Theory of Managing and Leading Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Theory of Managing and Leading Change - Essay Example The evaluation of this decision rests solely on the shoulders of the decision makers at AEGON who were doing their best to expand their business realms within different international markets. Since comprehending the environment was mandatory on their part, their next step was to get familiarized with the key issues that they shall be getting used to as far as managing operations were concerned. This is a certain aspect that reduction of uncertainty will come about as a positive step for the sake of managing and leading a positive change, in line with the AEGON case. The theory of managing and leading change is essentially the inherent basis for the sake of AEGON since it wishes to move towards the UK market and explore the market there. Since the people have a diabolical and confusing perspective regarding the life insurance and pensions industry in general, AEGON is marred with such viewpoints on the part of the people and this is where leading a positive change comes into the equat ion. It shall resolve the ambiguities that exist within the related domains and create a room of optimism all around. Appointing a new CEO for the UK market is a step in the right direction as it will set the basis for bringing in a new thought process into the fray. Also instituting audit committees would resolve the issues which have sprung up for all the wrong reasons within AEGON for a specified period of time. Essentially speaking, leading and managing change is a difficult process which once undertaken can only rein in positive results for organizations and their top management realms. Hence it would be a good option for AEGON to enter the UK market and make a name for its own self which will be the basis of its success in the years to follow (Marshak, 2004:112). Â  

