Free Essays on Ecuador

Ecuador is one of the smallest countries of South America. It lies on the west coast of the continent between Colombia and Peru. The equator crosses Ecuador and gives the country its name. Ecuador is the Spanish word for equator. The Andes Mountains rise through much of central Ecuador. About half the people live in the valleys and on the plateaus of the Andes. Quito, Ecuador's capital, lies more than 9,000 feet (2,700 meters) above sea level on an Andean plateau. A flat, partly forested, tropical plain extends west of the Andes along the Pacific Ocean. This coastal plain is developing faster than any other part of the country. About half the Ecuadorian people live there. During the middle and late 1900's, many people moved to the coastal plain to farm its rich soil. Others moved to the coastal city of Guayaquil to find jobs. Guayaquil is Ecuador's largest city. It is also the country's leading commercial center and chief seaport. East of the Andes Mountains is a large jungle. Ecuador has had more than 15 constitutions since it gained independence from Spain. Most of these constitutions provided for an elected legislature, but in many elections few of Ecuador's people have been allowed to vote. Strong leaders have suspended or replaced many of the country's constitutions in order to stay in office or to increase their power. Most of Ecuador's rulers have been military leaders or have had the support of the armed forces. About 10 percent of Ecuador's people- mostly of European ancestry- make up the wealthiest and most powerful group in the country. Indians and mestizos each form about 40 percent of the population. Blacks, whose ancestors were brought to Ecuador as slaves of the Spaniards, make up the remaining 10 percent of the population. Most Ecuadorians speak Spanish, and more than 90 percent of the population belongs to the Roman Catholic Church. The Ecuadorian government requires all children from 6 to 14 year... Free Essays on Ecuador Free Essays on Ecuador ECUADOR ECUADOR COUNTRY DESCRIPTION: Ecuador is a developing country. Travelers to the capital city of Quito may require some time to adjust to the altitude (close to 10,000 feet), which can adversely affect blood pressure, digestion and energy level. Tourist facilities are adequate, but vary in quality. Introduction Epithet after epithet was found too weak to convey to those who have not visited the intertropical regions, the sensations of delight which the mind experiences.- Charles Darwin If an argumentative group of travelers sat down to design a shared destination, they would be hard put to come up with a place that would best Ecuador. Packed like a knee-cap between Peru and Colombia, Ecuador contains within its borders an improbable variety of landscape and culture. For the mountaineer, it is bisected by an epic stretch of the northern Andes. For the jungle explorer, there is a biological mother lode within the Amazonian Oriente. The sea-minded are rewarded with miles of Pacific coastl ine, to say nothing of the living wonders of the Galapagos Islands. Not only are these regions highly defined, but excluding Galapagos they are also wonderfully contiguous. The entire country is about the size of Washington state, and it is home to some of the world's most extraordinary national parks. In a matter of two hundred miles, the traveler can penetrate all of the mainland's defining regionsthe coastal lowlands in the West, the volcanic central highlands, and the rainforests of the East, or Oriente. Ecuador's climate is equally generous to the traveler. Embracing the Pacific, Ecuador rests squarely on the equator (hence its name). Here, seasons are defined more by rainfall than temperature. A warm rainy season lasts from January to April, and May through December is characterized by a cooler, drier period that is ideally timed for a summer trip. History & Culture Ecuador's culture and history mirrors the diversity of its landscape. L... Free Essays on Ecuador The first Spaniards landed in northern Ecuador in 1526. Pizarro reached the country in 1532, and spread terror among the Indians thanks to his conquistadors' horses, armor and weapons. The Inca leader, Atahualpa, was ambushed, held for ransom, 'tried' and executed, and the Inca Empire was effectively demolished. Quito held out for two years but was eventually destroyed by Atahualpa's general: Ruminahui, rather than be lost intact to the invading Spaniards. Quito was refounded in December 1534. Today there is only one intact Inca site in Ecuador - Ingapirca, to the north of Cuenca. After the Incas were defeated, the Spanish became the new rulers of Ecuador. A creole middle class began to emerge and made several attempts to free Ecuador of Spanish rule. This would finally happen on May 24, 1822; thanks to Simon Bolivar. The first years of the Republic were marked by instability and power struggles. History evolved around the figure of the first President, Venezuelan born General Juan Josà © Flores. During this government the first constitution was written. Quito was chosen as the capital of Ecuador and Catholicism was the official religion of the State. By 1860, Gabriel Garcia Moreno consolidated the country and an era of conservatism began with support from the Catholic Church, which lasted until 1895. During the last part of the 19th Century, the country flourished economically, mainly due to cocoa exports. In the late 1800s, Eloy Alfaro led a liberal revolution that reduced the power of the clergy and created an era of capitalist development. Political instability dominated during the 1930s and 1940s. In 1941, Ecuador was invaded by Peru and lost control over much of its Amazon Territory. The border is still a matter of dispute, appearing differently on Ecuadorian and non-Ecuadorian maps. After World War II, Ecuador's economy received a boost due to banana exports. A period of peace from 1... Free Essays on Ecuador Ecuador is one of the smallest countries of South America. It lies on the west coast of the continent between Colombia and Peru. The equator crosses Ecuador and gives the country its name. Ecuador is the Spanish word for equator. The Andes Mountains rise through much of central Ecuador. About half the people live in the valleys and on the plateaus of the Andes. Quito, Ecuador's capital, lies more than 9,000 feet (2,700 meters) above sea level on an Andean plateau. A flat, partly forested, tropical plain extends west of the Andes along the Pacific Ocean. This coastal plain is developing faster than any other part of the country. About half the Ecuadorian people live there. During the middle and late 1900's, many people moved to the coastal plain to farm its rich soil. Others moved to the coastal city of Guayaquil to find jobs. Guayaquil is Ecuador's largest city. It is also the country's leading commercial center and chief seaport. East of the Andes Mountains is a large jungle. Ecuador has had more than 15 constitutions since it gained independence from Spain. Most of these constitutions provided for an elected legislature, but in many elections few of Ecuador's people have been allowed to vote. Strong leaders have suspended or replaced many of the country's constitutions in order to stay in office or to increase their power. Most of Ecuador's rulers have been military leaders or have had the support of the armed forces. About 10 percent of Ecuador's people- mostly of European ancestry- make up the wealthiest and most powerful group in the country. Indians and mestizos each form about 40 percent of the population. Blacks, whose ancestors were brought to Ecuador as slaves of the Spaniards, make up the remaining 10 percent of the population. Most Ecuadorians speak Spanish, and more than 90 percent of the population belongs to the Roman Catholic Church. The Ecuadorian government requires all children from 6 to 14 year...

