Monday, December 30, 2019

My Future Career Within The Healthcare Industry - 1659 Words

Throughout this document, readers will understand a few syllabus that I feel are important for my future career within the healthcare industry, some challenges I encountered, accomplishments, and opportunities that I have gained over the past seven weeks. In addition, taking the step to further my education is an accomplishment for me because if I did not decide to seek my dreams I would still be working at a convenience store. Furthermore, without this course I will not be able to obtain my college degree and seek employment in the healthcare industry. Therefore, it was a pleasure taking this class because I had the ability to gain more knowledge and skills for an administrative job. In addition, there are several insurance plans available throughout the United States; therefore, it is important to have the patient bring their insurance card with them upon arrival to verify his/her coverage. The purpose of health insurance is to reduce the number of individuals without insurance. Therefore, Obama created the Obama Care law to make sure all citizens have health insurance. Those who cannot afford insurance will have coverage; yet, those who refuse to get insurance will have to pay a penalty. This law is to ensure citizens are able to seek medical care before their sickness is incurable. However, besides Obama Care, individuals have HIPAA. According to Forney, â€Å"the primary purpose of HIPAA is to provide continuous insurance coverage for workers and their insuredShow MoreRelatedBecoming A Merger And Acquisition Consultant883 Words   |  4 Pagesin a specific field or industry. My short term goals consist of having a complete career change different from my current position now. I have a fondness to work in consulting or in financial services that would later position me for the dream job I desire. By obtaining quality academic education in business administratio n, I want to develop within a scope of a top financial firm. I want to become a merger and acquisition consultant or organizational development advisor within a top consulting firmRead MoreProfessional Knowledge and Abilities Paper1018 Words   |  5 Pages Professional Knowledge and Abilities Paper University of Phoenix GEN 200 Instructor: December 20, 2010 Career success is something that most individuals set out to accomplish at some point during their life time. Although earning a college degree or a professional certification within a certain field of study is certainly the first step to take towards career success and job fulfillment. It is none-the-less, just as significant to further one’s own skills, knowledge, andRead MoreWhy I Want A Career1124 Words   |  5 PagesWhy I want a career in health care My passion for healthcare cultivated because of my family. Throughout my childhood and adolescent years, I got an opportunity to volunteer helping around the nursing home where my mother worked as a licensed practical nurse. Looking back, on those experiences influenced my entire career in so many diverse ways. Learning ample amounts of wisdom from various honorable people. As a child I was always trying to help my mother, grandmother, aunts, my church take careRead MoreStrategy Consulting : A Career Focused With Maximizing Profits For Business831 Words   |  4 PagesStrategy Consultant Strategy Consulting is a career primarily focused with maximizing profits for business. Opportunities in this career field can be found within the structure of existing business or through third party advisors. Examples include: Wells Fargo, IBM, and Liberty Mutual. Strategy consultants tackle a wide array of management issues and questions, all in the name of increasing efficiency. Historically this job has not involved the level of business analytics that it utilizes todayRead MorePersonal Statement : Servant Leadership, Ethics, And Entrepreneurship806 Words   |  4 Pagesservant leadership, ethics, and entrepreneurship. Next, I describe my vision for my career once I have completed the Master of Business Administration with an Emphasis in Health Systems Management degree. In addition, I address the impact that completing this degree will have on meeting the greater social good and within the community. Lastly, I explain how the pillars relate to the Christian mission of Grand Canyon University. Healthcare management that utilizes servant leadership, ethics and entrepreneurshipRead MoreThe Multidimensional Model Of Wellness And Maslow s Hierarchy Of Needs999 Words   |  4 PagesHealth offers the education and real-world experience needed to effectively drive just such a dynamic change in the health care industry. The Health Services Administration program, in particular, offers students an opportunity to develop cutting-edge health programs coupled with progressive business practices and is focused on facilitating the advancement of professionals within the public health arena. The standard of excellence displayed by this program, its faculty members, and its students have ledRead MoreMy Experience At Wenatchee Valley College891 Words   |  4 Pageslike to call home, remains the basis of reasoning for my goals and aspirations that I envision myself having a bright future for the years to come. This specific town holds the roots of my commencement to my academic history and achievement which has also allowed me to develop specific interests for a career path of choice. Most of all, this town has been the reason for a better understanding of not only a certain culture, but particularly my own, and showed how the empowerment of a culture in aRead MoreProfessional Roles And Development Plan1206 Words   |  5 Pageshealth care system and the role of nursing is evolving due to shortage of nurses, new emerging technology within the healthcare system and the needs to provide quality of care in the most cost effective ways. The focus of this paper is to analyze the roles and the required skills of the baccalaureate prepared nurse in the 21st century healthcare system. In addition, I will also describe my career development plan for personal and professional growth while incorporating the Texas Board of Nursing DifferentialRead MoreImpact Of The Affordable Care Act ( Aca ) On The Healthcare Industry874 Words   |  4 PagesAct (ACA) on the healthcare ind ustry is characterized by change (Delmatoff Lazarus, 2014). Given this ACA paradigm transformation, I believe today’s nursing leaders must adapt quickly and assist new leaders to develop the skills necessary to envision and evaluate new healthcare delivery systems. According to Chism (2009), the roles of the doctor of nursing practice (DNP) prepared nurse graduates may be incorporated to meet the transformation of today’s contemporary healthcare. After reading theRead MoreThe Dnp Essay724 Words   |  3 PagesPurpose Doctor of Nursing Practice Essay Luisa Walsh 2/18/2013 In today’s healthcare system, nursing is a challenging field as a result of rapid technological advances and changes in healthcare policies. As a dedicated nursing professional, with a great passion for learning, I strive to stay on top of these changes. I am determined to increase my knowledge to be an instrumental part of providing quality healthcare. The demands of nursing are high; however the rewards are even higher. Nursing

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Terrorism Between Terrorism And Terrorism - 1852 Words

Terrorism in the twenty-first century has become an important phenomenon, as well as a key security issue for most countries. The 9/11 attacks on the World Trade and the Pentagon demonstrated the damaging impacts of such attacks. Since then, large-scale attacks have grown which establish the ongoing terrorist campaigns that continue over time, including the attacks in Iraq since the US invasion. The attacks not only constitute a threat but instead the cumulative effects of such operations are also very important. Fatality numbers also confirm the growing vulnerability of civilians everywhere to terrorism. (Collins, 2009) Terrorism has never been a new concern, but it has only become more prominent due to the relatively recent attacks on the West including the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris in January. Terrorism by definition is difficult to describe and the definition tends to vary widely, but they usually start at a common point of departure. Most scholars, including Lutz, interprets terrorism as a ‘pejorative concept used to create power in situations in which power has previously been lacking.’ (Lutz et al. 2005) Baylis et al. defines it as ‘the use of violence by sub-state groups to inspire fear, by attacking civilians and/or symbolic targets, for purposes such a drawing widespread attention to a grievance, provoking a severe response, to effect political change.’ (Bayis et al. 2010) However recently the definition of terrorism has started to evolve. A modern tendencyShow MoreRelatedTerrorism Between Terrorism And Terrorism1207 Words   |  5 PagesQuestion † What trends are evident in terrorism over the past 5 years? How have these trends impacted on the ways in which counter terrorism has responded in the Australian context? Introduction Terrorism poses a serious security challenge to the Australia and globally as it prevalence has increased over a decade although less attacks occur in the Western nations. The purpose of this assignment is to examine what trends and terrorist tactics are evident internationally over the past 5 years andRead MoreTerrorism Between Terrorism And Terrorism2012 Words   |  9 PagesTerrorism has played a brutal and alarming role in societies across the world. Many nations have been confronted with the need to develop solutions in the wake of tragedies caused by terrorism. Unfortunately, terrorist organizations are still operating and terrorist acts have continued. Many questions that have still gone unanswered despite careful study, but governments are finding some relief when collaborating with anti-terrorism organizations (Fischer, 2002). Terrorists have struck almost everywhereRead MoreTerrorism Between Terrorism And Terrorism1793 Words   |  8 Pagesprinciple aim of preventing terrorism and anticipating potential terrorist threats to the community. There are both positive and negative implications of counter-terrorism policing in the administration of justice in Australia. This essay will explore these implications and discuss how such matters affect Australians. In specifically negative effects such as counter-terrorism operations often being directed at specific groups, defined on the basis of origin or religion. Terrorism comes from the FrenchRead MoreThe Tensions Between Terrorism And Islamic Terrorism1105 Words   |  5 Pagesadmit it or not. Religion finding home in a political system often leads to military actions against countries based in opposing religions. This paper will discuss the recent referendum in Turkey, the recent European immigration crisis and Islamic terrorism, the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian struggle in Israel, and American and European ideals in general. First, let us discuss Turkey. Since the 1920s, Turkey has been the shining example that secularism can work in a dominantly Muslim country. 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More recently, terrorism has assumed a new guise with much of its deeds perpetrated in the name of religion. Although religious terrorism is popularly associated with Islamism, it is not necessarily so. Almost all religions have startedRead MoreSimilarities And Differences Between Terrorism967 Words   |  4 PagesTerrorism in the twenty-first century has some similarities and differences from terrorism in the twentieth century. Terrorism is, in its broadest sense, the use or threatened use of violence in order to achieve a political, religious, or ideological aim. Also useful to remember that because the two entities involved, the terrorists and the terrorized, are on the opposite end of the political, religious or ideological continuum, the same act is viewed by them differently. There is much sense in theRead MoreA Disti nction Between War And Terrorism1849 Words   |  8 PagesA distinction between war and terrorism, and from where terrorism emerged. Within the history of humanity, war and violence has its origins deeply rooted amongst almost all cultures. Terrorism is a relatively young concept. The differences between war and terrorism are essential in understanding the social distinctions between both forms of aggression. The common phrase, ‘All is fair in love and war,’ suggests that acts of aggression are acceptable because of the context, almost expected. The wordRead MoreThe Link Between Drugs And Terrorism2274 Words   |  10 PagesHumberto Corral Professor – Andy Homeland Security 11 October 2014 Narcoterrorism – The link between Drugs and Terrorism INTRO - 1 EXTREME VIOLENT ACTS OF TERROR 5 OPERATIONS 6 FINANCIALS 8 SUMMARY – ARE DRUGS AND TERRORISM LINKED? 9 INTRO - Drug cartels perform brutal criminal activities such as terrorism in the United States apart from sale of drug trafficking, money laundering, kidnappings for Ransom and the sale of illegal weapons in the United States. The presence of criminal activities goesRead MoreAffiliation Between Counter-Terrorism and Terrorism: Analysis of Whittakers Case Study648 Words   |  3 PagesTerrorism Name Institutional Affiliation Date: Terrorism This is an analysis of Whittakers case study whereby the affiliation between counterterrorism and terrorism has been displayed. Some incidents that take place are inclusive of political extremism rather than terrorism itself. This exists as an order of displaying the function official action or specifically overreaction incidents terrorism from above and circuitous, cyclic pattern, which eventually leads to the terrorism. The definition

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Proposed Marketing and PR Plan for Converse Sports Free Essays