Evolution of US Films Since the 1880s

Evolution of US Films Since the 1880s To what extent has film in the US evolved from the 1880s to modern day? Candidate Name: Dimitri Grigorov Abstract Film has gone through a drastic evolution since it began in the 1880s. There were 5 main stages regarding the evolution of film in the US. The Silent Period lasted from 1895 to 1929. This period brought the first films to the US. These films were black and white and featured no sound, other than some possible instrumentals. Silent movies appealed largely to illiterate immigrants because they didnt have to read, and it was a simple form of entertainment. The Classical Period lasted from 1930 to 1945. This time period was a huge leap forward because sound was introduced to movies. It was a new way to watch movies and people loved it. The Postwar Period, which lasted from 1946 to 1959, was the most historically significant era in the film world. The Transitional Period lasted from 1960 to 1979 and introduced new ideas to cinema that would shape the movies of today. The time period we are in now is known as the Contemporary Period and began in 1980. The Contemporary Period benefitted fro m technological advancements, and more elaborate films were made using CGI. Each time period had its own movements and iconic directors. Investigation Film has evolved since it began in 1880s. Film has gone from short black and white stop motion clips, to full fledged color spectacles with expensive special effects. It has gone from a fascinating gimmick to a new form of art. A lot can happen in the course of a century, and film has definitely changed in drastic ways. Film is an art. It influences people to change the world and to express themselves. Film gives people insight and inspiration in the darkest of days. In the late 1880s various people began experimenting with photo, blending them together to give the illusion of a motion picture. The technology and difficulty to capture that sort of video made motion pictures rare (boyslife.org). The first movie is a controversial subject. There are many differing opinions. Some believe it was The Horse In Motion, directed by Eadweard Muybridge in 1878. This groundbreaking motion photography was accomplished using multiple cameras and assembling the individual pictures into a single motion picture. Its something that you could do today, using a few cameras that are set to go off at an exact moment (lavideofilmmaker.com). The movie was created to answer a popular question of the time: Are all four of a horses hooves ever off the ground at the same time while the horse is galloping? The video proved that they indeed were and, more importantly, motion photography was born (boyslife.org). Not all people consider this film the first one, though. Some think the first film was Roundhay Garden Scene, released in 1888. Its a short clip directed by French inventor Louis Le Prince. While its just 2.11 seconds long, it is technically a movie (boyslife.org). According to the Guinness Book of Records, it is the oldest surviving film in existence (boyslife.org). Eventually, films got longer. Brothers Auguste and Louis Lumià ¨re became prominent figures in the film world. They created various short films and were among the first filmmakers in history. Their films were unique at the time because instead of lasting a few seconds, they lasted a few minutes. The brothers even infused some comedy into their films. In one scene, a man is watering his garden, while a boy is stepping on his hose. The man, not noticing the boy, wonders why water stops pouring out of it. This slapstick humor would later become more prevalent in films such as Charlie Chaplin. The Lumià ¨re brothers were also iconic in the film world because they devised an early motion-picture camera and projector called the Cinà ©matographe (cinema is derived from this name), according to britannica.com. This device was a leap forward because it allowed more people to simultaneously watch films. Previously, only one person at a time could watch . Originally, the device was invented and patented as the Cinà ©matographe Là ©on Bouly by French inventor Là ©on Bouly on February 12, 1892. Bouly coined the term cinematograph, from the Greek term for writing in movement. Due to a lack of money, Bouly was unable to develop his ideas properly and maintain his patent fees, so he sold his rights to the device and its name to the Lumià ¨re Brothers. In 1895, they applied the name to a device that was largely their own creation. They made their first film, Sortie de lusine Lumià ¨re de Lyon, that same year (wikipedia.com). By 1895, the silent film era arrived. The earliest American films were primarily a working-class pastime. Because they told stories without words, they appealed to the large, mostly illiterate immigrant population in the United States (the-artifice.com). After 1900, film became a more middle-class phenomenon, as filmmakers exploited films storytelling potential by adapting bourgeois novels, which incorporated middle-class values, for the screen (sparknotes.com). Until 1914, the major national film industries were located in Italy, France, and the United States. When World War I came, it devastated the Italian and French film industries, allowing American producers to gain the lead on the global market. The major American production companies combined their film technology patents and used their patent leverage to implement block booking on exhibitors (movie theater owners), which forced them to buy lower-quality product along with high-quality product (sparknotes.com). These exhibitors fought back by buying small production companies, and eventually managed to beat out the major producers because they were quicker to adopt feature-length films, which proved to be more commercially successful than the earlier shorts. From 1907-1913, many production companies moved from New York City to Los Angeles to work in the warm weather that allowed for year-round outdoor production, giving birth to the Hollywood film industry. The costs associated with vertical integration (the combination in one company of two or more stages of production normally operated by separate companies) forced Hollywood studios to seek investment from Wall Street bankers. This development, along with the industrial modes of production pioneered and the bourgeois storytelling conventions introduced, turned Hollywood into a profit-driven enterprise and its films into commercial products (sparknotes.com). One of the most prominent figures in US silent film was Charlie Chaplin. Between 1914 and 1918, Chaplin became the first international film star when he wrote, directed, and starred in short films as the Tramp, a silly figure with baggy pants, big shoes, funky mustache, snazzy suit, and cane. For Chaplin, comedy was a way to examine the impact of social conventions and taboos on personal freedom and happiness. His Tramp character had lots of charisma: sensible, brave, and wise but also flirty, vulnerable, and socially awkward. Chaplins criticism of leaders, moral and political issues, and material and psychological divisions between classes and genders reached its high point in later feature-length works, such as City Lights and Monsieur Verdoux (sparknotes.com). Film was making a name for itself. The idea of pictures coming to life was fascinating on a deep level. This kind of thing was universally recognized and respected. Movies with sound arrived on the scene. The era between 1930 and 1945 was called the Classical Period and was a monumental leap forward for the film world. The transition from silent to sound films caused great change in the film industry, requiring costly renovation of production studios and movie theaters, ending the careers of many silent film stars, and making it more difficult to sell films abroad. Hollywood took some time to overcome the artistic and technical challenges of sound film production, and the result was several years of bland output. For European filmmakers, production costs were expensive because Hollywood studios owned the patents to the new sound technology and licensed it at an expensive price. This allowed the US to continue to be dominant in the film world (sparknotes.com).By the mid-1930s, Hollywood entered a period of unmatched success and prosperity, with five major studios (Paramount, Warner Brothers, MGM, RKO, and Twentieth Century Fox) and three minor studios (Universal, Columbia, and United Artists) introducing unique styles, genres, and stars. In 1934, under pressure from religious organizations such as t he Legion of Decency, Hollywood implemented a Production Code that censored the content of its films, filtering out portrayals of lewd sexuality, bad language, graphic violence, and drug use. During World War II, Hollywood contributed enormously to the war effort through the production of propaganda films (sparknotes.com). Despite the shift in film themes, the industry was soaring. Then World War II came. The period between 1946 and 1959 was known as the Postwar Period (britannica.com). The war affected American filmmakers and audiences, leading to the production of dark, morally ambiguous and socially critical films in the film noir style. The US made various films depicting the USSRs idea of communism in a negative light. This anti-Communist sentiment flourished as the U.S.s former ally the Soviet Union became its primary enemy. In the 1949 movie The Red Menace, an ex-GI named Bill Jones becomes involved with the Communist Party USA. While in training, Jones falls in love with one of his instructors. After a duration of being true followers of communism, they realize their mistake when they witness party leaders murder a member who questions the partys principles. When they try to leave the party, the two are marked for murder and hunted by the partys assassins (wikipedia.com). New York Times journalist Bosley Crowther points out that the characters in the film are highly overdramatized and villainous to an unrealistic extent. She implies that this discredits the accuracy of the film. Nevertheless, the film was released to the American public, infusing them with skewed information. Another 1949 propaganda film, The Woman on Pier Thirteen, previously known as I Married a Communist, shares similar themes. In this film, Brad Collins, former stevedore, is rising fast in a shipping company when local communist agitators use his former Party affiliation to extort his help in stirring up trouble. When Brad resists, communist femme fatale Christine works through his brother-in-law Don. But Brads new wife Nan sees that her husband and brother are under pressure; when she investigates on her own, party boss Vanning takes ruthless action (wikipedia.com). Again, communism is being portrayed in a negative light and as a threat to Americans. Communist leaders are being shown as evil and bloodthirsty. HUAC was formed to combat the threatof Communism. This organization tried professionals suspected of having Communist ties. As a result of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) hearings, many of Hollywoods most talented actors, directors, and screenwriters were blacklisted by the studios because of suspected ties to the Communist Party. Some moved to Europe, some continued to work by using colleagues names as fronts, and others saw their careers and lives ruined (sparknotes.com). In response to competition from the new medium of television, Hollywood made films that showcased cinemas distinctive qualities: stereophonic sound, large screen size, and color images, benefiting from the emergence of widescreen technology and better color film stock. By the mid-1950s, the blacklist and new technologies led Hollywood to concentrate on apolitical, spectacular films such as biblical epics, westerns, and musicals. A 1948 Supreme Court decision forced Hollywood studios to end their vertical integration policies, making the marketplace more competitive and increasing opportunities for independent and foreign producers (sparknotes.com). The Postwar Period is when many of the most influential directors of all time arose. People like Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock, directors who are still well known today, got their start in this era. These directors would go on to be the inspiration for many modern day directors. Orson Welles is very well known because he was one of the youngest directors of all time. In 1940, Welles signed a $225,000 contract with RKO to write, direct and produce two films. The deal gave the young filmmaker total creative control, as well as a percentage of the profits. At the time, this was the most lucrative deal ever made with an unproven filmmaker. Welles was just 24 years old (biography.com). Unlike many of his contemporaries, Welles gained international recognition mostly on the basis of only that film, which was Citizen Kane (1941). The film is full of technical innovations, including crane shots, overlapping dialogue, multiple audio tracks, purposely grainy film stock, and low-angle photography. It explores themes that Welles would revisit throughout his career: the corruption of power and wealth, the fine line between desire and obsession, the precariousness of knowledge, and the limits of ego and ambition. Welless use of deep focus, long takes, and special lighting influenced a generation of filmmakers working in the postwar film noir and realist styles. Though rejected by audiences and undermined by studio executives throughout his career, Welles still managed to make several more highly acclaimed films, including The Lady from Shanghai (1948) and 1958s Touch of Evil (sparknotes.com). Perhaps the only director more iconic to this era was Alfred Hitchcock. In a career spanning half a century, Hitchcock got acclaim in both his homeland Britain and Hollywood. He directed some of the most memorable films of all time, including The 39 Steps (1935), Vertigo (1958), and North by Northwest (1959). Influenced by German expressionism and Soviet montage, Hitchcock used detailed visual and aural compositions to express his protagonists feelings of paranoia and claustrophobia, along with complex editing to create suspense. With a self awareness of society, Hitchcock examined the abnormal perversions and obsessive desires lurking beneath the surface of ordinary lives and communities, enabling him to become an astute observer of America in the 1950s, the decade during which he directed his greatest films (sparknotes.com). He would later be deemed as the master of suspense. By the time 1960 arrived, yet another era of film history began. The time between 1960 and 1979 was known as the Transitional Period. This period had its ups and downs but would eventually shape the modern movies we watch today. By the 1960s, Hollywood was in decline, unable to keep up with the radical political and cultural developments transforming American society. European films, however, fueled by government funding of film production, achieved unprecedented levels of critical acclaim and box-office success. The sophistication and creativity of these films led to the recognition of cinema as an artistic medium, not simply a form of mass entertainment (sparknotes.com). In contrast, Hollywood films in the early 1960s seemed devoid of style, boring, and out of touch. Less and less studio productions brought revenue. Hollywood reacted by cutting costs, entering into partnerships with independent and foreign producers, and allowing more flexibility in terms of experimentation (sparknotes.com). One exception to the low quality films produced in the 1960s was Alfred Hitchcocks Psycho. This film shocked audiences with a twist ending that audiences werent used to. The film was quite progressive for its time as well. The twist was that a man was dressing as his mother, taking on her identity, and killing women. Cross dressing, other than for comedy, was not popular yet and the fact that Hitchcock was daring enough to include this in his film, proved again to audiences that he was a force to be reckoned with. Still, most movies in the early 1960s were of lower quality unil Hollywood underwent another change in 1968. In 1968, the decades-old Production Code was scrapped, and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) began to issue movie ratings, which enabled the industry to make more daring and challenging films. These changes, along with a middle-class migration to the suburbs that left urban movie theaters in disarray, led to new genres such as exploitation and hardcore pornography (sparknotes.com). More famous directors got onto the scene in the Transitional Period. One of these directors was Francis Ford Coppola. He directed four of the most important American films of the 1970s-The Godfather (1972), The Godfather Part II (1974), The Conversation (1974), and Apocalypse Now (1979). Coppola was also an accomplished producer and writer. Along with George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, and Brian De Palma, he was part of the first generation of filmmakers to attend film school. His training enabled him to combine visceral visual imagery, compelling storylines, and dynamic editing in order to create iconic portraits of American interests, whether at home or abroad. Coppola was renowned for his biting critique of the power dynamics of individual and family ambition amid the corrupting influence of American capitalism and imperialism (sparknotes.com). John Cassavetes was another memorable director from the Transitional Period. Considered the founding father of American independent cinema, Cassavetes was also a talented actor who accepted roles in Hollywood in order to fund his own films. His commitment to making films outside of the studio system became legendary and influenced a generation of American independent filmmakers. Cassavetes rejected the formulaic plots, essentialist characterizations, and tidy narrative resolutions of Hollywood cinema. His most influential films, Faces (1968), Husbands (1970), and A Woman Under the Influence (1974), feature iconic acting performances that reveal the raw emotional energy of human interaction, chronicling the struggle of characters to express themselves honestly and fully under the pressure of linear social and moral conventions (sparknotes.com).One of the few filmmakers to connect with the American counterculture was Arthur Penn, whose Bonnie and Clyde (1967) became the emblematic film of its generation. Influenced by the style and politics of the French New Wave and American underground cinema, Penn sought to overturn Hollywoods staid representational conventions. Bonnie and Clyde incorporates many of the characteristics that would define American cinema for the next decade: romantic anti-establishment heroes, explicit treatment of sexual and psychological issues, a negative portrayal of authority figures and societal institutions, graphic depiction of violence, genre hybridity (often a mixture of comedy and drama), and a refusal to resolve narrative conflicts tidily (sparknotes.com). By 1980, we reached our time period, the Contemporary Period. Multinational corporations bought and merged many movie studios, ending the period of artistic experimentation in Hollywood. The industry has returned to financial success and global dominance through the development of blockbuster franchises, large-scale marketing campaigns, and content aimed at children. It also has placed increasing emphasis on spectacular special effects in order to draw audiences into movie theaters. CGI was huge in this time period (empireonline.com). The emergence of affordable digital video cameras and the growth of the film festival circuit have expanded the possibilities for independent filmmakers around the world to produce, distribute, and exhibit films (sparknotes.com). American independent film has flourished in the past 25 years, as well, emerging as a voice for those who do not identify with the image of America that Hollywood has projected. Independent films often contain explicit treatments of sexual, political, and psychological issues and avoid formulaic plots with happy endings and clearly defined characters. They are made by and for women (Susan Seidelman, Julie Dash), racial and ethnic minorities (Charles Burnett, Lourdes Portillo), gays and lesbians (Todd Haynes, Su Friedrich, Julie Zando), working classes (Michael Moore, John Sayles) and other groups who are not adequately represented in mainstream cinema. Harmony Korine, John Waters, Jim Jarmusch, David Lynch, Terry Zwigoff, and Todd Solondz make films full of dark humor that explore the lives of social misfits who are often ignored or ridiculed in Hollywood films. The success of the independents has led many Hollywood studios to establish subsidiaries that distribute smaller-budget fil ms, blurring the lines of distinction between industrial and independent cinema. Key films include Jim Jarmuschs Stranger than Paradise (1983), David Lynchs Blue Velvet (1986), Steven Soderberghs Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989), Spike Lees Do The Right Thing (1989), Quentin Tarantinos Reservoir Dogs (1992), and Wes Andersons 1998 film, Rushmore (sparknotes.com). Documentaries also soared in recent years. Challenging the tenets of direct, traditional cinema, many recent documentary filmmakers have included autobiographical and subjective elements in their films. Michael Moore and Marcel Ophuls insert themselves prominently into the fabric of their social and historical documentaries, both as on-camera interviewers and through voice-over, presenting themselves as near-mythical pursuers of truth and justice. Ross McElwee and Sadie Benning make introspective, essayistic films about their lives. Chris Marker and Marlon Riggs combine autobiography with political and philosophical analysis. Key films include Markers Sans Soleil (1983), McElwees Shermans March (1986), Ophulss Hà ´tel Terminus (1988), Moores Roger Me (1989), Riggss Tongues Untied (1990), and 1992s Bennings It Wasnt Love (sparknotes.com). The Contemporary Period gave us many of the directors we know and respect today. Directors like Steven Spielberg reinvented the way Hollywood works, and people like Oliver Stone brought a new edge to cinema. Spielberg has been at the forefront of Hollywoods reemergence as a dominant global industry. His 1975 film Jaws became the first modern blockbuster, revolutionizing the way Hollywood films are distributed and marketed. Jaws was released simultaneously in over 400 theaters, marketed extensively on national television, and timed for release in the summer, which linked thematically with its subject matter. In the 1980s, Spielberg showcased his storytelling talents with a series of hugely successful science fiction and adventure films such as Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), which explicitly appealed to younger audiences. These films brought families back into theaters with compelling stories that were in line with Reagan-era ideals of family values and American moral and technological supremacy (sparknotes.com). Unlike that of Spielberg, Stones controversial career has been defined by its rebuttal to modern American values and trends. In a period when American films have become less historical and oppositional, Stone has made four of the most important political films of his generation, Salvador (1986), Platoon (1986), Wall Street (1987) and JFK (1991), in which he looks critically at Americas military-industrial complex, capitalist institutions, and foreign policy. In an era defined by minimal political dissent, Stone has managed to produce controversial, instigating films because his considerable storytelling abilities have made many of his films commercially successful (sparknotes.com). Film has become a massive part of our society. Film influences pop culture, language, and fashion. Some movies teach us crucial life lessons, some expose American corruption, and some just provide us some much needed entertainment. The industry has evolved a lot since it began over a century ago. Every time period mentioned in this essay brought advancements to film. The Classical Period was a huge upgrade from the Silent Period because of the transition to sound. The Postwar Period was the most historically significant period of film. The Transitional Period reinvented the way Hollywood worked. The Contemporary Period shaped the films of today by introducing new concepts such as CGI and blockbuster multi part series. This is important because we can use films as doorways to the past. You can read about history, but to see it played out onscreen is incredible. By looking at films in the 60s, you can see how fashion then differed from the fashion we express today. By looking at a movi e from the 90s, you can see what slang was used back then. Film has shaped the world we live in today and will continue to do so in the future. Bibliography Eisenstein, S. (Director). (1925). The Battleship Potemkin [Motion picture on DVD]. Russia. Colman, D. (2011, September 20). The Birth of Film: 11 Firsts in Cinema. Retrieved October 04, 2016, from http://www.openculture.com/2011/09/the_birth_of_film_11_firsts_in_cinema.html Most Influential, Significant and Important Films in American Cinema Introduction. (n.d.). Retrieved October 04, 2016, from http://www.filmsite.org/mostinfluentialfilms.html 11 Essential Camera Techniques in Filmmaking With Animated Images. (n.d.). Retrieved October 04, 2016, from http://www.lavideofilmmaker.com/filmmaking/film-techniques.html Fox, D. (2015, October 20). The Room. Retrieved October 04, 2016, from http://moviepilot.com/ Bitoun, R. E. (2015, April 21). A History of Colour: The Difficult Transition from Black and White Cinematography. Retrieved October 04, 2016, from http://the-artifice.com/history-of-colour-film/ Semlyen, P. D. (2015, October 09). A History Of CGI In The Movies. Retrieved October 04, 2016, from http://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/history-cgi/ The Evolution of Acting. (2005, February 23). Retrieved October 04, 2016, from http://www.npr.org/series/4510430/the-evolution-of-acting The Film Rating System (CARA). (n.d.). Retrieved October 04, 2016, from http://filmratings.com/ Hurbis-Cherrier, M. (n.d.). Screenwriting. Retrieved October 04, 2016, from http://www.masteringfilm.com/the-key-stages-of-script-development-2/ Film Studies. SparkNotes. SparkNotes, 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2016.

