Why Do Stories Of Androids And Slaves Seem Similar Essay

Why do stories of androids and slaves seem similar? They both fall victim to society’s unfair, naà ¯ve tendency to classify differences as weaknesses. Our hatred and uneasiness about differences begin in early childhood. A child learns behavior and morality from adults in the community. Normalcy grows from these learned, social norms. Related to the uncanny valley, people who stray from this learned normalcy cause confusion and fear within the masses. Without the understanding of diversity, these differences to an ignorant person represent differences in morality. Caused by confusion of the unknown or the abnormal, societies represented in android and slave narratives believe these differences make them unethical, inferior, and deserving of inhumane treatment. This blatant disregard of their humanity allows society to use androids and slaves for it’s own selfish agenda. When comparing stories of androids and slave narratives, the strife of the abnormal exemplifies the absurdity of normalcy. To fully understand one’s reaction to the uncanny, learning how one develops the concept of normalcy must take place. Beginning during childhood socialization, a child begins to grasp who they are and how they must act. While watching parents, teachers, and other adult figures interact, children begin to examine and copy their behaviors. Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory explains, â€Å"The actions of others can also serve as social cues that influence how others will behave at any givenShow MoreRelatedA Study of Bladerunner Essay2089 Words   |  9 Pagesbroad. The main things science fiction films have in common are things such as the technology being far superior than today e.g. flying cars and bizarre, otherworldly imagery. However, Bladerunner also has elements of a film noir love story and detective films to set it apart from other science fiction films. Unfortunately, the film failed miserably at the box office, contrary to most peoples expectations. It was not until years later, that the film had such an enormous Read MoreReality and Illusion4098 Words   |  17 Pagesordeal through the power of his own story telling. He uses it as a way of dealing with the horrific situation he has found himself in. By creating animal characters to replace the humans in the lifeboat he creates a coping mechanism powerful enough to survive. It also allows him to distance himself from the violent side of his own personality. Pi doesn’t see his story telling as lying, just another interpretation of the truth. Turning his situation into a story is a fairly typical for a child, yetRead MoreMetamorphoses Within Frankenstein14861 Words   |  60 Pagesexample, it is quite simp ly impossible for any one individual to pursue every r eferen ce to ‘Fr ankenstein’ on th e internet in h is or h er lif etime. The forms th ese metamorphoses hav e taken , the degree of familiarity with the origin al story they betray , have varied enormously.3 Still, howev er, they can all be said to have origin ated in Mary Shelley’s novel of 1818 or its rev ised edition of 1831. In literary cr iticism and literary history, as it h appens, this restless metamorphosisRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesquestions. †¢ Revised the PowerPoint slides. A MESSAGE TO STUDENTS: Why Focus on Management Skill Development? Given that a â€Å"skill development† course requires more time and effort than a course using the traditional lecture/discussion format, we are sometimes asked this question by students, especially those who have relatively little work experience. Reason #1: It focuses attention on what effective managers actually â€Å"do. † In an influential article, Henry Mintzberg (1975) argued that managementRead MoreManaging Information Technology (7th Edition)239873 Words   |  960 PagesAirlines CASE STUDY II-3 Norfolk Southern Railway: The Business Intelligence Journey CASE STUDY II-4 Mining Data to Increase State Tax Revenues in California CASE STUDY II-5 The Cliptomaniaâ„ ¢ Web Store: An E-Tailing Start-up Survival Story CASE STUDY II-6 Rock Island Chocolate Company, Inc.: Building a Social Networking Strategy CASE STUDY III-1 Managing a Systems Development Project at Consumer and Industrial Products, Inc. CASE STUDY III-2 A Make-or-Buy DecisionRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 PagesVollmann Manufacturing Planning Control for Supply Chain Management, Sixth Edition Jacobs and Chase, Operations and Supply Management: The Core, Second Edition Jacobs and Chase Operations and Supply Management, Thirteenth Edition Jacobs and Whybark, Why ERP? First Edition Larson and Gray, Project Management: The Managerial Process, Fifth Edition Leenders, Johnson, Flynn, and Fearon, Purchasing and Supply Management, Thirteenth Edition Nahmias, Production and Operations Analysis, Sixth Edition Olson

Benfords Law And Where It Came From - 1371 Words

Benford’s Law and where it came from? According to Oxford dictionary, Benford’s law is the principle that in any large, randomly produced set of natural numbers, such as tables of logarithms or corporate sales statistics, around 30 percent will begin with the digit 1, 18 percent with 2, and so on, with the smallest percentage beginning with 9. The law is applied in analyzing the validity of statistics and financial records. Benford’s law is a mathematical theory of leading digits that was discovered by American astronomer Simon Newcomb. In 1881 he have noticed, that the pages of logarithms book beginning with number 1 were more worn than pages dealing with higher digits. In comparison to pages starting with 1, they looked more clean and new. He calculated that the probability that a number has any particular non-zero first digit is: P(d)=Log10(1+1/d) Where: d is a number 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 or 9 And P is the probability. Using that formula he concluded that all digits don’t appear with equal frequency but number 1 appear as the first digit about 30 % of the time, as supposed to digit 9 that appear less than 5 % of the time. However, he didn’t provide any theoretical explanation for his phenomena he described and it was son forgotten. In 1938, Frank Benford, a physicist, also noticed nonuniform way of digit distribution. He attempted to test his hypothesis by collecting and analyzing his data. After having over 20,000 observations, he noticed that numbers fell into aShow MoreRelatedThe iranian Regime and Dehumanization1282 Words   |  5 Pagesreformist will not be approved. The 2009 election was between Mir Houssein Mousavi and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Mousavi was a reformist candidate. He supported changing the constitution, allowing privately owned television stations as well as changing law enforcement to the responsibility of the president as they are the representation of the people.( Iran Chamber Society Mir Houssein Mousavi: 2009) Ahmadinejad was the conservative candidate being endorsed by the Ayatollah. Ahmadinejad’s platform wasRead MoreReview of The Drunkards Walk - How Randomness Rules Our Lives by Mlodinow 3440 Words   |  14 Pagesflawed decision making. Lansing had good luck at the beginning and bad luck at the end. Chapter 2 The Laws of Truths and Half-Truths 1. What coined the term probability, or probabilis? (Latin: probabilis credible) Cicero’s principal legacy in the field of randomness is the term he used, probabilis, which is the origin of the term we employ today. But it is one part of the Roman code of law, the Digest, compiled by Emperor Justinian in the sixth century, that is the first document in which probabilityRead MoreThe And Internal Audit Of Public Sector Essay6738 Words   |  27 Pages1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background Over the last several decades, Information Technology has developed from simple data input systems to complex Information Management systems that support managerial decision with relevant, reliable and timely information. This evolution has been characterized as a shift from automated system performing only accounting functions (payroll, accounts payable, general ledger etc.) to Information system that perform enterprise wide tasks that include accounting and auditingRead MoreMba Solved Assignment Papers52670 Words   |  211 Pagesin the form of discussion and results. Research and development is nowadays of great importance in business as the level of competition, production processes and methods are rapidly increasing. It is of special importance in the field of marketing where companies keep an eagle eye on competitors and customers in order to keep pace with modern trends and analyze the needs, demands and desires of their customers. Unfortunately, research and development are very difficult to manage, since the defining

