Principles of Democracy Essay

1. Bill of Rights This document explains guaranteed freedoms to all people in the country and gives limited power to the government. It protects the people from a government who try to abuse its power. 2. Economic Freedom Economic freedom allows some private ownership of property and businesses. People are allowed to choose their own work and to join labor union. 3. Equality Equality is having all individuals valued equally, have equal opportunities, and no discrimination of their race, religion, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. All people are equal before the law and have equal protection of the law without discrimination. 4. Human Rights Movement: Everyone has the right to move within the borders of their country and to leave and return to his or her country. Religion: Everyone has the freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. The people can change their religion or not worship or hold religious beliefs. Speech: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression. Assembly: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression. 5. Multi-Party Systems A multi-party system allows for organized opposition to the party that wins the election. It provides the government with different viewpoints on issues and provides voters with a choice of candidates, parties, and policies. 6. Regular Free and Fair Elections Elected officials are chosen by the people in a free and fair manner. Regardless of the people’s race, gender, ethnicity, and level of wealth, most adult citizens should have the right to vote and to run for office. 7. The Rule of Law No one is above the law. Everyone must obey the law and will be held accountable if they violate it including a king, president, police officer, or member of the military.

Longevity

Whether it is or not people's decision how long they live is one of the most important debates nowadays. There are many factors that can affect someone's longevity, some of them are choices people make like smoking, drinking or keeping a healthy diet, but some other aspects Like socio-economic situation and genetic background may not be anyone's election. Penthouse this circumstances might affect the longevity of a certain person, this essay will argue that lifestyle choices are In fact the most relevant factor when It comes to life expectancy.Lifestyle choices like smoking and drinking, affect strongly a person's longevity. Penthouse not every smoking or drinking case ends In death, this lifestyle choices can lead to serious health Issues that can reduce the life expectancy of an Individual. A study held by L. Wilhelmina and other scientists, shows that there are many factors that can affect someone's longevity, and they conclude that non-smokers have a higher possibility of survivi ng.This is because smoking causes injuries in the immune, circulatory and respiratory systems and this further leads to diseases like anger and osteoporosis. But smoking is not the only threat to someone's health, drinking alcoholic beverages is extremely harmful, both mentally and physically, and can result with mortal consequences. According to Patrick M. Krueger, suicides, accidents, cancers and other diseases are the main causes of death in heavy drinkers. Drinking and smoking affect directly someone's life expectancy due to its health and mental consequences.In contrast, some socio-economic circumstances clearly impact on someone's longevity and lifestyle choices. Government interventions like the minimum wage, effect directly somebody's socio-economic situation, and economic instability can influence someone's lifestyle choices and longevity. For example, if the minimum wage decreases, and so does the price of fast food, a worker that earns a basic salary won ‘t be able to choose between fast food and healthy food because his budget only lets him spend in the cheapest food in the market.These can be In many ways someone's decision, penthouse aspects like the ones mentioned In the previous paragraph might Influence an Individual's choices. Obesity and sedentary can reduce someone's life expectancy. A study held by Kelly et al from The university Cambridge on the Impact of obesity In fife expectancy, predicted that overweight would reduce It by 0. 28 years. Longevity By militaries like socio-economic situation and genetic background may not be anyone's election. Say will argue that lifestyle choices are in fact the most relevant factor when it Penthouse not every smoking or drinking case ends in death, this lifestyle choices can lead to serious health issues that can reduce the life expectancy of an individual. Lets him spend in the cheapest food in the market. In countries like The United States income the lower the mortality, making it evident that income might be a method to identify the lifestyle situations, that lead to the health contrast within people of different economic groups (Marmot, 2002).On the other hand, overweight and the lack of physical activity alter negatively a person's life expectancy. These can be in many ways someone's decision, penthouse aspects like the ones mentioned in the previous paragraph might influence an individual's choices. Obesity and sedentary can reduce someone's life expectancy. A study held by Kelly et al from The University Cambridge on the impact of obesity in life expectancy, predicted that overweight would reduce it by 0. 28 years.

Autonomous Tennis Ball Picker Robot

Autonomous Tennis Ball Picker Robot The basic purpose of this project is to provide opportunity and benefit to the sports players. They can do more practice in less time with the help of this robot. Various different electronic devices were used to pick the tennis ball or any other ball. It is not so easy for any tennis player to pick a ball lot of times during practice. It affects his practice and time.Autonmous tennis ball picker robot will save the time of a player. He can do more practice in less time. This robot is not only for a tennis player .it is easy to use and cost effective. Our design is not only for tennis, it can also be used in other sports involving balls of similar size. Chapter 1: Introduction: In the tennis and sports equipment market, there are very few advanced electronic devices assisting in the feeding and picking of tennis balls or any other kind of balls. Tennis players do not prefer picking up over five hundred balls after a long day’s worth of drilling, or a baseball player would not enjoy picking up over five hundred baseballs on the ground from batting practice. As a result, our solution is an autonomous ball-picker device that is easy-to-use and cost-effective. Our design can be used for a variety of sports besides tennis, involving balls of similar size and weight. Chapter 2: Literature Review This Chapter is a review of the background material. This includes comparison of previous devices used for same purpose. it also includes the way how this robot is more effective then previous.? Chapter 3: Modeling and Design This Chapter describes the modeling of different parts of our robot. And all the various other Design decisions and selections made throughout the course of the project. Chapter 4: Experimental setup This Chapter describes in detail the techniques used in our robot. It contains the detection of the ball, design of user interface and all other aspects of the project. Chapter 5: Results and Discussion This chapter provides a result of the project i n which the key points of the project are Discussed and any specific conclusions are drawn Chapter 6: Recommendation This chapter is an analysis of the project in terms of overall performance and working. It also contains overview and recommendation of experts Chapter 1 Introduction Professional tennis matches can last upward of 3 hours, often with little more than 10 minute of rest in- Between sets .The need to train for such endurance matches becomes difficult without a partner of Adequate skill. For decades, tennis players have been using automatic tennis ball launching machines to train without the need of a partner. Therefore, it is determined that using current technology, a player will spend ~35%of the total time collecting tennis ball, and not training. This is a large proportion of the time, and needs to be reduced to truly emulate a tennis match. There are certain method of automatically collecting tennis ball ,as will be investigated in section 3 – Proposed Solutio n ,but the e are not portable, and require extensive modification to the tennis court.

The decline of manufacturing sector in U.S.A. has been compensated by Essay

The decline of manufacturing sector in U.S.A. has been compensated by a growing service sector - Essay Example United States has for more than three decades witnessed growth in its service sector and a converse trend in manufacturing. This has been the trend for many high income countries as they have been shifting reliance from manufacturing to service. This is a post-industrialization trend where people’s income continues to rise with less interest in investment in material processing The current trend has been more investment or shift to health care, education, insurance and others. It is important to mention that employees’ productivity grows slowly in the service sector than in the manufacturing the reason being low mechanization in service processes. Services therefore become more expensive which results in them contributing a higher portion of US GDP (Gallaher 49). This trend has also resulted to having higher employment in service sector than in the mechanized manufacturing sector. The service sector is now leading while manufacturing is declining with former compensatin g for the decline. The service sector capitalizes in production of intangible commodities in health, information and communication, education and others (Triplett and Bosworth 64). Globalization has been one of the key factors towards the shift from manufacturing to service. Manufacturing firms have been relocating to other countries mostly in the developing economies which either have more people in the low-income or middle-income bracket. Countries like China and India have for the last two decades been encouraging foreign investments through various incentives like tax holidays and low wages for workers. American government in turn is trying to develop policies that will see most of its citizens above the minimum wage bracket; a move that is driving industries to foreign countries. The service sector is labor intensive and it requires highly skilled personnel therefore raising the need to have quality and sustainable education. Also due to globalization many skilled immigrants ha ve come to the United States to seek jobs in the service sector resulting to high brain drain especially in the developing nations (Gallaher 130). Global trends also dictate firms to engage in more environmentally friendly activities and the service sector has come to solve this problem. The service sector engages in more human capital than natural. This has made United States to have heated debates regarding quality of education so as to have more skilled human capital (Gallaher 89). The general lack of undue intervention in the natural resources reduces environmental degradation which is more prone with manufacturing firms. Environmental consciousness has therefore caused investors to shift their investments to more environmentally friendly businesses. Statistics show that in the turn of the 20th century America’s manufacturing and agricultural sectors had taken more than 75 percent of the GDP while in the turn of the 21st century the service sector had more than 60 percent contribution (Triplett and Bosworth 106). This is a huge turn of events considering that it is a gap of just a century. It is within this century that America’s economy grew tremendously into the current post-industrialization era. The above statistics show that to a large extent the service sector is surely filling the gap left with the decline in the manufacturing sector. The world economy has in the last four decades experienced turbulence of booms and decline which have affected the two sectors differently. The manufacturing sector over this period has been heavily affected and shrunk as a result (AIER 2006). The recent economic crisis of 2008 heavily affected industries like motor vehicle manufacturers leading to closure of many plants, takeovers, bailout programs and many other negative occurrences. In the recovery trend the service sector has been seen to recover quickly than the manufacturing

Art Movement of Suprematism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Art Movement of Suprematism - Assignment Example Malevich was a Russian painter and theoretician in the art as well, and he is the recognized founder of the Suprematist art movement. One of his most popular works is the White on a White painting which is Oil on Canvas square piece measuring 79.4 centimeters. It dates back to the year 1935 and remains an outstanding piece that pioneered this art movement. In the description, the piece is a simple square frame that has a smaller inner square tilted slightly clockwise so that it seems to be standing on its bottom-right edge. The inner white square, placed off-center in that it leans to the right more than it does to the left rests on a bigger outer square that seems warmer. Both squares have rich texture on their surfaces. The resulting effect is the creation of an illusion of volume and depth by the use of a single color. Born Lazar Markovich Lissitzky, this man was born in Smolensk, Russia in eighteen-ninety and died in Moscow in nineteen-forty one. He is famous as an influential twentieth-century typographer, designer, and painter. According to Sarabianov (n.p.), he met Malevich at Vitebsk in 1919 at the Revolutionary People’s Art School where he was teaching graphics and architecture.

