Life of a Prisoner in the Soviet Gulag and Nazi Death Camp Systems Essay

Life of a Prisoner in the Soviet Gulag and Nazi Death Camp Systems - Essay Example One of the notable things about Solzhenitsyn’s work is that there is little that truly occurs in the book. The novel tells the details of a day, slowly and methodically, so that the mundane nature of life in a prison is revealed. Although there is some discussion of punishment and the cruelty of living in the Gulag, it is the monotony and the long day that has the most impact. Through the oppressive atmosphere and the indignity of being given no trust through constant searches and counting of the inmates, there is a sense of being held in place, that feeling permeating the whole work in a way that portrays a realistic feeling of being in prison. In contrast, the life that Levi Primo describes is filled with hardships that are terrible and not mundane. Each new indignity pushes him toward the next lowered level in which he must re-establish some sense of humanity into his life. The strongest concept that creates the biggest differences in the experiences that are described is t hat in the Gulag, while life is harsh, there does seem to be some hope that the next day will come, and that finally the protagonist will be released from his imprisonment. In Auschwitz, on the other hand, there is the pervading sense that there will be only death at the end of the journey. Hope is a much more precious commodity as the descriptions of the daily life is defined by the knowledge. The low level of human conditions emphasized the lack of respect for basic human existence that was provided in this terrible place.

Materials And Manufacturing Of The Crankshaft Engineering Essay

Materials And Manufacturing Of The Crankshaft Engineering Essay This paper reports presents the result of an analysis on materials and manufacturing of an engineering component the crankshaft. Crankshaft specifications, material selection manufacturing processes are first analyzed using CES and then the design aspect manufacturing process is discussed. INTRODUCTION: Crankshaft is a large component in the vehicle engine which converts linear energy into rotational energy by the displacement of the piston to a rotator motion. Functions of crankshaft: The crankshaft, connecting rods, piston constitute a crank mechanism which converts the linear motion of the piston to rotary motion. Thus the concept design of an engine is that the output would be rotation. Generally the linear displacement of an engine is not smooth as the displacement is caused by combustion of gas in the combustion chamber. So the displacement has sudden shocks and using this input for other devices may cause damage to it. Thus crankshaft is used to change these sudden displacements to a smooth rotational output such that it can be input to other devices like pumps, generators and compressors. For this fly wheel is also used for smoothing the shocks. Service requirements: The stresses which arise in a crankshaft are mainly due to bending and torsion. The stresses can be: Due to bending from combustion load Due to axial bending from axial thrust variation Due to high tensile hoop set up on the webs Radial stress on the pins by the shrinkage of webs on journals Due to transmission of variable torque producing twisting of main bearing and crankpins Shear stress on the crankpin bearing journals due Temperature: Do be done Chemical atmosphere: To be done Crankshaft drawings: MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS / SELECTION: Crankshaft materials should have adequate strength, toughness, hardness and high fatigue strength. The major crankshaft material competitors in the industry are forged steel and cast iron. Comparison of the performance of these materials is with respect to the CES Analysis. Medium Carbon alloy: Medium carbon alloy consists of predominantly iron and also small percentage of carbon (0,25% to 0.45% i.e. 25 to 45 points of carbon) and also several other combinations of alloying elements. The alloying elements used are magnesium, chromium, molybdenum, nickel, silicon, cobalt, vanadium and sometime aluminum and titanium. The resultant alloy will have properties like harden ability, nitridability, surface and core hardness, ultimate tensile strength, ductility, impact resistance, corrosion resistance and tempering and brittle resistance. The carbon content in this combination is the ultimate strength and hardness. This is an advantage as crankshafts operates under high loads and requires high strength. Nodular Cast Iron: This Cast Iron has 3 to 4% of carbon and 1.8 to 2.8% of silicon and graphite nodules. To achieve this 0.02 % residual cerium or 0.05% of residual magnesium or both are added and melted. Due to this Sulphur is removed and small spheroids are formed in the cast material. The surface hardness of modular iron is greater than steel of similar strength, induction hardening can produce a surface with brinell number of 550 to 580. Nodular cast iron has the advantageous properties like low melting point, good fluidility, cast ability, machinability, and wear resistance over mechanical properties of steel like relatively high strength, hardness, toughness, workability and harden ability. Modular steel is better than Nodular Cast iron is justified by the graph produced by CES. MANUFACTURING ROUTE SELECTION: Crankshafts are manufactured from steel either by forging or casting. crankshafts are stronger than the cast crankshaft but are more expensive. The process of forging makes a very dense, tough shaft with a grain running parallel to the principal stress direction. The cost involved in material and machining of crankshaft using casting process is reduced as it makes use of required shape and size including counter weights. The metal grain structure is uniform and random throughout and so cast crankshaft can handle loads from all directions. Counter weights on cast crankshaft are slightly larger than counterweights on forged crankshafts as the cast metal is less dense and so they are higher. The evolution of the modular cast irons and improvements in techniques allows the manufacturers to prefer cast irons shafts for moderate loads. But for heavy duty applications forged shafts are favored. DESCRIPTION OF SELECTED MANUFACTURING PROCESS: Manufacturing process can be broken in to steps: The manufacturing route for forged steel crankshaft is usually hot forging, machining, heat treatment, surface treatment and inspection. Forging: Generally Hot Forging process id used to form crankshafts. The billet of suitable size is heated. The temperature would typically range from 1050 1250 °c and the pressed into required shape by squeezing the billet between dies under very high pressure. Extreme deformation is also possible but requires different dies for shaping. Then the resultant product is removed by gas cutting. Machining: Machining can be done using the following steps: Centering: It is a process that decides suitability of the end product. Turning: it is a process that processes journals, flanges, front axis, pins and recess for fillet rolling. Induction Hardening: To increases hardness Pins, journals, oil seal part and flange are quenched by induction hardening machine. Fillet Roll machining: this process is done to the journal and pins of the crankshaft use fillet rolling machine. Milling: This process is used for surface roughness to be made accurate as per the drawing structure of that of the journal pin, edge axis and the flange by milling machines. Balance; this process is used to balance by boring a hole through weight in order to stabilize pin weight to avoid vibrations. Heat Treatment: The desired strength of the material is achieved by a process known as heat treatment. Surface finishing: Steps involved in surface finishing; Surface Hardening: to create a hardened surface the ion-nitriding process is done by exposing the cranks to a nitrogen mix. These nitrogen mixes reacts with the surface and thus gives hardened surface. Shot à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Blasting: A process adopted to improve the surface quantity. In this process the surface of the material is attacked by different types of shots. The shots can be sand, steel balls or silicon carbide (granules). This is done to remove scale from the surface. Computer Aided Grinding Face Grinding: this process is used to improve the surface finish of crankshaft. Final Washing: This is done using anti-corrosive oil. Inspection: Using sophisticated Profilometer the crankshaft is inspected. For ensuring the quality of finishing product manual inspection is also done. CONCLUCION: Advanced Analysis allowed the mass and the inertia crankshaft by still maintaining levels of balance, durability and torsional vibration. 30% mass reduction 35% inertia reduction Final product had high durability even after setting the revoluon limiter was set to 1600 rpm and despite the increase in twist due to torsional vibration.

Essay --

1. Principios Bà ¡sicos 2. Espectro Polà ­tico al que Pertenece Considerando el espectro polà ­tico Derecha-Izquierda, Movimiento Ciudadano es un partido polà ­tico que, de acuerdo a su ordenamiento, pertenece a la izquierda ya que sus valores y creencias està ¡n enfocados en proteger a los dà ©biles, promoviendo la igualdad y la equidad, la libertad asà ­ como la autonomà ­a, el pluralismo y la defensa de los derechos fundamentales del ser humano. Con relacià ³n a la participacià ³n del gobierno en la economà ­a, Movimiento Ciudadano acepta el sistema de libre mercado como la mejor manera de organizar la produccià ³n de bienes y servicios requeridos para la satisfaccià ³n de necesidades materiales, pero al mismo tiempo tiene como objetivo fundamental la intervencià ³n del Estado para asegurar que los beneficios y dividendos sean producidos y distribuidos de una manera que se asegure una vida cabal y plena para toda la sociedad. En lo que concierne a su participacià ³n, Movimiento Ciudadano es partidario del cambio y cree que la sociedad es dà ³cil. Responde a un mundo globalizado y progresista, ya que busca la ...

Carl Jung’s the Shadow Essay

The following assessment explores my understanding of how I apply the person-centred approach/core conditions to myself when considering my shadow. To help explore and deepen our understanding of Carl Jung’s term ‘the shadow’ the class this week carried out an exercise whereby we each chose a card depicting a negative/challenging personality trait. The card I chose was ‘The Miser’. We then individually explored how we considered this aspect to play a part in our shadow and how the shadow impacts on us personally and professionally. I will go on to describe what I discovered about my shadow during this exercise. The shadow represents the unconscious parts of our personality – the parts our conscious-self disowns due to inner conflicts often originating from foundations such as culture and upbringing. Refusing to acknowledge its existence and place within our psyche threatens to distort our relationships with ourselves and others. Embracing the shadow allows us to move deeper within our unconscious layers and develop a better understanding of self. According to Carl Jung, recognising our shadow material is part of the journey to embracing the totality of ourselves. However, this can prove to be a difficult task. As Jung notes, it takes considerable moral effort, insight, and good will to embrace the dark aspects of our personality. Some parts of the shadow can be recognised more easily than others but because the shadow is ‘a moral problem’, there is usually some resistance to confronting it. 3a) Apply the person-centred approach to self When thinking about the definition of The Miser, I initially was not sure about its true meaning. After questioning this I discovered it describes a miserable, penny pinching character. On expanding on this and relating it to my shadow, I expressed my own connection of this to selfishness leading on to false guilt. So how do I apply the core conditions to myself when experiencing these elements of my shadow? And how can I get to a deeper and more compassionate understanding of these behaviours? A miserly character conjures up, from my personal vantage point, an image of Scrooge – someone who takes no pleasure in spending money on other people or making gestures of generosity. It is not a trait I would claim to have as I genuinely enjoy being as generous as I realistically within my network of family and friends. But, looking at this from a societal perspective, I can link feelings of selfishness to admitting that I could give more money to charity. In the economy we live in, speaking in broad terms, we all need to be careful about how and where we choose to spend our money. I would class myself as an honest, hard-working, tax paying citizen making up part of the working class structure of society. I am however aware of times when I am frugal with my finances and the sense of guilt that can surface. When thinking of my shadow in the context of the core conditions, I can empathically understand that money is an integral part of my survival system – to having the lifestyle, health, necessities and luxuries I choose to strive for. I can feel very sad for people and countries in desperate need of charitable help which is accompanied by a sense of selfishness over the advantages and privileges I fortunately have and whilst I feel passionate that nobody should ever have to live a life of poverty in such a wealthy world, I remain realistic and congruent with myself about the extent of which I am able to help financially. I take the time to acknowledge such issues but manage and internalise them to a degree that does not defeat my sense of contribution to the world. This flows in to unconditional positive regard. I recognise that the feelings of selfishness and false guilt that arise in me are hard to process and if I am honest that I am capable of feeling selfish, I can start to understand with more clarity the reasons to how I arrived at that place and ultimately feel respect and compassion for myself through a clearer understanding and appreciation. 3b) Critically examine how this application impacts on your own counselling So how does thinking about my shadow relate to me professionally? Not owning my shadow as a counsellor could exert an unseen influence on my relationship with the client. To deny such parts of myself is to supress them and inevitably and unconsciously permit them seep in to the dynamics of the relationship. If I strive to use the core conditions with myself, and accept myself sensitively and compassionately, I will be capable of providing the same conditions for the client. Rogers (1961) describes further the relevance of being congruent; â€Å"The psychotherapist is what he is, when in the relationship with his client he is genuine and without front or facade, openly being the feelings and attitudes which at that moment are flowing in him†¦the feelings the therapist is experiencing are available to him, available to his awareness, and he is able to live these feelings, be them, and able to communicate them if appropriate. † As a counsellor I need to have the ability to own my flaws and admit that I am human and fallible but strive to internally construct them in a sensitive way so as not to allow them to sabotage the delicate conditions in which a therapeutic relationship can develop. Disavowing the conflicts and flaws within me could result in projecting my own value systems, beliefs and insecurities on to the client. If I were to deny the ability within me to feel selfish then my visceral reaction to a client bringing up such issues in a session would be stuck inside my own frame of reference and the core conditions I aim to provide myself and the client would be blinkered. References Rogers C, . (1961) On Becoming a Person: A Therapist’s View of Psychotherapy. London. Constable.

