Thursday, November 28, 2019

Ancestry of Barack Obama - Fourth Generation

Ancestry of Barack Obama - Fourth Generation Barack Obama Family Tree, Generations 1-3 Fourth Generation (Great Grandparents): 8. Obama was born in Kendu Bay, Kenya 9. Nyaoke Obama had four wives, one of whom was Nyaoke. She fathered many children, of whom Onyango was the fifth son. 12. Ralph Waldo Emerson DUNHAM was born 24 December 1894 in Argonia, Sumner County, Kansas and died 4 October 1970 in Wichita, Sedgwick, Kansas. 13. Ruth Lucille ARMOUR was born in 1900 in Illinois and died (by suicide) on 25 November 1926 in Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kansas. Ralph DUNHAM and Ruth ARMOUR were married on 3 October 1915 in Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kansas and had the following children: i. Ralph Emerson DUNHAM, Jr., born 29 August 1916 (spouse Elizabeth Smith)6. ii. Stanley Armour DUNHAM The family is found living with Ruths parents in the 1920 federal census of Sedgwick County, Kansas. In 1930, Ralph Jr. and Stanley are with their maternal grandparents in Butler County, Kansas, while their father, Ralph Sr. was enumerated with his parents in Sedgwick County, Kansas. 14. Rolla Charles PAYNE was born 23 August 1892 in Olathe, Johnson County, Kansas and died in Kansas in October 1968. 15. Leona MCCURRY was born about May 1897 in Kansas. Rolla Charles PAYNE and Leona MCCURRY married in Kansas about 1922 and had the following children: 1. i. Madelyn PAYNEii. Charles Thomas PAYNE born in 1925.iii. Arlene PAYNE born about 1926.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Full Review Erica Meltzers Complete Guide to ACT Reading

Full Review Erica Meltzer's Complete Guide to ACT Reading SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Erica Meltzer’s test prep books have burst onto the test prep scene (if that wasn't a thing before, it is now) in the last few years, to great acclaim. She's published 2 books on the ACT: The Complete Guide to ACT English and The Complete Guide to ACT Reading (which is what I will be reviewing in this article). While Meltzer's books are high quality, they are not without their flaws, so read on to figure out whether or not this book is appropriate for you and if you should integrate it into your own ACT test prep. All shall be explained! Why Trust This Review? When you get advice (both in general and specifically on the Internet), it’s very important to know why that advice is trustworthy/believable. I don't want to sound alarmist, but your ACT score is pretty important, and following the wrong advice might lead to a bad score and loss of chance to improve it. So why can you trust this review (over other reviews?). Well, for one thing, I know what I'm talking about. While haven’t taken the ACT (yet), I scored two perfect scores on the reading section of the (2005-present) SAT, and have been doing in-depth analysis of the ACT questions by skill set and writing articles on each skill. Other writers who haven't done that sort of analysis don’t necessarily have the expertise to be able to differentiate between books, so they end up recommending books as kind of an afterthought (and it’s pretty obvious). In contrast to other sites (like about.com and reviews.com), who get money if you click on their links to purchase the books they review, I'm not getting paid for this review, and don’t get anything if you end up buying the book. Disclaimers Disclaimer the first: I work at PrepScholar, an education company that produces online SAT and ACT prep programs. PrepScholar diagnoses your strengths and weaknesses and customizes a test prep program to suit your needs. I myself mostly write and edit articles for the associated blog and grade the essays of students taking practice tests through the program. While I think that PrepScholar provides the best prep platform currently available, you don’t necessarily need a prep program to ace the ACT. Which means that writing this guide might actually lost us some customers, since you might decide you don’t need a program after all. If you decide you don’t want to have to deal with 5 different books and want an integrated program that is customized to your learning, however, PrepScholar might be just the thing for you. But I digress. Disclaimer the second: While I did not attend college at the same time as the author of this book, honesty compels me to admit that we did attend the same undergraduate institution. I don’t think this particularly influenced my review, but I wanted to be transparent about it.  ©2009 Laura Staffaroni You've got to admit that's some campus, though. The Complete Guide to ACT Reading: Book Review When thinking about and evaluating any (test prep) book, I consider the following three points: Who’s the author and what’s her experience/background? How effective is this book overall? What are the pros and what are the cons of this book? About the author: Erica Meltzer Erica Meltzer started out as a tutor, but has been publishing SAT and ACT prep books for the last few years. She graduated from Wellesley College, which is a highly prestigious college ranked #4 of all the liberal arts colleges in the country (as of the time of this article’s publication – there’re always fluctuations). Even though Meltzer's focus has been on writing, rather than tutoring, for the past few years, her books show a good deal of insight into the SAT and ACT. In addition, she and her company also offer tutor-training sessions for test prep tutoring. How effective is this book? From my own experience, I know that ACT Reading is the most difficult score to improve. The skills you need to master it (logical/critical reasoning skills) are not as easily taught as the content on the Writing and Math sections. This means that it’s important to focus in on different question types and the skills required so that you can approach the questions in a systematic way. Fortunately, this is the approach Meltzer takes in The Complete Guide to ACT Reading. This book teaches how to get at the core of what each question is asking and how to squeeze the right answer out of the passage. If you're aiming for a 36, this is great for comprehensive drilling. If you’re aiming for a 25 or below, however, this book is probably too thorough. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not always good to study from the hardest material. Why? In this case, because Meltzer focuses on strategies that are the most useful for high scorers, she does not cover strategies that would be more helpful for low or midrange scorers (compare, for instance, our articles on how to get a 36 on ACT Reading and how to improve a low ACT Reading score). Pros and Cons of The Complete Guide to ACT Reading Pros Good breakdown of most skill types. Meltzer has a clear division of questions by major skill type – big picture, detail, inference, tone questions. This makes it easy to dip in and out of the book – if there’s one particular type of question you have problems with, you can focus on that and ignore the other sections fairly easily. Realistic passages and questions. The questions in the book are of high quality, as are the (licensed) excerpts the passage-based questions ask about. Some acknowledgement of different skill levels. Meltzer discusses the strategy of dropping an entire section if you’re a slow reader and have problems with comprehension, and also describes playing â€Å"positive/negative† with tone questions as a means to narrow down. Suggested reading list (to prepare for ACT passages). These suggestions are useful not just for Reading skill practice but also for sources to use for your Writing essay (if you do the essay). Also, I've read Inside of a Dog and really enjoyed it, so some of the books might be interesting as well as educational! Includes two full-length reading sections at the end to practice with. Provides useful skimming strategies and tips for how to approach the passage. Cons Expensive for the amount of material you’re getting. The book is 120 pages, but the last 32 pages are all practice reading questions, and many pages are full reprints of sample reading passages, which means the actual "teaching" content of the book is on the shorter side. Dry writing style. There are no pictures and there's not much layout variety (there's a whole lot of text), so it might be difficult to get into. Basically, it’s no frills, which works for me (I don’t really need to spend hours of my life reading about ACT†¦Reading), but it might be difficult for some students to get through. No real discussion of which questions might be easier/more difficult to answer. Meltzer describes some question types as the â€Å"most challenging,† which does help somewhat, but she does not provide clear â€Å"this is the question you should try to answer first if you’re worried about points on Reading† guidelines, which I think would be helpful. Does not cover paired passages. It has become standard on every ACT Reading section for there to be at least one topic area (often Humanities) with two passages; the ten questions are divided between the passages, with 3 questions that ask about both passages. To be fair, there are barely any materials out there that cover this, including the ACT’s own website, but that doesn't mean that they should be left out of a prep book. Overall Rating As far as I have been able to determine, this is the best book currently out there for ACT Reading prep. If you’re planning on scoring a 31 or above on ACT Reading and prefer to study via book, then this is the right choice for you. It’s ridiculously expensive for the amount of content it contains, and it may be too thorough for some students, but it’s a great choice that can teach you a lot. Overall rating: 75/100 FACEBOOK LIKE by Owen W Brown, used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped from original. Alternative Options for ACT Reading Prep I would be remiss if I did not point out that we provide some great free options out there for ACT Reading prep on our blog. In addition to general strategy articles, we also break down Reading questions by skill type with focused suggestions for vocab in context, big picture, little picture, function and development, inference, and paired passage questions. What’s Next? Read our detailed guide to the Best ACT prep books of 2015 and our list of the best ACT Prep Websites you can use to put together your very own study program. What’s a good ACT score for you? Figure it out with our step-by-step guide based around the colleges you’re applying to. Aiming for a high score? Read our guide to scoring a perfect 36 on the ACT overall and on the ACT Reading section, written by our resident perfect scorer (and PrepScholar co-founder) Allen Cheng. Also, don’t forget to check out our top-of-the-class ACT prep program! Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Management of Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Management of Change - Essay Example However, several environmental changes such as global climate change and demographic changes pose greater risks to the effectiveness of Victoria State Emergency Service. There is an increasing shortage of volunteers. Increased demand for work, increasing costs of labor and diversification of the emergency management services. Victoria State Emergency Service will have to undergo change in order to attain comprehensive, coordinated and integrated emergency management capabilities. The agency must use innovative, professional and progressive approach to emergency management by ensuring high preparedness and excellent disaster mitigation services especially in the response and recovery cycle. The critical factors that have triggered change at the agency include the external environment that requires a change in the mission, leadership, operational strategies and culture of the emergency management agency. The current scenario at the organization has the likelihood of causing a decline i n overall performance, poor emergency services and conflict in the organization. Burke-Litwin Model of organizational performance and change can be used in diagnosing the need for change and making essential recommendations for the change at Victoria State Emergency Service. The model contains 12 organizational dimensions that determine how the performance of an organization is influence by the external and internal factors. The 12 dimensions include the external environment, mission and strategy, leadership, organizational culture, structure, systems, management practices, work unit climate, tasks and individual skills, individuals’ needs and values, motivation and finally individual and overall organizational performance (Burke, 2008). Some external drivers of change in the external environment include the changes in demography, technological changes, economic changes and climate change. Apart from the vision,

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Voting of Many But Not All Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Voting of Many But Not All - Essay Example After 9/11, the United States found itself at that point more than ever needing the elected officials in Washington to come together and work towards protecting the needs of the citizens at a time of the greatest uncertainty. With that being said, when it comes down for election time, the levels at which people come out and vote are not still at maximum capacity. As this is an election year, the statistics for this year will not be available until later on, but with all things considered, 2008 is appearing to be a year of stronger voting numbers. The question is how come voting numbers in recent elections have not been as strong as they may be now According to the US Census report from March 2006 in regards to the voting numbers for the 2004 general election, "In the Presidential election of November 2004, the sixty-four percent of voting-age citizens who voted was higher than the sixty percent who turned out in 2000. This was the highest turnout in a presidential election year since 1992, when sixty-eight percent of voting age citizens voted. The overall number of people who voted in the November 2004 election was 126 million, a record high for a presidential election year," Adding that, "Voter turnout increased by 15 million voters from the election in 2000. During this same 4-year period, the voting-age citizen population increased by eleven million people," ("Registration" p.1). In the same report, the Census shows that based on the 2004 reported totals, it appears that both males and females had roughly the same percentage of registration to vote. That would serve to put a hole in the idea that one gender votes more than the other, but not quite in that registering to vote, while it does show intent, cannot guarantee follow-through. The '06 report also details the statistics that native citizens are more inclined to vote than those who are foreigners, as well as that the older population does tend to vote at a higher rate than the younger population does. As it gets closer to election time, there are countless pushes made to get out the vote, especially the vote of the ever desirable 18-24 demographic. With organizations like Rock the Vote, young people are given countless opportunities to reach out and flex their civic muscle for the greater good. Their website states that, "Rock the Vote mobilizes young people to create positive social and political change in their lives and communities. The goal of Rock the Vote's media campaigns and street team activities is to increase youth voter turnout," ("Rock p.1). Assessing the information, the question could be asked that when it comes time to vote, do people even have all of the information which they need to make a responsible voting decision when they reach the polls The online website Wikipedia says that, "Modern political science has questioned whether average citizens have sufficient political information to cast meaningful votes," ("Voting" p.1). This is a question that in itself is the root of the final voting levels which are seen on Election Day. Many reasons can be given as to why this occurs. Voter apathy, lack of education, or even in the worst case scenario, voter intimidation which unfortunately has been accused of happening in recent years. A good example provided of how this can be true is the article by the website CommonDreams.org. In their article

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Having our say (racism) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Having our say (racism) - Essay Example Bessie being darker encountered harsher racism than Sarah. The sisters were different in life but they came from same family and never married and had respectable jobs. They went to same college and were extremely well educated. Bessie always stood for herself and resisted racism and white people. The sisters were hard working and chose career over marriage as they belonged to a poor background. Both these sisters faced racism early in their life. They were born out of a white father and a quarter black women but still were tagged as colored people. They had to face many obstacles from white men in their neighborhood. According to ( Delany 39)â€Å"In the decades after the Civil War, "education" became the rallying cry of those seeking to improve the lot of former slaves, whose prospects were limited usually to hard labor in the fields or to domestic work in white peoples homes†. Bessie being bold to respond to criticism was strong willed while Sadie was calm. They understood not to mess with me from the first day itself (Delany 9) Bessie when confronted by a drunken white man she responded harshly .When she saw the seating arrangement in a drinking place she feels resentment on the division for white and black people. They also face racism at work place but overcome it. They achieved their goals steadily despite facing discrimination and prejudices. Sadie being lighter in complexion was non aggressive to racism. She was the first black women to be a teacher by not disclosing her black ethnicity to the employer. Bessie being proud and emotional was opposite to Sadie who was calm and easy going. The racism is a dark side of American history which exists still in a milder manner. These sisters is a proud icons of American which shows that nothing is an obstacle if there is will to achieve what one wants in life. Growing in a poor and racist atmosphere they achieved what they wanted. They became well

Friday, November 15, 2019

Platelet Rich Plasma-platelet Concentrate (PRP-PC) Analysis

Platelet Rich Plasma-platelet Concentrate (PRP-PC) Analysis Quality assessment of platelet concentrates prepared at Dr. Pinnameneni Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Foundation Dr. Anusha A.M Background Platelet rich plasma-platelet concentrate (PRP-PC) were prepared and their quality variables were evaluated. Material and methods In this study platelet products were prepared using platelet rich plasma method. After preparation the products were transferred to platelet incubator and agitated. Their quality was assessed after 24 hours of preparation using the following parameters: volume of the platelet concentrate, platelet count, RBC contamination, morphology and pH. Results Volume 90% of the RDP was weighing between 50 to 70 ml, 4% below 50 and 6% above 70 ml. The count correlated well in both the methods and 85% of RDP had a count of above 5.5 x 1010, 15% had below 5 x 1010. Ph: 56% of the RDP had of 6.3 to 6.5, 33% had 6.6 to 7.0 and 6% at 6.2 and 5% above 7.0. Appearance: 86% was light straw colored, 3% light pint, 6% pink and 5% red. Conclusion During the storage of platelet concentrates there is progressive loss in capacity of survival and function of platelets. In order to maximize the preservation of platelet viability it is best to allow PRP to repose at room temperature for 1-2 hours and then transfuse as soon as possible. To maximize the therapeutic values of platelet concentrates quality control is essential and helps to identify trouble shooting in procedures. In conclusion more than 95% of the RDPs prepared meet the standard. Keywords:Platelet rich plasma-platelet concentrate, quality parameters, platelet count Introduction Transfusion medicine has over the years evolved to assume a complex medical discipline that aided or modified patient care. Blood donation culture has not been fully imbibed in our society and homologous blood is usually in short supply in the blood banks with its attendant consequences in patient management1. Platelet transfusion therapy has played an important role in the management of patients 2,3]. Today, platelet concentrates are prepared from whole blood either by differential centrifugation buffy coat-derived platelet concentrates (BC) or by platelet rich plasma- platelet concentrates (PRP-PC) and plateletpheresis (4,5). There are several methods for quality control of platelet components including cell counting, pH, volume and morphology.[6.7.8]. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of platelets during the storage of platelet concentrates derived from PRP-PCs and whether patients got adequate therapeutically useful amount of platelets. Materials and Methods The present study was conducted at blood bank, PSIMS RF, Andhra Pradesh, India. The study was carried out on 100 patients. Platelet products were prepared from whole blood using platelet rich plasma method. After preparation these were stored in platelet incubator and agitated. Their quality was assessed after 24 hours of preparation using the following parameters: volume of the platelet concentrate, platelet count, RBC contamination, morphology and pH. For the study, samples were taken from the segment of tubing in the platelet concentrate bag to maintain sterility inside the bag. Volume The volume of the platelet concentrates were measured by deducting the volume of the empty bag from the volume of the platelets concentrate bag in ml. The measurements were recorded. pH p H of the platelet concentrate units were checked by the use of semi-quantitative dipsticks ( Bayers multistix strips) Total Platelet Count Platelet count was done by 2 methods Automated method by using fully automated analyzer Sysmex KX-21 to assess the quality o the platelets. Counting was based on impedance technology. Manual method using counting chamber. RBC contamination Platelet concentrate unit was checked by visual inspection or various colours. Morphology Morphology was analyzed by staining smear by leishman stain. Results 1. Volume 95% of PRP-PC was weighing between 55 to 75 ml and 5% below 55. pH 76% of the PRP-PC had of 6.3 to 6.5, 20% had 6.6 to 7.0 and 4% below 6.3. Total Platelet Count The count correlated well in both the methods and 90% of PRP-PC had a count of above 5.0 x 1010 and 10% below 5 x 1010. 4. RBC contamination 92% was light straw colored, 4% light pint and 4% pink. Morphology 94% of the platelets were discoid, 4% spherical and 1% fragmented. Discussion The potential of transfused platelets to circulate and function is dependent on ex-vivo and in-vivo factors. The percentage of platelets that maintain discoid form is a primary and simple indicator for the quality of the stored platelet concentrates. PCs been gently prepared and then immediately transfused without a storage interval have high retrieval, good survival and conserved function. Quality assessment of platelet concentrates is an important step to evaluateex-vivofunctional viability of platelet concentrates and post transfusion recovery and survival in donee. Various variables are used for routinequality assessment of platelet concentrates such as volume, platelet count, morphology, RBC contamination and pH. Conclusion During storage, platelet concentrates gradually lose the capacity to survive and function. In order to preserve platelet viability, PRP should be allowed to rest at room temperature, for 1-2 hours and transfused as soon as possible thereafter. There is a need to improve the quality of the platelet concentrates being prepared to get maximum therapeutic values. Doing quality control is essential and it is not only valuable in itself but also helps in identify trouble shooting of the procedures. In conclusion more than 95% of the PRP-PC prepared met the standards. References Olaitan PB, Onah I I, Ogbonnaya I S. Preliminary reports of autologous blood transfusion in a plastic surgery unit. Tropical Doctor.2006; 36: 20-21 Snyder EL, Hezzey A, Katz AJ, Bock J (1981) Occurrence of the release reaction during preparation and storage of platelet concentrates. Vox Sang 41:172-177. Heaton WA, Rebulla P, Pappalettera M, Dzik WH (1997) A comparative analysis of different methods for routine blood component preparation. Transfus MedRev 11:116-129. Fijnheer R, Pietersz RN, de Korte D, Gouwerok CW, Dekker WJ, et al. (1990)Platelet activation during preparation of Platelet Concentrate: A comparison of Platelet Rich Plasma and the buffy coat methods. Transfusion 30: 634-638. Jerad S, Prane K (1997) The Platelet Storage lesions. Transfusion Medicine Reviews 2: 130-144. Dijkstra-Tiekstra MJ, Pietersz RN, Huijgens PC (2004) Correlation Between the extent of platelet activation in platelet concentrates and in vitro and in vivo parameters. Vox Sang 87: 257-263. Kamath S, Blann AD, Lip GY (2001) Platelet activation: assessment andquantification. Eur Heart J 22: 1561–1571. Albanyan AM, Murphy MF, Rasmussen JT, Heegaard CW, Harrison P (2009)Measurement of phosphatidylserine exposure during storage of platelet concentrates using the novel probe lactadherin: a comparison study with annexin V. Transfusion 49: 99-107. Rinder HM, Smith BR. In vitro evaluation of stored platelets: Is there hope for predicting post-transfusion platelet survival and function?Transfusion.2003;43:2–6 Holme S. Storage and quality assessment of platelets.Vox Sang.1998;74:207–16.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Origin Of Surnames :: essays research papers

Origins of Surnames   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In today’s society we all want to know who we are and where our names originated from. Our names are what give each of us our own style and individuality, the importance of style and individuality can be related back to our original surnames. Our surnames have come from all areas of the world, each with specific meanings to our family. Surnames or last names have an important meaning to all of us, they give us identity through our family’s history. Looking back into history our names have changed drastically, keeping some people from knowing how their surnames really originated. Surnames originated early in history and did so for many reasons.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first knowledge of surnames was in the biblical times, they used names that went by geography, for example â€Å" Corey of Carlisle.† The actual use of surnames originated in Europe, and in some Scandinavian areas, in the eleventh and fifteenth century by small villages. The reason that no surnames were used before this time was the fact that most people were illiterate, living in small villages in a country atmosphere. Living out in the country these people had no reason to learn to read or write, because their lives were lived off the land. They did not need surnames to signify who they we’re or what they did. In these small villages they went by their first names, people all had different first names, so they did not need surnames to tell people apart. But when the population of the villages grew, it became important to have surnames to identify two people with the same name. The use of surnames showed social class, culture, tradition and, the jobs they worked.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The forming of surnames first came from other names by which someone was called. The name â€Å"Johnson† originated from â€Å"the son of John,† and the same goes with my last name â€Å"Richardson.† In some countries they would use their mothers first name for a surname, such as â€Å"Paige.† Jimmy Paige, from the band Led Zeppelin, could say his surname originated this way. Other origins of surnames came from places and geographical names. The surname â€Å"England† or â€Å"Penn† show this quality. Obviously England is a country and Penn is shortened from Pennsylvania. Surnames like â€Å"Smith† ( as in blacksmith ) and â€Å"Carpenter† ( one who works with wood ) come from the jobs that these people held.