Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Contemporary Management Principles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Contemporary Management Principles - Essay Example The contemporary manager must devise ways of incorporation of information communications technology, handle diversity, put up with frequent conflicting claims from stakeholders, and abide by charters that correspond with the business functions. The list of organisational challenges has become nearly incessant. As such, the process of management consists of controlling and directing a team of one or additional entities or people for the reason of harmonizing and coordinating that team towards achievement of a goal. Therefore, management frequently covers the manipulation and deployment of financial resources, human resources, natural resources, and technological resources. Various theories of management have been employed from earlier times. However, as the business world keeps changing, different concepts are continually applied in the contemporary era (Saxena, 2009, 1). In this context, one case study will be discussed with regard to the contemporary management principles. Different features of the principles will be applied to comprehend the drivers behind the occurrences in the case scenario. This essay aims to comprehend the main drivers of contemporary management principles when applied by different organizations. Task 1: Understanding and application of principles The Main Drivers for the Merger of AOL and Time Warner with regard to Contemporary Management Principles The case regards the leading merger ever to occur in the United States history with 2 completely distinctive organizations, Time Warner and American Online. The two organisations merged to create a $97 billion international information technology and entertainment media giant, AOL-Time Warner. Providing cable and internet service to 126 million consumers, a colossal management challenge is experienced by the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the organisation, Bob Pittman (Verma No Year, p. 4). The Time Warner and AOL merger ties the bind to the old economy infrastructure with the candidness an d content of the novel-fangled economy. The AOL-Time Warner merger, which required nearly 12 months to be acknowledged through the FCC, triggered a flurry of online-offline mergers. Simply below three years later, investors of Time Warner, investments in the merged organisations were only worth $36 billion, incurring a $50 billion loss. The novel AOL-Time Warner anticipated to apply its numerous divisions to enhance group products, although ran into obstacles when in 2001, advertising income fell. Amid lawsuits from the organisation’s shareholders claiming that there was overstatement of the AOL’s value prior to the sale, Mr. Steven Case resigned as the organisation’s chairman in 2003. Under Richard Parsons, the named chief executive, Time Warner had to experience an obstacle from a notorious â€Å"corporate raider† Carl Icahn, who was not content with the organisation’s approach in early 2006. The company was expected to be made smaller by Jeff Be wkes, who was to succeed Mr. Richard Parsons in 2008. The management running these two organisations have still been incapable of obtaining the synergy benefits, which actually were the key drivers behind the activities of the merger. Underachievement of the organisatio

Monday, October 28, 2019

Mutual Funds Essay Example for Free

Mutual Funds Essay A mutual is a kind of investment-company that combines money from many investors and backers and invests the money in bonds, money-market instruments, stocks, other securities and sometimes even cash. A mutual fund in basic terms is a large group of people who lump their money together for management companies to invest. And, like most things in the world, there are fees and commissions involved. Mutual funds are managed by money managers, who capitalize the fund’s capital and try to produce capital gains and revenue for the fund’s investors. A mutual fund’s portfolio is organized and maintained to mimic the investment objectives defined in its catalogue. A mutual fund has many characteristics, which are listed below. Investors and backers purchase shares in the mutual fund from within the fund, or through a broker or fund agent, and cannot buy the shares from other backers on a secondary market such as the NASDAQ stock market or New York Stock Exchange. The amount that investors purchase their mutual funds shares for is the estimated net asset value or NAV per share in addition to any fees that the fund may charge at the time of purpose, such as sales charges, also known as sales loads. Mutual fund shares are convertible, meaning when an investor wants to sale their shares, they sell them back to the mutual fund or to a broker working for the fund at the net asset value less any fees the mutual fund may charge, such as deferred sales loads or reclamation fees. Mutual funds commonly sell their shares on a continuous basis, although some funds will stop selling when, for instance, they reach a certain level of assets under management. The investment portfolio of a mutual fund is typically managed by separate entities known as investment advisors that are registered with the SEC. Furthermore mutual funds themselves are registered with the SEC and subject to SEC regulation. There are many forms of mutual funds, which include index funds, stock funds, bond funds, and money market funds. Each type of mutual fund has a different investment objective, strategy and investment portfolio. Different mutual funds are also subject to different risks, volatility, and fees and expenses. Fees related to a mutual fund reduce returns on fund investments and are an important feature that investors should consider when buying mutual fund shares. Mutual funds come in two main types, categorized by how the fees are charged. The types are load mutual funds and no-load mutual funds. A load mutual fund charges for the shares/units purchased plus an initial transactions fee. The initial transaction fee is typically no more than 9% of the investment fund amount or can also be a standard fee contingent on the mutual fund provider. This fee is added to your purchase as a sales fee. There are a couple different types of load funds out there. Back-end loads mean the fee is charged when you redeem the mutual fund. A front-end load is the opposite of a back-end load and means the fee is charged up front. A no-load fund means investors and backers can buy and redeem the mutual fund units/shares whenever without a commission or sales charge. Some companies such as banks and broker-dealers may charge fees and commissions for the transaction and exchange of mutual funds. Many no-load funds charge a fee if you redeem them early. Most people endorse avoiding load funds altogether and studies have shown that load mutual funds and no load mutual funds offer the same return, however, one charges a commission fee. A 12B-1 fee is the yearly marketing or sharing fee on a mutual fund. The 12B-1 fee is treated as an operational expense and is incorporated in the fund’s expense ratio. The 12B-1 is usually between .25% 1% of a fund’s net assets. The name of the fee comes from a segment of the Investment Company Act of 1940. An electronically traded fund or ETF is a security that follows an index, group of assets or commodity, but trades them like a stock on an exchange. Prices for ETFs change throughout the day when they are bought and sold. Because ETFs are traded like stock, they do not have NAVs calculated everyday. References 1. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Information on Mutual Funds. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Retrieved 2011-04-06. 2. Fink, Matthew P. (2008). The Rise of Mutual Funds. Oxford University Press. p. 9.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Immigrants :: essays research papers

The first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty was an emotional experience remembered for life for the immigrants approaching New York Harbor. Engraved on the base of the Statue of Liberty are the words from Emma Lazarus's poem, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." The French sculptor, Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, designed the statue. It was intended as a monument to the freedom found lacking in his own country of France. Bartholdi said, "I will try to glorify the Republic and Liberty over there, in the hope that someday I will find it again here." Bartholdi used his own mother as the model for the statue and devoted 21 years of his life to the making of the monument. Gustave Eiffel, who later designed the Eiffel Tower, designed the frame. The Statue of Liberty was a gift from the French commemorating the American Revolution. President Grover Cleveland made the statue public on October 28, 1886. Previously, the statue had been a fixture in Paris before it was brought to Bedloe's Island, now known as Liberty Island. In 1986 the statue underwent extensive restoration at a cost of $69.8 million dollars. A new gold torch was added replacing the corroded original (the original is on display in the main lobby). The torch was coated with 24-carat gold leaf. The Statue of Liberty is recognized as a symbol of freedom throughout the world. When immigrants from Southern Italy came to New York, they found themselves in "dumbbell" apartments. These apartments were so close together that no sunlight ever reached the lower windows or back yards. During the late 1800s over 40,000 people were crowded into this small 17-block area. Diseases, such as tuberculosis, were a part of daily life. Even with these hardships, the residents of Little Italy built a lively and colorful community with the sights, sounds, and flavors of their homeland. The Italian population of New York City's "Little Italy" has dwindled to fewer than 5,000 residents. Chinatown has expanded and replaced many of the original "Little Italy" neighborhoods. The Feast of San Gennaro (Fiesta di San Gennaro) is the most exciting annual event in the neighborhood, beginning on September 19th and continuing for nine days. During this celebration, Mulberry Street is renamed Via San Gennaro and the shrines and relics of this saint are paraded through the streets. The crowds enjoy Italian foods of all types, as well as other ethnic dishes, and there is much singing and dancing.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Admission Essay for the University of Alaska Anchorage

I am of the firm belief that a person without a defining vision for oneself is only as good as that someone living without a sense of direction and meaning in one’s life. This is because I find it needless to contend that personal vision is an essential ingredient to live a sensible life.Vision, if I may argue, is the eternal fount from where all our actions flow, if not from where all our motives take cue. For that reason, I am inclined to think that, only when a person is able to appreciate a complete picture of who he or she is, not the least an idea of what one wants to become in his or her life, can that someone truly come to understand the essence of living a meaningful life.In ways more than one, I am applying at the University of Alaska Anchorage moved by the controlling motive to pursue a vision which I have long believed to be a noble vocation which my heart truly beats for – i.e., to become a successful pilot for the commercial industry, by capitalizing on th e learning that I can gain from a Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies.And believe that I can become successful in my chosen field if I am able to pour a fair amount of effort in setting my academic and professional goals right at the onset.Of paramount importance to my vision is to finish a Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies. Since the nature of my prospective profession entails immersing myself into the vastly diverse cultures of the world, I believe that a Degree in International Studies is, essentially, of no little importance to my personal and professional journey.At the very least, a degree in International Studies can surely help me appreciate the many different facets of human dynamics, projected, as it were, onto the larger sphere on international arena.And by allowing me to obtain a Degree in International Studies, I believe that the University can become instrumental in helping me appreciate my profession not only as a career, but also  œ nay, even more so – an avenue for greater appreciation of, and respect for world cultures.Secondly, I have reasons to think that my past experiences have been largely contributory to my decision to take up International Studies. Having been raised into a Bush Alaskan environment, where diversity – more than anything else – thrived, in addition to having been given a rare opportunity to briefly pursue scholastic training in Australia, as well having been into not a few States and world countries during my childhood and early adulthood years, I believe that I have a lot of experiences that need dutiful interpretation under the lenses of academic sciences.This is where, I can only surmise, the University steps in. For one, I am more than certain that the University can help me – through the courses slated in its International Studies Degree – to put into wise perspectives the lessons that I have already gained from my otherwise rich life experiences .

