Personal and professional development Research Paper

Personal and professional development - Research Paper Example My Vision My vision is to be an impeccable professional in business related area who cuts a niche in the competitive business landscape as one of the reliable, efficient, and trusted business mind that can initiate projects, monitor then, analyzed them for the benefit of the business and the community at large. In this reference, I intend to urge and acquire admiration from upcoming professionals in the same field so that they can develop interest and generate energy for achieving self-determination goals in their professional lives. I also intend to cooperate with my colleges in striking higher standards through pulling different knowledge and experience for the purpose of discerning much in the business profession. My Values I believe in quality, efficiency, and relevancy as the most important values that can drive change in the business environment, I therefore wish to cooperate with the relevant partners in achieving these values through diligent, professional, and sheer integrit y. In working with the partners, I remain optimistic that my clients in the business fields will not fall short of series of innovative skills, technology, and the required expertise that will be able to move their organization steps ahead and give them a competitive edge in their quest to satisfy customer’s needs. I believe this cooperation will resonates equally with the expectation of the society. What I want to Provide Value for in the Future I come from the school of though that business and healthy competition is brought about by either the ability of an organization to acquire information and use the information in their best interest within the opportune time. In this reference, I would want to provide value for the Information technology in businesses. Through information technology, businesses are able to receive information on time and act on them, they are also able to analyzed and construe the implication of several data efficiently, reliably, and take the necess ary steps according to the data analyzed. Through synchronized IT in business, we can track all our clients and market our services with ease unlike manual operation without IT assistance. This consideration makes see the opportunity for businesses in the future. The meaning of My Work Life I want my life work to be that of solving problems and making it easier for business to be done using new technology and other innovations. This I believe will put me in a better position in serving the needs of the business entities as well as the community at large. In other way, the meaning of my work life is that which is full of optimism and belief that all is possible with the right efforts and progressive thinking. This is guided by the fact that business is about change and we have to look for ways of making the change be positive and beneficial to the business fraternity. Whom I want to benefit With my professional training, I want to benefit all, this is because the services and the tec hnological advancement that I intend to put into place cuts across everybody I the society and thus all will be taken care of in my discharge of professional knowledge. The business people will be easily connected with the consumers and thus marketing of products can be enhance by the organizations, on the other hand, through technology, consumers can make purchase online and avoid the tedious process of

Patient Rights Essay Example for Free

Patient Rights Essay Patient rights are also human rights. Every patient deserves to be treated respectfully and with every intention of helping patients improve their health. Due to past historical events, there was a need for the creation of two documents that give patients protection and rights when it comes to clinical experiments. These events were experiments that were conducted unethically and violated human rights. The names of these documents are: The Nuremberg Code and The Belmont Report. The first one that was created in the 1940’s was The Nuremberg Code which relates to the events that happened during the holocaust. Nazi physicians were responsible for performing malicious experiments on prisoners in the concentration camps. The Belmont Report was created later after the discovery of the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment. In this study, which was conducted from 1930-1972, African American men were deceived into thinking they were being treated for syphilis when they actually were not. Even after the discovery that penicillin was an effective treatment for this disease, many men were still left untreated and left to die unnecessarily. The â€Å"Doctors’ Trial† was one of the main trials conducted after World War II in Nuremberg, Germany. This was an international trial made up of judges from the United States, Britain, France, and the former Soviet Union. This trial involved 23 defendants, 20 of them being physicians, all accused of torturing and murdering prisoners in concentration camps with the use of medical experiments. Sixteen of the 23 defendants were found guilty and sentenced to death, life in prison, 25 years, fifteen years and ten years in prison. The remaining seven were acquitted. After conclusion of the trial, the judges felt a strong need for an additional way to protect human research subjects. This is when they created the ten research principles now known as The Nuremberg Code. As the Hippocratic ethics was great for physician-patient relationships, it did not fit so well with scientific research. Everything changes because the primary goal of the physician is no longer the patient, but instead the results of his or her experiment. The Nuremberg Code solves this conflict. The first and main principle of the Nuremberg Code makes the voluntary consent of human subjects absolutely essential. Experiments should not be random or unnecessary; they should be in search of beneficial results. It should be based on experimentation of animals and help prove positive effects are the result. Mental and physical suffering or injury should absolutely be avoided. No study shall be performed when there is a risk of death or severe injury involved. The potential risks should never exceed the potential benefits. Sufficient preparations must be made and acceptable facilities must be used in order to protect against injuries, disabilities, or death. Only qualified individuals may perform such studies and the highest possible skill and care shall be applied throughout the entire process. Subjects will always hold the power to end the experiment at any time they feel is necessary for their own well-being. And last of all the scientist in charge must end an experiment as soon as there might be any reason to believe that there is a possibility that continuation of the study could result in injury, disability, or death to any of the participating subjects. In Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment the Nuremberg Code was disregarded and still continued to be sponsored by the U. S. government. The reason for this may be because the code and principles were not regulated and could not be enforced by laws. In 1978 the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published the Belmont Report. The Belmont Report is made up of three basic ethical principles which are: respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. All persons asked to be in a study should have total autonomy and complete control of their decisions. For beneficence researcher should not only attempt to achieve maximum benefits for the subjects, but also minimize all risks. Justice states all people should be treated fairly and benefits and problems should be distributed fairly as well. These are now regulation guidelines and remain the main focus to protect humans as subjects. To this present day the Belmont Report continues to be used as a reference for institutional review boards (IRB) which ensure that human based research follow all ethical regulations and guidelines. Anytime experiments on humans are being conducted, ethical issues will always be involved. With the creation of these two documents it helps determine whether a clinical trial is ethical or not. First of all the experiment must have some kind of social or scientific value in which it may produce results that will benefit health and well-being or even increase knowledge on a certain subject. Only qualified scientists or physicians are allowed to perform such studies using methods and techniques that will produce reliable results. Subjects must be chosen fairly. The risks of the study must be minimized while the benefits maximized, or at the least benefits and risks should be proportionate. Informed consent means subjects will be informed on the purpose of the research, its risks, benefits, and alternatives. This helps to make informed decisions and also subject have the power to end the study at any time. Subjects will also be provided confidentiality, information on any new discoveries and results of the studies. These documents not only provide protection and safety for test subjects, but it also protects certain individuals from being participants in any studies. There are certain populations or groups of people that cannot be selected for studies for certain reasons. Adults are preferred subjects over children. Individuals must be competent in order to give informed consent, which would eliminate using mentally ill people as subjects for a study. Prisoners should also be excluded as test subjects as they are already in a forced position. There must be a certain criteria met in order to use any of these subjects in a research study. I find it to be a real shame that the Nuremberg Code was overlooked in many studies performed in the United States after its creation. It was not regulated and it was not against the law to not follow these codes of ethics on research. Although it took a series of unfortunate events to come up with the Belmont Report, it sure is nice to know there is protection now for human test subjects. The creation of Institutional Review Boards (IRB) to enforce that studies are being conducted under ethical guidelines and researchers are following these rules was essential in helping to improve the search for better health in this country. This will continue to guide our effort as well as change when other issues arise. The good thing is that I do not seeing it ever changing much more as all the most important ethical issues is covered by these documents when performing any research on human subjects.

Alcoholism and Angelas Ashes :: essays research papers

Alcoholism and Angela’s Ashes Alcoholism is one of the most common disorders in the world today. It is a disease, a sickness that harms the body and the mind in the most violent ways possible. The body is racked by a need to suffice its desire, and this leads addicts to do anything to get the alcohol into their systems. In Angela’s Ashes, alcoholism is a major theme, and becomes the destroyer of the families and loved ones that are involved. In Angela’s Ashes, the father Malachy is inflicted with the disease of alcoholism, and his need for the drink leads him to use his paycheck to buy alcohol instead of using it for the basic needs of his family. Countless times, Malachy’s alcoholism harms or gets in the way of his family. Not only this, but Malachy is blind to what his behavior is doing to his family. Because he does not use his money on food for his family, they are forced to beg and accept help from friends and strangers—and yet he is too proud to admit this. Repeated instances such as when he asked the RIAA person for enough money just for one pint—when the money was supposed to be for a cab to get he and his son back to the station without having to walk. Or even when his first child was born and he was too drunk for the hospital staff to interpret what he was saying he wanted to name his son. There are too many of the same repeated episodes—he gets a job, brings home money at fir st, then just stops altogether and uses it at the pub, he gets fired from his job, and his family is worse off now, they are forced to move or live off the kindness of others. It’s the same cycle over and over again. Lives are lost along the way—the innocents, the children. And still Malachy depends on the drink. He is a constant disappointment—and spirals the family deeper and deeper into poverty over the years, mainly because of his addiction. Alcoholism is a terrible disease that can happen to anyone, and the person might not even notice it until the addiction is at its worst. In Angela’s Ashes, Malachy’s alcoholism ruins his family’s chance for a happy life, and he doesn’t even seem to care, as long as he has his alcohol everything seems fine.

