The Future of Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Future of Nursing - Essay Example Among the key contents of the report are recommendations by IOM on the future of nursing education in America. The report recommended that nurses should adopt the culture of full implementation of what they acquire during their education and training. American nurses should be proficient in their duties through the pursuit of education up to higher levels of learning to promote perfection, consistency, and coherence in nursing care. Recommendations outline in the report advocate full collaborating among physicians and other health care professionals in redesigning the health sector. Similarly, the report outlines enhanced information base for nurses, efficient labor planning, and improved data collection. The second recommendation of the report emphasized the need to revolutionize nursing education sector by achieving higher levels of education and training for all professionals. Recommended reforms in education are imperative in providing consistent and coherent academic progression in nursing education. Over the past, American nursing sector underwent several reforms aimed at enhancing the value of education for professionals. Reforms in nursing education are imperative in improving competence among professionals. Most reforms in American nursing education had positive impacts on the minimum level of education required for professionals before accreditation. For instance, reforms in the nursing sector outlined provision for a minimum of as Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree. IOM report recommended that at least 80 percent of nurses in every federal health care facility should have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Aiken, 2011). Reforms shifted the focus towards employing only nu rses possessing Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The change of demand to Bachelor of Science in Nursing has prompted revision of curricula in the institutions of higher learning providing the course. Apparently, most nurses in

The Cool Web Essay Example for Free

The Cool Web Essay In their respective poems, the poets examine language and the importance of it in our life and culture. Robert Graves uses a metaphor of a web to depict language, one that gives form, structure and release to daily events. The image of language being constructed like a web is reflected in the structure of the poem, in iambic pentameter form. Graves describes in the first stanza how children are unable through words to describe how hot the day is. They are completely dumb and unable to express their discomfort, and in this manner lessen its intensity. The black wastes of the evening sky alludes also to the negativity and oppression that daily living inflicts. How dreadful the tall soldiers drumming by reinforces this, suggesting war, reinforcing also the feeling of conflict and negativity. The second stanza turns the poem around, starting with But. Graves explains how we have speech to chill the angry day, to dull the roses cruel scent. The philosophical proposition of speech as a release, as a poultice or panacea, is amplified through the poets use of repetition.  But we have speech, to chill the angry day, And speech, to dull the roses cruel scent.  We spell away the overhanging night,  We spell away the soldiers and the fright. The second half of the stanza, on a conspicuous level, describes the craft of a poet. It also insinuates language as a form of magic, as if poets are magicians who have power over the natural world. The third stanza links directly back to the title of the poem, describing language as a cool web that winds us in. It also carries a warning of withdrawing too much from emotion, joy or fear:  We grow sea-green at last and coldly die  In brininess and volubility. Language is here described as an Ocean, one that if we immerse ourselves too deeply in, we drown in brininess and volubility. Graves choice of elaborate words demonstrates the power of language. The final stanza is also a warning, a warning that without words and language to provide rationalisation, form and structure to our thoughts and emotions we shall go mad no doubt and die that way. The poet is ambivalent in his viewpoint, arguing that we need a balance between verbosity and losing self-possession of our tongues, that without the escape language and poetry offers we are like children, dumb to express ourselves. In Edward Thomas poem, Words, he suggests that eloquence and language are not voluntary. The poem uses enjambment, reflecting the flow of inspiration and free thought. Addressing words directly in his poem, he asks for inspiration:  Will you choose  Sometimes   (.) Choose me,  You English words? Thomas insinuates that words choose the poet or writer, contrasting with Graves opinion (as suggested in his poem The Cool Web) that we have control over our use of language. Thomas compares inspiration coming to the poet as wind, whistling through as if through a crack in a wall, or a drain. The imagery of words being weightless and almost supernatural is amplified by their comparison to light as dreams. The reference to words being as precious as poppies can be interpreted perhaps as opium dreams, and corn is the basis of bread. Through these comparisons the poet implies that language and words are a basic need of human culture, as necessary as bread and dreams the allusion to dreams being an escape from reality, and also a source of inspiration. An old cloak implies familiarity. The majority of the second stanza appeals heavily to the senses, using aural imagery:  Sweet as our birds  To the ear,  As the burnet rose  In the heat  Of Midsummer  Thomas also describes the mystery of words and language by comparing them to the races of the dead and unborn. The similarities between words and the dead and unborn alludes to the idea that there are poems and books not yet written, the dead implying potentialities not reached and the unborn suggesting poems and inspiration growing and developing within poets. The verse describes natural beauty, depicting roses, yew trees, hills, and streams after rain implying that words are also natural beauty. In the third stanza, Thomas alludes to the different dialects of Wiltshire, Kent and Herefordshire, drawing attention to the diversity of the English language. From the names, and the things / No less.  The final stanza eulogizes the act of writing a poem, addressing inspiration directly as you again.  Let me sometimes dance  With you,  Or climb  Or stand perchance  In ecstasy,  Fixed and free  In a rhyme,  As poets do.  Thomas personifies language and inspiration a tactile being, Let me sometimes dance / With you, also reflecting back on his previous description of poetry being dream-like, Or stand perchance in ecstasy. Fixed and free describes the rigid backbone of a poem, the technical structure and form, but also the freedom the language gives it.

Quality Management Essay example -- Business Management

Deming’s 14 points were first applied to Japan and United States manufacturing but the philosophy can be applied to many different industries now. The theories can be applied to healthcare, including Long Term Acute Care Hospitals (LTACH). These types of hospitals are not as common to people, but were created to deliver care based on patient’s needs. This paper will look at an LTACH located in Denver and like many healthcare facilities, employee morale is down due budget cuts and the rising cost of healthcare. A total quality management program could potentially help the facility develop new processes that allow for positive changes. Deming’s 14 Points could be applied to this hospital and help give direction to the leadership staff of the philosophy needed to make the changes. Dr. W Edwards Deming was a statistician who did not use the word total quality management, but can be accredited with the first movement of these types of programs (Gautschi, 1992). The end product is different than manufacturing but the idea of getting the best possible end product is the same. To understand why the program would help the hospital the organization needs to be explained. Deming’s 14 could be used in the transformation because of theory base of statistical information. Deming’s 14 points would also bring direction and needed transformation to the hospital. Background of hospital The intent of long term acute care is to allow people to move from the acute care hospitals into an environment where they can get more attention and services for a longer period of time (http://www.aha.org/advocacy-issues/postacute/ltach/index.shtml). With four Chief Executive Officers, three Clinical Directors and four Human Resource Managers in the pas... ...be applied to many industries including long term acute care hospitals. By measuring and analyzing statistical information, managers can help to implement a new quality management program. The most important pieces for this hospital would be adopting the philosophy, always trying to improve and self-education. The hospital will also need to institute leadership to begin the process. Without the leadership, the changes necessary will not occur. Works Cited Albert, J., & Gilligan, K. (1990). Ready for quality? How one hospital introduced the Deming method. Hospital Topics, 68(2), 7. Cohen, P. (n.d.). Deming’s 14 points. Retrieved from http://www.hci.com.au/hcisite2/articles/deming.htm Darr, K. (1990). Applying the Deming method in hospitals. Hospital Topics, 68(1), 4. Gautschi, D. F. (1992). 14 points to improve quality. Design News, 48(17), 224.

Value of Higher Education

Abstract This paper shall argue that despite the costs of a higher education, a college or university education is of great value to every individual. Higher education prepares an individual for the working world through the imparting of specialized knowledge. A Higher education allows individuals to earn more at the end of their degrees, making up for the cost incurred during the pursuit of the degree. College education helps to provide students with critical thinking and communication skills that lasts a lifetime.A higher education helps an individual grow as a person, by exposing them to a wealth of knowledge and resources. College education helps students establish interpersonal networks, which include peers as well as professionals. Higher education teaches students about discipline and hard work, as well as about success and challenges. This paper shall conclude by noting a number of things students can do to get more value from their college or university education and by outl ining some of the ways I as a student wish to further my career in accounting by graduating from the University of Phoenix.The Value of a Higher Education Higher education requires a considerable investment of time and money, as wall as a considerable lifestyle change. Those entering college or a university must not only be willing to pay tuition cost and school fees, and study for many years to get a degree, they must also arrange the rest of their lives around classes, exams, semesters, and summer breaks. Given the gargantuan effort it requires to secure a higher education, some may reasonably question the value of a college degree. It is well known that many successful and affluent people in our society†¦

Florida V Riley Case Brief Essay

Legal Citation: 488 U. S. 445, 109 S. Ct. 693, 102 L. Ed. 2d. 835 (1989) Procedural History: The respondent, Michael A. Riley, was charged with possession of marijuana under Florida law. The trail court granted his motion to suppress; the Court of Appeals reversed but certified the case to the Florida Supreme Court, which rejected the decision of the Court of Appeals and reinstated the trail court’s suppression order. The Supreme Court granted a writ of certiorari for Florida to review the decision of the Supreme Court of Florida. Question: Is surveillance of the interior of the partially covered greenhouse in a residential backyard from a vantage point of a helicopter located 400 feet above the greenhouse constitutes as a ‘search,’ for which a warrant is required under the Fourth Amendment and Article I, Section 12 of Florida Constitution? Facts: In this case, the Pasco County Sheriff’s office received an anonymous tip that marijuana was being grown on the respondent’s property. When the investigating officer discovered that he was not able to see the contents of the green house by the road. All he was able to see was a wire fence surrounding the mobile home and the greenhouse with a â€Å"DO NOT ENTER† sign posted on the property. He then circled twice over the respondent’s property in a helicopter at the height of 400 feet. With his naked eye, he was able to see through the openings in the roof, since there had been two missing panels, and identify what he thought was marijuana growing in the structure. A warrant was later obtained based on these observations, continuing the search revealed marijuana growing in the greenhouse. Which lead, the respondent, Michael A. Riley, to be charged with possession of marijuana under the Florida law. Decision: No. The surveillance of the interior of the partially covered greenhouse in a residential backyard from a vantage point of a helicopter located 400 feet above the greenhouse does not constitutes as a ‘search’ for which a warrant is required under the Fourth Amendment and Article I, Section 12 of Florida Constitution because helicopters are not bound by the lower limits of navigable airspace allowed to other aircrafts. Any member of the public could have legally have been flying over Riley’s property in a helicopter at the altitude of 400 feet and could have observed Riley’s greenhouse. Nothing implied that the helicopter interfered with respondent’s normal use of the greenhouse or the other parts of the curtilage. Therefore, the police did not violate his Fourth Amendment, right to privacy. Judgment: Reversed Principle of Law: The reason the court reserved the decision of the Supreme Court of Florida is because there is nothing in the records that suggest the helicopters flying at 400 feet are sufficiently rare in this country to lead substance to respondents claim that he reasonably anticipated that his greenhouse would not be subject to observation from that altitude.