Personal testimony Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Personal testimony - Term Paper Example I am now saved through faith. And this faith I have according to Ephesians 2:8, did not even come from me, it came from God. In retrospect, everything about my salvation, my decision to receive Jesus in my heart, my humility to repent and all that led me to this salvation I now enjoy, all came from God as a gift so I have nothing to boast about. Works are nothing when we do not have Jesus. They do not bring us to heaven as most people think it is the way things work so that they spend much money in doing good things for others. Looking at such a perspective, people who do so are like buying their own salvation, which of course is a futile endeavor. Works matter when Jesus is in a person’s life because works are the manifestations of the fruit of the Spirit of God in man, showing the love of God to all men who are the very reason why Jesus came to this earth. Salvation is a gift, however, a Christian also has the responsibility of working out his salvation as Paul encouraged hi s disciples in Philippi (Philippians 2:12). As a soldier enlists in the Army, he has a responsibility to carry out his duties to be worthy of his profession. No one enlists in the Army and runs away and does whatever he likes to do, otherwise he is not a true soldier. The same is true in Christianity, once a person receives Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, a contract is made which is sort of a marriage contract, sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). Enlisting in the Christian Army, one expects to be in the battlefield where Satan is the enemy (Matthew 13:39, Luke 10:19, Acts 13:10). The enemy’s job is to steal, kill and to destroy (John 10:10) thus, it is encouraged of the Christian to exercise his faith, waging war against evil and not giving in to it. When temptations come our way, Satan is there to steal our peace, destroy our relationship with God and kill our love to the Lord. The Christian fights by overcoming temptations, silencing the evil whispers of Satan and standing by the Word of God. My Testimony ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, this very popular verse found in the book of John 3:16 seemed to me like just another literary piece of work that Sunday school teachers teach to children to augment one’s appreciation to literature. Growing up in a Christian family; going to church, opening the Bible, singing in the choir and joining other church activities was not at all different to me than what we do in school. They all seemed to me a part of living, a responsibility that I needed to do without truly understanding. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, another well known verse on love, helped me understand the love of God. Of course it is easy to understand that when I think of God’s love because He is God, I know He is able to be so patient, kind, not keep records of wrongs, to always protect, always hope, always persevere and never fail. It is so easy to say ‘I love you’ to God because everyone in church says so and soon it becomes a fixture, one says the words without even thinking about it. Yet when it comes to my self, I find it so disappointing for me to be unable to love others as I should. 1 John 4:20 slapped me awake to the profound truth that I was a liar, saying I love God when in fact I do not love my fellow men according to the Bible’s definition of love. Getting into a relationship with God, I am able to relate with how I am supposed to live a Christian life through the life of Hosea. Reading the prophet’

How did the Normans consolidate control of post-conquest England Essay

How did the Normans consolidate control of post-conquest England - Essay Example Following King Edward’s death, a council of influential men commonly known as Witan settled on Harold Godwin to take charge of England. This decision did not augur well with several people including William, who was the then King of the Normans and Harold’s brother Tostig. William particularly took issue with the fact that Edward had promised him the crown of England when he retired, and swore to that in 1063. King Harold’s, first obstacle was to face his brother Tostig, who had combined forces with the then King of Norway to overthrow Harold’s rule. Tostig’s desire to rise to power nevertheless, came to an abrupt end in September of that year when the English army won against them (Warren 1987, pg. 18). Buoyed by the victory he had just had over his brother, Harold marshalled his troops to carry on with their match, with their next destination being King William’s sphere of influence, located within the northern region of France. In October of 1066, the two warring parties met near Hastings, and the great battle over the English crown began. At first, Harold Godwin’s men were destined to beat the Normans. However, their weariness became evident when the situation changed suddenly and Harold was killed in the process . The battle did not stop until such a time when all of Harold’s loyal bodyguards were all eliminated (Warren 1987, pg. 19). William the then Norman king ascended to the English crown, and with it came the Norman invasion of England. As mentioned in the section above, the Norman conquest of England began in 1066, following the invasion of the Kingdom of England by William the Duke of Normandy. Moreover, William’s victory during the battle of Hastings heightened his claim for the English crown. Though it came with a mixed bag of reactions, the Norman conquest of the English Kingdom proved vital for the history of England (Roche 1995, pg. 46). This is majorly because the invasion linked England more

Case study in cognitive, language, social and emotionnel development Essay

Case study in cognitive, language, social and emotionnel development in child of 7 years old - Essay Example Currently, the child resides in Birmingham with his sister and mother who is a secondary school teacher. The child’s father works with a certain organization abroad. The child is a confident pupil in his class and field activities. The child has several friends in school and has the ability courage of expressing his emotions and needs to the concerned party. In assessing the child A’s cognitive development, I noted that, in school, the child is extremely talented. Child A also responds well to instructions and likes complying with the laid down class instructions. Child A seems to enjoy most class tasks and answers many questions asked in class sessions. The child is quite confidence in his abilities. Child has enough confidence in handling class questions. He even opts not to rely in dictionary in answering class questions. The environment in which child A grew was very effective in enhancing cognitive development. According to macro system theory child cognitive development depends on the surrounding environment. Additionally, child A was very confidence in his drawing in Art lesson. He completed drawing and displayed it to his friends. He had showed self esteem characteristics in whatever he did in class work and in the field. This could be as result of positive recommendation of his past achievements from his parents, family members and peers (Durkin 1995, 123). Healthy cognitive is significantly influenced by human relationship (Engler 2008, p. 90). The intimate relationship expressed to a child from conception to adulthood has an influence on child’s mental and physical development. Biologically, child A felt protected since he was strongly attached to his mother. Child A also portrayed qualities of a self esteemed persons in the way he responded to class questions. This was because of the authoritative nature of parenting. His mother was very strict hence making the child develops self confidence. According to Engler (2008, p.

Virtual Private Network Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Virtual Private Network - Research Paper Example In the 1990s the most used technologies were frame relay, dial up modems and packet switching. These technologies were very essential for connectivity at the time. The need to have secured connections remotely, like connecting to an organization’s private network grew with time. The idea of having a private leased line could not work therefore bringing the need of having such a connection through the public infrastructure. Early VPNs were complex and expensive and did not make business sense. The advent of newer technologies, as will be looked at in the next section led to simpler virtualization and more expansive uses of VPNs. Technologies The VPN technologies can be widely divided into the secure VPNs, the trusted VPNS and the hybrid VPNs. There are different VPN technologies that are offered by service providers today. These are either layer 2 or layer 3 technologies. Example of the layer 2 trusted VPN technologies are the ATM circuits, the layer 2 frame-overs and the frame relay circuits. An Example of the trusted layer 3 VPN technology is the MPL that is constrained through the BGP. Some service providers offer a wide range of hybrid technologies that have several applications in the current world. It is, however, worth noting that the available VPN hybrid technologies only tend to be secure in the parts that are based on the VPNS alone. Examples of a hybrid VPNs are the technologies run over other VPN technologies that are secured or trusted. In such cases, the hybrid VPN acquires the features of the secured VPN.

To teach children about the prevention about spreading germs and the Essay

To teach children about the prevention about spreading germs and the cold and flu - Essay Example Since viruses are micro organisms, they cannot be seen with naked eyes. When the viruses of contagious diseases like cold and flu, enter our body, they reproduce rapidly and damage cells by secreting poisonous toxins. We become sick when healthy cells of our body are destroyed. Infection is the stage when the viruses invade our body and enter cells to start rapid reproduction process. The rapid multiplication produces a huge number of viruses which then destroy their host cells and cause diseases. The physical symptoms like sneeze, fever, cough, running nose etc. occur as a result of activation of antibodies and other such agents of the body’s immunity system that resist or fight the harmful foreign agents (viruses), resulting in physical symptoms The symptoms are indication that our body has started reacting to the invasion of foreign bodies and may need appropriate backup mechanisms like medicines to kill those germs. Working with a group of four children in the implementation and learning methods of the preventive measures was a whole new experience. The curiosity and enthusiasm of the children was contagious and implementing different measures of prevention turned out to be a great learning experience, which was full of fun. Initially washing hands became a big issue with the children but when their hands were put under the microscope and they saw micro organisms, they were quick to adopt this habit! Showing the presence of micro-organisms was a huge motivator for the children to take up and implement other preventive measures in their daily life. They also assured that all their friends and family members would also be informed about the need to wash hands not only as prevention against the infectious diseases but also for healthy living. Information about balanced diet had become a big debate but ultimately all the children agreed that they all

The effects that staging a major sporting event can have on an area Essay Example for Free

The effects that staging a major sporting event can have on an area Essay Abstract This report will analyse the effects that staging a major sporting event can have on an area. It will examine whether events of this size generate inward investment, what different types of investment that occur and evaluate their lasting value. The reasons for the growth of sport as a global industry will also be discussed in terms of their effect on investment levels. After studying a number of major sporting events, both within the UK and from other parts of the world this report concludes that the extent to which events act as a focus for inward investment depends on the nature of the competition and the size of its audience. Introduction The title of this report is: To what extent do major sporting events act as a focus for inward investment? Before I can begin to explore this question there are several terms to define: What constitutes a major sporting event? A major sporting event is a competition involving a large number of competitors from a range of countries, gaining widespread media coverage. What is inward investment? Inward investment implies that, Goods have been brought into existence which will allow a stream of other goods and services to be produced in the future. (Economics, A New Approach by A.G. Anderton) Key Questions/Issues My report will be structured around the key questions shown in the table below. I will make ongoing conclusions as I explore each question in turn, using case studies covering a range of scales and locations, and draw them together when making my final conclusion. Key Question Case Studies used 1) Where does inward investment come from and is it sustainable? Athens 2004, Sport England, Silverstone, previous Olympic games, World Cup 2002 (Yokohama), World Student Games 1991 (Sheffield) 2) Increased investment in sporting events has come about due to the growth in the importance of sport which has become a global industry. What has caused this growth? World Cup 2002 (Yokohama) 3) What different types of investment take place? Do they vary from one sporting event to another? World Student Games 1991 (Sheffield), Silverstone, Athens 2004, World Cup 2002 (Yokohama) 4) Are there examples of major sporting events that have not acted as a focus for inward investment? Do these events have anything in common that could explain why the inward investment was less? Embassy World Snooker Championships (Sheffield), BUPA Great North Run 1) Where does inward investment come from and is it sustainable? To find out where inward investment comes from I will be using the following case studies: Athens 2004, Sport England, Silverstone. Athens 2004 Athens 2004 balanced budget is 1.962 billion Euros. (see fig. 1 for breakdown). To date Athens 2004 sponsorship revenues have reached approximately 448.1 million Euro in total. This already breaks many previous records as Athens 2004 has covered its projected sponsorship revenues with only 7 out of forty potential Sponsors. Athens 2004 decided to have a limited number of sponsors, and to emphasise quality rather than quantity. (See fig. 2) (www.athens.olympic.org) Sport England Government funding of sport in the UK is done so through an organisation know as Sport England. They are a council who meet regularly to consider applications for funding the development of sports facilities. They make their grants from National Lottery Funds and applicants are usually expected to show evidence that their scheme will benefit the community as a whole. (www.culture.gov.uk/sport) Silverstone Silverstone is hoping that is will be able to gain financial support in this however as a report in December 2000 said; Silverstone would probably need to provide other uses for the local community there is no reason why the track should not have a velodrome or artificial ski slope there might even be the possibility of a watersport facility. BRDC (British Racing Drivers Club) President, Sir Jackie Stewart wants the government to underwrite at least half the sum, believing that it is in the best interests of politicians to support the local motor sport industry so jobs and important F1 teams arent driven out of the country to more attractive destinations. (www.octagonmotorsports.com) The redevelopment of Silverstone will be funded by three parties. Firstly by Octagon, the US marketing group that owns the rights to the British Grand Prix for the next 15 years, Bernie Ecclestones Formula One management, which handles Grand Prix racings commercial affairs, and the BRDC, which owns Silverstone itself. To investigate whether the inward investment is sustainable I will be using the following case studies: Athens 2004, previous Olympic games, World Cup 2002 (Yokohama), World Student Games 1991 (Sheffield). Athens 2003 * The Athens 2004 Olympic Games will leave a legacy to Athens, to Greece and to the world that will remain for generations to come. As Sydney, Atlanta and Barcelona have shown, there are many tangible, long-term benefits to hosting the Olympic Games. For the people of Greece, the legacy of the 2004 Olympic Games will begin with the economic benefits of investing in upgrades to the transportation infrastructure, telecommunications system, and the environment. These investments will benefit Greece for years to come. They include: 65,000 new permanent jobs 120 kilometres of new road 290,000 new trees, 11 million new shrubs A New International Airport An expanded metro system A new, ultra-modern Traffic Management Centre An increase in tourism A $1.3 billion boost in public sector revenues, and 35% improvement of the quality of the environment * In addition, the skills, expertise and training of the workforce in Greece across every sector will be enhanced. The workforce will be called upon to manage large scale complex projects that require integrated planning and detailed coordination. The new skills and expertise will be valuable assets surviving the completion of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Renewed civic pride, a massive surge in volunteerism, and the return of the Olympic Games to their ancient birthplace will all shape the Legacy of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games. When the last medal is awarded, and the Closing Ceremony of the Paralympic Games ends, the dynamism and spirit of the Games of 2004 will remain. The city of Athens and the surrounding region will have overhauled and upgraded every major sector of the economy, channeled investment, and re-invigorated public life throughout Greece. (www.athens.olympics.org) In the period leading up to 2004, Greece will receive $40.23 billion USD from the European Union to improve highways and other infrastructure projects. Previous Olympic Games Sydney It was estimated that the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games will add $6.5 billion to the Australian GDP and 100,000 full-time jobs over a 12 year period from 1994-2006. Australia saw an 11% increase in total visitors for 2000. Interestingly, the highest month total (565,000 arrivals) was achieved in December-3 months after the Olympic Games. 1.5 million additional international tourists are expected to visit Australia until 2006 because of the staging of the Olympic Games. This is estimated to generate an additional $2.7 billion in tourism exports. Atlanta The Atlanta Olympic Games added $5.1 billion to the Georgia economy. As a result of the 1996 Atlanta Games, spending from out-of-state visitors injected $2.5 billion into the economy. Barcelona Prior to the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, Barcelona was ranked as the 16th most popular tourist destination in Europe. By 1999, it had risen to third. The Barcelona Games added $16.6 billion to the Spanish economy between 1986 and 1993. From October 1986 (the month Barcelona won the bid) to July 1992, the general rate of unemployment in Barcelona fell from 18.4% to 9.6%-a drop of nearly 50%. New suburban highways and tunnels reduced downtown traffic by 15 percent. World Cup 2002 (Yokohama) * Since the Dynasty Cup, the opening game of the stadium on March 1st 1998, there has been 9 Japanese national team games, including the Kirin Cup and the Confederations Cup. The stadium, as well as being the home ground of the J Leagues team Yokohama F. Marinos, is also the stage of many events each year, such as Kanagawa Yume Kokutai and a 70,000 people Bz Live Concert. Under the stands we can find the Sports Medical Center, the Sports Community Plaza and the Sports Information Center, which are the core of communication for all sports concerned. The objective of the facilities is to achieve international exchange and to provide health and well being. (www.fifaworldcup.yahoo.com) World Student Games 1991 (Sheffield) * Since the hosting of the World Student Games in 1991, the Don Valley Stadium has continued to be of benefit to the community as a whole. All facilities, including the indoor and outdoor tracks are open for public use 7 days a week at the excellent price of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2.70 for adults and à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2.10 for children. * The stadium annually hosts the North of England Athletics Association Open Championships in January and is also used for various other national athletics competitions and meetings. * The stadium is also home to several athletics clubs; the Hallamshire Harriers, Sheffield AC, Sheffield City Striders, Sheffield University AC and Sheffield Hallam University AC. The stadium regularly hosts Rugby League, American Football and Football games and is home to the Sheffield Eagles Rugby League Club. Conclusions about Key Question 1 * It appears that there are three main sources of investment available to major sporting events. The first and possibly most important of these is sponsorship. Sponsors can be broken down into two distinct categories. There are those sponsors who give money to the event organizers in return for the rights to use the Olympic name and image on their products and in their advertising. For example Coca-Cola is the official non-alcoholic beverage for Athens 2004. The other kind of sponsor is the sponsor who provides a service or function at the sporting event. They will also benefit from increased media coverage. SWATCH are providing all of the timing and scoring equipment for the games. * Major sporting events appear to have major, long-lasting benefits to the host city and the surrounding area long after the event has taken place. These include the provision of world class sporting facilities and venues that can be used by the general public and local sportsmen, the creation of new general public services, such as transport links, and the creation of jobs, both directly as a result of the sporting event and jobs created by the encouragement of new businesses into the area. Having examined the sources of inward investment I will now investigate why this investment is increasing. 2) Increased investment in sporting events has come about due to the growth in importance of sport which has become a global industry. What has caused this growth? * Increased media coverage it is estimated that the final of the World Cup in Yokohama was transmitted live to a worldwide audience of around 2 billion. Sport is now broadcast throughout the world and is one of the main ways in which many fans get access to sporting events, whether through radio, television or the internet. * Sport is an important part of the nations shared experience and values the nations culture. It brings people together either as participants or spectators, building teamwork and community pride. * Participation in sport at an amateur level has increased in recent years. Amateur sport is important to improving quality of life. Sport provides role models for the pursuit of personal excellence. Competitive amateur sport also stimulates broadly based participation in physical activity, leading to better health, higher productivity and a stronger social fabric. This has led to increased interest in professional sport, resulting in higher attendance and increased revenue. * Increasing government intervention in sport at a professional level has also increased its importance. Our elite athletes are supported using lottery funding under the World Class Performance Programme by UK Sport and Sport England. Awards have been made to the governing bodies of over 37 sports, ranging from wheelchair basketball to athletics. This enables our top athletes to improve their performance and win medals in the Olympics and major international competitions. Those athletes at the elite level are also starting to feel the benefits of the United Kingdom Sports Institute. Funded by the lottery, these are centres of excellence where first class facilities and services are available to athletes. This includes sports science, medicine, nutrition and coaching expertise. There are ten centres of excellence in England. Many of the centres have sports-specific roles, for instance most of the elite swimmers use the new facilities at Bath University. Money raised by the National Lottery is also being directed at bringing top events to the UK, such as the World Athletics Championship in 2005. Not only does this give us all the opportunity to watch the best competitors in the world, it is a boost for the country and sports as a whole. (www.culture.gov.uk/sport) Having investigated the reasons for increased inward investment we must now examine how this investment is being used. 3) What different types of inward investment take place? Do they vary from one sporting event to another? To answer this key question I will be using the following case studies: World Student Games 1991 (Sheffield), Silverstone, Athens 2004, World Cup 2002 (Yokohama). * If a sporting event is given the responsibility of hosting a major sporting event and their sporting facilities are not already of the required standard to host that event, then investment is needed to redevelop or create them. World Student Games 1991 (Sheffield) Following a successful bid for the World Student Games in 1991, the City of Sheffield undertook a programme to provide world class sports facilities for the City, including an Athletics Stadium with a fully equipped grandstand. The grandstand is in effect a four storey building containing all the support facilities such as changing rooms, as well as an 85 metre indoor track and practice area. (www.sivltd.com/donvalley) Silverstone Over the next 3 years Silverstone, the home of the British Grand Prix will undergo a $70 million redevelopment, including the improvement of key trackside facilities such as pit garages and competitor accommodation facilities, as well as 1.5 kilometres of new track to improve overtaking opportunities on the circuit. These improvements follow speculation that the British Grand Prix could be moved to Brands Hatch and strong criticism from the Head of Formula One Management, Bernie Ecclestone. (www.grandprix.com) * It is also important that facilities available to spectators at major sporting events are of a high standard, as it is the public, in combination with sponsors that generate most money for the organisers. World Student Games 1991 (Sheffield) The Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield has state of the art spectator facilities, including: * 1500 lux floodlights to accommodate a full colour spectrum TV (see fig. 4) * A fully electronic timing and results system with photo finish facilities * A huge electronic scoreboard (see fig. 3) * A fully integrated state of the art public address system * Full catering hospitality facilities as well as food and drink concession points. The Stadiums major focal point is its grandstand which holds 10,000 spectators. 15,000 spectators can also be accommodated on the open terracing making the seating capacity 25,000. (See fig. 4) (www.sivltd.com/donvalley) Silverstone As part of extensive redevelopment of Silverstone, the old club at the entrance to the pit lane was replaced with a new building that offers improved facilities for club members and their guests. The impressive three-storey building houses a restaurant, bar and club accommodation, as well as pit lane and roof terracing viewing areas. Plans have also been recently announced to greatly improve facilities in the general public viewing areas, including directional signage inside the circuit, catering, retail and modern toilet facilities. This follows on from the successful road development and improved traffic management at this years Grand Prix. (www.octagonmotorsports.com) * The potential for tourism generated alongside major sporting competitions means that a lot of money is invested on improving the appearance of an area before hosting the event. Athens 2004 Athens is being transformed into the host city for the 2004 Olympic Games. An extensive programme of interventions for the aesthetic upgrading of the city, along with the creation of Olympic Celebration sites, will enhance the Games experience for visitors and residents alike. An extensive Urban Regeneration Programme is already underway which will include the development and construction of new pedestrian roads, the redesigning of open public areas, the creation of new green areas (see fig. 5), improved street illumination and the removal of illegal advertising boards. (www.athens.olympic.org) World Cup 2002 (Yokohama) The broadcasting of Yokohamas name throughout the world during the 2002 FIFA World Cup will in itself have been excellent publicity for the city. Moreover, hopefully it will have had important effects in the area such as the attraction of movement into Yokohama by foreign businesses. Leading up to the games the city worked to improve the urban infrastructure (parks, roads etc.) and to develop its human resources and networking through programs keyed by citizen volunteer activities. To bolster arrangements a City Sales campaign built around the World Cup, with hospitality arrangements to benefit both visitors and residents was established. (www.fifaworldcup.yahoo.com) Conclusions to Key Question 3 * I would suggest that the type of investment and therefore possibly the level of investment required for a sporting event varies depending on the nature of that event. An event such as the Olympics which encompasses a broad range of sports will obviously require a greater level of investment than a single sport event such as the Football World Cup. * I have been able to identify three key areas of investment. Firstly and probably most important is investment in the provision of sports facilities. Without adequate facilities an event will never be successful. Secondary to this is investment in spectator facilities. The paying public are the main source of revenue for any sporting event, so they need to be fully catered for. If they are unhappy with the service they receive, they wont return. Low attendances would probably render the event a financial failure. Normally the projected revenue from ticket sales is incorporated into the event budget (see fig. 1). Lastly but also significant is investment in the surrounding area as a whole. For an event to be successful it is important that the infrastructure is capable of dealing with a large number of people. The image sent out to the rest of the world also has to be considered, as hosting a sporting event puts the area under close media scrutiny. A positive image can encourage new business to the area. Having examined sporting events that have acted as a focus for inward investment and the type of investment that has occurred we now need to see if there are event that have not resulted in investment and the reasons for this. 4) Are there examples of major sport events that have not acted as a focus for inward investment? Do these events have anything in common that could explain why there was less investment? To answer this key question I will use the following case studies: Embassy World Snooker Championships (Sheffield), BUPA Great North Run. Embassy World Snooker Championships (Sheffield) The Embassy World Snooker Championships are held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, every year in April. For 17 days each year, the largest theatre complex outside of London is transformed into what is recognised as snookers No. 1 venue. Organisers move into the theatre 6 days before the beginning of the championship to prepare the arena. The theatre floor is hollow so a series of jacks have to be put under the two tables, which weigh one and a half tonnes each. The stage is carpeted and the Embassy snooker arena is installed complete with press seating, boxes for the BBC commentators and photographers and the TV cameras (see fig. 6). Back stage, the rehearsal room is transformed into an Interview Room. (www.embassysnooker.com) The Studio which is also part of the Sheffield Theatres Complex is transformed into a two table practice area and the TV set for the BBC team and front man. The Crucible holds less than 1,000 spectators and tickets are eagerly snapped up by the sports fanatical followers. Why has there been little inward investment? * The size of the auditorium means that the revenue generated by the event is limited. This means there is less money to re-invest in the event and Sheffield as a whole. * The Crucible theatre is only a temporary sports venue for 17 days out of every year. For the majority of the year it is a normal theatre, staging touring and in-house productions. BUPA Great North Run The BUPA Great North Run is the worlds biggest half marathon, with 47,000 people running from Newcastle city centre to South Shields a festival of fun runners, colours and an estimated 8 million pounds is raised for good causes each year. Since it started in 1981, around half a million people have completed the 13 miles and 192 and a half yards run. The first marathon attracted only 12,000 participants but its popularity has rocketed and now many thousands of applicants are unable to get an entry. There were people from 25 different countries competing in this years event. The Great North Run has attracted many celebrities and well known personalities. Kevin Keegan once ran the Great North Run wearing the red and white stripes of Sunderland and the black and white stripes of Newcastle United. Soccer star Paul Gascoigne once pushed a wheelchair athlete all the way round the Great North Run circuit. Why has there been little investment? * The Great North Run is a charity sporting event. All money generated through the event are donated to charity and not re-invested in the area. * The event is run around the streets of Newcastle so does not require any purpose built facilities which would require investment. Conclusions to Key Question 4 The most common reason for little investment in a sporting event appears to be the lack of need for permanent sporting facilities. Facilities provision is the most costly aspect of a sporting event so where they are not required, investment is significantly less. Another reason for lack of investment, as demonstrated by the Great North Run, is if it is a charity sporting event. These events set out to make as much money for good causes as possible so dont spend money unnecessarily. Small maximum attendances also reduce investment. Money from ticket and merchandise sales is one of the main sources of income, so a small venue will only generate a little money for re-investment. Final Conclusion The initial question that was asked at the beginning of this report was: To what extent do major sporting events act as a focus for inward investment? I examined this issue using four key questions, making ongoing conclusions as I went along. The following conclusion is an accumulation of my findings throughout the report: * I have reached the conclusion that the majority of sporting events do act as a focus for inward investment. Through my research and analysis of a range of different types and scales of sporting events I believe that the extent to which this is true depends on the nature of the event. Large scale events such as an Olympic games will require a much larger investment than a world championship in a specific sport. They will require a wider range of sporting facilities and are likely to attract a broader range of spectators, requiring greater provision of spectator facilities. * I have also concluded that many of these events have lasting benefits not just for the people who benefit directly from the facilities but the general population of the area who receive the financial and social benefits. * Events which do not act as a focus for inward investment are those which do not require permanent facilities, or in the case of the BUPA Great North Run any facilities. The potential audience size can also be a limiting factor as shown by the example of the Embassy World Snooker Championship. As you can see from my conclusion, the question asked in this report is of a complex nature and has no simple answer. I used case studies covering a range of scales and locations in order to make as accurate a judgement as possible. However I could only use a limited number due to the length of time I had to carry out my research and compile this report. To fully investigate the issue I would need to carry out my research on a much larger scale, covering a greater time period and range of events. Bibliography Websites * Athens 2004 www.athens.olympic.org Official site for the Summer Olympics, Athens 2004. Contains information on the preparations being made ahead of the games, the events that will take place during the games, and regularly updated press releases. * Embassy World Snooker Championship www.embassysnooker.com Official site of the major sponsor of world snooker, Embassy tobacco company. Contains information on all the major world snooker events and venues, the latest news from the world of snooker, and its history as a major sport. * Great North Run www.greatnorthrunjustgiving.homestead.com Website containing information on the history of the Great North Run, and how sponsorship can be raised and collected. People wishing to take part have to sign up here. www.onrunning.com Website run by BUPA (The British United Provident Association), a leading UK private medical insurance organisation. Contains the latest information on the Great North Run and other charity races which they sponsor. * Silverstone www.grandprix.com A website dedicated to Formula One. Contains up-to-date news articles as well as circuit, driver and team profiles. www.octagonmotorsports.com Website belonging to Octagon Motor sports, a US marketing group which owns the rights to the British Grand Prix. Contains information on their role within the motor sports industry, press releases, and profile of the circuits which they have connections with (including Silverstone, Brands Hatch and Oulton Park). * World Cup 2002 www.fifaworldcup.yahoo.com Official site of the FIFA World Cup 2002, containing news articles, competition results, and venue information. * World Student Games, 1991 www.sivltd.com/donvalley Official site for the Don Valley Stadium, owned by Sheffield International Venues Ltd. Contains information on the history of the stadium, its facilities and an up-to-date calendar of events. * Other websites www.culture.gov.uk/sport The DCMS (Department for Culture, Media and Sports) website. www.sportengland.org Website of Sport England, the largest distributor of lottery and exchequer funding for sport in England. www.uksport.gov.uk Website of UK Sport who co-ordinate overall sports policy, the support of elite sport at the UK level as well as UK-wide programmes such as anti-doping and major events. Books * Economics, A New Approach by A.G. Anderton A contemporary A Level text; fully updated and revised to take account of recent economic developments.

