IMF (International Monetary Fund) from 2007 to present using Research Paper

IMF (International Monetary Fund) from 2007 to present using international business perspective - Research Paper Example Globalization has huge implications for companies as it can reduce the cost structure of the companies and bring in improvement in terms of quality of products. Globalization has helped in improving international trade and investment volume as more and more companies have entered in to global market and take the shape of multinational organizations. Earlier US companies used dominate in the field of international exports and FDI. But, with changing world scenario, various European countries, Japan as well as emerging economies like India, China, Korea, etc. have reduced the dominance of USA as they are following the same footprint (Hill, 2010). For example, share of FDI of the companies of developing world have increased from less than 1 percent in 1980 to as high as 15 percent in 2008, while the share of USA based companies have declined from near 40 percent in 1980 to 18 percent in 2008(approximately) (Hill, 2010). The political scenario has also changed in this changed economic si tuation. The political dominance of US is no under great threat in this increasing market economy. Many European countries that were Communist earlier and Some Asian countries have undertaken democratic politics and stressed on building free market economies. Hence, international businesses are getting more and more opportunities to enter these economies that have in turn strengthen these economies. (Hill, 2010) In this globalized world, importance of global institutions has increased significantly in maintaining order in various economical and political fields. IMF is one of such institutes which hold an important position in this changing economic and political environment. In fact, it is helping this process of change by its policies. IMF is responsible for maintaining order and stability in the international monetary system. The performance of international businesses to a large extent depends on the operation of international monetary system. If this system operates properly, t hen, the risks associated with international business operation reduce significantly. This paper will place its focus on some important issues relating to IMF policies and its scandals since 2007 as IMF activities is closely related to the performance of international businesses. (Hill, 2010) Issues and Problems with IMF since 2007: Since 2007, a number of issues relating to IMF activities is worth mentioning as this period corresponds to the recent global financial crisis that has essentially affected internal business. Some of these issues will be looked at in this section. Failure of IMF in the early detection of US sub-prime crisis in 2007: IMF is responsible for maintaining stability in the world monetary system and any kind of crisis that my take place in future so that international businesses become aware of that event and take required steps. But IMF is being blamed for its failure to predict the materialization and severity of the financial crisis that was creates in US (B ennet, 2008). The crisis first emerged in the sub-prime market of US. There was a bubble in the market in 2006 and 2007. The movements in this market were some early sign of the upcoming event of global financial crisis. But, the IMF failed to capture those signals in sub-prime market. It is now being said that lack of technical and analytical capacity of the IMF along with US’s unwillingness to implement surveillance of financial sector by IMF were responsible for IMF’s inability to detect the early signs of the crisis and predict its emergence and severity. (Bennet, 2008; Bossone, 2008b) Changing macroeconomic Policy under global financial crisis: Although IMF failed to predict the recent global

Sports And School (My Experience) Essay Example for Free

Sports And School (My Experience) Essay School starts at a young age for most kids. They go to learn Arithmetic, English, History, and get a general education for life. They also learn to deal with others outside of their family and close friends. Such was the case for myself. I lived on a farm where my neighbor was my best friend till he moved away. I then had one year till school would start for me, which I would spend with my family, and one or two friends who I would see occasionally. When school finally started for me I had no friends I already knew. It only took me a few days of watching the older kids playing soccer to learn the game and I eventually started playing with them. They learned my name and I learned theirs, soon I was friends with most of the kids in the school (somewhere around 45 kids, K-6). The next year I was sent to a new school in Monticello. Again I made friends quickly and we would spend recesses playing tag and running around. As I entered the fourth grade professional sports entered my life. I had been wrestling long before I entered school and played baseball when I was old enough to enter tee-ball, but professional sports never occurred to me until football. From fourth grade to sixth I came to school in the fall and spring to play football. As I grew up and graduated elementary school I faced new options. I could now participate in regulated Jr. High teams. I chose football, wrestling and baseball. I had played all of these before, but this was high school sports where you had stands full of people to watch you. You now had pads to play football and your games were official. Life in wrestling would become more competitive and baseball would be as hard as ever and so far my experience has only been beneficial. I am now a senior in high school and my football career is over, but I along with others was able to bring home a state championship trophy. I?m doing great in my last wrestling season and will soon begin my final sport in high school. I lived for football and I am living wrestling. Every time I hear someone say sports should be discontinued from public school I feel as if they are trying to cripple students like my self who live for sports in high school. I came to school to get an education, after school I invoke my education to work for me in sports. Otherwise I would go home sit in front  of a T.V. or help my dad when needed. I could stay in town every now and then to hang out with friends, but I would mostly be confined to the barren area around my house. Now while playing sports I work hard to get through the school day (It seems to make time go faster) and then work hard at sports. I got in a habit of working hard while I?m awake so now everything I do I try to do right and I work hard at doing it. People say that students focus more on sports than they do their school work and classes. May be true in a few cases, but was never true in my case. I worked hard in school so I could be the best at both school and sports. I strove for success in tagging girls in elementary school so I also strove for success in my schoolwork. In high school you had to keep your grades up to play. I along with the majority of my fellow teammates went beyond meeting the requirements for not getting an F in any class, but in getting A?s in all of our classes. A coach once said to my brother, ?Work hard on and off the field.? I have lived my career so far off that saying. I?ve told others that and others have told me that. First hand I have seen students who can?t or don?t care to keep their grades up. They just slide from one class to the next working just enough to pass. They then were invited to come play a sport or do and activity with friends after school. They learned how much fun playing sports could be so they picked up their grades so they could play football, or wrestle. Even after the season was over they decided they wanted to keep their grades up and it wasn?t that hard to do it in the end. School sports also help those who don?t play. While keeping kids who play off the streets and away from bad influences it also motivates others to do the same. When school figures are supported and kids want to be like them they want to be great and will change a lot to be like the one they admire. For the most part those who play sports can?t do well if they are doing activities not suitable for students their ages (drugs, alcohol, violence, crimes.) so they are almost forced to set a good example while playing a sport. A winning sports season in a school-supported sport also raises the moral and efficiency of students. They become proud of their school and what they have done and want to keep the good name they have earned. Students  will talk about the season and have better memories of school. Ten years later a reunion will echo with, ?Do you remember instead of having a reunion where no one shows up because they felt as if they were not a part of their school or they had no me mories they wished to remember with their class. Above all you cannot end school sports for the minority of people who disagree with having sports sponsored by schools. Those few may have had a bad experience with sports and find it hard to fit in with those who?ve had good experiences. If you end it all for a few people everyone will become like those few people and sports as a whole may disappear, competition will disappear, initiative will disappear and people will have to find other paths to take to gain these skills so badly needed in life. Some of these paths taken will not be well chosen and can lead people astray in life. Again leading to crimes, drugs, alcohol, and other illegal activities. Baseball, movie shows, singers, and others helped cheer those in both the world wars. It kept American moral up and lead people to a time of prosperity and relaxation after World War II. Soldiers would talk about the World Series while they sat in their trenches rooting for a team. They would go watch a boxing match to take their mind off of what lay ahead for the time. With out these activities soldiers would have had to turn their attention elsewhere. Probably back to fighting which was the only thing they didn?t want to think about. Sports helped in the war effort so why can?t it help in the school effort.

Treatment is More Effective Than Jail for Drug Offenders Essay

One of the most profound problems that plagues our society is drug addiction. With drug addiction comes those who offend and have run-ins with the law. Our country deals with these drug-addicted offenders by placing them in jails for a year or longer, only to have them come back out to society when their sentence is over. They are still drug-addicts and so they return to the street only to commit yet another crime. From here the cycle of crime, arrest, jail, and return to society continues, solving absolutely nothing. Therefore, placing drug-addicted offenders in jails fails to confront the major problem at hand which is that of the drug abuse. If drug-addicted offenders were placed in drug treatment centers instead of being incarcerated, the problem of drug abuse would have a much higher opportunity to be flushed from the offender's life. Thus, the chance of that the offender would commit another crime for drugs would be reduced. The felonies that were committed by these drug addicts are usually due to the fact that they want to help fill their cravings for the drug. These drug addicts will commit crimes in order to support their addiction for the present moment. ?An estimated 61,000 (16%) convicted jail inmates committed their offenses to get money for drugs? (?Drug?). This is why when they are caught for committing these felonies and arrested, throwing them in jail is completely pointless. For one, what exactly will a few months or years do to these offenders? The sentence will most certainly not cure them of their addiction. Drug users pose major crime threats by robbing and stealing to support their habits, but treatment provides a greater potential than incarceration for dealing with the underlying addiction that drives t... ... of Rehabilitation: Promises and Perils of Drug Courts.? es1/nij/181412.pdf>. Riley, Mark. ?Move to Treat, Not Punish, Drug Addicts.? . Sacbee Local News. Furillo, Andy. ?Treat, Don?t Jail, Illegal Drug Users? Group Wants Measure on Ballot.? . Seven, Richard. ?Drug Court Gvies Addicts an Alternative to Jail.? /drugcort.html>. ?Summary Assessment of the Drug Court Experience.? s/spa/justice/publications/just1.htm>. ?Treatment is More Effective, Less Expensive That Jail for Drug Offenders, Says Doctors Group.? . Wood, Daniel B. ?Kinks in California?s Shift to Drug Treatment.? Christian Science Monitor.