The Origins and Implications of Bebop of Dizzy Gillespie

The evolution of jazz represents not just the musical maturity and divergences in African-American music but also a fundamental departure from the stereotypes and socio-cultural issues that have been facing African-Americans. Jazz which is commonly regarded by critics as an African music reeking with sexual innuendos had experienced its most dramatic and most important change in the introduction of Bebop.Bebop therefore represents the departure from classical jazz and ushered the era of young black musicians seeking to establish their own ground in the United States and the world.Pioneered by gifted musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, the Bebop era during the 1940s-1950s is considered to be the end of classical jazz and the start of modern jazz. This paper seeks to explore and evaluate the origins of Bebop and Afro-Cuban Jazz and how it had changed the landscape of jazz music including the social and cultural context by which it is created and performed. Drawing from the life story an d works of Dizzy Gillespie, this paper traces the contributions of Bebop in jazz and in modern society particularly among African-Americans.Dizzy Gillespie and the Origins and Rise of BebopThe principal figure of Bebop music has been John Birks Gillespie or more popularly known as Dizzy Gillespie. Considered as the founder of Bebop music, Dizzy Gillespie was an instrumental figure in the popularity of the transition of jazz to a more difficult and fast rhythms of bebop as emphasized in the 32nd notes and the familiar 2nd and 4th beats popular in Afro-Americans. Born in October 21, 1917 Gillespie's family moved to New York City in 1937 where he began to play the trumpet and worked with different artists through his job in different Orchestras.Even in his early years, Gillespie had been noted to change the chords based on the melodies in his performances. This is to be noted one of the primary deviations of jazz from bebop. Inspired by the earlier styles of Eldridge, Gillespie was alr eady known for his faster speed in playing the trumpet, utilization of chord changes and new rythms including the upper register notes above high C. His musical maturity was further honed when he met and collaborated with another bebop saxophonist player in Charlie Parker (Jazz at Lincoln Center, 9).In the 1940s, the composition of Gillespie which included Groovin' High, Woody ‘n You, Manteca, Salt Peanuts among others was found in mainstream jazz. In the middle of 1940s, bebop was already gaining strength in terms of number of musicians and followers. Bebop music emerged as a subcategory of jazz through the works of several African Americans who developed bebop as a combination of dancing, rhythm, harmony and the phrasing of the song. These were the primary deviation of bebop from jazz. The history of Bebop can be traced as early as the late 1930s through the works of Coleman Hawkins and Charlie Parker.However, the rise in the popularity of bebop started in the 52nd Street wh en David Gillespie together with Parker, Sarah Vaughan, and others has started to collaborate and develop the music. From there, the signal of the bebop era was welcomed together with the opening of the Onyx Club which has housed bebop musicians (Horricks, 5). Dizzy Gillespie did not only pioneer the popularity of bebop but was also considered to be as one of the more influential musicians of Afro-Cuban jazz which is also called the Spanish Tinge. To a large extent, the Afro-Cuban jazz was a direct descendant of the bebop music of Gillespie.Composed primarily of variety of music, Afro-Cuban jazz including the more popular ones in contemporary times are salsa, cha cha cha and merengue. The collaboration of Gillespie with Bauza during the time of bebop also ushered the era of Afro-Cuban jazz. With the influence of Gillespie, the song Manteca by Pozo was formed in the 52nd St. This development furthered the audience of bebop to include Cubop (Afro-Cuban jazz). Concurrently, the Cubop g ained a wider audience through the popularity of one of its variety- the mambo dance.Proponents and Opponents: Impact of Bebop and Afro-American Music on Jazz First, Bebop was instrumental not only in modernizing jazz but also in portraying the social and cultural modernization of African Americans. To a significant extent, the emergence of bebop music is considered to be the start of modernizing jazz in the context of Afro-American music. This type of music however should not be confined to jazz, music and the arts alone. According to Ramsey, bebop signifies the â€Å"African American responses to their experiences of modernity† (97).Thus, the bulwarks of Dizzy Gillespie's work together with bebop sessions in Harlem according to the author are drenched with counter cultural imagery. Concurrently, bebop is instrumental in the emergence of jazz as a means of social expression full of political and cultural commentaries. Thus, bebop is not just an autonomous art but rather one that is both social and art. Second, bebop became the music not only of black African-Americans but also of young white Americans and Europeans. Before the development of Jazz, many cultures such as those in Europe considers jazz to be overtly sexual and is the music of Black Americans.With the emergence of bebop in the 1940s, the misconception of jazz and African Americans allowed a wider audience base- it is no longer confined to more liberal societies and liberals but were tolerated by conservative societies (Deveaux, 527). Consequently, Gillespie and the rest of the young black performers together with young whites became a representation not just of the departure from the old Jazz but also a revolt and a criticism of the social and cultural beliefs of their ancestors (Ehrenberg, 236).To a significant extent, the changes in the notes, rhythm, chord, phrasing of jazz which ushered the era of bebop made the perception of jazz as sexual and for romantics changed. The popularity and the widening of the audience base therefore was one of the primary impacts of Gillespie and bebop. Third, despite the differences between bebop and jazz, some jazz fans were reluctant to accept the seeming racing and fragmented sound of bebop. However, more jazz fans were fascinated and excited by the new type of jazz being offered to them (Ehrenberg, 237).The niche of bebop was centered on the younger population (younger than the earlier jazz fans); this appeal was also attributed to the improvisation of the free structure in phrasing. Much like free verses that are popular today, bebop's spontaneity became a hit for the younger audience. Moreover, the difficulty in performing bebop from that of jazz elevated the status of bebop musicians. For one, the use of chord substitutions and alteration in chords leading to rapid changing in chord progressions limited the number of musicians who can play.This is because for one to perform a bop piece, the musician must be expert and extreme ly talented particularly with the development of confracts. Fourth, criticisms and opponents of bebop were further silenced upon the introduction of Gillespie and some musicians of a variety of bebop- the Cubop or the Afro-Cuban jazz. The Cubop whose precursor is bebop emerged with the combination of bebop and the music from Cuba and Spain. The advent of this type of music did not occur in Cuba however, as it was popularized in New York due to the influence of its proponents.The popularity and charisma of Gillespie had been largely credited for the success of the Afro-Cuban music who had been trying to carve a niche of their own for years. Jazz from Latin American, it should be remembered had few following because of the lack of mainstream exposure. Similar to bebop, Cubop derives its ingenuity from the rich cultural musical history of Latin America coupled with the free improvisation that was popularized by bebop. Termed as Descarga sessions or jamming in modern society, Cubop beca me popular in the US and other countries in the 1950s and 1960s.Consequently, it is also evident that Afro-Cuban jazz is largely African-American in nature. Both countries have the same history of being colonized and repressed for so long. Thus, similar to bebop, Cubop also talked about social and cultural issues similar to that of bebop. The Afro-Cuban jazz of the 1940s-1950s therefore was largely influenced by Gillespie and African musicians. However, due to the development among Cuban musicians, the 1950s and 1960s Cubop had been increasingly characterized by Cuban music. Conclusion The emergence of Bebop as pioneered by Gillespie was met with differing reactions from jazz followers and musicians.On one hand, critics regarded Bebop as the end of the classical jazz- it was a departure from the elite style and the romantic solemnity that jazz has been known for. Moreover, opponents of bebop argue that significantly, bebop has stripped jazz with the spirituality, romanticism and the blues that its ardent followers have loved before. Essentially, jazz has been viewed as an expression of emotionality and the deepest feelings of musicians and its followers. However, these opponents contend that Bebop dramatically changed jazz to open an era that will never look back.On the other hand, proponents of Bebop argue that it was Bebop who had brought jazz to the mainstream. Before, jazz is confined to the elite class and to African Americans. However, with the introduction of Bebop, even younger Blacks and Whites became followers of Bebop. Consequently, bebop redefined jazz: it is no longer the music of African Americans but rather, a universal music that everyone can enjoy. Moreover, the fast and the changing chords including the free phrasing in Bebop had excited former followers of jazz, reinvigorating their support for the music.Consequently, bebop was also responsible for the new genre in music including Afro-Cuban and the succeeding variations of jazz. Despite the critics of classical jazz lovers, the contribution of Dizzy Gillespie and Bebop in music and jazz history had been enormous. Musically, Bebop and Gillespie inspired young black musicians to create their own music: to come out of the box of their cultural limitations in order to create a venue of expression. Contemporary musicians for instance still experiment on the works of Gillespie and bebop. Gillespie was also responsible for popularizing jazz in mainstream society.For instance, jazz is now considered to be a part of the pop culture- something that cannot be said during the earlier parts of its development. Consequently, Bebop also created a departure of the usual love songs and blues in jazz to include significant social commentaries- thus, widening the base by which African American stages their freedom of expression, cultural values and social stands. Bebop did not only usher a new era in jazz music, its influence both musically and socially is still relevant in modern socie ty.Works CitedRamsey, Guthrie. Race Music: Black Cultures from Bebop to Hip-Hop.Berkeley; University of California Press. 2003.Jazz at Lincoln Center. The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad. 2006.Retrieved 4 December at http://jazzatlincolncenter. org/TheRoad_noFl/pdf/Latin_Guide_English. pdf.Horricks, Raymond, Dizzy Gillespie and the Bebop Revolution, Hippocrene, 1984.DeVeaux, Scott. Constructing the Jazz Tradition: Jazz Historiography. Black American Literature Forum 25. 1991. 525-560.Ehrenberg, Lewis. Things to Come: Swing Bands, Bebop, and the Rise of a Postwar Jazz Scene; in Recasting America, edited by Larry May. University of Chicago Press. 1989.