Operation Barbarossa Essay

Operation Barbarossa, the code name given to Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, would come to be considered one of Nazi Germany’s greatest follies in the Second World War, and would play a monumental role in bringing an end to Hitler’s regime just a few years later. Though the operation itself lasted less than six months it resulted in four years of harsh fighting on the Eastern Front, marked by an enormous casualty toll for both the Russians and the Germans and countless battles fought in the cruel conditions of Russian winter. All of this despite the fact that both countries had engaged in a mutual non-aggression pack two short years earlier. In 1939 Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a series of agreements regarding how both countries would split the territory separating them and share the resources therein. Signing of the pact created strong political and economic ties between the two nations, at least on the surface. Historians, however, argue that the pact was doomed to fail long before it was even signed, as Hitler had long harbored a disgust for the Soviet Union’s Slavic peoples, which he viewed as sub-human. Couple this racial prejudice with the extremely different political ideologies governing both countries and it becomes clear that the relationship between Germany and the Soviet Union was merely one of temporary convenience. Despite the volatile nature of the German-Soviet relationship, it still struck many as incomprehensible why Hitler should choose to invade Russia in 1941, with war already raging in the west. One can only judge that Hitler, in a misplaced display of ego, believed the west to already be won, with France effectively crushed and England standing as the only viable opponent on that front, struggling hopelessly to maintain a foothold on the European mainland. Believing the western front was theirs, Germany sought to expand her influence and complete her domination of Europe by conquering the resource-rich eastern countries- including the powerhouse of the Soviet Union. Preparations for the invasion began in April of ’41, as Germany began to secretly amass troops on her eastern borders. The plan involved a three-pronged Blitzkreig attack that would simultaneously strike northern Russia with the object of taking Leningrad, while a second group struck toward Moscow and a third took a southern route through the Ukraine. By doing this, Hitler believed that the Russians would be caught completely off guard and would be unable to mount an effective defense in so many places at once. Hitler’s plan, however, contained a number of fatal flaws. Firstly, he greatly underestimated the numbers and strength of the Soviet military, which had effectively doubled its number of troops, artillery pieces and aircraft since the outbreak of war in western Europe. Though not all of this strength was situated in the western part of Russia, where Hitler planned to strike, significant advances had also been made in Soviet infrastructure (most significantly, their railroad system) such as allowed for more efficient movement of troops and supplies, and therefore faster mobilization. Also, the German superiority in armor, which had served them so well in their western blitzkrieg was lost to them here- Soviet tanks, though less technologically advanced at this point in the war, actually outnumbered German tanks approximately four-to-one. The one advantage inarguably held by the Germans was troop quality. The German army was well trained, well equipped and led by experienced and educated officers. The Soviet army, in contrast, were untested by battle and overwhelming led by incompetent officers, many of whom had been given their commissions in exchange for political favors. The vast majority of Soviet officers had less than one year of experience, as many of the older and more experienced commanders had been executed or imprisoned during Stalin’s â€Å"Great Purge† between 1936 and 1938. When Operation Barbarossa began in the pre-dawn hours of June 22nd, 1941, Germany initially made fantastic gains. Approximately three million German soldiers, supported by armor and the Luftwaffe swarmed across the border, advancing more than 200 miles in the next 5 days. The only solid resistance they were met with in the first few days of the attack came in the south, where Soviet commanders reacted quickly and were able to organize an effective defense. The central and northern arms of the German advance, however, met little resistance and charged ahead at full speed- a factor that would later return to haunt them. Armored divisions of the German army actually advanced too quickly, putting them well ahead of the infantry divisions meant to support them. This forced Hitler to call the Panzer divisions to a halt for nearly a week to allow their accompanying infantry troops time to catch up- a week that was used by the Soviets to amass troops ahead of the German advance and fortify target cities such as Stalingrad. By the time the order was given to resume the advance, heavy rainstorms struck which greatly slowed the progress of German tanks attempting to slog down muddy roads. With their advance slowed and the element of surprise expired, the Germans faced ever-strengthening resistance from the Soviet army. In a decision that would prove disastrous, Hitler ordered the central arm of the attack to call-off its march for Moscow and redeploy to the north and south, strengthening the other two prongs of the invasion in hopes of quickly capturing the rich oil fields in the south and the Soviet stronghold of Leningrad in the north. This had mixed results, as the southern wing of the attack was eventually successful in capturing Kiev, and with it an approximate 600,000 Soviet troops, but the advance in the north stalled as heavy resistance was met in Leningrad. The southern wing, after completing its advance through the Ukraine, resumed the march toward Moscow, ultimately coming within 15 miles of the Soviet capital before the Soviets’ greatest ally came to their aid- the harsh Russian winter. As had been the case for Napoleon more than a hundred years earlier, the Russian winter proved disastrous to the unprepared German troops. Expecting a quick victory, the German army had not bothered to supply its men with winter uniforms, and as the snows set in many found themselves facing temperatures well below zero wearing little more than light cotton summer clothing. Frostbite, pneumonia and other side effects of the horrendous cold mercilessly ate away at the German divisions, which were already weakened by months of hard fighting. To make matters worse the cold prevented use of German tanks in many instances, which froze solid in the fields, and high winter winds and snow flurries grounded the Luftwaffe, preventing air support. The Soviets in contrast, well accustomed and prepared for the hardships of winter, took the opportunity to launch a massive counter attack which robbed the Germans of most of their earlier gains, pushing them back over 200 miles and removing the pressure on Moscow. Never again would the Germans make it so deep into Russian territory, though the war continued on and countless more men would die in the years to come. The failure of Operation Barbarossa proved disastrous to Hitler’s Reich, which lost huge numbers of valuable and experienced troops and vast amounts of material that would have proved invaluable to them later in the war. They also awoke the military beast that was Soviet Russia and forced themselves to actively wage war on two fronts, a strain that would eventually prove too much for Germany as Allied efforts redoubled in the west with the entrance of the United States into the conflict.

Hidalgo Resturant, Inc: Succeeding As An Entrepreneur Essay

I. VISION A. Vision Statement â€Å"For everyone who works with us to discover in themselves their talent and their potential and to build relationship with each other† B. Comments Vision statements should answer the question â€Å"What do we want to become.† But Hidalgo’s vision statement does not answer that question. It doesn’t even mention what kind of business they are into. C. Proposed Vision Statement To be the preferred restaurant of Filipinos and expatriates, providing total customer satisfaction through quality, service, cleanliness, and value. II. MISSION A. Mission Statement Hidalgo Restaurant, Inc. doesn’t have specific mission statement B. Comments A Mission Statement reflects the company’s core purpose, identity, values and principle business aims. A Mission is defined as ‘Purpose, reason for being’. Defined simply â€Å"Who we are and what we do.† Mission statements should possess nine (9) components which are (1) customers, (2) products or services (3) markets, (4) technology, (5) Concern for survival, growth, and profitability, (6) philosophy, (7) self – concept, (8) concern for public image, and (9) concern for employees. C. Proposed Mission Statement We are committed to provide total customer satisfaction and exceed customer’s expectations through setting the trend in raising the bar, to be the change agents contributing directly to the country’s development, creating standards of excellence which every Filipino may aspire, to be in the business of building relationships and partnerships, among which one partner is the customer, in order to maximize earnings that will benefit our supplier, employees, and investors. III. EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS The restaurant sub-sector includes places that serve food and drinks, be it self-service or full-service. This covers a range of services including fine dining specialty restaurants, fast food outlets, canteens, and food courts. In terms of its contribution to the national economy, the hotel and restaurant industry accounted for 1.35% of Philippines’ 1998 gross domestic product (PHP12 billion in GVA compared to the Philippine’s PHP889 billion GDP during the period) and 1.28% of its national product (PHP12 billion in GVA compared to the PHP931 billion GNP). Moreover, the hotel and restaurant industry employed about 1% (282,142) of the country’s 31,278,000 labor force during the same period. Meanwhile, the National Statistics Office (NSO) in 1994, classified 46,930 firms as belonging to the hotel and restaurant industry, employing a total of 221,954 people. At the time, each peso investment in labor contributed PHP4.40 to the industry’s total output while ea ch peso investment yielded a PHP1.27 contribution to the same. A. Economic Forces Restaurant patrons cross all economic groups. Fast foods and food courts cater to all income classes. Specialty fine dining restaurants, generally target the A, B, and C crowd. The proliferation of one-stop shopping malls that offer various recreational facilities and amenities is also an important growth factor. The heavy pedestrian traffic that the malls attract means big business for the restaurant industry, particularly the fast food sub-sector. Moreover, these malls spare the restaurant industry from spending extensive business development studies for their outlets; mall magnates Henry Sy and John Gokongwei Jr. have established formidable track records in building malls. Finally, Filipino communities abroad are strong basis for the export of local restaurants and fast food technology. The presence of Goldilocks, Jollibee, Max, Red Ribbon, and Barrio Fiesta, among others, in the US, for example, is a result of demand from Filipino migrants longing for a taste for home. B. Social, Cultural, and Demographic Forces The urban population to which restaurants cater is largely made up of young people who have higher disposable incomes and who are more likely to experiment with different cuisine. Brand loyalty is particularly strong in the fast food sub-sector of the restaurant industry. Jollibee patrons, for example, generally stay loyal to the franchise regardless of price increases. Demand for dining out is associated with both the ever-expanding options available, and also with the number one reason most consumers use restaurants: they provide a convenient, reasonably priced experience that offers better flavors and taste sensations than consumers can get at home. This has become particularly critical at a time when more and more women are entering the workforce and consequently have less time to prepare meals at home. Moreover, the Philippine population is youth-oriented. Almost half of the estimated 75 million Filipinos are below 18. And since a large proportion of fast food consumers is betwe en the ages of 16-24, the annual 2.3% population growth rate guarantees market growth for the sub-sector. C. Political, Legal, and Governmental Forces Strong support of industry associations and trade unions (i.e., Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines and the NWHUAI) enable the hotel industry, among other things, to undertake programs and projects that upgrade and professionalize the sector and to influence government regulatory policies/laws/rules affecting the industry. D. Technological Forces International food chains and franchises facilitate transfer of technology in the local restaurant sub-sector. They provide training of potential employees and employ strict quality control systems. In terms of availability of technology, the Philippine market is highly competitive with numerous products and brands offered at reasonable prices, and, therefore, allowing restaurant owners the luxury of choosing the type of technology that best suit their operations. Equipment purchasing decisions depend on the type of end-user. For instance, local single-unit restaurants need inexpensive equipment, so price is the main guiding factor. On the other hand, fine dining restaurants are willing to pay a premium for high quality, durability, after-sales service, cost effectiveness, reputable supplier and fast delivery. Restaurant owners regularly participate in local and international equipment trade fairs, allowing them access to the latest hotel equipment technology. E. Competitive Forces There are about 45,220 restaurant establishments in the domestic economy and about 80% of them belong to the fast food sub-sector. Food franchising is extremely popular. There are 1,057 franchised quick serve restaurants, 14 casual dining and theme restaurants, and 507 coffee shops, bakeries, and confectioneries. The industry in which the restaurant and fast food firms operate has increasing consumer demand for every improving product. The growth is proven by the rapid expansion of food outlets in key areas in Metro Manila and the provinces. The popularity of fast food establishments came in the 1980’s, and over the last years, the industry has consistently posted double-digit growth rates. Competition is fierce in the restaurant industry, particularly the fast food sub-sector. The market is large but consumers are price conscious and exhibit brand loyalty. With a wide range of restaurants and fast food establishments to choose from, pricing schemes and marketing strategies determine market shares. Market strategies of industry players, therefore, aim to achieve two primary objectives: 1) hammer in â€Å"value-for-money† concepts; and 2) create brand consciousness and loyalty. Market shares in the restaurants are won or lost in pricing. Industry players regularly offer price cuts and discounts to lure in new customers. Moreover, major players invest heavily in advertising to create brand consciousness and loyalty. Marketing strategies include raffle draws, free gift items and specially prized meal combinations, discounted toys and school items for every certain minimum food purchase. Celebrity endorsements are used in the hopes that the market will identify with the endorser. Likewise, intense competition urges players to come up with new products to capture bigger market shares. Restauranteurs have to be keen at finding the latest food and wine concoctions here and abroad and adapting them to local taste. Targeting the Filipino’s tastebuds, several fastfood chains that usually serve only western food have introduced items that appeal to the local market’s palate. Raising quality standards and improving service have also been focal points of competition, particularly in the fast food sub-sector. Players give incentives and compensations to motivate employees to be efficient on their jobs and thus help maintain the fast food outlet’s high standards of quality service and cleanliness. Also, a major importance in a fast food and restaurant is courteous and friendly personnel. Not surprisingly, speedy service is among the more salient attributes people would highly expect from a fast food restaurant.