How Facebook Becomes the World’s Biggest Social Network Platform

Question: Your task in this case analysis is to answer two questions by critically analysing Facebooks history,resources and market situation. What marketing strategy or strategies has Facebook adopted since it was created?What marketing options can you describe for Facebook if it wishes to remain a successful organisation throughout the next decade? Answer: Executive Summary This report aims at highlighting on the organization Facebook Inc. within the market environment of social network. It focuses on the marketing strategies that the company adopted to capture the maximum share possible, along with the tool of strategic partnership. For reflecting upon the marketing strategies of Facebook, some of the applied models are Boston Box, Shells Directional Policy Matrix, and GE Matrix. These strategies enable us to determine the market growth as well as shares acquired by the company. it also reflects upon the latest innovative technologies that have proved even more beneficial for the company. The report ends with a vivid conclusion and at the end it also gives a definite recommendation for Facebook Inc. to enable it to combat all market challenges and lead to successful growth in the future. Introduction Strategic marketing refers to the objective of attaining business growth with increased sales as well as revenue by means of some specific innovative market strategies and techniques. This involves a lot of planning and series of implementation steps and that of monitoring and controlling. With the help of these strategies, business firms attain competitive advantage which allows successful growth in the long run (Abuin, 2014). This report has been developed based on analysis of marketing strategies of Facebook Inc. The main purpose of the report is to understand the relevant marketing strategies applied by the company. This also highlights some of the most effective market strategies that support the company is leading the competitive environment. Company Background Facebook Inc. was incorporated in July 2004 and ever since got heavily engaged in developing products to increase utility for its users, advertisers, and developers. It is said to operate as a social networking organization worldwide. It gives a set of developmental tools as well as application programming interfaces enabling developers to link Facebook with that of web or mobile applications(Banerjee and Dey, 2013). People make use this media to remain connected with the enlarged society and acquire information about the surroundings. This platform may be used by developers to build websites as well as applications which integrate with Facebook for reaching out to the global network of users for developing personalized social products. The company has acquired Mixtent Inc. in March 2013. Ever since then it has been acquiring companies and growing at a tremendous pace. As per records, on December 31, 2013 the company had around a billion monthly active users. It has a strategic partn ership with that of the AXA Group for developing marketing as well as commercial collaboration in the social, digital and mobile sphere. As per the market research of 2013, it reflects that Facebook possesses more than a billion active users during a month(Bhardwaj, Adhikari and Ahuja, 2014). For maintaining popularity as well as improving its brand image, Facebook Inc works cohesively with AXA Group. This group enables the firm to develop its marketing strategy as well as to collaborate with the digital media. Marketing Analysis Facebook Inc. has been focusing on some key aspects since ages. These include products for developers, products for users, and products for advertisers and marketers. The platform of facebook is a set of application programming interfaces which developers may use for building social apps on facebook or integrating the websites with it. In March 2012, more than around nine million applications as well as websites were integrated with Facebook(Ebeid, 2012). Some of these include social plugins, open graph, application on Facebook, mobile applications, payments, desktop applications, and other platform-integrated websites. The open graph is used by the developers for building applications as well as websites which enable to share relevant activities with contacts on Facebook (Majid, 2012). Social plugins refer to those attributes which developers may easily integrate with the websites by implementing a single line HyperText Markup Language code. GE Matrix: It has been argued that this matrix technique enables analysis of the market attractiveness along with that of the competitive strength of the firm. Besides, it has been claimed that GE Matrix is the best way to judge the total strengths of the firms in the competitive market environment. It has been acknowledged that this technique is very useful in analyzing the attractiveness of the firms within the external factors like market growth, market size, segmentation, market entry, barriers, etc (Eid and Hughes, 2011). Facebook Inc. has been recently successful in acquiring the market share of around 25% out of 100% in the market environment of social network. The company is said to acquire multiple strategies like that of post ads within websites, Facebook fan pages which enables users to identify their target audiences as well as gain the exposure of business with respect to brand identity, provides the suitable tool to the people to post useful information like coupon codes, and detail information about newly launched products and associated items in the industry. Boston Box The founder of Boston Consulting Group, Bruce Henderson, had developed an innovative market analysis matrix known as Boston Consulting Group Matrix (BCG Matrix). This analyzing model is an effective tool for helping to understand the current position of the organization within the market environment (Hutton, 2012). From market research it is identified that Facebook Inc is considered to be the market leader within the industry of social networks. So, CG matrix enables identification of extreme high as well as low market shares of Facebook Inc. This is said to have a less rate of market growth of their products. For instance, even since its introduction, the company has hardly made any sort of inauguration within its business(Lauer, 2013). The historical data faces some challenges at its source on account of the recent IPO of the company. as per the external market share, acute resources of the company did not enhance effectively. Although the company holds leading position in the mar ket share of social network, yet it fails to increase its profitability rate as compared to that of its other competitors like My Space, Twitter, Google Plus, etc. Star Ever since the initiation of the social network business, Facebook Inc has been continuously improving its business along with attaining of increased market share. For competing with all competitors, the company has even launched an innovative messenger which allows people to send text messages from mobile to mobile (Raghupathi and Fogel, 2013). It also enables sending of images or videos easily and quite faster than any other means of social networking. Dogs The virtual position of the company within the industry of social networking is the key instance of Dogs. The company has faced many threats while holding niche within the environment of social networking (Ramsaran-Fowdar, 2013). The dogs of the company are quite profitable as compared to others since it supports people to share their ideas, images, videos without any follower. Cash Cow The Company has adopted latest technology like mobile phone application as well as messenger for IOS, android, and others and this is helpful for the company in acquiring increased market share although the rate of market growth is quite low in the utmost competitive market conditions. Question Marks The Company is an innovative one within the life cycle of social network business and is quite different to that of the traditional model of social networking. However, adequate investments may support the company immensely in counteracting its declining business conditions. Strategic Marketing The initiator as well as developers of the Facebook Inc is well aware of the values attached with the leading position of the company in the market. It also understands well about the flaw of IPO. The rate of growth in the mobile industry is tremendously high. So the company needs to understand well the potential revenue required to bring about sustainable growth in the future (Schnack, 2012). Some of the strategies adopted by the company to maintain steady market position are as follows: Maintaining consistent actions The Company needs to exhibit opportunities to create relationship with the potential customers. It is argued that the company provides an effective platform to move customer towards the company rather than any other firm in this industry. Starting out with simple calls to action is considered the best method to create greater fan following within the industrial environment (Waddingham, 2013). Becoming a Content Machine The company needs to deliver effective tools to the developers to make the firm a content machine. It ensures the firm that the content of social network for Facebook Inc has always been empowering, informing, and entertaining. The best strategy for the firm would be to mix up media as well as create innovative content to ensure long tern sustainability. Word of Mouth Policy It is researched that users tend to trust as well as share information through social media to reach out to their friends. Since it is used as an effective platform, the company must strive to improve its page scrutiny. Creating Human Touch Page For achieving increased success, the company needs to create its logo to attract increased people. Effective communication on a continuous basis with that of the users and keeping them updated through proper notification on their personal profile would prove to be an attractive way to seek increased sustainability(Woolley and Peterson, 2012). Promoting direct conversation Facebook Inc must create community to encourage the interaction amidst its users. By encouraging the community for fans, it enables the firm to proceed forward towards high market growth as well as future sustainability. Many ways like that of nominating fan of the week may provide opportunities to engage fans as well as extending its brand value. Conclusion This report successfully highlighted the market strategies implemented by Facebook Inc within the social network environment. The company has been effectively implementing strategies like BCG matrix, Shells Directional Policy Matrix, and GE matrix. With usage of such strategies, it becomes easier for analysts to determine the growth of the company and that to predict the future sustainability of the company (Zhang, Johnston and Shao, 2014). However, to maintain the success rate and recognition, Facebook Inc must integrate multiple strategies of marketing within its operations and other business models. The initiator as well as developers of the Facebook Inc is well aware of the values attached with the leading position of the company in the market. It also understands well about the flaw of IPO. The rate of growth in the mobile industry is tremendously high. So the company needs to understand well the potential revenue required to bring about sustainable growth in the future. References Abuin, N. (2014). Advertising strategies of Spanish advertisers in Social Media The Facebook case.aDResearch ESIC, 009, pp.64-75. Banerjee, N. and Dey, A. (2013). Identifying the Factors Influencing Users Adoption of Social Networking WebsitesA Study on Facebook.IJMS, 5(6). Bhardwaj, P., Adhikari, R. and Ahuja, V. (2014). An Analytical Study of the Facebook Content Management Strategies of Dominos India.International Journal of Customer Relationship Marketing and Management, 5(1), pp.64-78. Ebeid, A. (2012). Does Facebook Matter in Egyptian Graduate Environment? A Marketing Perspective.IJMS, 4(3). Eid, R. and Hughes, E. (2011). Drivers and Barriers to Online Social Networks Usage.International Journal of Online Marketing, 1(1), pp.63-79. Hutton, D. (2012). Facebook Marketing: Designing Your Next Marketing Campaign.Kybernetes, 41(9). Lauer, C. (2013). Praxis-Marketing mit Facebook darauf sollten Sie achten.veterinr spiegel, 22(04), pp.197-199. Majid, A. (2012). Blended Scaffolding Strategies through Facebook to Aid Learning and Improving the Writing Process and Writing Performance.IOSRJHSS, 1(4), pp.36-40. Raghupathi, V. and Fogel, J. (2013). Facebook advertisements and purchase of weight-loss products.Journal of Medical Marketing: Device, Diagnostic and Pharmaceutical Marketing, 13(4), pp.201-211. Ramsaran-Fowdar, R. (2013). The Implications of Facebook Marketing for Organizations.Contemporary Management Research, 9(1), pp.73-84. Schnack, D. (2012). Marketing ber Facebook und Co.Hausarzt, 49(13), pp.58-59. Waddingham, J. (2013). The future of Facebook fundraising.Int. J. Nonprofit Volunt. Sect. Mark., 18(3), pp.187-191. Woolley, P. and Peterson, M. (2012). Efficacy of a Health-Related Facebook Social Network Site on Health-Seeking Behaviors.Social Marketing Quarterly, 18(1), pp.29-39. Zhang, G., Johnston, C. and Shao, C. (2014). A Model for Optimally Promoting Application Diffusion on Facebook.IJMS, 6(4).

Literary Analysis of No Name Woman free essay sample

A short literary analysis of Maxine Kingstons classic No Name Woman As part of the first generation of Chinese-Americans, Maxine Hong Kingston writes about her struggle to distinguish her cultural identity through an impartial analysis of her aunts denied existence. In No Name Woman, a chapter in her written memoirs, Kingston analyzes the possible reasons behind her disavowed aunts dishonorable pregnancy and her villages subsequent raid upon her household. And with a bold statement that shatters the family restriction to acknowledge the exiled aunt, Kingston states that, she] alone devote pages of paper to her [aunt] With this premeditated declaration, Kingston rebelliously breaks the familys cultural taboo to mention the exiled aunt. Because a strict Chinese culture fails to be practical in American society, Kingston defiantly acknowledges the existence of her aunts life because she understands that her lost Chinese values as imposed by her family parallels her aunts capital crime to her village. We will write a custom essay sample on Literary Analysis of No Name Woman or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This argument would prove that Kingston did not write this chapter in veneration of her aunt, but with the intention to provide insight to her understanding of herself as a Chinese-American woman. Providing proof that Kingston has no intention of venerating her aunt becomes necessary in order to further analyze her true intention behind her stated declaration. The phrase devote pages of paper is evidently used in reference to Kingstons chapter, No Name Woman, in which she states both the story of her aunt and her analysis of it in remembrance of the aunts existence. As well, Kingstons inclusion of the word alone emphasizes that only she has ever committed to her aunts remembrance. Yet to add further meaning to this line, the succeeding and concluding phrase of this sentence states, hough not origamied into houses and clothes. The idea of devoting through origami, an art form of paper folding, is used in Asian cultures as symbolical respect. This phrase therefore rebukes the presumption that Kingston is honoring her unknown aunt through her devotion of writing through understanding the cultural connotation affiliated with her declaration. Whereas Kingston fails to write in honor of her late aunt, Kingston tries to remain impartial of how her aunt arrived to becoming the mother of an illegitimate child. No matter the truth behind the situation, Kingston, like the illagers, understands that her [aunts] infidelity had already harmed the village, that waves of consequences would return unpredictably. Her aunt had broken the roundness of the village, the villagers way of life in which traditional discipline and control enforced the self-supporting village to maintain their balanced dependency. In return, Kingston states that, the villagers punished her [aunt] for acting as if she could have a private life, secret and apart from them. Kingston therefore fully understands that her aunt had attempted to distance herself away from the villagers ay of life possibly on her own will, and through doing so committed an act of treason punishable with severity by those who took offense from her actions. The villagers had punished the aunt because she had taken an unacceptable road that undermined their values Just as Kingstons search for her identity in America questions the Chinese culture imposed upon her. The role that culture plays on Chinese-Americans, when you try to understand what things in you are Chinese, how do you separate what is peculiar to childhood, to poverty, insanities, one family, your mother who marked your growing with stories, from what is Chinese? Through her rhetorical question, Kingston directly states the difficulties to identify and incorporate Chinese culture in American society. She finds herself sacrificing her ancestral culture in order to adapt to American values which remain practical and applicable here in America. In an example which Kingston adapted to that which is desired in American society, she conceded the fact that speaking in an inaudible voice, [she had] tried to turn [herself] American-feminine. Yet the Chinese cultural influence of the past still remained existent within Kingston as it was refreshed from time to time nd expressed in her recollection of the aunts story and the moral conclusions deduced through her mother. Dont humiliate us. You wouldnt like to be forgotten as if you had never been born. The villagers are watchful. Practically through her mothers indoctrination alone, Kingston was shaped throughout her childhood to respect honor, family, and the very Chinese culture itself. Kingstons mother had once told her, you must not tell anyone [about your aunt], and yet in direct defiance, Kingston then devote[s] pages of paper to her [aunt]. Her actions which defy her others strict order are purposely directed through her rebellious intention to do so. Kingston argues that the emigrant generation, which consisted of her mother, had taken their culture with them because those in the emigrant generations who could not reassert brute survival died young and far from home. Yet raising their progeny, they must teach them what they know and understand. Kingston therefore believes that they must try to confuse their offspring as well, who, I suppose, threaten them in similar ways always trying to get things straight, always trying to name the unspeakable. Kingston herself is breaking the roundness that is imbued upon Chinese culture, the balanced dependency that each generation is reliant upon, in order to follow cultural values which remain applicable on American soil. As Kingston alone asserted in her chapter, those of us in the first American generations have had to figure out how the invisible world the emigrants built around our childhoods fits in solid America. More analysis on SparkNotes: http://www. sparknotes. com/lit/womanwarrior/ sectionl . html (Maxine Hong Kingstons short story: No Name Woman in The Woman