William Rosecrans - General William Rosecrans - Civil War - Army of the Cumberland

William Rosecrans - General William Rosecrans - Civil War - Army of the Cumberland William Rosecrans - Early Life Career: William Starke Rosecrans was born at Little Taylor Run, OH on September 6, 1819. The son of Crandall Rosecrans and Jemima Hopkins, he received little formal education as a youngster and was forced to rely on what he could learn from books. Leaving home at age thirteen, he clerked at a store in Mansfield, OH before attempting to obtain an appointment to West Point from Representative Alexander Harper. Meeting with the congressman, his interview proved so impressive that he received the appointment that Harper had intended to give to his son. Entering West Point in 1838, Rosecrans proved a gifted student. Dubbed Old Rosy by his classmates, he excelled in the classroom and graduated ranked 5th in a class of 56. For this academic achievement, Rosecrans was assigned to the Corps of Engineers as a brevet second lieutenant. Marrying Anna Hegeman on August 24, 1843, Rosecrans received a posting to Fort Monroe, VA. After a year there, he requested and was granted a transfer back to West Point to teach engineering. With the outbreak of the Mexican-American War in 1846, he was retained at the academy while his classmates went south to fight. William Rosecrans - Leaving the Army: While the fighting raged, Rosecrans continued teaching before moving to Rhode Island and Massachusetts on engineering assignments. Later ordered to the Washington Navy Yard, Rosecrans began seeking civilian jobs to aid in supporting his growing family. In 1851, he sought a teaching post at the Virginia Military Institute, but turned down when the school hired Thomas J. Jackson. In 1854, after suffering from declining health, Rosecrans left the US Army and took a position with a mining company in western Virginia. A skillful businessman, he prospered and later formed an oil refining company in Cincinnati, OH. William Rosecrans - The Civil War Begins: Badly burned during an accident in 1859, Rosecrans required eighteen months to recover. His return to health coincided with the start of the Civil War in 1861. Offering his services to Ohio Governor William Dennison, Rosecrans was initially made an aide-de-camp to Major General George B. McClellan before being promoted to colonel and given command of the 23rd Ohio Infantry. Promoted to brigadier general on May 16, he won victories at Rich Mountain and Corricks Ford, though credit went to McClellan. When McClellan was ordered to Washington after the defeat at Bull Run, Rosecrans was given command in western Virginia. Eager to take action, Rosecrans lobbied for a winter campaign against Winchester, VA but was blocked by McClellan who promptly transferred away most of his troops. In March 1862, Major General John C. Frà ©mont replaced Rosecrans and he was ordered west to command two divisions in Major General John Popes Army of the Mississippi. Taking part in Major General Henry Hallecks Siege of Corinth in April and May, Rosecrans received command of the Army of the Mississippi in June when Pope was ordered east. Subordinate to Major General Ulysses S. Grant, Rosecrans argumentative personality clashed with his new commander. William Rosecrans - The Army of the Cumberland: On September 19, Rosecrans won the Battle of Iuka when he defeated Major General Stirling Price. The following month, he successfully defended Corinth though his men were hard-pressed for much of the battle. In the wake of the fighting, Rosecrans earned Grants ire when he failed to quickly pursue the beaten enemy. Hailed in the northern press, Rosecrans twin victories earned him command of XIV Corps which was soon renamed the Army of the Cumberland. Replacing Major General Don Carlos Buell who had recently checked the Confederates at Perryville, Rosecrans was promoted to major general. Re-equipping the army at Nashville, TN through November, Rosecrans came under fire from Halleck, now general-in-chief, for his inaction. Finally moving out in December, marched to attack General Braxton Braggs Army of Tennessee near Murfreesboro, TN. Opening the Battle of Stones River on December 31, both commanders intended to attack the others right flank. Moving first, Braggs assault drove back Rosecrans lines. Mounting a strong defense, the Union troops were able avert disaster. After both sides remained in place on January 1, 1863, Bragg again attacked the next day and sustained heavy losses. Unable to defeat Rosecrans, Bragg withdrew to Tullahoma, TN. Remaining at Murfreesboro for the next six months to reinforce and refit, Rosecrans again drew criticism from Washington for his inaction. After Halleck threatened to send some his troops to aid in Grants Siege of Vicksburg, the Army of the Cumberland finally moved out. Beginning on June 24, Rosecrans conducted the Tullahoma Campaign which saw him use a brilliant series of maneuvers to force Bragg out of central Tennessee in little more than a week while sustaining fewer than 600 casualties. William Rosecrans - Disaster at Chickamauga: Though a tremendous success, his accomplishment failed to garner major attention, much to his ire, due to the Union victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg. Pausing to assess his options, Rosecrans pressed on in late August. As before, he out-maneuvered Bragg and forced the Confederate commander to abandon Chattanooga. Union troops took the city on September 9. Abandoning the cautiousness that had been part of his earlier operations, Rosecrans pushed into northwest Georgia with his corps widely spread apart. When one was nearly beaten by Bragg at Daviss Cross Roads on September 11, Rosecrans ordered the army to concentrate near Chickamauga Creek. On September 19, Rosecrans met Braggs army near the creek and opened the Battle of Chickamauga. Recently reinforced by Lieutenant General James Longstreets corps from Virginia, Bragg began a series of attacks on the Union line. Holding through the day, Rosecrans army was driven from the field the next day after a poorly-worded order from his headquarters inadvertently opened a large gap in the Union line through which the Confederates attacked. Retreating to Chattanooga, Rosecrans attempted to organize a defense while Major General George H. Thomas delayed the Confederates. William Rosecrans - Removal from Command: Though he established a strong position at Chattanooga, Rosecrans was shattered by the defeat and his army was soon besieged by Bragg. Lacking the initiative to break out, Rosecrans position worsened. To remedy the situation, President Abraham Lincoln unified Union command in the West under Grant. Ordering reinforcements to Chattanooga, Grant arrived in the city and replaced Rosecrans with Thomas on October 19. Traveling north, Rosecrans received orders to command the Department of Missouri in January 1864. Overseeing operations, he defeated Prices Raid that fall. As a War Democrat, he was also briefly considered as a running mate for Lincoln in the 1864 election as the president was seeking a bi-partisan ticket. William Rosecrans - Later Life: Remaining in the US Army after the war, he resigned his commission on March 28, 1867. Briefly serving as US Ambassador to Mexico, he was quickly replaced with Grant became president. In the postwar years Rosecrans became involved in several railroad ventures and later was elected to Congress in 1881. Remaining in office until 1885, he continued to bicker with Grant over events during the war. Serving as Register of the Treasury (1885-1893) under President Grover Cleveland, Rosecrans died at his ranch in Redondo Beach, CA on March 11, 1898. In 1908, his remains were re-interred at Arlington National Cemetery. Selected Sources Civil War: William S. RosecransNational Park Service: William S. Rosecrans Ohio History: William S. Rosecrans

Israelis and the Palestinians essays

Israelis and the Palestinians essays Israelis and Palestinians: The Middle-East Horror The Israelis and the Palestinians, both in the past and in the present, have caused one another great suffering because their religious beliefs have impelled them to violence over the issue of control of the city of Jerusalem. Both sides believe themselves to be divinely entitled to exclusive control of the city; both sides have lived under the shadow of violence as a result. These religious convictions and intolerance have had tragic consequences. Recently, many horrific acts of violence in the region have been perpetrated as a result of these beliefs, and many people have died in the struggle. Despite many efforts to resolve this conflict, there is presently no clear path to peace in sight. It is tragic that two of the world's great religions, Judaism and Islam, have taken the path of violence over control of this real estate, merely because they consider it to be of religious importance. This conflict has long-standing historical and religious roots. For many centuries, Jerusalem has been of great religious significance to Judaism, Islam, and Christianity (although Christians are not deeply involved in the struggle for control of the city). In biblical the city was controlled by Jews and the Romans. In later years, the Muslims took control of the city, and European Christians went on crusades to try to take control away from them. In the twentieth century, the Jews regained control (Jerusalem: A History of Bloodshed, Peace"). The state of Israel was founded in 1948, and the Israelis gained control of the city after winning the six-day war in 1967. The Israelis currently have control of the city; however they have allowed the Palestinians access and limited rule of some areas ("Jerusalem Bloodshed"). Palestinians want more area and control. The Israelis do not want to give it up. All throughout this history of shifting control and conflict over the city, ma ny p...