buy custom College Athletes essay

buy custom College Athletes essay If well calculated, there is enormous revenue gained through sports into colleges. An average player of Football Bowl Subdivision is worth $121, 000. A same level basketball player would be worth$265,000 per year. This is according to a professor in a national athletes advocacy group, but the heated debate remains that of whether the college athletes should be paid or not. Athletes serve as a central attraction when it comes to college sports. The argument has always been put forward by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) that college athletics sit on the principle of amateurism. However, Walter Byers, a former NCAA executive director admits that amateurism is an economic camouflage to hide monopoly thus, an immoral issue. The college athletes are eligible to a payment over and above the privileges that come with playing for their institutions like scholarships, free tuition, education lockbox, and others. Denying them what is theirs serves to worsen the situation of college sports which should be a corporate generating billion dollars. College athletes generate enormous monetary benefits. These benefits go to the NCAA while the same students struggle to meet even the mere basic requirements. The Price of Poverty in Big Time College Sports tells us that the athletes only receive athletic scholarships that cover partially the cost of attending schools. This leaves most of them below the poverty line. The cost of attending school is between$ 952 and$ 6,127 depending on different colleges. This is way beyond what these athletes get because they should not work except during summer. They have tight schedules due to trainings, practice and classes. NCAA restricts them from seeking endorsements. They argue that they are only amateurs thus, should be protected against commercial exploitation. Many college athletes spend most of their time in athletics. Those in Division I spend 39 hours while the ones in Bowl Subdivision spend 43.3 hours per week in athletics. This means that this should be looked at like a full-time employment and; thus, this critical time player should be paid. However, the main beneficiaries of this system are the coaches, the bowl directors, conference commissioners and the athletic directors who receive multimillion dollars as salaries. Research has found that some football coaches bonuses could amount to more than their teams entire scholarship shortfall. This is so exploitative to the college athletes, who sacrifice even their academic performances to direct all their efforts to athletics. They should be the first ones to enjoy the fruits of their hard labor. They sweat and tire in the field for their schools to achieve such rewards. The NCAA does not allow athletes to accept benefits offered other than their scholarships. This has set the athletic program up for failure. There are many organizations that are up to grab athletes who are desperately in need of their assistance. The scholarship they offer does not cover basic costs like food and rent. R. Jay Soward accepted money from NFL agent saying that NCAA scholarship did not meet his basic requirements. Many athletes manage to go through their college life through getting into menial jobs like Soward, who had to sell toilet papers and soaps to hotels. This is so controversial being a member of a team that is bringing billions of dollars to the college. Athletes need to lead a comfortable and the exceptional life without the need to go through such struggles. They may end up diverting their minds from athletics so as to earn a livelihood. They mostly find themselves blinded that their labor in athletics will pay their way through school, but they earn far less than their market value. Colleges view athletics as a business opportunity to make money and to brand their name. However, in business, there are times to reap immense profits and others to incur some losses. This translates that there should be no fixed amount of money that should be termed as payment though there should be a minimum set amount. Different colleges get different kinds of money from their athletic engagements. For example, Texas has always led when it comes to athletics. Florida may not pay its players equal amounts to Texas. It should be able to offer a considerable amount to its players for the work they do. The benefits that colleges reap from athletics should be directed to the people who directly earn them. These are the athletes who sweat and run tirelessly in the field in order to see their teams emerge winners. They should be the first beneficiaries though this is not always the case. The key question remains why deny them what they should rightfully get. The answer is that their bene fits go to a coachs pocket, yet he has just improved on what is already there. Many athletes hurt while in the field playing or even during training. It is so heartbreaking that many of them have lost their legs, eyes, arms and some have died in the course of athletics. Most of the college athletes are still under their parents. They fully rely on their parents and, most of these parents are not financially able. They are still under their parents insurance cover, and most of the parents do not take insurance against athletic issues. Parents have taken unnecessary burdens when their children hurt while playing for their schools. They are unnecessary in the fact that they are burdens that ought to be fully taken care of by the NCAA. Often, the NCAA has abandoned such cases and left the parents to take care of their injured children. There are many reasons that NCAA has put forward as to why the college students should not be paid. They argue that they get scholarships and free housing. However, this argument may not hold much water since if they were not in athletics, they would be permitted to apply for financial grants and aids to help them cover their expenses in school. NCAA terms college athletes as amateur athletes and are, therefore, not fit to get commercial contracts. However, these athletes are not able to secure any form of partial employment because of their travel times and practice schedules. They find themselves in compromising situations whereby, they take the money and material things under the table from those who have an interest in their career. In conclusion, college athletes contribute highly to their colleges. They deserve to be paid in order to keep their spirit going. They should be allocated a considerable stipend in order to help them lead a decent life in college. They should share in the benefits that they have brought to their colleges. They should also be entitled to medical insurance that covers risks related to their athletics. The NCAA should consider the effort that these athletes put to achieve so much for their colleges and NCAA as an association. Those who oppose the payment of the college athletes should look in to the efforts of the athletes and, compare it with the miserable life that they lead. Those who oppose payment for college athletes should join the proponent. It will unify college athletes and those who support them thus, bringing strength in voicing for the payment that they fight for long enough. Buy custom College Athletes essay