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Life as a Teenager in 2014 Essay

When I was younger, I always thought my parents knew everything and were never wrong. I believed that they never made mistakes, they were too old and wise. The same went for my teachers, older members of our extended family and just adults in general. I felt so safe, comforted by the fact that they knew and were in control, so I didn’t have to be. The older I became, the more I realized how faulty my ideas were. I never did become any wiser as I grew up; I had information and data that bombarded my brain and knowledge on how I must act to be socially accepted. I was told what I could do and what I mustn’t do. Perhaps I do know more about life and the world, but I don’t understand it; perhaps that is for the better. I remember when I first heard the song ‘Teenagers’ by My Chemical Romance, and I began to think about the meaning behind it. ‘They’re gonna clean up your looks†¨With all the lies in the books†¨To make a citizen out of you†¨Because they sleep with a gun†¨And keep an eye on you, son†¨So they can watch all the things you do Because the drugs never work†¨They’re gonna give you a smirk†¨Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Cause they’ve got methods of keeping you clean†¨They’re gonna rip up your heads†¨Your aspirations to shreds†¨Another cog in the murder machine They say that teenagers scare the living s*** out of me†¨They could care less as long as someone’ll bleed†¨So darken your clothes or strike a violent pose†¨Maybe they’ll leave you alone, but not me The boys and girls in the clique†¨The awful names that they stick†¨You’re never gonna fit in much, kid†¨But if you’re troubled and hurt†¨What you got under your shirt†¨We’ll make them pay for the things that they did’ The s ong did change my view on how teenagers are seen by society, but not in a way that I expected. I think that the singer, Gerard Way, is exploring how society wants to change teenagers to make them do as they are told and fit in and do well at school. However, the more they do this, the more teenagers rebel. In the chorus, Way expresses his fear of teenagers, of their tendency to perhaps be unpredictable and violent. ‘So darken your clothes or strike a violent pose Maybe they’ll leave you alone, but not me’ I  think he is trying to put forward the idea that society might ignore them or leave them alone if they act threatening and imposing, but as he is an adult, he is expected to stay in line and meet the expectations of society. I think it’s difficult being a teenager. People don’t seem to realize or might have even forgotten. I am at the age where I am too old to rely on others and make mistakes but not old enough to take control of my life and look after myself. This time in my life that makes up my teenage years is important, and I want to make the most of that but I find myself overwhelmed by set backs and a severe lack of control. There are so many aspects of my life the government wants to control. They want to cram so many exams and so much work into these few short years of our lives that we find ourselves snowed under it all. It seems that these years of our lives are the most important. They define us and decide what our future holds. The pressure is on: if you fail your science G.C.S.E then you won’t be able to take it for A level. If you can’t take it for A level, you won’t be able to study it at university, or get a PHD, or ever become a doctor. The government has decided that exams mean everything. An A and an A* could mean the difference between your dream job and being unhappy for the rest of your life, stuck with a boring job that perhaps pays decently, becoming miserable and dying a failure. It’s too much. This has to be the reason why we find that more and more teenagers each year are turning to drugs, self harm, eating disorders and depression. Why does everyone question the rise in the number of these cases? Is it not obvious? Iâ€℠¢m sure it also has something to with the rise of the internet and everything that we are being exposed to. Quite frankly, we can’t cope with it. It seems that no one understands but teenagers themselves. Of course, it’s all quite a cliche to say that no one understands teenagers, but it does seem to be true. I wouldn’t say that all teenagers can’t cope and I realize that some cope better than others, but I know that our system isn’t working. Not the corrupt government with its exams and heavy pressure on students, and the not the corrupted internet with its social networking sites and pornographic images that seem to be everywhere. The adverts that tell us what a perfect person looks like are crushing and I find them insulting. There is a silent reminder that lingers in the air telling us to be normal, a clone of everyone else and to fit in. Some people come to a point in their life when they decide that enough  is enough and they wear what they want and act how they like. I have a theory that people are like sling shots: the more they are pulled back and restrained, the further they go when they are let go. They get to a point where they cannot be pulled back any further. This is when people pierce and tattoo their bodies or wear socially unacceptable clothing to show the world that they are not going to be told what to do. There are also the quiet ones who starve themselves to be in control, take drugs to take away the pain or self harm to prove that the pain they are feeling is not just in their heads, its real and they can control it. There are even people who work themselves sick to be in control of their future. What I find interesting is that every generation is different: each has its own pressures that differ from the last. Not long ago, I would have been expected to get married not too soon from now and raise a family, possibly with a man I didn’t even love. Only recently has homosexuality become socially and legally acceptable. So before, teenagers would have had trouble fitting in, or would have had to pretend to be heterosexual. We as teenagers never really have been in control and with a personality like mine, that can be extremely overwhelming. It seems now we are finding our voice and are able to express ourselves. I can see that there are positive aspects about being a teenager in this day and age: some of us turn to positive hobbies to take our minds off the stress of exams. More and more teenagers are relying on their great passion in life and developing it to take their mind off their diffic ulties. This might be music, cooking, writing, designing, drawing or sport. I still remember the first time I played the drums and I’ve never looked back. They made me love music even more and I started playing the guitar as well. I wrote songs and started to sing. Music became my obsession and it is one aspect of my life that I can control. I can do it myself without having to listen to the people who tell me what I should be listening to, what I should be playing or what I should be writing. I do believe that if nothing is going to change, then we all need something to turn to in life that reminds us we can cope. I know that it wouldn’t work for everyone, but perhaps people who take drugs could start drawing or painting. Instead of people focussing on their body weight they could start to cook their own food and be in control of that instead. People who self harm could write down their feelings or express it through music, or even go out and run off  their sadness. I think people need to remind themselves what makes them happy and if nothing does then they should find something. I know nothing will change for some time, but in the meantime we need to find a way to make the most of our teenage years.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Comparison of Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band Essay Example