The Real Possibilities of Cloning essays

The Real Possibilities of Cloning essays On February 22, 1999 news was announced that Dolly the lamb was the first successful animal cloned. Unlike the other cloning experiments done over the past 15 years, this was the first successful clone made with an adult cell. The cell was used to activate and program the egg from which Dolly grew. Past clones involved using the cell from a fertilized embryo in the early stages of development. As news of Ian Willmut's cloned lamb got out across the globe, many people feared what they thought could possibly never come true. With the technology to clone identical animals, can humans be cloned too? Since then topic of discussion throughout the scientific world has centered on the cloning of humans. Recently, The University of Texas lab cloned the first headless creatures, headless mice. Since then, headless tadpoles have also been born at The University of Blath. This discovery is even more chilling because it opens up the door to headless humans, for purposes such as organ banks. Headless human production could also be used as a means for testing out new treatments for diseases such as cancer. Controversy is coming up more often considering the morals and ethics of cloning. Is headless cloning opening the gate to human immortality? Is a headless clone ever a living creature? Many people are beginning to wonder if cloning will be beneficial to our country. The cloning of animals as well as human cloning could prove very beneficial to our nation. For instance, cloning research would be very beneficial to improving the vitro fertilization process. Vitro fertilization is when a woman's egg is removed from her uterus, fertilized by a sperm donation, and replaced back in the uterus. John Robertson, an authority on reproductive technology and the law at the University of Texas School of Law says, "Even if they only produced three or four embryos, it could greatly improve the odds that it will work (Robertson, 3)." This c...

US Social Security vs. Canadian Social Security

US Social Security vs. Canadian Social Security Introduction The increasing challenge posed by an increase in the elderly population creates the need to deploy social security services. Demographic patterns on the provision of social services are estimated to increase drastically in the future.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on US Social Security vs. Canadian Social Security specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the United States, the notable demographic trends that are likely to impose significant pressures on social security includes the anticipated retirement of the baby boomers cohort, a reduction in the fertility rates and increases in life expectancy are estimated to pose a large increase in the old-age dependency ratio (Feldstein Liebman, 2002). The main purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the United States with the Canadian social security system. The paper provides an overview of the United States and Canadian social security system, af ter which the paper discusses the objective similarities and differences between the two systems. In addition the paper also provides a subjective analysis that is based on the current evaluation of the United States social security system against the Canadian system. Basing on the research, the paper provides recommendations for improving the United States social security system. Introduction to the United States Social Security system In the US, social security mainly involves the Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance (OASDI) scheme that is administered by the federal government. Social Security in the United States was first adopted during 1935; subsequent amendments have resulted to the inclusion of social welfare and social insurance. Major components of the United States social security also include the Supplemental Security Income, various unemployment benefits, offering aid to the needy families, grants issued to the states by the federal government for the purposes of Medical Assistance Programs (Medicaid), Health Insurance for the Aged and Disabled (Medicare) and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Giles, 2005). Social security in the United States is mainly financed using dedicated payroll taxes that are referred to as the Federal Insurance Contributions Act tax. Social security in the United States is largely concerned with the benefits associated with retirement, unemployment, cases of disability, death and survivorship (Hyman, 2010).Advertising Looking for research paper on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Social Security in the United States is considered as the largest government program in the globe that takes a significant portion of the federal budget. In addition, social security is the biggest social insurance program in the United States. It is estimated that social security in the United States has helped to keep 40 percent of peopl e aged over 65 years out of poverty. Introduction to Canadian social security Canadian social security comprises of approximately 2.3 percent of the Gross Domestic product, the Pay-as-you-go component Canadian social security is relatively small compared to the United States. Old Age Security (OAS) program is one of the core elements of elderly income transfers in Canada. The Guaranteed Income Supplement is used to increase the income levels for aged individuals in Canada. Another important element of Canadian social security is the Canadian Pension Plan and the Quebec Pension plan, which are mainly funded by the joint monetary contributions from employers and employees. Canadians contribute 4.95 percent tax on their income from USD 3500 to USD 41000 (Orszag Diamond, 2005). Social security in Canada mainly involves the government programs that are adopted with the main objective of offering assistance to its citizens and covers diverse programs that are mostly run by the provinces. In Canada, the social safety net is mainly concerned with the transfer payments that are directed at low income citizens only. It does not incorporate expenditures associated with healthcare services and education (Weisbrot Baker, 2001). Similarities between the United States and Canadian security services In the US, social security denotes the funds that the individuals pay during their working life, which mainly comprises of the retirement benefits during old age. This is a similar approach under the Canadian social security that is implemented using the Canadian Pension Plan. In the United States, employees contribute 5.65 percent of their earnings towards their social security and Medicare, which is used for offering medical insurance for aged and retired people.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on US Social Security vs. Canadian Social Security specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The social security premium s in the US are capped at earnings of USD 106,800 while there is no capping of the premiums for Medicare (Hyman, 2010). Canadians contribute 4.95 percent of their total earnings towards the CPP. Socialized healthcare plan in Canada are somewhat similar to the Medicare program in the context of the United States (Orszag Diamond, 2005). Another similarity between the United States and Canadian social security systems is that they both make use of the pay-as-you-go scheme, although the United States system is relatively high compared to the Canadian system. Bo the social security systems can be considered to a hybrid between the PAYGO plan and a fully financed program (Hyman, 2010). Differences between the United States and Canadian social security system A notable difference between the two systems is the scope of coverage of social security. In this context, the Canadian social security system does not have provisions for education and healthcare expenditure, which are provided in t he social security system in the United States (Giles, 2005). The second difference between the two systems is that the United States expenditures on social security are relatively higher compared to the Canadian expenditure on social security. For instance, the Old Age and Survivors comprise of 6 percent of the United States GDP, compared to Canada that allocate 4.2 percent of its GDP. In addition, Canada spends relatively twice as much as the amount that the United States spends on unemployment benefits (Hyman, 2010). Another difference between the two systems is that the CPP is a reserve fund that is invested in the market; this is contrary to the social security funds that are invested in government securities and bonds. Investing the CPP in the market resulted to 5 percent marginal difference between the returns in the United States and Canada. Evaluation of current US system against the Canadian system It is arguably evident that Canadian social security has a better establish ment compared to the United States social security system. There is a potential that the Canada Pension Plan fund will grow since it is invested in the market, making significant contributions towards its future sustainability compared to the United States social security funds that are invested in government bonds. Another reason that contributes to the effectiveness of the Canadian pension Plan when compared with the US social security system is that the benefits of the CPP are relatively lower compared to the benefits of the United States social security. The generosity of the United States social security questions its sustainability in meeting the future demands posed by the aging population (Weisbrot Baker, 2001).Advertising Looking for research paper on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Recommendations to improve the United States social security system Improving the efficiency of the United States social security requires the reinforcement of insurance and financing. With regard to insurance, it is important to maintain an appropriate balance in terms of social and individual responsibility. With regard to financing, establishing a suitable balance between pre-retirement funding and the use of the common PAYGO method will serve to address the potential challenges imposed by the demographic trends in the United States. References Feldstein, M., Liebman, J. (2002). The Distributional Aspects of Social Security and Social Security Reform. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Giles, C. (2005). US social security is among least generous. Web. Hyman, D. (2010). Public Finance: A Contemporary Application of Theory to Policy. New York: Cengage Learning. Orszag, P., Diamond, P. (2005). Saving Social Security-A Balanced Approach. Washington DC: Brookings Institution Pres s. Weisbrot, M., Baker, D. (2001). Social Security: The Phony Crisis. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

6 Horrible Risks of Study Drugs

6 Horrible Risks of Study Drugs In this article we’re going to quickly go through the risks of taking study drugs, or smart drugs, to try and get ahead in college or pull through those all-nighter study sessions. We’re going to cover all 6 bases that you should be informed on as a student who is at least considering it. I mean, why else would you read this? By the time you’re done you’ll know the risks. Let’s begin. 1. Ummm†¦You’ll Get Addicted! This is a risk from a few different angles. Let’s say someone decided to â€Å"help themselves study† by using some type of drug†¦that typically includes methamphetamines. Okay, what if that first time or two it does help them study and their grades go up? That’s the worst thing that could happen because then they’ll be under the mistaken impression it can be sustained. â€Å"I can control it† they begin to tell themselves. Yet what they don’t know is these drugs are as addictive as cocaine. Pretty soon they start believing they can’t study without it. Then of course have to take into account the physical addiction. Some are much more addictive than others. Regardless, do you really want to get addicted to this drug? Is that a wise productive decision? No. 2. You’ll Completely Crash Burn It might work a couple times or for a little while without causing much trouble if you’re lucky. But sooner rather than later you’ll crash and burn. The wakeup call will be that first big bombed test. The first time the professor brings you into their office to talk about your sudden disappearance from class or the fact you’re falling asleep during lectures. No one, literally no one, can take these drugs over the long haul and expect to maintain a good GPA. Make no mistake, the vast majority of students abuse these drugs. If you have even a slight addictive personality you’re in for trouble. 3. You’ll Get a Bad Rep What happens when people in class start believing you’re on drugs all the time? What if you get the rep of a drug user? What if you get caught with them (we’ll touch on this more in a moment)? At first it might sound â€Å"cool† to take them to study, but pay close attention to those that are now tricking themselves into believing they need it to study. How are they perceived by the people around them? What sort of crowd do they run with? Ask yourself if this is really what you’re all about and think again. 4. You’ll Get Arrested It’s a federal crime dude. And, make no mistake, your university and the law enforcement where you are will take it seriously. Having pills without prescription is a big no no these days due to the mind-boggling amount of overdoses and deaths that are happening. Don’t get this on your record. It’s not worth it. Don’t get caught up in the jail system or have to call home to explain to your parents why you’ve been kicked out altogether or temporarily from classes (and you’ll lose any and all scholarship money probably). 5. The Potential Side Effects Suck Here’s a quote about student life and the types of smart drug side effects students can look forward to if they get involved in this sort of thing: â€Å"Anxiety, depression, dependency, extreme anxiety levels, nervous breakdowns, sleep disorders, suicidal thoughts, psychosis nervousness, jitters, stomach problems, headaches, sleeplessness and a decrease in appetite.† (Elizabeth Hoyt) Are you willing to risk all that nonsense just to try and inch your GPA up without doing it the old school way? Is it really that hard to just crack open the books and study? How about join a study group? Honestly, no educational goal is worth ruining your life over. That’s a bit too oxymoron. 6. You’ll Go Completely Insane No joke. Maybe not clinically insane where you need to wear a straightjacket all day, but you won’t be your normal self. You’ll be sleep deprived, anxious paranoid or possibly incarnated in jail around some real odd characters. What’s the point? No, it’s not normal to abuse drugs in college. It’s not. Maybe it is among the packs of students with low GPAs who are really just there to avoid the real world, but not the serious students. It’s completely abnormal and leads to completely abnormal behavior. This is a serious subject so we would love to get your input. What’s the atmosphere around smart drugs like at your school and what do you think of them and the risks of usage?

Obseity, a 21st century epidemic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Obseity, a 21st century epidemic - Essay Example vations and recommendations of the Health People 2010, the people of the developed countries in particular the United States have been victimized by two coherent concerns, i.e. the declination of the physical activities, and the record increase in the overweight. The World Health Organization has concluded that physical activity and overweight are the number one and two health indicators (NEHA, 2001). A phenomenal increase in the epidemic has been recorded, the survey conducted by the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth concluded that the all racial groups experienced increasing rates of obesity. According to the survey, the participation of the African American and half Caucasian into the physical activity has declined rapidly, and around hundred percent and fifty six percent declination has been observed respectively. The obesity has been responsible for the adolescents grapple with autonomy, issues of self-control, readiness to change, and their relationships with parents and ot her authority figures. The obesity is also a cause for the interference of the process of understanding identity which incorporates self-esteem and self-concept i.e. considered to be a major developmental issue in adolescence. Obesity has been dominant among the adolescent, and such developed characteristics has been inherited by the off spring respectively. The lack of physical activity is the primary factor which has to be undertaken by current generation, and such factor needs to be discarded to avoid obesity. Obesity is not primarily caused by prolong and excessive eating, rather the lack of physical activities also cause obesity. The epidemic has to be resolved through comprehensive, community-based approach, the epidemic has been integrated with the other social issues, and an understanding has been formulated in accordance to which it is civic engagement, physical health, vocational readiness and success, educational attainment, and social and emotional health (NEHA, 2001) ar e

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING FOR BUSINESS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING FOR BUSINESS - Essay Example The Debenhams brand trades through 239 stores in 28 countries and is available online in 67 countries. Customers can also shop through smartphones, tablet computers and other mobile devices as well as more traditional sales channels such as catalogues and by telephone. Debenhams flexible approach means that they can tailor their product range to meet the demands of a particular local market or channel. The company’s main business consists in selling fabric items and clothing for men, women and kids’. The company, by applying prudent marketing techniques, has been able to grab the market share in UK as shown in the figure above. Delivering a compelling customer proposition is a key part of our strategy. Debenhams’ offer is unique as they combined of their own brands, international and concession brands. It is exclusive through core and designer own brands which account for almost half of everything that they sell. It is differentiated through Designers at Debenhams, a portfolio of diffusion brands from some of the UK’s top fashion designers. Debenhams also give their customers the wide choice of product categories that they expect from a department store. Debenhams has also been actively involved in the business of marketing and selling jewelry and other ornaments items which have earned the company immense revenue in the past few years. Through its unmatchable product quality, Debenhams is now regarded as one of the finest when it comes to high end fashion merchandise. The financial outlook of the company also looks quite stable. During the financial year of 2012, the company has been able to increase its revenue 1.% to a striking  £2.229 billion also the operating profit of the company grew steady with 6.9%. In addition, the financial ratio analysis of the company and the comparison of the company with its competitor also show that a

Marine Smith Electronics and Boat Repair Case Study

Marine Smith Electronics and Boat Repair - Case Study Example Customer loyalty and commitment is important for us. Marine Smith has a lot of competition however it is ready to compete ahead and differentiate itself by offering hassle free but a full stocked repair. The customers will be provided with guaranteed boat repair in least possible time. We will have a customer oriented focus on the business; our employees are trained and are held responsible for providing superior services, developing a long lasting trust bond with the customer. This is important because in electronic and boat repair business trust and honest counts more then image of repair facilities. We will focus on both upper and lower class but few of our item prices will be more as depending upon its standard and quality. Marine Smith electronics and boat repair will stand against the barriers and remove them as time passes and the company grows, we expect the business to prosper in the next 3 years. MarineSmith Electronics and Boat Repair will provide electronics and boat repair services to all of Orange County. MISSION STATEMENT Our goal is to successfully penetrate the Orange County market and secure a loyal customer base that recognizes MarineSmith as the leader in Electronics and Boat Repair. ... Our objective is to have at least 95% customer satisfaction in the areas of honesty, reliability, and quality workmanship. Business philosophy is that for the first time we will provide quality workmanship. PRODUCT MARKET AND INDUSTRY Based on our plan we have decided to increase our net profits likewise. The total registered boats in Orange country are 4684 and there usage is divided as in chart Most of the boats are used in recreational activities and so our main focus will be on this area. Our services would be marketed towards boat owners, and being famous for tourism with around 45 million international and domestic tourist (Anaheim Orange country), it has a bright market and loyal customers in the country. COMPANY SUMMARY Marine smith electronics and boat repair is a new company and is a limited liability corporation. The economic growth of the last several years has resulted in increased disposable income. Many people have chosen to spend part of their increased income on their recreational activities. As a result, the need for reliable and convenient repair services has substantially risen as well. Marine Smith will position itself to capitalize on the growing need of the middle and upper class market for quality services in the Orange country. The company will be owned by Mr. Slaurie Smith. The initial startup cost would be as follows,

Private Placements and Public Offerings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Private Placements and Public Offerings - Essay Example When it comes to securities, two types of basic methods are used by companies to offer those to investors. One of the methods used for this is called Initial Public Offering (IPO) or Public Offering. In this particular method securities are offered for sale to general public. Any one can be an investor in the case of initial public offering. Actually it is the first time when a corporation starts to offer a registered security to public. This practice helps companies to get immediate cash to increase their equity base along with positively affecting the stock value appreciation (Initial Public Offering (IPO). Private Placement is the other method used to offer securities. The basic difference in this particular method as compared to the other one is about selling the shares without the involvement of intermediary of a stockbroker. Both these methods are used in real world to achieve different types of objectives. Actually, the use of a particular method is directly related to the situations being faced by a corporation. By contemplating more on the details related to both these methods, it becomes quite evident that there are quite a few differences, advantages and disadvantages of using a particular method. A critical comparison of both these methods will help you to understand those advantages and disadvantages in a much better way. Let's start off with Public or Initial Public... It is the duty of SEC to set regulations and specific standards for the investment market to function in a right way. Due to these standards and regulations, it is essential for a corporation to reveal a lot of information before making any offering. The information may be about inner workings of a corporation and the plan about using the funds obtained through the offering. Here, a corporation has to wait for the approval of SEC after setting a sales price for the offering along with providing the other necessary information. Now when you will compare this particular aspect of providing extensive information to SEC with the other method of Private Placement, you will understand why this other method is preferred by most of the corporations. Herein, such securities can be offered which may not be registered with SEC. What it means is that there will be no need to provide extensive information to Securities and Exchange Commission, which is unlike IPO. Since companies making use of this method exploits Securities Act of 1933, there remains no need to follow the rule of quarterly reporting. But, it is significant to mention that a Private Placement Memorandum (PPM) is not exempt from Anti-fraud provisions and state law. It implies the fact that though there will be no need to provide as much details as required in Public Offering but you will have to disclose enough information so an investor may become able to make an informed and rational decision. Apart from this particular aspect, it is important to compare the basic way in which both these methods actually work. While comparing the working process of both these methods, it is easy to see few important differences. For Private Placement, it is obligatory for a company to use Private Placement Memorandum which

Summarize in a 500 word paper the Kubler-Ross model of the grieving Assignment

Summarize in a 500 word paper the Kubler-Ross model of the grieving process - Assignment Example The anger is towards â€Å"the loss and the unfairness of it† (Patricelli, n.d.). Anger can be directed at the family, friends, doctors, to God and even to the person who died (Kessler, n.d.). It is important to note that underneath the anger is the pain, the pain of being abandoned (Kessler, n.d.). Bargaining is the third stage of the grieving process. This is the stage which is replete of the â€Å"If only†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or the â€Å"What if†¦Ã¢â‚¬  statements (Kessler, n.d.). Another emotion which one finds in this stage is guilt. A person sometimes blames himself for not doing something to prevent the loss. This is the stage where a person would try to promise to do something just to reverse the loss. If it is a matter of life or death, bargaining does not offer a solution (Chapman, n.d.). The fourth stage of the grief cycle is the depression stage. At this stage the person feels sad, regretful, fearful and uncertain (Chapman, n.d.). Individuals undergoing this stage cry, suffer sleeping disorders, experience a change in eating habits and withdraw from their usual activities such as socializing with friends (Patricelli, n.d.). Depression is one of the important steps towards the healing process. The fifth stage of the grieving cycle is the acceptance stage. This is the stage where one realizes that the loss is real and permanent and that nothing can bring back the loved one. Another realization at this stage is that life goes on even without the lost loved one. Learning to live without the loved one and starting a life again is part of the acceptance. It is at this stage where one experiences a sense of peace with what happened. The grief model developed by Kubler should not be misinterpreted as a process whereby one has to go through the first stage to reach the last stage. The different stages can be experienced at the same time and may recur at anytime

European Discovery of the Americas in 1492-1650 Assignment

European Discovery of the Americas in 1492-1650 - Assignment Example Trade started booming as English merchants got raw materials for their industries and the farmers and settlers found land to cultivate and a large land to put their large population. The lack of religious persecutions also made them opt to stay and start to develop this previously â€Å"bare and underdeveloped land.† With peace and stability prevailing in this new land while there was an increasing instability in the old one (at least the Europe part of it) and lack of political shenanigans, the new world‘s development soared and started even surpassing that of the old world (Elliot 25).The arrival of the Europeans in the Americas brought both negative and positive effects. The Colombian Exchange brought in animals (specifically livestock which were previously lacking in the Americas), some different varieties of crops and pets. These included cattle, horses, pigs and crops such as sugarcane which were planted in the southern part of the new world (which is now South Ame rica specifically the Dominican Republic and even Haiti). Since the new world also had its own unique products in the form of raw materials which were transported to Europe, trade began to grow which benefitted the new world more since its proceeds were used to invest more in their nation (Crosby 64).The negative effect brought by the arrival of the Europeans was that they brought with them diseases (these diseases included smallpox) that were previously nonexistent in that land. These strange diseases had no cure and they killed much of the population of the new world. They also brought much stronger weapons like the guns which could not be compared to the swords and arrows and they, therefore, killed many native Americans that tried to fight them much easier and faster. There was also an introduction of religion and new cultures which was both positive and negative (positive in that there was an emergence of religious diversity and negative as it led to the abolishment of the trad itional beliefs and cultures).

Summarize in a 500 word paper the Kubler-Ross model of the grieving Assignment

Summarize in a 500 word paper the Kubler-Ross model of the grieving process - Assignment Example The anger is towards â€Å"the loss and the unfairness of it† (Patricelli, n.d.). Anger can be directed at the family, friends, doctors, to God and even to the person who died (Kessler, n.d.). It is important to note that underneath the anger is the pain, the pain of being abandoned (Kessler, n.d.). Bargaining is the third stage of the grieving process. This is the stage which is replete of the â€Å"If only†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or the â€Å"What if†¦Ã¢â‚¬  statements (Kessler, n.d.). Another emotion which one finds in this stage is guilt. A person sometimes blames himself for not doing something to prevent the loss. This is the stage where a person would try to promise to do something just to reverse the loss. If it is a matter of life or death, bargaining does not offer a solution (Chapman, n.d.). The fourth stage of the grief cycle is the depression stage. At this stage the person feels sad, regretful, fearful and uncertain (Chapman, n.d.). Individuals undergoing this stage cry, suffer sleeping disorders, experience a change in eating habits and withdraw from their usual activities such as socializing with friends (Patricelli, n.d.). Depression is one of the important steps towards the healing process. The fifth stage of the grieving cycle is the acceptance stage. This is the stage where one realizes that the loss is real and permanent and that nothing can bring back the loved one. Another realization at this stage is that life goes on even without the lost loved one. Learning to live without the loved one and starting a life again is part of the acceptance. It is at this stage where one experiences a sense of peace with what happened. The grief model developed by Kubler should not be misinterpreted as a process whereby one has to go through the first stage to reach the last stage. The different stages can be experienced at the same time and may recur at anytime

Health Policy Assignment 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Health Policy 2 - Assignment Example We the American public feel that the authorities have not done enough to educate us on the virus. For example, ways in which the virus is transmitted and how to prevent it from spreading. Although all these happened, we must commend the authorities how they have handled the first two Ebola cases. When the first person showed the signs of the disease, they were quick to isolate the patient and check on everybody who was thought to have stumble upon him. It is a shame that one of the nurses who was attending to the patient contracted the disease. After the second patient was quarantined questions as to the United States preparedness as concerning, this epidemic was concerned came up. It was mostly because Thomas Eric Duncan did not exhibit any signs and symptoms of the infection prior to landing in the United States. The biggest scare came when it was reported that the nurse (Amber Vinson) who was supposed to be under quarantine was spotted walking around town instead of the hospital. This action made many people angry since it proved what many citizens believe that little is being done to combat the disease that has claimed thousands of people (CDC, 2014). The blame r ests solely on the relevant authorities, which include the airlines, the government and the center for disease control. If I were to implement policies that would enable the control of Ebola, firstly i would ensure that all the airlines screen all passengers who come from the Ebola prone regions (CDC, 2014). I would make sure that the affected gain the assistance they require and are quarantined in order to regulate the contact between the infected and the uninfected. I would also organize educational forums whereby experts teach us on how best to avoid the virus. I would establish a private ward/ wing in all hospitals to accommodate any Ebola patients. It would also show some of the ignorant

OPEC CARTEL Essay Example for Free

OPEC CARTEL Essay â€Å"OPEC As a CARTEL† There are two kinds of extreme market structure and they are perfect competition and imperfect competition. In a perfectly competitive market there are many numbers of sellers and many numbers of buyers selling and buying homogeneous products, therefore there is very little impact of a single buyer or seller changing the price of his/her product. In an imperfect competitive market there are few sellers and these sellers have some control over the prices and output of the product. Here, in this kind of market the whole market is affected by an individual changing his/her product price. In USA most of the industries fall between these two extreme market structures. But in this essay we’ll talk about oligopoly. It is imperfect competitive market state therefore here there are few no. of sellers. Oligopoly covers many kinds of industrial behaviours and structures because of its broad nature. Oligopoly is a market condition where few numbers of sellers (oligopolists) come together and form a market or an industry. An oligopoly may have 2 firms or 20 firms, selling and producing differentiated or undifferentiated products and services. There are few participants in this market structure therefore each participant is aware about the activities of other participants. The decisions are influenced by one another. As this market is operated by few firms, the price of the product and the quantity of production is fixed by the firms itself keeping in mind their self-interest and self-respect. Sellers (oligopolists) are acting and cooperating like a monopolist – producing a small amount of quantity of goods and selling these goods at a price higher than the marginal cost. These are some of the powerful incentives at work which hinder a group of firms from maintaining the monopoly outcome. An oligopoly is operated under imperfect competition; they follow a kinked  demand curve which shows that inelasticity below the market price and elasticity above the market price, offering differentiated services and products they have strong barriers to entry. Kinked demand curve is downward sloping curve. There is a discontinuity at the bend – the â€Å"kink†. Due to this there is a discontinuity in the marginal revenue curve. The demand above the kink is relatively elastic, therefore all other firms’ prices remains unchanged and demand curve after the kink the demand will be inelastic, therefore all the firms will have similar price cut, eventually leading to a price war. The best way to overcome this problem is to produce at the point E that is the equilibrium point and, coincidently the kink point. There are many industries in oligopoly conditions are automobile, cigarette, malt beverages (beer), small arms ammunition, oil and petroleum, etc. There are many kinds of oligopolies, a number of different oligopoly models have been structured. But we are going to further discuss about the structure of CARTEL. But before that if u examine all oligopoly models have a similar thing i.e. ‘The behaviour of any given oligopolistic firm depends on the behaviour of other firms in the industry comprising oligopoly’. According to the traditional economic theory the producer who is at the stage of profit maximizing and also has some market power (either due to oligopoly or monopolistic competition) would have set marginal cost equal to marginal revenue i.e. MC=MR. A cartel is an organisation of independent firms coming together, to control and limit the production and increase and decrease of price and profit. Cartels can be formed in an informal or formal manner with the agreement of every member. Cartels usually occur in an oligopolistic industry. The main aim of cartel is to increase individual profits by reducing competition. There are two kinds of cartels: Private cartels and Public cartels. In a public cartel there is involvement of government and such cartels are legally formed. Private cartels are formed by few industries and are subject to legal liability under antitrust laws now found in every country of the world. Private cartels have to often face competition laws. Private cartels are recognized and fragmented by the competition policy by most of the countries in the world. But finding out cartels and further proving them is very difficult because firms are not so careless to put such agreements on papers. Antitrust authorities have found that in last 200 years price increase achieved by cartels is almost 25%. There was a 28% price hike in private international cartels (cartels formed by one or more nations). Domestic cartels where at 18%, less than 10% domestic cartels failed to raise the market price. This study was possible after several economic studies and legal decisions. There are some differences in public and private cartels. It is said that public cartels are less harmful than private cartels because they are operated in the presence of government private cartels are more effective and, hence, possibly harmful, though there is no proof to prove this right. Government has all the authorities to establish and enforce the rules relating to prices, output and other such matters; this is in the case of public cartels. Examples of public cartels are export cartels and shipping conferences. There are also depression cartels permitted in some countries this type of cartel helps in stabilising the required price and production. For example, in Japan such type of cartel is allowed in steel, aluminium smelting, ship building and various chemical industries. In United States during the time of great depression of 1930, in industries such as coal mining and oil production public cartels were allowed by United States and they also remained after the World War-II. Germany’s economy was also affected by these cartels during the inter–war period. There were international cartels formed between governments of some nations by signing an agreement it was called as international commodity agreement which covered products such as coffee, sugar, tin, and oil (OPEC). Private Cartels are having huge different than public cartels, an agreement is signed on terms and conditions that provide mutual advantages, these terms and conditions should not be detected by outside parties. Private cartels are responsible for violating the antitrust Laws. Game theory means studying the oligopolistic behaviour of a series of strategic actions of a firm and reaction of the rival firm. According to this theory cartels are unstable, due to the behaviour of members of a cartel is like the behaviour of a player who has a dominant strategy in a game. If a member does not abide by the rules in the agreement that member will make more profit than by following the agreement. The situation would be worse if all the partners break the agreement. Cartels do not sustain for a long run because members have cheating incentives. A Cartel can exist for only 5 to 10 years this was found by deep study of cartel. If the members intend to cheat on the agreement in order to earn short term profit so that they could cover the long term losses this depends on the situation if they have short term profits through break down of cartel than they’ll possibly break it down. How difficult it would be for a firm to, find out that other firms are following the agreement or not. If the other firms are not following than they are cheating and therefore the cartel becomes unstable. There are few ways to keep watch on a cartel: 1) Number of firms in the industry, 2) Characteristics of the products sold by the firms, 3) Production cost of each member, 4) Behaviour of demand, and 5) frequency of sales and their characteristics. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was initially created with efforts of 5 countries and then later on joined by 9 other countries. It is an intergovernmental organization which was formed by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, on September 10 – 14, 1960, in Baghdad. These five founding members were later on joined by nine other members: Qatar (1961), Indonesia (1962-2009), Libya (1962), United Arab Emirate (1967), Algeria (1969), Nigeria (1971), Ecuador (1973), Angola (2007), Gabon (1975-1994). Ecuador suspended its membership from December 1992 – October 2007. Initially headquarter of OPEC was in Geneva, Switzerland, and after 5 years it was moved to Vienna, Austria, on September 1, 1965. OPEC was found with some objectives. The objective of OPEC is to manage and unify petroleum polices among member countries and thereby secure the stability in the prices for petroleum producers. It was necessary that flow  is maintained in supplying petroleum at an economical rate, to the consuming countries, provided that the members investing in this industry get a fair return of capital. They also have a unique strategy that is allotting the production quota to a member country. This system helps in maintaining and stabilizing the price to a certain level. Developing its collective vision with some objectives and creating its secretariat, in Geneva and then in 1965, in Vienna, OPEC adopted a ‘Declaratory Statement of Petroleum Policy in Member countries’ in 1968. This policy stated that it is absolute right of the member nations to have a permanent rule over their natural resources and use them in order to increase the rate of national development. During 1970s OPEC became an international importance in the world market of petroleum and crude oil, it had a full control over the pricing. During this period there was a steep price rise in petroleum products. In 1980s the prices began to fall down as people started shifting from petroleum products. OPEC’s market share fell heavily to the third of the early rise. At this time member countries had to bare a heavy loss, but soon they regained their position with a little price hike almost half the early rise. OPEC started recovering its market share slowly. During the period of 1990s OPEC had a fall in prices same as it had in 1980s, but it had a solid recovery this time. During this period the prices were stable at some extent than in 1970s and 1980s. One of the member nation left OPEC and one suspended its membership. In 21st century OPEC had an innovative plan which helped in stabilising the prices of petroleum products in early years. The prices began to rise from 2004 and still it’s rising. During this decade one member activated its membership and another member suspended it. OPEC has not proved to be a successful cartel because it was unable to control the prices of petroleum products. Though OPEC had few members and that helped in reducing the conflicts. It was easy for the members to monitor one another’s activities and thereby adhering to the agreement. It was also easy to coordinate the price policy and the output policy according the agreement. It is simpler to form a cartel with few members. OPEC as a cartel is working effectively because 3/4th of its oil reserve is regulated by four countries they are: Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iran. There is only one threat to OPEC as a cartel, and that is increased production by  non-members. In the short run the price elasticity of demand for oil is quite low, according to this statement if enough production restrictions are implied than it will give a price hike this is a favourable environment for a cartel. Following this in 1973 OPEC contributed to two third of the total oil production of the world. Today if we compare the prices of crude oil than they are much higher than the early stages. To survive for such long period of 50 years OPEC had to face many challenges to fulfil its objective. The first challenge in front of OPEC is how to overcome the problem of supply of crude oil in all the countries keeping in mind the interest of the member countries of OPEC. Initially OPEC used to supply its crude oil to all type of countries like developing countries, under developed countries and developed countries but later on it was not able to fulfil the demand as it kept on increasing. Therefore, OPEC decided to first fulfil the demand of those countries with greater need and who provided with a fair deal and then look forward to those countries that had less demand for crude oil and offered a cheap deal. This decision was taken keeping in mind its own profit. The second challenge for OPEC is the NON-OPEC countries i.e. countries which are not members of OPEC. If these countries started production at high rate then these countries would take the major market share of OPEC and that was not good for member countries. NON-OPEC countries had no restrictions in production and pricing of crude oil. These NON-OPEC countries would take the short run profits because they can vary their prices. The third problem faced by OPEC is that United Nations (UN) was constantly pressuring OPEC in order to stop the wastage of gas which is emitted in high amount due to the usage of old technology. Technological issue is the fourth challenge for OPEC because they used old technology and to install new one it would take time and the market demand would not be fulfilled. Updating the technology was a big issue. The fifth issue was about maintaining large reserves of crude oil in order to sustain the sudden shift in demand. The sixth that is the last challenge is in the form of question that how OPEC can overcome the financial problems occurring during the production of oil because producing oil needs heavy capital investment? There is a big risk taking and uncertainties involved in this process and these uncertainties can be overcome with the help of proper  planning. If OPEC is unable to fulfil the challenge than there, is a fear of losing the whole market share against the NON-OPEC countries. Analysis of OPEC’s behaviour can be done through certain aspects. First, relying on a structural model is better than relying on the estimation approach. According to the analysis done in first step, in last 25 years all the theoretical models constructed for OPEC should be taken and then they should be properly tested. After this we compare and contrast it with equilibrium model of dynamic oligopoly. In the second step we consider organization as a whole and not considering the supply functions of individual countries. By doing this we would be able to estimate the collusiveness of OPEC. This helps us in identifying the switching periods between collusive and non-cooperative behaviour. OPEC has its own collusive behaviour and in many cases there was break down and price war between member countries. Price of crude oil depends on the demand and supply of it. There can be different variations maybe low or high, in price of crude oil, due to the imbalance in demand and supply – maybe little demand and more supply or more demand and little supply. The price of crude oil will be high if demand is more and supply is less and price will be low if supply is more and demand is less. Sometimes the prices fall down due to the non-cooperative act of members of OPEC or due to going against the agreement and cheating. Sometimes the reason for high price of crude oil may be other factors like taxation, governments of the countries of the world, natural disasters, etc. Factors like transportation, climate, capital, machinery, cost of production, etc. affect the prices of crude oil. As other cartels, OPEC also tries to raise the prices of crude oil by reducing the quantity of production of crude oil. When the price raises each member of cartel wants to increase the production by going against the agreement, so that they can get large amount of profit. OPEC member countries frequently agree to the reduction of production but then they cheat on the agreement. During the period of 1973-1985 OPEC was successful in maintaining the high-prices of crude oil, with the help of cooperation of  member countries. The price of crude oil per barrel rose steeply from $3 per barrel in 1972 to $11 per barrel in 1974 and then to $35 in 1981. After that there was absence in maintaining cooperation between member countries due to the argument on the topic of increasing production. Due to this the prices of barrel fell down by $13 per barrel in 1986. In this case OPEC has failed to work effectively because it was lacking in coordination and cooperation between member countries and this resulted in the instability of price of crude oil. According to the study there are approximately 1.5 trillion barrels of oil reserve in world. Out of which 81.33% i.e. 1193 billion barrels, is with the member countries of OPEC. In 2010, OPEC member countries produced 29.2 million barrels per day of crude oil that is about 41.8% of the world total output; this has increased to 69.7 million barrels per day. According to OPEC they have sufficient crude oil reserves that can last for 112 years. According to OPEC’s World Energy Model (OWEM) the demand for crude oil in 2006 was 84.7 million barrels per day. Due to the continuous growth in world’s economy the demand for crude oil in 2015 will rise to 96.1 million barrels per day, 102.2 million barrels per day in 2020 and 113.3 million barrels per day in 2030. OPEC as a cartel was unsuccessful to a certain extent and successful to a certain extent. There was high variation observed in prices of crude oil due to the instability of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Lack of cooperation and coordination amongst the members of OPEC was seen because each individual member was tempted to earn high amount of profits and therefore he/she would cheat with the agreement. There was one thing observed that, when the price of crude oil rise than the members of OPEC intend to go against the agreement and they try to increase their production in order to earn short-run high profits. During any crisis in the world OPEC was not able to keep itself steady. There were some technological related issues with the members of OPEC. They used the old machinery to produce the crude oil and to overcome that they started updating their machineries, but during this period they were unable to handle the market demand for crude oil and therefore t hey failed to provide it to other  countries which resulted in price hike. If innovation is carried out properly than the cost of production will reduce to certain point and this will react in high rise in demand in international market, which will directly affect the profits of members of OPEC. In conclusion I would like to say that OPEC is a best form of oligopoly and both suit to each other because of the continuous development of OPEC as a cartel. In past 50 years OPEC has faced many heavy tasks; it failed to fulfil some tasks but still tried to recover the losses. OPEC has the largest oil reserve in the world. Amongst the NON-OPEC countries main competitor of OPEC is U.S.A because it has one of the largest reserves of crude oil. If we see in today’s market than OPEC as a cartel has a higher market share and it is the longest and largest living oil producing organization. OPEC is one of the longest survived cartels in the world. REFRENCE 1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartel 2) http://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/about_us/24.htm 3) http://www.scribd.com/doc/55875469/Oligopoly-OPEC 4) http://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/press_room/179.htm 5) Principles of Microeconomics (Indian edition) 4th edition, by N. Gregory Mankiw, published by Cengage learning India Pvt. Ltd., 356-357 6) Principles of Economics 8th edition, by Karl E. Case and Ray C. Fair, published by Dorling Kindersley India Pvt. Ltd., 310-311

Computer Technology :: essays research papers

Computer Technology   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Being a kid sitting around with your friends, there was always that one person this said, do you think this will ever happened? When I grow up all I will have to do will say door open to get in my house, everything else will be done for me. now, much to my surprise this day has now arrived. The arrival and utilization of computers in today's world is absolutely unbelievable. Things can be done with computers that could have never been done in the past. we have security systems that don't need keys, cell phones that could go on line, and receptionists are now virtually unknown due to automated voice systems. the question that everyone wants to know is, our we too dependent on computers, and what will happen when they fail us? this is an idea that nobody really likes to discuss. Going further in-depth with this idea, what have computers done to the business world. many people feel it has enhanced businesses of today's society, others feel it has ruined them. there now companies being run by very few workers due to fully automated systems, systems that need one operator a and it can produce more than that of 15 to 20 a lot of cases. what this does the company's is forces them to put new technological advances in their budget to keep up with competition and be more cost effective. This is exactly why the technology is there, to get one step ahead of the competition, and to produce more product, more often.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Integrating computers into assembly lines, batch plants, using them for inventory control purposes, data acquisition, data collection, ect., are all very exciting innovations in today's business world. This does a lot in making our world more technologically advanced, however, what happens to our unemployment rates when these workers are replaced with machines.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At this point in time in history unemployment rates are actually down, however I see them doing nothing but getting worse in the near future. in a book and was recently read, how to drive your competition crazy, Guy Kawasaki, there's a paragraph in there about Toyota that has a direct correlation with technology and how it's affecting today's work place. in this paragraph it says, â€Å" Toyota’s introduction of the Lexus line of cars is an example of outrageous substitute positioning. these cars were squarely positioned against Mercedes and BMW.

The Victorian Education system as presented in Hard Times :: English Literature

The Victorian Education system as presented in Hard Times From the early beginnings of Hard Times, we can tell that this novel was originally intended to shock those reading it. The education that these children receive is harsh and designed to stem any feelings of self-opinion. When Gradgrind interrogated 'girl number 20', he proved that their education was more strict and when he later humiliated her when he asked her to describe a horse, he proved that the Victorian education system was solely based on fact and allowed no room for it to be questioned. This was even the case in such incidents as where Sissy states that she would like flowers on her carpets. Gradgrinds' wish to outlaw fancy in her thoughts, mean that at some points during the dialogue, Gradgrind can begin to sound absurd in his words. Dickens heavily objects to the mechanical way of teaching in Gradgrind's utilitarian school. As early as in the second chapter the reader notices that the facts taught in this kind of school have no use at all in normal life. Sissy, with her natural understanding of a horse contradicts the cold definition of a horse by Bitzer: 'Quadruped ....'. What makes that situation worse is that later on, Gradgrind, who takes charge of Sissy's education, forces her from learning on her ability to comprehend that she cannot believe in what she wishes. They are stifled in their environment, prisoners of a world of utilitarianism. Gradgrind's school is very plain and bare, Dickens describing it as a 'monotonous vault', and being 'intensely whitewashed'. For pupils having to learn in this kind of environment would be extremely boring, and no encouragement is given to exercise

Bullying in the Philippines Essay

A few years ago, the idea that bullying in the Philippines is widespread was thought to be a joke. People thought that bullying wasn’t as bad as the bullying seen in American teen movies. We Filipinos thought that bullying isn’t even an issue here in our country. But recently, our eyes have been opened to the reality that bullying is a bigger issue in the Philippines than we originally thought. Out of nowhere, cases like the online bullying of Christopher Lao, Tito Sotto, and the most recent case, Pauline Salvosa. It can really make us wonder how a country we thought of as Bully-free can produce such acts of hate towards another. If people can bully others to this extent even the public’s eye, what about during their everyday lives where they are unsupervised and much freer to do whatever they want, whenever they want to do it; whether it is in the workplace, home, and in this study’s case, at the school. This study will focus on that. Statement of the Problem The purpose of this study is to develop a deeper understanding of the effects that in-class bullying can have on a high school teenager. It is important to study this issue because school is one of the foundations of the formation of an individual’s character. A major challenge confronting DepEd here in the Philippines is the rising number of cases of in-class bullying in the country despite their efforts to stop the occurrence of In-Class Bullying. Sotto, Lao, and Salvosa were all greatly affected by the bullying. Salvoso and Lao were greatly depressed by the verbal attacks, Sotto even created a law against it. If these three victims were really shaken by the bullying, what about the other people who go through bullying every day in their neighborhood, in the workplace, and in school? What about the children in school who also experience this every day? If three grown adults are all affected by this, how much greater does it affect the kids who are still developing their inte llectual and emotional quotients? This will be the focus of the study, and the following questions will be answered: 1.) How much of their self-concept is affected by the bullying? 2.) What actions do these teens consider as bullying? 3.) Are there other factors that affect the development of the Self-Concept other than bullying? 4.) How much of their self-concept has changed over the period of time that the individual has been bullied? 5.) How do the teens cope with the bullying? Research Objectives The study will aim to discover more about how bullying schools affect the formation of one’s self-concept. It will help us in analyzing the effects, thus giving us more ways to deal with it. The research will help open a new dimension of understanding for bullies, parents, and most importantly, the victims themselves, on how to approach the issue of bullying in schools and it will help pave the way in developing a better idea of how to handle a bullying situation. This study will also help us see how big an issue bullying has become here in Baguio city. In order to accomplish these objectives, a survey and a conversational analysis of interviews will be carried out. The survey’s aim is to formulate a universal definition of what the students deem as â€Å"bullying†, while the interviews will help the study determine how the students are affected by in-class bullying. Significance of the Study Bullying is becoming a rather big issue here in the Philippines and this study will help us understand the gravity of the issue that in-class bullying gives. There have been many cases of bullying here in the Philippines, even if we exclude the cyber-bullying cases. The Department of Education has even released a statement about the alarming increase of bullying cases in the country. It is imperative to know why this is happening and how it can be mitigated. The significance of this study is that it may help researchers may use this research’s findings as basis a related research topic. This study might even encourage these future researchers to delve deeper in the issue and create a more detailed and in-depth version of the research topic. It will also serve as basis in the study of the issues related to bullying, the self-concept, and the interpersonal communication patterns of individuals. The study will also provide more in-depth view of the issue of bullying because it focuses on a condition vital to the formation of one’s self-concept. Through this study, students will become aware of the great effects that bullying can have on others and this can help reduce the occurrence of sever bullying cases. Finally, the results of this study will provide some insights and information on how much bullying can change an individual’s view of himself/herself, how it can affect the way they interact with others, and how it c an change their view of the world they live in. Scope and Delimitations The scope of the study will focus on 3rd year – 4th year male and female high school students in Baguio city who are enrolled in schools here in Baguio. These schools are the University of Baguio Science High School. The study does not include students who do not have a junior standing in class. The study will not also focus on the schools that are not enrolled in the top three high schools in Baguio city. This study will not also include out of school teens.

Proposal “Violence Against Women”

Shantel Jones Professor Sara Yu Eng. 121-111 15 April 2013 â€Å"Violence Against Women† The research proposal I am preparing is going to be addressing violence against women and the challenges they face when children are involved in the household. The aim of the research is to view how these challenges are overcome and give way to women rights and their political rights (nineteenth amendment). In the early 1990’s over half a million American women were raped.In 1994 congress passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which forbids the state from interfering with women’s citizenship and political rights. Starting from domestic abuse to rape as a weapon of war, violence against women is a gross violation of their human rights. Global issues of violence against women not only does it frighten women's health and their social and economic health, violence also hinders global efforts to reduce poverty. Violence against women falls in several different categories.Do mestic violence occurs between man and women. Domestic violence is one of the main issues in most parental abduction cases. The article also talks about custody battles and how visitation should go when it comes to the children. Domestic violence has been defined in various ways in the legal, social science, and psychology fields. Within the legal field alone, the term carries a different meaning depending on whether state or federal law governs and whether a case arises in the criminal or civil sphere.According to Deborah Goelman under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), â€Å"domestic violence includes the following: [F]elony or misdemeanor crimes of violence committed by a current or former spouse of the victim, by a person with whom the victim shares a child in common, by a person who is cohabitating with or has cohabitated with the victim as a spouse, by a person similarly situated to a spouse of the victim under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction rece iving grant monies, or by any other adult person against a victim who is protected from that person's acts under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction receiving grant monies. † This topic is of interest to me because as a woman studying the laws on women’s right helps you to become more knowledgeable in society. If the world does not address the issue, it stands to suppress the enormous potential of women and girls. When they feel safe, when they are empowered, women and girls can be game-changers. What I hope to gain from this research project is different ways to deal with domestic violence if I was to ever come in contact with a violent individual.

Fish Anatomy

FISHERIES BIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT External Fish Anatomy The following illustration of a largemouth bass shows some of the common external features that are used to describe the differences among fish species. Fish are animals that are cold-blooded, have fins and a backbone. Most fish have scales and breathe with gills. There are about 22,000 species of fish that began evolving around 480 million years ago. The largemouth billustrated abovethe typical torplike (fusiform) shape associated with many fishes used by the fish to maintain its position, move, steer and stop.They are either single fins alonthe centerline of the fish, such as the dorsal (back) fins, caudal (tail) fin and anal fin, or paired fins, which include the pectoral (chest) and pelvic (hip) fins. Fishes such as catfish have another fleshy lobe behind the dorsal fin, called an adipose (fat) fin that is not illustrated here. The dorsal and anal fins primarily help fish to not roll over onto their sides. The caudal fin is t he main fin for propulsion to move the fish forward. The paired fins assist with steering, stoppingand hovering.Scales in most bony fishes (most freshwater fishes other than gar that have ganoid scales, and catfish which have no scales) are either ctenoid or cycloid. Ctenoid scales have jagged edges and cycloid have smooth rounded edges. Ctenii are tiny, comblike projections on the exposed (posterior) edge of ctenoid scales. Bass and most other fish with spines have ctenoid scales composed of connective tissue covered with calcium. Most fishes also have a very important mucus layer covering the body that helps prevent infection.Anglers should be careful not to rub this â€Å"slime† off when handling a fish that is to be released. Maryland Envirothon 1 In many freshwater fishes the fins are supported by spines that are rigid and may be quite sharp thus playing a defensive role. Catfish have notably hard sharp fins that anglers should be wary of. The soft dorsal and caudal fins are composed of rays, as are portions of other fins. Rays are less rigid and frequently branched. The gills are the breathing apparatus of fish and are highly vascularized giving them their bright red cover.An operculum (gill cover) that is a flexible bony plate protects the sensitive gills. Water is â€Å"inhaled† through the mouth, passes over the gills and â€Å"exhaled† from beneath the operculum. Fish see through their eyes and can detect color. The eyes are rounder in fish than mammals because of the refractive index of water and focus is achieved by mthe lens in and out, not distorting it as in mammals. water and can be quite sensitive. Eels and catfish have particularly well developed senses of smell. larger it is the bigger the prey it can consume.Fish hava sense of taste and may sample items to taste them before swallowing if they are not obvious prey items. Some are primmostly other fish). The imported grass carp is one of the few large fishes that are prim arily herbivorous (eating plants). Fish may or may not have teeth depending on the species. Fishchain pickerel and gar have obvious canine-shaped teeth. Other fish have less obvious teeth, such as the cardiform teeth in catfish which feel like a roughened area at the front of the mouthor vomerine teeth that are tiny patches of teeth, for example, in the roof of a striped bass' mouth.Grass carp and other minnows have pharyngeal teeth modified from their gill arches for grinding that are located in the throat. that are open to the water through a series of pores (creating a line along the side of the fish). The lateral line primarily senses water currents and pressure, and movement in the water. immediately in front of the anal fin. are used to describe the differences between fish that are described in more detail below. Maryland Envirothon 2 front of thhollow and house and protect the delicate spinal cord. SPINAL CORD: Cbrain, as well as in BRAIN: Thbehaviors processed here.LATERAL LINEOsense organs; detectunderwater vibrations and is capable of determinthe direction of their source. (See Issue 8 of The City Fisher for minformation. ) SWIM (or AIRBLA hollow, gas-fillbalance organ a fish to conserve energyby maintaining neutral buoyancy (suspending) in water. Fish caught fromvery deep water sometimes need to have air releasreleased and return to deep water, dusurface. Species of fish that do not possess a swim bladder sink to the bottom if they stop swimming. GILLS: Aif the fishKIDNEY: ed from their swim bladder before they can be idney is alsbody, allowing certain fish species to exist in freshwater or saltwater, and in some cases (such assnook or tarpon) both. Maryland Envirothon 3 STOMACH AND INTESTINES: Break down (digest) fo Fish such as tilapia that are herbivomatter is usually tough and fibrous and more difficult to break down into usable components. A great deal about fish feeding habits can be determined by examining stomach contents. PYLORIC CAECA: Th is organ with fingerlike projections is located near the junction of the stomach and theindigestion, may functio VENT: The site of waste elimination from the fish’s body.LIVER: This important organ has a number of functions. It abrimportantas playing a role in nitrogen (waste) excretion. HEART: Circulates blood throughout the body. Oxygen avakidneys an GONADS (REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS): In adult female bass, the bright oranbufertilizing the eggs, are much smaller and wh(or roe) of certain fish are considered a delicacy, as in the case of caviar from sturgeon. MUSCLES: Provide movement and locomotion. This is the part of the fish that is usually eaten, and Measuring a Fish of the fish with the mouth closed and the tail fin aying along a tape measure, then pinch the tail fin closed and determine the total length, do NOT pull a flexible tape measure along the curve of the fish. Conversely, most marine (saltwater regulations) refer to the â€Å"fork length†, and scientists ofte nuse â€Å"standard length† which is to the end of the fleshy part of t Maryland Envirothon 4 aby minor damage to the tanor does it give too much creditto a fish for the relatively light weight tail when calculatingfish's condition. â€Å"Girth† is best measured with a fabric ruler, such as tailors use.It can also be determined by drawing a string around the fish at its widest point marking wherethe string overlaps and then mthe overlapping points on a conventional ruler. Knowing thegirth is important when tryingcertify a fish for a record, and provides useful information Using total length and girth you can get a rough estimate of a fish's weight using various formulas. Length-Weight Formulas to Estimate Fish Weights biologists use. The equation is: Log (weight in grams)= -4. 83 + 1. 923 x Log (total length in millimeters) + 1. 57 x Log (girthmillimeters). A 22†³ long bass w A quick, though very rough, estimate of torpedo shaped fish like young bass can be obtain ed by using: Total Length (in inches)-squared, times girth (in inches) divided by 1200. A 22†³ long Another common option used for estimating bass weights is: Girth (in inches)-squared, times length (in inches) divided by 800. A 22†³ long bass with a girth of 15 How Fish Swim alternately on each side first toward one side and then toward the other, results in a series of waves traveling down the fish's body.The rear part of each wave thrusts against the water and propels the fish forward. Maryland Envirothon 5 This type of movement is quite clearly seen in the freshwater eel. Because movement of the head back and forth exerts drag, which consumes additional energy and slows travel, a great many fishes have modified this snakelike motion by keeping the waves very small along most of thelength of the body, in some cases showing no obvious movement at all, and then increasing them sharply in the tail region.It is the end of the traveling waves that moves the tail forcefully b ackand forth, providing the main propulsion for forward motion. A simpler form of tail propulsion seen in such inflexible-bodied fishes as the trunkfish, which simply alternates contractions of all the muscle blocks on one side of the body with those on the other side, causing the tail to move from side to side like a sculling paddle. Some of the predatory bony fishes are the fastest swimmers; they can cruise at speeds that are between three and six times their body lele0. 8 km/hr (0. mph), swim very slowly; others, such as the salmon, which may reach a sustainespeed of 13 km/hr (8 mph), move much faster; and it has been estimated that tuna may reach speeds of 80 km/hr (50 mph), and swordfish, 97 km/hr (60 mph). Introduction to Aging Fish: What Are Otoliths? directly behind the brain of bony fishes. There are three types of o 1. Sagitta—the largest of the 3 pairs of otoliths; involved in the detection of sound and process of hear 3. Lapillus—involved in the detection o f gravitational force and sound (Popper and Lu 2000) re are many different shapes and sizes of otoliths differenOtoliths are important to scientific age and growth studies. This figure shows the growth rings of a sagittal otolith section viewed under reflective light. The darker area or â€Å"translucent zone† represents a period of fast growth. The whiter area or â€Å"opaquezone† represents a period of slower growth. The age of the fish is estimated by counting the annuli, or opaque bands, of the thin sections, as one would count rings on a tree to determine its age. Maryland Envirothon 6 Before age data can be used, the method of estimating age by counting annuli must be validated for each species to which it is applied.There are several ways to validate age, or prove that â€Å"one annulus is equal to one year. † Most obvious might be to simply rear fish from spawn, sacrifice the fish after a few years, and compare the number of rings to the known age of tho se fish. This process can be time consuming and expensive. It also creates the possibility of abnormal growth patterns caused by laboratory settings (Campana, 2001). Although this method may not be practical for validating annular ring formation, a similar method is effective in validating daily ring formation (Campana and Neilson, 1985).To avoid the effects of long-term laboratory exposure, tag and release of wild fish can be useful in validating annulus deposition. This figure shows the fluorescent tag of a common snook otolith. A captured common snook was injected with oxytetracycline (OTC), a chemical that is incorporated into calcium-rich structures including otoliths. The fish was then tagged and released. Seven years later, the fish was recaptured, sacrificed, and processed for aging. The OTC, which binds to the calcium in the otolith, appears as a glowing band when the otolith is viewed using fluorescence microscopy.The number of annuli between capture and recapture is also seven. Information like this is key to linking a single annulus to one year of growth, but such information relies heavily on time and chance. The age data gathered from otolith examinations allow scientists to model growth rates, maximum age, age at maturity, and the trend of future generations. Literature Referenced Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. http://www. floridamarine. org/features/view_article. asp? id=21978 and http://myfwc. com/Fishing/Fishes/anatomy. html. Fish and Wildlife Research Fish Anatomy FISHERIES BIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT External Fish Anatomy The following illustration of a largemouth bass shows some of the common external features that are used to describe the differences among fish species. Fish are animals that are cold-blooded, have fins and a backbone. Most fish have scales and breathe with gills. There are about 22,000 species of fish that began evolving around 480 million years ago. The largemouth billustrated abovethe typical torplike (fusiform) shape associated with many fishes used by the fish to maintain its position, move, steer and stop.They are either single fins alonthe centerline of the fish, such as the dorsal (back) fins, caudal (tail) fin and anal fin, or paired fins, which include the pectoral (chest) and pelvic (hip) fins. Fishes such as catfish have another fleshy lobe behind the dorsal fin, called an adipose (fat) fin that is not illustrated here. The dorsal and anal fins primarily help fish to not roll over onto their sides. The caudal fin is t he main fin for propulsion to move the fish forward. The paired fins assist with steering, stoppingand hovering.Scales in most bony fishes (most freshwater fishes other than gar that have ganoid scales, and catfish which have no scales) are either ctenoid or cycloid. Ctenoid scales have jagged edges and cycloid have smooth rounded edges. Ctenii are tiny, comblike projections on the exposed (posterior) edge of ctenoid scales. Bass and most other fish with spines have ctenoid scales composed of connective tissue covered with calcium. Most fishes also have a very important mucus layer covering the body that helps prevent infection.Anglers should be careful not to rub this â€Å"slime† off when handling a fish that is to be released. Maryland Envirothon 1 In many freshwater fishes the fins are supported by spines that are rigid and may be quite sharp thus playing a defensive role. Catfish have notably hard sharp fins that anglers should be wary of. The soft dorsal and caudal fins are composed of rays, as are portions of other fins. Rays are less rigid and frequently branched. The gills are the breathing apparatus of fish and are highly vascularized giving them their bright red cover.An operculum (gill cover) that is a flexible bony plate protects the sensitive gills. Water is â€Å"inhaled† through the mouth, passes over the gills and â€Å"exhaled† from beneath the operculum. Fish see through their eyes and can detect color. The eyes are rounder in fish than mammals because of the refractive index of water and focus is achieved by mthe lens in and out, not distorting it as in mammals. water and can be quite sensitive. Eels and catfish have particularly well developed senses of smell. larger it is the bigger the prey it can consume.Fish hava sense of taste and may sample items to taste them before swallowing if they are not obvious prey items. Some are primmostly other fish). The imported grass carp is one of the few large fishes that are prim arily herbivorous (eating plants). Fish may or may not have teeth depending on the species. Fishchain pickerel and gar have obvious canine-shaped teeth. Other fish have less obvious teeth, such as the cardiform teeth in catfish which feel like a roughened area at the front of the mouthor vomerine teeth that are tiny patches of teeth, for example, in the roof of a striped bass' mouth.Grass carp and other minnows have pharyngeal teeth modified from their gill arches for grinding that are located in the throat. that are open to the water through a series of pores (creating a line along the side of the fish). The lateral line primarily senses water currents and pressure, and movement in the water. immediately in front of the anal fin. are used to describe the differences between fish that are described in more detail below. Maryland Envirothon 2 front of thhollow and house and protect the delicate spinal cord. SPINAL CORD: Cbrain, as well as in BRAIN: Thbehaviors processed here.LATERAL LINEOsense organs; detectunderwater vibrations and is capable of determinthe direction of their source. (See Issue 8 of The City Fisher for minformation. ) SWIM (or AIRBLA hollow, gas-fillbalance organ a fish to conserve energyby maintaining neutral buoyancy (suspending) in water. Fish caught fromvery deep water sometimes need to have air releasreleased and return to deep water, dusurface. Species of fish that do not possess a swim bladder sink to the bottom if they stop swimming. GILLS: Aif the fishKIDNEY: ed from their swim bladder before they can be idney is alsbody, allowing certain fish species to exist in freshwater or saltwater, and in some cases (such assnook or tarpon) both. Maryland Envirothon 3 STOMACH AND INTESTINES: Break down (digest) fo Fish such as tilapia that are herbivomatter is usually tough and fibrous and more difficult to break down into usable components. A great deal about fish feeding habits can be determined by examining stomach contents. PYLORIC CAECA: Th is organ with fingerlike projections is located near the junction of the stomach and theindigestion, may functio VENT: The site of waste elimination from the fish’s body.LIVER: This important organ has a number of functions. It abrimportantas playing a role in nitrogen (waste) excretion. HEART: Circulates blood throughout the body. Oxygen avakidneys an GONADS (REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS): In adult female bass, the bright oranbufertilizing the eggs, are much smaller and wh(or roe) of certain fish are considered a delicacy, as in the case of caviar from sturgeon. MUSCLES: Provide movement and locomotion. This is the part of the fish that is usually eaten, and Measuring a Fish of the fish with the mouth closed and the tail fin aying along a tape measure, then pinch the tail fin closed and determine the total length, do NOT pull a flexible tape measure along the curve of the fish. Conversely, most marine (saltwater regulations) refer to the â€Å"fork length†, and scientists ofte nuse â€Å"standard length† which is to the end of the fleshy part of t Maryland Envirothon 4 aby minor damage to the tanor does it give too much creditto a fish for the relatively light weight tail when calculatingfish's condition. â€Å"Girth† is best measured with a fabric ruler, such as tailors use.It can also be determined by drawing a string around the fish at its widest point marking wherethe string overlaps and then mthe overlapping points on a conventional ruler. Knowing thegirth is important when tryingcertify a fish for a record, and provides useful information Using total length and girth you can get a rough estimate of a fish's weight using various formulas. Length-Weight Formulas to Estimate Fish Weights biologists use. The equation is: Log (weight in grams)= -4. 83 + 1. 923 x Log (total length in millimeters) + 1. 57 x Log (girthmillimeters). A 22†³ long bass w A quick, though very rough, estimate of torpedo shaped fish like young bass can be obtain ed by using: Total Length (in inches)-squared, times girth (in inches) divided by 1200. A 22†³ long Another common option used for estimating bass weights is: Girth (in inches)-squared, times length (in inches) divided by 800. A 22†³ long bass with a girth of 15 How Fish Swim alternately on each side first toward one side and then toward the other, results in a series of waves traveling down the fish's body.The rear part of each wave thrusts against the water and propels the fish forward. Maryland Envirothon 5 This type of movement is quite clearly seen in the freshwater eel. Because movement of the head back and forth exerts drag, which consumes additional energy and slows travel, a great many fishes have modified this snakelike motion by keeping the waves very small along most of thelength of the body, in some cases showing no obvious movement at all, and then increasing them sharply in the tail region.It is the end of the traveling waves that moves the tail forcefully b ackand forth, providing the main propulsion for forward motion. A simpler form of tail propulsion seen in such inflexible-bodied fishes as the trunkfish, which simply alternates contractions of all the muscle blocks on one side of the body with those on the other side, causing the tail to move from side to side like a sculling paddle. Some of the predatory bony fishes are the fastest swimmers; they can cruise at speeds that are between three and six times their body lele0. 8 km/hr (0. mph), swim very slowly; others, such as the salmon, which may reach a sustainespeed of 13 km/hr (8 mph), move much faster; and it has been estimated that tuna may reach speeds of 80 km/hr (50 mph), and swordfish, 97 km/hr (60 mph). Introduction to Aging Fish: What Are Otoliths? directly behind the brain of bony fishes. There are three types of o 1. Sagitta—the largest of the 3 pairs of otoliths; involved in the detection of sound and process of hear 3. Lapillus—involved in the detection o f gravitational force and sound (Popper and Lu 2000) re are many different shapes and sizes of otoliths differenOtoliths are important to scientific age and growth studies. This figure shows the growth rings of a sagittal otolith section viewed under reflective light. The darker area or â€Å"translucent zone† represents a period of fast growth. The whiter area or â€Å"opaquezone† represents a period of slower growth. The age of the fish is estimated by counting the annuli, or opaque bands, of the thin sections, as one would count rings on a tree to determine its age. Maryland Envirothon 6 Before age data can be used, the method of estimating age by counting annuli must be validated for each species to which it is applied.There are several ways to validate age, or prove that â€Å"one annulus is equal to one year. † Most obvious might be to simply rear fish from spawn, sacrifice the fish after a few years, and compare the number of rings to the known age of tho se fish. This process can be time consuming and expensive. It also creates the possibility of abnormal growth patterns caused by laboratory settings (Campana, 2001). Although this method may not be practical for validating annular ring formation, a similar method is effective in validating daily ring formation (Campana and Neilson, 1985).To avoid the effects of long-term laboratory exposure, tag and release of wild fish can be useful in validating annulus deposition. This figure shows the fluorescent tag of a common snook otolith. A captured common snook was injected with oxytetracycline (OTC), a chemical that is incorporated into calcium-rich structures including otoliths. The fish was then tagged and released. Seven years later, the fish was recaptured, sacrificed, and processed for aging. The OTC, which binds to the calcium in the otolith, appears as a glowing band when the otolith is viewed using fluorescence microscopy.The number of annuli between capture and recapture is also seven. Information like this is key to linking a single annulus to one year of growth, but such information relies heavily on time and chance. The age data gathered from otolith examinations allow scientists to model growth rates, maximum age, age at maturity, and the trend of future generations. Literature Referenced Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. http://www. floridamarine. org/features/view_article. asp? id=21978 and http://myfwc. com/Fishing/Fishes/anatomy. html. Fish and Wildlife Research