A Comparison Of Monty Python And The Holy Grail - 715 Words

Medieval times were times of religious focus, Courtly love, the roles of women, the battle of good and evil, â€Å"heroic† quests, and chivalry, lots and lots of chivalry. To remember key points of history, they were written in the form of exaggerated stories. For example the story of Sir Gawain and the green knight has undertones of a true story with meaning but, the parts about immortal green knights are a bit outlandish. Other portrayals of this time period include Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail, which deliver a unique spin on a classic story in the form of satirical humor and parody. While the presentation of the two stories differs drastically the underlying themes of Chivalry, Religion, Nobility/Heroism, love, and Good vs.†¦show more content†¦When the Black Knight is attacked by King Arthur he has his arm severed from his body. The Black knight continues his fight unfazed by his wound proclaiming â€Å"it was just a flesh wound†. In Sir Ga wain and the Green Knight he has his head cut off and picks it up and begins issuing his challenge to Sir Gawain, the one who severed his head. England in the Medieval times was a monarchy, meaning theres a king whos in power and he was sworn in through family or through war. There is a scene where King Arthur talks to the â€Å"Political Peasants† about how they vote and such in a monarchy, while little do they know it doesnt matter. The satire used in Monty Python and The Holy Grail is cleverly used and hidden in humor that everyone can understand. To call back to the Black Knight anyone can laugh at an immortal knight who gets cut up and made fun of but, the common viewer watching for entertainment would not know he is a reference to not only the green knight but, the black plague. The entire theme of chastity is parodied in the castle of anthrax in which sir galahad the chaste is tempted by an entire castle of women to â€Å"spank† them. Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail takes topics from Medieval times and puts a satirical spin on it. Chivalry, heroic quests, good and evil, and religious focus are the main focused themes that are mocked. Other works of literature in the medieval genre are referenced in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. TheShow MoreRelatedMonty Python And The Holy Grail Analysis724 Words   |  3 PagesWitch Hunts and Coconuts Monty Python and the Holy Grail portrays satire in the storyline following King Arthur and his knights of the round tables expedition for the Holy Grail throughout England during the Middle Ages. Monty Python is a satirical movie meaning it’s purpose is to make individuals in society laugh and then think. Satire seeks to influence our opinions and world.The film Monty Python and the Holy Grail uses unexpected logic as well as unexpected events to expose ignorance within mankindRead More Arthurian Legend Essay1498 Words   |  6 Pagesimitate courtly love. Any movie with a love triangle could be game. However, the key element of courtly love is that there must be a third party. If the love is not forbidden it just is not worth the trouble. The first movie examined for the comparison was Disney’s The Sword in the Stone. Without even watching it, one knows there are striking differences. One main reason for several differences if that the movie is a cartoon and is geared towards children. A children’s movie is not going to try

Biotechnology Opportunities In Canada Environmental Sciences Essay Free Essays

The Canada has witnessed extraordinary progresss in scientific discipline over the last few decennaries. Biotechnology – one such country of growing – is a term covering a wide scope of scientific activities used in many sectors, such as nutrient, wellness and agribusiness. It involves the usage of life beings or parts of life beings to supply new methods of production and the devising of new merchandise, because Canada is an industrial state with a extremely developed scientific discipline and engineering sector. We will write a custom essay sample on Biotechnology Opportunities In Canada Environmental Sciences Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Almost 1.88 % of Canada ‘s GDP is allocated to research A ; development ( R A ; D ) . The state has 18 Nobel laureates in natural philosophies, chemical science and medical specialty. Canada has a wealth of natural resources, which can be subjugated by biotechnology. These resources range from the Northern Canada to immense measures of cultivable land. Opportunities exist for biotechnology to use these resources in countries such as health care, agribusiness and biofuels. The use of biotechnology in this manner has vast socio-economic benefits for the state and may restrain its growing for several old ages to come. The expansive sum of the annual optimistic economic influence of renewable fuels is $ 2.013 billion. In Canada that there was chief net income from renewable fuels in â€Å" rural revival, improved oil exports from western Canada, industrial growing, and cherished option for re-balancing fuel ‘mix ‘ . Canada is a state rich in natural resources of several different signifiers, assortments from the northern Canada to its immense country of arable land with significant mineral resources. There are assorted chances for the use of biotechnology to utilize these resources on together big with little graduated tables. The usage of GM harvests may be used in the bally agribusiness industry to better output with lessening the require for weedkillers, even as on the minor graduated table, canola oil is a promising resource for developing biodiesel, a renewable replacement to fossil fuels in Canada. Canada is one of the some developed states that are exporters of energy. Atlantic Canada has immense offshore sedimentations of natural gas, with Alberta has large oil and gas resources. The tremendous Athabasca Oil Sands provide Canada the universe ‘s 2nd largest oil militias, after Saudi Arabia. The Canadian economic system is conquered by the industries, which employ about 3 quarters of Canadians. Canada is uneven between developed states in the significance of its primary sector, in which the logging with crude oil industries are two of the mainly important. Canada is one of the universe ‘s chief providers of agricultural output ; the Canadian Prairies are one of the chiefly of import manufacturers of wheat, canola, and excess grains. Canada is the chief manufacturer of Zn and U, besides is a planetary resource of legion other natural resources, such as gold, nickel, aluminium, with lead. Numerous towns in northern Canada, where agribusiness is tough, are sustainable as of nearby mines or resource of lumber. Agribusiness Canadian farms, piscaries with spreads produce a wide diverseness of harvests, farm animal, nutrient, provender, fibre, fuel plus other goods by the orderly elevation of workss and animate beings which are dependent upon the geographics of the state. In 2001 farms numbered merely 246,923 at a size of 676A estates ( 2.74A kmA? ) as the production of nutrient and fibre for human or farm animal nutriment has evolved into intensive and industrial patterns. As of 2002, wheat constituted the largest harvest country at 12.6 % . Canadian husbandmans received a record $ 36.3 billion in 2001 from farm animal, harvest gross revenues and plan payments. In 2001, the accumulated net income of farm operators from farm production amounted to 1,633 million dollars, which amounts to 0.147 % of Canada ‘s gross domestic merchandise at market monetary values, which is 1,108,200 million dollars. Fisheries are besides playing an of import function while forestry plays a secondary function. Canada â⠂¬Ëœs development has abandoned subsistence techniques and now sees a mere 3 % of Canada ‘s population employed as a mechanised industrial husbandman who are able provender the remainder of the state ‘s population of 30,689.0 thousand people ( 2001 ) every bit good as export to foreign markets. ( After the EU ( 27 ) , the U.S. and Brazil, Canada accounts for 3.5 % of entire universe agribusiness and agri-food exports. World Agricultural and Agri-food Export Share by Country of Origin, 2006 Once considered a sphere harvest in Canada, canola ( Brassica Tragulus Javanicus ) has presently evolved into a first hard currency harvest. Per annum, Canada exports 3.4 million metric dozenss of seeds, 706,000 dozenss of canola oil with 1.15 million dozenss of canola repast ( Source-Canola Council of Canada 2008 ) The Production with Price influence of Biotech Corn, Canola, plus Soybean Crops in Biotech harvests have at this clip been adult commercially on a considerable worldwide graduated table of all time since 1996 in Canada. There is a survey traveling on the influence on cosmopolitan production, ingestion, trade, and monetary values in the soya bean, canola, and maize sectors. The survey propose that universe monetary values of maize, soya beans, with canola would most probably be, correspondingly, 5.8 % , 9.6 % , plus 3.8 % higher, on norm, than 2007 baseline tallness if this engineering was no longer accessible to husbandmans. Monetary values of agencies imitative of soya beans ( repast with oil ) would every bit good be among 5 % and 9 % elevated, with rapeseed repast with oil monetary values being refering 4 % higher than baseline tallness. Globe monetary values of affiliated cereals plus oil-rich seeds would excessively be likely to be elevated by 3 % to 4 % . ( All figures A ; facts from-Brookes, Graham ; Yu, Tun Hsian ; Tokgoz, Simla, Elobeid, Aman The Production and Price Impact of Biotech Corn, Canola, and Soybean Crop Agbioforum Contents of volume 13, figure 1 ) Canada ‘s canola concerns add up over $ 11 billion in economic action to the Canadian wealth. In the 5crop old ages initial in 2000-2001, Canada shaped a criterion of 6.2 million dozenss of canola seed /year. In the similar period, Canada annually exported 3.4 million dozenss of canola seeds, 706,000 dozenss of canola oil plus 1.15 million dozenss of canola nutrient. The whole worth of canola seed, oil with repast exports is sing $ 2 billion. Depending lying on the twelvemonth, canola is furthermore Canada ‘s first or else 2nd chiefly cherished grassland harvest. Further than 52,000 Canadian husbandmans produce canola ; produce economic motion of $ 1.4 billion in Ontario with Quebec, plus $ 7.5 billion in western Canada. Canola is every bit good adult in the north cardinal plus southeasterly United States. Canola-based bio Diesel concerns within Canada base for the opportunity to bring forth $ 620 million in capital investing in this state plus infix an excess $ 2.4 billion keen on the economic system per annum. FIGURE 2 ( SOURCE-IMAGE-www.canolainfo.org ) Main canola-based bio Diesel provider: Blue Sun Bio Diesel Canadian Bio energy Corporation Milligan Bio-Tech Inc Bio Fuel Canada Limited During December 2006 the cardinal authorities proclaim clasp of a countrywide renewable fuel program mission for a 5 % renewable fuel norm in every Canadian fuel, every bit good as a 2 % permission for renewable within Diesel through 2012.Canada ‘s canola agriculturists are complete to construct a Canadian biodiesel concern occur now. More than the past 40 old ages they have construct the canola industry get downing the place up to a $ 14 billion-a-year concern in Canada, plus international clients are by now looking for Canadian canola as an attractive feedstock GM CROPS In twelvemonth 2004, the united States have refering 9 times the figure of hectares of GM harvests than Canada. This is perchance non amazing, because the United States has well excess farming area than Canada. Though, it is value observing to because 1997, Canada have improved the figure of square hectares faithful to GM harvests through sing four epoch contrast to United States, which has full-grown its devoted part through refering six times. Canada is at rest tierce in the Earth in whole figure of hectares of GM harvests, following the United States plus Argentina. Chart 3 ( Source-Trefor Munn-Venn and Paul Mitchell, Biotechnology in Canada: A Technology Platform for Growth Report December 2005. ) Accessible statistics propose that Canada has the chiefly developed biofood-processing part, by the chief grosss ( $ 1.3 billion in 2003 ) , most figure of house ( 54 ) , highest investing in R A ; D ( $ 23 million in 2003 ) plus the chiefly employees ( 761 ) . This is individual