How to get a job without applying for it

How to get a job without applying for it What could be better than getting a new job with minimal effort on your part? Yes, it sounds impossible, but you can land a great new job without ever having to apply for it. Sure, the typical path to the next job in your career journey often requires some hard work and dedicated job hunting- searching out open positions that fit your skill set and requirements, leveraging your network to uncover opportunities, carefully crafting targeted cover letters and resumes, diligently completing applications and sending out emails, interviewing, following up, and waiting- and most of us have gone through this process several times. However, there is an alternate path, and it’s usually a much more direct and easier one to your next job. According to a recent Business Insider article, those who possess an array of valuable and marketable skills that their respective industries prize will have companies and recruiters seeking them out, regardless of whether or not they’re seeking a new job. It pays to at least be open minded when this happens: â€Å"In today’s economic environment, people with valuable skills in leadership roles are likely to be receiving more and more  calls from recruiters. You never know if the opportunity that will be presented will be more attractive than your current role. And, you can gain a boost of 15 percent or more in your compensation by being willing to make a change, likely far outpacing the raise you can expect in your current role.†It’s true- even if you’re not looking for a new job, with the right mix of experience and skills you just might be a passive job candidate- an attribute prized by recruiters- without even knowing it.According to  Business Insider,  recruiters seek out people who are open to new opportunities  but not actively seeking them. The logic is that if someone is a talented candidate and is currently unemployed or is actively seeking out a job while currently employed, the re might be some sort of issue. Of course, this isn’t always the case, but it’s an assumption recruiters can often make. On the other hand, even if there isn’t an issue, chances are that the well-qualified person is applying to many companies at once. Recruiters don’t want to waste time courting someone who can easily decide to take an offer from another company.However, if recruiters seek out candidates who aren’t actively looking, those risk elements disappear.It’s clear that being a passive candidate can open up a world of new professional opportunities to you. So how can you become one? Business Insider offers up some ideas about how you can do to help subtly set yourself up as a passive candidate in your field.Recognize and build key skills.The key to becoming a prized passive candidate is to possess the skills in your field that companies are eager to have on their teams. Learn what skills leaders in your industry possess and what comp anies are looking for, and then make sure your skill set fits the bill.Join appropriate professional organizations.Most professions have industry recognized associations and organizations, and it’s in your best interest to become a member of as many as possible. Not only will it help you build your network and provide an array of social opportunities, it can also get you on the radars of recruiters when they’re looking to source talent. Make an effort to get involved and attend events whenever possible.Don’t neglect social media.The truth is, many recruiters scour social media when on the hunt for passive candidates. They’re looking for industry leaders, mavericks, and disrupters whose social media pages reflect their passion, dedication, and accomplishments. If you want to be viewed as a viable passive candidate, make sure your social media brands you as a serious professional with plenty to offer potential employers.Join LinkedIn groups.Building on the two previous tips, make sure you take full advantage of professional groups on LinkedIn. It is among the most widely used sites by recruiters looking for passive candidates, and for many of them, their first stop just might be looking at members of professional groups in their respective fields. If you’re not using LinkedIn to its fullest potential, you just might be doing yourself and your career a disservice.   Keep your certifications, skills, and awards up to date.This advice is not only good for growth in your current job, it’ll help impress and attract recruiters. The more distinctions and honors you have under your belt, the more desirable you’ll be.Here’s the bottom line- if you want to have a future where potential jobs come looking for you, and not vice versa, you should work to set yourself up as a valuable passive candidate. Use the strategies and advice provided here and you’ll be on your way to making future job hunts much easier!

