Interwest Healthcare Essay Example for Free

Interwest Healthcare Essay What are the potential sources of the problem? The source of these problems seems to be coming from two areas in Interwest Healthcare. The first area is the miscommunication that the hospital administrators are having with upper management. The hospital administrators and upper management are not only having miscommunication issues but they also do not share the same role expectations with each other which is creating tension. â€Å"The hospital people accused Singh of being a bureaucrat who did not care about patient services. Singh accused the hospital staffs of not understanding the importance of accurate reporting† (Brickley, Smith Zimmerman 2009 p. 38). The second area is the system or process that is in place for recording and entering data. The current process is clearly not running at an efficient rate which is raising concerns for upper management. Even though hospital administrators do not see to eye to eye with upper management the concerns that they have are valid and can have a very negative impact on Interwest Healthcare if the issue is not resolved. What information would you want to analyze? The first information that would be analyzed is the process that is done to record and enter data for patients. It is important to gain as much information as possible regarding the data entry because that is the root of the whole issue between hospital administrators and upper management. Another area that would be analyzed is the workplace with emphasis on how time is managed and the importance employees put on data entry. It is important to gather and analyze as much information as possible on the source of the problem. By gaining and analyzing the information it would help Interwest Healthcare make progress on the data entry issue which will put them in a better position to succeed. What actions might you recommend to increase the accuracy of the data entry? The first point of action would be streamlining and simplifying the data entry process. By completing those it would not only increase the accuracy of the data entry but it would also decrease the burden on the hospital administrators. But before any changes to the data entry process are made it is important to communicate directly to the hospital administrators. It is important to have the hospital administrators on board with the changes that will be made with the data entry process. By gaining the hospital administrators consent with the changes this will allow a smoother transition for the data entry change and it could provide a positive change to the workplace. As for the changes to the data entry it would most likely be a simple computer process along with small piece of paperwork. It would be best to have some sort or paper record on file that would need to be alphabetized along with a simple computer program. The computer program would help ensure accuracy and would have the patient’s data record on file which will be easy to locate. There would be very little paper work for the process mainly because it takes up space and takes more time to record. The paper work that is part of the process would simply serve as a backup if the computers were down. The key to ensuring accuracy with the data entry is to make the process as simple as possible so it would minimize the errors. How does your view of behavior affect how you might address the consulting assignment? As a consulting assignment I see Interwest Healthcare as a company in distress due to the way the hospital administrators and upper management. The way the two groups have been behaving and treating each other it is a clear sign of stress and miscommunication. One of the first tasks is to mediate the two groups and try to have everyone on the same page. There is a clear disconnect on the expectations of each other’s roles but by bringing them together the roles and expectations can be made by both parties and progress can be accomplished. In order to make progress both parties will need to be able to compromise and be willing to understand each other’s concerns and priorities. Refreneces : Brickley, J.A., Smith, C.W. Zimmerman J.L. (2009). Managerial economics and organizational architecture (5th Ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Irw

Physicochemical Events in Production of Butter and Margarine

