Fibonacci, Mathematician of the Middle Ages Essay

Fibonacci, Mathematician of the Middle Ages - Essay Example Camposanto was mostly got ruined in 1944 and had to be expansively repaired. After a few years, revelation to the waterside climate started to take its charge on the sculpture and finally it was taken away, reinstated, cleaned and then returned to its old position next to Pisa's other memorable people, a place where it fits in. Leonardo was an Italian mathematician who was the initial brilliant Western mathematician right after the turn down of the Greek science. (Britannica Online Encyclopedia, 2008). Leonardo was born in 1170, Pisa, Italy. His father namely Guglielmo, was also call by the name Bonaccio. Leonardo's mother, Alessandra, passed away when he was nine years old. He was one of the leading and talented mathematicians of his time. At his time, performing even the easiest arithmetical problems with a non positional detail was a hard endeavor. For solving a particular problem, the merchants were strained to resort to the abacus. Fibonacci showed the new alternate computing technique which was based on printed algorithms somewhat better than on counting bits and pieces. Fibonacci traveled extensively in Barbary together with his father and was shortly derived on to the business tours to Egypt, Syria, Greece, Sicily and Provencal. He appears to have educated a good deal of his arithmetic in Barbary. All through the Mediterranean globe to learned Hindu and Arabic math under the most important Arab mathematicians of that era. He identified that arithmetic with Hindu figures is uncomplicated and more proficient than with Roman figures. However, Leonardo came back from his journey in 1200. Leonardo became a harmonious guest of the Emperor Frederick II who has the benefit of understanding arithmetic and science. Though, in 1240, the Republic of Pisa privileged Leonardo by giving him the name as Leonardo Bigollo and giving him his first pay. (Grimm, R. E., 1973). He wrote numerous important books which played a significant part in revitalizing prehistoric mathematical proficiency and he made noteworthy contributions of his own by himself. At the age of 32, in 1202, Leonardo wrote his first book namely Liber Abaci, which means "the book of abacus or book of calculation." After his first book got published, he wrote various books, therefore, Practica Geometriae in 1220, Flos and Liber Quadratorum published in 1225. Though, he wrote some other books as well, which regrettably, are lost. However, his work in number theory was totally ignored and almost unidentified all through in the Middle Ages. (Charles Burnett. January 14, 2005). Liber Abaci - 1202 Liber Abaci is also pronounced as Liber Abbaci. Its label has two familiar conversions, The Book of the Abacus or The Book of Calculation. In this book, Fibonacci brought in to Europe the Arabic figures, a most important part of our decimal structure, which he had studied by learning with Arabs at the same time when he was living in North Africa with his father. In interpretation of Liber Abaci, it is useful to be aware of Fibonacci's information for rational figures, a data that is intermediary in figure amid the Egyptian fractions, which was normally applied until

Hear My Cry Essay Example for Free

Hear My Cry Essay Big Ma took Stacey, T. J. and Cassie to Strawberry to the market and also to take T. J. to the Barnetts Mercantile. While they were in the market field Cassie pointed out to Big Ma that they were all the way at the end of the field and no-one would be able to see them. The white peoples wagons were right at the front and if anyone wanted to come to the Logans wagon, by the time they got there they would have bunions on their soles and corns on their toes. Additionally in Strawberry, when Cassie was in the Barnetts Mercantile Mr Barnett was taking a long time to see to T. J. s list. He kept on going to help white people and then came back and didnt even put in another item when he started to help a little white girl. When Cassie saw this she became slightly angry and thought Mr. Barnett had forgotten about T. J. s list. Cassie went to tell Mr. Barnett of T. J. s list and tugged at his sleeve. He recoiled and told her to wait. Then she got even angrier and told him that he had taken ages for their turn. Thats when Mr Barnett screamed, Whose little nigger is this? Stacey dragged Cassie out of the store and told her to shush. Mr Barnett was not being fair to the children and was treating them horribly. Once Cassie was outside she accidently bumped into Lillian Jean. She didnt want to create a fuss so when Lillian Jean asked her to apologize she did. But Lillian Jean wanted more; so she ordered Cassie into the road. Of course Cassie wasnt going to do that. When Lillian Jean went to grab Cassies arm, Cassie pulled it back but someone caught it and held it tight so it hurt. This was Mr Simms. He shoved her into the road and Cassie fell on her bottom. He told her to listen to Lillian Jean when she asked Cassie to get in the road. He asked her to apologize and Cassie said she had. When Mr Simms jumped into the road Cassie got really scared and thought her would hit her but he didnt. Then she got up and ran to the wagon but somebody caught her, it was Big Ma. Then Big Ma told Cassie to apologize but Cassie still argued. Once again Big Ma told her and this time Cassie did. But Mr Simms demanded her to say Miz before his daughters name. And with a painful tear Cassie did. You can tell how upset she was because in the book it says; No day in all my life had been as cruel as this one. Lastly, in the final chapters T. J. had become friends with R. W. and Melvin. But the Simms boys used this to their advantage. They would laugh behind T. J. s back but not in front of him. Then one day they forced him to break into the Barnetts Mercantile and stole the pearl handle pistol. Also Mr and Mrs Barnett were left for dead. T. J. got all the blame and the Simms stood there watching when the Wallaces came for T. J. , T. J. got sent to jail and was to go to court while the Simms boys were left free. In conclusion, all white people had superiority over the black community. They didnt treat them with respect, except a few (example; Jeremy and Mr Jamison). Blacks had to call white people Miss or Mr. And white people made the law not blacks. They could hang a black for any reason, or no reason at all and no questions were asked. Black people were treated unfairly and unjustly. Saimah Sarwar 10a English GCSE Coursework Roll Of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our  GCSE Mildred Taylor  section.

Data Warehouse Characteristics And Definition Information Technology Essay

Data Warehouse Characteristics And Definition Information Technology Essay A data warehouse provides an integrated view of the customer and their relationship with the organisation by bringing together the data from a number of operational systems. A data warehouse provides a complete picture of the enterprise by focusing on its enterprise-wide components like profits, sales and customers by looking beyond the traditional information view structure. These components require information from various sources as they have both organisational and process boundaries. The data warehouses are made up of large databases. These databases store the integrated data of the enterprise. This data may be obtained from both, internal as well as external sources. Internal sources of data refer to the data that is obtained from the operational systems of the enterprise. External data sources are the government bodies, third party organisations, business partners, customers etc. These databases also store the metadata that gives a description of the content of data that is st ored in the data warehouse. The data warehouses are designed and constructed in a denormalized manner. This is done to replicate the dimensional view of the business by the user. This makes it possible to better analyze, examine and summarize the data. This can be done over different periods of time and at different levels of detail when the data structure is denormalized. The data warehouses have a time dimension where all the data is time stamped. This is done so that the data can support the reports that are used to compare the figures from the earlier months or years. It is helpful for the decision takers of the organisation to better understand the trends and patters of the market and customer behaviour over the period of time. The data warehouses contain both atomic as well as summarised data. The atomic data is the data that provides a great level of detail. This makes responding to queries a faster process when the tasks are at the highest level of detail. As the name sugges ts, the summarised data provides a quick summary of data and does not go much into detail. Thus only storing summarised data is not an option. However, the storage of atomic data requires much larger space. 2.2 Purpose Previously, the data was not easily accessible because it was stored in environments which were unfriendly and not easy to access. The data warehouses solve this problem by providing access to the integrated organisational data that was stored in such environments. The data warehouses provide security either by their front-end applications or from the database servers. As a result, the users can now have a secure connection to the warehouse from their personal computers. Because the data warehouses provide integrated data, the need for users to understand and access operational data is greatly reduced. The information provided by the data warehouses is consistent and is of high quality. They are the common source of information for the organisation. Due to this there is consistency in the data and the organisations decision making process becomes much easier. They are also used to store historical data. Actual historical data is not stored on operational systems but is simply loaded and integrated with the other data in the warehouse so that it can be accessed quickly. Data warehouses provide the ability to their users to view the data at different levels of detail and go through it as and how they require. Such freedom to view the data from different angles improves the analysis process by reducing the time and effort required to collect, format and present the information from the data. To make the information technology infrastructure of the organisation stronger, the data warehouses distinguish between analytical and operational processes. They provide additional system archite cture to execute the decisions. With the focus of the data warehouses on achieving the requirements for business decisions, they are the best suited systems for the redesigned decision-making business processes. 2.3 Trends in data warehousing Data warehousing is no longer just a concept or used for educational purposes only. It has become mainstream. Almost 90% of the multinational corporations either use data warehousing or are planning to implement it. Data warehousing has transformed the way business analysis and decision making takes place. The organisations that already use it have witnessed the enormous benefits that it has to offer. Web technologies have only added to the benefits provided by data warehousing and has paved the way for easy delivery of critical information. There have been many changing trends in the field of data warehousing since its evolution. Scientists have always felt that technology has been the driving force behind data warehousing. But now, the softwares being used have had a significant progress rate and in the years to come, we can expect data warehousing to take a major leap not only in software but also in optimising queries, indexing big tables, improved data compression and expanding dimensional modelling. Real-time warehousing Real -time data warehousing is increasingly becoming the focus of top executives in the organisations. As compared to conventional data warehousing, real-time data warehouses provide the most recent views of the business and are dynamic in nature. A conventional data warehouse is more passive in nature and provides historical trends. The tools of business intelligence along with the data warehouse have been mainly used to make strategic decisions. But now they are required more for making tactical decisions on a day to day basis. There is a lot of pressure in the companies as they are expected to come up with real-time information with everyone connected to important business processes. Providing real-time information has increased the productivity of the companies tremendously. However, there a number of challenges that the company has to face while trying to do so. Data types Previously the companies included mostly numeric structured data in their data warehouses. This divided the decision support systems in to two parts, one that worked with structured data and the other one that worked with knowledge management involving unstructured data. Most of the structured data is numeric and most of the unstructured data is in the form of images. Now, if we were to consider a situation where the decision maker of the company has to perform an analysis in order to find out about the top-selling products, where he/she would like to take a look at the images of the products for further decisions, then this wouldnt have been possible. This fact has been realised by the organisations and therefore the need is felt to integrate both the structured as well as the unstructured data in the data warehouses. In order to include the unstructured data in the data warehouses, the vendors are considering multimedia like images and texts as just another data type. They are stor ed as binary large objects and are considered to be a part of the relational data. They are defined as user-defined-types by the user-defined-functions. But it is not possible to simply consider all binary large objects as relational data type. That is because, if we were to consider video clips, there would be a need for a server that is able to support delivery of multiple video streams at a given rate along with audio synchronisation. After having included unstructured data in the data warehouses, there should also be a way to search for this data. Without proper ways to search for this data, the integration of unstructured data will prove rather useless. Vendors have now started providing search engines so that the user is able to search for all the information that he/she requires. The example of such a mechanism would be the query by images mechanism. Its purpose is to let the user search for pre-indexed images on the basis of their shape, size and colour. For text-data, the s earch engine retrieves the documents based on words, characters, phrases etc. The use of search mechanisms for audio and video data is still in the research stages. Another data-type would be the spatial data. Including the spatial data-type in the data warehouses adds a great deal of value to the data warehousing systems. Spatial data answers questions like average income of the people living near the store, average driving distance for the people coming to the store etc. Examples of spatial data include address, city, county, state etc. The database vendors do realise the importance of this type of data and some of them do add special SQL extensions to their products in order to include such data. Data visualisation Data visualization is necessary to improve the performance of the user in terms of analysis. The users expect to see the query results in the form of charts or graphics. If the query results are in the form of spread sheets, it affects the quickness and ease by which the users can carry out the analysis. It also means that the data warehouse is outdated. If we consider the last few years, there have been many trends in the way the data visualization softwares work. Now, the variety of charts to view different types of data has increased. For example, there are pie charts available to view the numerical results. Dynamic charts are available which allow the users to see the results, manipulate it and check for the new views online. The newer versions of the data visualization softwares make it possible to see a large number of results at once and complex data structures. Some of the more advanced visualization techniques available today are the chart manipulation technique, drill down technique and the advanced iteration technique. Companies have also started adopting scorecards and dashboards as a means to view the performance. Different types of users have different needs. The business users require bar charts, the scientific users require constellation graphs, and the analysts require three dimensional views and so on. The latest trends in the softwares have made it possible to fulfil the ever changing needs of the current users of the data warehousing systems. Parallel processing One of the most important aspects of data warehousing is delivering top-quality performance. The users of the data warehouses are constantly performing large complex queries. These queries read enormous amounts of data to give out the results. Again, to analyse these results, a large number of queries are executed one after the other by individual users. Some of the other functions involved are the loading of data and creating indexes for the data. Both the processes can be slow because of the huge amounts of data and large number of indexes. For the data warehouses to give out quality performance, it is necessary to speed up these processes like query processing, data loading and indexing. An efficient way to do this is to achieve parallel processing. This is done by utilising both hardware options as well as software techniques together. For parallel processing, the hardware options may include multiple CPUs, many server nodes, memory modules, high speed links between interconnecte d nodes etc. In the software implementation of parallel processing, the hardware configuration needs to be chosen properly. The reason for this is that if the hardware configuration is not proper, then the operating systems and the databases will be unable to use the hardwares parallel features. Parallel server and parallel query are the two options that the database vendors generally provide for parallel processing. The parallel server option makes it possible to have separate database instances for each of the hardware nodes. The database instances are also allowed to access a common set of database files. On the other hand, the parallel query option supports the important functions like query processing, data loading and index creation. Considering the current technology, executing the data warehouse without parallel processing is not at all an option to be considered. Tools for query processing The tools that are required for query processing are the most important set of tools in data warehousing. The success of a data warehouse is not possible without them. Because of this, the vendors have started coming out with new and improved query tools since the past few