Cross-culturalism in film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Cross-culturalism in film - Essay Example A great deal of what society expects is framed within the messaging portrayed through media and film, such as in Hollywood's version of Joy Luck Club. Hollywood has a continued tendency to only feature idealized images of thin, young, blonde, and mostly obedient to someone images of the female and is mostly blamed for unhealthy attitudes, but scientific theories have indicated that the process of shaping female identity, like any other concept of belonging or 'right' social thought, is a reciprocal process (Yglesias, 2005). Even though films portray the idealized concept of what a woman should be, it is up to women in the 'real' world to define what they really are in order to help change the images they see in film to more accurately reflect reality. However, an examination of a film that focuses on women and female identity, such as Joy Luck Club, illustrates that issues of female identity are much bigger in reality than they are shown on screen. This is made even more complex when women must consider issues such as tradition and self-fulfillment as they transition between two different cultures, as they do in the American-made film Joy Luck Club. An important concept to understand in such a study of cross-cultural female identity in film is the idea of the sociological imagination. This term is used to discuss the process through which people internally determine their place within society and helps shape how we will behave in different situations (Mills, 2000). As we play this cyclical game of determining our place in society and determining how we should behave in relation to that idea, whether we decide to act according to what is expected of us or completely against it, will play a significant role in how we create our own identity. When we internally link our personal experience with what we understand of cultural expectations, we begin to classify ourselves and others into different social groups according to those beliefs. This sociological imaginatio n builds upon three observable aspects of being which include class, race and gender (Mills, 2000). Race and gender are pretty self-explanatory, but class may need a bit more definition. According to Mills (2000), the person's profession, their income level, their education, and several other elements considered desirable by a given culture can factor into the concept of class. Within the Western European and American cultures, for example, class is given to people who have a high level of education, dress in expensive clothing, and who have a career conducted from within a private office are considered to have more class than people who don't dress well or who have trouble articulating their thoughts. Since it doesn't necessarily follow that people who dress well and speak clearly make more money or have more power than people who dress poorly and struggle to make their ideas clear, class is considered to be a highly flexible and imprecise measure. The idea of class plays a signifi cant role in the forming of female identity, though, as can be seen in Joy Luck Club. On a micro-level, the many female characters in the film can be

To write an executive summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

To write an executive summary - Essay Example An agile project typically uses several repetitions or deliveries of software instead of waiting up to the end of the project being undertaken in order to provide one product. Projects with heavy constraints, inexperienced and dispersed teams, huge risks, generally clear and up-front requirements, and a rigid completion date are often carried out by utilizing a predictive or traditional approach. This is attributable to the conservative and safe nature of the traditional approach. Projects with less rigid constraints, experienced and co-located teams, smaller risks, unclear requirements and more flexible scheduling would be appropriately done using agile approach. The findings also indicates that in any case, managing projects still involves actions in each of the project management processes namely initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing. Scrum is the leading and main agile development methodology for completing projects with a complex and innovative scope of work In conclusion, a firm can still use the five process groups involved in project management to manage an agile project while at the same using the unique aspects of a spectrum approach. The amplified interest in agile project management technique is grounded partly on the anticipation that it will somehow make project management easier. The scrum process offers a simplified method and process of managing complex and innovative range of work. Many individuals believe that using the agile approach to managing projects is totally different from a more traditional or predictive approach. This is not true as the project management process group, which is, initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling and closing can also be used in an agile approach but with different terms, techniques and outputs. The agile approach is often more

