The Issue Of Juvenile Internment - 1606 Words

offenders and toward the kids teetering on the edge, the ones for whom violence and arrest, addiction or death, are clearly in the cards, but still-perhaps-avoidable, (Humes 232). How can a child’s right to liberty, her parent’s right to act as guardian and the states interest to prevent crime be balanced with regard to status offenses. Although the original parens patriae stressed individual rehabilitation, primitive psychological knowledge combined with a concern of external scrutiny left most forms of juvenile internment seeming retributive. The court, however, operated on a pretense of rehabilitation that rationalized its lack of due process. This gulf between rhetoric and reality was addressed in the Gault decision. Feld writes, the†¦show more content†¦This movement seems to have evolved from an increasingly polarized economy that yielded great inequalities in wealth based on education levels and race. Inequalities such as these contributed to racial segr egation whereby blacks were and continue to be relegated to urban ghettos where crime, unstable family structures, social disorganization, drugs and the proliferation of handguns contributed to an image of black gang members as violent and dangerous. The intersection of race, guns, and homicide fanned the public and political panic that, in turn, led to the recent get-tough reformulation, (Feld 203). In order to mollify public fears of older, more dangerous juveniles and to appear to be tough on crime, policy makers brought retributive, adult punishment more and more into the purview of the juvenile court. Mandatory sentencing laws are one such manifestation. The issues with stricter sentencing guidelines are numerous. First, too much judicial discretion based solely on the crime and the juveniles past history lends itself to extensive racial and class-based discrimination. It is difficult to judge the efficacy of rehabilitation based on only a few objective factors without taking i nto account the structural condition of a juvenile’s situation. Also arising from the get tough movement, juvenile justice waiver laws were changed to decrease judge’s discretion and pull more youth into the adult criminal system a system based on

English Feature article on Shakespears Macbeth with...

Windows changed through time. A way to see the world through different eyes... In late 1606 or early 1607, The last of Shakespeare s four great tragedies was written. Macbeth has been said by many to be Shakespeare s darkest work, A Reflection through Shakespeare s mind giving us a window into Elizabethan ways of politics, Human violence and Human nature. Quiet relevantly Shakespeare would never have guessed that over 400 years later the basic morals and characteristics that were used to shape his own work would be put into use yet again for a modern day adaptation, That in short took the great writers technique of windowing their own time and creating a work to be treasured by today s audiences. In 1917 Roman Polanski†¦show more content†¦In Macbeth Shakespeare strongly relies on Soliloquies as a way to see the world through different eyes. To see the world through the characters mind and to truly be able to understand it, The motives, The deep thoughts everything that makes a character act the way in which they do. In the film the soliloquies are performed as voice overs and remain largely intact. The strong language presented in the voice overs while still being able to watch the character move around in their environment adds a visual element to the already captivating scene. It makes sure that we are totally alert to the plot and the things that are happening. Yet again the adaptation opens up the window that Shakespeare had been so enthralled in the human mind, The idea of good verse evil, The presence of evil and also the idea of consciousness. In the play the first sign of confusion in conscience is the witches, Resembling evil they state Foul is Fair meaning what is evil is good and Fair is Foul meaning what is good they find repulsive. This seems to be a theme to life lead by the evil characters, but it could also be a warning to the audience about things to come. From my personal view today s society is the same as Shakespeare wrote with the struggle between good and evil, The idea of right and wrong and the constant struggle between the two. This is also associated

