Friday, March 20, 2020

Between vs. Among

Between vs. Among Between vs. Among Between vs. Among By Maeve Maddox The preposition between is from an Old English word related to the word two. It denotes a position between two things: The guard stood between the door and the street. Just between you and me, Im surprised that a graduate of Yale wouldnt speak better English. The preposition among derives from an Old English word meaning to mix or to mingle. Use among when speaking about more than two things: We wandered among the poppies, looking for the road to Oz. Lets keep this information among ourselves. A common error is to use between where among is more appropriate: I was one of eight brothers. Our parents never made any difference between us. Better: Our parents never made any difference among us. Here are some quotations from newspapers: storefronts in downtown Robersonville in North Carolina, one of 26 states where deaths now outnumber births among white people. (www.nytimes.com) Condom use is declining among sexually active teens, a federal survey found. (www.nytimes.com) sounded the alarm about the use of benzodiazepines among older adults. Often called â€Å"benzos,† the problem drugs include Valium (diazepam), Klonopin (clonazepam), (www.nytimes.com) SEOUL, South Korea – A top lieutenant of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is in the United States conducting one of three sets of parallel talks aimed at salvaging a summit between Kim and President Donald Trump. usatoday.com Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:60 Synonyms for â€Å"Walk†Excited ABOUT, not "for" The Difference Between e.g. and i.e.?

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Benefits of Canadas Plastic Currency

Benefits of Canadas Plastic Currency Canada is trading in its paper currency for plastic. No, not credit cards, actual plastic money. Sometime late in 2011, the Bank of Canada replaced the nations traditional cotton-and-paper bank notes with currency made from a synthetic polymer. Canada purchases its plastic money from a company in Australia, one of nearly two dozen countries where a plastic currency is already in circulation. New Imagery for New Currency The first polymer-made currency released was the $100 bill, released in 2011 and adorned by the 8th Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden.The new $50 and $20 bills followed in 2012, the latter featuring Queen Elizabeth II. The $10 and $5 bills were released in 2013. Beyond the figurehead, the bills feature a number of interesting design elements. These include an astronaut, the research icebreaker ship CCGS Amundsen, and the word Arctic spelled out in Inuktitut, an indigenous language. Scientific research and innovation are especially well represented on the $100 bill, with depictions of a researcher sitting at a microscope, a vial of insulin, a DNA strand, and an electrocardiogram printout, commemorating the invention of the pacemaker. Practical Benefits of Plastic Currency Plastic money lasts anywhere from two to five times longer than paper money and performs better in vending machines. And, unlike paper currency, plastic money doesnt shed tiny bits of ink and dust that can disable ATMs by confusing their optical readers. Polymer bills are much more complicated to counterfeit. They include a number of security features including difficult-to-copy transparent windows, hidden numbers, metallic holograms, and text printed in a minuscule font. Plastic money also stays cleaner and becomes less grubby than paper money, because the non-porous surface doesnt absorb perspiration, body oils, or liquids. In fact, the plastic money is virtually waterproof, so the bills wont be ruined if they are left in a pocket by mistake and end up in the washing machine. Actually, plastic money can take a lot of abuse. You can bend and twist plastic currency without damaging it. The new plastic money is also less likely to spread disease because its harder for bacteria to cling to the slick, non-absorbent surface. Canada will also pay less for its new plastic money. While the plastic bank notes cost more to print than their paper equivalents, their longer life means Canada will end up printing far fewer bills and save a substantial amount of, well, money in the long run. Environmental Benefits All in all, it looks like plastic money is good for the government and good for consumers. Even the environment could end up cashing in on the trend toward plastic currency. It turns out plastic money can be recycled and used to manufacture other plastic products such as compost bins and plumbing fixtures. A life-cycle assessment commissioned by the Bank of Canada determined that over their entire life cycle, the polymer bills are responsible for 32% fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and 30% reduction in energy need. Yet, the benefits of recycling are not exclusive to plastic money. For the past several years, various companies have been recycling worn-out paper currency and using the recycled material in products ranging from pencils and coffee mugs to, ironically  and  appropriately, piggy banks.