Marble Chip Investigation Essay Example for Free

Marble Chip Investigation Essay Fair Test To make it a fair test and make my results more accurate I will try and keep all variables constant except the concentration of the acid. This will include weighing the marble chips every time and trying to use lumps of roughly the same size to keep the surface area fairly constant as a change in surface area will affect the rate of reaction. I will try and avoid a change in temperature and I will use the same equipment throughout the tests. Each concentration will be repeated at least once to improve accuracy as an average can be taken. Research The rate of reaction depends upon two factors, the number of collisions within a time between the reactants, and the fraction of these collisions that are successful. Therefore, the higher the concentration of the reactants, the higher the rate of reaction because there will be an increased number of collisions, this is called collision theory. However, for the reaction between the two reactants to be successful, they must collide with enough energy to react, the energy needed to react is known as  activation energy. This can be shown on a graph like the one below, I believe this graph is similar to what the energy diagram would be for my investigation. This shows that my chemical reaction will be exothermic, therefore it will release more energy than it uses to react. Therefore, at a higher concentration, there will be more reactions releasing energy in the form of heat that will enable more particles to reach their activation energy level and react. This shows that the rate of reaction will increase with the concentration of acid. Prediction After having done some research I feel that I can make an education prediction concerning what will happen during my investigation. I predict that the higher the concentration of acid I use, the faster the rate of reaction will be. I think this because the higher the concentration is, the more acid particles there will be to collide with the marble chip with enough energy to cause a reaction as explained in collision theory. I also believe that the rate of reaction will increase with concentration of acid because the chemical reaction I am doing is an exothermic reaction. Therefore, it will release energy as the reactions take place, this will give more energy to other particles around it and will cause the reaction to speed up as more particles reach their activation energy and collide with enough energy to react. Preliminary test results I started with 10g of marble chip and 100cm3 of 2M acid, the reaction was too fast and could not be accurately measured. I then tried 3g of marble chip with the same amount of 2M acid (100cm3), this worked fine, however, when the 0.4M concentration was tested the reaction was too slow and could not be accurately measured due to our scale. I then tried 6g of marble chip and it gave 135 cm3 of CO2 with the 2M concentration and 5 cm3 of CO2 with the 0.4M concentration. I felt that this would give us a good range of results so I  stuck with those measurements based on my preliminary tests. Observations When we had done our experiment we realised that we could benefit from some tests with other concentrations of acid to increase accuracy. Therefore we decided to do tests with 1.8M, 1.4M, 1M, 0.6M and 0.2M acid. However, when we did these tests they produced a much higher volume of carbon  dioxide than we would expect from our previous results. I came to the conclusion that this would have to be down to a change in one of the variables. Looking at the variables it was possible that it could have been temperature or surface area of the marble chips that caused the change, but as there had not been any large change in these variables it was unlikely that they would have such a clear affect on the results. After doing a few tests I found that it was the acid that I was using that had affected the results, I had started on a new batch of acid as the previous bottle had run out. Even though both batches of acid were labelled as being 2M, it was clear that one was stronger than the other and therefore increased the rate of reaction as the chance of acid particles colliding with the marble chip had been increased as there were more acid particles. Due to this, I plotted there results as a separate line, however, the results still show the same pattern and are therefore still useful in concluding the relation between gas given off and the concentration of acid, as explained by collision theory. Conclusion As you can see on the graph, both lines go up in a smooth curve. This shows that there is a correlation between concentration of acid and the volume of gas given off. As the concentration of acid increases so does the volume of gas, therefore they are proportional. The gradient of the line gets steeper as the concentration increases, this means that there was a larger increase of gas produced between 1.6M and 2M, than there was between 0.4M and 0.8M, even though the increase in concentration of acid was 0.4M in both. The graph shows that at higher concentrations of acid, more carbon dioxide was produced but in the same amount of time. This shows that at higher concentrations, the rate of reaction must have been faster to produce more products in the same time period. This can be explained by collision theory and the ideas on activation energy that I explained in my research and prediction. In my prediction I said that more gas would be given off with a higher  concentration, these results show that I was correct. This is because due to collision theory, in a low concentration of acid the acid particles are spread far apart. This means that there is very little chance of acid particles colliding with the marble chip with enough energy to react. In a high concentration, the acid particles are closer together as there is more of them within the same volume. This means that there is a much higher chance of collision with the marble chip, and there is more energy due to the energy being produced by the reaction, which is exothermic, this causes the reaction to be faster. This can be seen in my results, the 2M acid gave an average of 134.75cm3 of carbon dioxide, where the 0.4M concentration only gave an average of 4cm3 of carbon dioxide. The rate of reaction is reduced by a decrease of particles within the same space. Evaluation Accuracy of results I feel that my experiment was accurate because the results made a smooth curve on my graph. I did have a problem with the 1.8M, 1.4M, 1M, 0.6M and 0.2M acid results, as the acid appeared to be stronger than it was labelled. However, I resolved this problem by plotting the results as a separate line on my graph and they still showed a very similar curve to the other one showing the same relation between concentration of acid and the volume of gas given off. This shows that it was probably just the concentration of the acid that caused the problem and not my execution of the experiment that caused the results to be slightly different than what was expected. I think that my results could have been better as there was some variation between my four results for each of 2M, 1.6M, 1.2M, 0.8M, and 0.4M. However I do not feel this problem is major as the variations were relatively small as is shown by the error margins drawn on my graph, but there is still room for improvement. Possible Improvements If I was to do this investigation again I would try and keep some of the variables constant that I had less control over. The investigation was carried out over a few days so the classroom temperature may have varied. This could have had a slight effect on the rate of reaction making my results less accurate. Although the marble chips were roughly the same size they werent all exactly the same shape. If I could find a way to make the marble chips all the same shape and size then the investigation would be fairer as the surface area of the marble chips would be constant. If I was to do this investigation again I would try and use only one batch of acid for the whole experiment because as I found out, the acid supplied isnt always exactly the strength that it says it is. I would also try to use a more accurate piece of equipment to measure the volume of gas produced, using a measuring cylinder did not provide the best accuracy that was open to me. I could have achieved a higher level of accuracy with a buret.

Point of View in Everyday Use by Alice Walker Essay -- American Litera

Point of View in "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker Point of view is described as the perspective from which a story is told (Literature, G25). In the story "Everyday Use" the point of view is that of first person narrator or major character. The story is told by the mother in the story. The theme of this story is that of a mother who is trying to cope with changing times and two daughters who are completely different. Having the story told from momma's point of view helps to reveal how momma feels about herself and how she defines her daughters Dee and Maggie. "Everyday Use" is told from momma's point of view which helps to reveal how she feels about herself. Momma feels that she is an uneducated person, she says "I never had an education myself," this creates barriers between her and her oldest daughter Dee who has a college education (94). She describes herself as "big-boned woman with rough, man-working hands" that wears overalls by day and flannel gowns by night (93). From momma's point of view one can tell that she favors her relationship with her daughter Maggie mo...