country anyplace the excess higher statistics assortment ability of figures Canada differentiate Canada from the remainder of the Earth. It is clear that there is immense chance for biotechnology in agribusiness in the coming old ages. The acceptance of more GM harvests will heighten the increasing possible output brought approximately by the use of a immense country of new land, which could potentially make an excess 100 million hectares, fuelled by the continued demand from strong domestic and international markets, peculiarly from China. In order for the immense potency for biotechnology in agribusiness to be realized in Canada certain barriers must be overcome one such issue is whether the acceptance of GM harvests is more economical to the smaller scale manufacturer, every bit good as to big GM harvest bring forthing corporations. It is clear that there is immense chance for biotechnology in agribusiness in the coming old ages. The acceptance of more GM harvests will heighten the increasing possible output brought approximately by the use of a immense country of new land, which could potentially make an excess 100 million hectares, fuelled by the continued demand from strong domestic and international markets, peculiarly from China, who confirmed soybean importing for five old ages from 2008, deserving 25 % of the US $ 1.7 billion worth of entire exports to China each twelvemonth [ James, 2008 ] . Canada histories for further than half of universe trade in canola seed, repast, with oil. Canadian manufacturers continue to spread out canola country and production. Demand scenario expression strong due to developing usage of vegetable oils in China and India with canola-oil-based biodiesel usage in the EU. The Canadian suppression industry is increasing fast to keep increased insist for canola oil. In the following 2 old ages, farther than 1.5 million metric dozenss of canola oppressing capacity is predictable to be develop in the Canadian Prairie Provinces. Several of the increased canola oil could be used to bring forth biodiesel. Canada controls the universe canola export trade, with a market portion of 71 per cent in the three old ages to 2005-06. Although GM assortments comprise 79 per cent of Canada ‘s canola production, virtually all of the state ‘s export canola is considered to be GM because there is no segregation of GM and non-GM harvests. This did non halt its exports making record degrees in 2006. Biobased economic system Canada ‘s biobased economic system with its chief constituents ( Figure 4 ) , one sees a mix of all four biobased economic system major sub- sectors. Lead through the wellness, medical specialty, with pharmaceutical subdivision, it is followed through agribusiness and harvest production. Canada ‘s crop-production division GDP is about $ 14.7 billion, by 17.3 million estates of genetically modified harvests out of 74.6 million entire estates of chief cropland. Canadian husbandmans, manufacturers, with clients are on mean therefore in a superior place to reap the returns linked with the credence of following coevals industrial biotech procedures, including biofuels along with biorefining procedures. The utilize of GMOs is opening the door to industrial biotechnology addition in these developing economic systems, all through, for illustration, chance to make biofuel feedstock ‘s and to use in biorefining, with production of higher-yield besides higher-value harvests. BIOFUEL Canada look like the US in its market-oriented economic system, sample of production, and affluent life criterions. Development of the fabrication, excavation, and service sectors has changed the state from a chiefly rural economic system into an industrial, metropolitan economic system. Canada ‘s GDP in 2006 was about $ 1.18 trillion ( a‚ ¬0.8 trillion ) . Canada is a state wealthy in fossil fuel resources. In 2000, 39 % of Canada ‘s chief energy was from crude oil, 28 % from natural gas besides 13 % from coal. 11 % was by renewable hydropower, and merely 6 % from renewable biomass. Forecast for the following twosome of decennaries are for a biomass portion of 6-9 % . As given in Fig 5, 28 % of bring forthing ability from renewable resources by biomass. Bioenergy production semen from a wide scope of beginnings: common heat and power, gasification, pyrolysis, landfill gas, ethyl alcohol from grain besides cellulose. Biomass Resources Woody Biomass Forest biomass may be by and large divided into 2 group ; mill residue plus forest residue tops, subdivisions and foliages from crop with thinning operations that are left in the wood or at wayside after delimbing. In Ontario, a bark boiler undertaking at the Abitibi-Bowater mush A ; paper factory in Ft. Frances is presently below building. It plans to devour about 230,000 ODt of factory residues. Agricultural Residues Farmlands occupy 67.5 M hour angle ( million hectares ) in Canada, approximately 6.7 % of the whole land base. Crops are grown-up on 36.4 M hour angle, or 54 % of farming area. Agricultural activity produces 1000000s of metric tons of biomass annually, which may be classified as: virgin biomass- grown for energy, besides waste biomass- residuary fraction of primary crop, and farm animal wastes. . Residues recoverable and sustainably removable were predictable at 29.3 Odt yearly, though some of this goes to conventional utilizations such as carnal bedclothes and mulching. Ethanol Feedstock In Canada 70 % of ethyl alcohol is complete by maize in Eastern Canada, with 30 % is by from wheat in Western Canada. Ontario is the major corn-producing part in Canada, and soon 60 % of Canadian ethanol industry is in Ontario. . An expected 8.4 million metric tons of maize were usage for nutrient and 635,000 metric tons were used for ethyl alcohol. To piece the feedstock supply necessary through the ethyl alcohol workss working in 2009, 2.9 million metric tons maize may be desired. Biodiesel Feedstock A 2 % federal biodiesel mandate may change the feedstock attitude for biodiesel. In 2007 feedstocks for biodiesel constitutional 35 million liters of carnal fats with 18 million liters of imported thenar oil. Plentiful canola and soya beans may be used, but these harvests are priced as nutrient oils in planetary markets and bear a high monetary value. Canola is in high bid as healthy oil through the nutrient industry. Rendered oils, rendered carnal fats and palm oil are monetary value as provender and fabrication usage and bear a lower monetary value. Industry beginnings have expected that the 250 million liters of biodiesel require by the mandate in 2012 may be manufactured from family animate being fats, and 250 million liters by imported thenar oil, separating canola and soya bean oil for nutrient. 2004 Canada had 78.9 GW of ability from renewable beginning. 67 % was from conventional hydro, 23 % was from small- impact ( little ) hydro, and 9.4 % was from biomass. Of biomass capacity, approximately 26 % ( 1938 MW ) was electrical and 76 % ( 5454 MW ) was thermic. The industry of a whole of 2.25 billion liters of renewable fuels annually. A net annual economic net income of $ 1.473 billion to the Canadian economic system crossways Canada, numbering $ 14.1 million to municipal authoritiess, $ 108.8 million to regional authoritiess, and $ 111.8 million to the cardinal authorities. An predictable annual benefit of $ 540 million in excess oil exports that are likely as of western Canada biofuels manufacture.The ethyl alcohol and biodiesel industry inside Canada produce about $ 2.2 billion a twelvemonth. The workss produced 14,000 occupations, and every the workss may keep about 1,000 stable occupations. Health With a 9 % annual growing rate, Canada is the 3rd highest lifting market in the universe for pharmaceuticals. The sector net income from Canada ‘s booming biotechnology industry that gives fuels to pharmaceutical companies ‘ growing. Include to these advantages well-educated employees with really trained scientists and technicians, every bit good as business-friendly direction policies, and it ‘s non amazing that about every chief pharmaceutical company has developed and/or R A ; D operation in Canada. latest Investing within CANADA Charles River Laboratories International, of Massachusetts, may open a presymptomatic services service in Quebec in 2009, which is eventually likely to use 1,000 people. Sanofi Pasteur spended $ 100 million in a fresh R A ; D ability in Ontario in 2008. GlaxoSmithKline invested excess than $ 178 million in Canadian R A ; D in 2007 entirely. Sandoz, a divider of the Novartis Group, open a fabrication works in Quebec in 2008, division of its $ 80 million investing publicize in 2007. Boehringer Ingelheim finished a $ 36 million investing in novel, advanced research labs in Quebec during 2008. Canada plays a chief function in the world-wide biopharmaceutical industry, with specific power in research and development ( R A ; D ) , clinical tests with fabrication. All of the acme 10 international pharmaceutical companies, in conditions of grosss, have operations in Canada, legion with R A ; D and fabricating mandate. In 2007, world-wide biopharmaceutical gross revenues amounted to US $ 663.5 billion. That similar twelvemonth, the Canadian biopharmaceuticals sector witnessed gross revenues of $ 17.6 billion and exports of about $ 6.3 billion. About 80 per centum of these exports were control to the U.S. market. In 2007, Canada was domicile to 397 pharmaceutical with 404-biotechnology organisation, using about 29,000 people crossways the state. Canada has the 2nd top figure of biotechnology companies in the Earth and is home to several of the largest recognized bunchs in the pharmaceutical industry. Authorized counts of constitutions classified as pharmaceutical industrialized. Below chart explain Toronto and Montreal compare healthy to Jersey City, New Jersey, one of the chiefly celebrated pharmaceutical industry base inside North America. Chapter Decision Biotechnology has been described as a Canadian chief concern in visible radiation of its acknowledgment for possible to drive sustainable growing. This is chiefly due to its immense influence on the ways in which natural resources may be exploited and the properties on the environment. The sheer wealth of different natural resources at Canadians remotion may surely drive its growing for old ages to come provided that such resources are used responsibly. Biotechnology might hold a immense influence on the health care sector throughout the usage of biodiversity form the chief Canadian rain forest as a natural resource. This mostly unknown resource might supply tremendous benefits for the wellness industry and economic system of Canadian for old ages to come ought to it be found to include new drug campaigners between its tremendous biodiversity. Net income of biotechnology in the agribusiness industry are antecedently being seen and may keep to cultivate as Canada extra exploits its immense land country, lifting its exports of chief harvests such as canola, turning GDP, whilst supplying farther nutrient besides generate more occupations for many biotechnology alumnuss. The utilize of biotechnology in the Biofuel/biodiesel industry together generates a renewable, sensible beginning of energy, whilst cut downing the influence on the environment signifier the combustion of fossil fuels. Even as the feeling on the usage of natural resources itself is profound, this industry besides has immense economical deduction for Canada, which has traditionally relied on imports for the size of its energy demands, plus hence progress energy security. Further industries such as biomining may besides play a function in the development of Canada in the upcoming by heightening the ability to work the valuable metals present at that place. Canada seems to be a typical illustration of how the development of natural resources utilizing biotechnology can be used to significantly drive the growing and development of the state, and it may merely be a affair of clip before Canada is considered developed, sing the renewable resources at its disposal, and the procedures in topographic point to work them. The economic influence of Canadian renewable fuel workss, with the effects is incontestable ; ethyl alcohol and biodiesel in Canada are driving growing. Canada ‘s latest renewable fuel criterion is presenting on its assure of occupations, investing plus growing. How to cite Biotechnology Opportunities In Canada Environmental Sciences Essay, Essay examples