Expert System free essay sample

2 FUNDAMENTALS OF EXPERT SYSTEMS This chapter introduces the basic concepts of expert systems. The hierarchical process of developing expert systems is presented, as well as the essential characteristics of expert systems are presented. More speci? c details of the concepts introduced in this chapter are covered in subsequent chapters. 2. 1 EXPERT SYSTEMS PROCESS This book is organized in the structure of a strategic process for developing successful expert systems. Figure 2. 1 presents the hierarchy of topics as they are presented here and in the subsequent chapters. The strategic process is recommended for anyone venturing into the technology of expert systems from the standpoint of training, research, or applications. This chapter covers the basic concepts of expert systems technology. A basic understanding of these concepts is essential to getting the most out of expert systems. More speci? c details of the concepts presented in this chapter are discussed in appropriate sections of the subsequent chapters. Chapter 3 covers problem analysis. To be effective, the right problems must be selected for expert systems implementation. The principle of ‘‘garbage in, garbage out’’ is also applicable here. Wrong problems lead to incorrect implementation of expert systems. Chapter 4 covers knowledge engineering. Knowledge acquisition is a critical aspect of the expert systems effort. If the knowledge collected is garbage, the best that can be expected from a system is garbage. Chapter 5 presents probabilistic and fuzzy reasoning. Chapter 6 presents fuzzy systems techniques for handling uncertainty in expert systems. Chapter 7 presents neural networks. Chapter 8 covers neural-fuzzy networks. Chapter 9 presents the technique of evolutionary computing. Chapter 10 presents an application to manufacturing. Chapter 11 presents an application to forecasting. 13 14 FUNDAMENTALS OF EXPERT SYSTEMS MAINTENANCE IMPLEMENTATION, INTEGRATION TESTING, VERIFICATION, VALIDATION DEVELOPMENT PROCESS TOOL SELECTION Tasks KNOWLEDGE REPRESENTATION KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION PROBLEM SELECTION CONCEPTS BACKGROUND Time Figure 2. 1. Hierarchy of expert systems development process. 2. 2 EXPERT SYSTEMS CHARACTERISTICS By de? nition, an expert system is a computer program that simulates the thought process of a human expert to solve complex decision problems in a speci? c domain. This chapter addresses the characteristics of expert systems that make them different from conventional programming and traditional decision support tools. The growth of expert systems is expected to continue for several years. With the continuing growth, many new and exciting applications will emerge. An expert system operates as an interactive system that responds to questions, asks for clari? cation, makes recommendations, and generally aids the decision-making process. Expert systems provide expert advice and guidance in a wide variety of activities, from computer diagnosis to delicate medical surgery. Various de? nitions of expert systems have been offered by several authors. A general de? nition that is representative of the intended functions of expert systems is: An expert system is an interactive computer-based decision tool that uses both facts and heuristics to solve dif? cult decision problems based on knowledge acquired from an expert. 2. 2 EXPERT SYSTEMS CHARACTERISTICS 15 An expert system may be viewed as a computer simulation of a human expert. Expert systems are an emerging technology with many areas for potential applications. Past applications range from MYCIN, used in the medical ? eld to diagnose infectious blood diseases, to XCON, used to con? gure computer systems. These expert systems have proven to be quite successful. Most applications of expert systems will fall into one of the following categories: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Interpreting and identifying Predicting Diagnosing Designing Planning Monitoring Debugging and testing Instructing and training Controlling Applications that are computational or deterministic in nature are not good candidates for expert systems. Traditional decision support systems such as spreadsheets are very mechanistic in the way they solve problems. They operate under mathematical and Boolean operators in their execution and arrive at one and only one static solution for a given set of data. Calculationintensive applications with very exacting requirements are better handled by traditional decision support tools or conventional programming. The best application candidates for expert systems are those dealing with expert heuristics for solving problems. Conventional computer programs are based on factual knowledge, an indisputable strength of computers. Humans, by contrast, solve problems on the basis of a mixture of factual and heuristic knowledge. Heuristic knowledge, composed of intuition, judgment, and logical inferences, is an indisputable strength of humans. Successful expert systems will be those that combine facts and heuristics and thus merge human knowledge with computer power in solving problems. To be effective, an expert system must focus on a particular problem domain, as discussed below. 2. 2. 1 Domain Speci? city Expert systems are typically very domain speci? c. For example, a diagnostic expert system for troubleshooting computers must actually perform all the necessary data manipulation as a human expert would. The developer of such a system must limit his or her scope of the system to just what is needed to solve the target problem. Special tools or programming languages are often needed to accomplish the speci? c objectives of the system. 16 FUNDAMENTALS OF EXPERT SYSTEMS 2. 2. 2 Special Programming Languages Expert systems are typically written in special programming languages. The use of languages like LISP and PROLOG in the development of an expert system simpli? s the coding process. The major advantage of these languages, as compared to conventional programming languages, is the simplicity of the addition, elimination, or substitution of new rules and memory management capabilities. Some of the distinguishing characteristics of programming languages needed for expert systems work are: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ à ¢â‚¬ ¢ Ef? cient mix of integer and real variables Good memory-management procedures Extensive data-manipulation routines Incremental compilation Tagged memory architecture Optimization of the systems environment Ef? cient search procedures 2. 3 EXPERT SYSTEMS STRUCTURE Complex decisions involve intricate combination of factual and heuristic knowledge. In order for the computer to be able to retrieve and effectively use heuristic knowledge, the knowledge must be organized in an easily accessible format that distinguishes among data, knowledge, and control structures. For this reason, expert systems are organized in three distinct levels: 1. Knowledge base consists of problem-solving rules, procedures, and intrinsic data relevant to the problem domain. 2. Working memory refers to task-speci? c data for the problem under consideration. . Inference engine is a generic control mechanism that applies the axiomatic knowledge in the knowledge base to the task-speci? c data to arrive at some solution or conclusion. These three pieces may very well come from different sources. The inference engine, such as VP-Expert, may come from a commercial vendor. The knowledge base may be a speci? c diagnostic knowledge base compiled by a consul ting ? rm, and the problem data may be supplied by the end user. A knowledge base is the nucleus of the expert system structure. A knowledge base is not a data base. The traditional data base environment deals with data that have a static relationship between the elements in the problem domain. A knowledge base is created by knowledge engineers, who translate the knowledge of real human experts into rules and strategies. These rules and 2. 3 EXPERT SYSTEMS STRUCTURE 17 Knowledge Engineers Software Inference Engine Users Experts Working Memory Spreadsheets Knowledge Base Data Bases Hardware Data Figure 2. 2. Expert systems organization and operating environment. strategies can change depending on the prevailing problem scenario. The nowledge base provides the expert system with the capability to recommend directions for user inquiry. The system also instigates further investigation into areas that may be important to a certain line of reasoning but not apparent to the user. The modularity of an expert system is an important distinguishing characteristic compared to a conventional computer program. Modularity is effected in an expert system by the use of three distinct components, as shown in Figure 2. 2. The knowledge base constitutes the problem-solving rules, facts, or intuition that a human expert might use in solving problems in a given problem domain. The knowledge base is usually stored in terms of if–then rules. The working memory represents relevant data for the current problem being solved. The inference engine is the control mechanism that organizes the problem data and searches through the knowledge base for applicable rules. With the increasing popularity of expert systems, many commercial inference engines are coming onto the market. A survey of selected commercial infer- 18 FUNDAMENTALS OF EXPERT SYSTEMS Domain Expert Transfer of Expertise Control Structure Knowledge Engineer Knowledge Structure External Interfaces Inference Engine Working Memory Problem Data Solutions Knowledge Base Updates Data Bases Spreadsheets Executable Programs User Interface (Consultation/Explanation) Figure 2. 3. Integration of expert systems components. ence engines is presented in the Appendix at the end of this book. The development of a functional expert system usually centers around the organization of the knowledge base. A functional integration of expert systems components is shown in Figure 2. 3. A good expert system is expected to grow as it learns from user feedback. Feedback is incorporated into the knowledge base as appropriate to make the expert system smarter. The dynamism of the application environment for expert systems is based on the individual dynamism of the components. This can be classi? ed as follows: †¢ Most dynamic: Working memory. The contents of the working memory, sometimes called the data structure, changes with each problem situation. Consequently, it is the most dynamic component of an expert system, assuming, of course, that it is kept current. †¢ Moderately dynamic: Knowledge base. The knowledge base need not change unless a new piece of information arises that indicates a change in the problem solution procedure. Changes in the knowledge base should be carefully evaluated before being implemented. In effect, changes should not be based on just one consultation experience. For example, a rule that is found to be irrelevant under one problem situation may turn out to be crucial in solving other problems. 2. 3 EXPERT SYSTEMS STRUCTURE 19 †¢ Least dynamic: Inference engine. Because of the strict control and coding structure of an inference engine, changes are made only if absolutely necessary to correct a bug or enhance the inferential process. Commercial inference engines, in particular, change only at the discretion of the developer. Since frequent updates can be disruptive and costly to clients, most commercial software developers try to minimize the frequency of updates. 2. 3. 1 The Need for Expert Systems Expert systems are necessitated by the limitations associated with conventional human decision-making processes, including: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Human expertise is very scarce. Humans get tired from physical or mental workload. Humans forget crucial details of a problem. Humans are inconsistent in their day-to-day decisions. Humans have limited working memory. Humans are unable to comprehend large amounts of data quickly. Humans are unable to retain large amounts of data in memory. Humans are slow in recalling information stored in memory. Humans are subject to deliberate or inadvertent bias in their actions. Humans can deliberately avoid decision responsibilities. Humans lie, hide, and die. Coupled with these human limitations are the weaknesses inherent in conventional programming and traditional decision-support tools. Despite the mechanistic power of computers, they have certain limitations that impair their effectiveness in implementing human-like decision processes. Conventional programs: 1. Are algorithmic in nature and depend only on raw machine power 2. Depend on facts that may be dif? cult to obtain 3. Do not make use of the effective heuristic approaches used by human experts 4. Are not easily adaptable to changing problem environments 5. Seek explicit and factual solutions that may not be possible 2. 3. 2 Bene? ts of Expert Systems Expert systems offer an environment where the good capabilities of humans and the power of computers can be incorporated to overcome many of the limitations discussed in the previous section. Expert systems: 20 FUNDAMENTALS OF EXPERT SYSTEMS 1. Increase the probability, frequency, and consistency of making good decisions 2. Help distribute human expertise 3. Facilitate real-time, low-cost expert-level decisions by the nonexpert 4. Enhance the utilization of most of the available data 5. Permit objectivity by weighing evidence without bias and without regard for the user’s personal and emotional reactions 6. Permit dynamism through modularity of structure 7. Free up the mind and time of the human expert to enable him or her to concentrate on more creative activities 8. Encourage investigations into the subtle areas of a problem Expert Systems Are For Everyone. No matter which area of business one is engaged in, expert systems can ful? ll the need for higher productivity and reliability of decisions. Everyone can ? nd an application potential in the ? eld of expert systems. Contrary to the belief that expert systems may pose a threat to job security, expert systems can actually help to create opportunities for new job areas. Presented below are some areas that hold promise for new job opportunities: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Basic research Applied research Knowledge engineering Inference engine development Consulting (development and implementation) Training Sales and marketing Passive or active end user An active user is one who directly uses expert systems consultations to obtain recommendations. A passive user is one who trusts the results obtained from expert systems and supports the implementation of those results. 2. 3. 3 Transition from Data Processing to Knowledge Processing What data has been to the previous generations of computing, knowledge is to the present generation of computing. Expert systems represent a revolutionary transition from the traditional data processing to knowledge processing. Figure 2. 4 illustrates the relationships between the procedures or data processing and knowledge processing to make decisions. In traditional data processing the decision maker obtains the information generated and performs an explicit analysis of the information before making his or her decision. In 2. 4 HEURISTIC REASONING 21 Explicit Conclusions Information Static Data Environment Data Data Processing Dynamic Knowledge Environment Knowledge Knowledge Processing Implicit Conclus ions Recommendations Implementation Figure 2. 4. Data processing versus knowledge processing. an expert system knowledge is processed by using available data as the processing fuel. Conclusions are reached and recommendations are derived implicitly. The expert system offers the recommendation to the decision maker, who makes the ? nal decision and implements it as appropriate. Conventional data can now be manipulated to work with durable knowledge, which can be processed to generate timely information, which is then used to enhance human decisions. 2. 4 HEURISTIC REASONING Human experts use a type of problem-solving technique called heuristic reasoning. Commonly called rules of thumb or expert heuristics, it allows the 22 FUNDAMENTALS OF EXPERT SYSTEMS xpert to arrive at a good solution quickly and ef? ciently. Expert systems base their reasoning process on symbolic manipulation and heuristic inference procedures that closely match the human thinking process. Conventional programs can only recognize numeric or alphabetic strings and manipulate them only in a preprogrammed manner. 2. 4. 1 Search Control Methods All expert systems are search intensive. Many techni ques have been employed to make these intensive searches more ef? cient. Branch and bound, pruning, depth-? rst search, and breadth-? rst search are some of the search techniques that have been explored. Because of the intensity of the search process, it is important that good search control strategies be used in the expert systems inference process. 2. 4. 2 Forward Chaining This method involves checking the condition part of a rule to determine whether it is true or false. If the condition is true, then the action part of the rule is also true. This procedure continues until a solution is found or a dead end is reached. Forward chaining is commonly referred to as data-driven reasoning. Further discussions of forward chaining are presented in subsequent chapters. 2. 4. 3 Backward Chaining Backward chaining is the reverse of forward chaining. It is used to backtrack from a goal to the paths that lead to the goal. Backward chaining is very good when all outcomes are known and the number of possible outcomes is not large. In this case, a goal is speci? ed and the expert system tries to determine what conditions are needed to arrive at the speci? ed goal. Backward chaining is thus also called goal-driven. More details are provided on the backward chaining process in Chapter 5. 2. 5 USER INTERFACE The initial development of an expert system is performed by the expert and the knowledge engineer. Unlike most conventional programs, in which only programmers can make program design decisions, the design of large expert systems is implemented through a team effort. A consideration of the needs of the end user is very important in designing the contents and user interface of expert systems. 2. 5 USER INTERFACE 23 2. 5. 1 Natural Language The programming languages used for expert systems tend to operate in a manner similar to ordinary conversation. We usually state the premise of a problem in the form of a question, with actions being stated much as when we verbally answer the question, that is, in a ‘‘natural language’’ format. If, during or after a consultation, an expert system determines that a piece of its data or knowledge base is incorrect or is no longer applicable because the problem environment has changed, it should be able to update the knowledge base accordingly. This capability would allow the expert system to converse in a natural language format with either the developers or users. Expert systems not only arrive at solutions or recommendations, but can give the user a level of con? dence about the solution. In this manner, an expert system can handle both quantitative and qualitative factors when analyzing problems. This aspect is very important when we consider how inexact most input data are for day-to-day decision making. For example, the problems addressed by an expert system can have more than one solution or, in some cases, no de? nite solution at all. Yet the expert system can provide useful recommendations to the user just as a human consultant might do. 2. 5. 2 Explanations Facility in Expert Systems One of the key characteristics of an expert system is the explanation facility. With this capability, an expert system can explain how it arrives at its conclusions. The user can ask questions dealing with the what, how, and why aspects of a problem. The expert system will then provide the user with a trace of the consultation process, pointing out the key reasoning paths followed during the consultation. Sometimes an expert system is required to solve other problems, possibly not directly related to the speci? c problem at hand, but whose solution will have an impact on the total problem-solving process. The explanation facility helps the expert system to clarify and justify why such a digression might be needed. 2. 5. 3 Data Uncertainties Expert systems are capable of working with inexact data. An expert system allows the user to assign probabilities, certainty factors, or con? dence levels to any or all input data. This feature closely represents how most problems are handled in the real world. An expert system can take all relevant factors into account and make a recommendation based on the best possible solution rather than the only exact solution. 2. 5. 4 Application Roadmap The symbolic processing capabilities of AI technology lead to many potential applications in engineering and manufacturing. With the increasing sophisti- 24 FUNDAMENTALS OF EXPERT SYSTEMS Speech Understanding Pattern Matching Natural Language Text Understanding Intelligent Assistance Inference Expert Systems Learning SYMBOLI C PROCESSING Automatic Programming Knowledge Representation Knowledge Acquisition Planning Machine Translation Computer Vision Robotics Search Figure 2. 5. Application roadmap for expert systems. cation of AI techniques, analysts are now able to use innovative methods to provide viable solutions to complex problems in everyday applications. Figure 2. 5 presents a structural representation of the application paths for arti? cial intelligence and expert systems. 2. 5. 5 Symbolic Processing Contrary to the practice in conventional programming, expert systems can manipulate objects symbolically to arrive at reasonable conclusions to a prob- 2. 5 USER INTERFACE 25 HEAD HAMMER BUCKET FOOT MEDICAL BILL From: Dr. B. B. Bill 1234 Doctor Avenue Hospital, OK 10001 ~~~~~~~~~ $$$$$$$$$ ~~~~~~~ $$$$$$ Figure 2. 6. Collection of common objects. lem scenario. The object drawings in this section are used to illustrate the versatility of symbolic processing by using the manipulation of objects to convey information. Let us assume that we are given the collection of ? ve common objects as shown in Figure 2. 6. The objects are Head, Hammer, Bucket, Foot, and Bill (as in doctor’s bill). We can logically arrange a subset of the set of given objects to convey speci? c inferences. In Figure 2. 7, four of the ? ve objects are arranged in the order Hammer, Head, Foot, and Bucket. This unique arrangement may be represented by the equation presented below: Hammer Head Foot Bucket It is desired to infer a reasonable statement of the information being conveyed by the symbolic arrangement of objects in Figure 2. 7. Figure 2. 8 presents an alternative arrangement of another subset (hammer, foot, foot, and bill) of the given objects. This alternative arrangement may be represented by the equation shown below: 26 FUNDAMENTALS OF EXPERT SYSTEMS Figure 2. 7. Arrangement of common objects. Hammer Foot Foot Bill It is desired to infer a reasonable statement from Figure 2. 8. It should be noted that ordinary mathematical reasoning concerning the equation hammer foot foot bill might lead to Hammer Bill. However, in arti? cial intelligence symbolic reasoning, the context of the arrangement of the objects will determine the proper implication. Figure 2. 7: If Hammer smashes Head, then victim kicks the bucket (i. e. , dies). In this case, the action part of the statement relates to an action (a fatal one) by the victim of the assault. Figure 2-8: If Hammer smashes Foot, then assailant foots the bill. In this case, the action part of the statement relates to a compensatory action (restitution) by the assailant. Using a ? nite set of symbolic objects, we can generate different pieces of information with different permutations of the objects. A particularly interesting aspect of symbolic processing is noted in Figure 2. 8. The object Foot MEDICAL BILL From: Dr. B. B. Bill 1234 Doctor Avenue Hospital, OK 10001 ~~~~~~~~~ $$$$$$$$$ ~~~~~~~ $$$$$$ Figure 2. 8. Alternate arrangement of objects. 2. 5 USER INTERFACE 27 conveys one meaning when concatenated with one given object (Hammer) and another totally different meaning when concatenated with another object (bill). In fact, the identi? cation of the object Bill is itself symbolically conveyed by the contents of the medical bill in Figure 2. 6. With the illustrated capability of symbolic processing, very powerful AI-based tools can be developed for practical applications. However, more research and development efforts will be needed before many of those practical applications can be realized.