Elizabethan Poor Laws

?Life for the poor in Elizabethan England was very harsh. Unemployment and rapid price inflation increased causing many villagers to leave their homes and come to the towns to look for work. However, they often could not find employment and ended up begging in the streets. Elizabethan Poor Laws, enacted in 1601, were incredibly beneficial in uniting the community to provide care and nurture for the qualifying less fortunate. These laws set a critical foundation for Britain’s welfare system and established guidelines for the â€Å"deserving† and â€Å"undeserving† poor.I chose this topic because it vastly influenced our world today, not only physically, but morally. My extensive research was conducted mainly through internet resources. Thanks to online databases provided by the Public Library System I was able to find valuable primary sources such as newspaper articles. I was also able to find credible, scholarly summaries, documents, essays, and more on my topic, making it much more manageable to thoroughly educate myself and others.Gathering so much background knowledge also provided more validity to statements I concluded and overall information included in my presentation. I personally felt an exhibit would be the most tremendous in portraying the vast research I completed throughout the History Fair process through vibrant illustrations, documents, photos and more. The 1601 Elizabethan Poor Laws suitably fits the Rights and Responsibilities theme. Everyone had a share – rights and responsibilities, from the Justices of the Peace, to the substantial householders, even the poor themselves.The poor weren't just goldenly treated out of the blue. Only the â€Å"deserving† poor were assisted. â€Å"Deserving† – classified as the â€Å"Helpless poor† also known as old folk, or children of poor families and the â€Å"able-bodied poor†- people who could work, wanted to work, and attempted at earning a li ving. It was the responsibilities of the poor to remain determined and avoid indolence, sluggishness, and misdemeanor or else they would be classified under the more dangerous and itinerant group of â€Å"rogues and vagabonds†(beggars and stealers) vastly targeted by the government.Townsfolk were known to dislike beggars and treat them harshly. Their streets had become overcrowded and dirty, and the poor and beggars were accused of being scroungers and suspected of being criminals. It had then become a right, where two or more â€Å"substantial householders† were to be yearly nominated by the Justices of the Peace to serve as overseers of the poor in each parish.The overseers  were to raise â€Å"weekly or otherwise, by taxation of every inhabitant, such competent sums of money as they shall think fit,† however; one of the later complaints about the 1601 Act was that the basis of the law was that it rated land and buildings but not personal or movable wealth. Consequently it benefited the industrial and commercial groups in society who did not fall within the parameters of the legislation and so did not pay into the poor rates unless they also happened to own landed property.The 1601 Elizabethan Poor Law continued with additional variations and adjustments, for example the 1662 Settlement Act, Gilbert's Act (1782) and the Speenhamland system of 1795 — until the passing of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act which ultimately formed the basis of poor relief throughout the country for more than two centuries. It was a reasonable and unbiased system run for and administered by local people at a time when the population was undersized enough for everyone to know everyone else and his/her conditions and circumstances.Personally, the 1601 Elizabethan Poor Laws taught me that caring for the poor is a divine purpose in our community today, that it will remain a responsibility to the poor to guide our actions in international development to end ing poverty. This act recognized that well applied, targeted, and effective aid can and should be used to achieve progress on challenges such as health, education, and substantial living in our poverties. â€Å"The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of a good government,† – Thomas Jefferson