Association Rule in Business Intelligence †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Association Rule in Business Intelligence. Answer: Introduction The theory of business intelligence (BI) is often referred to as a combination of various practices, application and technologies bused for collecting, integrating, analyzing and presenting new information. Zhao and Bhowmick (2015, p.64) showed that the application of various BI process allows any business organization to analyze, store and access data for the decision making process. According to Moro, Cortez and Rita (2015, p.1322), content and data must not be characterized as separate object, but need to me utilized together in a integrated format for assisting generating more business opportunities. In order to keep track, analyze and monitor the significant data, organizations used various technologies and software applications. Kasemsap (2015, p.25), showed that development of the BI software has been developed with the significant goal for importing, extracting and analyzing the data for revealing the insight of business information. Larose (2014, p.6), claimed that in todays world with the advancement of information technology, data are being produced in significant velocity and volume. The exponential increment of data has made it difficult for the business organization to select and identify the crucial information for assisting in business decision making process. Fan, Lau and Zhao (2015, p.91), showed that data mining procedures, processes and techniques are being widely used in both scientific and commercial domain for analyzing and extracting huge amount of data that are both in structured and unstructured or mixed formation. Over the past decade, various tools, techniques and algorithm have been proposed and developed for mining information for the process of BI. Giannotti et al., (2013, p. 388) claimed that various software and applications used for the Business Intelligence often employ the techniques and theories of data mining and association rules. This particular report aims at evaluating the role of data mining and association rule in business intelligence. Apart from that, the reports tend to evaluate the various process and algorithms of association rules are widely used for data mining. Furthermore, based on the information gained, the study will try to identify the better process or algorithm that would enhance the business intelligence process with association rule. Slimani and Lazzez (2014, p. 143) showed that the techniques of association rules are widely used in the business operations for the discovery of the various products and services combinations that the customers tends to purchase together. Further, the application of the association rules ensures the determination and evaluation of the underlying relationship between the various products and the hierarchy of products used for purchase of products. This particular chapter aims at evaluating and reviewing five past articles for evaluating the use of association rules in business intelligence and various processes of techniques used for data mining in business organizations. Association Rule Approach for Evaluation of Business Intelligence for Enterprise Systems Paper is About: In this particular article, the author showed that data mining processes and techniques are extensively used in the business intelligence software for identifying crucial information related to business operations. In this article, the authors have highlighted the significant application of association rule algorithms for data mining process in business organizations. Furthermore, Rouhani et al., (2012, p.8) have provided a process map using the association rules algorithm for business intelligence. In addition to that, the article has represented a combined process used with the apriori and business intelligence techniques used for data evaluation and analysis in business organization. Apart from that traditional process of using association rule in business intelligence for extracting information has also been reviewed. Technical Details: Rouhani et al., (2012, p.2) have defined the role of the association rule in data mining is for detecting the underlying association or relation in large volume of data set based on defined nominal attribute values. Further it has been identified that the association rule is used for discovering the relation between different items used from the huge set of transaction. Further, the author has used Apriori algorithm as example for of association rule in business processes. Rouhani et al., (2012, p.4) have further showed that association rule is widely used for analyzing market analysis for evaluating the pattern of store types, mail order and purchase of the items in the supermarket. Confidence and support are the two major variable used in association rules for determining the interestingness of the association rule applied for data mining. Rouhani et al., (2012, p.1) claimed that the association rule is considered if the evaluated level of confidence and support are greater that pre-defined confidence and support respectively. Used in association rule in BI: Rouhani et al., (2012, p.5) have stated that in current business operations and environments, ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems are widely used for conducting major operations and computerizing the different procedure used by an organization. ERP systems are often associated with the revising various documents, filing forms and logging various transactions while registering the events that occur in the business and functional module of the organization. Rouhani et al., (2012, p.6) showed that he information and data stored and used in the ERP systems can be used for improving the efficiency and performance of the business processes. Furthermore it has been identified in the paper that process mining or business process mining is utilized for explaining and analyzing the behavior of various process and logs. Therefore, the application of various data mining tools, processes and algorithms would help in improving the data analysis and evaluation process. Further, Rouhani et al., (2012, p.4) showed that the process of data mining helps in process of knowledge discovery and decision making process. In addition to that, the increased use of data mining application and tools are used for providing tremendous support for improving the quantity measurement in business operations. Association Rules Mining for Business Intelligence Paper is About: This particular paper evaluated the process and techniques used in business intelligence and data mining. The author has identified a relation between the data mining and business intelligence used in business operations (Jha, 2014). The paper identified the essential stages and phases of business while determining the needs of data analysis and evaluation for the decision making procedure of organization. Furthermore, the paper has aimed at determining the various challenges and requirement of data mining followed during the business intelligence process (Jha, 2014). Apart from that, the author has classified the various techniques used in the process of data mining while reviewing and analyzing the association rules and algorithms that are being used in the business process. Technical Details: In this paper, data mining has been defined as an issue dependent on the application. Further, Jha, (2014) claimed that various application required different data mining techniques and rule for evaluating the detailed information. Jha, (2014) showed that mining association rule is the major rule that has been widely used by various applications. Two vital algorithm have been identified in the article, namely Nave algorithm and Apriori Algorithm. Further, the author has presented the association of two methods used in the transaction of the items and determined the support and predictability of the association rules obtained from both the algorithm. Used in association rule in BI: Jha, (2014) illustrated that huge data are being generated by various electronic devices and application of barcodes in the departmental and business has increased the amount and velocity of data generation. Further, the author has provided example by stating and on a daily basis, Wal-Mart generated 20 million data based on transaction of good. The application of the association rule for the mining of information assist the analysis in gaining information that makes sense to the business processes (Jha, 2014). The application of the association rule allows the determining and identifying the habit of the customer in purchasing items from the store. Apart from basket analysis, association rule has significant application in classification, e-commerce, finances, web mining, customer segmentation and marketing. Comparative Survey on Association Rule Mining Algorithms Paper is About: Girotra et al., (2013, p.20) have identified the popularity of association rule in the process of data mining among the business organization and marketers. The author has showed that association rule in data mining and discovery creates various subset of the large item set for determining the existing relationship between the items. In this paper, the author has identified that the association rule is divided into two significant parts. The initial phase determines the most frequent sets used among the large volume of unstructured or structured data (Girotra et al., 2013, p.18). While the second phase is used to determine the association rule or relationship between them. The paper has evaluated the different algorithm and process that are used for the association rule identification in knowledge discovery. Technical Details: The authors have identified eight significant algorithms that are frequently used in the association rules. The algorithm identified includes FP- Growth, Recursive Elimination, Eclat, Apriori hybrid, AprioriTID, Apriori, SETM and AIS. Various characteristic and functions of the different algorithms has been identified in the article. In addition to that, the authors have developed a detailed comparison of the various algorithms based on their features and functions (Girotra et al., 2013, p.20). From the detailed comparison and analysis it has been identified that use of Apriori Algorithm is most useful in case of closed set of items while Eclat is most advantageous in case of free set of items. The author showed that Apriori Algorithm, showed more efficiency and advantageous in performance and operations considering the other entire algorithm identified. Furthermore, it has been illustrated that the technique and process of Recursive Elimination were better conside ring all the features of Apriori but poorer when compared to Eclat algorithm used. Used in association rule in BI: The theory of association rule has been developed for identifying the most frequent item set purchased and often considered as the market basket analysis pattern or process. Girotra et al., (2013, p.21) claimed that the business executives and the professionals often uses the theory and technique of association rue for developing the layout plan and to place the services and items placed together for increasing the purchase rate and efficiency. Furthermore, the author claimed in todays business world, where technology and hand held devices are widely used, data are generated at high rate. The detailed information related to business are essential for developing various strategies related to business analysis (Girotra et al., 2013, p.22). The application of business intelligence helps in extracting raw information and provides structure understandable data that are useful for decision making process in business. Therefore, the application of association rule and data mining technique would help the analyst in performing the data evaluation in easier and much efficient manner. Performance Analysis of Apriori and FP-Growth Algorithms (Association Rule Mining) Paper is About: In this paper, the author has identified that association rule and data mining techniques are widely used in various data analysis and mining process all over various industries (Bala et al., 2016, p.283). The selected paper aims at defining the association rule and the concept of data mining used for data analysis and knowledge discovery in various business organizations. The author has identified the two significant algorithm of association rule namely FP Growth and Apriori for comparison and analysis of the difference of performance on the data identification and analysis (Bala et al., 2016, p.291). In addition to that, the author has used WEKA software for determining and evaluating the effectiveness of the performance of the association rule. Technical Details: While analyzing the apriori algorithm, the author has identified the procedure and techniques used for determining the association rule. The author has showed apriori runs on four significant steps. The initial step includes the generation of the element dataset of most frequently used items (Bala et al., 2016, p.286). The step is followed by join step process for identifying the number of candidate in the frequent step and self join with each other. The necxt step is followed by the pruning of the frequent dataset. In the last step, the data set that are least used are pruned from the association rule. Bala et al., (2016, p.283) showed that application of apriori algorithm uses more space results in the increased database. Similarly, FP Growth analysis has been analyzed for the evaluation of the performance. It has been identified that FP growth uses two phase process, first for developing the dataset and second phase for traversal of the FP tree. Used in association rule in BI: the association rule in the process of business intelligence can be utilized for digging out the relevant information regarding various process and technique used in business processes. The author has demonstrated that the applications of association rule in the business intelligence process allows in extracting hidden and underlying information from huge dataset and network for determining the potential association between the neglected items and predict the trends that can be used in decision making procedure (Bala et al., 2016, p.289). Association Rule Mining with Apriori and FP - growth Using Weka Paper is About: Mishra, Pani and Ratha (2015, p.2841) have showed association rule is one of the significant technique for mining significant information. In this paper, the author has determined and evaluated the significant technique and process used for the two major association rule including Apriori and FP Growth (Mishra, Pani and Ratha 2015, p.2838). The paper determines the effectiveness and performance of the two major algorithms. The author has used WEKA tools for determining the efficiency of the algorithm. Based on the analyzing and association rule generation in WEKA application, Technical Details: The paper showed various clustering technique used in the association rule including Model-based methods, Grid-based methods, Density based methods, Hierarchical Agglomerative and Partitioning Methods. Mishra, Pani and Ratha (2015, p.2840) author showed that Apriori Algorithm uses large dataset that are kept in lexicographic order. Furthermore, it has been identified that in Apriori method, the item set are detected on the basis of various pass and transaction while eliminating the item assets that are less frequently used. On the other hand, FP Growth algorithm is characterized with prefix tree structure, fragment pattern growth and frequent pattern for developing the FP tree. Used in association rule in BI: The author has claimed that association rule is one of the revolutionary technology and procedure used for determining the data evaluation and pattern. The process of association rule in data mining allows in determining the correlation between the different patterns in huge volume of relational database. Therefore, the author claimed that the association rule are used in the business intelligence on data warehouse for managing the multidimensional data and accessing information for professional use and decision making procedure of the business organization (Mishra, Pani and Ratha 2015, p.2839). The data mining technique provides visualization, analysis, recognition and warehousing of huge information for enhancing the performance and efficiency. Critical Review/ Analysis The above five journal articles have demonstrated and evaluated the various algorithms and processes used in the data mining and association rule for identifying the underlying relation between huge dataset Zhao and Bhowmick (2015, p.64). The detailed literature survey of the various papers has showed that association algorithm and apriori algorithm are widely used in various process and techniques. The literature survey has demonstrated the significant and performance analysis of the various association algorithm and observed that Apriori algorithm has maximum amount of performance efficiency when considered between various algorithms with closed dataset. Further, it has been identified that all the authors have included the application of Apriori Algorithm in their analysis and evaluation process Moro, Cortez and Rita (2015, p.1322). The application of the Apriori algorithm can be considered standard for data mining and evaluation for large dataset. In addition to that, from the da ta evaluation of the survey, it has been observed that authors tends to use WEKA software tools for evaluation and determining the efficiency of the algorithm while developing the association rule between the algorithm. In addition to that, the application of association algorithm for data mining, evaluation and visualization provides detailed information about the underlying process and items that can be used for the decision making process of the business. Therefore, it can be claimed that association rule for data mining is a subset of the business intelligence process used in various industries. Furthermore, Slimani and Lazzez (2014, p. 143) claimed that based on the needs and requirement of the business intelligence software and the observation, various algorithm are employed for determining the existing and underlying trends and pattern in the information. The above survey of past literature has able to provide detailed information about the various association algorithm used in the data mining process. Various business intelligence software and systems including ERP, CRM and CSM used data mining algorithms, tools and techniques for taking business intelligence. The discovery of association rule and algorithm have increased and improved the efficiency of the knowledge discovery in business intelligence process. The detailed survey focused on the application of association rules and techniques for data mining process. The survey was able to provide detailed information regarding the different procedure and need of association rule in the business intelligence. The detailed survey showed that the apriori algorithm provides efficient result in the process mining and evaluation of detailed information. Therefore, the above evaluation was successful in determining the significant process, technique and procedure that are frequently used in association algorithm. In addition to that, the survey has focused and showed light in the application of association rule for the data intelligence and fact finding technique used in the business intelligence procedure of various business organizations. Reference Rouhani, S., Ghazanfari, M., Jafari, M., Akhavan, P. (2012). Association Rule Approach for Evaluation of Business Intelligence for Enterprise Systems.The IUP Journal Of Computer Sciences,V, No. 2, 1-19. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228133328 Jha, R. (2014). Association Rules Mining for Business Intelligence.International Journal Of Scientific And Research Publications,4(5), 1-5. Retrieved from https://www.ijsrp.org/ Girotra, M., Nagpal, K., Minocha, S., Sharma, N. 2013. Comparative Survey on Association Rule Mining Algorithms.International Journal Of Computer Applications (0975 8887),84(10), 18-22. Retrieved from https://www.ijcaonline.org/ Reference: Bala, A., Shuaibu, M., Lawal, Z., Zakari, R. 2016. Performance Analysis of Apriori and FP-Growth Algorithms (Association Rule Mining).Alhassan Bala Et Al, Int.J.Computer Technology Applications,7 (2), 279-293. Retrieved from https://www.ijcta.com Mishra, A., Pani, D., Ratha, D. 2015. Association Rule Mining with Apriori and FP - growth Using Weka, 2837 -2845. Bala, A., Shuaibu, M., Lawal, Z., Zakari, R. 2016. Performance Analysis of Apriori and FP-Growth Algorithms (Association Rule Mining).Alhassan Bala Et Al, Int.J.Computer Technology Applications,7 (2), 279-293. Retrieved from https://www.ijcta.com Fan, S., Lau, R. Y., Zhao, J. L. 2015. Demystifying big data analytics for business intelligence through the lens of marketing mix.Big Data Research,2(1), 28-32. Giannotti, F., Lakshmanan, L. V., Monreale, A., Pedreschi, D., Wang, H. 2013. Privacy-preserving mining of association rules from outsourced transaction databases.IEEE Systems Journal,7(3), 385-395. Girotra, M., Nagpal, K., Minocha, S., Sharma, N. 2013. Comparative Survey on Association Rule Mining Algorithms.International Journal Of Computer Applications (0975 8887),84(10), 18-22. Retrieved from https://www.ijcaonline.org/ Jha, R. 2014. Association Rules Mining for Business Intelligence.International Journal Of Scientific And Research Publications,4(5), 1-5. Retrieved from https://www.ijsrp.org/ Kasemsap, K. 2015. The role of data mining for business intelligence in knowledge management.Integration of data mining in business intelligence systems, 12-33. Larose, D. T. 2014.Discovering knowledge in data: an introduction to data mining. John Wiley Sons. Mishra, A., Pani, D., Ratha, D. 2015. Association Rule Mining with Apriori and FP - growth Using Weka, 2837 -2845. Moro, S., Cortez, P., Rita, P. 2015. Business intelligence in banking: A literature analysis from 2002 to 2013 using text mining and latent Dirichlet allocation.Expert Systems with Applications,42(3), 1314-1324. Rouhani, S., Ghazanfari, M., Jafari, M., Akhavan, P. 2012. Association Rule Approach for Evaluation of Business Intelligence for Enterprise Systems.The IUP Journal Of Computer Sciences,V, No. 2, 1-19. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228133328 Slimani, T., Lazzez, A. 2014. Efficient analysis of pattern and association rule mining approaches.arXiv preprint arXiv:1402.2892. Zhao, Y., Bhowmick, S. S. 2015. Association Rule Mining with R.A Survey Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Undiagnosed Schizophrenia and Out of Body Experiences free essay sample

Eyes seemed to stair straight into the girls head. Drilling into her very skull as if there was more to discover beneath that mess of ebony hair. As though there was a hidden secret that she held from the rest of the world, that everyone tried to pry from her only using their eyes. She seemed completely oblivious to the intense assessment that my fellow classmates gave her. Either she really didnt notice it, she thought she was too Hugh above us all, or she honestly didnt care. And right from that moment I knew she was different. I knew she was somebody that I would want to get know. A girl unlike the others attending the academy. It was strange that you could tell so much about this one individual, without speaking a single word to her. Her clothes were old and frumpy, yet she pulled it off. We will write a custom essay sample on Undiagnosed Schizophrenia and Out of Body Experiences or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Most of the girls at the school wouldnt be caught dead in old chucks. Her black hair fell in small dreads, surrounding her face. Some of them pulled behind her head. And beneath all that hair a bruised eye was evident. That was enough to set my curiosity aflame like a match to a tissue.Throughout the boring lecture discussing the unimportant history of the almost ancient Gaelic language, my eyes couldnt help but glance over at the new girl. Not once does she look up and take note of the lecture. Not even an acknowledgment of the boring and useless things the professor decided to talk about. Her hand moved furiously at the piece of paper before her, her fingers gripping the pen so tightly that her knuckles began to turn white. She seemed to get lost in whatever she was doing. From what I could tell two desk spaces away from her, It was a drawing. Of what, I couldnt tell.But the skill put Into the piece wasnt what had be Intrigued. It was the way she seemed to get lost back in the maze of her mind, her imagination spinning out of control and almost every thought going down on the paper. Spilling out onto a canvas like a dam that had burst open. I almost thought I would get