Descartes vs. Spinoza Essay Example for Free

Descartes vs. Spinoza Essay What I will do in this following paper is to discuss two very interesting philosophers, Rene Descartes and Benedictus de Spinoza. I will discuss each philosopher’s perspectives and insights on their most recognized theories and thoughts. I will then evaluate them and then give my opinion on the given topic. By doing this, I will contrast the similarities and differences between the two genius minds. By the end of the paper I will have discarded some ideas and opinions from each of the two and will have my own judgment that consists of thoughts from Spinoza, Descartes and my self put together. Themes On Descartes: Existence of God- Descartes’ View One of the most famous and debatable theories Descartes had was his proof of the existence of God. He had for steps on the ladder to prove this. 1) Everything including our ideas has a cause. 2) We have an idea of God. 3) Nothing less than God is adequate to be the cause of our idea of God. An lastly 4) Therefore God exists. My View Considering the fact that Descartes was a rationalist and a very religious man, you can see why he would desperately try to make sense of everything, including God. I believe his proof that he has laid out for us that God exists is false. What Descartes is trying to tell us is that our idea of God comes directly from God himself and that we cannot create something in our minds that we have not already witnessed by our senses. But I believe we can implant the idea of God in our minds without God planting it for us. Since man has been on this planet, we have been evolving. I believe our idea of God is a collection of thoughts and ideas that has evolved. Ideas such as security, peace, direction, order, separating good and evil, questions to our existence, comfort, space, answers to questions no one has. It is all these thoughts, ideas and more put together in our minds overtime that create this all mighty powerful being who knows all and is all that we call God. The U-Turn- Descartes’ View One of the aspects Descartes strived to find was â€Å"certainty†, searching for absolute foundation. He felt in order to come across certainty; we must first doubt everything we know. To help people comprehend his idea, he created the U-Turn as a visual reference to understand. As we go down the â€Å"U† we first doubt common sense, then we doubt awake/sleep since he believes we can’t distinguish the difference. We continue to go down the â€Å"U† by doubting mathematics because there could be an â€Å"Evil Genius† that tricks us into believing something untrue. At the bottom of this U we reach the point where nothing is certain except one thing according to Descartes, which is our existence. He says â€Å"I think, therefore I am†, which means the only thing we can be certain about is our own existence. He then stops and says if we exist, then there must be a God, and this is where the U takes its turn and moves upwards. He then says if God exists he would not deceive us because he is all loving and caring, therefore we have no reason to doubt mathematics, followed by ourselves (body/mind) and lastly we can then be certain about the physical world, no need to doubt it. My View I find this to be an interesting concept that Descartes has formulated in his mind, one that is most definitely worth thinking about and taking into consideration. But in my point of view, there is a break in his chain. From the moment he mentions we doubt being awake and asleep is where I think his U-Turn collapses. Descartes says we can not distinguish the difference between the two, but that’s only true to a certain point. As humans we have logic, common sense and we are aware of most of the knowledge we obtain. We know that we live a life every day and that we need rest every night; and we know that sleeping is a form of rest which sometimes includes bizarre, twisted, chaotic scenarios which we call dreams or nightmares. The argument he made on this segment of his U-Turn concept was only half true. He was right on the fact that we can not distinguish the difference when in a dream state but wrong on the idea that same goes for when we are awake. As human begins we may not be able to have any reasoning, logic or understand the fact that we are dreaming but when we are not dreaming we can logically know we are awake and be able to know the difference between awake/sleep which means we don’t have to doubt common sense or mathematics anymore. If this is the case then Descartes U-Turn theory is wrong and the idea that the only thing we can be â€Å"certain† about is our own existence is false. Themes On Spinoza: Conception of God- Spinoza’s’ View Spinoza went on a whole different direction when it came to God. Up to his point in time most people believed in a transcendent God, this meant that they believed in a personal God that was all loving, caring and would not deceive us human beings. People would prey to this personal God for various things like comfort and security, but Spinoza had his own belief. His conception was quite different from that of anyone else. His conception of God was non-personal (Non- Transcendent) and was the totality of everything that is immanent. He explained that our infinite Universe is one that has no outside and is also one big web where everything in it is connected. What he is basically trying to say is that God=Nature, God is the totality of everything that is. My View Spinoza’s conception of God is quite absurd. There may or may not be a God but if there is, it is definitely not the totality of everything that is. The meaning of God is a higher supreme being that would have a higher consciousness than humans. There is a difference between nature and God. I feel nature is more on the lines of what he is trying to say but uses the word â€Å"God†. God can not be everything that is because then that would mean we are part of the make up of God and that is absurd. How can everything in the universe that has no conception of God be a part of God? His thoughts and ideas on this subject don’t add up in the end and don’t seem like an acceptable solution to the questions revolving around â€Å"God†. Ethics: On Interconnected Self- Spinoza’s’ View Spinoza said that freedom of choice is an illusion and that everything that happens is part of a necessary order witch is completely rational. My View If freedom of choice is an illusion and everything is already set to happen before it occurs†¦then why are we making choices in the first place? I believe we do have freedom of choice and that we set our own destiny. Everything will be set but is not set yet. We must make choices and decisions to get to where we want to or do not want to. This can be compared to a video game, the programmer and the player. The programmer sets al these scenarios, levels, obstacles, directions and gives the gamer various choices to make. The player goes through these obstacles, and makes choices where many possibilities are presented to him/her. Ultimately the game will finish one way or the other with the choices that the player makes. All these various different possibilities were laid out (each which had its own outcome) but the player made the decision to get to where he/she is now. Overall Comparison: After taking in everything these two philosophers have presented and evaluating their ideas, I have come up with my own thoughts. I believe Descartes had a much more reasonable and acceptable point of view than Spinoza. Descartes thoughts and concepts were easier to understand and coupe with. I disagree a lot with both of the two but my mind has a greater understanding of Descartes perspective. Spinoza was so special in his own way because of his unique ideas but his concepts on God and ethics seemed to far fetch. Descartes seemed to be on a perfect track until he took a couple things too far like God, trying to prove his existence. If we are to gain knowledge through sense experience then technically we have no knowledge of God, jus a compound of thoughts and ideas to create such a being. Overall I like Descartes philosophical way of thinking more than any other philosopher and feel we can learn a lot from him including helping ourselves to think in a more abstract philosophical manner. Sources Of Information: 1) A History of Western Philosophy : Hobbes to Hume (Second Edition) 2) individual. utoronto. ca/mtlin/god. pdf 3) www. utm. edu/research/iep/s/spinoza. htm 4) http://serendip. brynmawr. edu/Mind/17th. html 5) www. trincoll. edu/depts/phil/philo/phils/descartes. html 6) www. connect. net/ron/descartes. html.