How to write a presentation - Emphasis

How to write a presentation How to write a presentation Delivering a memorable and effective presentation to your colleagues or customers is about so much more than pulling together some PowerPoint slides and donning your best suit. You need to inspire your audience, not bludgeon them with jargon and visuals. Robert Ashton provides some handy tips on how to impress. Gordon Brown, in one of his first high-profile public presentations as shadow chancellor, talked in detail about the post neo-classical endogenous growth theory. He was greeted with widespread media derision while the electorate remained bemused and unenthused. Now, 13 years later, and finally on the cusp of being the new Prime Minister, his words on the economy are unquestionably more straightforward and easier on the ear: The task ahead is to build an even stronger economy with even higher standards of living It would be fair to say that Mr Brown has learned a thing or two about giving a presentation. Of course much has been made of his changing style: he smiles more, speaks more openly, looks more relaxed, wears more fashionable clothes. All of these may have improved his presentation style. But giving a decent presentation is about more than wearing the right outfit and developing a more upbeat speaking voice. It is also about the words you use. As Mr Brown said himself in his leadership-bid speech, I have never believed presentation should be a substitute for policy. He may have been referring to politics (while having a little dig at Tony Blair), but we should echo his call for substance to triumph over style in the world of business presentations. Presentation has always been an important part of professional life, but there has been a noticeable trend over the last few years for the focus to be on delivery and appearance rather than content. Mr Brown is not the only one who has been polishing his presentation style. Countless organisations send their staff on presentation skills courses to learn how to improve their public speaking. Not that presentation skills dont count of course they do. But a good presentation depends on much more than simply presenting yourself. A clear voice and a confident manner will never disguise irrelevant, ill-chosen content or over-complicated, inappropriate terminology. And by content, Im not referring to PowerPoint slides. Most of us have had enough of sitting through presentations where we are either bored to tears by slide after slide overloaded with text or dazed by endless graphics whizzing pointlessly across the screen. To be fair, some businesses are starting to realise this. But many have missed the point in their response to the growing disenchantment with PowerPoint. A well-known software company, for example, decided that employees were not engaging with corporate presentations. Its solution was to decree that no presentation should be longer than six slides. The result? Slides with as many words, figures and graphics as possible squeezed in by means of the teeniest illegible font and the narrowest margins. The employees, I imagine, have gained nothing other than future eyesight problems to add to their disengagement. But my real objection to PowerPoint is nothing to do with the number or style of the slides. It is the fact that pulling together the slides seems to have become almost synonymous with writing a presentation. Slides may give you a checklist of points to cover, and sometimes even some worthwhile visual support. But they will never win over your audience. Wise words To engage and inspire an audience you need to appeal to their values. To carry them, you need pace and rhythm. To change minds and influence decisions, you must choose and order your words carefully. In short, you need to plan and write your presentation, not just pull together some slides. Presentations demand a physical style of writing thats tied to your breath, the ability to deliver a telling phrase or sentence and whether you can capture and keep an audiences attention. You need to tell a good story and you need to keep it short and snappy, using simple, evocative words that will immediately strike a chord. You cant afford to leave your audience behind to have them wondering what you meant by something when youve already moved on to something else. Your ideas and values have to register in the moment. Your words need to be both simple and powerful. No matter how accomplished or experienced a public speaker you are, you will rarely get a good response from using technical, philosophical, or intellectual jargon or convoluted language in a presentation. Imagine if Martin Luther King had said: I am in possession of a vision statement for mankind that my four offspring will at some future juncture reside in a nation where they will not be appraised by the pigmentation of their skin but by the nature and substance of their disposition. I am in possession of a vision statement today. Or if John F Kennedy had tried to appeal to peoples national pride with: In addition, therefore, co-habitants of America, do not request of yourselves as to the nature of the obligations your territory should render unto you; request of yourselves as to the nature of the obligations you should render unto your reign of domicile yourselves. Perhaps their undisputed personal magnetism and formidable public speaking skills may have compensated a little for the lacklustre content. But it is their use of simple but carefully-constructed language that has secured their speeches a place in the pages of our history books: I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. So next time you have to give a presentation, whether it is to win hearts and minds, flog your products, or simply tell people what you do, forget the PowerPoint slides, the vocal exercises and whether or not your suit is looking a bit out of date. Instead, concentrate on the actual content of what youre going to say and the words that are going to make an impression on your audience. Some hints and tips for writing a good presentation: Syntax: Disentangle your thoughts and arrange the words in your sentences to be simple and logical. Often when theres a lot of information obscuring a main point, syntax becomes far too complex. Jargon: Every profession or industry has its jargon, but only use it if you are speaking to peers and are sure they will understand you. Words: We all have our favourite words that we enjoy using and make us feel confident. As you write, imagine yourself saying the words you use and see if you are comfortable with them. And avoid any words you have trouble saying eg. if you might stumble over statistics, then say figures instead. Sentences: The sentences in a presentation should be shorter than in the typical business document. When you do write a longer sentence, make sure there is a natural break point so you can take a breath. Pace, rhythm and tone: Varying the pace, rhythm and tone of sentences makes both the speaking and listening experience far more enjoyable. Make sure the stress falls on the most important words (eg. To be or not to be; I have a dream); vary the length of sentences; arranging words in pairs and trios (saying things in threes gives a sense of movement, progression and resolution: Going, going, gone). Saying words in pairs gives a more balanced tone (courage and commitment, energy and effort) or sense of tension between the words (war and peace, imports and exports). Analogies: Good analogies can work well in presentations because they paint vivid pictures for the audience. The best way to do it is to use either a simile (It wasnt so much a dinner party, more like feeding time at the zoo) or a metaphor (Shes a dragon of a teacher). Words to avoid: Be careful about using clichs like pushing the envelope, playing hardball and thinking outside the box. And think carefully about any word that ends with -ism, -ise, -based, -gate, -focused and -driven. Alliteration: Big and bold, sleek and shiny, key components. On the page alliteration may look contrived, but it can effectively highlight important phrases in a presentation. Repetition: Repeating words also works well in physical writing. The phrase used by New Labour politicians, Education, education, education, was much stronger (and far more memorable) than something bland like, Were going to make education our priority. Punctuation: Use punctuation to help you deliver your speech. You dont need to have perfect punctuation in your presentation script instead use exclamation marks, underlining and brackets to tell you when to breathe and which words to stress. You can always have another correct version of your script for distribution. Robert Ashton is chief executive of business writing specialists Emphasis. For more information see emphbootstrap.wpengine.com Do you want your team to write persuasive presentations? Have a look at our in-house presentation-writing course.

Gender Definitions, Racism and Class Theories Essay

Gender Definitions, Racism and Class Theories - Essay Example The essay "Gender Definitions, Racism and Class Theories" talks about the theories by Judith Butler and Bell Hooks which are both challenging popular feminist notions about gender definitions, racism, and class within the folds of feminist ideology. Both types of theories challenge the preset notions of a woman.According to Bell Hooks the "feminist movement", a chiefly white middle and upper-class affair, did not articulate the desires of poor and nonwhite women, thus strengthening sexism, racism, and classism. She hints this is the reason such low numbers of black women participated in the feminist movement in the 1970s (Louis Harris' Virginia Slims poll done in 1972 for Phillip Morris). The call for unity and camaraderie pre-arranged around notions that women constitute a sex class/caste with universal experiences and universal oppression made feminism a structurally unsound theory. Women of color, for the most part, black females, some of whom had been mixed up in the movement fro m its inception, some jointly occupied with women's liberation and black power struggle, called awareness to differences that could not be reconciled by over-romantic evocations of sisterhood. The face of feminism was changed. Bell Hooks states that the correlation of sexism and racism during slavery added to black women having the lowest status and worst circumstances of any group in American society. Hooks points out to the fact that white female reformers were more concerned with white morality than the conditions of black women.

Heteronormativity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Heteronormativity - Essay Example Despite the increased visibility of gay men and lesbian women, there remains no definition of family in the public consciousness that refers to same-sex couples with children. In fact, in the not too distant past, the notions of lesbian mothers/homosexual fathers or lesbian/homosexual families would have been nonexistent. This culture of heteronormativity (Gamson, 2000) dictates that a viable family consist of a heterosexual mother and a father raising children together. Heterosexuality and heterosexual forms of relating are the norm.1 All other forms of relational experience are thus viewed in contrast. For example, the descriptive term "couples" means heterosexual couples, then, there are gay and lesbian couples. Families are nuclear and headed by two heterosexual parents, then, there are gay and lesbian families. Similarly, "woman" means a heterosexual woman, then, there is the lesbian. Heteronormativity supports the dominant norm of heterosexuality by marginalizing any relational structure that defies it.2 A review of the family therapy literature bears this out; until recently the concept of the gay/lesbian family has been virtually unheard of in the family therapy field. This fact was confirmed by two research studies. Allen and Demo3 and Clark and Serovich found that the marriage and family therapy fields generally ignored gay, lesbian, and bisexual issues. For example, Clark and Serovich surveyed 17 journals published from 1975 to 1995. Of the 13,217 articles published, only 77, or 0.006% focused on gay/lesbian issues, used a gay/lesbian sample, or included sexual orientation as a variable.4 Goodrich (2003) cited the availability of only two early texts on working with lesbian couples in family therapy as an indication of the intense homophobia in the field from the 1960s to the 1990s.5 Proceeding from the above stated, heteronormativity has determined that unless the word gay is attached, marriage implies heterosexual marriage. Heterosexuality is the norm. Indeed, as Warner (1993) pointed out, "humanity and heterosexuality are synonymous."6 This notion of heterosexuality goes far beyond the institutions that marginalize and punish any relationship viewed as other. In this vein, heterosexuality is, of itself, a social and political organizing principle.7 Intrinsically linked to the structures of male dominance, heterosexuality can be viewed as a dictatorial patriarchal institution.8 Rich described this culture of compulsory heterosexuality as a powerful cluster of forces within which women have been convinced of the inevitability of both marriage and sexual orientation toward men. Thus, there have been very few attempts to explain how an individual develops a heterosexual orientation.9 Research into the development of heterosexuality is limited by the belief that it is natural and when it focuses upon homosexuality, persistently views it as deviant. Thus, implicit in discussions about sexual orientation is the notion that heterosexuality is both normal and mentally healthy, and that non-heterosexuals are abnormal and psychologically disabled.10 In direct relation to the homosexual/heterosexual categories, Rothblum (2000) pointed out that in a categorical definition of sexual orientation behavior, desire, and identity are assumed to be congruent.11 This is disputed by research.

