Sunday, August 2, 2020
Revolutionary Technologies at TechCrunch DisruptNY
Revolutionary Technologies at TechCrunch DisruptNY TechCrunch DisruptNY 2016 was an absolutely amazing experience. For five days I hung out with startup founders, venture capitalists, hackers, journalists, tech bloggers, and fellow student entrepreneurs. I listened to CEOs, celebrities, investors, and visionaries talk about their companies and the future of their industries. Sadly, Disrupt fell on the same weekend as MITs historic centennial Moving Day celebration, so Ill always regret that I missed what was literally the party of the century, but Im still thankful to have attended Disrupt and to have made new friendships in the startup community from cities all over the US. Getting to Disrupt was quite the story. Tickets were a couple thousand dollars. But, my friends and I found out that you could obtain tickets for free if you participated and placed in the TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon the weekend before. Tickets to the hackathon were going by fast, as the first round sold out eight minutes after it was announced. So, I made a script that would text me an alert as soon as the next round of tickets were announced. A week later it went off and I immediately dropped everything to purchase them. Only after finishing my purchase and breathing a sigh of relief did I realize that I registered myself as Erick Erick. Luckily, I got that fixed before they printed out a badge for me that had my first name on it twice. Going home to New Jersey was fun. I got to spend time with my family whenever I wasnt at Disrupt. From my house each morning I went to the train station, took it a few stops, switched to another train, took it to Penn Station, switched over to the Metro, took it to downtown Brooklyn, then finally switched over to a bus to get to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal where Disrupt was. So yeah, that was annoying and took two hours, but worth it. TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon My first ever hackathon was exactly how I imagined it: 24 hours straight of hundreds of people huddled around different tables all either coding or messing around with hardware, sponsoring companies offering prizes for use of their APIs, and copious amounts of energy drinks, caffeine, and junk food all day. Next morning was the pitch competition and awards ceremony, with over 100 consecutive minute-long pitches from every participating team. There were some very interesting projects, with the top three winners being AlexaSite, a service that lets you code websites with just your voice, Bumperz, a collision avoidance technology for your car, and Hungry Host, an app that tells what you can cook up with whatever you currently have in your fridge. TechCrunch Disrupt Conference The conference started at 9 am on Monday morning. The main area was divided into Startup Battlefield, Startup Alley, and Partners/Sponsors. In the Startup Battlefield aisles, 20 startups showcased their products and later in the day pitched on stage in front of a panel of judges to compete for $50,000. In Startup Alley, over 100 interesting and innovative startups promoted their products over the course of the three days. Each day the audience could vote for a wildcard from the Startup Alley to pitch and compete on stage with the other startups in Startup Battlefield. There was no sign of Pied Piper, but I did get to talk to companies that were working on technologies just as revolutionary. Artveoli made a device that can convert carbon dioxide into oxygen in much higher quantities than plants of the same size can. Technology like this currently exists in the form of photobioreactors, but they usually need to be very large and bulky to generate enough biomass. Artveoli miniaturized the photobioreactor by using microfluidic technology to store enhanced algae in much higher densities. Their initial strategy is to sell these devices to businesses as paintings that can be hung up and photosynthesize in the background. But long term, they hope their integrate their technology into the HVAC systems or even the very walls of the offices, letting walls breathe carbon dioxide into oxygen like plants and effectively turn humanitys standing structures into enormous, photosynthesizing trees. Arnouse Digital Devices built a portable computer the size of a credit card. Not impressive? Raspberry Pis are mini-computers too. Only difference is that this is a 128GB SSD, 8GB DDR3 RAM computer running Windows 10 Pro edition on an Intel Core i7 CPU. Plug one into any monitor and you have a computer thats more powerful than most PCs on the market today while using 90% less energy. Its also waterproof, shockproof, and fire resistant. You can run it over with a car, smash it with a hammer, boil it, and freeze it and itll still work. You cant buy one right now as an individual because theyre too busy fulfilling orders from Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, MIT, the MIT Lincoln Laboratory, the FBI, the Department of Defense, the United States Army and the Navy, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of State, and the Department of Justice. However, theyll soon be releasing a version for law enforcement and small businesses as well as for individuals. GeoOrbital, a startup grown right in Boston, lets you replace the front wheel of any bike with theirs to turn your bike into an electric bike that can go up to 20mph and ride 50 miles per charge. Their Kickstarter has gone viral and has currently raised over $800,000. TechCrunch Disrupt Speakers The panels and talks were just as interesting as the pitches. Experts came from all over to speak about their companies and industries, from Jessica Alba, Casey Neistat, Chris Milk. There were VR visionaries, TechCrunch bloggers, MIT alums. The auditorium was packed for each presentation. The packed auditorium at TechCrunch DisruptNY. The Honest Company Founder Jessica Alba and CMO Chris Thorne discuss their companys latest updates. Casey Neistat telling the audience the stories of how he became such a popular YouTube celebrity. AOL CEO Tim Armstrong, Co-Founder of Union Square Ventures and MIT alum Fred Wilson, and TechCrunch Reporter Matt Lynley on the future trends of the technology industry. Chris Milk, Founder and CEO of virtual reality company Vrse, and John Constine, TechCrunch Editor-At-Large, on the future of virtual reality storytelling. Of course, MIT classes didnt just stop for me to attend this conference. First, I had to get oks from each of my professors for me to miss the last week of classes. I also still had multiple final assignments that I had to finish. During most breaks and in-between some panels, I pulled out my laptop and typed away at my assignments. On my commute home I worked, and at night I slept only a few hours, then I napped on the commute back to Disrupt. I didnt want to miss any deadlines, but I managed to submit everything on time. The last day of was particularly hectic. The conference ended at 6 pm but I had to be back in Boston by 5 to help set up for the MIT $100K competition. So, I packed in the early morning and brought my suitcase to Disrupt, then at noon went straight from Brooklyn to Manhattan for the next bus out of NYC to Boston. I made it back in time for the MIT $100K finale, which in itself was another amazing event for another days story.