Physicochemical Events in Production of Butter and Margarine Byeong-Keon LEE Introduction Margarine and butter are known world-widely as spread, and have dominated the production in the western world, such as America including New Zealand. Recently, Asian countries particularly China and India have shown an increase of butter consumption. The amount of butter China consumes was predicted to increase to 13% over the next decade (Fallow, 2013). Both margarine and butter have similar a taste, texture as well as nutritional values. The characteristic of both products are significantly similar for example, water-in-emulsion and the fat content are approximately in 81% range. However, the two products are actually different when it is compared with the ingredients and the structure. The argument surrounding the diversity of butter and margarine is typically concerned with human health, the production of margarine is a man-made food which follows a lot of chemical treatments and speculation that it might cause several diseases (Guyenet, 2008). On the other hand, the butter cont ains a higher level of cholesterol that can negatively influence human digestion (Collins, 2013). In this assignment, physical and chemical properties and psychochemical processes and the changes of making margarine and butter will be discussed. Physical and Chemical difference Both butter and margarine are triglyceride (triacylglycerol) in an ester linkage composure of glycerol and 3 fatty acids that also uses the water-in-oil emulsion process where water is dispersed in phase and oil in a continuous phase. The critical comparison and contrast between butter and margarine will be the ingredients which have different states in room temperature and the chemical process of making it. Butter is an animal dairy product which is composed of a complex chain of saturated fat and unsaturated fatty acid, and a high concentration of animal cholesterol. As its clearly seen from the picture, the majority of fatty acids are saturated and some fatty acid unsaturated. The color of butter is normally yellow indicating it contains small amounts of carotene another meaning of vitamin A. (Reyes, n.d). The higher saturation levels of the fatty acids, contributes to the physical structure of the animal fat. Higher saturation levels are highly correlated with higher London Dispersion forces. Hence, due to the high London Dispersion Forces holding the saturated bonds together, animal fat is solid at room temperature (Brown, LeMay and Bursten, n.d.). Figure 2. Percentage composition of fatty acid in butter In contrast, margarine is a substitution of butter spread made from vegetable oil. Oil has a lot of double bonds, which typically disrupts the London dispersion forces between fatty acids and low effective surface area which the molecules do not pack together giving a lower melting point The mixed vegetable oil, like soyabean oil or corn oil has a structure of mono-unsaturated or polyunsaturate of fatty acids and those unsaturated fats that need to be converted into a semi-solid to make margarine. This process is called hydrogenation or additional reaction, by adding hydrogen gas with nickel catalyst in a double bond of unsaturated fat. The double bond become a single bond, and this makes the molecules pack together better. In other words, the London dispersion forces become active and the interaction between the molecules is called the Van Der Waals interaction (Burrows, 2009). The results of the hydrogenated vegetable oil, are of it process to solidify at room temperature. The majority of fatty acid in margarines are unsaturated. Most fatty acids have a cis-form and margarine is unlikely to form trans-fatty acid. During the hydrogenation, some of the fatty acid will tend to form trans-addition. Figure 4. Hydrogenation reaction occur in unsaturation reaction Chemical process of butter The milk itself come from the cow which does not have to add artificial ingredients. Therefore butter contains nutritional values such as fat, protein and different types of vitamins which are found originally in milk. The chemical process is outlined in figure 4, that depicts the chemical process. For example pasteurization the ripening, aging and churning are the most significant factors for making butter cream. 