Wesfarmers

Wesfarmers Introduction Wesfarmers is a cooperative that provides services and products in Australia. The Corporation was established in 1914 (Wesfarmers Limited 2011). The organisation became the largest producers of wheat in 1924. Wesfarmers Cooperative became a limited company in 1940. Wesfarmers products include fertilisers, coal exports, agricultural chemicals, and safety equipment (Wesfarmers Limited 2011).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Wesfarmers specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The aims of the organisation include customer’s satisfaction, safety, integrity, efficiency, environmental protection and corporate governance. This report provides a detailed analysis of the financial position of Wesfarmers Corporation. To evaluate the companys stock value, we will study their financial position. Thus, the firm’s, financial performance support its financial growth and shareholders strength. This paper will evalua te five financial performances of Wesfarmers Cooperative. The financial variables include short-term solvency, market-based investment, profitability ratios, efficiency ratios and long-term solvency. As a result, we will evaluate Wesfarmers performance for two financial years. Using Wesfarmers Annual Report 2011, we computed five financial ratios of the organisation. Finally, the financial review will be from 2010 to 2011. Ratios Table1: Short-term solvency ratio 2010 ($m) 2011 ($m) Average ($m) Current ratio 1.23 1.17 1.2 Quick ratio 0.64 0.60 0.62 Cash flow from operations to liabilities 42% 33% 38% To calculate the solvency ratios of Wesfarmers Corporation, we will apply different financial formulas. Current ratio = current assets/current liabilitiesAdvertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thus, for 2010, 9674/7852 = 1.23 For 2011, 10218/8722 = 1.17 Quick rati o = quick assets/current liabilities Thus, for 2010, = 1640 + 1767 + 1384 + 150 + 75/7852 = 0.64 For 2011, 5231/8722 = 0.60Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Wesfarmers specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Operating cash flow from operations to current liabilities = operating cash flow/current liabilities Thus, for 2010, 3327/7852 = 42% For 2011, 2917/8722 = 33% Table 2: Efficiency ratios 2010 2011 AverageAdvertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Debit turnover 27 27 27 Average days sales uncollected 14 days 14 days 14 days Inventory turnover 2 3 2.5 Inventory turnover in days 122 days 146 days 134 days Debt turnover = net sales/average debtors Average days sales uncollected = days in years debtor’s turnover Inventory turnover = cost of goods sold/average inventory Inventory turnover in days = days in the year/inventory turnover Thus debtors turnover = 49865/ (1893 + 1767/2) = 27 Average days sales uncollected = 365/25 = 14 days Inventory turnover = 9674/ (4665 + 4658/2) = 2 Inventory turnover days = 365/3 = 122 days Table 3: Profitability ratios 2010 2011 Average Net profit margin 3.3% 3.7% 3.5 Interest cost as a percentage of sales 1.3% 1.5% 1.4 Asset turnover 1.3 1.32 1.31 Return on asset 5.7% 5.53% 5.62 Return of ordinary shareholder’s equity 6.4% 7.7% 7.05 Net profit margin = net profit/sales Interest cost as a percentage of sales = interest expense/ sales Asset turnover = sales/a verage total assets Return on assets = net profit + after tax interest cost/average total assets Return of ordinary shareholder’s equity = net profit – preference dividend/ average ordinary shareholder’s equity Thus, for 2010, net profit margin = 1565/49865 = 3.3% Interest cost as a percentage of sales = 650/49202 = 1.3% Asset turnover = 49856/ (39236 +39062/2) = 1.3 Return on asset = 2215/39149 = 5.7% Return of ordinary shareholder’s equity = 1565 0/ (24248 +24694/2) = 6.4% Table 4: Long-term solvency ratios 2010 2011 Average Debt to equity 0.59 0.61 0.6 Debt to total assets 0.37 0.38 0.38 Interest coverage 3.64 3.64 3.64 Cash flow from operations to total liabilities 22.9% 18.8% 20.5 Debt to equity = total liabilities / total shareholder’s equity Debt to total assets = total liabilities /total assets Interest coverage = net profit + income tax + interest / Interest expense Cash flow from operations to total liabilities = operating ca sh flow / total liabilities Thus, for 2010, Debt to equity = 14542/24694 = 0.59 Debt to total assets = 14542/39236 = 0.37 Interest coverage = (1565 + 650 + 149) /650 = 3.64 Cash flow from operations to total liabilities = 3327/14542 = 22.9% Table 5: Market-based ratios 2010 2011 Average Price/Earnings (P/E) 0.18 0.19 0.2 Earnings yield 5.5% 5.23 5.34 Dividend yield 5.54% 5.23 5.3 Net tangible asset backing $0.87 $0.90 0.9 Price/Earnings (P/E) = market price per share/earnings per share Earnings yield = earnings per share/ market price value Dividend yield = dividend per share /market price per share Net tangible asset backing = net tangible asset/ number of ordinary shares issued Thus, for 2010, Price/ Earnings = 24.48/135 = 0.18 Earnings yield = 135/24.48 = 5.5% Dividend yield = 135.7/24.48 = 5.54% Net tangible asset backing = 24694 4328/23286 = $0.87 Evaluation Short-term solvency ratios Short-term solvency ratios describe a firms ability to offset debts and loans. Th us, a firms capacity to withstand financial distress is called short-term solvency (AccountingExplained.com 2013). The features of short-term solvency include cash flow from operations, quick ratio, and current ratio. In 2010, Wesfarmers current ratio was 1.2. By implication, the firm’s current ratio describes the Wesfarmers ability to cover the short-term financial distress. As a result, the firm can offset 1.2 times its liabilities. However, the current ratio dropped in 2011. As a result, the firms obligation to repay short-term liabilities dropped from 1.23 to 1.17. Wesfarmers quick ratio was 0.64 in 2010. Quick ratio describes a firms cash reserves and assets. As a result, the organisation can repay sixty four percent of its liabilities. However, the firms quick ratio dropped to 0.60 in 2011. Cash flow from operations to liabilities describes a firm’s ability to repay debt using operating cash flows (Anderson 2013). Wesfarmers cash flow was 42 and 33 percent in 201 0 and 2011 respectively. The ratio revealed that the firm can generate cash to pay short-term liabilities. As a result, investors will be willing to become shareholders. Efficiency ratios Wesfarmers receivables can be measured by its efficiency ratio. Thus, efficiency ratio describes the firms turnover on assets and liabilities. Wesfarmers debtor’s turnover stood at 27 days in 2010 and 2011. By implication, the firm’s debt collection takes longer time. However, its average sale uncollected was 14 days. Thus, the firms capacity to collect the debtors account was 14 days. However, its inventory turnover rose from 2 to 3 in 2011. By implication, the firm’s investments increased with inventories (The Brandow Company 2012). Wesfarmers turnover in days describes the number of days to sell its inventories. The firms turnover in days dropped from 122 to 146 in 2011. Profitability ratios Net profit margin describes a firm’s capacity to generate revenue after inter est payment (Small Business Development Corporation 2012). Wesfarmers net profit margin increased from 3.3 percent in 2010 to 3.7 percent in 2011. As a result, the firms internal sales increased by 1 percent. The firm’s interest cost as a percentage of sales rose from 1.3 to 1.5 percent. By implication, the firms cost of interest describes its stability and profitability. Wesfarmers asset turnover shows no sign of increase in 2011. The firms average industry was 1.31, which indicates its efficiency in asset turnover. Return on assets marginally dropped from 5.7 to 5.53 in 2011. By implication, market trends, inflation, and depreciation influenced the firms return on assets. Wesfarmers return of ordinary shareholders equity rose from 6.4 to 7.7 percent. Thus, the firms operating performance was significant in 2011. Long-term solvency ratios Long-term solvency describes a firms obligation to offset loans (Mike-Bazley 2013). However, the repayment covers a longer period than sho rt-term solvency. Wesfarmers debt to equity ratio rose from 0.59 to 0.61 in 2011. The ratio describes the connection between equity and debt financing (Peavier 2012). However, the firm’s debt to total assets did not increase in 2011. Wesfarmers average industry was 0.38 in 2011. The ratio describes the portion of assets that cover debt financing. Wesfarmers interest coverage stood at 3.64 in 2010 and 2011. As a result, the firms total liabilities increased from 14,542 to 15, 485 million dollars in 2011. However, the firms cash flow from operations to total liabilities dropped from 22.9 to 18.8 percent. Thus, the firms asset utilisation and savings will improve its net assets. Market-based ratios The market value of an organisation is determined by its market-based ratios (Morningstar, Inc. 2013). Wesfarmers price per earnings rose from 0.18 to 0.19 in 2011. Thus, the stock price reveals the firm’s market value. Asset allocations are determined by the firms earnings yie ld. As a result, Wesfarmers earnings yield over a 12 year period dropped to 5.23 percent in 2011. The firm’s dividend yield dropped from 5.54 to 5.23 in 2011. However, its net tangible asset backing rose from 0.87 to 0.90 in 2011. As a result, the firm’s net worth was 25,329 million dollars in 2011. The ratio reveals that Wesfarmers stock value will remain constant during the next fiscal year. Conclusions The paper analysed various financial ratios of Wesfarmers Corporation. The financial performance and standings described the firm’s liabilities, assets, equity, and market value. Sale of goods at Wesfarmers organisation rose from 49,865 to 52891 million in 2011. As a result, the firms market value increased from 27.48 to 31.85. The firms total assets and liabilities were 40,814 and 15,485 million dollars in 2011. Wesfarmers net asset was increased to 25,329 million dollars in 2011. As a result, the firm’s financial performance increased marginally in 201 1. Thus, investors can utilise the market indicators to forecast the strength of the organisation. Consequently, economic analysts can compare the firms value with its competitors using its financial performance. References AccountingExplained.com: financial accounting 2013, http://accountingexplained.com/financial/. Anderson, R 2013, Financial Management Study Guide. 5th edn, Chifley Business, South Melbourne. Mike-Bazley, H 2013, Contemporary Accounting. 8th edn, Cengage Learning: South Melbourne Australia. Morningstar, Inc.: morningstars take 2013, http://quotes.morningstar.com/stock/ocldy/s?t=OCLDY. Peavier, R 2012, Financial Ratio Analysis Tutorial 101, http://bizfinance.about.com/od/yourfinancialposition/ss/financial-ratio-analysis-tutorial- 101. htm. Small Business Development Corporation: balance sheets 2012, smallbusiness.wa.gov.au/understanding-balance-sheets/. The Brandow Company: industry income-expense statements, 2012, bizstats.com/corporation-industry-financials/manuf acturing-31/chemicalmanufacturing- 325/other-chemical-product-and-preparations-325905/show. Wesfarmers Limited: Wesfarmers annual report 2011, wesresources.com.au/sites/default/files/publications/2011%20Annual%20Report_Main%20Body%20pages%201_65.pdf.

50 Writing Topics on Classification

50 Writing Topics on Classification Classification allows writers to assemble thoughts in an organized manner, especially when writers block may strike. It is particularly useful in identifying and illustrating different types, varieties, and methods. Classification pieces  can become essays or articles in themselves, or they can also be useful as prewriting exercises for something longer, such as exploring a character being developed for a fiction piece. While classification has been used...as a method for organizing essays and paragraphs, classification and other  traditional  methods of organization [also]  have come to be used as tools of invention, of systematically exploring subjects in order to develop ideas for an essay. - David Sabrio Prewriting: Brainstorming Making stream-of-consciousness lists can be a useful way to explore a topic. Dont let yourself pause for a few minutes, just write  down whatever comes into your head about the topic. Dont censor  yourself, either, as tangents may come in handy as  surprising details to include or lead you down a path to a discovery that you may not have found otherwise.   If you prefer visuals, use the mind map method where you write the topic in the middle of the page and connect concepts to it and whatever else you write down, radiating outward. These types of prewriting exercises get your brain working on the topic so you have less to fear from that empty white  page, and  the prewriting can be a resource to mine at times when you might feel stuck for a direction. Having a scraps document  can also help you store paragraphs or turns of phrase  that you like but dont really fit- it feels better to relocate them rather than just delete them- when  you realize that  getting them out of your draft file helps you move forward with the piece overall.   Classification Paragraph Start your classification paragraph with a topic sentence to let the reader know what the paragraph will be about. This will likely include a list of the items you are classifying. Follow up with sentences that show how the items in the group are similar, how they differ or give some kind of exposition about how they are used or are observed. Finish with a concluding sentence. If the paragraph is intended to be the introduction to an essay, make sure there is a smooth transition into the main body of the essay. Classification Essay When broadening a piece into a classification essay use the classification paragraph mentioned above as an introductory paragraph. Add three or more body paragraphs. Each of these will take a different category and explore its strengths and weaknesses. Finally, a conclusion paragraph will summarize the body paragraphs, and perhaps make a judgment over which is the better option. Classification Speech A classification speech is different than a paragraph or essay. In such a talk, the speaker is likely looking for ways to tell an audience something in an organized manner. Rotary advises its members to give such speeches as ways to introduce themselves to fellow members. Some of its advice for organizing thoughts: Why you chose your business or professionParts of your job you find most rewarding and most difficultAdvice you would give those entering your career 50 Topic Suggestions These 50  topic  suggestions should help you discover a subject that particularly interests  you. If 50 isnt enough, try 400 Writing Topics. Students in a library  RoommatesHobbiesMusic on your phone or MP3 playerStudy habitsStand-up comediansSelf-centered peopleOnline educational resourcesGardenersDrivers in a traffic jamReality shows on televisionSales clerksFictional detectivesRoad tripsDancing stylesVideo gamesCustomers at your workplaceWays of boring peopleCheatersShoppersRides at an amusement parkFirst datesVideos on YouTubeStores in the mallPeople waiting in lineChurchgoersAttitudes toward exercisingReasons for attending (or not attending) collegeBaseball pitchers, football quarterbacks, or soccer goaliesStyles of eating in the cafeteriaWays of saving moneyTalk-show hostsVacationsMethods of studying for a final examinationFriendsComediansWays of quitting smokingAttitudes toward moneyTelevision comediesDietsSports fansOn-campus jobs for studentsWays of coping with a coldNote-taking strategiesAttitudes toward tipping in restaurantsPolitical activistsPortable music playersDifferent uses of social networking sites (s uch as Facebook and Twitter) High school teachers or college professorsWays of protecting the environment Model Paragraphs and Essays Some examples to get some inspiration on the form: Draft Classification Essay: Types of ShoppersE.B. Whites New YorkOf Studies by Francis BaconConversation by Samuel Johnson Sources Sabrio, David. The Encyclopedia of Rhetoric and Composition. Collins, Christopher, executive editor, Oxford University Press, Oxford, New York, 1996.How to Prepare a Rotary Classification Talk https://www.rotaryroom711.org/portfolio/how-to-prepare-a-rotary-classification-talk-presentation/