College Writing in a Democratic and Digital Society :: Education College Technology Essays

College Writing in a Democratic and Digital Society Citizens of the United States spend obscene amounts of money to get a quality college education. For example, Rhetoric classes at Oakland University are costing each student about $600 to take for one semester. What are students getting for their money? One way to really make this class part of the college experience, and worth the high cost, would be to involve multiculturalism. Writing about and listening to other peoples personal experiences can help students learn about and better understand other cultures. This is important because it can help students learn about each other, themselves and the rest of the world. By learning about other cultures students may be able to break down existing barriers and expand their horizons. Rhetoric classes have become much more advanced in the area of technology. Technology has advanced all over the world, including in the classroom. Now the question is how do we use this technology to help better our education as well as our society. We need t o use this technology as a tool for literacy (Camper). Rhetoric teachers across the nation are taking different approaches to meeting the goal of spreading multiculturalism. A Professor of Rhetoric and Composition, from the University of Texas at Austin, named Maxine Hairston takes an interesting approach to teaching writing. She describes this style of teaching in an article entitled "Diversity, Ideology, and Teaching Writing." Hairston is a strong believer in spreading multiculturalism in education. She believes in a teaching style that allows students to express themselves freely through writing. Through this exchange of ideas, values, opinions, traditions and personal experiences students recognize and relate to other cultures and backgrounds. Hairston states that "these students bring with them a kaleidoscope of experiences, values, dialects, and cultural backgrounds that we want to respond to positively, using every resource we can to help them adapt to the academic world and become active participants in it" (Hairston). Basically, what Hairston wants to do is develop a curriculum that is not based on text book drills, but rather on the experience s of the students in the class. However, there are many students like myself, that spent all of their High School years in an environment with very little to no cultural diversity. I grew up in a neighborhood where I was surrounded by people that all shared a similar nationality, ethnic background, and even social class.

Older Siblings: A Second Father Figure Essay

Older siblings! Role models, influences, they carry much more responsibility than it appears. Older siblings, whether they know it or not, shape their younger one’s character and personality. Parents are important, but the older sibling may reinforce or disprove some of the lessons that the parents teach. Younger siblings may not admit to it but they look up to their older sibling and they emulate them. Older siblings particularly serve as agents of socialization who teach younger siblings by example about informal social behaviors, like how to act around friends. Younger siblings are also highly susceptible to acquiring older siblings’ negative habits, including but not limited to: underage drinking and smoking. Here’s an example, let’s look at the Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, some of you may have heard of them. Wilbur was 4 years older than Orville, they basically invented the airplane and had had the first controlled, powered flight. I think it’s safe to say that if Wilbur had never played with a toy ‘helicopter’ as a child, Orville never would have had the initial interest in flying. The same could be said for the Staal brothers, they play in the NHL. if Eric had never had interest in hockey and played baseball, Jordan, Marc and Jared never would have gotten into hockey. A lot of recent research shows that children learn undesirable behaviours like smoking, drinking and other delinquent acts from exposure to an older sibling’s behaviours as well as that of their sibling’s friends. It doesn’t matter if the siblings are of a similar age or spaced years apart, or of different gender. What is important was that parents encouraged siblings to develop a relationship where there is mutual respect. Parents are better at teaching the more formal settings – how to act in public or how to have manners at the dinner table. But siblings are better role models of the more informal behaviors: how to act at school or on the street, or, more importantly, how to act cool around friends. Siblings are closer to the social environments that children find themselves in during the majority of their day, which gives them a wider influence on them. Should parents support sibling closeness or not? Studies have shown that siblings may have positive or negative effects on their younger siblings. How would parents be able to moderate what the older sibling teaches to the younger one, or what traits rub off? The best method for it would be for the older sibling to have many positive habits, so that theyre is a greater chance of those habits rubbing off.

What Is Prp Health And Social Care Essay

For the past 30 old ages their have been specializers of all natures associating to athleticss public presentation every bit good as athleticss rehabilitation with whatever valuable resorts there were out at that place. We are merely get downing to farther survey these rules for bettering musculus, bone and tendon harm. The usage of autlogious and recombinant signifiers likewise are going an indispensable tool in handling more extended and never-say-die focussing on the use of growing factors and maximising protein secernment to advance healing of the bone and tissue on a cellular spectrum. What should be expected is that a choice few may venture into the research involved behind this comparatively new survey may see a steady slope of involvement on Platelet Rich Plasma and by merchandises every bit good as be the first to acknowledge the effects in hospital scenes, surgery centres, into outpatient, even into doctors ‘ offices such as Orthopedic clinics and more specifically Sp orts Medicine associations. A concentration of autologous thrombocytes contains thrombocyte rich plasma and releases into the affected are superficially through a procedure called ( degranulation ) at least seven different growing factors help excite bone besides used in soft tissue mending. This is done by shooting the organic structure with whole blood a procedure known as autologous blood injection ( ABI ) . and of import beginnings for our wellness for medical usage including wound mending while undergoing surgery, a really abundant symptom known as tendinitis, cardiac attention, gristle fix, spinal surgery, and dental wellness every bit good. PRP stimulates the foundations for fix and completes the rhythm of revascularization developed by a connective tissue base, so a food platform made up of epithelial cells can get down to migrate to the affected country. After lesions form from surgery, epithelial coverings of open tissue and connective tissue, the development of corium are the basic mechanism that reduces marking and provides a the maximal procedure of regeneration in normal skin pigmentation so that station operative fix will be accepted more cosmetically friendly. And for bone fix platelet-rich plasma ( PRP ) it can be added autogenously to cram or to a mixture for managing during surgery and minimising particulatar migration every bit good as to add increased thrombocytes into the country where a peculiar hurt occurs. In certain instances affecting invasive fix of articulations, sinews, and ligaments, so the new option is to garner blood from the patient which is processed into PRP and so injected into a localised country to with the end of speed uping healing. PRP What Is It? The specialised atoms of PRP are more clearly be understood as thrombocytes that are little mononucleiated atoms in peripheral blood responsible for a figure of proteins, cytokines and other bioactive elements used in modulating and handling lesion healing. A normal thrombocyte counts step in blood scope is 150,000uL ( micro-liters ) to 350,000uL. Plasma is the unstable part of blood assorted with coagulating factors including proteins and ions. A thrombocyte count of 1,000,000uL peers every bit much as 5mL of plasma, which in bend expresses the phenomenon behind the consequences in mending. The cytokines specifically classified as transforming growing factor, platelet-derived growing factor, insulin like growing factor, fibroblast growing factor, cuticular growing factor, vascular endothelial growing factor and endothelial cell growing factor ( Stanford University Medical Center- Anonymous ) . All these cytokines are all seen in biological ratios these bioactive factors contain heavy granules in thrombocytes making the dense coagulating substance needed to trip factors such as histamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, Dopastat and adenosine. The phases of lesion healing and major constituents are redness, proliferation and fix. The initial stage given the peculiar type of tissue hurt involves a stimulation of growing factors in the curdling formation. Histamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine are used to increase blood flow and more specifically inflammatory cells a better entree site for nearing redness. Adenosine receptors help allow cell adhesions in lesion healing. Platelet rich plasma can merely be made of antiocoagulated blood an add-on of citrate to whole blood to adhere the ionised Ca and suppressing coagulating rush. The existent stairss involve two of import processs where whole blood removed from the patient is spun in a extractor, dividing the cells of the blood. The first centrifugation method is to divide the ruddy and white blood cells from plasma and blood thrombocytes, as the white and ruddy blood cells are much larger than thrombocytes. The 2nd centrifugation is thought to insulate the thrombocytes more successfully and easy able to divide the PRP from thrombocyte hapless plasma ( PPP ) . This microenvironment consequences in chemotaxis of inflammatory cells every bit good as the activation and proliferation of local primogenitor cells. In most instances, fibroblastic cicatrix tissue is formed. In some scenes, nevertheless, such as in a break callosity, these condit ions can besides ease the formation of new bone tissue ( AAOS By Barbara D. Boyan, PhD ; Zvi Schwartz, DMD, PhD ; Thomas E. Patterson, PhD ; and George Muschler, MD ) Existing engineering enables the isolation every bit good as a concentrated value of the patient ‘s ain thrombocytes. PRP readying is non entirely responsible for autogenic osteogenic cells but instead more significantly dependant of the presence of a local osteogenic population. The consequences are an increasing sum of osteoblastic cells and copiousness of matrix synthesis, PRP promotes fibroblastic growing, cicatrix formation every bit good as distinction. Role of Mending PRP is used chiefly for soft tissue hurts including sprains, strains, tendinitis, every bit good as bursitis. One valuable constituent to the handling and proper usage of PRP is the demand for concise ultrasound needle counsel. In order to be able to happen the exact location of the hurt site, a dynamic musculoskeletal ultrasound unit is used. The ultrasound provides a image of the deep tissues within the organic structure in order to place the exact location required to see positive consequences, the patient is prepared with a local anaesthetic by and large lidocane. The patient is so observed for 15-20 proceedingss in order to document immediate response to injection and so will be discharged. Because there may be uncomfortableness experienced the patient is advised to look for any symptoms associating to trouble or swelling at the site of injection for up to one hebdomad, patients are encouraged to frost the injection site, elevate the limb, modify activity or more normally known as R.I.C.E ( remainder, ice, compaction and elevate ) . The administrating specializer using the injection of PRP requires a well-experienced doctor that non merely has a good apprehension and research behind the foundations of this stuff but must besides get the hang the rules involved in successful usage of the ultrasound acerate leaf. Prior to debut of the PRP stuff multiple holes need to be implemented to the injured sinew or Bursa in order to travel frontward with intervention. PRP consequences province that approximately 20 % of the clip intervention may hold to be repeated peculiarly if there is no important betterment over the undermentioned four hebdomads. Surprisingly any anti-inflammatory drugs are recommended to be avoided for the undermentioned four hebdomads of PRP application. Although the process is considered safe, possible side-effects could happen and patient should be cognizant of the followers: †¢ Allergic reaction †¢ Infection †¢ Scar tissue formation †¢ Neurovascular hurt †¢ Calcification at the injection site Contraindications are specific conditions of the patient in which the intervention should non be used because it may conflict with a anterior or bing status. Contraindications for PRP include the undermentioned preexisting conditions: †¢ Presence of a tumour †¢ Metastatic disease †¢ Active Infections †¢ Pregnancy and/or active breastfeeding Treatment on musculuss and sinews ( most common hurts ) By and large the usage in orthopaedic application for PRP is most normally associated with chronic tendinopathies, actue ligament hurts, musculus hurts and bone devolution. Tendons are structures that connect musculuss to the bone. Any hurt or general wear and tear of the sinew causes an inflammatory status called tendinosis which frequently occurs in the cubitus, Achilles sinews, articulatio genus, and shoulder. The chronic tendinopathy intervention will be a common intervention for sidelong epicondylitis who have had unsuccessful interventions including physical therapy and Cortone Acetate injections. The terminal end is to obtain full scope of gesture working at the same time on beef uping with small to no hurting or other residuary effects. Another type of tendon hurt includes Achilles tendinopathy ( paratendinitis, paratendinitis with tendinosis, and pure tendinosis ) which is localized tendon redness every bit good as deficiency extensibility with the possible to wholly tear, b y aiming and reconstructing utilizing tenocytes bring forthing an addition in collagen filaments. In the lower appendage a common sinew issue lies in the patellar tendinopathy most normally affecting the proximal bone and tendon junction or joint line. The ground for common dislocation in the patellar sinew is normally related to inordinate force or strength in athletics or activity every bit good as proper footwear and or equipment. The strength issues can be observed by factors such as musculus instability or failing which may do a sensitivity in activity particularly in jumping and film editing. A Dr. Mishra published positive consequences in patients with chronic cubitus tendinitis ( American Journal of Sports Medicine- 2006 ) . The shoulder is a different and more complex facet much more extended than the cubitus. This is an country where jobs can originate associating to rotator cuff hurts including instability, AC joint arthritis and even nervousnesss issues in the cervical spinal column such as a herniated cervical vertabrae. So to find the value of PRP in shoulders it will take more clip and many more surveies until we can find the forecast for PRP injections and their success. Several clinical sawboness are administrating this intervention in pattern where it allows the freedom to measure the advancement in patients, but other than physical therapy and modes such as ultrasound used to make more snap in the country and increase blood flow every bit good as ice and remainder but unlike the PRP injection there are few types of intervention that will diminish hurting and redness. That ‘s why PRP is the following alternate measure in keeping maximal public presentation when physical demands are required in athletics or day-to-day activities. The most unproved country that requires more s urvey to endorse research is how PRP can be linked to cartilage Restoration which would take a large spring in Orthopaedics because these types of hurts are so prevelant in athletics. Articular gristle hurts and DJD degenerative articulation disease are more copiously researched in athleticss medical specialty and how it can correlate to the usage of PRP injections is a really influential subject and it has already posed a positive grade in athleticss medical specialty and orthopedic surgery imitating hyaline like tissue that integrates with similar gristle. Showing good consequences utilizing PRP in handling gristle lesions and regeneration by modulating cells, growing factors and protein synthesis the recovery for a peculiar type of gristle dislocation can be critical in returning to feature sooner than subsequently. Influence in Sports medical specialty and jocks PRP therapy made athleticss headlines when Hines Ward sprained his median collateral ligament in his articulatio genus in the AFC Championship Game he so received a fluctuation of PRP therapy from the Steelers squad doctor and two hebdomads subsequently when most had thought he would be shut down for the balance of the season normally ensuing in four to six months of rehab and strength and conditioning, he could so restart athletics, but when he went on to catch two of the biggest base on ballss in his calling in a Super Bowl triumph people took notice. After seeing Hines Ward return every bit rapidly as he did and be so productive the public oculus became intrigued by this recovery procedure and the extended research began. The general public perceives therapy effectiveness more favourably when pro jocks are able to return to feature with a quicker recovery clip than standard protocols suggest and since they are on such a big platform where a said jock could hold a diagnosings that requires several months or what could be a partial sum of the season and is back merely hebdomads subsequently, everyon e wants to hold an chance to obtain such intervention from your recreational jock to your 9-5 occupational person. Peoples such as Hines Ward, Tiger Woods and Troy Polamalu are merely a few ace jocks that are relied on to execute at the highest degree and who have attributed their patterned advance and recovery to PRP. Star athlete disbursals of class non straight out of pocket can do upward to 10s of 1000000s of dollars and that may travel unnoticed when researching the options of intervention for recovery. The concern facet of pro athleticss has as of late brought on a overplus of illegal substances in order to hike athletic public presentation. The likes of Tiger Woods even explored this comparatively new signifier of recovery and had a PRP injection in his articulatio genus in order to vie in a major tourney that is on such a large spectrum that merely the fact entirely that he was n't forced to lose anytime off from the athletics following surgery rose inquiries rivals and athl eticss authors likewise began go arounding false information, that blood spinning was being confused with blood doping. Even claiming that PRP involved being injected with calf or animate being blood and PRP was in some manner related or had the same rules incorporated with HGH ( human growing endocrine ) . Thankfully Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta cleared up any inquiry sing the PRP in jocks and the legal issues environing it in a section about Tiger Woods existent usage associating to PRP usage. And most late jocks such as John Daly ( professional golf player ) , Joakim Noah ( professional hoops participant ) , Brandon Roy ( professional hoops participant ) , Blake Griffin ( professional hoops participant ) , James Blake ( professional tennis participant ) and Cliff Lee ( professional baseball participant ; pitcher in game 1 of the World Series this twelvemonth ) all among the persons of injured jocks who received PRP for assorted hurts. The building worker with terrible Achilles sinew issues suppressing them from returning to work is an implicit in issue for the support that PRP research is having and in actuality merely as an athlete returns to feature that he may be able to return back to work. The instructor who is invariably on their pess all twenty-four hours and life with creaky hurting in his/her articulatio genuss likely sing traveling on disablement or even other options for a calling does non necessitate to settle and without holding to hold a process done most and by and large treated with a entire articulatio genus athroplasty. PRP benefits include the chance to salvage occupations and return patients back to day-to-day activities and better lives non merely amongst high profile jocks but occupational hurts as good.

The Credit Crunch Essays

The Credit Crunch Essays The Credit Crunch Essay The Credit Crunch Essay Impact of the Credit Crunch; the personal disposable income of consumers is to a large extent determined by the availability of credit and the economic condition. With the current economic and financial situation which has resulted in a general contraction of consumers spending ability, several industries have watched their revenues plummet. Businesses in general are experiencing difficulty in obtaining loans from banks for major investments and expansions due to the unavailability of credit and tighter credit conditions. Analysis by Ovum (a global advisory and reporting firm) has revealed that the mobile network operators revenue has not been impinged on by the credit crunch. They go on to report that overall, MNOs have seen a steady growth in revenues18. O2 reported a 10% growth in revenues in their 2008 end of year financial statement despite the testing financial times19. Also, a survey carried out by Mintel showed that although consumers were pessimistic about the condition of the economy, a large percentage was not willing to cut costs on their mobile phone usage. Their results disclosed that only 12% of their research respondents were looking to switch network for cheaper deals20. Subsequent analysis by Ovum in December 2008 showed that network operators may actually begin to feel the impact of the financial crises on their revenue. Also, with interest rates which have taken a nose-dive- from 5. 25% in February 2008 to 0. 5% at March 2009 after several cuts by the Bank of England, and the quantitative easing policy1 that has been implemented, it is expected that consumers will have more access to credit, and spending will be encouraged. O2 reported that its revenues were up by 7% in the first three months of 200921.   Times have changed. About 25 years ago in the UK, everyone survived without owning and using a mobile phone. However, in this present time, mobile phones have without a doubt formed a huge part of our lives as the need for communication is increases. Mobile phones serve many great purposes to users; necessary contacts can easily and promptly be accessed in an emergency, business users are able to carry out their businesses more swiftly amongst other uses. Consumers have stated that they own and value their mobile phones for both functional reasons such as convenience, personal safety, security and business and also less practical reasons such as fashion and style22. As well as increasing need for communication, an ongoing trend is increasing impatience to receive required information. The UK has become a population constantly on the go and in todays fast moving world more users require information and hope to receive it in very minimal time without much delay23. This is reflected in the innovation and use of the 3G services now offered to users by their network operators. Orange supplied figures which showed that mobile data downloads has increased by 108% in the last three months and their 3G customer base now stands at 3. 8 million users24. With 3G, users have direct access to high speed internet on the go, the ability to retrieve emails, and other required information. This trend does not favour fixed-line services and remains an advantage for network operators. DIY Broadband; in the UK, more and more people have access to high speed net connections. This media age trend has resulted in consumers having the ability to do things themselves; surf the web, compare prices between various network providers and find the most suitable deals. Also, consumers are actively sharing experiences, preferences, pros and cons of different network providers and deals on price comparison and consumer rating sites such as uswitch. With access to faster internet and availability of such useful information, consumers are more aware of what they want and are able compare prices to find the best deals. Consequently, this has ensued in increased competition between providers as they seek to provide the best deal in order to retain customers and attract new ones. This trend has also adversely affected the revenue of providers who are unable to keep up with the high level of competition25. Figure 2: Broadband Penetration in the UK from 2004-2008 Source; Mintel Reports, Mobile Phones and Network Providers UK November 2008. in the UK there are now more people of pensionable age over 60- than people under the age of 16. This consumer group-elderly has been forecasted to be the fastest growing population segment in the next five years as the UK is moves towards an ageing population26. The elderly typically face difficulties with the use of mobile phones such as reading from the small phone screens, incompatibility with hearing aids and increasing complex technology. Although the current over 65s have grown with technology, they generally have low spending ability and as such the ageing population trend may not be favourable to the industry. Nonetheless, this negativity is likely to be offset by the generally expanding UK population, and the increasing population of the 15-24 and 25-34 age groups27. These categories of consumers are more technology-savvy and typically opt for more stylish handsets packed with functionality. These segments therefore present a strategic target group for network operators. A Greener Society;, preventing climate change and saving the environment is a trend affecting most industries around the world but has been reported to be a major issue of concern for the telecoms industry for 200928. Several initiatives implemented by Ofcom aimed at reducing the industrys carbon dioxide emissions include; reducing power consumed by Information Systems, driving down building energy consumption, reducing business travel and increasing use of conferencing technology, further reducing paper consumption and further reducing the volume of waste sent to landfill by encouraging more recycling. Implementing these initiatives is beneficial to the network operators not only because they are doing their bit to save the planet, but because it conveys positive messages about the brand, boosts the brand perception as well as provides a differential advantage from competitors28. Also, with increasing mobile phone users and the need for network operators to improve coverage, more and more masts have being erected around the country. Currently, there are 51 300 base station sites which may rise to 52 500 by the end of 200929. These masts typically consumer a lot of energy and impact negatively on the environment. Subsequently, this has triggered concern by the public and environmental activists. Operators have made efforts to reduce high energy consumption by developing base stations that utilize lower energy levels30.

Free Essays on John Wooden

Wooden John Wooden shares the important personal philosophies that helped make him the winningest college coach of all time. Wooden’s codes are of the traditional kind, centering on family, faith, friends off the court and organization, dedication, and preparation on the hardwood. This look talks about more than just basketball. It talks about the most important game of all- life. It teaches you that hard work and determination can get you anywhere. It also teaches you lessons on life that will make you a great player and person. John Robert Wooden was born on October 10, 1910 in Martinsville, Indiana. He is the son of Joshua and Roxie Anna Wooden. John is a big family man, and it’s a good thing because he has a large family. Shortly after high school, he married his sweetheart Nell, they had two children, son James and daughter Nancy. He also has seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. In high school John led Martinsville High to the 1927 Indiana State title. John went on to Purdue University where he earned All-American honors as a point guard from 1930-1932. He also led Purdue to the National Championship and later named College Basketball Player of the Year in 1932. After turning down a chance to play professional so he could be closer to his family. John decided to teach and coach at a high school. John had a few more coaching jobs before he landed the one at UCLA. Coach Wooden led UCLA to an unprecedented ten NCAA Basketball Championships in 12 years, including seven in a row. J ohn Wooden became the first player ever to be inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player (1960) and a coach in 1972 and retired in 1975 with a 40-year coaching record of 885-203, the winningest record in the history of basketball. John Wooden was raised on a farm in Indiana. His parents, Joshua and Roxie Anna, taught John from the time he was young how to act and treat others. John learned how to be ... Free Essays on John Wooden Free Essays on John Wooden Wooden John Wooden shares the important personal philosophies that helped make him the winningest college coach of all time. Wooden’s codes are of the traditional kind, centering on family, faith, friends off the court and organization, dedication, and preparation on the hardwood. This look talks about more than just basketball. It talks about the most important game of all- life. It teaches you that hard work and determination can get you anywhere. It also teaches you lessons on life that will make you a great player and person. John Robert Wooden was born on October 10, 1910 in Martinsville, Indiana. He is the son of Joshua and Roxie Anna Wooden. John is a big family man, and it’s a good thing because he has a large family. Shortly after high school, he married his sweetheart Nell, they had two children, son James and daughter Nancy. He also has seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. In high school John led Martinsville High to the 1927 Indiana State title. John went on to Purdue University where he earned All-American honors as a point guard from 1930-1932. He also led Purdue to the National Championship and later named College Basketball Player of the Year in 1932. After turning down a chance to play professional so he could be closer to his family. John decided to teach and coach at a high school. John had a few more coaching jobs before he landed the one at UCLA. Coach Wooden led UCLA to an unprecedented ten NCAA Basketball Championships in 12 years, including seven in a row. J ohn Wooden became the first player ever to be inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player (1960) and a coach in 1972 and retired in 1975 with a 40-year coaching record of 885-203, the winningest record in the history of basketball. John Wooden was raised on a farm in Indiana. His parents, Joshua and Roxie Anna, taught John from the time he was young how to act and treat others. John learned how to be ...

Definition and Examples of Creoles

Definition and Examples of Creoles In linguistics, a creole is a type of  natural  language that developed historically from a pidgin and came into existence at a fairly precise point in time.  English creoles are spoken by  some of the people in  Jamaica, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, and  parts of Georgia and South Carolina. The historical  transition from a pidgin to a creole is called creolization.  Decreolization is the process by  which a creole language gradually becomes more like the standard language of a region (or the acrolect). The language that provides a creole with most of its vocabulary is called the lexifier language. For example, the lexifier language of Gullah (also called  Sea Island Creole English) is English.   Examples and Observations of Creole Creolization-  A pidgin is the combination of two or more languages which sometimes occurs in trade contact, multi-ethnic or refugee situations, where participants need a functioning common language. . . . Sometimes the pidgin becomes stable and established and comes to be spoken as a mother-tongue by children: the language has then become a creole, which quickly develops in complexity and is used in all functional settings. The process of turning a pidgin into a creole is called ​creolization.(Robert Lawrence Trask and Peter Stockwell, Language and Linguistics: The Key Concepts. Routledge, 2007)-   A creole has a jargon or a pidgin in its ancestry; it is spoken natively by an entire speech community, often one whose ancestors were displaced geographically so that their ties with their original language and sociocultural identity were partly broken. Such social conditions were often the result of slavery.(John A. Holm, An Introduction to Pidgins and Creoles. Cambridge Univ ersity Press, 2000) Similar Features of CreolesLinguists have been struck by the similarities between widely separated creoles. These include such features as SVO word order, pre-verbal negation, lack of a formal passive voice, questions with the same forms as statements, and copula deletion. Some linguists argue that such similarities are evidence of an innate language faculty or bioprogram- that in conditions of impoverished linguistic input, children will nevertheless develop a fully fledged syntax based on universal grammar.(Michael Pearce, The Routledge Dictionary of English Language Studies. Routledge, 2007)Gullah-  The English variety spoken by descendants of Africans on the coast of South Carolina is known as Gullah and has been identified as a creole. Of all the vernaculars associated with African Americans, it is the one that diverges the most from (White) middle-class varieties in North America.(S.S. Mufwene, North American Varieties of English as Byproducts of Population Contacts, in The W orkings of Language, ed. by R. S. Wheeler. Greenwood, 1999)- On possible to get straight wood from crooked timber.(A Gullah  proverb,  from  The Gullah People and Their African Heritage, 2005)- The Gullah lexicon is  largely English. From his research conducted in the late 1930s, Lorenzo Turner was the first linguist to document over 4000 Africanisms in the Gullah lexicon,  many of them used as basket names (e.g. Gullah nicknames). Today you can still hear in normal everyday conversations such African retentions as  buckra white man, tita elder sister, dada mother or elder sister, nyam eat/meat, sa quickly, benne sesame, una you, and da the verb to be.  Other Gullah Africanisms such as  cooter turtle, tote to carry, okra plant food, gumbo stew, and goober peanut are widely used in mainstream American English.(Concise Encyclopedia of Languages of the World, ed. by  Keith Brown and Sarah Ogilvie.  Elsevier, 2009 Disagreements Over the Creole Roots of Black English in the U.S.[A]s for various arguments that Black English displays African or creole roots because of the role that aspect plays in its grammar (e.g., DeBose and Faraclas 1993), the issue is in fact not yet sufficiently examined to stand as an accepted fact. For one, tense plays a much more central role in Black English grammar than in Creoles or the West African languages of the Upper Guinea region, underlyingly marking the past and future as obligatorily as any Indo-European grammar (cf. also Winford 1998: 116). Second, typical of Creolist Hypothesis advocates generally insufficient attention to English dialects, the aspect arguments do not address the role that aspect in nonstandard British dialects may have played. This gap in argumentation alone renders the linkage of Black English aspect to Africa and creoles seriously incomplete, which is all the more significant given that there is indeed evidence that nonstandard British di alects are more aspect-focused than standard English (Trugdill and Chambers 1991).(John H. McWhorter, Defining Creoles. Oxford University  Press, 2005) Pronunciation: KREE-ol

Definitions of Discipline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Definitions of Discipline - Essay Example Among all the other strategies suggested by Charles, the most effective one seems to relate to the students personally. Discipline and behavior management is a fundamental part of concern in pedagogical interests. Failure of a teacher to execute appropriate strategic measures to resolve differences that often occur between teacher and students springs forth a bitterness of teaching experience. Those measures must be performed to reconcile this rift. Disciplining understood in its action involves mending the wrong-doing of a student by using appropriate measures. But the term, as Charles (2008, p.9) points, is often referred to â€Å"coercion and forceful tactics† of the teachers. Management is therefore, the appropriate word to describe â€Å"preventing, suppressing, and redirecting misbehavior† (p. 9). The approaches suggested by C.M. Charles (2008) in his book play handy in controlling misbehaviors of the students in the class. Firstly it must be agreed that often times students misbehave for reasons that the teacher is either responsible for or he/she has no knowledge about. Wynne (1990, p. 177) argues that â€Å"teachers should have clear personal visions of their own discipline and character standards†. An action, big or small, calls for a disciplinary reaction when, as Charles (P.8) notes, a student engages in behavior â€Å"that is inappropriate for the setting or situation in which it occurs. First of his suggestions to â€Å"Prevent† (Charles, p. 7) any of misbehaviors from occurring, might seem futile and impractical on first look. That is because the relative implication of ‘preventing’ a student’s inappropriate behavior that occurs independently and mostly unpredictably, is difficult to meet. However, this strategy is not different from what Purkey and Strahan (2002, p.3) argue as inviting five â€Å"P’s†, â€Å"people, places, policies, programs,

Which is bigger Feel the Fear or The Giant Essay

Which is bigger Feel the Fear or The Giant - Essay Example Findings also indicate that the maximum and minimum heights for the Giant coaster are 36.434 metres and -96.434 metres. The difference between maximum and minimum heights is 132.868 metres. The analysis indicates that the dimensions of the rectangular enclosure that will give maximum possible area are 51 metres by 51 metres. The maximum possible area of the enclosure will be 2601 square metres. The analysis also indicates that the dimensions of the snack box that would give the maximum volume are 6.67 cm x 13.33 cm x 26.67 cm. The maximum volume of the snack box will be 2370.37 cubic cm. A mathematical model is a description of a system using mathematical concepts and languages. It is a mathematical representation of the relationship between two or more variables relevant to a given situation or problem. Mathematical modelling is the process of developing a mathematical model. It provides a method for solving problems mathematically. It is used to describe a real - world event, to investigate important questions about the observed world, to explain real-world event, to test ideas and to make predictions about the real world (Berry & Houston, 1995). In this report, mathematical modelling will be used to investigate the difference between maximum and minimum heights for the Feel the Fear coaster and the Giant coaster using differentiation, and maxima and minima concepts. The differentiation, and maxima and minima concepts will be also used to find the length and width of a rectangular enclosure for a given fixed fencing of 100 metres so that the enclosed area is maximized. The differentiation, and maxima and minima concepts will be used to determine the dimensions of a snack box from a 40cm by 40cm cardboard that would give maximum possible volume In this report, I used differentiation, and maxima and minima concepts to find the answers. The maximum and minimum heights for the Feel the Fear coaster

Newdow case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Newdow case - Essay Example Since conservatives are likely to support the religious aspect then they are more likely to oppose changes on the pledge. The conservatives would prefer the oath to have some religious significance other than being a meaningless political or social statement. Most religious people, who are often considered to be conservative, were opposed to Newdow opinion since they felt that it was morally repugnant. A true conservative would be opposed to any move to fully separate the state and religion as the Newdow case required. For a conservative, inclusion of religious value in school aspects helps in shaping them morally. For them the phrase in the pledge is a mere acknowledgement of a religious nation and does not affect anyone’s beliefs. Furthermore, conservative would argue that no one is usually forced to recite the contentious phrases. Additionally, conservatives fell that it is part of their responsibility to share their belief with others. Conservatism is all about practicing morality in addition to maintaining the existing norms. It entails supporting that which affects the majority and in the case of Newdow, the majority was those opposed to removal of the phrase. Conservatives would thus oppose any moves to remove the contentious phrase (Williams

Racial discrimination between UK and USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Racial discrimination between UK and USA - Essay Example It is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against a potential employee on the grounds of race, colour, nationality, or ethnic or national origins, which the Act calls collectively 'racial grounds'. Discrimination may be unfavourable treatment of an applicant for a job, offering less favourable terms of employment than other persons might expect or simply refusing a person's application.Discrimination may occur once a person is actually in employment, through lack of opportunities for promotion, transfer and training, refusal of benefits or facilities normally available to an employee, or unreasonable dismissal. It was not until the 1960s that race became a major public issue in British politics. It was, however over the issue of 'immigration', which became the focus of attention rather than the question of racial equality. In the eighteen months before the passage of the Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962 over 200,000 black immigrants had arrived in Britain almost as many as in th e five years 1955 to 1960 and marginally fewer than black immigrants entering the country between July 1962 and the end of 1967. This period was marked by a sharp shift in public opinion towards immigration. In 1962, a few months before the passage of the Act, 62 per cent of the public favored controls and 23 percent favored free entry but by April 1968 the corresponding figures were 95 per cent and 1 per cent respectively. While the diversity of reasons for this shift in public opinion has been well documented 2, one constant theme has been, in the politics of race in Britain, the search by political leaders from the major parties to depoliticise this issue by papering over party differences 3. By the 1960s both major parties subscribed to the view that immigration should be controlled because immigrants placed great strain on employment and housing. It was only the Labour Party, 'albeit' with substantial ambivalence, which supported the idea of anti-discrimination legislation. By the time that Britain's first civil rights law, the Race Relations Act 1965, had been passed, for many, blacks had become synonymous with immigrants. Moreover prior to the Local Government Act of 1966 (Section 11) the general laissez-faire attitude of Central and Local Government meant that virtually nothing had been done to cater for the problems that many immigrants experienced in housing, employment and education. As Burney 4 observed, in the absence of Central Government direction and incentives, many local authorities, frequently in areas of high immigration and Labour controlled, behaved as though blacks did not exist: 'most Labour controlled councils made a habit of resolutely ignoring imm igration, to the extent of, wherever possible, ignoring immigrants'. So far as access to housing was recognised as an issue of concern in relation to ethnic minorities, a resolutely colour-blind approach was advocated whereby the real need was perceived to be to alleviate the housing shortage and to provide for those in greatest need. There should be no attempt to discriminate positively in favour of such minorities to remove the racial disadvantage, which they had experienced 5. At the time of the 1965 Race Relations Act the majority of blacks resident in the United Kingdom were immigrants and were likely to experience or to have experienced difficulties in the following areas: Problems associated with settlement and establishment. Differences in the dominant form of household structure and size being met by shortage

Health and Wellness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health and Wellness - Essay Example The cost of cancer, the dreaded disease, is about half that amount. In the past few decades, obesity has increased by 100 percent among children and adolescents (Stevens, 2003). Overweight is not just about looks but it also encompasses a wide array of medical as well as emotional problems. The major risks related to overweight are poor quality of life and the reduction of life span due to diseases. Some of the medical consequences include diabetes, hypertension, heart problems, arthritis and cancer. The psychological consequences of overweight include disrupted self image, depression and lack of confidence. Hence, it is essential to creatively think how a physical exercise and nutrition wellness lifestyle would improve life Before we get into the details of physical and nutritional aspects of lifestyle it is essential to think what are the important lifestyle factors that play a large role in maintaining good health Positive health habits include: 7 to 8 hours of good sleep each night; healthy eating habits; maintaining a healthy weight; regular physical exercise; avoiding alcohol, smoking and drug abuse; performing self-examinations frequently; and 6 to 8 glasses of water each day (Assess Nutrition and Wellness, N.D.). Physical activity and nutrition have been identifi... Research conducted around the world has demonstrated the benefits of an active lifestyle and sound nutritional practices. The first major benefit that greatly influence an individual is the prevention of chronic diseases as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, as well as several forms of cancer (Nutrition Exercise & Wellness, 2005). Secondly, it is not only a benefit to individual but it is an economic gain for the entire nation as healthy people means healthy nation. 2. Two specific daily/weekly actions you can take toward your goal Unhealthy eating habits can cause long-term health consequences. Poor habits, lack of accurate information, and peer pressure can cause many individuals to jeopardize their health. Accurate information about nutrition and good decision-making skills will help them to improve their health now and for the future. It would be easier to ensure a healthful diet by relying on food supplements such as pills, liquids, or powders that contain purified nutrients in specific amounts. However, common man may find it difficult to buy expensive supplements. Hence, planning an appropriate diet with sufficient quantities of proteins, vitamins, minerals and fiber is essential. One can sit with a dietitian to find out the specific need and plan accordingly. Physical exercise is an important step for having a healthy life. Regular exercise will help individuals to reduce weight and have a good physic. Health professionals advise to lose weight gradually i.e. approximately two pounds per week in weight loss is maximum recommended (Assess Nutrition and Wellness, N.D.). This can be achieved through proper exercise and planned diet. 3. Time lines for implementing your action

Math Tutoring center Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Math Tutoring center - Essay Example Therefore, a Math Tutoring Center in the university would be a welcome idea. Many American universities have a Math Tutoring Center where students go for further assistance in various units in math. Most of the Math Tutoring Centers work in a walk-in walk-out basis whereby, students do not need to book for appointments. This is a great advantage for students since they can get assistance at the convenience of their own time. For instance, it would be necessary to book an appointment with a lecturer and sometimes the appointment may not materialize. Therefore, the Math Tutoring Center becomes the best alternative for students. This is a good motivation factor to the students especially considering the fact that university professors are hard to find. However much mathematics professors and lecturers would want to assist all students, they are limited by availability of time. Additionally, some students are not open to their lecturers. Therefore, students would feel more comfortable being assisted in a Math Tutoring Center. It is important to note that a Math Tutoring center offers math tutoring in a different set up thereby breaking the class monotony. This makes learning mathematics an interesting and enjoyable endeavor for students. Therefore, students will be motivated to put more efforts in learning especially considering that they will not have to wait for specified time to get assistance. More importantly is the fact that math tutoring centers foster faster learning because the assistance is offered instantly. Math tutoring centers are essential in providing teaching options in mathematics. First, mathematics is taught in a different approach than the one used in class set up. Although this may further confuse some students, the different methodological approach makes it possible for the student to understand the math concepts in different perspective. Secondly, the one to one approach in learning mathematics supported in math

Health and Wellness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health and Wellness - Essay Example The cost of cancer, the dreaded disease, is about half that amount. In the past few decades, obesity has increased by 100 percent among children and adolescents (Stevens, 2003). Overweight is not just about looks but it also encompasses a wide array of medical as well as emotional problems. The major risks related to overweight are poor quality of life and the reduction of life span due to diseases. Some of the medical consequences include diabetes, hypertension, heart problems, arthritis and cancer. The psychological consequences of overweight include disrupted self image, depression and lack of confidence. Hence, it is essential to creatively think how a physical exercise and nutrition wellness lifestyle would improve life Before we get into the details of physical and nutritional aspects of lifestyle it is essential to think what are the important lifestyle factors that play a large role in maintaining good health Positive health habits include: 7 to 8 hours of good sleep each night; healthy eating habits; maintaining a healthy weight; regular physical exercise; avoiding alcohol, smoking and drug abuse; performing self-examinations frequently; and 6 to 8 glasses of water each day (Assess Nutrition and Wellness, N.D.). Physical activity and nutrition have been identifi... Research conducted around the world has demonstrated the benefits of an active lifestyle and sound nutritional practices. The first major benefit that greatly influence an individual is the prevention of chronic diseases as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, as well as several forms of cancer (Nutrition Exercise & Wellness, 2005). Secondly, it is not only a benefit to individual but it is an economic gain for the entire nation as healthy people means healthy nation. 2. Two specific daily/weekly actions you can take toward your goal Unhealthy eating habits can cause long-term health consequences. Poor habits, lack of accurate information, and peer pressure can cause many individuals to jeopardize their health. Accurate information about nutrition and good decision-making skills will help them to improve their health now and for the future. It would be easier to ensure a healthful diet by relying on food supplements such as pills, liquids, or powders that contain purified nutrients in specific amounts. However, common man may find it difficult to buy expensive supplements. Hence, planning an appropriate diet with sufficient quantities of proteins, vitamins, minerals and fiber is essential. One can sit with a dietitian to find out the specific need and plan accordingly. Physical exercise is an important step for having a healthy life. Regular exercise will help individuals to reduce weight and have a good physic. Health professionals advise to lose weight gradually i.e. approximately two pounds per week in weight loss is maximum recommended (Assess Nutrition and Wellness, N.D.). This can be achieved through proper exercise and planned diet. 3. Time lines for implementing your action

Strategic planing Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic planing - Coursework Example A business can combine other strategies like Cost Leadership or Differentiation strategy for the focus group along with the Market Niche Strategy to maximize its sales. It can identify a market segment for its product and then try to further its edge in the limited competition within that group by either differentiating its product based on the exclusivity etc. or by creating an edge through Cost Leadership strategies for that market segment. â€Å"This strategy provides the company the possibility to charge a premium price for superior quality (differentiation focus) or by offering a low price product to a small and specialised group of buyers (cost focus).† ( Essay on Porter’s Generic Strategies) Ferrari is a very good example of a business which is employing the Niche Strategy in automobile industry along with Differentiation strategy. It has created a car which is a status symbol thus differentiating itself from other automobiles but it is only catering to a small number of customers all over the world. It is also providing a unique customer service to its client for life by picking and dropping off the cars on customer’s doorstep for maintenance and repairs. This exclusive service helps it differentiate itself even within the market niche of luxury sports cars. Vertical Integration. Is your company vertically integrated? If so, is it fully, or partially, integrated? If not, would such a move yield potentially high competitive rewards? Explain your rationale. You can also use a past firm or one with which you are familiar.( use a firm that you are familiar with) Andrew Carnegie’s steel operation in nineteenth century is a classic example of vertical Integration. As the concept of Vertical Integration means that a company controls several or all the steps in the production of a product or service to gain maximum control of that market. This concept was fully employed by Andrew Carnegie who became the steel

Developing Evaluative Skills Through Critiquing Quantitative Research

Developing Evaluative Skills Through Critiquing Quantitative Research Nursing is becoming a progressively evidence base profession. Arguably, Nightingale first popularised the link between nursing theory, nursing practice and research to inform an appropriate evidence base, and progress towards this goal has been ongoing ever since (Graham 2003). In nursing, a critique is often seen as a first step in learning the research process. However, conducting a critique is not a basic skill (Burns and Grove 2004). The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC, 2008) ruled it mandatory for the pre-registration nursing curriculum to teach EBP as a fundamental principle of proficiency. Research has become a priority for nurses of all specialities. This paper seeks to demonstrate how these evaluative skills can be developed by critiquing a quantitative research study. An acknowledgement of the credibility of the authors, the publishing journal, and the methods used the data collection and analysis, findings, ethical issues and the strengths and weakness of the research is made. The paper will be considered using the CASP critique tool for methodological consistency and ease of presentation (CASP 2000); shown in appendix 1; a copy of the tool is enclosed. The article, on which this critique research is made, was published in the journal of Advanced Nursing. The title of the article is, Tablet-splitting: a common yet not so innocent practice. The title of this article outlined above, is seemingly clear and explicit, although not as concise as Frances et al,(2007) would prefer; between ten and fifteen words. The title of this paper suggests that tablet splitting is a common practice, which is probably true, but it suggests that it is not so innocent, which smacks more of journalism than an academic paper. It is possible that the original Belgian text does not translate perfectly into English and this may be a translational syntactical inaccuracy. The article was accepted on 6 August 2010 and it was published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing 67(1), pages 26-32. Elsevier (2009) State that they only print manuscripts that have been peer reviewed with any necessary revisions made. This is favourable for the credibility of the article as the reader is assured that it has been scrutinised by an independent body of a similar field to the author/s. Elsevier also clarifies that the author must have the appropriate clinical and educational credentials for the research study. The four authors are all highly qualified, each with a PhD, three in academic pharmacology and a fourth who is a professor of geriatrics. A substantial literature search does not show any other publications by these authors. Quantitative research is formal and objective research that is concerned with collecting and analysing data that focuses on numbers and frequencies, rather than meaning or experience, it examines cause-and-effect interactions among variables using a systematic process (Burns and Grove, 1997; Ogier, 1999). The research that has been carried out for this published paper is an example of quantitative research and has been carried out using a randomised control trial method. A randomised control trial (R.C.T.) is a true experiment characterised by the manipulation of the independent variable, random assignment of individual subjects to the conditions and all other factors being controlled (Ogier, 1999). The R.C.T. was carried out as a small study in which five volunteers were asked to split eight tablets of different sizes and shapes, including medicines for Parkinsons disease, heart failure and arthritis. Participants used three different methods to split their pills: a splitting device , scissors or manual spitting for scored tablets, and a kitchen knife. In the article under scrutiny, the authors point out the fact that it is observed to be common clinical practice, particularly in nursing homes, to split tablets so that a proportion of the tablet dose can be conveniently given. This can be for economic or purely practical reasons as tablets are often supplied from stock and not always in the exact form or dose prescribed. They cite a German study in support (Quinzler et al 2006) which found that nearly 25% of administered drugs were split. It should however, be noted that on closer inspection, the Quinzler study is not particularly relevant to the UK situation, has a number of serious methodological errors and also did not consider a wide spectrum of clinical applications, nor is it in close agreement with other studies in this area. Its findings therefore are not particularly generalizable and are a poor choice of evidence in support of this paper. There is no doubt however, from taking a further overview of the available literature, that tablet-splitting does occur with a degree of regularity in clinical situations, and as such, the authors consider this investigation justified. The Abstract in this case is perfectly adequate, outlining the main points of the study. The main contentious issue is a comment in the Abstract conclusion which states that Large dose deviationsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. occurred when splitting tablets (Verrue et al 2011, p.26), a comment which is not actually borne out by the findings of the study. Close inspection of the results suggest that deviations of more than 25% of the original tablet mass occurred in 19% of cases, but the authors included those cases where one half spontaneously split further, and therefore would have no real clinical or practical significance. It has also to be noted that there is no indication in the abstract, of the methods of sample selection or whether this was in any way a controlled trial. It does however; serve the prime objective of an Abstract, which is to offer the reader sufficient information to determine whether further reading of the article would be appropriate (Robson 2006). The Introduction is comparatively short. The point about the citation of the Quinzler study has already been made, but the rest of the Introduction effectively sets out the rationale for the study, together with the justification for clinical relevance. It has to be observed that the literature review is comparatively brief with some comparatively old papers being cited (Barker et al 1982 and Babbington 1997) when there are a number of perfectly respectable authorities to make the same points that are much newer and would therefore be considered both more relevant and appropriate (Coombes et al 2009). The aims of the study are clearly stated, although the actual study design is not. It requires further reading through the paper to actually determine the methodology used (this is found under data collection), the sample selection, (this is found under Discussion which is really quite inappropriate) and also the means of determining the results (also found under data collection). It is also the case that the clinical significance of the rationale for the study is neither explicitly set out nor addressed. This is very relevant to the issue of tablet-splitting as if, as the cited literature suggests, there is a 25% variance in actual dose administration after splitting, then the degree to which it could be clinically important should be presented. One could suggest that in all but the most extreme cases, a 25% variation in the dose of Aspirin given is not likely to be hugely clinically significant, whereas a 25% variation in the dose of a cytotoxic drug may have profound consequences for the patient. There is no real consideration of this point, nor any concession to its absence (Polgar et al 2000). This element of the review of the literature in the introduction therefore has major deficiencies. The study design is quantitative in nature. The authors have used five healthcare professionals for the task of tablet-splitting. One has to read through to the study limitations segment to determine that the authors used an administrative co-worker, a laboratory technician, a pharmacy student and two pharmacists as the study cohort. On reflection, this seems a strange choice, as it is neither homogenous nor rational, as none of these groups are likely to be involved in tablet-splitting in the situation of the nursing home, which the authors have chosen to investigate (nor many other clinically relevant situations, in all probability). This choice seriously weakens both the generalizability of the findings and also the applicability of the study to the clinical evidence base for nursing. Another major shortcoming of the methodology of this paper is the fact that the authors included cases where the tablet split into more than two pieces as deviations from the mean. In most clinical situations the administration of a tablet, which has split into two halves, and one half has then broken further, is no less accurate if the pieces are administered as one piece or as several. The authors make no concession on this point and therefore are likely to significantly overestimate the inaccuracies in their findings. (Schulz et al 2005) Issues of sample selection have already been addressed above. Sample size appears to be completely arbitrary with a total of 1,200 operations spread over the group being considered a reasonable sample size. It is usual, in academic studies such as this to see calculations of minimum sample size to determine the power of significance. Its omission further reduces the applicability of the study (Rosenthal 2004). The ethical considerations are explicitly addressed, as ethical committee approval was not required because patients were neither involved nor personal details recorded (Bowling 2002). Some of the elements of bias and limitation have already been addressed. The results obtained have been subjected to a modest degree of statistical analysis with a one way ANOVA and a Turkeys post hoc analysis being carried out. One has to observe however, that the nature of the study is such that a more sophisticated data analysis is not really appropriate (Argyrous 2000). The results are presented in a clear and logical fashion, with 5 tables showing how the results were distributed. It is clear from the presentation of the results exactly what the authors have found; for example using a splitting device was the most accurate method. It still produced a 15 to 25 per cent error margin in 13 per cent of cases, but this was lower than the 22 per cent for scissors and the 17 per cent for the knife. Further critical reading is not necessary in this respect. An interesting feature of the study is the fact that weight loss of the tablet occasioned by the splitting process has also been determined, for example some tablets were much easier to split accurately than others. The easiest to split produced an overall error margin of 15 per cent deviation or more and the most difficult tablets produced an error margin of 19 per cent. Closer examination of the results however, shows that this does not just reflect the amount of material lost as powder or small fragments, as one might initially consider, but also the amount of the tablet that was inadvertently dropped on the floor. The authors rationalised this on the basis that a tablet, once having been on the floor, would not be subsequently given to the patient, which although undoubtedly true, does rather distort the results that are presented (Rosner 2006). The discussion element of this paper is something of a disappointment. The first element is a consideration of the study limitations, which entirely appropriate (Gomm et al 2000). The authors spontaneously point out the fact that the clinical effects or consequences of their findings are not presented (Verrue at el 2011 p. 29). This is a major detraction from the usefulness of this paper and would make the interpretation of the results by a non-clinician more difficult. The authors also concede that no nurses were selected for the experimental splitting group. This is quite remarkable, as one could intuitively suggest that it would be nurses, of various grades, who would actually be responsible for tablet-splitting in the vast majority of clinical circumstances. It is actually of little practical relevance for nursing homes to be able to understand how effective a Professor of Pharmacology is at splitting tablets. The authors go on to compare and contrast their findings with other work in the area (Mcdevitt et al 1998,Birton et al. 1999, Peek et al. 2002, Teng et al. 2002, Cook et al 2003) and point out the similarities and differences in their findings. This is an entirely appropriate and useful segment with the authors pointing out the specific fact that this type of study has not been done before and also that much of the similar work in this area is already a few years old (Verrue et al 2011 p.30) The discussion segment also notes that we aimed at providing nursing homes with advice for the best tablet-splitting technique in daily practice (Verrue et al 2011, p.30). One would suggest that this is not in congruence with the stated aims of the study (although it is tangentially relevant). One could also observe that the one thing that this study does not do, is to offer nursing homes a suitable evidence base on which to base their practices, as no clinically relevant staff were involved in the study. Some of the participants are unlikely to have a concept of the clinical significance of exactly halving the dose of the medication. This is a low grade study which had the potential to make an impact on the evidence base in an important clinical area. The methodological shortcomings and a lack of generalizability, greatly reduce any possibility of such an impact. The paper, although superficially well presented, with an admirable display of tables and easy to interpret data, has major flaws which become apparent on even the most superficial levels of critical analysis. The initial interest generated by a reading of the Abstract, did not translate into clinically useful data which could be applied into everyday nursing practice. An overview of the methodology suggests that the authors might have made a significant contribution to the evidence base in this area with a little more forethought and pre-study design consideration. This belief is given credence by the fact that the authors criticise themselves in the Study limitations segment, in areas which could quite reasonably have been considered before the actual investigation took place. This study does not materially contribute to the evidence base in this area. Appendix 1 Quantitative Research Papers Critiquing Tool A Framework for Critiquing Quantitative Research Papers Include full reference of paper here: (i.e. Author/s (date) Title of article. Journal title. Volume, Number, page numbers.) Critiquing Framework Title of Paper Is the aim or purpose of the study clear? Are the main variables of interest indicated? Is the study design or research method clear from the title? Is there any reference to the population from whom the data are collected? The Abstract/Summary Does this summarise the whole study? Is information provided regarding background, literature, aim/and objectives, hypotheses (if RCT), methods, sample size, measures used etc, results and conclusions? Does it suggest that a more detailed reading of the rest of the paper would be worthwhile? Introduction/Literature Review Background/rationale Why was the topic chosen, what is the background to the study? Is there a critical review of previous literature and related theoretical concepts? Are gaps in the literature identified? Aim and objectives What problem or issue is being investigated? How clearly is this problem or issue defined or explained? Is there a clearly stated aim? Do the research objectives or research questions support this aim? Are the variables of interest clearly defined `and are relationships between these evident and clearly stated? Which are the independent and dependent variables? Are hypotheses (if RCT) stated in a way that makes them testable? Method Research design What is the study design and is it clearly explained and appropriate for the research questions? Could the design be improved? Was there a pilot study? Research questionnaires What measures are used? Are validity and reliability reported for these measures either in the paper or clearly referenced? Have the authors dealt appropriately with any unreliable questionnaires or scales? Sample Is the population appropriate for the research question? How were the sample chosen? What is the sample size? Are statistical power considerations discussed? Are inclusion and exclusion criteria described? Can the results be reasonably generalised on the basis of this sample? Ethics Are ethical considerations presented. Is it suggested that ethical approval was granted? Results/Findings/Data analysis Does the paper explain clearly how the data are analysed? Are statistical techniques clearly and adequately described? Are the statistics presented at a simple descriptive level or are inferential statistics also included? How are the results presented? Does the text adequately explain any tables or graphs? Have any tests of significance established whether differences, or associations, between groups could have happened by chance? What p values are used? Are non-significant results clearly indicated? Discussion Is the discussion an accurate account of the results? Could there be other ways of interpreting the data? Does the discussion address the research aim and objectives? Are all the research questions answered? Conclusion Are the conclusions of the study consistent with the results of the statistical analyses? Are alternative conclusions suggested? Are theoretical and practical implications of the results adequately discussed? Are the recommendations suggested feasible? Limitations What are the limitations and are these acknowledged by the authors? Overall impression (CASP 2000)