Sunday, February 16, 2020

International Student Support Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

International Student Support - Essay Example This research demonstrated that students from United Arab Emirates had little choice or input in the choice of course and college, and this affected the ability to motivate themselves for the course. Some of these students probably have no interest in learning English, and the research shows that there is a preference to learn more practical subjects such as engineering as they would be immediately useful in their home country. . The students from the United Arab Emirates are also restricted by their respective armies in terms of movement, and this restricts their ability to integrate with other students. For instance, the other part-time students will have experienced similar processes from pre-arrival to induction and this process would have allowed them to construct relationships. The part-time students are also able to work, and this experience increases their use of the English language as they are using it in the practical context. Therefore, the lack of integration and choice is severely hampering the ability of the UAE students to access the college's service support. Table of Contents Introduction The research on which this report is based concentrates on international students from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who are currently enrolled on programmes that focus on teaching the English Language. This group has been selected because of the unique enrolment process they undertake. They also constitute a significant proportion of full-time English language students at Salisbury College. Most of these students are this college as it has been chosen by the military organisation they represent, and therefore they have had no choice in the selection. Salisbury College is one of twelve colleges that receive army personnel for technical training through a private army contract. These students' first language is Arabic and they were selected in their respective states for tuition at this college. As the choice to attend Salisbury College was not an individual choice, these students have not gone through the normal application route, which would have involved contact with Student Services, which would have helped them arrange their visas, police registration and other details. Instead this has all been centrally, and all they had to do was to get on a plane and attend lessons. As a result of the omission of this important step, these students are presenting with a different set of issues when compared to other international students. For instance, they feel isolated because their English is noticeably poorer than other students, and this probably stems from the lack of integration and socialising which would have been arranged by the college's Student Services. They feel no arrangements have been made to involve them with

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Improving the Application Availability with ISO 9001 Research Paper

Improving the Application Availability with ISO 9001 - Research Paper Example This paper will address the aspects of ISO 9001 that serve to improve the performance of applications. 2. Introduction The current times can be termed as the technological era where software and application development has greatly improved the mode of business. However, the development of software to fulfill some specific need is not the sole purpose of the matter. The quality and reliability of the software also play vital roles in the provision of any service. It is due to this reason that several standards and guidelines have been formulated to judge the productivity and quality of any software. ISO 9001 is one of such standards that can provide complete guidance for production and maintenance processes. The conformance to the standard facilitates the improvement of the application availability. 3. Research Methods Descriptive approach has been adapted in the research study of the respective title. The requirements of the ISO 9001 standard have been studied and their impact on the productivity of the resultant service and application. An ISO 9001 compliant IT company was chosen to further investigate the impact of the adoption of the respective standard on the quality of products and services. 4. Analysis ISO 9001 is a comprehensive set of guidelines that form the basis of compliance for any organization that wishes to become certified with these standards. ISO 9001 focuses on the formulation of a quality management system that helps the organization to fulfill the requirements of the customers in an effective manner. These standards are regularly revised by the International Standards Organization to ensure that they comply with the continuing changes in the markets trends and technologies. The latest version of ISO 9001:2008 has lessened the main categories from 25 to only 5. According to International Organization for Standardization (2011), the 5 main clauses are; Quality Management System Management Responsibilities Resource Management Product Realizati on Measurement analysis and improvement 4.1 Analysis of an ISO 9001 Compliant Company Amadeus is a well renowned solution provider for the travel industry for the effective management of services. They are known to provide the solutions to some of the well known names in the travel industry. According to Amadeus IT Group SA (2008); the company has possessed a continuing commitment to the incorporation of technology in their business processes and operations; this earned them the ISO 9001:2000 certification in 2000. Amadeus has been one of the first companies of its kind to realize the importance of complying with the ISO standards and finally attained it in the beginning of the present century. They improved their services and infrastructure to comply with the standards of the certification. As a result of the compliance, their systems and customer service witnessed many benefits. The standard has facilitated the development and maintenance of solutions that are able to improve the operations of their clients’ businesses, increase their productivity and profits, earn greater market share etc. 5. Argument Approaches According to Microsoft Corporation (n.d.); application availability is considered to be the promptness of a software or platform to cater to the demands of the user with the desired reply or results. High application

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Quantum Phase Transition Between U(5) and O(6) Limits