lost in her losing herself when her work was disturbed by the teacher walking by. Just as I thought I would gain the courage to stand, and push myself over to her the peaceful yet powerful image that played out before me ended. Her hands almost instinctively covered her paper, and her cool blue eyes stared up at the teacher.He proceeded to sky her about what he spoke of, make sure she was paying attention to his ramblings. Although his voice was loud, and they were so close to me, I couldnt hear it. I couldnt make out words, only sound buzzing around my ears. My mind stayed captivated with her every move. The way her eyes stayed focused yet she was off somewhere else. Perhaps the far depths of her mind. Could she escape those depths? Was the glassy eyed look something that was a part of her or was I lucky enough to witness such an amazing mind in action. The guys in the class would snicker at her, because of her being different.The way she would talk as though she had lived a thousand years. Shes a genius. I would think to myself. But not to the point where shes crazy. Or is she crazy. Maybe thats why I am so Intrigued. Thoughts circled my mind throughout the rest of our class. I was once so easily distracted, so caught up in whatever else happened in the class because of my short OFF figure her out. Understand her. There is a difference. I wanted to understand how her mind worked, and why she thought the way she did. I wanted to know how she ignored the glares so easily. How she blocked out the rest of the world, even when peaking.She spoke with a loud voice. A strong voice. A voice that tells you she knows what shes doing. She knows how to assert herself, and she knows the right things to say to make people second guess her. Like me. Another thought was blurred into the rest, but it stood out. Where did that bruise on her upper cheek come from. What was the story behind that. Everything had a story, and if it wasnt obvious I would try to find one. Find some hidden meaning or truth behind the simplest things. Laura? The teacher would call my name, calling on me to answer a question. Unlike my usual suck-up self, I reply with a simple ham? . It takes a good shove from my best mate beside me to shake me from the daze. From the curious thoughts, that wrapped around this girl. This girl that I so longed to be friends with, while at the same time she terrified me. The next day I almost expected the girl to walk by me. I still didnt know her name. Or know anything about her. Other than the fact that she was different. Throughout the day I looked for her. Any sign that she was around. That I hadnt Just imagined this brilliant human being. I wanted proof that this girl that only the day before I was o intrigued with existed.But she was nowhere to be found. The day passed, and although I focused again. I listened again. I didnt want to. I didnt want to forget about her and move on. I had it set in my mind subconsciously that I would learn about her, she couldnt be gone. It wasnt supposed to work out that way. Day after day she didnt show up to class. Despite the fact that she seemed to go unnoticed, rumors began to spread about her. Where had she gone? Why had she disappeared? Some said she was on the run from something or someone. Some said her father was abusive, and he finally pushed it too far. Some said she was depressed, and decided to off herself. I didnt want these to be true. I wanted her to be sick maybe. Or visiting a relative. Something that would tell me she would return the next day. So that I would have the courage to choke out a mere hello. But somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that wasnt true. Whatever the circumstances, she wasnt coming back. As days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, not a day went by without me hoping to see her cool blue eyes one morning. Not a day went by without me entering if she would ever return to me.I even practiced what I would say upon her return. But as time went on, rumors began to settle down. Everyone else seemed to loose sight of this intriguing young woman, someone who everybody ignored. Yet wanted to be around so much at the same time. Someone so intriguing that people were far to intimidated to actually approach her. Now, every once in a while as I glance in the mirror I get a glance of her. A flicker of the cool blue eyes in my reflection. Because all along this intriguing young woman, this intellectually brilliant and mysterious girl was me.For almost a month I seemed to float outside my own body, my brain watched myself without being attached to myself. I became a new person. Someone different, good or bad. But that side of me has vanished, and no one ever asks about the new girl. This story is about a girl who has undiagnosed schizophrenia. Because it is undiagnosed, and because it has gone unnoticed, in her mind she really believes that there is another girl who comes to school. And then disappears. When in reality, the girl that she observes is herself. Its like she has an out of body experience and sees herself how she wishes she really was.

Is wind power considered green

Is wind power considered green Apparently, power has always been considered to be benign to environment irrespective of few reservations (Kammen 85). In this regard, there is a huge and growing controversy over how certain power generation modes have resulted to global warming, green house effects and other forms of environmental pollution.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Is wind power considered green? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Currently, there emerged green technologies that are perceived to feasible in terms of environmental sustainability (Kammen 85). In this case, Wind power energy has emerged as one of the best options in which clean energy can be derived. It is imperative that most of the developed countries such as USA and European countries have adopted and established wind energy with the perception that it is clean and cost effective. Therefore, wind energy has increasingly being adopted by large communities to cater for their varying interests. However, there is a huge controversy over whether wind power is green or not (Kammen 86). This paper aims to analyze whether wind energy is green and the impacts of contemporary issues of environment to the sustainable world. There is a predictable expansion of demand on wind energy both at the marketing and consumer level (Elliott 46). For several decades now, wind energy has been used to run machines and mills in rural areas in places such as United States of America and Denmark (Elliott 47). Currently, wind technology has been advanced making it more effective to reinforce electric power. Additionally, problems associated with wind energy have been minimized thus increasing the efficiency of wind machines that have been made larger and stronger (Elliott 52). Earlier on, wind energy was perceived to be environmentally unfriendly. However, there are some limitations that have intensified complaints that wind energy is not green at all. According to researc h study conducted by environmentalists and energy regulators on wind energy, it has been asserted that wind turbines are likely to threaten birds and other animals (Elliott 52). A recent case study conducted on wind revealed that wind turbines have increased mortality rate of birds and as well as individuals who inhabit such sites. Consequently, the whirling of wind turbines and tower blades often kills birds that fly around them. Notably, larger percentage of avian deaths is usually associated with increased installation of wind turbines. Such include bats and other migratory birds as it was discovered in some parts of California in 1994 (Foley 53).Advertising Looking for research paper on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Collisions of migratory birds with turbines have direct impact on their breeding success rate. Moreover, visual and noise disturbance interferes with the breeding of foraging and staging birds. However, several measures have been established to decimate cases of avian deaths. Additionally, great concern has been shown on the impact of wind energy on wildlife that inhabits near wind firms. In this case, the rotor blades on wind turbines produce a lot of noise that disturbs the animal species around wind power sites. Another challenge associated with wind power is that it occupies large space for the infrastructure than the energy produced. Study reveals that one turbine can occupies about 1.8 hectares of land in order to generate maximum energy (Elliott 42). From this figure, one can deduce that wind firms use about 235 hectares of land to produce maximum energy required (Elliott 43). In this case, agricultural lands have been reclaimed for power generation and this can lead to food shortage. According to further investigation on the impacts of wind energy on environment other hazards have been identified. It is apparent that insects’ species that strike turbine blades are likely to develop adverse effects. In this case, insect population inhabiting near wind mills become endangered and to some extent they become extinct. In recent studies conducted on wind power generating sites, noise generated from turbines reduces the anesthetic nature of the environment around the firms (Elliott 45). Moreover, wind power generation poses danger to fragile ecosystem since noise and vibrations generated form the turbines has adverse effect on health. Empirical evidence obtained from surveys indicates that people residing near wind firms have symptoms of sleep disturbances, dizziness, and head aches (Elliott 46). Such a case is also experienced by both terrestrial and aquatic animals. It is evident that vibrations that occur from turbines causes soil erosion on near ground. Preferably, bare grounds are exposed to higher risks that those that are forested. Beside this, excavations done during installation of the mills and turbines normally t rigger disturbances on the ground. Moreover, according to majority view it is evident that wind power has negative economic impacts on investors who construct rental houses in sites near the wind firms (Elliott 48). An empirical research conducted along such sites revealed that people who rent houses tend to avoid those that are near the wind mills and turbines. This is triggered by the notion that they will be disturbed by noise.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Is wind power considered green? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Due to the identified reasons, wind energy can not be considered to be green. Furthermore, the energy is unreliable and thus it can not fulfill the needs of users in a harmonious manner (Kammen 89). According to environmentalist view, green sources of energy should be reliable even in future and should cater fully for the need of users. Evidently in the past decades, wind energy has be en reinforced by other sources of power that are harmful to the environment. At some times, wind has limited strength to turn the turbines thus requires use of alternative sources of power such as fossil fuel, bioethanol and geothermal energy (Kammen 89). Nevertheless, a large number of people have consistently shown interest in using wind energy in homes. Considerably, this form of energy growth has increased by 30% in the previous decade. Rapid expansion and use of wind power have been noted in developed countries such as Texas and USA (Elliott 45). Substantial growth and expansion of wind power energy have been fostered by several environmental factors. Such factors include the need to decimate carbon emissions and reduce global warming. In this case, wind energy can be considered to be green as compared to other sources of energy such as fossil fuels. According to opinion surveys, a large population supports the establishment of wind power plant in their immediate neighborhood. Approximately, 70-8-% of residents in Denmark and UK highly regards use of wind power energy (Elliott 46). Recent surveys have shown that there is an increased large scale acceptance in using the energy in India and china. The fact that wind power energy is green lies on the basis that its environmental merits are experienced both at the national and global level. A typical example can be drawn from the use of photovoltaic cells in the form of solar energy. Although the latter is increasingly being used, it is import ant to bearing in mind