Influence of Coaches on Players

Abstract The relationship between coaches and their players has been a subject of research for many years now. This research has mainly been centered on determining how the environment created by coaches can lead to positive or negative influence on the motivation of players, the friendships they form and how they consider their own abilities.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Influence of Coaches on Players specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Past research has proved that coaches can create either pleasurable or stressing gaming incidents to their players something that cannot only improve their sports but also help in imparting valuable life lessons. It is amazing to note that coaches have higher influence on players than the parents of these players do. This makes it easier for coaches to teach important values to the players something that their parents could not have accomplished. The positive effect tha t the coaches have on these players can be used to curb the use of drugs among young people. This research paper looks at the influence that coaches have on players and examines how this influence can help in reducing substance abuse. Introduction The relationship between coaches and their players has been a subject of research for many years now. This research has mainly been centered on determining how the environment created by coaches can lead to positive or negative influence on the motivation of players, the friendships they form and how they consider their own abilities. Past research has proved that coaches can create either pleasurable or stressing gaming incidents to their players something that cannot only improve their sports but also help in imparting valuable life lessons. It is amazing to note that coaches have higher influence on players than the parents of these players do. This makes it easier for coaches to teach important values to the players something that thei r parents could not have accomplished. The positive effect that the coaches have on these players can be used to curb the use of drugs among young people. This research paper looks at the influence that coaches have on players and examines how this influence can help in reducing substance abuse. (Stephenson)Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In sporting activities, coaches either motivate the players to win or master the game. People who only play to win games tend to believe that they have an obligation of becoming the ideal player and making mistakes is not allowed. Indeed many of these players believe that they are only good if their team is on the winning side. In most cases, coaches who employ this approach tend to be over critical of the players, insist on high performance principles and praise only the players who do well. On the contrary, the other mode of approach focu ses on playing for enjoyment and to master new skills. In most cases, coaches who use this approach praise their players for putting in more efforts and encourage them to play as a team. (Mallette) In most cases, coaches who adopt the â€Å"play to win† mode tend to have high expectations on the players and this often has a negative effect on them. In most cases, such players tend to be excessively concerned with mistakes, tend to have low self-esteem, and they end up having less or no friends within the team. In most cases, lack of team friendship occurs where players feel that everyone is fighting to earn a place in the team and therefore tends to consider their teammates as rivals. On the other hand, players who are taught to adopt the â€Å"play to master† mode tend to have high believes on their capability and tend to form many friends among the team members. Surprisingly, research has shown that players who have critical parents but supportive coaches still end u p having high beliefs about their aptitude. This just goes ahead to show the immense influence that coaches have on their players and how they can help in instilling negative or positive values on them. This makes it important for coaches to understand the need of reinforcing positive behavior within players and create an environment where the players enjoy playing and the whole process of learning. (Ommundsen et al 101) In most cases, playing in an environment that has far above the ground expectations and where there is high criticism can lead to pessimistic thoughts and behaviors, which can in turn contain far-reaching effects. In most cases, youths who have the mentality that they have to succeed in everything and are not allowed to err can develop deprived psychological health as they approach adolescence. In most cases, players who do not bond well with fellow players may end up developing antisocial behavior later on in life. In order to fill for their inadequacy, such player s end up abusing drugs apparently to boost their low self-esteem. On top of this, such players drop from the team and in most cases they even end up dropping from school. (Stephenson)Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Influence of Coaches on Players specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In most cases, players value their coaches more than they even value their own parents. However, many coaches do not understand this and they only coach to win the games. For most coaches, how they perceive themselves to be doing and performing might not be the same way interpreted by the players. This makes it important for coaches to ensure that every player is appreciated and valued. With this in mind, coaches spend time with their players to instill within them values that will guide them later on in life. It is sad to learn that most coaches have adopted a â€Å"play to win† mode that makes players feel inadequate e ach time they fail to secure a win. In most cases, such players become antisocial because they lack motivation in life. By adopting a â€Å"play to master† game plan, coaches can boost the self-esteem of their players and encourage inter team friendships. This would make it easier for the coaches to master the activities of the individual players since most of the vices witnessed among the youth are introduced in social groupings. In an event where all the players have high moral standing, the chances of antisocial behavior like introduction to drug use would be significantly reduced. (Ommundsen et al 104) On top of helping players to adopt values in life, coaches can use the influence they have over the players to transform their behavior. According to psychologists, influence has immense power and affects in a great manner the decisions that an individual takes. By using their influence in the right manner, coaches can help in transforming the life of players in positive wa ys and provide insightful tactical advice to them. Additionally, these coaches can come up with plans designed to bring out their intended messages in a way that the players will identify with. In fact, research has shown that most players tend to emulate the style of life that their coaches live. Coaches can therefore capitalize on this to pass across educative lessons to the players in a manner that they can identify with. With the war on substance abuse seemingly getting out of hand, coaches might be the catalysts that will bring the much-needed change to the youth. (Mallette) In most cases, coaches who adopt the â€Å"play to master† mode end up creating a strong bond with the players. With such kind of a bond, the relationship turns from coach-player in to a player-confidant mode. Once such kind of a relationship is created, it then becomes easier for the player to confide to the coach their greatest fears.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In fact, it is not surprising to learn that most of the youth today do not have any trusted person that they can confide in. For fear of reprisals, young people tend to endure their pain and end up finding consolation in substance abuse. By making coaches their confidants, these players are able to escape this snare and end up becoming responsible people in the society. (Mallette) If coaches provide support and make the players feel that they are important, then the players are more likely to enjoy the game and in turn, they will adopt a positive belief about their ability and create inter team friendships. By creating a positive belief about their abilities, the players will not feel pressured to perform something that might create low-self esteem, which has been identified as a cause of substance abuse among young people. Additionally, the adoption of this mode of coaching makes players free with their coach and results to making him their confidant. Once this is accomplished, the coach can use his influence and power to counsel the players and make them avoid pitfalls that might arise on their way. Indeed, coaches have the power to determine the kind of people the players become in the society whether they choose professional sporting or not. (Ommundsen et al 111) Conclusion The relationship between coaches and their players has been a subject of research for many years. The findings of these researches have proved beyond doubt that coaches wield a lot of influence on their players. By using the right coaching tactics, coaches can help in instilling the correct values on the players and avoid situations where players end up in substance abuse. If the right approach is used, players can get to trust their coaches and in turn reveal to them things that they cannot even reveal to their own parents. By using their influence, coaches can use this opportunity to counsel the players and help them to avoid engaging in antisocial behavior. If it is used in the right manner, coaching might be the solution to substance abuse that has almost reached catastrophic levels. Works Cited Mallette, Wesley. The Power of Influence and the Relationship between Coaches and Athletes, 2010. Web. Ommundsen, Yngvar, Roberts, Glyn, Lemyre, Pierre-Nicolas, Miller, Blake. â€Å"Parental and Coach Support or Pressure on Psychosocial Outcomes of Pediatric Athletes in Soccer,† Clin J Sport Med, 16:6. (2006) 101-119. Print. Stephenson, Ben. How Parents and Coaches Influence Youth Footballers, n.d. Web. This research paper on Influence of Coaches on Players was written and submitted by user Rodrigo Todd 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.

Escape or Die essays

Escape or Die essays Imagine a society were your race does not have equal rights as the others. A world were you looked upon as an underling. Well this is what the Jewish community had to face during the Nazi regime of World War II. The Jewish people were singled out and mistreated among the country. These are the stories of people that survived these cultural issues and prevailed over Hitler and the Nazi regime. The fist story takes place in Germany were it all began with a single night called Crystal naught or The Night of Broken Glass when a mob of Nazi members attacked all people that were Jewish. One family recalls how the mayor of the town stood in Nazi uniform and confiscated the car of a family whose house was set on fire. Not knowing were his family was he was with all the other confused people searching. As one man was organizing the crowd on what to do and they listened obediently and turned around. After setting the synagogue on fire, the mob turned its attention to the elderly, children, women anyone they could get their hands on and chained them close to the burning synagogue. They chained them side by side as swine and marched them around. The fire singed their bodies. Then a voice yells Let the Jews go and they were released. The men were lined up in coulombs of three and marched away. Families would walk down the street seeing some of the people laying on the stree ts with purple welts on the face, gentile shopkeepers sweeping the broken glass of the streets and the stinging odder of the fire still in the air. Some families got lucky and found each other and were able to escape to a different country. But that wasnt easy most the families that did that were rich or had connections. Others werent so luck and later were captured and sent into the Ghettos. Later they were sent to concentration camps were they were tortured with unsanitary conditions, starvatio ...

Richard Nixon Was a Conservationist President

Richard Nixon Was a Conservationist President If you were asked to name one of the most environmentally conscious green presidents in United States history, who would come to mind? Teddy Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter, and Thomas Jefferson are prime candidates on many peoples lists. But how about Richard Nixon? Chances are, he wasnt your first pick. Despite the fact that Nixon continues to rank as one of the countrys least favorite leaders, the Watergate scandal wasnt his only claim to fame, and it certainly didnt represent the most profound impact of his presidency. Richard Milhous Nixon, who served as the 37th President of the United States from 1969 to 1974, was responsible for the establishment of some of the nations most important environmental legislature. President Nixon tried to gain some political capitalhard to come by during the Vietnam War and a recessionby announcing an Environmental Quality Council and a Citizens Advisory Committee on Environmental Quality, reported the Huffington Post. But people didnt buy it. They said it was just for show. So, Nixon signed legislation called the National Environmental Protection Act, which gave birth to the EPA as we know it nowright before what most people consider the first Earth Day, which was April 22, 1970. This action, in itself, has had had far-reaching effects on environmental policy and endangered species conservation, but Nixon didnt stop there. Between 1970 and 1974, he took several more significant strides toward protecting our countrys natural resources. Lets take a look at five more monumental acts passed by President Nixon that have helped maintain the environmental quality of our nations resources and also influenced numerous other countries around the globe to follow suit. Clean Air Act of 1972 Nixon utilized an executive order to create the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an independent government organization, in late 1970. Shortly after its establishment, the EPA passed its first piece of legislation, the Clean Air Act, in 1972. The Clean Air Act was, and remains today, the most significant air pollution control bill in American history. It required the EPA to create and enforce regulations to protect people from airborne pollution known to be hazardous to our health such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ozone, and lead. Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 This act was also the first of its kind, designed to protect marine mammals like whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, elephant seals, walruses, manatees, sea otters, and even polar bears from human-induced threats such as excessive hunting. It simultaneously established a system to allow native hunters to harvest whales and other marine mammals sustainably. The act created guidelines regulating the public display of captured marine mammals in aquarium facilities and regulated the import and export of marine mammals. Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 Also known as the Ocean Dumping Act, this legislature regulates the deposit of any substance into the ocean that has the potential to harm human health or the marine environment. Endangered Species Act of 1973 The Endangered Species Act has been instrumental in protecting rare and declining species from extinction as a result of human activity. Congress granted numerous government agencies broad powers to protect species (particularly by preserving critical habitat). The act also entailed the establishment of the official endangered species list and has been referred to as the Magna Carta of the environmental movement. Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 The Safe Drinking Water Act was a critical turning point in the nations struggle to protect the imperiled quality of fresh water in lakes, reservoirs, streams, rivers, wetlands and other inland bodies of water as well as springs and wells that are used as rural water sources. Not only has it proved vital in maintaining a safe water supply for public health, but it has also helped keep natural waterways intact and clean enough to continue to support aquatic biodiversity, from invertebrates and mollusks to fish, birds, and mammals.

Supply Chain Management -Case assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Supply Chain Management -Case assignment - Essay Example Hence they have decided to face changing times by offering a low cost version of their product and introducing a new target audience. TFCs key strengths are their extensive experience in the field of chassis for motor homes, their technological adaptability & advancement, quality designs, marketing knowledge and design development on time exactly as per customer preference. TFC’s management has recognized the opportunity which lies in expanding their product portfolio to low priced product to cater to price sensitive audience. Low priced items have always posed threat to high end customized item especially when the economy is receding; hence diversity in product portfolio is always a balancing act (a safe bet for survival) for the company during all times. While expanding the product portfolio TFC faced a weakness for the first time that is delay in lead time of building chassis. Commonly a chassis would have been designed, customize and made ready in less than 30 days. However due to restrained capital available they could not meet all customer demands on time while catering two product types. Main area of time lag occurred at the designing stage as identified by the team. At this scenario TFC was approached by Computer-Images a design house in another estate proposing to become an outsourced designing outlet for low end chassis line working electronically only upon specifications provided by TFC. This approach was proposed with a key to keep TFC’s focus on high end chassis (TFC’s star product) while meeting demand for both high end and low end chassis. Now TFC has two options either to accept Computer-Image’s proposal to have low end product outsourced or increase current capacity to overcome time delay in designing and remain an in-sourced organization enjoying control over time, design and delivery. De Looff (1996) uses key 6 goals in his book defining outsourcing /

Feeding America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Feeding America - Essay Example Before the process started, a prayer was meditated from one of the group members and immediately we began the sorting. The objective of the event was to finish the process within a period of four hours but what I observed; some colleagues were not working towards the stated goal because they involved in the non-event businesses. The project was evolved and transformed through item end time. The faster the group was done with the assignment, the earlier it left the site. From my group, we worked towards the targeted schedule by focusing all our attention on the allocated task. From the organization, I discovered that there is more need for more organizations to support the needy in the society because I found that the only company is going to satisfy all needs of the people living there. The company that was volunteering had the limited personnel to assist in the package and to distribute the food the interested parties (Corbett, 2013). Again, the shortage of funds from the volunteering company was another challenge I discovered. About the service, the initial undertaking made my thoughts wonder if the learning project would be a successful one. The starting was somehow boring and complicated. Eventually, the event went hand in hand with the content course due to the interactive nature we had in linked with the course of study I take. The structure of the organization stressed more on social aspects and developmental strategies. My contribution to the event motivated many because of my interactive nature the children who were present stated that I will be their future role model. The event impacted positively in that the company had to submit the food earlier compared to the other events when they had less manpower to package and distribute the food. Event communications were through mobile phones but at minimal instances because of the completion objective. As a result this minimal communication, to me I

United States foreign policy relations to international politics Essay Example for Free

United States foreign policy relations to international politics Essay A foreign policy is a policy that governs, or gives directives on how a state relates with other state and non-state actors on the international scene. It is usually broad in that it governs issues of military, economic as well as trade. In many countries including the United States the president is usually the chief negotiator of the foreign policy. The foreign relations of the United States are highly influential on the world stage. The officially stated goals of the foreign policy of the United States, as mentioned in the Foreign Policy Agenda of the U. S. Department of State, are to create a more secure, democratic, and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community. In addition, the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs states as some of its jurisdictional goals: export controls, including nonproliferation of nuclear technology and nuclear hardware; measures to foster commercial intercourse with foreign nations and to safeguard American business abroad; International commodity agreements; international education; and protection of American citizens abroad and expatriation. . HISTORY OF AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY America’s foreign policy has been changing since independence in 1776. There are times when it was inclined to isolationism, at other times selective engagement and others containment. The foreign policy is also widely associated with the military. In the case of the United States the president is the chief negotiator of the foreign policy through the ministry of foreign affairs headed by the secretary of state, who is the primary conductor of state-to-state diplomacy. In the united states the President is also Commander in Chief of the military, and as such has broad authority over the armed forces once they are deployed whether for domestic or for the purposes of the international community. Due to the fact that the president has veto powers within the country the executive has been able to implement foreign policy decisions at the expense of the legislature. Some of the recent examples of this are the governments’ decision to wage war in Afghanistan and Iraq. In this regard the executive has also widely kept the legislature in the dark concerning the CIA and us military operations overseas especially on the issue of their humanitarian records and treatment of terrorist suspects in CIA detention camps overseas. The United States is one of the two largest democracies in the world the other being India. As thus the United States government should have given the legislature the privilege of being a major partner in formulating the foreign policy. Instead the executive has gone ahead to even defy the doctrines of the United Nations to which it is a signatory. In so doing the public has been kept in the dark on issues that even though they don’t affect them directly they are still of an important nature. American foreign policy has been the subject of much debate and criticism both domestically and abroad. Charges of negative influence have been levied even in countries traditionally considered allies of the United States. This has been mainly so since the foreign policy is designed in a way that it is only good if and only if the recipient country is willing to play by U.S terms if not so then everything changes. CONCLUSION: The American foreign policy can be seen as an extension of the executive this is because many policy decisions even if they are discussed by the congress the executive implements them to its own terms. This has caused many negative criticisms from both domestically and internationally since even when an issue is approved by the congress the executive has had a tendency of over implementing the policies turning good intentions into a bad policy implementation. REFERENCE: US Dept of State Foreign Policy Agenda. Available at: http://usinfo. state. gov/pub/ejournalusa/foreignpolagenda. html Committee on Foreign Affairs: U. S. House of Representatives . available at: http://www. internationalrelations. house. gov James M. Scott (1998) After the End CL: Making U. S. Foreign Policy in the Post-cold War World, Duke University Press. Israel, Iran top negative list, Nick Childs, 6 March 2007. Available at: http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/middle_east/6421597. stm

Essay --

The first reason that teacher content knowledge is important is that it changes the way teachers involve students in the activities. Like for instance, in math, students that have teachers that show different ways of working out a problem will usually learn more from them than teachers that just go by the basic rules.†More knowledgeable teachers tend to focus on approaching the students question mathematically rather than looking up the answers and giving it to the students.† Similarly, like science teachers with more content knowledge tend to suggest different explanation and give additional information that can be used. The second reason why teacher content knowledge is important is that it influences the way teachers approach and use instructional materials. â€Å"More knowledgeable teachers were more skillful at identifying reasonable math or science story lines in materials, while less knowledgeable teachers have a hard time doing so.† â€Å"In mathematics, content knowledge also had an effect of teachers instructional decisions when using materials. In science, when planning a lesson on... Essay -- The first reason that teacher content knowledge is important is that it changes the way teachers involve students in the activities. Like for instance, in math, students that have teachers that show different ways of working out a problem will usually learn more from them than teachers that just go by the basic rules.†More knowledgeable teachers tend to focus on approaching the students question mathematically rather than looking up the answers and giving it to the students.† Similarly, like science teachers with more content knowledge tend to suggest different explanation and give additional information that can be used. The second reason why teacher content knowledge is important is that it influences the way teachers approach and use instructional materials. â€Å"More knowledgeable teachers were more skillful at identifying reasonable math or science story lines in materials, while less knowledgeable teachers have a hard time doing so.† â€Å"In mathematics, content knowledge also had an effect of teachers instructional decisions when using materials. In science, when planning a lesson on...

Which Is More Effective In Reducing Arm Lymphoedema For Breast Cancer Patients

Breast cancer treatment involves different aspects like through surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, bone marrow transplant, oophorectomy, and adrenalectomy. With this kind of treatments, the patient may develop arm lymphoedema due to the surgery to remove lymph nodes or radiotherapy to the lymph nodes in the armpit. If lymphoedema is not treated, it will get worse. It can be painful and make it difficult to move the arm. This complication can lead to systemic infections and localized swelling that will be very hard to bear. But today, lymphoedema is becoming less common. This is because specialists now try to avoid giving women both surgery and radiotherapy to the armpit. Having surgery and radiotherapy to the armpit greatly increases the risk of damaging the lymph nodes and causing lymphoedema. It is important that the patient know about his or her disease and the risk of developing lymphoedema. Poor drainage of the lymphatic system due to surgical removal of the lymph nodes or to radiation therapy may make the affected arm or leg more susceptible to serious infection. Even a small infection may lead to serious lymphoedema. Patients should be taught about arm care after surgery and/or radiation. It is important that patients take precautions to prevent injury and infection in the affected arm because lymphoedema can occur 30 or more years after surgery. Breast cancer patients who follow instructions about skin care and proper exercise after mastectomy are less likely to experience lymphoedema. As management of lymphoedema, compression bandages and manual lymphatic drainage are the mostly used care for such patients. Statement Of Fact After treatment, some things can increase fluid collection in your arm and increase your risk of lymphoedema. These include Infection in a cut or graze, insect bites, severe sunburn, putting too much strain on your arm too early. But this can be prevented by not using your arm for anything heavy until you are told you can, not letting anyone take blood, give injections or take your blood pressure from the treated arm, unless it is an emergency and there is no alternative, wearing gloves when gardening or doing housework, taking care when playing with pets, using insect repellent and high factor sunscreen, using nail clippers rather than scissors and not pushing your cuticles back, using an electric razor rather than a manual one if you shave under your arms, avoiding anything that will increase the temperature of your skin, like very hot baths or showers, sitting too close to a heater, saunas, steam rooms and sun beds, using a non scented moisturizer or oil on your skin each day to help it stay moist and supple, using a thimble when sewing, continuing to do the arm and shoulder exercises you were taught after your surgery. If you do get a cut or scratch on your arm, however small, wash it well and cover it un til healed. If you see any redness or swelling around the cut, see your GP straight away. You may need antibiotic. Lymphoedema can start at any time after there have been treated for breast cancer. It is important to take these precautions for the rest of life. If lymphoedema has occurred already, it can be managed by exercises that help the fluid to drain from your arm, compression bandages or by manual lymphatic drainage. Definition of Terms: 1. Lymph – a pale coagulable fluid that bathes the tissues, passes into the lymphatic channels and ducts, is discharged into the blood by way of the thoracic duct, and consists of a liquid portion resembling blood plasma and containing white blood cells but normally no red blood cells. 2. Lymphatic – a vessel that contains or conveys lymph, that originates as an interfibrillar or intracellular cleft or space in a tissue or organ. 3. Lymph node – any of the rounded masses of lymphoid tissue that are surrounded by a capsule of connective tissue , are distributed along the lymphatic vessels, and contain numerous lymphocytes which filter the flow of lymph passing through the node. 4. Arm Lymphoedema – swelling of the arm and armpit due to the treatment of breast cancer by surgery or radiation. 5. Lymphoedema – edema due to faulty lymphatic drainage. 6. Breast cancer – a carcinoma in the breast 7. Axillary lymph clearance – operative management for disease control in invasive breast cancer, obtaining prognostic information and influencing postoperative therapy including the choice of breast cancer trials. Main Body The management of lymphoedema consists of compression bandages, manual lymphatic drainage, or by exercises but shou ld be done by trained or specialist person. Mostly used now are the compression bandages and the manual lymphatic drainage. In using the management of lymphoedema, the patient should have passed the axillary lymph clearance. Axillary node clearance is the established operative management for disease control in invasive breast cancer, obtaining prognostic information and influencing postoperative therapy including the choice of breast cancer trials.Dying of Breast Cancer in the 1800s Axillary node clearance can be defined as clearing the axillary contents bounded by the axillary skin laterally, latissimus dorsi, teres major and subscapularis posteriorly, the lower border of the axillary vein superiorly, pectoralis muscles anteriorly, and the chest wall medially. The levels of axillary nodes are anatomically defined as level one (inferolateral to pectoralis minor), level two (posterior to pectoralis minor) and level three (superomedial to pectoralis minor). There are alternatives to level one, two and three axillary node clearance for breast cancer. Some surgeons simply excise the lower axillary nodes (level one), others believe, particularly for small or impalpable cancers, that an axillary node sample taking a minimum of 4 nodes is a satisfactory alternative. Most recently the concept of sentinel node biopsy (reviewed by McIntosh and Purushotham in 1998) has been exciting great interest. Current recommendations, by a range of surgical and oncological groups, are that some form of axillary surgery, and hence axillary staging, should be performed in all patients who undergo operative treatment for breast cancer. It is no longer acceptable to ignore the axilla if performing surgery for breast cancer. The axilla is one of the area with lymph nodes mostly affected by breast cancer and the patient who finished the axillary lymph clearance will then be undergoing the management of compression bandages or the manual lymphatic drainage. There is no cure for lymphoedema, which makes proper care and treatment of the affected arm even more important. Compression bandaging, also called wrapping, is the application of several layers of padding and short-stretch bandages to the involved areas. Short-stretch bandages are preferred over long-stretch bandages (such as those normally used to treat sprains), as the long-stretch bandages cannot produce the higher tension necessary to safely reduce Lymphoedema and may in fact end up producing a tourniquet effect. During activity, whether exercise or daily activities, the short-stretch bandages enhance the pumping action of the lymph vessels by providing increased resistance for them to push against. This encourages lymphatic flow and helps to soften fluid-swollen areas. Compression bandages gives comfort to the patient through giving pressure and compression in the affected area specifically in the arm and armpits. It serves as a support in the said area preventing further swelling and redness. Practitioners may want to encourage long-term and consistent use of compression bandages by women with lymphoedema. Its advantage is in terms of support and comfort to the patient and less invasive. Compression bandages may also protect the extremity from injuries such as burns, lacerations and insect bites. The compression bandage has its benefits such as it is less costly and patient does not need further effort to use it because it is for support and pressure in the specified area. In contrast to compression bandages, another management to lymphoedema is through manual lymphatic drainage. One of the main treatments for lymphoedema is a massage-like technique called manual lymphatic drainage that helps to stimulate the lymphatic vessels. However, massage, the way people generally think of massage, is a vigorous technique that can cause an increase in fluid production. The type of massage that is used to treat lymphoedema is a very gentle technique. Lymphatic massage is directed towards the heart from the fingertips, up the arm, towards the shoulder, and there are very specific directions and strokes that are used in this particular massage. A very specialized type of massage called manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) is an important part of the treatment of lymphoedema. To be effective in treating lymphoedema, it is important to use the correct technique. The aim of the massage is to stimulate or move the excess fluid away from the swollen area so that it can drain away normally. Massage also encourages and improves drainage in the healthy lymphatics (which helps keep fluid away from swollen areas). Manual lymphatic drainage differs from ordinary massage – it is very gentle and aims to encourage movement of lymph away from swollen areas. MLD is particularly useful if there is swelling in the face, breast, abdomen, genitals or elsewhere on the trunk. As this is a specialized form of massage, it should be given only by a trained therapist. There are some other different techniques including the Vodder, Foldi, Leduc or Casley-Smith methods. Therapists should be trained in at least one of these. The aim of this massage is to stimulate the lymph channels on the trunk to clear the way ahead so excess fluid can drain away. The skin is always moved away from the swollen side. You will find it easier to start with one hand, and then swap to the other as you move across the body. Before and after MLD, breathing exercises can help to stimulate lymphatic drainage. This can be done by letting the patient sit upright in a comfortable chair or lie on your bed with your knees slightly bent. Rest his hands on ribs and let patient take deep breaths to relax. This exercise should be done 5 times and there should be short rests before getting up to avoid dizziness. Manual lymphatic drainage is improved during exercise; therefore, exercise is important in preventing lymphoedema. Breast cancer patients should do hand and arm exercises as instructed after mastectomy. Patients who have surgery that affects pelvic lymph node drainage should do leg and foot exercises as instructed. The doctor decides how soon after surgery the patient should start exercising. Physiatrists (doctors who specialize in physical medicine and rehabilitation) or physical therapists should develop an individualized exercise program for the patient. The advantage of the manual lymphatic drainage as management of lymphoedema is that it gives opportunity for open wounds to drain with gentle massage and excess exudates to drain freely without pressure. In terms of the disadvantage side of the management of lymphoedema, it differs also. In compression bandages, there is an exemption in placing it especially if the affected area has an open wound or has an ample amount of drainage in the area or with pus. The pressure given by the compression bandage can even more contribute to the entry of microorganisms or infection to occur. This may cause another disease process to start and give greater complications to the patient. Compression bandages are probably the most difficult problem is in the maintenance and control of lymphoedema before, during and after treatment. Patients may be noncompliant with using compression garments because the garments are unsightly, uncomfortable, difficult to put on and expensive. Customized, lightweight and colourful garments may be an option for comfort and wear. As for the manual lymph drainage, its disadvantage is in terms of the inaccurate use of the MLD of the one giving care which can also rupture other lymph nodes in the area and also as well as the hygienic process in giving the manual lymphatic drainage. Some patients also experience some discomfort on such procedure as the drainage is in its process. The preference in such procedures is by the patient by giving proper education and explanation on each management. Conclusion Both compression bandages and manual lymphatic drainage as management of arm lymphoedema gives comfort and benefit to the patient giving different of care to the patient in relieving such discomfort. Both have advantages and disadvantages to consider but what matters most is the greater care and comfort the patient gets in being free of pain and swelling in such areas which would be very difficult for the patient to do the activities of daily living with an arm that cannot be moved and with great amount of pain being experienced. It also is extremely important to remember that a certified lymphoedema therapist needs to either perform the treatment or educate the patient and/or family members in self-care techniques, once the patient has gone through an intensive treatment program. The therapist will design the treatment plan based on the severity of the lymphoedema. It can also depend on the type of reimbursement patients can get from their health plans. In my practice, for example, we would treat a patient with a mild upper extremity lymphoedema for a five-day period, including of manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), bandaging, exercise, and also education in self-care. So by the end of the five days, usually the patient is able to manually drain the limb and follow a home program. There is no greater comparison on both management, the physician orders such management for the patient’s welfare and fast recovery yet this lymphoedema does not have the accurate cure but just the rehabilitation to the pain and swelling to the arms and its surrounding areas. It may be done by compression bandage or manual lymph drainage, it all points out to the care of the patient that lessens the access of infection, occurrence of pain and swelling.

Feasibility of putting up vegan restaurant Essay

INTRODUCTION This chapter presents the business profile and general description of vegan restaurants, which fall under the consumer foodservice industry. This chapter includes the background of the study, rationale of the study, objective of the study, scope and limitation, significance of the study, research methodology, research design, and locale of the study, data gathering tool, data gathering procedure and the definition of terms. 1.1 Background of the study Vegan was termed in England in 1944 by Donald Watson which means â€Å"non-dairy Vegetarian†. It opposed the use of eggs as a food. Later, the definition of vegan was extended and it means that â€Å"man should live without exploiting animals†. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veganism.) Cafà © is an establishment that focuses on serving coffee. It may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches. â€Å"Cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬  is a French word which means coffee. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caf%C3%A9.) People give extra importance when it comes to health. One of its reasons is the sudden existence of many diseases that threatens the lives of the people. Obviously, when we talk about health, it always entails a healthy diet. Eating Vegetables and fruits is the best thing we know how to prevent such life ominous diseases because of its vitamins and mineral content with the absence of bad cholesterol. According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a report issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a vegetarian diet is associated with lower levels of obesity and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. There are varieties of restaurants registered here in General Santos City and most of the foods offered in these restaurants are meat and animal products. To make a variation and since there is a rapid growth of health and beauty conscious people, the researchers aim to provide an exceptional and accommodative vegan restaurant with cafà © for the people who need a place for chatting, to  make transactions and other personal activities. With its extraordinary structure and location, food lovers especially vegetarians might find it a good place to unwind, socialize and experience eating in a vegan way with a Pinoy touch. This proposed vegan restaurant will be the first vegetarian restaurant in General Santos City. Since it is vegan, it serves vegetable cuisine and plant products like beverages from fruit extracts and pasta with the recipe culture of Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Italian that serves as the asset from the competitors. It also has a cafà © that could make an edge among other restaurant. The place is a Wi-Fi hot spot and a Zen style ambiance which makes customers feel relaxed while eating or staying inside. Special room for conference meetings and other events is also offered. 1.2 Statement of the Problem The researchers will aim to determine the feasibility of putting up a vegan restaurant in San Miguel Street, General Santos City. Specifically, this study has the following objectives: a) To present the business descriptions of the existing restaurants in terms of their: a.1) products and services a.2) major players in the industry a.3) capacity of the industry a.4) key success factors a.5) the market a.6) the government role b) To conduct a structural analysis of Vegan Restaurant with cafà © in General Santos City b.1) Threats of Potential Entrants b.2) Threats of Substitutes b.3) Bargaining power of the suppliers b.4) Bargaining power of the customers b.5) Competition in the Industry c) To determine the feasibility of putting up a vegan restaurant with cafà © in General Santos City considering the following aspect: c.1) Management and organizational; c.2) Marketing c.3) Technical c.4) Financial 1.3 Specific Objectives This refers to the specific objectives of this study which will comprise of the management organization, the technical production, the marketing aspect, the financial study, and the social significance. 1.3.1 Management and Organization This aspect includes the form of business organization, organizational structure, personal qualifications, duties, and responsibilities and personnel salary structure. 1.3.2 Technical and Production It deals with the equipment and facilities needed in the vegan restaurant and its operation. It also deals with the architectural design of the restaurant. 1.3.3 Marketing Aspect It focuses on the trends, the competition, target market and the size of the market. Also it presents the design and implementation of the marketing activities of the vegan restaurant. 1.3.4 Financial Study It determines the operating cash requirements, cash flow, the financial statements and the financial analysis; and also, it provides the viability of the project. 1.3.5 Social Significance It focuses on the impact of the society and the economy. 1.4 Significance of the Study The business â€Å"Greens N’ Coffee† vegan restaurant is socially significant since it would create income, development, additional leisure, and improvement and therefore, progress. Basically, vegan restaurant is an income generating activity, for the exchange of output of money, since any businesses’ concern is profitability. The following beneficiaries of the study were identified by the researchers: To the public, that they may  appreciate the health benefits that will be offered by the vegan restaurant. To the Generals who are seeking for employment, they may be able to find jobs in which they can generate income to support them in their daily lives. To the future restaurant owners who are planning to put up a vegan restaurant, that they may be able to have a new perspective on the design and strategies essential to the effectiveness, stability and productivity of the business. To the local Government of General Santos City, for they can obtain taxes and other income from this business that they can use once the study is proven feasible To the future researchers, they may be able to use this as their reference for future studies regarding on vegan restaurants. 1.5 Scope and Limitation This study aims to determine the feasibility of putting up a vegan restaurant with cafà © in San Miguel Street, General Santos City. The respondents of this study will only be limited to the restaurants in General Santos City. This study discusses the management and organization aspects, technical and production aspects, marketing aspects, financial study aspects and social significance aspects of the industry. This research study will be conducted in the months of July to September 2011 within the locality of General Santos City. The researchers will choose 4 players of the restaurant industry registered at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) of the city. The researchers will be interviewing 4 managers or supervisors from the said members of the restaurant industry. 1.5 Research Design and Methodology This refers to the research method, the respondents of the study, the locale of the study, the research instrument that will be used for this study, and the data gathering procedure. 1.6.1 Research Method In this study, a descriptive method of research will be used which will deal with information that can be easily understood, while the process of this goes beyond mere gathering and tabulation of data. It involves the elements of interpretation of the meaning or significance of what is described. See figure 1 for the research flow. 1.6.2 Respondents The respondents of this study are the managers, and assistant managers of the Grab A Crab Restaurant, Ranchero Restaurant, Taps N’ Mix, and Dimsum Diner in General Santos City. 1.6.3 Locale of the Study This business will be located at San Miguel Street, Lagao, General Santos City. The city is the southernmost port city of the Republic of the Philippines. It is one of the most populous urban centres in the country with a population of 530,129 as per data of 2007 census (http://www.census.gov.ph/data/census2007/index.html). GenSan is bounded by municipalities of Sarangani Province namely Alabel in the East of the city, and Maasim in the South. General Santos City is a component of province South Cotabato. 1.6.4 Research Instrument The researchers will be using a primary and a secondary instrument as a research tool in order to acquire information from the respondents. An interview guide will be used as the primary instrument. The sources of the primary data are the managers, supervisors or representatives of the restaurant in General Santos City. The interview guide which will be used to gather data from the members of the industry consists of questions regarding the management and organizational, technical, marketing and financial aspects of the restaurant industry. This type of gathering tool will most probably benefit this study. Along with this, observation will also be used to collect further information which will be helpful in conducting the study. The secondary tools that the researchers will apply are the library resources, internet data, periodicals, published and unpublished materials. 1.6.5 Data Gathering Procedure The researchers will make preliminary visitations to the location of the four (4) major players of the restaurant industry. Letters of permission will be sent to the respondents and eventually approvals are expected as a response. After a positive response, there will be a planned interview with the managers, supervisors, or representatives from the respondents. Afterwards, data will be gathered, classified and interpreted with respect to the objectives of this study.

How Solar Flares Work and the Risks They Pose

How Solar Flares Work and the Risks They Pose A sudden flash of brightness on the Suns surface is called a solar flare. If the effect is seen on a star besides the Sun, the phenomenon is called a stellar flare. A stellar or solar flare releases a vast amount of energy, typically on the order of  1 Ãâ€" 1025  joules, over a broad spectrum of wavelengths and particles. This amount of energy is comparable to the explosion of 1 billion megatons of TNT or ten million volcanic eruptions. In addition to light, a solar flare may eject atoms, electrons, and ions into space in what is called a coronal mass ejection. When particles are released by the Sun, they are able to reach Earth within a day or two. Fortunately, the mass may be ejected outward in any direction, so the Earth isnt always affected. Unfortunately, scientists arent able to forecast flares, only give a warning when one has occurred. The most powerful solar flare was the first one that was observed. The event occurred on September 1, 1859, and is called the Solar Storm of 1859 or the Carrington Event. It was reported independently by astronomer Richard Carrington and Richard Hodgson. This flare was visible to the naked eye, set telegraph systems aflame, and produced auroras all the way down to Hawaii and Cuba. While scientists at the time didnt have the ability to measure the strength of the solar flare, modern scientists were able to reconstruct the event based on nitrate and the isotope beryllium-10 produced from the radiation. Essentially, evidence of the flare was preserved in ice in Greenland. How  a Solar Flare Works Like planets, stars consists of multiple layers. In the case of a solar flare, all layers of the Suns atmosphere are affected. In other words, energy is released from the photosphere, chromosphere, and corona. Flares tend to occur near sunspots, which are regions of intense magnetic fields. These fields link the atmosphere of the Sun to its interior. Flares are believed to result from a process called magnetic reconnection, when loops of magnetic force break apart, rejoin  and release energy. When magnetic energy is suddenly released by the corona (suddenly meaning over a matter of minutes), light and particles are accelerated into space. The source of the released matter appears to be material from the unconnected helical magnetic field, however, scientists havent completely worked out how flares work and why there are sometimes more released particles than the amount within a coronal loop. Plasma in the affected area reaches temperatures in the order of tens of million Kelvin, wh ich is nearly as hot as the Suns core. The electrons, protons, and ions are accelerated by the intense energy to nearly the speed of light. Electromagnetic radiation covers the entire spectrum, from gamma rays to radio waves. The energy released in the visible part of the spectrum makes some solar flares observable to the naked eye, but most of the energy is outside the visible range, so flares are observed using scientific instrumentation. Whether or not a solar flare is accompanied by a coronal mass ejection is not readily predictable. Solar flares may also release a flare spray, which involves an ejection of material that is faster than a solar prominence. Particles released from a flare spray may attain a velocity of 20 to 200 kilometers per second (kps). To put this into perspective, the speed of light is 299.7 kps! How Often Do Solar Flares Occur? Smaller solar flares occur more often than large ones. The frequency of any flare occurring depends on the activity of the Sun. Following the 11-year solar cycle, there may be several flares per day during an active part of the cycle, compared with fewer than one per week during a quiet phase. During peak activity, there may be 20 flares a day and over 100 per week. How Solar Flares Are Classified An earlier method of solar flare classification was based on the intensity of  the  HÃŽ ±Ã‚  line of the solar spectrum. The modern classification system categorizes flares according to their peak flux of 100 to 800 picometer X-rays, as observed by the GOES spacecraft that orbit the Earth. Classification Peak Flux (Watts per square meter) A 10−7 B 10−7 – 10−6 C 10−6 – 10−5 M 10−5 – 10−4 X 10−4 Each category is further ranked on a linear scale, such that an X2 flare is twice as potent as an X1 flare. Ordinary Risks From Solar Flares Solar flares produce what is called solar weather on Earth. The solar wind impacts the magnetosphere of the Earth, producing aurora borealis and australis, and presenting a radiation risk to satellites, spacecraft, and astronauts. Most of the risk is to objects in low Earth orbit, but coronal mass ejections from solar flares can knock out power systems on Earth and completely disable satellites. If satellites did come down,  cell phones and GPS systems would be without service. The ultraviolet light and x-rays released by a flare disrupt long-range radio and likely increase the risk of sunburn and cancer. Could a Solar Flare Destroy the Earth? In a word: yes. While the planet itself would survive an encounter with a superflare, the atmosphere could be bombarded with radiation and all life could be obliterated. Scientists have observed the release of superflares from other stars up to 10,000 times more powerful than a typical solar flare. While most of these flares occur in stars that have more powerful magnetic fields than our Sun, about 10% of the time the star is comparable to or weaker than the Sun. From studying tree rings, researchers believe Earth has experienced two small superflares- one in 773 C.E. and another in 993 C.E. Its possible we can expect a superflare about once a millennium. The chance of an extinction level superflare is unknown. Even normal flares can have devastating consequences. NASA revealed Earth narrowly missed a catastrophic solar flare on July 23, 2012. If the flare had occurred just a week earlier, when it was pointed directly at us, society would have been knocked back to the Dark Ages. The intense radiation would have disabled electrical grids, communication, and GPS on a global scale. How likely is such an event in the future? Physicist Pete Rile calculates the odds of a disruptive solar flare is 12% per 10 years. How to Predict Solar Flares At present, scientists cannot predict a solar flare with any degree of accuracy. However, high sunspot activity is associated with an increased chance of flare production. Observation of sunspots, particularly the type called delta spots, is used to calculate the probability of a flare occurring and how strong it will be. If a strong flare (M or X class) is predicted, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issues a forecast/warning. Usually, the warning allows for 1-2 days of preparation. If a solar flare and coronal mass ejection occur, the severity of the flares impact on Earth depends on the type of particles released and how directly the flare faces the Earth. Sources Big Sunspot 1520 Releases X1.4 Class Flare With Earth-Directed CME. NASA. July 12, 2012.Description of a Singular Appearance seen in the Sun on September 1, 1859, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, v20, pp13, 1859.Karoff, Christoffer. Observational evidence for enhanced magnetic activity of superflare stars. Nature Communications volume 7, Mads Faurschou Knudsen, Peter De Cat, et al., Article number: 11058, March 24, 2016.

Every AP Calculus AB Practice Test Available Free and Official

Every AP Calculus AB Practice Test Available Free and Official SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips One of the best ways to prepare for the AP Calculus AB exam, as well as stay on top of lessons in class throughout the year, is to take regular practice tests.Taking practice tests lets you estimate how well you’ll do on the AP exam, shows you the areas you need to focus your studies on, and helps you become more comfortable with the format of the AP exam. There are a ton of ABCalc practice tests available, however; not all of them are created equally. Taking a poorly written practice test can give you a false idea of what the real AP exam will be like and cause you to study the wrong things. You can avoid those problems by reading this guide to AP Calculus AB practice tests. I’ll go through every AP Calculus AB practice exam that’s available, tell you which are highest quality, and explain how you should use practice tests when preparing for the AP exam as well as throughout the year. Want to get a perfect 5 on your AP exam and an A in class? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. Official AP Calculus AB Practice Tests Official practice exams (those developed by the College Board) are always the best to use because you can be sure they’ll be an accurate representation of the real AP exam. There are three types of official practice resources, and each is explained below. Complete Practice Tests The College Board has released two complete exams from prior administrations of the AP Calculus AB exam. The tests are from 1988 and 1998. The 1988 test has an answer key included; however, for some reason, the 1998 exam does not. The College Board provided answers for the free-response questions in a separate document, but there is no official answer key available for the 1998 exam's multiple-choice section. The answer key linked below is unofficial, but no one has publicly disagreed with any of the answers, so it’s highly likely that it’s correct. 1988 AP Calculus AB Released Exam 1998 AP Calculus AB Released Exam Answer Key for 1998 Multiple-Choice Questions Answer Key for 1998 Free-Response Questions Because these exams are from a while back, they both have some format differences compared to the current AP Calculus AB exam. The AP Calculus AB exam is 3 hours and 15 minutes long and has two sections. Both of these sections are divided into two parts.For reference, here’s the current format of the exam: Multiple-Choice Section 45 questions total 1 hour 45 minutes total Worth 50% of your total score Part A: 30 questions 55 minutes long No calculator allowed Part B: 15 questions 50 minutes long Calculator permitted Free-Response Section Six questions total 1 hour 30 minutes total Worth 50% of your total score Part A: Two questions 30 minutes long Calculator permitted Part B: Four questions 60 minutes long No calculator allowed You can only use a calculator for certain sections of the AP exam. Both released exams have the same total number of multiple-choice and free-response questions as the current exam. However, the 1998 test does not have separate parts for the free-response section, and students were allowed to use a calculator to answer all six questions. Neither the multiple-choice nor the free-response sections ofthe 1988 exam were separated into different parts, and students were allowed to use their calculator for the entire exam. The multiple-choice section was also only 90 minutes long, instead of 105 minutes. When you take these exams for practice, it’s not worth the time and effort needed to try and figure out which questions you wouldn’t be allowed to solve with a calculator today. Instead, take the tests with the calculator and timing rules that were in place when the tests were administered. These variations between current and past exams do mean that these two complete released exams don’t give quite as accurate a representation of the current AP exam as the complete released exams for other AP subjects do. However, they are still very useful because they cover the same content and are worded the same way as the current exam. Towards the end of this guide I’ll explain exactly how to use these resources and others. AP Calculus AB Multiple-Choice Sample Questions The College Board often reuses multiple-choice questions for multiple exams, so there are typically few official multiple-choice problems available for any AP exam, AP Calculus AB included. Besides the complete practice tests discussedabove, thereare no full official multiple-choice sections available, but you can check out these official sample questions for Calculus AB. (The questions start on page 5, and there are Calculus BC questions listed after the AB questions; be sure you’re not accidentally looking at those.)This document contains 16 multiple-choice problems, along with answers and the major skills each question tests. There are also two free-response questions. AP Calculus ABFree-Response Sample Questions Fortunately, there are more official free-response questions available and, since they are recent, they provide you with a very accurate idea of what to expect on the real exam. The College Board has released free-response questions from 2002-2017, along with scoring guidelines for each set of questions. These are a great resource, and you should definitely make use of them during your review. Khan Academy Resources Khan Academy has recently partnered with the College Board to provide study resources for the PSAT, SAT, and some AP exams. This includes study resources for AB Calc. On Khan Academy’s website, there are explanation videos for several dozen previously administered questions, both multiple choice and free response. These videos can be particularly helpful if you’ve gotten stuck on one of the official practice problems or if you just want to learn step-by-step how to solve a particular problem. Unofficial AP Calculus AB Practice Tests and Quizzes While not developed by the College Board, unofficial practice resources can still be very useful for your studying, particularly because there are so many resources available. For each resource listed below, I explain what is offered as well as how you should make use of the resource. They are roughly listed from highest quality to lowest quality. Barron’s Barron’s has a complete and free practice test that you can take in timed or untimed mode. The multiple-choice section will be automatically scored, and there are answer explanations for the free-response section so you can self-score. This is a high-quality practice exam with questions that have a similar format and cover the same topics as the real AP exam. You’ll definitely want to use it in your review (more on how to do that in the next section). Shmoop Shmoop is the only resource listed in this guide that requires a fee to access any of its resources. Paying its fee of $24.68 a month gets you access to a diagnostic exam, as well as eight complete practice tests and additional practice questions. It also gets to access to Shmoop’s study materials for other AP exams, as well as the SAT and ACT. Varsity Tutors Varsity Tutors has a collection of three diagnostic tests and 139 short practice quizzes, organized by topic, such as the chain rule and finding the second derivative of a function. Difficulty levels are also given for each of the quizzes. The diagnostic tests are 40-45 questions long (all multiple-choice). They pretty closely represent what questions from the actual AP exam are like, and, as a bonus, the score results show you how well you did in each topic area so you can focus your future studying on the areas you need the most work in. However, these diagnostic tests don’t have calculator and no calculator sections. Albert This site organizes quizzes into the three Big Ideas of Calculus AB, as well as more specific tags you can select (you don’t need to worry about the Series quizzes, that’s just for BC Calc). After creating a free account you can access their hundreds of practice questions (some of the more challenging questions require a paid account). Questions are ranked as easy, moderate, or difficult, they are not timed, and you see the correct answer (plus a detailed explanation) after you answer each question. GetaFive GetaFive offers 182 Calculus AB practice questions, along with 54 review lessons. This is more of an online review course rather than just practice questions, so the questions themselves are spread across the lessons, but if you’re looking for more in-depth explanations of topics, you may find it useful to watch the videos and then answer the accompanying questions. 4Tests This site has a 50-question multiple-choice test. The questions typically easier and more basic than those you’d find on the actual AP exam, but if you’re just starting your review or want to brush up on the basics, this can be a good resource to use. Free Test Online This site has four short quizzes, each 5-8 questions long, along with answer explanations. Two quizzes are multiple-choice, and two are free-response. The free-response questions are much shorter than what you’d encounter on the real AP exam, but you can treat them like slightly more involved multiple-choice questions. The quizzes aren’t long enough for an in-depth practice session, but, unlike many of the other practice materials linked here, they also separate the quizzes on whether or not you’re allowed a calculator. Analyze Math This is a 20-question multiple-choice quiz. The questions are a bit overly simplistic, and it’s not automatically graded, but if you’re just looking for a quick study session, this fits the bill. SparkNotes This is a short quiz, and, unfortunately, it’s not very high-quality. The questions are pretty basic and not nearly as complex or as in-depth as the ones you’ll find on the AP exam. Additionally, the format of this quiz is very poor, and it can be difficult to read. I wouldn’t recommend using this quiz unless you’re really desperate for review questions or you need a very basic quiz to get you started with your review. Want to get a perfect 5 on your AP exam and an A in class? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. How to Use These AP Calculus AB Practice Tests Knowing how to use each of these practice exams and quizzes will make your studying much more effective, as well as prepare you for what the real AP Calculus AB exam will involve. Below is a guide for when and how to use the resources, organized by semester. First Semester During your first semester of Calc AB, you don’t know enough material for it to be useful to take a complete practice exam. Therefore, you should spend this semester answering quizzes and free-response questions on topics you’ve already covered. You’ll probably want to begin answering practice questions about halfway through the semester. Free-Response Practice For free-response questions, use the official released free-response questions in the Official Resources section. Look through them to find questions you can answer based on what you’ve already learned. It’s best if you can take a group of them (up to six) together at a time in order to get the most realistic preparation for the real AP exam. It also helps to time yourself when answering these questions, particularly as it gets later in the year. On the real AP exam, you’ll have about 15 minutes to answer each free-response question, so try to answer practice questions under those same time restrictions. Multiple-Choice Practice For multiple-choice practice, take unofficial quizzes that letyou choose the subject(s) you want to be tested on. This will allow you to review content you’ve already learned and not have to answer questions on material you haven’t covered yet. The best resources for this are Albert and Varsity Tutorsbecause their quizzes are clearly broken up by specific subject. Sometimes the numbers can get overwhelming. Don't forget to take a break every now and then. Second Semester Second semester is when you can begin to take complete practice exams and continuing to review content you’ve learned throughout the year. Step 1: Take and Score Your First Complete Practice Exam Early on in this semester, when you have covered a majority of the content you need to know for the AP exam, take your first complete practice exam. This test should be taken in one sitting and with official timing rules (see how the AP test is formatted above). For this first practice test, I recommend using the Barron’s exam and saving the official practice exams for down the line. After you take this practice test, correct the exam and see what score you earned on the test. This is a good time to set a score goal if you haven’t already. The minimum score you should be aiming for is a 3, since this is the lowest passing score. However, if you scored a 3 or higher on this first practice exam, it’s a good idea to set your goal score even higher, to a 4 or 5. Getting a higher score on the AP Calculus AB exam looks more impressive to colleges, and it can sometimes get you more college credit. Step 2: Analyze Your Score Results After you’ve figured out your score, look over each problem you answered incorrectly and try to figure out why you got the question wrong. As you’re doing this, look for patterns in your results. Are you finding that you got a lot of questions on antiderivatives wrong? Did you do well on multiple choice but struggled with free response? Did you get slowed down by questions you couldn’t use a calculator to answer? Figuring out which problems you got wrong and why is the best way to stop repeating your mistakes and begin to make significant improvements. Don’t be tempted to skip this step! Step 3: Focus Your Studying on Weak Areas You should now have a good idea of what subject areas or skillsyou need to work on in order to raise your score.If there are specific content areas you need to work on, review them by going over your notes, reading a review book, and answering multiple-choice and free-response questions that focus specifically on those topics. If you’re struggling with your test-taking techniques, for example, running out of time on the exam or misreading questions, the best way to combat these issues is to answer a lot of practice questions under realistic testing conditions. Take timed quizzes or time yourself for quizzes that aren’t automatically timed. (On the real exam, you’ll get about two minutes for multiple-choice questions you can’t use a calculator to solve, a little more than three minutes for multiple-choice questions where you can use a calculator, and 15 minutes per free-response question.) Taking multiple practice quizzes and tests will help you become more familiar with the pacing needed for the AP exam. Step 4: Take and Score Another Practice Exam After you’ve identified your weak areas and spent time to improve them, it’s time to see how all your hard work paid off. Take and score another complete practice exam, timed and taken in one sitting. I’d recommend using either an official released practice exam or, if you want more recently-created questions, creating your own practice test by combining a set of unofficial multiple-choice questions (such as the Varsity Tutors or 4Testsexam) with a set of official free-response questions. If you choose the second option, you should have a total of 45 multiple-choice questions for the first part of the exam. As with the first test, this should be taken timed and in one sitting. When you take this second practice exam, remember that it won’t be formatted exactly the same way as the real AP test, wherethe multiple-choice and free-response sections will both be broken into two parts,only one of which you can use a calculator on. Step 5: Review Your Results to Determine Your Future Study Plan Now you’re able to see how much you’ve improved, and in which areas, since you took your first complete practice exam.If you’ve made improvements and have reached or are close to your target score, you may only need to do some light studying from now until the AP exam. However, if you haven’t made much improvement, or you’re still far from your score goal, you’ll need to analyze the way you’ve been reviewing and think of ways to improve. The most common reason for not improving is not actively studying, butonly passively leafing through your notes or reviewing missed questions. Even though it may seem to take a while, in the long run, carefully analyzing why you made the mistakes you did and devising ways to improve is really the only significant way to raiseyour score. As you’re studying, be sure to really understand exactly where you made a mistake for every practice question you answer incorrectly. Also, when you’re reviewing notes, pause every few minutes and mentally go over what you just learned to make sure you’re really retaining the information. You can repeat these steps as many times as you need to in order to make improvements and reach your target score. Studying WithAP Calculus AB Practice Exams: Key Tips It would be difficult to score well on the AP Calculus AB exam without completing anypractice exams.Official resources are the best to use, but there are plenty of high-quality unofficial quizzes and tests out there as well. During yourfirst semester, you should focus on answering free-response and multiple-choice questions on topics you’ve already covered in class. During your second semester, follow these steps: Take and score your first complete practice exam Analyze your score results Focus your studying on weak areas Take and score another complete practice exam Review your results to determine your future study plan What's Next? Now that you have your practice tests, do you want to know more about the AP Calculus AB Exam? Our guide explains the complete format of the test, the question types you'll see, and how to best prepare for the exam. (coming soon) How many AP classes should you take?Get your answer based on your interests and your college goals. Wondering how challenging other AP classes will be? Learn what the easiest AP classesareand what the hardest AP classes are so that you're prepared! Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: