How to Shoot Photos that Make your Blog Stand Out!

How to Shoot Photos that Make your Blog Stand Out! Make Money Online Queries? Struggling To Get Traffic To Your Blog? Sign Up On (HBB) Forum Now!How to Shoot Photos that Make your Blog Stand Out!Updated On 18/01/2018Author : Pradeep KumarTopic : BloggingShort URL : https://hbb.me/2DI8NQA CONNECT WITH HBB ON SOCIAL MEDIA Follow @HellBoundBlogAs blogs become more and more visual, bloggers need to adapt to survive. One skill that most modern bloggers should try to foster is photography, as it will allow them to snap great-looking photos that appeal to their readers.Learning about photography can take time, and requires a lot of practice. However, if you want to start shooting better photos for your blog immediately, there are a few tips that could help out.Learn how to hold the camera steadyIt may sound simple but in practice holding a camera steady is actually quite tricky. More often than not beginners’ cameras shake a little and that can cause the photos to look slightly blurry and out of focus. Ideally, you should try to hold yo ur camera with both hands and your elbows locked in place at your side â€" or if you still have trouble try using a camera mount or stand.Find a good background to shoot againstOne of the most popular types of photos on blogs is item showcases, whether it is for food, gadgets, fashion accessories, or any other items. When you are snapping pictures of objects, the background that you place them against is essential as you will want something simple yet appealing. Some bloggers have specific surfaces that they like to shoot against, while others may even use white poster boards or cork boards.Play around with props in your compositionThe right props can help your photo’s composition and can be used to introduce an element of scale, distance, contrast, or even just accentuate its imagery. Think of it as setting the scene, and experiment with using different props that are arranged in such a way that they make the subject stand out more.READ5 Essential Ways To Build Links For Your Blo gMake sure you always have good lightingWhether you’re shooting indoors or outdoors, lighting matters a great deal of photography. Make sure you always have a bright source of light nearby, and just make sure that you don’t place it in the background of your photo or it will make it look washed out. In such situations, the kind of lens you use matters a lot, you can check out Pittsburgh lens rental.Using these tips should help you to take far better photos for your blog, but it would a good idea to learn how to edit your pictures so you can tweak and fix them. The easiest way to get into photo editing is with a user-friendly and intuitive software â€" which is where Movavi Photo Editor will be a big help.Simply put Movavi Photo Editor will make editing your photos a piece of cake. It has a variety of powerful features that you can use to remove unwanted objects, improve the photo quality, fix common problems, apply filters, replace the background, insert customizable text, apply digital makeup, and much more.All it will take is a few minutes of your time to experiment with the features in Movavi Photo Editor and familiarize yourself with them. Once you do, you’ll be able to ensure that the photos you snap for your blog look amazing by the time you publish them.

Essay on Social Business Case Study - 1131 Words

Should Companies Embrace Social Business Managing Info Tech Across the Global Enterprise Shantel Watkins swatkins8512@monroecollege.edu Identify the management, organization, and technology factors responsible for slow adoption rates of internal corporate networks. While social media is becoming a platform for businesses and corporations to communicate with their consumers and employees within their organization it is the same medium which can damage and cause problems and confusion for the organization. According to Laudon (2014), the goal of social business is to deepen interactions with groups inside and outside the firm to expedite and enhance information sharing, innovation, and decision-making. Email and Instant Massaging,†¦show more content†¦Social networking mediums such as Facebook and Twitter is merely there for any other reason than socializing. Once an employee sees a status update box they are going to post personal notes than updates that would be more of a business nature. The use of these tools and technologies however are at minimal use by employees. This interaction with social media tools is rather low as employees are hesitant to learn about new software. The main creators of these social internal networks are IT p ersonnel who fail to ensure that there is end user input, which results in employees rarely using the tools and technologies created for collaboration. To attract end users IT coordinators or outside companies creating the software for companies should create a system that will appeal to the interest of the end user. They should create user-friendly software that would ultimately create value for the business. In addition to this, IT professionals should also seek to create analytical software with capabilities to measure the performance and value created by their internal social networks seeing that just 26 percent of the Altimeter survey respondents reported improvement in specific business processes, and only 7 percent tied these networks to financial results. Ultimately, no respondents claimed to measure their internal social network very well. Hence why IT professionals should also developShow MoreRelatedSocial Responsibility of Business: a Case Study of Grameen Phone in Bangla desh4431 Words   |  18 PagesSOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF BUSINESS: A CASE STUDY OF GRAMEEN PHONE IN BANGLADESH NIMALATHASAN, B.* Abstract The social responsibility of business organisations is getting increased attention in recent years, and a strong perception has developed among the business managers worldwide and that organisations need to be managed in a socially responsible way for economic viability and long term sustainability. Therefore, the social responsibility of businesses has become an important part of today’s businessRead MoreWhat Systems Are Used For Social Business And Social Networks Of An Organization Case Study898 Words   |  4 Pagestraditional businesses. They also require incentives in using social software as many companies do not provide this incentive as only small social software users believe that they need technology in their jobs. Organization includes companies who deploy various internal social networks which reports that employees perform business in different ways to overcome the organizational inertia and that could be really difficult. The given social networking systems on enterprise level are also not at the coreRead MoreCase Study : Business Concept Involving Social Responsibility And Employee Care1481 Words   |  6 Pages Case Study 3 Christopher Thomas BUSI 642 Liberty University Case Study 3 Total Rewards The company I selected is L.L. Bean. This case study describes a business concept involving social responsibility and employee care as the core philosophies of the company dating back to its inception. The code of conduct which includes safety standards, non-discriminatory practices, and fair compensation and benefits is strictly adhered to (Reed, 2009). AdditionallyRead MoreResearch On Social Enterprises And Innovation1374 Words   |  6 Pageswhich are social enterprises and innovation culture, and start the wide rage of literature reviews. The rage of literature review in this stage include: social enterprises journals, the challenge of social enterprises, design management journals and review, design strategy etc. As well as books of social enterprises and design and innovation etc. Literature review section will extend until stage2 and stage3. In terms of case studies, the cases focus on Europe area especially in the UK, as social entperirscesRead MoreThe Ethics Of Confucian Bu siness Ethics1172 Words   |  5 PagesEDMP: An Analysis in Support of Confucian Business Ethics in Harmony of the Business Environment (160)Issue: The one question brought forth by Lagan (2006) is the conflict between harmony in the business environment and the competition of capitalistic markets in the ethical debate on the efficacy of Confucian business ethics. Lagan’s (2006) case study effectively defines the overarching harmony of universal mandates defined by Confucius, which argued against the pro-capitalist interpretationsRead MoreBusiness Appraisal Through Social Media Analytics1454 Words   |  6 PagesBusiness Appraisal through Social Media Analytics Introduction: Social media has changed the business models of many organizations in engaging their customers to develop relationship with their products and services. Social media is also used to build their brands and maintain customer loyalty. Following figures gives an idea about scale of social media. According to searchengingewatch.com, worldwide 1.43 billion people had visited a social networking site in the year 2011. Facebook marketing infographicRead MoreStrategic Modules Used For The Case Study1524 Words   |  7 PagesSTRATEGIC MODULES USED FOR THE CASE STUDY This section would discuss the strategic modules used by the group in providing solutions to all allocated task. Strategic Direction This task was primarily handled by me; It involved research on the direction in which our case study have been operating. Thorough research revealed that part of their strategic direction involved beating their direct competitors to the market, by reducing production to release time. Most of the case study s approach to strategy includedRead MoreHow to Use Social Media for Small Business Essay1229 Words   |  5 Pages Using social web is probably the most cost effective marketing tool available that allowed businesses to manage brand reputation, advertise, served customer, broadcast, and network (Fine, 2010). The social media has become a widespread phenomenon and global trend because of the popularity of Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook (Hinchcliffe Kim, 2012). In the recent study conducted by LinkedIn, 94% of small businesses use social media as a marketing tool and 49% use it for research to growRead More: Critically Evaluate Corporate Social Responsibility as an Ethical Tool Basing Some of Your Argument on the Toyota Case Study1711 Words   |  7 PagesWhat Corporate Social Responsibility is Corporate Social Responsibility can be defined has an obligation beyond that required law and economics , for a firm to purse long term goals that are good for the society. This entails the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving quality of the workforce and their families as well as that of the local community and society at large. Bhatia (2004) defined corporate social responsibility asRead MoreCase Study: Zynga Essay1009 Words   |  5 PagesCase Study: Zynga   Introduction Thesis: Zynga’s business strategy is successful but not sustainable. Purpose This case study highlights the success of Zynga in online games. This forms an excellent basis for assessing the relationship between durable and virtual products. The continuous over- reliance of Zynga on Facebook is also another essential aspect of consideration in paper. Finally, the case study addresses the various implications of Zynga on the existing video game business.   Overview

The Prime Meridian Establishing Global Time and Space

The Prime Meridian is the universally decided zero longitude, an imaginary north/south line which bisects the world into two and begins the universal day. The line starts at the north pole, passes across the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England, and ends at the south pole. Its existence is purely abstract, but it is a globally-unifying line that makes the measurement of time (clocks) and space (maps) consistent across our planet. The Greenwich line was established in 1884 at the International Meridian Conference, held in Washington DC. That conferences main resolutions were: there was to be a single meridian; it was to cross at Greenwich; there was to be a universal day, and that day would start at mean midnight at the initial meridian. From that moment, the space and time on our globe have been universally coordinated. Having a single prime meridian brings to the worlds cartographers a universal map language allowing them to join their maps together, facilitating international trade and maritime navigation. At the same time, the world now had one matching chronology, a reference by which today you can tell what time of day it is anywhere in the