews. In the evaluation of the initiatives, I will employ interrelated principles, which fabricate on each other. Needless to say, I will adhere to the professional guidelines of evaluation. In addition, the evaluation will be a joint process. The vigorous involvement of all stakeholders, especially the students, society leaders and residents is fundamental to the evaluation process. Estrella and Gaventa (1998) assert â€Å"participatory and inclusive evaluations can lead to higher-quality scientific design and results†. For this reason, the evaluation will encompass all people in the society. Inclusion of the varied perceptions of the society members in the evaluation and elucidation of information will generate additional practicable blueprints and accurate interpretation of the data. The different society participants will bring knowledge on diverse sources of data, in addition to a more precise, image of how the initiative can operate and the background aspects that will affect it. Society members can help acclimatize the approaches appropriate within the society and assist check the anticipation of the results. These insights will assist me in better apprehend the external aspects that could affect the initiative. Scholars and authors have agreed that structuring and sustaining trust and relationships among the society are imperative. Baker et al. (1999) denotes â€Å"past positive experiences with evaluation among practitioners and society participants should be acknowledged in order to avoid repeating mistakes†. For this reason, I will ensure I am conversant with the previous positive experiences. In achieving this, I will work closely with gatekeepers, primary organizations, and other society leaders. I will employ snow ball approach in meeting the

Discuss the writers use of the supernatural Essay Example for Free

Discuss the writers use of the supernatural Essay The two stories resemble each other with the idea they communicate with the reader, that people should respect the supernatural. In the Withered Arm, Thomas Hardy develops why we should fear and respect the supernatural by showing that by mocking Gertrude about her medicines and counter curses, Farmer Lodge ended up with a dead son and a dead wife. He also ended up selling all his land because he could not endure staying in the village with everyone gossiping about him. Also by keeping the tempo of the story fast and building up to all the supernatural events keeps us tense. In the Monkeys Paw, Sergeant Major Morris warns the White family about the consequences of the wishes the paw grants. However the White family do not take heed of the warning and take advantage of the paw and in doing so, they end up with their son dead, Mrs. White acting senselessly to try and bring back her son and Mr. White having to wish his son back to the grave. The author is trying to tell us that if you do not respect the supernatural and take advantage of it, you will feel its wrath. The two stories are alike in other ways. Both stories involve young innocent people suffering. In the Monkeys Paw Herbert died for his familys foolishness. Whilst in the Withered Arm it was Rhodas and Farmer Lodges son that was innocently sent to the gallows. Another similarity is that people that were selfish earlier on in the stories are punished in the end. Mr. White is self-seeking at the start of the Monkeys Paw and does not take Sergeant Major Morris advice and his son dies as a result. In the Withered Arm Farmer Lodge is punished for his negligence shown to his son and his failure to accept the responsibility for his son. The consequence for this is the eventual hanging of his only son. Also both stories have ironic twists. In the Monkeys Paw the family wishes for two hundred pounds and after the money doesnt appear straight away, Herbert says Well I dont see the money, and I bet I never shall. The wish eventually does come true and the money is handed over to the family but only as an insurance payout for Herberts death at the factory. So the irony is that Herbert will never actually see the money. In the Withered Arm the ironic twist is that when Gertrude was waiting for a hanging she got so desperate that she used to pray for a hanging O Lord, hang some guilty or innocent person soon! It turned out her prayers were answered but the man seen to be in the wrong turned out to be Farmer Lodges and Rhoda Brooks son but it seemed the boy was wrongfully charged with arson. At the hanging, Farmer Lodge and Rhoda were present in the crowd and once Gertrude had realized the hung man must be their son, she entered a sense of shock. This proved too much for her and she died. The irony is that she prayed for a man to be hung, so that she could cure herself but the man in the end was her husbands son and this did the opposite of curing her and the shock of it all ended her life. In conclusion, the writers use the supernatural to show the reader that if you ridicule the supernatural, it will backfire on you and you will feel the consequences greatly. Also they try and make you scared of the supernatural by making the paranormal events happen to normal people. Meaning it could have been you instead.