Lepenski Vir - Mesolithic Village in the Republic of Serbia

Lepenski Vir - Mesolithic Village in the Republic of Serbia Lepenski Vir is a series of Mesolithic villages located on a high sandy terrace of the Danube River, on the Serbian bank of the Iron Gates Gorge  of the Danube river. This site was the location of at least six village occupations, beginning about 6400 BC, and ending about 4900 BC. Three phases are seen at Lepenski Vir; the first two are whats left of a complex foraging society; and Phase III represents a farming community. Life in Lepenski Vir Houses in Lepenski Vir, throughout the 800-year-long Phase I and II occupations, are laid out in a strict parallelepiped plan, and each village, each collection of houses is arranged in a fan shape across the face of the sandy terrace. The wooden houses were floored with sandstone, often covered with a hardened limestone plaster and sometimes burnished with red and white pigments. A hearth, often found with evidence of a fish-roasting spit, was placed centrally within each structure. Several of the houses held altars and sculptures, sculpted out of the sandstone rock. Evidence seems to indicate that the last function of the houses at Lepenski Vir was as a burial site for a single individual. Its clear that the Danube flooded the site regularly, perhaps as much as twice a year, making permanent residence impossible; but that residence resumed after the floods is certain. Many of the stone sculptures are monumental in size; some, found in front of houses at Lepenski Vir, are quite distinctive, combining human and fish characteristics. Other artifacts found in and around the site include a vast array of decorated and undecorated artifacts, such as miniature stone axes and figurines, with lesser amounts of bone and shell. Lepenski Vir and Farming Communities At the same time as foragers and fishers lived at Lepenski Vir, early farming communities sprang up around it, known as the Starcevo-Cris culture, who exchanged pottery and food with the inhabitants of Lepenski Vir. Researchers believe that over time Lepenski Vir evolved from a small foraging settlement to the ritual center for the farming communities in the areainto a place where the past was revered and the old ways followed. The geography of Lepenski Vir may have played an enormous part in the ritual significance of the village. Across the Danube from the site is the trapezoidal mountain Treskavek, whose shape is repeated in the floor plans of the houses; and in the Danube in front of the site is a large whirlpool, the image of which is repeatedly carved into many of the stone sculptures. Like Catal Hoyuk in Turkey, which is dated to roughly the same period, the site of Lepenski Vir provides us with a glimpse into Mesolithic culture and society, into ritual patterns and gender relationships, into the transformation of foraging societies into agricultural societies, and into resistance to that change. Sources This glossary entry is a part of the About.com Guide to the European Mesolithic, and part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Bonsall C, Cook GT, Hedges REM, Higham TFG, Pickard C, and Radovanovic I. 2004. Radiocarbon and stable isotope evidence of dietary change from the Mesolithic to the Middle Ages in the Iron Gates: New results from Lepenski Vir. Radiocarbon 46(1):293-300. Boric D. 2005. Body Metamorphosis and Animality: Volatile Bodies and Boulder Artworks from Lepenski Vir. Cambridge Archaeological Journal 15(1):35-69. Boric D, and Miracle P. 2005. Mesolithic and Neolithic (dis)continuities in the Danube Gorges: New AMS dates from Padina and Hajducka vodenica (Serbia). Oxford Journal of Archaeology 23(4):341-371. Chapman J. 2000. Lepenski Vir, in Fragmentation in Archaeology, pp. 194-203. Routledge, London. Handsman RG. 1991. Whose art was found at Lepenski Vir? Gender relations and power in archaeology. In: Gero JM, and Conkey MW, editors. Engendering Archaeology: Women and Prehistory. Oxford: Basil Blackwell. p 329-365. Marciniak A. 2008. Europe, Central and Eastern. In: Pearsall DM, editor. Encyclopedia of Archaeology. New York: Academic Press. p 1199-1210.

Word Choice Around vs. Round

Word Choice Around vs. Round Word Choice: Around vs. Round Are the words â€Å"around† and â€Å"round† interchangeable? Yes. Except for when they’re not. The problem is that these terms have several uses between them, but only some uses overlap. To make sure your written work is error free, then, check out our guide to using these words correctly. Around and Round (Positions and Movements) We typically use â€Å"around† to describe the position or movement of something. This can include any of the following: Moving in a circular motion or following a perimeter Surrounding or being surrounded by something Being near to or in the general proximity of something In each of these cases, â€Å"around† works as either an adverb or a preposition. We can see how each use works in practice in the examples below: We started by walking around the edge of the field. There were trees all around. We checked to see if there were any farms around. We can also use â€Å"round† in any of these sentences. For instance: We started by walking round the edge of the field. There were trees all round. We checked to see if there were any farms round. When discussing the position or movement of something, then, you can treat â€Å"around† and â€Å"round† as synonyms. However, â€Å"around† is usually the better choice in formal writing. Approximations and Rounding Another use of â€Å"around† is as an adverb meaning â€Å"roughly† or â€Å"approximately.† For example, we could say: I have around $150 to last the next month. But even if we can use â€Å"around† in relation to numbers, this should not be confused with â€Å"rounding† a number up or down. Nor is it the same as describing something as a â€Å"round number† in math. Other Uses of Round The word â€Å"round† has other uses as a noun, verb, and adjective. As a noun, for example, it can mean any of the following: A stage in a process or competition (e.g., A round of golf†¦) Something cut into a circle (e.g., Pastry rounds†¦) Drinks bought for a group of people (e.g., I’ll get the next round†¦) A shot from a gun (e.g., They fired three rounds into the air†¦) As a verb, meanwhile, in addition to â€Å"rounding† a number, it can refer to: Moving around something (e.g., Rounding a corner†¦) Forming something into a circle (e.g., He rounded his lips and blew†¦) Finally, as an adjective, it can mean â€Å"circular† or â€Å"plump.† In short, â€Å"round† has a lot of meanings! However, we cannot use â€Å"around† in its place for any of these noun, verb, or adjective uses. Summary: Around or Round? While â€Å"round† can be an informal alternative to â€Å"around† when used to describe the movement or position of something, this is not the case with other uses of these words. Remember: Either around or round can be used to describe the movement or position of something. However, â€Å"around†Ã‚   is more formal. We also use around to say that something is a rough estimate, but we cannot use â€Å"round† as a synonym in this case. The word round has many other uses as an adjective, a noun, and a verb. However, you cannot use â€Å"around† in its place for these uses. So it is only with respect to movement or positioning that these terms are interchangeable. And if you’d like help checking you’ve used these terms correctly, just let us know.

Packet Switching vs. Circuit Switching Assignment

Packet Switching vs. Circuit Switching - Assignment Example Packet switches finds it application mostly in the exchange conducted through the computer or other modern digital devices that make use of bits and packets of data. P.S.T.N enabled transmission is an example of circuit switch technology while VOIP and IP network is an example of Packet switched network(Rahman, Ellis, & Pursell, 2003). The major difference between the two is in the manner in which the information is sent. Circuit switched network has a pre defined and dedicated path for signal transmission. This dedicated transmission takes place in multiple phases starting with establishing of the call, followed by the transfer and finally the termination of link at the end of the call. While packet switch deals with node to node and does not work on the basis of pre allocated path for traffic transmission. Circuit switching relies mostly on T.D.M or F.D.M or at best on C.D.M for channel transmission, while Packet switch uses dynamic I.P network which is far more effective and can accommodate more options compared to its predecessor. Chances of contention are relatively higher in case of circuit switching mode. Routing processes in Packet switching are more concrete and hop to hop basis routing is performed which makes it easy for overall packet transmission and packets are exchanged and extended in form of store and forward mechanism(Kurose, 2005). Line efficiency of packet switched system is far better than the predecessor. In case of traffic congestion, the prioritization process can be adopted this makes the network working unlike circuit switch which is highly prone to congestion and saturation. Packets are handled either through the virtual circuits or through the data gram. Amongst these two, datagram is more flexible. Though relatively slow and limited in options, circuit switches are considered more reliable than the packet switch as the overall transmission is handled from

Knowledge management issues in the new global economic order Essay

Knowledge management issues in the new global economic order - Essay Example At the same time technology is playing a major role in the development and existence of the Trans national companies. The Board, chief executive officers and top level of the management always think about new strategies and systems to maintain the growth and prospects of their organisation. However the growing competitive environment and emergence of new industry houses from developing markets are compelling existing multi national companies to give shape for solid action plan for the long term existence. With the opening up of economies world over the capital flow has now become more free and margins have come down significantly. Most of these companies are now working on shoestring margins or carrying out specific cost saving measures to increase their competitive advantages. The major challenge these companies are facing today is the high competitive advantage for companies in the emerging economies such as India, China, Brazil and other East Asian countries. Companies from these areas have an inherent competitive advantage due to the availability of cheap labour, raw material and skilled human resources. Also these companies have good knowledge of their domestic market, which is now emerging as the largest global market. It is in these geographical areas that a two third of the global population lives. Also companies from these economies are also aggressively entering into the markets in developed world such as United States, European Union and United Kingdom. While they were compelled to decrease the cost of production, it was necessary to improve technology and product quality to sustain in this highly competitive global trade scenario. It is in this scenario that multi national companies are thinking of a new approach for growth. During the post liberalization, globalization and privatization period companies have started to invest heavily on Research and Development and technology. Today technology is playing a major role in the evolution of industrial organizations working in both manufacturing and service sector. They have no choice but undergo drastic change in the organizational structure. When we talk of adapting changes, it is easy to say than practice. For a long time organizations are working in a designed frame work and there will develop an internal inertia against any change from this framework. Employees, shareholders, customers and other stakeholders of the company will view brining in any change in the total working atmosphere and structure of the organization suspiciously. So there should be a keen strategy to win the minds of these stakeholders before introducing any change. In the first part of the 21st century global trade system has seen large number organizational initiatives in a bid to increase competitive power of the organization. It was in this period that the word outsourcing got more attention. It means that companies in developed economies, where cost is higher, will transfer jobs to cost effective emerging economies to increase their competitive strength. Initially most of the outsourcing happened in manufacturing sector. Many multi national companies had shifted their manufacturing facilities to the low cost economies such as China, Korea, Brazil and other south East Asian countries. This was followed by services sector. Here India and Philippines have emerged as new hot destinations due to their English knowledge. Though

Human Services Program and Profession Unit 1 discussion Research Paper

Human Services Program and Profession Unit 1 discussion - Research Paper Example I recognized that it feels awesome to help with anything I possibly can such as providing people assistance in various situations through the current knowledge and resources I know that can help. The vision that I could be an instrumental contributor to the betterment of mankind’s wellbeing led me to the field of human services. What are some of the populations and career settings you would like to work with in the future? I currently am a single mom with three kids and anything I know I do not mind sharing. Some of the populations I look forward working with are children facing various forms of abuse. I envision myself as a clinical social worker and focus on finding ways and means to prevent and minimize child abuse. The â€Å"Tips for Online Success† presented in the Illinois Online Network proffered pertinent techniques that would assist students through the term. As disclosed, the ten tips focus on participating; asking when some areas need clarifications; being actively involved and committed; and taking advantage of the benefits of distance or online learning. Honestly, it is one’s personal contention that when students are really committed to learn, whether in traditional classroom setting or through online modules, the objective to apply what one learned is of paramount

