How Many Times Can You Take the ACT

How Many Times Can You Take the ACT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you keep improving every time you take the ACT, should you take it as many times as you canto get the highest score?Even though you can take the ACT up to 12 times, that doesn't necessarily mean that you should. Let's look at when you should retake the test, and when it's time to pack up and call it a day. How Many Times Can You Take the ACT? You are allowed to take the ACT up to 12 times. Of course you're limited by time and test dates, so actually taking the ACT 12 times would involve multiple retests every year. The ACT is administered seven times a yearin September, October, December, February, April, June, and July. Most of you reading this are probably wondering, "Why on earth would I take the ACT 12 times?!" I agree that this would be a bit excessive, but there are definitely good reasons to take the ACT at least more than once. Why You Should Take the ACT More Than Once The fact of the matter is, students almost always improve when they retake the ACT.But why? For one, sitting for the real test is valuable experience. Doing this helps you gauge your level and identify your areas of weakness so you'll know exactly what you need to study in order to do well. The real test also gives you experience with handling test-day pressures, fromwhat you need to bringto managingyour time on each ACT section. If you get stressed out about the test, you can use your experience to figure out ways to calm your nerves and stay focused. If you end up scoringmuch lower than expected on the ACT, you might have had a fluke test day. Maybe you were tired or ill that day, or got unlucky with the reading passages or essay question. If this happens, you should register to take the test again on the next available test date. Since the ACT lets you choose which score reports you send to colleges, you generally don't have to worry about your colleges seeing fluke test scores or how many times you sat for the test. You can just send the scores from your best sitting. Some colleges superscore the ACT if you send score reports from multiple sittings, meaning they'll take your highest scores by section and recombine them to make a new, highest composite score. Schools that do this include Tufts, MIT, Boston College, and Amherst College. If your schools have a superscoring policy, you might want to build up your score by focusing on one or two sections at a time. You could really focus in on Math and Science on one test date, and then do most of your prep in English and Reading for the next date. That said,you shouldn't completely dismiss the other sections,as large score fluctuations could raise red flags. Another reason to be wary of neglecting a section is that some schools, even those that superscore, request to see all your scores. Only a small number of schools want you to send all your scores from every time you took the ACT and trust that you'll abide by this expectation. These schools include the following: Yale Boston University Pomona Stanford Columbia Brown Cornell Washington University Hamilton College Research your school's standardized testing policy to find out exactly what they want to see. If they want you to send all your ACT scores, you might think twice about taking the ACT more than six or so times, as this might send the message that you're not taking the test seriously or are really struggling to improve your scores. Besides how it might look to schools with "send all scores" policies, what are some other reasons to be cautiouswhen you answer the question, "How many times can I take the ACT?" How to Avoid Taking the ACT Too Many Times For most students, I would say that taking the ACT more than six times might be taking it too many times. If you find yourself registering to test again and again, pause to reflect on your approach. Are you dissatisfied with your scores? Are you not taking itseriously? Instead of taking the ACT again and again, here are some tips for what you can do instead. #1: Focus On Effective Test-Prep Methods If you continue to be unhappy with your ACT scores after repeated attempts, reevaluate your approach to test prep. While taking the ACT is a valuable experience, it is not going to take you far if you don't couple with it with purposeful, efficient studying. Start bycustomizing your studying so that you're identifying your weaknesses and filling in any gaps in knowledge. Rather than studying everything at once, zero in on the concepts and practices that are most significant to you and most relevant for improving your scores. Are you weak in geometry? Doyou have trouble writingtimed essays? Do you often run out of time in Reading because the passages take too long to get through? The key here is to identify your areas of growth and the concepts or strategies you must learn in order to get better. #2: Follow an ACT Study Plan As you use effective test-prep methods, you'll also want to have a long-term ACT study plan to help you stay on track. Building a study plan has many benefits and allows you to do the following: Familiarize yourself with all aspects of the ACT,from itsquestion types to its structure Spread out your practice tests so that you're not taking them too often or not enough Spend time prepping for each section, with a slightly bigger focus on your weaknesses Pace yourself in your prep so that you're not wearing yourself out too quickly Essentially, by using a well-thought-out plan, you can rest assured that you are studying everything you need to know for the ACT, and are studying it as effectively as possible.In turn, this will likely reduce the number of times you take the test. #3: Treat Every ACT Sitting Seriously Besides taking control of your test prep, make sure you're taking every opportunity to test seriously. In other words, don't treat any ACT sitting as a "throwaway" test! Every test is an opportunity to achieve strongscores for your college applications,and if you are applying to a "send all scores" college, admissions officers might not look highly on the fact that it took you six or more tries to hit your target scores. If you're really afraid of a school seeing one of your poorer score reports, you might want to considercanceling those scores. On a similar note, multiple sittings and large score fluctuations could raise red flags for ACT scorers, and your scores could even be withheld if ACT, Inc.,suspects possible cheating. To avoid this worst case scenario, approach every test with the intention of doing your best in all sections. #4: Devote Energy to Other Admission Factors, Too Along with taking the test seriously,make sure you're devoting energy to your other pursuits, all of whichmake up your college application in important ways. While test scores are an important part of your applications, so are your grades, your activities (such as clubs, sports, and community service projects),and your relationships with your teachers and counselor who might eventually write you letters of recommendation. All in all, don't drop everything in pursuit of the bestACT score. You don't want to stress yourself out too much by throwing things out of balance. #5: Take a Deep Breath Takingthe ACT is a nerve-wracking experience for most, if not all, students. Taking the ACT several times can be a great opportunity to learn how to calm your anxiety, clear your head, and focus on the test. However, you probably don't want to put yourself through the experience too many times! Thus, by prepping effectively and taking every test seriously, you'll conserve mental and emotional energy, not to mention bothtime and money! #6: Be Strategic About Your Score Reports Unlike the SAT, the ACT doesn't send a summary report of all your scores to your colleges. Instead, you have to send individual score reports from each test sitting (that you choose to send). It costs $13 per test date per report. If you took the ACT upwards of 10 times, thiscould add up to well over $100 to send all your test scores to a single school! Given all these considerations, you want to approach the ACT with a plan,both in terms of your test prep and your testing schedule. Read on for my recommendations for how to schedule your time and design a study and testing plan for the ACT. Quick Guide to Your ACT Testing Timeline This timeline works well for a lot of students. It gives you multiple test dates to retake the ACT but avoids excessive test-taking and lets you spread out your studying over the course of a year. This guide answers the question of how many times can you take the ACT while still leaving time and energy for all your other interests and responsibilities. Prep for the ACT the summer before junior year. You can draw on a variety of resources, including online courses, ACT Questions of the Day, official practice tests, prep websites, and ACT prep books. Register and take the ACT in the fall of junior year (September or October). September might be preferable, as your summer studying will be fresh in your mind and you won't be too busy with schoolwork yet. Depending on your scores, you can register to take the test again in the spring. Prep in the winter of junior year, and take the ACT again in the spring. The spring of junior year is the most popular time for students to take the ACT. If you aren't satisfied with these scores either, you can prep throughout the summer before senior year and take the ACT a third time in September or October, depending on your college application deadlines. If you still feel you've fallen short of your target scores or were unlucky and had a fluke test, you might be able to takeone more crack at itin December. Before registering and taking this test, though, check with the admissions officers at your colleges to make sure they will accept these test scores. Assuming you put in the effort to prep before the previous test administrations, hopefully you'll be able to focus on completing and submitting the other parts of your college applications in December of your senior year and won't find yourself retaking the ACT during this busy time. With this plan in place, you should be able to achieve your target scores within four tests. If you're ambitious and feel you have the skills to achieve your target scores earlier, you could move this schedule up a year and take the ACT as a sophomore. This way you'll be all set with your test scores and can focus on everything else going on in your life and with your college applications. Taking the ACT is valuable trainingexperience that can help you build up your scores, so try to leave yourself enough test dates to retake it if you wish. Just make sure you find balance between taking the ACT, crafting your college application, and making the most of your high school experience! What's Next? Has your test date snuck up on you, and you need to get in some last-minute studying? Check out our guide forraising your ACT score by 7 points with just 10 days of prep. Are you taking the ACT as a freshman? What about as a sophomore? Learnabout good ACT scores for 9th and 10th graders, and how these scores can predict your final scores. What's a good score on the ACT? A bad score? This article will help you figure out exactly what scores you should be aiming for in each section, and what you need to do to achieve them. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by ACT experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Try it risk-free today:

Mergers and Acquisitions in the Banking Industry Research Paper

Mergers and Acquisitions in the Banking Industry - Research Paper Example In April 1998, the month of the merger the opening price was at $60.44, the closing price was at $61.19 with the highest price $73.50 and the lowest price $59.19. The volume traded was $10,441,700, with the adjusted closing stock price as $21.49. Two years after the merger in April 2000, the opening price was at $60.00, the closing price was at $59.00 with the volume being traded $15,572,900. The highest and the lowest prices were at $65.44 & $56.00 respectively with the adjusted closing price at $31.81. The stock price analysis depicts that the stock price for Citicorp increased after the merger of the Citibank with Travelers Group. However two years down the line the stock price for the company reduced relative to the year of the merger depicting a stable stock position. In 1998, the year of the merger, the average price earning ratio was at 20.70, with the share price & sales ratio at 1.49. The share price and book value ratio for the company was at 2.63, with a net profit margin of 12.3. The book value per share in 1998 was at $9.46. Two years after the merger in 2000 the average price earning ratio was at 20.20, with the share price & sales ratio at 2.61. The share price and book value ratio for the company was at 3.87, with a net profit margin of 19.3. The book value per share in 2000 was at $13.18. Two years before the merger, the ROE for the Citibank and... The return on equity ratio stood at 16.3% with the interest coverage in 1998 was 1.4. Two years after the merger, the debt equity ratio for the company in 2000 was at 4.14, and the return on assets ratio at 1.4%. The return on equity ratio stood at 18.5% with the interest coverage in 2000 was 1.5. Since the deal closure of the merger, the ROE of the Citicorp has fluctuated dramatically going as high as 19.86 percent 18 months after the merger to arrive at a relatively stable position of 5.76 percent in 2000. Operating Cash Flows & Absolute Cash Flows In 1996, the operating cash flow for the Citibank was at $3,143 millions, and in the following years the cash flow for the company fluctuated dramatically going up to $8,844 million 18 months before the merger and as low as $(94) million 15 months before the merger. In 1998, at the time of the merger, the cash flow of the company stood at $2,066 million. This decreased as to $33 million when the deal was closed. Two years after the merger the cash flow value of the company was at $1,923 million. The cash flow position of the company has reduced in terms of cash generation on an annual basis since its merger with Travelers Group. Wells Fargo & Co The Wells Fargo & Co is a company operating in the financial sector in the US. It is the only bank in the US which has been rated in the category of AAA. The company was built after the acquisition of the Northwestern Corporation in the year 1998. Since then the company has established itself in the market in an appreciative manner. Stock Price The stock price of the Citicorp in February 2003 opened at $45.57 and closed at $45.35. The highest stock price reported in the month was at $45.98 with the

Newark Ophthalmic Centre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Newark Ophthalmic Centre - Essay Example 179), your project will not succeed. By definition, an information system (Beynon-Davies, 1998, p. 4) is a system of communication between people, within the firm and between those in the firm and your customers, actual and potential, and involves the gathering, processing, distribution and use of information. According to several research papers (Morris and Hough, 1987; Benjamin and Levinson, 1993; Drummond, 1998; Beynon-Davies et al., 1998), information system failures are very common. Your problems are common and, based on our considerable experience in these matters, due mainly to faulty project management design. Fortunately, your experience in a much larger organisation was useful in avoiding bigger problems such as mistakes in the installation of the appropriate information systems and technology architecture. Your decision to purchase the system you had just installed was a first step in the right direction. Several failures have been marked by the installation of complex and expensive systems that brought about stakeholder resistance and integration problems due to poor strategic implementation (Beynon-Davies, 1998, p.258 and Grindley, 1991). Herewith are our specific recommendations that we attempt to explain in a straightforward manner and, by defining terms where it would be to your advantage, using language that is easy to understand by everyone in your firm. We have divided our report into five parts. In the first two parts, we propose a simple and straightforward information systems strategy and an information technology strategy you can communicate to everyone in the Centre. In the next two parts, we provide you with an outline of how you can market the information systems and technology strategies to the staff and to the Centre's owner, Dr. Harrison. In part five, we map out a project implementation plan for the next two years Part One: Information Systems

Thomas Kuhn Writing Style Essay Example for Free

Thomas Kuhn Writing Style Essay According to the back cover, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions is considered one of The Hundred Most Influential Books Since the Second World War by The Times Literary Supplement. I don’t necessarily agree with this assessment. Don’t miss understand what I’m saying; he is probably one of the more brilliant people that have ever walked this earth for all I know. But, I could not get over how difficult his writing style was to interpret. His form of writing is not something that most people who are not scientists are use too. From being written in a scientific and philosophical manner, to explaining a paradigm and normal science, to using words that I was trying to look up in the dictionary on every single page. The one thing I did care for was his redundancy in his book. His redundancy will grab your attention telling you to pay attention to this certain word or phrase because it will be important to understanding this book. From the start of the book, I’ve come to the conclusion that Thomas Kuhn is almost writing a scientific and philosophical essay. As he continues to refer back to some of the more brilliant people in the history of the world such as Aristotle, Galileo, Einstein, Newton and Lavoisier, this is where I recognized the scientific and philosophical â€Å"writing style† he had. Numerous times he would refer back to one of these names and tell of their scientific development that was associated with their name. This, for whatever reason, made me think his writing was actually organized; I just didn’t understand it. He gave explanations behind why he was referencing this particular person making everything attempt to flow a little bit better. For me, philosophy was never a subject that I understood well, therefore, it was very hard for me to follow in what he was saying. Throughout this essay, Thomas Kuhn puts a large emphasis on paradigms, and normal science. From what I understood, a paradigm meant that the nature of scientific inquiry within a particular field was going to be largely transformed. That was my own interpretation. I sat for about a day on trying to figure out how I was going to understand what his form of paradigm meant. For all I know, I’m completely wrong. But that’s what I understood so far. So, for Thomas Kuhn, his argument was that science did not progress on a linear accumulation of knowledge but that it went through so-called periodic revolutions. This is where the term paradigm shift had come from. I believe that it is impossible to go through a paradigm shift without a crisis. When attempting to understand what normal science was to Thomas Kuhn, I was still quite confused since I was trying to interpret paradigm and paradigm shift. Kuhn insists, (p. 52) Normal science does not aim at novelties of fact or theory and, when successful, finds none. Again, not quite sure what he just said there. So, I sat on it for a few hours to figure out what he was trying to tell the reader. After that day, I felt that he was almost concerned that common occurrence of discoveries was going to disprove his thesis. So, if normal science aims at discovery, and discoveries are novel, then normal science aims at novelty. Kuhn claims that discoveries are always accompanied by changes in the prevailing paradigm. Attempting to understand what each of these meant in his words was a struggle. I would have much rather used the Internet to try to figure out what in the world he was saying. For me, Thomas Kuhn’s writing style is above and beyond my intellect or knowledge. Having my bachelors in science didn’t help me out whatsoever like I thought it would when beginning this book. The most difficult obstacle for me while reading Thomas Kuhn’s book was no doubt trying to understand what he was saying by the words he used. Just in the first few chapters I was looking up words in the dictionary probably four or five times on each page. I understand his audience was a group of scientists so they should understand this. I won’t knock him for that. I also feel like he could’ve made the reading a little easier to understand. No to bring anyone down to a lower level, but to â€Å"dumb† it down a little bit would have given people like me a huge help at understanding his form of writing. Just in the first two chapters, this was the list of words or phrases I could not pick up on: * Phylogistic chemistry * Arbitrariness * Onslaught * Dichotomies * Elucidate * Esoteric * Corpuscles * Effluvium * Arduous * Recondite * Metallurgy * Morass * Juxtapose Sure, a few of these words I have come across before in another reading. The book I read these words from was probably a science textbook, and honestly were not words I was going to be using everyday. Lastly, I noticed how redundant Thomas Kuhn was in his writing style. I think that because of who his audience was, he needed to be redundant. He needed to repeatedly bring the importance of a paradigm up for discussion. He was trying to get people to pay attention to certain points in his writing and the best way to do that is to talk about them repeatedly. With his redundancy I found myself paying more attention to certain words or phrases he was pointing out to me, like, â€Å"Hey!  Grasp this concept and understand because I’m going to bring it up a lot in this book. † This was the only form of his writing style that I cared for. Again, I’m not trying to knock him for what he has written, because from reviews I’ve read on him and his book, he’s pretty brilliant. The redundancy is always annoying, but in this case it helped me to grasp concepts that he was really trying to focus on and bring my attention to so I could fully understand this book. Did it completely help me in understanding this book? No, not at all, I’m still blown away at what in the world I’ve read and am still reading to understand him.

The Benefits Of A Pacemaker

The Benefits Of A Pacemaker What is a Pacemaker? An artificial pacemaker is an electronic medical device which is used to treat abnormalities in the rhythm of the human heart. These devices are used internally inside the body, are usually small and implanted into the chest. The pacemaker provides electrical impulses that allow the heart to beat at its normal rate, if the heart were not able to do so by itself. Reason for the need of a pacemaker A pacemaker is used to treat arrhythmias. Arrhythmias are problems or abnormalities in the rhythm of the heartbeat. These problems or abnormalities include an irregular heartbeat, the rate of the heartbeat being too slow or the rate of the heartbeat being too fast. Arrhythmias are a severe condition which causes shortness of breath, fatigue and fainting. It can also lead to serious damage of bodily organs or even death if not treated properly. However these problems can easily be solved with the implementation of a pacemaker. A pacemaker can allow a person with these problems to lead a normal and active lifestyle relieving them of fatigue and fainting. How an artificial pacemaker functions The pacemaker is run on batteries and delivers electrical impulses through electrodes, which are connected to the cardiac muscle to regulate the beat of the heart. These electrical impulses regulate the heart beat and maintain the correct rhythm of the heart. The leads which connected between the pacemaker and the heart send electrical signals back and forth and sense when the heart needs some sort of treatment. When it requires treatment, the heart will receive an impulse from the device to correct the problem. Human Pacemaker Within the cardiovascular system there are electrical events which cause the contraction and relaxation of the muscles in the heart. The cells of cardiac muscle can be classified as either non-pacemaker cells or pacemaker cells in terms of electrical activity. It is the pacemaker cells that create the impulses and control the heart rate. The pacemaker cells lie within the sinoatrial (SA) node. This node can be found in the wall of the right atrium. These pacemaker cells cause spontaneous depolarizations which generate action potentials that determine the heart rate under normal physical conditions. Pacemaker cells can also be found at the atrioventricular (AV) node, which lies within the ventricular walls. It is the SA node that generally generates the hearts electrical impulses and is the reason it is usually called the pacemaker, but if the SA node were not to function or if it was blocked on its path, it would be the AV node that would generate the heart beat and become the new pacemaker. The failure of the function of these cells results in irregular and abnormal heartbeats which require correction. The artificial pacemaker can provide this correction with its own electrical impulses. Diseases Related to pacemaker Arrhythmias Arrhythmias or cardiac dysrhythmia is the condition in which the electrical activity in the heart is abnormal. The pacemaker is used to treat this condition if the heart is beating too fast, too slow or if the heart is beating irregularly. The heart normally beats between 60 to 100 beats per minute, however different types of arrhythmias can cause the heart to beat below or above this rate. Bradyarrhythmias causes the heart to beat below 60 beats per minute, tachyarrhythmias causes the heart to beat above 100 beats per minute. Causes of Arrhythmias There are many causes of arrhythmias occurring, which include: Injury caused by a heart attack. Injury during healing after heart surgery. Coronary artery disease. A change in the cardiac muscle in the heart. An imbalance of sodium or potassium in the blood which causes electrolyte imbalances. Symptoms of Arrhythmias Many symptoms can arise because of arrhythmias. Chest pains, shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting, fatigue, and palpitations of the heart are all common problems associated with arrhythmias, but if left untreated the problems may become much more severe and may even lead to death. However an arrhythmia may also be silent and a patient may be unaware of this condition as none of the symptoms listed may have occurred. A doctor can detect an arrhythmia with a regular physical examination using an electrocardiogram which measures the pulse of the heart. Any complications in the rhythm of the heart will become apparent and will indicate if a pacemaker is required. Types of Arrhythmias As mentioned already arrhythmias can be described as either bradyarrhythmias (heart rate too slow) or tachyarrhythmias (heart rate too fast). Bradyarrhythmias results in a heart rate lower than 60 beats per minute, the different types include sinus node dysfunction and heart blocks. Sinus node dysfunction results in slow rhythm as the heart beats because of an abnormal sinus node (SA). Heart block results in delaying or blocking the electrical impulses which travel from the sinus node to the ventricles. A pacemaker can be used to treat both of the these conditions Tachyarrhythmias results in a heart rate higher than 100 beats per minute, the different types of this condition include atrial premature beats, atrial flutter, paroxysmal tachycardias, ventricular premature beats, ventricular tachycardia, and ventricular fibrillation. Atrial premature beats are earlier than expected extra beats which come from the atria. These do not require treatment. Atrial flutter is rapid appearing atrial activity. This can cause rates of 250 300 bpm and is most common after heart surgery. Atrial fibrillation is a common irregular heart rhythm. It causes the atria to contract abnormally. Paroxysmal tachycardis results in a rapid heart rate between 140 and 250 bpm originating from above the ventricles. Ventricular premature beats are unexpected beats from the ventricles. Ventricular tachycardia is a series of three or more ventricular premature beats in a row. Ventricular fribrillation is the most life threatening type of arrhythmia which results in disorded erratic impulses of the ventricles because the ventricles are unable to contract. Invention of the Pacemaker Who invented the first pacemaker? The first artificial pacemaker to be used in aiding the rhythm of the heart was invented by John Hopps. John Alexander Hopps was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in 1919. He attended the University of Manitoba and in 1941 achieved a B.Sc.Eng degree in electrical engineering. In 1942 Hopps became a member of the National Research Council of Canada. Hopps did not produce the first pacemaker with all his own work but had help from both Dr. Wilfred Bigelow, a Canadian heart surgeon and Dr. John Callaghan, a cardiac surgeon also from Canada. In 1949 the first work began with this trio in inventing the first external artificial pacemaker. The research and development for their project was undertaken at the Banting Institute in the University of Toronto with the finishing touches completed in 1951. With both Dr. Bigelow and Dr. Callaghans vast knowledge of the human heart, and Hopps degree in electrical engineering the first successful pacemaker was invented which lead the way to improve treatment of arrhythmias. Artificial Pacemaker How does it work? The modern implantable artificial cardiac pacemaker consists of two parts, the pacemaker device which generates the impulses and the insulated leads which are connected to the heart via electrodes. The pacemaker generator device (pulse generator) is run by the use of batteries; these batteries must store enough energy to provide electrical impulses to maintain the rhythm of the heart, they are recharged when required and send electrical signals back and forth to the heart through the leads. This device is relatively small and is implanted into the chest. The pacemaker leads which are insulated are also implanted into the body. These leads are very thin and are connected to both the heart wall and the pacemaker generator device. The electrical signals which are produced by the pulse generator send small amounts of electrical energy through the leads which prompt the device to send impulses to the heart if the rhythm of the heartbeat is incorrect. Method of Pacing The methods of pacing the rhythm of the heart include percussive pacing, transcutaneous pacing, epicardial pacing, and transvenous pacing. However these methods of pacing are only used temporarily in conjunction with an external pacemaker or in an emergency. The method used in the implantable pacemaker is permanent pacing. Permanent pacing involves placing one or more pacing leads (electrodes) in the chamber/chambers of the heart. The electrode lead is inserted and passed through a vein until it reaches the heart valve, the lead continues to pass through the valve and is placed inside the chamber of the heart. Once the surgeon is pleased with the position of the electrode in heart chamber the opposite end of the lead is connected to pacemaker generator device. The generator device is also implanted into the chest of the body. Different types of Pacemakers There are now many different types of pacemakers which assist in treating other heart conditions as well such as combining pacemakers and defibrillators in one device. Some devices only use one electrode while others make use of many electrodes to regulate different positions of the heart. The three basic types of implantable pacemakers which use permanent pacing include: Single-chamber pacemakers, this type of pacemaker only uses one pacing lead. The pacing lead is placed in only one chamber, either the atrium or the ventricle. Dual-chamber pacemakers, this type of pacemaker uses two pacing leads. The pacing leads are placed in two chambers of the heart, with one pacing the ventricle and the other pacing the atrium. Rate-responsive pacemakers, this type of pacemaker includes a sensor that automatically adjusts due to a change in the activity of the human body. Materials Used The materials used for producing the pacemaker generator and electrodes are inert, nontoxic, biocompatible and all function within the body. The casing of the pacemaker generator is made of stainless steel, titanium or a titanium alloy. The battery requires storing a large amount of energy but cannot be too big because of the small size of the device, for this a lithium battery is used. The electrodes are made from platinum or platinum-iridium alloy but insulated with polyurethane. Sealing of the casing or any other parts is done using silicon rubber or polypropylene. Methods of production Pacemaker devices are produced by biomedical engineering companies such as Boston Scientific. There are three main components which must be produced to make a pacemaker. The main battery used for a pacemaker device is a lithium/iodine cell. The iodine and a polymer are mixed and heated together first. The liquid iodine/polymer solidifies to form the cathode with the lithium forming the anode. Moisture is prevented from entering the battery by hermetically sealing it. The wires in the leads are produced using a method of extrusion. The wires are bundled together and insulated with polyurethane. One end is shaped to fit the pacemaker and the other to be placed in the heart. The motherboard used in the pacemaker includes semiconductors, resistors and capacitors which are combined together on a single circuit using hybridization. Once these components are produced they can all be put together in the casing of titanium or stainless steel, and sealed using the polypropylene or silicon rubber. Improvements and the future There have been many improvements in the technology of pacemakers. They have been reduced in size for the comfort of patients, the lithium batteries used have vastly improved the multiyear life spans of the device, better leads and wires along with improved electronics have reduced power consumption, and now the device can treat various types of arrhythmias. Increasing numbers of patients requiring pacemakers will mean more will have to be produced. Further research will be carried out to improve the existing devices. Future improvements may include longer lasting batteries with the use of radioactive isotopes, smaller devices, and an application of cardiac pace making technology to the brain.

History Quizz

Question 1 With few precedents to guide them, the population of Mesopotamia adapted and created AnswerSocial organizationWritingAgricultural cultivationDevelopment of religionCompetition amongst different groups 1 pointsQuestion 2 The earliest urban societies so far known emerged in the AnswerFirst millennium B. C. EThird millennium B. C. ESixth millennium B. C. ESecond millennium B. C. EFourth millennium B. C. E 1 pointsQuestion 3 After 3000 B. C. E. all Sumerian cities were ruled by what form of government? AnswerMonarchyCouncils of elders DictatorsAssemblies of citizensMilitary governors 1 pointsQuestion 4 A Babylonian resurgence of power was led in the sixth century B. C. E. by AnswerNebuchadnezzarAshurbanipalSolomonSargonHammurabi 1 pointsQuestion 5 The creator of the first empire in Mesopotamia was AnswerHammurabiMosesSargon of AkkadGilgameshNebuchadnezzar 1 pointsQuestion 6 Mesopotamian metalworkers discovered that if they alloyed copper and tin they could produce AnswerObsidianSteelIronSilverBronze 1 pointsQuestion 7 The word Mesopotamia means AnswerThe â€Å"pure land. â€Å"The â€Å"land of the strong. â€Å"â€Å"the blood of Gilgamesh. â€Å"â€Å"wedge-shaped. â€Å"â€Å"the land between the rivers. † 1 pointsQuestion 8 Iron metallurgy came to Mesopotamia from the AnswerHebrewsHittitesPhoeniciansEgyptiansAssyrians 1 pointsQuestion 9 Enkidu was AnswerThe Sumerian god of wisdomA leading Sumerian city-stateThe most powerful Babylonian kingGilgamesh's friendThe Hebrew word for â€Å"holy. † 1 pointsQuestion 10 Gilgamesh was associated with what city? AnswerJerusalemKishUrukLagashUr 1 pointsQuestion 11 Horse-drawn chariots were first invented by the AnswerEgyptiansAssyriansHittitesBabyloniansHyksos 1 pointsQuestion 12 Eridu, Ur, Uruk, Lagash, Nippur, and Kish were all associated with AnswerEgyptNubiaPhoeniciaMesopotamiaJerusalem 1 pointsQuestion 13 The original homeland of the Indo-European speakers was AnswerMesopotamiaNorthern GermanySouthern RussiaIndiaEgypt 1 pointsQuestion 14 A Mesopotamian stepped pyramid was known as a AnswerCopticEriduLugalLex talionisZiggurat 1 pointsQuestion 15 The first complex society was developed in the southern Mesopotamian land of AnswerAkkadAssyriaSumerBabyloniaPalestine 1 pointsQuestion 16 The most influential ancient Indo-European migrants into southwest Asia were the AnswerAssyriansAryansHebrewsBabyloniansHittites 1 pointsQuestion 17 Which of the following languages is not of Indo-European origin? AnswerEgyptianSanskritOld PersianGreekLatin 1 pointsQuestion 18 The first simplified alphabet, containing only twenty-two letters, was created by the AnswerMesopotamiansAssyriansHebrewsPhoeniciansBabylonians 1 pointsQuestion 19 The Babylonians eventually fell in 1595 B. C. E. to the AnswerEgyptiansHittitesSumeriansHebrewsAkkadians 1 pointsQuestion 20 Mesopotamia developed into AnswerA strict patriarchal societyA society where the sexes enjoyed relative equalityA predominantly matriarchal societyA society with few social distinctionsA society dominated by a growing mercantile middle class Miss oneQuestion 1 During the eighth century B. C. E. Egypt fell under the control of the _______ for around a century. AnswerPersiansRomansGreeksBabyloniansKushites 1 pointsQuestion 2 Meroitic writing AnswerHas now been completely translatedExpressed the general Egyptian optimism with lifeWas introduced into India by the Indo-EuropeansWas a Nubian script that borrowed Egyptian hieroglyphsCannot be read because it's simply too different than its base cuneiform 1 pointsQuestion 3 Around _______ B. C. E. , peoples of the eastern Sudan started to domesticate cattle and became nomadic herders. Answer25,00018,000900040001500 1 pointsQuestion 4 In Africa, iron metallurgy AnswerWas introduced by Persian merchantsDid not appear until after the rise of trans-Saharan tradeArose independentlyBegan after an odd meeting between a Kushite king and the Egyptian explorer HarkhufWas imported into the continent by trade with the Mesopotamians 1 pointsQuestion 5 The most vigorous of all New Kingdom pharaohs was __________, who led his troops into Palestine and Syria and who even received tribute from the Mesopotamian city-states. AnswerAhmosisMenesSargon of AkkadTuthmosis IIIHatshepsut 1 pointsQuestion 6 By spreading their language across a huge stretch of Africa, the Bantu played a role similar to that played by the AnswerIndo-EuropeansMongolsXiongnuVisigothsBabylonians 1 pointsQuestion 7 Hatshepsut was AnswerA Mesopotamian king of the godsThe Hebrew term for their godThe first conqueror to unite all of MesopotamiaA woman who ruled Egypt as pharaohThe most important early city of the Harappan society 1 pointsQuestion 8 The Egyptian god of the underworld was AnswerAmon-ReAtenHorusOsirisPtah 1 pointsQuestion 9 The Bantu probably began their migrations because of AnswerInvasions from the Mediterranean basinA conscious desire for conquestThe threat of epidemic diseaseA desire to spread their monotheistic faithPopulation pressures 1 pointsQuestion 10 The largest Egyptian pyramids were built during the AnswerMiddle KingdomOld KingdomNew KingdomArchaic periodSecond Intermediary period 1 pointsQuestion 11 The early Sudanic societies recognized a single divine force as the source of good and evil, and they associated it with AnswerFireThe oceanThe sunRainThe moon 1 pointsQuestion 12 The Bantu originally came from around AnswerThe Swahili areaModern day NigeriaFar southern AfricaEgyptModern day Algeria 1 pointsQuestion 13 Which of the following societies began the custom of embalming to preserve the body for its life after death? AnswerEgyptMesopotamiaIndiaChinaPersia 1 pointsQuestion 14 Around 760 B. C. E. The Kushite King Kashta AnswerOfficially converted to the Egyptian godsFounded a dynasty that ruled Egypt for around a hundred yearsFormed a long-lasting trading agreement with Egypt, marking their first contactSurrendered to Assyrian dominationSurrendered to Egyptian domination 1 pointsQuestion 15 The Greek words meaning â€Å"holy inscriptions† refers to AnswerHieroglyphsCuneiformThe Old TestamentThe Phoenician alphabetThe Coptic script 1 pointsQuestion 16 __________'s is the largest of all the pyramids. AnswerSargon of AkkadKhufuHyksosMenesGiza 1 pointsQuestion 17 The Hyksos were AnswerNomads who eventually settled around the city of BabylonExternal invaders who helped bring about the end of the Egyptian Middle KingdomMesopotamian kingsThe priestly class in ancient EgyptDemons who punished the wicked in the Egyptian underworld 1 pointsQuestion 18 Around 3100 B. C. E. , the conqueror Menes founded ________, a city that would serve as the capital for early Egypt. AnswerHeliopolisKermaUruk MemphisThebes 1 pointsQuestion 19 Osiris judged whether or not souls were worthy for immortality by AnswerWeighing their hearts against a feather symbolizing justiceTheir completion of a journey full of testsThe individual's level of sincere faith in Osiris as a redeemerExamining their holiness at the moment of their deathTheir adherence to the Code of Hammurabi 1 pointsQuestion 20 Horse-drawn chariots and bronze weapons were introduced into Egypt by the AnswerHyksosBabyloniansKushitesHarappansQin

Collapse of the Housing Market.

Collapse of the Housing Market. The purpose of self-governing is to make government work better by allowing people to help govern themselves. And the people do that by electing Representative to talk for them, to protect life, liberty and personal properties. â€Å"The absolute rights of individuals may be resolved into the right of personal security, the right of personal liberty, and the right to acquire and enjoy property†¦ and that consists in being protected and governed by laws made, or assented to, by the representatives of the people, and conducive to the general welfare† (James Kent, Commentaries on American Law, Lecture XXIV).Yes I believe that the congress lived up to protect life, liberty and personal properties, because they used â€Å"†¦Federal financial supervisory agency to use its authority when examining financial institutions, to encourage such institutions to help meet the credit needs of the local communities in which they are chartered consiste nt with the safe and sound operation of such institutions†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Community Reinvestment Act, October 12, 1977) They did this so everyone could get a house. They also wanted to get more people into house so the economy could move.Because of that the demand for houses increased and so did the prices and most people were not able to afford and could not get a loan form the bank. Because of that the government â€Å"†¦in 1995 gave the CRA serious teeth: regulators could now deny a bank with a low CRA rating approval to merge with another bank—at a time when the arrival of interstate banking made such approvals especially valuable—or even to open new branches. Complaints from community organizations would now count against a bank’s CRA rating. † (Lawrence H. White, â€Å"How Did We Get into This Financial Mess? † Cato Institute, November 18, 2008). HUD also â€Å"actively pushed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into backing the enormous expansio n of the nonprime mortgage market†¦. To fund their enormous growth, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had to borrow huge sums in wholesale financial markets. Institutional investors were willing to lend to the government-sponsored mortgage companies cheaply †¦ because they thought that the Treasury would repay them should Fannie or Freddie be unable. † (Lawrence H. White, â€Å"How Did We Get into This Financial Mess? ,† Cato Institute, November 18, 2008).Congress tried to help the people by putting out more funds like The American Dream Down payment Initiative (ADDI). ADDI helped first time house buyers by paying their down payment or the closing cost. This helps more people to buy a house. â€Å"The American Dream Downpayment Assistance Act authorized up to $200 million annually. Funds were appropriated for fiscal years 2004-2008†¦. ADDI helped first-time homebuyers with the biggest hurdle to homeownership: downpayment and closing costs† The original pu rpose of the president was to carry out any decisions that congress made, but the president was not independent of Congress.Congress still remained completely in charge of how their decisions were carried out. The president is part of the executive who was to look up to congress so there is not a person making all the decision. All the powers of government, legislative, executive, and judiciary, result to the legislative body [in the Virginia Constitution of 1776]. The concentrating these in the same hands is precisely the definition of despotic government. It will be no alleviation that these powers will be exercised by a plurality of hands, and not by a single one. 73 despots would surely be as oppressive as one. † (Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia, Query 13, 1784). But when it came to the housing market the president/ executive department and agencies did not live up to their purpose in their actions in the area of housing. For example â€Å"President Bill Clinton's HUD agreed to let Fannie and Freddie get affordable-housing credit for buying subprime securities that included loans to low-income borrowers. The idea was that subprime lending benefited many borrowers who did not qualify for conventional loans. † (Carol D.Leonnig, â€Å"How HUD Mortgage Policy Fed the Crisis,† Washington Post, June 10, 2008). In 1999 the Clinton administration viewed Fannie Mae as a hazard trying to prevent the housing bubble and collapse. â€Å"Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers issued a warning, saying, â€Å"Debates about systemic risk should also now include government-sponsored enterprises, which are large and growing rapidly. ’ It was a signal moment. An administration official had said in public that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could be a hazard† (â€Å"How Washington Failed to Rein in Fannie, Freddie,† Washington Post, September 4, 2008).The Clinton administration really didn’t like Fannie because they tr ied to â€Å"discouraged Fannie and Freddie from buying predatory subprime loans. Department of Housing and Urban Development called for Congress to enact legislation to â€Å"prohibit the purchase