Essay --

In the 1990s, sexuality inculcation in the Coalesced States took a behavioral focus with two distinctive and widely disunited approaches. The first abstinence-until-espousement, limits ordinant dictation to why adolescent people should not have sex until they are espoused. The second, balanced and authentic sexuality edification inspirits students to defer sex until they are older and to practice safer sex when they become sexually active. Studies of sexuality edification in the Coalesced States show that most frequently edified subjects include factual information about magnification and development, reproductive systems, dating and setting limits, abstinence and refusal skills, pregnancy and parenting, and STDs, including HIV (CSC, 2011 ). While extemporaneous pregnancies among teens in the U.S. is at the lowest rate in years, American teenagers are still getting pregnant at a much higher rate than their counterparts in other developed countries – 3x more often than teens in Germany and France, and 4x more often than teens in the Netherlands. In 2010, extemporaneous pregnancies among U.S. teens dropped to 34.3 births per 1,000 girls aged 15-19 according to the most recent health statistics. That’s great news, but it’s still the highest teen pregnancy rate among developed nations. A report relinquished last month by The Centers for Disease Control and Obviation (CDC) surveyed 5,000 girls in 19 states who became pregnant unintentionally and gave birth between 2004 and 2008. 50% of these girls did not utilize birth control and one third of these girls didn’t cerebrate they could get pregnant. As the article A moiety of Teen Moms Don’t Use Birth Control – Why thatâ€℠¢s no surprise in Time Magazine (2012) points out, w... ...n mothers account for 11% of all births in the US. Out of all teen pregnancies, 57% end in birth. Another 14% end in miscarriage. Proximately a third of pregnant teenagers cull abortion. Out of all teenage pregnancies, 29% are terminated by abortion. Ebony teens have the highest teen pregnancy rate. For puerile women age 15-19, ebony teens are most liable to become pregnant (134 per 1,000 women). Scarcely lower rates occur among Hispanics (131 per 1,000) followed by non-Hispanic whites (48 per 1,000). The teen pregnancy rate reached an all-time high in 1990 with an estimated 116.9 per thousand and an all-time high birth rate of 61.8 births per thousand in 1991. By 2002, the pregnancy rate had dropped to 75.4 per thousand - a decline of 36%. However, a December 2007 report by the Centers for Disease Control shows a 3% increase in teenage pregnancy from 2005 to 2006.

Diabetic Management Plan

Diabetes Mellitus is a disease known to humans since the ancient times. Hieroglyphics of Egypt, which dated back in 1500 BC, illustrated symptoms of diabetes. During this time, people depicted diabetes to be type 2 only and type 1 diabetes is a newly discovered disease. However, this has been made clear by researches and studies that type 2 diabetes is different from type 1 diabetes (Hanas 2007). In the present, cases of diabetes continuously rise especially cases of type 1 diabetes.Type 1 diabetes is an insulin dependent diabetes that is common to children and teenagers. Here, the body totally does not produce insulin rendering the glucose useless for an individual (Fox and Kilvert 2007). The glucose level on the blood rises and affects certain body functions making the individual seek medical attention. Diabetes has no cure. When one has diabetes, he or she has it for lifetime. However, certain ways in managing diabetes, whether it is type 1 or type 2, are found but with considerat ion to medication, activity, and diet.Strict adherence to medication regimen is useful in preventing the development of diabetic complications. Regular exercise or physical activity as well as proper eating habits is also proven to help lower blood sugar levels making it controllable. In addition, frequent monitoring of blood glucose will allow an individual to anticipate and act in response to the previously read glucose level. The Case of Jodie Jodie is a 17-year-old girl who has just been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes following admission to the local Emergency Department in DKA.She is currently studying year 12 at high school, plays netball every Saturday afternoon and enjoys going to parties with her friends. Jodie weighs 55kg with a BMI of 20. She lives happily at home with her parents and older brother. Jodie has been commenced on a basal bolus insulin regimen using Humalog and Levemir. Nutritional Management Managing diet is also a key factor in proper management of diabetes . It is important to emphasize to the client and the family that the client is not taking a diabetic diet but rather a balanced meal.Emphasis must also be considered on the ethnicity of the client as well as cultural and religious background of the patient. Before taking these into considerations, it is important to know the basic caloric intake of the client. By multiplying the weight of the Jodie in pounds (121 lbs) to 10 (constant multiplier for female), you will come up with a total of 1210. This is the basic caloric need of Jodie. Multiplying the basic caloric need (1210) with 0. 40 (constant multiplier for rigorous activity) will come up with a resulting activity based caloric needs (605).Calories for digestion can also be calculated by multiplying the sum of basic caloric intake and activity based caloric needs (1210 + 605) to 0. 10 (constant number). The result would be 181. 5. Lastly, compute for the total daily caloric intake by summing up the basic caloric intake, activit y based caloric intake, and calories needed for digestion (1210 + 605 + 181. 5). The result would be 1996. 5. This is the caloric needs of Jodie every Saturday since she is engaged in netball and partying with her friends. On the other hand, the caloric intake of Jodie from Monday to Friday and Sunday would be 1863. 4.Upon computing the daily caloric intake of Jodie, it can be concluded that energy needs varies among individuals on a daily basis, and depends greatly on the age, gender, and ethnicity (â€Å"How to Calculate Your Total Daily Calorie Needs † 2010). Smart, Aslander-van Vliet and Waldron (2009) proposed how total caloric intake must be distributed: Carbohydrates must constitute about 50-55%; fats must be 30-35%; protein must be 10-15%; and sucrose must be 10%.Therefore, Jodie must have a carbohydrate intake of 931. 7-1024. 87 calories (M-F, Sun) and 998. 25-1098. 08 calories(Sat); fat intake of 559. 02-654. 19 calories (M-F, Sun) and 598. 5-698. 78 calories (Sat); protein intake of 186. 34-279. 51 calories (M-F, Sun) and 199. 65-299. 48 calories (Sat); and sucrose intake of 186. 34 (M-F, Sun) and 199. 65 (Sat). When taking carbohydrate rich food, it might be necessary to include healthy sources like vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, and low fat milk. Take into consideration other alternatives for the source of food by consulting the carbohydrate exchange table, cabohydrate counting and the use of glycemic load and index. In the consumption of fat, food with saturated fat must be limited to less than seven percent of total caloric intake.Every week, two or more servings of fish is permissible but with exemption to the commercially produced fish fillet (American Diabetes Association 2007). Replace saturated fats with monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids through the use of low fat dairy products, lean meats, olive and sesame seed oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, and soybean oil. Encourage intake of protein from vege tables (legumes) and animals (lean meat, fish, low dairy products) because it promotes growth and is a good source of nitrogen for the body. Take also into consideration that the salt intake of the client must be less than 6 grams per day.Advise those individuals who prepare the food that they should avoid adding salt in cooking and in meals. In addition, excessive alcohol should be avoided because it interferes with gluconeogenesis resulting to prolonged hypoglycemia. The patient must also be advised to wear identifications about her diabetes, and consume carbohydrates before, during, and after drinking. Drinking, on the other hand, must be done in moderation and must consume drinks with reduced alcohol content. Prevent nocturnal hypoglycemia by consuming carbohydrate-rich bedtime snack.Blood glucose monitoring must be done more often at night until lunchtime of the following day (Smart 2009). Monitoring Patients with Diabetes Knowing that diabetes can lead to some serious complica tions, it is better if one should know the things that he/she should monitor in order to prevent these complications. One should have vigilant monitoring of blood sugar. Scientific evidence shows that tightly controlling blood sugar levels can prevent the development and progression of small blood vessel (microvascular) disease and nerve disease (neuropathy) (Wendt 2009).Since high blood sugar is considered as the culprit to most of the diabetic complications, monitoring blood glucose by the patient is extremely important to prevent consequences from unmonitored blood glucose. Low glucose level may lead to hypoglycemia. Mild hypoglycemia can cause a person to feel uncomfortable and can interfere with his normal functioning. However, severe hypoglycemia can cause seizure, loss of consciousness, and coma (Kelly 2006). Avoiding highs and lows in blood sugar will not only make the patient feel better, but will significantly reduce his/her risk of diabetes complications.Cholesterol level s should also be monitored. A test done to monitor the cholesterol level of a diabetic person is called fasting lipid profile. It is a blood test that measures the total cholesterol, HDL and LDL cholesterol levels, and triglyceride levels in the bloodstream. It is also used to assess the risk for the development of coronary artery disease, one of the predisposing factors for heart attack (Kaufman 2010). Knowing that cholesterol affects the blood vessels of the retina and the heart gives the health provider a clue that any significant increase in the level would necessitate immediate monitoring and intervention.If cholesterol is controlled, the risk of developing complications is greatly reduced. Keeping track of blood pressure is important because people who have diabetes tend to have more trouble with high blood pressure than people who do not have the disease. Having both diabetes and high blood pressure can pack a damaging one-two punch as far as increasing the risk of heart dise ase, stroke, and eye, kidney and nerve complications (Manzella 2006). Elevated blood pressure increases blood flow into the eye, accelerating diabetic retinopathy (Chous 2006). Knowing the early signs and symptoms are also key in preventing diabetic complications.However, diabetic retinopathy has no early signs and symptoms. Jodie then must be aware of the yearly eye examination that must be done after the preliminary examination within 5 years after the diagnosis of diabetes (â€Å"Diabetes† 2010). Dilated eye examination must be done every year by an optometrist or ophthalmologist knowledgeable about and experienced with diabetes and diabetic eye disease (Chous 2006) in order to know the extent of eye affectation. Both the patient and the health provider should also monitor some signs and symptoms to prevent blindness. Any concern with regard to the patient's vision must be taken seriously.Be aware if the patient complains of suspended dark spots that interferes with his/he r vision. It may indicate blood leak to the vitreous humor, which can lead to blindness. Also, take into consideration the increasing difficulty in performing things that require focus such as reading and sewing. Amputations can also be prevented if the patient has vigilant foot care. Foot care is important since the patient with diabetes has decreased sensation on the lower extremities. Preventive measures would include watching for signs and symptoms of impending ulceration.The patient and the health provider should be aware of any swelling, thick hard skin or corns, and any blisters or breaks on the skin. Take good care of small cuts and abrasions immediately. When choosing shoes, make sure that they fit well and allow the toes to move freely. Another complication of type 1 diabetes is diabetic ketoacidosis, the reason why Jodie was rushed to the emergency department. The goal for the management of DKA is the correction of fluid and electrolyte imbalances, restoration of circulat ing blood volume to normal, and identification and correction of factors that contributes to the development of diabetic ketoacidosis.Correction of circulating blood volume starts with the infusion of 1000 ml of 0. 