Psychology Adult & aging Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Psychology Adult & aging Development - Essay Example isease process that may result from sub-optimal hormone levels, inadequate dietary protein, and other nutritional imbalances, lack of exercise, oxidative stress, and inflammation (Brink 1-4).† As a person grows older, he or she losses a percentage of muscle tone yearly. And as the individual reach the age of 75, the percentage of muscle mass is typically half of what it was during young adulthood. Muscle mass decreases because as people grow older their physical activities become less. Studies likewise show that growth hormones and testosterone levels that helps in muscle development diminishes. And as this happens the muscles cannot contract as fast as before because â€Å"more fast-contracting (fast-twitch) muscle fibers are lost than slow-contracting (slow-twitch) muscle fibers (The Merck Manuals 2).† The lifestyle of an individual plays a major role in his overall health and well being. While there may be studies that show the lifespan of a person basing it on age, gender and race, the possibilities of beating the odds by properly taking good care of one’s self could actually beat the odds. An example of this is: when you start smoking at a young age, say at age 12 or 13, the probability of you acquiring a disease related to smoking is greater that those who smoked at a later age like 25. The explanation here is that at the age of 12 your respiratory system has not still been fully developed to withstand the bad effects of smoking. Thus, at that age most of your lung capillaries were already destroyed and your system is already pumped up with nicotine. Another example is: having a balanced diet and doing regular exercise. By eating properly you nourish your body with nutrients that it needs in order to perform daily activities. And by exerting you tome you muscles and strengthen your overall physique. But if you are a couch potato who simply wants to just lie around and eat junk food – then you could be a candidate for obesity and early stroke –

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

Mgt - Assignment Example Shaving heads is also a form of removing any vestiges of individuality from any of the people so that they are all reduced to defining themselves as their captors do (Zimbardo). The push-ups became an aversive form of punishment because the guards could demand that the prisoners perform even more of them when they felt like it. Push-ups are a form of exercise that is associated with students. It emphasizes the superiority of the ‘coach’ or empowered individual who demands that others partake in it. The guards used push-ups to victimize the prisoners and increase their feelings of helplessness. I do not believe that I would have been able to reject any privileges offered to me in order to maintain prisoner solidarity. It is evident that withdrawing into one’s self in order to find ways of surviving the brutal experience is something that prisoners are constantly thinking about. 5. Most prisoners believed that the subjects selected to be guards were chosen because they were bigger than those who were made prisoners, but actually, there was no difference in the average height of the two groups. What do you think caused this misperception? I believe that the hardships they were being forced to suffer at the hands of the said guards were elevating the status of the guards, as well as their physical capacities, in the prisoners’ estimation. The visitors, most of whom, shockingly, were parents of the incarcerated men, believed what the researchers in the role of guards and wardens informed them about their own sons even when they could see that their sons were not well. Even though the visitors were aware that this was a research study and not a real prison, they still placed more trust in the words of the wardens than what their own eyes were showing them (Zimbardo). Civilians are trained to trust the police, as well as prison wardens in real

Factor V Leiden and Prothrombin Mutations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Factor V Leiden and Prothrombin Mutations - Essay Example Mutations are determined in a consecutive series of 100 controls. It argues that fifteen of 80 current miscarriage patients and four out of 100 carry V Leiden Mutation Factor. Its results suggest that the presence of prothrombin and factor V leiden is the cause of recurrent miscarriages. Additionally, it suggests that the presence of both factors of mutations is major in second trimester, fetal loss and dependent of any additional pathology (Foka et.al, 1999). The readability of the journal is on point because the authors did not mix up the information. They have introduced the topic properly, explained everything a reader would want to know, and summed up the whole information. It is credible in the sense that information is well researched and documented. The authors demonstrate well researched and investigated article. This is because they have used analysis methods to determine the above explained topic as well as analyze it, giving a reader a well understanding of the topic. It expounds on Factor V Leiden and Prothrombin Mutations, causes and consequences which gives a reader a good understanding of both mutations ( Foka et al., 1999). Recurrent miscarriages is a health problem affecting, approximately 5% of women in today’s world. Although there is no specific investigation of this situation, researchers argue that factor V Leiden and Prothrombin Mutations are the cause of recurrent miscarriages. Prothrombin Mutations is acquired and inherited by defect. Recently, it was discovered that the most commonly inherited defect is Factor V Leiden which is resistant to activated protein. It is also responsible for all cases of isolated thrombophilia and thrombotic conditions. However, there are still uncertainties on the accurate role of factor V Leiden in terms of miscarriages which has resulted to bias selection of women regarding their fetal losses. This is in terms of the number of miscarriages type,

Interview with the Lieutenant Detective Ricky Rivera Assignment

Interview with the Lieutenant Detective Ricky Rivera - Assignment Example The interview that has been conducted focuses on his professional as well as personal life so as to draw a conclusion in terms of the factors that have affected the career and goal of Rivera. The assignment even reveals his bravery in handling juveniles and his various other success stories that have made him what he is in the present scenario. On the other hand, the assignment would even comprise of certain other interview questions in terms of preferred role and responsibilities of Rivera in the future. The interview would even outline the current role of the individual and the ways in which this role would help him in the long run. The assignment is a thorough analysis of the interview conducted with Ricky Rivera and details of which would be mentioned in the below-given sections. The interview has been conducted with Ricky Rivera who is presently part of the Passaic police department. He is working in this department for many years and is currently posted as a lieutenant detective. He has handled many complex cases and even has been rewarded with appraisals or promotion. The address of the police department in which Rivera is working is 330 Passaic Street New Jersey 07055. When interviewed Ricky Rivera stated that he still does not possess any college degree and he said that this degree did not matter much for him in the career path. He said that he was only focused towards entering into a profession that would help him to utilize his skills and would also enable him to serve the country in some way or another. Rivera was always dedicated towards his job with more of attention towards reducing crime from the region which was under his control. Rivera in the interview said that individuals who want to set their career as a detective need to only hold a high sc hool diploma or GED. He even stated that all that is required in this career path is to be dedicated towards the job role and to be passionate towards the work.  Ã‚  

Factor V Leiden and Prothrombin Mutations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Factor V Leiden and Prothrombin Mutations - Essay Example Mutations are determined in a consecutive series of 100 controls. It argues that fifteen of 80 current miscarriage patients and four out of 100 carry V Leiden Mutation Factor. Its results suggest that the presence of prothrombin and factor V leiden is the cause of recurrent miscarriages. Additionally, it suggests that the presence of both factors of mutations is major in second trimester, fetal loss and dependent of any additional pathology (Foka et.al, 1999). The readability of the journal is on point because the authors did not mix up the information. They have introduced the topic properly, explained everything a reader would want to know, and summed up the whole information. It is credible in the sense that information is well researched and documented. The authors demonstrate well researched and investigated article. This is because they have used analysis methods to determine the above explained topic as well as analyze it, giving a reader a well understanding of the topic. It expounds on Factor V Leiden and Prothrombin Mutations, causes and consequences which gives a reader a good understanding of both mutations ( Foka et al., 1999). Recurrent miscarriages is a health problem affecting, approximately 5% of women in today’s world. Although there is no specific investigation of this situation, researchers argue that factor V Leiden and Prothrombin Mutations are the cause of recurrent miscarriages. Prothrombin Mutations is acquired and inherited by defect. Recently, it was discovered that the most commonly inherited defect is Factor V Leiden which is resistant to activated protein. It is also responsible for all cases of isolated thrombophilia and thrombotic conditions. However, there are still uncertainties on the accurate role of factor V Leiden in terms of miscarriages which has resulted to bias selection of women regarding their fetal losses. This is in terms of the number of miscarriages type,

Management, Leadership and Change assignment 2 Essay

Management, Leadership and Change assignment 2 - Essay Example According to Aluya (2009), successful transformation would require 70 – 80 percent leadership and only 10 – 30 percent management. Failure to plan is planning to fail. The foremost reasons following the botched change process is the opposition to change (Bean, 2014). A triumphant change principal will engage the members in the change process, and with this participation, the change will be probable. The purpose of the report was comprehensively to scrutinize the transformational leadership that permitted Nokia Corporation to remain a market leader for decades. Another mystifying issue that inspired the research was the fact that Nokia products were facing stiff competition from their close competitors like Samsung yet it was many older than them. It should be settled that Nokia, having been established earlier, should have conquered the market due to customer constancy and high excellence merchandise that are customer-tailored, but this was not the case. There has been the change of leadership from transformational to Democratic leadership style. The research tried to demystify the impact that different leadership styles in organisations in terms of morale of employees, the relationship in the group and the consequent effects of changing from one leadership style to another. The research had a purpose of indicating how beneficial transformation leadership was to the company and showed why the change of direction to Democratic led to market failure of a once giant company. Collectively, the report exemplified that failure to cope with change leads to enormous letdown. 6 Transformational leadership has pragmatically been the preference for extenuating change in a managerial space. An organisation’s survival in the current economic landscape entirely depends on how suitably and adequately it assumes its strategies. The zenith of managers should be well informed of the changes that occur in the industry and rapidly conforms

Role Of The Nurse In Safe Administration Of Oral Medication Nursing Essay

Role Of The Nurse In Safe Administration Of Oral Medication Nursing Essay Administration of medicines to adults who are physically ill or injured is part of the adult nurses responsibility to provide holistic care and promote health (Veitch Christie 2007). Medicines are manufactured in several forms and can be administered by different routes. According to the form of the medications there are different requirements and equipment for their administration and storage (Burton and Donaldson 2007). This essay will focus on the administration of oral medicines, the standards and the legal requirements for their safe administration. The essay will also look at areas where problems are most likely to arise and will describe the measures which nurses can take to ensure patients safety when administering oral medicines. The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) defines patient safety as a process which involves identification, analysis and management of risks and incidents, including medication errors so potential or actual harm to patients can be prevented or minimised. Medication errors have a significant impact on patients, their families and health professionals involved. They can compromise patients safety and result in actual harm to patients. A total of 72,482 medication errors of which 14,111 caused harm of various extents to patients and 37 resulted in death were reported to the NPSA (2009) in one year. The same report showed that nearly half of the incidents were concerned with administration of medicines. Another report by the Department of Health (2004) estimated the cost of medication errors in NHS hospitals between  £200-400 million per year. Therefore it is vital that nurses adopt safe, methodical and skilled approach to administration of medicines. LEGAL The management of all medicines in the United Kingdom is governed by several legislations, the Standards for Medicine Management (2008) and the Standards of conduct, performance and ethics issued by the NMC (2008). The Standards outline the nurses responsibilities in relation to the current UK legislations. Burton Donaldson (2007) summarise these legislations in the latest edition of the Foundations for Nursing Practice. The Medicines Act (1968) regulates the requirements by which medicines are manufactured, prescribed and administered. The Medicines Act (1968) also classifies medicines into four categories which are Prescription only medicines (POMs), Pharmacy only medicines (Ps), General sales medicines (GSLs) and Control drugs (CDs).The Misuse of Drugs Act (1971) and the Misuse of Drugs Regulations (1985) provide the legal framework for the management of the controlled drugs and differentiate medicines according to the level of harm they may cause. The Mental Capacity Act (2005) provides the foundations for care delivery including medicine administration to people who lack the ability to make informed decisions. For Scotland these foundations are contained within The Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act (2003) and The Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act (2000). These regulations are in place to assist and guide nurses and are fundamental in protecting patient safety. Anex1 of the Standards for Medicine Management (NMC 2008) specifies the nurses responsibility to comply with these regulations. However the administration of medication is not solely a mechanistic task to be performed and requires more than just following written instructions (NMC 2004). In respect to oral medicines and their administration the nurse should take a person centred approach and assess and assist each patient individually according to patients general condition. Kelly and Wright (2009) draw attention on the high number of medication administration errors in patients with swallowing difficulties, where physiological abnormalities can lead to difficulties in swallowing of liquids or tablets. Griffith (2005) suggests that alternative form of medicines should be considered if patients have difficulties swallowing tablets. The nurses responsibility in this respect is to perform the initial and ongoing assessment of patients condition to establish the suitability of certain type of oral medicine and the ability of the patient to take this medicine (NMC 2008). Physical or mental health conditions could also have an impact on the medication compliance by patients leading to crushing, mixing or disguising medicines in food or drink (Kelly Wright 2009). The Department of Health (2010) and The National Prescribing Centre (2010) outline the parameters and principles for safe mixing of medicines and the nurses role in this relation. Following these principles when nurses consider mixing of medicines they should always act in line with local policies, consult a pharmacist and obtain written instructions and also obtain consent from patients. Crushing and mixing of medicines without a careful assessment and justification could present safety risks for patients and nurses (Paparella 2010) because of their chemical formulations. Examples of these are the enteric coated tablets, slow released formulations and products containing carcinogenic substances. Crushing or splitting of these medicines may lead to undesirable effects for example unintended rapid absorption. Griffith (2005) points out the legal consequences of crushing tablets. If crushing of oral formulation results in harm for the patient the nurse responsible will be liable for negligence. Paparella (2010) suggests simple steps such as careful consideration whether a tablet is safe to crush and consultations with pharmacist could significantly minimise the risk for patients and nurses. It is also essential that nurses have a sufficient level of knowledge of how medicines interact with the human body in order to be able to observe if they achieve the desired therape utic effect and to avoid any adverse reactions (NMC 2008). Covert administration of medicines represents not only safety risks to patients but also has legal and ethical aspects which nurses have to consider before making a decision for such action (Griffith 2007). Although most of the nurses do not prescribe medicines it has been found that the administration of a wrong dose of medicine causes the largest number of deaths and serious harm to patients, followed by the administration of wrong medicine and omitted or delayed medicine (NPSA 2009). Subsequently, administering wrong dose of medicines has been linked to poor mathematical skills (Pentin Smith 2010). The nurses responsibility in connection with administering correct doses of oral medicines is outlined in the Standards for medicine administration (NMC 2008) which states the nurses must be aware of the patients care plan, check prescription and dosage before administering medicines. Administering of a wrong oral medicine is often associated with similar medicine or patient names, packaging, labelling or poor storage systems (NPSA 2009). This is particularly common issue in nursing and care homes where no wrist bands for identification are used (Pountney 2010). CONCLUSION Safe administration of medicines requires a methodical approach that follows local policies (Burton,C Donaldson,J 2007).