Quantum Phase Transition Between U(5) and O(6) Limits Critical Exponents of Quantum Phase Transition Between U(5) and O(6) Limits of Interacting Boson Model Abstract In this paper, Landau theory for phase transitions is shown to be a useful approach for quantal system such as atomic nucleus. A detailed analysis of critical exponents of ground state quantum phase transition between U(5) and O(6) limits of interacting boson model is presented. Keywords: Landau theory, quantum phase transition, critical exponents, dynamical symmetry limits. PACS: 24.10.Pa; 21.60.Fw; Introduction Studying the behavior of nuclear matter under extreme conditions of temperature and density, including possible phase transitions, is one of the most interesting subjects in recent years. Drastic changes in the properties of physical systems are called phase transitions which these properties have been characterized by order parameters. Phase transitions occur as some of parameters, i.e. control parameters, which have constrained system, are varied. Temperature-governed phase transitions in which the control parameter is temperature,, have been known for many years [1]. Landau theory of phase transitions [2-3] was formulated in the late 1930s as an attempt to develop a general method of analysis for various types of phase transitions in condensed matter physics and especially in crystals .It relies on two basic conditions, namely on (a) the assumption that the free energy is an analytic function of an order parameter and on (b) the fact that the expression for the free energy must ob ey the symmetries of the system. Condition (a) is further strengthened by expressing the free energy as a Taylor series in the order parameter. For fluid systems, as we become close to the critical point, some of the quantities of system are related to the temperature asfor some exponents of. The similar behaviors may be seen not as a function of temperature but as a function of some other quantities of system, e.g.. These exponents,, are called critical exponents and naturally defined as [4]. Some basic critical exponents in thermodynamics have been employed to describe the evolution of considered systems near the critical points [5-6]. Quantum Phase Transition in the Interacting Boson Model (IBM) In nuclear physics, quantum phase transitions, sometimes called zero temperature or ground-state phase transitions can be studied most easily with using algebraic techniques that associate with a specific mathematical symmetry with different nuclear shapes. Interacting Boson Model (IBM) as the most popular algebraic model in description of nuclear structures was proposed in 1975 by Iachello and Arima to describe the collective excitations of atomic nuclei [7-10]. In this model, nucleons in an even-even isotope are divided into an inert core and an even number of valence particles. These particles are then considered as coupled into two kinds of bosons that may carry either a total angular momentum 0 or 2, and are respectively called the s and d-bosons. The bilinear operator that may be formed with s and d-boson creation and annihilation operators close into the U(6) algebra whose three possible subgroup chain match with the U(5), SU(3) and SO(6) solution of the Bohr Hamiltonian, i.e. respectively with spherical, axially deformed and ÃŽ ³-unstable shapes. It is of great interest to be able to describe the evolution of considered systems near the critical points. Lets consider a general form of IBM Hamiltonian as [7] where is the d boson number operator and, i.e.explores the quadrupole interaction. Also, other terms of Hamiltonian are This general Hamiltonian can describe three dynamical symmetry limits with different values of constants, i.e.,ands. We must consider a transitional Hamiltonian to describe the critical exponents at the critical point of phase transition. To this aim, we propose the following schematic Hamiltonians for transition [11,21] Where we have introducedand. The limit of IBM is recovered viaandreproduces the limit. It means one can describe a continuous, e.g. second-order shape phase transition by changing between these two limits. On the other hand, classical limit of transitional Hamiltonian, Eq.(3), is obtained by considering its expectation value in the coherent state [12-14 ] Whereis the boson vacuum state,andare the creation operators of s and d bosons, respectively andcan be related to deformation collective parameters,,and. The energy surface which follows from expectation value of transitional Hamiltonian in the coherent state, Eq.