9 percent sodium chloride for the first hour followed by the infusion of 2000 ml to 8000 ml for the next 24 hours. Assess client’s skin turgor, weight and hematocrit because these will serve as markers for the efficacy of intravenous therapy. Potassium must also be monitored because this electrolyte leaves the cells in ketoacidosis. When dealing with this, several points must be considered during the assessment and intervention phase. Frequently assess the patient’s urine output.Take note of the amount of urine when administering potassium to the client. If the urine is less than 30 ml per hour, halt the administration of the potassium and notify the physician immediately. Continuously monitor the client for signs of hyperkalemia (oliguria, weakness, bradyca rdia, cardiac arrest) and hypokalemia (weakness, paralytic ileus, cardiac arrest). Hyperkalemia may ensue for the first 4 hours of treatment while hypokalemia may develop after 4 hours up to 24 hours. Monitor the client’s ECG and take note of T wave.Its flattening or inversion may signify hypokalemia while peaking of T wave may indicate hyperkalemia (Brunner, O'Connell Smeltzer and Suddarth, 2008). Medications for Diabetes According to Hanas (2007), the American Diabetes Association instituted the individualization of blood glucose goals, with goals higher to those individuals with frequent hypoglycemic attacks. Suggestions were also made on the level of blood glucose for each age group. Jodie, a 17 year old teenager, belongs to the adolescent group (13-19). It was stated that before meals, an ideal blood glucose level is 5-7 mmol/L or 90-130 mg/dl.At bedtime or overnight, she must have a blood glucose level of 5-8 mmol/L or 90-150 mg/dl. To accomplish this goal, Jodie is pre scribed with Humalog and Levemir in order to facilitate the entry of glucose in the cells thereby preventing the increase of glucose level in the blood. Humalog is a fast- or rapid acting insulin analog that takes effect on the body after injecting it. Since it is an analog, it considered as a variation of human insulin and tends to mimic its action from the time it is secreted by the pancreas.When taking this drug, inform the client to use disposable, sterile needles or pen. Rotate the injection sites to prevent complications like lipodystrophy. Take this drug at the same time every day. Allot a 15 minute allowance before taking a meal prior to its administration. To prevent hyperglycemia, take this drug with long acting insulin such as the Levemir (Griffith and Moore 2006). Instruct the patient to seek medical attention immediately if she experiences symptoms such as rash, hive, intense itching, and difficulty in breathing after taking a dose.This suggests an anaphylaxis reaction and is life-threatening. Although infrequent, instruct the patient to take quick-acting sugar such as honey or fruit juice whenever she experiences excessive hunger, cold sweats, cold skin, shakiness, chills, or vision changes. This signifies that she is experiencing low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. On the other hand, Levemir is long-acting, man-made insulin that may last for 24 hours after administration. Instruct patient to use only Levemir when the vial appears to be colorless and clear. Presence of air bubbles is considered normal.However, do not administer the drug if it looks colored, cloudy or thickened. Inject drug into subcutaneous part of the body such as the stomach, thighs, and upper arms. Just like in Humalog, rotate the injection sites to prevent lipodystrophy. The patient may also experience hypoglycemia and its treatment is the same as those of Humalog (Novo Nordisk, Inc. 2009). When taking this drug, instruct her to avoid intake of alcohol as this may increase the e ffect of insulin resulting to blood glucose problems (Griffith 2006). One should also take note on the time Levemir will take effect.Levemir injected at bedtime or 10 pm (for multiple injection therapy) will have its effect during the night and breakfast. It can also be used as a two dose treatment: one in the morning and one in the dinner. Insulin injected in the morning will take effect on the lunch and afternoon while insulin injected during dinner will take effect on evening and night. Bedtime snack is necessary then to avoid night time hypoglycemia (Hanas 2007). It is also necessary to take insulin before meals. When taking Humalog as pre-breakfast insulin, it is better if Jodie should monitor her blood glucose.The time elapsed before the administration of pre-breakfast insulin depends on the level of blood glucose she has in the morning. Blood Glucose Levels Rapid Acting Insulin (Humalog) Ordinary or Short Acting Insulin mmol/L mg/dl < 3 < 55 After the meal Just before 3 †“ 5 55 – 90 Just before 15 minutes before 5 – 10 90 – 180 Just before 30 minutes before 10 – 14 180 – 250 10 minutes before 45 minutes before ? 14 ? 250 20 minutes before 60 minutes before Source: Hanas, R. (2007).Type 1 Diabetes in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults: How to become an expert on your own diabetes (3rd ed. . United Kingdom: Class Publishing Ltd. Checking blood glucose before lunch is also necessary. When using rapid acting insulin, a blood glucose reading taken two hours after breakfast is enough. Blood Glucose Measure < 4 mmol/L < 70 mg/dl Decrease the insulin dose at breakfast by one to two units > 8 mmol/L > 145 mg/dl Increase the insulin dose at breakfast by one to two units Patient experiences cold sweat, hunger, shakiness (signs of hypoglycemia) between breakfast and lunch. Decrease the insulin dose at breakfast by one to two units Source: Hanas, R. (2007).Type 1 Diabetes in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults: How t o become an expert on your own diabetes (3rd ed. ). United Kingdom: Class Publishing Ltd The Concept of Psychology in Diabetes Adolescence is the time during which an individual attempts to establish their identity and begin involving themselves into sexual relationships. As an adolescent grew, the client will begin to take responsibilities with his or her action. Add up to these responsibilities are those involving their management of diabetes. The challenge here does not only involve the adolescent but also the health care provider and the family itself.Adolescent are in the position wherein they are faced with developmental tasks needed to accomplish in addition to the need of managing their lives with diabetes. Health care providers and family must also consider their actions to make sure that treatment and regimens do not interfere with age-related activities of the adolescent thereby allowing growth and development (Snoek and Skinner 2005). Several complications in diabetes ar e also found to be associated with poor parental interaction of the adolescent’s diabetes management. DKA is one of these complications.Snoek and Skinner (2005) revealed that individuals belonging to a family that lacks support and warmth are typical to hose patients who have DKA. Moreover, diabetic individuals who have unresolved family problems and lack of parental participation in the treatment have a tendency to belong in this population with DKA. It was also linked that the possibility of child abuse (physical, sexual or social) may be triggering factor an adolescent ran away from home skipping his/her dose of insulin. Another possibility is that an adolescent is undergoing the phase of rebellion or rejection.Lifestyle management for teenagers with diabetes may result to resentful feelings as well as the stage of rejection. Consequently, the adolescent omits his/her insulin dose but this is considered to be part of how an adolescent adopts to his/her life of a diabetic p erson (Snoek 2005). To provide solutions with this problem, a scheduled telephone call every two to three weeks may be used to provide assistance and support to the patient through the use of problem solving techniques. Motivational interviewing (MI), which is a collaborative approach between patient and the health care provider, can also be utilized.It is a directive approach that aims to resolve patient’s anxiety and ambivalence regarding diabetic management by supporting the adolescent and respecting their decisions regarding diabetes management (Miller and Rollnick 2005). With this, an individual will report less worry and anxiety, and satisfaction with the present life and a more positive outlook (Snoek 2005). Patient Education Approach Educational tools are used to disseminate information and knowledge in order to maximize the management of blood glucose and prevent complications from it.Since no study shows which type of teaching methods is appropriate for education, i ts approach must be varied but is well adapted to the age of the child and the needs of the family. It must not be too rigid that it invokes confusion and failure resulting to distress and harm on the part of the adolescent and family (Funnel and Anderson 2004). Health education tools may include the use of food pyramid and plate models that will advocate the basics of nutrition and healthy eating habits.Extensive patient education may also be necessary for adolescents and the families to help them estimates the amount of carbohydrates in foods, its exchange or portions. Education can also include guides on how to read food labels and how to recognize the nutritional content of food. Several methods are also instituted to facilitate adolescent’s learning in measuring carbohydrates. Exchange or portion system, carbohydrate counting, and glycemic index and glycemic load are some of these methods (Smart 2009).

