Thursday, October 31, 2019

Biomedical philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Biomedical philosophy - Essay Example , when one is relying on CEDs might not be that effective despite advocated, which entails the respective authorities devise rules meant to govern its usage to shun thwarting of analytical skills realization. Since, attainment of analytical skills is an essential aspect that will aid the learners not only in the confinements of their educational facilities but also in their entire lives. Hence, use whatever they have acquired but this entails rule guiding in terms of its usage to produce well-prepared individuals. Analytical skills in this case is an internal good for its attainment is not via attributing with certain environmental settings but one’s involvements as well as interactions with varied aiding facilities. This is to development themselves but not because a person he or she went to a certain institution. Since in attributable ant good with where a person he or she went to certain institution comprises describes an external good, which in most cases is more of one associating with a given icon or place. For instance, an internal good its attainment its realization basis or success considers one’s efforts as well as a belief they control their lives (Hager, Alison & Reich 23). Hence, externalities do not have any influence on what they attain except in the case where they ought to play as per certain rules to maximize chances of realizing what they want. In this case will be quite evident with regulating CEDs’ usage but the extent of analytical skills one has des pite all people constrained by same rules will have varying capacities based one’s efforts. Conversely, external good mostly relies on environmental settings thus who attain or fail associate them with external influences like institutions as well as certain icons. Consequently, this is the reason why analytical skills which is an internal good varies across individuals to the extent some accorded certain preserve of being exemplary analytical in all their errands not only in educational

Monday, October 28, 2019

To determine the relative composition Essay Example for Free

To determine the relative composition Essay To determine the relative composition of a mixture solution containing sodium ethane-1, 2-dioate and ethane-1, 2-dioic acid. INTRODUCTION Potassium permanganate KMn is a strong oxidizing agent which reacts with reducing agent ethanedioate ion to give and C + 2 Mn+ 16 2+8+10 Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) reacts with acid to give water . the reaction is shown with the following equation + To investigate the relative composition of the mixture solution, it has to be titrated with NaOH first with phenolphthalein as indicator and then with acidify KMn as Mn react with both compound. KMnhas to be acidified first, otherwise brown ppt of Mn is formed instead of 2 H2O + MnO4- + 3 e- i Mn+ 4 In addition to that, the reaction solution has to be warmed to about 70 as the reaction rate is very slow. MATERIALS AND APPARATUS beaker measuring cylinder. Safety spectacles beaker conical flask pipette ,25 burette ,50, and stand wash bottle white file electrical heater sulphuric acid Potassium permanganate KMn solution Mixture solution PROCEDURE 1. 25. 00of the mixture solution was transferred into a 250conical flask using a pipette rinsed by distilled water and the mixture solution 2. The burette rinsed by distilled water and NaOH is filled with NaOH 3. Titrate the mixture solution with 0. 1M NaOH solotuion using phenolphthalein as indicactor 4. Until the solution turns pink, result is recorded in table 1 5. About 25. 00of 1M sulphuric acid (using measuring cylinder) is added to the conical flask . 6. The mixture is then heated by electrical heater to at least 70. 7. The heated mixture is then titrated with 0. 02M Potassium permanganate KMn until a permanent pink colour is observed 8. Record the result in Table2 RESULT Table 1 Titration result of mixture solution against NaOH Trial 1 2 3 Final burette reading 15. 4 27. 3 39. 0 12. 8 Initial burette Reading 3. 1 15. 4 27. 3 1. 0 Volume of NaOH Added 12. 3 11. 9 11. 7 11. 8 Mean Volume of NaOH added ( 11. 7+11. 8+11. 9) /3 =11. 8 Table 2 Titration result of mixture solution against KMn Trial 1 2 3 Final burette reading 35. 0 26. 4 45. 5 40. 6 Initial burette Reading 16. 3 7. 1 26. 4 21. 4 Volume of NaOH Added 18. 7 19. 3 19. 1 19. 2 Mean Volume of NaOH added ( 19. 3+19. 1+19. 2) /3 =19. 2 CALCUALTION Equation involved in the reaction between NaOH and mixture solution: + +Na(aq) Mole ratio of NaOH:=2:1 = =11. 8/10000. 1/2 =5. 9xmol Molarity of = 5. 9X/(25/1000) =2. 36 x M + 2 Mn+ 16 2+8+10 Mole ratio of : Mn=5:2 = =519. 2/10000. 02/2 =9. 610^-4 mol Mole of sodium ethane-1,2-dioate = 9. 6x-5. 91 l = 3. 7 x mol Molarity of sodium ethane-1,2-dioate in mixture = 3. 7 x/(25/1000) =1. 48xM DISCUSSIONS CHOICE OF INDICATORS Phenolphthalein is used as indicator in the reaction between Sodium hydroxide and ethane-1, 2-dioic acid because the reaction involves a weak acid titrated against a strong alkali. REASON FOR HEATING THE MIXTURE SOLUTION The rate reaction between and Mn is very slow as there is repulsion between anion. REASON FOR HEATING MIXTURE SOLUTION IN THE CONICAL FLASK INSTEAD OF MN IN THE BURETTE. Aqueous solution of Potassium permanganate KMn is unstable and can easily be decomposed. The decomposition is accelerated by heat. If it is put in the conical flask and heated, it will easily oxidize water to oxygen and the amount of KMn is therefore decreased. 4Mn 4Mn +3 In addition, if hot Potassium permanganate solution is added to the burette, it may cause expansion of burette, causing inaccurate measurement. END POINT The end-point is not very permanent because if the Mn ion is in large excess, the following reaction occur: 2 Mn+3+ 2 +4 DECOPOSITION OF POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE. Potassium permanganate is easily decomposed and the decomposition is speed up by light, heat, acids, base, reducing agent in air such as hydrogen sulphide gas, , , and even by the end-product Therefore, it should be stored in brown bottle and should be standardized before use. ABSORPTION OF WATER BY SODIUM HYDROXIDE sodium hydroxide absorb water from air. The volume of solution increase, and hence cause a decrease in concentration, causing inaccurate calculation. CONCLUSION The concentration of sodium ethane-1,2-dioate is 1. 48xM while ethane-1, 2-dioic acids is 2. 36 x M REFERFERNCE Wikipedia Chan ting hin 6b 11 ? 1.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Diamond Gems And Jewellery Industry Commerce Essay

Diamond Gems And Jewellery Industry Commerce Essay The Indian Gem and Jewellery sector is one of the most active and fast upward sectors of the Indian Economy. The gems and jewellery sector in India is unroganised and disjointed. Around 90% of the players operate in the unorganized sector. This was a single step in an industry where traditional business environment exists. The companys operations are general in scope and global in spread cover all facets of diamond and jewellery manufacture and trading in rough and polished stones, at all key locations worldwide. The Indian gems and jewellery sector is pre-dominently needy on the US markets, which is its top export target. This research comprised of activities like listing down various agencies like manufacturers, distributors, etc and also chambers and libraries like the Indian business chambers and network with them in order to gather first hand information. Diamond jewellery is increasingly serving as a fashion statement for the rich to differentiate themselves from others wearing traditional jewellery gold jewellery. The macro environment includes all relevant focus outside a companys limits applicable in thesense that they are important enough to have brought on the decision. An industry finally makes about its business model and  strategy. Gems and Jewellery is an important rising sector in the Indian Economy. Ranked among the fastest growing sectors, it is also a leading sector for foreign exchange generation. The gems and jewellery industry is very much interesting being usually exciting and originally modern. This business employees and engages millions; cover wide activities such as raw material procurement from far flung Africa, Australia, Canada and Russia, and transforming these into products in demand with the skills available in China, India, Italy and Turkey for the trendy markets in the USA, Europe, Far East, Middle East and Asia. TABLE OF CONTENT Preface 4 Acknowledgement 5 Executive summary 6 Sr. No. Particular Pg no. 1 Growth and evolution of diamond, gems and jewellery industry in India. 8 2 Product profile 9 3 Demand determination of the industry 12 4 Players in the diamond, gems and jewellery industry 13 5 Distribution channel in the industry sector 16 6 Key issues and current trends 20 7 PESTEL analysis 23 Growth and evolution of diamond, gems, and jewellery industry The Indian Gem Jewellery sector is one of the most active and fast growing sectors of the Indian Economy. The fact that India is the worlds largest source for trained, skilled and adaptive manpower along with liberalised government policies that provide a helpful environment for joint businesses, is what contributes to the continuous growth of this sector. causal around 19% to the overall Forex kitty of the country, the industrys growth over the years, Set-up in 1966, the GJEPC has over the years effectively moulded the increase efforts of individual exporters to make the gem and jewellery sector a powerful engine driving Indias export-led growth. This height body of the gem jewellery industry has played a major role in the evolution of the Indian gem and jewellery industry to its present stature. From being the worlds largest manufacturer of cut and polished diamonds to becoming the leading international trading center, Indias gems and jewellery sector is now set on a growth way. The exports grew by 38% to $14,329.23 million for January-December 2004 period as compared to $10,392.83 million in the related period the last year. GJEPC aims to boost exports of gems and jewellery to US $20 billion by 2007 and develop India as the only one-stop-shop for gems and jewellery. Also, on the anvil is the Bharat Diamond Bourse, one of the largest monoliths ever to be built in Asia. The Bharat Diamond Bourse is an urban conglomerate of place, people and activities pertaining to diamond trading. Built to provide world-class facilities to the members of the Indian diamond community, the compound aims to enhance the already largest position of the Indian diamond industry in the world market PRODUCT PROFILE GILI Gili jewellery is high quality, fine finished, machine-made, branded, diamond-studded, designer jewellery including pendants, earrings, rings and bracelets in 18k gold studded with small, well-cut, good quality diamonds, as matching sets or by themselves. The average sale price is around Rs.15, 000. Brand Values Gilis brand values are genuine diamond and gold jewellery at reasonable prices. The Brand personality is difficult, animated, competent, confident, extrovert, self made, successful and reliable. Noteworthy Gili was the brand that in India important Valentines Day to the date from it being just another date on the calendar. First jewellery brand from India to participate in Basel 2000, the Worlds biggest jewellery and watches show held in Switzerland. In September 2011, M/s Brand Finance PLC (UK) valued Gili at rs 1018 crores. Nakshatra Nakshatra is a circular cluster comprised six to nine stones, with the central stone larger than the stones close it, signifying a constellation. It is a modern, fashionable rendition of the traditional seven-stone Thodu and the Kuda Jodi jewellery, which are traditional Indian floral designs. The combination of traditional charisma and current style helped it gain acceptance with women across age groups. Brand Values Overt Nakshatra brand values include beauty, radiance, class, elegance and quality. Amongst the symbolic values are femininity, celestial splend our and unknown. Each design is a stylized interpretation of the basic traditional kudajodi which is believed to be positive, showering the wearer with blessings and good luck. Noteworthy The Nakshatra design is the only one to have general appeal amongst women across India. The diamonds used to make up the Nakshatra cluster were formed over 800 million years ago. In September 2011, M/s Brand Finance PLC (UK) valued Nakshatra at Rs. 1,014 crores. ASMI The design styling for the Asmi jewellery has always been that of wavy forms around a central rock of and above 5 points. It rightly personifies the woman of today and her inner fire. Asmi has under its support a range of typical, current yet reasonable designs in diamond jewellery. Brand Values From the outset, Asmi has aimed to fulfil every womans natural need for self-expression, and has lauded the Indian womans middle fire. Asmi is a brand that is for the woman of will, commemorating her success and inspiring her to achieve higher goals. It is an expression of the power of femaleness, indication of self-confidence, feelings and the middle spirit of a woman. The brand is also promoted as one that offers validity, Affordability expediency. Noteworthy A particular annual promotional event has always been organized on Womans Day, as the most suitable occasion to support and repeat the values and identity of the brand. In 2009, in association with FICCI Ladies Organisation, and an NGO- Fight Back, Asmi launched its Shakti Torch movement on the event of Womens Day 2009, to combat the problem of domestic violence in India. In September 2011, M/s Brand Finance PLC (UK) valued Asmi at Rs. 406 crores DDAMAS Ddamas has several sub-brands, each single in positioning gift. The brand also has items in all categories-rings, earrings, nose pins, pendants, bangles, bracelets, necklaces, Tanmanya, Mangalsutra, half sets and full sets. Each sub-brand under Ddamas offers stylized and fashionable designs, conceptualized and produced by an in-house team of award winning designers. Ddamas is perhaps the only jewellery brand that has offerings in virtually all product categories, across all price points, for all occasions and emotions, thus covering consumers across age-groups and demographic classes. Brand Values Ddamas embodies luxury and high aspiration, bestowing on the wearer an aura of exclusivity and modification. The vast variety of associated brands allows every customer a choice of jewellery to mirror her personality, tastes and to suit every time. There is gold and diamond studded jewellery matching various lifestyles, occasions and price points that cater to diverse customers. Ddamas is committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction. Every piece of jewellery comes with a special certificate of validity that assures of both the diamond and the gold content in the piece. Ddamas jewellery is fully hallmarked and accompanied with a diamond certificate from IGI. Noteworthy Best Jewellery Designs- JCK and Vivah a Gold Jewellery In September 2011, M/s Brand Finance PLC (UK) valued Ddamas at Rs. 331 crores. Demand driver of diamond jewellery The demand drivers for the diamond processing and jewellery sector are as below: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Increasing acceptability of diamond jewellery in the domestic market: Traditionally, jewellery in India has mainly been gold jewellery. Diamond jewellery is lesser accepted in India due to factors such as myths associated with diamonds being unlucky in certain instances and the higher cost of diamonds. This is now changing with an increased acceptance of diamond jewellery in the domestic market. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Diamond as a fashion statement for the affluent: Diamond jewellery is increasingly serving as a method statement for the rich to differentiate themselves from others wearing traditional jewellery/gold jewellery. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Increasing affordability: Employment of women in the workforce has been increasing due to the changing mindsets and increasing education levels among women. This has resulted in women having more impact on the purchase decisions; and women having also started purchasing jewellery for themselves as against earlier trends of jewellery purchase being primarily a family decision. Increased disposable income for working couples and lifestyle changes have aided this. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Exports as a driver: As seen earlier, exports have been growing year-on-year and the 5 year CAGR (2002-03 to 2007-08) is about 13%. India currently produces around 95% of the worlds cut and polished diamond pieces. By carat weight, India is projected to process 80% Demand Drivers of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Value addition from processing to jewellery: Though India processes a large number of Diamonds; most of them are re-exported after polishing. There exists scope to increase value addition through setting into jewellery (jewellery manufacture). MAJOR PLAYERS à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Gitanjali Group: The Gitanjali Group was founded as a single company cutting and polishing diamonds for the jewellery operate at Surat, Gujarat, in 1966. It has become a found among major diamond and jewellery houses. The Group has dumped jewellery trade convention by launching multiple brands for multiple markets and price segments brands include Nakshatra, Ddamas, Collection, Asmi, Sangini and Gili. It opened up distribution via superstores, department stores and other retail outlets at MRP, supported by international certifications of in principle tested clarity and validity, across India and in the worlds jewellery capitals. Operations of the Gitanjali Group span the world, all the way from USA, UK, Belgium, Italy and the Middle East to Thailand, South East Asia China, and Japan. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Su-Raj Diamonds Jewellery Ltd.: Su-Raj is resulting from contraction of two names viz. Suresh and Rajnikant, the founders of Su-Raj Group in the early Sixties. The company on hand its shares to the public in the year 1986 and became the first company in the industry to opt for public issue in India. This was a single step in an industry where traditional business environment exists. The companys operations are universal in scope and global in increase top all facets of diamond and jewellery manufacture and trading in rough and polished stones, at all key locations universal. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Suashish Diamonds Ltd.: Suashish Diamonds Ltd was incorporated in October 1988. Suashish is single in the diamond industry as it is one of the few players that have activities across value chain there by retaining higher margins. Its business activities include sourcing ofrough diamonds to selling finished diamond jewellery through its retail jewellery brand Ishis. Suashish has employed cutting border technology throughout its diamond and jewellery manufacturing processes. It has subsidiaries and intentional partnerships in all major markets. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Shrenuj Co. Ltd.: Shrenuj Company Limited and its subsidiaries take on in the manufacture and sale of diamonds and jewellery in India and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Diamonds and Jewellery. The Diamonds segment engages in cutting and polishing of diamonds. This segment offers polished diamonds in full cut and single cut rounds, as well as in fancy shapes, such as princess, baguettes, marquise, pear, oval, emerald, and heart in various colours and clarities. The Jewellery segment provides diamond Human Resource and Skill Requirements in the Gems and Jewellery Industry studded gold/platinum jewellery. The company was founded in 1906, is based in Mumbai, India and employs about 3,000 employees. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Tanishq: Tanishq is one of Indias principal jewellery brands. Started in 1995, Tanishq is the jewellery business of Titan Industries Ltd promoted by the TATA group. Tanishq has set up production and sourcing bases with through research of the jewellery crafts of India. Tanishq today is Indias most aspirational fine jewellery brand with 91 stores in 64 cities, with an exquisite range of gold jewellery studded with diamonds or coloured gems and a wide range of equally amazing jewellery in 22Kt pure gold. Exquisite platinum jewellery is also part of the product range diamond Gems and Jewellery Gitanjali Group Shrenuj Company Suraj Diamonds and Jewellery Limited Rajesh Exports Asian Star Titan Industries (Tanishq into sell), Bangalore Suashish Diamond Rosy Blue B. Vijaykumar Laxmi Diamond K Girdharilal C. Mehendra Exports J.B Brothers Tara Ultimo Vaibhav Gems, Jaipur Sheetal Manufacturing Major players Companies Market cap (rs in crore) Shree Gan. Jew 720 Goldiam intl. 75 SRS 589 Thangamayil jew. 434 Renaissance jew. 135 Shrenuj co 489 C.mahendra exp 476 Gitanjali gems 4479 Titan inds 27184 Rajesh exports 3719 Goenka diamond 921 Tbz 1813 Classic diamond 16 Kanani inds. 360 Winsome diamonds 346 Vaibhav global 278 Key Issues of the Sector Unorganised Sector The gems and jewellery sector in India is unorganised and opening. Around 90% of the players operate in the unorganised sector mostly in family-run operations. The nature of the sector prevents it from achieving economies of scale. Also, being largely unorganised, the sector mainly uses labour-intensive and original technology that affects their growth projection. Further, the sector finds it difficult to add to their global competitiveness due to difficulties in adopting technology as a result of poor financial capital and high labour costs per unit. Threat from China Currently, China is the second-largest diamond processing centre in the world after India; however, it is slowly communicable up and is bullying to displace the Indian gems and jewellery sector from its dominant position in the world. The labour cost in China is the lowest, just like in India; however, the gap between the two countries is narrowing slowly. Besides, the Chinese economy is growing fast and is creating a demand for gems and jewellery in the domestic market. Further, many diamond manufacturers from Belgium and Israel are setting up manufacturing plants in China. India also faces risk from China in terms of knowledge adoption, which allows China to process diamonds at a more competitive price. Predominance of the US market The Indian gems and jewellery sector is pre-dominently dependent on the US market, which is its top export destination. The growth of gems and jewellery sector is closely dependent on the growth of demand in the US market. However, the recent appreciation of the rupee in relation to the US dollar and a slowdown of the US economy have forced the concerns for the sector. All these factors need Indias venture into other geographical locations. During FY07, the exports to the US market registered a growth of 14% over exports of FY06; however, owing to the slowdown in the US economy, the exports grew only 1.15% in FY08 over the previous year. In the current situation the heavy dependence on the US market has affected the exporters as they are facing a drop in orders and delayed payments. Exchange Rate/Currency Risk The gems and jewellery sector is affect by the rupee/dollar exchange rate because it is export-oriented. Any instability in the exchange rates affects the margins of the players. For instance, the recent approval in the rupee against the dollar had made the exports of gems and jewellery less competitive in its key export destinations. High Level of Inventories As the gems and jewellery sector is highly dependent on imports for its raw materials, the players have to maintain a high level of inventory. However, maintaining this inventory becomes difficult for the players during the drooping season, as it carries inventory price risk. For instance, due to the current recessionary trends, the demand drooping and inventory piled up much to the chagrin of the players. Decreasing Diamond Reserves The supply of rough diamonds is likely to fall in the near future as the diamond reserves are decreasing. There has been no major diamond keep discovery since 2003, when assets were last discovered in the Diavik Diamond Mine in Canada. The complete supply will push up the prices of rough diamonds, which will further put pressure on margins. Future supply levels are largely needy on the industrys ability to identify new diamond deposits. Competition from Other Luxury Goods With the increase in disposable income and the change in standard of living, the demand for luxury goods such as perfumes, consumer electronics, leather, automobile, gadgets etc are also increasing. The gems and jewellery sector is experience competition from these luxury goods, which is eating into the market share of the division. Beneficiation in Mining Countries India is facing a threat from the emerging cutting and polishing centres in the diamond-producing countries such as South Africa, Ghana, Angola, Botswana, Namibia etc. The local government is increasingly pressurising the African countries for processing locally-mined materials such as diamonds within the country itself to increase earnings through value addition to the vast natural resources that these countries possess. South Africa has launched a draft Beneficiation Strategy for the minerals industry of South Africa in March 2009. The newly-formed African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA) is advocating establishing a joint policy that would support beneficiation across Africa. This could lead to fewer rough goods being made available on the open market and in creating a threat to the existing diamond processing centres such as India, as new processing centres comes up. Global Economic Slowdown The global economic slowdown has hit the Indian gems and jewellery division hard. As the sector was primarily dependent on exports to the US and European countries, the meltdown in these countries affected the gems and jewellery sector to a great extent. The players faced issues relating to inventory build-up and liquidity pressure. A number of diamond units in Gujarat were shut down that render thousands of workers jobless. Further, the bank finance, which was largely in dollar terms, also faced a delay due to foreign exchange rate fluctuations. This further added to the woes of the players who were full to come out of the global depression. Even though the sector is in the recovery mode, owing to a gradual recovery of global markets, the credit cycle of the sector has changed severely. The delayed payments from customers have raised the interest outflows for the companies. Synthetic Diamonds The sector also faces a face in the form of integration of artificial or man-made diamonds. With the start of technology, it is difficult to discriminate between natural and synthetic diamonds. It may so happen that the imitation diamonds are accepted on as real diamonds and in the long run, this could affect the authority of the sector. Further, as unreal diamonds are much cheaper and identical to the synthetic diamonds, these diamonds may find customers that is a reserve to the natural diamond and may finish positive eating into the market share of the diamond industry. Issue of difference Diamonds India is the largest importer of rough diamonds and a leading player in cutting and polishing of the same, therefore, it runs the risk of dealing with conflict diamonds. Conflict diamonds are those that are mined illegally in African countries such as Angola, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the Democratic nation of Congo to fund illegal military wars. In spite of the KP certification, there an issue related to fake KP certificate. These fake certificates put diamond importing countries at a risk of dealing in variance diamonds. Opportunities for the Sector Entering New Markets The US has been the major market for Indian gems and jewellery sector over the years. However, with the current global delay, the dependence on the US market has unnatural the Indian gems and jewellery sector tremendously. The sector is exploring new locations to vary business and to minimise the risk. Russia, Middle East and China are few of the rising destinations that are witnessing an increase in jewellery demand. The Indian gems and jewellery players can tap these countries to diversify and increase their business. Cutting and Polishing of Large-Sized Diamonds India is one of the leading diamond processing centers of the world. Indias vast, low cost and very skilled workforce provides it with a competitive edge over other countries. However, it is largely involved in cutting and polishing of small-sized diamonds, which weigh less than one carat. Indias cut and polished diamond exports have a high universal share in terms of number of pieces; however, in terms of value the share is much lower. By moving up the value chain and processing larger stones India can further increase its value share in total exports. Large diamonds are less generally set up in nature. Therefore, the price of a diamond rises exponentially with its size. Indian exporters who have authority in processing of small stones have already started moving into cutting of large and medium size stones. For moving up the value chain, the industry should try forward and backward integration. Hence strategic alliances with producers of roughs and retailers of jewellery could lead to higher market share. Given Indias low cost and skill labours, there exists an chance for processing large stones, which will provide the players with higher margins as well as rise in realisations on capex. Value Addition There exists a huge chance for Indian players to do value addition to the processed diamonds and to export diamond studded jewellery. India is already a leader in processing small-sized diamonds and it also has natural capabilities of manufacturing hand-crafted jewellery. Further, with its dominance in processing small diamonds, India has an advantage of manufacturing reasonable diamond jewellery for the world market. Jewellery Retail The Indian retail sector is increasing fast. This provides an excellent chance for the Indian players to manufacture and sell their jewellery through the retail channels that are fast catching up in the Indian markets. Further, this move will also provide an organised structure to the largely unorganised gems and jewellery sector and lead to further growth of the sector. Outsourcing core India can become an outsourcing hub for design and manufacturing jewellery. There is an increased trend of outsourcing design with manufacturing of jewellery from India by global retail players such as Wal-mart and JC Penny. The players in the area can tap this opportunity to expand business, reduce risk and increase revenues. View point The vision for the gem and jewellery sector is positive. On account of the global recovery, the Indian gems and jewellery sector is also on a recovery mode. In December 2009, the exports from the sector grow by 45.35% as compared with the same period in 2008. According to GJEPC, the players received good orders for Christmas in 2009, which indicates a slow recovery for the sector. The positive trend is expected to continue, as major economies are showing signs of recovery, which is resulting in fresh orders for the sector. Further, the gems and jewellery sector is also expected to grow in the domestic market, going forward. As the per capita consumption of jewellery is low in India, there exists an attractive opportunity to tap the domestic market. ANALYSIS EVALUATION OF DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS IN VARIOUS SECTORS The project involved analyzing and evaluating distribution channels of various companies belonging to sector. 1. Precious and semi precious stones, 2. White goods, 3. Cement, 4. FMCG Methodology: This research comprised of activities like listing down various agencies like manufacturers, distributors, etc and also chambers and libraries like the Indian merchant chambers and interacting with them in order to collect first hand information. PRECIOUS AND SEMI PRECIOUS STONES The Indian Gems and Jewellery industry is an age old industry and comprises mainly of two types of markets, viz the controlled sector and the unorganized sector. The organized sector with celebrated jewelers, Public Sector Units (PSUs), etc forms only 10% of the precious and semi-precious stones market, whereas, the unorganized sector forms 90% of the gems and jewellery market in India. The unorganized sector employs around 1.5 million workers serving over 0.1 million gold jewelers and over 8000 diamond jewelers. Precious and semi-precious stones industry is a main earner of foreign exchange. This sector contributes around 17% of Indias exports. The bulk of the Indian gems and jewellery exports comprise imports of rough diamonds, cutting and polishing in India, and re-exports. Cut and Polished Diamonds (CPD) and gold Jewellery account for nearly 95% of Indias gems and jewellery exports. India is the worlds leading diamond cutting and polishing center, accounting for 53% share of the global polished diamond market in terms of value. India imports gold from South Africa, Switzerland, Australia, Hong Kong and UAE. The domestic consumption of diamonds have been 626.9 crores in 2001-02 to 483.4 crores in02-03 and reached and all time high of 1771.3 crores in 2003-04 and the trend has continued in 2004-05 as well. The market size has also witness a rise of around 10% in 2003-04 over 2002-03. The value of domestic sales has been 7200 crores, 7400 crores and 7650 crores in 01-02, 02-03 03-04 respectively. Exports of cut and polished diamonds has been 5892, 7385 and 8240 million dollars in 01- 02, 02-03 03-04 respectively, whereas, exports of Jewellery studded with diamonds has been 553, 719 and 934 million dollars in 01-02, 02-03 03-04 respectively. Consumer Demographics Buying Patterns of Indian Consumers There is a very high consumption in the western and the northern markets of India, viz, Mumbai and New Delhi, New Delhi being the head. In India, the purchase of Jewellery is quite regular and occasion driven. There is a higher consumption during festivals like Diwali, Dassera, Ganesh Chaturthi, etc. and also during the marriage season, which is spread from November to March. Mechanics of Distribution Channels of Sector Since precious and semi precious stones industry is divided into organized and unorganized sector, the mechanics of the distribution channels of the players belonging to these sectors has also been different. Nationally, the branded jewelers of the organized sector cater to the consumers via a 1 or a 2 level supply chain which comprise of either only franchise retail outlets and other retails or wholesalers and then retailers. The players of the unorganized sector, on the other hand, either plainly sell their manufactured products to retailers or have branch offices in cities where the products are transferred and sold to end consumers or to retailers in the particular city. Web: www.beemanagement.com Email: [emailprotected] Web: www.astrategies.com Email: [emailprotected] December 2005 Copyright  © 2005 Bee Management Consultancy Pvt. Ltd. 2 Raw diamonds and other Jewellery is imported from sources, manufactured and polished here and either shipped or transported by air to the final destination In exported countries the products are either transferred to retailers who are clients or to branch office who in turn sell it to the retailers. Whether domestic sales or exports overall, the levels of mediators in the gems and Jewellery industry do not really exceed 2 to 3 levels. This report contains detailed analysis of renowned Gems and Jewellery companies. The PESTEL analysis The macro environment includes all relevant focus outside a companys margins relevant in thesense that they are important enough to have brought on the decision. A business finally makes about its business model and  strategy.   Companys strategy may be needed for answer it. Micro environment includes all general force that does not directly  touch on  the short  run activities  of the  organization but  that can  and  often  does,  in dulgenceits also ran decisions. Political Factors:- The Government of India (GoI) has been working to develop the Diamond industry in India through several initiatives but under the purview of Diamond industry. The main political factors are as follows. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Excise duty: In the budget of year 2008-09 government decrease excise duty from 10% to 5% on cut and polished diamond units. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Marketing  and  control  orders:  Import  of  rough  diamonds  illegal  by  the Jewellry  export Promotion Councils .The Council provides market information to its members about foreign trade inquiries, trade and tariff regulations, rates of import duties, and information about Diamond fair and exhibitions. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢FDI approva

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Fear in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and The Scarlet Letter :: comparison compare contrast essays

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and The Scarlet Letter To Live With Fear   Ã‚  Ã‚   To live with fear and not be overcome by it is the final test of maturity. This test has been "taken" by various literary characters.   Chief Bromden in Ken Kesey's One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest and Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter both appear to have taken and passed this test.   Ã‚  Ã‚   It first seemed as though the Chief was going to fail this test of maturity in the mental ward that he was committed to.   He had locked himself up by acting deaf and dumb.   He had immense fear of the "Combine," or society, that ruined things and people and treated them like machines, giving orders and controlling them.   Soon enough to "save" the Chief, McMurphy arrived. He was lively, and not scared;   the complete opposite of the Chief.   This courage eventually passed on to the Chief.   At a meeting, when McMurphy was holding a vote to prove that the patients wanted to see the World Series, the Chief voted for it.   At first he said that McMurphy controlled his hand.   Later on he admitted that it was he who raised it. He even talked to McMurphy one night, and began laughing at the situation at hand.   One day when McMurphy and the Chief tried to help another patient who was being taken advantage of by orderlies, they were caught and sentenced to electro-shock therapy (EST).   The Chi usually blacked out in a fog when confronted with problems;   however, this time (he had endured over 200 EST sessions previously) he did not.   However, McMurphy was deteriorating, and the two seemed to be reversing positions.   McMurphy eventually was sentenced to a lobotomy, which left him as a helpless, pathetic person, as the Chief had once been.   The Chief now had the courage to put McMurphy out of his misery, despite what the head nurse, Nurse Ratched, the symbol of the combine to the Chief, would do to him.   He smothered McMurphy, and afterwards, escaped by lifting the control panel, which McMurphy told him that he could lift but the Chief saw himself as "small," a symbol of his strength against the combine, and breaking a

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Innocence Within To Kill a Mockingbird Essay

There are many times where childhood and adolescence, whether they be in metaphors or depicted by actual characters, are used in literature in order to convey different times in the work. Sometimes they can be used to convey tribulation or they can be used to convey times of prosperity. With Haper Lee’s story, To Kill A Mockingbird, she uses adolescence to be able to challenge the perspective of a Southern town still stuck in their older ways. She does this many times throughout the book, however in this essay; we will only discuss three instances that shape the story as a whole. The first instance that we will refer to is when in chapter 10, Scout and Jem get their rifles for Christmas. Once they receive their rifles, Atticus says,† ‘I’d rather you shot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. ’† Scout is confused by the saying and so a few sentences later, she asks Miss Maudie, their help, about why it was a sin to kill a mocking bird. Miss Maudie replies with a â€Å"’Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. ’† At first one might read this and think that on face value, they are simply talking about birds; however, if you look closer at the text, the mocking bird can be a depiction of children or a child’s innocence. By saying that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, because of the very heavy presence that childhood and adolescence takes within the book, one could take the saying as â€Å"it’s a sin to kill or smash innocence† and a mockingbird is a depiction of innocence in the book. It is a sin or rather a sad thing to take away a child’s innocence because it does no harm to anyone. In another chapter, it explains how Scout thinks of herself as an important figure in her household because she figures that without her, Atticus and Miss Maudie would have no clue what to do, while later on is explained in the same chapter that Dill has become aware of his insignificance of his household and is not better off for having that bit of innocence changed. This is one way the book is shaped is that it shows that innocence is a key element in the work and that Atticus throughout the book does not wish to taint the innocence of the children before it is time for them to grow up. Another instance in the book where innocence plays an important role in shaping the work, is in chapter 15 when Atticus is sitting at the jail where Tom Robinson is being held captive for his own protection while awaiting the trial. In the scene, Atticus has a lamp and a chair sitting beside the cell outside and is there to guard Tom Robinson before the trial. As the evening progresses, a crowd shows up with the intention to harm Tom Robinson and to harm Atticus if he does not step aside. During this scene, Scout happens to have been spying on her father and she rushes up to where her father is at, and ends up talking the crowd down with her innocence. In this scene, it is because of her innocence and the way that she speaks with Mr. Cunningham that remind the man that Atticus is a man with a family and that he is a neighbor and not some form of enemy. In this way, the innocence on Scout’s part shapes the work because it shows that no matter how callous someone might be, that innocence can penetrate through the hardened heart. It also shows that the townspeople do realize that Atticus is their friend and not someone who is out to get their women and children. And then the third way that innocence shapes the book is in chapter 19 when Dill cries after seeing the way that the prosecutor addresses Tom Robinson just because of his color. He sees that there is no reason to talk to a person despite race. This shapes the work because it shows that naturally even children can see injustice and it shows that we as adults sometimes lose sight of what’s right and wrong because our views can be tainted and skewed by callousness on our part. There is another instance in the book where Scout’s classmates speak poorly of Atticus for defending a man of color. During this time, Atticus shows Scout that regardless of color, that it was Atticus’ duty to defend anyone if they are innocent and that it should be Scout’s duty as well. This also shapes the work because it shows that no matter what, we should lose sight of what the morally right view is. Throughout the book, innocence is used in numerous occasions and pertaining to different instances in the book. Some of the most important instances where innocence is used is during Tom Robinson’s trial and where the children, Scout, Jem, and Dill can see that the way that the town is treating Tom Robinson is incorrect. At the time Haper Lee wrote To Kill a Mockingbird, it would have been a touchy subject to speak out on because of the Civil Rights Movement, and so the author uses the natural innocence of children to show us just how wrong the case and the treatment of Tom Robinson was throughout his trial and up until his death.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Jazz Age and The Great Gatsby Essays

Jazz Age and The Great Gatsby Essays Jazz Age and The Great Gatsby Essay Jazz Age and The Great Gatsby Essay Essay Topic: The Great Gatsby The New Negro ?F Scott Fitzgerald was a well-known novelist in the 1920’s. He wrote many novels such as The Side of Paradise, The Beautiful and Damned, Tender Is the Night and his well-known novel, The Great Gatsby. F. Scott Fitzgerald called the 1920’s the â€Å"Jazz Age† because it was a time if economic success and cultural upbringing. Poetry, music and fashion were at its peak and constantly evolving. An example of the Jazz Age was, The Harlem Renaissance also known as the New Negro Movement. The Harlem Renaissance was the cultural, social, and artistic flare-up that took place in Harlem at the the end of World War I. During this period Harlem was a cultural center, drawing black writers, artists, musicians, photographers, poets, and scholars like Langston Hughes, James Weldon Johnson, Zora Neale Hurston and Countee Cullen. When you think of the Roaring 20’s, you feel awake, free and alive and with all the glamour, the music and the excitement there is no wonder the term â€Å"Jazz Age† was stated by Mr. Fitzgerald. Economics were good, prosperity for all was on the rise, changes in lifestyle and Technology revolutionized Americans life in a way that it has never been the same. It was the end of WW1 and America was showing their strength as a powerful Nation, but among this, it was the parties, the alcohol, the dancing, and the frivolous sex that took a hold of what dreams were made of. Music was the fore runner of this evolvement, Jazz and Blues were being inventive by all who had something to say and express. When it came to music at this time in American history, there seem to be no barriers sharing your soul through the words and the melody.Music back then was made to listen too, made you move, made you wanted to drink, dance and be happy, which is what Mr. Great Gatsby as he is known, was at the front of this movement. Clothes back then had flair of style that even today is still represented throughout the world.Suits that were ta

Monday, October 21, 2019

An Investigation To Find The Value For g. Essays

An Investigation To Find The Value For g. Essays An Investigation To Find The Value For g. Essay An Investigation To Find The Value For g. Essay Research Question: Can we and, if we can, how can we find a value for g using a simple pendulum? Hypothesis: I believe we are able to find a suitable value for g using a simple pendulum with laboratory apparatus. I feel that a value between 9.6 and 10.2 will be appropriate. Variables: The variables involved in the experiment will be: * The length of the pendulum. We can have different lengths so as to calculate a more accurate value for g. This is a controlled variable because it is controlled by us, the students doing the experiment. * The time taken for one oscillation. This depends on the length of the pendulum and so varies with the length of the pendulum. However it is an independent variable because the students are not able to control the time taken for one oscillation. Planning B Apparatus: 1. Clamp and stand to support the pendulum. 2. String 3. A suitable mass for the bob of the pendulum. 4. A stopwatch to time the time taken for one oscillation. Procedure: 1. Set-up the apparatus as shown in the diagram below for a 50cm length. 2. Pull the bob of the pendulum back about 5cm-10cm and let it go. 3. Start the stopwatch and measure the time it takes for twenty oscillations. Then you can divide by twenty to get an accurate average value for the time. 4. Repeat step three to further increase the accuracy of your values. 5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with lengths of 60cm, 70cm, 80cm, 90cm and 100 cm. And store the values on a table. 6. Use the formula T=2? ?(l/g) to then find an approximate value for g by plotting a graph. In the graph, plot l vs T2 and draw a line that passes through most of the points. 7. Re arrange the formula above to give g=4?2(l/T2). 8. From the equation, we can see that, (l/T2) is the slope, gradient, of the graph. So we find the gradient of the graph, then we multiply by 4?2 to get the value for g. 9. Because the length is in cm, we will need to divide our final value for g by 100 to get the units of g with meters. I.e. instead of having cms-2, we have ms-2, which is more preferred. Diagram: Data Collection Before starting the experiment; a table, like the one below, can be made to record the data as it is observed. Table: Length (cm) Time for 20 oscillations (sec) Time for 1 oscillation (sec) T2 (sec) T1 T2 Tavg 50 28.2 28.4 28.3 1.415 2.002225 60 30.7 31.3 31.0 1.550 2.402500 70 33.5 33.9 33.7 1.685 2.839224 80 35.1 35.3 35.2 1.760 3.097600 90 37.5 37.7 37.6 1.880 3.534400 100 40.4 40.6 40.5 2.025 4.100625 Data Presentation Using the formula T=2(l/g) we see that there are no constants being added or subtracted, so when the line has to pass through the origin. Graph: As we saw in the graph, the line is of best fit so the value of g may vary depending on how I decided to place the line. The graph passes through the origin because if there was no length, there would be no path for the pendulum to swing and thus we would not be able to calculate a value for g. So, taking two points from the graph we can calculate the slope if the graph. Two points: (0,0) and (1,25) Gradient of the line = (?l)-( ?T2) So the gradient= (25-0)/(1-0) So the equation becomes: g=4?2(25) So g is calculated to be approximately 986.96 cms-2. When we divide by 100 to get g in ms-2, we get g ? 9.87 ms-2. Conclusion: In conclusion, we see that the calculated value of g is approximately 9.87 ms-2. However the textbook value for g is 9.80665 ms-2. The two values are very close and so there may not have been much error. The procedure was efficient, but could have been made more accurate by involving more lengths e.g. from 10cm to 100cm at intervals of 10cm. Also I could have recorded the time taken for 30 oscillations to obtain further accuracy. Also instead of drawing a graph, I could have used the equation, g=4?2(l/T2), and substituted the lengths and corresponding times to get different values for g. Then calculate the average of all the values.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Robby Gamble Essays (193 words) - Gerald Graff, Murray, Free Essays

Robby Gamble Essays (193 words) - Gerald Graff, Murray, Free Essays Robby Gamble Professor Kelly English 1102-024 February 8, 2017 Are Too Many People Going to College Rhetorical Precis Murray, Charles. "Are Too Many People Going to College?" "They Say / I Say": The MovesThat Matter in Academic Writing, with Readings, 3rd ed., edited by Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst, W.W. Norton, 2017, pp. 234-253. Charles Murrays essay, "Are Too Many People Going to College"(2008), argues that not every person is made to attend college, but because of the norms of our society, many people feel that college is a cut and dried method of obtaining a career with substantial pay. Murray defends his argument through discussing education and its role in development and society, liberal education on a collegiate level, the traditional four year college, and the truths behind college and obtaining a four year degree. Murray wrote this article in order to shed light on some of the misconceptions many have about post-secondary education, and propose a change to the post-secondary educational system. Murray's intended audience consists of scholars, and those who are not sure that college is the correct path for them.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

What is the basic organization of the profile Essay

What is the basic organization of the profile - Essay Example One of the places the in e profile where the interview is used is when Davis student, Dave and Louis interview Dan about his feelings: â€Å"how are you feeling Camp? The Dan replies, â€Å"I’ am great, John. No cramping here!† Laughter broke out behind the camera.Another instance of the interview is when Dan’s friend, Miranda asked him, â€Å"you know what you should do with all these paperclips Dan when this is all done?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"What?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"You should†¦you fill up a swimming pool and jump in!†Ã¢â‚¬Å"What a weird, non-sequitur thing to say, Miranda,† Dan replied laughing. When writing about one’s profile you need to engage him in a discourse and to talk about his character. For example, the current record was set in 2000and stands at 895 yards or just shies of nine football fields. Another example given here is, is a good-natured man, bright and energetic young man willing to go all out for an ultimately meaningless goal. Yo u need to draw one after he has illustrated his profile to you when writing a profile. One of the examples given here is â€Å" As the crew walked slowly down the road, Dan had to continually order halts to fix broken links as well as tangles and snags† secondly, â€Å" All of a sudden Aston went into broadcast mode†¦Ã¢â‚¬  lastly, â€Å"Meyers' fingers were racing like an intricate machine† In order to get background information about whomever you are writing his profile, you can carry out a visitor you may decide to be a secret or silent observer. One may also decide to carry out an interview with the person so as to get the first-hand information.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Organisation behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Organisation behavior - Essay Example Emotional intelligence refers to the process involved in recognizing and understanding the emotional status of their own as well as of the others that will in turn help to overcome the problems of human life that are mainly related to the abstract sense of individual emotion and also help in regulating the behavior of the individual as a social person. Emotional intelligence differs from general intelligence which arises from the cold instincts of individuals. Emotional Intelligence, unlike general intelligence, has the responsibility of creating as well as destroying a proper social relation. The research works related to the psychology of human beings that started mainly in the late eighties show the path towards the study of emotional intelligence in order to study the interactions between emotions of individuals and their thoughts. With the introduction of the new path of human research the emotional intelligence gained the attraction of the media houses, as well as the interest of the general public. With time the term emotional intelligence broadened itself to include the skills required in achieving success as believed by the human resource professional in the changing business environment. Every individual are born with certain balanced emotional intelligence which needs to be polished with their life. (Salovey, Brackett, and Mayer, 2004, 1949-1950; Wharam, 2009, 4) Emotional intelligence- the concept Bar-on in the year 1997 defined emotional intelligence as â€Å"an array of noncognitive abilities, capabilities and skills that influence one’s capacity to succeed and cope with the environmental demands and pressures†. (Jaeger, 2003, 615) According to Salovey and Mayer (1990) emotional intelligence refers to the ability of the individuals in monitoring their own and others’ feelings, discriminate them and in guiding the action and the thoughts of the individual using those derived information. (Salovey and Grewal, 2005, 281) Emotiona l intelligence is an integrated part of the positive psychology of individuals. The concept and the framework of the emotional intelligence gained the importance from the theory of emotional expression in survival and adaptation by Charles Darwin. Emotional intelligence considers the self regards of individuals which are the basis of self awareness, the understanding of individuals about others’ feeling that arises from the sense of empathy and altruism and compassion for others. The capacity of individuals to interact in the social environment determines their social skills which again is a part of the emotional intelligence of the individual. Emotional intelligence also determines the ability of individuals in controlling their emotions through the ability of taking the right decision at the right time and achievement of performance based functioning. Emotional intelligence also consists of the general happiness of the individuals in achieving the desired outlook to life an d a subjective well being thus being able to create a positive environment for themselves and also for their surroundings. According to Golemon (1995) emotional

African Tribal Dances Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

African Tribal Dances - Essay Example Furthermore, when they dance, for them all time stops, the air draws back and the past, the present and the future merge into a single indescribable jewel in eternity. We will discuss about the culture of the famous Zulu tribe of Africa. Zulu is the largest ethnic group of Africa. It has a population of an estimated 10-11 million people, living mainly in the province of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. Their language is ‘isiZulu’. It is ‘Bantu language’, more specifically part of the ‘Nguni’ subgroup. Their importance is revealed by the fact that the Zulu Kingdom played a major role in South African History during the 19th and 20th centuries. At one time, Zulu people were classified as the third-class citizens and suffered from state sanctioned discrimination, now they are the most numerous ethnic group among the African tribes and share equal rights among all the other citizens. The Zulu are descendents from a chief from the Congo area. They migrated south in the 16th century, picking up many of the traditions of the San, who also inhabited this South African area. During the 17th and 18th centuries, as a result of the treaties made by many of their most powerful chiefs, the control of the Zulu villages was given to the British. As Zulu had a strong village government systems, so this created much of the conflict and they fought against the British, but could not win because of their small strength. Till 1879, much of the Zulu area was given under the British, but still, the Zulu as a whole decided not to be under British rule, so as a result, war erupted between the British and Zulu. Although the result was in favor of Zulu, as they won the war, but within six months, they were conquered by the British, who exiled the Zulu Kings and divided up the Zulu kingdom. In 1906, another Zulu uprising was lead, continuing their try

How drug use in the 60's and 70's affected society - then and now Research Paper

How drug use in the 60's and 70's affected society - then and now - Research Paper Example Alcohol has been abused since the 60’s and has left a number of family devastated, as the families’ sole bread winners abuse the drug which may eventually lead to their deaths or insanity (Teff. 1975). The economy was affected as abled body people who could improve the economy became victims of drug abuse. Today, alcohol is also being abused and has devastating effects on the society ranging from road accidents as a result of heavy drinking to murder and suicidal cases in families (Abraham. 1988). Alcohol is not the only drug that has been abused; we have many cases of bhang and nicotine illegal drug use. In fact in the 60’s, cocaine was highly abused as there was no proper way to curb its use (Avraham. 1988). In the 60’s illegal drug abuse was on its optimum among sports men and sports women, as well as musicians and top celebrities; here athletes and musicians used to take performance enhancing drugs so as to boost their performance and confidence respectively. Drug use among adolescents was and is still a nightmare in our societies for a number of reasons. Adolescents today, who are basically involved in illicit drug use, are simply separating themselves from the normality of society as a way of ‘liberation (Teff. 1975). This has tremendous effects on America societies, as these kids end up joining gangs, partaking in crimes and terrorizing American societies. This was also the case in the 60’s where adolescents who engaged in drugs were a complete nightmare to societies as they were the pillar of almost all crimes. Many dropped out of school leaving their parents devastated. Drug misuse also affected both societies by introducing and expanding prostitution. Many of those practicing prostitution in today societies are basically youths who run away from home as a result of drug abuse. This is a disgrace to society and a country as a whole as it lacks morality. In the 60’s prostitution too

Thursday, October 17, 2019

The Impact of foreign Investment(with reference to china and india) on Dissertation

The Impact of foreign Investment(with reference to china and india) on Nigeria's Economy and how Nigeria as a developing country - Dissertation Example Nigeria is the most heavily populated country in African continent. It is one of the rapidly developing economies in Africa along with South Africa. Moreover, Nigeria is blessed with immense oil and other natural resources. However, technological advancements in Nigeria are not so good. As a result of that it is incapable of exploiting the natural resources properly. Being the most rapidly emerging economies in the world, India and China can help Nigeria immensely in streamlining its economic growth. Plenty of Indian and Chinese companies are currently operating in Nigeria in different sectors such as agriculture, oil, mining, refining, automobile manufacturing, banking, retailing etc. These countries are helping Nigeria to exploit its natural resources judiciously. This paper analyses the impact of foreign investment (with reference to China and India) on Nigeria’s economy and how Nigeria as a developing nation can promote Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Table of Contents 1. 0 Introduction Globalization is a process through which the activities done in one part of the world affects people on other parts of the world (Reich 1998: 5). According to Lieber and Weisberg, globalization helps people all over the world in the creation of a stronger and stable world (Lieber and Weisberg 2002: 274). Huge changes are taking place in this world after the introduction of globalization and liberalization. Some of the underdeveloped economies such as India, and China are currently emerging as the most rapidly developing economies in the world, mainly because of their ability to exploit the opportunities provided by globalization. These countries were successful mainly because of their readiness to open up their domestic market for foreign direct investments. The importance of free market and private enterprise in promoting economic globalization was explained by many scholars (Ghai1997: 1) The economy of the world keeps improving and keeps becoming more integrated as most countries want to play/contribute to a role in the economy of the 21st century. Globalisation keeps increasing as countries try to identify their competitive advantages and use their available resources to secure profits for themselves. Trade has now being expanded compared to the past, services and cross boarder flows of financial resources and people. Countries all over the world have realised that domestic resources alone may not help them much in streamlining the economic growth. As a result of that majority of the countries have already opened up their economies and liberalized the rules and regulations to attract more and more foreign direct investments or FDI. FDI is the investment of foreign capital in domestic goods and services. According to Dicken (2007, p.36), direct investment is a kind of investment intended to gain control over the activities of another firm. FDI is the investment across nations. â€Å"The flow of FDI and portfolio investments across countries g enerates a very large amount of investment incomes going in the opposite direction† Ietto-Giles 2002: 27). On the other hand, Adina (2011) mentioned about the training effect of FDI. In her opinion, FDI may help a country to modernize techniques and technologies, increase production and supply of goods, improve quality and competitiveness, create new jobs and grow the quality of life (Adina 2011: 148). In short, it is difficult for a country to develop properly in the modern era with the help of

Self Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Self Assessment - Essay Example I will try to justify that my goals, personality, and path are compatible with each other. I mentioned earlier that I want to specialize in business and finance. Hence, I think and feel that an MBA is the most logical choice. In general, I want to be rich while deepening my understanding of how money works. By the age of forty, I really desire to accumulate a net asset of at least $100,000,000 and a weekly cash flow of at least $1,000,000. I believe that knowledge of business systems and becoming a businessman will help me achieve this path to glory. Also, by having that amount of cash, I can invest large amount of money in blue-chip stocks, which I really want to do. Essentially, investing for me is like playing a computer game. An MBA, I think, will help me know the rules and determine for myself the optimal decisions to achieve such goals. Once I become successful, I hope of fulfilling my fantasy of being interviewed in CNBC and other financial networks. I concede that there are aspects of an INTJ that do not fit me, but I affirm that many do. For example, I am independent and ruthless. In dealing with people, I really push to have my way and final say on things. So, an INTJ is the closest description available for me. I also believe that an INTJ is well... - Useful. - Creativity. - Very single minded at times - this can be a weakness or a strength. - They can ignore the points of view and wishes of others. - Coherence is the master. - Cost effective. - Relationships which have psychological distance. - Often seem demanding and difficult to satisfy. - Independent. - Hypersensitive to signals of rejection. - Others receive a sense of haste. - Vulnerable in the emotional area and may make serious mistakes here. - When asked to put something together for the first time - a prototype - he is all the more happy, since he is doing that which is most worthwhile. - Abhors unsnarling messes. - Things have to make sense. - Avoids redundancy. - May have difficulty communicating the details of goals. - Prefers not to say anything twice and assumes understanding. - Serious. - NTs tend to be relatively uninterested in acquiring wealth. - NTs usually take family responsibilities seriously. - NTs tend not to "own" the behaviors or bodies of their mates. - NTs' own errors are those which are inexcusable and unforgivable. I concede that there are aspects of an INTJ that do not fit me, but I affirm that many do. For example, I am independent and ruthless. In dealing with people, I really push to have my way and final say on things. So, an INTJ is the closest description available for me. I also believe that an INTJ is well suited for a career in Business and Investments. An INTJ like me is serious. Business is serious. It has no room for people who will slack on things. An MBA, although by no means really represents all aspects of business in the classroom, is serious stuff. You cannot pass it without the necessary seriousness to study and finish all requirements, such as difficult and mind-blowing case

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

How drug use in the 60's and 70's affected society - then and now Research Paper

How drug use in the 60's and 70's affected society - then and now - Research Paper Example Alcohol has been abused since the 60’s and has left a number of family devastated, as the families’ sole bread winners abuse the drug which may eventually lead to their deaths or insanity (Teff. 1975). The economy was affected as abled body people who could improve the economy became victims of drug abuse. Today, alcohol is also being abused and has devastating effects on the society ranging from road accidents as a result of heavy drinking to murder and suicidal cases in families (Abraham. 1988). Alcohol is not the only drug that has been abused; we have many cases of bhang and nicotine illegal drug use. In fact in the 60’s, cocaine was highly abused as there was no proper way to curb its use (Avraham. 1988). In the 60’s illegal drug abuse was on its optimum among sports men and sports women, as well as musicians and top celebrities; here athletes and musicians used to take performance enhancing drugs so as to boost their performance and confidence respectively. Drug use among adolescents was and is still a nightmare in our societies for a number of reasons. Adolescents today, who are basically involved in illicit drug use, are simply separating themselves from the normality of society as a way of ‘liberation (Teff. 1975). This has tremendous effects on America societies, as these kids end up joining gangs, partaking in crimes and terrorizing American societies. This was also the case in the 60’s where adolescents who engaged in drugs were a complete nightmare to societies as they were the pillar of almost all crimes. Many dropped out of school leaving their parents devastated. Drug misuse also affected both societies by introducing and expanding prostitution. Many of those practicing prostitution in today societies are basically youths who run away from home as a result of drug abuse. This is a disgrace to society and a country as a whole as it lacks morality. In the 60’s prostitution too

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Self Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Self Assessment - Essay Example I will try to justify that my goals, personality, and path are compatible with each other. I mentioned earlier that I want to specialize in business and finance. Hence, I think and feel that an MBA is the most logical choice. In general, I want to be rich while deepening my understanding of how money works. By the age of forty, I really desire to accumulate a net asset of at least $100,000,000 and a weekly cash flow of at least $1,000,000. I believe that knowledge of business systems and becoming a businessman will help me achieve this path to glory. Also, by having that amount of cash, I can invest large amount of money in blue-chip stocks, which I really want to do. Essentially, investing for me is like playing a computer game. An MBA, I think, will help me know the rules and determine for myself the optimal decisions to achieve such goals. Once I become successful, I hope of fulfilling my fantasy of being interviewed in CNBC and other financial networks. I concede that there are aspects of an INTJ that do not fit me, but I affirm that many do. For example, I am independent and ruthless. In dealing with people, I really push to have my way and final say on things. So, an INTJ is the closest description available for me. I also believe that an INTJ is well... - Useful. - Creativity. - Very single minded at times - this can be a weakness or a strength. - They can ignore the points of view and wishes of others. - Coherence is the master. - Cost effective. - Relationships which have psychological distance. - Often seem demanding and difficult to satisfy. - Independent. - Hypersensitive to signals of rejection. - Others receive a sense of haste. - Vulnerable in the emotional area and may make serious mistakes here. - When asked to put something together for the first time - a prototype - he is all the more happy, since he is doing that which is most worthwhile. - Abhors unsnarling messes. - Things have to make sense. - Avoids redundancy. - May have difficulty communicating the details of goals. - Prefers not to say anything twice and assumes understanding. - Serious. - NTs tend to be relatively uninterested in acquiring wealth. - NTs usually take family responsibilities seriously. - NTs tend not to "own" the behaviors or bodies of their mates. - NTs' own errors are those which are inexcusable and unforgivable. I concede that there are aspects of an INTJ that do not fit me, but I affirm that many do. For example, I am independent and ruthless. In dealing with people, I really push to have my way and final say on things. So, an INTJ is the closest description available for me. I also believe that an INTJ is well suited for a career in Business and Investments. An INTJ like me is serious. Business is serious. It has no room for people who will slack on things. An MBA, although by no means really represents all aspects of business in the classroom, is serious stuff. You cannot pass it without the necessary seriousness to study and finish all requirements, such as difficult and mind-blowing case