Sleep and Dream :: essays research papers

Sleep and Dreams Sleep is a behavioral state characterized by little physical activity and almost no awareness of the outside world. Sleep is actually made up of two separate and distinctly different states called REM sleep (rapid eye movement) and NREM sleep (non-rapid eye movement). With NREM sleep it is further divided into stage 1-4 based on the size and the speed of the brain waves. Step one is the stage when you drift off to sleep or doze off. For example people doze off in class because you are bored and have nothing to do but listen to the teacher talk. Some parents may call it a cat nape when their kids go to sleep for about ten minutes or so. The second stage is called an intermediate stage of sleep. That is when the sleeper will gradually descend deeper into sleep, becoming more and more detached from the outside world and progressively more difficult to awaken. Stage three is the beginning of deep sleep, occurring about thirty to forty five minutes after you first fall asleep. The deepest sleep occurs in Stage four. Stage three and four has the biggest and slowest brain wave. REM sleep, a mentally active period during which dreaming occurs, provided a biological explanation for this phenomenon. Scientists found that brain activity during REM sleep begins in the pons, a structure in the brainstem, and neighboring midbrain regions. The pons sends signals to the thalamus and to the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for most thought processes. There are several myths about sleep. For one, how much sleep a person should get? According to our text book people should sleep for at least eight hours to maintain sound mental and physical health. But every one doesn’t get the chance to slee p for that amount of time. There is no normal amount of time you should sleep. Everyone is not the same. For one I might sleep for five hours and feel refreshed enough to work another shift. Other hand my cousin might need more then eight hours of sleep to feel refreshed. Another myth is that you can learn complicated things, like a new language, while you are sleep. Personally no, because the only way you can learn something is to be awake. When a person fall to sleep while listening to a cd player or tape player while they are sleeping they are not going to hear what is said when they are in a deep sleep. Sleep and Dream :: essays research papers Sleep and Dreams Sleep is a behavioral state characterized by little physical activity and almost no awareness of the outside world. Sleep is actually made up of two separate and distinctly different states called REM sleep (rapid eye movement) and NREM sleep (non-rapid eye movement). With NREM sleep it is further divided into stage 1-4 based on the size and the speed of the brain waves. Step one is the stage when you drift off to sleep or doze off. For example people doze off in class because you are bored and have nothing to do but listen to the teacher talk. Some parents may call it a cat nape when their kids go to sleep for about ten minutes or so. The second stage is called an intermediate stage of sleep. That is when the sleeper will gradually descend deeper into sleep, becoming more and more detached from the outside world and progressively more difficult to awaken. Stage three is the beginning of deep sleep, occurring about thirty to forty five minutes after you first fall asleep. The deepest sleep occurs in Stage four. Stage three and four has the biggest and slowest brain wave. REM sleep, a mentally active period during which dreaming occurs, provided a biological explanation for this phenomenon. Scientists found that brain activity during REM sleep begins in the pons, a structure in the brainstem, and neighboring midbrain regions. The pons sends signals to the thalamus and to the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for most thought processes. There are several myths about sleep. For one, how much sleep a person should get? According to our text book people should sleep for at least eight hours to maintain sound mental and physical health. But every one doesn’t get the chance to slee p for that amount of time. There is no normal amount of time you should sleep. Everyone is not the same. For one I might sleep for five hours and feel refreshed enough to work another shift. Other hand my cousin might need more then eight hours of sleep to feel refreshed. Another myth is that you can learn complicated things, like a new language, while you are sleep. Personally no, because the only way you can learn something is to be awake. When a person fall to sleep while listening to a cd player or tape player while they are sleeping they are not going to hear what is said when they are in a deep sleep.

In The Beginning :: essays research papers

In the Beginning   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This article talks about the role of many different types of women in early America. It also has the thoughts of men about these women. The area of black slavery is also covered in this article and it touches on who the slaves were before the blacks came. The different women that are covered are the Indians, then the whites, and finally the African Americans. First, the Indian women were covered. The Englishmen as promiscuous thought of the women living with their tribes. They came to this conclusion because they were allowed to have sexual relations with different men, practice polygamy and they noticed that the children had lighter hair than the Indians. This said that the people the women were having sex with were people from other than their tribe. They mentioned that the Indians had more rules about when, where and who they could have sex with. For example they were not allowed to have sex while they were pregnant, men who were going or coming from war were not allowed to have sex either because they needed to keep their minds on the battle. The English were also surprised at the fact that women did all the work and were allowed to dress nicely. Another freedom that women had in their tribes was that they had ownership of their land, houses and their children. As time went by the Americans, French, and the Spanish took the Indian women to be their wives. As far as sex between them went, the English were used to paying for sex and the Indian women were used to trading for it so it worked out pretty well for the two parties. At one point in the 1500’s a man named Cartagena captured three-hundred Indians, and two-hundred African Americans and took them to Florida, they figured that this was an attempt to allow the Spanish and the two groups he had captured to become allies. As the first American colony was settled there were few white women in the population. The ones who were there were usually rich. This was of no fault of their own, they just had rich fathers or they married into money. After some time of being settled in Jamestown the first Christian women was born, the King realized that the men needed women to reproduce and to keep them sane. This way they would own land there forever because the mothers would have children and they would have children and so forth. In The Beginning :: essays research papers In the Beginning   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This article talks about the role of many different types of women in early America. It also has the thoughts of men about these women. The area of black slavery is also covered in this article and it touches on who the slaves were before the blacks came. The different women that are covered are the Indians, then the whites, and finally the African Americans. First, the Indian women were covered. The Englishmen as promiscuous thought of the women living with their tribes. They came to this conclusion because they were allowed to have sexual relations with different men, practice polygamy and they noticed that the children had lighter hair than the Indians. This said that the people the women were having sex with were people from other than their tribe. They mentioned that the Indians had more rules about when, where and who they could have sex with. For example they were not allowed to have sex while they were pregnant, men who were going or coming from war were not allowed to have sex either because they needed to keep their minds on the battle. The English were also surprised at the fact that women did all the work and were allowed to dress nicely. Another freedom that women had in their tribes was that they had ownership of their land, houses and their children. As time went by the Americans, French, and the Spanish took the Indian women to be their wives. As far as sex between them went, the English were used to paying for sex and the Indian women were used to trading for it so it worked out pretty well for the two parties. At one point in the 1500’s a man named Cartagena captured three-hundred Indians, and two-hundred African Americans and took them to Florida, they figured that this was an attempt to allow the Spanish and the two groups he had captured to become allies. As the first American colony was settled there were few white women in the population. The ones who were there were usually rich. This was of no fault of their own, they just had rich fathers or they married into money. After some time of being settled in Jamestown the first Christian women was born, the King realized that the men needed women to reproduce and to keep them sane. This way they would own land there forever because the mothers would have children and they would have children and so forth.