1) Milk separation The standard raw milk mostly contains 15 to 25 percent of fat globules, the globule is a tiny membrane filled with the fat molecule (Murphy, 2011). When the raw milk is shaken, the globules membranes will crash against each other and break. As regard, the fat will start to burst out and tend to bunch together with the contents of other burst globules, consequently, the butter cream is separated from raw skim milk and the butter cream will contain approximately 38% of fat. 2) Pasteurization The raw cream has to be pasteurized to a temperature of 95oC for 15 seconds to kill any interference in production of butter particularly enzyme and micro-organisms. This process is widely known as HTST (High Temperature Short Time) pasteurization. It is very interesting to note that nowadays, dairy industries implements UHT (Ultra High Temperature) pasteurization procedure to produce lower number of micro-organism, which leads to longer shelf life. HTST process are more favorable compared to UHT as in the production of butter, Lactobacillus sp. is wanted to further ferment the cream, giving of specific flavors. In contrast, if the cream is subjected to UHT, any bacteria present in the cream would be eliminated, further contributing to no flavor compound formation during the ripening process (Butler and Media, n.d). 3) Inoculation and ripening After pasteurization, then for some time the helpful bacteria ripens in the raw cream so it can proliferate to render it in a better condition for butter making. The butter maker has made significant improvements through experience, that ripened cream churns more rapidly than sweet cream. It take about 24 to 48 hours for the cream to fully ripen (Marina. 2011). The lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus helveticus) will actually further ferment or ripening the cream and breaking down the long fatty acid into short fatty acid (diacetyl compounds). This short fatty acid has which has unique taste and good smell. An increase in lactic acid causes a reduction in overall pH which cause the proteins in milk to change. As cream returns to room temperature, the lactose in milk begins to ferment and creating lactic acid which help to make butter. (Belitz, Grosch and Schieberle, 2009) 4) Agitation It is a physical change which the process of churning butter consists of the mixing that separates some of the fatty solids out of milk. The formation of fat crystal can be influence by suitable temperature control during the ripening process. Fat molecule in cream are surrounded by membranes made of phospholipids and proteins which prevent the fat from pooling together. Fat globules are bumping into each other and membrane is breaking down when it happens the fat globules are trying to stick together. Agitation cream damage these membrane allowing the fats to pool together and form whipping cream. 5) Churning Churning is essentially strong mechanical cream shearing which tears the membranes of the fat globules and facilitates coalescence of the globules. The cream breaks any tiny granules of butter appear. In the churning compartment, a rotating impact wave cause butter granule formation. The separation compartment is divided into two parts. The butter is first churned further, resulting in the formation of butter granules of larger diameter. As the churning continues fat molecule become popcorn butter which separate from butter milk. The popcorn butter has the same consistency as regular butter at room temperature. They put the butter cream on bulk tank where mixers sterile to maintain the consistency. If agitation and churning of the cream continues, finally a solid is formed(butter-cream) and the remaining liquid (butter milk) is separated (Ripema, 1970). 6) Washing, Cooling, and Vacuum Subsequently, the buttermilk is separated and the butter is washed if necessary. which cause the butter-cream fat molecules to bunch together releasing water and air. In addition, cooling process and vacuuming is performed to reduced to water and air content to 1% (Belitz, Grosch and Schieberle, 2009). Chemical process of margarine Most margarines are made from a variety substances such as vegetable oil and edible animal fats. It composed of approximately a 80% combination of fat, that is either saturated fat or unsaturated fats, approximately 18% of liquid which derives from either pasteurized skim milk or a soybean protein fluid (Ripema, 1970). 1) Crude oil Different types of vegetable oil like corn and soybean are chemically extracted and refined to form crude oil and the crude oil can be neutralized and treated with a caustic soda solution that removes free fatty acid, and corrosive and pungent sulphur compounds (Sample, 2009). The free fatty acid, influences an undesirable taste. The process follows by washing then mixing with water, so it can separate, it is then left to dry with the aid of vacuum. 