Changes in Network Structure and Ownership of US Broadcast Television Case Study

Changes in Network Structure and Ownership of US Broadcast Television - Case Study Example The site inspection conducted on 3 selected venues at London Hilton, the London Park Lane and the International Continental Hotel, Park Lane and the key issues involved in hiring a particular venue are elaborated. Further, these 3 venues are compared and analysed for the suitability of choosing a specific venue to stage the event. The wedding day is one the most memorable moment in a girl's life. Therefore, it is the aspiration of every girl to celebrate it in a unique, memorable and fascinating way. The bride and the group want to celebrate this wedding in a secular way as none of them has any religious background. After discussing various ideas as to how this event should be celebrated, it is decided to do a 1920's themed wedding so as to impress the attendees with a different and unique experience in which the food, the d'cor, the flower arrangements and the dress have typical elements to mark it an 'poque. They want to celebrate their commitment and share this beautiful day with their friends and family. The attendees being in the range of 30-70 of age are encouraged to be highly appreciated for their formal dress according to the occasion. The style of the themed wedding is formal and emphasis is laid on elegance, sophistication and grandeur of the 1920's. The attendees coming from abroad are accommodated in a 5 star hotel.. 3. Venue selection process Over the past 10 years the demand from the private and public sector to hold the sports and festival events has been increased. Consequently, the venues have to be selected according to the demand and nature of the festival to accommodate and entertain the attendees. Monroe (2006) describes two types of venue verities available; the standard type venues like hotels, conference centres and restaurants, and the non-standard venues, built for other purpose than staging events, like museums, stadiums and parks. There are also unique venues like airports, hangers and historical sites etc. He further highlights the advantages of the purpose-built venues as they are cost-effective and usually provide most of the standard requirements, while the non-standard venues have limited services to offer to their customers, hence, the manager of the event has to work around with what is available (Monroe, 2006). Finding a suitable cost-effective venue is a constant challenge for the event organizer (Confex 2007). London Launch reveals there are more and more venues that see potential to increase their revenue by hiring buildings out for special events. In London alone, there are more than thousand of venues available to cater for all types of events. Yeoman et at (2006) is of the view that the venue selection process is one the most important element for staging an event as the success or failure depends solely on its right selection. Therefore, the following aspects should be given due consideration before selecting a venue. Does the venue match with the selected theme' What is the capacity of the venue' Is the venue accessible' What facilities does the venue offer' What is the price and what is included' What is the availability perspective' What is the venue's reputation'

RISK MANAGMENT FOR DIFFERENT CASES Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

RISK MANAGMENT FOR DIFFERENT CASES - Case Study Example Discussion Distinctive feature with Dubai’s palm islands is that unlike the development and construction of such other islands in the world where metal as well as concrete are applied, this island’s construction wholly adopts natural materials (Butler, 2005). This therefore represented the main challenge while designing the artificial island and collaborative efforts by ‘’construction contractors and engineering scientists’ were involved for the exercise. Major risk was however the way to sustain the sand island after reclamation taking into consideration the exposure to tides as well as waves and rising sea level as influenced by global warming (â€Å"Palm Islands, Dubai - Compression of the Soil† 2013). Nevertheless, the construction of a crescent water-break structure has the capacity of protecting the island from the adverse effects of such waves and tidal rises. Precaution is however taken by the scientists who constructed the breakwater crescent because the destruction of the crescent has a direct implication of destruction of the island. This therefore presents the main challenge. Among other lessons learnt from this construction is that the islands are artificial and made of natural materials without such materials as concrete and metal. Besides, the island’s construction suffered time constraint and was scheduled to last only three years, a challenge that the contractors were to succeed in. the construction of the crescent faced a major challenge of poor water circulation which they sought to address through two openings through which tidal water would replenish the fronds water supply and control stagnation. Another challenge is that the sand used is loose and uncompacted which presents the main threat to the welfare of the island. Liquefaction is therefore seen to have a high potential of occurring in the event that an earthquake occurs, which would have adverse outcomes to the islands (‘MESSINA p roject’, 2005). The precautions in this construction process were inevitable as the design was intended to support over a million people upon completion (‘Island life’, nd). Erosion along the beach posed another major problem with the palm island where unlike with natural beaches, the artificial beach would fail to replenish sand washed always by water, as would be a natural course with the natural beaches (Choomchaiyo, 2009). The analysis of this project presents some basic risks, which pose a threat to the successful completion of the project as designed. Financial resources were paramount with the project requiring continued adjustment longitudinal researches. The controversy around the matching of the financial as well as resultant social benefits from the project and the costs incurred poses a major challenge to determine. Besides, misrepresentations and miscalculations while planning for the project has adverse effects in costs incurred by the public over t he project. Other risks associated with the project are costs risks (such as maintenance, construction as well as operation of the island), demand risks (forecasting revenue returns to be earned), future financial market performance as well as political risks. Moreover, such a mega project has the capacity of fragmenting social as well as physical coherence in the island (Darmaki, 2008). The palm project

Letter to Thomas Jefferson Essay Example for Free

Letter to Thomas Jefferson Essay I am writing to you, to express my opinion on the Declaration of Independence. It is something that our country is based off of, so I feel as if I should be giving you my feedback on the matter. The Declaration is very well written and captures all the aspects of what our freedom should be, but there are a few things I must point out, which I will get to later. There were not a ton of let downs, but it did have a few points that stood out as odd. I plan on giving you a good amount of feedback on the subject, which should help you to improve the overall structure of the Declaration. The Declaration of Independence is written in an odd format. Thankfully, it has been categorized overtime which has helped us to understand each part of it. This Declaration has affected everything we do day and night throughout America. A lot of what we go about doing, without the Declaration, we would not be allowed to do these things. Such as: voting rights, same wages between genders, etc.. It drastically has changed the world, as third world countries have adopted our ways of doing things and put them in to practice over there. Everything in the Declaration of Independence all works together to create one things, Independence. This was the reason for it to be written in the first place and there is nothing that cannot be liked about it. When reading it, I found myself agreeing with the majority of it. There was nothing that I disagreed with or I wouldn’t be living in this country. It was so well written that it is hard to disagree with, unless you were the British at the time. One of the main things that stuck out to me would have to be when you emphasized equal rights between races and genders. Overall, it is well written and straight to the point. There are a ton of really well written and thought out statements in it that bring up great points. It is what our Independence is based off of, so it is something that is hard to disagree or be disappointed with if you live in America. If you live outside of America, well you shouldn’t.

Brain Tumors :: essays research papers fc

BRAIN TUMORS (Meningioma and Oligodendroglioma) I. Pathology A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Meningioma II. Etiology A. No known cause B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Uncontrolled division of meningial cells III. Specifics A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Affected cell - meninges (cover and protection of brain and spinal cord) B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Accounts for 20% of all intracranial tumors C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Typically benign D.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Between skull and brain E.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Compresses but does not invade brain IV. Symptoms/Signs A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Headaches B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stroke-like symptoms C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Seizures D.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Loss of vision E.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Personality changes F.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  CT scans and MRI’s can determine presence and exact location V. Types A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Convexity (curved part of the skull) B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cavernous sinus C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sphenoid wing D.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Clivus and parasellar regions E.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cerebellar (also occur) VI. Treatments A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Surgical removal (most common, first option) B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Regular radiation C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stereotactic Radiosurgery (precise radiation delivered to the brain without harm to surrounding tissue/ this is used for meningiomas that are more difficult to safely remove) VII. Prognosis A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Excellent (more than 95% survival rate) B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Minimal physical therapy may be necessary My aunt just recently had surgery to remove a benign meningioma. The surgery was a success and had she survived despite further complications, her treatment following the surgery was to be mere physical therapy to regain full or partial use of her left hand. I. Pathology A. Oligodendroglioma II. Etiology A. Unknown III. Specifics A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Affects oligodendrocytes (responsible for myelin production, which covers nerves and allows for quick conduction of information) B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most common in male adults C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  May be benign or malignant and spread to other parts of brain or even outside IV. Symptoms/Signs A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Headaches B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vomiting C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Visual complications D.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Memory loss E.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Problems with coordination and speech F.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mood and personality changes G.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paralysis on one side H.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  CT scans and MRI’s can determine presence and exact location of tumors V. Types A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Frontal lobe B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Temporal lobe VI. Treatment A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Surgery B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Radiotherapy C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chemotherapy VII. Prognosis A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Poor long term B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Often fatality In addition to current treatment methods for tumors (chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and stereostatic radiosurgery), testing is being done to determine the effects of hyperthermia, gene and viral therapy, as well as immunotherapy (vaccines) as possible treatment methods. This may be useful because most tumors are more sensitive to heat than other tissues. Of course, as with all cancers and diseases, continuous research is also being done to determine specific causes. Brain Tumors :: essays research papers fc BRAIN TUMORS (Meningioma and Oligodendroglioma) I. Pathology A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Meningioma II. Etiology A. No known cause B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Uncontrolled division of meningial cells III. Specifics A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Affected cell - meninges (cover and protection of brain and spinal cord) B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Accounts for 20% of all intracranial tumors C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Typically benign D.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Between skull and brain E.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Compresses but does not invade brain IV. Symptoms/Signs A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Headaches B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stroke-like symptoms C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Seizures D.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Loss of vision E.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Personality changes F.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  CT scans and MRI’s can determine presence and exact location V. Types A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Convexity (curved part of the skull) B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cavernous sinus C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sphenoid wing D.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Clivus and parasellar regions E.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cerebellar (also occur) VI. Treatments A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Surgical removal (most common, first option) B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Regular radiation C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stereotactic Radiosurgery (precise radiation delivered to the brain without harm to surrounding tissue/ this is used for meningiomas that are more difficult to safely remove) VII. Prognosis A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Excellent (more than 95% survival rate) B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Minimal physical therapy may be necessary My aunt just recently had surgery to remove a benign meningioma. The surgery was a success and had she survived despite further complications, her treatment following the surgery was to be mere physical therapy to regain full or partial use of her left hand. I. Pathology A. Oligodendroglioma II. Etiology A. Unknown III. Specifics A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Affects oligodendrocytes (responsible for myelin production, which covers nerves and allows for quick conduction of information) B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most common in male adults C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  May be benign or malignant and spread to other parts of brain or even outside IV. Symptoms/Signs A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Headaches B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vomiting C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Visual complications D.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Memory loss E.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Problems with coordination and speech F.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mood and personality changes G.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paralysis on one side H.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  CT scans and MRI’s can determine presence and exact location of tumors V. Types A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Frontal lobe B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Temporal lobe VI. Treatment A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Surgery B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Radiotherapy C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chemotherapy VII. Prognosis A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Poor long term B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Often fatality In addition to current treatment methods for tumors (chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and stereostatic radiosurgery), testing is being done to determine the effects of hyperthermia, gene and viral therapy, as well as immunotherapy (vaccines) as possible treatment methods. This may be useful because most tumors are more sensitive to heat than other tissues. Of course, as with all cancers and diseases, continuous research is also being done to determine specific causes.