Rethinking Giroux’s Disney Essay Example for Free

Rethinking Giroux’s Disney Essay In Henry Giroux’s book, â€Å"The Mouse that Roared† he argues that Disney animated movies lead to the end of innocence in children. He focuses mainly on the images that Disney portrays towards gender roles and gender stereotyping. He primarily targets the issues that women are portrayed as being subordinate to men and are viewed as property and objects of desire instead of as human beings. Giroux is unconvincing in his argument because he writes above the level of thinking and comprehension that most children who are exposed to Disney films would posses; by focusing on specific scenes, while ignoring the overall morals throughout the rest of the movies, he takes the message Disney is trying to illustrate out of context. Since Giroux’s argument is directed to the effect Disney animated movies have on the innocence of children, he discusses what images are portrayed and are picked up by children who view the films. He mainly explains that Disney movies teach young girls that men are dominate over women, and that men care more about a woman’s image rather than what a woman has to say. Giroux fails to consider that the children exposed to Disney films would not comprehend the message in the same way he does. The images that Giroux discusses such as; â€Å"Ursulas disclosure to Ariel that having her voice taken away is not so bad because men do not like women who talk is dramatized when the prince attempts to bestow the kiss of true love on Ariel even though she has never spoken to him. Within this rigid narrative, Ariels maturity and identity are limited to her feminine attractability and embodied by heterosexual marriage,† children from the ages of 5-13 are not able to comprehend the analogies and imagery that he points out. Children at that age are more interested in the whimsical entertainment of the films and are too innocent and oblivious to any of the symbolism that Giroux maybe trying to insinuate are present in the films. In the Little Mermaid children are more captivated by the singing sea creatures and the wonderful colors of the ocean than by storyteller’s views on women having a voice in society. Giroux argues that in Beauty and the Beast, Belle teaches young women that they are responsible for controlling a man’s anger and violence, and that any woman can change an abusive man into a Prince. However many children are going to be focused on the dancing, singing furniture rather than analyzing the message Giroux interprets; that Belle is just a prop used to solve the beast’s dilemma. The age of children that will be most influenced by Disney films, are at a level of thinking where they have not begun to recognize and understand the images that Giroux describes are embedded in the Disney films. Giroux supports his claims by dissecting various scenes from Disney animations to better describe his insinuations on what Disney films teach children. However Giroux tends to over analyze and take certain criteria out of context, and disregards other parts of the movies that would cause some of his analysis to be incorrect. For example he states that â€Å"in Aladdin the issues of agency and power center primarily on the young street tramp Aladdin. Jasmine, the princess he falls in love with, appears as an object of his desire as well as a social stepping-stone.† In the movie however, Aladdin is not in search of power and does not view Jasmine as a social-stepping stone, instead he wishes to be a prince in order to be allowed to marry Jasmine, the woman he loves. However in the end he chooses not to be a prince even if it means losing Jasmine, in order to help his friend and to be true to who he really is. Giroux fails to examine the rest of the movie which in result supports that Jasmine is not a social-stepping stone to Aladdin, since he only wanted to be a prince in order to be with her and then gave up his standing in the end. For those in Giroux’s audience who have seen the entire movie, the ending contradicts Giroux’s argument which then weakens it. Giroux argues that in the movie The Little Mermaid, Ariel giving up her voice for a pair of legs so she can go above the sea to be with her prince, illustrates that men do not care about what women have to say, but instead are more interested in their looks. Giroux doesn’t take into account that Prince Eric didn’t truly fall in love with Ariel until she got her voice back and he realized she was the one he was looking all over town for. Ursula also used Ariel’s voice in order to hypnotize Eric in to loving her, since she knew Eric was in love mainly with Ariel’s voice. This supports that Ariel’s voice matters immensely to Prince Eric, not just her looks, which highly contradicts Giroux’s argument. Without analyzing the full movie, Giroux fails to provide strong supporting evidence, because he does not realize that scenes from the rest of the movie contradict the image he feels Disney is insinuating to children. Many who have seen the full movies he uses as examples will see how other scenes in the film disprove his argument, causing him to become less convincing to his audience. Giroux may be right that Disney can have a negative effect on the innocence of children, and that parents should be cautious when showing Disney movies to their children. When discussing the movie Mulan Giroux presents a strong argument when he states that Mulan has to hide who she is in order to enter the war and help her father. He claims that she is a strong, independent, and bold female, but must change herself into one of the boys so as to help her country and family. In this example he uses the full movie as an example instead of focusing on one scene of the movie. In his example of The Lion King Giroux argues of when Mufasa dies and Scar takes over pride rock, the lionesses stay and do his bidding. He suggests that Disney is insinuating women are dependent on men to lead them. Instead of taking one particular scene out of context he uses the entire movie as an example, as well as insinuates a message that may not be out of comprehensible reach for children who watch this particular Disney movie. Throughout the film the lionesses rely on a man to lead their â€Å"pack† and to help them make decisions. Even at the end of the movie the lionesses did not rebel and fight back towards Scar until Simba returned and lead them into a revolt against Scar and the hyenas; making Giroux successful in presenting a strong argument to his audience. Giroux discusses certain images that he feels Disney portrays to children and assumes that the children viewing the films will see the same illustrations, or comprehend the embedded stereotypes in the same way he does. However he does not take into account that the target audience that Disney attracts is at too young of an age to comprehend the morals he insinuates Disney is communicating, mainly because those morals have not been taught to children, or have not been exposed to such life experiences, therefore are ignorant to the stereotypes in the films. Many of the scenes that Giroux discusses are accurate in plot, but he seems to take certain parts of the films out of context and dramatizes the morals that Disney is trying to communicate to its audience. Instead of looking at the overall moral of the story he tends to focus on the scenes that enhance his argument, rather than include all scenes in which could begin to discredit his point of view, causing his writing to lack strong supporting evidence. Giroux, Henry. The Mouse that Roares. Lanham: The Rowman and Littlefield Publishing Group, 2010. Print.