by each of these entities of predatory loans. † Fannie Mae was designed to help people. The sole purpose of them were to get banks to sell loans to people that would not always be able to get loans and then Fannie and Freddie would buy those loans form the bank giving back the money back to banks. The U. S. government had created Fannie Mae in 1938 to buy mortgages from banks that loaned money to homebuyers†¦. It was a Depression-era creation designed to ease financing costs for borrowers still recovering from the economic devastation of the 1930s† (Gretchen Morgenson, Reckless Endangerment, 13). To bring compotation and have verity the government created Freddie Mac so more loans could be bought and more people would invest. â€Å"†¦from an agency of the governme nt into a partially private entity that issued common stock to public investors†¦.The president’s idea was to get the company’s liabilities off the government’s balance sheet† (Gretchen Morgenson, Reckless Endangerment, 13). To get Fannie and Freddie get going on it own, they would sell stock where people would be able to by one of loans that Fannie and Freddie would buy form the banks, but the good thing was if the person was not able to pay back to Fannie and Freddie, the person who bought the loan would get paid back form the government. That got more people to invest in Fannie and Freddie. To fund their enormous growth, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had to borrow huge sums in wholesale financial markets. Institutional investors were willing to lend to the government-sponsored mortgage companies cheaply †¦ because they thought that the Treasury would repay them should Fannie or Freddie be unable. † (Lawrence H. White, â€Å"How Did We Get into This Financial Mess? ,† Cato Institute, November 18, 2008). Around 1999 Fannie and Freddie became so big that the government was losing more money then making money.The treasury did not like that they had to pay back to the people who invested in Fannie and Freddie. They went in public saying that they are â€Å"hazard†. â€Å"In the fall of 1999, Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers issued a warning, saying, â€Å"Debates about systemic risk should also now include government-sponsored enterprises, which are large and growing rapidly. ’ It was a signal moment. An administration official had said in public that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could be a hazard† (â€Å"How Washington Failed to Rein in Fannie, Freddie,† Washington Post, September 4, 2008).After this one could see how strong Fannie and Freddie has become and more people decided to investigate but were never able to bring it up and who did were sued and lost a lot. â€Å"Gensler and ot her Treasury officials feared the companies had grown so large that, if they stumbled, the damage to the U. S. economy could be staggering. Few officials had ever publicly criticized Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but Gensler concluded it was time to urge Congress to rein them in†¦.The bill failed† (â€Å"How Washington Failed to Rein in Fannie, Freddie,† Washington Post, September 4, 2008). When the economy downturn in 2001 due to lots of mortgages not paid and more foreclosed houses, the Federal reserve tried to bring it up by expanding the U. S. money supply the goal was to bring up the economy by putting money into the economy and people start spending. â€Å"In the recession of 2001, the Federal Reserve System, under Chairman Alan Greenspan, began aggressively expanding the U. S. money supply†¦.The expansion was accompanied by the Fed repeatedly lowering its target rate for the federal funds (interbank short-term) interest rate. The federal funds rate began 2001 at 6. 25 percent and ended the year at 1. 75 percent. † † (Lawrence White, â€Å"How Did We Get into This Financial Mess? ,† Cato Institute, November 18, 2008). But this did not help, low interest rates affect the behavior of investors. They stopped buying bonds and The Federal Reserve Board’s decision to slash interest rates to propel the economy was hurting investors who lived on the income generated by their holdings. In 2001, mortgage lenders †¦ understood that the low interest-rate environment was driving investors to securities that yielded more than Treasury bonds and other relatively conservative fixed-income instruments. † Due to less people-buying bond, the federal reserve made the interest rate low but they had to raise the house price to balance it. That way people saw this as in opportunity to buy a house with low interest rate. Example form 26D. In 2005 federal reserve desperately made the discount form 4. to 6. 5 to help get the house market rolling again. â€Å"In August [2005], the Federal Reserve Board increased its discount rate to 4. 5 percent, up from 2 percent the summer before. The Fed was finally trying to tap on the brakes of a runway real estate market† (Gretchen Morgenson, Reckless Endangerment, 286) What the feds tried to fix by getting more blacks to buy because of people getting on them form being racist kicked them in the butt when more than half had there house foreclosed. In October 1992, â€Å"Mortgage Lending in Boston: Interpreting HMDA Data† was published by the Boston Fed. Its authors were [Alicia H. ] Munnell, Lynn E. Brown, and Geoffrey M. B. Tootell†¦. Racial bias by mortgage lenders, Munnell and her colleagues wrote, not only existed it was pervasive. The HMDA data showed that black and Hispanic loan applicants were far more likely to be rejected by banks than were whites. The rejection ratio for minorities was 2. 8 to 1 compared with white applicants†¦ . There was only problem.The methods used by the Boston Fed researchers to prepare their report were flawed†¦. The analysis did not consider whether an applicant met a lender’s credit guidelines† I was happy that congress wanted to help anyone who wanted a house, there intensions were good by creating Fannie and Freddie but when people figured out that they can buy loans form Fannie and Freddie will be payed back when they know the owner of that mortgage will never be able to pay back. More community lost there value due to this.