2) Modification Margarine is not originally a yellow colour which the decolourisation process is for removing the grey colour by the absorption to activated clay or bleaching process (Ripema, 1970). The bleaching process utilizes bleaching earth and charcoal material in the vacuum condition. The process helps to absorb any undesirable colorants, which will be later filtered out from the oil mixture. Other sustenance impurities are both organic and inorganic, which naturally occurs raw oil that is removed by the de-acidification process using akali treatments. 3) Hydrogenation The hydrogenation is used as catalyst called nickel and the structure varies by cis-addition and trans-addition. This process helps the animal and vegetable oils blend and are able to let the formation from a liquid into a fat that is in a state that increases the melting point. However only some of the double bonds of polyunsaturated vegetable oil are hydrogenated and named partial hydrogenation. Therefore the degree of hydrogenation can be varied to give softer or harder margarine. (Haynes, 2014) Figure 10. Chemical reaction of hydrogenation 4) Deodorization The modification is complete so the base oil is prepared to reproduce similar qualities to butter, this stage decrease unwanted smells and taste (Formo, n.d). The removal of the poor smell is by a batch process that steams the oil, the temperature used is very high and reaches from175–205 °C in Europe and 235 °Ã¢â‚¬â€œ250 ° C in America, during this process the bad tastes and smells are taken away by the extractor fan. The oil can then be either further processed to make margarine or alternatively vegetable oil. (Singh, P. n.d.) 5) Emulsify When the emulsion of the stabilized immiscible liquids is blended with the use of an emulsifier. The way margarine is constructed is through the emulsion process that adds salty water droplets in oil, as well as an emulsion ingredient to a cup. Salt content is modified as an emulsifier and renamed lecithin, the final stage is the separating of starch and emulsifier that forms a consistent mixture. Moreover, all the nutrients and color in the margarine are artificially made particularly vitaminisation processed into the margarine, to have a measured amount of vitamin with butter (Hasenhuettl and Hartel, 2008). 6) Cooling and kneading process The method for the cooling an kneading process has two ways of completing, either with a tube chiller or a chilling drum-complector. Tube chiller method uses a closed system that has a one step process. Unlike the Chilling Drum-Complector that has a longer process, allowing cooling and kneading that lets the mixture rest, and the crystallization of fats at slower pace. However the advantage of the tube chiller is the reduced capacity of spoilage compact size in relation to production levels, and ease of operation. (Hasenhuettl and Hartel, 2008). Conclusion In conclusion, butter and margarine have significantly different physical and chemical properties as well as physiochemical duties in the production. Although the nutrition and texture of products are the same, but the ingredients of butter and margarine are different and this leads to a structure of both products that have different qualities. Moreover, both products have a different chemical process. In fact, margarine has extra steps to convert the butter from a liquid state to a solid state, that furthers the need to process, using hydrogenation. References Reyes, V. (2013). Chemical structure of butter. [Figure 1] Available at: http://scienceandfooducla.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/homemade-butter/ [Accessed 15 May. 2014]. P. B. Hawk, O. Bergeim, Blakiston, (2010). Fatty acids in butter. Percentage composition from Practical Physiological Chemistry,. [Figure 2] Available at: http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/consumer/faq/butter-composition.shtml [Accessed 15 May. 2014]. Image by user called Smokefoot, (2012). Hydrogenation of fatty acid. [Figure 3] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:H2forMargerin.png#filehistory [Accessed 15 May. 2014]. Alpha Omega trial, (n.d.). Margarine composition in percentage. [Figure 4] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:H2forMargerin.png#filehistory [Accessed 15 May. 2014]. Yokogawa Corporation, (2007). Stable and Accurate Density Measurement to Control Fat Content in Skim Milk. [figure 5] Available at: http://www.yokogawa.com/us/technical-library/application-notes/stable-and-accurate-density-measurement-to-control-fat-content-in-skim-milk.htm [Accessed 15 May. 2014]. Andrews, R. (2012). All About Milk. [Figure 6] Available at: http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-milk [Accessed 15 May. 2014]. Shannon, (2011). Making A Big Batch of Cultured Butter. [Figure 8] Available at: http://www.nourishingdays.com/2011/10/making-a-big-batch-of-cultured-butter/ [Accessed 15 May. 2014]. Castelli, C. (2008). Crude Corn Oil. [Figure 9] Available at: http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Crude-Corn-Oil_144278983.html [Accessed 15 May. 2014]. Quadro Engineering, (n.d.). Production of Margarine and Low Fat Spreads. [Figure 11] Available at: http://www.quadroytron.com/menu_app/food_margarine.asp [Accessed 15 May. 2014]. Belitz, H., Grosch, W. and Schieberle, P. (2009). Food chemistry 4th revised and extended edition. 4th ed. Springer, pp.pg 526 527. Collins, C. (2013). Whats healthier, butter or margarine?. NZ Hearald. [online] Available at: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6objectid=11169963 [Accessed 15 May. 2014]. Fallow, B. (2013). Chinas slowdown may be good for NZ. NZ Hearld. [online] Available at: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3objectid=10902631 [Accessed 15 May. 2014]. Formo, M. (n.d.). fat and oil processing (chemistry) :: Deodorization. [online] Encyclopedia Britannica. Available at: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/202405/fat-and-oil processing/50167/Deodorization [Accessed 15 May. 2014]. Guyenet, S. (2008). Whole Health Source: Butter, Margarine and Heart Disease. [online] Wholehealthsource.blogspot.co.nz. Available at: http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.co.nz/2008/12/butter-margarine-and-heart-disease.html [Accessed 15 May. 2014]. Hasenhuettl, G. and Hartel, R. (2008). Food emulsifiers and their applications. 1st ed. New York: Springer, p.271. Haynes, F. (2014). Take the Guess Work from Figuring Out the Trans Fats in Your Foods. [online] About.com Low Fat Cooking. Available at: http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/faqs/f/hydrogenated.htm [Accessed 15 May. 2014]. Marina, (2011). Cultured butter – CULTURED, AGED, BREWED. [online] Culturedagedbrewed.com. Available at: http://www.culturedagedbrewed.com/2011/12/20/cultured-butter/ [Accessed 15 May. 2014]. Murphy, L. (2011). Emulsion Explosion: How to Make Butter. [online] Scientificamerican.com. Available at: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bring-science-home-butter-emulsion/ [Accessed 15 May. 2014]. Singh, P. (n.d.). fat and oil processing (chemistry) :: Deodorization. [online] Encyclopedia Britannica. Available at: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/202405/fat-and-oil processing/50167/Deodorization [Accessed 15 May. 2014]. Ripema, S. (1970). The Story of Margarine. 1st ed. Public Affairs Press. Sample, I. (2009). Trafigura case: toxic slop left behind by caustic washing. [online] the Guardian. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/sep/16/trafigura-case-toxic-slop [Accessed 15 May. 2014]. Butler, C. and Media, D. (n.d.). Why Cant You Use Ultra Pasteurized Cream for Making Butter?. [online] Everyday Life Global Post. Available at: http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/cant-use-ultra-pasteurized-cream-making-butter-42002.html [Accessed 15 May. 2014]. Burrows, A. (2009). Chemistry3. 1st ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. page 85 to page 86. Brown, L., LeMay, E. and Bursten, B. (n.d.). Chapter 11 intermolecular Forces, Liquids and Solids. 10th ed. [ebook] The central science, pp.slide 18 to slide 23. Available at: http://alpha.chem.umb.edu/chemistry/ch115/Mridula/CHEM 116/documents/chapter_11au.pdf [Accessed 15 May. 2014].

Colonizing Planets other than Earth Essay -- Mars Colony space explora

Earth has a population of more than six billion people. As this number continues to grow, the populated land masses fill up, and it seems that eventually they will all be overcrowded. Certain areas are already showing this overpopulation, such as large American cities including Los Angeles and New York City. Some countries do not suffer from overcrowding due to high population, but to a high ratio of population to resources. As the natural resources of an area are depleted, the quality of life of the people who live there decreases. If the human race is to prosper as a whole, there must be enough resources to support the global population. In order to support our increasing population, we must learn to harness new resources. Some scientists are considering the possibilty of learning to inhabit other planets. This plan includes a process called terraforming, which is defined as "transforming a planet into something resembling the earth, especially as regards to human habitation." This is widely thought of as "Science Fiction" - but 50 years ago so was just about everything that is commonplace today. What alternatives do we have? Are there any planets out there that are like enough to earth that they could be so transformed? The body most commonly thought of in association with terraforming is Mars. There are several reasons Mars is looked upon favorably. The gravity on Mars is about 0.38 g, compared to 1 g on Earth. It is believed that humans could live in such a gravity without any side effects like bone shrinkage. The day on Mars is about 24.5 hours, compared to 24 hours on Earth. This means that there wouldn't be any agricultural problems relating to day length. There are large quantities of rust (FE203) which woul... ...sing the temperature by 10 K to start this whole process wouldn't be enough to create a comfortable climate. The savage dust storms on Mars will still exist, as well as some carbon dioxide. It seems there are many different ideas for what sort of material would be required to construct a usable biodome. Over the years people have speculated over the use of glass, metal, plastic, etc. It is speculated that once the process of terraforming is begun, it will take decades to complete. With the technology we have available to us today, the scientific community is divided as to whether it will ever be possible. Works Cited: On To Mars! http://www.geocities.com/marsterraforming The Nine Planets http://www.nineplanets.org Red Colony http://www.redcolony.com Nasa http://www.nasa.gov The Terraforming Information pages http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~mfogg

Comparing the American Dream in My Antonia, Neighbor Rosicky, and 0 Pio

The American Dream in My Antonia, Neighbor Rosicky, and 0 Pioneers!      Ã‚  Ã‚   While many American immigrant narratives concentrate on the culture shock that awaits those who arrive from the more rural Old World to live in a city for the first time, Willa Cather's immigrants, often coming from urban European settings, face the vast and empty land of the plains. Guy Reynolds notes that "the massive outburst of America westwards was in part powered by the explosion of immigrants through the eastern seaboard and across the continent. Ethnic diversity was at the heart of America's drive westwards" (63). The land and land ownership shape the lives of these newcomers in powerful ways, giving them an immigrant experience that is in some ways quite unique. In "Neighbor Rosicky," 0 Pioneers!, and My Antonia, Cather presents vivid characters and situations that serve to describe the urban-rural conflict in America, and as John H. Randall III notes, "'there is no doubt in the author's mind as to whether the country or city is the real America" (272).    In "Neighbor Rosicky", the notion of land ownership as a fundamental feature of the American Dream is most clearly set forth. Anton Rosicky is a Czech who experienced life as an immigrant both in London and New York City and found both lacking. Only in his life on the farm in Nebraska does he find peace and fulfillment.    Rosicky had been a tailor in the Old Country and had immigrated first to London, where he was miserable and poor. At age twenty he left London for New York, and for a time he was happy there, becoming "a good workman" (Cather, "'Neighbor Rosicky" 241) and experiencing the cultural life of the city, including opera and the ballet. As time goes on, however, he ... ...at owning land brings are a substantial part of the American Dream immigrants come to the United States hoping to achieve.    Works Cited Cather, Willa. My Antonia. New York: Quality Paperback Book Club, 1995. ---. "Neighbor Rosicky." Collected Stories. New York. Vintage Classics, 1992. 231-261 ---. 0 Pioneers. New York: Quality Paperback Book Club, 1995. McFarland, Dorothy Tuck. Willa Cather. New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., 1972. Randall, III, John H. "Interpretation of My Antonia." Willa Cather and Her Critics. Ed. James Schroeter. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1967. 272-322. Reynolds, Guy. Willa Cather in Context. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1996. Woodness, James. "Willa Cather: American Experience and European Tradition." The Art of Willa Cather. Ed. Bernice Slote and Virginia Faulkner. Lincoln: 1974. 43-64.   