(4), is given by Critical point of considered transitional region have obtained via [15] condition which gives in this case. We show the dependence of energy surface on the order parameter,, above and below of the critical point of phase transition, xcritical, in Figure1. In phase transition from, i.e. spherical limit, to, namely,-unstable limit, one sees that, the evolution of energy surface goes from a pureto a combination ofand that has a deformed minimum. At the critical point of this transition, energy surface is a pure. These results interpret thatcondition corresponds approximately to a ‘‘very à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡at energy surface’’, similar to what have happened for the E(5) critical point [ 16], i.e. critical point of transitional region. The typical behavior of the order parameter,, at a phase transition is shown in Figure 2. Hereis small and close to xcritical and we assume that energy surfaces can be expanded around Or can be rewritten in the form The behavior of, near the critical point is determined by the signs of the coefficients. The coefficientswhich are functions of, are written as functions of the dimensionless quantity,, where. Stable systems have on both sides of; therefore is represented only as. The condition for stability is that, must be a minimum as a function of. From Eq. (7), this condition may be expressed as where terms aboveare presumed negligible near [17]. For , only real root is; on the other hand, for, the rootcorrespond to a local maximum, and therefore not to equilibrium. The other two roots are found to be. Consequently, our analysis predicts, the equilibrium order parameter near the critical point should depend on theas which means, critical exponent for order parameter is.The behavior ofis depicted in Figure 3 which is in perfect agreement with general predictions derived in Ref.[2]. On the other hand, a very sensitive probe of phase transitional behavior is the second derivatives of the ground state energy (per boson) with respect to the control parameters [18] ( allwithare kept constant). In the above discussed thermodynamic analogyis replaced by the equilibrium value of the thermodynamic potential. In our descriptions, by use of Eq. (7), ground-state energies are forand respectively. From Eq. (11) the specific heats are These results propose any dependence of C oneither above or below ofand therefore, the values for the specific heat exponents are both zero. Also, this result suggests a discontinuity in the heat capacity in the phase transition point which in the agreement by Landau’s theory .We have represented the behavior of specific heat in Figure 3 which one can find that it has a jump at the critical point. The classification of phase transitions that we follow in this paper and that is followed traditionally in the IBM is the Ehrenfest classification [17,19]. In Ehrenfest classification, first order phase transitions appear when there exist a discontinuity in the first derivate of the energy with respect to the control parameter. Second order phase transitions appear when the second derivative of the energy with respect to the control parameter displays a discontinuity. It can be seen from Figure 4 that first derive of the energy surface has a king at xcritical. This corresponds to a second order phase transition, as the second derivate is discontinuous. In order to identify other critical exponents, according to the Landau theory, by use of Eq.(7), the potential energy surface becomes as[4,20] Where,, represents the contribution of intensive parameter,, for points off the coexistence curve. The equilibrium equation of state is which cause to (for any small) On the other hand, it reduces to its former representation for. The susceptibility may be found as it introduced in Ref.[ 4,20] , namely, Forwhich we haveand consequently we get , which gives the critical exponent equal to 1. Forwith, Eq.(13) gives and therefore or the critical exponent equal to 1. Along the critical isotherm, i.e. in the phase transition point, namely, andwhich this means, critical exponent is equal to 3. table 1 summarize the values of the critical exponents. Our results, i.e. behavior of order parameter about critical point, discontinuity of the second order derivative of energy respect to order parameter, suggest a second order shape phase transition between U(5) and O(6) limits of IBM. Also, critical exponent and their capability to describe the order of quantum phase transition may be interpreted a new technique to explore shape phase transitions in complex systems. TABLE 1 Critical exponents of ground state quantum phase transition between and limits. Exponent definition values of the critical exponents Order parameter Specific heat Susceptibilityfor 1 for =1 Critical isotherm 3. Summary and conclusion In this contribution, we show that,shape phase transition are closely related to Landau theory of phase transition and explore some of the analogies with thermodynamics. Also, a detailed analysis of the critical exponents of ground state quantum phase transition is presented. We find that, critical exponents in two frameworks are similar. Based on a discontinuity in the heat capacity in the phase transition point, we can conclude the order of the phase transition. Figures Figure1. Energy surface of transitional Hamiltonian. Different panels describe dependence of energy surfaces on the order parameter,, above and below of phase transition point, xcritical. Figure 2.Typical behavior of order parameter,, at a second order phase transition. Figure3. Equilibrium deformation,for second order phase transition (a) and (b) specific heat of the ground state. Figure4. Variation of energy surface and its first derivative respect to order parameter. Figure 1. Figure 2. Figure 3. Figure4.

Friday, January 17, 2020

Most prized possesion Essay

Out of all the material items I possess, I would have to call my first car my one true prized possession. Veronica, as I often refer to her is rusty black and has more than a few bruises. Pretty much a replica of the stereotypical teenager’s first car. Possessions like these often are seen as junk to the rest of the world, but in one person’s heart it remains an invaluable treasure. For myself, I was lucky enough to find that one hidden gem in a 1998 Ford Contour. In my eyes it will be forever priceless because it is not the exterior value of the car that matters, but the long road of experience it has carried me on. My car has taught me more than I expected in such a short time, but above all it has given me memories, a feeling of responsibility, and taught me that hard work pays off. As with most material items, certain memories tend to latch onto the object and are able to transport one back to a better time and place just by looking at it. Even though it is only a year old (at least in my possession), it seems as if it already carries a lifetime of memories. It treated me well through a timeless summer, the final summer before college becomes a true reality. Car rides filled with music pulsing, friends laughing, and road trips taken will never be forgotten. It has seen its share of sandy beaches and bright blues skies, as well as torrential downpours and yet has never failed me once. If I ever needed to get away from my sometimes chaotic and frustrating household, the car has allowed me to finally have some form of escape after eighteen long years. So this car has quite literally been with me through everything in this past year, and I will always remember it for the freedom it has granted me for the first time in my life. It even holds promises of even better memories in the future. I can almost guarantee things are going to get hectic at times and circumstances are going to change more than once, but through it all my car will remain the one constant. The tangible mass that is the car is enough to remind me of all I went through to finally get to this point in my life. This fact is what makes my car so special, because no price tag can be put on an unforgettable memory. The newfound responsibility that this car has given me also is what makes it  invaluable. Owning something monumental like a vehicle comes with a certain sense of pride and self-accomplishment, but that same feeling can be taken away in an instant if you do not act responsibly. The freedoms that come with a car unfortunately do not come without their restrictions. There are state laws, parking rules, and probably most important, the parental rules. If these limitations are not taken seriously, many young drivers will find that their feeling of independence is short lived, myself included. I have learned that a great deal of hard work and effort can all be a waste of time if you don’t remain responsible after you have reached your goal. One must become independent and own up to their actions, whether good or bad. This new characteristic of responsibility will carry on to all other aspects of my life and I can thank my experience as a car owner for that. Finally, my car has taught me a valuable lesson of dedication that I will never forget. Never before had I worked so hard to get something that I wanted. Without help from my parents to pay for a car, I spent months and months of job hours busing tables to pay for something I could call my own. Two thousand five hundred dollars later, for the first time in my life I have something that is 100% mine. This feeling of pride and ownership is something I truly value, a feeling I would have never experienced without the vehicle. This over year-long process of saving money and doing hard, manual labor has taught me a lesson that has always seemed abstract up to this point in my life. The car is now tangible proof to me that hard work eventually does pay off and has its rewards if you stay dedicated. It is this lesson that will always stick with my car and with myself and is what makes it one of my prized possessions. In all reality, I know I won’t have the same car for the rest of my life. Eventually I will move on to bigger and better things, as all people seem to do in this new world, and my car will become just another piece of junk on the side of the road. This doesn’t mean the memories and lessons the car has given me will become any less important. They will forever remain special in my mind and even though the car won’t be there to remind me of them, I will take these lessons with me wherever I go.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Does Home Ownership Impair An Individuals Labor Market...

Does home ownership impair an individual s labor market outcome? Some early works suggest that home owners change their locations of residence less often than renters and, thus, home owners are immobile and less flexible. Nickell (1997) found that countries in which citizens are not shackled by the chain of permanent residence (flexible mobility) have relatively high employment rates. This point is also illustrated by Hughes and McCormick (1987), who examined links between housing policies, job mobility and unemployment in the UK. They found that UK housing policies, which seek to reduce spatial mobility, caused an inflexible, inefficient labor outcome in the UK Despite few previous studies on the relationship between home ownership and†¦show more content†¦had the highest unemployment rate in the industrial world, as well as a relatively high home ownership rate. Oswald observed that since 1950s, unemployment rates have risen the fastest in the nations that experienced a relatively high growth in home ownership rate. Also, he found a strong positive correlation between the growth of home ownership and unemployment across the states of the U.S. between 1970 and 1990. He concluded that a higher rate of owner-occupation might therefore be an important factor contributing to higher unemployment rates, a factor which had previously been omitted in empirical studies of unemployment. Oswald s explanation to his observation was that home ownership causes labor immobility, triggering the labor market inefficiency. Selling a home and moving is expensive. Higher moving costs associated with home owners therefore make them less mobile than ren ters. Given this limitation of spatial or labor immobility, an unemployed home owner struggles to find an occupation for which he is ideally suited. This may produce labor inefficiency in the labor market. Although many of macro evidence support Oswald s arugument, Oswald generally drew more opposition than support for his ideas, when scholars used microeconomic data to reject the negative effect of home ownership on employment rate. Flatau et al (2003), Coulson and Fisher (2003, 2007),