Ecotourism Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ecotourism - Case Study Example The current exchange rate is 1.00 USD = 3.26 RM (Tourism Malaysia, 2014). Petronas Towers is a popular tourist destination. This 88 floored building is the second highest in the world and consists of the Petronas Philharmonic Hall, Petrosains Science center, Petronas Art Gallery and the Aquaria Oceanarium. Sunway Lagoon is a popular Amusement and Waterpark in Malaysia. The giant wave pool and water games are perfect for family entertainment. The park also consists of activities like off-road game, paintball and flying fox for the more adventurous lot. The Batu caves consist of 3 big caves, one of which has a hindu temple inside with beautiful wall carvings depicting a mythical epic story of India. There are 272 steps to reach the top of the hill and there are many rock climbing activities near the caves. Genting is an area a little away from Kuala Lumpur. It is home to the Genting Sky Venture which provides a sky diving facility for its customers. There is also an international standard climbing wall at the Genting X-pedition and other facilities such as bowling and Cineplex are also available for tourist entertainment. The Petronas towers have limited accessibility for the disabled and wheel chair ramps are not found everywhere, especially near the ticket counters. Ticket counters open at 8:30 am and often the queues are very long. This can prove to be a hassle for tourists but it can easily be resolved by offering more ways to dispense tickets. This can include online websites and more ticket counters. The addition of more ramps to the ticket counter section and sky deck can ensure that the Petronas Towers become friendlier for the disabled. Sunway Lagoon is a popular tourist destination but most tourists often complain the food available in the park is not good and too expensive. Tourists who wish to leave the park to eat and come back are not allowed in again

Past Sport Experience Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Past Sport Experience - Assignment Example For my case, successful management of sports organizations must incorporate possession of skills, experience, knowing the sport well and having the aggression and power (Masterman, 2014). There are various reasons as to why I support the assertion. First, you cannot manage a sport you lack information on or don’t know very. It hence entails knowing the sport such that during unfair play and favoritism from the referee, the manager can always defend the team. If one lacks knowledge about the game, they can always be made injustice at during decisions. In English Premier League, for instance, the manager of a Chelsea Team Jose Mourinho, once played football as his profession, worked as an interpreter of English for a coach and later started his career as a coach. This means that he gathered prior knowledge about football first before venturing into coaching (Headline, 2015). Second, being a successful manager requires the aggression, skill, and power. In America, for instance, the best coaches and team managers of all time such as Vince Lombardi had the aggression, skill, and power of managing teams such as Green Bay Packers in NFL. Lombardi worked on a principle that â€Å"Winning is Everything†. This assisted him to gain the vigor, energy, and determination required of him to successfully steer the team to success (Masterman, 2014). Third, one must always have experience in the sports before they manage them well. Lack of experience makes one lack the feeling the players always have on the field. When one is tired or injured, an experienced manager will be able to identify it so fast and make the necessary changes without any form of hesitation. Additionally, a manager with experience will always know the perfect substitute in case a player is injured or is out. This is because they have studied and understood the playing capabilities of their players.  

Ecotourism Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ecotourism - Case Study Example The current exchange rate is 1.00 USD = 3.26 RM (Tourism Malaysia, 2014). Petronas Towers is a popular tourist destination. This 88 floored building is the second highest in the world and consists of the Petronas Philharmonic Hall, Petrosains Science center, Petronas Art Gallery and the Aquaria Oceanarium. Sunway Lagoon is a popular Amusement and Waterpark in Malaysia. The giant wave pool and water games are perfect for family entertainment. The park also consists of activities like off-road game, paintball and flying fox for the more adventurous lot. The Batu caves consist of 3 big caves, one of which has a hindu temple inside with beautiful wall carvings depicting a mythical epic story of India. There are 272 steps to reach the top of the hill and there are many rock climbing activities near the caves. Genting is an area a little away from Kuala Lumpur. It is home to the Genting Sky Venture which provides a sky diving facility for its customers. There is also an international standard climbing wall at the Genting X-pedition and other facilities such as bowling and Cineplex are also available for tourist entertainment. The Petronas towers have limited accessibility for the disabled and wheel chair ramps are not found everywhere, especially near the ticket counters. Ticket counters open at 8:30 am and often the queues are very long. This can prove to be a hassle for tourists but it can easily be resolved by offering more ways to dispense tickets. This can include online websites and more ticket counters. The addition of more ramps to the ticket counter section and sky deck can ensure that the Petronas Towers become friendlier for the disabled. Sunway Lagoon is a popular tourist destination but most tourists often complain the food available in the park is not good and too expensive. Tourists who wish to leave the park to eat and come back are not allowed in again

Law Enforcement Function Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Law Enforcement Function - Assignment Example There are several steps towards approaching this model, and the number decreases at each step due to weakening. This model is crucial as it has been known to prevent the overcrowding of the criminal justice. This has an influence on the police department because the criminal justice starts with the crime being committed and a careful follow up on the crime is done (Reichel, 2002). Therefore, the fact that it prevents the overcrowding of the criminal justice shows that the number of trials decline and the overall number of people imprisoned reduces significantly. This has proved to save man hours, as well as money. The wedding cake model is an illustration on how different cases are grouped in a sequential manner according to their sensitivity, with the less sensitive case at the bottom and the more sensitive at the top. In a police department, the wedding has some influence as it follows the different layers; to know the stand of the judiciary (Reichel, 2002).The most sensitive cases attract different reactions from the public, which may give incorrect information about the criminal justice process. During the processing of the case, this model ensures that each layer is handled according to each individual and that similar cases are treated systematically, which is very helpful in a police department (Reichel, 2002). The third model is the net model, which is an illustration on why some cases never proceed to the court of law. In this model, a clear illustration is given on why some offenders are allowed to exit while others struggle only to find themselves entrapped, and this is important in the police department (Reichel, 2002). The structure and procedure of a police department differ from crime control model to due process models as illustrated hereunder. The purpose of the crime control department is to prevent department by all means by considering the safety of an individual over the right of

Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail Essay Example for Free

Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail Essay Martin Luther King Jr.s revealing, Letter from Birmingham Jail, delves into the segregation, injustice and violence of Birmingham, Alabama, probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States(Inquiry, p.#391, paragraph 6) In response to criticism from eight clergymen of Birmingham, King details the process of preparation for the nonviolent protest that took place in Birmingham. Imprisoned for protesting without a license, Dr. Kings words continue to reach far beyond the bars of his prison in his letter from Birmingham jail. Martin Luther King addresses the concerns and criticisms of his fellow clergymen, explaining why the African-American population of our nation cannot always be expected to wait for a more appropriate time to voice their concerns. Justice too long delayed is justice denied.(Inquiry, p. #393, paragraph 13) Dr. Kings wisdom is a well-known and well-cherished part of American history. Reading his words have cemented my admiration for his methods and his ideas. In Letter from Birmingham Jail he exposes the hypocrisy of the South and expresses his willingness to break an unjust law to pave the way for a just one. In case peacefully going to jail for his protests isnt a loud enough demonstration, his letter, specifically addressed to eight fellow clergymen but meant for the nation, gets the message across. Reading this letter has made me wonder how an eloquent, charismatic and just man such as Martin Luther King could be criticized, imprisoned and eventually assassinated. I question whoever cannot see the reason in Dr. Kings words. The issues of prejudice and segregation have been well worn since Martin Luther Kings time, but his words still hold passion and wisdom. His work on these issues was ground breaking, and I doubt our country would be as it is today if Dr. King had never spoken out in a time of injustice and inequality.

Materials Selection For Automotive Exhaust System Engineering Essay

Materials Selection For Automotive Exhaust System Engineering Essay This assignment looks into the material selection and manufacturing process for an automotive exhaust system considering the operational requirements. Towards the end, the application of alternate material is also discussed. Working Requirements The maximum temperature in an automobile exhaust system is around 750-850 degree celsius. So the selected material for manufacturing the exhaust system should be able to handle temperatures in this range. Also there are various other corrosion factors like high temperature oxidation, de-icing salt contamination and wet corrosion by condensates[mainly towards the tail pipe section]. The exhaust system can mainly be divided into 2 sections based on the working temperature. The hot end[temperatures above 600 degree Celsius] which starts from the manifold till the catalytic converter, and the cold end[temperatures below 600 degree Celsius] which extends from the pre-muffler till the tail pipe. The exhaust system is also subjected to high frequency vibrations due to exhaust gas discharge. Normally, ferrous alloys are used in the manufacturing of exhaust system. These include carbon steel, stainless steel, alloy steels and cast iron. The purpose of adding alloying elements is to help in solid solution strengthening of ferrite, improve the corrosion resistance and other characteristics and the cause the precipitation of alloy carbides. [5] Mild carbon steel was extensively used for the manufacturing of exhaust systems for a considerable period of time. Although mild steel has the properties to withstand exhaust temperature it has very poor corrosion resistance. High exposure to road salt and exhaust condensate can terribly shorten the life span of a mild steel based exhaust system. Also, over the years higher demands in power and environmental safety have seen the demise of mild steel from exhaust systems. Nowadays mild steel is employed in applications where the environment is non-corrosive. Stainless steel has replaced mild steel in exhaust systems today. The ferrous alloying element used here is chromium. The minimum amount of chromium in stainless steel is 10.5%. When stainless steel is heated, chromium forms a protective layer of chromium oxide over the stainless steel surface and delays further oxidation process. The exhaust system in a vehicle is expected to be at its peak performance always and the material failure is a undesirable characteristic for this. Performance and efficiency of a automobile engine is seriously affected by minor changes in the exhaust system. Therefore, it is important that fail proof and efficient materials be used in the construction of automotive exhausts. Materials used for manufacturing of exhaust systems should have the following characteristics: High service temperature, high fatigue strength, high fracture toughness, should be easily machinable and should be economic considering the overall cost of the automobile. Also, the material should be highly resistive to corrosion as the exhaust system is majorly exposed to road salts and condensates from the engine exhaust gases. Failure in the exhaust system can cause loss of back pressure which can significantly affect engine performance parameters.[1] Current trend: Evolution in the automobile industry has also seen the evolution of exhaust systems. From the usual carbon steel exhausts, we can see stainless steel being heavily employed in exhaust systems. From the CES charts, we can see that stainless steel excels over low/medium carbon steel in all properties other than economy. Ferritic stainless steel is used in the manufacture of exhaust systems. Ferritic stainless steel contains chromium as the main alloying element. The percentage of chromium can vary from 10.5% to 18%. These materials are resistant to corrosion and have very low fabrication characteristics. Although, these can be improved by alloying. Grades such as 434 and 444 have improved fabrication properties. Ferritic stainless steel is always used in a annealed state as they cannot be hardened using heat treatment processes. They have vey high resistance to cracking due to stress corrosion. They also exhibit acceptable welding characteristics in thin sections.[1] We can see in detail the different parts of the exhaust system and the material properties below: Exhaust Manifold: The exhaust manifold of a automobile engine is always exposed to hot gases. Cast iron has been in use for the production of exhaust manifolds traditionally. The main characteristics required for the exhaust manifold material include thermal fatigue strength required to withstand the high temperature exhaust gases, oxidation resistance , good fabrication properties and low thermal capacity to enhance the catalytic function. Ferritic stainless steel exhibit all these properties and offers big weight reduction also. The developments in vacuum casting process has helped in the fabrication of stainless steel manifold with section thickness of 2-5mm. Higher demands in pollution control will rise the exhaust temperatures too and therefore, ferritic stainless steel will be in major use for exhaust system manufacturing. Ferritic stainless steel exhibits improves thermal fatigue characteristics when processed by solid solution strengthening with molybdenum or niobium. This process also improve s the oxidation resistance and microstructural stability. Ferritic stainless steel also has cost advantages because of the absence of nickel in its composition. Another variant called the austenite stainless steel is used where ferritic stainless steel is unsuitable. Austenite stainless steel can enhance its properties when enough carbon is added to it. But, the higher cost limits its usage compared to the ferritic variant.[3] Cast iron manifolds can be manufactured by the sand casting process. The solidification of molten cast iron can result in the formation of interstitial voids between the various particles in the cast iron structure. This can lead to particle sliding over each other and as a result a decline in the mechanical properties of the mould. Stress relieving heat treatments are performed inorder to increase the dimensional stability of the material. During heat treatment, the thermal expansion of the material allows the voids to be filled. Although, care should be taken as not to overdo the heat treatment process as too much thermal expansion can bring about more stresses in the material microstructure and this can impair material properties. Changes in microstructure can diminish material properties like thermal fatigue and fracture toughness that can result in the premature failure of the finished product. The alternate material that can be used in exhaust manifold manufacture is ferritic stainless steel. These materials have enhanced properties for exhaust manifold production. The main feature is the low thermal expansion that is one of the major problems faced by cast iron exhaust manifolds. Molybdenum and Niobium alloying has shown tremendous increase in the heat enhancement properties of ferritic stainless steel. Vacuum casting process that is used in the production of ferritic stainless steel manifolds is the factor that increases its cost. Effective methods need to be developed to reduce the tooling and manufacturing cost. Once this is achieved, cast iron exhaust manifolds can be replaced by stainless steel exhaust manifolds that have improved properties and weigh less and can thus adhere to stringent emission norms that come in future. Nowadays stainless steel manifolds are only used in vehicles that call for extreme performance. Commercialisation of this technology is not far a way. Catalytic converter: The catalytic converter is used to clean the exhaust gases and make it free of toxic effects. It is normally exposed to elevated temperatures like 1000 degree Celsius and therefore its durability is a very important factor in proper functioning of the exhaust system. Conventionally the catalytic converters are made of a material called the cordierite monolith that basically acts as the absorbant in it. Cordierite is a silicate and thus the component is manufactured by an extrusion process. Then it is subjected to washcoating where the monolith is submerged in materials such as Al2O3, CeO2, ZrO2 and metals such as platinum, rhodium and palladium. The main properties of the catalytic converter monolith are as follows Fusion point : 1450 degree Celsius Coefficient of Thermal Expansion : 0.002cal/s-cm-oC [low] Thickness of monolith walls : 100 microns Number of cells : 400-900 cpsi The main advantages of the cordierite monolith are lower cost and manufacturing ease. Alternate material for the catalytic converter is stainless steel. Instead of the silicate monolith metal alloy materials are used in the construction of the monolith. These metal monoliths are manufactured by the combination of flat and corrugated layers of the metal alloy. These are then made into the spiral shaped monolith. The exhaust gases escape through the channels formed between the flat and corrugated planes. Washcoating is done in this case also. But the important thing to be remembered is that this process needs to be done before the monolith is made into a spiral shape. This is because the metal monolith is generally smaller in size and that can obstruct the proper washcoating of the entire metallic monolith. The main characteristics of the metallicmonolith are as follows: Fusion point : 1600 degree Celsius [150 degree Celsius more than cordierite] Coefficient of Thermal Expansion : very high[directly influenced by aluminium content in metal alloy] Thickness of monolith walls : 25 microns [less compared to cordierite] Number of cells : 800-1250 cpsi [2] One of the major advantages of the metallic monolith is the high impact resistance. As the catalytic converter is prone to impacts from road surfaces, it is important that the catalytic converter remains intact at all times. The cordierite monolith is very weak compared to metallic monolith in this case. Metallic monoliths also have the advantage of being placed close to the exhaust manifold. This means that they can achieve the operating temperature[around 300 degree Celsius] earlier and thus reduce exhaust contamination. These monoliths can also be developed in smaller sizes compared to the silicate counterparts. Higher service temperature means that metallic monoliths are used in high performance applications where the conditions are very severe. Muffler : The muffler is the final part in the exhaust system. The introduction of catalytic converter has led to the formation of condensates inside the muffler thereby resulting in corrosion. Aluminized carbon steel is employed in the manufacture of the exhaust mufflers traditionally. The exhaust gas condensates have amplified the corrosion rates in the muffler and it is seen that they do not perform to their maximum service life when the catalytic converter is introduced. This normally happens in the short runs of the vehicle where the exhaust gas temperature does not rise high enough to vaporize these condensates. During long runs, the exhaust gas temperature goes over 100 degree Celsius which prevents the formation of condensates and reduces corrosion. Stainless steel mufflers have very high corrosion resistance and the addition of chromium and molybdenum can improve these properties. High production rates can be achieved by the use of stainless steel by tandem mill cold rolling, annealin g and descaling process. Titanium can also be added in small traces to improve muffler properties in stainless steel.[3] Titanium exhaust systems [ a future perspective]: Environmental agencies now prefer guaranteed corrosion resistance on exhaust systems for more than 100,000 miles. Titanium achieves this and is much better than stainless steel systems that are used now. A typical catalytic converter and muffler pipe in stainless steel weighs around 10kg. A redesigned titanium system weighs only around 3.2 kg. This weight saving is very beneficial when considering high performance and high precision automobiles. Pure titanium tube and sheet are the materials of choice for silencers, and pipes. Reduction of weight and cost are achieved by selecting the thinnest gauges of materials consistent with the engineering and acoustic parameters of the exhaust system. Titanium may not be suitable for the entire system, and will most probably be limited to components in which the temperature of metal does not go over 400 degree celsius for longer periods of time. The parts immediately behind the catalytic converter continue to perform well under test. Use of titanium lugs welded to the pipe will certainly prove to be the most efficient method to fix the exhaust to the vehicle frame (via rubber isolators). Material conforming to ASTM Grade 2, (e.g. Timetal 50A) offers the optimum in terms of cost, availability, fabricability, weldability and mechanical properties. Grade 45A is slightly less strong and more ductile than 50A and may be required where extensive forming is part of the manufacturing process e.g. lock seaming (Table 4). Both alloys are fully weldable, require no intermediate or post-forming heat treatment, and are available in wide sheet coil. These alloys are also used to manufacture low-cost continuously welded tube.   Properties of pure titanium 45A and 50A 45A 50A Thermal expansion (10-6degree Celsius) 8.9 8.9 Hardness (HV) 140-170 160-200 Tensile Modulus ( 103N.mm2) 103 103 Density ( g.cm-3) 4.51 4.51 Specific Heat( J.kg-1.oC-1) 519 519 RA min (%) 40 35 Titanium Production: Pure titanium is cold formable, and sheets or tube can be shaped readily at room temperature using techniques and equipment that are normally for steel. Following factors must be taken into consideration while machining titanium.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The ductility of titanium is generally less than that of steel. More generous bend radii may be required during bending applications.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The modulus of elasticity of titanium is about half that of steel. This means that titanium will return back to original state after forming. Compensation for this can be done by slight overforming.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Titanium tends to gall against unlubricated forming tools. Proper lubrication of the tool can solve this problem. Both lock seaming and resistance welding are suitable to join the catalytic converter, and traditional TIG is suitable to seal the ends and pipe joints with a torch trailing shield to the external surface of the box end joints. Production Economy: A leading exhaust system manufacturer in the United States, successfully rolled and seam welded a batch of titanium boxes at one of its production units. This was done with no extra cost when compared with the production of steel components. It was also seen that the bending units that are currently employed for the bending of steel are suitable in the case of titanium also. The only factor is the procurement cost of titanium and therefore significant efforts are necessary to bring down tooling and manufacturing costs.[3] Conclusion: It can be concluded that stainless steel can replace conventional materials in automotive exhaust systems. We have to count on developments in tooling and manufacturing methods that can bring down overall costs to minimum. Stainless steel is easily the best alternative in service aspects of the exhaust system. High performance materials like titanium may also come into commercial production soon. Improved thermal, mechanical and chemical properties are major factors that govern material selection for an exhaust system.

In The Fruit at the Bottom of the Bowl by Ray Bradbury and The Tell :: English Literature

In The Fruit at the Bottom of the Bowl by Ray Bradbury and The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe both authors have to convince the reader that the main character is mad. How do they do that? Which portrayal is more effective? Why? This essay will explore which madman is portrayed the best. Both stories deal with an obsession and a madness of some sort. In ' The Fruit at the Bottom of the Bowl' by Ray Bradbury the main character is William Action who frantically cleans trying to cover up the murder. Not knowing he is going mad. In ' The Tell Tale Heart' the man has an obsession with his masters eye, which drives him mad but he does not believe himself that he is mad. In 'The Tell Tale Heart' the characters motive is his masters "vulture's eye" which is shown by saying " I think it was his eye! Yes, it was this! Also when he says " One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture. In 'The Fruit at the Bottom of the Bowl" the characters motive is that his wife is having an affair this is shown by the character saying, " Where's my wife, Huxley? " and " I need one. I can't believe Lily's gone that she-". The first characters motive suggests madness because why would you want to kill a man just because of his eye. The second one stands to reason because if you find out your wife was having an affair the first thing you would want to do is kill the other person In ' The Tell Tale Heart' the narration is first person, so that the readers can put themselves there, the character addresses them directly, It also give you an insight into the characters most inner thoughts and feelings. In ' Fruit at the Bottom of the Bowl ' the narration is third person with stream of consciousness. This allows you to feel as thought you are watching the events unfold and that you become omnipotent. The narration method of ' The Tell Tale Heart' is more effective and convinces the reader of the main characters madness because you can tell the characters most inner thoughts and feelings as he addresses you unlike ' Fruit at the Bottom of the Bowl ' which only shows you the actions and doesn't give you an insight to his mental well being. In 'Fruit at the Bottom of the Bowl ' the characters attitude to the dead body and crime is one of calmness, although he was still conscious that his actions could be traced via his fingertips on the

Amy Tan: The Joy Luck Club

The novel, The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan takes place in a couple of different places. All of Suyuan Woo’s childhood memories take place in China. After coming to America the setting takes place in San Francisco California in 1949. Also there are few different time frames. The time frames consist of the 1920’s to 1980’s. I have to give this timeframes because of the flashbacks that are given in the book. The characters that I believed are most fully developed are Jing-ming â€Å"June† Woo, Suyuan Woo, An-mei Hsu, Lindo Jong and Ying-ying St Clair. Jing-ming has taken her mother’s Suyuan place in the Joy Luck Club after she died. The members of the Joy Luck Club are planning to send June off to China so she can meet her twin sister her mother was trying to find before she died. When she reunites with her twin sisters, she gains a profound understanding of who her mother was. Suyuan Woo started the Joy Luck Club in China. She is the mother of June. Suyuan had to leave Kweilin because of a war. Suyuan was unable to continue her journey because she became weak. As a result she left her twin daughter on the side of the road in China. Despite her struggles she creates happiness and success where it lacking. An-mei Hsu, Lindo Jong, Ying-ying St Clair are all member of the Joy Luck Club. They all go through trail and tribulation. Trails, tribulation and life lessons that the mothers go through are past down to the children. The character that is most interesting to me is Suyuan. I chose Suyuan because she is a strong woman who refuses to focus on her hardships. She seems like a character who tries to find hope in time of despair. This quality is what I admire about Suyuan. I also believe I am most like Suyuan because I can relate to her fierce love for her child. She fears being estranged from her daughter for some reason such as different upbringings. I believe most parent can relate. Since I am parent I to worry about these things and do want the best for my children as well. Just like Suyuan I can be a little critical as well. The mood of this novel is perplexed, distressed, regretful and deferential. First the mothers all speaking in turn, remember clear memories with their relationships with their own mothers, and they worry that their daughters’ memories of them will never possess the same potency. Secondly when the daughters recall their childhood memories with their mother also supports my idea of the mood. And last when the daughter tell about their delimas in the adult life as they search for an answer which adventually bring them back to their mothers and their relationships begin to heal. The major conflict in this novel is the mothers are trying to instill in their daughter a part of their hertige. The daught take this a medley or their mother lack of american culture. But all the mother want to do is save their daughter from the pain and grief they felt as children. Both the mother and daughter struggles with their identies. The mothers try and reconcile the past is their present and the daughter are trying to find a positive balance between their loyaty to their heritage and some sort of independance. This is resolved when the bridge is gapped between two countries, two generation and two cultures. The ending to the story was very satisfying because June was able to find her inner Chinese identity. And doing that she built a bridge to her mother. June gives hope to all the other characters struggling for a stronger mother and daughter bond despite the culture, age and language differences. I think the author message has to do with finding your true identity and keep your family roots strong. I think despite language barriers, culture and generation gaps people should try even harder to understand each other. But I guess sometimes it take a lose to find something else. I would recommend this story to other people. But most to my daughter when she gets holder. I would hope that the story touches her heart like it touched mine and learn that we could recognize the gaps and bridge it up sooner than later.

Effects of Migration and Other Evolutionary Processes on Allele

Effects of migration and other evolutionary processes on allele frequency and fitness Life originated from a common ancestor and due to various mechanisms of evolution, the genotype of organisms has changed. Mutation, migration, genetic drift and selection are natural processes of evolution that affect genetic diversity. Mutations are spontaneous changes in genomic sequences (Robert, et al. , 2006); it is one of the processes that influence allele frequency. A mutation can either have a positive, negative or a neutral effect on an organism’s fitness.When organisms of the same species exhibit different phenotypes, the organism is polymorphic for that particular trait. A beneficial mutation that gives rise to polymorphic traits can improve the chance of survival. For example, the grove snail, Cepaea nemoralis, is famous for the rich polymorphism of its shell. A mutation in the locus responsible for colour produces different shell colours, ranging from yellow, pink, white and bro wn (Ozgo, 2005). Snails with brown shells are found in beechwoods where the soil is dark.Snails with brown shells are able to camouflage with the soil, thus avoiding being detected by predators (Jones, et al, 1977). As a result of avoiding predation, the frequency of alleles that code for brown shells will increase. However, according to the hitchhiking model, fixation of a beneficial mutation will decrease the diversity at linked loci (Chevin, et al. , 2008). If a new mutation increases the fitness of members of a particular species, a strong selective sweep on allele frequency will result to very few haplotypes existing in the population.The frequency of alleles that are positively selected and those that are closely linked will increase, but the other alleles will decrease. A mutation can be neutral, having neither a beneficial effect nor a negative effect. However, some mutations are lethal because they have a negative effect on fitness. The accumulation of deleterious mutations and the prevention of recombination reduce the fitness of individuals (Muller's ratchet). Experiment carried out on asexual and sexual yeast strains showed that sexually reproducing parts of the genome improved survival than asexually reproducing parts (Zeyl and Bell, 1997).Asexual strains decreased overtime because of Muller’s ratchet. On the contrary, sexual strains were able to stop the build-up of deleterious mutation due to recombination between chromosomes. Mutation in collagen-I gene is another example of lethal mutation reducing fitness. Collagen is a group of naturally occurring proteins found in animals, it is one of the major components of blood vessels. An experiment carried out on mouse embryonic stem cells showed that mutation in collagen-I gene impairs the function of collagen-I (Lohler, et al. 1984). During the experiment, 13 embryos died because a mutation in mouse collagen-I gene caused the major blood vessels to rupture. According to background selection m odel, because a deleterious mutation reduces the fitness of individuals, deleterious mutations are selected against (Innan and Stephan, 2003); this will decrease the allele frequency of a population. Genetic drift is a stochastic process that refers to the fluctuations of genotype frequencies (Maynard, 1998); alleles are either fixed or permanently lost from the population.Due to the randomness of the process, genetic drift can eliminate beneficial alleles that could have improved survival. Genetic drift can also eliminate lethal alleles from a population and therefore improve survival rate. Genetic drift has larger effect on small populations than a large population (Maynard, 1998); this is because the rate of allele fixation or elimination is faster in a small population compared to a large population. Moreover, population bottleneck is an evolutionary process that increases the effect of genetic drift; it involves random events that prevent species from reproducing (van-Heerwaard en, et al. 2008). Population bottleneck decreases allele frequency and it reduces a population’s ability to adapt to new environmental pressures. For example, the current cheetah populations have low genetic diversity caused by a demographic bottleneck that occurred 10,000 years ago (Charruau, et al. , 2011). The surviving cheetah populations are not representative of the original cheetah population because they have less variation (founder effect). Due to low genetic diversity and less adaptation skills, the modern cheetah population is close to extinction. Natural selection is another evolutionary process that changes allele frequency.Organisms with advantageous alleles survive and reproduce, increasing the frequency of the advantageous alleles. Individuals with disadvantageous alleles do not survive or reproduce and therefore the frequency of the disadvantageous alleles is reduced or eliminated from the population (William and Michael, 2003). Biston betularia (peppered mot hs) is a common example used to demonstrated natural selection (Saccheri, et al. , 2008). Before the industrial revolution, non-melanic peppered moths avoided predators by camouflaging with lichen-covered trees.Their ability to camouflage improved the rate of survival which increased the frequency of non-melanic alleles. Melanic peppered moths were not able to camouflage with the lichen trees, as a result, melanic moths were detected and predated by the song thrushes. This decreased the frequency of alleles that gave rise to melanic peppered moths. However, during the industrial revolution period, symbiotic lichens living on trees were killed because smog and soot were released when coal and other materials were burnt.As a consequence of the tree trunks becoming more visible, non-melanic peppered moths were more susceptible to predation because they were unable to camouflage with the trees. The ability to camouflage helped melanic moths to survive and reproduce, changing the populat ion allele frequency from mostly non-melanic alleles to mostly melanic alleles (Saccheri, et al. , 2008). Migration of species from one place to another can increase the rate of gene flow. Gene flow is the transfer of gene from one population to another (William and Michael, 2003); it changes the allele frequency of a population.The effect of migration on the gene pool of a population depends on the rate of migration. Various studies have shown that migration rate is not the same for all species (Tajima, 1990). Species with low migration rate will have less DNA polymorphism and species with high migration rate will have more polymorphic alleles (Tajima, 1990). The benefit of plant migration, which increases the chance of hybridization between plant species, can be demonstrated by examining the adaptation skills of Iris species. Iris nelsonii is a species of hybrid origin, with traces of I. fulva, I. hexagona and I. revicaulis. I. nelsonii picked up characteristics that are not prese nt in the parent population. For example, I. nelsnii can grow in sunny wet conditions whereas the parents can either grow in sunny dry conditions or wet and shady conditions (Taylor, et al, 2011). Given that I. nelsonii can survive in challenging environments, the allele frequency of the advantageous traits will increase. Furthermore, another benefit of gene flow through means of hybridization can be demonstrated by analyzing the genetic variation of Tragopogan species. Hybridization between T. dubious and T. pratensis produces T. iscellus, an allotetraploid that has multiple enzymes needed for various biochemical pathways (Tate, et al. , 2006). Hybridisation enabled T. miscellus and T. pratensis to survive because they were able to exploit the gene pool of both parents. However, migration can also have negative effects on survival. Given that I. nelsonii will exist in niches that parents cannot live in, gene flow between the hybrid and its progenitors will be reduced. If I. nelsoni i does not have alleles that can resists infection caused by parasites, an outbreak of a pathogenic disease can wipe out the entire I. nelsonii species.Although some evolutionary processes eliminate alleles from a population, multiple alleles can be maintained through frequency-dependent balancing selection (Matessi and Schneider, 2009). In negative frequency-dependent selection, the fitness of a phenotype increases as it becomes less common. An example of negative frequency-dependent selection is in the case of Cepaea nemoralis. C. nemoralis are regularly predated by song thrush birds called Turdus philomelos. These birds have a search pattern whereby it persists in targeting the most abundant morph, even if other morphs are available (Bond, 2007).If snails with yellow shells are common, then these snails will be eaten by song thrushes. As a result, the frequency of alleles that code for yellow shells will decrease. The fitness of other morphs such as pink, white and brown shells w ill increase because song thrushes would not search for rare coloured morphs. In conclusion, the four fundamental processes of evolution, mutation, genetic drift, natural selection and migration (gene flow), alters allele frequencies in populations. The consequences on survival fluctuate. Occasionally, altering allele frequency gives rise to traits that increases fitness.However, changing allele frequencies can also give rise to phenotypes that reduce fitness. Word count: 1390 Grade: A- My essay is easy to read and follow. I have given evidences and interpreted them where possible. I also gave examples from animals and plants to show that I have done outside reading. All of the points that were made are relevant as they ultimately answer4 the question e. g. whether the evolutionary processes increase of decrease allele frequency and fitness References Bond, AB, 2007. The evolution of color polymorphism: crypticity searching images, and apostatic selection.Annual Review Of Ecology Ev olution And Systemic, 38, pp. 489-514. Charruau, P. , Fernandes, C. , Orozco-ter Wengel, P. , Peters, J. , Hunter, L. , Ziaie, H. , Jourabchian, A. , Jowkar, H. , Schaller, G. , Ostrowski, S. , Vercammen, P. , Grange, T. , Schlotterer, C. , Kotze, A. , Geigl, EM. , Walzer, C. and Burger, PA. (2011). Phylogeography, genetic structure and population divergence time of cheetahs in Africa and Asia: evidence for long-term geographic isolates. Molecular Ecology, 20, pp. 706-724. Chevin, LM. , Billiard, S. and Hospital, F. (2008).Hitchhiking both ways: Effect of two interfering selective sweeps on linked neutral variation. Genetics, 180, pp. 301-316. Innan, H. and Stephan, W. (2003). Distinguishing the Hitchhiking and Background Selection Models. Genetics, 165, pp. 2307-2312. Jones, J. S. , Leith, B. N. and Rawlings, P. (1977). Polymorphism in cepaea: a problem with too many solutions. Annual Reviews In Ecology And Systematics, 8, pp. 109–14. Lohler, J. , Timpl, R. and Jaenisch, R. (1984). Embronic lethal mutation in mouse collagen-I gene causes rupture of blood-vessels and is associated with erythropoietic and mesenchymal cell-death.Cell, 38, pp. 597-607. Matessi, C. and Schneider, KA. (2009). Optimization under frequency-dependent selection. Theoretical Population Biology, 76, pp. 1-12. Maynard, S. J. (1998). Evolutionary genetics. 2nd edition. New York: Oxford University Press. Ozgo, M. (2005). Cepaea nemoralis (L. ) in southeastern Poland: Association of morph frequencies with habitat. Journal Of Molluscan Studies, 71, pp. 93-103. Saccheri, IJ. , Rousset, F. , Watts, PC. , Brakefield, PM. and Cook, LM. (2008). Selection and gene flow on a diminishing cline of melanic peppered moths.Proceedings Of The National Academy Of sciences Of The United States Of America, 105, pp. 16212-16217. Tajima, F. (1990). Relationship between migration and DNA polymorphism in a local-population. Genetics, 126, pp. 231-234. Tate, JA. , Ni, ZF. , Scheen, AC. , Koh, J. , Gilbert, CA. , Lefkowitz, D. , Chen, ZJ. , Soltis, PS. , Soltis, DE. (2006). Evolution and expression of homeologous loci in Tragopogon miscellus (Asteraceae), a recent and reciprocally formed allopolyploid. Genetics, 173, pp. 1599-1611. Taylor, SJ. , Willard, RW. , Shaw, JP. , Dobson, MC. and Martin, NH. (2011).Differential response of the homoploid hybrid species iris nelsonii (iridaceae) and its progenitors to abiotic habitat conditions. American Journal Of Botany, 98, pp. 1309-1316. van Heerwaarden, B. , Willi, Y. , Kristensen, TN. and Hoffmann, AA. (2008). Population bottlenecks increase additive genetic variance but do not break a selection limit in rain forest Drosophila. Genetics, 179, pp. 2135-2146. William, S. K. and Michael, R. C. (2003). Concepts of genetics. 7th edition. New Jersey: Pearson Education Limited. Zeyl, C. and Bell, G. (1997). The advantage of sex in evolving yeast populations. Nature, 388, pp. 465-468.

Clinical Reflection Essay

The first three weeks in my clinical placement at Facility, I have already gained a lot of practical experience that is different from what I am familiar with. During our orientation at the facility, we met the nurse manager of the third floor who is courteous enough to share a little bit of information about working in the facility and how the system works in the long- term care facility. The nurse manager even told us, that she is also an international educated nurse. Knowing this has inspired me to become successful in my chosen career. After the orientation, our group was divided into two and we were given directions on which wing we will be assigned. There were three of us in my group, and each one of us was assigned to a resident attendant. We were given instructions to just shadow and observe on how things are being done during the first three hours of the resident attendant’s shift. Since I had the experience in a long-term care facility, I am familiar with some of the procedures and routines that are being done by the Personal Support Worker (PSW). That being said, I could say that I was comfortable in assisting the resident attendant/ PSW in providing nursing care to the clients. Although I was familiar and comfortable with the setting of a long-term care facility, I still felt anxious on how I can provide the best care possible for the residents. In this clinical placement, I have learned that being too comfortable and excited is not always a good thing especially for a student. Because of my eagerness to learn new things, I was not able to pay attention on the sign that was posted in a clients’ room. The client was in isolation for contact precaution. The incident happened while I was walking at the hallway and the client called my attention by waving her hand. It made me think that she needed help and I immediately came to her aid without even looking at the sign. The PSW saw me going out from the clients’ room and told me right away that I should not be in the clients’ room without any personal protection equipment (PPE). I suddenly realized that I broke a policy that is highly implemented in every healthcare facility, and that is the â€Å"Infection Control†. My teacher saw what happened and reminded me about the rules in the facility. I apologized and owned up to my mistake. I was embarrassed of what I have done, but also I have learned something that I will never forget. I have learned to be more aware and attentive of my surroundings. As a nurse, I should be one-step ahead, especially when it comes to clients’ safety. I almost put the client at risk by not following the directives on the precaution signs posted on the door of the resident. It may be the risk that I don’t know that I could actually cause greater harm, for this reason I need to be more vigilant and use practice routines in all patient care activities.