world simply by knowing its longitude. Latitudes and Longitudes Mapping the entire globe was an ambitious task for people without satellites. In the case of latitude, the choice was easy. Sailors and scientists set the zero latitude plane of the earth through its circumference at the equator and then divided the world from the equator to the north and south poles into ninety degrees. All other degrees of latitude are actual degrees between zero and ninety based on the arc from the plane along the equator. Imagine a protractor with the equator at zero degrees and the north pole at ninety degrees. However, for longitude, which could just as easily use the same measuring methodology, there is no logical starting plane or place. The 1884 conference essentially picked that starting place. Naturally, this ambitious (and highly politicized) stroke had its roots in antiquity, with the creation of domestic meridians, which first allowed local mapmakers a way to order their own known worlds. The Ancient World The classical Greeks were the first to attempt to create domestic meridians. Although there is some uncertainty, the most likely inventor was the Greek mathematician and geographer Eratosthenes (276–194 BCE). Unfortunately, his original works are lost, but they are quoted in the Greco-Roman historian Strabos (63 BCE–23 CE) Geography. Eratosthenes chose a line on his maps marking the zero longitude as one that intersected with Alexandria (his birthplace) to act as his starting place. The Greeks were not the only ones to invent the meridian concept of course. Sixth-century Islamic authorities used several meridians; the ancient Indians picked Sri Lanka; beginning in the mid-second century CE, south Asia used the observatory at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, India. The Arabs picked a locality called Jamagird or Kangdiz; in China, it was at Beijing; in Japan at Kyoto. Each country picked a domestic meridian that made sense of their own maps. Setting West and East The invention of the first comprehensive use of geographic coordinates—joining an expanding world into one map—belongs to the Roman scholar Ptolemy (CE 100-170). Ptolemy set his zero longitude on the chain of the Canary Islands, the land he was aware of that was the furthest west of his known world. All of Ptolemys world he mapped would be east of that point. The majority of later mapmakers, including the Islamic scientists, followed Ptolemys lead. But it was the voyages of discovery of the 15th and 16th centuries—not just Europes of course—which established the importance and difficulties of having a unified map for navigation, eventually leading to the 1884 conference. On most maps which plot the entire world today, the mid-point center marking the face of the world is still the Canary Islands, even if the zero longitude is in the UK, and even if the definition of the west includes the Americas today. Seeing the World as a Unified Globe By the mid 19th century there were at least 29 different domestic meridians in place, and international trade and politics were global, and the need for a coherent global map became acute. A prime meridian isnt just a line drawn on a map as 0 degrees longitude; it is also one that uses a specific astronomical observatory to publish a celestial calendar that sailors could use to identify where they were on the planets surface by using the predicted positions of the stars and planets. Each developing state had its own astronomers and own their own fixed points, but if the world was to progress in science and international trade, there needed to be a single meridian, an absolute astronomical mapping shared by the whole planet. Establishing a Prime Mapping System During the late 19th century, the United Kingdom was both the major colonial power and a major navigational power in the world. Their maps and navigational charts with the prime meridian passing through Greenwich were promulgated and many other countries adopted Greenwich as their prime meridians. By 1884, international travel was commonplace and the need for a standardized prime meridian became readily apparent. Forty-one delegates from twenty-five nations met in Washington for a conference to establish zero degrees longitude and the prime meridian. Why Greenwich? Even though the most commonly used meridian at the time was Greenwich, not everyone was happy with the decision. The Americas, in particular, referred to Greenwich as a dingy London suburb and Berlin, Parsi, Washington DC, Jerusalem, Rome, Oslo, New Orleans, Mecca, Madrid, Kyoto, St. Pauls Cathedral in London, and the Pyramid of Giza, were all proposed as potential starting places by 1884. Greenwich was selected as the prime meridian by a vote of twenty-two in favor, one against (Haiti), and two abstentions (France and Brazil). Time Zones With the establishment of the prime meridian and zero degrees longitude at Greenwich, the conference also established time zones. By establishing the prime meridian and zero degrees longitude in Greenwich, the world was then divided into 24 time zones (since the earth takes 24 hours to revolve on its axis) and thus each time zone was established every fifteen degrees of longitude, for a total of 360 degrees in a circle. The establishment of the prime meridian in Greenwich in 1884 permanently established the system of latitude and longitude and time zones that we use to this day. Latitude and longitude are used in GPS and is the primary coordinate system for navigation on the planet. Sources Davids K. 2015. The Longitude Committee and the Practice of Navigation in the Netherlands, c. 1750–1850. In: Dunn R, and Higgitt R, editors. Navigational Enterprises in Europe and its Empires, 1730–1850. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK. p 32-46.Edney MH. 1994. Cartographic culture and nationalism in the early United States: Benjamin Vaughan and the choice for a prime meridian, 1811. Journal of Historical Geography 20(4):384-395.Elverskog J. 2016. The Mongols, Astrology and Eurasian History. The Medieval History Journal 19(1):130-135.Marx C. 2016. The western coast of Africa in Ptolemys Geography and the location of his prime meridian. History of Geo- and Space Sciences 7:27-52.Withers CWJ. 2017. Zero Degrees: Geographies of the Prime Meridian. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University.

Applying Decision Making Techniques to Identify Solutions...

Applying Decision Making Techniques to Identify Solutions How will the South Pacific Logistics and Transportation Company establish a greater and profitable presence on the Island of Kava? Considering all the physical, environmental and socio-economical issues previously discussed, how can a decision be made that will provide the best solution for both the corporation, its stakeholders and the community in which they operate? There are several tools and techniques available to guide decision makers during the analysis and evaluation process in order to reach the best possible decisions. One of this tools or techniques available during the decision making process is brainstorming. This technique can be used to produce a†¦show more content†¦Team decisions may take a bit longer, but will ensure the best decision is made. Finally after in dept evaluation and clear analysis of all relevant information priorities can be identified and various courses of action suggested as solutions to be implemented. Because of current crisis the local government may solicit help from international relief agencies along with the backing of private business operating in their community to help solve the current financial crisis created by catastrophes and the socio-cultural situation. The company founder stands behind these efforts and believes the organization must draw upon the strength of solid corporate responsibility policies for the guidance to help rebuild the infrastructure and financial strength of the local business and the general community. Sponsoring and providing volunteer employee help to community outreach programs such as Habitat for Humanity, the World’s Health Organization, and Doctors without Borders or UN food organizations could create an example to other multinational corporations operating within the community to join in on the rebuilding effort. These actions could create a much needed force of hope, and guidance, while enhancing the corporation’s posit ive image andShow MoreRelatedPlan-Do-Check-Act Cycle of Decision-Making1177 Words   |  5 PagesPlan-Do-Check-Act Cycle of Decision-Making There are a number of tools and techniques used to make sound business decisions that will help to resolve a particular problem or area that needs improvement. There is not one correct tool or technique to be used for each problem faced and not all are appropriate for all problems. He or she should examine the available tools and techniques and apply one or more than one that will help to resolve the problem faced. One of those tools and techniques is the Plan-Do-Check-ActRead MoreThe Army Problem Solving Model and The Rapid Decision Making and Synchronization Process1114 Words   |  5 PagesSolving Model (Process) with the Rapid Decision Making and Synchronization Process. (C100) Military leaders make decisions and solve problems every day. Some need a decision quickly while others can take time. The US Army has several decision-making methods to assist leaders. The Army Problem Solving Model (Process) (PSM) is a systematic approach to identifying the best possible solution to an issue or problem and a deliberate method of decision-making (FM 6-0, 2009). Leaders use it to solveRead MoreOverview Of An Implementation Of A Healthcare System1577 Words   |  7 Pagesinformation can be shared within healthcare organizations (Harrison, 2016). The process in which I am following will include, applying quality management tools, performance management measures, workflow concepts, and project management techniques to ensure positive outcomes and efficient workflow. As lead project manager, I will be dealing with problem solving, and decision making and to achieve appropriate outcomes I need to make sure we have a strategic plan and guidelines to follow. The relationshipRead MoreSystems Thinking1469 Words   |  6 Pagesorganizational strategy, (b) evaluate the use of systems thinking in the selection of performance measurements in different organizations, (c) compare decision-making processes and tools used by different organizations, (d) determine how to institutionalize sustained performance improvement in different organizations, (e) assess how systems thinking solutions promote organizational goals, and (f) analyze the effect of process improvement on the goals of the organization. Systems Thinking and OrganizationalRead MoreApplying Decision Making Techniques941 Words   |  4 PagesApplying Decision Making Techniques to Identify Solutions How will the South Pacific Logistics and Transportation Company establish a greater and profitable presence on the Island of Kava? Considering all the physical, environmental and socio-economical issues previously discussed, how can a decision be made that will provide the best solution for both the corporation, its stakeholders and the community in which they operate? There are several tools and techniques available to guide decisionRead MoreEssay on Plan for Success2642 Words   |  11 PagesPlanning is a process of establishing a mission with clear goals as a means to achieve them. Good planning requires special skills and perspectives allowing decision-makers to understand the challenges they are facing and apply the most effective solution to a problem. In order to achieve success, one must plan accordingly. Planning can be short term or long term. Short term plans are done on daily basis and are easier to achieve than long term plans. Long term plans are also known as st rategic plansRead More1.Introduction. The Purpose Of This Report Is To Examine1390 Words   |  6 Pagestechnology solutions into improving the material and information flows that the pharmaceutical supplier, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, uses several systems, such as vendor managed inventory, decision support system and e-procurement, in their business operations. The next part of this report introduces the technology implementation barriers when applying these systems and models in the process management. The report closes with giving some solutions to tackleRead MoreApplication Of Theory For Clinical Nursing Practice1278 Words   |  6 Pagesnursing practice is to guide assessment, interventions, and evaluation of nursing care. Theory in nursing practice provides a rationale for collecting reliable and valid data about the health status of clients, which are essential for effective decision making and implementation. Nursin g theory also serves as a guide assessment, interventions, and evaluation of nursing practice. Theories can address important questions for nursing units. Theories can be grand, middle range and practice. Grand theoriesRead MorePlan For Success Essay2474 Words   |  10 Pagesapplied contingency plan does not end the planning process (Pfeiffer 45). In addition to planning, decision-making is essential for managers and leaders. Every organization has its own decision makers; they can either make an organization prosper or fail. In the decision-making process, managers identify problems, evaluate possible solutions, and choose solutions to problems. In this process, decision makers must consider several factors such as creativity, clear judgment, and a clear understandingRead MoreInnovation Process1310 Words   |  6 Pagesmarketer, and distributor of nonalcoholic beverages by which the company has products sold in 200 counties world wide. In this paper Team B will identify and explain the four phases of the innovative process. Using Coca-Cola as the subject company, there will also be discussions on the applications of the innovative process and identifying the tools and techniques that can be found useful in the process. Finally, there will be examination regarding the measurement of results and the steps Coca-Cola can

Societal Lessons in Julius Caesar Essay Example For Students

Societal Lessons in Julius Caesar Essay Many authors try to convey different lessons that we, as individuals or a society can learn from their writings. William Shakespeare, in his play Julius Caesar, has definitely accomplished this goal. With the many lessons included in this story, society can learn from the mistakes of others made previously. It could be said that the actions of society are learned by the actions of our predecessors. In this incredible play, the major messages or societal lessons include mob mentality, respect, and wealth and power are the roots of all evil. Shakespeare realized that people behave differently in mobs. One individual can sway the opinions of everyone present by convincing just one person in the group. This is called mob mentality. In Act III, Scene II, Brutus speaks to the masses and explains why Caesar had to be slain for the good of Rome. Then, Brutus leaves and Antony speaks to the citizens. A far better judge of human nature than Brutus, Antony cleverly manages to turn the crowd against the conspirators by telling them of Caesars good works and his concern for the people. Another hideous act of the mob was the killing of Cinna the poet. They realize that he is the wrong Cinna, but they are so enraged, they slay him anyway. Although revenge is a major concept in this play, respect is another important theme. After Brutus kills himself, Antony says This was the noblest Roman of them all: all the conspirators save only he did what they did in envy of great Caesar; he only in a general honest thought and common good to all, made one of them. This quote means that Antony regarded Brutus as an honorable man, despite the fact that he killed Caesar. Antony also understood that Brutus killed Caesar for the good of Rome and not because of jealousy or hatred. Octavious then comments . with all respect and rites of burial. Within my tent his bones to-night shall lie, most like a soldier, orderd honourably. The men wish for his body to lie in their tent for the night, and then they will give him proper burial rites. One last lesson in this tragedy is wealth and powers are the roots of all evil. This statement applies mainly to Caesar himself, but can also be stretched to custom fit the conspirators. Caesar is a high and mighty man who appeals to all the common people of Rome, but Brutus and his men feel that his power has become too great. This fact is what motivates the conspirators to kill Caesar. Also, instead of looking at Caesar as the evil, the conspirators could be the driving forces. They begin to think they are more powerful than everyone else is, which results in the death of Caesar. Societal lessons are present throughout Shakespeares many works. Shakespeare observed how human nature could affect the decisions of other people, such as with Antony and the crowd of hostile plebeians. History tends to repeat itself, and many people who would make the same mistakes as the characters in Julius Caesar can learn from these important lessons. The tragedy of Julius Caesar was definitely an excellent topic for a play due to many lessons that we as a society can learn from it.

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Essays - Contortion, Syndromes,

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Ehlers-Danlos sydrome (EDS) is a rare inherited group of connective tissue disorders characterized by defects of the major structural protein in the body (collagen). Collagen is a tough fibrous protein that plays an essential role in binding, holding together, strengthening, and providing elasticity to bodily cells and tissues. There are six major types of EDS that I will discuss, however I will only go into detailed discussion on two of the six types of EDS. The two major types of EDS are Classical EDS and Hypermobile EDS. These two types make up 90% of all EDS cases. I will discuss the general symptoms of these two types along with pathology, then diagnostic factors, and the different treatments for this disorder (Smith). EDS can vary in severity and are transmitted as autosomal recessive, autosomal dominant, or X-linked recessive traits. The primary characteristics are hyperextensible skin and joints (Dia. 1-2, pg.6), tendency to bruise easily (Dia. 3, pg.6), reduced wound healing capability, pseudotumors, and ocular defects. Differences within the six types may reflect inter/intra familial variability or genetic heterogeneity. Each type of EDS is classified symptoms and signs that are resulted (Clarke, D., Skrocki-Czerpak, K., Neumann-Potash, L). There are approximately six types of EDS that have been distinguished but other types exist that are very uncommon. Classical, Hypermobile, Vascular, Kyphoscoliosis, Arthrochalasia, and Dermatosparaxis. Classical and Hypermobile make up over 90% of all reported cases of EDS. With the Classical type of EDS a person would have hyperextensible (stretchy) skin with widened atrophic scars and joint hypermobility. The skin is smooth and velvety with tissue fragility and easy brusability. Also evident are molluscoid pseudotumors (fleshy lesions associated with scars) frequently found over pressure points (e.g. elbows) and subcutaneous spheroids, which are commonly mobile and palpable on the forearms and shins. Complications of joint hypemobility include sprains, dislocation are common in the shoulder, patella and temporomandibular joints Muscle hypotonia and slower gross motor development also can occur It is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner (Clarke, D., Skrocki-Czerpak, K., Neuman n-Potash, L.). In the Hypermobile type of EDS the joints of the body experience Hypermobility, which is the dominant clinical manifestation. General joint hypermobility affects large (elbows, knees) and small (fingers and toes) joints are evident. Skin is hyperextensible, smooth/velvety, and bruising occurs easily as well. Reoccurring joint dislocations are common, and joints such as shoulder, patella, and temporomandibular joint dislocate frequently. Chronic joint and limb pain is a common amongst individuals with Hypermobile type EDS. Skeletal X-ray are normal, however the anatomical distribution is wide and tender points can sometimes be elicited. To this day, researchers have not identified any biochemical collagen finding. The Hypermobile type of EDS is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. The other four types of EDS that exist are less common, but have the same general symptoms as Classical and Hypermobile types (e.g. skin hyperextensible and the joint hypermobility). However, these typ es EDS have symptoms that occur in other regions of the body, including the general symptoms. Different protein and enzyme (collagen) disorder cause these other types of EDS. These other types are inherited in an autosomal dominant manner and autosomal recessive manner. There are other types which are very rare, and the molecular basis of which remains unknown, however they do know that these rarities are X-linked (Clarke, D., Skrocki-Czerpak, K., Neumann-Potash, L). The diagnosis of EDS is made upon clinical ground first, skin hyperelasticity, easy bruising, dystrophic scarring, and joint hypermobility are the cardinal symptoms, which may be present in different combinations and with variable severity. Diagnosis is often impossible to make in infants and small children as abnormal joints hypermobility and skin elasticity are difficult to recognize, however infants may present as floppy infants. In children, joint hypermobility and hypotonia may cause delayed motor dev., problems with walking, and mild motor disturbances and often thought clumsiness. Other characteristics can be hernias, gastrointestinal diverticula, mitral valve prolapse, rectal prolapse, and easy inversion of the upper eyelid. There are laboratory test, which may confirm, or exclude the diagnosis Classical, Vascular, Arthrochalasia, Dermatosparaxis, and Kyphoscoliosis types of EDS. For Hypermobility type EDS there is no biochemical marker and diagnosis is made on the basis of s ymptoms or family history. Electron microscopic examination of

Bitwise Operations in VB.NET

Bitwise Operations in VB.NET VB.NET doesnt support bit level operations directly. Framework 1.1 (VB.NET 2003) introduced bit shift operators ( and ), but no general purpose way to manipulate individual bits is available. Bit operations can be very useful. For example, your program might have to interface with another system that requires bit manipulation. But in addition, there are a lot of tricks that can be done using individual bits. This article surveys what can be done with bit manipulation using VB.NET. You need to understand bitwise operators before anything else. In VB.NET, these are: And Or Xor Not Bitwise simply means that the operations can be performed on two binary numbers bit by bit. Microsoft uses truth tables to document bitwise operations. The truth table for And is: 1st Bit  Ã‚  Ã‚  2nd Bit  Ã‚  Ã‚  Result  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0 In my school, they taught Karnaugh maps instead. The Karnaugh map for all four operations are shown in the illustration below. Click Here to display the illustrationClick the Back button on your browser to return Heres a simple example using the And operation with two, four bit binary numbers: The result of 1100 And 1010 is 1000. Thats because 1 And 1 is 1 (the first bit) and the rest are 0. To begin with, lets take a look at the bit operations that are directly supported in VB.NET: bit shifting. Although both left shift and right shift are available, they work the same way so only left shift will be discussed. Bit shifting is most often used in cryptography, image processing and communications. VB.NETs bit shifting operations ... Only work with the four types of integers: Byte, Short, Integer, and Long Are arithmetic shifting operations. That means that bits shifted past the end of the result are thrown away, and the bit positions opened up on the other end are set to zero. The alternative is called circular bit shifting and the bits shifted past one end are simply added to the other. VB.NET doesnt support circular bit shifting directly. If you need it, youll have to code it the old fashioned way: multiplying or dividing by 2. Never generate an overflow exception. VB.NET takes care of any possible problems and Ill show you what that means. As noted, you can code your own bit shifting by multiplying or dividing by 2, but if you use the code your own approach, you have to test for overflow exceptions that can cause your program to crash. A standard bit shifting operation would look something like this: Dim StartingValue As Integer 14913080Dim ValueAfterShifting As IntegerValueAfterShifting StartingValue 50 In words, this operation takes the binary value 0000 0000 1110 0011 1000 1110 0011 1000 (14913080 is the equivalent decimal value - notice that its just a series of 3 0s and 3 1s repeated a few times) and shifts it 50 places left. But since an Integer is only 32 bits long, shifting it 50 places is meaningless. VB.NET solves this problem by masking the shift count with a standard value that matches the data type being used. In this case, ValueAfterShifting is an Integer so the maximum that can be shifted is 32 bits. The standard mask value that works is 31 decimal or 11111. Masking means that the value, in this case 50, is Anded with the mask. This gives the maximum number of bits that can actually be shifted for that data type. In decimal: 50 And 31 is 18 - The maximum number of bits that can be shifted It actually makes more sense in binary. The high order bits that cant be used for the shifting operation are simply stripped away. 110010 And 11111 is 10010 When the code snippet is executed, the result is 954204160 or, in binary, 0011 1000 1110 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000. The 18 bits on the left side of the first binary number are shifted off and the 14 bits on the right side are shifted left. The other big problem with shifting bits is what happens when the number of places to shift is a negative number. Lets use -50 as the number of bits to shift and see what happens. ValueAfterShifting StartingValue -50 When this code snippet is executed, we get -477233152 or 1110 0011 1000 1110 0000 0000 0000 0000 in binary. The number has been shifted 14 places left. Why 14? VB.NET assumes that the number of places is an unsigned integer and does an And operation with the same mask (31 for Integers). 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111 1100 11100000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0001 1111(And)0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1110 1110 in binary is 14 decimal. Notice that this is the reverse of shifting a positive 50 places. On the next page, we move on to some other bit operations, starting with Xor Encryption! I mentioned that one use of bit operations is encryption. Xor encryption is a popular and simple way to encrypt a file. In my article, Very Simple Encryption using VB.NET, I show you a better way using string manipulation instead. But Xor encryption is so common that it deserves to at least be explained. Encrypting a text string means translating it into another text string that doesnt have an obvious relationship to the first one. You also need a way to decrypt it again. Xor encryption translates the binary ASCII code for each character in the string into another character using the Xor operation. In order to do this translation, you need another number to use in the Xor. This second number is called the key. Xor encryption is called a symmetric algorithm. This means that we can use the encryption key as the decryption key too. Lets use A as the key and encrypt the word Basic. The ASCII code for A is: 0100 0001 (decimal 65) The ASCII code for Basic is: B - 0100 0010a - 0110 0001s - 0111 0011i - 0110 1001c - 0110 0011 The Xor of each of these is: 0000 0011 - decimal 30010 0000 - decimal 320011 0010 - decimal 500010 1000 - decimal 400010 0010 - decimal 34 This little routine does the trick: Xor Encryption Dim i As ShortResultString.Text Dim KeyChar As IntegerKeyChar Asc(EncryptionKey.Text)For i 1 To Len(InputString.Text)  Ã‚  Ã‚  ResultString.Text _  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chr(KeyChar Xor _  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Asc(Mid(InputString.Text, i, 1)))Next The result can be seen in this illustration: Click Here to display the illustrationClick the Back button on your browser to return To reverse the encryption, just copy and paste the string from the Result TextBox back into the String TextBox and click the button again. Another example of something you can do with bitwise operators is to swap two Integers without declaring a third variable for temporary storage. This is the kind of thing they used to do in assembly language programs years ago. Its not too useful now, but you might win a bet someday if you can find someone who doesnt believe you can do it. In any case, if you still have questions about how Xor works, working through this should put them to rest. Heres the code: Dim FirstInt As IntegerDim SecondInt As IntegerFirstInt CInt(FirstIntBox.Text)SecondInt CInt(SecondIntBox.Text)FirstInt FirstInt Xor SecondIntSecondInt FirstInt Xor SecondIntFirstInt FirstInt Xor SecondIntResultBox.Text First Integer: _  Ã‚  Ã‚  FirstInt.ToString - _  Ã‚  Ã‚  Second Integer: _  Ã‚  Ã‚  SecondInt.ToString And heres the code in action: Click Here to display the illustrationClick the Back button on your browser to return Figuring out exactly why this works will be left as as an exercise for the student. On the next page, we reach the goal: General Bit Manipulation Although these tricks are fun and educational, theyre still no substitute for general bit manipulation. If you really get down to the level of bits, what you want is a way to examine individual bits, set them, or change them. Thats the real code that is missing from .NET. Perhaps the reason its missing is that its not that hard to write subroutines that accomplish the same thing. A typical reason you might want to do this is to maintain what is sometimes called a flag byte. Some applications, especially those written in low level languages like assembler, will maintain eight boolean flags in a single byte. For example, a 6502 processor chips status register holds this information in a single 8 bit byte: Bit 7. Negative flagBit 6. Overflow flagBit 5. UnusedBit 4. Break flagBit 3. Decimal flagBit 2. Interrupt-disable flagBit 1. Zero flagBit 0. Carry flag (from Wikipedia) If your code has to work with this kind of data, you need general purpose bit manipulation code. This code will do the job! The ClearBit Sub clears the 1 based, nth bit (MyBit) of an integer (MyByte).Sub ClearBit(ByRef MyByte, ByVal MyBit)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dim BitMask As Int16  Ã‚  Ã‚   Create a bitmask with the 2 to the nth power bit set:  Ã‚  Ã‚  BitMask 2 ^ (MyBit - 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Clear the nth Bit:  Ã‚  Ã‚  MyByte MyByte And Not BitMaskEnd Sub The ExamineBit function will return True or False depending on the value of the 1 based, nth bit (MyBit) of an integer (MyByte).Function ExamineBit(ByVal MyByte, ByVal MyBit) As Boolean  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dim BitMask As Int16  Ã‚  Ã‚  BitMask 2 ^ (MyBit - 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  ExamineBit ((MyByte And BitMask) 0)End Function The SetBit Sub will set the 1 based, nth bit (MyBit) of an integer (MyByte).Sub SetBit(ByRef MyByte, ByVal MyBit)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dim BitMask As Int16  Ã‚  Ã‚  BitMask 2 ^ (MyBit - 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  MyByte MyByte Or BitMaskEnd Sub The ToggleBit Sub will change the state of the 1 based, nth bit (MyBit) of an integer (MyByte).Sub ToggleBit(ByRef MyByte, ByV al MyBit)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dim BitMask As Int16  Ã‚  Ã‚  BitMask 2 ^ (MyBit - 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  MyByte MyByte Xor BitMaskEnd Sub To demonstrate the code, this routine calls it (parameters not coded on Click Sub): Private Sub ExBitCode_Click( ...  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dim Byte1, Byte2 As Byte  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dim MyByte, MyBit  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dim StatusOfBit As Boolean  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dim SelectedRB As String  Ã‚  Ã‚  StatusLine.Text   Ã‚  Ã‚  SelectedRB GetCheckedRadioButton(Me).Name  Ã‚  Ã‚  Byte1 ByteNum.Text Number to be converted into Bit Flags  Ã‚  Ã‚  Byte2 BitNum.Text Bit to be toggled  Ã‚  Ã‚   The following clears the high-order byte returns only the  Ã‚  Ã‚   low order byte:  Ã‚  Ã‚  MyByte Byte1 And HFF  Ã‚  Ã‚  MyBit Byte2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Select Case SelectedRB  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Case ClearBitButton  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ClearBit(MyByte, MyBit)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  StatusLine.Text New Byte: MyByte  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Case ExamineBitButton  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  StatusOfBit ExamineBit(MyByte, MyBit)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  StatusLine.Text Bit MyBit _  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   is StatusOfBit  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Case SetBitButton  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  SetBit(MyByte, MyBit)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  StatusLine.Text New Byte: MyByte  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Case ToggleBitButton  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ToggleBit(MyByte, MyBit)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  StatusLine.Text New Byte: MyByte  Ã‚  Ã‚  End SelectEnd SubPrivate Function GetCheckedRadioButton( _  Ã‚  Ã‚  ByVal Parent As Control) _  Ã‚  Ã‚  As RadioButton  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dim FormControl As Control  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dim RB As RadioButton  Ã‚  Ã‚  For Each FormControl In Parent.Controls  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If FormControl.GetType() Is GetType(RadioButton) Then  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  RB DirectCast(FormControl, RadioButton)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If RB.Checked Then Return RB  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  End If  Ã‚  Ã‚  Next  Ã‚  Ã‚  Return NothingEnd Function The code in action looks like this: Click Here to display the illustrationClick the Back button on your browser to return