1.0 Overview of the Plan This marketing plan presents a strong case for CSI to be involved in strategic PR and marketing as well other value added activities to effectively communicate its mission, deepen its brand, and enhance its value and competitive advantage. Increasing competition and opportunity in the global sporting arena indeed makes it imperative to expand a brand’s horizons and differentiate itself from the competition. We will write a custom essay sample on Proposed Marketing and PR Plan for Converse Sports or any similar topic only for you Order Now This proposal is developed on this consideration and is aimed at supporting CSI’s objective to be a globally recognisable sports company. In line with the company’s primary objectives, acquisition of an existing communications agency is proposed to manage CSI’s marketing and events as well as those of its acquired firms. The agency would not only be responsible for creating better PR and brand awareness for CSI in general, but will also offer its own unique services to a wide range of customers. Akin to some of CSI’s existing competitors, value added services such as athlete management, performance coaching, media and sports management including translation services are proposed as part of the agency’s portfolio. The subsequent sections of the proposal present a breakdown of the proposed marketing and PR plan and clarifies its missions and objectives. 1.1 Mission †¢ To be a leading brand in global sports marketing, media and sporting entertainment by acquiring stakes in existing sports and media companies with unique intellectual property and distinctive entertainment cum sports quality. 1.2 Goals †¢ To be a globally recognisable brand in the world of sports †¢ To contribute significantly to the transformation of mass market sports into entertainment driven formats that appeal to the mass market. †¢ To increase stakes in sports marketing and digital media business. 1.3 Objectives †¢ To manage the commercial development of sports teams †¢ To develop new sports models from existing models †¢ Acquire strategic stakes in established sports, media and entertainment firms 2.0 Industry Overview In the last couple of years, some of the most defining features of contemporary sport is the way in which globalisation has informed businesses related to sports, the organisation of sporting competitions as well as the multidirectional flow of athletes across local, national and international borders. Research shows that the global sporting industry is worth over ?400 billion each year and the UK sport market was estimated to be worth ?19.5 billion in 2006, in 2011 it has been forecast that the value will increase to ?24 billion (Sport England, 2011). This turnover is shared amongst leagues, clubs, athletes and sports management firms. Research also shows that the global sports industry is on a faster growth pace than the GDP’ s (gross domestic product) of most national economies around the world and â€Å" the global sports value chain, its size, and revenues—has significant growth prospects for the future now more than ever. Of interest in the development of the ind ustry as well as its future prospect is the commanding role of sports management firms like CSI. According to a recent research published by Atkearny (a management consulting firm) â€Å"it is sports management firms who define the structure of professional sports around the world, they set the rules, organize the events and take responsibility for generating revenues from matches, media and marketing rights†. The nature of the industry, globalisation as well as the increasing opportunity in global sports holds another window of growth for sporting management firms in the future. 3.0 Product/Service Description The acquired communication agency as proposed would be primarily concerned with strategic marketing and PR management of CSI by promoting and maintaining its image and relationship with the public. It would also be responsible for designing and applying appropriate marketing strategies and techniques towards accomplishing CSI’s general objectives. In addition, the agency would be responsible for managing the image of sports team, individuals and businesses under the management of CSI. As part of marketing and PR, the agency would also manage CSI events and engage in a host of other related activities such as athlete management, global translation services, performance management, etc. Building on the company’s resource, the agency could also act as the marketing platform for existing companies under CSI. 3.1 Marketing Objectives †¢ Establish a clear plan of marketing actions and objectives towards accomplishing overall company goals †¢ Define the company’s goals, mission and objectives †¢ Develop market communications systems †¢ Understand the sports marketing industry †¢ Create an effective PR management strategy 3.2 Target Market The main targets of CSI services would be sports companies with mostly unique entertainment structures and new sports companies with innovative themes that can be transformed into the mass and commercial market. While CSI mainly operate from the UK, emerging Europe and other Emerging markets with promising future and prospects in sports and media such as Russia, Brazil, Asia and Africa will be targeted. Such companies will be SME’s and must have valuable intellectual property’ capable of commercialization. 3.3 Unique Selling Proposition Customers will choose CSI because it is managed by a team of seasoned and experienced managers and directors who have managed some of the best teams, clubs and companies around the world. 3.4 Positioning CSI would position itself as a sports and media company with significant interest in sports entertainment mix. Therefore, its positioning statement as it has always been would remain: †¢ Sports and media entertainment†¦ 3.5 Marketing Strategy The strategy considered most appropriate towards achieving valuable business outcome as well as attainment of the company’s goals and objectives is to acquire a modern and innovative communications agency. Such agency will be responsible for giving direction to CSI’s future in terms of marketing and events management while acting as a source of income for the company. Further explanation of this strategy is explained in the marketing 4P’s. The 4P’s are regarded as basic elements of the marketing plan for any business and they consist of the following: Product The main product offered by CSI is sports marketing through management of sports teams and associations. The company also buys stakes in innovative sports firms for management and further development into acceptable mass models. Under the present proposal, the company would offer additional products/services like athlete management, performance coaching, and management of media development as well as translation services mainly for Russian companies who wants to break into other European markets and abroad. Price Potential firms to be acquired will be offered the most reasonable prices as possible as long as it within limits which would be recovered within years deemed reasonable by management. Promotion Promotion is deemed to have four distinct elements such as advertising, public relations, personal selling and sales promotion. The two that will be deployed by CSI are advertising and public relations. Public Relations management would be conducted through press releases, road shows, seminars and conferences to build the image of the company. The company will also from time to time publish results of surveys and research conducted in-house as reports in newspapers, industry magazines and on web pages. Advertising would be done by reaching out to existing sports companies through various means like industry magazines, websites, bill boards and other B2B methods available. Place All services rendered by CSI would be offered through its offices both in London, Russia and other future locations. 3.6: Six Month Action Plan A sense of urgency is needed to achieve the outlined objectives; as such the following are important to be achieved within the next six months. †¢ Management must define a set of criteria of the specific features, nature and type of communications agency that will be required for acquisition. †¢ Identify possible lists of suitable communications agency to be acquired, once the right agencies have been identified using a predefined selection criteria, they should be critically assessed to determine their suitability to the company’s objectives, this would lead to shortening of the list. †¢ Inform important stakeholders, managers and directors in the organisation of the proposed acquisition plan to garner side support and ensure effective participation during and after the process. †¢ Set a budget plan containing how much will be spent on every aspect of the acquisition stage. †¢ Prepare and draw a tentative re-organisation plan for the company to allow for the newly acquired firm †¢ Prepare a detailed report to inform management of possible stages involved in the process and what the time lengths would likely to be. †¢ A proper risk assessment should be conducted when the final company have identified before final acquisition to have reasonable forethought about the nature and extent of risk in the proposed acquisition A transition arrangement should be planned to manage the acquisition process and the staff of the acquired agency to ensure cultural fusion and conflict management. Conclusions The brief analysis of sports marketing and the global sports industry presented earlier in this document has shown that global sports and media are a growth industry with tremendous future ahead. To avail such opportunity, marketing and publicity will no doubt play a major role. It is on this consideration that the marketing and PR plan of CSI was well thought out and articulated in this document which lays out the strategies and techniques for implementing an effective marketing. Given the quality amount of time and research committed to putting this document together, taking it to the implementation stage will surely contribute to the accomplishment of the company’s overarching goals and objectives. References: Sports England (2011). Economic Value of Sport, Sport Industry Research Centre Sheffield Hallam University Atkearny, the Sports Market Major trends and challenges in an industry full of passion, http://www.atkearney.com/index.php/Publications/the-sports-market.html How to cite Proposed Marketing and PR Plan for Converse Sports, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

Sophie free essay sample

Sophie You can always tell the days that Sophie is here because if you lay in my bed you can feel the Chex crumbs. When I roll over all I hear is crunch, crunch. When I hear that I just laugh to myself and try to pick them up or wipe them off. Her favorite food is Chex and Oreos with milk. Every time she comes to my house we have Chex (a toasted corn breakfast cereal in a square shape). Sophie is obsessed with Chex so she eats most of them. I eat like two squares and Sophie eats two handfuls. When I look there is none left and I have to get up and go downstairs to get some more. Then it happens again. By the time we are done I have eaten four squares and Sophie has had two bowls. We usually eat them right out of the box because it is to much work to keep getting milk over and over. We will write a custom essay sample on Sophie or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Plus we both are kind of lazy. You wouldn’t think that someone as skinny as Sophie could eat that much and still stay skinny. Sophie is one of my best friends. She is very quiet unless you are alone with her, then she is really funny and laughs a lot. Usually we hang out after school and go on the computer, walk my dog, or run around outside taking pictures. This fall we are going to go through our pictures and find at least two to enter in the Frederick Fair. We both have cameras so we can take pictures of many different things. We like taking pictures of sunsets, trees, and other nature scenes. We explore different settings on our cameras and find which setting is the best for that particular picture. She has brown eyes and hair that takes her hours to do. Her hair is usually pulled back in a poofy ponytail held by a humongous scrunchie bigger than my head. Her smallest scrunchie is way bigger than my big scrunchie. We tried after school one day to see how many times the scrunchie would go around my hair. It goes around my hair 3 times. Once I even wore one as a headband. I wonder where in the world does she get those things from. Big and Tall maybe. She lives with her mom, dad, brother, and grandmother. Sophie’s family is from Ethiopia so they all speak Ethiopian, even Sophie. Sometimes when I am at her house she has to tell her grandmother that she is going to my house. Since her grandmother doesn’t speak English she has to tell her in Ethiopian. I just stand there dumbfounded thinking, ‘what in the world is she saying.’ I ask her after we leave her house and she spells it out for me in English so I understand. Once she tried to teach me Ethiopian but I forgot it in five minutes. After that she got so frustrated with me she stopped trying. Her grandmother speaks it fluently though. Her grandmother can be really nosey sometimes and listens to our conversations even though she doesn’t understand English. But after a while you get used to it. Her favorite color is green. Her favorite drink is milk and she buys like four gallons of it at one time when she goes shopping. Since I raised my bed high er we both can fit under it. And we go under there and hang out and talk. We sometimes bring a flashlight so we can see each other’s faces when we tell jokes. Other times we bring even more Chex. That girl can sure eat.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Sat Co Analysis Essay Example

Sat Co Analysis Paper Assignment Questions (Case: SAT CO. ): 1. Why is the machine tool industry so important? How it is different from other industries? 2. What is market orientation? Is SAT CO. is a market oriented company? Is there a relationship between the market orientation of the company and its business performance? Can this relationship be moderated by external factors? 3. What should McGuire do to achieve market orientation for the company? What are the critical success factors for the company? 4. Why are the end user’s perceptions of the company’s machines so important to McGuire? How can McGuire use this information to reduce the gap between the customer’s expectation and company’s delivery on these expectations? Machine tool industry * Major contributor towards maintaining existing living standards chiefly responsible for production of capital goods. * Heavy requirement in defense and automotive industry. * Contributes towards increasing opportunities in terms of employment * Prerequisite for all tools used in the manufacturing industry * Key driver to growth for other industries Different from other industry * High Skilled labor required Wide range of applications – caters to application of multiple. Other industry focus on producing a type of product * High scope of adaptation of new technologies – Technology innovation Marketing orientation * Increasing Marketing effectiveness Continuous focus and commitment of an organization towards customer needs * Collecting information from customers and utilizing information to cater to needs of a customer Sat Co. Not a market oriented company – Everyone does their own job * Product oriented – evolving the product without any information of customer needs * No specific information of customer needs Focus on delivery of service * No integration across various units of the organization 2(a)(b) – Use reference text document What should he do to achieve marketing orientation? Strategize to Implement FMS * Customer feedback prior to launch of FMS * Comfort towards Pricing option * Customer Needs * Impact analysis * Regularize audits towards ensure internal integration * Adoption of CAPA techniques Critical Success factors Proper marketing tools in place for gathering market information * Customer feedback system * Effective marketing research techniques Effective RD departments in-line with customer requirements * Effective services * Superior quality * Effective pricing strategy Q4 (a) Target To increase market share and be focused towards custom er needs * Increase market size * Analyse customer needs * Measure the effectiveness of marketing strategies opted. Reducing gaps can be done by * Frequent checks with end customer and provide adequate service * Actively review product development based on customer needs * Absence of effective research systems We will write a custom essay sample on Sat Co Analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sat Co Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sat Co Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Monday, November 25, 2019