years. Some of the query tools that are of most importance and have undergone significant changes by the vendors are flexible representation, aggregate awareness, crossing subject areas, multiple heterogeneous sources, overcoming SQL limitations etc. Browser tools Here the term browser is not restricted to the use of web browsers alone. One of the major advantages of data warehousing is that the users are able to execute queries in the data warehouse that generate reports without any help or assistance from someone who is in the I.T. field. Here, the browser tools come in handy when the users want to go through the metadata and search for specific chunks of information. This allows the users to directly go to the data warehouse. Their need is also felt when a data warehouse for the company is being developed and the I.T. team has to go through all the data structures, data sources and business rules. Some of the major improvements that the browser tools have gone through in the past few years are: extensible tools that allow to define any type of data or information objects, open APIs, navigation through hierarchical groupings, web browsing and search techniques to go through information catalogues etc. Data Fusion In order to provide an integrated view of the enterprise, the data warehouse stores data collected from a number of sources. The data may be taken from different operational systems running on different platforms, each using a different DBMS. Data may also be taken from a number of external sources. Data fusion is the technology that fuses together all this different types of data from multiple sources and stores it in the data warehouse. It provides a wider scope and the real-time integration of data from the monitoring systems. A vast amount of research is being carried on in order to improve this technology as it has a direct application in the field of data warehousing. Apart from the integration of data from multiple sources, the data fusion technology is also expected to address the problem of finding the right information at the right time as it can be a difficult task due to the vast amounts of data that is stored. The data fusion technology as for now is still in its researc h phase and therefore the vendors are not hurrying to develop the tools for data fusion. Integrating ERP and Data Warehouses Enterprise resource planning was introduced in the markets in the 1990s. The goal of ERP was to help in the decision making as well as the taking of necessary actions from one integrated environment. It was also supposed to provide the companies with the integrated corporate data repositories. For this, the data was cleansed, transformed and integrated in one place. But soon, the companies that implemented these systems realised that the relational databases that were designed and normalised to carry out the business operations were not able to provide the necessary strategic information. Also the data from the external sources and the operational systems was not included in the ERP data repositories. As a result, the companies that were planning to acquire the ERP systems started to consider the integration of ERP systems with data warehousing. There are three major options that are available that allow the companies to do so. They are the ERP data warehouse, the custom developed data warehouse and the hybrid ERP data warehouse enhanced with third party tools. The ERP data warehouse option allows the companies to implement data warehousing with the current available functionality and wait for further enhancements. But the only negative about this option is that the enhancements may take a long time to come. The 2nd option that is the custom-developed data warehouse allows the companies to have a customized data warehouse along with the use of 3rd party tools to get the data from the ERP datasets. Although reclaiming and loading the data from the ERP datasets is not an easy task. The 3rd option that is the hybrid ERP data warehouse enhanced with 3rd party tools allows the combination of the functionalities of the existing data warehouse with the additional functionalities from the third party tools. The companies need to sel ect the option that will be most suitable for their corporation. Data Warehousing and CRM The benefits of having a CRM-ready data warehouse are substantial. Now-a-days, there is an increasing competition among the companies and also, there is a need to retain the existing customers and attract new ones. The companies have now started targeting individual customers and fulfilling their needs instead of having a mass focus group. To achieve this, the companies have adopted customer relationship management. To build a data warehouse that is customer ready, there is a need to develop CRM-ready data warehouses. But, doing so is by no means an easy task. The data warehouses need to have all the information of every transaction with every individual customer. What this means is that each unit of each sale of every product to each customer must be recorded in the data warehouse. Not only the sales data, but also, information regarding every other type of interaction with the customer needs to be recorded. The CRM-ready data warehouse becomes flexible with such detailed recording of data. There is a huge amount of increase in the volumes of data. These large amounts of data can be stored across multiple storage management devices. They are accessed by using common data warehouse tools. Also, there is a need to improve functions like cleansing and transformation functions that are more complex in nature. These are some of the major efforts to achieve a CRM-ready data warehouse. Although, the previous tools of data warehousing are not quite capable of adopting the specialized requirements of customer-focused applications. The Web and Data warehouse The introduction of internet has deeply affected the way in which computing and communication has been taking place previously. From its start in 1969 with only four host computers, it has come a long way with a huge amount of increase in the host computers, almost up to 95 million hosts by 2000. And it still continues to grow with exponential speeds. In the year 2000, there were almost 26 million