Continental/Fintelco Jv Case Analysis Essay

1. Is entry into the Argentine market a good strategic move for Continental? Entering Argentine market in 1993-1994 was a good strategic decision for Continental as one of the TOP5 cable TV companies in the US despite certain risks for several reasons: 1. Changes in the US regulatory environment created additional challenges for Continental’s core business: 1992 Cable Act limited the cable TV companies’ ability to raise cable rates whereas costs at market prices reached up to $2000/subscriber. This inevitably led to constrained profit margins 2. US market began saturating: long-standing competition on the market coupled with growing demand and consumer selectivity has led to further squeezing margins and forced companies to seek for diversification of revenue streams –by entering non-traditional cable markets, capturing smaller niches, or expanding overseas. 3. Argentine cable TV marked lagged in behind US market by almost a decade: cable TV penetration barely re ached 50%, subscription growth rates approached 60-70% in selected areas. Also, the market was only beginning to consolidate around 4 major players – more than 50% of the market was controlled by a thousand of smaller operators. Although Buenos Aires was relatively more mature market, other regions and provinces presented lucrative opportunities. Telephone, satellite, and other adjacent markets had untapped future opportunities. So far, emerging Argentine promised much brighter prospects for cable TV companies than saturating US. 4. Argentine macroeconomic indicators exhibited positive dynamics despite high level of uncertainty: indeed, after a decade of political turmoil and military rule Argentine was finally building a democratic civilian government. During four years preceding the acquisition, Carlos Menem and Domingo Cavallo launched effective economic and political reforms, including deregulation and privatization in TMT and other major sectors. In particular, legislation became very favorable to foreign investors. However, Argentine was suffering from hyperinflation and chronic recessions during the previous decade. Moreover, political risks were becoming more and more tangible as presidential elections of 1995 approached. As a result, the beta for Argentine was two times as high as that for the US. Is Fintelco an appropriate venture partner? Fintelco possessed at least three characteristics of a good venture partner: a. Knowledge of local market including cultural, political, and regulatory background as well as customer programming tastes. Basically, buying a successful incumbent is one of the best potential moves while entering â€Å"terra incognita† b. Fintelco had strong presence in various regions and owned licenses in MDDS and satellite, which created solid base for revenue streams diversification and future growth. c. Fintelco was still owned and managed by its founder, a prominent serial entrepreneur with diversified assets. Liberman had a very hands-on approach in business, and thus secured complete alignment of incentives between the management and the owners. 2. What are the major opportunities and risks you see in the venture? Success factors and opportunities (excluding market opportunities mentioned above): a. Personal and professional â€Å"click† between Samuel Liberman and Amos Hotsetter indicated good potential for constructive and conflict-free partnership. b. Similar growth strategies and vision: both companies grew using clustering strategy and capturing operating efficiencies by consolidating subscribers geographically. c. Limited access to capital markets in Argentine: Continental had access to capital markets in the US which could significantly foster business development in a country with scarce financial resources. Risks&Concerns: a. Active involvement of Fintelco’s founder and owner in business operations has also created certain problems. For instance, it resulted in a sort of nepotism – many key positions were held by Liberman’s direct relatives. Thus, potential restructuring and changes in management would be complicated. Also, after an acquisition Liberman would have 50% ownership, which could decrease his involvement in this particular business and also led to incentives misalignment. Indeed, he had diversified businesses and could have been looking for a cash-out. Liberman’s full involvement and commitment were crucial for joint venture success. b. Fragmented regional market in Argentine commanded inorganic expansion trajectory for Fintelco, which in turn required capital commitment from both parties. A ceiling should have been established to limit uncontrollable capital pump and its inefficient allocation. c. Exchange rate risks: significant portion of revenue stream born currency exchange risk (peso vs. USD) regardless of geographical and product diversification. These risks were absolutely external and thus could have been hardly mitigated. 3. One could value Fintelco in either of the following ways: a. Peso cash flows discounted at peso rate and then value converted at the spot rate b. $US flows discounted at $US rate Which approach is more appropriate in this case? We analyzed assumptions required to adopt each of proposed approaches. Approach (b) – $US cash flow discounted at $US rate – assumes that: (1) Peso/$US rate would remain constant – despite stable projection of peso exchange rate till 1998, PPP implied exchange rate has a high range (0.999-1.436, 44%) and hence significant volatility. (2) $US discount rate reflects the risk of the project – As revenues of Fintelco are denominated in pesos while a significant portion of its liabilities, including interest expense and a portion of programming costs, would be denominated in $US, the project bears significant currency risk which is not reflected by US discount factor. Although the real currency of the industry in Argentina is in local currency Peso, we believe that finding a proper discount rate in Peso is quite tough and unreliable. Moreover discounting the Peso valuation with today’s exchange may be a biased approach. Hence what we prefer Ä ±s to conv ert the Peso cash flows to USD with the estimated USD/Peso rates for each period and then discount it with the US$ discount rate. 4. Is $80m for a 50% interest a fair value for Fintelco? Based on our valuation we believe that $80m for a 50% interest is a fair value for Fintelco. In our valuation we chose to be conservative with the assumptions as well as try to cover all possible risks and ran multiple iterations to obtain a good understanding of the value ranges. Our valuation is based on the following assumptions: (1) WACC of 15.35% calculated used 9.01% as Rd (BB rating), D/V ratio of 14.44% (current Balance sheet), Re of 17.07% (Lessard model) and tax rate of 40% (Exhibit 1). Beta was estimated using comparable companies (Exhibit 2). We recognize that D/V ratio as well as Return on Equity is subject to our judgment hence we assessed sensitivity of WACC to change in these assumptions. We estimated Re using 4 different models (Exhibit 3) and D/V at the level of comparable companies. WACC ranges between 10.77% and 17.19% (Exhibit 4). We believe that 15.35% is an adequate estimation of WACC reflecting both country and project risks. (2) Terminal growth of 4% based on our view of sustainability. We noticed that Fintelco’s projections imply 7% revenue growth however we do not believe that such high level of growth is sustainable in the long run, hence we suggest more conservative estimation. (3) Conversion to $US based on parity-implied exchange rates for 10yrs. We believe that due to difference in US/Argentina inflation rates over the long horizon only PPP-implied exchange rate reflects true value of money at any given point in time. We used it to convert annual peso free cash flows at the respective rate (Exhibit 5); We calculated terminal value using 2002 $US DCF value and Gordon Growth formula and arrived at Enterprise Value. We further subtracted net debt converted @1994 exchange rate to arrive to Equity Value in $US (Exhibit 6). We also calculated $US value based on spot rates (both official and PPP-implied) to assess sensitivity of the model (Exhibit 7) and concluded that our estimation is reasonably conservative and reflects country’s currency risk adequately. (4) 30% private penalty discount – as Fintelco is a private company, we discount its value further for 30% to account for lack of liquidity. Exhibit 8 contains the summary of our valuation under different scenarios. We concluded that though there are scenarios under which value of 50% share of Fintelco is below $80m, probability of these scenarios occurring is fairly low. Our base case scenario uses Lessard’s model for Return on Equity calculations, PPP-implied 10 years forecasted exchange rate and 30% private penalty discount (result highlighted). 5. In the course pack there is a reading (Estrada (2007)) about valuing offshore projects using techniques proposed by Lessard, Godfrey and Espinosa, Goldman Sachs and Salomon Smith Barney. What assumptions underlie each approach? The reading Estrada 2007 describes four models for evaluating investment opportunities in developing markets. Each model estimates a required return on equity by attempting to incorporate country and/or project-specific risk. Unlike the CAPM, none of these models has reached the level of standard-bearer in the finance community, and each rests on critical assumptions that must be considered before using them in a project assessment: The Lessard Approach: R = Rf + MRP*(ÃŽ ²p* ÃŽ ²c) * Assumes that the country beta is a good approximation of country-specific risks (political, sovereign, and expropriation) * Assumes that the risk of a project is not related to the risk of the country (e.g., ÃŽ ²p for oil industry may be low, but should be high for a country which has a history of expropriation) * Assumes that investors do not value the effect of global diversification that the project would bring the company The Godfrey and Espinosa Approach: R = (Rf + YSc) + MRP* [0.60*(ÏÆ'c/ ÏÆ'w)] * Assumes that the yield spread, which measures default risk, is an appropriate risk premium to capture sovereign risk associated with an offshore project * Applies a value (60%) that reflects the average risk reflected by the stock market but not the bond market across all developing markets, thus ignoring country-specific correlations * Assumes that the project’s risk is solely dependent on location. It does not factor project or industry-specific risk Goldman Sachs: R = (Rf + YSc) + MRP* [1- Ï SB * (ÏÆ'c/ ÏÆ'w)] * Assumes that the yield spread, which measures default risk, is an appropriate risk premium to capture sovereign risk associated with an offshore project * Assumes that the project’s risk is solely dependent on location. It does not factor project or industry-specific risk Salomon Smith Barney: R = Rf + MRP* ÃŽ ²p + [{Ï’1 + Ï’1 + Ï’3)/30]*YS * Assumes that three factors can be measures on a scale from 1 to 10 in a robust and consistent way: the company’s access to capital markets, susceptibility of project to political risk, and financial importance of project to the company) 6. Would you suggest any modifications to the structure of the deal? The structure of the transaction described in the case is to form a joint venture. Continental will: c. Purchase 50% of equity stake in Fintelco for USD 80 million. d. Commit to provide USD 70 million of capital for acquisitions and investments in technology upgrade at Fintelco. Samuel Liberman undertakes to provide another USD 70 million for the investments. e. Fintelco will bear a significant currency risk on its balance sheet, as its revenues are in peso, but liabilities, interest expense and programming costs are in US dollars. f. Continental will provide technical assistance to Fintelco on cost basis. g. The deal contained an exit agreement, the so called â€Å"shotgun deal†, whereby after four years the partners could sell to each other our trigger an outright sale to the third party. The terms of the transaction are in our opinion fair for both parties. When being a financial advisor of Continental, we would suggest: * That the commitment to invest USD 70 million in the target company is stated clearly, structured with limited recourse to the new shareholder to prevent undertaking a blanco commitment to invest capital. * Share purchase agreement between Continental and Samuel Liberman contains certain clauses about representations and warranties of both parties to mitigate the risk of financial loss in case of â€Å"window dressing† of the target company. * Shotgun clause to contain more substance over the price of the transaction in the future, giving a call and a put option to both contractual counterparties: * If one party will not wish to sell in the future at a certain price, it will undertake to purchase 50% shares in the target company from the other party at the price it declined to sell at.