Saturday, May 23, 2020
An Example Of A Hardware - 1456 Words
An example of a Hardware is a computer, which can be cheap and expensive. However, it is quicker to do things and it saves time and there are more advantages because the staff can do the tasks online previously stated as, well, as save the work and continue to do the work the next day and ensure that the work isn t lost by saving it on the computer and memory stick. Although, if it was handwritten it would be time consuming and it could be easily lost. The prices can vary, but the prices of a computer is up to à £600 and à £1,200. However, there will be discounts for businesses mainly and the issue will be solved. Softwares such as Adobe and Microsoft normally cost à £400 a year altogether, but this means that all the users will have access, which is worth it normally it would cost an individual à £400. Meeting the user needs would mean assess the user s skills and experience, and determine the user s desktop client platform. The facilities to include in the website, rotating photos, which would make the website stand out and appeal to the customers. They would want to look at the images interacts with the visitors. Also, when a web page first loads, a creative Fly-in can catch the eye of the visitor. Moreover, most people hate pop-ups, as they can be aggravating. However, if they are kept small, unobtrusive, and only pop up once in 24 hours. Today, there are many Pop-up blockers but we create pop-ups that are unstoppable, and therefore, when used with tact, can beShow MoreRelatedA Future in Computer Hardware Engineering Essay examples922 Words à |à 4 PagesA Future in Computer Hardware Engineering Computer Hardware Engineering is something that sparked my interest when I was younger. I was very young when I was first introduced to computers and consoles and such. It mainly started when I was very young and my older brother showed me video games, on systems like the Gameboy. The Gameboy was basically how I started to become interested in video games, and after the handhelds I began to play on consoles. Then in the past couple of years I startedRead MoreHardware Replacement Project1243 Words à |à 5 PagesHardware Replacement Project Jeremy Nieves IT205 March 9, 2014 Dave Collie Hardware Replacement Project A hardware replacement project is a serious undertaking for a business to implement. It is essential that the project have proper management in order for the project to be a success. According to Laudon and Laudon (2013), ââ¬Å"Project management refers to the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to achieve specific targets within specified budget and time constraintsâ⬠(pRead MoreWhat Is Hardware Abstraction Layerss In The Operating Process?1403 Words à |à 6 Pageswould have to know exactly how each piece of hardware interacted and communicated with the system itself. Due to this, software development was significantly more difficult than it is today. Through the use of hardware abstraction layers in the modern day however, programmers donââ¬â¢t require all of this information due to their programs being compatible with any device. Hardware abstraction layers (HAL) allow the operating system to interact with hardware elements of the machine that said operatingRead MoreEmerging Technologies That Impact The Cybersecurity Field1311 Words à |à 6 Pagesorganizations. For example, how the technology will be exploited will be dependent on the characteristics and the usage of the technology. The increased use of information and information systems has also created an increased dependency on this technology. The development of the personal computer in the late 1970ââ¬â¢s ââ¬â early 1980ââ¬â¢s in itself was an emerging technology in its time. It provided the spark that set off a new revolution in technology and led to the development of software and hardware to increaseRead MoreBIS 320 Week 2 Asm1197 Words à |à 5 Pagesmemos, letters, resumes and much more. Another example of application software is the website browsers people use every day like Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Firefox, etc. Applications help companies perform many tasks that are necessary for operations to continue on without falling behind. Input Hardware Input hardware is a device used to transfer data from the outside world into a computer system. There are three main types of input hardware. The first types of input devices are operatedRead MoreDetermining Operating Systems and Software Applications Essay examples1311 Words à |à 6 Pagesdeveloped signature software and hardware to maintain operations at a pace known to no other restaurant chain. The operating system and software applications used by McDonaldââ¬â¢s restaurants. It will describe how the operating system and applications helps the company reach its objectives, and the functions of computer hardware components used in the organization. Finally, information will be provided of examples of input hardware, output hardware, and storage hardware and describe how they are usedRead MoreEssay on The Hardware Information System1279 Words à |à 6 PagesHardware Computer Information System has became popular all around the world, due to its rapid growth. In current days, almost every single person is using IS in their daily life. Information System lead to a great change in people`s life style, it is any kind of systems and it consist of six main elements which are people, hardware, software, communication network, data resources, policies and procedures. all of these elements are working together in order to operate more efficiently andRead MoreIs 310 Ch 1 Assignment Essay816 Words à |à 4 PagesGalina Goncharova Professor Pak IS 310 Software and Hardware Concepts Assignment 2 Chapter 1 August 31, 2012 Vocabulary Exercises 1. Students of information systems generally focus on application software. Students of computer science generally focus on system software. 2. Configuring hardware and system software is an activity of UP (Unified Process) deployment discipline. 3. IS students and professionals should be familiar with professional societies, such as Association forRead MoreThe Windows 7 Operating System1390 Words à |à 6 Pagesoperating systems to hardware and software programs. An operating system is a network of software that acts as the manager for all hardware and software on your computer. The operating system manages and interacts with the computer hardware, peripherals like your mouse and keyboard, device drivers, and applications software. The computerââ¬â¢s OS (operating system) acts as the main resource manager. An operating system acts as the master controller for all computer hardware and peripherals and managesRead MoreServer Hardware And Software Capabilities1030 Words à |à 5 PagesServer Hardware The advances being made in enhancing the existing server technologies is aimed to further improve workload performance and efficient use of resources. These developments have seen a phenomenal rise in aspects such as server memory, power management and processing power. Some of the server processors designed to drive networking power into the next level include S2Q, Tilera Processor and Tile 64-Processor. The S2Q with Quanta server comes with a 10,000 cores organized on a rack server