Bland-Altman Agreement Analysis in Laboratory Research

Bland-Altman Agreement Analysis in Laboratory Research Use of Bland-Altman agreement analysis in laboratory research: A survey of current reporting standards. Introduction- Advances in technology have led to development of new instruments and measurement devices in field of medicine. The clinicians and researchers often need to compare a newer method of measurement with an established one, to check for interchangeability. While assessing for interchangeability the emphasis should be on testing how well two methods agree with each other. Earlier Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient was used as a measure of agreement[R]. However the approach was inappropriate as this coefficient merely indicated association rather than agreement [R]. Hence Bland and Altman in their series of publications[R] stressed on quantification of bias. They provided a simpler and visually attractive plot for agreement analysis of continuous variables measured on the same scale.[R] After its introduction to medical literature in 1983, the Bland-Altman’s (B-A) method [R] is one of most commonly used statistical method for agreement analysis. The method is extensively used in evaluating the agreement of laboratory analytes, physiological variables, newer instruments and other devices. B-A method[R] advocates the construction of a scatter plot, where the absolute difference between the paired measurements is plotted on y-axis against the mean of two methods on x-axis. The SD of differences between paired measurements is then used to construct 95% limits of agreement (as  ± 1.96 SD). The 95% of differences between paired measurements are expected to lie between these upper and lower LOA. The conclusions on agreement and interchangeability of two methods are then made based upon the width of these LOA in comparison to a priori defined clinical criteria[R]. The plot also enables the researcher to visually assess the bias, data scatter and the relationship between magnitude of difference and size of measurement. Often in biologic systems data scatter and the magnitude of differences increases proportionally to the size of the measurement (hetero-scedastic distribution). Bland and Altman recommended the logarithmic or percentage transformation of data in case of heter o-scedastic distribution and then constructing B-A plot with transformed data[R] instead of classical absolute difference plot. Contrary to conventional statistical hypothesis testing, the output of B-A analysis consists of bias and LOA, both of which are estimates[R]. The estimates have inherent risk of sampling error and hence the authors suggested calculation of confidence interval (CI) of bias and LOA. The method also advocated the collection of data in replicates. Replicates are defined as two or more measurements on the same individual by the same method, taken in identical conditions. Replicates enable the comparison of the agreement between the two methods with the agreement each method has to itself (repeatability) [R] B-A also advocated for sample size calculations on in method comparison studies[R]. Despite its simplicity and frequent use in clinical laboratory research, the B-A method is not properly interpreted and reported in medical literature. Studies [R]conducted a decade ago highlighted poor reporting standards of B-A method, however there is paucity of current information on the same. Furthermore, uniform statistical reporting of results not only increases the generalizability of results, but also facilitates the inclusion of studies in systemic reviews and meta-analysis. Hence the aim of study was to review the current reporting standards of B-A method in laboratory research in medical literature. Material and methods- Three researchers (VC, RB, and SK) participated in this study. All researchers were qualified health professionals. VC and SK had previous experience of publishing laboratory research [R] with use of B- A agreement analysis. Eligibility criteria- Studies which tested agreement of laboratory analytes with continuous measurements, as per B-A methodology were included. Literature search- A thorough search of PUBMED, MEDLINE and GOOGLE SCHOLAR was conducted for studies published in years 2012 and 2013. The search strings used to search potential studies were â€Å"Agreement analysis† AND/OR â€Å"Bland Altman analysis† (MeSH) and â€Å"Laboratory analytes† and â€Å"clinical biochemistry† (MeSH). Included studies were evaluated according to Bland and Altman methodology on a predesigned checklist. The studies were evaluated for following 8 items: (1.) Measures of repeatability (2.) Representation and correct definition of LOA (3.) Correct representation of x-axis on BA plot (4.) Reporting of CI of LOA (5.) Comparison of limits of agreement with a priori defined clinical criteria (6.) Evaluation of pattern of relationship between difference (y-axis) and average (x-axis) (7.) Use of logarithmic or percentage conversion of data in case of heteroscedastic relationship between the difference and average (8.) Sample size calcula tions. Each item on the checklist was rated as ‘Yes’or ‘No’. We also recorded the data on use of other statistical methods for testing of agreement. However, we did not perform detailed evaluation of included studies for other statistical methods of agreement. To ensure accurate data retrieval, each included study was evaluated twice by one author (VC) and data recorded on predesigned checklist. Opinion was taken from second author (SKK) in case of confusion arising during data extraction. We compared the results of our study with 3 similar surveys done earlier. Results- A total of 156 studies were screened for potential inclusion in the study. A total of 50 studies, were retrieved and included in the final study. The 38% of included studies were published in journals of various streams of internal medicine, while 30%, 26% and 6% were published in journals of laboratory medicine, emergency medicine, anaesthesia respectively. Results of survey and its comparison to three previous studies are as shown in Table-1.The other statistical methods used in addition to B-A plot in included studies were correlation coefficient (70%), Deming Regression(14%), Passing Bablok regression (14%), linear regression (24%), Lin’s Concordance (8%), Sensitivity specificity analysis (16%), Interclass correlation coefficient (6%), Grid error plot (10%), Critchley polar plots (2%). Discussion- Use of B-A for method comparison has increased in recent years with most of authors using it for analysing agreement. The original paper on agreement analysis by B-A[R] is among one of most cited statistical publication, with more than 34000 citations. Although claimed as a method which is simpler to perform and interpret, the method is often used and interpreted without proper understanding. Review by Berthelsen et al[R] in 2006 and earlier studies[R] demonstrated unsatisfactory reporting of B-A analyses, in anaesthesiology literature. Williamson et al[R] proposed a method of meta-analysis of method comparison studies, however authors also highlighted the problem of non-uniform reporting of studies. [R] Twomey et al [R] suggested use of method hierarchy for selection of x-axis and advocated use of gold standard method as x-axis in B-A plot. However Bland and Altman statistically proved that use of any single method instead of average of two methods as x-axis is misguided and leads to misinterpretation[R]. Results of our study suggest that 94% of studies reported x-axis correctly, which is almost similar to results of earlier studies conducted by Mantha et al (94%) [R] and Dewitt et al (87%) [R]. although most method comparison computer softwares (analyse it, Graphpad Prism, EP evaluator) automatically select x-axis as mean of two methods, errors in selection of x-axis are still noticed. The 95% LOA were correctly defined and drawn in 94 %( 47) of included studies. Further among 47 studies with correct definition of LOA, the 3 studies interpreted LOA wrongly concluding good agreement because 95 % of differences were present in-between upper and lower LOA. The 95 % LOA are in-fact drawn so as to contain 95% of differences between them. It is not LOA per se, but width of these LOA in comparison to a priori defined clinical criteria that conclusions regarding agreements can be made. The decision on acceptable differences between two methods is primarily clinical rather than statistical. Earlier studies by Dewitte et al [R]and Mantha et al[R] had shown that comparison with pre-defined clinical criteria was missing in >90% of studies. Total 74 % of authors in our study commented on agreement on basis of predefined clinical criteria which represents a significant improvement in reporting standards. The specifications for clinical acceptance criteria of laboratory analytes have been provided as by Ricos et al[R], CLSI[R], and West guard QC[R]. Alternatively a Delphi survey (expert opinion) can be done to determine acceptable limits before instituting study. The CI limits of LOA were reported in only 6% of included studies in our study. The LOA are estimates and reporting LOA without CI is equivalent to reporting a sample mean without its CI. The CI limits [Ludbrook et al] represent the range within which a single, new, observation taken from the same population would be expected to lie. Although strongly recommended by B-A[R], and subsequently proved by a simulation study conducted by Hamilton et al[R], the statistical reporting of CI of LOA has remained poor (Mantha et al-2.6%) [R]. Although recommended by B-A method, the pattern of relationship between difference and wider concentration range is rarely evaluated[R]. Drawing difference plot with parallel LOA in datasets with heteroscedastic scatter makes LOA wider in lower concentration range and narrower in higher concentration range thus affecting validity of interpretation. [R] Bland and Altman [R]proposed logarithmic transformation of data with heteroscedasticy and then constructing difference plot against average of two methods using log transformed data. For meaningful understanding of