Desegregation, Busing, and Schools Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive T

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The issue of desegregation has been a very controversial issue since it was first legally introduced by the Supreme Court in 1954 with Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, KS. Favoring or not favoring desegregation has not been the issue; almost everyone says they are for it on the surface. The controversy arises when it comes to how to implement desegregation. Immediately following the Brown decision, which advocated school assignment regardless of race, many school districts adopted a geographic school assignment policy. This plan, especially in the 1950's, did very little to do away with segregated schools even though it was a race-neutral policy for integration. From that rocky beginning to desegregation, to the current battles over how best to implement desegregation through mandatory (or voluntary) busing of minorities and whites, this issue has been in the forefront of discussions about race and education. This paper will attempt to give a brief hist ory of desegregation in the United States, followed by a discussion of the current events which surround this issue (with balance given to the viewpoints of both sides), and then offer advice on solutions which most benefit everyone involved.       Brown v. Board of the Education in 1954 was a landmark decision in the education arena. The decision maintained that schools that separated students by the color of their skin could no longer be maintained. The court saw this as necessary, since in their mind schools for black students would always be inferior. This inferiority would not be caused by lack of resources, although that usually was a contributing factor to the poor quality of the school, physically and performance-wise. As the Supreme Court saw it, s... ...yllis A. and Dalmas A. Taylor, eds. Eliminating Racism. New York: Plenum Press, 1988. Bankston III, Carl and Stephen J. Caldas. "Majority African American schools and social injustice: the influence of de facto segregation on academic achievement." Social Forces, Dec. 1996, v75 n2 pp535-556. Bobo, Lawrence. "Whites' Opposition to Busing: Symbolic Racism or Realistic Group Conflict?" Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1983, v45 n6 pp. 1196-1210. Hacker, Andrew. Two Nations. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1992. Katz, Phyllis A. and Dalmas A. Taylor, eds. Eliminating Racism. New York: Plenum Press, 1988. Massey, Douglas A. and Nancy A. Denton. American Apartheid. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1993. Rivkin, Steven G. "Residential Segregation and School Integration." Sociology of Education, Oct. 1994, v67 pp. 279-292.    Desegregation, Busing, and Schools Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive T   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The issue of desegregation has been a very controversial issue since it was first legally introduced by the Supreme Court in 1954 with Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, KS. Favoring or not favoring desegregation has not been the issue; almost everyone says they are for it on the surface. The controversy arises when it comes to how to implement desegregation. Immediately following the Brown decision, which advocated school assignment regardless of race, many school districts adopted a geographic school assignment policy. This plan, especially in the 1950's, did very little to do away with segregated schools even though it was a race-neutral policy for integration. From that rocky beginning to desegregation, to the current battles over how best to implement desegregation through mandatory (or voluntary) busing of minorities and whites, this issue has been in the forefront of discussions about race and education. This paper will attempt to give a brief hist ory of desegregation in the United States, followed by a discussion of the current events which surround this issue (with balance given to the viewpoints of both sides), and then offer advice on solutions which most benefit everyone involved.       Brown v. Board of the Education in 1954 was a landmark decision in the education arena. The decision maintained that schools that separated students by the color of their skin could no longer be maintained. The court saw this as necessary, since in their mind schools for black students would always be inferior. This inferiority would not be caused by lack of resources, although that usually was a contributing factor to the poor quality of the school, physically and performance-wise. As the Supreme Court saw it, s... ...yllis A. and Dalmas A. Taylor, eds. Eliminating Racism. New York: Plenum Press, 1988. Bankston III, Carl and Stephen J. Caldas. "Majority African American schools and social injustice: the influence of de facto segregation on academic achievement." Social Forces, Dec. 1996, v75 n2 pp535-556. Bobo, Lawrence. "Whites' Opposition to Busing: Symbolic Racism or Realistic Group Conflict?" Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1983, v45 n6 pp. 1196-1210. Hacker, Andrew. Two Nations. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1992. Katz, Phyllis A. and Dalmas A. Taylor, eds. Eliminating Racism. New York: Plenum Press, 1988. Massey, Douglas A. and Nancy A. Denton. American Apartheid. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1993. Rivkin, Steven G. "Residential Segregation and School Integration." Sociology of Education, Oct. 1994, v67 pp. 279-292.   