Monday, May 11, 2020
Creative Writing A Short Story - 761 Words
The eyes of the painting followed me as I passed it. I was chilled to the bone, not daring to face the man frozen in the paint. ââ¬Å"Maria,â⬠a hoarse whisper groaned at me ââ¬Å"Maria, turn your head to me.â⬠I walked quicker, keeping my eyes straight ahead. Torches lined the halls, bringing the dull oil canvases to life. The halls of Farrador Hold were built like a labyrinth, yet I turned every corner knowing exactly where it would take me. The whisper grew into a voice that sounded like it had been thirsting since birth. ââ¬Å"Maria Deuveu, please, my dear sweet Maria,â⬠it hissed growing closer to my ear. My pace was between walking and jogging as the halls of the Hold seemed to shrink. ââ¬Å"Maria! Maria! My Maria, answer me!â⬠It was the sameâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦I scrambled into the kitchen and ransacked every drawer until I found the box of matches. A large bottle of alcohol was in my other hand. Ghostly moaning echoed from outside of the kitchen. My mind was other places, and I ignored the unquenchable spirit as I raced past his portrait. Trembling overtook my legs and hands when I grabbed a torch and ascended back to the room. I stared at everything with the deepest, the most scarlet rage I had ever looked at anything, before coating everything with alcohol. It was before I lit the match that he, or what he had become, appeared in front of me. ââ¬Å"Maria,â⬠he cooed, the dark bristles on his upper lip quivering. ââ¬Å"Maria, how could you? How could you kill me?â⬠His voice ââ¬âno, it was not his, it was the creature who haunted my waking days and sleepless nightsââ¬â grew louder and louder and louder until it was filling my head with its horrible cries. ââ¬Å"How could you? How could you kill me Maria? Maria, how?â⬠I opened the matchbox and lit several at a time, throwing the matches around the chamber. My feet forced me to run, but the arm holding the bottle of alcohol hung limp, spilling dark substance from the bottle, begging the fire to follow me like a chain. When the bottle ran dry, the fire continued to lick up anything it could reach. Paintings fell and crumpled into ash around me while my legs continued to punch on. The gate to the lawn was fifty feet away, now fourty, now thirtyâ⬠¦ A spruce support beam fell inShow MoreRelatedCreative Writing : A Short Story1020 Words à |à 5 PagesThe girls sat seperated in two stark, cold rooms. Each of the girls was sat at a table with a clear plastic cup of water sitting at armââ¬â¢s length from them, both cups untouched. How could they drink when their best friend was no where to be seen? They had been having an innocent night of fun at Mercedesââ¬â¢ house three weeks ago, the first of many planned for the spring break, watching movies on Netflix and eating a pizza they ordered. The night was full of rambling about how classes were, drama floatingRead MoreShort Story : Creative Writing1550 Words à |à 7 PagesIn the woods when the sun was just starting to set, there was a van driving on a long-abandoned road, behind the wheel of said van was a tired looking girl who seemed to be about 19. She took a sip of the long cold coffee, and turned to the turquoise haired girl sitting next to her. Hey uhhhh Cas, Cassie? Where are we? Noting the headphones, she stopped the car and turned around to inquire of the two boys in the back, Kenny, Timmy, do either of you have an idea where we are? It seems like weveRead MoreCreative Writing : A Short Story1281 Words à |à 6 PagesSMACK! I was on my back, peering up at Josh as he laid on top me. ââ¬Å"Gotc....â⬠He begins to say but stopped. The look of victory slowly vanished from his face at the realization of how little space was between us. I could feel his heart hammering in his chest or maybe it was mine. Because, Josh was now searching my eyes as if he was looking for an answer to a question. His lips were only inches from mine and I could feel the heat coming off of them. Everything inside of me screamed to move awayRead MoreShort Story : Creative Writing865 Words à |à 4 Pages Brrring! Brrring! Brrring! Brrring! ââ¬Å"What is someone doing calling at 2amâ⬠whispers Dave groggily as he wipes his eyes and p icks up the phone. Yawning, somehow he manages to make something comprehendible come out of his mouth, ââ¬Å"Hello? This is Dave speaking.â⬠ââ¬Å"Dave! This is Joeâ⬠¦ your old roommate from college. How are you doing?â⬠ââ¬Å"I am doing fine.â⬠says Dave thinking and thinking about who Joe is when suddenly he remembers. At that moment he groans but manages to put out a polite response,Read MoreCreative Writing : A Short Story1037 Words à |à 5 PagesThere she goes again. Mother canââ¬â¢t ever mind her own business, Seriously will it kill her to just leave her thoughts to herself. Little Mike came up tugging at her sleeve, his soft little fingers grasping at the cloth, a pull then another. ââ¬Å"Yes sweetheart.â⬠Mike looked at her, his finger pointed forwards, just at the edge of my vision. ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s our turn now mommy.â⬠She looked up; Mike quickly ran forward. ââ¬Å"Woah slow down buddy, you canââ¬â¢t walk away by yourself.â⬠Mike came to a sudden stop;he turned toRead MoreCreative Writing : A Short Story1102 Words à |à 5 PagesWhen their parents entered their room, Charlie watched as Maggie walked to the window and kept her back to them. They could al l tell she was upset about something. Looking at Elliot, she pushed herself up further in the bed, as Callum grabbed Ian and took a seat on the chair next to her. Ben clasped his hands in front of him as he took a deep breath. ââ¬Å"Ive been asked to stay here in order to help Rachel on her work supplying the Republic with power. I plan on asking Miles to let all of you andRead MoreCreative Writing : A Short Story1148 Words à |à 5 Pagesbench nearby. And thatââ¬â¢s what she was doing now. She sighed and stood up to go home. The next day she went to school and her best friend Sarina asked, ââ¬Å"Whatââ¬â¢s wrong?â⬠She then told her the whole story as she didnââ¬â¢t know what happened yesterday because she was absent. Hearing the story she said, ââ¬Å" Itââ¬â¢s a good thing that I upgraded my remote few days ago. You should go to the remote shop today after school.â⬠Then they both went to class. When Maya entered her first class she saw Tasha andRead MoreCreative Writing : A Short Story1583 Words à |à 7 Pagesforbid, if you donââ¬â¢t find it within two seconds, then youre most definitely an incompetent driver. Almost needless to say, Jason didnââ¬â¢t follow in the outlierââ¬â¢s footsteps, and he aced the questionnaire. Though he did take note that his examiner was creative with her questions. She was probably was deeply saddened that there wasnââ¬â¢t a convoluted touch screen to inquire about, Jason thought to himself. Finally all the formalities were complete, consequently, he took a second to get himself mentally, andRead MoreCreative Writing : A Short Story1440 Words à |à 6 PagesPayday arrived for both me and Patsy, giving us the opportunity to attend the luxurious cinema and a wider variety of movies. As we stand before the array of movie posters, deciding between an action or comedy, somehow, how conversation shifts over to John. ââ¬Å"He was so excited about the other night,â⬠says Patsy. I abandon the posters and give her a questioning look. ââ¬Å"About what?â⬠ââ¬Å"Well, first of all spending the evening with you, and then because you hugged him the way you did.â⬠She taps her fingerRead MoreCreative Writing : A Short Story1615 Words à |à 7 Pagestown to barter, weââ¬â¢ll ask around.â⬠Shocked that her husband knows about Miles tattoo on her arm, Rachel clings to him in the silence, her mind racing at the possible implications. XXX Rachel sits stunned at the table, listening to Ben relay the story that heââ¬â¢s heard over and over in the village nearest to the house theyââ¬â¢ve decided to ride out the winter in. ââ¬Å"Soul Marks? How is that possible? These are just replicas of tattoos,â⬠she replies with a disbelieving shake of her head. Ben shrugged