Environmental Influences on Performance

1. â€Å"Marathon race organizers should be mindful of weather conditions during the race ‘ Discuss the above statement on a scientific marathon footrace is among the most physiologically demanding endurance events in the world. Competitive runners typically maintain a pace corresponding to 70-90% of their maximal aerobic capacity [3,15,20] for more than 2 h. At maximal mechanical efficiency, more than 80% of the energy required for this task is transferred as heat to the body core [9]. Moreover, the rate of endogenous heat production associated with a 2-h 10-min marathon estimated from ordinary heat-balance equations [9] is approximately 1400 kcal ·h-1. This metabolic heat must be dissipated to the surrounding environment, or body temperature will rise to physiologically dangerous levels. Lind [13] has demonstrated that core temperature is independent of climate over a temperature range he has termed the â€Å"prescriptive zone. † It has been demonstrated that the width of the prescriptive zone progressively narrows as metabolic rate increases. Thus, climate begins to affect physiological responses to exercise at relatively cooler temperatures during activities that elicit high metabolic rate compared with those eliciting lower metabolic rates. More recently, it has been demonstrated that endurance performance is indeed impaired when exercising in warm versus more temperate laboratory conditions and that air temperatures of approximately 10 °C seem optimal for endurance exercise [10]. One criticism of these and other laboratory findings is that typical airflows used for indoor testing situations are well below those encountered when running or cycling outdoors ver the ground. The lack of appropriate airflow substantially reduces the combined heat transfer coefficient [9] and may overestimate physiological strain [2]. Few field studies have examined the effect of weather conditions on endurance running performance[16,17,22]. Although it is generally observed that race performances worsen as weather warms, there are current ly no data quantifying the magnitude of performance reduction. In addition, these studies relied only on data from elite male runners; thus, the implications for slower competitors or women runners are only speculative. COLD WEATHER BEST FOR MARATHON PERFORMANCE Every runner knows that cool weather is better than hot weather for marathon performance. But a recent study from the U. S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine suggests that relatively cold weather is better than merely cool weather. Researchers gathered many years' worth of results and weather data from six major North American marathons and performed stastical analyses to determine the effect of air temperature on finishing times among runners at various levels of performance. Specifically, they looked at year-to-year comparative finishing times of the top three male and female runners at each event, as well as the 25th, 50th, 100th, and 300th finishers. The results showed a clear trend toward faster times at colder temperatures. For example, the finishing times of male races winners were, on average, 1. 7% slower than the course record when the air temperature was between 34 and 50 degrees. The finishing times of the top male runners were 2. 5% slower than the course record, however, when the temperature was between 51 and 59 degrees. And at higher temperatures, finishing times fell off even more dramatically. Runners at all levels were slowed by warmer air, but higher temperatures had a smaller effect on faster runners. The ideal marathon temperature, according to these analyses, was a bone-chilling 41 degrees. Think about that when you sign up for your next marathon! 2. Divers who collect ornamental fish have to work in a hostile environment. Discuss how the SCUBA apparatus helps these divers to meet the challenge of the deep sea environment. SCUBA diving is an exciting and first-hand way for scientists to study the underwater environment. It is one among the most effective ways for executing underwater experiments that require high quality precise measurements. SCUBA as the name suggests stands for Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. It literally means that all divers carry all of required breathing equipment’s and gases with them. Hence they are subjected to water temperature, pressure, currents, and other factors revolving oceans present at the diving depth. The NURP program approximately supports about 10,000 SCUBA Divers for Scientific Research work. NURP provides all the necessary equipments and finances for scientists and technical assistance to conduct diving operations. They use both open circuit as well as closed circuit breathing apparatus. The difference between them primarily relies upon what happens to the exhaled gas. In open system the gas is exhaled in to the water. A closed system apparatus has recycling abilities and thus lasts longer underwater as it reduces carbon-dioxide and adds oxygen in a cyclic manner inside the container. It reduces the amount of gas required in the container and also allows the diver to remain streamlined. The breathing gas provided by NURP involves compressed air, NITROX and TRIMIX. NITROX is a composition of nitrogen and oxygen whilst TRIMIX is a composition of oxygen, nitrogen and helium. NITROX is of special interest to NOAA. It was in introduced in late 1970’s which allows the divers to stay longer underwater when compared to compressed air alone. Each of these gases is of different properties which enables the diver to dive at maximum depths. 3. The year 1968 marked the emergence of high altitude trained long distance runners from Kenya. Discuss the scientific basis of high altitude training and how it helps to perform better in long distance events. The theory underlying the belief that training at high altitude can enhance athletic performance sounds reasonable enough. Work out in an environment that causes the body to produce more oxygen-carrying red blood cells and an athlete will be able to perform better than he or she can when trained at a lower elevation. Proponents of this theory point to East African runners, who have dominated long-distance events in recent years, as proof that training at high altitudes pays off. But if that’s the case, why don’t runners from other high altitude countries such as Peru and Mexico perform equally well? And why do some athletes excel in endurance sports despite having never trained at high altitude? â€Å"[High-altitude training has] had so much press that certain athletes feel like they’re at a disadvantage if they’re not doing altitude training,† says Andrew Subudhi, a researcher at the Altitude Research Center in Denver and assistant professor of biology at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. There’s a big movement for endurance athletes to move to high altitude if they’re serious about [improving their performance]. † Into Thin Air But does it really help? Answering that question is harder than one might think, despite numerous scientific studies on the relationship between altitude and athletic performance. The issue reached prominence at the 1968 summer Olympics in Mexico City (elevation 7, 349 feet), when questions arose about the best way to prepare for competing in the thin air, Subudhi says. Thin air† is a term used to describe air that contains less oxygen than air at sea level (20. 9% at sea level compared with 15. 3% at higher altitudes). The number of red blood cells found in the body of an endurance athlete who does not live and train at high altitudes may be insufficient to supply the amount of oxygen needed at higher altitudes. To help deal with this problem, athletes may live and train at high altitudes several weeks before a competition to increase the number of red blood cells, which are produced in response to greater release of the hormone erythropoietin. More red blood cells allows a person’s blood to carry more oxygen, which partly makes up for the shortage of oxygen in the air. Studies have found that athletes do perform better in competitions held at high altitudes if they live and train at high altitudes prior to competition, Subudhi says, but training at high altitudes does not necessarily help athletes perform better at low altitudes as one might assume. â€Å"When you’re at altitude, you can’t train as hard, and when you’re not training as hard, you’re not getting the same training stimulus,† he says. â€Å"Training at altitude doesn’t mean you’ll do well at sea level. Then again, that doesn’t mean that you won’t, says Jack Daniels, PhD, head distance coach at the Center for High Altitude Training at Northern Arizona University. Daniels says the key benefit to training at higher than normal altitudes is that it teaches an athlete how to hurt, and learning to tolerate pain can help athletes push themselves harder than they would otherwise. â€Å"It’s good for an athlete to learn to really lay it out there, and it’s easy to do that [in high altitude] without working quite as hard,† says Daniels, who has coached 31 individual3/22/13 Printer-friendly article page www. motionsports. com/blog/training at altitude. htm 2/3 NCAA national champions in his career. Although there are benefits to training at altitude, Daniels says, the advantages one might gain are unimportant when compared with more mundane factors. No matter where people train, he says, they want comfortable housing, healthy food, a friendly atmosphere, good training facilities, desirable weather, and adequate medical and therapy attention. â€Å"In other words, you train best where you are happiest,† Daniels says. If you c an have that at altitude, that's good, but if you do altitude-type things and don't have those other things, then you are wasting your time. It is very disturbing to me to hear people say, ‘If you don't train at altitude you may as well not bother trying. ’ I think we have all the things an athlete would want right here, but anyone who comes here and is not happy, I encourage to leave. † Live High, Train Low Daniels also doesn’t believe in another philosophy that has gained considerable support in recent years from researchers who have studied the altitude-performance relationship. Known as â€Å"live high, train low,† this philosophy holds that endurance athletes benefit most from living in high-altitude conditions but training at low altitude where they are able to push themselves harder. The term â€Å"live high, train low† came into being in 1996 when researchers James Stray-Gundersen and Benjamin Levine studied the relationship between altitude, training, and performance using three groups of endurance athletes. One group lived and trained in Park City, Utah, (elevation 7,000 feet) while another group lived there and trained at a lower altitude. A third group lived and trained in San Diego (elevation 72 feet). After the four-week training period ended, all were tested at a low altitude. â€Å"They found that the group that lived high but trained low got the best benefit; that was measured in 5-kilometer time trials. † Subudhi says. The reason for the improved performance among the live-high, train-low group, researchers hypothesized, is that by living in high-altitude conditions, their bodies produced more red blood cells in response to the lower concentration of oxygen. And because these athletes trained at a lower elevation, they were able to push themselves harder than they would have at higher altitudes, resulting in a higher training stimulus. The results of this and other studies received so much media attention that companies began manufacturing masks, tents, and rooms that would allow athletes to live anywhere in high-altitude conditions. Devices cost anywhere from hundreds to thousands to tens of thousands of dollars. Some companies convert entire houses to these conditions, and both Finland and the United States have outfitted dormitories in this way. Manufacturers claim benefits can occur from as little as six to eight hours of exposure. But those claims are not supported by research, Subudhi says, who contends 15 to 16 hours per day exposure is supported by research. Exercise rooms designed to mimic high-altitude conditions can benefit athletes who live at low altitudes and are planning to compete at a high altitude, he says: â€Å"If your competition is at altitude, then you need to train at altitude. † Altitude Advantage The only danger associated with the use of such devices is reducing oxygen levels too quickly, and almost everyone will experience more difficulty sleeping, Subudhi says. However, it’s rare to see athletes suffering from acute mountain sickness, commonly known as altitude sickness, or from high-altitude pulmonary or cerebral edema among those who live at an 8,000- to 9,000-foot altitude, he says. Plus, benefits are temporary: An athlete who stops living under high-altitude conditions will begin to see a loss in benefits in about two weeks as extra red blood cells die off, he says. Bob Cranny, PT, owner of Altitude Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine in Boulder, Colo. , is a big believer in the benefits of training at altitudes of 2,500 feet or greater. He and his wife are both triathletes and marathon runners who moved to Boulder (elevation 5,430 feet) 12 years ago from Long Beach, Calif. , because they believed the higher altitude would enhance their performance. Many athletes in the area follow the live-high, train-low philosophy, although it might more accurately be described as â€Å"live high, train lower. † That’s because many athletes who train in Boulder live at elevations of3/22/13 Printer-friendlyarticlepage www. kmotionsports. com/blog/training at altitude. htm 3/3 round 9,000 feet and travel to Boulder’s 5,430-foot elevation to train, as opposed to sea level. â€Å"If you could live at 9,000 feet and train at sea level, that would be even better — that would be wonderful,† Cranny says. So the answer to the question of whether training at high altitude will enhance an athlete’s performance is: maybe. Training at altitude will help some, while other athletes might benefit best fro m alternate training methods. â€Å"I see altitude as a type of training, and if this type suits you then it is good,† Daniels says.

Healthcare Example

Healthcare Example Healthcare – Coursework Example Healthcare Ethical issues surrounding the debate of healthcare as a universal right is the ivity in where to draw the line between healthcareof the citizens and healthcare of the foreign nations since resources are limited. Societal issues surrounding the debate include disparity in the affordability of expensive healthcare between the rich and the poor and varying opinions of the members of a society regarding the use of public funds and taxes for providing equal healthcare to all. Besides, â€Å"if health care is a right, then those who provide it become servants of those who need it and would be deprived of â€Å"being traders like everyone else in a free society†Ã¢â‚¬  (Zaremeski, 2012). Global issues surrounding the issue include disparity in the economic status of different countries and competition over access to and use of resources in a world with limited resources. â€Å"In a world in which hunger, poverty, and environmental degradation are all too evident, it wou ld be unrealistic to demand governmental remedies on the basis of their international human rights commitments alone† (Gruskin and Dickens, 2006).I believe that basic healthcare should be a universal right, whereas optional healthcare services like cosmetic surgery should be not. The moral basis of my opinion is that basic healthcare is about sustaining life and relieving pain whereas optional treatments are subject to affordability. The affording people are more deserving of such services than the non-affording people. This is more of a business ethical issue than a global ethical issue because healthcare professionals are also interested in money-making along with serving the mankind. Ethics and profitability are usually seen with an either/or mindset (Ferrell et al., 2013, p. 265). References:Ferrell, O. L., Fraedrich, J., and Ferrell, L. (2014). Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making & Cases. Cengage Learning.Gruskin, S., and Dickens, B. (2006). Human Rights and Ethics i n Public Health. American Journal of Public Health. 96(11), 1903-1905. Zaremeski, M. J. (2012, Sep. 21). The Ethics and Philosophy of Health Care As a Citizens Right a US Perspective. Huff Post. Retrieved from huffingtonpost.com/miles-j-zaremski/health-care-reform_b_1892221.html.

Shimabara Rebellion in Japan

Shimabara Rebellion in Japan The Shimabara Rebellion was a peasant revolt against Matsukura Katsuie of the Shimabara Domain and Terasawa Katataka of the Karatsu Domain. Date Fought between December 17, 1637 and April 15, 1638, the Shimabara Rebellion lasted four months. Armies Commanders Shimabara Rebels Amakusa Shiro27,000-37,000 men Tokugawa Shogunate Itakura ShigemasaMatsudaira Nobutsuna125,000-200,000 men Shimabara Rebellion - Campaign Summary Originally the lands of the Christian Arima family, the Shimabara Peninsula was given to the Matsukura clan in 1614. As a result of their former lords religious affiliation, many of the inhabitants of the peninsula were Christian as well. The first of the new lords, Matsukura Shigemasa, sought advancement within the ranks of the Tokugawa Shogunate and aided in the construction of​ Edo Castle and a planned invasion of the Philippines. He also pursued a strict policy of persecution against local Christians. While Christians were persecuted in other areas of Japan, the degree of Matsukuras repression was considered particularly extreme by outsiders such as local Dutch traders. After taking over his new lands, Matsukura constructed a new castle at Shimabara and saw that the Arima clans old seat, Hara Castle, was dismantled. To finance these projects, Matsukura levied heavy taxes on his people. These policies were continued by his son, Matsukura Katsuie. A similar situation developed on the adjacent Amakusa Islands where the Konishi family had been displaced in favor of the Terasawas. In the fall of 1637, the discontented populace as well as local, masterless samurai began to meet in secret to plan an uprising. This broke out in Shimabara and the Amakusa Islands on December 17, following the assassination of the local daikan (tax official) Hayashi Hyà ´zaemon. In the revolts early days, the regions governor and more than thirty noblemen were killed. The ranks of the rebellion quickly swelled as all those living in Shimabara and Amakusa were forced to join the rebel armys ranks. The charismatic 14/16-year old Amakusa Shiro was selected to lead the rebellion. In an effort to snuff out the revolt, the governor of Nagasaki, Terazawa Katataka, dispatched a force of 3,000 samurai to Shimabara. This force was defeated by the rebels on December 27, 1637, with the governor losing all but 200 of his men. Taking the initiative, the rebels laid siege to the Terazawa clans castles at Tomioka and Hondo. These proved unsuccessful as they were forced to abandon both sieges in the face of advancing shogunate armies. Crossing the Ariake Sea to Shimabara, the rebel army laid siege to Shimabara Castle but were unable to take it. Withdrawing to the ruins of Hara Castle, they re-fortified the site using wood taken from their ships. Provisioning Hara with food and ammunition seized from Matsukuras storehouses at Shimabara, the 27,000-37,000 rebels prepared to receive the shogunate armies that were arriving in the area. Led by Itakura Shigemasa, shogunate forces laid siege to Hara Castle in January 1638. Surveying the situation, Itakura requested aid from the Dutch. In response, Nicolas Koekebakker, the head of the trading station at Hirado, sent gunpowder and cannon. Itakura next requested that Koekebakker send a ship to bombard the seaward side of Hara Castle. Arriving in de Ryp (20), Koekebakker and Itakura began an ineffective 15-day bombardment of the rebel position. After being taunted by the rebels, Itakura sent de Ryp back to Hirado. He was later killed in a failed attack on the castle and replaced by Matsudaira Nobutsuna. Seeking to regain the initiative, the rebels launched a major night raid on February 3, which killed 2,000 soldiers from Hizen. Despite this minor victory, the rebels situation worsened as provisions dwindled and more shogunate troops arrived. By April, the 27,000 remaining rebels were facing over 125,000 shogunate warriors. With little choice left, they attempted a break out on April 4, but were unable to get through Matsudairas lines. Prisoners taken during the battle revealed that the rebels food and ammunition were nearly exhausted. Moving forward, shogunate troops attacked on April 12, and succeeded in taking Haras outer defenses. Pushing on, they finally managed to take the castle and end the rebellion three days later. Shimabara Rebellion - Aftermath Having taken the castle, the shogunate troops executed all those rebels who were still alive. This coupled with those who committed suicide prior to the castles fall, meant that the entire 27,000-man garrison (men, women, children) died as a result of the battle. All told, approximately 37,000 rebels and sympathizers were put to death. As the rebellions leader, Amakusa Shiro was beheaded and his head taken back to Nagasaki for display. As the Shimabara Peninsula and the Amakusa Islands were essentially depopulated by the rebellion, new immigrants were brought in from other parts of Japan and the lands divided among a new set of lords. Ignoring the role that over-taxation played in causing the revolt, the shogunate opted to blame it on the Christians. Officially banning the faith, Japanese Christians were forced underground where they remained until the 19th century. In addition, Japan closed itself to the outside world, only allowing a few Dutch merchants to remain.

The Cell Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Cell - Essay Example If both of these compounds are found in high amount than the process of the conversion of glucose into glycogen is mediated by insulin, which is stored in liver and muscles (Hardy 50). Glucose and Glycogen are the two major macronutrients found in the process. 2) Glycogenesis is an anabolic reaction because the series of reactions result is the formation of glycogen  whereas, glycolysis is catabolic in nature because it breaks down large glucose molecule into smaller components and releases energy. 3) Cellular compartmentalization is very important so that the products of each process remain unaffected from the surrounding cellular activities. Glycolysis occurs in the cytoplasm (cytosol) of cells. Cytoplasm is a not a membrane-bound organelle. All the major constituents of cells are found suspended in it. Glycolysis requires enzymes, which are abundant, find in the cytoplasm. These enzymes are not found in other organelles like mitochondria. The process of glycogenesis occurs in the cytoplasm of liver and muscle cells. When the blood sugar level is low, this stored glycogen is converted into glucose to replenish the energy requirement of the body as in the case of fight and flight. Both processes need oxygen, which is present in the cytosol. In glycolysis, high amount of energy is released; whereas,  in glycogenesis energy is required for the phosphorylation of glucose (Harvey 312). If cellular compartmentalization would not be present, the chemicals produce in each reaction (glycogen and glucose) would mix up with the products of other chemical processes occurring in other organelles like Krebs cycle in mitochondria. The product of glycolysis enters in the Krebs cycle, which takes place in mitochondria. These are stepwise processes, which are controlled due to cellular