web-sites and 150 million users using the available web technologies for one reason or the other. Now, the companies have come up with intranets (private networks) and extranets (public networks) in order to properly communicate with their employees, customers and business partners. The web has transformed itself in to a universal information delivery system. Today, there is no business that can survive without making use of the available web technologies. E-commerce has now become the main focus of the businesses and there is an annual investment of 300 billion dollars which is soon expected to cross the 1 trillion mark. Therefore, it has become extremely important for the companies to transform their data warehouses to make them web-enabled in order to make use of the tremendous potential that the web technologies have to offer. But while doing so, the companies need to bring the data warehouses to the web and also bring the web to the data warehouses. Bringing the warehouse to the web: During the early times of the evolution of data warehousing, the data warehouses were developed only for the top-level management such as the managers, analysts and a few others to help them with critical analysis and decision making. The necessary information was delivered to this user group by making use of the client/server environment. But today, the needs of the businesses have increased tremendously. The warehousing technology has been made available to all the members included in the corporations value chain. It is not just confined to a select group of people. Important information is not only provided to employees alone but also to the customers, business partners and the suppliers. In todays highly competitive times, these changes are necessary to increase the productivity of all the members of the company. This can only be possible with the help of internet along with web technology. The way the users of the data warehouse retrieve, analyse and share the information is changed drastically with the help of the new information delivery mechanism that is the web technology. The information delivery will be a little different having new components and the internet interface will provide a browser, search engine, a homepage, hypertext links, downloadable Java etc. The important requirements of the users while bringing the data warehouse to the web are strict security, self data access, unified metadata, high performance etc. Bringing the web to the warehouse: In order to bring the web to the warehouse, the company needs to collect the number of clicks the company website gets from all the visitors and then perform the traditional data warehousing functions. This must be accomplished in real-time and involves extraction, transformation and loading of the number of clicks to the data warehouse. Dimensional schemas are then developed from this data and the information delivery systems are launched. The click data helps in analysing how exactly the visitors went about through the company web-site. Also important information like what made the visitors purchase the company product, how they were attracted and what made the visitors come back to the web-site can also be recorded. The web-house as it is known has become an extremely important tool for retaining, identifying and prioritising the e-commerce customers. The combination of data warehousing and web technology has become very important to all the businesses in the 21st century. Using web technologies for information delivery and integrating the click data from the company web-sites for analysis has become the need of the day.

Living With Endometriosis Essay -- Diseases, Disorders

Endometriosis is one of the most common gynecological disorders which affect 5.5 million women in the U.S. and 176 million women worldwide. It is a chronic disorder found within the pelvic area of women. This disease is found to affect women of all ethnic and social backgrounds. While it has not yet been determines exactly what causes endometriosis there seems to be certain trends that may contribute to this disease. There also seems to be a link this being a hereditary disease. Symptoms can vary widely from case to case which can sometimes make it hard to diagnose endometriosis in the beginning. Endometriosis has 4 stages or classifications which are minimal, mild, moderate and severe which are used to describe the anatomic location and the severity of the disorder. Symptoms can be as minimal as mild cramping and be as devastating as infertility. There is no known cure for endometriosis but women do have treatment options to relieve the pain and to help with fertility problems tha t may be a result of endometriosis. The only true way to diagnose endometriosis is by performing a pelvic laparoscopy. But ultrasound is a way to pick up on signs of endometriosis. Endometriosis is a chronic, progressive disorder in which tissue resembling the inner lining of the uterus known as endometrium grows and appears at unusual locations in the lower abdominal cavity. It is a condition that occurs when the endometrium, tissue that lines the inside of the uterus, grows outside of the uterus. During your menstrual cycle the endometrium thickens to get ready for the egg. If the egg is fertilized, it will attach to the endometrium and begin to grow. If the egg is not fertilized, the endometrium breaks down and is flushed from your body as blood ... ...unction. St. Louis: Saunders, 2004. Depot, Lupron. Endometriosis Treatment. Abbott Park: Abbott, 2010. Kowalczyk, Nina, and James Mace. Radiographic Pathology for Technologists. St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier, 2009. Kurjak, Asim, and Frank Chervenak. Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Panama City: Jaypee, 2004. Metzger, Deborah, and Howard Reisman, and Stuart Schultz. Managing Endometriosis. San Bruno: StayWell, 2000. Mosbys Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing & Health Professions. St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier, 2009. S, Kennedy . Endometriosis Global Forum for News and Information. 23 Jan. 2011. 11 Feb. 2012. . Storck, Susan. "Endometriosis." PubMed Health. 25 Jul. 2011. . Trivedi, Dr. Ravi K. Personal interview. 11 Feb. 2012.

Business Research Ethics Essay

  Joseph J.C. DiCarlo was found guilty of embezzling $40,000 from a consulting firm in New York for suppressing a legislative report. This report unfavorably criticized the firm’s construction contracts. Joseph J.C. DiCarlo already had a tarnished reputation of a corrupt official, and unethical practices. Based on Josephs actions the state senators were the affected parties in this case study. As Joseph was found guilty the state senators at that time felt relieved that a person with his unethical practices would no longer have the power entrusted in him. The manner in which DiCarlo extorted money for the construction of the University of Massachusetts in Boston, and tried to sabotage a legislative report was all for personal gain. Joseph was voted in to seat by the public and entrusted to make ethical actions that would be in the best interest of the organization and the public. This case study, shows how greed and selfishness played a major role in the choices DiCarlo made , he however did not for see the investigation that led to his conviction. This conviction put an end to his career and was expelled as a senate in 1977. Although Joseph DiCarlo sealed his own fate, his actions were illegal, and unethical. With such a thin line between what is unethical and illegal it is usually up to the organization or research firms to determine if any research or action is would be characterized as unethical or illegal. Most businesses or and organizations strive themselves to instil ethical practices to their employees, it is unfortunately that Joseph DiCarlo was placed in a seat of power where some of these practices are not followed by the people who put them in place. Some organizations go as far as conducting yearly or even monthly trainings, to keep employees up to date with current policies and procedures. In any case an organization conducts these trainings to protect themselves from any liability, due to the employee’s unethical practices. In this case Joseph’s unethical practices resulted in his conviction, and liability to pay fines based on his actions. His unethical actions resulted in a $5,000 fine and one year in prison. Although, he did steal $40,000, but only paid back $5,000, the University of Massachusetts students.

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Facts

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Facts The ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is the only known species of hummingbird to breed or even regularly reside in eastern North America. The breeding range of ruby-throated hummingbirds is the largest of all the species of hummingbirds in North America. Fast Facts: Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Scientific Name: Archilochus colubrisCommon Name: Ruby-throated hummingbirdBasic Animal Group: BirdSize:  2.8–3.5 inches in lengthWeight: 0.1–0.2 ouncesLifespan: 5.3 yearsDiet:  OmnivoreHabitat: Summers in eastern North America; winters in Central AmericaPopulation: Estimated 7 millionConservation Status: Least Concern Description Male and female ruby-throated hummingbirds differ in their appearance in several ways. Males are more vibrantly colored than females. Males have metallic emerald-green plumage on their back and metallic red feathers on their throat (this patch of feathers is referred to as a gorget). Females are duller in color, with less vibrant green feathers on their back and no red gorget, their throat and belly plumage is a dull grey or white. Young ruby-throated hummingbirds of both sexes resemble the plumage of adult females. Like all hummingbirds, ruby-throated hummingbirds have small feet that are not well suited to perching or hopping from branch to branch. For this reason, ruby-throated hummingbirds use flight as their primary means of locomotion. They are superb aerialists and are capable of hovering with wingbeat frequencies of up to 53 beats per second. They can fly in a straight line, up, down, backward, or hover in place. The flight feathers of ruby-throated hummingbirds include 10 full-length primary feathers, six secondary feathers, and 10 rectrices (the largest feathers used for flight). Ruby-throated hummingbirds are tiny birds, they weigh between about 0.1 and 0.2 ounces and measure between 2.8 to 3.5 inches in length. Their wingspan is about 3.1 to 4.3 inches wide. Larry Keller, Lititz Pa.  / Getty Images Habitat and Range This hummer breeds in the summertime, throughout the eastern United States and Canada. In the autumn, the birds migrate to their wintering grounds in Central America from northern Panama to southern Mexico, although some winter in parts of South Florida, the Carolinas, and along the Gulf Coast of Louisiana. They prefer habitats which have lots of flowers, such as fields, parks, backyards, and open clearings in forests. Migration round-trips can be as long as 1,000 miles. Migration patterns of ruby-throated hummingbirds vary: Some migrate between their breeding and wintering grounds by flying across the Gulf of Mexico while others follow the Mexican gulf coastline. Males start their migration before females and juveniles (males and females) follow on after the females. They migrate south between August and November, and north again between March and May. Diet and Behavior Ruby-throated hummingbirds feed primarily on nectar and small insects. They occasionally supplement their diet with tree sap if nectar is not readily available. When gathering nectar, ruby-throated hummingbirds prefer to feed on red or orange flowers such as red buckeye, trumpet creeper, and red morning glory. They often feed while hovering at the flower but also land to drink nectar from a conveniently located perch. Scientists have long been fascinated by the hummingbirds hovering flight. Unlike larger birds, they can perform sustained hovering as well as regular cruise flight and maneuvering. Like insects, they use a leading edge vortex over their wing surfaces to gain lift in the flight, but unlike insects, they can invert their wings at the wrist joint (insects do that with a pulse of muscles).   Reproduction and Offspring During the June–July breeding season, ruby-throated hummingbirds are highly territorial, behavior which is reduced during other times of the year. The size of the territories that males establish during the breeding season varies based on the availability of food. Males and females do not form a pair bond and remain together only during courtship and mating. Female ruby-throated hummers lay up to three broods a year, in groups of one–three eggs, most typically two, which hatch after 10–14 days. The mother continues to feed the chicks for another four to seven days, and the chicks fledge and leave the nest 18–22 days after hatching. Hummingbirds become sexually mature the next season about one year of age. Studio One-One/Getty Images Threats There are an estimated 7 million ruby-throated hummingbirds in the world, and they are classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the ECOS Environmental Conservation Online System does not list them as endangered at all. However, continuing climate change affecting their migration patterns and those of related species may have impacts that are as yet unclear. Northern migration dates of ruby-throated hummingbirds have already been measurably impacted by global climate change, with warmer winter and spring temperatures correlating with earlier arrivals, especially at lower latitudes (below 41 degrees north, or generally south of Pennsylvania). In a 10-year study (2001–2010), the differences ranged from 11.4 to 18.2 days earlier in warmer years, leading to concerns about competition for food resources going forward. Sources Bertin, Robert I. The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird and Its Major Food Plants: Ranges, Flowering Phenology, and Migration. Canadian Journal of Zoology 60.2 (1982): 210–19. Print.BirdLife International. Archilochus colubris. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T22688193A93186255, 2016.Courter, Jason R., et al. Assessing Migration of Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus Colubris) at Broad Spatial and Temporal Scales. The Auk: Ornithological Advances 130.1 (2013): 107–17. Print.Hilton, Bill, Jr., and Mark W. Miller. Annual Survival and Recruitment in a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Population, Excluding the Effect of Transient Individuals. The Condor: Ornithological Applications 105.1 (2003): 54–62. Print.Kirschbaum, Kari, Marie S. Harris. and Robert Naumann. Archilochus colubris (ruby-throated hummingbird). Animal Diversity Web, 2000.  Leberman, Robert C., Robert S. Mulvihill, and D. Scott Wood. A Possible Relationship between Reversed Sexual Size Dimorphism an d Reduced Male Survivorship in the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. The Condor: Ornithological Applications 94.2 (1992): 480–89. Print. Song, Jialei, Haoxiang Luo, and L. Hedrick Tyson. Three-Dimensional Flow and Lift Characteristics of a Hovering Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. Journal of The Royal Society Interface 11.98 (2014): 20140541. Print.Weidensaul, Scot et al. Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris). The Birds of North America Online. Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2013.

Lehrack, Otto. First Battle Operation Starlite and the Beginning of the Blood Debt in Vietnam Havertown, PA Casemate, 2004

Lehrack, Otto. First Battle Operation Starlite and the Beginning of the Blood Debt in Vietnam Havertown, PA Casemate, 2004 The topic of this book was the very first battle in the Viet Nam conflict, as fought by the American marines against the North Vietnamese. The actual thesis was that the Viet Congs underestimation of the United States military forces ability to rapidly and effectively deploy and fight, pretty much lost the North Vietnamese the battle, despite the fact that their intelligence was detailed and available early. The evidence that supported the books thesis was borne out by many eye-witness accounts, on both sides of the conflict.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Lehrack, Otto. First Battle: Operation Starlite and the Beginning of the Blood Debt in Vietnam Havertown, PA: Casemate, 2004 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The overall quality of this work was superior as it appeared very thorough and well-researched. It also was an interesting read. The value of this work could be considered to be of both historical and milita ry benefit, in terms of actual recorded events and military tactics and strategy. Battle planners and historians may also enjoy and benefit from reading this book. Even, for those who lost family members in this battle, it could prove to be a worthwhile read. Further, most exemplary was the authors research, including evaluation and review of command logs, along with perusal and analysis of the various interrogation and after-action reports. Then, too, the author spent much time on the actual battlefield, and also conducted interviews with various families and combatants on either side, from members of the Marine unit to the VC 1st Regiment. Lastly, his personal conversations with the participants at all levels, on both sides. Finally, his own Marine combat experience as an infantry company commander at that time speaks for itself. The quality of these sources were adequate and in some cases, superior. Everything appeared to corroborate the authors writing. This account is based upo n actual primary and some secondary research but also personal experience, of course, as mentioned earlier. Thus, the authors argument that the Viet Congs previous intelligence did not account for the rapid capability for the US marines to spearhead a most devastating and useful attack against them was quite creditable. Lehracks writing style and ability was such that the book was written clearly, and easy to read and follow, with plenty of action included, and sufficient background knowledge as gleaned from himself and his sources. As compared to our class activities, this student has observed that this reading was easier to get through than some others, and appeared to have adequate primary sources, as well as being sufficiently documented. A significant part of the appeal of this noteworthy book is due in part to its methodical you are there focus. The author places his audience right there in the geographical locale, at the particular time period, within the first two chapters. He therefore makes his point that the US slid right into this war, in increments, without much forethought, perhaps basing much action on current Cold War fears.Advertising Looking for report on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The highlights in the books account consist of the following events. A teen age North Vietnamese deserter informed the United States Marine commander that right near the village of Van Tuong, also located near another new US base, was in danger. For, encamped nearby was the 1st Viet Cong Regiment. Soon, intercepted radio chatter confirmed this fact. Since this situation was a direct threat to the base and, also presented the chance to decimate this slippery VC organization. So Lt Gen Walt determined to take the battle right to the enemy. His subordinate leader was named and it was the notable Colonel Oscar F. Peatross. The battalions to be employed were those at Chu Lai, the 3d Bn, Thi rd Marine Regiment, and the 2d Bn, 4th Marines. For reinforcements, Walt also requisitioned the amphibious 3d Bn, 7th Marines to join them, from the Philippines. A combined helicopter and amphibious assault was then employed. Secrecy and speed were and proved vital for success. So, in just three days, Starlite commenced. The Viet Cong then hurried to catch up and deployed anti-personnel mines, but these had no measurable effect. The battalions were able to land, leaving one unit in reserve. Tanks and UH-1 Huey gunships assisted in securing the hill off the beach, the first objective. Then, an enemy battalion had to be quickly routed, and additional assaults were launched. Corporal Robert OMalley, one of the primary heroes in the conflict, led his squad across a crucial trench and secured it, while fighting against scores of enemy. Although OMalley suffered numerous wounds, refused to stop and leave the battle. He managed to retrieve a number of his wounded troops. Then, the remainde r of India Company secured the village of An Cuong 2, which had been aiding and abetting the enemy. At about the same time, in the Hotel, 2/4, 1stLt Jenkins Marines managed to overcome an attack coming from the village of Nam Yen 3. LCpl Ernie Wallace cleverly and bravely discriminated the camouflaged enemy out from the local terrain, and dispatched at least 25 of them with his M60.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Lehrack, Otto. First Battle: Operation Starlite and the Beginning of the Blood Debt in Vietnam Havertown, PA: Casemate, 2004 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Another menacing machine gun nest was taken out by Cpl Dick Tonucci and one of his riflemen, PFC Ron Centers. They then proceeded to take out a second one, and also an enemy bunker. Then, a rifleman, LCpl J. C. Paul, provided covering fire for the wounded out in the open. He himself had been shot but had refused the medevac chopper. Unfortunately, he was hit with mortar rounds and small-arms fire, and eventually passed away, defending his men. There was significant collateral damage on another assault on Nam Yen 3, although the enemy themselves suffered significant casualties. Further Marine casualties took place as a supply convoy was ambushed. This happened again with yet another convoy. Choppers came to the rescue, but also came under heavy fire. Some friendly air fire support proved to provide some valuable support. With 200 or so wounded, the Marines suffered 54 mortal casualties. Nevertheless, all their forces- ground, air, ship, and artillery- managed to cause almost 700 dead Vietcong, the better part of several battalions. Both aviation and ground personnel had managed to dig in adequately, although much damage was suffered. Certainly, there were many heroes and military honors that day, for this first momentous battle. Thus, these Marines ended the Starlite Operation successfully and proved that they could fight guerri lla style, on yet another type of terrain, that of the jungle-heavy and swamp-laden vista of Viet Nam. And so began that lengthy and controversial conflict. Bibliography Lehrack, Otto. First Battle: Operation Starlite and the Beginning of the Blood Debt in Vietnam Havertown, PA: Casemate, 2004.