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Mr Guan Free Essays
Report Report Due: pm Friday 23rd August, Week 4. Hand in report electronically vie e-learning. Time to complete: This assessment task should take the average student 10-15 hours to complete, Including research time. We will write a custom essay sample on Mr Guan or any similar topic only for you Order Now Late Penalty: As for all other assessment tasks for this course, late penalties are 20% of the maximum possible mark per day or part thereof. Time of submission Is logged via e-learning, note that the e-learning time may not be the same as your watch/phone/computer timely Weekends and public holidays are not included . Plagiarism: You must include a plagiarism compliance statement. Reports may be checked for plagiarism with an online system, please correctly use quotes from sources and reference them correctly as per the author/ date or numbered system. Refer to the library weapon for guidance on referencing and plagiarism. Any report found to have been plagiarisms will be processed as per the University plagiarism policy. Task Description: Written case study report (20% of course total assessment). Present a written technical (In report format as per lecture one guidelines) case study focusing on a major workplace safety incident that occurred (anywhere In the world). The emphasis and purpose of the report Is to; research, describe and discuss the Incident primarily In relation to the Safety Systems related to the event. Ãâ Describe the Incident/event and possible causes of the event (including causes related to the management/operation of safety systems) Relate the incident/event to any failures in safety systems (including managerial) that were present Discuss what preventative measures could/should have been taken What changes would you suggest be made to limit the possibility of repeat event occurring? How would you review the effectiveness of your proposed changes? Word Limit: This Report should be approximately 2000-3000 words in length (not including the title page, summary, table of contents, references or appendices). Writing concise yet Informative reports Is an Important part of being a Professional Engineer. The ability to accurately convey Information In a concise, relevant and effective manner is a key skill that you should endeavourer to develop. Reports containing more than 3250 or fewer than 1750 words will result in mark penalties of 0% of the possible mark for every 250 words under/ over the limit. Grade Descriptors A+ A ABA+ B BIO 95 90 85 80 75 High Distinction 85% ââ¬â 100% As for the criteria for ââ¬ËDistinctionââ¬â¢, however the work also shows a high degree of professionalism. The report structure is excellent and provides a convincing discussion/argument of the topic. There is good evidence of in depth, critical discussion of the topic. Report has excellent grammar, spelling and Is of a concise nature. The work shows a good appreciation of the general alma/purpose of the topic. There Is good coverage of the topic with relevant and accurate support ND a well developed scholarly discussion/argument. Grammar and spelling are very good and report is reasonably concise. The work is relevant and addresses several reasonable amount of the content and a scholarly discussion/argument has been advanced. There is limited evidence of an overall integrative view of the topic. Grammar, spelling and conciseness are lacking. The information in the various aspects of the work is relevant and accurate but is not integrated and only covers some core aspects of the topic. There is an attempt at a scholarly discussion/ argument and the work indicates a limited understanding of the topic. How to cite Mr Guan, Papers
Thursday, April 30, 2020
The Red Badge Of Courage By Stephen Crane Essays -
The Red Badge of Courage By Stephen Crane The Red Badge of Courage By Stephen Crane Four main characters (and one-sentence description of each) Henry Fleming (the youth) - Henry, the main character of the novel, was at first very excited to go to war joining the army against his mother's wishes, but he finds war frightening and he becomes a coward to later become a hero. Jim Conklin (the tall soldier) - Jim was a close friend that Henry had met in the army where he gets shot and is nursed by Henry. Wilson (the loud soldier) - Wilson was a friend of Henry in the army who was at first loud and obnoxious but proves helpful when Henry became wounded. Henry's mother - She shows up at the beginning of the book and tells Henry that she does not want him joining the army, but wishes him luck when he does anyway. Two minor characters (and one-sentence description of each) Tattered soldier - He pestered Henry at the camp before they set off to fight. Cheery soldier - He helped Henry back to camp after Henry fled. Three main settings (and one sentence description of each) The forest - All of the fighting occurs in the forest where Henry learns about fear and valor. The camp - This is the Union base where the army set up for the night. One paragraph plot outline The book starts out with a new regiment for the Union army waiting around for some fighting. Jim Conklin, a friend of the main character, Henry Fleming, hears some rumors about their next movements. He tells the other soldiers of the rumors telling them that they're going to go around the enemy and attack them from behind. Sure enough, a few days later, they start marching and they attack. This is the first battle for the regiment so a few soldiers, including Henry Fleming, desert the regiment. After Henry deserts, he finds Jim and walks with him for a while before Jim dies. Henry wanders about a bit and gets in a fight with another lost soldier of the Union army who hits him across the head with the butt of his rifle causing Henry to bleed. By night, Henry, with the help of another soldier, finds his way back to his own regiment. Luckily, no one suspects Henry of deserting. Henry lies about the head wound being from the battle. During the night, Henry is cared for by a friend named Wilson. By morning, Henry is well rested and fights with his regiment several battles that day. Henry always stayed in the front and encouraged the other soldiers to fight harder showing much courage. He was complimented by the Colonel, but despite his victory, he still feels guilty about deserting his regiment the day before. Two symbols and references The red badge - The red badge, a blood stain, was a symbol of courage for other soldiers, however, for Henry, it becomes a sign of cowardice since he received his from a fight with another union soldier after deserting. The flag - The flag carried during battle is a sign of an army's place in the battle. It also displayed the courage of the person who had to carry it since the flag bearer must always stand at the front lines. Two or three sentences on style Crane's style is short and simple. His sentences are not long or flowery. Although he does not use very many figurative devices, his writing is easy to understand making reading quick and easy. One or two sentences on dominant philosophy The dominant philosophy in this book was that Henry and his fellow soldiers were not in complete control of their actions during the heat of battle. They fought despite the risk of death not because of their love for their country but for adrenaline, while the soldiers who deserted did so not because of apathy for their country, but for the fear of the moment. Four short quotations typical of the work. (Include speaker, occasion) "He felt a quiet manhood, nonassertive, of sturdy and strong blood." Henry becomes a man after fighting courageously in battle. "The landscape gave him assurance... it was the religion of peace." This is an example of imagery as Crane describes the area around the battlefield. "There was a silence safe for the chanting chorus of the trees." This is another example of imagery. Crane describes the atmosphere between shots on the battlefield. "He, too, threw down his gun and fled. There was no shame in his face. He ran like a rabbit." Crane describes the way Henry fled from battle. It was not thought out or decided upon, but
Saturday, March 21, 2020
Future Role of Hospitals Essay Example
Future Role of Hospitals Essay Example Future Role of Hospitals Essay Future Role of Hospitals Essay Universal health care is on the way for all Americans. President Obamas Health Care Reform will mandate that all Americans have medical insurance by 2014. (Jackson Nolen, 2010) Either the employers will provide the medical insurance or the individual will have to purchased the medical insurance themselves. Who is responsible for purchasing the medical insurance depends on several factors but those details are not the scope of this paper. The key point of the health care reform law is that every American will be mandated to have medical insurance. Universal health care coverage will have a major impact on all aspects of health care. We will focus on the impact of universal health care on hospitals. There is no doubt, that all hospitals will have to make major changes in their day to day operations. As the new law takes effect, the hospitals will have to evolve to meet the new requirements. A transformation will need to take place in order to adjust to the new volume of patients that can be expected after the mandate is put in place. The role the hospitals will play in the future will depend on many different factors. : We will investigate these evolving roles as we examine what the future role of hospitals will be in America. Today there are 5,815 registered hospitals in the United States. Of the 5,815 registered hospitals, 5,010 are community based hospitals. There are 2,923 Not-for-Profit community hospitals, 982 For-Profit community hospitals and 1,105 state and local government community hospitals. The remainder of the hospitals are comprised of Federal Government hospitals, Nonfederal Psychiatric Hospitals, Nonfederal Long Term Care Hospitals and a number of Hospital Units of Institutions. (Fast Facts, 2010) Each year over 35 million people are admitted to the hospital. More than 118 million people are treated in the emergency department and 481 million people are treated as outpatients. Hospitals also deliver over 4 million babies each year. In 2006, hospitals provided care to people in need at a cost of over $31 billion of care for which no payment was received. (Hospital Facts, 2008) The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) require all hospitals to screen each patient that comes through the Emergency Department. (Emtala. com, n. d.) If an emergent condition is found, they must stabilize the patient. Many times these emergent patients do not have insurance or a means to pay for their care. In the future, hospitals will be asked to do more while keeping cost down. A major role hospitals will have to play in the future is that of cost containment. Today, one third of hospitals lose money on operations. They have a meager operating margin of only 4% on average. It will be very difficult for many hospitals to keep their doors open in the future if they continue to lose money. Hit the hardest are the rural hospitals. It has become more and more difficult for rural hospitals to stay in business. During the decade of the 1990s, 186 hospitals closed their doors and went out of business. (Cracks in the Foundation, 2002) One major reason hospitals have a hard time with their operating cost is because of payment shortfalls from Medicare and Medicaid. Roughly 54% of gross revenues come from the charges to Medicare and Medicaid. In 2003, Medicare accounted for 40. 4% percent of the hospitals gross revenues and Medicaid accounted for 14. 4% of the hospitals gross revenues. The hospitals financial performance is based on these government payments because they cover the majority of the patients seen. In fact, the majority of hospitals lose money in treating Medicare and Medicaid patients. In 2003, 59% of the hospitals were losing money treating Medicare patients and 61% of the hospitals were losing money treating Medicaid patients. (Fragile State of Hospitals, n. d. ). This is important information because in the future, hospitals will not only have to manage cost of treating Medicare and Medicaid patients but also be responsible for managing the cost of treatingà patients under the new universal health care coverage. In order for the hospitals to maintain their doors open, they will have to do better at collecting payments of the newly insured patients. A concern hospitals will have to contend with is the reality that not all individuals will opt to buy into a universal health care plan. This individuals may opt to pay the small penalty of not carrying insurance. Not buying medical insurance will be an option for some individuals. (Jackson Nolen, 2010) This will present a problem to the hospitals. A lot of these patients bills will go on the books as bad debt. With hospitals already losing money by treating Medicare and Medicaid patients, they will not be able to tolerate additional loses in operating cost by treating non-insured patients. Hospitals make enormous economic contributions to our society. Hospital care is the largest component of the health care sector and represented 16. 2 percent of the Gross Domestic Product. The hospital care sector accounted for $2. 3 Trillion of which hospitals accounted for $718 billion of that total. In addition, community hospitals created over $2 trillion of economic activity. The goods and services hospitals purchase from other businesses create additional economic value for the community. With these ripple effects included, each hospital job supports about two more jobs and every dollar spent by a hospital supports roughly $2. 30 of additional business activity. (Economic Contribution of Hospitals, 2010) Hospitals play a major role today and in the future in the creation of jobs for both themselves and for the surrounding communities. In 2008, hospitals employed over 5. 3 million people and were the second largest source of private sector jobs. Hospitals support nearly one of 9 jobs in the U. S. Nursing jobs are the foundation of every hospitals. They must have enough nursing staff to take care of the patients that are admitted on a daily basis. In the future hospitals will have to partner with universities and technical and vocational schools that produce the supply of nurses. Nurses of different skill levels will be needed to take care of the hospitalized patients. The hospital will need Register Nurses (RNs), Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs), Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), and other specialized medical technicians. Most important are the RNs. Depending on the services offered by the hospitals, RNs with various skills sets will be required. Some hospitals will require Critical Care RNs, Emergency Care RNs, Pediatric Care RNs, etc. As more and more hospital services are being utilized, the number of RNs required will increase. For the past decade, the demand of RNs has increase but the supply has decreased. It is estimated that there will be a shortage of 800,000 RNs by the year 2020. (Fragile State of Hospital Finances, n. d. ) In the future, the demand for hospital services will continue to increase. Breakthroughs in medicine has contributed to the increase in the average life of expectancy. Medical advances have greatly improved the health and longevity of Americans. A person born in 2000 can expect to live 3. 3 years longer than a person born in 1980. New treatments have led to sharp reductions in mortality for heart disease, cancer, stroke and many other diseases. (Lutz Rodgers, 2003) The increase in the growth of the population combined with the increased number of people aged over 65 will create a demand for more hospital services. A sharp increase in the population aged 65 and over is expected to increase because of the large number of Baby Boomers reaching this milestone. In coming decades, the sheer number of aging baby boomers will swell the number of elderly with disabilities and the need for services. (Walker, 2002) There were 34. 8 million people aged 65 or older in 2000 which accounted for 12. 7 percent of the countrys total population. It is estimated, that by 2020, the percentage of Americans age 65 or older will reach 16. 5 percent. By 2020, one in six Americans will be 65 years old or older representing close to 20 million people. The General Accounting Office estimates that by 2040, the number of people aged 85 years and older will triple and reach 14 million. (Walker, 2002) Hospitals in the future will need to plan to for the care of advanced age patients. This age group tends to use more resources and have longer lengths of stay. Often times, they require specialty care and more nursing care. These patients also tend to be more critically ill with several co-morbid chronic conditions. Hospitals will need an infrastructure capable of handling an increase in these types of patients. Critical Care beds will need to be increased and the nursing staff will need to be trained to care for these complicated patients. In addition to the elderly, people 65 and older, the hospitals will play a vital role in taking care of a new group of patients, the obese. Obesity has become a major problem in the United States. Obesity in America has dramatically increased in recent years and become an urgent health concern. Approximately 22 percent of adult Americans are obese defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more. Among children, 13 percent are considered overweight defined as having a BMI of 25 or more. (Lutz Rodgers, 2003) This is a great concern for hospitals. There is a strong correlation between obesity and numerous chronic medical conditions. If the prevalence of obesity continues, the hospitals in the future can expect to treat a larger amount of obese patients with multiple chronic condition. Obese people tend to have a higher risk of hypertension, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and various forms of cancer. Overweight and obesity, and their associated health problems, have a considerable economic impact on hospitals and the health care system. An estimated $177 billion is spent annually as a result of overweight and obesity. Recent estimates suggest that obesity accounts for about 5. 7 percent of total U. S. direct health care costs, excluding costs related to increased mortality among obese and overweight individuals. Recent research also suggests that compared to patients who are obese, patients with a BMI of 20-24. 9 have approximately 51 percent lower prescription drug costs, 28 percent lower hospital inpatient costs, and 12 percent lower hospital outpatient costs. (Lutz Rodgers, 2003) If these trends continue, the hospitals will have to make more accommodations for the obese patients. The hospitals will not only have to invest more on nursing care for these patients but always make some capital investments. The hospital would require wheel chairs large enough to handle the size and weight of these patients. Larger operating tables would be required. Special surgical equipment would be needed. Extra large beds for the inpatient rooms would have to be available. These are some of the considerations hospitals will have to make in the future role of obese patient care. In recent years, hospitals have been treating more and more sicker patients than in the past. This trend is expected to increase as the population ages and as the number of elderly increases. The complexity and acuity of these patients is due to the greater presence of complex co-morbidities. These acutely ill patients utilize a lot more hospital resources. Treating these patients creates a financial burden for the hospital because in most cases the re-imbursements are less than the cost of the patient care. Between 2000-2002, hospitals saw a 15 percent rise in extremely ill patients that were treated in their facility. (Lutz Rodgers, 2003). In the future, hospitals will have to adjust to an increase in the demand of hospital utilization. Hospitals are already seeing an increase in outpatient and inpatient visits today and they can expect it to increase in the future as more and more people will demand the services of the hospital. It is already anticipated that more Americans will use the hospital services as universal health care plans are initiated. Millions of Americans who otherwise would not go to the hospital will now have medical and hospital insurance. These people would typically avoid a trip to the hospital because of the exurbanite out of pocket cost. These people will demand more hospital services and will drive over all hospitalization up. A concern hospitals will have is the over utilization of the Emergency Department (ED). Americans have become accustomed to the availability of 24-hour care. Approximately a third of hospital care begins in the ED. Hospitals have seen a 25 percent increase in ED volume over the past decade. In 2004, there were 112. 6 million ED visits. The majority of these visits required immediate care and more than half of the ED care takes place outside of normal business hours. (Prepare to Care, n. d. ). Hospitals today and in the future need to provide an extensive array of resource in order to meet the many different and often unpredictable needs of emergency care for the patients. Patient volume can vary dramatically; therefore, hospitals must have medical staff, both physicians and nurses, on standby in order to meet the demand of patient volume. In addition, hospitals providing 24/7 emergency care have to have other support staffing available to support the ED. Hospital EDs require services from the laboratory, radiology, pharmacy, surgical services, general and intensive care units, labor and delivery, plus on-call physicians. It is not uncommon for hospital EDs to see more than 1,500 unique patient conditions. A problem most hospitals face is the use of the ED as a patients safety net. Often lacking a medical home, Medicaid beneficiaries and people without health care coverage together, 103 million individuals disproportionately look to the hospital ED as their access point for care. (Prepare to Care, n. d. ) Acting as the safety net for these patients is very costly to hospitals. As discussed earlier, most hospitals lose money taking care of Medicaid patients. Also, most uninsured patients rarely have the means to pay for their ED visit. This problem continues to persist as evident by the 22 percent increase in ED utilization by Medicaid and uninsured patients during the years of 1998-2003. A current problem and a problem that will have to be addressed in the future by hospitals is the care of the behaviorally ill. Declining reimbursements from payers and the erosion of public support have resulted in reductions and/or eliminations of inpatient psychiatric units and/or beds in hospitals as well as in private, free-standing and state behavioral health facilities. Many outpatient centers also have closed and some behavioral health specialist are limiting their practices to fee-for-service patients only. As a result, individuals suffering from mental health and substance abuse (MHSA) conditions increasingly turn to EDs for care. (Prepare to Care, n. d. ) With limited resources and a thin profit margin, most hospitals will continue to lack the ability to take care of this patient population. Hospitals have a challenge today and they will be challenged in the future when it comes to providing 24/7 emergency care. A concern hospitals will have is covering the cost of the uninsured. Even as the new insurance mandate is implemented, there will still be people who will risk not having coverage and opt to pay the penalty for not having an insurance premium. The hospitals also take a risk in absorbing the cost of these individuals without the means of paying for their services. The majority of hospitals already lose money on the Medicaid and Medicare patients, they cannot afford to add another category of non-paying patients. The future role of hospitals will definitely involve new technology and medical advances. The government has already mandated that every provider will transition to electronic medical records by the year 2014. Information technology (IT) has been identified as an essential tool in improving the quality of clinical care and reducing health care costs. Hospitals and health systems currently leading the field in IT adoption report that they generally begin by improving the safety of medication administration, both by automating the ordering process and matching medications electronically to patients at the time of administration. (Lutz Rodgers, 2003) The one drawback to IT is the cost of implementation. Over the next few years all medical records will be transitioned into electronic medical records. The hospitals will be the leaders in the medical community in the adoption of the new requirements. They will play a vital role in recruiting the physicians into adopting the use of electronic medical records. Hospitals will also take the lead in the interoperability between hospital electronic medical records and physician electronic medical records. New biomedical and technology advancements has vastly improve the quality of life of people and has extended the life expectancy. Because of the advancements of less invasive procedures, patient demand has increased. Advancement in imaging has been a huge breakthrough in patient care. Newer high tech imaging devices such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) functional imaging with positron emission tomography (PET) has lead to early detection of diseases and early treatment. Research indicates advances in medical care are contributing to longer, healthier lives. Disability and mortality rates have consistently declined since the 1970s. (Lutz Rodgers, 2003). The downside to all the advancements in health care is the cost. As with all health care, paying for the new technologies and advancements will be the major obstacle. The majority of hospitals today are losing money year over year. In the future, hospitals will have to develop more cost effective ways to implement new medical advancements and field new technology. One thing is for sure, hospitals will play a major role in health care in the future. Hospitals are the foundation of this countrys health care system. They are major contributors to the economy of the U. S. Hospitals will always play a lead in the care of Americans. Reference Page Jackson, Jill and Nolen, John. Health Care Reform Bill Summary: A Look At Whats in the Bill. (2010, March 23). Retrieved from CBSNews. com. cbsnews. com/8301- 503544_162-20000846-503544. html Fast Facts on U. S. Hospitals. (2010, June 24). Retrieved from AHA. com. aha. org/aha/resource-center/Statistics-and-Studies/fast-facts. html Hospital Facts to Know. (2008, March). Retrieved from AHA. com. aha. org/aha/resource-center/Statistics-and-Studies/studies. html Frequently Asked Questions About the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA). (no date). Retrieved from Emtala. com. emtala. com/faq. htm Cracks in the Foundation: Averting a Crisis in Americas Hospitals. (2002, August). Retrieved from AHA. Com. aha. org/aha/resource-center/Statistics-and- Studies/studies. html The Fragile State of Hospital Finances. (no date). Retrieved from AHA. com. aha. org/aha/resource-center/Statistics-and-Studies/studies. html The Economic Contribution of Hospitals. (2010). Retrieved from AHA. com. aha. org/aha/resource-center/Statistics-and-Studies/studies. html Lutz, Sandy and Rodgers, Jack. Cost of Caring: Key Drivers of Growth in Spending onà Hospital Care. (2003, February 19) Retrieved from Retrieved from AHA. com. aha. org/aha/resource-center/Statistics-and-Studies/studies. html Walker, David M. Long-Term Care: Aging Baby Boom Generation Will Increase Demand and Burden on Federal and State Budgets. (2002, March 21). Retrieved from GAO. gov. gao. gov/new. items/d10468sp. pdf Prepared to Care: the 24/7 Role of Americas Full-Service Hospitals. (no date). Retrieved from AHA. com. aha. org/aha/resource-center/Statistics-and-Studies/studies. html Rural Hospital Closures 1990-1999.
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Learn the pH of Common Chemicals
Learn the pH of Common Chemicals pH is a measure of how acidic or basic a chemical is when its in aqueous (water) solution. A neutral pH value (neither an acid nor a base) is 7. Substances with a pH greater than 7 up to 14 are considered bases. Chemicals with a pH lower than 7 down to 0 are considered acids. The closer the pH is to 0 or 14, the greater its acidity or basicity, respectively. Heres a list of the approximate pH of some common chemicals. Key Takeaways: pH of Common Chemicals pH is a measure of how acidic or basic an aqueous solution is. pH usually ranges from 0 (acidic) to 14 (basic). A pH value around 7 is considered neutral.pH is measured using pH paper or a pH meter.Most fruits, vegetables, and body fluids are acidic. While pure water is neutral, natural water may be either acidic or basic. Cleaners tend to be basic. pH of Common Acids Fruits and vegetables tend to be acidic. Citrus fruit, in particular, is acidic to the point where it can erode tooth enamel. Milk is often considered to be neutral, since its only slightly acidic. Milk becomes more acidic over time. The pH of urine and saliva is slightly acidic, around a pH of 6. Human skin, hair, and nails tends to have a pH around 5. 0 - Hydrochloric Acid (HCl)1.0 - Battery Acid (H2SO4 sulfuric acid) and stomach acid2.0 - Lemon Juice2.2 - Vinegar3.0 - Apples, Soda3.0 to 3.5 - Sauerkraut3.5 to 3.9 - Pickles4.0 - Wine and Beer4.5 - Tomatoes4.5 to 5.2 - Bananasaround 5.0 - Acid Rain5.0 - Black Coffee5.3 to 5.8 - Bread5.4 to 6.2 - Red Meat5.9 - Cheddar Cheese6.1 to 6.4 - Butter6.6 - Milk6.6 to 6.8 - Fish Neutral pH Chemicals Distilled water tends to be slightly acidic because of dissolved carbon dioxide and other gases. Pure water is nearly neutral, but rain water tends to be slightly acidic. Natural water rich in minerals tends to be alkaline or basic. 7.0 - Pure Water pH of Common Bases Many common cleaners are basic. Usually, these chemicals have very high pH. Blood is close to neutral, but is slightly basic. 7.0 to 10 - Shampoo7.4 - Human Blood7.4 - Human Tears7.8 - Eggaround 8 - Seawater8.3 - Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate)around 9 - Toothpaste10.5 - Milk of Magnesia11.0 - Ammonia11.5 to 14 - Hair Straightening Chemicals12.4 - Lime (Calcium Hydroxide)13.0 - Lye14.0 - Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) Other pH Values Soil pH ranges from 3 to 10. Most plants prefer a pH between 5.5 and 7.5. Stomach acid contains hydrochloric acid and other substances and has a pH value of 1.2. While pure water free of undissolved gases is neutral, not much else is. However, buffer solutions may be prepared to maintain a pH near 7. Dissolving table salt (sodium chloride) in water does not change its pH. How to Measure pH There are multiple ways to test the pH of substances. The simplest method is to use pH paper test strips. You can make these yourself using coffee filters and cabbage juice, use Litmus paper, or other test strips. The color of the test strips corresponds to a pH range. Because the color change depends on the type of indicator dye used to coat the paper, the result needs to be compared against a chart of standard. Another method is to draw a small sample of a substance and apply drops of pH indicator and observe the test change. Many home chemicals are natural pH indicators. pH test kits are available to test liquids. Usually these are designed for a particular application, like aquaria or swimming pools. pH test kits are fairly accurate, but may be affected by other chemicals in a sample. The most accurate method of measuring pH is using a pH meter. pH meters are more expensive than test papers or kits and require calibration, so they are generally used in schools and labs. Note About Safety Chemicals that have very low or very high pH are often corrosive and can produce chemical burns. Its fine to dilute these chemicals in pure water to test their pH. The value wont be changed, but the risk will be reduced. Sources Slessarev, E. W.; Lin, Y.; Bingham, N. L.; Johnson, J. E.; Dai, Y.; Schimel, J. P.; Chadwick, O. A. (November 2016). Water balance creates a threshold in soil pH at the global scale. Nature. 540 (7634): 567ââ¬â569. doi:10.1038/nature20139
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