Spatial Filtering Fundamentals

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

Ekushey book fair Essay

Every year when you visit the Bangla Academy area during the first few days of February, the place takes on a festive air with throngs of people making their way to the annual Ekushey Book Fair. The entire place is lined with book stalls displaying books from every major publisher in the country, catering to the tastes of absolutely every reader. As you walk in, you are greeted by street artists offering to paint a little something on your face or hands to commemorate the occasion. As you walk around the grounds, you come across little children and young people alike, sporting a bit of face art to add to festive mood of the setting. This 2nd of February saw the inauguration of the Ekushey Book Fair for the year 2012. The place was packed with people. The line at the entry to the fair stretched to the end of the road to the Bangla Academy grounds. People from every age group could be seen, waiting to get inside and browse through the books that await them. The Ekushey Book fair has become one of the major cultural festivals for the Bangalis, a way to celebrate the rich and varied literature that our Bengali language boasts. Every year, the Fair launches a host of books by various authors, both up and coming authors as well the established names. This year, it is reported that about 4,000 new books will be unveiled in the fair, while the number was 3,334 last year. 15 year old school student Audhora Kamrul was excited to arrive at the fair. She says, â€Å"I love coming to the Ekushey Book fair every year. My love of books makes this an event that I eagerly wait for every year. I have been coming here with my father since I was a little kid and I have loved it since then. † The Bangla Academy premises are transformed into a giant book store with stalls lining the entire area, stuffed with all kinds of books. The area plays host to every publisher in the country, each with their own stall to showcase the books that are on the market and being launches at the fair every day. A huge number of titles hit the book fair each day. The new arrivals include stories, novels, collection of essays, poetry, research books, books on child literature, five autobiographies, on the liberation war, dramas, books on science, translated titles, history books, science fictions and others. The choice is endless. Seminars, symposiums and cultural functions are held every day on the academy stage wherein eminent litterateurs and academics take part. Information about new books will be displayed on large screens at the venue for the convenience of the visitors. Close to 630 stalls have been set up, allotted to 425 organisations and publishing houses. This year, the fair saw a rise in the number of visitors and the crowds seemed to just roll in. The fair is an opportunity for book lovers, authors and intellectuals to congregate and share views, to have an opportunity to sample all the different types of books available in the market in one place, as well as meet ones literary heroes since the fair is a famous haunt for authors during this time. Kamran Islam, a student of Dhaka University, says, â€Å"The fair is a great place to just hang out with friends on an evening and may be buy a few books. It’s a lot of fun. Previously, I had the opportunity to run into some of my favourite authors. It is a thrill like no other to run into one your heroes while strolling through a fair! I love reading and buying books, and for me this fair is a great celebration of that†. For Kashfia Quayum, a recent graduate from the English Department at North South University, this is her first time at the Book Fair and she seems to be enjoying it a lot. â€Å"I haven’t had a chance to visit the fair before. The last time I was here, I was just a kid and remember very little of it. This time, I am enjoying it a lot. It’s a great way to learn about the literature of my own country and gain knowledge on the reading trends when it comes to Bangla books. I bought a lot of books today. Hopefully this will be the start of a great love affair between me and the literature of my mother tongue† Apart from the great collection of literature on display, the fair also hosts some of the more traditional treats such as street artists stationed outside the fair grounds, offering an opportunity to have your portrait done while you sit. The festive air around the grounds along with colorful stalls and knick knacks being sold here and there gives the fair an aura of a giant party that anyone is welcome to join. According to the book sellers this year, the sales seem to be on the rise. They are hopeful that book sales will be much better this year since the crowds seems to be much bigger. Amongst the new arrivals, Samorik Shashoner Doshoke by Anu Muhammad, Prithibita Ke Kahar by Mohit Kamal, Chhotravonger Purbapor by Sirajul Islam Chowdhury, Amra Kew Basai Nai by Humayun Ahmed, Ratuler Raat Ratuler Din by Muhammad Jafar Iqbal, Rabindranather Chitrashilpa by Ahmed Rafique, Stupid A Plus by Hafiz Al Faruque, Rochanabali (2nd part) by Sumsuzzaman Khan, Shrestha Kabita by Taslima Nasreen, Manush by Ismat Ara Eva are some of the prominent books.