Comparison of Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band Essay Example Comparison of Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band Paper Comparison of Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band Paper Essay Topic: Literature In this essay I am going to compare the similarities and differences in The Speckled Band and Lamb To The slaughter. I will focus on key points of murder mysteries such as; the plot, characterisation, setting, and how the author creates suspense for the reader. Typical ingredients of a murder mystery is that theres the murder, the murderer, the victim, suspects, detectives and or police men, clues; some of these will maybe be red herrings to try and throw the view off the scent, and the motive. One of the short stories I am comparing is The Speckled Band; this was written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and was published in 1892. A brief synopsis of the story is that the female protagonist (Helen Stoner) sister (Julia Stoner) has died is suspicious circumstances with no clues left. The main suspect is her step father (Dr Roylott) who is trying to inherit the money left to the by their mother. Sherlock Holmes is hired to investigate. The other story is Lamb to the Slaughter; this was written by Roald Dahl and published in 1954. A brief synopsis of the story is that the female protagonist (Mary Maloney) being the stereotypical housewife, and waiting for her husband (Patrick Maloney) to return. He returns; he has to tell her something tells her and she starts acting strange. She carries on as normal and goes to prepare dinner. She gets the giant leg of lamb and clubs him to death with it. She then makes her alibi whilst the police search for clues. Ironically they end up eating the only clue. The Speckled Band being written in 1892 and Lamb to the Slaughter being written in 1954, shows that the difference in dates written makes a difference for the choices made by both the authors. For example Lamb to the Slaughter; has a female killer instead of a male killer which there would have been in 1892 in The Speckled Band. Also Lamb to the Slaughter doesnt use old fashioned English as The Speckled Band does. In Lamb to the Slaughter the story starts out as Mary being the victim as we presume that her husband has told her that he is leaving her and her unborn child, we see Patrick as the villain in this part. In The Speckled Band we know straight away who is portrayed as the villain, Dr Roylott. In Lamb to the Slaughter we are told that it is set in a warm, homely, modern household. The room was warm and clean, the curtains drawn, the two table lamps alight- hers and the one by the empty chair opposite. On the sideboard behind her, two tall glasses, soda water, whisky. Fresh ice cubes in the thermos bucket. This also gives the impression that it is a routine performed every day. In The Speckled Band it is set in the 1800s and people travel by train and dog-cart. We know this because Helen Stoner travelled on both of them. I observe the second half of a return ticket in the palm of your left glove. You must have started early, and yet you had a good drive in a dog-cart, along heavy roads, before you reached the station. The setting of the crime in The Speckled Band is stereotypically correct as it is eerie, mysterious old house. This building was of grey, lichen blocked stone. Suspicion is aroused at the murder site, all of the animals roaming around and the gypsies make the reader suspicious that something is going to happen. The villain of The Speckled Band is Dr Roylott. He is described as very tall So tall was he that his hat actually brushed the cross bar of the doorway and is compared to a bird of prey, His deep set, bile shot eyes, and high thin fleshless nose, gave him somewhat the resemblance to a fierce old bird of prey. He is an aggressive man Last week he hurled the local blacksmith over a parapet into a stream. The villain of Lamb to the Slaughter is Mary Maloney. To start with you wouldnt think this as she is presented as a typical loving, caring housewife who would do anything for her husband, she is also six months pregnant. Darling shall I get your slippers? She took his coat and hung it in the closet. Then she walked over and made the drinks. She is not the typical villain of a murder mystery story, but as the story progresses we discover what she is actually capable of. Both the villains are similar in the way that they prepare alibis to get away with their crimes. Dr Roylott used his knowledge of Indian animals, for example the snake he used to kill Julia Stoner with, because he knew the coroner wouldnt be able to trace the poison or spot the fang marks. Mary used her used her position of a loving wife of a detective to manipulate the officers away from the truth, eventually ironically making them eat the murder weapon. She knew what would have happened to her and her child so she needed a way to stop her from going to jail. Both of the murderers are cunning and both have motives. We sympathise more for Mary because Lamb to the Slaughter is written in the third person narrative, so we see the story from her perspective. The story concentrates on Marys feelings, so we never hear Patricks side of the story. In The Speckled Band Watson is narrating so he is biased towards Holmes, again we never hear Dr Roylotts point of view so this makes him be portrayed as selfish unreasonable and aggressive therefore having no sympathy for him. The victim of The Speckled Band is Julia Stoner and Helen Stoner because of all the mental grief and worrying she has done. We know she has been through a lot of stress as it says Her features and figure were those of a woman of thirty, but her hair was shot with premature grey, and her expression was weary and haggard. Both of the women are portrayed as very vulnerable and defenceless. Very typical of the time as there would not have been many male victims. The victim in Lamb to the Slaughter is Patrick Maloney. He comes across as though something is worrying or bothering him. Then we find out he has to tell Mary something which we presume is that hes leaving her. His agitation is shown in short abrupt sentences sit down sit down for just a minute sit down. As he is answering Mary in such a manner, I dont think the readers sympathise with Patrick because he is portrayed as uncaring for presumably leaving Mary and her unborn child. This makes him seem like the villain more than the victim. The detectives of The Speckled Band are Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr Watson. Compared to Lamb to the Slaughter Holmes takes a more professional role than the officers in Lamb to the Slaughter. Holmes thinks about his duties as a detective first, always thinks methodically about evidence and facts and he takes every little event and clue into account making him very precise. He often goes out of his way to solve the crimes and uses his knowledge as well. It would be a sharp eyed coroner indeed to distinguish the two dark punctures. He acts very calmly and tries to calm down the other people by being gentle and caring towards them. Soothingly bending forward and patting her forearm. The detectives in Lamb to the Slaughter are Jack Noonan another man known as OMalley and other officers who are not named. These detectives are close to Mary and Patrick because of Patricks job. This means they start comforting Mary not for one minute believing that she could of commit such a crime. This is very unprofessional compared to Holmes in The Speckled Band. They let social lives take priority, one by one the others came in and were persuaded to take a little nip of whisky, this being unprofessional like because they shouldnt drink on the job. The detectives presume that of course the murderer was a man Get the weapon and youve got the man. We done expect the detectives to be acting like this, we expect them to be acting professionally and to take all the clues and evidence into consideration, especially at the end we have the dramatic irony of them eating the murder weapon and OMalley saying to Jack Probably right under our very noses. As a modern audience I think that we would prefer Holmes as the detective as it is a very mysterious crime and the audience are wondering all the way through the story how it is going to be solved. In Lamb to the Slaughter tension is built up gradually. The change of atmosphere contributes towards this and also the change from long complex sentences to short, sharp and abrupt sentences. This helps to create tension and build up suspense; it becomes more dramatic as the pace increases. An example of the slow pace is Then she walked over and made the drinks, a strongish one for him and a weaker one for herself this gives the reader a sense of relaxation and calmness. Then as the pace quickens and the sentences get shorter Ill get it she cried jumping up Sit down he said it becomes tenser and less calm. I think the tension build up is quite sudden because the murder is such a surprise and comes out of the blue; this is because we dont expect Mary to perform such a crime because of her profile at the beginning of the story. In The speckled Band the tension surrounding Julias death is created by creating an expectation of the reader that something will happen. This is quite typical of the period it was written in. The noises in the story are eerie and create suspense that something is going to happen, and also the weather. Storms are considered scary and normally signify that something is going to happen. Some of the verbs used to create suspense are sprang rushed and slowly. Sprang gives the impression that something just suddenly sprang out, Rushed gives the impression that they need to rush what they were doing or something may happen, and Slowly gives an impression that they need to do It slowly or something may happen. The way Julia is described adds to the tension as it creates strong images in your imagination, Dreadfully convulsed Swaying and Terrible pain. The tension building techniques used are more obvious in this story compared to Lamb to the Slaughter because there a lot more details and description about the murder. This captures the readers attention, the sentences are a lot shorter, which increases the pace and builds suspense, and they match the feelings of Helen and Julias characters. The structure of Lamb to the Slaughter focuses on the relationship between Mary and Patrick and her actions towards him. How in a state of shock she committed a crime of passion. Also how she avoids getting caught by getting her alibis and her actions and feelings towards others. This keeps the reader in suspense to see what Mary does next and whether the police will find out what she did, and what will happen to her? In The Speckled Band the focus of the story was how Julia was killed, who? How? Why? What? Where? and When? The reader is in suspense thinking about how Holmes is going to solve the murder. All of these aspects also keep the reader interested and waiting to find out what happened. The reader is kept in suspense during the investigation by all the details and description which adds to the build up of the crime and story and the twists in the story. The reader is in suspense as Holmes puts all the clues and evidence together and then finally he tells how he solved the mystery. In Lamb to the slaughter the story ends with dramatic irony with the police eating the murder weapon, the leg of lamb. At the end Mary also starts to giggle as she realises that she has got away with her crime, or so we are led to believe as that is where the story finishes. The Speckled Band ends with Holmes solving the murder, a complete contrast to Lamb to the Slaughter as that is left unfinished. The ending of Lamb to the Slaughter is left very unclear, with no resolution; we are left feeling uncertain as we do not know what is going to happen to Mary. The Speckled Band on the other hand ends with no unsolved pieces, this is a more traditional ending probably appealing to Victorian audience because he solved the case, beating the evil villain making him the hero and the perfect detective. The ending of lamb to the Slaughter would appeal to a more modern audience because Mary is portrayed as a nice person and has her reasons for murder; she tries to escape jail and the crime of passion. It may not be such a bad thing that Mary may get away with the killing because she is pregnant and was in a state of shock so maybe she didnt know what she was doing. This type of ending leaves it open to your own imagination. In my opinion The Speckled Band was a better story because it had more of a mystery to it, although in Lamb to the Slaughter it was a mystery weather or not Mary would get away with it, I preferred the mystery of the murder trying to be solved. The Speckled Band has more twists of story and more suspense in my opinion. I did like the part in Lamb to the Slaughter when the police ironically ate the murder weapon I think this was very clever. Overall I enjoyed both stories but I preferred The Speckled Band.

Monday, October 21, 2019

IB Bio lab report on photosynthesis Essays

IB Bio lab report on photosynthesis Essays IB Bio lab report on photosynthesis Paper IB Bio lab report on photosynthesis Paper Essay Topic: Synthesis This process takes place in he chloroplasts of plants, which include chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is essential for photosynthesis, since it absorbs the suns light. Green plants then use this light to combine CO and H2O for making sugars and oxygen. After this process Oxygen is being released though pores called stomata. The overall reaction can be expressed as follows; 61420 + CHIC 0 C,H2O, + 6021 There are four variables that affect the rate of photosynthesis; light intensity, temperature, CO and water. 2 However, is it possible to count in the color of light, too, which I am going to investigate in this lab. Since the photosynthesis sakes place in chloroplasts that has chlorophyll, the rate of photosynthesis can be affected by different colors of light, since the absorption of light changes within different colors. Research Question: What color of light is most effective on the rate of photosynthesis? Five different colored transparencies (red, green, yellow, blue, purple) are being used for changing the lights color. Within 5 minutes for each one of them, they will be used in order to see oxygen bubbles rising from a used water plant. The produced oxygen (in the form of bubbles) indicates the rate of photosynthesis ND is being measured by counting bubbles. The highest amount of oxygen bubbles being produced per minute is equivalent to the highest rate of photosynthesis, and the color providing the best circumstances for the production of photosynthesis. Hypothesis: Since Plants absorb green light, I expect the rate of photosynthesis to be the highest when red light is being used. This is due to the color spectrum, where one can say that red is the opposite color to green. Therefore, I expect red light to provide the most energy for the plant absorbing it. Variables: Variable Type Method Light intensity Controlled At the most intense level possible (770 lug) and a distance of CACM from the aquarium. Temperature of water At room temperature; adding colder water when temperature rises. PH level All solution has a pH of 7. Plant type and color Leaves of the same species; green Colored light Independent Changing colors with colored slides (yellow, blue, red, green, purple) in front of the light source. The rate of photosynthesis Dependent Changed by the color of light, collected with stop watch and counted by produced bubbles. Material: 2000 CM of water (-300 for every color + water for controlling variables) One lass/ glass cup One test tube One funnel 2-3 healthy water plants One thermometer Spotlight Five colored transparencies (blue, red, yellow, green, purple) Stopwatch One lug meter Proceed re: Before starting the experiment, the spotlight has to be placed at point on the table, 20 CM away from where the plant is to be set. Then the lug meter is to be taken for calculating the intensity of the spotlight onto the plant. Following this, the color transparencies will be set in front of the light and the resulting light intensity will be noted by placing the lug meter on the place where the plant is to be set. For each run, under-water cut leaves from the water plant are put carefully in the funnel, which small open end is put into the test tube. This all is to be done in the flask filled with the water provided for each run and is to be placed at the distance of 20 CM from the spotlight. 3 The water temperature is to be measured and to be kept constant at all time OIC). The first color transparency is then to be placed in front of the spotlight and the oxygen bubbles rising from the plants leaves are to be counted. After 11/2 minute, the first run of the first color is completed and following 4 runs have o be concluded the same way. In case the water temperature rises, cold water has to be added. The experiment then has to be repeated 4 more times with the different colored transparencies in the same way. (A procedure repeating each run 5 times, would be the best for minimizing errors that could occur, due to the ex. Rule. ) The collected data is noted on paper and will be processed to determine the rate of photosynthesis at every color. Data collection and raw processing: The experiment was carried out with the following order of colors: Run 1-5: Blue Run 6-10: Green Run 11-15: Yellow Run 16-20: Red Run 21-25: Purple Raw Data Qualitative Observations: Run 1-5: A high number of bubbles rose up Run 6-10: Almost no bubbles were being produced Run 11-15: Only a few bubbles rose up Run 16-20: A very large number of bubbles were being produced Run 21-25: Not too many bubbles were being produced by the plant * Until the first bubbles rose up, some time has had passed already; the observations are only being compared with the data processed by the plant being used in this experiment, not with those from others. Quantitative Data: Run Number of Oxygen bubbles being produced with Blue light Number of Oxygen bubbles being produced with Green light Number of Oxygen bubbles being produced with Yellow light Number of Oxygen bubbles being produced with Red light Number of Oxygen bubbles being produced with Purple light Run I(after 90 sec. )4 2 3 Run 2 (after 180 sec. ) 5 11 4 13 Run 3 (after 270 sec. ) 12 15 6 Run 4 (after 360 sec. ) 14 5 Run 5 (after 450 sec. ) For a better overview the diagram below represents the quantitative data provided. Processed Data: The collected data has to be processed. This will be done by calculating the mean values for all runs of each of the colors by using Excel. The results will be put in a table, as well as in a diagram for a better overview. Also, for finding out whether the collected data is reliable or not and how different the results are to the means, the standard deviation for all runs of the colors have to be calculated using the same method. 6 Green Yellow Red Purple Mean 10 2. 6 4. 4 Stand. Deep. . 82 0. 5 0. 96 Table providing the processed data Diagram providing the processed data for a better overview Conclusion After all data has been collected and processed, one can say that the stated hypothesis from the beginning of the lab report, which says that red is the lour that provides the best circumstances for the production of oxygen, is being supported by the observations and calculations made. The qualitative observations showed clearly, that the plant produced most oxygen un der red light. The calculations of the means demonstrated that even though blue and red light had similar effects on the plant, the red light was most effective. Further calculations of the standard deviation showed that the data is not highly spread, standing for valuable data that has been collected. Therefore it is to be concluded that the color providing best light for the production of oxygen and Hereford for the rate of photosynthesis is red, followed by blue. Furthermore, the data collected in this experiment is supported by sources and expectations from the B Biology curriculum (and others), which states conclusions about the color spectrum and the effect on plants absorbing the different wavelengths of colored lights. However, it is to be noted that the data being collected points out some significant differences, as well as similar numbers of oxygen being produced. This is probably due to the small protection of the light coming from the other sides onto the plant, which was not shielded and completely darkened except for the light coming from the spotlight.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

How to Build a Sherlock Holmes Mind Palace

How to Build a Sherlock Holmes Mind Palace Admit it. You wish you had a mind like Sherlock Holmes. Recalling the smallest details at the most significant moment, packing a lot of information in your head, remembering places and important events – thats what you want? Well, its absolutely possible. Seriously. You can learn how to control your memory with a help of a powerful technique that is called Mind Palace. It is not only extremely effective but also very fun and not hard to use at all. This technique is amazingly useful in all kinds of situations: memorizing a presentation, learning a new language, studying for exams and many others. Learn how to build your own memory palace and youll become a more confident and successful student. Choose Your Mind Palace First of all, you have to select a place you know very well. This method will be effective only if you can mentally see this place with ease. Think about something you can visualize in detail. You also need to imagine a specific route in your palace. This will help you to recall things in a particular order, which will make the technique much more powerful. A good choice of a Mind Palace could be your own home, a former school, your campus, familiar streets in your city. Just make sure you can imagine this object well. Define Distinctive Features Now you have to pay special attention to the features in your palace. For instance, if you have chosen your home, the first distinctive thing may be the front door. Then you have to mentally walk around the house and remember the things you see. Analyze each room looking from right to left, for example. What attracts your attention? Do you see something unusual? It can be a picture on the wall or a flower in a vase. Continue to explore the house and make notes in your head. Each feature will be used later to store a particular piece of information. Engrave the Palace in Your Mind To make the method work, you have to imprint the palace on your memory. The task wont be a difficult one if you are a visual type of person. Here are some tips that will help you to remember everything better: Walk through the route physically and repeat the distinctive things you see. Write down the features on a piece of paper and walk through them mentally. Look at the things from the same perspective. When you think youve finished, repeat everything one more time. Now you have your Mind Palace! You can use it as many times as you need to memorize the things you want. Mind Palace technique is great, however, you should know that there are much more techniques on how to develop photographic memory. Use Associations Symbols make the memories more manageable and they are really effective for remembering the things. The process of making associations is very simple: you take an image and combine it with a thing you need to memorize. To do that, you have to mentally transport yourself to your Mind Palace. The first feature you see is a front door. Therefore, if you are trying to remember a ship, imagine an anchor on your door. Then continue to associate the things until there are no items left to memorize. Visit Your Palace At this stage, you are done with memorizing the items. Now you need to do a rehearsal, repeating your journey at least one time in your mind. Go from the beginning to the end and try to recollect all the details. When you get the end of your route, turn around and go in the opposite direction until you return to the starting point. And remember, the more relaxed you are, the easier it will be to remember everything. With just a lit bit of practice, the things you memorize by using your Mind Palace will stay fresh in your mind for a long time. cover image credit: Robert Vigalskiy/Hartswood Films and BBC Wales for BBC One image credit: thenerdybomb.com

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Modern Age Europe 1348-1789 Phase Definition 2 Essay

Modern Age Europe 1348-1789 Phase Definition 2 - Essay Example This led to agricultural and industrial expansions in the west during the 18th century (Donald, Ozment & Turner 464). Slave ships were the main mode of transport for slaves from the shipment area along the coasts into Europe and the Americas. The slaves were tied together in the large ships to avoid escaping. This was quite inhuman and some slaves ended up dying in the ships due to inhumane treatment. They were deprived of food and lived in pathetic conditions whereby there was overcrowding in the ships. Many of the slaves died as a result of this. Plantations are large estates whereby a single type of crop is grown. Plantations mainly concentrate on growth of cash crops such as coffee, tea, pyrethrum, cotton and tobacco. In Europe and the Americas, the slaves were used to provide labor in these plantations. Most of the slaves came from Africa although there were others from Asia (Donald, Ozment & Turner 466). Asiento is the permission that was given to countries by Spain, to sell pe ople who would become laborers in these countries. The Sugar Act (1764) was a taxation measure put in place by the British so as to increase funds for supporting the colonies. The act was passed during the reign of George Grenville. The motive behind the measure was to maximize earning of revenue from imports that went into the colonies from Britain. Anybody who violated this taxation measure by evasion of payment or any other way was tried in a court of law. This move ensured that people paid the taxes. The Stamp Act (1765) was a tax measure passed by Parliament. The main objective of taxation was to collect money for use in the colonies. The act involved taxation on all documents dealing with issues of law as well as documents like daily newspapers. Several critics of the act, such as Sons of Liberty, led to its review in 1766. This move was meant to make the act favorable for the people living in the colonies. Charles Townshend (1725-1767) was a chancellor and finance minister in Britain. He is remembered for his efforts, to have parliament sign some acts, for enhancing colonial trade. His relentless efforts did not see the light of the day for some time, but eventually, the British parliament signed some of the acts that he proposed. Intolerable acts refer to drastic measures that were taken by the Parliament in order to deal with the people living in the colonies. One of the measures was closure of the Boston port. This hindered transport in the area to a great extent. The other drastic measures were the moves by parliament to have troops living in private households and the reorganizing of the Massachusetts’ governance structures (Donald, Ozment & Turner 476). George III (1760-1820) was a Briton who served the British government during the period preceding independence and thereafter. He was accused of being an accomplice of the British Parliament in denying people in the colonies their civil liberties between 1763 and 1776. He did not show any ef forts to include the Whig families in his leadership, although the families had served the government for a long time. The First Continental Congress was one of the meetings by committees which were opposed to the British policies and systems of governance. The committee meeting was held in Philadelphia in the year 1774. Its sole aim was to ask and convince the Parliament to go back to restoration of self-rule and stop supervising the activities of the colonies directly (Donald, Ozment & Turner 483). The Treaty of Paris refers to an agreement that was made by key leaders of countries in Europe and America after many years of war. This peace treaty was signed in Paris, France in 1783 (Donald, Ozment &

Friday, October 18, 2019

Interpersonal communication and the internet Research Paper

Interpersonal communication and the internet - Research Paper Example People relying solely on social media for interpersonal communication may judge their relationship partners on the basis of limited information. There is a probability of electronic transmission of threats making college life complicated for some students. Facebook is the cause of distraction and often plays the role of a life savior for otherwise socially awkward students. Internet, sometimes, promotes racism and hatred making interpersonal communication among the people of different beliefs almost improbable. Schools, colleges and universities should allocate some time and resources to equip students with the basic ethics of online communication. Interpersonal Communication and the Internet The most significant characteristic of a man is his ability to communicate with his fellow human beings to achieve the desired outcomes. Man has always struggled to develop and expand the means of communication available to him. In recent years, internet and online social networks including Face book, Twitter, MySpace, and Tumblr have revolutionized the field of communication. People have become so reliant on technology that those who tend to disconnect themselves from it seem odd to the rest of the people. Internet provides a medium to vent frustration and social anxiety and is an easier way to communicate. But the controlling influence of social media, increasing reliance on internet leading to a decline in interpersonal communications, probability of electronic transmission of threats and promotion of racism and hatred often outweigh its advantages. The internet has no doubt transformed the world into a global village. However, at the same time, the yawning gaps between people in their interpersonal relationship seem to get bigger day by day. Women, in earlier times, used to gather at the river to wash their clothes. This provided them with an opportunity to mingle with the people living in the same locality. With the introduction of new technologies and easier ways to w ash, a decrease in interpersonal communication is apparent as the people in general and women in particular no longer gather at the river. The same explanation can be presented to explain the decline in interpersonal relationships due to the creation of innovative and technologically advanced communication tools including the internet and the social media. People have become less interdependent and more self-governing. Even the advertising campaigns seem to promote it. As far as the impact of internet is concerned, millions of emails are sent by people to their friends, relatives and colleagues every day making it tremendously unproblematic to communicate. Internet, on one hand, has a number of advantages. Conversely, on the other hand, it has dramatically reduced the exchange of information among the masses. Those who use these forms of communication may evaluate their relationship partners on the basis of inadequate information. Internet, indeed, encourages the growth in interpers onal communication. However, those who entirely rely on online means encounter difficulties in face to face communications (Riqdon). Studies suggest that students use internet mainly for finding people, seeking, distraction, coping and E-mail. The availability of internet on the college campuses, provision of free email addresses to the students and high speed broadband connection-equipped

Law of Tort Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Law of Tort - Term Paper Example According to Hodgson and Lewthwaite, negligence can be defined as an act of being careless. There are three main elements of negligence in tort. First, a legal duty must exist, secondly, there must be breach of the legal duty and thirdly, damaged must have been suffered because of breach of legal duty. The plaintiff (claimant) must prove beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant owed him or her legal duty of care. Negligence is recognizable in the court of law only where the relationship between the defendant and claimant give rise to the legal duty of care. For example, a doctor who operates on a patient and leaves surgical equipment in the patient’s body is liable for negligence. Statutory torts are civil wrongdoings that have legislative backing. The statutes impose duties to private and public entities that cause the tort to compensate or remedy the injured as defined by law. To be valid, the statute must impose a specified duty on the defendant. For example, if legislati on (statute) imposes a duty on the employer to take care of the employees’ welfare, then the courts always construe the statute as giving rise to a statutory tort. If the employer fails to take care of the employees’ welfare and the employees sustain injuries or suffer losses as a result, the employer (defendant) is guilty of statutory tort and shall compensate the employees as per the requirements of the guiding legislation. Intentional wrongdoing is consciously harming someone to achieve a predetermined objective.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Feminist theories in history of art Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Feminist theories in history of art - Assignment Example as the same nonsense that was at the middle of the canonical separation of the mediums that are used in drawing, painting and the making of sculptures and this was a way of emphasizing the underlying absurdity that was contained in her work. This was as though she had received an awareness of her own open wound and she was now trying to accept the absence of meaning and oneness that was in her life turning in to the non-subject of what she considered her non-work she considered this to be the big nothing and generally looked at it as an absurdity, (Wagner (b), 51). On all the levels of being visual which is where the unthought-of resides, Bourgeois’ work categorically goes against these dichotomies that are between the mind and the bod; abstraction and figuration; â€Å"visuality† and tactility; flatness and volume, time and space which generate other dichotomies that are more direct such as male-female, and black and white but also those that prevent visual art from achieving the effect that it aims at as thought which is opposition that casts visual art as spatial and narrative as being temporal works on confining each of these to a domain that is restricted of visual body and narrative mind, (Wagner (a), 10). The selection of diary notes is useful since it develops a position where the reader gets to understand the artists’ psyche n a verbal way rather than a visual one which greatly assists in the interpretation of works of art that are created and these notes range from poems to her inner thoughts about the surroundin gs that she is in, (Bourgeols,

Tasks Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tasks - Assignment Example Thinking of being a leader is actually not a dream but only a sort idea that comes to mind. There was a time when self-control has been tested too much and leading the crowd is actually a must. There was this one project that has been given to the group. Equality is actually there and having a leader is not an obligation for the mentioned group. Everyone can speak, everyone can lead. However, when everyone is so busy with other stuff such as with their studies (Masters Studies) and family, the project has been forgotten. I took the courage to speak to them regarding our project though it feels a little bit overwhelming. Responsibilities are there however, thinking that I also belong to the group and the project is mine too gave me the courage to do it so. I was afraid of having no project to pass and so I stepped out and led my busy co-workers. Different tasks have been given to everyone so that they could focus and budget their own time more. Though I felt so nervous and worried of what they would say, I still did what I thought was best for all of us. The major concern I had in mind was if they would follow me or judge me instead. To tell more of the story, thanks to their support and understanding for the group’s need, everyone cooperated well enough making the project become a success. However, for me, the true success I received during that time is that, I took the courage to lead my co-workers and had good feedbacks from them. They told me that what I did is actually an act of true leadership. True leadership does not come from words but through actions. 2. Authentic and Effective Leader Authentic leadership is actually a way of leading people through conformation of an original one or act to produce essential features. A person cannot really imitate someone else however, he can learn from their experiences. I can say that being learned and inspired through the old stories of leadership is one of the good steps to strain toward proper leadership. T he integrity, passion and dedication of past leaders could really help on becoming an effective leader. Actually, Pettinger (n.d.) discussed it to his note that to become an effective leader, one must be led by example, humble, with appreciation to co-workers, have a clear vision, avoids arguments, listens to other members, creates a positive atmosphere and some who does not take himself too much. Someone can be an effective leader without imitating others but only being inspired by their works or what they did. It is actually easy if the heart of serving and dedication to work is there. 3. Crucible Experience The crucible experience I ever had regarding leadership is just the same with what have been told above. It was when I got confused upon choosing what step to do for the better improvement of our group project. The challenge of speaking and giving tasks to a group without a leader was really not a good experience. It is actually shameful to give tasks to people (your co-worker s) knowing that you have the same level of position in the group. It became a challenge if they would listen and follow or just ignore me though. However, with the thought I had in mind regarding the consequences of being the leader of the group for a while and the courage and perseverance of doing our work right, led me to achieve success and be a better individual, or I can say, a leader. My co-workers did their part and as a result, the project has become a success. 4. Self-awareness To improve

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Feminist theories in history of art Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Feminist theories in history of art - Assignment Example as the same nonsense that was at the middle of the canonical separation of the mediums that are used in drawing, painting and the making of sculptures and this was a way of emphasizing the underlying absurdity that was contained in her work. This was as though she had received an awareness of her own open wound and she was now trying to accept the absence of meaning and oneness that was in her life turning in to the non-subject of what she considered her non-work she considered this to be the big nothing and generally looked at it as an absurdity, (Wagner (b), 51). On all the levels of being visual which is where the unthought-of resides, Bourgeois’ work categorically goes against these dichotomies that are between the mind and the bod; abstraction and figuration; â€Å"visuality† and tactility; flatness and volume, time and space which generate other dichotomies that are more direct such as male-female, and black and white but also those that prevent visual art from achieving the effect that it aims at as thought which is opposition that casts visual art as spatial and narrative as being temporal works on confining each of these to a domain that is restricted of visual body and narrative mind, (Wagner (a), 10). The selection of diary notes is useful since it develops a position where the reader gets to understand the artists’ psyche n a verbal way rather than a visual one which greatly assists in the interpretation of works of art that are created and these notes range from poems to her inner thoughts about the surroundin gs that she is in, (Bourgeols,

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 16

Question - Essay Example The study by Rabinowitz et al. (2005) offers a systematic review of the literature of animal sentinel to identify evidence that relates such events to the health of human beings. A weakness of this study was that it could not assess the factors causing failure of the animal sentinel studies to use cohort and case-control methods more. Such approaches prove time-consuming and expensive compared to such other methods as the aggregate and cross-sectional study designs. Funding limitations may possibly have influenced the choices of study methods of animal sentinel. Another weakness of this study is that its small sample size affects its capacity to offer valid evidence. The strength of this study is that the authors have suggested a set of linkage points which are helpful for the assessment of evidence to bridge an event of animal sentinel to the human health. The research recognized gaps in the existing knowledge like shared outcomes, inadequate shared exposures’ documentation, and the relative vulnerability between humans and animals for the hazards of

Monday, October 14, 2019

The Bus Strike In Singapore Essay Example for Free

The Bus Strike In Singapore Essay Fundamental lessons which we can all learn from the bus strike (Singapore) Against the backdrop of the now famous bus strike, there have been efforts undertaken by the following parties: The Singapore Government calling on all parties to voice their grievances through the appropriate channels and a flurry of measures adopted by SMRT in response to public and government sentiment. Whilst the reactions and actions undertaken after the strike are laudable, one can’t help but express concern that the underlying issues of wages, worker’s living conditions and a clear lack of communication channels between all relevant parties have surfaced only via the drastic action of a strike. Indeed, all parties involved have to clearly reflect on the events of the past week and do their utmost to prevent future occurrences of such incidents. Complacency setting in Citing how strikes would affect workforce productivity and deter potential investors, the Singapore Government has long taken a dim view towards strikes and strikes have been few and far between throughout the annals of Singapore’s history. This has and still must be the key driving policy: A zero tolerance towards illegal strikes. In an attempt to maintain the welfare of general workers in Singapore, the National Union Trade Congress, businesses and National Employer’s Federation had been established. Tripartism was vaunted as the the way to progress and to cultivate the symbiotic relationship between businesses, employers and employees. Indeed, the system of tripartism saw much success till the early 2000’s where there were troubling signs of complacency setting in and cracks slowly but surely emerging from the system. This was further compounded by the fact that there was a massive influx of foreign workers as the Government sought to open its doors to foreigners to maximize economic growth. It would be naà ¯ve to conceive that the strikes were one-off actions or actions taken by an irrational group of foreign workers. Conversely, it is clear that the issues stemming from the strike ie. low wages, poor living conditions, lack of proper communication channels between businesses and employees alongside with an inability to manage the influx of foreign workers were long drawn. Therefore, it is illustrative that complacency had long set in between the relevant parties and the event of a strike or any forms of dramatic action were only a matter of time. An overall reflection Whilst I am in unequivocal agreement that a firm stance should be undertaken against the workers for taking the law into their own hands, there must be similar punishments meted out to SMRT as well for failing to take into account the welfare of its foreign workers and to serve as a strong deterrent for businesses not to mistreat its workers. When profits should not be at all costs It has been a long accepted norm in Singapore that a company should be primarily judged on its financial performance and has a responsibility to its multitude of stakeholders for fulfilling that responsibility. Nonetheless, the profit at all costs model has come under siege and this is inherently inferred from none other than SMRT. Relationship between grow at all costs and severe ramifications Admittedly, it would be an uphill task to draw a direct co-relationship between pursuing profits at all costs and the recent spate of events that had besieged SMRT. Having said that, one can look no further than how the incidents of trains breaking down due to inadequate maintenance and the recent uproar over wages of workers seem to connote some conclusions about a continual focus on increasing profit margins each quarter. Statistics have shown that the under the tenure of then SMRT CEO Saw Phaik Hwa, profits at SMRT had saw a steady increase quarter after quarter and everyone (from savvy investors, government and the general public) were duly impressed. However, the aftermath of the slew of incidents that have occurred (MRTs breaking down due to improper maintenance / lack of empathy for staff as evident by the strike) suggested that all was not well in the quest for grow and profit at all costs. How SMRT should not get away with a mere slap on the wrist It is indicative that all is not well at SMRT. There is a clear lack of communication between its staff, the upper echelons of the organization and a lack of distinctive and definitive direction being undertaken. Clearly, SMRT needs a wake-up call and the onus is on the Government to adopt a hardline stance against the company. Whilst some commentators have suggested heavy fines, I am of the belief that more drastic measures needs to be undertaken in the form of the government stepping in to perform the role of the company or possible suspensions in operations of the firm if the need arises. There would inevitably be some trade -offs in the form of services being affected in the short term but it would send a strong message to SMRT to step up or be replaced entirely either by the government or in the form of another private company. Aftermath of the strike In sum, the recent strike has revealed the stress points of tripartism and the relevant parties would do well to address them to prevent such a scenario from happening in the foreseeable future. With swift action being undertaken against the perpetrators of the strike, one can’t help but wonder whether SMRT should similarly be punished or be allowed to get away scot free?

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Number Of Variations And The Impact Of Variations

Number Of Variations And The Impact Of Variations Controls for Variations and Variation Orders have been suggested by many researchers (Mokhtar et al., 2000; Ibbs et al., 2001). Below are 30 approach identified from a literature review to reduce number and the impact of Variations. These approach were categorized into three categories: Design stage, Construction stage and Design- Construction interface stage. Design Stage Approach to Control Variations Item Variation Reduction approach Descriptions Source 1 Review of contract documents Comprehensive and balanced Variation clauses would be helpful in improving coordination and communication quality .Conflicts between contract documents can result in misinterpretation of the actual requirement of a project. (CII, 1994a) 2 Freezing design Variations in design can affect a project adversely depending on the timing of the occurrence of the changes. Therefore, freezing the design is a strong control method. Many owners freeze the design and close the door for variations after the completion of the drawings. (CII, 1990a) 3 Value engineering at conceptual phase During the design phase, value engineering can be a cost saving exercise, as at this stage, Variation in any design element would not require rework or demolition at the construction site. Value engineering at the conceptual stage can assist in clarifying project objectives and reducing design discrepancies. (DellIsola, 1982). 4 Involvement of professionals at initial stages of project Involvement of professionals in design may assist in developing better designs by accommodating their creative and practical ideas. This practices would assist in developing a comprehensive design with minimum discrepancies .Practical ideas that are not accommodated during the design phase may affect the project adversely. Variation during the construction phase is a costly activity as it may initiate numerous changes to construction activities. (Arain et al., 2004) (OBrien, 1998). 5 Employers involvement at planning and design phase Involvement of the Employer at the design phase would assist in clarifying the project objectives and identifying noncompliance with their requirements at the early stage .Hence, this may help in eliminating Variations during the construction stage where the impact of the Variations can be severe (Fisk, 1997) 6 Involvement of contractor at planning and scheduling process Involvement of the Employer at the design phase would assist in clarifying the project objectives and identifying noncompliance with their requirements at the early stage .Hence, this may help in eliminating Variations during the construction stage where the impact of the variations can be severe. (Fisk, 1997). 7 Thorough detailing of design A clearer design tends to be comprehended more readily. This would also assist in identifying the errors and omissions in design at an early stage. Eventually, thorough detailing of design can eliminate Variations arising from ambiguities and errors in design. (OBrien, 1998) 8 Clear and thorough project brief A clear and thorough project brief is an important control for Variations in construction projects as it helps in clarifying the project objectives to all the participants. Eventually, this may reduce the design errors and noncompliance with the Employers requirements. (OBrien, 1998) 9 Reducing contingency sum The provision of a large contingency sum may affect the construction team working approaches. This is because the designer may not develop a comprehensive design and would consequently carry out the rectifications in design as Variations during the later stages of the construction project. Therefore, reducing the contingency sum would be helpful in ensuring that the professionals carry out their jobs with diligence. Construction Stage Approach to Control Variations Item Variation Reduction approach Descriptions Source 1 Clarity of Variation Order procedures Clarity of Variation Order procedures is an integral part of effective management of Variation Orders. Early in the project construction stage, the procedures should be identified and made clear to all parties. Clarity of Variation Order procedures would help in reducing the processing time and other mishandling issues. (Mokhtar et al., 2000) (Ibbs et al., 2001). 2 Written approvals Any Variation in the work that involves a change in the original price must be approved in writing by the Employer before a Variation can be executed. Any party signing of behalf of the Employer must have written authorization from the Employer. It is difficult to prove the right for compensation if there is no such authorization from the Employer. In the hectic environment of construction, many verbal agreements can be forgotten, leaving the Contractor without any legal proof to get compensation for the Variations works. (CII, 1990a; Hester et al., 1991; Cox, 1997). 3 Variation Order scope A well defined scope can assist the professional team in recognizing and planning appropriately to minimize the negative impact of the Variation. The original scope should be clear and well defined to distinguish between a Variation of scope and a Variation due to design development. It is common that there are disagreement between parties in a project was about defining the Variation scope. Thus, the effective definition of the scope of work helps us to identify and manage Variations. (Ibbs et al. 2001). (CII ,1994b) 4 Variation logic and justification Variation logic and justification for implementation was one of the principles of effective change management. This principle required a change to be classified as required or elective. Required changes were required to meet original objectives of the project while elective changes were additional features that enhanced the project. Knowing the logic and justification behind the proposed Variations assist the professionals in promoting beneficial Variations and eliminating non-beneficial Variations. Proposed by (Ibbs et al. 2001). 5 Appointment Project manager from an independent firm to manage the project Involvement of a project manager from an independent firm would assist in eliminating Variations that arise due to the lack of coordination among professionals. This practice may assist in reducing design discrepancies through early reviews of the contract documents and drawings. (Arain et al., 2004) 6 Restricted pre-qualification system for awarding projects A restricted pre-qualification system for awarding projects would act as a filter to select only the capable Contractors for project bids. (Chan and Yeong, 1995; Fisk, 1997) 7 Employers involvement during construction phase Involvement of the Employer during the construction phase would assist in identifying noncompliance with the requirements and in approving the Variations promptly .The involvement of the Employer during the construction phase allows to keep him aware of ongoing activities and assist in prompt decision making. (Ibbs et al., 2001). 8 Avoid use of open tendering Competitive open tendering usually encourages the Contractor to price very low to win the contract, especially in bad times when they are in need of jobs. This practice would give rise to the Contractor trying to claim more to compensate for the low price award. Avoiding the use of open tender would help in eliminating the risks of unfair bids. This may also help in reduces Variations that may arise due to the contractors bidding strategy. (Chan and Yeong, 1995) 9 Use of project scheduling/management techniques To manage a Variation means being able to anticipate its effects and to control, or at least monitor, the associated cost and time impact. The most known scheduling techniques in the construction industry are CPM, PERT and Gantt chart; Microsoft Project These techniques are helpful in identifying the critical path of any Variations on subsequent construction activities. Well planned and close monitoring on the schedule plan will helps to reduce the Variations effects on the project. (Hester et al., 1991) (Clough and Sears, 1994). (Mokhtar et al., 2000). 10 Comprehensive documentation of variation order Through timely notification and documentation of Variation Orders, participants will have kept their rights and thereby their option to pursue a subsequent claim or to defend against a claim. One of the most aggravating conditions is the length of time that elapses between the time when a proposed contract modification is first announced and when the matter is finally rejected or approved as a Variation Order. Documentation of Variation and claims had assisted in tracking the effects of the Variation and claim events on time and cost. A documented source of knowledge about previous Variation instructions would be helpful in making decisions concerning the appropriate handling of Variation instructions. (Cox, 1997; OBrien, 1998). (Fisk, 1997) Cox (1997) Design-Construction Interface Stage Approach to Control Variations Item Variation Reduction approach Descriptions Source 1 Prompt approval procedures One of the most aggravating conditions is the length of time that elapses between the time when a proposed contract modification is first announced and when the matter is finally rejected or approved as a Variation .However, the longer the period between recognition and implementation, the more costly the change will be. (Fisk, 1997). 2 Ability to negotiate Variation Ability to negotiate Variation is an important factor for the effective control of Variations. Effective negotiation can assist the professional team in minimizing the negative impacts of the Variation. There are certain skills required for effective negotiation of Variations, i.e., the knowledge of contract terms, project details, technology, labour rates, equipment, methods and communication skills. (Clough and Sears, 1994) (Cushman and Butler, 1994) 3 Valuation of indirect effects Consequential effects can occur later in the downstream phases of a project. Therefore, it is essential to acknowledge this possibility and establish the mechanism to evaluate its consequences. Professionals should thus evaluate the total overall effects a change may have on the later phases of a project, in order to manage the Variations effectively. (Ibbs et al., 2001). 4 Team effort by Employer, consultant and Contractor to control Variation Coordination is important in a multi-participant environment as in most construction projects Detrimental Variations, which affect the projects negatively, can usually be managed at an early stage with due diligence in coordination. (CII, 1994a; Assaf et al., 1995). 5 Utilize work breakdown structure A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a management tool for identifying and defining work. A Contractor should consider using the this as an evaluation tool, especially on large projects. If a Variation involves work not previously included in the WBS, it can be logically added to the WBS and its relationship with the other WBS element can be easily checked. Domino effects can also be traced by the use of WBS. (Hester et al., 1991; Mokhtar et al., 2000). (Hester et al., 1991) 6 Continuous coordination and direct communication coordination, and frequent communication are essential to reduce miscommunication among team members, hence reduce the chances of occurring Variations (Assaf et al., 1995). 7 Control the potential for Variations to arise through contractual clauses Selection of the appropriate standard contract form (JKR, PAM2006 etc) with the necessary and unambiguous Variation clauses would be helpful in the management of Variations. Clear procedures presented in the contract and fair allocation of risks can help in resolving disputes through negotiation rather than litigation. (Cox, 1997) 8 Comprehensive site investigation Comprehensive site investigations assist in proper planning for construction activities. Differing site conditions are an important cause of delays in large building projects. Therefore, a comprehensive site investigation would help in reducing potential Variations in a project. (Fisk, 1997). 9 Use of collected and organized project data compiled by Employer, consultant and Contractor The Variations works should always be documented for future references. Hence, better controls for Variations were achievable by sharing a database compiled by all the team members (Fisk, 1997). 10 Knowledge-base of previous similar projects From the outset, project strategies and philosophies should take advantage of lessons learned from past similar projects. If professionals have a knowledge-base established on past similar projects, it would assist the professional team to plan more effectively before starting a project, both during the design phase as well as during the construction phase, minimize and control Variations and their effects. (CII, 1994b). 11 Comprehensive analysis and prompt decision making through computerized knowledge-based decision support system A Decision Support System (DSS) approach for management decisions seems to be the ideal approach to follow. The system would be helpful in presenting an example scenario of the causes of Variations, their relevant effects and potential controls that would assist in decision making at the early stage of the Variations occurring. (Miresco and Pomerol, 1995).

Saturday, October 12, 2019

The Aral Sea Disaster Essay example -- Policies Environment Essays

The Aral Sea Disaster Abstract The Aral Sea and the entire Aral Sea basin area have achieved worldwide notoriety due to the environmental disaster. The example of the Aral Sea disaster has sent a signal to the entire international community demonstrating how fast and irrevocable the environmental system can be ruined if there is no long-term thinking and planning in place. This paper gives a broad overview of the policies that have resulted in dying of the forth-largest inland body of water. It concentrates on the policies and approaches of the international organizations towards the problem, describes examples of the projects and presents a conclusion on effectiveness of such policies. Introduction The Aral sea used to be the forth largest inland body of water. It had a fishing industry that employed 60,000 people and it attracted thousands of tourists. Today the Aral Sea is biologically dead and has shrunk by approximately 75-80% in volume and 50-60% in area. (See Attachment 1. The chronology of the desiccation of the Aral Sea). Fishing towns such as Muinak are now 60 kilometers inland. Approximately 75 million tons per year of toxic salt from the exposed seabed are blown over thousands of kilometers of inhabited land increasing the already high level of salinity and worsening the environmental situation. Where is the Aral Sea located? The Aral Sea is in the very heart of the Central Asia. Central Asia, an area of 1.7 millions km2 in total, lies in the middle of the Eurasian continent. It is at the crossroads of the old caravan routes that ran from Europe to Asia and the Middle East to the Far East. The whole region consists of vast deserts and semi-arid lands (See Attachment 2. Geographical ... .../aralsea/asa_dis.htm Operational Research http://www.msf.org/aralsea/op_res.htm Tuberculosis Pilot Program http://msf.org/aralsea/tb_pilot.htm 3. UNOPS web site http://unops.org/5 proin/5pi2001.html 4. International Aral Sea Rehabilitation Fund web site http://ifas-almaty.kz/ENG/Consequesnces.html 5. Soros Foundation ¡Ã‚ ¦s Office in Tashkent web site www.soros.org 6. German Remote Data Center Geographical location of the Aral Sea http://www.dfd.dlr.de/app/land/aralsee/aralregion.html Chronology of the desiccation of the Aral Sea http://www.dfd.dlf.de/app/land/aralsee/chronology.html Picture 1. Chronology of the dessication of the Aral Sea The series of images were derived by satellite remote sensing data and conventional data (WDB II for the mask of 1960, bathymetry for the year of 2010).

Friday, October 11, 2019

Florence Nightingale Essay

Florence Nightingale’s environmental theory is a holistic approach to health care. The basis of this theory is the inter-relationship of a healthful environment with nursing. Nightingale noticed that external influences and conditions can suppress, or contribute to disease or death. The goal of the nurse should be to help patients retain their own vitality by meeting their basic needs through control of the environment. (Selanders & Crane, 2012) There are three types of environment in Nightingale’s theory. The first is the physical environment. It consist of the physical elements where the patient is being treated such as the bed, the linens, the floors and walls, and plumbing. Nightingale manipulated the physical environment by using cleanliness, heat and proper plumbing. She insisted upon patients having access to fresh air and natural sunlight. The second is the psychological environment, which can be affected by the negative physical environment. A dirty and un-kept environment is a psychological damaging environment. One way that Nightingale manipulated this type was with the use of fresh flowers. The psychological environment requires various activities to keep the mind active and distracted from the pain and suffering of illness. It also involves therapeutic communication with the patient and family. The social environment consist of the patients hospital room and home, as well as the community that affects the patient’s specific environment. For example, a patient’s social support may consist of friends, family, church members or neighbors. (â€Å"Nursing Theory,† 2012) There are five major components of a healthful environment. They are, proper ventilation, adequate light, sufficient warmth, control of noise and control of odors. These were all important in the Nightingale theory. Fresh ventilated air can decrease the amount of germs. We know that light is important to our patients and the absence of natural light can lead to delirium. Warmth is important as it helps the body remain free from the stress caused by cold. Decreasing the noise around our patients helps them relax and get the rest that their bodies require to heal. Controlling odors can also help our patients relax but is also important to the patient’s psychological well- being. (â€Å"Nursing Theory,† 2012) The nursing paradigm of Nightingale’s theory assumes that nursing is different from medicine and that the goal of nursing  is to place the patient in the best possible condition for nature to act upon them. Nursing encompasses the all the activities that promote health and can be performed by anyone. Nursing provides fresh air, light, warmth, cleanliness, quiet and a proper diet. Nursing facilitates a patient’s reparative process by ensuring the best possible environment and influences the environment to promote health. (â€Å"Nursing Theory,† 2012) Today we practice many of the aspects of Nightingales theory. Some units have quiet time to allow patients to rest. We have a butterfly garden that patients can visit that not only serves as a resource for fresh air, but also provides sunlight and a wonderful distraction from their illness. References Creasia, J. L., & Friberg, E. (2011). Conceptual Foundations, the bridge to professional nursing practice (5th ed.). St. Louise, MO: Mosby. Environmental Theory. (2012). Retrieved from www.nursingtheory.org Selanders, L. C., & Crane, P. C. (2012, January). The Voice of Florence Nightingale on Advocacy. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 17. Retrieved from www.nursingworld.com

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Poetic form meter Essay

Exploring how Allen Curnow portrays the search for inspiration in Continuum In the poem ‘Continuum’ by Allen Curnow, he tells us about his lack of inspiration. The theme of the poem revolves around poetic inspiration, and how he is unable to get inspiration. Allen Curnow uses a variety of stylistic devices to portray this. The title, â€Å"Continuum†, shows us that the problem Allen Curnow talks about, his lack of inspiration, is never ending and is continuing all the time, i.e., it is continuous. The first stanza signifies the first stage of poetic inspiration and also shows us Curnow’s unstable thoughts; â€Å"the roof falls behind†, as he is unable to compose poetry he is in a sense, rolling and falling all over the place so to speak. In the first line, the word â€Å"moon† is used as an image: a symbol for Curnow. As the moon is unable to shine on its own (it has to draw its light and energy from the sun), just like that Curnow depends on his writing to keep him going in life. The first stanza also tells the reader about the setting and time of the poem which is at night. The moon also evokes images of loneliness and a solitary state in that it is the only bright object in the night sky just like Curnow is the only (and therefore lonely) person awake at night. The poem has no definite rhyme scheme, suggesting to us that the poet is finding it difficult to express his thoughts, and he cannot tap into the world of imagination. The last line of the first stanza; â€Å"I am talking about myself.† Is a clear statement of his frustration and his inability to write. In the next stanza, Curnow is seeking connection with nature to find poetic inspiration. The line, â€Å"It’s not possible to get off to sleep†, tells the reader that the poet is unable to sleep which shows that something is troubling him. He tries to convey that it’s as tough to get rid of his thoughts as it is to get rid off the planet. Curnow goes out â€Å"barefoot†, to rid himself of the human material and wants to connect with nature†¦.

How I Learned to Drive Analysis Essay

In Paula Vogel’s â€Å"How I Learned to Drive†, we follow our protagonist nicknamed â€Å"Lil Bit† on a gut wrenching, and downright disturbing journey through her adolescence, told as a series of narrations, monologues, and flashbacks with the occasional interjection of a PSA like voice over. The play recounts the physical and emotional abuse Lil Bit encountered from the ages of eleven to eighteen at the hands of her uncle Peck, while he teaches her to drive. The main flaw I saw in Lil Bit was that she is too smart for her own good. You see this characteristic throughout the play as she manipulates Peck. For example, it was most obvious for me when their roles of adult and child are reversed, and Peck is explaining to Lil Bit what a good boy he has been for not drinking. Knowing how much Peck lusts after her she offers him a reward for his good behavior in the form of undoing her bra. Another great example is when prior to her and peck going on a road trip and Lil Bit’s mother indicates that she has a sense of what Peck has on his mind, she responds by saying â€Å"I can take care of myself. And I can certainly handle uncle Peck.† At this point in the story she is only eleven. It’s hard to imagine a child of that age so grown up emotionally. Overall, most of the characters had likeable qualities, with the exception of the grandmother. I didn’t really like the way she meddled in the Parenting of Lil Bit. I liked â€Å"Big Papa† the best. He’s a crabby old timer who speaks anything that comes into his head with reckless abandon. It brought me some levity in an otherwise melancholy play. The climax of the play occurs on Lil Bit’s eighteenth birthday. She and Peck are in a hotel room, and she’s been ignoring peck for some time leading up to this meeting as he’s been sending her cards counting down to her birthday. Lil Bit is obviously conflicted about their relationship now that she has gotten older, but Peck is looking forward to a time when it’s not illegal for them to be together. This is creepy enough on its own, but when Peck drops the marriage bomb, the creep factor skyrockets. I was honestly disgusted at the idea of a man leaving his wife to be with his niece whom he  has known since birth, blood related or not. Prior to the climax, one major event occurs and that is in the monologue that Aunt Mary delivers indicating that she knows what’s going on between Peck and Lil bit. The words used during this monologue, indicate to me a couple of key points about this character. First of all she is very intelligent. Her thoughts are well put together and the words she uses indicates to me that she has some sort of education. She is also very intuitive, she picks up on the subtle, non-verbal signals that peck gives off when he’s got something on his mind and presumably when he’s around Lil Bit. Also, the words used by Lil Bit in her different flashbacks have a direct correlation to her age. It’s obvious as you read them, that during the later ones she is forming more complex thoughts and emotions, which is indicative of growth. For the music in this play, Paula Vogel suggested period correct music spanning two generations. She mentions Motown several times, as well as Roy Orbison and the Beach Boys. Most of this music is romantic and happy with little hints of sexuality and sometimes-pedophilic references. For some weird reason the voice of the announcer in my head was played by the Moviephone guy. The car in the play was described as a Buick Riviera, but in my mind it was more like a Camaro or GTO. The main reason for this is the obvious relationship between Peck and his car. The way he describes the way the aggressive way men are taught to drive and the feeling of a cars’ response to your touch, just makes me think of those fast nimble sports cars. Taking place in the 1960’s, the costumes in my mind were bell-bottoms and flowered shirts, polyester leisure suits, and fringes all over the place. This was your typical 1960’s attire. I believe the overall theme of this play is about the effect of time on relationships. The relationship between Peck and Lil Bit starts out strong, for her and fragile for him. She has a strong male figure giving her attention while he is nurturing a relationship that he knows is illegal and  immoral. As time progresses, the roles ultimately reverse leaving Peck with much confidence in the relationship while Lil Bit comes to realize the truth about it which leads to its demise. It just goes to show that time will always change relationships, jus not always in the way you imagined.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Causes and Effects of the Holocaust Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Causes and Effects of the Holocaust - Essay Example Nazi policies concerning the origin of Germans from Aryans contributed profoundly to the massacre during the Holocaust. However, this was considered a misguided notion although Germans continued to insist on its significance leading to killings, not just for the Jews, but also for other minority communities within the region.The augment in popularity for Zionism in the 19th century led to the demonstration of fundamentalism and selectiveness for the Jewish community triggering hatred and prejudices against the Jews. Therefore, Hitler and his associates deliberated on terminating the community’s prosperity in all fields through the Holocaust.Many Jews remained homeless since the Nazis had brought their homes down leading to the creation of camps that held them until they immigrated to Israel. Therefore, the suffering that the Jews endured had not ended due to the effects the events that transpired held for the community. The Holocaust brought psychological traumas to the remnan ts since they observed their relatives’ suffering and even death in the wake of the Holocaust. In addition, many remnants experienced physical harms ascribed to constant harassment and beating by the Nazis who considered them inferior. The occurrence of the Holocaust made the superpowers take measures concerning the prevention of a similar occurrence in the prospect through control and supervision. The Holocaust made other nations around the globe to allow Jews to return to Israel in order to keep them safe from similar occurrences.

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Role of Cardiac Nurses Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Role of Cardiac Nurses - Assignment Example The term cardiac nursing is a broad term, and this encompasses care in different clinical areas. These areas may include areas of cardiac nursing in the cardiothoracic surgery, interventional cardiology, general medical cardiology, cardiac imaging and diagnostics, intensive and critical care units, pediatric cardiology and cardio-surgery, electrophysiology laboratory or pacemaker units, primary care, home care, and even community care. The care provided may need technological knowledge and expertise about the use of complicated instruments, implants, and procedures; ability to interpret data from sophisticated monitoring devices and investigations; capability to critically analyse biological manifestations about conditions, researching evidence from literature, and synthesize them to arrive at a medical decision and nursing care plan; dexterity to manage different critical and life-threatening cardiac situations in diverse environments; knowledge to intervene and educate patients to reduce cardiac risks; and ability to manage a care even in areas ranging from primary, home, and community settings. Research in these areas is diverse and voluminous. Therefore, identification of informative research in this area of practice is important, and to be able to extract useful findings, it would be legitimate to critically review the available relevant research. In this assignment, a critical literature review will be undertaken to that purpose so implications for clinical cardiac practice can be identified through evidence. The process of the literature search and findings from the review has been presented below. Literature Search To build a scientific basis of evidence, a comprehensive literature search was undertaken and then evaluated critically. For the purpose of the review of literature to support the rationale, need, and continuation of the project, this author conducted a literature search across databases. Those accessed for information included: CINHAL, Medline and Pubmed along with the Google Scholar internet search engine. Moreover MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL and Cochrane databases were searched to identify relevant literature on prevention of pressure ulcers. HighWire Press was also searched. The key words in the search included "cardiac nursing", "cardiac nurses", "role", "cardiovascular nursing", "intensive care nursing", "critical care nursing", "cardiac intervention nursing", "pacemaker units", "nursing," "clinical trials", "home cardiac nursing", "cardiac surgery nursing", "primary care cardiac nursing", "cardiac imaging nursing," "emergency cardiac nursing", "cardiac nursing education", and "cardiac patient education" published in the last 10 years. Inclusion criteria for each article reviewed were answers to the following questions: 1. Was the article a valid research article 2. Did the article's study include role of cardiac nursing in area of cardiac medicine practice and applied to nursing practice in that area 3. Was the article published within the past 10 years 4. Did the article have some identification with nursing practice and healthcare delivery related to cardiac care Each article must answer "yes" to all of