LOA, they suggested back-transformation (antilog) of the log transformed data. Alternatively[R] plot of ratios of two methods or percent difference can be plotted against average of two methods for simpler interpretation. Transformation of data usually renders the scatter of differences as uniform (Homoscedastic). Twomey et al[R] recommended the drawing up of funnel shaped or V shaped LOA instead of classical parallel LOA in data sets with heteroscedastic scatter. Another option is breaking the data into smaller subsets and then analysing these subsets with absolute difference plot to make conclusions. [Twomey et al] We observed that only 28 % of studies made an attempt at evaluation of pattern of scatter. Rest of authors did not comment on pattern thus affecting the validity of results. Another important problem noticed was lack of assessment of repeatability (38%), a practice that has not shown any substantial improvement Table-1. Conclusions drawn from studies without repeatability assessment are likely to be uncertain. Assessment of errors of the two methods (repeatability) enables the construction of the worst-case acceptable LOA. [R] With poor repeatability of one or both methods, the agreement between the two methods is bound to be unacceptable. [R] Sample size calculations were done in only 15 studies. Lack of power and sample size analysis reduces validity of results. Different researchers have proposed sample size calculation for method comparison studies using Bayesian[R], regression[R], or concordance [R] approach. However Stockl et al[R] proposed an approach incorporating CI of LOA and predefined error limits in B-A plot. The approach is simple and allows for visual interpretation of appropriate sample size, as the classical B-A plot provides for agreement. Despite a lot of research on B-A method in field of statistics, the uptake of the method in medical research has been slow. While efforts are on in statistical community for use of modifications of B-A plot in special situations like repeated measure studies[R] or using bar charts in B-A plots with limited value ranges[R], unfortunately reporting standards of classical B-A method among medical community are unacceptable. Guidelines â€Å"Reporting reliability and Agreement Studies (GRRAS)† were published as a guide to appropriate reporting of reliability and agreement studies. We found unsatisfactory reporting of B-A analysis in our study.

Essay --

Jerusalem is the beholder of a violent, yet religious, past. It is the holy center for three of the world’s major religions: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. It was the center for many battles and the motivation for the Crusades. The Crusades were the cause for much blood shed and marked the beginning of a long war between Islam and Christianity. However, most of the focus in history of this holy center begins with the Crusades and continues there after, so this is where the essay will be focused: the times and history of Jerusalem before the Crusades. The city of Jerusalem is located in modern day Israel and was established around 4000 BC. The early history of Jerusalem is up to debate between the records kept by the various texts and accounts left by early inhabitants. It was inhabited by the Jebusites for a long period before Abraham, or any other occurrences that gave Jerusalem its early background. It is said to have been ruled by an ally of Abraham, Melchizedek, until King David, around 1000 BC, took over the city and founded it as a homeland for the Jews. This began the first official reign of a religion over the city, for no religious significance nor reign had control over the city. Jerusalem became the capital of King David’s empire, and for a period of time, under his son’s rule, it was a major trade city and was very significant among the surrounding peoples. After King David died in 970 BC, his son, Solomon, took over and fabricated the first Temple in this holy city run by the Jewish people and functioning upon their beliefs. This temple became known as the great temple as it was added upon over multiple years by varying skilled architects. Solomon’s rule brought the city success, but after his death Davidic ruler... ...hich triggered the Roman decision to rebuild Jerusalem as a non- Jewish Roman territory. It remained a regular territory with no religious rule until the Byzantines conquered it in 330 A.D. and instated it as a Christian city. The Jewish people weren’t allowed to live within the city. About 300 years later, the Persians took over the city from the Byzantines and it was ruled by these pre-Islamic rulers until 629 A.D. The Byzantines took back over, but only began to rebuild the once again Christian city when the Caliph Omar invaded Jerusalem and began occupying the city in 638 A.D. This was the beginning of the Crusades. Jerusalem has had a long and horrible history with many different political and religious occupations leading up to the Crusades and even after. Jerusalem is a very important city in human history amongst its various leaders and various occurrences.

Food and beverage Management Essay

I have read and understood the London School of Business and Finance Regulations and Policies relating to academic misconduct. I declare that: This submission is entirely my own original piece of work. It has not been submitted for a previous assessment in LSBF or any other institution. Wherever published, unpublished, printed, electronic or other information sources have been used as a contribution or component of this work, these are explicitly, clearly and individually acknowledged by appropriate use of quotation marks, citations, references and statements in the text. I understand that penalties will be incurred for late submission of work. STUDENT SIGNATURE: Ahonou Rosalie DATE: 21/09/2014 NOTE – Please complete the details below Have you submitted any Reasonable Adjustment Requests? Yes / No Date of submission: TASK 1 Understand different food and beverage production and service systems LO1. 1. 1 The characteristics of food production and food and beverage service systems INTRODUCTION Food production and food and beverage service systems is about an area where menu is planned, raw materials are purchased and received. It is also about Food service where Food and beverage are provided to the guests included a wide range of styles and cuisine types, all alcoholic and non- 1 / 3 alcoholic drinks. To make a successful Food and Beverage Service, you need to develop well interpersonal skills, product knowledge skills to buy raw material. Food and Beverage Production I am going to explain some methods: Traditional Partie Method: the majority of food is buying condiments or raw. It is easy to provide the receipt and store goods, the preparation, cooking, holding and service of food and there are dishwashing facilities as well. That method is good for the staff because the staff can move quickly from their place to the service counter (the distance is short). The communication link-up is necessary for the department and food flow is systematic. There is easy access to raw food materials from storage areas. Centralised Production Method: centralised production methods explain how the separation of the production and service components of the food flow system work or operate by place or time or both. So food that is centrally produced is distributed to the point of the point of service in batches or pre-portioned. It could be transported in a ready-to-eat box or in a ready-to-serve state, for example hot or frozen food. I give some advantages of centralised production methods â€Å"the introduction of a storage stage between production and service allows the production unit to work to maximum efficiency and with a better utilisation of staff and equipment† and â€Å"energy consumption can be reduced by careful scheduling and by a continuous run of single products†. Here is a disadvantage of centralised production method â€Å"hygiene problems or food contamination could have big repercussions than a problem in an individual kitchen. Cook-Freeze Production Methods: the word cook-freeze involves a catering system which is based on the whole cooking of food and followed by quick freezing. That food is stored in a controlled low temperature of -18 degree Celsius or less then is followed by subsequent complete reheating close to the consumer, prior to prompt consumption. The process involves raw food, food storage, pre- preparation, cooking, portioning, blast freezing, cold storage, distribution, regeneration. Cook-Chill Production Methods: it is the same process with Cook-Freeze production. The only different are that the cooking of food is stored in a controlled low temperature, but just above freezing point and then between 0 degree Celsius to +3 degree Celsius. Therefore it has a short shelf life compared to cook-freeze of up to five days including the day of production, distribution time and regeneration. The process involves raw food, cooking, portioning, blast chilling, chill storage, distribution, regeneration. The benefits of Cook-Chill and Cook-Freeze to the employers: there will have a portion control and a reduced waste, the production will be adjusted, the staff time will be fully utilised, no more weekend work and overtime. To the customers: the variety and selection of food will increased, the standards will be maintained with a quality improvement and the services can be maintained at all times even no staff. Sous vide methods: the sous vide system involves the preparation of quality raw foods, pre-cooking when necessary. You put or placed the raw foods into special plastic bags and you vacuum the air from the special plastic bags and then you seal properly the bags. After sealing you steam cooking to pasteurisation temperatures. From then the food product can be served direct to the customers at this stage or can be chilled quickly to +1 degree Celsius to +3 degree Celsius and stored between 0 degree Celsius to +3 degree Celsius for a maximum of twenty-one days. That method increases the potential shelf-life of normal coo-chill in three ways: when you remove the air from the plastic bags the growth of bacteria is restricted. Because the food is cooked at pasteurisation temperatures that helps the destruction of most microorganisms and finally because the food has been sealed within the bags is protected during storage any regeneration from any contamination. Different services of Food and Beverage systems Table d’hote menus: this type of menu contains the popular type dishes and is easier to control because the price has already been fixed for whatever the customer chooses, that setting depend on the main dish chosen. The characteristics of a table d’hote menu are being a restricted menu, offering a small number of courses (three or four), limited choice within each course, fixed selling 2 / 3 price and all the dishes are being ready at a set time. A la carte menus: a la carte menu is a larger menu than a table d’hote menu and offer a variety choice. The menus are listing under the course headings and then the establishment could prepare all the dishes. Those dishes will be prepared to order and each dish will also be priced separately. A la carte menu is more expensive than a table d’hote menu because it contains often the exotic and high cost seasonal foods. Table service: the customer enters in the restaurant and takes seat, he/her makes the order from the menu and the Staff brings it to him/her. After finish dinning the staff clears the table. Sectors where there are food service industry: Bistro, Brasserie, Coffee Shop, First Class Restaurants, Cafeteria, Fast-food outlets and Licensed Bars. For all those sectors, the main aim is to achieve customer satisfaction, for that everything you do should meet the customers’ needs physiologically, economically, socially, psychologically and convenience. The Staff should have knowledge or experience in Food and Beverage service. The restaurant should have service methods and necessary staff skills. They should have a higher level of cleanliness and hygiene; have an idea of value for money or price and also the atmosphere. The staff should know how to make the preparation for service (Mis-en-place), take customer food and beverage order, clean for hygiene, and make the bill. They should control the atmosphere in order to satisfy customers’ needs. 1. 2 The factors that affect recipes and menus for specific systems The restaurant should establish a clear list of menu to inform customers what is available to them. The Staff provides a general presentation of the menu on the course headings that should be attractive, clean, and easy to read for language, price, sales mix with accuracy, show the size and form, layout of the menu, nutritional content, health and eating, and special diets (inform people who are allergic, diabetic, have low cholesterol and low sodium). Also the cultural and religious dietary influences can affect recipes and menus as well. Example Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Roman Catholics, Vegetarians. 1. 3 Comparison of the coast and the staffing implications POWERED BY TCPDF (WWW. TCPDF. ORG).         

Battle of Bennington - American Revolution

Battle of Bennington - American Revolution The Battle of Bennington was fought during the American Revolution (1775-1783).  Part of the Saratoga Campaign, the Battle of Bennington took place on August 16, 1777. Commanders Armies: Americans Brigadier General John StarkColonel Seth Warner2,000 men British Hessian Lieutenant Colonel Friedrich BaumLieutenant Colonel Heinrich von Breymann1,250 men Battle of Bennington - Background During the summer of 1777, British Major General John Burgoyne advanced down the Hudson River valley from Canada with the goal of splitting the rebellious American colonies in two. After winning victories at Fort Ticonderoga, Hubbardton, and Fort Ann, his advance began to slow due to treacherous terrain and harassment from American forces. Running low on supplies, he ordered Lt. Colonel Friedrich Baum to take 800 men to raid the American supply depot at Bennington, VT. Upon leaving Fort Miller, Baum believed there to be only 400 militia guarding Bennington. Battle of Bennington - Scouting the Enemy While en route, he received intelligence that the garrison had been reinforced by 1,500 New Hampshire militiamen under the command of Brigadier General John Stark. Outnumbered, Baum halted his advance at the Walloomsac River and requested additional troops from Fort Miller. In the meantime, his Hessian troops built a small redoubt on the heights overlooking the river. Seeing that he had Baum outnumbered, Stark began to reconnoiter the Hessian position on August 14 and 15. On the afternoon of the 16th, Stark moved his men into position to attack. Battle of Bennington - Stark Strikes Realizing that Baums men were spread thin, Stark ordered his men to envelop the enemys line, while he assaulted the redoubt from the front. Moving to the attack, Starks men were able to quickly rout Baums Loyalist and Native American troops, leaving only the Hessians in the redoubt. Fighting valiantly, the Hessians were able to hold their position until they ran low on powder. Desperate, they launched a saber charge in an attempt to break out. This was defeated with Baum mortally wounded in the process. Trapped by Starks men, the remaining Hessians surrendered. As Starks men were processing their Hessian captives, Baums reinforcements arrived. Seeing that the Americans were vulnerable, Lt. Colonel Heinrich von Breymann and his fresh troops immediately attacked. Stark quickly reformed his lines to meet the new threat. His situation was bolstered by the timely arrival of Colonel Seth Warners Vermont militia, which aided in repulsing von Breymanns assault. Having blunted the Hessian attack, Stark and Warner counterattacked and drove von Breymanns men from the field. Battle of Bennington - Aftermath Impact During the Battle of Bennington, the British Hessians suffered 207 killed and 700 captured to only 40 killed and 30 wounded for the Americans. The victory at Bennington aided in the subsequent American triumph at Saratoga by depriving Burgoynes army of vital supplies and provided a much-needed​ morale boost for the American troops on the northern frontier.