Acupuncture for Chronic Headache in Primary Care

Acupuncture for Chronic Headache in Primary Care Research Critique Introduction Research involves the use of systematic procedures to answer an inquiry. It involves data collection, synthesis and analysis in the light of the question or inquiry; and formulation of conclusions and recommendations, (Badke, 2004). General types of research include experimental studies which â€Å"are used to test the effect of a treatment or intervention†, (Peat, 2001, p. 16). Clinical trails fall under the broad category of experimental trials. Clinical trials are controlled experiments with patients, which range from â€Å"studies to prevent, detect, diagnose, control and treat health problems to studies of the psychological impact of a health problem and ways to improve people’s health, comfort, functioning, and quality of life†, (Brooten, 2006, p.86). Generally, clinical trials can be categorised into either randomised trials or non-randomised trials. This paper will try to evaluate the scientific research conducted by Vickers and colleagues (2004), entitled: Acupuncture for chronic headache in primary care: large, pragmatic, randomised trial, which was published on 15 March 2004 at the British Medical Journal. This particular topic was selected due to its relevance to this field of study. Numerous insights from this field of study and valuable best practice information in quantitative research methods can be gained from undertaking this critiquing task. This critique will be carried out using the research framework for critiquing health research formulated by Caldwell and co-workers (2005), which provides a comprehensive set of criteria against which the elements of the research article by Vickers and colleagues (2004) can be appropriately measured. This paper will first evaluate the overview of the study, including the abstract, literature review and the methodology used. Next, it will critically analyse issues concerning resear ch ethics, data protection and research funding. Then, it will evaluate the reliability, validity of the research results, including the sampling methods employed. It will then identify the specific strengths and weaknesses of the research article. Finally, the concluding judgement about the research article will be presented. Below are the definitions of selected important terms used in the research article: Acupuncture – pertains to the â€Å"technique of traditional Chinese medicine, in which a number of very fine metal needles are inserted into the skin at specially designated points†, (â€Å"Acupuncture†, 2007). ANCOVA – stands for ‘analysis of covariance’ which is a statistical treatment that combines analysis of variance (ANOVA) and regression; whereby â€Å"the predictable component of the individual differences can be removed with regression analysis†, (Anderson, 2001, p. 283). Chronic – â€Å"all impairments or deviations from normal that have one or more of the following characteristics: are permanent; leave residual disability; are caused by nonreversible pathological alteration; require special training of the patient for rehabilitation; or may be expected to require a long period of supervision, observation or care†, (Sidell, 1997, p. 1) Negative binomial regression – â€Å"is one of a class of mixed Poisson models that mix a second source of variance with the Poisson variance to account for overdispersion†, (Cohen, et al., 2003, p. 531). Outcome measures – â€Å"reflect patient health status at either the individual or the aggregate (population) level†, (Stommel Wills, 2004, p. 234). Randomised trial A randomised trial is a clinical trial that pertains to â€Å"an experiment in which therapies under investigation are allocated by a chance mechanism†, (Brooten, 2006, p.86). Sham Treatment – is the experimental treatment that â€Å"has no effect and which subjects cannot distinguish from the active treatment â€Å"(Peat, 2001, p. 20). Critical Analysis In March 15, 2004, the BMJ Publishing Group Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Medical Association, published the research article in its medical journal, the British Medical Journal (BMJ). Its â€Å"print BMJ has been published continuously since 1840, and now appears in four weekly editions, varying only in their advertising content. Together, their circulation totals about 122 000 copies, of which 10 000 are distributed outside Britain†, (BMJ, undated). Its website provides â€Å"the full text of everything published in the print journal since 1994, as well as much material unique to the web†, (BMJ, undated).These make the BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. an influential and authoritative source of medical articles. The authors are recognized medical practitioners with different fields of specialisations. Andrew Vickers is an assistant attending research methodologist at the Integrative Medicine Service, Biostatistics Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York; Rebecca Rees is a research officer at the Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre (EPPI-Centre), Social Science Research Unit in London; Catherine E Zollman is a general medical practitioner from Montpelier Health Centre in Bristol; Rob McCarney is a research officer at the Department of Psychological Medicine, Imperial College in London; Nadia Ellis is lecturer Department of Health and Social Sciences, Coventry University in Coventry; and both Peter Fisher, who is the director of research and Robbert Van Haselen who works as the deputy director of research are from Royal London Homeopathic Hospital. Thus, based on their qualifications, the authors have the credibility, needed knowledge and e xpertise to engage in an extensive scientific study such as the article being evaluated. The article is appropriately titled as Acupuncture for chronic headache in primary care: large, pragmatic, randomised trial, since it essentially focussed on the effectiveness of the use of acupuncture to relieve chronic headache. Moreover, the title expressly implies that the methodology utilizes a large sample in the randomised trial. The abstract appears to be concise and complete. In a few paragraphs, the essential research components were summarised in the abstract, namely: (1) the research objective; (2) setting; (3) participants; (4) interventions; (5) main outcome measures; (6) results; and (7) conclusions. The abstract provides the complete key information that the readers need to fully understand the article. The introduction explained the health costs related to headache, which is the main topic of the article, including the need to apply other approaches in its treatment, particularly, acupuncture. The introduction also provides the main aim or rationale of the study, whi ch was: â€Å"to estimate the effects of acupuncture in practice† in general; and â€Å"to determine the effects of a policy of ‘use acupuncture’ on headache, health status, days off sick, and use of resources in patients with chronic headache compared with a policy of avoid acupuncture†, in particular, (Vickers et al., 2004). However, the literature review was limited to only one source of published work – the Cochrane review of 26 randomised trials. This would be very insufficient in terms of the extent of evaluating available sources of information related to the topic of the study. Moreover, it does not provide a comprehensive evaluation of scholarly work from which the rationale of the study could be based. The study is a quantitative research, since the data obtained are represented in the form of numbers and statistical treatment was employed to interpret the data gathered (Grinnell Unrau, 2005, p. 62). Despite the lack of implicit statement of the hypothesis, the audience or reader can obtain a general notion or idea of what is being tested (the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic headache). However, the variables were not clearly defined. Nevertheless, the procedures employed in the methodology were intricate and systematic. The participants were clearly identified and adequately described in the study. In the accrual of patients, several stages were established to facilitate the flow and recruitment of participants. Figure 1 in the appendix illustrates the flow of participants in the study. Moreover, ethical principles were upheld during the conduct of participant recruitment. Since most legal instruments expressly prohibit the use of human subjects for medica l research, the researchers obtained written informed consent from the participants. The researchers implemented a system to ensure randomization of the study through a ‘password protected database’, thereby eliminating the potential for bias and subsequently improving the quality of the results. As Peat (2001, p. 28), explains: â€Å" in randomised controlled trials, the quality of the evidence is improved if measurement bias, such as observer or reporting bias, is reduced by using objective outcome measurements and if observers are blinded to the group status of the subjects. The method of data collection proves to be valid and reliable, as evidenced by the relatively high number of treatments (12 treatments) employed over a sufficient length of time (3 months). Moreover, a follow-up procedure was implemented to generate â€Å"a global estimate of current and baseline headache severity†, (Vickers, et al., 2004). This further enhanced the validity of the results. The large sample size helped ensure the reliability of the results. Additionally, t he use of measurable outcomes such as the Likert scale of headache severity helped eliminate bias by extending common measurement criteria for the respondents. The article correlated its results with the findings in â€Å"prior literature on acupuncture†, (Vickers, et al., 2004), suggesting a high degree of validity of results generated. The presentation of results was systematic and at the same time, clear and comprehensive. The results portion explained the process of participant recruitment including the flow of participants through the trial, patient compliance and dropout rate and their characteristics. It also provided a clear explanation of data that were obtained with accompanying tables and graphs. Thus, the audience can easily comprehend the results obtained. In the discussion, the results generated were translated into the main findings of the study which were stated in a clear, yet simple manner. Moreover, the strengths and the limitations were identified and discussed clearly. The strengths of the research article are anchored on its methodology, such as in the recruitment of participants with a large sample size, the implementation of a system to conceal the randomization and the meticulous follow-up procedure one year after the experiment. Such procedures helped ensure that the research findings are reliable and valid. On the other hand, one of the limitations of the study is the absence of sham acupuncture for the participants, thereby failing to consider the potential placebo effects. Additionally, the participants were not blinded in the study; thereby raising the possibility of bias in terms of the participants’ assessments of their headache scores. In terms of the literature review, the article failed to provide an objective evaluation of a sufficient body of literature related to the topic of the research. Thus, it failed to address the gaps in knowledge related to acupuncture and chronic headache due to the lack of an extensive evaluation o f available literature. Conclusion In the final analysis, the research article serves as an additional source of authoritative and credible information regarding the use of acupuncture for the relief of chronic headache. The findings of the study strongly support available scientific evidence. The weaknesses of the research article discussed above can serve as important considerations for researchers who are planning to engage in a similar undertaking – they must evaluate a substantial body of literature to gain insight into the currently available information and subsequently identify knowledge gaps. Moreover, future randomised clinical studies in acupuncture should include a sham treatment to be able to consider potential placebo effects; and blinding of participants must be observed to eliminate bias. Bibliography Acupuncture. (2007). In The Columbia Encyclopedia (6th ed.). New York: Columbia University Press. Anderson, N.H., 2001. Empirical Direction in Design and Analysis. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Badke, W.B., 2004. Research strategies: Finding your way through the information fog. (Second Edition). New York: iUniverse, Inc. British Medical Journal. Undated. Available from: http://resources.bmj.com/bmj/about-bmj. [Accessed: 18 April, 2008]. Brooten, D., 2006. Clinical Trails. In: Encyclopedia of Nursing Research (Second Edition). Joyce Fitzpatrick and Wallace, J.J., (Eds). New York: Springer Publishing Company. Caldwell, K., Henshaw, L., Taylor, G., 2005. Developing a framework for critiquing health research. Journal of Health, Social and Environmental Issues, 6(1), 45-54. Cohen, J., Cohen, P., West, S.G. and Aiken, L.S., 2003. Applied Multiple Regression / Correlation Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Grinnell, R. M., Unrau, Y. A., (Eds.), 2005. Social Work Research and Evaluation: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches (7th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. Peat, J. K. (Ed.), 2001. Health Science Research: A Handbook of Quantitative Methods. Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen Unwin. Sidell, N. L. , 1997. Adult Adjustment to Chronic Illness: A Review of the Literature. Health and Social Work, 22(1), 5+. Stommels, M., Wills, C.E., 2004. Clinical Research: Concepts and Principles for Advanced Practice Nurses. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins Vickers, A.J., Rees, R., Zollman, C.E., McCarney, R., Smith, C.M., Ellis, N., Fisher, P., 2004. Acupuncture for chronic headache in primary care: large, pragmatic, randomised trial. Available from: http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/328/7442/744. [Accessed: 15 April 2008]. Appendix Figure 1Flow of Participants Through the Trial Source: Vickers, et al., 2004

Endangered Species - Causes of Endangerment :: essays papers

Endangered Species - Causes of Endangerment The term endangered is used by international and national organizations to define plants and animals currently in danger of becoming extinct. Although the term endangered is universally used, the definition of an endangered species is greatly varied. In most cases, the factors causing an organism to become endangered are human- related. When discussing the causes of endangered species, it is important to understand that individual species are not the only factors involved in this dilemma. Endangerment is a broad issue, one that involves the habitats and environments where species live and interact with one another. Although some measures are being taken to help specific cases of endangerment, the universal problem cannot be solved until humans protect the natural environments where endangered species dwell. Back in the fall of 1973 Congress passed the Endangered Species Act, the point of which was to identify the plants and animals in the most trouble and come up with plans for saving them. The effort has probably been as controversial as it has been successful (Institute of Advanced Studies 39). Of the more than 1,400 species designated as endangered, only 18 have recovered to the point where they've been taken off the list. Upon signing the Endangered Species Act on December 28, 1973, President Nixon stated "Nothing is more priceless and more worthy of preservation than the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed" (Environmental Protection Agency). And now that scientists have cloned the last surviving member of a rare breed of cow, some fear that the public's sense of urgency regarding vanishing species might fade. Why not just clone more owls, the thinking goes; but that, say wildlife experts, would be only a quick fix. "Cloning would provide us with individual animals but not the home to introduce them to in the wild," says Jeff Flocken, endangered species outreach coordinator at the National Wildlife Federation. "Whate ver's causing a species to decline, whether it's exploitation or destruction of a habitat, would continue to put that species at risk of being exterminated" (National Wildlife Federation ). Today there are currently 1246 species of plants and animals that are either on the endangered or threatened list in the United States and 1804 worldwide. Of the 1804 endangered species worldwide, only 975 of them have approved recovery plans (Endangered Species Coalition).

NASAs Contribution to Technological Advances on Earth Essay -- Exposi

NASA's Contribution to Technological Advances on Earth Abstract   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  NASA is more than just a space administration; it shows itself everyday in the world although at first it might not be apparent. There are not many people that know the variety of what it has brought to everyday life. NASA is not limited to just aerospace technology. The three main fields of development have been medical, environmental and consumer products. Each field is equally important to technological development. NASA’s space exploration is essential for the advancement of technology on Earth. History   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On October 1, 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was created. It was the day of beginning a rich history of unique scientific and technological achievements in human space flight, aeronautics, space science, and space applications. It was formed because of the Sputnik crisis of confidence. NASA inherited the earlier National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), and other government organizations, and immediately began working on options for human space flight (Roland, 1999).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  NASA was first called upon to find out if humans could survive in space in Project Mercury. This was then followed by Project Gemini, which built upon the successes of Project Mercury and used a spacecraft built for two astronauts. NASA then turned their attention to the moon in Project Apollo, which was successful in 1969 when the Apollo 11 mission first put a man on the moon. The Skylab and Apollo-Soyuz Test Projects soon followed in the early and mid-1970s. NASA then resumed their human space flights in 1981, with the Space Shuttle program that is still continued today to help build the International Space Station (Launius &... ...ar System Exploration. Retrieved March 9, 2003, from http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/whatsnew/pr/021113B.html McDonough, B. (2002, March 28). NASA names top inventions. News Factor. Retrieved March 9, 2003, from http://sci.newsfactor.com/perl/story/16989.html NASA selects commercial, government inventions of the year.(2000, April 14). Aerotech News and Review. Retrieved March 5, 2003, from http://www.aerotechnews.com/ starc/2000/041400/NASA_Inventions.html Roland, A. (1999). "National aeronautics and space administration." World Book Encyclopedia (Vol. 14) Chicago: World Book, Inc. Watson, C. (2003, January 17). A JSC engineer turns the sun’s heat into a cool invention. NASA Human Space Flight. Retrieved March 14, 2003, from http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/support/people/mewert.html#xml=http:// da spaceflight.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/webinator/search/xtml.txt

lighthod The Nigger in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness :: Heart Darkness essays

The Nigger and The Heart of Darkness    â€Å"The Heart of Darkness,† by Joseph Conrad was written in 1898 and 1899 and published in 1902.   So, although it wasn’t surprising that the word used to describe a black person was nigger, it was insulting just the same.   Throughout the short story I had to remind myself of the time period it was written. Joseph Conrad is nothing short of a genius.   His writing technique is eloquent, and surreal and yet after having completed â€Å"The Heart of Darkness,† I couldn’t help feeling a little insulted by the oft used word nigger.   My feelings lead me to do a little research on this word nigger.   I checked three dictionaries:   (1) the â€Å"Oxford Concise Dictionary,† (2) the â€Å"Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary,† and (3) â€Å"The American Heritage Dictionary.†Ã‚   They all had in common one definition, â€Å"a member of any dark-skinned race.†Ã‚   In addition, they all said it was â€Å"offensive.†Ã‚   Webster’s went one further and said â€Å"a member of a socially disadvantaged class of persons.†Ã‚   Now this last definition was closer to what my parents had told me the meaning of the word nigger was, an ignorant person.   I tend to like my parents’ definition much better than all the r est combined! The word nigger is actually derived from the Latin word niger which means black.   Okay, so we’re getting closer to understanding now.   So why all the controversy surrounding this word?   I even have to wonder if â€Å"The Heart of Darkness† was written by a black author would I have been equally or less offended?   This word nigger was recently the cause of a controversy between two very prominent directors, Spike Lee (black) and Quentin Tarantino (white), in regards to Tarantino’s new movie â€Å"Jackie Brown.†Ã‚   Lee felt Tarantino used the word nigger too many times in his movie and considered it a racist act.   I’m not sure, but I believe Lee too has overused the word in his movies and yet he publicly cries foul when Tarantino does the same thing.   What makes blacks so offended by whites using the word nigger when they use if themselves? The main reason touted is because some blacks use it (and I mean use it often) as a term of endearment.   Then there are some blacks (usually the upper crust) who use the word as an insult, as in Webster, as a description of a low class black person.

Should the Age Allowance of Driving Be Lowered to 16 Years?

Should the age allowance of driving be lowered to 16 years? Driving has always been popular among young boys and girls, which goes back for over 100 years ago. The very first automobile was built by Karl Benz which was a German scientist in the 18s century. By his name you could wonder why his last name is Benz, which is the same name that we used to call â€Å"gasoline† (Bensin). Funny enough his father is called Mercedes Benz. Mercedes, as many people know, is the very first car-company. Since then cars has been mass-produced, and is now available to prices that suits almost everyone.It has given many solutions to people that lives far away from work, school, relatives etc. More importantly it has done benefits to transports of food supplies, material and other stuff which has kept this world on balance. But this has also led to many accidents on the streets, which mostly occurs by young people that does not exceed the age of 20, and is now ranked on the top death-accidental stuff a human being can experience. So we ask the following question: What is the most suitable age at which people can start driving?Psychologists that have been researching on young teenagers have stated that humans become uncontrollable when they enter the period of â€Å"14-17 years†. And that it is not unusual that teenager that entered that period become fiercer and starts rushing after inordinate desires, which affects driving vehicles a lot in a negative way. And only a few numbers of people can control that large amount of energy. P. Fredrik is a psychologist who has devoted his life on studying teenagers, and has said that the large amount of energy starts disappearing in the end of the age 17, and people become more controllable after they pass the age of 17.Even if driving at the age of 16 increases the risk of accidents on the streets, there will also be lots of benefits of allowing people to drive at the age of 16. Principal of Kenny University, George Johansso n has stated that more students start to drop school after they finish High School. Doctor Dennis Henry has been studying that reason for 5 years now and has come to some few reasons to why more students start to drop school after High School. And one of those reasons says that students has a lack of ransport since school buses aren’t available after High School and they still don’t have the right to drive vehicles to school which could replace the need of transport. Therefore stops encouraging students to enter Universities. Finally, to keep the minimum number of accidents on the streets which can lead to death or permanent injuries and at the same time give students the opportunity to enter Universities which will give them a better life in the near future, the age allowance of driving vehicles should keep it at 18 years.

Saint Patrick

Saint Patrick was born in Kilpatrick, Scotland, in the year 387. His parents are Calphurnius and Conchessa. When Patrick was sixteen, he was carried off into captivity by Irish marauders and was sold as a slave to a chieftan named Milchu in Dalriada. In Dalriada, he tended his master’s flocks in the valley of the Braid and on the slopes of Slemish. When he was working the fields, he acquired a perfect knowledge of the Celtic tongue. His master was a druidical high priest, in which gave Patrick an opportunity to become familiar with all the details of Druidism from whose bondage he was destined to liberate the Irish race. Warned by an angel after six years, he fled from his cruel master and bent his steps toward the west. He traveled about 200 miles to Westport. He found a ship ready to sail and after some rebuffs was allowed on board. In a few days he arrived in Britain, but now his heart was set on devoting himself to the service of God in the sacred ministry. After wandering in dense forest for twenty-eight days they were found by others and eventually Patrick made it home to his family. He remained with them for a few years, and then decided to pursue the priesthood in answer to dreams he had about returning to Ireland. After a number of years, while he was on a short visit to the continent, probably Gaul, his name was proposed to lead a missionary expedition to Ireland. He set out around the year 432 as a bishop, and went to the headquarters of the Ulaid in Emain Macha, and there established his first church at what is now Armagh. From there he traveled predominantly in the north and west and made many converts, and trained many priests. After some time, his integrity was questioned, resulting in an inquiry at the hands of the British bishops, but he was subsequently vindicated. As the Ulaid were pushed out of more and more territory, Patrick moved with them to spend his last days in Down, from which he wrote his Confession. He died March 17, 461, in Downpatrick, Ireland. Kilpatrick still retains many memorials of Saint Patrick. His feast day, St. Patrick’s Day, is March 17, or the day he died.

Chicago Analysis

â€Å"Chicago† Analysis â€Å"Chicago† by Carl Sandburg is a poem written to describe the everyday lives of Chicagoans. Sandburg uses poetic devices such as similes, personification, and imagery to emphasize parts of the poem, which helps him show his love and pride for the city of Chicago. Imagery played a very important part in the poem because it gave the reader an image in there head of the city and the environment with the people who lived there.The main purpose of this poem is to defend the common theories that are directed toward the city of Chicago. Sandburg talks about the corruption of the city, which shows he is honest about what he says, but also points out the flaws of other cities and their people. He also points out that even though Chicago is corrupt and bad on the outside, it still has good people on the inside. In the first stanza Carl Sandburg gives details about the jobs of the city and the things most noticed about it.The first stanza states the nam e HOG butcher of the world which gives the person an image of a butcher in the city; it also states toolmakers, Stacker of wheat and railroad workers. The details of the city make you think of a stormy, husky, brawling, city with big shoulders. This all means that the city is windy, full of fighters and destruction. Imagery in the poem state that things are very bright and out spoken in the city but even though the city is seen as dark and evil on the outside it’s people are very bright and filled with happiness. Chicago† is filled with personification. By the end of the poem, Chicago seems to be way more like a man than like a city. It has shoulders, a heart, a pulse, and it laughs. Sandburg paints a portrait of a city that is, in some ways, very human. It's flawed and it's beautiful, it's rough and intense. It's vibrant and adjustable. It turns out that the best way for Sandburg to comprehend the city is to compare it to a human being, that way we have a frame of refe rence for all the beautiful, strong, messiness.Lines 1-5 is the perfect example for a personification. â€Å"Here, the city is described as various types of workers; it is a hog butcher and a toolmaker and so on. The city resembles the very people who live in it. † In the poem â€Å"Chicago† Carl Sandburg uses similes to create an idea in the readers mind. For example Sandburg writes,†Fierce as a dog with tongue lapping for action as a savage pitted against the wilderness. † Here the poet want to compare the city of Chicago to a fierce dog.This really helps the reader imagine Chicago as a wild and crazy city that is ready for action. Sandburg does an excellent job on demonstrating his love and pride for the city of Chicago. The poetic devices not only make the poem a lot more understandable, but also more interesting. The personifications Sandburg uses make the city seem like a man. He also uses great similes to compare Chicago to other places (which is nea rly impossible), and imagery to help those who have never been to Chicago understand what Chicago is like.

My Trip to Pakistan Essay

It was a miserable rainy day in the middle of the summer and I was excited. I was going to Pakistan with my family. Everyone was getting ready to go to the airport. Clothes flying out of suitcases. Everyone kept on bumping into each other again, again and again. The cab was taking ages to come and I thought we will never arrive there on time but eventually it came. We put everything in the cab and I checked one last time to see if I have everything. We arrived at the airport with not a minute to spare. We ran to the counter and checked in. As we were boarding the plane we got the flight information. On the plane it seemed like months and months but it only took us 8 hours to arrive there. All my family and cousins were waiting there patiently for us to come out. After coming of the plain all are luggage got missed placed so we had to look for it but finally the luggage was found and returned to us. It starting as a good day but gradually it was getting worse and worse. As we good out the airport in Pakistan it was a hot sizzling day. I was so excited to see my cousins. I haven’t seen them in 2-3 years. They were all taller than me so I felt really short like an ant. Finally we got home I was too tired to talk so I fell asleep. The next morning I woke up and we went to the theme park and then we went to the mosque. We went to the mountains were my dad grew up. After staying there for 4 weeks I was sad and didn’t feel like coming to back to London. As we got to the airport I forgot to bring my passport so we had to go back and get it. I only had half an hour to get it. The good thing was I only lived 10 minutes away but if there was traffic I wouldn’t make it so me and my cousin ran to the car and went luckily there was no traffic so we made it on time and I was so relieved that I made it. We got back to London all miserable and sad. After a couple of days I started to get over the fact we are not in Pakistan and next day I had to go back to school which cheered me up because I haven’t seen my friends for ages.

Strategy at Different Levels of a Business Essay

Strategy at Different Levels of a Business - Essay Example It defines the tactics that will assist the company to realize its objectives. The business strategy also defines the number of resources that an organization requires and it is going to manage in order to achieve its goals. This business plan dictates the steps to be followed and the responsible persons for each step. Â  Business strategy is more than visioning, forecasting, and planning. Implementation is what matters most and this should be done carefully to ensure that there is a match between the internal capabilities of the organization and its external environment. The strategies should influence the position of the organization at any time. It should enable the stakeholders to understand the better ways of realizing the desired objectives. Application of the business strategy is very paramount as it bounds business operations together. Â  Corporate Strategy- business should meet the expectations of the diverse stakeholders; customers, employees, and the owners. This level of strategy deals with the objectives and the purpose of the business in satisfying the stakeholders. At this level, the owners or the investors are very influential as they act to guide the decision makers to achieving the stated goals. Â  Business Unit Strategy- Fair competition is a factor that cannot be neglected by the organization. It is imperative that the organization is in a position to compete successfully in the economy. This strategy is governed by the demands of the market hence the organization is obliged to ensure that the right products of the right quality are supplied in the market to enable it to compete with others competitively. At this level, the products should meet customers needs enabling the organization to outwit the competitors.

Prosecution of the Early Church Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Prosecution of the Early Church - Essay Example Prosecution only strengthened ideas and dogmas promulgated by the early church leaders and became a driven force of church expansion and developments. The period of the Early Church covers the periods when the books of the New Testament had been written. (100-4010 AD). The main record of the Church's earliest expansion depends on two divergent, but necessarily complementary literary sources; the Christian apologists and the pagan authors. The outline of the picture presented by both is remarkably consistent, though here and there details may be hazy and liable to more than one interpretation, very rarely however in matters of substance. A further feature of Christian history is its continuity from the first century down to our own day; indeed it may be said of the Church that no other institution of comparable antiquity is so completely documented. The amount of original manuscript that survives is naturally infinitesimal in quantity compared with the volume of works preserved for us by generations of copyists; yet where it does exist, it rarely contradicts, and nearly always confirms the literary and historical tradition. Inscrip tions form an important body of original material, but in an era of insecurity, and sometimes of actual persecution, purely Christian sentiments were more often not openly expressed. Historians suppose that persecution of the Early Church has a great impact on its expansion and proliferation of its ideas to other territories and countries. The Early Days of the Church In the earliest years, the Romans saw Christianity as a sect of Judaism. Suetonius, in his life of Claudius, records the expulsion of the Jews from Rome, who 'continually created disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus'. Suetonius apparently did not even realize that Chrestus, or Christ, was not a living Jewish leader of that time2. The Jews themselves reacted strongly enough against the new religion which they regarded as striking at the very foundations of their law, and their opposition would have been far more formidable than in fact it was, had they not been temporarily annihilated politically after the destruction of the Second Temple by Titus in 70. There is only a thin line dividing religious from political persecution, since the former is so often a pretext for the latter; thus, Pelikan is chiefly concerned with the relations of Christians with the civil power, and first and foremost with the civil power of Rome3. It would be wrong to lay any but the ultimate responsibil ity for the martyrdom of St Polycarp and a few others at the door of Antoninus. In general he followed in the relatively humane policies of his predecessors Hadrian and Trajan, whereby Christians were not to be hunted down nor, if charged, condemned, unless they could be proved to have broken the laws--an escape clause which included refusal to sacrifice to the Emperor as a god. A long period of comparative peace for the Church was abruptly ended by the accession of Antoninus' adopted son, Marcus Aurelius (161-180)4. The Period of Marcus Aurelius A

Case analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Case analysis - Essay Example Since the company used to deal with more than one currency, then the exchange rate proved to be a challenge. Foreign currency rates are never constant; they fluctuate on a daily basis due to the interaction of a variety of elements that are beyond the scope of this case analysis. Delays in ordering and payment together with exchange rate fluctuations pose a significant risk for a company like Alliance that deals with more than one currency. Although it is uncertain, it could be argued that with exchange rate could fluctuate in either direction thus providing some room for profitability. The other problem that Alliance faced was the fact that they have been in operation for only three years. Some of the company is administrative and supply chain processes, such as those for equipment procurement and generation of price quotations require improvement and formalization. This can be attributed to the fact that they have only been in operation for quite a short period (Aleshaiway, 2005). The customer can participate by modifying the price quotation process in a bid to mitigate the foreign exchange risk. This policy can be implemented through a number of various ways including, changing the acceptance period (30 days) and changing the required amount of deposits to be made. A stipulation is saying that the final charges would be based on the exchange rate at the time of project completion should be included in the original contract. To add to the above strategy, a review of the internal processes related to cash management (including collection from customers and payment of suppliers), price quotations, and equipment procurement. Although there are aspects of the overall process that are dependent on schedules and operations of others such us completion of projects, there are small issues within that process that could bring about risk mitigation of exchange rates. The company