Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Underlying assumptions of intelligence tests Essays

Underlying assumptions of intelligence tests Essays Underlying assumptions of intelligence tests Essay Underlying assumptions of intelligence tests Essay How can intelligence be tested? Critically evaluate the underlying assumptions of intelligence tests. Intelligence is a very controversial. It is seen as an obsession in daily life and focuses on certain types of intelligence. Francis Galton was the first person to design a mental test. Galton believed that an individuals mental ability could be determined through the deviation of their performance on a simple test to the mean. He believed that the greater a persons sensory perception the more intelligence they had. However, Galton never produced a theory about intelligence testing, but paved the way for other psychologists to produce theories and tests.Spearmans (1904) theory suggested that intelligence was an innate, inherited quality. He suggested that there were two main factors that determined a persons intelligence; these were general intelligence, needed to perform all tasks and specific intelligence, which is needed to perform specific tasks .i.e., most people can drink out of some sort of cup, this needs general intelligence, however, not all people can sing in tune, this is specific intelligence.Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon (Simon and Binet, 1905) produced the first form of modern intelligence testing in 1905. The test had a practical purpose and was used to identify children who may need extra help with their school work. Due to the purpose of the test, the exercises Binet and Simon asked the children to complete were very similar to tasks the children completed within schools, i.e. measures of vocabulary, comprehension of facts and relationships and mathematical and verbal reasoning.The Binet Simon test was later modified and extended by Lewis Terman and his associates at Stanford University where it was translated for use in the United States (Terman 1916, Terman and Merrill, 1937). The test became known as the Stanford-Binet test and is still being used referred to as Intelligence Quotient; (I.Q). the I.Q. score was calculated by comparing the childs chronological age, (which means their age is years and months), with their mental age (which refers to the childs ability to solve problems of certain levels.) i.e if a child could answer questions designed for 8 year olds, but not them designed for 9 year olds, the child would have a mental age of 8.The I.Q test that is now most commonly used is know n as the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for children, or the WISC. The most frequently used test used by psychologists is the third revision of the Wechsler Intelligence Scales known as the WISC-III. David Wechsler originally developed the test, which was series of ten different problems that ranged from very easy to extremely difficult; these ten problems were also divided into two subgroups.The verbal scale that involved tasks measuring vocabulary, understanding of similarities between objects and general knowledge. The other subgroup was the performance scale, which involved non-verbal tasks such as arranging pictures in to orders, or copying patterns using coloured blocks. Many psychologists find that this definition of verbal and non-verbal tasks helpful as different between the two skills can identify particular kinds of learning difficulties, i.e. dyslexia.However, ever since the I.Q tests were introduced there have been criticisms about them. Before 1937, the mean score of wom en using the Stanford-Binet test was on average ten points lower than the average score for men. Although at first it was generally suggested that this was because women were not as intelligent as men, it was later suggested that the questions were more directed towards male dominated areas of questioning than women, for example relating questions in terms of cars, card games, mechanics, etc. which at the time was made oriented. Therefore, it was decided to eliminate this discrepancy by modifying the questions to ensure that both males and females would archive around the same average score.According to Heather, (1976) this makes the test less efficient because there may be a natural difference between the intelligence levels of men and women through out different points of history, however, by using the new these differences may not be picked up. For example if the I.Q scores were not created to produce approximately the same scores for both males and females we may be able to see why females are currently doing better academically than males.Therefore, this could limit the efficiency of I.Q testing through either historically suggesting that women were inferior to men through their lower I.Q. scores, or through influencing the tests to create equal results for both males and females. It is difficult to say whether the tests were gender bias or whether the psychologists behind the changes to the tests did this to provide unbiased results through positive discrimination towards women.Another criticism of the I.Q. tests that there is an average 10-15 point difference between the White European average and the Afro- Caribbean average, (Brody, (1992) Fagan Singer (1983) Peoples, Fagan Drotar, 1995); (Neisser et al 1996) Heather, (1976) suggests that this difference can be reduced through changing the questions to suit a more mixed ethnic group of participants. However, it was suggested that this would affect the tests Predictive Validity. By changing the tests to reduce the racial differences, but without changing the social inequalities within our society would only create a more ineffective test. In order to reduce the ethnic I.Q. score difference, society must first change their attitudes towards other cultures, especially within education/ training and jobs.How ever, Jensen, (1969) published an article called How much can we boost I.Q. and schooling achievement? within which he made a controversial suggestion that Genetic factors are strongly implicated in the average negro-white intelligence differences. The preponderance of the evidence is, in my opinion, less consistent with a strictly environmental hypothesis than with a genetic hypothesisOther psychologists including Eysenck (1971) and Herrnstein (1971) agree with Jensn. Jensen suggests that 80% of the difference between blacks and whites is due to the blacks genetic inferiority and 20% due to environmental factors. However, Jensen does not have the biological evidence to back up his claim; he also used a bias sample to carry out his study that was a mainly white population.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Brief History of Microsoft essays

Brief History of Microsoft essays Bill Gates the founder of Microsoft, the once young and eager teenager was running a small business made-up of other teenagers. Now the richest man in the world controlling an operating system practically every IBM compatible computer in the world uses. Computers are not the only things that Microsoft desires. Now they wish to influence the Internet. With all the opportunities that it offers many companies race to develop software to get people and businesses on the Internet. Many dislike the power Microsoft has come to possess and might gain more of it, but is there anything anybody can do? IBM has taken on the leader of software with an innovative new operating system known as OS/2, but will they have a chance? Microsoft may be unstoppable with its foundation, influence and power but is that enough to practically own the computerized world as we know it? Usually, when we mention Microsoft in any form we must have the registered trademark symbol right next to the word. The name is a well-known word in virtually everyone's life. Although it is the super-empire it is today Microsoft was once a small software business ran by a young Bill Gates in a tiny office. Consisting of a few young adults, they were not progressing as much as they would like too. Their competitors had it a little worse working out of their not so tidy two-story house made up of a husband and wife. The massive change occurred when a couple of IBM representatives showed up at the door of the CP/M founders only to be turned away. This was very rare to happen, since IBM was so highly respected by programmers at the time. IBM is introduced to a young man named Bill Gates. He was mistaken for an office helper but later strikes a serious offer for Microsoft products. The one program that was unavailable at the time would be an operating system soon to be call ed QDOS; a raw form of the Disk Operating System we know today. When called upon by IBM ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Accelerating Change Management at CEB Case Study

Accelerating Change Management at CEB - Case Study Example The successes and failures of the change acceleration process have also been discussed and recommendations of how to improve the process made. CEB is one of the most prominent companies in the world and this is mainly as a result of its providing consultant services to a wide range of among the most successful companies today (Florent-Treacy, Kets de Vries & del Amo, 2010). Its success has been made possible through its ability to cater for the needs of the different corporations that seek its services and this has included a wide range of issues ranging from administration to the provision of advice concerning what to invest in and how to go through the process. A result has been that there has developed a wide variety of teams within the company that have enabled it to provide the services that are necessary to satisfy its clientele. Not only has CEB managed to expand globally, but it has also brought a unique style of management and consultancy into the market that has been sought after by a significant number of companies in the globe. CEB’s success has been attributed to its evolutionary attitude and actions, w hich have made it indispensable in the provision of services to its clients; all of which are based in different countries and environments. That these companies are based in different countries means that CEB has to ensure that it studies the new environments and make them a priority in the development of strategies that its clients can use to attain success. Through its efforts on behalf of its clients, CEB has managed to develop a unique position in the global market where it is able to adapt to different environments and advise its clients accordingly. The ever-evolving attitude that it has developed has made possible its success because this company has undergone many changes since its founding and as a young company, it has