Monday, October 14, 2019

The Respiratory System And Disease Health And Social Care Essay

The Respiratory System And Disease Health And Social Care Essay There are two lungs in the human chest; the right lung is composed of three incomplete divisions called lobes, and the left lung has two, leaving room for the heart. The right lung accounts for 55% of total gas volume and the left lung for 45%. Lung tissue is spongy due to very small (200 to 300  ¿Ã‚ ½ 10 ¿Ã‚ ½6 m diameter in normal lungs at rest) gas-filled cavities called alveoli, which are the ultimate structures for gas exchange. There are 250 million to 350 million alveoli in the adult lung, with a total alveolar surface area of 50 to 100 m2 depending on the degree of lung inflation (2). Conducting Airways Air is transported from the atmosphere to the alveoli beginning with the oral and nasal cavities, through the pharynx (in the throat), past the glottal opening, and into the trachea or windpipe. Conduction of air begins at the larynx, or voice box, at the entrance to the trachea, which is a fibromuscular tube 10 to 12 cm in length and 1.4 to 2.0 cm in diameter. At a location called the carina, the trachea terminates and divides into the left and right bronchi. Each bronchus has a discontinuous cartilaginous support in its wall. Muscle fibers capable of controlling airway diameter are incorporated into the walls of the bronchi, as well as in those of air passages closer to the alveoli. Smooth muscle is present throughout the respiratory bronchiolus and alveolar ducts but is absent in the last alveolar duct, which terminates in one to several alveoli. The alveolar walls are shared by other alveoli and are composed of highly pliable and collapsible squamous epithelium cells. The bronchi subdivide into subbronchi, which further subdivide into bronchioli, which further subdivide, and so on, until finally reaching the alveolar level. Each airway is considered to branch into two subairways. In the adult human there are considered to be 23 such branchings, or generations, beginning at the trachea and ending in the alveoli. Movement of gases in the respiratory airways occurs mainly by bulk flow (convection) throughout the region from the mouth to the nose to the fifteenth generation. Beyond the fifteenth generation, gas diffusion is relatively more important. With the low gas velocities that occur in diffusion, dimensions of the space over which diffusion occurs (alveolar space) must be small for adequate oxygen delivery into the walls; smaller alveoli are more efficient in the transfer of gas than are larger ones (2). Alveoli Alveoli are the structures through which gases diffuse to and from the body. To ensure gas exchange occurs efficiently, alveolar walls are extremely thin. For example, the total tissue thickness between the inside of the alveolus to pulmonary capillary blood plasma is only about 0.4  ¿Ã‚ ½ 10 ¿Ã‚ ½6 m. Consequently, the principal barrier to diffusion occurs at the plasma and red blood cell level, not at the alveolar membrane (2). Movement of Air In and Out of the Lungs and the Pressures That Cause the Movement Pleural Pressure Is the pressure of the fluid in the thin space between the lung pleura and the chest wall pleura. Alveolar pressure Is the pressure of the air inside the lung alveoli. To cause inward flow of air into the alveoli during inspiration, the pressure in the alveoli must fall to a value slightly below atmospheric pressure. Transpulmonary pressure It is the pressure difference between that in the alveoli and that on the outer surfaces of the lungs, and it is a measure of the elastic forces in the lungs that tend to collapse the lungs at each instant of espiration, called the recoil pressure. Compliance of the Lungs The extent to which the lungs will expand for each unit increase in transpulmonary pressure (if enough time is allowed to reach equilibrium) is called the lung compliance. The total compliance of both lungs together in the normal adult human being averages about 200 milliliters of air per centimeter of water transpulmonary pressure (3). Figure 2. Compliance diagram of lungs in a healthy person (3). Pathophysiology of Weaning Failure Reversible aetiologies for weaning failure can be categorized in: Respiratory load, cardiac load, neuromuscular competence, critical illness neuromuscular abnormalities (CIMMA), neuropsychological factors, and metabolic and endocrine disorders. Respiratory load The decision to attempt discontinuation of mechanical ventilation has largely been based on the clinician ¿Ã‚ ½s assessment that the patient is haemodynamically stable, awake, the disease process has been treated adequately and that indices of minimal ventilator dependency are present. The success of weaning will be dependent on the ability of the respiratory muscle pump to tolerate the load placed upon it. This respiratory load is a function of the resistance and compliance of the ventilator pump. Excess work of breathing (WOB) may be imposed by inappropriate ventilator settings resulting in ventilator dysynchrony (4). Reduced pulmonary compliance may be secondary to pneumonia, cardiogenic or noncardiogenic pulmonary oedema, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary haemorrhage or other diseases causing diffuse pulmonary infiltrates (5). Cardiac load Many patients have identified ischaemic heart disease, valvular heart disease, systolic or diastolic dysfunction prior to, or identified during, their critical illness. More subtle and less easily recognized are those patients with myocardial dysfunction, which is only apparent when exposed to the workload of weaning (5). Neuromuscular competence Liberation from mechanical ventilation requires the resumption of neuromuscular activity to overcome the impedance of the respiratory system, to meet metabolic demands and to maintain carbon dioxide homeostasis. This requires an adequate signal generation in the central nervous system, intact transmission to spinal respiratory motor neurons, respiratory muscles and neuromuscular junctions. Disruption of any portion of this transmission may contribute to weaning failure (5). Critical illness neuromuscular abnormalities CINMA are the most common peripheral neuromuscular disorders encountered in the ICU setting and usually involve both muscle and nerve (6). Psychological dysfunction Delirium, or acute brain dysfunction: Is a disturbance of the level of cognition and arousal and, in ICU patients, has been associated with many modifiable risk factors, including: use of psychoactive drugs; untreated pain; prolonged immobilisation; hypoxaemia; anaemia; sepsis; and sleep deprivation (7). Anxiety and depression: Many patients suffer significant anxiety during their ICU stay and the process of weaning from mechanical ventilation. These memories of distress may remain for years (8). Metabolic disturbances Hypophosphataemia, hypomagnesaemia and hypokalaemia all cause muscle weakness. Hypothyroidism and hypoadrenalism may also contribute to difficulty weaning (5). Nutrition Overweight: The mechanical effects of obesity with decreased respiratory compliance, high closing volume/functional residual capacity ratio and elevated WOB might be expected to impact on the duration of mechanical ventilation (5). Ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction and critical illness oxidative stress Ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction and critical illness oxidative stress is defined as loss of diaphragm force-generating capacity that is specifically related to use of controlled mechanical ventilation (9). Clinical Presentation of Patients Patients can be classified into three groups according to the difficulty and length of the weaning process. The simple weaning, group 1, includes patients who successfully pass the initial spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) and are successfully extubated on the first attempt. Group 2, difficult weaning, includes patients who require up to three SBT or as long as 7 days from the first SBT to achieve successful weaning. Group 3, prolonged weaning, includes patients who require more than three SBT or more than 7 days of weaning after the first SBT (5). Clinical Outcomes and Epidemiology There is much evidence that weaning tends to be delayed, exposing the patient to unnecessary discomfort and increased risk of complications (5). Time spent in the weaning process represents 40 ¿Ã‚ ½50% of the total duration of mechanical ventilation (10) (11). ESTEBAN et al. (10) demonstrated that mortality increases with increasing duration of mechanical ventilation, in part because of complications of prolonged mechanical ventilation, especially ventilator-associated pneumonia and airway trauma (12). The incidence of unplanned extubation ranges 0.3 ¿Ã‚ ½16%. In most cases (83%), the unplanned extubation is initiated by the patient, while 17% are accidental. Almost half of patients with self-extubation during the weaning period do not require reintubation, suggesting that many patients are maintained on mechanical ventilation longer than is necessary (5). Increase in the extubation delay between readiness day and effective extubation significantly increases mortality. In the study by COPLIN et al. (13), mortality was 12% if there was no delay in extubation and 27% when extubation was delayed. Failure of extubation is associated with high mortality rate, either by selecting for high-risk patients or by inducing deleterious effects such as aspiration, atelectasis and pneumonia (5). Rate of weaning failure after a single SBT is reported to be 26 ¿Ã‚ ½ 42%. Variation in the rate of weaning failure among studies is due to differences in the definition of weaning failure. VALLVERDU et al. (14) reported that weaning failure occurred in as many as 61% of COPD patients, in 41% of neurological patients and in 38% of hypoxaemic patients. Contradictory results exist regarding the rate of weaning success among neurological patients. The study by COPLIN et al. (13) demonstrated that 80% of patients with a Glasgow coma score of more than 8 and 91% of patients with a Glasgow coma score less than 4 were successfully extubated. In 2,486 patients from six studies, 524 patients failed SBT and 252 failed extubation after passing SBT, leading to a total weaning failure rate of 31.2% (5). The vast majority of patients who fail a SBT do so because of an imbalance between respiratory muscle capacity and the load placed on the respiratory system. High airway resistance and low respiratory system compliance contribute to the increased work of breathing necessary to breathe and can lead to unsuccessful liberation from mechanical ventilation (15). Economic Impact Mechanical ventilation is mostly used in the intensive care units (ICU) of hospitals. ICUs typically consume more than 20% of the financial resources of a hospital (16). A study that analyzed the incidence, cost, and payment of the Medicare intensive care unit use in the United States (US) reveled that mechanical ventilation costs a sum close to US$2,200 per day (17). One study shows that patients in the ICUs receiving prolonged mechanical ventilation represents 6% of all ventilated patients but consume 37% of intensive care unit (ICU) resources (18). Another study corroborates this numbers also showing that 5% to 10% of ICU patients require prolonged mechanical ventilation, and this patient group consumes more than or as much as 50% of ICU patient days and ICU resources. Prolonged ventilatory support and chronic ventilator dependency, both in the ICU and non-ICU settings, have a significant and growing impact on healthcare economics (19). Summary TREATMENT OPTIONS WEANING FAILURE Overview The process of initial weaning from the ventilator begins with an assessment regarding readiness for weaning. It is then followed by SBT as a diagnostic test to determine the possibility of a successful extubation. For the majority of patients, the entire weaning process involves confirmation that the patient is ready for extubation. Patients who meet the criteria in table 2 should be considered as being ready to wean from mechanical ventilation. These criteria are fundamental to estimate the likelihood of a successful SBT in order to avoid trials in patients with a high probability of failure (5). Table 2 Criteria for Assessing Readiness to Wean Clinical Assessment Adequate cough Absence of excessive tracheobronchial secretion Resolution of disease acute phase for which the patient was intubated Objective measurements Clinical stability Stable cardiovascular status (i.e. fC =140 beats*min-1, systolic BP 90 ¿Ã‚ ½160 mmHg, no or minimal vasopressors) Stable metabolic status Adequate oxygenation Sa,O2 >90% on =FI,O2 0.4 (or Pa,O2/FI,O2 =150 mmHg) PEEP =8 cmH2O Adequate pulmonary function f =35 breaths*min-1 PImax =-20 ¿Ã‚ ½ -25 cmH2O Ve < 10 l*min-1 P0.1/PImax < 0.3 VT >5 mL*kg-1 VC >10 mL*kg-1 f/VT 13 ml*breaths-1*min-1 No significant respiratory acidosis Adequate mentation No sedation or adequate mentation on sedation (or stable neurologic patient) Taken from (5) and (15). fC: cardiac frequency; BP: blood pressure; Sa,O2: arterial oxygen saturation; FI,O2: inspiratory oxygen fraction; Pa,O2: arterial oxygen tension; PEEP: positive end-expiratory pressure; f: respiratory frequency; PImax: maximal inspiratory pressure; VT: tidal volume; VC: vital capacity; CROP: integrative index of compliance. 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa. According to an expert panel, among these criteria only seven variables have some predictive potential: minute ventilation (VE), maximum inspiratory pressure (PImax), tidal volume (VT), breathing frequency (f), the ratio of breathing frequency to tidal volume (f/VT), P0.1/PImax (ratio of airway occlusion pressure 0.1 s after the onset of inspiratory effort to maximal inspiratory pressure), and CROP (integrative index of compliance, rate, oxygenation, and pressure) (20) . Minute Ventilation Minute ventilation is the total lung ventilation per minute, the product of tidal volume and respiration rate (21). It is measure by assessing the amount of gas expired by the patients lungs. Mathematicly, minute ventilation can be calculated after this formula: V_E=V_T ¿Ã‚ ½f It is reported that a VE less than 10 litres/minute is associated with weaning success (22). Other studies found that VE values more than 15-20 litres/minute are helpful in identifying if a patient is unlikely to be liberated from mechanical ventilation but lower values were not helpful in predicting successful liberation (15). A more recent study concluded that short VE recovery times (3-4 minutes) after a 2-hour SBT can help in determining respiratory reserve and predict the success of extubation (23). When mechanical ventilation takes place, this parameter is calculated monitoring flow and pressure by the ventilator in use itself or by an independent device attached to the airway circulation system such as the Respironics NM3 ¿Ã‚ ½ by Phillips Medical. Other ways to determine minute ventilation are by measuring the impedance across the thoracic cavity (24). This method though, is invasive and requires implanted electrodes. Maximal Inspiratory Pressure Maximal inspiration pressure is the maximum pressure within the alveoli of the lungs that occurs during a full inspiration (21). Is it commonly used to test respiratory muscle strength. On patients in the ICU or those not capable to cooperate, the PImax is measured by occluding the end of the endotracheal tube for a period of time close to 22 seconds with a one-way valve that only allows the patient to exhale. This configuration leads to increasing inspiratory effort measuring PImax towards the end of the occlusion period. However PImax is not enough to predict reliably the likeliness of successful weaning due to low specifity (15). The measurement of PImax can be performed by devices equipped with pressure sensors. Tidal Volume Tidal volume is the amount of air inhaled and exhaled during normal ventilation (21). Spontaneous tidal volumes greater than 5 ml/kg can predict weaning outcome (25). More recent studies found that a technique that measures the amount of regularity in a series analyzing approximate entropy of tidal volume and breathing frequency patterns is a useful indicator of reversibility of respiratory failure. A low approximate entropy that reflects regular tidal volume and respiratory frequency patterns is a good indicator of weaning success (26). Tidal volume can be measured using a pneumotachographic device. Breathing Frequency The degree of regularity in the pattern of the breathing frequency shown by approximate entropy rather than the absolute value of the breathing frequency is been proven to be useful in discriminating between weaning success and failure (26). The breathing rate or frequency is measured by counting the breathing cycles per a defined period of time. The Ratio of Breathing Frequency to Tidal Volume Yang and Tobin [18] then performed a prospective study of 100 medical patients receiving mechanical ventilation in the ICU in which they demonstrated that the ratio of frequency to tidal volume (rapid shallow breathing index (RSBI)) obtained during the first 1 minute of a T-piece trial and at a threshold value of =105 breaths/minute/l was a significantly better predictor of weaning outcomes However, there remains a principle shortcoming in the RSBI: it can produce excessive false positive predictions (that is, patients fail weaning outcome even when RSBI is =105 breaths/minute/l) [35-36] Also, the RSBI has less predictive power in the care of patients who need ventilatory support for more than 8 days and may be less useful in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and elderly patients [37-39]. The Ratio of Airway Occlusion Pressure to Maximal Inspiratory Pressure The airway occlusion pressure (P0.1) is the pressure measured at the airway opening 0.1 s after inspiring against an occluded airway [42]. The P0.1 is effort independent and correlates well with central respiratory drive. When combined with PImax, the P0.1/PImax ratio at a value of 13 ml/breaths/minute offers a reasonably accurate predictor of weaning mechanical ventilation outcome. In 81 COPD patients, Alvisi and colleagues [39] showed that a CROP index at a threshold value of >16 ml/breaths/minute is a good predictor of weaning outcome. However, one disadvantage of the CROP index is that it is somewhat cumbersome to use in the clinical setting as it requires measurements of many variables with the potential risk of errors in the measurement techniques or the measuring device, which can significantly affect the value of the CROP index. Clinical Treatment Profiles CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS