Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Supply and Demand of Online Music Streaming Essay

Supply and Demand of Online Music Streaming - Essay Example Now, people can access their favorite music through internet by paying no or comparatively low prices to the suppliers. (Amberg, and Schrà ¶der. 2007). The online music industry is experiencing another revolution phase due to the development of technology and invention of Smartphones with a capacity to run online streaming any where through 4G connection. Initially, online paid music downloading facility was provided by the Apple’s iTunes in 2003, but it was a cumbersome task to download the music and then run it, therefore the online music industry players had started to develop such applications and platforms, where people can directly stream their favorite music without keeping them in their PCs or Mobile phones storage. For this purpose, online radio platforms, i.e. Pandora and Spotify have been developed to provide an online streaming facility to the music lovers over their computers and Smartphones. Streaming services are providing almost all sorts of music to their customers and people can access more than million of songs through a single click. Online radios, like Pandora and iTunes Radio, have chosen what the custo mers want to hear and these firms generate their revenues through advertisements. Whereas, other firms like Deezer and Spotify, offer a collection of 20 to 30 million songs on annual or monthly subscription basis and charge premium prices to their customers. Due to these changes the sales of record labels have decreased by 4% as compared to the last year, where on the other hand online streaming firms like Spotify has earned more than $1 billion in revenues. (Bhattacharjee, Gopal, Lertwachara, and Marsden. 2007). However, the overall online streaming industry was accounted for 21% of the total music industry revenues in 2013, which showed a very rapid growth in last 5 years. ( Hodgkins, 2014) Due to the high trend of Smartphones and development in the mobile phone services sector, i.e. the

Monday, October 28, 2019

Western Governors University Essay Example for Free

Western Governors University Essay The APEX Company has the mission to â€Å"Exceed customers’ expectations in providing consulting services of a superior value. † To be successful in that mission, it is imperative that we are diligent in maintaining a good and solid reputation in every endeavor we undertake. Who we are and how we run our business is guided by our ethics program. The purpose of our ethics program is to identify, prevent and correct ethics issues. Our ethics program consists of our Code of Conduct, compliance auditing, two way communications between management and employees, improvement and re-current training on ethical behavior. The policy set forth after this overview is expected to be adhered to by all employees from the CEO, down to the janitorial staff. All employees should become familiar with the ethics guidelines that follow this introduction. We are firm believers that the decisions we make today, determine our success for tomorrow. Sincerely, APEX Management B. Standards and Procedures APEX Code of Conduct †¢APEX management team welcomes concerns from employees and commit to open door policies for those ethical concerns †¢APEX employees are committed to ethical behavior and shall always act in the best interest of the client. †¢APEX employees are committed to providing professional services with integrity. †¢APEX employees are committed to treating everyone fairly and respectfully. †¢APEX employees avoid the appearance of unethical or compromising practices. †¢APEX employees only accept only those assignments for which they have the qualifications, knowledge and skill in which to serve the client. †¢APEX employees disclose any conflict of interests and avoid conflicts of interest or the appearance of such. †¢ APEX employees do not accept simultaneous or competing assignments from two or more clients who have potentially conflicting interests without informing all parties in advance and securing all parties’ prior agreement. †¢APEX employees treat clients’ information as confidential and take all reasonable steps to prevent unauthorized access. †¢APEX employees do not use company assets or business relationships for personal use or personal gain. †¢APEX employees promote a trustworthy environment and support positive ethics within the company. C. Ethics Training Program New Employee Training As part of the onboarding process, all new employees are trained in APEX’s ethics program; this includes an introduction into the corporate values and codes of conduct. Employees are instructed in identifying incidents of ethical behavior and the proper methods of reporting procedures of ethical violations. This is initial training is refreshed in ninety days and then the new hire is in the training cycle with the existing employees. Current Employee Training Existing employees are trained on a continuous basis on the expected ethical behavior of APEX employees. This initial four hour classroom training is refreshed in quarterly sessions lasting one hour each and the four hour training is repeated annually. All training is conducted by the Ethics Officer D. Compliance Systems Monitor Supervisors are responsible for ensuring the adequate and efficient training for all subordinates. Signatures are obtained on the Verification of Training forms and are to be submitted to Human Resources for retention in the employee’s personnel folder. Employee misconduct will be monitored in by supervisory review of actions taken by employees, by conducting yearly surveys and also by implementing a reporting system. In our monitoring, we will be reviewing compliance and targeting deviations to our established ethical behavior. When the method of surveys is utilized, they will be nameless and must be completed within the thirty day allotted time. One feature of our reporting system is the establishment of our APEX Ethics Hotline, (800) 555-5555. This line is monitored by the Ethics Office and is open to anyone, the public, employees and customers to anonymously report unethical behavior or to ask ethics questions. With this system we are able to effectively monitor and evaluate unethical behavior and to take corrective action as required. The Ethics Officer compiles this data monthly and reports to the CEO with the trends and analysis. Audit APEX will conduct yearly audits to our Ethics program. This will determine if we are in compliance with our company’s ethics standards and will utilize the Six-Sigma model as a method of improving upon those standards. This type of model will allow APEX to spotlight areas that are outside of our goals. Auditing employee misconduct is performed by tracking our hotline calls by the types of incident, number of occurrences, general ethics questions and confirmed noncompliance. The audit are performed by the Ethics Officer on an yearly basis as well as on the spot checks to ensure that all employees are properly orientated in the company’s code of conduct and are familiar with the channels available for reporting violations. Our objective auditing processes will report our compliance and noncompliance with our ethics program and determine whether or not APEX has reached its goals. All of our internal findings will be verified by an external auditing firm, Wecheckem Auditors, LLC. Wecheckem will generate a report that will be furnished to the Ethics Committee for publishing on the company’s intranet. This third party company will use the results of this report, responses from customers, and the ratings of the surveys to audit the employees of APEX compliance with our Code of Conduct, the company’s officers compliance with our Code of Conduct, and to assess the company an overall score from 1, non-compliant, to 10, excellent, on our ethical program. Reporting Misconduct It is imperative that employees of APEX feel comfortable with bringing any issues and concerns to management’s attention. Ethical issues occurring with the staff should be communicated immediately. It is important to note APEX has a zero tolerance policy and any infractions of this code of ethics will be met with quick and decisive action. Any employee found to have violated this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. Often times, a concern may arise or even a simple question concerning ethical conduct. At those times, there are many different avenues whereby assistance can be sought. Some of those avenues are: †¢Management team †¢APEX Ethics Hotline (800) 555-5555 †¢Human Resources Department †¢ The Ethics Officer: Mr. Idoo Wright Esq. Suite 746 1400 Independence Avenue Corpus Christi, TX 64009 E. Ethics Program Assessment Review The Ethics Officer is responsible forming the Ethics Committee and for the continual review of APEX Company ethics program. The Ethics Officer shall conduct verifications of training records; compile a database of all reports of ethical violations and the resultant investigations and findings of same. The information gathered is then turned over to an outside firm specializing in Corporate Governance and Ethics for an independent review and assessment. Improvement The Ethics Officer and Ethics Committee shall review all ethical violations and in conjunction with the findings and recommendations of the outside audit firm,Wecheckem, LLC, to produce program improvements utilizing Lean Six Sigma methodologies. Standards and procedures shall be updated whenever there are improvements to the program.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Frontal Lobe Syndrome :: Brain Medical Neurology Essays

Frontal Lobe Syndrome Although volumetrically the frontal lobes are the largest portion of the brain their function remains somewhat elusive (Jacobs, 2005). Even neuropsychologists have a difficult time creating test that accurately test frontal lobe functioning. We do know however, that the frontal lobes are involved in the storage of memories, concentration, abstract thought, judgment, and self control. The frontal lobe lies directly behind our forehead (NINDS, 2005) It contains the primary motor cortex and the prefrontal cortex, which extend from the central sulcus to the anterior of the brain. The posterior part of the frontal lobe is the precentral gyrus which is specialized in the control of fine movements. The very most anterior portion of the frontal lobe is the prefrontal cortex. The neurons in this area have up to sixteen times as many dendritic spines as neurons in the occipital lobe or primary visual cortex. As a result, the prefrontal cortex is able to integrate a great deal of information (Kalat, 2004). For most people the left frontal lobe controls language and the right non-verbal abilities (UNL, 2005).On the left frontal lobe is an area called Broca’s area which allows thoughts to be transformed into words. In addition, there are many connections from the frontal lobe to other parts of the brain that control vision, respiration, blood pressure and gastrointestinal activity (NBTF, 2005). Damage to the frontal lobe results a range of behaviors referred to collectively as ‘frontal lobe syndrome.’ There are numerous ways of damaging the frontal cortex including lesions, tumors, and strokes. Lesions damage the frontal cortex when a blow to the head or a sudden change of motion causes the boney structure underneath the frontal lobes to tear the axons (as is the case with prefrontal lobotomy or leucotomy). A stroke can result in ventral and medial frontal lobe damage. Tumors can damage the frontal lobe by being located on one of the lobes, or by causing pressure on the frontal lobe, as is the case with meningioma, subdural hematoma or similarly meningitis (UNL, 2005). Frontal lobe syndrome results in the impairment of language, motor functions, social behavior, abstract reasoning, and cognition. Furthermore, there is often a change in personality (UNL, 2005). Although language remains fluent and in proper syntax, the overall amount of talking decreases. Patients have difficulty maintaining conversations and some even become mute. Motor functions are often uncoordinated and patients often have difficulty constructing three

Thursday, October 24, 2019

‘On the Road’ by Jack Kerouac

When first set this assignment I was mildly exited. Although I usually choose quiet good books to read, I thought it might give me a different literacy experience. Having had faith that all the books on the list are reasonably good I didn't spend much time choosing. I picked one my cousin had and launched into it with enthusiasm. It was called ‘On the Road' and was written by Jack Kerouac. Basically the book is about a young fairly innocent young aspiring writer who gets captured I the ideology of the American dream. Like many people after the great depression Sal Paradise gets caught in to urge to break out and experience adventure. He felt that his life was not sufficient to the visions and expectations he had. So he left his home where he lived with his auntie and with fifty bucks decided to go to the west coast, hitchhiking most of the way. His first stop was his mates house Remi Boncour, who similarly to him also waiting foe his big break. During his hitchhike he meets ‘a middle aged woman' and a ‘tough truck driver with popping eyes', ‘two boys from the university of Iowa'. The fundamental thing bout these characters is that they all seem to know where they are going not jut literarily to their destination but also metaphorically in their lives, all these people have cars and are picking Sal Paradise up, pulling him to his destiny. One of the characters he encounters on his way to the west who is in the same position as him is Eddie who is also looking for a new life and heading to meet a ‘girl and a new girl'. Eventually he gets a ride two brothers who are picking up everyone they see on the road. He spends a few nights drinking talking to the unhopeful crew. All these characters have a hope of a better life and what Jack Kerouac, the writer, does is put them all together because collectively they keep each other's dreams alive. Following this he meets a Mexican girl who surprise, suprise is also running away from something (an abusive husband). This particular portion of the book I think should be and perhaps Kerouac intended it to e significant. However, his style of writing which is very chronological and minimally descriptive takes away the importance of Sal's and Terry's meeting. He spend a good few months with her and her young son, we are told of the hardship he goes through to support them but the writer failed to touch me whit it. I feel this is because once they part they arrange for her to follow him to New York. However despite this the writer adds ‘But we both knew she wouldn't make it'. This line takes away the wonder and hope from their time together and I think it wipes out any feeling the characters had for each other that the writer was trying to implant earlier in the reader. Maybe its because I am a romantic, but I didn't believe they loved each other enough if it was so easy for the author to wipe it away. Sal Paradise is an example of the youth at that time. Jack Keurack wants us to see through Sal the feeling and expectations of the youth. To fulfil the lack of fulfilment the youth searched for their personal freedom in sex drugs and jazz. This book was described by some as ‘makes the reader want to go out there seize the day and live, live, live'. Personally it makes me want to slam it shut. When I mentioned that I had faith in the list, well I was very wrong. Apart from making me go to sleep this book did absolutely nothing for my imagination. Kerouac's writing annoys me tremendously there is nothing worse that telling a story completely chronologically. When I read the book it felt like I was reading boolet-points. I think this might be because the writer must have had similar experiences and so the excitement for him was drained and no matter hoe hard one tries to regain the enthusiasm it is impossible because once experienced the magic is taken away. I understand the concept of the story and what the author is trying to achieve but it feels like his missed out on writing what potentially could be a great book. Compared to classics that I read this book is not predictable, usually this should be the exiting and fun but in this case it just seems to annoy me and I know exactly why? Simply, deep down, like the lone characters in the book, I to am an idealist.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