The Study of Shell Middens in Archaeology

The Study of Shell Middens in Archaeology One type of site that some archaeologists love to investigate is the shell midden or kitchen midden. A shell midden is a heap of clam, oyster, whelk, or mussel shells, obviously, but unlike other types of sites, it is the result of a clearly recognizable single-activity event. Other kinds of sites, such as campsites, villages, farmsteads, and rock shelters, have their attractions, but a shell midden was created by and large for one purpose: dinner. Diets and Shell Middens Shell middens are found throughout the world, on coastlines, near lagoons, and tidewater flats, along major rivers, in small streams, wherever some variety of shellfish is found. Although shell middens also date from pretty much all of prehistory, many shell middens date to the Late Archaic or (in the old world) Late Mesolithic periods. The Late Archaic and European Mesolithic periods (around 4,000-10000 years ago, depending on where youre at in the world) were interesting times. People were still essentially hunter-gatherers, but by then were settling down, reducing their territories, focusing on a broader range of food and living resources. One often used way to diversify the diet was to depend on shellfish as a reasonably easy to obtain food source. Of course, as Johnny Hart once said, â€Å"the bravest man I ever saw was the first to devour an oyster, raw†. Studying Shell Middens According to Glyn Daniel in his great history 150 Years of Archaeology, shell middens were first explicitly identified as archaeological in context (i.e., built by humans, not other animals) during the mid-nineteenth century in Denmark. In 1843, the Royal Academy of Copenhagen led by archaeologist J.J. Worsaee, geologist Johann Georg Forchhammer, and zoologist Japetus Steenstrup proved that the shell heaps (called Kjoekken moedding in Danish) were, in fact, cultural deposits. Archaeologists have studied shell middens for all kinds of reasons. Studies have included Calculating how much dietary meat there is in a clam (only a few grams in comparison to the weight of the shell),Food processing methods (steamed, baked, dried),Archaeological processing methods (sampling strategies vs. counting the entire middenwhich nobody in their right mind would do),Seasonality (what time of year and how often were clambakes held),Other purposes for the shell mounds (living areas, burial sites). Not all shell middens are cultural; not all cultural shell middens are solely the remnants of a clambake. One of my favorite shell midden articles is Lynn Ceci’s 1984 paper in World Archaeology. Ceci described a series of weird donut-shaped shell middens, consisting of prehistoric pottery and artifacts and shell located on hillsides in New England. She figured out that they were, in fact, evidence of early Euro-American settlers reusing prehistoric shell deposits as fertilizer for apple orchards. The hole in the middle was where the apple tree stood! Shell Middens Through Time The oldest shell middens in the world are about 140,000 years old, from the Middle Stone Age of South Africa, at sites like Blombos Cave. There are fairly recent shell middens in Australia, within the last couple hundred years anyway, and the most recent shell middens in the United States that I’m aware of date to the late 19th century and early 20th century AD when the shell button industry was in progress along the Mississippi River. You can still find heaps of freshwater mussel shells with several holes punched out of them lying along the bigger rivers of the American midwest. The industry nearly obliterated the freshwater mussel population until plastics and international trade put it out of business. Sources Ainis AF, Vellanoweth RL, Lapeà ±a QG, and Thornber CS. 2014. Using non-dietary gastropods in coastal shell middens to infer kelp and seagrass harvesting and paleoenvironmental conditions. Journal of Archaeological Science 49:343-360. Biagi P. 2013. The shell middens of Las Bela coast and the Indus delta (Arabian Sea, Pakistan). Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy 24(1):9-14. Boivin N, and Fuller D. 2009. Shell Middens,. Journal of World Prehistory 22(2):113-180.and Seeds: Exploring Coastal Subsistence, Maritime Trade and the Dispersal of Domesticates in and Around the Ancient Arabian PeninsulaShips Choy K, and Richards M. 2010. Isotopic evidence for diet in the Middle Chulmun period: a case study from the Tongsamdong shell midden, Korea. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences 2(1):1-10. Foster M, Mitchell D, Huckleberry G, Dettman D, and Adams K. 2012. Archaic Period Shell Middens, Sea-Level Fluctuation, and Seasonality: Archaeology along the Northern Gulf of California Littoral, Sonora, Mexico. American Antiquity 77(4):756-772. Habu J, Matsui A, Yamamoto N, and Kanno T. 2011. Shell midden archaeology in Japan: Aquatic food acquisition and long-term change in the Jomon culture. Quaternary International 239(1-2):19-27. Jerardino A. 2010. Large shell middens in Lamberts Bay, South Africa: a case of hunter-gatherer resource intensification. Journal of Archaeological Science 37(9):2291-2302. Jerardino A, and Navarro R. 2002. Cape Rock Lobster (Jasus lalandii) Remains from South African West Coast Shell Middens: Preservational Factors and Possible Bias. Journal of Archaeological Science 29(9):993-999. Saunders R, and Russo M. 2011. Coastal shell middens in Florida: A view from the Archaic period. Quaternary International 239(1–2):38-50. Virgin K. 2011. The SB-4-6 shell midden assemblage: a shell midden analysis from a late prehistoric village site at Pamua on Makira, southeast Solomon Islands [Honors]. Sydney, Australia: University of Sydney.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Should Nevada legalize the possession of marijuana Research Paper

Should Nevada legalize the possession of marijuana - Research Paper Example Nevada should not legalize the possession of Marijuana. First, possession of marijuana would lead to more serious drug additions since the drug will be easily accessible than it previously was. These drugs could pose a higher risk than that caused by Marijuana. Marijuana intake makes a person to be violent to anyone who tries to go his way and also makes parents neglect their children. If Nevada legalizes marijuana, this would make it easily available, and more new users would get to the vice. Roads carnage is likely to be on the rise since drivers would be driving under the influence of the drug (Jorge 4). The addicts of hard drugs were once consumers of marijuana; therefore, legalization it would open doors for consumers to get into the same trend (Jorge 5). Those advocating for the legalization of marijuana in Nevada cite the medicinal value, which is extremely hypothetical and is yet to be proved scientifically. In fact, the drug is called second schedule, which means that it is yet to pass to the first class schedule. It would seem irresponsible when the laws passed to protect the citizens are the same ones used to destroy their health. Those advocating for the legalization of Marijuana are merely concerned with the economic growth, and not the welfare of its people. Since the sales of tobacco have gone down, they believe Marijuana sales will boost the economy. Thus, the legalization of Marijuana in Nevada is for political and economic gains, which are likely to be disadvantageous in the long run (Mitchell 21). Nevada should not legalize the possession of Marijuana since this would stimulate the trade in drugs. Legalization of Marijuana will consequently lead to more cases of drug trafficking than when the drug is not legalized. As a result, crimes and lack of security in Nevada would increase. Drug dealers would take advantage of the law and possess other drugs such as Cocaine and Heroin (Goldberg 252). Some patients

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Is Famine Best Examined as a Result of Overpopulation or as a Crisis Essay

Is Famine Best Examined as a Result of Overpopulation or as a Crisis of Entitlements - Essay Example The studies examine that the increases in the world's food output were particularly impressive after World War II. In the thirty-five years from 1950 to 1985, world grain harvests increased from less than 750 million tons to 1.7 billion tons. Even though the world experienced unprecedented population growth during this period, the growth in food production was so spectacular that it permitted a 25 percent increase in per-capita food supplies and a corresponding increase in meeting minimum nutritional standards. Primarily, these studies concern European countries and the USA but do not take into account Asian and African countries where population growth has a direct impact on famine. P. R Ehrlich in the book â€Å"The population bomb† explains that; "Our position requires that we take immediate action at home and promote effective action worldwide. We must have population control at home, hopefully through changes in our value system, but by compulsion if voluntary methods fail."

Monday, November 18, 2019

Jewish PhilosophyIf man was created in God's image, how can he behave Essay

Jewish PhilosophyIf man was created in God's image, how can he behave as he does - Essay Example This question is that if G-d is good and righteous and has created humans in his own image, how can people be evil and do so much harm to each other. This question is probably as old as religions themselves. It is simply a tentative lump for some of us, and for many more at given moments of misfortune and despair. In my paper I would like to touch upon this subject and try to discover some possible explanations of why the evil and evil people persist in our world if the Almighty has the powers to stop them. Furthermore, I would like to explore the thesis of humans being created in G-d's image, according to the principles of Judaism. To begin with, I would like to turn to the words of the holy Torah (Bible) and see the event of the man's creation. In Genesis 1:26 it is said "On the last day of creation, God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness". This verse, even though being short, is in fact a contradiction and has been arising arguments for centuries already. Lower, I would like to present my understanding, that I have formed having read much literature on this subject, of the two concepts "image" and "likeness". Having the "image" or "likeness" of God means, that we, the humans, were created to resemble G-d. The words "image" and "likeness" convey the idea of the whole man being created in this way. Of course, we know that man's physical body is not patterned after the physical appearance of the Divinity, because G-d is a Spirit and does not dwell in a physical body. However, this does not exclude the fact that the physical body is some part of the image of God (Man Created in the Image of G-d). The "image" of G-d refers to the immaterial part of man. Having the G-dly image and likeness inside of us, means having a reflection of G-d's intellect and freedom, as well as the freedom of choice (Man Created in the Image of G-d). Yes, it would be easier and more understandable for us, if the Almighty had created the humanity to be all righteous and decent, though that was not his intention. Further in my paper this concept will be explained in more details. In order to make the paper more clear lower I would like to refer to the works by two great Jewish contemporary philosophers Martin Buber and Abraham Joshua Herschel. In his famous work I and Thou (Ich und Du, first published in German in 1923) Buber suggested that human life could be defined by the way in which they engage in dialogue with each other, with the world, and with the Almighty. As said by Buber, "human beings adopt two attitudes toward the world: I-Thou or I-It". I-Thou attitude is a relation of subject-to-subject, at the same time as I-It attitude is a relation of subject-to-object. In the I-It relationship individuals recognize each other to be consisted of explicit, secluded characters, as well as they view themselves as part of a world, which, in its turn, consists of many things and characters as well. I-Thou is a relationship of "mutuality" and "reciprocity", while I-It is a relationship of "separateness" and "detachment" (Buber). The main emphasis of Buber that is still

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Study on phelan mcdermid syndrome

Study on phelan mcdermid syndrome Seventy-five percent of individuals with Phelan-McDermid Syndrome have pure 22q deletions, which are either terminal or interstitial. A terminal deletion involves a single break in the long arm of chromosome 22 that removes the distal portion. An interstitial deletion occurs when two breaks occur within the long arm of chromosome 22 and only the segment between the two breaking points is lost. In Phelan-McDermid Syndrome, terminal deletions occur more commonly than interstitial. As is the case for many other terminal deletion syndromes, the pure deletions most often occur on the chromosome that is inherited paternally. The remaining 25 percent of individuals with Phelan-McDermid Syndrome have deletions that result from other structural translocations or rearrangements (Phelan, 2007; Bonaglia et al., 2006). The mode of inheritance for 80 percent of affected individuals is a de novo chromosome deletion (Phelan, 2007). A de novo chromosome deletion is an anomaly that occurs in the individual and is not inherited from the parents, who have normal karyotypes (National Human Genome Research Institute, 2010). Thus, the recurrence risk of Phelan-McDermid Syndrome for the future pregnancies of parents with normal karyotypes is highly unlikely. However, about 20 percent of affected individuals experience a familial mode of inheritance in which one parent passes on an unbalanced chromosome. When a familial mode of inheritance is involved, there is an increased risk of having other affected pregnancies. Therefore, it is highly recommended for these parents to receive genetic counseling in order to address future recurrence risks (Cusmano-Ozog, Manning, Hoyme, 2007; Robin, 2008). Individuals with Phelan-McDermid Syndrome share a common phenotype that includes hypotonia, global developmental delay, normal to accelerated growth, severely delayed to absent expressive language, autistic-like behaviors, and dysmorphic features (ONeill, Kniffin, Hamosh, Dolan, McKusick, 2009). The first presenting symptoms of the syndrome, which begin to become evident during infancy, are usually hypotonia, feeding problems, and developmental delay (Phelan, 2008). Typical craniofacial characteristics of individuals with this syndrome include a high forehead, a disproportionately long and narrow head, puffy and drooping eyelids, large ears, a smooth philtrum without Cupids bow, a wide nasal tip, and a pointed chin. (Manning et al., 2004; Cusmano-Ozog, Manning, Hoyme, 2007). Other common physical traits are large, fleshy hands, swollen feet, syndactyly of the toes, and a chronic lack of perspiration that often leads to overheating (Havens, Visootsak, Phelan, Graham, 2004). Althoug h chronic otitis media is common, most individuals with this syndrome have normal hearing (Phelan, 2007). As noted, autistic-like behaviors are present. These include poor eye contact, self-stimulatory actions, tactile sensitivity, and a decreased interest in socializing. It has been suggested that Phelan-McDermid Syndrome is a type of syndromic autism (Phelan, 2008). Additional behavioral aspects present include an increased tolerance to pain, frequent mouthing and chewing of non-food objects, hyperactivity, short attention span, and, at times, aggression (Havens, Visootsak, Phelan, Graham, 2004; Philippe et al., 2008). Most individuals with Phelan-McDermid Syndrome experience a severe to profound intellectual disability (Phelan, 2007). The degree of phenotype expression and severity of Phelan-McDermid Syndrome are dependent upon the size of the deletion (Manning et al., 2004). The size of deletion varies from a very small 100 kilobases to a substantial 9 megabases. One hundred kilobases are equivalent to 100,000 deleted base pairs of DNA, and 9 megabases are equivalent to 9 million deleted base pairs of DNA (Phelan, 2008). Prasad and colleagues (2000) presented case studies of individuals affected by Phelan-McDermid Syndrome. Of their case studies, the patient with the largest deletion presented the most severe developmental delay in addition to other comorbid features, such as seizures. Recent findings have suggested that deletion of the SHANK3 gene, which is also called PROSAP2, is responsible for the neurological features of global developmental delay and severely delayed to absent expressive language that are demonstrated in individuals affected by Phelan-McDermid Syndrome (Durrand et al., 2007). The SHANK3 gene belongs to a family of proteins and it is involved in the formation and maintenance of synapses. This gene is located in the critical region for this syndrome, 22q13.3, and a deletion of the SHANK3 gene has been present in all reported cases of the syndrome. In fact, a SHANK3 gene deletion hot spot has been identified in numerous unrelated cases where the breakpoint has occurred in an essentially identical location. However, it is important to note that individuals who have the same type of SHANK3 gene deletion will still present different degrees of severity in their phenotype due to other confounding factors (Bonaglia et al., 2006). The first diagnosed case of Phelan-McDermid Syndrome was documented in 1985 (Prasad et al., 2000), and, since then, there have been more than 500 cases identified worldwide (Unique, 2008). Among the documented cases, the age at which individuals have been diagnosed with this syndrome has widely ranged from prenatally (with the use of amniocentesis) to 46 years of age (Cusmano-Ozog, Manning, Hoyme, 2007). Reportedly, the deletion does not have a gender preference as it is equally frequent in males and females. Because no life-threatening characteristics are associated with this syndrome, overall life expectancy is considered to be normal (Unique, 2008). This syndrome is highly under-diagnosed due to clinical and laboratory difficulties. Therefore, its true incidence is unknown. At the clinical level, healthcare professionals may be unfamiliar with or fail to notice the phenotypical characteristics associated with this syndrome that would warrant a referral for further cytogenetic testing (Phelan et al., 2001). Also, at the laboratory level, the deletion is often subtle and it can be undetected by a routine chromosome analysis. In fact, over 30% of individuals with Phelan-McDermid Syndrome have required two or more chromosome analyses to discover the deletion (Phelan, 2008). Thus, enhanced molecular cytogenetic testing, such as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH), are utilized to verify the presence of the 22q13.3 deletion (Feenstra, Brunner, Van Ravenswaaij, 2006; Sathyamoorthi et al., 2009). FISH and array CGH are used to detect the deletion of a specific genetic segment in the chromosome that goes undetected due to its small size. These tests differ in that FISH focuses on a specific genomic region, while array CGH is able to focus on a specific region and test hundreds of additional genomic regions simultaneously during one experiment (Robin, 2008). By aiding in the detection of the 22q13.3 deletion, FISH and array CGH also assist in the differential diagnosis of Phelan-McDermid Syndrome. Several of its phenotypical features, such as hypotonia and global developmental delay, are also common features that are found in other disorders. Individuals with Phelan-McDermid Syndrome are often initially misdiagnosed with another condition until further testing is conducted. This syndrome is most commonly misdiagnosed as Angelman Syndrome or Velocardiofacial Syndrome (Phelan, 2008). Management Phelan-McDermid Syndrome is a life-long condition, and its management involves the assistance of several healthcare professionals. Among these professionals are the primary care physician, clinical geneticist, neurologist, physical therapist, and speech-language pathologist. The following are some of the responsibilities of these professionals with regard to this syndrome. In addition to providing routine medical treatment, the primary care physician is involved in noting the clinical presentation of the syndromes phenotype and referring a patient for genetic testing. The clinical geneticist is responsible for performing the cytogenetic testing that is necessary to confirm the diagnosis of Phelan-McDermid Syndrome. The neurologist and physical therapist will often work together to treat the hypotonia (Cusmano-Ozog, Manning, Hoyme, 2007; Phelan, 2008). Role of the Speech-Language Pathologist The hypotonia that begins to become evident during infancy usually results in feeding and swallowing difficulties. Thus, a speech-language pathologist is often necessary for the purpose of feeding and swallowing evaluations and intervention. Several behavioral aspects, such as hyperactivity, self-stimulatory actions, and attention difficulties, are often treated with medication. However, in addition to the physicians pharmacological approach, a speech-language pathologist can also help with the implementation of functional alternatives to these challenging behaviors. A speech-language pathologist will also focus on addressing the negative pragmatic aspects of this syndrome that include aversion to socializing and aggressiveness (Phelan, 2008). Many studies have found that individuals with Phelan-McDermid Syndrome have receptive language skills that are significantly greater than their expressive language abilities. Thus, these individuals often benefit from the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. A speech-language pathologist can implement the use of AAC systems, such as a simple picture card system, so that individuals with Phelan-McDermid Syndrome who have significant language delays are able to better communicate with those around them (Havens, Visootsak, Phelan, Graham, 2004). Picture exchange communication systems (PECs), computer touch screens, and voice based systems are most commonly recommended for these individuals because these systems are compatible with their needs and the presence of hypotonia, which makes it difficult to communicate through other methods, such as sign language (Unique, 2008). In conclusion, individuals with Phelan-McDermid Syndrome exhibit a common phenotype that includes several cognitive, behavioral, and physical aspects. This syndrome is a life-long condition, and its management requires the help of a multidisciplinary team of professionals. The role of the speech-language pathologist in this syndrome is especially important due to the feeding and swallowing difficulties, challenging behaviors, and the significant communicative impairment experienced by individuals affected by Phelan-McDermid Syndrome.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Physics of Fishing :: Physics Science Fish Fishing

Fishing contains a wide variety of physics. when you cast you are using projectile motion and rotational motion. when you hook a fish it will often use the drag from the current agenst you. Immagine draging a fish through a swift current. You deal with the tention of your line, and the friction of the line through the guides. you also deal with friction when you use a drag. Reels One of the key components of your fishing gear is the reel. http://www.eangler.com/eangler/proshop/reels.asp?shopby=D&dept_id=67&dept_image=reels.gif&pageheading=Reels&JEX=101025 These are spinning reels designed for smaller fish. You would probably use a reels like this for lakes. These reels usually have a series of gears that turn the line collecting devices several times for each crank of the handle. The reel on the left is the simpler design. That design has a stationary spindle and a bar that rotates around it to collect the line. On most models the drag works by a screw on the top of the spindle that applies pressure on the spindle to increase or decrease the friction to allow the spindle to spin if the fish applies enough force to overcome the friction. The problem with this design is that once the fish breaks the static friction the resistance to the fish pulling out line decreases and it is very difficult to change while fighting a fish. the closed faced reels have a small peg inside that catches the line and then spins around the top of the spindle. For this design the reel has a plate that can be moved up and down by a dial on the front. This plate is what controls the drag. The advantage of this method is that it allows you to adjust the drag while you are fishing. This reel is designed for off shore fishing. This real is much larger and is geared so you must crank the handle several times in order to get the spindle to make a complete rotation. A handy thing if you have to haul up a fish that is 50kg or more from the bottom of the ocean. This reel works by turning the spindle while the line feeder remains stationary. The drag works by pushing a plate into the spindle. There is a knob on the side that allows you to increase the pressure on the plate. When setting your drag you must take into account more then line strength. You must also take into account your hook and the strength of the flesh that you are probably hooking into.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Relationship Between Lactate Threshold Essay

Abstract Research into the relationship between physiological variables and running performance has been variable. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between 5k running performance and a number of physiological variables in a group of 11 trained club runners (Age 21.451.63yrs, Height 175.092.77cm, Weight 67.865.12kg). The athletes underwent a laboratory treadmill test to determine their maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 max) and running velocities at lactate threshold (v-Tlac) and blood lactate concentration of 4mM (v-OBLA). Running performance was determined by a 5k time-trial on an athletics track for which the average time was 1097.09  ± 108.02 secs. The mean velocities for v-Tlac and v-OBLA were 15.18  ± 1.5km/h, 16.76  ± 1.60 km/h and mean VO2max was 59.10  ± 3.54 ml/kg/min. The best single predictors of 5k running performance were v-OBLA and VO2max (p = .003, p = .007) while v-Tlac was slightly poorer (p = .013). It is concluded that lactate variables may be valid an d reproducible predictors for 5km running performance. Introduction Research throughout history has established that a number of physiological variables relate to distance running performance, including Lactate Threshold (Tlac), OBLA and VO2 Max (Conley and Krahenbuhl, 1980; Costill, Thomason and Roberts, 1973; Coyle et al, 1983; Farrell et al, 1979; Hagberg and Coyle, 1983; Lafontaine, Londeree and Spath, 1982). The results from this research have been variable. Evidence has shown that blood lactate variables highly correlate with running performance over a variety of distances. Additionally, these variables contribute to running performance variance more than any other physiological variables (Yoshida et al, 1990, 1993). ‘Lactate Threshold’ describes the point at which exercise begins to hurt more than it should because the body’s lactate production exceeds the body’s ability to flush it away (Robergs & Roberts, 1997). It is the exercise intensity at which lactate threshold occurs that can be used as a significant predict or of endurance performance (Allen et al, 1985; Coyle et al, 1988; Farrell et al, 1979). It is considered a powerful tool for developing effective training regimes and as a method of monitoring adaptation to endurance performance, although to be effective at fulfilling these roles, the measurement of lactate threshold must be reliable. OBLA is the Onset of Blood Lactate Accumulation. OBLA is accepted as an incremental method for detecting the lactate deflection point (Australian Sports Commission, 2000). Being able to detect this point is crucial as it is an indication of when an athlete switches from a predominantly aerobic to anaerobic metabolism, which leads to hastened fatigue. It is established that a level of ~ 2 – 4 millimoles per dm3 (litre) represents OBLA. Duggan and Tebbutt (1990) examined blood lactate concentrations of non-athletes during a treadmill protocol at 12 km/h. Results suggested vOBLA to be a reproducible performance predictor. In addition to Lactate variables, sports scientists measure VO2 max to objectively evaluate a subject’s functional aerobic capacity. VO2 max is the maximum volume of oxygen that can be utilised in one minute during maximal or exhaustive exercise (Bassett & Howley 2000). The majority of research using heterogeneous groups has found that VO2 Max correlates highly with running performance (Costill et al, 1973; Thomason and Roberts, 1973; Foster et al, 1978). However, when moderately homogeneous groups were tested, low-moderate correlations were found (Conley and Krahenbuhl, 1980; Morgan et al, 1989). Saltin and Astrand (1967) discovered that high VO2 Max values in subjects have been related to successful running performance, because traditionally the oxygen cost of running is directly proportional to running speed. Grant et al (1997) conducted a study involving treadmill protocols to assess all of the variables considered above and a time trial on an indoor 200m track to determine 3km-running performance. The main findings concluded that lactate variables were the best single predictors of v-3km. Further research and development of knowledge concerning the dominant physiological contributors that underlie short-distance running performance will enable greater specificity in training methods, allowing for improved competitive performance. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the relationships between Lactate Threshold, OBLA, VO2 Max and 5km Running Performance. Experimental Hypothesis It is to be hypothesised that participants reaching higher velocities upon reaching lactate threshold will display superior 5k running performance and that there will be a significant relationship between the two variables. It is to be hypothesised that participants reaching higher velocities upon reaching OBLA will display superior 5k running performance and that there will be a significant relationship between the two variables. It is to be hypothesised that participants with a greater Vo2 Max (oxygen capacity) will display superior 5k running performance and that there will be a moderate relationship between the two variables. Null Hypothesis It is to be hypothesised that there will be no significant relationship between velocity at lactate threshold and 5k running performance. It is to be hypothesised that there will be no significant relationship between velocity at OBLA and 5k running performance. It is to be hypothesised that there will be no significant relationship between VO2 Max and 5k running performance. Method Participants A total of 11 Trained Club Athletes, who have been free from injury for the past three months, were tested (Age 21.451.63yrs, Height 175.092.77cm, Weight 67.865.12kg). All participants were asked to complete a consent form. Research design The experiment involved 2 experimental trials; a lab based test to determine Tlac, OBLA and VO2 Max and a 5k running time-trial on the athletics track, completed in a counterbalanced order with 1 week separating each trial. Both trials were conducted on the same day and at the same time of day (10:00 – 11:00 am). Laboratory conditions were 21 0.3 (C) and track conditions were 20 0.2 (C). Procedures Screening: Participants were screened prior to exercise to ensure they had an appropriate health status for exercise. Screening included taking resting heart rate using a heart rate monitor (Polar, T31, Finland), and blood pressure using a blood pressure monitor (Omron, MX3 Plus, Netherlands); Resting heart rate >90bpm; systolic blood pressure >140 mmHg; and diastolic blood pressure >90 mmHg. Participant Preparation: Prior to exercise participants were prepared and fitted with the necessary equipment. A heart rate monitor (Polar, T31, Finland) was fitted and a resting blood lactate measurement taken. Prior to blood sampling, hands were washed, gloves were worn and the area of sampling was cleansed with an alcohol wipe. A small insertion was made to the participant’s earlobe using a lancet. The first blood droplet was wiped away and blood was collected using a capillary tube. The blood was then mixed and analysed using a lactate analyser (Analox Analyser Micro-Stat, P-GM7, USA). The participant was then prepared for exercise. A nose clip, breathing pneumotach and mouthpiece (Hans Rudolf, USA) were equipped. The following equipment was then attached to an automated gas analyser (Medgraphics, CPX Cardio II, USA), allowing the measurement of oxygen uptake. Exercise Protocol: As all participants were catagorised as trained athletes, creating a homogeneous group, a warm-up speed intensity of 12km/h (Endurance Athletes) was selected, in relation to ‘The guidelines for establishing exercise intensity for the determination of TLAC during treadmill running in adults’ (Adapted from Jones and Doust in Eston And Reilly, 2001) (Appendix 1.2). Following a 5-minute warm-up on the treadmill (Woodway, ELG, Germany), the participants completed an incremental graded exercise test. Increments lasted 4 minutes, timed on a stopwatch (Fast Time, 1) and at the end of each increment the participant rested for a period of 1 minute, this allowed for the collection of a capillary blood sample. The speed was increased by 1kph per increment. Upon attaining a blood lactate value of 4 mmol.L-1, the test became incremental and continuous, continuing the 1kph increase in speed but now per 2 minutes with no resting period. The participant was ran to volitional exhaustion and then asked to complete a cool-down at a running intensity below the warm-up level. Participants lactate thresholds were determined by monitoring their 2mmol point; OBLA by monitoring their 4mmol point and VO2 Max was the participant’s maximal oxygen uptake from the protocol. Statistical analyses The dependant variables Heart Rate (HR), Rating Of Perceived Exertion (RPE), and Blood Lactate (BLa) were recorded at each of the workload intervals. Atmospheric pressure (mmHg) and air temperature (C) were recorded using a barometer and thermometer and remained constant throughout the experiment. SPSS was used to determine correlations between Velocity at Tlac (Kph), Velocity at OBLA (Kph), VO2 Max and 5k Running performance (seconds); Paired Sample T Test was used to determine the significance of relations between Mean 5k Velocity and Velocity at OBLA. Significance level was set at P ≠¤ 0.05. Results The research experiment of the 11 participants provided a number of important variable measurements of which can be analysed. Table 1. Mean and Standard Deviation of Physiological Variables. | Velocity at LT (km/h)| Velocity at OBLA (Km/h)| VO2 max (ml/kg/min) | 5k time (secs)| 5k time (mins)| 5k Running Velocity (km/h)| Mean| 15.18| 16.76| 59.10| 1097.09| 18.28| 16.55| Figure 1. The relationship between v-Tlac and 5k Running Performance. Table 1. Figure 1. Displays the Velocity at Lactate Threshold results for all 11 participants for the duration of the experiment. Participant’s averaged a Velocity of 15.18 1.5km/h upon reaching Lactate Threshold. There was a high, significant, negative correlation between Velocity at LT (mean  ± SD = 15.18  ± 1.5km/h) and 5k Running performance (mean  ± SD = 1097.09  ± 108.02sec) of the trained athletes: rho = -.664, N = 11, p = .013, (one-tailed). Figure 2. The relationship between v-OBLA and 5k Running Performance. Table 1. Figure 2. Displays the Velocity at OBLA results for all 11 participants for the duration of the experiment. Participant’s averaged a Velocity of 16.76 1.6km/h upon reaching OBLA. There was a very high, significant, negative correlation between Velocity at OBLA (mean  ± SD = 16.76  ± 1.60 km/h) and 5k Running Performance (mean  ± SD = 1097.09  ± 108.02 sec) of the trained athletes: rho = -.770, N = 11, p = .003, (one-tailed). Figure 3. The relationship between VO2 Max and 5k Running Performance. Table 1. Figure 3. Displays the VO2 Max results for all 11 participants for the duration of the experiment. Participant’s averaged a VO2 Max of 59.10 3.54ml/kg/min. There was a very high, significant, negative correlation between VO2max (mean  ± SD = 59.10  ± 3.54 ml/kg/min) and 5k Running Performance (mean  ± SD = 1097.09  ± 108.02sec) of the trained athletes: rho = -.712, N = 11, p = .007, (one-tailed). Figure 4. Relationship between Mean 5k Running Velocity and Velocity at OBLA. The dependent t-test showed that there were statistically no-significant differences between mean velocity (mean  ± SD = 16.55  ± 1.57 Nm) and velocity at OBLA (mean  ± SD = 16.76  ± 1.60 Nm); t = .692, df = 10, p = .511, (two-tailed). Discussion The main finding of the study was that v-OBLA was strongly related to 5k running performance. A simple correlation of v-OBLA and 5km running performance presented high significance (r= -.770; P < 0.01). The correlation between VO2max and 5km running performance in the present study was also highly significant (r= -.712; P < 0.01), succeeding the significance hypothesised and superseding the significance of v-Tlac (r= -.664; P < 0.05). These results agree with that of previous studies expressing high relationships between lactate variables and running performance (Allen et al, 1985; Farrell et al, 1979; Hagberg and Coyle, 1983; Kumagai et al, 1983), and closely relate to a fairly recent study performed by Yoshida et al, (1993), which conveyed simple correlation results of 0.77 and 0.78 between v-Tlac, v-OBLA and 3k running performance. Running velocities at Tlac and OBLA are subjective to a variety of factors, including muscle fibre type. Further research by Costill et al, (1976) discovered that elite endurance runners have a high proportion of Type I fibres, which have subsequently been linked to low blood lactate concentrations at given work rates (Tesch et al, 1978). The high relationship of lactate variables to 5km running performance suggests that success in distance running can be determined by performance at the highest possible running velocity that can be attained without the accumulation of blood lactate; when velocity exceeds this and lactate production rises, acidosis occurs as a result of glycolysis, which has been proven to cause decreases in force production, consequently affecting performance (Donald son and Hermansen, 1978; Fabiato and Fabiato, 1978). The correlation between VO2 Max and 5km running performance exceeded the significance found between the two variables in present studies (Hagberg and Coyle, 1983). Literature considering this topic area documents that endurance performance is habitually more highly correlated with lactate variables as appose to VO2 Max (Jacobs, 1986). Studies of well-trained athletes have evidenced that VO2 Max can remain relatively stable throughout the duration of a competitive season, despite athletes displaying changes in performance (Galy et al, 2003; Jones and Carter, 2000). This indicates that VO2 Max isn’t perceptive enough to determine transient improvements in performance, and shouldn’t be solely used as a predictor of endurance running performance. The dependent testing of mean 5km velocity and v-OBLA documented that there were no significant differences between the two (p = 0.511). This suggests participants were running at approximately the highest velocity that they could attain without the accumulation of blood lactate. The study of Usaj (2000) supports that when velocity exceeds v-OBLA, lactate fluctuations exceed steady conditions and athletes experience fatigue earlier. The variance figures between v-OBLA, v-Tlac and running performance (R2 = 59.3 per cent; R2 = 44.1 per cent) are considerably lower than previous studies, however these still suggest that blood lactate variables must contribute to running performance. Yoshida et al (1989) reported large portions on common variance between v-OBLA, v-Tlac and running performance (R2 = 88.6 per cent; R2 = 72.8 per cent). Study implications included the inefficiency of obtaining lactate measurements within the time allocation, possibly causing variable results, and an occasional equipment failure when obtaining heart rate measurements. In addition to the variables tested, previous studies have found a relationship between running economy and endurance performance (Ramsbottom et al, 1987; Grant et al, 1997). This may be an area to examine in future research. Conclusion The study concludes that in a heterogeneous group of 11 trained endurance athletes, blood lactate variables are the most highly valid and reproducible predictors for 5km running performance, strongly supported by previous research. Contrastingly, although VO2 max results were highly significant, they failed to correlate with previous research and it is to be suggested that VO2 max can only be considered as a moderate alternative predictor. References Australian Sports Commission. Physiological Tests for Elite Athletes. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2000. Allen, W.K., Seals, D.R., Hurley, B.F., Ehsani, A.A., and Hagberg, J.M., (1985). Lactate threshold and distance running performance in young and older endurance athletes. J. Appl. Physiol. 58, 1281–1284. Bassett, D.R., & Howley, E.T., (2000). Limiting factors for maximum oxygen uptake and determinants of endurance performance. Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise. 32, 70-84. Conley, D.L., and Krahenbuhl, G.S., (1980). Running economy and distance running performance of highly trained athletes. Med. Sci. Sports Exercise. 12, 357-360. Costill, D.L., Thomason, H., and Roberts, E., (1973). Fractional utilization of the aerobic capacity during distance running. Med. Sci. Sports. 5, 248-252. Coyle, E.F., Martin, W.H., Ehsani, A.A., Hagberg, J.M., Bloomfield, S.A., Sinacore, D.R., and Holloszy, J.R., (1983). Blood lactate threshold in some well-trained ischemic heart disease patients. J. Appl. Physiol. 54, 18-23. Coyle, E.F., Coggan, A.R., Hopper, M.K., and Walters, T.J., (1988). Determinants of endurance in well-trained cyclists. J. Appl. Physiol. 64, 2622–2630. Donaldson, S.K.B., and Hermansen, L., (1978). Differential, direct effects of HI on Ca2†³-activated force of skinned fibers from the soleus, cardiac and adductor magnus muscles of rabbits. European Journal of Physiology. 376, 55-65. Duggan, A., and Tebbutt, S.D., (1990). Blood lactate at 12 km/h and vOBLA as predictors of run performance in non-endurance athletes. International Journal of Sports Medicine. 11, 111-115. Fabiato, A., and Fabiato, F., (1978). Effects of pH on the myofilaments and the sarcoplasmic reticulum of skinned cells from cardiac and skeletal muscles. Journal of Physiology. 276, 233-255. Farrell, P.A., Wilmore, J.H., Coyle, E.F., Billing, J.E., and Costill, D.L., (1979). Plasma lactate accumulation and distance running performance. Med. Sci. Sports. 11, 338-344. Foster, C., Costill, D.L., Daniels, J.T. and Fink, W.J. (1978). Skeletal muscle enzyme activity,  ® bre composition and ÇV O2 max in relation to distance running performance. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 39, 73-80. Galy, O., Manetta, J., Coste, O., Maimoun, L., Chamari, K., and Hue, O., (2003). Maximal oxygen uptake and power of lower limbs during a competitive season in triathletes. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports. 13, 185–193. Grant, S., Craig, I., Wilson, J., and Aitchinson, T., (1997). The relationship between running performance and selected physiological variables. Journal of Sport Sciences. 15, 403-410. Hagberg, J.M., and Coyle, E.F., (1983). Physiological determinants of endurance performance as studied in competitive racewalkers. Med. Sci. Sports Exercise. 15, 287-289. Jacobs,I., (1986). Blood lactate Implications for training and sports performance. Sports Med. 3, 10-25. Jones, A.M., and Carter, H., (2000). The effect of endurance training on parameters of aerobic fitness. Sports Medicine. 29, 373–386. Kumagai, S., Tanaka, K., Matsuura, Y., Matsuzaka,†¨A., Hirakoba, K. and Asano, K., (1983). Relationships of anaerobic threshold and the onset of blood lactate accumulation with endurance performance. European Journal Of Applied Physiology. 52, 51-56. Lafontaine, T.P., Londeree, B.R., and Spath, W.K., (1982). The maximal steady state versus selected running events. Med. Sci. Sports Exercise. 13, 190-192. Morgan, D.W., Baldini, S.D., and Martin, P.E., (1989). VO2max among well-trained male runners. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 21, 78-83. Ramsbottom, R., Phil, M., Nute, M.G.L., and Williams C., (1987). Determinants Of Five Kilometre Running Performance In Active Men and Women. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 21, 9-13. Robergs, R.A., & Roberts, S., (1997). Exercise Physiology: Exercise, performance, and clinical applications. St Louis, Missouri: Mosby. Saltin, B., and Astrand, P.O., (1967). Maximal Oxygen Uptake in Athletes. Journal of Applied Physiology. 23, 353-358. Tesch, P., Sjodin, B., and Karlsson, J., (1978). Relationship between lactate accumulation, LDH activity, LDH isozyme and fiber type distribution in human skeletal muscle. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica. 103, 40-46. UÃ… ¡aj, A., (2000). The application of criterion OBLA in prescribing running endurance training intensity is limited. KinSI. 6, 57–62. 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Friday, November 8, 2019

Sudans civil War essays

Sudan's civil War essays Sudans current Darfur conflict did not begin arbitrarily and without reason. Instead, many underlying factors that have been fomenting and resulting in breakouts of violence are still at work in Sudan. The ethnical differences of the Arab Muslim ruling majority and the African and primarily animistic inhabitants of the southern state of Darfur have caused Sudan to have been mired in a nearly constant state of civil war since 1955. The application of Islamic law to all citizens has always been the sparkplug that more than anything else caused the non-Muslim population in Sudan to feel the need to rebel. The effects of the civil wars and more importantly, the most recent conflict in Darfur, are massive, and the death tolls, especially of Africans, are so immense that this conflict is being labeled as genocide. To understand the conflict that is ongoing currently in Sudan it is necessary to understand the history and how Sudan has been a state of comprised mostly of Arabs since olden times. In 642 A.D., ten years after the prophet Mohammeds death an Arab army invaded Nubia, in present-day Sudan Later in the 1820s Egypts Muslim rulers conquered Sudan and enslaved 2 million Africans by the end of the 19th century (Anderson 64). The enslavers were mostly Muslims from the Ottoman Empire, yet Sudanese Muslims also took part in the slavery. In the 1880s the Ansar, a Muslim group from the Kordofan province took over control of a new Islamic Sudanese state through the leadership of Mahdi, the rightly guided one. After expulsing Turco-Egyptian troops and killing General Charles Gordon, the viceroy from Britain via Egypt, Mahdi took up a campaign of spreading Islam throughout all of Sudan (Anderson 65). However, before the Ansar could take over what is now present day Sudan, Britai n took over control of all of this area. Britains policy was one of promoting Christianity and Eng...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Top ten writing tips for scientists

Top ten writing tips for scientists Top ten writing tips for scientists Ask most scientists, engineers and technologists why they got into the profession and theyre unlikely to say it was because they love writing. But love it or hate it, writing is an essential part of a scientific career. Report writing skills are crucial to communicating your research, ideas and recommendations. Losing the gems of months of research in confusing, convoluted prose helps neither you nor your readers. The way you write can be more important that what you write. An instantly readable report will usually have more impact than one that is difficult to decipher. Science doesnt exist in a vacuum. So if you cannot communicate effectively to colleagues and the general public, your work is likely to be perceived as less important. In fact, if you cant communicate what you do, you could argue that you might as well not do it in the first place. Here are the top tips and techniques that can transform your written work: 1. Ask the right questions Powerful writing starts from an ordered, clear structure. Begin ordering your ideas by asking yourself the questions: what? where? when? how? why? and who? When you know what you want to communicate, and why, you can then lay out your core idea first, and expand on it in the rest of the document. Always make sure you ask yourself the exact purpose of what you are writing. When you have a clear intent, you have a much better chance of crafting an effective document. 2. Avoid jargon where possible Abbreviations are a great shortcut when you and your reader speak a common language. But dont forget that there may be acronyms and abbreviations that people outside your organisation or area of expertise just wouldnt know. This doesnt mean that you have to avoid jargon at all costs. Just be aware of your readers knowledge and choose the words and phrases that you are certain they will understand. Most people overestimate how much their readers know and bombard them with too many technical words and phrases. 3. Focus on your reader Do your readers really know everything about thermodynamics or mass transfer? Or are they more concerned with how the science affects the companys bottom line? Ask yourself the following questions so that you can tailor your information to your reader. Who will read the document? How much experience do they have of the subject? How much do they know about it? What is their likely attitude towards it? How involved in the subject are they? How interested are they in the subject? 4. Dont show off In academia, the more knowledge, information and argument you display, the higher the marks. In the commercial world, only the most significant information is necessary. Summarising a wealth of related issues may at first appear to cement your expert status, but it doesnt help your reader. Managers often have several reports to read a day, so focus on becoming a solution provider. 5. Create a compelling opening paragraph Research has shown that when it comes to focus, people remember the beginning and end of something, plus a high point in the middle. This is as true for reports as it is for holidays or feature films. So make sure that your conclusions and recommendations are in the summary. If you bury your recommendations in the middle, theres no guarantee that your readers will get that far. 6. Be confident Say what you really mean and your readers will thank you for it. It can be a little disconcerting to write clearly and in plain English, especially if you come from an organisation that doesnt encourage having a definitive viewpoint. But it will help you to become recognised as a thought leader and means that your work reaches a much wider audience. 7. Learn how to KISS Keep it Short and Simple! Avoid long flowery phrases and make sure your sentences contain a maximum of 15 to 20 words. Presenting information in short, manageable chunks also helps you to keep the reader with you, so stick to the principle of one idea per sentence. To paraphrase Einstein: Make things as simple as they are but no simpler. 8. Get active Where possible, use the active voice rather than the passive one. Instead of writing, the reactions of various metals were tested, write we tested the reactions of various metals. Adding in the word we makes the document more personal. Dont be afraid to use the word you when writing reports for non-scientists. The idea is to engage the reader and active, personal language does just that. 9. Check for errors Always proofread carefully by printing out your document and combing through it word for word. You cannot rely on your spellchecker to know the difference between palate and pallet, especially if you have it on the automated setting. Print it out first. And if possible, put your work aside for a day and come back to it with fresh eyes. Its likely that any errors will jump out at you more easily. Also check for punctuation and make sure that your structure is as effective as it can be. 10. Use a style guide Grab a free copy of The Write Stuff to help you with the writing process. This 60-page guide contains the very essence of good writing. How Emphasis helped scientists to write more clearly One of Europes leading pharmaceutical companies asked Emphasis to improve its scientists report-writing skills. The problem? Many of their written reports were failing to communicate the results of their research and development work in a clear and concise way. The training programme changed how the scientists approach, plan and structure their reports. Before the training programme, most people saw writing as an irritating distraction from their research and their reports had to be heavily edited. Now, there are fewer amendments, the medical director explains. This has reinforced the lessons learned during the training, creating a positive cycle that has, in turn, promoted better writing throughout the company. To find out how to write technical documents as quickly and efficiently as possible, see our technical writing course. Robert Ashton is the Chief Executive of Emphasis.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Emarketing Models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Emarketing Models - Essay Example There are several models available when we consider the area of e-marketing in a broader perspective. Each model can be more applicable to different business types and are designed to provide a company with the tools to support the essential elements of marketing, price, promotion, product and place.But only few of these models come into the picture when we consider a particular company or organization Two of the models which we are discussing here are Brokerage Model and Advertising Model. Before venturing out the idea of they supporting the 4Ps. Lets give a brief idea about each one of them. Brokerage model main idea revolves around Brokers who are also called as market makers. Their role is to bring buyers and sellers together and facilitate transactions. The major areas where they play a role are business-to-business (B2B), business-to-consumer (B2C), or consumer-to-consumer (C2C) markets. Usually a broker charges a fee or commission for each transaction it enables. Some of the areas which are part of brokerage model are Market Place exchange, Buy/Sell Fulfillment, Demand Collection System, Auction Broker, Transaction Broker, Distributor, Search Agent and Virtual Market Place.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Big foot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Big foot - Essay Example This could seem funny, but to some it is not. Bigfoot has been described as a real cave man. In 2007, Robert Wilson a Vancouver resident stated that he saw a large and hairy man who looked like a cave man. This strengthened the earlier theory that indeed, Bigfoot is a man. Those who dispute the Bigfoot conspiracy justify it by saying that there have never been corpses of bigfeet men found anywhere. But the supporters of this conspiracy use the counter argument that big feet bury their dead, and in fact, they are mentioned in the Bible in the book of Genesis. In 1999, there are those who claim that in the Battle Mountain fires, one Bigfoot was injured and taken away for treatment by government officials. Another theory is that just like there are gay people; it is believed that 10% of bigfeet also known as sasquatches are also gay. This is according to Loren Coleman, a cryptozoologist. But there are also those people who claim that the male sasquatches sodomize male domestic

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Pacific war Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Pacific war - Essay Example However control of the sea was practicable only after island territories had been secured as bases for air and logistics sustenance. This dictated equity in employment of land and air forces in conjunction with combat ships. This created intense service rivalries primarily between the land and sea force commanders. At the tactical level allotment of forces for operations was on a task force basis and overcame the service biases to an extent. The key personalities involved were of great significance. On one hand we have Douglas MacArthur, who has been referred to as the American Caesar an Army general with impeccable professional reputation. Decorated in the First World War, he had the distinction of being recalled on active service on the outbreak of the Second World War and then placed in command of American forces in the Philippines.2 Overwhelmed by the Japanese in the Philippines, MacArthur was determined to return, an obsession to some extent which dictated some of his strategic proclivities in the years ahead. His reputation as a military commander survived his failure in the Philippines. ... He was considered the fore most authority on submarines in the US Navy. He is credited to have successfully halted the Japanese advance after the initial disaster of the Pearl Harbor and led the counter offensive in the Pacific overcoming the deficiencies in supplies and ships by successive victories in the Battles of the Coral Sea, Midway and the Campaign in the Solomon Islands.3 The US Navy considered Nimitz as their mascot in the Pacific and despite the seniority differential felt that he was the most suited for a joint command with quantitative superiority with the Navy. Victory as is commonly said has many fathers. The controversy of ascribing success of Allied victory in the Pacific to Nimitz or MacArthur is contained in a number of factors as inter service rivalry, lack of unity of command, the concomitant success of the forces under each commander, strategic outlook and the personalities themselves. While each of these issues is important, the strategy ascribed to Nimitz and MacArthur would be a prime consideration which is being discussed along with other factors herein. The Strategic Backdrop With the tide of success having turned in favor of the Allies, at the Quadrant Conference at Quebec in August 1943, it was decided that two lines of approach for subjugation of the Japanese be undertaken. In South West Pacific, General MacArthur was placed in command of the forces to undertake an offensive in Eastern New Guinea to include Wewak, the Admirality Islands and the Bismarck Archipelago, neutralize Rabaul and advance along the New Guinea coast to the Vogelkop peninsula. The second approach was to be through the Central

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Working Capital Management Essay Example for Free

Working Capital Management Essay Steel comprises one of the most important inputs in all sectors of economy. Economy of any country depends on the strong base of the iron and steel industry. Steel is versatile material with multitude of useful properties,  making it indispensable for furthering and achieving continuing growth of the economy-be it construction, manufacturing, infrastructure or consumables. The level of steel consumption has long been regarded as an index of industrialization and economic maturity attained by country. Keeping in view the important of steel, the integrated steel plants with foreign collaborations were set up in the public sector in the post- independence era. Capital is essential for setting up and smooth running of any business. Investments made on fixed assets will yield excess each cash inflows apart from the pay back amount and is spread over a longer period of time. Hence the cash inflows (or) benefits associated are not immediate but are expected in the future. Cash inflows outflows occur on a continuous basis in case of current assets. Credit forms an essential feature in the business (credit given to customers 7 credit from liabilities, suppliers). Since there is some time log from the mine of sales sales realization current assets current which together constitute the net working capital, supports the business in its normal of operations. This calls for an efficient management of working capital. The policies, procedures and measures taken for managing capital again further importance in an organization like RINL where the working capital requirements runs in crores or rupees. Any mismanagement on the part of authority will not just cause loss but may even impair business operations. It is in this context working capital has gained importance. The growth of any organization depends on the overall performance such as production, marketing, human resource and financial performance of the organization. The financial performance of the any organization reflects the strength, weakness, opportunities and threads of the organization with respect to profits earned, investments, sales realization, turnover, return on investment, net worth of capital. Efficient management of financial resources and deliberate analysis financial results are pre requisite for success of an enterprise. In that working capital management is one of the major and important areas of financial management. Managing of working capital implies managing of current assets of the company like cash, inventory, accounts receivable, loans an advance, bank balances and current liabilities like sundry creditors interest payments and provision. Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited is a multi-product steel-manufacturing unit with varying  cycle time for each product. The capital required by each department in a large organization like RINL depends on the product target for that. Particular year, invites the need for an effective working capital management. Monitoring the duration of the operation cycle is an important aspect of working capital management and control for an Effective management. RINL is now on its turn round path and needs to cut cost and increase its revenue its revenue therefore it must have to keep close check on the day to day expenses and to get a maximum utilization out of it. Some prominent issues should always be taken into account like: The duration of raw material stage depends on the regularity of supply, transactions time, degree of perish ability, price ability, price fluctuations, and economics of bulk purchases. The duration of the work in progress stage depends of Length of the manufacturing cycle, consistency in capacity utilization Different stages and efficient coordination of various inputs. The duration at debtors’ stage depends on the credit period Granted, discount offered for prompt payments and efficiency and r igor of collection efforts. Thus a detailed study regarding the working capital management in RINL is to be done to consider the effectiveness of working capital management, identify the shortcoming in management and to suggest for improvement in working capital management. â€Å"Working Capital is the Life-Blood and Controlling Nerve Center of a business† Working capital management is concerned with the problems that arise in attempting to manage the current assets, the current liabilities and the inter relationship that exists between them .The term current assets refer to those assets which in the ordinary course of business can be, or will be, converted into cash within one year without undergoing a diminution in value and without disrupting the operations of firm. The major current assets are cash, marketable securities, accounts receivable and inventory. Current liabilities are those liabilities which are intended, at their inception, to be paid in the ordinary course of business, within a year, out of the current assets or earning of the concern. The basic current liabilities are account payable, bills payable; bank over draft, and outstanding expenses, the goal of working capital management is to manage the firm’s current assets and liabilities in such way that a satisfactory level of working capital is maintained.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Research Onion Explanation of the Concept

Research Onion Explanation of the Concept Introduction The research onion was developed by Saunders et al. (2007). It illustrates the stages that must be covered when developing a research strategy.When viewed from the outside, each layer of the onion describes a more detailed stage of the research process (Saunders et al., 2007). The research onion provides an effective progression through which a research methodology can be designed. Its usefulness lies in its adaptability for almost any type of research methodology and can be used in a variety of contexts (Bryman, 2012). This essay will examine and describe the different stages of the research onion, and explain the concepts at each stage. 1.1: Understanding the Research Process The research onion was developed by Saunders  et al. (2007) in order to describe the stages through which the researcher must pass when formulating an effective methodology. First, the research philosophy requires definition. This creates the starting point for the appropriate research approach, which is adopted in the second step. In the third step, the research strategy is adopted, and the fourth layer identifies the time horizon. The fifth step represents the stage at which the data collection methodology is identified. The benefits of the research onion are thus that it creates a series of stages under which the different methods of data collection can be understood, and illustrates the steps by which a methodological study can be described. Figure 1: The Research Onion (Source: Institut Numerique, 2012, n.p.). 1.2: Research Philosophy A research philosophy refers to the set of beliefs concerning the nature of the reality being investigated (Bryman, 2012). It is the underlying definition of the nature of knowledge. The assumptions created by a research philosophy provide the justification for how the research will be undertaken (Flick, 2011). Research philosophies can differ on the goals of research and on the best way that might be used to achieve these goals (Goddard Melville, 2004). These are not necessarily at odds with each other, but the choice of research philosophy is defined by the type of knowledge being investigated in the research project (May, 2011). Therefore, understanding the research philosophy being used can help explain the assumptions inherent in the research process and how this fits the methodology being used. Two main ontological frameworks can inform the research process: positivism and constructionism (Monette et al. 2005). These frameworks might be described differently (such as empiricism and interpretivism) but the underlying assumptions are broadly similar (Bryman, 2012). Positivism assumes that reality exists independently of the thing being studied. In practice this means that the meaning of phenomena is consistent between subjects (Newman, 1998). Conversely, constructionism suggests that the inherent meaning of social phenomena is created by each observer or group (ÃÆ'–stlundet al. , 2011). In this philosophy, one can never presume that what is observed is interpreted in the same way between participants and the key approach is to examine differences and nuances in the respondentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ understanding. Despite the inherent differences between these two practices, it is not necessarily the case that they form an inherent belief by the researcher that is then applied to all research contexts. One philosophy is not inherently better than the other, although researchers may favour one over the other (Podsakoffet al., 2012). The philosophy simply provides the justification for the research methodology. The methodology should be informed by the nature of the phenomena being observed. 1.3: Research Approaches Two types of approaches are outlined here: the deductive and the inductive approach. 1.3.1: Deductive Approach The deductive approach develops the hypothesis or hypotheses upon a pre-existing theory and then formulates the research approach to test it (Silverman, 2013). This approach is best suited to contexts where the research project is concerned with examining whether the observed phenomena fit with expectation based upon previous research (Wiles et al., 2011). The deductive approach thus might be considered particularly suited to the positivist approach, which permits the formulation of hypotheses and the statistical testing of expected results to an accepted level of probability (Snieder Larner, 2009). However, a deductive approach may also be used with qualitative research techniques, though in such cases the expectations formed by pre-existing research would be formulated differently than through hypothesis testing (Saunders et al., 2007). The deductive approach is characterised as the development from general to particular: the general theory and knowledge base is first established and the specific knowledge gained from the research process is then tested against it (Kothari, 2004). 1.3.2: Inductive Approach The inductive approach is characterised as a move from the specific to the general (Bryman Bell, 2011). In this approach, the observations are the starting point for the researcher, and patterns are looked for in the data (Beiske, 2007). In this approach, there is no framework that initially informs the data collection and the research focus can thus be formed after the data has been collected (Flick, 2011). Although this may be seen as the point at which new theories are generated, it is also true that as the data is analysed that it may be found to fit into an existing theory(Bryman Bell, 2011). This method is more commonly used in qualitative research, where the absence of a theory informing the research process may be of benefit by reducing the potential for researcher bias in the data collection stage (Bryman Bell, 2011). Interviews are carried out concerning specific phenomena and then the data may be examined for patterns between respondents (Flick, 2011). However, this approach may also be used effectively within positivist methodologies, where the data is analysed first and significant patterns are used to inform the generation of results. 1.3.3: The Quantitative Approach As the name suggests, this approach is concerned with quantitative data (Flick, 2011). It holds a number of accepted statistical standards for the validity of the approach, such as the number of respondents that are required to establish a statistically significant result (Goddard Melville, 2004). Although this research approach is informed by a positivist philosophy, it can be used to investigate a wide range of social phenomena, including feelings and subjective viewpoints. The quantitative approach can be most effectively used for situations where there are a large number of respondents available, where the data can be effectively measured using quantitative techniques, and where statistical methods of analysis can be used (May, 2011). 1.3.4: The Qualitative Approach The qualitative approach is drawn from the constructivist paradigm (Bryman Allen, 2011). This approach requires the researcher to avoid imposing their own perception of the meaning of social phenomena upon the respondent (Banister et al., 2011). The aim is to investigate how the respondent interprets their own reality (Bryman Allen, 2011). This presents the challenge of creating a methodology that is framed by the respondent rather than by the researcher. An effective means by which to do this is through interviews, or texts, where the response to a question can be open (Feilzer, 2010). Furthermore, the researcher can develop the questions throughout the process in order to ensure that the respondent further expands upon the information provided. Qualitative research is usually used for examining the meaning of social phenomena, rather than seeking a causative relationship between established variables (Feilzer, 2010). 1.4: Research Strategy The research strategy is how the researcher intends to carry out the work (Saunders et al., 2007). The strategy can include a number of different approaches, such as experimental research, action research, case study research, interviews, surveys, or a systematic literature review. Experimental research refers to the strategy of creating a research process that examines the results of an experiment against the expected results (Saunders et al., 2007). It can be used in all areas of research, and usually involves the consideration of a relatively limited number of factors (Saunders et al., 2007). The relationship between the factors are examined, and judged against the expectation of the research outcomes. Action research is characterised as a practical approach to a specific research problem within a community of practice (Bryman, 2012). It involves examining practice to establish that it corresponds to the best approach. It tends to involve reflective practice, which is a systematic process by which the professional practice and experience of the practitioners can be assessed. This form of research is common in professions such as teaching or nursing, where the practitioner can assess ways in which they can improve their professional approach and understanding (Wiles et al., 2011). Case study research is the assessment of a single unit in order to establish its key features and draw generalisations (Bryman, 2012). It can offer an insight into the specific nature of any example, and can establish the importance of culture and context in differences between cases (Silverman, 2013). This form of research is effective in financial research, such as comparing the experiences of two companies, or comparing the effect of investment in difference contexts. Grounded theory is a qualitative methodology that draws on an inductive approach whereby patterns are derived from the data as a precondition for the study (May, 2011). For example, interview data may be transcribed, coded and then grouped accordingly to the common factors exhibited between respondents. This means that the results of the research are derived fundamentally from the research that has been completed, rather than where the data is examined to establish whether it fits with pre-existing frameworks (Flick, 2011). Its use is common in the social sciences (Bryman, 2012). Surveys tend to be used in quantitative research projects, and involve sampling a representative proportion of the population (Bryman Bell, 2011). The surveys produce quantitative data that can be analysed empirically. Surveys are most commonly used to examine causative variables between different types of data. Ethnography involves the close observation of people, examining their cultural interaction and their meaning (Bryman, 2012). In this research process, the observer conducts the research from the perspective of the people being observed, and aims to understand the differences of meaning and importance or behaviours from their perspective. An archival research strategy is one where the research is conducted from existing materials (Flick, 2011). The form of research may involve a systematic literature review, where patterns of existing research are examined and summed up in order to establish the sum of knowledge on a particular study, or to examine the application of existing research to specific problems. Archival research may also refer to historical research, where a body of source material is mined in order to establish results. 1.5: Choices The choices outlined in the research onion include the mono method, the mixed method, and the multi-method (Saunders et al., 2007). As the names of these approaches suggest, the mono-method involves using one research approach for the study. The mixed-methods required the use of two or more methods of research, and usually refer to the use of both a qualitative and a quantitative methodology. In the multi-method, a wider selection of methods is used (Bryman, 2012). The main difference between the mixed and the multi-method is that the mixed-method involves a combined methodology that creates a single dataset (Flick, 2011). The multi-method approach is where the research is divided into separate segments, with each producing a specific dataset; each is then analysed using techniques derived from quantitative or qualitative methodologies (Feilzer, 2010). 1.6: Time Horizons The Time Horizon is the time framework within which the project is intended for completion (Saunders et al., 2007). Two types of time horizons are specified within the research onion: the cross sectional and the longitudinal (Bryman, 2012). The cross sectional time horizon is one already established, whereby the data must be collected. This is dubbed the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"snapshotà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ time collection, where the data is collected at a certain point (Flick, 2011). This is used when the investigation is concerned with the study of a particular phenomenon at a specific time. A longitudinal time horizon for data collection refers to the collection of data repeatedly over an extended period, and is used where an important factor for the research is examining change over time (Goddard Melville, 2004). This has the benefit of being used to study change and development. Furthermore, it allows the establishment of some control over the variables being studied. The time horizon selected is not dependent on a specific research approach or methodology (Saunders et al., 2007). 1.7: Data Collection and Analysis Data collection and analysis is dependent on the methodological approach used (Bryman, 2012). The process used at this stage of the research contributes significantly to the studyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s overall reliability and validity (Saunders et al., 2007). Regardless of the approach used in the project, the type of data collected can be separated into two types: primary and secondary. 1.7.1: The Primary Data Primary data is that which is derived from first-hand sources. This can be historical first-hand sources, or the data derived from the respondents in survey or interview data (Bryman, 2012). However, it is not necessarily data that has been produced by the research being undertaken. For example, data derived from statistical collections such as the census can constitute primary data. Likewise, data that is derived from other researchers may also be used as primary data, or it may be represented by a text being analysed (Flick, 2011). The primary data is therefore best understood as the data that is being analysed as itself, rather than through the prism of anotherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s analysis. 1.7.2: Secondary Data Secondary data is that which is derived from the work or opinions of other researchers (Newman, 1998). For example, the conclusions of a research article can constitute secondary data because it is information that has already been processed by another. Likewise, analyses conducted on statistical surveys can constitute secondary data (Kothari, 2004). However, there is an extent to which the data is defined by its use, rather than its inherent nature (Flick, 2011). Newspapers may prove both a primary and secondary source for data, depending on whether the reporter was actually present. For a study of social attitudes in the Eighteenth Century, or for a study of the causes of fear of crime in present day UK, newspapers may constitute primary data. Therefore, the most effective distinction of the two types of data is perhaps established by the use to which it is put in a study, rather than to an inherent characteristic of the data itself. 1.8: Research Design The research design is the description of how the research process will be completed. It is a framework which includes the considerations that led to the appropriate methodology being adopted, the way in which the respondents were selected, and how the data will be analysed (Flick, 2011). There are a number of different characteristic research designs, namely the descriptive, explanatory, and the exploratory. The descriptive research design relates to reflecting the experiences of respondents. It is thus related closely to ethnographic studies, but a quantitative framework is also an appropriate framework; for example, the demographic characteristics of a population subgroup can be reported (Bryman, 2012). An explanatory research design is focused on how to effectively explain the characteristics of a population or a social phenomenon (Saunders et al., 2007). This may be seen as effective where using a quantitative framework, where the influence of one variable on another can be established (Kothari, 2004). The exploratory study is an exploration of an issue that takes place before enough is known to conduct a formulaic research project. It is usually used in order to inform further research in the subject area (Neuman, 2003). 1.9: Samples A sample is a representative segment of a larger population (Bryman, 2012). In quantitative research, the sample size and how it is selected can be used to establish the reliability of the results of the study. In qualitative research, the sample characteristics are also important, but much smaller samples tend to be used. 1.9.1 Sample Size The sample size represents the number of respondents selected from the overall population that are used in the research (Newman, 1998). In quantitative research, the size of the sample is essential in determining the reliability of the results of a study. Sample sizes of much less than 30 will tend to produce results where individual respondents may skew the results. In such cases, the larger the sample size the more reliable will be the results (Flick, 2011). In qualitative research, the size of the sample is less important, and the concept of representativeness is not as strong a guideline for the validity of the research. 1.9.2: Sampling Techniques Sampling techniques are the ways in which an appropriate sample size is selected for the wider study (Bryman, 2012). There are a number of accepted techniques that can be used. A random sample represents individuals within a larger population who are chosen at random. However, this can result in random distribution, which can mean significant skewing resulting from the random nature of sample selection (Neuman, 2003). For example, a random sample may result in more males than females being represented in a sample, or an unequal distribution across ages. A stratified sample may then be used to ensure that the representatives of the population in the sample reflect the significant characteristics of the wider population, such as making sure that the demographic characteristics of age and gender are reflected in the sample (Newman, 1998). A convenience sample is where the sample is taken from an existing framework, such as an educational institution, given that the ways in which respondents may be recruited is relatively straightforward. This may be appropriate if a study is concerned with studentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ views, and it proved convenient to sample just one educational institution; it may be considered unlikely that significant variation in studentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ characteristics will occur between institutions or that those characteristics will have a significant effect on the results of a study. Conclusions In this study, the different stages of the research onion were described. 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