Ambition for Success Essays

Ambition for Success Essays Ambition for Success Essay Ambition for Success Essay We all wanted to be successful in whatever we do, whether it is in education, in working, or in our everyday living. But what is it that drives every man to succeed or to pursue success? I believe that ambition plays a very important role in pursuing and achieving success. It is an admirable quality for a person to possess. An anonymous person once said that a heightened sense of ambition gives a person the strength to tear down the obstacles and keep on towards the goal. Even the author Peter Verinder admits that ambition is part of the human condition. More often, ambition lets us choose between our priorities to achieve our dreams. Because of ambition, people love their work and their actions reflect that. Examples of the people who succeeded because of ambition were Jack Welch, Cyrus McCormick, James J. Hill and John D. Rockefeller. Jack Welch, who works for GE, had a â€Å"million-dollar† ambition during high school and he exceeded it. Cyrus McCormick, on the other hand, ambitioned to be a millionaire. He became one when he was 57. Jack Hill was the builder of the Great Northern Railroad, and he set his financial goal during his 20s. John Rockefeller wanted to be worth $100,000 someday. When he grew up, he was worth 10,000 times that much. See what ambition can do to a person? Ambition comes from desiring to do great and to explore other things that we can do. As Brim says, â€Å"†¦we want action and growth†¦we want to be challenged. We want to shape, form, and build our own lives.† We continue to live everyday and face the many challenges that come with our endeavors. People need more of these challenges to be able to â€Å"test their powers† and therefore see more into their hidden skills and capabilities. However, ambition alone will not work. It needs action. Jack Hill wouldn’t have become a millionaire if he just sat in his corner all day. He wouldn’t be known for the Great Northern Railroad if he didn’t put in work. Corrigan (1999) says that ambition leads to action. In the corporate world, a person may exert effort to achieve personal recognition, power, or bigger salary. Or he may want to be ambitious to make the company more progressive. Corrigan also adds that ambition drives a person to change and develop within an organization. The employees in the lower level also want to improve their position, that’s why they put the values of the organization to their heart. As a whole, the organization relies upon individual ambition to achieve success. When we aspire for something, we also think of the better ways how we can achieve them. We consider the people around us, the circumstances, ourselves. This never happens when it comes to luck. More often than not, luck does not happen to all successful or unsuccessful people at all times, just like in Helzberg`s situation. We do not anticipate luck because we cannot tell when it befalls us, therefore we do not work harder just to be worthy of that. On the other hand, the case of envy is different. Mild envy could result to something more serious because a person is not content with what he has and still wanted something that other people have or own. I think that envious people do not have a healthy outlook in life.   Envy makes you resent that person who has the top position, the money, the great house, and the many opportunities. You become more frustrated with your job and your accomplishments because you compare them with others’. A person pursuing success needs to focus on what can be improved. And as Warren Harding says, â€Å"Ambition is a commendable attribute, without which no man succeeds. Only inconsiderate ambition imperils.† REFERENCES Corrigan, Paul. Shakespeare on Management: Leadership Lessons for Today’s Managers. London: Dover, N.H. Kogan Page, 1999. Krieger, Richard Alan. Civilization’s Quotations: Life’s Ideal. New York: Algora Publishing, 2002. Locke, Edwin A. The Prime Movers: Traits of the Great Wealth Creators. New York, AMACOM Books, 2000.

21 Plutonium Facts (Pu or Atomic Number 94)

21 Plutonium Facts (Pu or Atomic Number 94) You probably know that plutonium is an element and that plutonium is radioactive, but what else do you know about it? Learn more with these fascinating facts about plutonium. Fast Facts: Plutonium Name: PlutoniumElement Symbol: PuAtomic Number: 94Atomic Mass: 244 (for the most stable isotope)Appearance: A silvery-white solid metal at room temperature, which quickly oxidizes to dark gray in airElement Type: ActinideElectron Configuration:  [Rn] 5f6  7s2 Facts About Plutonium Here are 21 useful and interesting facts about plutonium: The element symbol for plutonium is Pu, rather than Pl, because this was a more amusing, easily remembered symbol.  The element was synthetically produced by Glenn T. Seaborg, Edwin M. McMillan, J.W. Kennedy, and A.C. Wahl at the University of California at Berkeley in 1940–1941. The researchers submitted news of the discovery and the proposed name and symbol to the journal Physical Review but withdrew it when it became apparent plutonium could be used for an atomic bomb. The elements discovery was kept secret until after World War II.Pure plutonium is a silvery-white metal, although it quickly oxidizes in air to a dull finish.The atomic number of plutonium is 94, meaning all atoms of plutonium have 94 protons.  It has an atomic weight around 244, a melting point of  640 C (1183 F), and a boiling point of  3228 C (5842 F).Plutonium oxide forms on the surface of plutonium exposed to air. The oxide is pyrophoric, so pieces of plutonium might glow like embers as the outer coating burns. Plutonium is one of a handful of radioactive elements that glows in the dark, although the glow is from heat. Ordinarily, there are six allotropes, or forms, of plutonium. A seventh allotrope exists at high temperatures. These allotropes have different crystal structures and densities. Changes in environmental conditions readily cause plutonium to shift from one allotrope to another, making plutonium a difficult metal to machine. Alloying the element with other metals (e.g., aluminum, cerium, gallium) helps make it possible to work and weld the material.Plutonium displays colorful oxidation states in aqueous solution. These states tend not to be stable, so plutonium solutions may spontaneously change oxidation states and colors.  The colors of the oxidation states are as follows:Pu(III) is lavender or violet.​Pu(IV) is golden brown.Pu(V) is pale pink.Pu(VI) is orange-pink.Pu(VII) is green. Note this oxidation state is uncommon. The 2 oxidation state also occurs in complexes.Unlike most substances, plutonium increases in density as it melts. The increase in density is about 2.5%. Nea r its melting point, liquid plutonium also exhibits higher-than-usual viscosity and surface tension for a metal. Plutonium is used in radioisotope thermoelectric generators, which are used to power spacecraft. The element has been used in nuclear weapons, including the Trinity test and the bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki. Plutonium-238 was once used to power heart pacemakers.Plutonium and its compounds are toxic and accumulate in bone marrow. Inhalation of plutonium and its compounds increases the risk of lung cancer, although many people have inhaled substantial amounts of plutonium yet didnt develop lung cancer. Inhaled plutonium is said to have a metallic taste.Criticality accidents involving plutonium have occurred. The amount of plutonium required for critical mass is about one-third that necessary for uranium-235. Plutonium in solution is more likely to form critical mass than solid plutonium because the hydrogen in water acts as a moderator.Plutonium is not magnetic. Other members of the element group stick to magnets, but plutonium can have a variable number of electrons in its valenc e shell, which makes it difficult for the unpaired electrons to align in a magnetic field. The element name follows the trend of uranium and neptunium being named for planets outward from the Sun. Plutonium is named for the dwarf planet Pluto.Plutonium is not a good conductor of electricity or heat, unlike some metals.The alpha form of plutonium is hard and brittle, while the delta form is soft and ductile.Plutonium occurs naturally in the Earths crust in uranium ores, but it is very rare. The main source of the element is synthesis in reactors from uranium-238.Plutonium is a member of the actinide element group, which makes it a type of transition metal.

Analysis a movie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis a movie - Essay Example Alice is a star in the game but it is hard to say the same for the movie. The initial 3D scenes have been repetitive and are hardly impressive, a weak beginning was not well received by the audience and as a result of which the movie failed to live up to the expectations of the fans. The paper will expansively present the other important aspects of the movie. 2. â€Å"In a world ravaged by a virus infection, turning its victims into the Undead, Alice (Milla Jovovich), continues on her journey to find survivors and lead them to safety.† (After Life) The materials used in the movie are quite unique and one of its kind, the movie is a 3D movie and it involves animation and special effects. The effects however have not been presented as the fans expected it to be. 3. The artist is trying to present a world in which Zombies grow by leaps and bounds, a virus is affecting the human race and annihilation has been portrayed in the movie. B. Visual Arts 1. The movie bears no resemblance to reality; it is purely a fictitious flick. It is based on human beings turning into Zombies because of a virus and it has nothing to do with reality. 2. The artists is portraying the future in the movie, a virus which would affect our human race might end up making us all Zombies as shown in the movie. It represents the future. 3. The work of the artists is without a doubt good but the movie is purely a fictitious movie and bears no resemblance to reality so the work can never be believed. C. Artistic Concept 1. â€Å"The movie contains strong bloody violence and language.† (British Board of Film Classification) Being a 3D movie the visual artists have done a good job, Alice stood out for her performance; she is much more adored by the fans in the game than in the movie. Nevertheless her performance was a tour de force, she loses her supernatural powers when she is injected in the movie, she becomes human again but she single handedly carries the movie, the movie would hav e done very badly had it not been for her. Other characters were merely present in the movie but had no effect whatsoever. The performance of the characters is fine but being a fictitious movie it is hard to believe the scenes in the movie, it is fair to say that the movie is entirely fictitious. 2. Viewer interaction fails in this movie and as an inevitable result of which the movie also fails, the movie does not present enough opportunities to the viewers to interact and get involved in the movie. 3. The work does not appeal to the emotions because it is fictitious, it would have appealed to the emotions of the audience had it had any resemblance to the reality, on top of that it is not a job well done. D. Use of Lighting in Creative Designs 1. â€Å"The movie was written by Paul W.S. Anderson.† (Writer) The use of lighting has been good in the movie; the character of Alice has been presented very vividly in the movie. The presentation has been certainly special because the movie is a 3D movie, being a third dimensional movie it had nothing stunning in it, several other 3D movies are way better than this movie. The opening scene in which Alice and her entourage enter into Umbrella’s headquarters is good, it resembles the opening scene of the game and this made the fans happy and they also

Intro to Rel Dbase Mgts Syst Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Intro to Rel Dbase Mgts Syst - Assignment Example De-normalization process is applied for the creation of data warehouse or sometimes used for revival of the dying online transaction processing (OLTP) applications, which shows the dreadful performance. De-normalization process applied to those tables, which results during the normalization. De-normalization does not alter the basic form or structure of the schema, but adjusts the basic structure or database design. Response 2: Business rules are enforced by applying the triggers or stored procedures. Business rules are used for handling the referential integrity. Using stored procedures for achieving the referential integrity does not involve the application development outside of data. Response 1: Queries like select, create, update, delete, and alter are used to perform the various business functions from a relational database management system. These queries can be used to access the column or rows of relations. Response 2: Under specification of data translation is another issue. Data from multiple tables becomes an issue because no simple way is there to validate the cross references from different files. It becomes the integrity issue of cross-referencing. Response 1: Initial deficiencies of information flow assessed during the Database Initial Study phase causes the modification of the existing system. This modification is also derived from the increased size of the organization. Increased number of wants and needs of the system also modify the initial study phase of database life cycle. Response 2: If the current system fails to meet the required functionality then system designer examines the ways the existing system failed. Lot of time is spent in talking with end-users of the database (Rob, Coronel and Crocket

Effect of Unethical Behavior Article Analysis Essay Example for Free

Effect of Unethical Behavior Article Analysis Essay The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, passed in congress in 2002 is designed to protect investors from the potential of fraudulent corporate accounting activities. This act strictly mandates reform, aimed directly to prevent fraud and improve corporate financial disclosures (INVESTOPEDIA, 2012). As a result of several confidence shaking investor accounting scandals that occurred during the late 90s which involved high profile corporations such as Enron, WorldCom and Tyco, a much required overhaul regarding financial statements and regulatory standards laid the foundation for the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. This act is making the accounting world more accessible to others for auditors to come in and help in checking the books. It will hold the executives and directors accountable for the internal controls of the company especially with the threat of imprisonment if the internal controls are not maintained. The act ensures that a â€Å"checks and balance† internal auditing of the accounting cycle for the company and investors to keep their assets in check. The role of internal audits is to ensure that Institute of Internal Auditor’s Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing Standard 300 Scope of Work be followed. The scope of the internal audit should encompass the examination and evaluation of the adequacy and effectiveness of the organizations system of internal control and the quality of performance in carrying out assigned responsibilities (M. Wood Company, 2012). The internal audit standards are to review the dependability and integrity of financial and operating information and the resource being used to identify measure and classify those reports. The standard requires the system be reviewed to ensure compliance with those policies, plans, procedure, laws and regulations which may have a huge impact on operations and reporting. The standard is used to review the methods in place to safeguarding assets and verify that the assets protected exist. The final purpose of the standard is to appraise the economy and the efficiency with the means that are employed by a corporation. It is important to note that policies and rules are also enforced to uphold the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Sections 302, 401, 404 and 805 in particular address key requirements as it pertains to effecting financial statements. Section 302 requires senior managers to certify the accuracy of the reports along with establishing internal controls are set in place for the purpose of increasing report accuracy, ensuring honesty and ultimately providing financial protection for the investors. Section 401 ensures that statements may not contain fraudulent information. Section 404 provides for the necessary rules for annual reporting as well as addresses management auditing structures. Lastly, section 805 provides the guidelines for federal sentencing relating to criminal fraud and obstruction of justice. (Hazels, Nov/Dec) A very important question that should be asked is how well main stream America understands the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and how it has effected them? Another pressing area to uncover is how it has affected the US economy over the past ten years? Lastly, it would be interesting to understand how US companies interface globally with countries not held to the same standards. References Hazels, B. (Nov/Dec 2010). Eight Years After The Fact Is SOX Working? A Look At The Brooke Corporation. Journal of Business Case Studies, 6(6.6), 19-29. Invesotopedia. (2012). Sarbanes-Oxley Act Of 2002 SOX. Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/sarbanesoxleyact.asp#axzz2BCoqABsQ M. Wood Company. (2012, November 1). The role of Internal Audit in Complying with Sarbanes- Oxley. Retrieved from http://www.mwoodco.com/value/Internal_Audit_7-03.pdf

Both Sides of Stem Cell Research Essay -- essays research papers

Stem Cell Research Paper Stem cell research has been quite a controversial topic since its origin in the 1960s by Gopal Das and Joseph Altman. Of course, anything that uses a human embryo would be. Stem cell research could open a vast number of new doors for modern science, it could let us test new drugs, one of which could be the unfound cure for AIDS or Alzheimer’s disease. However, this branch of science comes at a high price, the price of a human life that is only five to six days old (NIH). It is quite nearly impossible to take a stand in this argument from an unbiased viewpoint. What is a stem cell? A stem cell is an unspecialized cell, meaning it is not a heart, brain, or any other type of cell that has a special purpose, so it can take the form of any other type of cell. In other words, the fate of these cells has not been determined yet! This means that once inserted and given the right signal or trigger, the stem cell can adapt and divide like all of the cells in the area. Many leading Health Institutes are actively trying to find another way of getting such unspecialized cells. One way that many scientists are supporting is the freezing of the Placenta (Wikipedia). The Placenta is the mother’s tissue to the umbilical cord of the fetus is attached. If frozen, placenta can later help the baby that the female gave birth to by providing unspecialized stem cells. The major drawback of this method is that the Placental stem cells will only work for the baby that was attached to it through the umbilical cord (Wikipedia). There are four types of stem ce lls, Totipotent, Pluripotent, Multipotent, and Unipotent. Totipotent cells can become any type of tissue in the body (including the Placenta) and are only found in the ... ...ls it takes, to treat a patch or maybe even a microscopic patch (CNN). Researchers, Religious figures, and political figures opposing stem cell research hotly argue if killing a baby for some stem cells is a void reason. Right now, no one side has gained favor over the other. Stem cell research has been an extremely notorious topic of debate in today’s world. Both sides have been trying to gain the edge for many years, but it is still hard to tell who is winning this debate. Those in favor of stem cell research believe that stem cells will help open doors in modern science to cures, ideas, and new methods. On the opposing side, however, the people believe that killing a baby is a inhumane act, and will only hurt humankind. All in all, the balance in this debate seems to be even, however, this might change if one side brings forward convincing piece of evidence. Both Sides of Stem Cell Research Essay -- essays research papers Stem Cell Research Paper Stem cell research has been quite a controversial topic since its origin in the 1960s by Gopal Das and Joseph Altman. Of course, anything that uses a human embryo would be. Stem cell research could open a vast number of new doors for modern science, it could let us test new drugs, one of which could be the unfound cure for AIDS or Alzheimer’s disease. However, this branch of science comes at a high price, the price of a human life that is only five to six days old (NIH). It is quite nearly impossible to take a stand in this argument from an unbiased viewpoint. What is a stem cell? A stem cell is an unspecialized cell, meaning it is not a heart, brain, or any other type of cell that has a special purpose, so it can take the form of any other type of cell. In other words, the fate of these cells has not been determined yet! This means that once inserted and given the right signal or trigger, the stem cell can adapt and divide like all of the cells in the area. Many leading Health Institutes are actively trying to find another way of getting such unspecialized cells. One way that many scientists are supporting is the freezing of the Placenta (Wikipedia). The Placenta is the mother’s tissue to the umbilical cord of the fetus is attached. If frozen, placenta can later help the baby that the female gave birth to by providing unspecialized stem cells. The major drawback of this method is that the Placental stem cells will only work for the baby that was attached to it through the umbilical cord (Wikipedia). There are four types of stem ce lls, Totipotent, Pluripotent, Multipotent, and Unipotent. Totipotent cells can become any type of tissue in the body (including the Placenta) and are only found in the ... ...ls it takes, to treat a patch or maybe even a microscopic patch (CNN). Researchers, Religious figures, and political figures opposing stem cell research hotly argue if killing a baby for some stem cells is a void reason. Right now, no one side has gained favor over the other. Stem cell research has been an extremely notorious topic of debate in today’s world. Both sides have been trying to gain the edge for many years, but it is still hard to tell who is winning this debate. Those in favor of stem cell research believe that stem cells will help open doors in modern science to cures, ideas, and new methods. On the opposing side, however, the people believe that killing a baby is a inhumane act, and will only hurt humankind. All in all, the balance in this debate seems to be even, however, this might change if one side brings forward convincing piece of evidence.

Spatial Filtering Fundamentals

4/28/2008 Spatial filtering fundamentals by  Gleb  V. Tcheslavski:  [email  protected] lamar. edu http://ee. lamar. edu/gleb/dip/index. htm Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 1 Mechanics of spatial filtering Considering frequency domain filtering, the effect of LPF applied to an image is to blur (smooth) it. Similar smoothing effect can be achieved by using spatial filters (spatial masks, kernels, templates, or windows). We discussed that a spatial filter consists of a neighborhood and a pre-defined operation performed on the image pixels defining the neighborhood.The result of filtering – a new pixel with coordinated of the neighborhood’s center and the value defined by the operation. g y p If the operation is linear, the filter is said to be a linear spatial filter. Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 2 1 4/28/2008 Mechanics of spatial filtering Assuming a 3 x 3 neighborhood, at any point (x,y) in the image, the response of the spatial filter is g ( x, y ) = w(? 1, ? 1 ) f ( x ? 1, y ? 1) + w(? 1, 0) f ( x ? 1, y ) + †¦ + w(0, 0) f ( x, y ) + †¦ + w(1,1) f ( x + 1, y + 1) Filter coefficient Pixel intensity In general: g ( x, y ) = s =? a t =? b ? ? w(s, t ) f ( x + s, y + t ) a bSpring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 3 Mechanics of spatial filtering Here a mask size is m x n. m = 2a + 1 n = 2b + 1 Where a and b are some integers. For a 3 x 3 mask Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 4 2 4/28/2008 Spatial correlation and convolution Correlation is a process of moving the filter mask over the image and computing the sum of products at each location as previously described. Convolution is the same except that the filter is first rotated by 1800. For a 1D case, we first zeropad f by m-1 zeros on each size. We compute a sum of products in both cases†¦ Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 5 Spatial correlation and convolutionCorrelation is a function of displacement of the filter. A function containing a single 1 with the rest being zeros is g g g called a d iscrete unit impulse. Correlation of a function with a discrete unit impulse yields a rotated version of a function at the location of the impulse. To perform a convolution, we need to pre-rotate the filter by 1800 and perform the same operation as in correlation. Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 6 3 4/28/2008 Spatial correlation and convolution In a 2D case, for a filter of size m x n, we pad the image with m-1 rows of zeros at the top and bottom and n-1 columns of zeros on the left and right.For convolution, we pre-rotate the mask and perform the sliding sum of products. Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 7 Spatial correlation and convolution Correlation of a filter w(x,y) of size m x n with an image f(x,y) is w( x, y ) f ( x, y ) = s =? a t =? b ? ? w(s, t ) f ( x + s, y + t ) ? ? w(s, t ) f ( x ? s, y ? t ) a b a b Convolution of a filter w(x,y) of size m x n with an image f(x,y) is w( x, y ) ? f ( x, y) = s =? a t =? b Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 8 4 4/28/2008 Vector representatio n of linear filtering It is convenient sometimes to represent a sum of products asR = ? wk zk = w T z k =1 Filter coeffs Image intensities mn For example, for a 3 x 3 filter: p , R = ? wk zk = w T z k =1 Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 9 9 Generating spatial filter masks Generating an m x n linear spatial filter requires specification of mn mask coefficients. These coefficients are selected based on what the filter is supposed to do keeping in mind that all we can do with linear filtering is to implement a sum of products. Assuming that we need to replace the pixels in an image with the average pixel intensities of a 3Ãâ€"3 neighborhood centered on those pixels.If zi are the intensities, the average is R= 9 1 9 ? zi 9 i =1 Which is: R = ? wi zi = w T z; i =1 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP wi = 1 9 10 Spring 2008 5 4/28/2008 Smoothing spatial filters Smoothing filters are used for blurring and noise reduction. Blurring may be implemented in preprocessing tasks to remove small details from an ima ge prior to large object extraction. The output of a smoothing (averaging or lowpass) linear spatial filter is the average of the pixels contained in the neighborhood of the filter mask.By replacing the value of every pixel in an image by the average of the intensity levels in the neighborhood defined by a filter mask, the resulting image will have reduced â€Å"sharp† transitions in intensities. Since random noise typically corresponds to such transitions, we can achieve denoising. Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 11 Smoothing spatial filters However, edges (characterized by sharp intensity transitions) will be blurred. Examples of such masks: 1) A box filter – spatial averaging filter 3Ãâ€"3; 2) Weighted average filter – attempt to reduce blurring: g a g ( x, y ) = s =? a t =? b ? ? (s, t ) f ( x + s, y + t ) s =? a t =? b b ? ? w(s, t ) 12 a b Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 6 4/28/2008 Smoothing spatial filters The effect of filter size. The original 500Ãâ€"5 00 image And the results of smoothing with a square averaging filter of sizes m = 3, 5, 9, 15, 25, and 35 pixels. Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 13 Smoothing spatial filters Frequently, blurring is desired for ease of object detection: an original Hubble image, the result of applying a 15Ãâ€"15 averaging mask to it and the result of thresholding with a threshold of 25% of the highest intensity. Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 14 7 4/28/2008Order-statistic (nonlinear) filters Order-statistic filter are nonlinear spatial filters whose response is based on ordering (Ranking) the pixels in the neighborhood and then replacing the value of the center pixel by the value determined by the ranking result. The median filters are quite effective against the impulse noise (salt-and-pepper noise). The median of a set of values is such that half the values in the set are greater than the median and half is lesser than it: Ex: the 3Ãâ€"3 neighborhood has values (10, 20, 20, 20,15, 20, 100, 25, 20 ). These values are ranked as (10, 15, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 25, 100).The median will be 20. There are also max and min filters. Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 15 Order-statistic (nonlinear) filters Original image with salt-andpepper noise Spring 2008 Noise reduction with a 3Ãâ€"3 averaging mask ELEN 4304/5365 DIP Noise reduction with a 3Ãâ€"3 median mask 16 8 4/28/2008 Sharpening spatial filters: foundations The main objective of sharpening is to highlight transitions in intensity. Since averaging is analogous to spatial integration, we y g g g p g can assume that sharpening is analogous to differentiation in space. The derivatives of a digital function are defined in differences.The first derivative must be: 1) Zero in areas of constant intensity; 2) Non-zero at the onset and end of an intensity step or ramp; 3) Non-zero along ramps of constant slope. The second derivative must be: 1) Zero in areas of constant intensity; 2) Non-zero at the onset and end of an intensity step or ram p; 3) Zero along ramps of constant slope. Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 17 Sharpening spatial filters: foundations The first-order derivative: ?f = f ( x + 1) ? f ( x) ? x The second-order derivative: ?2 f = f ( x + 1) + f ( x ? 1) ? 2 f ( x) ? x 2 It can be verified that these definitions satisfy the conditions for derivatives.Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 18 9 4/28/2008 Sharpening spatial filters: foundations The circles indicate the onset or end of intensity transitions. The sign of the second derivative changes at the onset and end of a step of ramp. The second derivative enhances fine details much better than the first derivative. This is suitable for sharpening. Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 19 Using the second derivative for image sharpening – the Laplacian We consider isotropic filters – the response is independent of the direction of the discontinuity in the image Such filters are image. rotation invariant.The simplest isotropic derivative operator is the L aplacian: ?2 f ? 2 f ? f = 2 + 2 ? x ? y 2 Therefore: ? 2 f = f ( x + 1, y ) + f ( x ? 1, y ) + f ( x, y + 1) + f ( x, y ? 1) ? 4 f ( x, y ) The Laplacian is a linear operator since derivatives are linear operators. Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 20 10 4/28/2008 Using the second derivative for image sharpening – the Laplacian The Laplacian can be implemented by these filter masks Since the Laplacian is a derivative operator, its use highlights intensity discontinuities in the image and deemphasize regions with slow varying intensity levels levels.It tends to produce images having grayish edge lines and other discontinuities, and a dark, feature-less background. Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 21 Using the second derivative for image sharpening – the Laplacian Background features can be preserved together with the sharpening effect of the Laplacian by adding the Laplacian image to the original. If the definition of the Laplacian has a negative central coefficient, the La placian image must be subtracted rather than added to obtain a sharpening result. In general: g ( x, y ) = f ( x, y ) + c 2 f ( x, y ) ? ? ?Output intensity Input intensity -1 – if the center is negative; +1 otherwise Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 22 11 4/28/2008 Using the second derivative for image sharpening – the Laplacian The Laplacian Laplacian with scaling The original (blurred) image The image sharpened with mask 2 The image sharpened with mask 1 Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 23 Unsharp masking and highboost filtering An approach used for many years to sharpen images is: 1. Blur the original image; 2. Subtract the blurred image from the original (the result is called the mask): g mask ( x, y ) = f ( x, y ) ? f ( x, y ) Original Blurred image 3.Add the mask to the original: g ( x, y ) = f ( x, y ) + k ? g mask ( x, y ) Here k is a weight. Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 24 12 4/28/2008 Unsharp masking and highboost filtering When k = 1 – unsharp masking ; k > 1 – highboost filtering; k < 1 – de-emphasize the contribution of a mask. The shown intensity profile can be viewed as a horizontal scan through a vertical edge transition from a dark to li ht t a light region. i This approach is similar to Laplacian method. Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 25 Unsharp masking and highboost filtering Original ( slightly blurred) image Smoothed with a Gaussian smoothing filter 5Ãâ€"5 Unsharp maskResult of using unshapr mask (k = 1) Result of using highboost filtering with k = 4. 5 Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 26 13 4/28/2008 Gradient method First derivatives can be implemented for nonlinear image sharpening using the magnitude of the gradient: ? ? f ? g x ? ? ? x ? ? ? f ? grad ( f ) ? ? ? = ? ? ? g y ? ? ? f ? ? ? y ? ? ? The gradient vector points in the direction of the greatest rate of g (x,y). g (length) gradient change of f at location ( y) The magnitude ( g ) of g 2 2 M ( x, y ) = ? f = g x + g y Is the value of rate of cha nge at (x,y) in the direction of gradient. Spring 2008ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 27 Gradient method M(x,y) is an image of the same size as the original and is called the gradient image. Magnitude makes M(x,y) non-linear. It is more s itable in some applications to use: suitable se M ( x, y ) ? g x + g y For an image where z5 represent the pixel f(x,y) and z1 represent the pixel f(x-1,y-1), the simplest (Roberts) definitions for gradients are: M ( x, y ) = ( z9 ? z5 ) + ( z8 ? z6 ) 2 2 M ( x, y ) ? z9 ? z5 + z8 ? z6 However, Roberts cross-gradient operators lead to masks of even sizes, which is inconvenient. ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 28 Spring 2008 14 4/28/2008 Gradient methodThe smallest masks with central symmetry (ones we are interested in) are 3Ãâ€"3. The gradient can be approximated for such masks as following: ?f = ( z7 + 2 z8 + z9 ) ? ( z1 + 2 z2 + z3 ) ? x ? f gy = = ( z3 + 2 z6 + z9 ) ? ( z1 + 2 z4 + z7 ) ? y Therefore, the mask could be: gx = M ( x, y ) ? ( z7 + 2 z8 + z9 ) ? ( z1 + 2 z2 + z3 ) + ( z3 + 2 z6 + z9 ) ? ( z1 + 2 z4 + z7 ) Roberts operators They are Sobel operators. Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 29 Gradient method The coefficients in all masks shown sum to zero. This indicates that mask will give a zero response in an area of constant intensity as expected of a derivative operator operator.Original image of contact lens Sobel gradient Defect Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 30 15 4/28/2008 Combining spatial enhancement techniques Frequently, Frequently a combination of several methods is used to enhance an image†¦ 1) Original image – 2) Laplacian – 3) image sharpened by Laplacian – 4) Sobel gradient of the original image – 5) Sobel image smoothed with a 5Ãâ€"5 averaging filter – 6) product of Sobel image with its smoothed version – 7) sharpened image (a sum of the original and 6) – 8) power-law transformation. Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 31 Spring 2008 ELEN 4304/5365 DIP 32 16

Effects of world economic politics to Australia Essay

World political economy can be defined as a political process of interaction between countries in world transform local phenomena in to global perspective. Mostly, this interaction comes up as integration of sovereign state for economic benefit based on trade and commerce. In Australian context, world political economics is interaction between Australian-nation and the rest of world. World political economy is the transformation of the Australia-nation phenomenon into global perspective. This interaction has been promoted in rationale of giving Australian-nationals a form of interaction with the world which in most cases in commercial, foreign investment, migration of man power, capital flow as well as sharing of technology. On other hand, world political economy interactions allow Australia partners in trade to be able to get in Australia and do business freely. These have been achieved through liberalization of market which has been achieved through Australian authorities negotiating with its trade partners for a more regulated trade. In a nutshell World political economy to Australia can be viewed in perspective of globalisation which has positive and negative impact in Australian economy. Globalisation is world political economics which seeks for integration of the whole world in commerce, communication as well as transport networks across the world. Theoretically, globalisation has been viewed as a way of economic empowerment but its aftermath is marked with economic crisis. In Australia, unemployment crisis is a good example of result of world political economics in the name of globalisation. World political economic has been in existence for long time but it major impact can be traced after the Second World War. This was after realisation of importance of world peace giving reasons to have international integrations. Integration took economic perspective where countries would interact in commerce an aspect which resulted to concept of globalization. This was supported by many countries, where Australia became to part of this economic integration. Bretton Wood conference after World War II came up with institutions which would oversee the world political economic and Australia government became a member of these institutions. These institutions included; International monetary fund (IMF) and World Bank designed to foresee development in world. Other organisations on basis of world political economy which Australia-nation is members are; General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), and World Trade Organisation (WTO). These organisations influence world political economics through trade negotiations, pushing for market liberation, aimed at reducing the cost of doing business and promotion of a more integrated economic growth in world. World political economy championing for globalization has resulted to a lot of change in Australia-nation hurting the economy and the welfare of the common man. Adoption of globalisation policies by Australian government has resulted to rapid change in technology making education system not to meet employment requirement and fleeing of employment through cheap imports among others (Krisztina 2006). World political economy base on globalisation has not resulted well for Australia. Globalisation in the world economic has winner and losers. It can be said that Australia has come out of globalisation crusade as a loser, getting to the current unemployment crisis. The negative side of globalisation as a result of world political economies had led Australia to be in more problem than before. Before embracing in totality the world political concept of globalisation, Australia was rich country endowed with a lot of natural resources but freed them as per globalization concept of mobility of natural resources. Losing of resources in the name of mobility of resources has resulted to the current problem of unemployment. Unemployment problem facing Australia today can be blamed on world political economy policy of globalisation which has squeezed people of Australia employment through liberated market. World political economics championed opening country’s borders allowing other countries to trade freely. This has resulted to Australia opening to imports resulting to loss of employments and promoting employment of foreign countries through consuming their products. Rationale behind implementation of globalisation in the Australian economy as influence by the world political economics was the purported ‘advantages’ of market liberalisation. Proponent of world integrated economy argued that globalisation would result to increase welfare to the consumer in world. Integration of world trade would result to increase range of choice for good and service. Elimination of trade barriers means allowing imports in the country giving local people a chance to be able to choice from local manufactured commodities a well import. Local producer would have a chance to trade their commodities in the export market with ease hence promotion of employment and development in the country. Aftermath of this would be specialization since the trading partners will only be able to produce and compete efficiently. â€Å"The trade policy breakthrough started to take place in 1973, when the government executed its 25 percent across-the-board tarrif reduction. Even though general reductions in protection were precluded in 1982, the ‘opening process’ was continued in the late 1980s, when a four-year program in nominal tariff rates was introduced for most imports. This four year program was extended until 1991: by this time general tariffs were to be phased down to 5 percent† (Krisztina, 2006 pp. 13). World political economy would provide world wide financial markets. Australia being member of world political institution meant it could be able to source for finance for government projects. It also gave citizen a chance of participating and trading in world foreign exchange and speculative markets. Globalisation would result to a major global market where there would be freedom in exchange of good as well as capital. This was seen as a benefit by the policy maker and proponents of integration of world economy. World political economics viewed integration as important vehicles to bring governments together through trade and be able to regulate each other to avert any threat to world peace and abuse of human rights. Exchange of expatriates and technology would be very easy through integrated economy and political world. It would as help countries to be able to share telecommunication infrastructures reaping advantages resulting from free flow of information. These are the rationale behind adoption of globalisation concept in Australian nation. This concept has injured the country’s welfare through loss of employments greatly (Davidson, 2004). Although there may be economic benefit of world economic integration, globalisation always has taker and loser. Market liberalisation has resulted to be problematic to Australian economy. Australia-nation has come out of world political economies like a loser instead of gaining. In the wake of globalisation resulting from world political economy has influenced changes in Government export Promotion Policy (GEPP) adjusting various policies on exports and imports. â€Å"GEPP is generally considered as variably significance part of the government’s overall trade policy. There are a number of GEPP definitions describing GEPP from fairly different perspectives, ranging from the GEPP describing of the Organisational for Economic co-operation and development (OECD) focusing only on the extra-cost-bring nature of export promotion tools† (Krisztina 2006 pp. 3). Changes in export as well as import policies have impacted negatively to Australian employment structures. GEPP mainly deals with promotion of the exports through strategising on improvement of export market support instruments. It also brings policies to promote export through giving tax incentives to export so as to influence flow of goods and services for export. GEPP policies results to formation of job opportunities since increase export mean increase in production of real goods which need human resource effort. This means that increase export means creation of more employment. On the other hand when the country experiences an influx of imports the employment opportunities as well as growth are at risk. Imports compete with locally manufactured good making the local production to reduce. Low production translates to reduced need of man power for production of real good hence reduced employment.

Writers Can Learn from Middlebrow Masters

Writers Can Learn from Middlebrow Masters Writers Can Learn from Middlebrow Masters Writers Can Learn from Middlebrow Masters By Mark Nichol After several years of intending to read through Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin series of seafaring novels, I’ve finally embarked on that voyage, and I’m delighted to note that O’Brian proves that writers can draw lessons in technique from fiction that doesn’t necessarily make it onto too many Great Literature reading lists. O’Brian wrote twenty novels featuring fictional early nineteenth-century Royal Navy officer Jack Aubrey and his friend, naval surgeon Stephen Maturin, over the course of several decades, leaving another one unfinished when he died in 1999. (It was later published in its incomplete form.) After completing the first installment, Master and Commander, I suspect that they’re all ripping good yarns but not (despite some comparisons to the works of Jane Austen and other literary giants) classics for the ages. Yet they’re instructive in how to write and, in one respect, how not to write. First, the bad news: O’Brian, facing the significant challenge of explaining the naval terminology, traditions, and hierarchy of the Napoleonic era to the many readers unfamiliar with such matters, solved it by having various characters explain nautical concepts to Maturin, a landlubber. Unfortunately, though this technique is reasonable in moderation, here it’s employed to extremes. At times, it’s no more subtle than the satirically excessive exposition in the Austin Powers movie series, with the character Basil Exposition laboriously providing background information to the protagonist (and the audience). But the author’s successful avoidance of narrative exposition (that is, other than in dialogue) is related to his great strength: O’Brian rarely employs attribution; the reader usually knows who is talking. But even more remarkable, he rarely has to describe his masterfully well-developed characters. Aubrey and Maturin are an odd couple; the officer is a big and brash yet charismatic leader, while his friend is a quiet, studious surgeon/naturalist/philosopher. The author subtly signals the doctor’s initial unease with shipboard life (he gets in sailors’ way or hits his head on the low beams belowdecks) and his preoccupation with surgical procedures and natural phenomena by indirect reference. Among the best small moments are those in which Maturin tries to engage the practical and intelligent but unschooled Aubrey in intellectual discussion. I did not take advantage of opportunities to work my way through the literary-classics canon during my own schooling, and I am at sea when it comes to lit crit. (If I were asked to analyze the subtext of a cornerstone of the literary tradition, I would probably blithely blink without comprehension much like Aubrey does when confronted with a Latin expression.) But I found myself very much impressed (without being very much distracted) by the mastery with which O’Brian conveys character without describing his characters. I am certain that such lessons in narrative technique can be drawn from many novelists great and small (and in between), and you likely can relate your favorite epiphany of this type. This point only proves that wisdom and inspiration are to be found in unexpected places. Enjoy your pulp fiction, airport novels, beach books, light reading in whatever form your leisure reading takes (including enjoying Great Literature) but be receptive to such insights. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:10 Grammar Mistakes You Should Avoid55 Boxing IdiomsPassed vs Past

Resume and LinkedIn Trends - Brenda Bernstein Radio Blog!

Resume and LinkedIn Trends - Brenda Bernstein Radio Blog! In part due to my hiring a publicist a couple of months ago, I have been appearing frequently on radio programs around Wisconsin and Chicago. I was also interviewed by a program out in Massachusetts. I thought that rather than write an article this week, I would offer you the opportunity to listen in on some of my interviews. They cover topics ranging from resumes to LinkedIn profiles to college essays. Enjoy! And dont forget I will be interviewed for a full hour on December 10 on Wisconsin Public Radio! The Digital Insider (Topic: LinkedIn) document.createElement('audio'); https://theessayexpert.com/media/the_digital_insider.mp3 WGN (Chicago) Bill Leff Show (Topic: Resume Trends) I really like this one! https://media.wgnradio.com/media/mp3file/2012-10/wgnam-leff-tips-to-make-your-resume-and-cover-letter-stand-out-theessayexpert-222230740-02031552.mp3 Milwaukee Public Radio Lake Effect (Topics: Resumes, Cover Letters, LinkedIn and More!) https://www.wuwm.com/media/lake_effect/le_110212170354_1.mp3 Outside the Box with Mitch Henck (Topic: LinkedIn) (Starts at 2:34.)

Fashion as a Culture and Identity Expression Tool Essay

Fashion as a Culture and Identity Expression Tool - Essay Example The essay "Fashion as a Culture and Identity Expression Tool" discovers the culture and identity expression tool of fashion. Travelling and interacting with the outside world exposes individuals to the multicultural nature of the world and the way different people in the globe dress. Through fashion, a Vietnamese is presented with an opportunity to represent his culture through construct and expressive identities in bigger cities across the world where they mingle with strangers. Through fashion, expressive statement about one’s individual culture and identities is enhanced as the accessories and nature of the clothing can only be directly associated with their clothing type. In this essay, the impacts of traditional and cultural wear in representing the identity and culture of a given group of people will be discussed. One example of a traditional wear that has been used to represent identities and make expressive statements about identities is the Indian women swear. Indian women have specific traditional wears such as the sari that is known and associated with the Indian women across the globe. This fashion has enabled the Indian women to make expressive statements about their individual identities and personality. The development of the world fashion can be described as a contemporary and cosmopolitan fashion that is exposed to the dynamics of changes blended by the different cultures. As a result, different new dresses and fashions are created daily and these include the use of the trench coats.

Must Internet purchases be subject to sales tax Essay

Must Internet purchases be subject to sales tax - Essay Example According to Engler and Cellucci, "Ernst & Young concluded that 63% of total e-commerce sales to consumers are sales not taxable in most states". As for the taxable sales, "that same study also found that 60% of the taxable business-to-consumer Internet sales are substitutes for other types of sales, such as mail-order catalog sales by out-of state vendors, that do not currently generate sales or use tax revenue". Proponents for Internet tax also argue that "it is not a new tax" but the enforcement of existing laws that give mail order stores the right to collect sales tax (Senate Nixes Sales Tax on Catalogue, Internet Sales 1). Moreover, sales of the brick and mortar store continue to grow despite the flourishing of online stores (Engler and Cellucci 1-3). A brick-and-mortar store is able to provide consumers with service that the online store is unable to offer, such as getting to try the goods or see it physically before deciding to buy it. Furthermore, Internet taxes would require the electronic tracking of purchases (Engler and Cellucci 3).