A Comparative Analysis of the Hero’s Quest: Harry Potter Vs King Arthur Essay

ABSTRACT From the pages of literature many ideas are born. Often these ideas are borrowed, passed down and transferred from work to work; author to author. This has led many to conclude that a generic mold has been established for certain ways of telling-or in some cases retelling-a story, and that authors often write to fit this mold, whether purposefully or not. The main mold discussed by celebrated novelists such as Joseph Campbell, and used frequently by renown authors like J.K. Rowling and T.H. White, is that of the classic hero. Rowling has made her young protagonist, Harry Potter, very similar to the King of Camelot, as presented by the many Arthurian authors, including T.H. White and Sir Thomas Mallory. There are a great deal of parallels between Potter and Arthur and I have analyzed the plot and other aspects of both stories-along with the works of critics and researchers like Campbell-to demonstrate the shocking similarities between the two heroes. The amazing similarities from both stories spawn from the constant recycling of the hero and his quest. Harry Potter as a person, is a very dynamic character with complete mood changes and varying personalities, yet when it comes to his adventures he is not at all unique. King Arthur, as a hero, is a very dynamic character but as a person he is flat and boring. To compare both I read the complete Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling ( Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.), I’ve read the authoritative Arthurian legends (The Sword in the Stone, by T.H White, and Le Mort d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Mallory.) The author’s own life stories were also analyzed in hopes that I could perhaps come to a conclusion of why their Heroes are so alike. HARRY POTTER VS KING ARTHUR The King Arthur novels have been a part of literature for years, influencing authors, movies and even song writers. This generation’s â€Å"King Arthur† is known by another name. He was conceived on a napkin by a struggling single mom and goes by the name of Harry Potter. Many parts of Rowling’s Harry Potter Series are infused with elements of the Arthurian legend. From reading and researching both stories I have found many parallels between both tales. Arthur and Harry are both the protagonists of their worlds, both were deprived of their parents at an early age, both were on quests to achieve their destiny, both had old wizard mentors, and neither knew of his own importance till a late age. This extended essay explores the themes and characters linking the two tales and also analyzes the author’s life and language and how they affected the story. Joseph Campbell is a world renown author who wrote the book â€Å"The Hero With a Thousand Faces.† Mentally digesting this book has helped me to understand the bonds that tie all heroes together and was what led to the thought that Harry and Arthur are very similar. Both Arthur and Harry fit into the category that Joseph Campbell refers to as the ‘classic hero.’ Both character’s lives follow the pattern of up and downs that rules the life of any literary being. Using excerpts and themes from this and other novels written by Campbell I will bring to light the chilling parallels between both dramas. Both Harry Potter and King Arthur lived lives that were chosen by them. This may seem obvious as their lives were written out by their author’s imagination, but in the novels themselves their fates were pre-destined. Harry Potter was the only person ever to survive Lord Voldemort’s Avada Kedavra curse, also known as the killing curse. Any time that someone does something for the first time–something that was thought impossible–they are immediately raised on a pedestal of awe and leadership. Having survived the curse, Harry thwarted Voldemort’s plan of world domination, therefore saving the wizarding world. Besides being the first to survive the curse, Harry was also the wizarding community’s savior, and he was only one year old. So at a very early age Harry already had a reputation to live up to. What put the final seal on the situation was Sybill Trelawney’s prophecy which stated that â€Å"neither can live while the other survives,† meaning that when Voldemort returned to conquer the world Harry would be the only one capable of saving everyone†¦again. No pressure Harry. His destiny was chosen for him, but then again isn’t every protagonist’s destiny chosen for them in a sense? The magician Merlin, who is living life backwards was already aware of who Arthur was going to be when he urged Uther Pendragon to give him his first born child in exchange for his help to lay with the Duke of Cornwall’s wife, Lady Igraine. Merlin knew Arthur would grow up to be King and save Britain from the Saxons when he saw the Wart stumbling across the forest floor in T.H. White’s â€Å"The Sword in the Stone.† So the fact that he knew Arthur would become King when he asked Uther for his child means that Merlin is the person who chose Arthur’s fate. Had it not been for his request to receive Arthur, Uther would never have given him over and perhaps Arthur would never have become King. Furthermore, Merlin was the one who placed the sword in the stone and prophesied that whoever pulls it out would become King. Merlin already knew that Arthur was of noble blood, but had he not placed the sword in that stone nobody would have known that Arthur was the heir to the throne. So not only did Merlin arrange for King Arthur to actually be born, but he also arranged for the circumstances that made his nobility come to life, therefore Merlin steered Arthur’s destiny. Arthur and Harry were also raised in complete ignorance of their true lineage. Merlin knew that Arthur would not be safe with the Duke of Cornwall on the prowl for Uther’s heir, so he hid him away with a knight named Sir Ector. Knowing that Arthur would be safe Merlin went to live in the woods nearby, and left him alone until his services were needed again. Therefore Arthur grew up thinking he was Sir Ector’s nephew and had no idea of his noble heritage. He lived comfortably enough and managed to gain the proper morals and code of honor that would one day benefit him as King. Harry was not so lucky. From what we surmise from JK’s novels, Harry Potter would have lived quite a comfortable and quiet life had he not been thrown into tragedy when Voldemort attacked. On the night of the attack Harry was barely a year old, and his parents and he were quietly enjoying their evening at Godric’s Hollow. Voldemort burst in and massacred James and Lilly Potter, Harry’s parents, but when he attempted to kill Harry, the love that Harry’s mother had shown in trying to protect her child formed a sort of protective barrier which caused the curse to bounce back and strike Voldemort. Dumbledore hid the orphaned Harry with his Aunt and Uncle Dursley, who wished to have nothing to do with him due to his being of â€Å"that lot,† meaning a wizard. For eleven years Harry grew up hated and ridiculed with his aunt and uncle, not having a clue of his magical world connections. At this point we notice that while Arthur grew up comfortably with his loving foster family, Harry grew up hated and down trod with his unbearable aunt and uncle. Also, while Arthur’s foster brother Kay greatly helped him on quests and adored him as his own brother, Harry was bullied and annoyed by his cousin Dursley. Another striking similarity between Arthur and Harry is that they both exist to protect and save the people they lead. When Harry unwittingly vanquished Lord Voldemort as a young baby he saved the wizarding community from the greatest threat it had ever faced, at least until Voldemort returned in The Goblet of Fire. So from a surprisingly early age Harry was the savior of his people. When he attended Hogwarts and became a prominent figure in the lives of many people he was not only their â€Å"leader,† but their savior. After Lord Voldemort had returned to power Dumbledore started to guess that he and Harry would be pitted against one another until one was vanquished. This was made certain by was Sybill Trelawney’s prophecy: â€Å"‘The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches†¦ born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies†¦ and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not†¦ and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives†¦ the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies†¦Ã¢â‚¬  So once again Harry was made the only one capable of saving the world from the evils of Marvolo Riddle, or Lord Voldemort. The power which he had that Voldemort knew nothing about was his deceased mother’s love, which made it possible for baby Harry and teenage Harry to thwart Voldemort on every attempt he made to conquer the wizarding world. In the final part of J.K Rowling’s thrilling series Harry vanquishes Lord Voldemort once and for all, therefore f ulfilling his prophecy and saving â€Å"his people.† Arthur also was presented as a hero and savior for his subjects. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, historian and author of History of the Kings of Britain, around 1100 Britain was overrun by Saxons, Picts, and Scots. Arthur came about due to the subdued and downtrodden imaginations of the British people. Whenever a people are subject to tyranny they create heroes and saviors. Arthur was the product of poverty, hunger and injustice, so in the Arthurian legends he is the ultimate hero, the total savior and the peace bringer of Camelot. Another similarity between both heroes is that Arthur is helped on his way to victory by the legendary Sword Excalibur, and Harry defeated Lord Voldemort with the aid of The Elder Wand. As both novels developed the presences of many characters guide the protagonists in the right direction, but none more so than their mentor and protector. For Harry it is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, and for Arthur it is the enigmatic Merlin. Harry was hidden for his own safety by Dumbledore and throughout the whole series he was nudged in the right direction by him. In the Philosopher’s Stone, Dumbledore tells Harry how the Mirror of Erised works, in the Chamber of Secrets he sends Fawkes to rescue him from Slytherin’s Heir and the basilisk, in The Prisoner of Azkaban he gives Hermione the Time Turner†¦there are a cornucopia of examples on how Dumbledore is always helping Harry along the way. Although J.K. Rowling claims that Dumbledore had flaws and was ‘gay,’ he was still one of my favorite characters due to his complete devotion to the novel’s cause: defeating Lord Voldemort. In this sense Dumbledore is Harry’s main parent al figure, aside from his Godfather, Sirius, and he sees him through all the hard times. Merlin is that reason that Arthur exists. So if anything, you could sort of call Merlin Arthur’s father. Not only did he arrange for the birth of Britain’s greatest king, but he made him king by putting the sword in the stone. He guided Arthur through his quests and adventures and made him Lord of the Knights of the Round Table. Whenever anyone thinks about Arthurian legend they think of Merlin. Merlin, who found Wart wondering in the woods. Merlin, who taught him valuable life lessons by turning him into different animals. Merlin, who gave him the marvelous sword Excalibur. In both books the mentors are described as having long, white, flowing beards, pointed hats with stars and astrological robes of purple, half rimmed spectacles and twinkling blue eyes. Is it coincidence that J.K. had all these parallels between Arthur and Harry AND Dumbledore and Merlin? Both Harry and Arthur lead very distinguished, eventful and public lives. The life of the hero isn’t an easy one, but it is quite rewarding. As Campbell puts it â€Å"A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself† (Campbell). Both of these heroes have accepted their fate and played the role perfectly. A common thread found in most hero stories is the chance at immortality. Campbell writes in his novel, â€Å"The Hero With A Thousand Faces,† that â€Å"To this very day, the possibility of physical immortality charms the heart of man† (Campbell, 188). All hero figures, from Gilgamesh, to Buddha, to Jesus, even Arthur and Harry are all presented with immortality. This longing for eternal life can be understood when we see what a hero is and how man (and woman in JK’s case), fears death. As we know, a hero is spawned during times of upheaval and social distress. Arthur was thought up during the Saxon’s occupation of England and Harry was born when J.K. needed to be saved from poverty and discontent. Whenever a peoples is oppressed they think of becoming rich, overcoming their difficulties and living forever. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry is presented with the opportunity to keep the Sorcerer’s Stone, from which he can create the Elixir of Life, enabling him to live forever. In the Deathly Hallows he was searching for the three Deathly Hallows, one of which was the resurrection stone. The Resurrection Stone made it so that Harry could bring back anyone from the dead. Yet because he didn’t want the Sorcerer’s stone or the Resurrection stone for his own use, he made himself immortal in a different way. He made himself immortal in his follower’s memories and in his many fans’ minds. Arthur, also, had the chance at immortality. On his quest for the Holy Grail he was presented many times with challenges and dilemmas for which the reward was immortality. When Arthur is killed by his son Mordred, he is then taken to the Isle of Avalon to be treated. A popular legend, current among the British people, claimed that King Arthur had never actually died and that he would one day return to his people when their need was great. In this sense King Arthur was thought to be the perfect man, pure of sin. Harry is similarly clean of sin – as Dumbledore tells him in Half-Blood Prince, â€Å"In spite of all the temptation you have endured, all the suffering, you remain pure of heart, just as pure as you were at the age of eleven.† Finally, the greatest parallel between both heroes is the quest. The myths and legends surrounding King Arthur center on the quest for the Holy Grail. According to legend, King Arthur saw the Grail in a vision, and subsequently he and his knights attempted to find the Grail. The Holy Grail and the vessel used by Christ at the Last Supper that was then used by St. Joseph to catch the blood of Christ were then thought to be the same cup. While the location of the Grail was forgotten over time, there was a prophecy at the Court of King Arthur that the Grail would one day be rediscovered by a descendant of St. Joseph. According to the prophecy, the person who would find the Grail would be the person designated to sit in the Siege Perilous, the perfect seat at the round table. This would be Sir Galahad. In comparison Harry Potter is also on a quest. In fact seven quests, one for each book written. Each one of the Harry Potter books written involves quests. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Voldemort is on a quest to find the Philosopher’s Stone to achieve immortality. Voldemort’s quest becomes Harry’s quest, as Harry believes himself to be the only one capable of stopping Voldemort from obtaining the Stone once he learns that Dumbledore has left Hogwarts. The quest takes Harry through a series of obstacles, and while he is accompanied at first by Ron and Hermione, it is he alone – like Galahad – who must complete the quest and save the Stone from Voldemort. Philosopher’s Stone actually tells us about two quests – the quest for the Stone, as well as Voldemort’s quest to kill the boy who has been prophesized to be the only one who can be his undoing. As Galahad’s seat is marked with his name, signifying that he is the only one who can find the Grail, Voldemort’s attack on Harry as a baby leaves him marked with the scar that signifies Harry as Voldemor t’s equal and as the only one who can vanquish Voldemort. Also, Harry is the only one who can achieve the quest for the stone, like Galahad is the only one who can find the Holy Grail. As in Arthurian legend, Harry is not the only one who embarks on quests through the Harry Potter series. In Philosopher’s Stone, Voldemort uses Quirrell to try to find the Stone. The entire Hogwarts teaching staff (with the one notable exception of Professor Lockhart) is looking for the Chamber of Secrets in Book Two. The Dementors are searching for Sirius Black in Prisoner of Azkaban. The other contestants in the Triwizard Tournament, like Knights of the Round Table, are also on quests as they complete each Tournament task in Goblet of Fire. At the Yule Ball, the contestants and the judges even sit at a large round table. In Order of the Phoenix, Voldemort is on a quest to obtain the prophecy and regain his power. This signifies that many try, or feel compelled to achieve the status of hero, but the true hero doesn’t choose his destiny. The true hero becomes what he is because he has no choice, because it is in his blood. Like Harry and Arthur, who did not choose their future, and never wanted fame and glory, the true hero does things alone. There exists many parallels between both heroes and in finality we can conclude that this is no mere coincidence. Rowling must have intended to at least base her protagonist off of Britain’s greatest hero: King Arthur. The reason that J. K. Rowling is able to put so much life and actuality in her writings is that she herself has experienced much of what she writes. She was born on July 31st, 1965 in Gloucestershire, England. Divorced and living off of welfare Rowling wrote Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone on a napkin between her daughter’s naps. When Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was published her life changed. Much like Harry’s life, Rowling’s has the characteristics of a fairy tale. Barely making a living she managed to get by and lived in a small apartment flat in Edinburgh, where she says she was rescued by Harry Potter. She was given money to finish her books and has since become richer than even the Queen. She has written the harshness and nightmares of her pre-Potter life into her books, which is why they appear so real. Whenever a people live an oppressed lifestyle they create saviors to rescue them, which is what J.K did. T.H White, on the other hand lived a pretty well off life, yet displeased with the world he too re-made a hero for himself, Arthur. There isn’t much in common between both authors other than their British descent and the fact that they write. Their language is also very similar and the way they write is strikingly alike. Perhaps it’s the fact that they both attended Exeter college? In the quest for literary glory, both authors overcame tremendous upheaval and problems of a bad economic start. Yet they both wrote novels that changed mankind, and that continued the Hero’s journey through literature. It is certain true then, that â€Å"There is only one hero, and he has a thousand faces† (HWTF, Campbell). BIBLIOGRAPHY White, T.H. â€Å"The Sword in the Stone.† Random House, Inc. October 1963 Rowling, J.K. â€Å"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.† Cornell Books, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Rowling, J.K. â€Å"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.† Cornell Books, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Rowling, J.K. â€Å"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.† Cornell Books Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Rowling, J.K. â€Å"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.† Cornell Books, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Rowling, J.K. â€Å"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.† Cornell Books, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Rowling, J.K. â€Å"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.† Cornell Books, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Rowling, J.K. â€Å"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.† Cornell Books, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Campbell, Joseph. â€Å"The Hero With A Thousand Faces.† New World Library Books, 1949, First Ed.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Poetry Of A. E. Housman Essays - A. E. Housman, Free Essays