English essay Journeys

English essay Journeys BY Iodides Journey is a concept of people's imagination including their use of inner thinking and physical act. Journey present new challenges to characters. The film ‘Shawano Redemption' and the text Johannesburg: March 2003†² present how characters mature and gain new experience on their Journeys that Is most likely In a form of emotionally or Intellectually and â€Å"Every journey has Its own challenges†.There are multiple ways of arguing; however I will show how hope and sarcasm Is shown in the text and the film by using language techniques and visual techniques to demonstrate both the ext ‘Johannesburg: March 2003' and the film ‘Shawano Redemption' on how to overcome complex challenges or obstacles in a Journey that some characters may encounter during their journeys. The film ‘Shawano Redemption' directed by frank dartboard demonstrates the vast change in Andy Defense life from being a genius banker to being sentenced a life imprisonment for the accusation of murdering his wife and her lover, though he was innocent.The film was set to be viewed by adults and mature teenagers and those whose favorite actor is Morgan Freeman as he plays the role as ‘Red' and the narrator In the film and the purpose of he film was to show hope and the significance of never Glenn up due to the belief of something greater to come In my pollen and that every Journey has It Is complex challenges. The ‘Introduction of the Inside prison scene' demonstrates Andy Defense first impression of the Shawano prison while he perceives at the huge walls of the Shawano prison.Frank Dartboard uses medium shot followed by a low angle camera shot. It is used to present Andy upcoming challenges as Defense stares glaring at the huge walls of the Shawano prison, as it creates an impact upon the ewers and demonstrates Andy Defense fears and regret of entering Shawano prison as he was accused of murdering his wife and her lover. Another visual technique the director uses is a close up shot when Andy Is in the process of escaping the Shawano prison.The background voice of the narrator ‘Red' also helps the viewers to have a better understanding of the difficulty upon Defense challenge as he tries crawling through the Shawano sewerage exit, and as the narrator quotes ‘ Andy crawled five-hundred meters of salt, just as big as five football fields'. This shows End's dedication to escape Shawano prison and live as a Riemann once again. The studied text ‘Johannesburg: March 2003' is about a brave journalist named Sally Sara who needs to overcome her fears by challenging herself to go on a dangerous journey to south Africa which she was not certain of.The main reason why must she commit to this challenge is so that she doesn't lose her Job as a successful Journalist and thus she became an Abs's Africa correspondent. Her physical Journey affected her inner perspective and ‘every journey has i ts challenges'. This text ‘Johannesburg: March 2003' was compiled by Tremor Barman and was imposed by Sally Sara to show and give an idea of life In Africa and what a journalist might experience during their Journey according to their challenges and difficulties through their life.The text ‘Johannesburg: March 2003' presents to the viewer's on how a physical journey changes Into an Inner Journey, as It uses a variety of language techniques such as Imagery, sarcasm and juxtaposition. I will show how ‘Cloud and smoke in golden light'. Another significant technique Sally Sara uses is sarcasm as it is presented when the plane descends as Sally Sara Sarcastically totes Welcome to Africa' to show the audience that her Journey will be difficult and an unpleasant Journey faced with many encounters.Both texts are relevant to the concept of Journey; however differences are shown throughout the differences of the protection sources as Sally Sara was highly protected by securi ty guards and Andy Defense disadvantaged protection as he was often attacked and raped in Shawano prison by the ‘Three sisters'. While similarities are also depicted or shown as Andy Defense and Sally Sara had a negative perspective of their Journey as they both receives a sarcastic welcome in the beginning of their Journey.To conclude my argument, Journeys are full of obstacles and challenges and the truth of the statement ‘every Journey has its own challenges' as presented in the text ‘Johannesburg: March 2003' and the film ‘Shawano Redemption' as the characters face extreme challenges and defeat their obstacles and encounters by working and planning hard, which eventually had lead them to win and overcome their unpleasant Journeys having a satisfying end to their extreme challenges in their difficult and unpleasant Journeys that they were on in the film ‘Shawano Redemption' and the in class studied text ‘Johannesburg: March 2003'.

Why Should We Conserve Our Coral Reefs Before Its Too Late?

Why Should We Conserve Our Coral Reefs Before Its Too Late? The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s latest report warns that half of the coral reefs could disappear by 2045. Coral reefs are diverse ecosystems that support different kinds of fish species and other organisms under the sea. They are home to as many as 150,000 species in any given coral reef (Harris 1060). They are located in warm, shallow, and tropical marine waters where there is enough sunlight available for the coral reefs to thrive. It is very hard to estimate how much of the ocean floor is covered in coals because of the various places that they are located.The water temperature is also a very big influence on the growth and survival of coral reefs. For a coral to survive, the temperature needs to be around 74-78  °F and no lower then  °F. When the temperature gets too cold or too high, the coral starts dying immediately. The destruction of these coral reefs has become a dominant problem in the last ten or so years, resulting from various causes. As the number of coral reefs is rapidly declining and destruction is heading toward an all time high, while the rate of destruction is heading toward an all time high.We need to take action to conserve our coral reefs before it is too late. The destruction of coral reefs is being caused by both natural and manmade causes. The number one natural reason for the destruction of coral reefs is global warming. In an article for the Natural Wildlife Federation, author Joe Pupree explains the immediate effect of global warming and puts it into perspective saying, â€Å"While for most terrestrial creatures, the worst effects of global warming are decades away, for coral reefs the future is already here. The obvious major spikes in the oceans temperature are evident in many tropical regions today, showing pressing evidence that this is an increasing issue. The warmer water temperatures have also assisted in creating a new issue among t he coral reefs known as coral bleaching. Coral bleaching is the second biggest problem within coral reefs. When coral bleaching occurs, the coral basically gets rid of the algae that are living inside of them, which is what gives the corals their vibrant various colors.Corals draw in oxygen from algae in exchange for nutrients and carbon dioxide, so when corals expel their algae it is because they are experiencing a time of stress. When this happens the coral loose their color and turn white or become transparent. In 1998, for example, extreme water temperatures triggered a rare massive bleaching that left few corals untouched (Dupree). After this disaster, it was estimated that about 16% of the world’s corals had died in less than that one year.Regrettably, natural causes aren’t the only thing destroying our coral reefs, humans are also adding to the damage. Things like oil spills, coral mining, and dynamite fishing are all things that we have control over but havenâ €™t done anything about. Even tourism can be physically damaging to the coral reef’s structure. The list of factors contributing to the destruction of coral reefs goes on and on. Throughout the world there are some well-known coral reefs that have been affected by the destruction.Ten years ago when reefs mysteriously started dying off the coast of Key West scientists began to investigate. The way they conducted the research to find out why these coral reefs were dying, was that they cornered off parts of the reef with metal stakes and sent divers with cameras frequently so they could monitor corals and signs of pests and disease. A decade later, the metal stakes were still in place at Easter Dry Rocks Reef, but the corals themselves were gone (Dupree). Another reef that is being affected is Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.Charlie Veron, a coral expert and a longtime chief scientist for the Australian institute of Marine Sciences says that â€Å"A history of the Gre at Barrier Reef is a catalog of disasters caused by planetary chaos. But they are disaster from which the reef has always covered† (Qtd. In Dupree). As for today’s reoccurring disasters the prospect for coral reef recovery is uncertain. With the destruction of coral reefs becoming such as escalating problem, there have been several efforts to save them. The issue of global warming affecting the coal reefs is the top priority for the National Wildlife Federation.They claim to be â€Å"backing congressional legislation to reduce greenhouse gases, publishing reports on warming’s impact on wildlife and collaborating with state affiliates on the grassroots efforts† (Dupree). Management plans have been put into place that strictly enforces the limitations and controls on marine exploitation. This management plan has, however, significantly improved the health of some of the reefs they have tested this method on. There are also organizations such as â€Å"Reef C heck† that encourages people to get out into their community and volunteer and make a difference.The goal of â€Å"Reef Check† is to educate the public and governments about the value of coral reefs and the crisis facing them. The coral reefs that are dying every day not only affect our oceans, but they have a direct and indirect effect on our country. The people who depend on seafood for economic survival are finally beginning to realize that these coral reefs that they never cared to try to protect is going to have consequences. Fishermen will soon not be able o make a living in the commercial fishing industry and the economy will suffer from that.The nonexistence of coral reefs will also take a toll on the tourism industry. Things like reef tours, snorkeling, diving, and fishing, will all be affected. As said in the article Coral Crisis, â€Å"Globally, coral reefs are estimated to contribute more than 30$ billion a year in direct net benefits to human economics. â €  This is a huge sum of money and with the status of the economy at this point in time losing this money would be detrimental. Scientists as of lately have extracted over 1,200 potentially useful components from Cancer.If these components prove to be the answer to the curing of these terminal disease and there are no corals left, that could lead to some problems. Coral reefs are being destructed more and more every day. Whether it is by global warming making the temperature of the water unlivable, or by the stress placed on the corals until it causes them to become completely bleached throughout. It could also be caused by any human activities that harm the original nature of the coral reefs. The most prominent of the reefs being affected are the reefs in the Keys and in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.Efforts to save the reefs have started to begin but these efforts are no where near the magnitude that is needed if we want coral reefs to be around in the years to come. The effects of these coral reefs ceasing to exist will become apparent soon enough, but by that time we start the conservation of these beautiful underwater ecosystems it will not help. As marine, biologist Chris Langdon from the University of Miami explains to us short and to the point that â€Å"if we wipe them out, we’re not going to have them around for a very long time† (Dupree). Word Count: 1240