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Narrative criticism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Narrative criticism - Essay Example es of narrative criticism have emerged; some people have claimed that narrative criticism is a fundamental tool in communication processes owing to the fact that it facilitates the understanding of texts and how they reflect on human life structures, thus creating a platform for information sharing and exchange (Pullman, 7). As a method of literary analysis, this approach has been a subject of negative and positive criticism. To begin with, some scholars have claimed that the application narrative criticism is majorly based on a dimension of literary analysis that allows readers to assess literary works in a holistic manner, by noting different characteristics and styles that are similar to other literary works, taking into consideration, the beginning, middle as well as the end (Powell, 3). On the other hand, some narrative critics have asserted that it is basically a method that does not focus on a holistic analysis of literary works, but rather focus on specific elements of literary works, which seem relevant to the story line or the main theme. Moreover, this group of critics has claimed the narrative criticism is a basic tool for literary analysis that engages its readers through understanding how the literary works relate with real life experiences (Byron, 13). This is usually achieved through various points of view passed by the narrators and relating them to the real life experiences of its readers. According to Allan Powell (1990), Narrative criticism can be considered a function of events. This is because in its application, a high sense of priority is given to the text from the ideas of ‘implied readers’ and ‘implied author’: The essence of implied author as well as implied reader are usually determined by signatures emerging from the text. Powell also asserts that narrative criticism is a function of events, basically due to the fact that it involves taking into consideration characters and settings of a literary analysis that forms its

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Shaping Special Education Essay Example for Free

Shaping Special Education Essay The history of American special education has taken a long, ever-evolving journey to get to the place it is today. Marilyn Friend (2008) discusses how in the early twentieth century students were still not accepted into public schools. Students who had physical or mental disabilities were placed into separate classes, made up entirely of students with disabilities. Throughout the first half of the twentieth century students with a wide range of disabilities were enrolled in special education classes. Over the past century, various court cases have defined how special education has changed. In 1954, the Brown v. Board of Education, gave way to questions about whether or not separating special education students from the general education population was appropriate or not. Some people believed that taking students out of the classroom gave them a label for their disability and therefore was discriminatory towards students, rather than helpful in providing services they needed to make them successful. (Friend, 2008, p. 47) Not only did educators become advocators for children’s with disabilities, so did parents. The Mills v. Board of Education (1972) sparked the determination of providing special education services for students. In response to various lawsuits against the Board of Education legislation created mandates to ensure the rights for students with disabilities. Structure of Special Education Parents continued to push for the rights of children, as well as congress. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 were laws that provided funding to states to assist them in creating and improving programs and services for children with disabilities. The Education for All Handicapped children Act in 1974 was created to allow full educational opportunities for students with disabilities. In 1986, the federal special education law was changed to include services for infants and young children. (Friend, 2008, p. 49) In 1990, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was changed to Individual with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and more disabilities were added. The most recent change was in 2004 when provisions were added to help resolve disputes between parents, as well as the requirement for student instruction to be taught using evidence-based practices. Federal law forced educators to change their view of special education students and how to best serve their needs in the school environment. Also in 2004, President Bush and Congress wanted IDEA to align with No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 so that schools would be held accountable for making sure students with disabilities achieve high standards (Friend, 2008, p. 68). Jill Hockenbury (2000) pointed out that special education is a key part of the public education system but that there are still challenges in special education today. Critical changes that are needed in special education include constructing a defensible philosophy of education, providing effective and intensive instruction, and improving the quality of teacher training. These changes are still being worked on today. The needs of children today are demanding that teachers provide effective instruction, that’s meaningful and allows the teacher to reach all levels of development in one classroom. Trends and Issues Quality teacher training is also one of the biggest challenges facing special education and relates directly to a key topic heard a lot about in special education, which is inclusion. Inclusion centers on the belief that students with a disability should be allowed to be a part of the general education classroom. However, inclusion is difficult because of the requirement of the general education teacher. The general education teacher should be able to meet the needs of the students in his or her classroom, which can be difficult depending on the students needs. However, inclusion states that students should be in the classroom full time, receiving instruction the same as non-disabled peers, and there should be no need for pull-out. In some cases, members of a child’s IEP team may not agree on the appropriate environment for a student. With increased opportunities for teachers to have training with research-based methods and strategies, this area should be able to improve in the future. Researchers have stated that inclusion is beneficial to both students with disabilities, and those without disabilities. A study done investigating perceptions of learning of nearly 5,000 kindergarten students through 12th grade revealed that students with disabilities wanted to learn the same material, use the same books, and enjoy the same homework and grading practices as typical peers. (Friend, 2008, as cited in Klinger and Vaughn 1999) Other trends in special education include universal design for learning and differentiation. Universal design for learning (UDL) is the instructional approach that students with disabilities should have access to the curriculum. Along with UDL is the use of differentiated instruction (or differentiation) to explore the concepts of UDL further. Differentiation means that within one environment, students with multiple needs will have their needs met through various ways. UDL and differentiation should be utilized by general education teachers to meet the needs of their special education student. (Friend, 2008, p. 77) These trends are all key concepts in the world of special education. They all impact the way special education teachers should teach to meet the needs of all their students. Pat Beckman (2001) reiterated this fact stating that â€Å"improved student learning requires teachers, schools, and districts to give up unproductive traditions and beliefs, replacing them with validated practices and a full understanding of the intent of the law. † IDEA requires teachers to use â€Å"programs, interventions, strategies, and activities† that are researched based. (Friend, 2008, p. 63) As the needs of students increase, the resources provided need to increase, which is the responsibility of those providing the education. Special education has come very far since placing disabled students in their own separate classroom, but it still has a long way to go. There is much to be said about meeting the needs of special education students and reaching those administrators, parents, and educators who still do not have a full understanding of inclusion. References Beckman, Pat (2001), Access to the general education curriculum for students with disabilities, Council for Exceptional Children, retrieved May 28, 2012 from http://www. cec. sped. org/AM/Template. cfm? Section=HomeTEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay. cfmCONTENTID=5519 Friend, M.(2008). Special education: Contemporary perspectives for school professionals. Boston, MA: Allyn Bacon. Hockenbury, J. C. , Kauffman, J. M. , Hallahan, D. P. (2000). What is right about special education. Exceptionality, 8(1), 3-11. Obiakor, F. E. (2011). Maximizing access, equity, and inclusion in general and special education. Journal Of The International Association Of Special Education, 12(1), 10-16. U. S. Department of Education (2007) Thirty Years of Progress in Educating Children With Disabilities Through IDEA, retrieved May 28, 2012 from http://www2. ed. gov/policy/speced/leg/idea/history30. html.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Toronto Blue Jays :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Toronto Blue Jayss case study The Toronto Blue Jays baseball team was founded in the 1970s and experienced support from the fans during the 1970s and 1980s. In 1992 and 1993, the Jays won back-to-back World Series, yet in 1994, the team faced setbacks. The team had a losing streak, there was a major league baseball strike, and no World Series was played. At the same time, gambling came to Toronto, and the team had to compete for the fan's time. Also, players' salaries skyrocketed at a time when the Canadian dollar fell in value. How could the Toronto Blue Jays adjust ticket prices to improve financial performance and increase fan attendance? Situation Analysis The opening pitch of the 1999 marks the start of the Toronto Blue Jays twenty third seasons in the American League. In 1998, the Jays brought in their first winning season since 1993. The Jays plays in the worlds most advanced retractable-roof stadium. It is luxuriously called the Sky Dome. With a winning record like this and a state of the art stadium, the Jays feel their tickets are a great value because of the satisfaction fans can expect to receive from the ball game. Recommendation  · Price is that which is given up in an exchange to acquire a good or service. Price is typically the money exchanged for the good or service. Blue Jays pricing structure is based on the perceived value of the game, the entertainment, the love of baseball, and the action, not just the money.  · Inelastic demand means that an increase or decrease in price will not significantly affect demand for the product. In spite of the rising prices for the Blue Jays tickets, fans were expected to turn out in large numbers. This inelastic demand for the tickets can be attributed in large part of the fact that their teams plays so well in 1998, and another factor is that the Blue Jays fan could never stay away from their team. Another inelastic demand for the Blue Jays tickets is that there is no other locally substitute team.  · Blue Jays pricing strategies are not just a financial necessity, they are also a promotional tool used to increase fan attendance. How? At all Saturday home game and nonholiday games, senior citizens and young people up to fourteen years old can purchase tickets except for the most expensive ones.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Internet neutrality Essay

Internet neutrality enjoys a lot of support from consumers, technology companies and online companies. It is also supported by the main internet application organizations. This is mainly because they feel that the users of the internet should be in full unrestricted access to the internet applications and that they should have unregulated choice of the content they wish to view from the internet. The internet has applied the principle of neutrality ever since it was invented. An equal opportunity to access the internet is a basic concept that should be applied at all times, and thus no single user should be denied the right to access the internet. It would be not in order if the broad band carriers were allowed to use their power in the market to discriminate against the less powerful up coming carriers. The same way the telephone service providers are not allowed to dictate to the consumers whom they should call or even what to say in a telephone conversation, the same should apply to the broadband carriers, and thus they should not be permitted to misuse their power in the market to control online activities (Cerf, Para 7). Data would be controlled if internet neutrality is not allowed to continue, thus a legal mandate should be put in place to ensure that all the cable companies allow the providers of internet services unlimited access to the cable lines. Internet neutrality should be denied the right to screen, filter or interrupt the internet content unless permitted to do so by a court order. Internet neutrality should also ensure that there are laws governing digital freedoms and rights, thus the internet technology should remain open and free to all the internet users and this would enhance democratic communication (Zittrain, pp 78). Charging each and every website regardless of its market share would effectively hinder innovation and competition especially to the new small entrants into the market and thus more developments in technology would be blocked. By permitting preferential treatment of traffic in the internet, the newer and less competitive online companies would be highly disadvantaged and slow innovation would be realized in online services. In fact, most of the current major internet providers started as their operations in small garages with little capital and very great ideas, thus without internet neutrality such great ideas and innovations would never have been realized. If the internet neutrality is not maintained the internet would more or less appear like a television cable. It would be dominated by only a few companies who would be responsible of controlling the distribution and access of internet content. This would impact very negatively to some major industries and they would be faced with increased costs in order to acquire secure and fast internet facilities (Nuechterlein, & Weiser, pp 120) Conclusion The internet neutrality should be protected as it minimizes its control by the owners, it increases healthy competition and also gives others a chance to come up with innovative ideas which ushers in new technology every now and then and thus the internet remains relevant to the modern society. The neutrality of the network is very important in ensuring that a competitive and free market exists for the internet content. Work cited: Cerf, Vinton; Internet neutrality law needed (2006): Retrieved on 9th May from, http://www. infoworld. com/d/networking/internet-neutrality-law-needed-vi nton-cerf-says-577. Nuechterlein, Jonathan E. & Weiser, Philip J. ; Digital crossroads: American telecommunications policy in the internet age (2005): MIT Press, ISBN 0262140918. Zittrain, Jonathan; The future of the Internet and how to stop it (2008): Yale University Press, ISBN 0300124872.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Deception in Hamlet

There’s something rotten in the state of Denmark because deception rules the day! Deception, one of the main themes in Shakespeare’s play; Hamlet, is a major factor or characteristic that many, if not all of the characters portray. Throughout the play, almost none of the characters are true to one another, this causes chaos and drama. Within the play, there are many examples of deception, one being in scene II of act I. In this scene Claudius gives a speech, acting as if he feels sorrow and remorse over the death of his brother, and former king, Hamlet. To deceive the people, and fool them into thinking that he actually feels remorse over his brother’s death, is King Claudius’s goal. The truth however is king Claudius is the source of King Hamlet’s bereavement. In hopes that no one will suspect him of murdering his own brother, Claudius uses the â€Å"fake sympathy charade†. Even if King Claudius truly felt remorse or regret for the death of his brother, he would not have married his dead brothers wife, Queen Gertrude. Scene II of act II includes another example of deception. This scene consists of four characters, all of whom deceive the traumatized and depressed Prince and main character, Hamlet. He is deceived by; his â€Å"love†, Ophelia, his Uncle/Father, King Claudius, Ophelia’s father, Polonius, and most importantly his own Mother, Gertrude. Polonius concocts a plan to prove to King Claudius that Hamlet’s destructive behavior is due to his unreciprocated love for Ophelia. This was to be carried out by Ophelia misleading Hamlet into thinking that they are alone, in the hallway in which Hamlet spends most of his time. Meanwhile Ophelia is well aware that her father, Polonius and King Claudius are hiding nearby eavesdropping on their conversation. Also, In Act I, sc. II, Claudius and Gertrude ask Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlets long time friends to speak with Hamlet and find out why has been so sepulchral . After Hamlet greets them joyfully, he asks them for the reasoning behind their visit. Rosencrantz lies in his response by saying, â€Å"To visit you, my lord, no other occasion†. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are not the only ones involved in this situation, making Gertrude and Claudius unfaithful to Hamlet as well because it is they who brought Hamlets friends, knowing that his friends were most likely the only ones that would be able to get information out of Hamlet. Almost all of the characters in Hamlet are unfaithful/ deceptive. They play tricks, and lie to one another. Most of the characters are â€Å"duplicitous† in the sense that they have two totally different personalities and switch back and forth, or perhaps they are one faced, and wear masks. So one side of their face is who they truly are, and the other (or the mask) is who they deceive people into believing they are.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Sizing the ComboBox Drop Down Width

Sizing the ComboBox Drop Down Width The TComboBox component combines an edit box with a scrollable pick list. Users can select an item from the list or type directly into the edit box. Drop Down List When a combo box is in dropped down state Windows draws a list box type of control to display combo box items for selection. The DropDownCount property specifies the maximum number of items displayed in the drop-down list. The width of the drop-down list would, by default, equal the width of the combo box. When the length (of a string) of items exceeds the width of the combobox, the items are displayed as cut-off! TComboBox does not provide a way to set the width of its drop-down list :( Fixing The ComboBox Drop-Down List Width We can set the width of the drop-down list by sending a special Windows message to the combo box. The message is CB_SETDROPPEDWIDTH and sends the minimum allowable width, in pixels, of the list box of a combo box. To hardcode the size of the drop-down list to, lets say, 200 pixels, you could do: SendMessage(theComboBox.Handle, CB_SETDROPPEDWIDTH, 200, 0); This is only ok if you are sure all your theComboBox.Items are not longer than 200 px (when drawn). To ensure we always have the drop-down list display enough wide, we can calculate the required width. Heres a function to get the required width of the drop-down list and set it: procedure ComboBox_AutoWidth(const theComboBox: TCombobox); const HORIZONTAL_PADDING 4; var itemsFullWidth: integer; idx: integer; itemWidth: integer; begin itemsFullWidth : 0; // get the max needed with of the items in dropdown state for idx : 0 to -1 theComboBox.Items.Count do begin itemWidth : theComboBox.Canvas.TextWidth(theComboBox.Items[idx]); Inc(itemWidth, 2 * HORIZONTAL_PADDING); if (itemWidth itemsFullWidth) then itemsFullWidth : itemWidth; end; // set the width of drop down if needed if (itemsFullWidth theComboBox.Width) then begin //check if there would be a scroll bar if theComboBox.DropDownCount theComboBox.Items.Count then itemsFullWidth : itemsFullWidth GetSystemMetrics(SM_CXVSCROLL); SendMessage(theComboBox.Handle, CB_SETDROPPEDWIDTH, itemsFullWidth, 0); end; end; The width of the longest string is used for the width of the drop-down list. When to call ComboBox_AutoWidth?If you pre-fill the list of items (at design time or when creating the form) you can call the ComboBox_AutoWidth procedure inside the forms OnCreate event handler. If you dynamically change the list of combo box items, you can call the ComboBox_AutoWidth procedure inside the OnDropDown event handler - occurs when the user opens the drop-down list. A TestFor a test, we have 3 combo boxes on a form. All have items with their text more wide than the actual combo box width. The third combo box is placed near the right edge of the forms border. The Items property, for this example, is pre-filled - we call our ComboBox_AutoWidth in the OnCreate event handler for the form: //Forms OnCreate procedure TForm.FormCreate(Sender: TObject); begin ComboBox_AutoWidth(ComboBox2); ComboBox_AutoWidth(ComboBox3); end; Weve not called ComboBox_AutoWidth for Combobox1 to see the difference! Note that, when run, the drop-down list for Combobox2 will be wider than Combobox2. The Entire Drop-Down List Is Cut Off For Near Right Edge Placement For Combobox3, the one placed near the right edge, the drop-down list is cut off. Sending the CB_SETDROPPEDWIDTH will always extend the drop-down list box to the right. When your combobox is near the right edge, extending the list box more to the right would result in the display of the list box being cut off. We need to somehow extend the list box to the left when this is the case, not to the right! The CB_SETDROPPEDWIDTH has no way of specifying to what direction (left or right) to extend the list box. Solution: WM_CTLCOLORLISTBOX Just when the drop-down list is to be displayed Windows sends the WM_CTLCOLORLISTBOX message to the parent window of a list box - to our combo box. Being able to handle the WM_CTLCOLORLISTBOX for the near-right-edge combobox would solve the problem. The Almighty WindowProcEach VCL control exposes the WindowProc property - the procedure that responds to messages sent to the control. We can use the WindowProc property to temporarily replace or subclass the window procedure of the control. Heres our modified WindowProc for Combobox3 (the one near the right edge): //modified ComboBox3 WindowProc procedure TForm.ComboBox3WindowProc(var Message: TMessage); var cr, lbr: TRect; begin //drawing the list box with combobox items if Message.Msg WM_CTLCOLORLISTBOX then begin GetWindowRect(ComboBox3.Handle, cr); //list box rectangle GetWindowRect(Message.LParam, lbr); //move it to left to match right border if cr.Right lbr.Right then MoveWindow(Message.LParam, lbr.Left-(lbr.Right-clbr.Right), lbr.Top, lbr.Right-lbr.Left, lbr.Bottom-lbr.Top, True); end else ComboBox3WindowProcORIGINAL(Message); end; If the message our combo box receives is WM_CTLCOLORLISTBOX we get its windows rectangle, we also get the rectangle of the list box to be displayed (GetWindowRect). If it appears that the list box would appear more to the right - we move it to the left so that combo box and list box right border is the same. As easy as that :) If the message is not WM_CTLCOLORLISTBOX we simply call the original message handling procedure for the combo box (ComboBox3WindowProcORIGINAL). Finally, all this can work if we have set it correctly (in the OnCreate event handler for the form): //Forms OnCreate procedure TForm.FormCreate(Sender: TObject); begin ComboBox_AutoWidth(ComboBox2); ComboBox_AutoWidth(ComboBox3); //attach modified/custom WindowProc for ComboBox3 ComboBox3WindowProcORIGINAL : ComboBox3.WindowProc; ComboBox3.WindowProc : ComboBox3WindowProc; end; Where in the forms declaration we have (entire): type TForm class(TForm) ComboBox1: TComboBox; ComboBox2: TComboBox; ComboBox3: TComboBox; procedure FormCreate(Sender: TObject); private ComboBox3WindowProcORIGINAL : TWndMethod; procedure ComboBox3WindowProc(var Message: TMessage); public { Public declarations } end; And thats it. All handled :)

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

How to Write a Book Report

How to Write a Book Report How to Write a Book Report You might rightly think that not all critical essays writing has a logical structure. However, most college courses in England and America require composition guidelines. For the beginner, the writing technique has the advantage: it provides clear-cut rules for enhancing the effectiveness and readability of essay by stressing unity and logic. Although the rules for essays writing may appear simple in theory, they are difficult to put into practice. It is essential not to give up and to persist in trying to organize your book report writing according to the guidelines: Critical Essay Writing Every academic discipline follows college critical essay conventions that are concerned with the documentation of sources. This feature of college English essay writing which is often subsumed under the term critical apparatus. In the field of English and American literature, there are particularly strict rules of documentation, which have been published in a handbook by the Modern Language Association, the largest and most influential association. College critical essay writing is characterized by consistent and accurate critical apparatus which must contain all primary and secondary texts used for book report writing. This should enable an essay reader to retrace the sources of quotations and paraphrases. Therefore, you have to collect all necessary information concerning a text, including the author's or editor's name, the title of the book, the journal or anthology containing the essay, the year of publication, the volume, and the page numbers. Critical Essay Help The literature used in critical essay writing can be incorporated either in the form of direct quotations or as paraphrases: short passages from primary texts are usually integrated as direct quotations while larger units of meaning as paraphrases. Secondary literature is generally paraphrased, except for important, fundamental statements which require word for word quotation. The critical apparatus usually consists of footnotes and bibliography. Footnotes serve a dual function in college essay writing: first, they allow you to acknowledge the source of information or quotations and to refer to further sources; second, they permit you to expand on a thought which is not directly relevant to the general argument in the essay. The bibliography at the end of the essay is an alphabetically arranged documentation of the primary and secondary literature used for book report writing. While writing critical essay, keep in mind the above information. Using other author's information without r eference in your English critical writing will be considered as plagiarism. .com You may find it difficult to write a book report especially if you have not read the book. Yes, most of the students prefer not to read the assigned books because they have not time.We offer you to take advantage of professional book report writing service offered on our site.We know how to write a book report and we are available 24/7 to assist you with writing.In addition, you can freely read wealth of free tips on our blog! Popular posts: Biology Term Paper 3,000 Words Term Paper SFU Writing Research Papers Writing a Research Proposal Writing a Research Paper

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Health Care Law Changes Reimbursement Systems Research Paper

Health Care Law Changes Reimbursement Systems - Research Paper Example This study evaluates the benefits and disadvantages of these proposed reforms. On the one hand, the reforms could improve quality of service by providing incentive for hospitals and increasing competition among them but on the other hand, ordinary citizens could also be affected because many expenses that were earlier applied against FSA and HSA accounts may no longer be possible. Medical reimbursement in the United States Introduction: The costs of health care in the United States are prohibitive and only a few people in the country can afford to avail of health care without any form of insurance. Private health insur4ance plans are available in the country and most employees have access to some form of health insurance through group insurance plans that are offered by their employers. Most people in the United States however, fall under the category of Medicare or Medicaid insurance plans to cover their health care costs. Medicaid is available to individuals who are from the poorer socio economic backgrounds and have no insurance at all. Medicare is the public health insurance program which has been formulated to provide for the health care of the elderly and the disabled. It covers individuals who are aged 65 or over, or under 65 but with certain disabilities and those of any age with permanent kidney failure (www.medicare.gov). In the year 2003, Medicare expenses cost the U.S. Government a sum of $271 billion, representing 13% of the federal budget (Frankes and Evans, 2006). The program comprises two parts – Part A which covers hospitalization and nursing facilities, and Part B which covers physician and outpatient services, laboratory charges and medical equipment. Since costs for the Medicare program were turning out to be prohibitive, changes were introduced to the reimbursement policies in 2008, in an effort to reduce some of the expenditures and thereby bring about some trimming of the federal government budget on health care. The sweeping chang es proposed reduced payments for complex medical treatment procedures by 20 to 30%. Some of the major changes which were introduced and came into legal existence in 2008 were as follows (www.seniorjournal.com): (a) reducing reimbursement for procedures such an angioplasties and implanting of drug coated stents by 33% (b) reducing reimbursement for implanting defibrillators by 23% (c) Reducing reimbursements for hip and knee replacements by 10% Reimbursement for other diseases was also cut down; hospitals and health care professionals fully reimbursed only if their patients were suffering from one of 13 diseases which have been listed. The Medicare reimbursement policies for Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities were revised further in 2009, validated legally from 2010. The patients are classified into different categories based upon their clinical symptoms and payments for clinical conditions that are secondary to the major one are no longer reimbursed (Ingenix, 2009). Cost outliner p ayments have also been readjusted to 3% of total estimated payments for Inpatient rehabilitation facilities. Coverage criteria were further revised for inpatient rehabilitation facilities with several pre-conditions being exposed, such as mandating therapy treatments to begin with 36 hours of the midnight of the day the patient was admitted.(Ingenix, 2009). It may be noted that the changes which had

Friday, November 1, 2019

Political independence of FED Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Political independence of FED - Essay Example This has been contributed by the fact that politicians like manipulating and controlling these institutions for their own gains. In his lectures, Bernanke (2012) argued that central bank should be allowed to make independent decisions without political interference in order to have sound decisions. Studies have documented that political interference in the financial sector not only hinder how these institutions operate, but also interfere with how regulators enforce regulations. Financial regulators are, therefore, unable to take actions on banks that do not follow the laid down rules and regulations. When political interference is evident in the financial regulatory bodies, recognition of severity of crisis is delayed, intervention needed is also slowed and consequently raise the cost of the crisis to tax payers. Shielding financial sector from political interference helps to improve the quality of regulation and supervision. This helps in preventing financial crisis. Financial regu lators have two main purposes. First, they are mandated to protect the consumer. Second, they are also mandated to maintaining financial stability of financial institutions. When political interferences come in, these two roles of the regulator are abandoned. For instance, in 1997, political interference in the regulatory bodies of East Asia led to postponement of recognition of severity of crisis, which led to increased crisis.