The Power of Story - A Game for Adult Students

The Power of Story - A Game for Adult Students Ideal Size Up to 20. Divide larger groups. Use For Introductions in the classroom or at a meeting where the topic would be enriched by the sharing of personal stories. This exercise gives everyone a chance to share their story  and helps you manage storytelling later. Time Needed Depends on the number of people and the time you allow for personal stories. Materials Needed Nothing, but you must communicate with participants beforehand. They will need to bring a personal item related to your topic. Instructions Send your students an email or letter prior to their arrival at your class or meeting and ask them to bring a personal item that is somehow related to the topic you will be discussing. When it’s time for students to introduce themselves, explain that you want to recognize and honor the life experiences and wisdom they bring to your classroom. Ask them to give their name, present the item they brought, and, in a minute or two, tell the group the story behind that item. Why did they choose it?What special memory does it elicit for them?What is its significance given your topic? Debrief Ask for a few volunteers to share any surprises they experienced as people shared their stories. Did anyone’s item and story cause them to think differently about your topic? The Heros Journey is so important in the understanding of story. Make sure your students are familiar with its elements.

Puma Case Study

Puma Case Study Introduction When Puma experienced efficiency issues in its Swedish warehouse after a rapid growth, the management steered the adoption of a mobile system that could save the situation. This system became one of the most supportive elements of the warehouse afterwards. Therefore, this paper investigates the motive that led to this adoption, the various components of the system and the benefit it had on the firm, employees and customers.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Puma specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Operational issues Puma has always been committed to positioning itself in the marketplace through technology adoption including automation, IT and social media (Laird 2012; Palli, Biogiotti Melchiorri n.d.). The motive behind the establishment of the mobile system by Puma revolves around three major factors. First, the earlier paper-based system had become inefficient due to the rapid growth of the company. F or Puma which dealt with consumer products, efficiency was paramount as it determined the creation of a royal customer base as well as the relationship between the firm, employees and customers. As compared to the computerized system, the older system required the physical efforts of the human resources to be put in all activities which greatly reduced efficiency. Indeed, Palli, Biogiotti and Melchiorri (n.d.) explain how Puma has continued to enhance efficiency through operational systems’ flexibility and performance. The other factor involves errors that led to many customer complaints and unnecessary wastage of resources. It can be argued that unlike an automatic system, a manual system such as the paper-based system can and has resulted into numerous human errors. Therefore, when the system made incorrect deliveries, the customers obviously complained and lost the trust they had in the company. As a matter of fact, the company could not accommodate loss and had to impleme nt a more reliable system. In addition to customer complaints, tangible and intangible resources were wasted. Human resources were employed in large numbers and had to spend more time in order to complete an order which eventually led to low profitability. Another factor that could have driven Puma to use the mobile system was speed. It is apparent that an automated system could work faster than a manual system and the many activities involved in ordering and delivering products required a faster system.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Advanced planning and scheduling being important to the company compelled it to think of a system that could synchronize deliveries with warehouse needs. In fact, Puma is not only committed to faster warehouse processes, but has also used speed as a branding strategy. For instance, DigitalBuzz (2012, p.1) observes how the firm u ses a discount campaign that is designed to increase the purchasing speed of customers in Mexico. The mobile system The mobile system implemented in Puma comprised of three core components: handheld computer, bar codes and a central server. The hand held computer identifies the correct bay and confirms that the scanned items correspond to the orders. The bar codes separate the incoming and outgoing deliveries by coding them in a manner that the computers can identify each of them. The central server allows for the synchronization of the computers and the bar codes with a wireless network. This is enhanced by 17 Cisco Wi-Fi access points that connect the handheld computers to the central server. In this manner, the system allows different orders to be sent and received by different users automatically. Benefits The mobile system increased Puma’s profitability through higher performance and low cost labor. The increased speed enabled the firm to serve a wider customer base whic h directly related to higher profitability. The efficiency of the system allowed the management to concentrate their decision on other issues such as marketing thus enhancing the performance of the firm. As compared to the previous system which demanded for more employees, the mobile system cut the labor supply provided by shift workers thus reducing the cost of labor significantly. Moreover, the enhanced performance of the employees also increased the unit output of an individual employee hence lower cost per employee. The mobile system adopted by Puma is beneficial to the employees in that it eliminated most of the tedious activities and increased their motivation. The automation eliminated activities like writing down every order or walking up and down the warehouse restocking orders. In addition to that, Roos (2005) related job satisfaction to employee motivation and the new system allowed the employees to be more self-dependent and resourceful thus adding to their motivation.Ad vertising We will write a custom case study sample on Puma specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the side of consumers, the mobile system allowed the company to create customer value. This came about due to improved customer service and expectations. The firm was able to speed up order requests and eliminate any errors that could have occurred in the process (Kolesar, Van-Ryzin Culter 1998). As customers expected to be served reliably by such a reputable company, this achievement met the needs appropriately. Conclusion Due to rapid growth, Puma experienced some problems related to their warehouse operations and meeting the needs of customers, employees and the firm as a whole. Therefore, the motivation to adopt a mobile system for the warehouse originated from the need to increase efficiency, reduce errors and increase speed. This system that comprised of handheld computers, bar codes and a central server was able to automate most of the warehouse operations. The benefits accrued inform of increased profitability, employees’ satisfaction and creation of customer value. Reference List DigitalBuzz 2012, Puma: The world’s fastest purchase, digitalbuzzblog.com/puma-the-worlds-fastest-purchase/. Kolesar, P, Van-Ryzin, G Culter, W 1998, Creating customer value through industrialized intimacy, aug.edu/~sbajmg/quan6610/Waiting%20Lines/kolesar%20s-b%203q98%20cust%20value%2098304.pdf. Laird, S 2012, In sign of the times, Puma sends bloggers to cover sailing race, http://mashable.com/2012/01/06/puma-sends-bloggers-to-sailing-race/. Palli, G, Biogiotti L Melchiorri, C n.d., An open source distributed platform for the control of the Puma 560 manipulator, linuxfordevices.com/files/article081/Palli.pdf.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Roos, W 2005, The relationship between employee motivation, job satisfaction and corporate culture, http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/2584/thesis_roos_w.pdf.

How to Get a Perfect 12 on the ACT Writing Essay

How to Get a Perfect 12 on the ACT Writing Essay SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips There is no part of the ACT more mysterious to students than the essay, and very few people seem to know what exactly the ACT is looking for in a "perfect" essay (particularly since September 2015 was the new ACT Writing test's debut). Luckily, we've got the expertise to give you some insight into how the essay works and what you can do to push your score those extra few points up the scale. Whether you're trying to impress your dream school or just want to boost your ACT score, the essay is a great thing to work on. Some of the tips below stand alone, while others are part of larger categories that have been assembled based our ACT expertise. Important: If you haven't read these two other ACT Writing guides before, take a minute and read them now: The ACT Writing Rubric: Analysis, Explanation, and Strategies How to Write an ACT Essay, Step by Step This will make the rest of the article make more sense. Part I: What a 12 on the ACT Essay Means If you're already scoring an 8 or above in every domain on practice (or real) ACT essays, you have a shot at completely nailing what the graders want, represented by a score of 12, with a little practice. But there's something important to remember in your quest for perfection: on the ACT essay, a 12 is not always achievable. We've got good news and bad news for those of you who are determined to know how to get a 12 on the ACT essay. The Big Secret You'll have to practice this specific essay. The perfect ACT essay is like a puzzle that happens to be in writing form- it can be mastered, but to do it well and completely every time requires a few month's practice. Knowing how to write other kinds of essays will only help you a limited amount. The Bad News Because the whole essay must be written in 40 minutes, getting a 12 requires some luck. You have to pick a thesis and think of relevant and convincing evidence to support it before you can even start writing, so a lot depends on how quickly you can decided on a point of view and relevant support for whatever the prompt happens to be. And because perfect-scoring essays are almost always at least two pages long, you won't have any time to spare. The Good News Because the essay is so formulaic, it's always possible to get at least a 10 in each domain. And, on top of this, no college worth its salt is going to base your college admission on getting those last two points on an essay you had to write in 40 minutes. The goal, really, is to show that you can write a decent essay in that time, and a 10 in each domain shows that just as well as a 12 does. Part II: The Difference Between a 10 and a 12 If we asked the ACT what the difference is between a 10 and a 12 ACT essay, they would direct us to their scoring criteria (replicated in the table below) that describes the difference between the 5 and 6 essay scores in each domain. As you may already know, a total domain score of 12 comes from two readers separately giving your essay a 6; the four domain scores are then averaged to calculate your total essay score of 12. We've marked the differences between the 5 and 6 criteria in bold. Later, we'll look at these differences in the context of a sample essay. Score of 5 (10) Score of 6 (12) Major Differences Responses at this scorepoint demonstrate well-developed skill in writing an argumentative essay. Responses at this scorepoint demonstrate effective skill in writing an argumentative essay. Ideas and Analysis The writer generates an argument that productively engages with multiple perspectives on the given issue. The argument’s thesis reflects precision in thought and purpose. The argument establishes and employs a thoughtful context for analysis of the issue and its perspectives. The analysis addresses implications, complexities and tensions, and/or underlying values and assumptions. The writer generates an argument that critically engages with multiple perspectives on the given issue. The argument’s thesis reflects nuance and precision in thought and purpose. The argument establishes and employs an insightful context for analysis of the issue and its perspectives. The analysis examines implications, complexities and tensions, and/or underlying values and assumptions. The 6 essay gives a more specific and logically precise context. The thesis and argument show a deep understanding of the issue, while the analysis not only mentions, but also inspects the complexities and implications of the issue. Development and Support Development of ideas and support for claims deepen understanding. A mostly integrated line of purposeful reasoning and illustration capably conveys the significance of the argument. Qualifications and complications enrich ideas and analysis. Development of ideas and support for claims deepen insight and broaden context. An integrated line of skillful reasoning and illustration effectively conveys the significance of the argument. Qualifications and complications enrich and bolster ideas and analysis. The 6 essays develops its ideas and support for those ideas more thoroughly and examines the implications of the ideas and support in a larger context. In addition, the complexity of the discussion for each examples strengthens the essay's argument and the analysis of the issue at hand. Organization The response exhibits a productive organizational strategy. The response is mostly unified by a controlling idea or purpose, and a logical sequencing of ideas contributes to the effectiveness of the argument. Transitions between and within paragraphs consistently clarify the relationships among ideas. The response exhibits a skillful organizational strategy. The response is unified by a controlling idea or purpose, and a logical progression of ideas increases the effectiveness of the writer’s argument. Transitions between and within paragraphs strengthen the relationships among ideas. The 6 essay is organized to enhance the logic and strength of the writer's argument, whereas the 5 essay is only organized clearly. Language Use The use of language works in service of the argument. Word choice is precise. Sentence structures are clear and varied often. Stylistic and register choices, including voice and tone, are purposeful and productive. While minor errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics may be present, they do not impede understanding. The use of language enhances the argument. Word choice is skillful and precise. Sentence structures are consistently varied and clear. Stylistic and register choices, including voice and tone, are strategic and effective. While a few minor errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics may be present, they do not impede understanding. The 6 essay is written extremely well, whereas the 5 essay is written pretty well. This means getting creative and using advanced vocabulary appropriately if you want a 6. Part III: Applying the Criteria in a Real ACT Essay Example Now we'll look at a sample essay and how it demonstrates the characteristics of the 6 essay above. First, let's look at the prompt: Intelligent Machines Many of the goods and services we depend on daily are now supplied by intelligent, automated machines rather than human beings. Robots build cars and other goods on assembly lines, where once there were human workers. Many of our phone conversations are now conducted not with people but with sophisticated technologies. We can now buy goods at a variety of stores without the help of a human cashier. Automation is generally seen as a sign of progress, but what is lost when we replace humans with machines? Given the accelerating variety and prevalence of intelligent machines, it is worth examining the implications and meaning of their presence in our lives. Perspective One: What we lose with the replacement of people by machines is some part of our own humanity. Even our mundane daily encounters no longer require from us basic courtesy, respect, and tolerance for other people. Perspective Two: Machines are good at low-skill, repetitive jobs, and at high-speed, extremely precise jobs. In both cases they work better than humans. This efficiency leads to a more prosperous and progressive world for everyone. Perspective Three: Intelligent machines challenge our long-standing ideas about what humans are or can be. This is good because it pushes both humans and machines toward new, unimagined possibilities. Write a unified, coherent essay about the increasing presence of intelligent machines. Now, read the ACT essay example below, and try to notice how it meets the criteria in the table above. From the simplest system of pulleys and ropes to the most complex supercomputer in the world today, machines have had (and continue to have) a profound influence on the development of humanity. Whether it is taking over monotonous, low-skill tasks or removing that messy â€Å"human† element from our day-to-day interactions, machines have answered the call to duty. The increasing prevalence of intelligent machines challenges us to change long held beliefs about our limitations and to continue forward to new and even more advanced possibilities. One common argument against the increased presence of machines in our day to day lives is that machines leach from us our basic humanity. Indeed, certain people whose only social interactions are anonymous text-based conversations with other anonymous Internet forum dwellers over computers may begin to lose basic human courtesy and empathy. This is crystal clear with a glance at the comments section of any popular news article. Yet mach ines are also capable of enhancing people’s abilities to communicate. An example of this can be found in Tod Machover’s lab at MIT, where breakthroughs in neurotechnology have made it possible for quadripalegics to manipulate text on computers with their minds. Such interactions would be impossible without the existence of intelligent machines. Therefore, I must disagree with Perspective one. Rather than losing part of our own humanity to machines, we instead make that most-essential-to-humanity of acts, communication, possible. Another school of thought (Perspective Two) argues that machines are good at how and high skill repetitive jobs, which leads to a more prosperous and progressive world for everyone. This can be seen in the human work hours that are saved daily with automated phone menus. Before intelligent machines made automatic telephone menus possible, every customer service call ate up valuable employee time. Now, menus allow callers to choose the number th at best suits their needs, routing calls to appropriate destinations without the need for human employees to waste time explaining for the hundredth time that â€Å"our business hours are 10am-6pm.† On the other hand, no mechanized system of this kind is perfect, because it can’t predict all future outcomes. In terms of automated telephone menus, this means that sometimes, no menu options are correct. While automated systems may take the burden off of human workers, it is a mistake to think that they can replace humans entirely. Why else would the last line of resort for most automated phone menus be â€Å"Dial â€Å"0† to speak to an operator/customer service representative?† Perspective Two is true, but it only goes so far. A final example will demonstrate how intelligent machines challenge longstanding ideas and push us towards new, unimagined possibilities (perspective three). At my high school, all students had to take diagnostic tests in every main subject to figure out our strengths and weaknesses, and we were then sorted into class by skill level. A truly remarkable pattern emerged as a result of this sorting: it turned out that every kid in my medium-level physics class was also a talented musician. The system that sorted us allowed us to find this underlying pattern, which changed the way our teachers taught us; we learned about mechanics through examples that were more relevant to our lives (answering questions like â€Å"how many pulleys are needed to lift a piano?†), which in turn made our classes both more enjoyable and also more effective. When before I had struggled with physics and simply assumed it was a subject I â€Å"wasn’t good at,† the intelligent, automated sorting system allowed me to discover that I could in fact understand mechanics if taught in the right way. This discovery pushed me toward previously unimagined academic possibilities. In conclusion, intelligent machines help us to mo ve forward as a species to greater heights. While machines can cause problems and may in some cases need human input to function optimally, it is how we react and adapt to the machines that is the real takeaway. This was a real essay written by me within the time limit.What do you think? Now let's look at an annotated version of this ACT essay example that points out the essay's features. What Makes This ACT Essay a 12, Rather Than an 8 or 10? Major Differences between a 5 and a 6 Essay (from table above) Sample Essay Ideas and Analysis The 6 essay gives a more specific and logically precise context. The thesis and argument show a deep understanding of the issue, while the analysis not only mentions, but also inspects the complexities and implications of the issue. The author clearly states her perspective and compares it to two other given perspectives, presenting both positive and negative aspects of the two perspectives she does not entirely agree with: "One common argument against the increased presence of machines in our day to day lives is that machines leach from us our basic humanity...Yet machines are also capable of enhancing people’s abilities to communicate." Development and Support The 6 essays develops its ideas and support for those ideas more thoroughly and examines the implications of the ideas and support in a larger context. In addition, the complexity of the discussion for each examples strengthens the essay's argument and the analysis of the issue at hand. The author gives both general statements... "Rather than losing part of our own humanity to machines, we instead make that most-essential-to-humanity of acts, communication, possible." ...and specific examples that discuss both sides of the perspectives: "...certain people whose only social interactions are anonymous text-based conversations with other anonymous Internet forum dwellers over computers may begin to lose basic human courtesy and empathy...[on the other hand,] breakthroughs in neurotechnology have made it possible for quadripalegics to manipulate text on computers with their minds." Organization The 6 essay is organized to enhance the logic and strength of the writer's argument, whereas the 5 essay is only organized clearly. The essay begins (after the introduction paragraph) by addressing opposing views and discussing their strengths and their limits. Then it goes on in paragraphs 4 to explain a final reason why intelligent machines challenge ideas about humanity and push us towards new possibilities. Language Use The 6 essay is written extremely well, whereas the 5 essay is written pretty well. This means getting creative and using advanced vocabulary appropriately if you want a 6. The "advanced" vocabulary is highlighted in blue. Sentence structure is varied, like here: "On the other hand, no mechanized system of this kind is perfect, because it can’t predict all future outcomes. In terms of automated telephone menus, this means that sometimes, no menu options are correct. While automated systems may take the burden off of human workers, it is a mistake to think that they can replace humans entirely. Why else would the last line of resort for most automated phone menus be â€Å"Dial â€Å"0† to speak to an operator/customer service representative?†" Considerations That Aren't Included in the ACT's Published Guidelines Length The essay is long enough to analyze and compare the author's perspective to other perspectives in a nuanced way (one positive example for each perspective with an addition negative example comparing the two perspectives the author disagreed to her own perspective) and include an introductory paragraph and a conclusion. While ACT, Inc. doesn't acknowledge that length is a factor in scoring ACT essays, most experts agree that it is. But length means nothing if there isn't valuable information filling the space, so long ACT essays also need to be detailed- this author uses the space to give lots of analysis of and context for her examples. Paragraph Breaks You may have noticed that the essay is broken up into multiple paragraphs (into the standard five-paragraph format, in fact). This makes the essay easier to read, especially for the ACT readers who have about two to three minutes to read (and score!) each essay. If your points can easily be split up into small parts, then it makes sense to split it up into even more paragraphs, as long as your essay's organization and logical progression remains clear. Content and Examples This essay uses a personal example, which may or may not be made up (spoiler alert: it is). But the point is that it could be made up, as can anything you use in your essay. Being able to think of examples (that are not too obviously made up) can give you a huge advantage on the ACT essay. Do's and Don'ts for a 12 ACT Essay The key to a perfect score on the ACT essay is to use every second of your time wisely. To this end, here are a few tips to avoid common time-wasters and put your energy where it will get you the most points. Do spend time: #1: Writing as much as you can without including repetitive or irrelevant information. #2: Revising the first and last paragraphs (they stand out in readers' minds). #3: Making sure you have transitions. Don't spend time: #1: Thinking of 'smart' sounding evidence- examples from your own life (or made up about your own life) are just as viable as current events, as long as you keep your example focused and concise. #2: Trying to correct every error- the grammar and spelling do not have to be perfect to score a 12 in the Language Use domain. #3: Adding as many vocabulary words as you can- you only need enough to avoid repeating the same basic words or phrases multiple times; you'll max out fancy vocab's potential at two words per paragraph. How To Practice Your Writing To Get A Perfect 12 In Each Domain Start with our list of ACT essay prompts. Create a list of evidence examples- from literature, history, or personal experience- that you can use for many or most prompt arguments. Practice first with extended time- 50 minutes- so you can get an idea of what it takes to get a top-scoring essay. Find a way to grade your essay, using the ACT Writing Rubric. If you can be objective about your writing, you can notice weak spots, especially if you ran out of time but know what to do. Otherwise, try to get help from an English teacher or a friend who's a better writer than you are. Start narrowing the time down to 40 minutes to mirror the actual test. Stay confident! The ACT essay is just like a puzzle- every time you do one, you get better at doing it. What's Next? Find out more about how to write an ACT essay with this step-by-step example. Use our analysis of the ACT Writing Rubric to learn about how your essay will be scored- and discover strategies you can use to get the score you want. Want to aim for perfection on the ACT with a 36? Read our guide on how to score a perfect ACT score, written by our resident 36 scorer. Make sure your ACT score is high enough for the schools you want to apply to. Find out how to find your ACT target score. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by ACT experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Try it risk-free today:

United States - A superpower in decline Term Paper

United States - A superpower in decline - Term Paper Example Global media is abuzz with news, opinions and predictions on the decline of the US, and there are innumerable ‘foretellers’ assuming the rise of other would-be superpowers, especially China. Theories of world domination by emerging economies have always been around, however, it is yet to be seen if the superpower status of the US actually caves in. Are US powers really declining? The answers to this question are extremely elusive especially in light of the fact that even after severe economic crises in the past, the US has successfully bounced back to stable conditions, retaining its economic and political dominance. This paper attempts to analyze the current status of economic and military power of the US, in order to investigate the ‘assumed’ decline of the power of this nation. The present economic situation in the US, the extreme debt crisis topped with public protests such as Occupy Wall Street demonstrate the gravity of the U.S situation. Most economists worldwide have even gone to the extent of analogizing it to the Great Depression. It is believed that the present crisis will consume the nation and that it is a harbinger of the US downfall from power. Although the US economy is currently under recovery, the percentage decline in median annual household income is greater than it was during the previous recession. The decline in income during the period of recession from 2007 – 2009 was 3.2%, which increased to 6.7% by June 2011 (Berman). Lack of growth in income coupled with the sluggish job growth has marred the U.S’s once enviable job market. It is in fact feared that the US will trip back into another recession. In another major drawback, the US lost its AAA credit rating, downgrading it to AA+ status. As the dollar is under threat and the US debt burden mounts up, it is speculated that within a decade or so, China, with a GDP growth rate of 9.8% as of 2010, will outgrow the US, whose GDP growth rate is only 3.10% (World Bank). The Chinese Yuan may replace the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency. This scenario reminds of earlier predictions in the 1980s when it was foretold that Japan would be a superpower, which however did not come true. This proves the inconsistency and fallibility of such predictions. However, the avowal that the US economic and military power is in decline, stands true, as will be discussed in the following sections. 2. The US Economy Economy is a major determinant of world power and the size of the economy influences its position in the world market. The US economy is analyzed here, in terms of growth, export, import, innovation, natural resources and trade. 2.1 Growth The annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate is a major indicator of economic growth. The US economy is the largest in the world, followed by China and Japan. The GDP growth rate of the US was documented as 1.6% in the third quarter of 2011 (tradingeconomics.com). The GDP growth rate of China is far higher, at 9.1%. The GDP growth rates of other major economies of the world, such as India, Germany, Canada, France, Australia, UK and Japan were 7.7%, 2.7%, 2.2%, 1.6%, 1.1%, 0.5% and -1%, respectively, in the third quarter of 2011. As is evident, China has the highest GDP growth rate and India is not far behind. The US GDP growth rate is despairingly low, falling from 3.10 to 1.6%. Therefore, in terms of economic growth, the economy of the US is seemingly in decline. As for the prediction that the Chinese economy will soon become the world’

Evolution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Evolution - Assignment Example At the outset, evolution being a prominent theory of science and is fundamentally and entirely based on physical and empirical evidences, which may be fossils and bacteria. Whereas, the Bible or as it is more commonly known â€Å"the word of god† is not at all backed by any evidence whether it be empirical, observational, or practical, let alone physical. The belief of Christians in Bible is solely based on â€Å"faith†. (Gisburne) The Bible tells us that the earth and all living things on it were â€Å"created† in 3760 BC (according to the Hebrew Calendar), and yet scientists including Darwin have discovered fossils that are millions of years old, which directly contradict the teachings of Bible according to which the fossils of humans, animals or plants could not date back more than 7000 years. (Dosick 119) Another major factor of distinction amongst beliefs is the fact that evolution supports natural selection a concept which considers survival of the fittest to be its sub category. According to the concept of natural selection, as species that were not previously habitable mutate, they supplement features or changes that are more suitable to the environment and after a long period of time, as more and more habitable creatures mate, the feature becomes generic and further evolution takes place until the fittest survive. (Darwin and Carroll 17,19,594) The Bible strongly contradicts this theory considering their own version of the theory, which they refer to as â€Å"the truth†, according to which they state that God created man and humans did not evolve. But if that’s true then the long list of connected fossils and matching DNA that the scientists have found would be wrong, but in reality that is not the case. The DNA of correlated species match significantly to falsify any void claims made solely on â€Å"faith†. (Gisburne) (Darwin and Carroll) Besides, according to their point of view, if man has descended from god, then the scope of mutation does

Relativism and Morality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Relativism and Morality - Essay Example Goodman presents a great challenge to the idea of relativism of morality. According to him, morality is relative but to some extent. However, some moral actions are universal and are independent of construct of human nature. One of the best examples of challenges of moral relativism is rape. It is undeniable that rape is morally wrong irrespective of what mirror one uses to analyze rape. Rape is not justifiable under any circumstance, it is simply wrong. Irrespective of any human construct, rape amounts to violation of human rights. Rape, whether it inflicts physical damage or not, violates the victim’s personhood (Goodman, 2010). It steals and destroys human dignity and sexuality. It foregoes all tenets of natural act of love often associated with sex and sexuality. Therefore, it is justified to argue that rape is universally immoral. This does not come by surprise considering the fact that rape has often been used to devalue, humiliate, and demoralize societies during the ti me of war (Jebreal & Lukes, 2011). Simply put, rape is simply wrong, totally. Another example that challenges the relativism of morality is the issue of terrorism. Terrorism is one of the most controversial topics to discuss. Supporters of terrorism and terrorism activities posit that the actions are justified and are meant for a greater good. However, it is plainly evident that terrorism targets the innocent people in the society. There are many avenues of solving all types of conflict without necessarily resulting to terrorism. Ironically, terrorists devalue the same values they claim to protect when executing terrorism acts (Goodman, 2010). Arguably, it is ironical to fight for human rights by killing people, it is simply not logical. For instance, the September 11 attack on World Trade Center caused more damage to the society than the good the perpetrators sought to achieve. Actually, besides killing many people and causing damage, the perpetrators, may have achieved nothing aft er all. Therefore, terrorism is immoral irrespective of any circumstance. Therefore, it can be concluded, safely, that terrorism is simply wrong, it is universally immoral. Although modern slavery is usually hidden from the public limelight, it serves as a good example of universally immoral acts. Slavery is the worst scenario of exploitation of human hood. Actually, it can be claimed that slavery is even worse than murder or genocide (Jebreal and Lukes, 2011). Whereas murder and genocide eliminates the victims from further suffering, slavery keeps the victims alive whilst exploiting them maximally (Goodman, 2010). Among the many forms of modern slavery, human trafficking for sexual exploitation is the most prevalent. Many girls and women are transported across many nations and taken to sex dens where they are sexually exploited until they are of no use. Accompanying sexual exploitation is drug abuse, crime, and violence (Goodman, 2010). Undeniably, there is no single person in the world who would want to go through such inhumane act. Therefore, modern slavery of any form is unacceptable in any society. This makes it safe to conclude that slavery is, universally, unacceptable. The most saddening and worrying issue both in the past and modern society is the act of genocide. Historically, genocide has been perpetrated among many societies across

Thousand miles away essay on memorable place Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Thousand miles away on memorable place - Essay Example Baku Azerbaijan, sometimes spelled as Baki, is translated from the native language of Azeri. Baku is the capital of Azerbaijan and the the largest city port of the Caucasus region. Located on the Southern shore of the Abseron Peninsula overlooking the Caspian Sea, this city has been host to voyagers from around the world who left their mark on its life and culture. A Herring Gull that flies over this city will see it as a green crescent facing the blue oceanic infinity. During World War II Baku was the main city that Adolph Hitler wanted to target since Baku was the main oil supplier for all of the Soviet army, home to some of the oldest oil fields in the world. The oil-smelling mountain winds would remind this fact to every history-loving new visitor to Baku. This has been the richest city of former Soviet Union, with its vast expanses of oil and gas fields, and the suburbs showcasing white oceans of cotton and large groups of grazing cattle. The famous sturgeon fish that supplies t he whole world with black caviar is another asset of this sea port. The current population of Baku is slightly more than three million and about nine million for the whole country of Azerbaijan (US Department of State). Azerbaijan is a former country of the Soviet Union and got its own independence back in 1989. Baku is very special for me since I spent my first 16 years of life there. With that, it brings lots of good memories of childhood and the beginning by early transition into adulthood. I’ve gained numerous life lessons there but the most important that I’ve gained is to always have a dream, a goal, and not to give up and make things happen instead of letting them go, and to always finish what I’ve started no matter if it’s a short term achievement or a long term accomplishment that striking for. Baku brings me good memories from my childhood, memories of my early school age and my

With the increase in global interconnectedness, the scope of strategic Essay

With the increase in global interconnectedness, the scope of strategic policy choices available to individual governments and the effectiveness of many traditional policy instruments tends to decline - Essay Example Various contemporary scholars from different fields of discipline support the belief that globalization is the main concept in these contemporary times. Although there is no single definition for globalization, those who support its tenets believe that as interconnectedness is advancing in most economies, national governments are also losing their relevance and their power to impact on economic outcomes. Based on such perspective, the state seems to have become a mere pawn in the globalized economy. Held and McGrew (2003, p. 13) point out that "[w]ith the increase in global interconnectedness, the scope of strategic policy choices available to individual governments and the effectiveness of many traditional policy instruments tends to decline". This paper shall discuss this statement, considering any supporting proof or evidence to this statement, and possibly discussing any claims contrasting such statement. This study is being carried out in order to establish a clear evaluation of the above statement, as a means for this student to establish a clearer and more logical assessment of the claim. A better understanding would likely provide assistance also for interest groups and other scholars in their better understanding of globalization and state roles. ... 90). They argue that the economic activities are now less under government control and the state power is withering, often giving rise to different kinds of state. These states appear to have lost their sovereignty and have stepped back on their welfare programmes and industrial policies, entering into more collective government processes (Garland, 1990, p. 449). In general, it is important to understand that â€Å"globalization, as a process, is one that rejects and obliterates boundaries† (Basu, 2008, p. 26). In order to understand globalization, it is also important to understand that globalization refers to various overlapping interactions of national economies, up to a point where the impact of the national networks declines in relation to the effect of global networks (Kaldor, 2003, p. 18). The concept of globalization therefore implies the spread of international interactions to the extent that it creates new social relations. This seems to be what most authorities beli eve when they seek to assess the impact of global economic integration (Kaldor, 2003, p. 18). III. Globalists It is important to note that the globalization discussion does point out that for the globalists and for its critics, evaluating the international activities has become the main measure of globalization (Kaldor, 2003, p. 19). However, even where globalization networks may be advancing, this would not necessarily settle the issue because it would not eliminate the possibility that the expansion and sustenance of globalized networks are based on national interactions as much as transnational networks (Mann, 1997, p. 99). In effect, supporters of globalization must confront issues being pointed out in the globalization discussion. One of these issues is on whether or not the

Thousand miles away essay on memorable place Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Thousand miles away on memorable place - Essay Example Baku Azerbaijan, sometimes spelled as Baki, is translated from the native language of Azeri. Baku is the capital of Azerbaijan and the the largest city port of the Caucasus region. Located on the Southern shore of the Abseron Peninsula overlooking the Caspian Sea, this city has been host to voyagers from around the world who left their mark on its life and culture. A Herring Gull that flies over this city will see it as a green crescent facing the blue oceanic infinity. During World War II Baku was the main city that Adolph Hitler wanted to target since Baku was the main oil supplier for all of the Soviet army, home to some of the oldest oil fields in the world. The oil-smelling mountain winds would remind this fact to every history-loving new visitor to Baku. This has been the richest city of former Soviet Union, with its vast expanses of oil and gas fields, and the suburbs showcasing white oceans of cotton and large groups of grazing cattle. The famous sturgeon fish that supplies t he whole world with black caviar is another asset of this sea port. The current population of Baku is slightly more than three million and about nine million for the whole country of Azerbaijan (US Department of State). Azerbaijan is a former country of the Soviet Union and got its own independence back in 1989. Baku is very special for me since I spent my first 16 years of life there. With that, it brings lots of good memories of childhood and the beginning by early transition into adulthood. I’ve gained numerous life lessons there but the most important that I’ve gained is to always have a dream, a goal, and not to give up and make things happen instead of letting them go, and to always finish what I’ve started no matter if it’s a short term achievement or a long term accomplishment that striking for. Baku brings me good memories from my childhood, memories of my early school age and my

Order of Military Medical Merit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Order of Military Medical Merit - Essay Example During her tenure at the MEDDAC at Fort McClellan as a Private First Class, MAJ Robinson was recognized by the Sergeant Major of the Army, SMA Richard A. Kidd, for her significant loyalty, dedication and contributions to the mission of caring for our Soldiers and her demonstrated leadership potential. While a sergeant, Major Robinson coordinated medical support for a MASCAL in Seoul, South Korea. Her quick actions coupled with her mature decision making minimized the outcome of a tragic accident. MAJ Robinson's immediate lifesaving skills provided prompt emergency care to the victims of the accident. She was recognized for her devotion and selfless service by the Commander, 18th Medical Command. As a Staff Sergeant assigned to Kirk U.S. Army Health Clinic, MAJ Robinson volunteered to orchestrate and enhance the renovation plan for the Pediatric and Gynecology Clinics, providing floor plans, coordinating automation support and the relocation of all associated equipment. She has genero usly contributed her personal time to ensure the renovation, without letting any adverse impact on the 14,000 beneficiaries of the health clinic. The patient care area and the capabilities of both clinics was increased by about 50 percent. MAJ Robinson also accepted the mission to oversee the transition of the clinic from a legacy system to the Composite Health Care System (CHCS). Along with this, she authored the definitive Standard Operating Procedure for appointment scheduling, ensuring that the TRICARE access standards were used thus improving the quality of patient care for the eligible beneficiaries. Key milestones in her career include; In 1998, MAJ Robinson was selected for entrance into the Army Enlisted Commissioning Program. In 2000, MAJ Robinson graduated from the University of Maryland's School of Nursing. Exceeding the course standards of the Critical Care Nursing Course taught at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and was the Honor Graduate for the course. In 2003, MAJ Robinson, as a First Lieutenant, was deployed to Afghanistan and Uzbekistan serving as the Chief Nurse for an Area Support Medical Company with a troop population of over 2,500 Soldiers engaged in combat operations against Al Qaeda and Taliban forces. It is worth mentioning that during the field operations in Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, her performance was categorized as "well above her normal responsibilities" by the TF MED NORTH (TFMN) Commander. She was the only Registered Nurse trained in critical care and maintained an intubated and sedated American Soldier for 17 hours until MEDEVAC was available. MAJ Robinson also served as one of only two female officers from TFMN to relocate and support the austere location outside of the city of Konduz and provided level-1 and humanitarian care to over 2,000 Afghan civilians. She also volunteered to cross train in the pharmacy and functioned as the Public Health Nurse by supervising the hepatitis and tuberculosis screening program for the Soldiers, local nationals and U.S. civilians employed at Camp Stronghold Freedom. Following her deployment, MAJ Robinson became a competent and newly trained Open Heart Nurse. MAJ Robinson then tackled the extremely important task of monitoring and auditing blood product administration, which significantly decreased the number of unusual occurrences related to blood/blood product administration by 80%, a vital improvement for DDEAMC. At WBAMC, she was

Accounting and Bookkeeping Services Marketing Plan Essay Example for Free

Accounting and Bookkeeping Services Marketing Plan Essay Marketing Vision Sorcerers Accountant will fit the needs of transitional small businesses, dealing with the growing pains of leaving an owner-operator model to hiring employees and expanding. These clients will see that Sorcerers Accountant is competitively priced, both compared with the market and with the substitute option of hiring their own bookkeepers. Clients will see that Sorcerers Accountant is extremely flexible and scalable in a way that in-house bookkeepers cannot be. To move forward with this new business line, Sorcerers Accountant will make the bookkeeping services the core of its business and a source of leads for its additional accounting services, rather than the other way around. Over time, as this transition happens, the marketing plan will be revisited to see how these clients can be better used as a source for referrals and more business. See more: The Issues Concerning Identity Theft Essay Goals Sorcerers Accountants goals include Personal, Marketing, Business, and Client Satisfaction goals. They are: 1. Personal To reduce the time spent on the business by Max Greenwood to a more sustainable level over a few years and to achieve professional recognition 2. Marketing Generation of large numbers of leads and press mentions 3. Business Expand sales significantly over the next three years 4. Client Satisfaction To achieve a high level of very satisfied clients Purpose Sorcerers Accountant seeks to provide a full suite of tax and management accounting services for small businesses in Chicago, Illinois, allowing business owners to not only save money over in-house accounting and ensure their compliance with tax laws, but to make valuable management decisions from their numbers. Picture When clients come to Sorcerers Accountant, the frustration of dealing with in-house bookkeepers and low-quality providers will recede. Clients will be given the time to have all of their questions answered and valuable accounting and systems advice will be given even in the initial meetings. The client will quickly understand that Sorcerers Accountant will scale their services to meet the clients needs and can add to those services as the clients needs change. They will understand that they are not entering into an onerous contract and that the cost of getting started is low. The client will be delighted the first time they receive a thank you card and small gift when theyve made their budgeted numbers for the quarter. At this point it will truly sink in that Sorcerers Accountant has their bookkeeping and accounting needs covered and that they can put away any worry that this area will be a weak link in their business. Gap Dashboard Weekly measurements of key metrics will be averaged for each month and entered in the Gap Dashboard. Personal goals will be tracked by Max Greenwood directly to make sure he is moving towards both professional recognition and a sustainable work/life balance. Marketing goals will be tracked by the CRM system and business goals will be tracked by QuickBooks. Client satisfaction numbers will be derived from the survey providers database. Whether numbers are met or not, the news will be shared on a monthly basis with the entire staff, with congratulations and discussion as to what is going right as well as a look at what is going wrong and how it can be rectified. These reports will be shared in full with the bookkeeping program manager and partially with the bookkeepers. Ideal Customer The ideal customer for Sorcerers Accountant is an owner of a very small business. Having launched within the last few years, the customer has just hired his first employee. The bookkeeping work (accounts payable and receivable, payroll, bank reconciliations, tax preparation) that the owner did for the first few years is taking more and more time and is holding him back from working on sales, marketing, and strategy for the business. The new employee has been hired to handle more of the technical work of the business, not to do bookkeeping. However, when considering the type of bookkeeping help he can afford, the customer realizes that a ten-hour-a-week employee would most likely be a student or low-skills worker who would require a great deal of training. The customer is put off by the idea of spending a great deal of time training such an individual, who may leave within a year (or even less) due to school schedule changes or finding a full-time job. He realizes that keeping the books correctly is important work, but because he understands his own value to the business, his knows his time is better spent elsewhere. He might then begin to search for professional bookkeeping options that can offer just a low-level of support by doing his own research and asking other business owners he knows. Market Description The small business accounting market consists of virtually every small business in the United States. As businesses grow larger than one person sole proprietorships, they generally require expert help with at least their tax preparation, and often with additional bookkeeping and accounting services. Even many non-employer sole proprietorships will use accounting help at some point. While some small businesses hire bookkeepers or CFOs directly, many successfully outsource these types of services. The market for Sorcerers Accountant is small businesses in the city limits of Chicago. This will represent approximately 85,000 businesses in 2010. This market can be subdivided into three groups: Non-employer firms: Without employees, these firms do not have many of the concerns of larger businesses. However, the owners must be vigilant to protect their own tax liability and sort out how their personal and business tax returns intersect. These firms are generally buyers of QuickBooks services and tax preparation services. As they grow, this group becomes ripe for outsourced bookkeeping services before they can hire a full-time in-house bookkeeper. Very small businesses: Defined for our purposes as businesses with 2-10 employees. Made up of businesses that are designed to stay small and those which are growing through a phase, these businesses require payroll services, bookkeeping, and tax preparation. They are concerned about losing control, but can generally be convinced of using outsourced accounting and bookkeeping with cost analysis. With the stakes higher, these businesses can make greater use of management accounting services, especially as most cannot afford a dedicated CFO. Many do not need a full-time bookkeeper, but can made due with part-time help, which limits their hiring options. Other small businesses: Defined for our purposes as businesses with 11 to 99 employees. Many of these businesses will have some in-house financial management and bookkeeping help. However, they may be able to save money by outsourcing these services as they are not generally core to what the business seeks to do. These businesses may be comfortable with their situation as a cash producer for their owners or intent on g rowing or positioning themselves for sale. Remarkable Difference Sorcerers Accountant offers the flexibility and low rates of an in-house bookkeeping employee, while providing all of the training, oversight, and deep knowledge of a Certified Public Accountant. Differentiators Sorcerers Accountant will achieve a competitive edge among Chicago bookkeeping services due to its combination of CPA oversight with lower-level, inexpensive labor to solve the specific problems of small business owners. Clients will receive the advantage of having a CPA review their books and propose additional advice when appropriate, while not paying much more than they would to hire their own part-time bookkeeper. This is not an inimitable competitive edge, but the market in Chicago is significantly large enough to allow for the success of Sorcerers Accountant with this strategy. Large firms ignore the small business market because they are better positioned to serve larger businesses. They are unlikely to imitate this strategy as they will find it difficult to convince small businesses that they can offer services which are affordable to them.

History Of Materials In The Aviation Industry Engineering Essay

History Of Materials In The Aviation Industry Engineering Essay Aircraft materials have faced an overwhelming phase of change since the takeoff of the first designed aircraft to the skies. This has seen aircraft designers changing the design materials from merely wood and fibre in the early days to composite materials and aluminium alloys in modern days aircrafts. Composite materials and aluminium alloys were introduced in the industry rapidly. Due to advancement in technology the use of wood in manufacturing aircraft structures is now history. This review covers the use of composite materials and aluminium alloys in the design of modern aircrafts, both civil and military. It also compares the usage of these two materials in aircraft structures. Table of Contents INTRODUCTION Aircraft materials have faced an overwhelming phase of change since the takeoff of the first designed aircraft to the skies. This has seen aircraft designers changing the materials of design from merely wood and fibre in the early days to composite materials and aluminium alloys in modern days aircrafts. Early aircrafts were constructed mainly of wood and fabric, the Wright flyer (1903) is an example. Manufacturers preferred relatively light and strong wood such as spruce and fabrics, which were normally linen or something similarly close-weaved. These materials were selected looking at different characteristics which include among other the weight, strength, cost and availability of the material. Due to advancement in technology the use of wood in manufacturing aircraft structures is now a thing of the past. The use of metals in aircraft structures had to await modern material development processes such as alloy development. This processes produced stronger and better materials which allowed high speed flight. Materials produced were better as they allowed heavy loads and they showed better resistance to stress corrosion cracking. The introduction of computers has been of massive input in the field of aerospace. These seen engineers perform deep analysis of strain; stress and fatigue on new materials before there are introduced in aircraft structures. And as a result, the number of aircraft accidents reduced drastically. This review aims to cover the use of composite materials and aluminium alloys in the design of both civil and military modern aircrafts, and compare the usage of the two materials in aircraft structures. COMPOSITE MATERIALS Composites have been the most important materials to have been introduced in the aviation sector since the use of aluminium in the early years. Wright et al (2003) defines composite materials as, a combination of linear elements of one material in a matrix of one another material. This implies that composites are engineered materials made from two or more ingredients with significantly differing properties, either physical or chemical. The application of composite date back in the 1940s to the F-15 (US Air Force) fighters, which used boron/epoxy empennages. Initially the percentage by weight of composite materials used was 2%.Since then, the use of composites has rapidly accelerated. In 1981, the British aerospace- McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier flew with over 25% of its structures made of composite materials (Schmitt, 2008). This shows that composite materials were introduced at a very high rate in the aviation industry. Though composites have been introduced in aviation with such a fierce rate, it was proved they are expensive to produce. They are also hard to inspect for flaws and some easily absorb moisture. Despite the above mentioned disadvantages, composites still play a major role in modern day aircrafts. This is so because of their greater strength and lighter weights. Callus (2007) claims that regardless of the disadvantages of composites, they were introduced because they allowed a quantum leap in aircraft performance. Performance is in the form of light weight, ability, useful payload and super high speeds. USES OF COMPOSITES IN AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES Since each aircraft is unique, it is impossible to generalise where various materials are being used in current aircrafts, but reference to a specific example illustrates the trend. Figure 1 below shows composite materials used in Boeing 787. http://people.bath.ac.uk/ck258/new%20materials%20documents/Composite%20materials_files/image002.jpg Figure 1. Composite materials used in Boeing 787 structures. Adapted from: http://people.bath.ac.uk/ck258/new%20materials%20documents/Composite%20materials.htm The above figure clearly gives a clear indication of the introduction of composites in aircraft structures. It can be confidently stated that composites form about 50% of the weight of the materials used in modern day aircrafts. This can be seen from the pie chart in figure 1. The commonly used composites are fibreglass, carbon laminate composites and carbon sandwich composite. Some composites include the Titanium and polymer matrix composites. COMPOSITION OF COMPOSITES Composite materials are made of two materials, one acting as the matrix and the other as the reinforcement material. These constituent materials determine the mechanical properties of the composite. The matrix has a lower density, stiffness and strength than the reinforcement material, and as a result the reinforcement of the matrix, to provide the majority of the strength and stiffness of a composite is accomplished by the fibres. They can be metallic, organic, synthetic or mineral. American Composite Manufacturers Association (2004) considers epoxy resins as one of the well known matrix material to have been used in a wide range of composite parts and structures. It further states that a major advantage of using Epoxy resins over other matrix materials is their lower shrinkage. http://navyaviation.tpub.com/14018/img/14018_593_1.jpg Figure 2. Aircraft advanced composite application usage. Adapted from: http://navyaviation.tpub.com/14018/css/14018_593.htm The table shows that the in early aircrafts composites were introduced in smaller quantities. This is the case with the F-14 aircraft which was first introduced in September 1974 (Hickman, 2012). Comparing the percentage of composite materials of the F-14 with the F/A-18, which was introduced in January 1983, one can notice that the F/A-18 contained a higher percentage of composites which is 20% as compared to the 0.04% of the F-14. This 19.96% difference may have been due to the introduction of modern material development processes. The mostly used reinforcement fibres are: glass fibre, carbon pitch based, Boron chemical vapour deposition (CVD) fibres, Alumina, Aramid, Carbon Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and Polyethylene. Baker, Dutton and Kelly (2004, pp. 57) claim glass fibres are used mostly in airframes of gliders and in secondary structures such as fairings. The trio further explain that this is the case because this is where their low specific stiffness is not a problem in the design process, and because of their low cost as compared to high performance fibres. Such high performance composites include carbon fibre reinforced carbon. This is a composite material made from carbon fibre reinforcement in a carbon matrix. Diagram of carbon-reinforced carbon Figure 3. Material properties of a carbon fibre reinforced carbon. Adapted from: http://www.materialsviews.com/understanding-carbon-reinforced-carbon According to Grolms (2011), carbon fibre reinforced carbon is used mainly in high performance and high cost applications in aerospace technology. He further explains that this composite material is used widely in nose cones, wing leading edges in space shuttles and in aircraft brake systems. ALUMINIUM ALLOYS Aluminium has been the main structural element since 1930. This was made possible by its lightness as compared to other metals which are referred to as heavy, steel for example. Also, aluminium has been selected because of its indomitable strength to weight ratio. Although aluminium is not the strongest of the pure materials, its alloys use other elements to bridge the gap and improve its strength. Starke and Staley (1995) claims that aluminium is still selected as a structural material for the fuselage, wings and supporting structure for commercial airliners because of its well known performance characteristics, known fabrication costs, design experience and established manufacturing methods and practices. The duo continue on saying low specific gravity of aluminium leads to high specific properties giving aluminium alloys an upper hand in weight critical applications. Weight and strength Figure 4. Weight and Strength- aluminium is approximately one third as dense as steel. Aluminium alloys have tensile strengths of between 70 and 700 MPa. Adapted from: http://www.powerofaluminium.com/page.asp?node=45sec=Properties . Aluminium alloys were mainly created to tackle the weight problems of aircraft structures, but due to modern research and studies they have been recently studied for use in liquid oxygen and hydrogen fuel tanks, application which Starke and Staley (1995,pp.167) referred to as cryogenic. The development of aluminium-lithium alloy replaced the conventional airframe alloys. Its lower density property was thought to reduce the weight and accelerate the performance of aircrafts. This development, lead to the introduction of commercial alloys 8090, 2090 and 2091 in the mid 1980s (Davis, 1993). Weldalite 049 and CP276 were introduced shortly thereafter. Davis (1993) further says that aluminium alloys have a superior fatigue crack propagation resistance as compared to other alloys. This is due to high levels of crack tip shielding, meandering crack path and the resultant roughness induced crack closure (Davis, 1993). ANALYSIS AND COMPARISON OF ALUMINIUM ALLOYS AND COMPOSITES USES IN AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES The future of aluminium alloys in the aerospace industry seems brighter than that of its competitors, the composite materials. Even though the use composite materials is continuously growing, it recently became clear that aluminium alloys will in the near future be the winners of the fierce competition between the two materials. The airbus A380 give a clear indication of this. It shows that 61% of its structure is composed of aluminium alloys, 22% being composites, 10% is titanium and steel, and 3% of the structure is made of fibre metal laminates (Key to Metal, 2012). http://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S1359645403005020-gr10.jpg Figure 5: Material distribution for Airbus A380 by percentage, Adapted from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359645403005020 It appears the rivalry between composites materials and aluminium alloys in the manufacturing of aircraft structures will continue to exist even in the future. This report claims aluminium alloys have the upper hand due to the fact that aluminium is less expensive as compared to composites, and recycling aluminium is not that difficult as compared to recycling composites, meaning that aluminium alloys are more environmental friendly. To support this claim, Arval (2010) pointed out that Bombardier has chosen Airware, a new aluminium alloy, for its upcoming CSeries, and Airbus has also shown that new aluminium alloys may be feasible for its next aisle aircraft. CONCLUSION In this report, the use of composite materials in aircrafts has been thoroughly discussed, pointing out their advantages and their disadvantages. The report identifies the main disadvantage of using composites in aircrafts being its high cost. The other disadvantage of using composite mentioned is their repair problems. It has been proved that composite can give a headache when it comes to repairing from ground damages, which usually avail themselves during baggage loading and other ground accidents. Nevertheless, the report also states that composites are still playing a major role in the aviation industry. This is due to their remarkable strength and their lighter weight. Also outlined in the report is the use of aluminium alloys in modern day aircrafts. Indicated in the report is that, even though aluminium alloys are not currently the main material for aircraft structure, they are awaited by a bright future. New aluminium alloys have been opted over composites for new aircraft technologies because they are recyclable, less expensive, and their characteristics and damage tolerance are well known. The development of new aviation materials since the 1980s was a major achievement in the industry since the number of aviation accidents reduced significantly. Carrying out more research on new aviation materials can see aircraft accidents reducing to probably zero, and this is a call for researchers to concentrate more on new aviation materials.