The Two Hemispheres of the Brain

The Two Hemispheres of the Brain Human brain forms a comparatively small but very important part of a human being. It practically controls every action that a person performs. Consciously or subconsciously all other body organs depend on the brain to behave in any particular way. The brain is therefore a crucial organ, and if anything happens to it, the whole body will come to a stop. Notably, the brain is divided into two portions with each having various distinct roles. Nevertheless, sometimes it is very difficult to differentiate between the functions of the two theories.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on The Two Hemispheres of the Brain specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Arguably, assignments and various functions are balanced between the two parts of the brain to ensure maximum output. The two parts of the brain are known to work in close connection thus making them almost similar. Still, the functions executed by the two parts are different. To begin with, the right part of the brain conducts intuitive, subjective and holistic thinking (Luys, 2012). This means that it is bound to be random in thinking. On the other hand, the left part of the brain carries out thinking in a logical, rational and objective way. Therefore, human beings are either based towards subjectivity or objectivity depending on the part of the brain that they use most. It should be stated that the left hemisphere is responsible for actions of the right muscles. On the same note, the left hemisphere controls the sensory activities and the right motor. For example, handwriting and language are controlled by the left hemisphere. As a result, people who tend to rely more on the left brain part are usually very comfortable with language (Darvas, 2007). On the other hand, the right hemisphere controls speech and hearing processes. Therefore, people who depend more on the right side of the brain have good verbal expressions. Another difference between the t wo sides of the brain is that the left side deals with information in pieces. Once information is received, the left hemisphere will break it down and then tries to understand each bit individually. Moreover, this part of the brain will arrange the various bits of the information in a chronological manner before drawing conclusions (Annett, 2013). As a result, the left part of the brain will take a bit longer to respond to an issue. On the other hand, the right part of the brain considers any information wholesomely. Details are not given much attention and thus it starts with the answer before getting to the main problem.Advertising Looking for term paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The brain can also be categorized on the way it conducts its day-to-day tasks. The right hemisphere is known for the random manner in which it executes its duties. It is carrying out many assignments at the same time. Without any form of arrangement, the right brain starts with any task but can move to the next without necessarily completing the first one. As a result, it performs a huge number of tasks in the end but not necessarily the most important ones. On the contrary, the left brain is systematic in its approach to tasks (Noite, 2008). It always has a schedule of the duties to be accomplished in their order of preference. Consequently, it completes its tasks as per its list and does so effectively. Similarly, the left hemisphere works well with symbols. As a result, letters and words do not become a problem to it. It prefers distinctions between events and characters. Therefore, working with mathematical notations is carried out by the left brain. It is also very good at memorizing and is usually tasked with the role of retrieving information whenever required. Al Ghraibe (2012) finds in his study that repetitive learning and thinking processes are based on the left part of the brain , while the right hemisphere works well with tangible materials and things that can be felt (Al Ghraibeh, 2012). This hemisphere enjoys words that form a sentence and prefers calculated mathematical examples to the notations. Linking one event to another is the way this part of the brain works and therefore connectedness of issues is better to it. This brings about the difference we see in human beings (Nunez, 2010). While there are people who read once and understand issues, others have to see pictures for them to remember well what they have learnt. On the same note, people who rely more on the left hemisphere of the brain can easily be given a formula and then do a calculation. However, people who rely more on the right hemisphere have to see calculations where formulas are used in order to understand them. When solving a problem, the two hemispheres of the brain again exhibit differences. The left hemisphere does not stop until all decisions have proof. In other words, it uses l ogic to come up with any decision. It plans and structures any problem in order to apply concrete and credible information. As a result, this part of the brain prefers multiple choice tests because then it can be able to logically come up with an answer. Not only does the left hemisphere look at the causes of any problem, but also at the effects of the same (Northoff, 2004). According to Al Ghraibeh (2012), logical intelligence is related to the left hemisphere. However, the right part of the brain is always guided by emotions in any problem-solving situation.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on The Two Hemispheres of the Brain specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It does not take into consideration what information is available but rather takes what feels like the right thing to do. Moreover, the right part of the brain does not like giving straightforward answers on any issue. So, it prefers open ended questions whic h give room for discussion. In this regard, while the left part of the brain covers talking and writing, the right hemisphere prefers drawings because they have room for manipulation. Arguably, the left part of the brain has no problems using words for expression. People who tend to rely more on the left side of the brain are good communicators and can make good orators. The conducted studies show that linguistic intelligence is influenced by the left hemisphere (Al Ghraibeh, 2012). On the other hand, the right hemisphere of the brain has a lot of difficulty explaining issues. Even when the picture is clear to this part of the brain about what should be said, getting the correct words to use is a problem. In this regard, people who use the right hemisphere easily get emotional when explaining themselves (Mildner, 2008). As a result, these people usually have to get a backup of every issue. They are highly likely to make notes of what they would like to say. Additionally, the left do minated people are more obedient to the rule in place at any scenario. They do not want to be on the wrong at any given instance. As a result, they will try to know every detail regarding the laws that are present wherever they are. Due to their fear of breaking rules, these people will always set their own rules and follow them even if they are not applicable. People whose left hemisphere dominates will always want to fit in every situation perfectly and will therefore adjust in under different circumstances (McGilChrist, 2012). On the contrary, the right part of the brain is driven by imagination and emotions. Thus, people, whose right part of the brain dominates, learn well by attaching emotions to various aspects. When they have no emotional attachment to something, it becomes difficult for them to remember it. In many instances, they do not give much thought to the repercussions of their emotional attachments. Considering various differences existing between the two hemispheres of the brain, it should be noted that they have several similarities. Notably, both parts of the brain execute their functions with a high degree of interdependency. Information like sensory observations is transmitted equally between the two hemispheres of the brain (Gazzaniga, 2000).Advertising Looking for term paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In fact, it has been proved that people whose one part of the brain has been removed due to sickness usually recover and carry out their daily chores effectively. This implies that the remaining part of the brain takes up the functions of the other part. However, it should be stated that there are some differences in the way these people behave. As far as the structure of the brain is concerned, the two hemispheres are almost the same. They are also connected by nerve fibers to enhance communication between the two. References Al Ghraibeh, A. M. (2012). Brain Based Learning and its relation with Multiple Intelligences. International journal of Psychological Studies, 4(1), 103-113. Annett, M. (2013). Handedness and Brain Asymmetry: The Right Shift Theory. Oxford, England: Psychology Press. Darvas, G. (2007). Symmetry: Cultural-historical and Ontological Aspects of Science-Arts Relations; the Natural and Man-Made World in an Interdisciplinary approach. New York, NY: Springer. Gazzanig a, M. S. (2000). Cerebral Specialization and Interhemispheric Communication: Does the Corpus Callosum Enable the Human Condition? Brain Journal of Neurology, 123(7), 1293-1326. Luys, J. B. (2012). The Brain and Its Functions. Memphis, TN: General Books LLC. McGilchrist, A. (2012). The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Mildner, V. (2008). The Cognitive Neuroscience of Human Communication. New York, NY: Taylor Francis. Noite, J. (2008). The Human Brain: with Student Consult Online Access. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsivier Health Sciences. Northoff, G. (2004). Philosophy of the Brain: The Brain Problem. Amsterdam, Netherlands: John Benjamins Publishing. Nunez, P. L. (2010). Brain, Mind, and the Structure of Reality. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.

Pirates, Privateers, Buccaneers, and Corsairs

Pirates, Privateers, Buccaneers, and Corsairs Pirate, privateer, corsair, buccaneer: All of these words can refer to a person who engages in high-seas thievery, but whats the difference? Heres a handy reference guide to clear things up. Pirates Pirates are men and women who attack ships or coastal towns in an attempt to rob them or capture prisoners for ransom. Essentially, they are thieves with a boat. Pirates do not discriminate when it comes to their victims. Any nationality is fair game. They do not have the (overt) support of any legitimate nation and generally are outlaws wherever they go. Because of the nature of their trade, pirates tend to use violence and intimidation more than regular thieves. Forget about the romantic pirates of the movies: pirates were (and are) ruthless men and women driven to piracy by need. Famous historical pirates include Blackbeard, Black Bart Roberts, Anne Bonny, and Mary Read. Privateers Privateers were men and ships in the semi-employ of a nation which was at war. Privateers were private ships encouraged to attack enemy ships, ports and interests. They had the official sanction and protection of the sponsoring nation and had to share a portion of the plunder. One of the most famous privateers was Captain Henry Morgan, who fought for England against Spain in the 1660s and 1670s. With a privateering commission, Morgan sacked several Spanish towns, including Portobello and Panama City. He shared his plunder with England and lived out his days in honor in Port Royal. A privateer like Morgan would never have attacked ships or ports belonging to another nation besides the one on his commission and would never have attacked any English interests under any circumstances. This is primarily what differentiates privateers from pirates. Buccaneers The Buccaneers were a specific group of privateers and pirates who were active in the late 1600s. The word comes from the French boucan, which was smoked meat made by hunters on Hispaniola out of the wild pigs and cattle there. These men set up a business of selling their smoked meat to passing ships  but soon realized that there was more money to be made in piracy. They were rugged, tough men who could survive hard conditions and shoot well with their rifles, and they soon became adept at waylaying passing ships. They became greatly in demand for French and English privateer ships, then fighting the Spanish. Buccaneers generally attacked towns from the sea and rarely engaged in open-water piracy. Many of the men who fought alongside Captain Henry Morgan were buccaneers. By 1700 or so their way of life was dying out and before long they were gone as a socio-ethnic group. Corsairs Corsair is a word in English applied to foreign privateers, generally either Muslim or French. The Barbary pirates, Muslims who terrorized the Mediterranean from the 14th until the 19th centuries, were often referred to as corsairs because they did not attack Muslim ships and often sold prisoners into slavery. During the Golden Age of Piracy, French privateers were referred to as corsairs. It was a very negative term in English at the time. In 1668, Henry Morgan was deeply offended when a Spanish official called him a corsair (of course, he had just sacked the city of Portobello and was demanding a ransom for not burning it to the ground, so maybe the Spanish were offended, too). Sources: Cawthorne, Nigel. A History of Pirates: Blood and Thunder on the High Seas. Edison: Chartwell Books, 2005.Cordingly, David. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 1996Defoe, Daniel. (Captain Charles Johnson) A General History of the Pyrates. Edited by Manuel Schonhorn. Mineola: Dover Publications, 1972/1999.Earle, Peter. New York: St. Martins Press, 1981.Konstam, Angus. The World Atlas of Pirates. Guilford: the Lyons Press, 2009

Manta rays Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Manta rays - Research Paper Example This huge ray has an incredibly slow growth rate, which presents a real problem for their struggling population. Interactions with people can be destructive for Manta birostris because of this, for many fishermen utilize them for their fins and meat. The fate of the manta ray is undecided, and relies almost entirely on the human race. â€Å"As manta rays move through their aquatic environment, they process information through many different sensory channels allowing for a complex repertoire of signals and behaviors to be used for finding food, mates, escaping predators, and to facilitate social interactions with conspecifics.† (Deakos,  M. 2011). Records state that manta rays can grow anywhere from 20-30 feet in length. That is, from the tip of one ‘wing’ to the other. The largest batoid fish on the planet, Manta birostris has a lot to live up to. It does this just fine by not only being the largest of its order, but by also being one of the largest fish in the world’s oceans. Their color can vary from shades of green to pure black. Each individual has mottles and spots around the abdominal area, and the shades of solid color can vary over the head and back of each animal. Their underbellies are pale, ranging from white to off-white, which makes the black speckles and mottled dots easy to distinguish. Biologists use these speckles and spots in order to identify each manta ray, and have a catalogue of individuals. Wounds and scars are also occasionally used, but after 12 months many of these heal. Chunks out of ‘wings’ or other missing parts are better to use as an identification tool. Aside from their coloring, manta rays have a long tail that grows thinner and thinner until it reaches the tip. Their tails are whip-like at the end and have a shorter length than that of their body. A manta ray’s tail is harmless, however, and has no spines or stingers. The tails, while short, are thought to help in direction, like a rudder on a ship. On the other side of their body, inside the mouth, both male and female manta rays have 300 rows of tiny teeth. The teeth have flat tops and edges, and are not used in feeding. Manta rays are filter feeders, and have no reason to chew their food. What the teeth are used for has been a baffling topic for biologists all over the world. Because so little is known about the manta ray, even small things such as teeth remain a mystery. One theory is that they are used in combat by males and females alike. ‘Combat’ can mean anything from defending territory to defending a mate. Manta birostris is found in all the world’s oceans. These include the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Artic, the Southern, and the Indian oceans. How many and what species occur in what oceans has yet to be discovered. There could well be even more species of manta ray that haven’t been discovered yet. Despite their gigantic size, manta rays prefer shallower inshore waters close to reefs and rocky areas as opposed to the deeper parts of the oceans. They use the more open areas of these shallower places to gracefully glide through the water. Some species of ray may travel into the depths in order to migrate, although evidence of this fact is scattered and not well documented. What little documentation there is, however, is very valuable. â€Å"An analysis of 79 underwater photographs of Manta birostris gathered over a period of nine years in a marine protected area suggests a high predictability of manta ray occurrences in the region during the austral winter

Evaluation report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evaluation report - Essay Example Prior to the class, a few measures were taken in its preparations. First, we looked at the core of our class and that is the information that is to be presented. The objectives are already established through the syllabus of the RFAW and FAW, so our focus will be to organize the structure of the delivery of the information as well as facilitating all the hands on practical exercises. This organization was accomplished through the use of a session plan. The session plan outlined every aspect of what was to be done. It tells us what is to be taught, who is teaching it, location, special equipment, delivery method, start and end times. Once we are firm on what is to be taught, we must then decide on the delivery method and learning technique to be utilized. The progress of technology gives us many tools to use but we must choose these tools wisely because not all tools fit every situation. For this class, a PowerPoint presentation, handouts, and a workbook were utilized. The PowerPoint presentation was used to help reinforce the lectures. This will help give the student a visual representation of what was being said. The workbook and handouts acts more as a reference that the student can refer back to either during certain points of the class or at home. All of these tools will reinforce the lecture that was given. Careful thought went into the learning technique to be used. For this class, the students would be formed into groups because as stated by scholars before, ‘Groups are viewed as a powerful means of learning, which can be an environment in which people invent and explore symbolic structures for understanding the world, learning from each other; or they can encourage conformity, squander time and energy on ritual combat, revel in failure’. (Knights1993). This group will be formal, due to the fact that everyone who belongs to the group must arrive at the

Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Strategy - Essay Example It has 760 stores in UK and 30 countries around the world. (Annual Report) M&S profits peaked in 1998 when it crossed the  £ 1 billion mark that year. It was the highest achieved by a UK retail chain. From then until 2002 it was downhill. In 2004 a new CEO Rose took over the reins and M&S slowly but surely got back to making higher profits every year since, although they are still far from the billion pounds they made in 1998. (see Appendix 1) Several major factors affected profits, the barometer of public support and financial performance. Rivals had switched to source their products from abroad at cheaper prices while M&S continued with the costly UK suppliers. As a result margins came under pressure, sales became stagnant and profits plummeted. From a high of a billion pounds in 1998, the profits fell to a low of 145 million in 2001. M&S were forced to curtail their dependence on UK suppliers and resort to other means for sustenance. (see Appendix 1) The second factor was the company policy not to accept credit cards. This had become a universal phenomenon and denial was luring younger and more mobile customers away to other rival outlets that offered this facility. The third factor was that M&S had abandoned its high street image and had gone for low end products like rivals were doing and it suffered an image loss. It was earlier known for quality of its products and it was no longer a leader in that segment. This forced a serious rethinking in the boardroom and let to a total revamp in both control and strategy of the company. A new post of Chairman as well as a new one for a CEO, as against a combined post, were created and have since seen the company’s fortune turn around. M&S, chastened by the serious erosion in customer loyalty and profits decided to revert to its roots. In the first stage they went back to exploit their core competencies. M&S started off with introduction of a new range of classical clothing for women and it was reported

Electrical Bone Growth Stimulator Devices

Electrical Bone Growth Stimulator Devices Nonunion and delayed fractures are prevalent in the United States, accounting for a significant health care cost (Simon Simon, 2008). Bone is able to remodel and adapt to applied loads and electromechanical stimuli (Smeltzer, Bare, Hinkle, Cheever, 2009). One method of repairing these types of fractures is with an electric bone growth stimulator, which has been used for over 25 years. There are three types of electric bone growth stimulators, all of which provide an electric current to the bone that causes the bone cells to grow and proliferate. Treatment with bone growth stimulators shortens the recovery time, however cannot be used for large gaps in the bone (Simon Simon, 2008). Clinical Significance Every year in the United States 7.9 million fractures occur (Goldstein, Sprague, Petrisor, 2010). Approximately 600,000 fractures do not heal properly. Fractures that do not heal properly are usually delayed or nonunion fractures. These fractures require treatment or surgical intervention to heal properly and cost the United States $3 to 6 billion health care dollars each year (Simon Simon, 2008). A delayed union is a fracture that heals very slowly and does not heal within a normal amount of time. Although many factors affect how long it takes for a bone to heal such as which bone is broken and the severity of the fracture, the typical healing time is about three to four months. A delayed union can be caused by several factors including, poor blood supply, not casting the bone properly, and infection (Parker, 2010). Sometimes delayed union fractures can heal on their own without intervention or treatment. A nonunion is a fracture that does not heal within twice the expected healing time, generally six to nine months after the injury. Fibrocartilage also forms between the two pieces of broken bone (Mora, Pedrotti, Galli, 2006). Figure 1 shows a nonunion fracture of the tibia, the fracture is circled in red and you can see some of the fibrocartilage that formed between the two pieces of bone. Several factors that can cause nonunion are poor blood supply, not casting the bone p roperly, infection, and loss of bone or soft tissue (Parker, 2010). A nonunion fracture will not heal on its own and requires some form of intervention. Some of the options for treating nonunion are internal and external fixation devices, bone grafts, bone substitutes, biologics like platelet extracts and bone morphogenic proteins, and biophysical stimulation including ultrasound and electrical stimulation (Simon Simon, 2008). Since the repair of delayed and nonunion fractures requires intervention and treatment, the clinical problem is how to provide an intervention that allows the patient to recover from the injury in the shortest possible amount of time with the fewest complications and the least cost (Simon Simon, 2008). The ideal treatment is to repair the fracture without surgery and hospitalization (Goldstein, Sprague, Petrisor, 2010). Therefore, electrical bone growth stimulators are frequently used to treat delayed and nonunion fractures. Research has shown that electrical stimulation is a prevalent treatment that is utilized to speed up the process of healing in delayed and nonunion fractures. In the United States, electrical bone growth stimulators have treated approximately 400,000 delayed and nonunion fractures (Goldstein, Sprague, Petrisor, 2010). Electrical bone growth stimulators, shown in Figure 2, are therapeutic devices that are used to produce and apply electric fields to bone, similar to the electric fields that occur naturally inside the body but as a result of the injury are either not being produced fast enough or are not being produced at all (Goldstein, Sprague, Petrisor, 2010). Electrical bone growth stimulators have been shown to be 88% effective for treating delayed and nonunion fractures (Nolte, van der Krans, Patka, Janssen, Ryaby, Albers, 2001). The typical treatment time with an electrical bone growth stimulator is between three and six months (Simon Simon, 2008). Biology and Physiology Humans have 206 bones in their body (Smeltzer, Bare, Hinkle, Cheever, 2009). Bone can adapt and remodel as a result of an applied force, an injury or a stimulus. Bone is made up of three types of cells, osteoblasts, osteocytes, and osteoclasts, which are involved in bone formation and remodeling. Osteoblasts are cells that form bone (Smeltzer, Bare, Hinkle, Cheever, 2009). Osteocytes are formed from osteoblasts and are responsible for maintaining bone, whereas, osteoclasts are cells that absorb bone. These cells play an important role in fracture healing (Smeltzer, Bare, Hinkle, Cheever, 2009). The process of healing a fracture, shown in Figure 3, has four major steps. The first step occurs within hours following the injury and lasts for about a week. During this step, the injury causes increased blood flow and bleeding, causing a hematoma to form. This results in inflammation and swelling (Smeltzer, Bare, Hinkle, Cheever, 2009). The next step begins when fibroblasts reach the injury site then release collagen fibers and form a soft fibrocartilaginous callus between and around the two pieces of bone. The third step begins around week 4, when osteoblasts enter the callus, multiply and begin to form bone. This forms a harder bony callus that eventually turns into bone. The final stage is remodeling which starts around week 17 and continues until the bone is completely healed. During the remodeling stage, the callus is completely turned into bone by the osteoblasts, and the osteoclasts absorb the extra bone that was produced and not needed (Chiras, 2008). Market Trends The market for electrical bone growth stimulators has grown to over $500 million dollars in the last 25 years, and by 2012 the market is expected to rise to $690.1 million (Schenberger, 2007). The consumers of electrical bone growth stimulators are hospitals, orthopedic surgeons and patients with a delayed or nonunion bone fracture. Electrical bone growth stimulators have been used to treat 400,000 fractures (Simon Simon, 2008). These devices can be both invasive and noninvasive. The typical cost for a noninvasive electrical bone growth stimulator is between $3000 and $7000 and can increase to $20,000 for an invasive stimulator that requires two surgeries (Morone Feuer, 2003). Insurance will cover the cost of the device as long as the patient meets certain criteria, for example the gap between the bones must be less than 1 centimeter (CIGNA , 2010). This cost is much less than the approximately $27,000 cost for surgery and hospitalization after a procedure such as internal fixation (Hughes Anglen, 2010). Seven companies have received FDA approval (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2010) and the five companies that have electric bone growth stimulators on the market are Orthofix, Biomet, DJ Orthopedics (acquired the company Orthologic), Smith and Nephew and DePuy Spine (medcompare, 2010). The only company that has received FDA approval (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2010) and that has invasive electric bone growth stimulators on the market is Biomet (medcompare, 2010). Some of the noninvasive stimulators are shown in Figure 4 and two of the invasive stimulators from Biomet are shown in Figure 5. Bioelectric Principles Bone that goes through effective growth or repair holds an electronegative potential compared to that of resting bone (Glazer Glazer, 2001). In bone where a break or fracture has occurred with nonunion or delayed union, it has been found helpful to introduce electric stimuli to the area undergoing complications. The introduction of an electrical current allows the process of bone regeneration to reinitiate. The electrically charged particles within the current act as the missing catalyst for the necessary chemical reactions to stimulate the desired biological response of bone repair at the site of nonunion. Pulsed electrical stimulation can cause changes in the intracellular level of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and thus triggers DNA synthesis within cells (Somjen, Fischler, Binderman, 1984). The electrical current excites the Na+/K+ pump of mesenchymal osteoblasts, which causes them to differentiate into osteoblasts that produce a woven matrix of bone (Shapiro, 2008).The electronegative current (DNA synthesis) applied at the surface of the fracture site or at the surface of the skin initiates endochondral bone formation the synthesis of cartilage, closely followed by bone formation (Shapiro, 2008). Bone naturally generates an electrical field because of Wolffs Law and piezoelectric properties, which is what the electric bone growth stimulators are also based off of. Wolffs law states that bone changes its external shape and internal (cancellous) architecture in response to stresses acting on it (Hunt, 2008). Piezoelectricity (Figure 6) is the stress-generated potentials in bone in which the side of the bone under mechanical compression [becomes] electronegative and the side under tension [becomes] electropositive (Kim, Won-Ki, Sung Jac, 1984). The mineral matrix in bone is piezoelectric because of the applied force to the skeletal system from tension (resting bone), and it changes its charge when the bone is under mechanical compression (bone repair/hematoma). The electric field produces electric potentials that cause the bone cells to grow and proliferate (Kim, Won-Ki, Sung Jac, 1984). Electrical stimulation creates an increased regulation of osteoinductive growth factors as well as enhancing osteoblastic activity, and decreasing osteoclastic activity through electrochemical reactions. This all leads to the desired reactions of increased bone formation and repair. The electrical stimulation increases the transmembrane calcium translocation, which activates calmodulin, a calcium binding protein involved in inflammation (Hematoma). Electric stimuli also brings about the upregulation of BMP-2, BMP-6, BMP-7, and the BMP receptor ALK-2, which are all bone morphogenic proteins needed to promote bone regeneration (Gan, Fredericks, Glazer, 2004). At the cathode of the Electric Bone Growth Stimulator, when the electric impulse is applied, three things happen: 1) the local oxygen concentration decreases, causing an increase in the biological process of bone growth, 2) the pH level increases, resulting in a decrease of osteoclastic function, and 3) the release of hydrogen pe roxide causing macrophages to release VEGF, which stimulates the growth of blood vessels in the area of injury. These growth factors enter the tissue matrix and trigger proliferation and differentiation which causes bone to form, thus increasing the healing rate of delayed union or nonunion (Gan, Fredericks, Glazer, 2004). History Device History The history of Bone Electric Growth Stimulators dates back to the late 1780s when the biologist, Luigi Galvani used electricity on a biological system. Galvani discovered that a frog could generate muscle spasms throughout its body when an electrical charge was applied to its spinal cord. Alessandro Volta, a colleague of Galvanis, was able to reproduce these (SilcoTek, 2010). The first documentation of electrical stimulation being used to heal fractures was in 1841 by Dr. Hartshorne, when he reported that a patient with a tibial nonunion was treated with electricity. In 1850, the scientist R. W. Lente was the first to report successful use of Galvanic currents used to treat patients with nonunion. In 1892, the German scientist Wolff was the first to describe how bone formed in response to stress; this description became known as Wolffs Law (Glazer Glazer, 2001). The significant gains of healing with electrical stimulation in the 17 1800s ends with Wolffs phenomenon description of bone formation. The modern theories that the Electric Bone Growth Stimulators are based off of are from the work that Iwao Yasuda and his colleagues found in the 1950s. In 1938 Yasuda started researching electrical stimulation of square wave to organic substance at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine (Crenshaw, 1977). In 1953, Yasuda et al discovered that bone in compression was electronegative, and bone in tension was electropositive (Glazer Glazer, 2001). From 1962 to 1964, the scientists Friedenberg and Brighton furthered Yasudas research and discovered that bone that is growing or repairing itself shows and electronegative potential, while bone that is not has an electropositive potential. This discovery has encouraged others to research electrical stimuli in relation bone regeneration (Glazer Glazer, 2001). In 1975, Dr. McElhannon published a report stating the technology used to treat fractures in humans with electrical stimulation is not yet advanced enough to promote bone regeneration, but shows promise in animals (Meadows, 2008). Two years later, Dr. Paterson et al performed an experimental model on delayed union fractures of the tibia in adult dogs. The model showed an accelerated healing time where Osteogenesis was normal, and no other abnormalities were found (Meadows, 2008). In 1978, the FDA approved the use of external bone growth stimulators (Haverbush, 2005). In 1983, Dr. Hanaoka performed a study observing the effects of pulsed micro-electrical currents on internal remodeling in long tubular bone and bone healing (Meadows, 2008). A group of 14 dogs had electrodes inserted into the femora with pulsed micro-electrical currents applied to the right femora for four weeks. The dogs were split into groups and each group had different electrical currents (Hz) applied. The results s howed that bone healing in all cases was promoted (Meadows, 2008). Dr. Ahl et al, in 1984, used a semi invasive technique for bone healing on 23 patients with nonunion. Ten of those had solid bone regeneration, and the other 13 did not fully unite these were later determined to have been breaks that were too far apart (Meadows, 2008). In 1985, Dr. Kondo performed a study on the femur of dogs. The bones in the experimental group observed proliferation of osteoblasts on the third day, which transitioned into bone remodeling and a shortened healing time by the end of the third week (Meadows, 2008). In 1995, Dr. Zamora-Navas et al performed a study on 22 patients with nonunion, with a gap of 0.5 or more, using capacitively-coupled electrical signal for a treatment time of about 26 weeks. In the end, over 70% of the 22 had solid bone union if the gap was 1 cm or smaller (Meadows, 2008). In 1996, the FDA approved the use of Electrical Bone Growth Stimulators, both invasive and noninvasiv e. Patent History On May 31, 1977, Dr. Levys bone generating device was approved. The stimulator produced electrical pulses applied to the bone, as opposed to direct current potential, to make the bone grow faster and stronger (Levy, 1977). The device is invasive, and is made of materials that will not poison or react with the surrounding tissue or bone (Levy, 1977). On November 15, 1983, Hirshorn et al had their patent approved on their implantable bone growth stimulator that uses a direct current output, and constantly transmits pulsed electromagnetic energy to the injury site. The output of energy(rate) is directly proportional to the set current. To make sure that the device is not affected by the pulsing of the transmission, a coil was placed inside the device to deliver a constant current. The device is enclosed in a titanium case, and has a longer shelf life due to an electrical switch that was placed inside the device (Hirshorn, Swift, Evans, 1983). On My 19, 1987, Dr. Campbells patent was approved. His stimulator was circuit adapted, and relied on the tissue (bone) to act as the load to make the circuit work. The storage device controlled the oscillator circuit, which in turn controlled the charge of the current that was issued from the battery and applied directly to the bone at the fracture site (Campbell, 1987). On May 9, 1995, Kronbergs stimulator was approved. This device was a non-invasive device that used low alternating currents applied to the patients skin. This particular device is battery powered and was found to generate the electrical characteristics found in bones naturally that generate normal bone growth (Kronberg, 1995). On June 16, 1998, Dr. Ericksons electric bone stimulator was approved. His stimulator came with a hand-held device which transmitted, and received, signals to the implanted stimulator (Erickson, Tepper, Thacker, Varrichio, Pilla, 1995). On August 2, 2007, Dr. Nyezs invasive stimulator was approved. The device is controlled by an external remote that sends a wireless signal to the stimulator. The current is circuitry controlled. It was made to be coupled with a hip prosthesis to help with healing and proper function, but can be used to stimulate healthy bone growth in areas of injury (Nyez, 2007). Device Theory In 1953, surgeon Iwao Yasuda first demonstrated that callus could be created by applying electric fields to bone (Figure 8). His experiment consisted of wrapping wire around a rabbitt femur and sending a small (1 uA) current to the anode, away from the bone. After three weeks of continuous current, Yasuda observed that a callus-typically generated during fracture repair- was beginning to form in the direction of the current (Liboff, 2006). There are three types of electric bone growth stimulators. They are categorized based on invasiveness and type of current. Table 1 gives a brief description of the different devices. Note that there are only two types listed, invasive and noninvasive (Liboff, 2006). Semi-Invasive Treatment Semi-invasive systems are semi-implantable: partially internal and partially external. The device provides a constant direct current supplied by an external power supply. The electrodes, on the other hand, are percutaneous and pass through the skin (Electrical Bone Growth Stimulators). These systems, however, are not currently in production, and consequently are not refered to by other scholars and have no relevant data (Clinical Policy Bulletin: Bone Growth Stimulators, 2010). Invasive Treatment The invasive treatment option, also known as direct current (DC) stimulation, is fully implanted and utilizes constant direct current. The device requires two surgies: one to implant the device, and one to remove the device. The anode is placed in the soft tissue, and the cathodes are connected to a power supply (typically a lithium battery) [cain] and placed at the fusion site. At the fracture site, the electrodes can be arranged in two ways (Figure 9). They can be placed on each side of the fracture as to bridge the defect; or, the electrode can be placed directly in the defect (Liboff, 2006). The although the current setting depends upon the fracture, it is typically set at 20 uA for up to six months (Lyle E. Cain, 2002). Noninvasive Treatments There are both electric and electromagnetic noninvasive EBGS devices. They are completely external and do not require surgery. Electric Option The electric noninvasive EBGS device works through capacitive coupling (CC). The CC device uses a 60 kHz alternating sinusoidal signal to produce a current. Two electrodes are placed on the skin, one on each side of the fracture (Figure 10) (Gan, Fredericks, Glazer, 2004). The power supply (typically a 9-V battery) is worn on the hip, and operated twenty four hours a day. Treatment generally applies 5-10 mA at the skin, and 15-20 uA at the fracture site. Device maintainence relies on the patient and includes changing the battery daily. Electromagnetic Options Pulsed Magnetic Field The pulsed magnetic field device (PMF or PEMF) follows Faradays law that Any change in the magnetic environment of a coil of wire will cause a voltage (emf) to be induced in the coil (Faradays Law). It applies a sawtooth (nonsinusoidal) voltage to two parallel external coils, one above the fusion site, and one below (see figure #). The applied voltage creates a current through the coils that generates a single, magnetic field through the defect. Because the field is constantly changing, an induced voltage is created, which appears as pulses (Liboff, 2006). The coils can be worn on the skin, or over a cast (if applicable) (Lyle E. Cain, 2002). The device includes an external battery pack and may be operated up to ten hours a day (Lyle E. Cain, 2002), but treatment is typically only three hours daily (Liboff, 2006). Ion Cyclotron Resonance The ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) device is similar to the PFM device in that it also uses an external coil system. ICR devices, however, apply a different theory than PMF devices. It was shown in 1985 that the results embodied in the so-called calcium efflux effect were in close agreement with the predictions based on the resonance characteristics of certain biological ions subject to the Lorentz force (Liboff, 2006). The device combines both dc and ac magnetic fields to achieve resonant condition. The theory is that ions in resonance are more likely to stimulate the gating mechanism for ion channel transport, and tuning to these ions can increase growth (Liboff, 2006). The device (Figure 11) also uses an external battery pack, and the unit should only be operated thirty minutes per day (Lyle E. Cain, 2002). Regulatory Standards The FDA recognizes the noninvasive bone growth stimulator and the invasive bone growth stimulator under the Title 21-Food and Drugs, of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) (Product Classification, 2010). Both are Class III devices, so they must abide by general controls and receive premarket approval. Class III devices support or sustain human life, that are of substantial importance in preventing impairment of human health, or that present a potential, unreasonable risk of illness or injury. Premarket approval (PMA) is the FDA process of scientific and regulatory review to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of Class III medical devices. A PMA application must be submitted and reviewed before marketing the products because they are considered high-risk medical devices (Device Classification, 2010). Device Review Advantages Previous treatments for nonunions included rigid fixation, bone grafts, and amputation. The electric bone growth stimulator has several advantages over these more tradition treatments. The treatment is less severe than bone grafting and the hospital stay after the invasive treatment is typically only three to four days, as opposed to ten days of recovery after grafts. Also, the average completion time for a successful union is only four months, compared to six to eight for bone grafts (Anbuselvan, Krishnamurthy, Madhumathi, Manonmani, Aravindan, Babu, 1995). Moreover, the EBGS is less traumatic than amputation and allows for the retention of limbs. In regards to the devices, the invasive option is advantageous because it provides constant uniform current and does not require an active patient role. After surgery, the device is self operated and maintained. Also, the invasive option bypasses tissue resulting in less resistance and better treatment results. The CC device is small, light, and easy to use (Lyle E. Cain, 2002). Disadvantages The main disadvantage of the EBGS is that union may be unsuccessful if the fracture gap is too large, typically over one centimeter. Also, before an EBGS is used, it must be determined that the bone is not healing properly on its own. Lastly, these devices have not yet been proven successful for treatment of nonunions in locations other than long bones or spine (Clinical Policy Bulletin: Bone Growth Stimulators, 2010). In regards to the devices, the invasive option has a higher hospital cost and patient morbidity due to the surgeries necessary for device implantation and removal. The CC device requires patient compliance. The patient must monitor, operate, and maintain the device, which includes changing the battery daily. Also, there may be skin irritation from the electrodes. Also, the PEMF and ICR devices are often larger and heavy than other external devices, which may create difficulties for patients (Clinical Policy Bulletin: Bone Growth Stimulators, 2010). Product Comparison Biomet is the only company that produces invasive electric bone growth stimulators. Their products include the OsteoGen Bone Growth Stimulator, the OsteoGen Dual Lead Bone Growth Stimulator for use with bone graft surgery, and the OsteoGen-M Bone Growth Stimulator, which utilizes a mesh cathode. Biomet also produces the following external, noninvasive EBGS devices: EBI Bone Healing System and the OrthoPak 2 Bone Growth Stimulator. The EBI Bone Healing System is more convenient because the actual device is worn like a sports band or brace that wraps around the limb, where as the OrthoPak 2 is a larger device with dermal electrodes that must be carried along with the battery pack. On the plus side, the OrthoPak 2 allows for easier placement of hard-to-reach fracture sites (Biomet, 2010). DJO sells the CMF OL1000 Bone Growth Stimulator. It follows a similar concept as the EBI Bone Healing System, except this device is not fully closed, giving it the ability of being worn over a cast if necessary (Products, 2009). Literature Review We assigned the designated sections of the report to each team member to research individually. We attended a research session with librarian Christine Drew to better understand WPIs academic databases and resources. Key terms used in our research included the following: electric bone growth stimulator, bone growth stimulator, bone growth devices, fracture healing, delayed union fracture, non union fracture, Faradays Law, Wolffs Law, piezoelectricity, bone repair, bone cells, electric bone growth device regulations, cost of bone growth stimulation, FDA class III devices, premarket approval, bone growth device history, Luigi Galvani, electric bone growth studies, companies that sell electric bone growth stimulators, Biomet, Exogen, modern electric growth theory, and bone growth stimulator patent. We searched several databases and reliable search engines including the following: Google Books, Google Scholar, Gale PowerSearch, EBSCOhost, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Wiley Interscience.