that the development of photovoltaic is still under revolution and that there are some societal resources which have been redistributed. This technology, however, requires intense labor. In some cases, the use of automatic machines to construct this device has resulted into higher production costs to the manufacturers as well as expensive purchase and installation of the component to consumers.Advertising Looking for research paper on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another impediment in the development of photovoltaic is the high demand for basic raw substances used in the manufacturing process. This has inevitably led to escalation o prices of some items which are commonly used in its manufacture. Besides, specific quantities of materials required are not constant. They keep on changing with time making the process of production even more hectic. For example, photovoltaic cells may consume up to one hundred thousand tones of steel in a given production year. Another likely constraint in the development of this technology is the significant quantity of energy required. Studies reveal that the production of photovoltaic cells requires an extra energy input compared to other traditional forms o f energy. This implies that photovoltaic technology is rather expensive. Nevertheless, the payback energy is presumably higher than input energy. It is apparent that wind is a renewable source of energy and thus can be conventionally be generated without depleting the environment in any way (Elliott 43). Wind energy is a clean source of power thus it does not result to air pollution. Governments from developed states have high preference on wind power due to the increased cost of fossil fuels. Wind power is naturally available and can be regenerated without being influenced by market forces in the international market. According to international surveys conducted on countries using wind power, it is apparent that the energy incurs low external costs as opposed to other means such as electricity and fossil fuel (Elliott 53). As a natural resource, wind is abundant and largely distributed in local areas though there exist challenges resulting from the forces of nature. In line with this, there is no perceived evidence that wind energy results to global warming thus offering it an added advantage over other sources such as fossil fuels. Despite the fact that the demerits are experienced at the local level, overall impacts of wind power are worth of apprehension. Therefore, we can not deny the fact that wind energy is green (Kammen 90). On the same note, environmental issues have affected the sustainability of the world in various ways. Examples of contemporary issues in the environment include global warming, green house emissions, climate change and demographic issues (www.bp.com). To begin with, climate disasters have emerged as a heavy toll on human beings when it comes to management (Kammen 92). Unprecedentedly, large number of people has suffered from damages afflicted by climate change such as flooding, storms and drought. There is lot of tenfold in terms of cost used to rescue people from disasters. Predictably, unless effective measures are taken to decimate climate change, there is expected that irreversible damage might occur on the earth surface thus reducing sustainability of life in the world. In line with this, global warming has increasingly impacted negatively on environment and world sustainabili ty (www.bp.com). As a global catastrophe, it has posed danger to the fragile ecosystem. For instance, global warming has highly contributed to the extinction certain bio-species. Irrespective of the conservation measures conducted, successes has not been fully registered at the global level. Currently, there exist scientific evidences that indicate that global temperatures have risen by 0.8% in the beginning of 20th century (Elliott 63). For this reason, the effects are very adverse particularly in agriculture industry. Rise of global temperatures has resulted to El Nino, severe bushfires and drought. In some places, native forests, rangelands and wetlands have shrunk posing danger to the marine and alpine ecosystems. In addition to this, sea levels have risen posing danger to the coastal inhabitants (Elliott 62). The rate of emission of green house gasses is above the potential threshold of the earth (www.bp.com). Potentially, this has caused significance imbalances and changes in the world climate. According to scientific studies conducted, it is evident that excessive emission of carbon from fossils has sharply risen since the year 2000. In fact, there was registered a 3.5% increase of carbon emissions in the same year (Kammen 85). Considerably the world is at risk as such gases are likely to adversely model climate in future. Besides this, it is vivid that the global population rate is growing at an alarming rate posing danger to the available resources. Natural resources such as forests, rangelands and wet lands are at risk of extinction since human beings have reclaimed them for settlement purposes (www.bp.com). Nevertheless, effective measures have been taken to control the rate of population expansion in both developed and developing nations. Globally, efforts are being put in place to decimate the impacts of such issues in the environment (www.bp.com). Recently an earth summit was established to focus on achieving sustainable world prospect. Nations h ave worked in partnership in order to facilitate sustainable use of natural resources and preferably the non-renewable one. On the same note, nations have made significant use of renewable resources such as wind, hydro and geothermal power. Such sources of power are emission free and naturally available (Kammen 86). The fact that they does not get exhausted is an added advantage of eliminating factors that trigger the emergence of contemporary issues in the environment. Emergence of scientific disciplines such as environmental sciences have facilitated in creating awareness over issues surfacing on the global environment (www.bp.com). By so doing, appropriate measures have been taken to decimate environmental degradation thus creating a sustainable world. In a broader perspective, almost every state has established regulations that will sustainably address environmental issues through agencies, corporations and use of policies (www.bp.com). To ensure a sustainable world in present a nd future, there are numerous sources of regulations. Such include use of common laws, international treaties and legislations in industries to ensure that they meet the expected code of ethics. An example of international treaties includes the Kyoto Protocol that covers a wider global movement on protecting the environment (Kammen 92). It is imperative to note that the treaty targets the developed countries in order to pressure them to decimate the rate in which they emit green house gases. To recap it all, irrespective of the demerits associated with wind power, it can be considered to be one of the benign sources of energy for use. In an attempt to minimize damages caused on both human and animal life, such states like USA and Canada have adopted rules and regulations in order to protect the remaining natural resources by use of sustainable sources of power. In the process, this has made it possible to monitor the routine emission of gases into the atmosphere. Besides, significan t efforts put in place have ensured that energy sustainability is not affected by the emerging issues of the environment. BP. Statistical review of world energy, 12 May 2011. Web. https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/energy-economics/statistical-review-of-world-energy.html Elliott, David. â€Å"Public Reactions to Wind farms: the Dynamics of Opinion Formation†. Energy Environment, 5.4(1994): 40-65. Print. Foley, John. â€Å"Boundaries for a healthy planet†. Scientific American. 2.6(2010): 53– 54.Print. Kammen, David. â€Å"The rise of renewable energy†. Scientific American, 295.4(2006): 84- 93. Print.

Case Study of Uber

CASE STUDY ON DEMAND ANALYSIS OF UBER CABS How Uber works ? The process is simple from the consumer’s point of view: You request a car by texting your address or by using Uber’s iPhone or Android app. Because Uber sends the nearest driver to your location to pick you up, your ride arrives within 5 to 10 minutes. Then you just hop into your car and get out at your destination, with no need of fumbling with money because Uber automatically charges your credit card. (You punch in your credit card information into the app before requesting a car. The Algo: †¢ From the computer scientist’s point of view, the process is a noble attempt at solving the complicated traveling-salesman problem, in which you’re trying to determine the shortest path visiting each location only once. â€Å"Each car has its own traveling-salesman problem,† Kalanick told Wired. †¢ Uber has created algorithms that try to connect car-hailers with the nearest car. And it tweaks this algorithm every day, when they analyze car demand and routes. Ensuring that everything works smoothly are a bunch of operation managers looking at a â€Å"God View† (pictured above) that shows where each Uber car is. Demand: The way the company ensures there are enough cabs for demand is also complicated: They analyze weather forecasts, knowing that there will be more demand for rides when it rains, and also take sporting and other events into consideration, and increase fares depending on how high that demand is. So more cabs will be on the road when demand is high because the drivers will be getting paid more. And from the other perspective, only people who are willing to pay the higher price will be riding, which also moderates demand. ) Microsoft on Demand Analysis: http://blogs. discovermagazine. com/discoblog/2010/11/05/the-secret-knowledge-of-taxi-drivers-could-be-added-to-online-maps/ MERU CABS:: Driver Audit of Meru Cabs: This academy is for the chauffeurs. The professionals at the academy focus on personal key attribute of them . The academy runs a few comprehensive programs on personal grooming and hygiene and social hehaviour. To start with, the subscriber is given a one-week extensive training program on customer handling, safe driving skills, company processes, city road knowledge and operation of the vehicle hardware including the electronic meter and the devices in the vehicle. A refresher course is also conducted every quarter to ensure that the subscribers remain courteous to passengers and provide the best quality of service possible. How big is the fleet at present? What are the expansions plans, given the increasing demand? Currently we have 5000 cabs across four cities. ,800 in Mumbai, 800 in Hyderabad, 1,200 in Delhi, and 1,200 drivers in Bangalore. We plan on adding an additional 500 drivers in each city by March 2011. Meru cabs ply in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad. We are evaluating the cities of Chennai, Pune and Kolkata. What are the various technology best practices adopted by the company? We have installed various automated systems like a digital tamper proof meter on board, high- end GPS and GPRS to ensure real-time cab location and dispatch, a mobile data terminal (MDT). Currently, consumers also have the option to pay for their fare by a credit/debit card. Further, an automated speed control alarm in the cab warns the chauffeur if he crosses the speed limit. We get around 2. 5-3 lakh calls per week across the four cities that we operate in. The call center uses advanced interactive voice response (IVR) system. Also to increase productivity and improve service levels we have implemented ERP System from Oracle, Siebel. Our data center hosts a set of communication servers, application servers, and database servers which are connected with each taxi through GPRS. We are the only Indian company which has built such a world-class IT infrastructure. Does Meru have a segmented category of corporate and individual customers? What would be the figures like? Meru has incorporated additional facilities like a card payment option that has been launched in Bangalore, Delhi and Hyderabad, and will soon be launched in Mumbai. More than 1 million passengers travel per month across four cities. Meru Cabs are used for business travel, entertainment occasions, airport and railway drops. Today there is an increasing usage for shopping trips and sometimes even school trips due to parking issues.

Mitigating Climate Change Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mitigating Climate Change - Assignment Example ssion research is underway and it is believed that the goal of generating electricity by the help of fission power with much lesser carbon emission will be achieved in future. Energy Efficiency: Energy efficiency is considered to be the goal of producing products and services with minimum usage of energy. For example, insulated houses require much lesser cooling and heating energy and help in maintaining a comfortable temperature. No-till Farming: It is considered to be the way of growing crops each year without disturbing the characteristics of soil through tillage. No-till also have carbon sequestration potential, as they stores the organic matter in the soil of the crop field. Forest and Carbon Sequestration: It is considered to be the way of removing the carbon present in the environment and depositing it in some sort of reservoir. Forest sequestration takes into account restoration of the area by planting new trees, etc. Carbon Capture and Storage: It is considered to be the process of capturing excess or waste CO2 from some large point sources such as from fossil fuel power plants and depositing it somewhere, where it will not enter the environment again. In my opinion fuel switching, energy conservation and nuclear fission are the three most effective activities that would help in mitigating climate change. It is certain that CO2 emission can be reduced by using natural gases instead of coal for producing energy. By using natural gas as fuel in vehicles will help in reducing the emission of carbon dioxide and methane to a great extent, imposing minimum negative effect on the environment. Energy conservation takes into account the change in human behavior in order to save energy (Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change, 2014). For example some people prefer walking instead of using vehicles for covering short distance which saves energy, and switching off lights and air conditions when not in use also saves an enormous amount of energy each

Sexual Assault of a Child Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sexual Assault of a Child - Essay Example Also, of the estimated 766,686 missing juveniles in the United States last year, including abductees, runaways and abandoned "throwaways," 16 percent likely were victims of sexual exploitation (Spun, 2002). Â  The clinical explanations of sexual abuse are linked to decrees, the directing the belief is whether the encounter has a shocking impact on the child. Not all sexual encounters suffered by children do. The distressing impact is usually influenced by the significance of the act to the child, which may alter as the child progresses through developmental phases. Â  Sexual abuse comprises of but is not restricted to, viewing a child pornographic resources, placing the child's hand on another person's genitals, touching a child's genitals, or penetration of any orifice of a child's body with a penis, finger, or an article of any kind. Penetration does not have to take place for it to be sexual abuse. Â  Sexual abuse can take place anywhere, at any occasion, including in front of other people who do not, or prefer to not see. Sexual abuse has horrifying consequences on children. Children who have been sexually abused undergo overwhelming mental breakdown and at times death. The children build up distrust and will have troubles in their future relationships. In addition, sexual abuse makes sexual abusers. Â  The impact of sexual abuse accomplishes all levels of a child's sentiments. Confusion is frequently the early response of the child. Once the abuse starts the victim undergoes an incredible disagreement with their emotions. They feel pleasing due to the awareness they are getting from the parent, as well as the bodily satisfaction. Conversely, they undergo pain, guiltiness, and annoyance for what is being done. Â  Child victims of sexual abuse suffer far worse trauma if they think images of their ordeals are distributed on the internet, a Welsh conference will hear today. The shame of being seen in pictures of abuse passed among pedophiles leaves children with a heavier psychological burden (Internet Images Make Child Abuse Trauma Burden Worse, 2004). Â  The abused will feel remarkable guiltiness for various reasons. They think they did nothing to prevent the abuse, as a result, they are accountable and it should carry on. They felt painful but the abuse was sometimes pleasing. They one way or another deserved or caused the abuse. Â  A victim will generally feel this manner when their confidence has reduced and they have no more responses to what is happening. Â  Another most important foundation of guiltiness comes from the mother. Frequently when the mother is told regarding the mistreatment she will not want to think the charges and will hold responsible the child. Â  

Gender and sexuality Essay Example for Free

Gender and sexuality Essay Gender and sexuality has permeated the character of Latin American nations throughout history. Latin America has demonstrated examples of the manipulation of gender as a means of a nations government asserting its political and social control, and the history of the Cuban Revolution shows that Cuba is among such nations. Since its infancy in 1959 and through the 1990s, the Cuban revolutionary government has managed to achieve a well-documented history of oppressive practices that has made the Cuban government the subject of much worldwide criticism and scrutiny over the years. Among the root of this oppression is a commitment to political and social control along gender lines for a greater nationalistic cause. Not unlike other Latin American nations, gender roles as they are recognized in Cuba have been constructed and forcefully prescribed by the government. The citizens of the nation have been socialized to discern between masculine and feminine traits, as well understand why certain traits are desirable while others are not. These determinations have had far-reaching consequences in the cultural realm of Cuban society. Social circles are designed partly upon a person’s recognition of and adherence to specific gender roles. A part of the Cuban revolutionary government’s use of gender for political and social control is its attitude toward and relationship with male homosexuality. The systematic persecution of homosexuals in Cuba has been used by the state in an insular fashion against its citizens for the purpose of controlling them, but also as an outward political maneuver of serves to uphold national dignity and honor as part of a Cuban national identity that is to be recognized and respected throughout the rest of the world. In addition to this paper’s thesis being based on the Cuban revolutionary government’s use of gender and sexuality as a tool of political and social control, the notion of patriarchy is a theory that is central to this thesis. Part of Cuba’s national identity is the patriarchal nature of its government, which not only applies to the relationship between the state and its citizens, but also applies to the relationship between Cuba and other nations. Dominance and strength, two factors upon which patriarchy is based, are what Cuba stands to project to larger, more powerful nations as a symbol of an exalted position in the world. As discussed in the paper, Cuba’s patriarchal government uses its rejection of homosexuality outwardly as a tactic of resisting and rejecting the systems and ideals of nations that the Cuban Revolution finds itself to be fundamentally at odds with. Evidence of this can be found in works such as Ian Lumsden’s Machos, Maricones, and Gays: Cuba and Homosexuality. The arguments made in this paper are written around various primary documents that not only support the central thesis, but also serve as a base for extended discussion of certain elements that have contributed to a greater part of a nation’s history. One such element is the notion of gender roles and norms being defined and prescribed by the state, which in turn affects its society’s views. This includes the legal and penal mechanisms through which the prescriptions are upheld. Legal enforcement leads to a second element, which is nationalism as the motive for the state’s manipulation of gender and sexuality. This control of the Cuban people is part of a greater political agenda: ensuring the success of the Cuban Revolution. A part of this political maneuver is maintaining the honor of the nation and defending its worldwide image. A third and final element is the concept of cultures and governments undergoing change over a period of time. Such changes include the state’s gender-based ideas and prescriptions, as well as the catalysts for such change. These changes are ultimtately reflected in the attitudes of a nation’s people. The film â€Å"Fresa y Chocolate† is one of the primary sources that this paper is written around. Set in Cuba circa 1979, â€Å"Fresa y Chocolate† reflects the attitudes toward homosexuality that were the norm in Cuba during the first couple of decades of the Cuban revolution, and also depicts the government’s use of gender and sexuality to advance its own political agenda. What qualities make or do not make the revolutionary? What place does a homosexual have in the Cuban revolution? What is homosexuality supposed to mean to the communist youth? These are questions that â€Å"Fresa y Chocolate† raises and helps answer. The other primary documents that this paper is written around are the writings of controversial gay Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas. This paper discusses some examples of the persecution that Arenas endured as a homosexual coming up during the Cuban Revolution. From physical attacks and censorship to arrests and imprisonment, Arenas symbolized to the Cuban revolutionary government the classic threat to the patriarchal state that the government feared and aimed to neutralize. Although writings from a persecuted homosexual in Cuba stand to possibly reflect certain biases, it is important to look at alternate points of view with the purpose of still supporting the basic arguments conveyed herein. For that reason, this paper will also discuss the works of writers such as Rafael L. Ramirez and Rafael Ocasio, who did not emerge from a situation similar to that of Arenas’s. Ocasio explains that Reinaldo Arenas initially expressed interest in the Cuban Revolution, having left home at the age of fifteen to become a guerilla fighter for Fidel Castro. (14) Arenas was rejected due to his young age and the fact that he had no firearms. His enthusiasm for supporting Castro eventually waned, however, and it was the sexual repression that Arenas encountered at his boarding school that began his discontent with the Castro regime. (17) Ocasio cites the reprisal that students faced if caught committing homosexual acts. In addition to expulsion, school officials also went as far as detailing the nature of student’s transgression in school records, thereby barring these homosexual students from other state-run schools. According to Ocasio, Arenas stated that arrest and incarceration could also result from certain instances of such activity. (17) This made Arenas aware of politically-related persecution of homosexuals as an adolescent. Systematic, state-sanctioned persecution of homosexuals is further exemplified by the nighttime roundups of homosexuals organized by Cuban police, a practice that traces back to 1961. The earliest documented case of this is known as the Night of the Three Ps (prostitutes, pimps, y pederasts). Gay playwright Virgilio Pinera was among those who were arrested. (Ocasio 24) These raids were purely politically-motivated, for as Salas explains, police targeted anything they found in these raids that appeared to be antisocial or non-conformist, including clothing or hairstyles deemed inappropriate. In support of this, Salas cites an instance in which a Young Communist League leader was arrested in one of the raids despite not being involved in any homosexual activity. Police targeted him because of his long hair, which was cut by authorities. The man was released once he confirmed his identity. (155) Homosexuals targeted in these raids were considered part of a greater antisocial element that the government sought to eliminate. Ocasio explains that while officials assigned prostitutes to schools where they could supposedly be rehabilitated, Castro stated that homosexuals would be barred from the possibility of having any influence in cultural life, schools, or the arts. (24) The aforementioned roundups of homosexuals organized by Cuban police had an affect on Cuba’s intellectual community, and was only one example of the Castro regime’s politically-inspired oppression. Various official statements were made by the Cuban government against homosexuals as part of a nationwide campaign promoting proper ethical policies that fostered acceptable revolutionary behavior. It was clear that writers such as Arenas and artists such as Pinera were not seen by the new regime as conducive to the political achievement to which the Cuban revolutionary government aspired. This is supported by Castro’s famous â€Å"Words to Intellectuals† speech, which Ocasio cites as the first official statement made by the Cuban revolutionary government that determined the boundaries within which revolutionary writers and artists were to operate: â€Å"What are the rights of writers and artists, revolutionary or not? In support of the Revolution, every right; against the Revolution, no rights. Homosexual persecution rooted in the Cuban revolutionary cause is indicative of the revolutionary government’s concept of what it referred to as the New Man. In Social Control and Deviance in Cuba, author Luis Salas discusses the state’s concept of the New Man as Cuba’s ideal revolutionary, which allows no place for a homosexual in the revolution. (166) According to Salas, such a question was clearly answered by Fidel Castro with the following statement: â€Å"Nothing prevents a homosexual from professing revolutionary ideology and consequently, exhibiting a correct political position. In this case he should not be considered politically negative. And yet we would never come to believe that a homosexual could embody the conditions and requirements of conduct that would enable us to consider him a true revolutionary, a true Communist militant. A deviation of that nature clashes with the concept we have of what a militant Communist must be. † Salas contends that to the Cuban revolutionary, the New Man represents strength, honor, and â€Å"connotes maleness and virility. †(166) Conversely, homosexuality is considered to represent weakness, a classically feminine trait. The strength needed to be a true revolutionary is something that the Cuban revolutionary government saw in the uncorrupted youth of Cuba. The youth of the nation was regarded by the state as â€Å"one of the most treasured possessions of the nation† that was expected contribute to the success of the revolution, and as such, was to be protected from â€Å"a group viewed as seducers of small children. †(167) This aforementioned political attitude with regards to homosexuals in relation to the communist youth of Cuba was reflected in the film â€Å"Fresa y Chocolate. † In the film, David is a young communist university student who initially views an older homosexual artist named Diego as someone who is to be avoided and not to be trusted. David’s roommate Miguel is even more militant in his revolutionary, homophobic stance, and resorts to using David to spy on Diego due to his belief that Diego is a danger to the revolutionary cause and thus cannot be trusted. Although Diego eventually befriends David, there is a mutual understanding between both characters of the dangers that such a friendship can pose to a young communist like David, and David makes it clear to Diego that they are not to be seen together in public. This depiction is indicative of the state’s effort to socialize its youth towards anti-homosexual sentiment by portraying homosexuals as political obstacles and enemies of the state in order to influence public opinion and sway political action in the government’s favor. As Leiner explains, homosexuality played a role in Cubas prerevolutionary tourism economy, for the widespread solicitation of male prostitutes by gay tourists contributed to the economy. Furthermore, the stratification of prerevolutionary Cuba also lured many heterosexual working-class men into the underworld of homosexual prostitution in order to earn a living. According to Leiner, the homosexual bourgeoisie largely controlled this underworld as did American organized crime, which managed the lucrative, but seedy occupational sector based on prostitution, drugs, and gambling. Such an aspect of prerevolutionary Cuban history is indicative of fears present among state officials in revolutionary Cuba, who perceived homosexuality as fertile ground for the re-emergence of American imperialism, the bourgeoisie, and classism in Cuban society. This is consistent with Lumsdens contention of revolutionary Cubas regulation of gender and sexuality in Cuba being a part of the state’s willingness to overcome underdevelopment and resist American efforts to prevent the revolution from succeeding. (xxi) According to Salas, gays were a remnant of capitalism in the eyes of the militant Cuban revolutionary. According to the Cuban government, the New Man was not motivated by the decadence and wanton lusts that characterize homosexuality, which the government believe was associated with the selfishness that marked capitalist societies. In a speech given on July 26, 1968, Fidel Castro characterized the revolution’s ideal New Man as possessing an altruistic and humanistic nature: â€Å"In a communist society, man will have succeeded in achieving just as much understanding, closeness, and brotherhood as he has on occasion achieved within the narrow circle of his own family. To live in a communist society is to live without selfishness, to live among the people, as if every one of our fellow citizens were really our dearest brother. † In addition to the idealism of Castro’s statement, there is also the character of the language behind his statement that is undoubtedly male as well as overwhelmingly exclusionary. The ideals promoted by Castro in the above excerpt can just as easily be prescribed to women for them to live by such ideals, but the â€Å"macho/socialist amalgam questioned whether male homosexuals could. †(Leiner 27) Leiner explains a study conducted by esteemed commentator Lourdes Casal, who analyzed the influence that the Cuban revolution had on Cuban literature. According to Leiner, Casal discovered a general disdain for homosexuals reflected in over 100 novels. Casal contended that the rejection of homosexuality was the rejection of femininity. Accusing a man of being a homosexual was to be considered an assault on that mans masculinity, and was considered synonymous with deeming that man a female who is devoid of strength and unworthy of holding power. (23) Such a meaning prescribed to the title â€Å"homosexual† underscores the nature of the Cuban governments patriarchal structure, in which power is directly associated with being a man both physically and sexually. Leiner also explains that in revolutionary Cuban society, the perception of homosexuality – and therefore, femininity – went beyond mere sexual preference. Physical weakness and lack of muscularity, a lack of interest in physical competition, the display of a quiet demeanor, or a gentle, nurturing or sensitive nature were enough to raise suspicion of homosexuality. According to Leiner, such qualities were perceived as weak and inferior, and therefore effeminate. The strong, abrasive, and competitive male was above suspicion of homosexuality. (22) The question of why homosexuals were perceived by the state as counter to the revolution remains partly unanswered. In addition to the Cuban government’s belief that homosexuals possessed undesirable qualities such as weakness, cowardice, and perversion, the state’s view of homosexuals as a danger to the institution that is the traditional family further compelled the state and the society it influenced to write homosexuals off as â€Å"antithetical to a socialist society. †(Leiner 25) Lesbian playwright Ana Maria Simo was jailed for four-and-a-half months in 1965 and also suffered shock treatment to correct her simply due to her associating with people who were suspected of being homosexual. She was not a lesbian at the time. She states that she and her friends were political individualists and anarchistic, and that is what bothered the government, not their being gay. (Ocasio 30) According to Leiner, lesbians were no cause of concern for the revolutionary government. Leiner states that Lourdes Casal found no mention, or even the vaguest hint of evidence of concern over lesbianism in either the pre- or post-revolutionary literary works that she analyzed. This is a manifestation of the Cuban government’s patriarchal structure in that the government’s complete absence of concern over the lesbianism in Cuba is indicative of the government’s â€Å"relegation of women as secondary, lesser others. (Leiner 23) Unlike homosexuals, lesbians posed no threat to the Cuban revolutionary cause, for the revolution never looked to women for signs of strength or power upon which the government could rely in order to ensure the success of the revolution. However, lesbians, even those who displayed overly masculine qualities, were still considered women just as homosexual males were, and both were deemed unqualified for revolutionary status by the state. Standards of gender and sexuality were prescribed and legitimized by the revolutionary state, thus criminalizing homosexuality. The government’s enforcement of its prescriptions has been carried out via formal as well as informal means. A prime example of a formal method of this enforcement is penal legislation. Such legislation involving homosexuality can be found in two sections of the Cuban statutes. In one section of the statutes, legislation involves the relation between homosexuality and the state’s concept of social dangerousness. Article 73 of the Cuban Penal Code regulates social dangerousness, and cites behavior deemed antisocial as its target. In Cuba, homosexuality has been legally deemed antisocial. (Salas 151) Lumsden cites the use of the word antisocial as a code to describe displays of homosexuality deemed ostentatious. (83) According to Salas, anti-homosexual legislation was considered a preventive measure, for the display of so much as even an attitude that authorities perceived as antisocial justified police intervention. (Salas 153) These laws stem from government fears, such as the fear of the threat that homosexuality poses to the traditional family structure. There is also the government’s fear of homosexuality hindering the success of the revolution, of which the fear of homosexuals corrupting the nation’s youth is a part. (Salas 154) The latter fear can explain homosexual males receiving much harsher punishments for having sex with underage boys compared to the punishments that males faced for having sex with underage females. (Lumsden 82) The fact that laws pertaining to homosexuality are in a section of the Penal Code that pertains to violations against sexual development and sexual relations that are considered normal is indicative of the state’s perception of homosexuality as a condition that is contagious and leads to pedophilia. For this reason, Article 317 also includes the act of propositioning an adult for homosexual sex in its permanent barring of convicted sex offenders from the teaching profession and any other field in which such an adult stands to have authority or potential influence over children. (Lumsden 84) Aside from the Cuban revolutionary government’s fears related to the issue of homosexuality, the eagerness of some government officials to enforce anti-homosexual law is also indicative of their determination to remain above suspicion of being homosexual for their own fear of legal and social reprisal at the hands of the government. Examples of this are provided by Reinaldo Arenas in his highly acclaimed autobiography Before Night Falls, in which he discusses various sexual encounters he had with homosexual government officials in Cuba. Arenas cited an incident in which a police officer with whom he had just had sexual intercourse actually arrested Arenas â€Å"for being queer. † â€Å"Perhaps he thought that by being the active partner he had not done anything wrong,† Arenas stated. This statement by Arenas is a clear reference to the commonly held perception of the active, penetrating partner in a sexual act between two men not being a homosexual because his dominant position is considered a product of masculinity and power. This perception is diametrically opposed to the perception of the penetrated partner, for this partner assumes a role that is subordinate to the dominant penetrator, thus representing the role of a woman. In Arenas’s aforementioned discussion of his arrest, he stated that at the police station, the arresting officer attempted to explain his arresting Arenas by falsely accusing Arenas of groping him. However, Arenas managed to prove the officer’s involvement in the homosexual act by quickly admitting to the other officers that he still had the officer’s semen on his body, thus making the officer the subject of much surprise and scorn from his colleagues and work superiors. As part of his account of this incident, Arenas alluded to the revolutionary government’s belief that it is not possible for a homosexual male to possess the qualities that makes a true revolutionary. At the same time, Arenas also made a reference to the belief of a homosexual male being equivalent to a woman: â€Å"They ended up saying it was a shame that a member of the police force would engage in such acts, because I, after all, had my weakness, but for him, being a man, there was no excuse for getting involved with a queer. † Because he managed to achieve a position as a police officer in the Cuban revolutionary government, which included a convincing display of the masculine traits that the Cuban government believed were instrumental to the composition of a true revolutionary, the police officer was undoubtedly a â€Å"man† in the eyes of the state, whereas Arenas was not. The engendering of the passive and active partner in homosexual intercourse is not exclusive to Cuban revolutionary society, however. In What It Means to Be a Man, Casper and Ramirez cite the bugarron, a term used in Puerto Rican society to describe a male who is always the one to penetrate the male partner, yet always considers himself heterosexual. The bugarron blatantly dismisses the notion of his partner’s masculinity, and confirms his partner as the â€Å"woman† of the situation by calling his partner names such as mujer, mami, mamita, or loca. (96) Furthermore, the bugarron’s â€Å"usage of sexuality is highly ritualized to conserve his manhood and avoid being questioned about it. †(Casper, Ramirez 97) The desire to only be a penetrator and never a recipient of penetration serves as a political metaphor. The perception of a penetrator as heterosexual and undeniably male is underscored by masculine traits such as strength and dominance. Pingueros, a name given to male prostitutes in Cuba who only penetrate and refuse to be penetrated, represent the conquering of foreign bodies when solicited by gay tourists. (Chant, Kraske 139) This representation mirrors the notion of Cuba not just fending off but successfully invading and â€Å"screwing back† the imperialist, capitalist nation that has – or might wish to – exploit Cuba for its own self-interests. Just like the concept of prescribing gender to an active and passive partner in sexual intercourse between two men was reached over time by way of changing attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions, attitudes and behaviors toward homosexuality in general changing over time is also to be considered. Cultures are not static; they change over time, as do the notions of gender and sexuality in a culture. (Casper, Ramirez 27) Over the past decades, Cuba has witnessed a certain degree of change in attitudes and actions toward homosexuality on behalf of Cuban society at large as well as on behalf of the state.