Current competitive strategies of Samsung and Apple Essay

            Both Samsung and Apple are the largest manufacturers of smart phones in the world. Combined, the two technology giants’ account for more than half of the Smartphones sold world wide. Traditional cell phones had very limited computing abilities. Many of them were designed to offer basic services like making and receiving calls. As time went by, the need for mobile devices with superior computing abilities increased as technology became a major part of modern life. More importantly, there was demand for mobile phones that could offer the same services as a computer. Although the mobile phone market was traditionally ruled by companies like Nokia and Motorola, Apple took over the market when it launched its iPhone Smartphone in 2007. This product became very popular with customers due to its large touchscreen and multi-touch user interface. Even though the company dominated the Smartphone market for some time, it has come under increasing competition from Samsung through its Samsung galaxy product line (Apple, 2013). Through massive advertising coupled with unique features, the Samsung galaxy has overtaken the iPhone to become the most popular Smartphone brand in the world. This fierce competition between these two technology giants has resulted in endless court battles in the United States and Europe, among other places. This paper will look at the current competitive strategies used by each company and what each of them needs to do to improve their competitive position in the future. More importantly, there was demand for mobile phones that could offer the same services as a computer. Although the mobile phone market was traditionally ruled by companies like Nokia and Motorola, Apple took over the market when it launched its iPhone Smartphone in 2007. This product became very popular with customers due to its large touchscreen and multi-touch user interface. Even though the company dominated the Smartphone market for some time, it has come under increasing competition from Samsung through its Samsung galaxy product line (Apple, 2013). Through massive advertising coupled with unique features, the Samsung galaxy has overtaken the iPhone to become the most popular Smartphone brand in the world. This fierce competition between these two technology giants has resulted in endless court battles in the United States and Europe, among other places. This paper will look at the current competitive strategies used by each company and what each of them needs to do to improve their competitive position in the future. The current competitive strategy of each company            On top of being bitter competitors in the Smartphone market, Apple and Samsung use different competitive strategies. As the pioneer producer of Smartphones, Apple uses the blue ocean strategy. In the early 2000s, the cell phone market was mainly made of phones with basic applications. This meant that companies assessed what their competitors were doing and strived to improve on it so that they could gain a competitive strategy. Such a strategy was not good for business because it meant trading off cost and value (Mourdoukoutas, 2012). However, Apple decided to create a new demand in a market that no any other company ventured into. This was done through the use of the blue ocean strategy. As noted above, there was no any other company that was producing Smartphones at that time Apple was in total control of the Smartphone market. Within a short time, Apple became one of the most profitable companies in the United States and the world at large (Gustin, 2012). However, Steve Jobs and other senior managers at the company were well aware of the fact that the company was under threat of new entrant due to its profitability. This strategy made the company immune from the porter’s five forces. The main competitive strategy of Apple Inc is developing new and innovative products that blend technology and art.            Unlike Apple Inc, Samsung uses the red ocean strategy. In this type of strategy, a company gains competitive advantage by venturing into an existing market and building on the weaknesses of its competitors. As noted above, Apple was the pioneer company in the manufacture of Smartphones. Through its flagship iPhone product line, Apple rose to become the largest cell phone company in the world. Unlike Apple, the main competitive strategy of Samsung is flooding the market with many products that are developed within a short time. This is very different with Apple which takes a lot of time before it launches a new product into the market. This strategy has been made possible by the fact that Samsung develops many of the components that are used in making its Smartphones. This gives it a huge cost advantage over Apple which relies on external suppliers. However, the red ocean is disadvantageous because it makes a company vulnerable to the porter’s five forces. What each company is doing to improve its current competitive position               There are a number of steps that both Samsung and Apple are taking to improve their current competitive strategies. As noted earlier, Apple Inc dominated the Smartphone market for many years before it was eventually overtaken by Samsung. The loss of market share to Samsung has forced the leaders at the company to come up with ways of improving its competitive strategy. The first step that Apple is taking to improve its current competitive position is focusing more on improving the existing products compared to coming up with new ones (Gustin, 2012). In the past, Apple invested huge sums of money in research aimed at coming up with new and unique products. Moreover, it would take a lot of years before the company released any new products into the market. However, the company pays more attention to improving its existing products. For example, the iPhone 5 did not have any tangible innovation. Instead, the company improved iPhone 4 by increasing its size among other innovations (Travlos, 2012). In addition, the company is investing in developing its components instead of buying from external suppliers. This will help Apple come up with products with unique features compared to their competitors.                  As noted above, the main competitive strategy of Samsung is building on the weaknesses of its competitors. In this strategy, the company waits for its competitors to come up with a product after which it develops its own with improvements on the one of its competitors. The first step that Samsung is taking to improve its current competitive position is investing more money in research. Compared to Apple Inc, Samsung invests 5.7% of its total revenues in research. This strategy is aimed at ensuring the company comes up with unique products so that it may not be seen as a copycat. The second action that Samsung is taking to improve its competitive advantage is investing heavily in advertising. As noted earlier, the main competitive strategy used by Samsung is flooding the market with different types of products that are targeted at different types of consumers. This is a huge contrast to Apple Inc. which releases few but highly anticipated products. To impr ove its current competitive advantage, Samsung has raised its advertising budget to $401 this year compared to $78 last year. This is $68 more than Apple Inc. Likely moves or strategy shifts that Samsung and Apple Inc will make                In the coming years, both Samsung and Apple Inc. are likely to witness shifts in their competitive strategies. Such changes will mainly be necessitated by heightened competition in the Smartphone market and the dynamic natures of the mobile phone market. As noted earlier, the main competitive strategy of Apple Inc. is developing new and innovative products that blend technology and art (Stein, 2012). The company controls the release of new products into the market unlike its main competitor, Samsung. Although this strategy helped the company rise to dominance of the Smartphone market in the early 2000s, there is need to institute a strategic shift. On top of investing heavily in research and coming up with unique products, Apple is likely to start developing a variety of products to meet the needs of different types of consumers. One of the main weaknesses of the current competitive strategy used by Apple Inc. is that it results in products for the rich in th e society. This makes the company miss on the remaining portion of the cell phone market. Moreover, Apple will also need to invest more in advertising.                  Samsung has overtaken Apple Inc. as the largest Smartphone manufacturer in the world. This growth can be attributed to the company’s competitive strategy of flooding the market with many products that are developed within a short time (Haydn, 2013). Moreover, the products of the company are relatively cheap compared to those of its main competitor, Apple Inc. As pointed out earlier; the other main competitive strategy of Samsung is building on the weaknesses of its competitors. In this strategy, the company waits for its competitors to come up with a product after which it develops its own with improvements on the one of its competitors. However, this strategy may backfire in the future because it will make the company to be seen as a copycat. With this in mind, Samsung is likely to shift its competitive strategy from playing second to its competitors to a dominant force in research as well (Powell, 2001). This means that the company will need to i nvest more in research and come up with products that are revolutionary and game changing. However, measures should be put in place to ensure that products don’t take long before being released into the market. Where each company is most vulnerable                The first major weakness of Samsung as a company is lack of innovation in its products. As noted earlier, Samsung thrives by waiting by for its competitors to come up with a product after which it develops its own with improvements on the one of its competitors. This strategy makes the company vulnerable because in future, people may begin to see it as a copycat. The technology industry is very competitive and customers love companies that develop new technologies compared to those that improve on what is already in the market (Powell, 2001). However, this should not be confused to mean that Samsung does focus on innovation, instead it means that the company is less proactive in coming up with new products. The other vulnerability of Samsung is that serves a mass market compared to Apple Inc. which caters for a niche market. The need to attract a large market forces it to set low prices for its products compared to Apple Inc. and this pricing strategy makes the company vulnerable. Although low pricing has helped Samsung win over a large share of the market, it makes the company vulnerable to being seen as offering low quality product by some customers. Many customers, especially in the United States and other developed countries, usually perceive low priced products as of low quality. Finally, lack of creativity makes the company vulnerable (Haydn, 2013). Many of Samsung’s Smartphones do not have a user friendly interface compared to those of its competitors. This may make consumers in places like the United States demand for lower prices therefore affecting the profitability of the company.               As noted earlier, Apple Inc, Apple Inc. does not target the mass market but rather a niche market. The majority of the company’s products are mainly meant for the affluent in the society. Based on this, the first weakness of Apple Inc. is lack of product diversification. Apple has only one product line, the iPhone. This makes the company vulnerable to saturating its small market. Moreover, the failure by the company to segment its market also makes it vulnerable. Some of the most successful companies in the world have products for every segment of the market including the wealthy and the poor. What competitive moves will provoke the greatest and most effective retaliation by each company?               As pointed out earlier in the paper, both Samsung and Apple Inc. have unique competitive strategies. The competitive strategy used by a company is important because it determines its position in the market as well as its profitability. The first move by Apple Inc. that would provoke the largest retaliation by Samsung is the production low end products. As noted earlier in the paper, Samsung has mainly survived by producing different products for different sections of the market (Powell, 2001). Based on this, any move by Apple Inc. to come up with products for the low end market would provoke retaliation from Samsung. The second move by Apple Inc. that would provoke retaliation by Samsung is lowering the prices of its products. Apple Inc. is famous for producing innovative products that blend technology and art. These products are sold at a premium price.               On the other hand, any move by Samsung to come up with revolutionary and game changing products is likely to provoke retaliation from Apple (Haydn, 2013). As pointed our earlier, Apple Inc. has been depending on this strategy since the time it was founded. Any move by Samsung to invade this territory would attract a serious technological retaliation from Apple Inc. Moreover, Apple survives by serving a niche market. Based on this, any move by Samsung to do away with its mass market strategy and adopt a niche market strategy is likely to provoke a serious retaliation from Apple Inc.               My recommendation on whether the two companies should continue with their current competitive strategies or should modify them             The current competitive strategies used by both Samsung and Apple Inc. have both advantages and disadvantages. As noted earlier in the paper, Apple Inc. was the largest producer of Smartphones in the world before being overtaken by Samsung. Based on this I would suggest that Apple Inc. modifies its current competitive strategy so that it can retain its rightful place in the Smartphone market. First, Apple Inc. should consider conducting market segmentation to ensure that they serve all segments of the market (Mourdoukoutas, 2012). Currently, the company only serves one section of the market. My second recommendation for Apple Inc. is that it should consider instituting product diversification. At the moment, the company offers the iPhone product line only. Finally, the company should invest in producing its own components so that it can shorten the time it takes to develop new products.               Likewise, Samsung should consider modifying its current competitive strategy. This is despite the fact that it has propelled the company to the position of number one Smartphone manufacturer in the world. To begin with, Samsung needs to modify its current strategy and lay more emphasis on innovation. If nothing is done, the current strategy puts the company at risk of being seen as a copycat by customers. Secondly, Samsung should modify its current competitive strategy and revise its prices upwards because some customers associate low prices with low quality. References Erica Olsen (2012). Strategic Planning Kit for Dummies, 2nd Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.Gustin, Sam (2012). Why Apple Is Winning: Innovation, Opportunity and Execution.  TIME.com. TIME, 25 Apr. 2012. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. . Haydn, Shaughnessy (2013). What Makes Samsung Such An Innovative  Company? . Forbes. Retrieved from < http://www.forbes.com/sites/haydnshaughnessy/2013/03/07/why-is-samsung-such-an-innovative-company/ > .Web Mourdoukoutas, Panos (2012). Can Microsoft Adopt Apple’s Business Model?  Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 10 Oct. 2012. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. . Powell, Thomas C. (2001). Competitive advantage: logical and philosophical considerations. Strategic Management Journal 22 (9): 875–888 Stein, Scott (2012). IPhone 5 Review: Finally, the IPhone We’ve Always Wanted.†Ã‚  CNET. CNET, 4 Oct. 2012. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. . Travlos, Darcy (2012). Apple: Product Commoditization?  Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 15 May 2012. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. . Source document