The Poetry Of A. E. Housman Essays - A. E. Housman, Free Essays The Poetry of A. E. Housman Housman was born in Burton-On-Trent, England, in 1865, just as the US Civil War was ending. As a young child, he was disturbed by the news of slaughter from the former British colonies, and was affected deeply. This turned him into a brooding, introverted teenager and a misanthropic, pessimistic adult. This outlook on life shows clearly in his poetry. Housman believed that people were generally evil, and that life conspired against mankind. This is evident not only in his poetry, but also in his short stories. For example, his story, "The Child of Lancashire," published in 1893 in The London Gazette, is about an child who travels to London, where his parents die, and he becomes a street urchin. There are veiled implications that the child is a homosexual (as was Housman, most probably), and he becomes mixed up with a gang of similar youths, attacking affluent pedestrians and stealing their watches and gold coins. Eventually he leaves the gang and becomes wealthy, but is attacked by the same gang (who don't recognize him) and is thrown off London Bridge into the Thames, which is unfortunately frozen over, and is killed on the hard ice below. Housman's poetry is similarly pessimistic. In fully half the poems the speaker is dead. In others, he is about to die or wants to die, or his girlfriend is dead. Death is a really important stage of life to Housman; without death, Housman would probably not have been able to be a poet. (Housman, himself, died in 1937.) A few of his poems show an uncharacteristic optimism and love of beauty, however. For example, in his poem "Trees," he begins: "Loveliest of trees, the cherry now Hung low with bloom along the bow Stands about the woodland side A virgin in white for Eastertide" ...and ends: "Poems are made by fools like me But only God can make a tree." (This is a popular quotation, yet most people don't know its source!) Religion is another theme of Housman's. Housman seems to have had trouble reconciling conventional Christianity with his homosexuality and his deep clinical depression. In "Apologia pro Poemate Meo" he states: "In heaven-high musings and many Far off in the wayward night sky, I would think that the love I bear you Would make you unable to die [death again] Would God in his church in heaven Forgive us our sins of the day, That boy and man together Might join in the night and the way." I think that the sense of hopelessness and homosexual longing is unmistakable. However, these themes went entirely over the heads of the people of Housman's day, in the early 1900s. The best known collection of Housman's poetry is A Shropshire Lad, published in 1925, followed shortly by More Poems, 1927, and Even More Poems, 1928. Unsurprisingly, most collections have the same sense and style. They could easily be one collection, in terms of stylistic content. All show a sense of the fragility of life, the perversity of existence, and a thinly veiled homosexual longing, in spite of the fact that many of the poems apparently (but subliminally?) speak of young women. It is clear from these works that women were only a metaphor for love, which in Housman's case usually did not include the female half of society. More Poems contains perhaps the best statement of Housman's philosophy of life, a long, untitled poem (no. LXIX) with oblique references to the town of his birth, Burton-on-Trent, and statements like: "And while the sun and moon endure Luck's a chance, but trouble's sure..." Indeed, how much more pessimistic can one be? Not only a poet and storyteller, Housman was a noted classical scholar. He is known for his extensive translations of the Greek classics, especially Greek plays by Euripides and Sophocles. Unfortunately, the bulk of his manuscripts were lost in a disastrous fire in his office at Oxford, which was caused by a lit cigar falling into a stack of papers. There were rumors that Housman was hidden in a closet with a young boy at the time, and therefore did not see the fire in his own office until it was too late to extinguish it. The Trustees of the college, however, managed to squelch the rumors, and Housman's academic tenure was not threatened by the incident.

Monday, October 21, 2019

pollock essays

pollock essays Jackson Pollock was a trailblazing painter. He was also an alcoholic, a manic-depressive and completely out of control. Truth of the matter is, though, there are a lot of brilliant, self-destructive people in the world. What the movie Pollock has to do... and ultimately fails to do... is make us believe there is a reason that we should be more interested in him than all the other brilliant self-destructive people in the world. Yes, his painting was revolutionary, but we can see that in a museum, why should we have to sit through this movie? Pollock doesnt even have faith in its source material. Other characters are constantly telling him (and by extension, the audience) how brilliant and revolutionary his art was when the paintings themselves should do the talking. Ed Harris (who also directed) does an incredible job of portraying Pollock, but in the end Jackson Pollock was an unlikable, selfish, chronically insecure man which makes it real tough to care about the centerpiece of your story. Marcia Gay Harden also does well with the essentially thankless role of his wife Lee Krasner, another artist who gave up her career to manage his, and to put up with his whims and foul moods. Fine performances by the likes of Jennifer Connelly, Jeffrey Tambor, Stephanie Seymour and Amy Madigan are also pretty much wasted, all they really get to do is stroke Pollocks ego, then look away in embarrassment when he flies off the handle and does something anti-social. Jackson Pollocks art may have been unique, but his life story seems to have been pretty standard fare. (12/00) ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

How to Capitalize the Earth, Sun, and Moon (Plus Other Celestial Objects)

How to Capitalize the Earth, Sun, and Moon (Plus Other Celestial Objects) How to Capitalize the Earth, Sun, and Moon (Plus Other Celestial Objects) The night’s sky can inspire many thoughts. A scientist might dream of finding a new planet. An artist, on the other hand, may find the beauty of the stars captivating. But as proofreaders, our minds immediately drift to capitalization. So join us for a look at when to capitalize celestial objects. Proper Nouns in Space When we say â€Å"celestial objects,† we basically mean â€Å"naturally occurring space stuff.† This includes planets, stars, moons, galaxies, comets, and pretty much anything else that you might see in space. Everything in this picture, then. You just have to zoom in a lot to pick anything out. We capitalize the name of a celestial object when it is a proper noun. Or in other words, we only start a word with a capital letter if it names a specific celestial body, not just a type. So, for instance, the word â€Å"planet† is a common noun (i.e., a type of celestial body). â€Å"Uranus,† meanwhile, is a proper noun (i.e., a specific planet). As such, we don’t need to capitalize â€Å"planet,† but we do use a capital letter at the start of â€Å"Uranus.† Other examples include: Common Noun Proper Noun planet Mars, Venus, Saturn moon Europa, Titan, Callisto star Polaris, Rigel, Sirius galaxy Milky Way, Andromeda comet Halley’s Comet, Hale-Bopp nebula Orion Nebula, Crab Nebula The key in most cases, then, is to think about whether you’re naming something generic or specific. However, there are a few words that can cause confusion, including â€Å"earth,† â€Å"sun,† and â€Å"moon.† How to Capitalize Earth, Sun and Moon Certain â€Å"space† words can be either common nouns or proper nouns. When we say â€Å"the moon,† for example, we’re usually referring to the round object we see in the night’s sky. However, other planets have their own moons, so how do you capitalize this term in those cases? Or others like it? Sadly, there is no single â€Å"correct† approach here. NASA, for instance, say: Capitalize â€Å"Moon† when referring to Earth’s Moon; otherwise, lowercase â€Å"moon† (e.g., â€Å"The Moon orbits Earth,† â€Å"Jupiter’s moons†). But other style guides, such as MLA, suggest only capitalizing terms like â€Å"moon† when they appear in a sentence alongside other proper nouns (e.g., â€Å"The planet Mercury is larger than the Moon†). Ultimately, this may come down to which style guide you are using (or personal preference). Generally, though, we favor the MLA approach. This means only capitalizing â€Å"earth,† â€Å"sun,† and â€Å"moon† when you are both: Referring to the Earth, its Moon or its Sun (not other moons or suns). Using the term alongside other capitalized celestial objects. So, following these rules, we would capitalize these terms as follows: The sun is shining brightly today. What on earth are you talking about? The moon is almost full tonight. The Earth is much closer to Mars than the Sun. You should not, of course, capitalize â€Å"earth† when referring to dirt or the ground. That kind of â€Å"earth† is always a common noun. Summary: How to Capitalize Celestial Objects As a rule, you will only need to capitalize celestial objects when they are proper nouns. In practice, this means: Using a capital letter with the names of specific objects (e.g., Saturn, Mars). Not capitalizing generic objects (e.g., planet, star, galaxy). This becomes a little more complicated with the words â€Å"earth,† â€Å"sun,† and â€Å"moon.† The rules here vary between different style guides and institutions, but we tend to capitalize these terms only when: Referring to the Earth, its Moon or its Sun (not other moons or suns). Using the term alongside other capitalized celestial objects. The most important factor, though, is applying a consistent capitalization style throughout your work. And if you’d like a professional to check your writing, submit a document for proofreading today.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Challenges and Opportunities of Emotional Literacy in Primary Essay

Challenges and Opportunities of Emotional Literacy in Primary Education - Essay Example I agree that it is all about helping children get in touch with their emotions, identify them and understand what a significant role they play in their personal growth and development, and teaching them steps to handle those emotions positively.   A major underlying factor to numerous of the problems in contemporary society is ignorance of the crucial role emotions play. Emotional literacy is a constructive preventive mechanism, which accurately understood, can help society in eliminating loads of its problems (Saarni, 1999). Once gained, it provides individuals with an alternative to illness, aggression, substance abuse, unhealthy relationships, and societal conflicts (Elias, Zins, Weissberg and Frey 1997); hence the need for emotional literacy education in early childhood. Understanding the notion of emotional literacy necessitates examining its two component constructs, ‘intelligence’ and ‘emotion’. The cognitive domain comprises such functions as reasoning, human memory, abstract thought, and judgment (Matthews, 2006). Emotions belong to the commonly named affective domain of mental performance, which comprises the emotions themselves, assessments, mood, and other feeling conditions, including energy or exhaustion (Matthews, 2006). Descriptions of emotional literacy should somehow link emotions with intelligence if the definitions of the two concepts are to be sustained (Sharp, 2001). For instance, motivation is personality’s third domain. It denotes ‘learned goal-seeking behavior’ (Matthew, 2006: 13) and biological drives. To the point that it is engaged in emotional literacy, it should be visualized as secondary (Matthew, 2006).  Ã‚  

Friday, October 18, 2019

What is SOW Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What is SOW - Coursework Example This has therefore called for the development of the process that will be involved in the project. This statement of work will therefore outline the objectives that will be followed, the scope of the project and the deliverables of the project. The process of centralizing the scheduling process in ACME Development Corporation is so that it brings efficiency in the management process of the whole process. The purpose of this project is to implement a central scheduling system that will enable the project managers who are located in the various parts of the US working for ADC to schedule projects in uniformly. Currently, the scheduling software is installed in individual machines for each project manager. The corporation therefore spends more resources in installing and managing the scheduling systems for each individual project manager. The project will be guided by the following objectives: This project will entail getting an online scheduling system that will be used by ADC in its operations. There are project managers each using their own scheduling software. There is therefore a need to centralize scheduling. There is the contracting of the tasks. Selecting one contact that fit ACME Development Corporation (ADC) needs would be impossible for this project. The selection the right contract for that task and then integrating the combination of contracts to make one they will meet ADC goal to standardize with one single project-scheduling tool and to have the tool installed and be operational within 90 days. To this end, the company is forming a central project management office (PMO) (Brotherton, Fried, & Norman, 2008).   for this type of work I would engage in a service contract which will specify the specifications of the software in question and the work that needs to be done by the technicians. The fixed price at cost contract would make most sense here. This would evidently come out with the right clauses to ensure that the

Comparison of Wesley and Whitfield on grace and predestination Essay

Comparison of Wesley and Whitfield on grace and predestination - Essay Example Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.13 V. Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦14 I. Introduction Three prominent religious members lay behind the evangelical movement that arose in English Christianity within the 1730s when Charles, John, and Wesley came together as Methodists. George Whitefield was a Calvinist while John Wesley and his brother Charles Wesley can be considered as Arminians. The reasons for Whitefield’s dedicated attitude can partly be linked to his close friendships with American evangelicals, which led into deeper comprehension of Puritan theology and its significance to evangelism and revivals. The pa per explores the views of Wesley and Whitefield on the theology of grace and predestination. II. Background Prior to his departure, Whitefield’s sermon dwelling on â€Å"On the Nature and Necessity of Our Regeneration or New Birth in Christ Jesus† based on 2 Corinthians 5: 17 â€Å"if any man be in Christ he is a new creature.† In his sermon of 1737, â€Å"the doctrine of our generation, new birth in Christ Jesus† can be regarded as one of the most fundamental. ... agreed wholly with the Wesley that â€Å"nothing but a guarantee that people are born again that all are members of Christ united to Him by one and to the Holy Spirit that He was actuated† can fulfill the heart of man.2 The three also concurred on the nature and degree of the sanctification started through the work of the Holy Spirit within regeneration. When George Whitefield left England in 1739, he was appreciated as a leader of the evangelical awakening. Whitefield handed over his followers to John Wesley’s; nevertheless, when he returned in 1741, Whitefield found that a majority of his spiritual children were hostile to the extent that they sent threatening messages to him that God will speedily destroy him. This emanated from by the fact that, on Whitefield’s departure, Wesley had published a sermon titled â€Å"Free Grace,† which professed to be founded upon, Roman 8:32. John Wesley’s sermon, published in August 1739 and attempted to demonstr ate how God’s Grace is â€Å"free in all and free for all.† Wesley’s message was a robust critique of the doctrine of predestination and election. Wesley believed such a doctrine was a precarious one and that it blasphemed the very person and nature of God. Election represents God’s choosing whom to save and it is unconditional, given that there is no condition man must satisfy before God chooses to save him. Calvinists concur that humankind must meet the condition of faith in Christ so as to inherit eternal life; however, faith is not a condition for election, but rather election is a condition of faith. Whitefield and Wesley could not find a common ground, which split the movement between the adherents of Wesley and those of Whitefield.3 The division arose from the fact that Whitefield and Wesley did not share the

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Brand Management of Video Game Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Brand Management of Video Game Industry - Essay Example For this assignment, various marketing reviews were researched upon. Scholarly articles and textbooks were researched for concepts of Brand Positioning, Product Design, Building Brand Equity and Nintendo’s strategies of Wii were analyzed in the light of the latter. In order to analyze the branding strategies of Wii, I used the concept and applications of Disruptive Strategy to see where Nintendo has positioned its Wii. This concept is also known as the â€Å"Blue Ocean† strategy where the brand is positioned in the virgin space or spot in the market which hasn’t been targeted by the competition yet. On the basis of that, Nintendo targeted the market of former gamers or non-gamers who were not habitual gamers but did play games produced in Flash or other computer games like Solitaire. Besides the brand positioning of Nintendo’s Wii, I also studied the product design of Wii in the light of the competitors’ products, Play station 3 and Xbox. This also helps Nintendo’s Wii to become more of a family brand where an adult or a non-gamer can give a fair competition to a hardcore player in the family belonging to the ideal gamer demographic profile of aged 18 – 35 years. As far as the pricing is concerned, Wii was targeted for the down-market in the game console industry. This meant that Nintendo had to push the prices down in order to attract more consumers. Its advertising and promotional strategies helped Wii to become the most selling brand during Christmas time and especially amongst families who preferred to own only one of all the consoles in the market which lead them to purchase Nintendo’s Wii. In the short-run, Nintendo did capture the market with its unique design, price and going down-market strategy but in the medium-run Nintendo was planning to go in direct competition with the other up-market brands namely Sony’s Play Station and Microsoft’s Xbox. What these major players failed to rea lize was that Nintendo was positioned just as a casual gaming brand whereas Nintendo did not only wish to stay with the family positioning as it believed that there was no casual gamer and that only non-gamer-or-former gamer existed which made Nintendo see a huge potential beyond the down-market’s easy gamers market. With a long-term plan in consideration, when Nintendo established its brand of Wii in the down-market, it then moved into the up markets which were being catered and ruled by Sony’s Play Station and Microsoft’s Xbox.

Evaluation of Agency's Human Resources Management Research Paper - 1

Evaluation of Agency's Human Resources Management - Research Paper Example Human resource also entail resource alignment whereby it integrates decisions concerning people and the outcome that the organization is striving to obtain. This paper will seek to develop an in-depth analysis and evaluation of the selected agency’s human resources management systems and processes and then provide recommendations for improvement. Ray Consortium is an agency located in the US. I did a research that revealed that this agency has processes and systems that intersect between information technology and human resource management. One of the agency’s major components of human resource processes for hiring and retaining is the enterprise resource-planning package (Department of Administration, 2004). In this package, the agency merges human resource management as a doctrine with its basic human resource processes and activities, within the field of information technology in particular (Lawler, 2004). With the emergency of enterprise resource planning software, this agency added its crucial components of planning to incorporate data processing systems programs that standardize routines and integrate information from and within various applications towards a single universal database (Briscoe, Schuler, & Tarique, 2011). According to the human resource manager of Ray Consortium, integration of enterprise resourc e planning as a major component of the agency’s human resource system facilitated faster and easier linkage of the agency’s human resource modules and financial modules. Furthermore, this agency has a performance appraisal process that evaluates employees’ performance, capabilities, and abilities and provides a systematic platform for rewarding. This procedure aims at motivating, mobilizing, and fostering their zeal towards their respective jobs (Lawler, 2004). In identifying predecessors of different sections of the agency, this agency uses modules of human resource that link performance of an employee through a single database that

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Brand Management of Video Game Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Brand Management of Video Game Industry - Essay Example For this assignment, various marketing reviews were researched upon. Scholarly articles and textbooks were researched for concepts of Brand Positioning, Product Design, Building Brand Equity and Nintendo’s strategies of Wii were analyzed in the light of the latter. In order to analyze the branding strategies of Wii, I used the concept and applications of Disruptive Strategy to see where Nintendo has positioned its Wii. This concept is also known as the â€Å"Blue Ocean† strategy where the brand is positioned in the virgin space or spot in the market which hasn’t been targeted by the competition yet. On the basis of that, Nintendo targeted the market of former gamers or non-gamers who were not habitual gamers but did play games produced in Flash or other computer games like Solitaire. Besides the brand positioning of Nintendo’s Wii, I also studied the product design of Wii in the light of the competitors’ products, Play station 3 and Xbox. This also helps Nintendo’s Wii to become more of a family brand where an adult or a non-gamer can give a fair competition to a hardcore player in the family belonging to the ideal gamer demographic profile of aged 18 – 35 years. As far as the pricing is concerned, Wii was targeted for the down-market in the game console industry. This meant that Nintendo had to push the prices down in order to attract more consumers. Its advertising and promotional strategies helped Wii to become the most selling brand during Christmas time and especially amongst families who preferred to own only one of all the consoles in the market which lead them to purchase Nintendo’s Wii. In the short-run, Nintendo did capture the market with its unique design, price and going down-market strategy but in the medium-run Nintendo was planning to go in direct competition with the other up-market brands namely Sony’s Play Station and Microsoft’s Xbox. What these major players failed to rea lize was that Nintendo was positioned just as a casual gaming brand whereas Nintendo did not only wish to stay with the family positioning as it believed that there was no casual gamer and that only non-gamer-or-former gamer existed which made Nintendo see a huge potential beyond the down-market’s easy gamers market. With a long-term plan in consideration, when Nintendo established its brand of Wii in the down-market, it then moved into the up markets which were being catered and ruled by Sony’s Play Station and Microsoft’s Xbox.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Sustainability and the built environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sustainability and the built environment - Essay Example It therefore follows that sustainable community is a community that is able to persist over generations, one that is flexible, wise enough, and foresighted enough not to compromise either its social or physical systems of support. Discussion Until mid 1980s, economic growth was the major focus as a means of alleviating the conditions of humanity; however, it came to the attention of the international community that it was useless to focus on economic development if it compromises the community’s social and natural foundations. In the terms of Siranni and Friedland 2001, this view of the international community was based on the consideration that focus on economic development that is unrestricted would continuously pollute the world’s water, soil, and air not to mention that it can decimates natural resources as well as forests, thus creating overflowing landfills and toxic wastes to our environment. The desire to have a better life and also to increase the opportunities that accrues from economic growth stimulated the interest in sustainability for purposes of preserving the environment for both the present and future generations. As Davis 2007 argues, it would be worthless after all to have a strong economy and jobs yet we do not have a planet that is habitable to them. Communities facing the same predicament around the country have echoed sustainability. It is quite evident that various communities are facing negative predicaments from the conventional approaches to development of the built environment, economic growth, and transportation planning, yet these are efforts that are meant to alleviate the communities’ quality of life and opportunities. It has been argued that if the same approach is maintained, it would degrade the present quality of life and cause devastating environmental predicaments for the next generation (Huckle 1996). The need to design a workable approach to avoid and repair such problems should therefore be prioritiz ed (Girardet 1999). Sustainable development has proved to be an approach that that can effectively be able to counter such predicaments as it is a process that is ongoing. Through sustainable communities it is indeed possible to alleviate the community wellbeing and economic development in such a way that does not compromise the environment. There are several strategies that can be employed to achieve the balance between sustainable communities as well as maintain a healthy environment. Efficiency use of the available resources is one of the essential factors of achieving sustainability. As a matter of fact, environmental impacts may be reduced significantly if the communities embark on efficiently using the available water, energy, and the available resources. As echoed by Huckle 1996, using improved techniques of manufacturing may also go a long way in reducing waste, pollution, not to mention the reduction in the cost of production. These would in turn enhance economic developmen t with minimal environmental degradation. Energy efficiency for instance can be used as a means of reducing climate change, air pollution, smog, acid rain oil spill among other harms to the environment related to the

Monday, October 14, 2019

How does Robert Louis Stevenson Create a sense of Mystery, Horror and Suspense Essay Example for Free

How does Robert Louis Stevenson Create a sense of Mystery, Horror and Suspense Essay In the novella The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Robert Louise Stevenson uses many techniques to create a sense of mystery, horror and suspense. In this essay I will be analyzing some of these techniques in further depth. I will be explaining what effect these techniques will have on the reader. The strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was published in 1886 and is probably the best known of Stevensons novels. It concerns the fine divide between good and evil. In the book the reader finds out more about how and why Dr Jekyll created a potion that separates the good side from the evil side, of the person. Unfortunately he lost control of the situation, resulting in a number of unfortunate events. Mr. Utterson is widely regarded as a good man, there is much evidence in The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to back this statement up. One piece of evidence to show this is when the reader is told something eminently human beaconed from his eyes. This is a short and meaningful insight into the persona of Mr. Utterson. . We are also told that he had a approved tolerance for others. This is more evidence to show that he could empathise and care about people. This also makes the audience think that he will be tested. He is also said to be the last good influence in the lives of down going men, he is known to be a compassionate man, he looks to help people rather than judge them. This also makes the reader think that being a client of Mr Utterson, Dr Jekyll may be possible in store to be coming into some trouble. We are told much about Dr Jekylls House in the novel. Showed no windows, what does it mean to the reader, why would this mysterious character have no windows, what is he hiding, or what is hiding in there. This raises questions to the audience about the man, why would a man in a respected profession such as a doctor want to be living a life like this in a house with no windows. It says that the wall was discoloured and the it bore marks of prolonged and sordid negligence. This leads the audience to wonder, what would cause the walls to be discoloured and why does man take so little pride in his abode. The writer Robert Louse Stevenson uses words like the word sordid to create an image of evil and wickedness. IT is said to be blistered and disdained and have neither bell or knocker. The later of the two statements bears more negative connotations than the former. The fact that the house has no bell or knocker signifies to the reader that Dr Jekyll does not wish to be disturbed thus adding to the atmosphere of secrecy. Why would a man such like Dr Jekyll wish not to bothered what is he hiding in this house. The Final Statement regarding the dwelling of Dr Jekyll is typical of gothic writings of that era, it has mysterious connotations that intrigue the reader in saying some place at the end of the world. It also conjures up images of evil when Enfield says Black winter morning. On page 11 the reader is recounted the story of how Mr. Hyde trampled over the child. This is most probably the best example of the Robert Lewis Stevenson using specific techniques to create an innate sense of horror. He uses a common technique of the era, using descriptive, detailed language to intensify the sense of horror. For instance he says some place at the end of the world about three oclock of a black winter morning, he also goes on to say about how empty and lifeless the streets were. The reader is also made to feel fearful, wary and loathsome towards this beast whom is said to have felt no remorse for the heinous act he had just committed. The writer instills these feelings within us by saying thing like the man trampled calmly over the childs body this not only makes the reader horrified that someone could do such a thing, is also exceedingly curious as to who this man could be and why is he so remorseless for what he has done. Mr. Enfield makes several accounts of Mr. Hydes persona. The way in which Mr. Enfield reacts to the sight of Mr. Hyde makes the reader believe he must be a truly terrible man to provoke such a reaction from a well respected man such as Mr. Enfield. Mr. Enfield Says that Hyde gave me one look, so ugly that it brought the sweat on me like running, The reader will immediately relate someone being hideously ugly to them being morally objectionable. He also says I had taken a loathing to the man at first sight the reader questions what could it be that causes him to beacon this loathsome aura. It is said by Enfield that it was not only him to feel this way towards Hyde I saw that sawbones turn sick and white with the desire to kill him the reader wonders what could possible cause a man you whom had previously been described as emotionless to feel this way to a man he does not even know. The final account of Hyde is short but is nonetheless important it is when Hyde is described as being really like Satan. This is a grave accusation to make, saying that a man is like Satan the epitome of all that is evil. It is not false though Hyde is all that is evil within Dr. Jekyll. Mr. Enfield says that the man he saw was of the name Hyde. This name has a eerie ring to it, it carries a certain mystique. When people hear the name Hyde they immediately think of secrecy and what is the secrecy for. Later in the novel Utterson makes reference to Hydes name saying If he is Mr. Hyde then I shall be Mr. Seek. This immediately makes the reader think of the childhood game hide and seek. If this mans name is Hyde then why must he be found, what will he do? One technique that Stevenson uses to great effect is withholding information about the character Mr. Hyde. Mr. Enfield says no sir I had a delicacy, I feel very strongly about putting questions. This is Enfield saying that he did not inquire too deeply about Hyde. This creates mystery and suspense. Hyde is a mysterious character who the reader knows very little about but is intrigued by. Suspense is created by the fear of what this man is going to do. Enfield and Utterson also agree not to talk about this man again. This makes the reader incredibly suspicious of why it is that these two men do not wish to speak about this incident. Mr. Utterson states on page fifteen that already knows of Mr. Hyde saying The fact is, if I do not ask you the name of the other party, it is because I know it already. This shows to the reader that Mr. Utterson knows more than he is letting on. This makes the audience suspicious as to why a good man like Utterson would feel the need to keep this information to himself. Chapter two Dr. Jekylls will is very bizarre it says that in the case of Dr. Jekylls disappearance or unexplained absence for any period exceeding three calendar months, the said Edward Hyde should step into the said Henry Jekylls shoes without further delay. This engages the readers interest as to what the connection is between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Its irrationality is said to have offended Mr. Utterson both as a lawyer and a lover of the sane. It is strange because it does not say that he should be dead before he steps in. Mr. Utterson is left baffled by what has been written in Jekylls will and decides to go visit Dr. Lanyon. Lanyon tells Utterson that ten years ago he began to go wrong in the mind. This raises suspicions in the readers mind about Dr. Jekyll now that they see that one of his dearest friends now speaks of him in such a way. He sys that his unscientific balderdash was so delirious and immoral that is could have estranged Damon and Pythias who in Greek mythology are known for being inseparable friends. The reader must wonder what it is that Dr. Jekyll did to provoke such a claim from a close friend. Lanyon says to Utterson that he knows not of Hyde. This makes the audience suspicious of how it is possible for a man who claims to have been so close to Dr. Jekyll, but does not even know the man who he wishes to leave his entire estate to. We are told that Mr. Enfields imagination also was engaged, or rather enslaved; as he lay and tossed in the gross darkness of the night. Stevenson tells the reader that Utterson is imagining all of the terrible things that this Hyde character could have done. This automatically makes the reader imagine which builds up a sense of horror in the readers mind. We are told that Utterson did not know what Hyde looked like. Like Mr. Utterson the reader will imagine the worst of what Mr. Hyde looks like. He is described as a human Juggernaut the word Juggernaut instills images of an untamed beast that you must be cautious around. It was the face of a man who was without bowels of mercy This makes the reader tense about how terrible this man could be. Spirit of enduring hatred it could be because of the way Enfield reacted to this man that has caused Utterson to feel this way. When Utterson finally meets Hyde it is a very Dramatic tense scene full of typical language from gothic writings of that era e.g. it was a fine dry night, frost in the air, the streets as clean as a ball room this is typical extremely descriptive scene setting. From previous descriptions of Mr. Hyde the reader can only expect the worse for Mr. Utterson.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Dc Power Source Utilization Engineering Essay

Dc Power Source Utilization Engineering Essay Many industrial applications have begun to require higher power apparatus in recent years. Some medium voltage motor drives and utility applications require medium voltage and megawatt power level. For a medium voltage grid, it is troublesome to connect only one power semiconductor switch directly. As a result, a multilevel power inverter structure has been introduced as an alternative in high power and medium voltage situations. A multilevel inverter is a power electronic device built to synthesize a desired AC voltage from several levels of DC voltages. The concept of multilevel converters has been introduced since 1975. The term multilevel began with the three-level converter. Subsequently, several multilevel converter topologies have been developed. Plentiful multilevel converter topologies have been proposed during the last two decades. Contemporary research has engaged novel converter topologies and unique modulation schemes. Moreover, there are three different major multilevel converter structures which are cascaded H-bridges converter with separate dc sources, diode clamped (neutral-clamped), and flying capacitors (capacitor clamped) [1] Although the diode clamped multilevel inverter is commonly discussed in the literature, there has been considerable interest in the series connected or cascaded H-bridge inverter topologies [2]. However, the elementary concept of a multilevel converter to achieve higher power is to use a series of power semiconductor switches with several lower voltage dc sources to perform the power conversio n by synthesizing a staircase voltage waveform. Capacitors, batteries, and renewable energy voltage sources can be used as the multiple dc voltage sources [1]. Multilevel power conversion has become increasingly popular in recent years due to advantages of high power quality waveforms, low electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) concerns, low switching losses, and high-voltage capability. The primary disadvantage of multilevel power conversion technology is the large number of semiconductor devices required. This does not yield a significant cost increase since lower-voltage devices may be used. However, an increase in gate drive circuitry and more elaborate mechanical layout are required [3]. Project Overview This project will involve in the design and construction of a single phase 3-level H-bridge inverter using the IGBTs. An H-bridge is an electronic circuit which enables a voltage to be applied across a load in either direction. These circuits allow DC motors to run forwards and backwards. H-bridges are available as integrated circuits, or can be built from discrete components. In this single phase H-bridge inverter circuit, the IGBTs are used as power devices that will be operated as a switch by applying control signal to gate terminal of IGBTs. The insulated gate bipolar transistor or IGBT is a three-terminal power semiconductor device, noted for high efficiency and fast switching. The software that will be used is MATLAB Simulink. Simulink is a commercial tool for modeling, simulating and analyzing multidomain dynamic systems. Its primary interface is a graphical block diagramming tool and a customizable set of block libraries. The Aims and Objectives The aim of this project is to simulate a single phase 3-level H-bridge inverter (DC to AC converter) using the MATLAB Simulink and constructed it. The objectives of this project are as follows: To investigate the application of H-bridge inverter. To assemble using the software, circuits implementation, and troubleshoot for the hardware. To analyze the operation of the single-phase 3-level inverter for software and hardware. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW Inverter Power electronics converters may be classified into four categories based on the source and types of the desired output characteristics as shown in Figure 1.1 below: OUTPUT AC DC AC INPUTRECTIFIER REGULATORS DC CHOPPERS INVERTERS Figure 2.1: Converter Classification DC-to-AC converter is known as inverter. The function of an inverter is to change a DC input voltage to a symmetrical AC output voltage of desired magnitude and frequency. The variable output voltage could be fixed or variable at a fixed or variable frequency. Inverter can be built in many output phases which is normally use in practice like single phase inverter and three phase inverter. The implementation of the inverter circuit must to be involved in application of the power devices like SCR, MOSFET, IGBT, GTO, and Forced-Commutated Thyristor which is controlled to turning ON and turning-OFF in its operation as a converter. This inverter generally use PWM control signal for producing an AC output voltage [3]. Single Phase H-Bridge Inverter Operation The H-Bridge Inverter or sometimes called Full Bridge consists of four switches (see Figure 2.2). A boost converter is required as this system has no means of stepping up the input. Switches S1-S4, and S2-S3 make up two switch pairs. When S1and S4 are on, the output voltage is a positive pulse, and when S2 and S3 are on, the output is a negative pulse. The phase sequence, frequency, output magnitude and harmonics can be controlled through appropriate switching devices, in conjunction with other equipment. Figure 2.2: Single phase H-bridge inverter Single Phase Multilevel H-Bridges Inverter There are two types of multilevel H-bridge inverter that can be selected in this project which are separated dc source and single DC source. These two types have its pros and cons. The advantages of separated DC source are: The number of possible output voltage levels is more than twice the number of dc sources (m = 2s + 1). The series of H-bridges makes for modularized layout and packaging. This will enable the manufacturing process to be done more quickly and cheaply. while the disadvantage is: Separate dc sources are required for each of the H-bridges. This will limit its application to products that already have multiple SDCSs readily available. Each H-bridge cell requires an isolated dc source. The isolated sources are typically provided from a transformer/rectifier arrangement, but may be supplied from batteries, capacitors or photovoltaic arrays to add up the output voltages. This topology was patented by Robicon Group in 1996 and is one of the companies standard drive products.[2] On the other hand, for the single DC source multilevel H-bridge inverter, the advantage of this type of connection is only one DC supply is used. This will not limit its application to products. And the disadvantage of single DC source is transformer is needed to add up the output voltages Separated DC Source Multilevel H-Bridges Inverter A single-phase structure of an m-level cascaded inverter is illustrated in Figure 2.3. Each separate dc source (SDCS) is connected to a single-phase full-bridge, or H-bridge, inverter. Each inverter level can generate three different voltage outputs, +Vdc, 0, and -Vdc by connecting the dc source to the ac output by different combinations of the four switches, S1, S2, S3, and S4. To obtain +Vdc, switches S1 and S4 are turned on, whereas -Vdc can be obtained by turning on switches S2 and S3. By turning on S1 and S2 or S3 and S4, the output voltage is 0. The ac outputs of each of the different full-bridge inverter levels are connected in series such that the synthesized voltage waveform is the sum of the inverter outputs. The number of output phase voltage levels m in a cascade inverter is defined by m = 2s+1, where s is the number of separate dc sources [1]. Figure 2.3: Single-phase structure of a multilevel cascaded H-bridges inverter An example phase voltage waveform for a nine-level cascaded inverter and all H-bridge cell output waveforms are shown in Figure 2.4. In this thesis, all dc voltages are assumed to be equal. According to sinusoidal-liked waveform, each H-bridge output waveform must be quarter-symmetric as illustrated by V1 waveform in Figure 2.2. Obviously, no even harmonic components are available in such a waveform. To minimize THD, all switching angles must be numerically calculated. Figure 2.4: Waveform showing a nine-level output phase voltage and each H-bridge output voltage. One of the advantages of this structure is the number of possible output voltage levels is more than twice the number of dc sources (m = 2s + 1). The other advantage is the series of H-bridges makes for modularized layout and packaging. This will enable the manufacturing process to be done more quickly and cheaply. On the other hand, the main disadvantage of this topology is that separate dc sources are required for each of the H-bridges. This will limit its application to products that already have multiple SDCSs readily available. The sources are typically provided from a transformer/rectifier arrangement, but may be supplied from batteries, capacitors or photovoltaic arrays. Single DC source Multilevel H-Bridges Inverter Referred to Zhong Du1, Leon M. Tolbert, John N. Chiasson, and Burak ÃÆ'-zpineci thesis entitled A Cascade Multilevel Inverter Using a Single DC Source, a method is presented showing that a cascade multilevel inverter can be implemented using only a single DC power source and capacitors. Without requiring transformers, the scheme proposed allows the use of a single DC power source for examples a battery or a fuel cell stack while the remaining nà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1 DC sources being capacitors. Figure 2.5 shows the Single DC source Multilevel H-Bridges Inverter. The DC source for the first H-bridge (H1) is a DC power source with an output voltage of Vdc, while the DC source for the second H-bridge (H2) is a capacitor voltage to be held at Vdc/2. The output voltage of the first H-bridge is denoted by v1 and the output of the second H-bridge is denoted by v2 so that the output of this two DC source cascade multilevel inverter is v(t) = v1(t)+v2(t). By opening and closing the switches of H1 appropriately, the output voltage v1 can be made equal to à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Vdc, 0, or Vdc while the output voltage of H2 can be made equal to à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Vdc/2, 0, or Vdc/2 by opening and closing its switches appropriately. Figure 2.5: Single DC source Multilevel H-Bridges Inverter IGBTs Versus MOSFETs The power MOSFET is a device that is voltage- and not current-controlled. MOSFETs have a positive temperature coefficient, stopping thermal runaway. The on-state-resistance has no theoretical limit, hence on-state losses can be far lower. The MOSFET also has a body-drain diode, which is particularly useful in dealing with limited free wheeling currents. All these advantages and the comparative elimination of the current tail soon meant that the MOSFET became the device of choice for power switch designs. Then in the 1980s the IGBT came along. The IGBT combines the cross between the power MOSFET and a bipolar power transistor (see Figure 2.2). The IGBT has the output switching and conduction characteristics of a bipolar transistor but is voltage-controlled like a MOSFET. In general, this means it has the advantages of high-current handling capability of a bipolar with the ease of control of a MOSFET. However, the IGBT still has the disadvantages of a comparatively large current tail and no body drain diode. Early versions of the IGBT are also prone to latch up, but nowadays, this is pretty well eliminated. Another potential problem with some IGBT types is the negative temperature co-efficient, which could lead to thermal runaway and makes the paralleling of devices hard to effectively achieve. This problem is now being addressed in the latest generations of IGBTs that are based on non-punch through (NPT) technology. This technology has the same basic IGBT structure (see Figure 2.6) bu t is based on bulk-diffused silicon, rather than the epitaxial material that both IGBTs and MOSFETs have historically used [4]. Figure 2.6: NPT IGBT cross section The comparisons between MOSFETs and IGBTs are as below: Table 2.1: Comparisons between IGBTs and MOSFETs IGBTs MOSFETs Characteristics Low duty cycle Low frequency ( Narrow or small line or load variations High-voltage applications (>1000V) >5kW output power Operation at high junction temperature is allowed (>100 °C) Long duty cycles High frequency applications (>200kHz) Wide line or load variations Low-voltage applications ( Applications Motor control: Frequency Uninterruptible power supply (UPS): Constant load, typically low frequency Welding: High average current, low frequency ( Low-power lighting: Low frequency ( Switch mode power supplies (SMPS): Hard switching above 200kHz Switch mode power supplies (SMPS): ZVS below 1000 watts Battery charging [4] Applications of Inverters There are many application of inverter available today. Some of the applications are as follows: DC power source utilization An inverter converts the DC electricity from sources such as batteries, solar panels, or fuel cells to AC electricity. The electricity can be at any required voltage; in particular it can operate AC equipment designed for mains operation, or rectified to produce DC at any desired voltage. Grid tie inverters can feed energy back into the distribution network because they produce alternating current with the same wave shape and frequency as supplied by the distribution system. They can also switch off automatically in the event of a blackout. Micro-inverters convert direct current from individual solar panels into alternating current for the electric grid. Electric vehicle drives Adjustable speed motor control inverters are currently used to power the traction motor in some electric locomotives and diesel-electric locomotives as well as some battery electric vehicles and hybrid electric highway vehicles such as the Toyota Prius. Various improvements in inverter technology are being developed specifically for electric vehicle applications. In vehicles with regenerative braking, the inverter also takes power from the motor (now acting as a generator) and stores it in the batteries. Uninterruptible power supplies An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) uses batteries and an inverter to supply AC power when main power is not available. When main power is restored, a rectifier is used to supply DC power to recharge the batteries. Variable-frequency drives A variable-frequency drive controls the operating speed of an AC motor by controlling the frequency and voltage of the power supplied to the motor. An inverter provides the controlled power. In most cases, the variable-frequency drive includes a rectifier so that DC power for the inverter can be provided from main AC power. Since an inverter is the key component, variable-frequency drives are sometimes called inverter drives or just inverters. Induction heating Inverters convert low frequency main AC power to a higher frequency for use in induction heating. To do this, AC power is first rectified to provide DC power. The inverter then changes the DC power to high frequency AC power. CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY Introduction This chapter exposes the proposed method of this project to built single phase multilevel H-bridge inverter. This project can be divided into two main parts of study which are software and hardware implementation. For the software part, the software used is PIC24 Compiler that used to do the programming for the microcontroller part and MATLAB to do the simulation of the inverter circuit before implemented it in hardware. In addition, Proteus 7 Professional is also used to simulate the driver circuit before do the hardware. The summary of the project is shown in Figure 3.1. Software Part Prepared (Microcontroller) Hardware Part Prepared Troubleshooting Interfacing Result Figure 3.1: The project summary Design of the H-Bridge Inverter System The H-Bridge inverter system can be divided into three main stages that were constructed. It is consists of: Microcontroller Power electronics driver Power electronics inverter Each part was treated as a separate functional block system. Figure 3.2 below shows the block diagram of how each stage of the inverter system are organized. Power electronic driver circuit and microcontroller stage is the low voltage side and power electronics inverter circuit is the high voltage side. DC Voltage Input AC Output Power Electronics Inverter Circuit Microcontroller Power Electronic Driver Circuit Figure 3.2: The block diagram of the inverter system Microcontroller Microcontroller is a computer-on-a-chip optimised to control electronic devices. The microcontroller chip used for this project is PIC16F877A. In this project, microcontroller is used to develop the triggering signal for the IGBTs and interfacing to the single phase inverter circuit as a control signal for the gate driver. To implement the microcontroller part, the program for triggering the IGBTs was written in assembly language using the PIC C Compiler. It is written in the text editor or notepad called as source code. It also can be written directly in the PIC C Compiler. Then the file saved is *file.c file. After the program is successfully compiled, the *file.hex file was generated. The hex file was tested by doing the simulation in the Proteus 7 Professional to see the output generated from the program. After got the correct output, the *file.hex file then was uploaded in the PIC16F877A using the PIC programmer. The process of implementing the microcontroller is shown in Figure 3.3. This microcontroller part is the first part that was implemented in hardware. Figure 3.3: The process of implementing the microcontroller Power Electronics Driver A driver is an electronic component used to control another circuit or other component, such as a high-power transistor. Unlike the bipolar transistor, which is current driven, IGBTs, with their insulated gates, are voltage driven. It is allows user to speed up or slow down the switching speeds according to the requirements of the application. The control circuitry supplied low current driving signals that are referenced to controller-ground. A logic one signal was applied to its gate with respect to its source to turn on an IGBT switch, and this signal needs to restrain sufficient power. These requirements can not be met by the control circuit. Figure 3.5 shows a diagram of how signals need to be applied to IGBT switches for effective operation. Figure 3.4: Control signals need to be applied to the gate with respect to the source The driver chose is IR2110 which is a dual driver. The IR2110 High Voltage Bridge Driver is a power integrated circuit that is designed to drive two insulated gate devices. The typical connection of the driver is shown in Figure 3.5. The two channels of the IR2110 are completely independent of one another. The HO output is controlled by the HIN input, and the LO output is controlled by the LIN input. The two inputs of the IR2110 are logically coupled to the shutdown (SD) pin through an AND gate. If HIN and LIN both go high, then the IR2110 will be shut down until one or both inputs go low. This measure helps prevent the catastrophic situation where both Q1 and Q2 turn on at the same time and short circuit the input source. [5] Figure 3.5: Typical connection of IR2110 High Voltage Bridge Driver Isolation using the optocoupler An optocoupler or sometimes refer to as optoisolator allows two circuits to exchange signals yet remain electrically isolated. This is usually accomplished by using light to relay the signal. The standard optocoupler circuits design uses a LED shining on a phototransistor. The signal is applied to the LED, which then shines on the transistor in the ic.   The optocoupler circuit is shown in Figure 3.6 below. In this project, the optocoupler is used as the source and destination are at very different voltage levels, where the source is the microprocessor which is operating from 5V DC but it being used to control the IGBTs which is switching at higher voltage. In such situations the link between the two must be an isolated one, to protect the microprocessor from overvoltage damage. The optocouplers can be used with following advantages for driving high side IGBT in any topology: They can be used to give a very high isolation voltage Signals from DC to several MHz can be handled by opto-couplers. They can be easily interfaced to Microcomputers or other controller ICs or any PWM IC. Figure 3.6: Optocoupler circuit The circuit of low side voltage which consists of PIC, driver and optocoupler was first constructed in the Proteus 7 Professional to see the output generated to be compared with the hardware results. The circuit is as in Figure 3.7 below. Figure 3.7: Low side voltage simulation Power Electronic Inverter The power electronics inverter part is the main part of the system. This is because this circuit will perform the conversion from DC to AC. The circuit consists of four IGBT that act as a switch, DC source and also the load. Figure 3.8 shows a diagram of the H-Bridge power electronics inverter stage. Figure 3.8: H-Bridge power electronics inverter stage. But for this project, the inverter circuit used is the 3-level H-bridge inverter circuit. The circuit was first constructed in the MATLAB as in Figure 3.9 and the simulation of the circuit was done to see the result of simulation. Figure 3.9: 3-level H-bridge inverter circuit constructed in MATLAB The block parameter for the IGBTs was set as in Figure 3.10. The switching frequency used for this circuit is 50Hz. So, the period of waveform can be calculated as below: Switching frequency, f = N / Pf Fundamental period, Pf = 1 / f fundamental = 1/ 50 = 0.02s Figue 3.10: The block parameter setting for the IGBTs In addition, the phase delay or switching times of the IGBTs were also set. Table 3.1 below shows the switching time of the IGBTs. After the simulation was success, the circuit of single 3-level H-bridge inverter was constructed. Table 3.1: The switching time of the IGBTs IGBTs Switching Time IGBT 1 and IGBT 3 10 ms (à Ã¢â€š ¬) IGBT 2 and IGBT 4 0 ms (0 à Ã¢â€š ¬) IGBT 5 and IGBT 7 7 ms (à Ã¢â€š ¬/7) IGBT 6 and IGBT 8 3 ms (à Ã¢â€š ¬/3) For the switch, IRGB10B60KDPBF IGBT was selected for this design. It is very important to choose the correct switches for the inverter circuit because the performance of the design is directly depends on this. This IGBT was chosen because it has ultra fast recovery diode along, it offered benchmark efficiency for motor control and excellent current sharing in parallel operation. In addition the IGBT was selected as they are able withstand the power rating of the inverter. Table 3.2 shows some of the features of the selected IGBT. Table 3.2: The features of IRGB10B60KDPBF IGBT Characteristics Value Drain to Source Voltage (Vds) 600V Drain Current (Id) 12A Rise Time 20ns Fall Time 23ns Short Circuit Capability 10ÃŽÂ ¼s Figure 3.4: 3-level H-bridge inverter circuit

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Hemingways A Farewell to Arms Receives Positive Criticism Essay

Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms Receives Positive Criticism Published in 1929, Ernest Hemingway finished A Farewell to Arms when he was barely 30 years old. Hemingway had been planning on writing about World War I for more than a decade, and chose A Farewell to Arms to be his attempt at a blockbuster, a novel which would sell very well.1 This view is supported by the fact that one of Hemingway's original works, presumably loss in the fiasco of Hadley's luggage, was also a war novel, emphasizing Hemingway's firm belief in the importance of war and love as a theme. By this time, of course, Hemingway was already fairly well known, having already published four short story collections and one successful novel in The Sun Also Rises. In this sense, Hemingway's timing in his quest for a big seller was perfect. Fortunately for Hemingway the book did sell, and although he was already close to being a bestseller at the time of A Farewell to Arms publishing, the novel went on to lead best-seller lists after only a few weeks in publication. In con trast to the lack of money-making power of Fitzgerald's novels, A Farewell to Arms sold 45,000 copies in only seven weeks; in fact, the interest in the book was so high Scribner's had to renegotiate Hemingway's contract following the unexpectedly large sales statistics.2 Although at this time declaring the novel a popular success almost worked against its being recognized as a good literary work, the initial reception for A Farewell to Arms was nonetheless strong. Especially impressed were the people Hemingway cared about the most: his fellow famous writers. Ford Madox Ford, in an introduction he wrote for a 1932 publication of the novel, wrote of Hemingway: "The aim - the achieveme... ...positive reception from his peers. Although in later years Hemingway turns on many of these fellow writers who praised him so lavishly, (see responding to Fitzgerald's 10 pages of criticism with "kiss my ass") their critical acclaim helped launch him to "writer superstardom." 1 Linda Wagner-Martin. Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms: A Reference Guide. Greenwood Press, Westport, CT (2003), p. viii. 2 Ibid., p. i-viii. 3 Ford Madox Ford in "Introduction to Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms" (1932) p. 246, from Wagner-Martin "Reference Guide." 4 www.allhemingway.com/afta/4658 5 Ibid. 6 Ray B. West (1949) in Harold Bloom. Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms: Modern Critical Interpretations. Chelsea House Publishers, New York, 1987. p. 36. 7 Charles R. Anderson (1961) from Ibid., p. 46. 8 www.allhemingway.com/afta/4658 9 Wagner-Martin, p. 175-180.