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Essay Quantitative Article Review - 1204 Words

Purpose for Research This study intended to examine the effectiveness of initiatives implemented regionally, and determine if the leadership formation activities accomplished their intended purpose of successfully improving the leadership quality and the quantity of future candidates available to fill leadership positions. Research Questions The research question deals with the issue of how to address the critical shortage of qualified candidates needed to fill school leadership positions. Formation experiences that will effectively increase both quantity and quality of potential leaders are analyzed as a possible solution to these concerns. To answer the needs three specific areas are examined, â€Å"(a) the implications of current†¦show more content†¦The participants of clearly the individuals from three separate cohorts, however the researchers do no specify if all individuals in each of the three cohorts are sampled or if only a portion of them participated in the research. This is an important issue that needs to be addressed by the researchers, although the number and sex of participants from each cohort is reported, the differences in sampling selections could present a significant difference in the conclusions obtained from the research data. Type and Methodology of Research Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used in this research. Six separate quantitative measures were used to identify the effectiveness of the leadership formation experiences offered by leadership academies. Kirkpatrick’s model of evaluation of training was selected to categorize the measures into a four-level framework to ensure that the study used a comprehensive evaluation method. Qualitative data was collected from the narrative portions on the reaction surveys, written summaries of leadership potential as assessed by superintendents and mentors, academy experiences, and journals kept by the academy participants. In regards to the selection of research instruments, there were major reliability and validity issues with several measures. The researches used a Participant Reaction Survey, Superintendents and Mentors Reaction Survey, Evaluation Measures for Role-Plays, Evaluation Measures for In-basketShow MoreRelatedQuantitative Arti cle Review: Violence in Schools1158 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ Quantitative article review: Violence in schools Quantitative, as opposed to qualitative research is a data-driven exercise in which a population is scientifically analyzed using an experimental and control group: In quantitative research your aim is to determine the relationship between one thing (an independent variable) and another (a dependent or outcome variable) in a population. Quantitative research designs are either descriptive (subjects usually measured once) or experimental (subjectsRead MoreQuantitative Research Article Review Essay2100 Words   |  9 PagesQuantitative Research Article Review The quantitative research article that I chose to review was a study completed by Dougherty and Thompson (2009), found in Research in Nursing Health. Very few researchers have focused their study on the impact of cardiac arrest and ICD implantation on a patient’s intimate partner. What little is known about caregiving responsibilities and caregiver burden after a cardiac illness or event has previously been focused on the spousal experiences following anRead MoreEssay about Quantitative Research Article Review1175 Words   |  5 PagesA Quantitative Research Article Review Shannon Davis TSU Role Development 5040 Dr. DeCuir September 28, 2012 A Quantitative Research Article Review I chose to critique the peer reviewed publication A Quantitative Correlational Study on the Impact of Patient Satisfaction on a Rural Hospital. There are various reasons why I chose this article. I am an agency nurse and work at various different emergency departments around Middle Tennessee. Most of them are concerned about patient satisfactionRead MoreNrs-433v Week 1 Literature Search: Prevention of Surgical Site Infection1272 Words   |  6 PagesInfection Details: Conduct a literature search to locate research articles focused on a practice problem of interest. This literature search should include both quantitative and qualitative peer research articles to support your practice problem or issue of interest in 350-750 words. Identify six peer research articles which will be utilized through the next 5 weeks as reference sources. Create a reference list in which the six articles are listed. Beneath each reference include the articles abstractRead MoreTypes Of Quantitative Data Collection And Five Types For Qualitative Data1637 Words   |  7 PagesData Analysis As noted in Table 1, there were four types of quantitative data collection and five types for qualitative data. Quantitative. The quantitative data from the population-sourcing databases was used to define the demographics and subgroups being studied. The PCA performed on the teacher questionnaires resulted in a list of effective teaching factors, which was divided by the subgroup and demographic data, though this list was not included in the study. The PCA results from the studentRead MoreKaplan Studies1329 Words   |  6 PagesCritiquing A Qualitative And Quantitative Study Eunique Burgos Kaplan University Critiquing Qualitative and Quantitative Studies In this research paper, we are to critique two different articles where one is based upon a qualitative study and the other one is based upon a quantitative study. The articles that were chosen for us to critique are The Effects Of Crossed Leg On Blood Pressure Measurement, which is the quantitative study and The Experience Of Patients Undergoing Awake CraniotomyRead MoreCritical Analysis of a Quantitative Research Study1080 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Prepare a critical analysis of a quantitative study focusing on protection of human participants, data collection, data management and analysis, problem statement, and interpretation of findings. The quantitative research article can be from your previous literature review or a new peer-reviewed article. Each study analysis will be 1,000-1,250 words and submitted in one document. As with the assignments in Topics 1-3, this should connect to your identified practice problem of interest. Refer toRead MoreNrs-433v Week 4 Benchmark - Research Critique Part 2709 Words   |  3 Pagesus at: help@mindblows.us NRS-433V Week 4 Benchmark - Research Critique Part 2 Prepare a critical analysis of a quantitative study focusing on protection of human participants, data collection, data management and analysis, problem statement, and interpretation of findings. The quantitative research article can be from your previous literature review or a new peer-reviewed article. Each study analysis will be 1,000-1,250 words and submitted in one document. As with the assignments in TopicsRead MoreClinical Log 2 : Clinical Assessment1655 Words   |  7 PagesClinical log 2 As the clinical log 2, this essay examines a situation where the writer recognized the need for evidenced-based information, followed by the description and critique of the research article the writer tried to find the evidence. Then the essay is concluded with the reflection of learning through this assignment. Clinical Incident My preceptor is a full-time radiation therapist, conducting research to improve patients’ experience during their cancer treatment. Through the placementRead MoreImportance Of Vaccination On Children s Physical And Cognitive Development1697 Words   |  7 PagesTASK A: Locating articles Qualitative or Quantitative? Bloom, D, Canning, D, Shenoy, E 2012, The effect of vaccination on children s physical and cognitive development in the Philippines , Applied Economics, 44, 21, pp. 2777-2783, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 19 May 2015. 1. Identify the: (i) Title of the article ‘The effect of vaccination on children’s physical and cognitive development in the Phillipines’ (ii) Author(s) of the article (Note: surname will suffice) Bloom

Analysis of the Australian Economy-Free-Samples for Students

Questions: Discuss about the Australia Economy. Answer: An Analysis of the Australian Economy The Australian economy is one of the major economies of the world. Today, the country boasts a long period of impressive economic progress. Remarkably, it has enjoyed considerable success over the past few years, something that is reflected in the fact that it has not experienced recession for over 26 years. In addition, the living standards of its populace are generally high. What is more, the economy has been experiencing sustainable growth as reflected in its GDP data. Despite its remarkable performance, the economy suffers from high rates of unemployment and inflation. Regardless, the Australian economy is a robust economy with great prospects for growth. Output Analysis Graph showing Australias Gross Domestic Product Source: (Trading Economics, 2017). It is important to note that the Australian economy has been exhibiting a consistent increase in its Gross Domestic Product over the last ten years. While some periods have been characterized by increases in its GDP, other periods have seen decreases in the same. In 2007, the GDP was recorded at 853.76 (Trading Economics, 2017).In the following year, the country experienced growth and the GDP was estimated at 1055.33 (Trading Economics, 2017). Afterward, in 2009, the GDP level dropped slightly to 927.17 (Trading Economics, 2017). In 2010, the GDP rose sharply by 215.71. Remarkably, the subsequent years saw a consistent rise in the GDP level from 1390.56 in 2011 to 1538.19 in 2012, and 1567.18 in 2013. Unfortunately, the trend broke in 2014 when the GDP level dropped sharply to 1459.6 (Trading Economics, 2017). The following years experienced further decreases in the countrys GDP. In 2015, the GDP was estimated at 1345.38. Last year, the value fell to 1204.62 in 2016 (Trading Economic s, 2017). Graph showing Australias GDP Per Capita Source: (Trading Economics, 2017). Despite the fluctuations in the estimated GDP in the Australian economy, the countrys GDP per capita has been rising consistently over the past ten years. As at 2007, the per capita income was recorded at 50952.5. In the year that followed, the value rose slightly to 51788.4 but then dropped to 51651.2 in 2009(Trading Economics, 2017). The figures picked up in 2010 and were estimated at 51874.1. After this period, the per capita income rose over and over again between 2012 and 2016. As at 2012, the GDP per capita was 53348.4 before rising to 53798.4 in 2013. In 2014, the value rose further to 54394.3 before increasing again in 2015 to 54941.9 (Trading Economics, 2017). Last year, the GDP per capita further grew to 55670.9 (Trading Economics, 2017). It is imperative to note that both the GDP and the GDP per capita of Australia have been increasing over the past decade. Markedly, this trend reflects a pattern of increasing economic growth in the country (Focus Economics, 2017). Over the ten year period, the highest GDP per capita was achieved last year, while the lowest per capita was recorded in 2007 (Trading Economics, 2017). Given the tendency of growth in the country, the economy is expected to experience further growth in the near future. Labor Market Analysis Although the Australian economy has been experiencing sustained growth for a long time, the country suffers from high unemployment. Fundamentally, the country suffers from high youth unemployment and long term unemployment. Today, the most common forms of joblessness in the country include structural, cyclical, and frictional unemployment. The high rate of joblessness in Australia is a major problem in the country and has significantly affected the rate of economic growth. Graph showing Australias Unemployment Rate Source: (Trading Economics, 2017). Generally, the rate of joblessness in the country is high. The ABS gathers quarterly reports on the level of unemployment in the country. In June this year, the seasonally adjusted joblessness rate was estimated at 5.6 percent (Trading Economics, 2017). Notably, at this time, the economy added about 14,000 jobs. However, the number of jobless individuals rose by approximately 13,100 individuals. On average, the joblessness rate in the country since 1978 until this year is 6.90 percent (Trading Economics, 2017). During this duration, the highest rate of joblessness was experienced in the last month of 1992 at 11.20 percent (Trading Economics, 2017). In contrast, the smallest rate was achieved in February 2008 at 4 percent (Trading Economics, 2017). Youth Unemployment The youth form a significant proportion of the unemployed labor force in the country. At the beginning of the year, the rate of youth unemployment was 13.31 percent (Om, 2017). According to Davidson (2017), approximately one-third of the Australian youth are either jobless or underemployed. As at march, the rate of underemployment was 18 percent (Davidson, 2017). Notably, this is the highest level in the last four decades. For this reason, the joblessness among the young people in Australia is a major social and economic issue. Graph showing youth unemployment Source: (Trading Economics, 2017). In the past year, the level of youth joblessness has been rising and falling intermittently. In July last year, the rate of was estimated at 13.1 percent. In the following quarter, the figure reduced sharply to 12.81 percent and remained constant before falling further to 12.5 percent in October 2016 (Trading Economics, 2017). Unfortunately, joblessness among the youthful population rose sharply to 13.7 percent November. At the end of last year, the unemployment rate dropped by 0.6 percent (Trading Economics, 2017). In January this year, the rate of joblessness fell significantly to 12.3 percent before rising to 13.1 percent in February. As at March, the rate of unemployment was estimated at 13.2 percent but fell down to 12.8 percent in the following month. Long term unemployment Long-term unemployment is another major issue in the Australian economy. In Australia, long term unemployment refers to a continued period of joblessness lasting for 52 consecutive weeks (Treasury, 2017). In June last year, the long-term unemployment rate in the country was about 23.1 percent. Notably, this figure rose to 23.9 percent in April 2016. As at May this year, the long term unemployment rate remained constant at 23.9 percent before dropping by 0.1 percent in June (Treasury, 2017). Last year, the average rate of unemployment was about 45.4 percent. This year, the figure has risen slightly by 0.4 percent. Old People Unemployment Additionally, it is crucial to point out that unemployment among the older Australians is a national disaster. Today, it is difficult for the older generation workers to get job opportunities (Wilson, 2013). For this reason, this portion of the population suffers more from long term unemployment. In 2015 for example, old workers experienced the longest duration of joblessness. Individuals aged between 55 and 65 years went for an average of 65 weeks without employment. Additionally, individuals aged 45 to 54 years went for about 63 weeks without a job (Parliament of Australia, 2015). Government Policies for Labor Market Given the persistent nature of unemployment in Australia, its government has taken an active role in trying to reduce the problem. Today, its government has initiated measures comprising of both demand side and supply-side policies to help reduce the level of joblessness in the economy. Primarily, demand side policies have been set to reduce demand deficient unemployment. On the other hand, it has instigated supply side measures to control structural unemployment in the country. In addition, the government has set up training workshops to equip the labor force with the required skills to combat structural unemployment. Furthermore, the government extends employment subsidies to firms, thus encouraging them to offer more employment opportunities. Consequently, these policies are meant to increase the level of employment in the economy. Price Level Analysis The consumer price index is an important measure of the cost of living in any given country. It indicates the rising and falling of prices of basic commodities within a particular economy. In Australia, the CPI has been growing consistently over the past decade. In the second quarter of 2017, the CPI index was estimated at 110.70, a slight rise from the previous quarters 110.50 index point (Trading Economics, 2017). Notably, the second quarter points are the highest since 1950. Over the same period, the smallest CPI was recorded in 1950 at 4.20 index points (Trading Economics, 2017). It is worth noting that the rising CPI levels over the years indicate an increase in the cost of living in Australia. Graph showing Australias CPI Source: (Trading Economics, 2017). Inflation is also a major indicator of the health of an economy. Notably, the Australian economy has been experiencing significantly low inflation levels over the past years. In June this year, the rate of inflation was 1.9 percent. Remarkably, this is a drop from the previous quarters 2.1 percent. In the last four years, the rate of inflation in the country has been falling with slight increases in some years. In the December quarter of 2014, inflation was estimated at 2.3 percent. However, in January the following year, it reduced to 1.7 percent, before further falling to 1.3 percent in the April quarter of 2015 (Trading Economics, 2017). By July of the same year, the price level in the country rose slightly by 0.2 percent and remained the same throughout the year. In January 2016, inflation rose further to 1.7 percent before falling to 1.3 percent in April. By July, the figures had dropped to only 1 percent. Unfortunately, the value shot up again at the end of the year to 1.3 percent (Trading Economics, 2017). At the beginning of 2017, the inflation rate rose further to 1.5 percent. The trend continued into the April quarter, and the figures were estimated at 2.1 percent (Trading Economics, 2017). However, in July inflation in the country was reported at 1.9 percent (Trading Economics, 2017). Thus, compared to many economies, Australia has one of the lowest levels of inflation. Causes of inflation In Australia, the main sources of inflation include cost push and demand pull inflation. Profoundly, demand-pull inflation occurs due to sudden increases in demand for commodities in the economy. In turn, excessive demand for services and goods pushes prices upwards, thereby causing inflation. On the other hand, cost push inflation arises when the cost of manufacturing products increases and, in turn, companies raise their prices to maintain their profit margins. Consequently, it leads to a general increase in the price level in the country, causing inflation. Government policies to reduce inflation The Australian government takes a keen interest in controlling the level of inflation in the country. For this reason, it has set up policies that aim at reducing price increases (Koukoulas, 2016). More specifically, the government uses contractionary monetary policies such as higher interest rates to raise the cost of borrowing. A higher cost of borrowing discourages spending, thereby leading to lower demand and thus low inflation (Letts, 2016). In the same way, the government initiates contractionary fiscal policy such as higher taxes which reduces the income of households, leading to less demand pull inflation. Consequently, these measures have ensured that Australia remains a low inflation economy. All in all, all factors considered, the Australian economy is a vibrant economy with great prospects for growth and development. For a while now, the country has been experiencing sustained economic growth characterized by increases in its GDP. In addition, the per capita income has been rising consistently over the past decade. Likewise, the price level in the country is stable, given that the economy experiences relatively low levels of inflation. However, the economy is still battling with high rates of unemployment. Currently, the economy is marred with high youth unemployment, long term joblessness and old people unemployment. Even so, the economy is expected to experience further growth in the future. References Australia Consumer Price Index (CPI) (2017). Trading Economics. Retrieved on 14 Aug 2017, from https://tradingeconomics.com/australia/consumer-price-index-cpi Australia Economic Outlook. (2016). Focus Economics. Retrieved on 14 Aug 2017 from https://www.focus-economics.com/countries/australia Davidson, H. (2017). Third of Australian youth have no job or are underemployed, report finds. The Guardian. Retrieved on 14 Aug 2017 from https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/mar/27/third-of-australian-youth-have-no-job-or-are-underemployed-report-finds Australia GDP. (2017). Trading Economics. Retrieved on 14 Aug 2017 from https://tradingeconomics.com/australia/gdp Australia Inflation Rate (2017). Trading Economics. Retrieved on 14 Aug 2017, from https://tradingeconomics.com/australia/inflation-cpi Australia Unemployment Rate. (2017). Trading Economics Retrieved on 14 Aug 2017 from https://tradingeconomics.com/australia/unemployment-rate Australia GDP per capita. (2017). Trading Economics Retrieved on 14 Aug 2017 from https://tradingeconomics.com/australia/gdp-per-capita Australia Youth Unemployment Rate. (2017). Trading Economics. Retrieved on 14 Aug 2017 from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-08/young-man-protests-unemployment/8250424 Koukoulas, S. (2016, Feb 1). The key to Australia's economic success: locking in low inflation. The Guardian. Retrieved on 14 Aug 2017, from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/feb/02/the-key-to-australias-economic-success-locking-in-low-inflation Long-term unemployment (2017). Treasury of Australia. Retrieved on 14 Aug 2017, from https://www.treasury.tas.gov.au/Documents/Long-Term-Unemployment.pdf Long-term unemployment statistics: a quick guide (2015, Sept 9). Parliament of Australia. Retrieved on 14 Aug 2017, from https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1516/Quick_Guides/LTUnemployed Om, J. (2017). Third of Australian youth have no job or are underemployed, report finds. ABC News. Retrieved on 14 Aug 2017 from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-08/young-man-protests-unemployment/8250424 Pettinger, T. (2017). Policies for reducing unemployment. Economics Help. Retrieved on 14 Aug 2017 from https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/3881/economics/policies-for-reducing-unemployment/ Pettinger, T. (2017). Policies to reduce inflation. Economics Help. Retrieved on 14 Aug 2017 from https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/42/inflation/economic-policies-to-reduce-inflation/ Wilson, C. (2013). Unemployment among older Australians a national disaster, age discrimination commissioner says. ABC News. Retrieved on 14 Aug 2017, from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-02/older-people-struggle-to-reenter-workforce/5065854

The Moral Status of the Fetus free essay sample

The debate over abortion comes down to one essential issue — the moral status of the unborn child. â€Å"Those choosing legalization of abortion will argue that the developing fetus lacks a moral status that would trump a woman’s desire to abort the child. Those against abortion argue by making the opposite claim; that the unborn child, because it is a developing human being, possesses a moral status because of its human existence; and that would clearly trump any rationale offered for its willful destruction.† (1)My moral belief would be that Life begins at Conception, therefore a fetus has just as much of a moral status as a newborn baby. What if someone used these arguments to justify the killing of an infant: â€Å"The baby was conceived through rape†-â€Å"The infant is deformed and mentally handicapped†-â€Å"The mother’s health is suffering as a result of her baby.† Would those who endorse abortion openly justify the killing of an infant using these excuses? No, they would not. We will write a custom essay sample on The Moral Status of the Fetus or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This proves that these objections are that the heart of the matter is whether the fetus is a living human. (2) The bottom line being, that the fetuss moral status does determine the just or unjust of the abortion, no matter what the situation may be. â€Å"Pro-choicers† believe that there are situations in which abortions are the solution. Scenarios where an unwanted pregnancy happened due to rape is one of them. The idea that rape victims want to abort children conceived in these horrible circumstances is a common myth in the abortion controversy. 2 In fact, rape victims believe abortion would be another form of violence committed against their body. More than half of these victims that do abort, admit to aborting due to outside influence and 93% of them regret it. Of those that carry, none of them wished otherwise. These victims  develop a heightened sense for life and find a new respect for it even when the unborn is in the fetus state. So clearly here, the fetus has a moral state, even to the victim. One that is more than â€Å"just a group of cells† â€Å"They believe their childs life may have meaning or purpose they do not yet understand. They believe they were given this child for a reason.† (3) Another reason women may look to abortion as a solution is if the fetus faces abnormalities or life threatening situations. At around 15 – 20 weeks gestation, women are given the option to undergo an amniocentesis. For some women, this is an option, for others, this is a must due to previous pregnancies with abnormalities.â€Å"This is a test done during pregnancy to get information about the fetus by sampling the amniotic fluid, which contains cells and chemicals which are fetal in origin.†(4) This test is looking for chromosomal genetic problems such as Downs Syndrome, Spina Bifida, Cystic Fibrosis, Fragile X, and Sickle Cell Anemia. After these tests are done, results take anywhere from 10- 14 days. Fetal age is about 22 weeks when the mother is deciding the future of her unborn child. By this time, the babys heart is beating, major organs are formed and maturing, facial features are becoming distinctive, and the mother can now feel the babys movements. Clearly the fetus has a moral status, and yet some women still choose to abort the fetus. Why? Because they do not want to â€Å"Sentence a child to life with an acute handicap?† Or they do not want to sentence themselves? Speaking from personal experience, my younger sister experienced a situation similar to this in August of 2000. She chose to have an amniocentesis test and when she received her results, she was told that there was a slight chance that my nephew Josh would have Downs Syndrome. The news was 3 devastating for all of us, but abortion was never an option. We were going to accept Josh however he was. In November of 2000 he came into this world completely beautiful. 100% normal, and no Downs syndrome. The amnio is only 99.4% accurate, and for some women, thats enough to terminate a life. Not for my sister. When it comes to life threatening situations for the mother, this is probably the most heated situation when it comes to the moral status of the fetus. Does the value of the mothers life outweigh the value of the babys life? Do we save the mother? Or do we save the baby? What is the moral status of the fetus? Is it worth saving? A scenario like an ectopic pregnancy would suggest that we abort the fetus and save the mother. But that does not always have to be the solution. What we rarely realized is that there are several cases where ectopic pregnancies have survived! There are not any cases of ectopic pregnancies in a fallopian tube that have survived, but studies have confirmed that time and patience will allow for regression of the ectopic pregnancy the majority of the time. So chemical or surgical removal of the pregnancy is not always necessary to save the mother’s life after all. However, if it is determined that the ectopic pregnancy does not resolve and the symptoms worsen, surgery may be necessary to save the mother’s life. The procedure does not kill the unborn child because the child has likely already deceased by the time surgery becomes necessary. The procedure is necessary to save the mother’s life, and the death of the unborn baby is unintentional. (2) In all three of these scenarios, three of which seem to be the most delicate in defending the right for women to abort their unwanted pregnancy, we find reason to support why abortion is not the best option. Because no matter the time at which a woman decides to abort, the fetus, a living human being, it does in fact have a moral status. Whether it is two weeks to twenty weeks, from the moment of conception, the moral status is Life.

End User Example

End User Example End User – Term Paper Example Managerial End User Responsibilities in Information Systems Your First Your middle initial, Your of here Managerial End User Responsibilities in Information Systems In order to better understand a manger’s responsibilities in information systems, first let’s briefly define the role of a manger in general. A manager’s role is to help build the company. Building a company in reference to the role of a manager means bringing on staff, presenting an organized structure for the staff and overseeing and directing the organized structure. The staff is very important in the structure and building of a company. The staff looks to the manager for direction in all aspects of the business. The staff is the end user in any new technology or programs implemented in the business. The staff’s understanding of new technology or programs implemented depends heavily on the direction of the manager. The responsibility of a manager exemplified in the final outcome of end user information systems is through implementing a system of successful learning. End User Satisfaction (EUS) is critical to successful information systems implementation (Au, Ngai, Cheng 2008) In several studies there has been a proven decline in performance and quality of work when new information systems are implemented. This is due to end users having to learn a new system yet produce if not more the same amount of work. The time and training for learning a system can become costly. To responsibly put this new system into effect a manager should first consider before purchasing the system what’s the ratio of user control to the controlling of the user. In other words better user control would be more adaptable in the end user learning the system than the system controlling the user. The systems are usually developed by designers who don’t know the specific needs of the user. So user control is very important. Also forming focused training sessions instead of individual â€Å"trying to figure it out with the instructions† would be cost effective. A follow through would incorporate weekly or monthly checks.ReferencesAu, N.; Ngai, E. W. T.; and Cheng, T. C. E.. 2008. "Extending the Understanding of End User Information Systems Satisfaction Formation: An Equitable Needs Fulfillment Model Approach," MIS Quarterly, (32: 1).

A Rhetorical Analysis of The First Kiss by John Updike Essays

A Rhetorical Analysis of The First Kiss by John Updike Essays A Rhetorical Analysis of The First Kiss by John Updike Paper A Rhetorical Analysis of The First Kiss by John Updike Paper In the essay titled The First Kiss, author John Update portrays baseball as a love-hate relationship with its fans. Update effetely conveys his message by appealing to pathos using metaphors, personification, and rhetorical questions. He begins with a metaphor stating, The many-headed monster called the Fenny Faithful yesterday resumed its romance with 25 youngish men in red socks who last year broke its monstrous big heart. He describes the fans of baseball as a many-headed monster implying that they are aggressive from the passion that they feel for that sport. He goes on by saying that they resumed their romance with the ones who broke they heart. That suggests that even though the team had many losses last season, they will still be devoted to them at the beginning of next season. He then begins to express how the love turns to hate by stating, braced for the first kiss of another prolonged entanglement, then asks a rhetorical question, in. ho can forget the ups and downs of last years fling? he refers to the first hit of the baseball season as the first kiss, and the first kiss is always he sweetest. Next he uses personifications expressing that baseball did the cruelest tease. Hes referring to their great win streak against their number one enemy, the Yankees, but ends up losing to them because of a cheap home run. Update displays how fed up the team was by exclaiming, Enough. Youll never get us to care again, Red Sox. He puts emphasis on the word enough by making it a one word sentence. He does this to show how sick and tired the fan s and they are at their last straw. Update then returns back to the love between the fans and baseball by eating, But monster have short memories, elastic hearts, and very foldable faculties. Once again he refers the fans as monsters because he defines monsters of having short memories and elastic hearts; they quickly forget about all the bad that has happened in the past and will continue to adore them. Therefore, by using metaphors, personifications, and rhetorical questions about the ups and downs of relationships, Update effectively conveys the message that theres a love-hate relationship between baseball and its fans.

Hidden Valley Resort Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hidden Valley Resort - Research Paper Example Hidden Valley Resorts are known for the eco-friendly environment that they serve. This report aims at discussing the current marketing situation of the company and also aims at developing a few opportunities for the company. An analysis of the internal as well as the external environment of the company has been made which permits a chance to draw out the opportunities and to study the viability of the opportunities. The report will set down two to three opportunities for the company which can be used to help develop the current market condition. These will be accessed financially and the details like the changes that might occur within the operations of the company will also be discussed. The next section will provide a brief overview of the company and a high-level image of the operations will be discussed. Hidden Valley resorts are a renowned resort located about one and half hours Northwest of Townville in the Paluma range in Queensland. The location of the resorts has untouched nature at its best and there is a wide range of natural species of birds, butterflies, wallabies and also other nocturnal animals. The cabins are known for the carbon Neutral Resort and the operations are based completely on green working. The company operates completely on solar power and as explained on the website of the company, â€Å"... with the help of our friends at Climate Friendly we purchased carbon credits to offset the greenhouse gases we emit into the atmosphere and are now CLIMATE NEUTRAL†. The resort was introduced in 1982. The main focus of the resort then was to cater to the needs of the timber cutters, tin miners and the graziers. The resort has been owned and operated over the last 24 years by Ian and Bonnie McLennan and has been developed over the years to improve and become better.

Was the Spanish Inquisition Politically, Socially, or Religiously Essay

Was the Spanish Inquisition Politically, Socially, or Religiously Motivated - Essay Example The Spanish Inquisition started in 1478 by the Catholic monarchs of Spain, Ferdinand II and Isabella I, by the promulgation of the Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition. It was not officially abolished till 1834. As a result of the said Inquisition, many people had their properties confiscated, and were tortured, maimed and even murdered, all in the name of religion. It was an effort on the part of the monarchs to ensure that Christianity became the only religion in their kingdom. Thereby not only were the Jews and Muslims living within the Spanish realm forced to convert to Christianity on pain of death, but it was ensured that the new converts stuck to the orthodox beliefs and did not revert to their â€Å"pagan† ways of before. But just what was the real motivation behind the Inquisition has been a topic of debate for many over the years. The various possible motivations include political, socio-economic, and, of course, religious. According to those who put forward the political motivation theory, the main reason behind the introduction of Inquisition was that the monarchs wanted to increase their political authority throughout Spain and ensure that their writ was followed. Thus, they ensured, through torture or a threat thereof, that their political authority was established.

Dementia awareness Essay Example for Free

Dementia awareness Essay The learner can: 1. Explain what is meant by the term ‘dementia’ 2. Describe the key functions of the brain that are affected by dementia 3. Explain why depression, delirium and age related memory impairment may be mistaken for dementia. Outcome 2 Understand key features of the theoretical models of dementia The learner can: 1. Outline the medical model of dementia 2. Outline the social model of dementia 3. Explain why dementia should be viewed as a disability. Outcome 3 Know the most common types of dementia and their causes The learner can: 1. List the most common causes of dementia 2. Describe the likely signs and symptoms of the most common causes of dementia 3. Outline the risk factors for the most common causes of dementia 4. Identify prevalence rates for different types of dementia. Outcome 4 Understand factors relating to an individual’s experience of dementia The learner can: 1. Describe how different individuals may experience living with dementia depending on age, type of dementia, and level of ability and disability 2. Outline the impact that the attitudes and behaviours of others may have on an individual with dementia. SUGGESTED GUIDANCE ANSWERS OUTCOME 1 For a start what does dementia mean? Very simply for such a complex area, it is an illness of the brain. What is the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia? The word dementia is an umbrella term, which covers all the various dementias including Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s is the one widely recognized, and accounts for about sixty per cent, of all the dementias. Dementia is a term that is used to describe a collection of symptoms including memory loss, problems with reasoning and communication skills, and a reduction in a persons abilities and skills in carrying out daily activities such as washing, dressing, cooking and caring for self. Memory loss this can be one of the first symptoms that people notice. The observations people report include noticing their loved ones forgetting things that have happened earlier in the day, getting confused about messages and who people are, getting lost whilst out and about, repeating themselves, and appearing not to be paying attention or following conversations. Problems with communication Some people experience problems with expressing themselves, talking and understanding things. They get confused about words and might use the wrong words for common things and mix words up. Reading and understanding written text can become problematic. There are a number of different types of dementia the most common being Alzheimers disease, vascular dementia, Fronto temporal dementia and Dementia with Lewy bodies. Some people get diagnosed as having mixed dementia; this is when the presentation shows the person to have elements of more than one type of dementia. Dementia is a progressive condition, which means the symptoms will gradually get worse. This progression will vary from person to person and each person will experience dementia in a different way. Although the person will have some of the above symptoms, the degree to which they affect an individual will vary and not all people will have all of these symptoms. 2. Areas of the brain affected by dementia are shown in the diagram below: [pic] The temporal lobe of the brain if affected by dementia will mean the sufferer will ‘forget’ every day functions, and how to perform them, relatives names and faces, their ‘past’ life, and friends they have known for years. Simple tasks that they used to perform with ease, become difficult to perform, and they have to ‘learn’ how to do them again. Sufferers can forget conversations and instructions, and need to be reminded on a regular basis, and given ‘prompts’ to remind them the topic of conversation, or what they are supposed be doing next for example. The frontal lobe of the brain if affected by dementia can mean that the sufferer is ‘unaware’ that their behaviour is unacceptable, or not the ‘norm’. The sufferer can become agitated very quickly, and suffer from depression. They may be unaware of apparent dangers, and unable to recognise what is ‘acceptable’ or ‘unacceptable’ behaviours. They may have violent outbursts, and exhibit ‘threatening’ behaviour to others. The parietal lobe of the brain if affected by dementia affects language skills. This means that communication skills could be reduced. The person may not be able to ‘find’ the appropriate words to use, or may not understand questions asked of them. They may not relate ‘words’ to the correct ‘objects’ for instance if they pick up a cup, but call it a ‘pot’. 3. Depression, memory problems, and delirium may be mistaken for dementia because these are often the onset symptoms of dementia, and therefore may be mistaken for the start of dementia in the elderly. Some symptoms of dementia are similar to symptoms of some mental health conditions. It is important that a comprehensive assessment is carried out if service users start to display symptoms such as confusion, poor memory or apathy. These could be indicators of dementia, but they could also be symptoms of depression, or other mental health conditions. OUTCOME 2 1. The medical model of dementia is of mental decline. This approach makes it hard to focus on maximising a person’s abilities and improving their quality of life. Putting physical problems and emotional states down to brain damage, the medical model overlooks the social world of people with dementia, and concentrates on the illness, rather than the person. 2. The social model of dementia sees the ‘person’ rather than the illness or disease. It puts the focus on what a person ‘can do’, (positives), instead of focussing on what the person can no longer do (negatives). The social model looks at ways to improve the quality of life, and experiences of dementia, and provide techniques for the dementia sufferer, to live a fulfilling and rewarding life. The social model recognises and includes the individual’s social, recreational, spiritual needs, instead of just their medical or personal care needs.

An Analysis of Dickinson’s I Felt a Funeral in My Brain Essay example -

An Analysis of Dickinson’s "I Felt a Funeral in My Brain" Emily Dickinson was a poet who used many different devices to develop her poetry, which made her style quite unique. A glance at one of her poems may lead one to believe that she was quite a simple poet, although a closer examination of her verse would uncover the complexity it contains. Dickinson’s poem " I felt a Funeral, in my Brain", is a prime example of complicity embodied by simple style and language. In this piece, Dickinson chronicles psychic fall. The use of many different devices such as sound, repetition, and metaphors, all help to develop the theme of the poem. Perhaps the best way for the reader to uncover the meaning of the poem at hand is to have a glance into the world of the poet. Emily Dickinson lived alone (emotionally) in a world she filled with her poetry and letters. Dickinson rejected her upbringing and religious background which, in turn, acted to sever her ties with the other people in her society. Much of her poetry served her as a type of therapy in which she could record and sort her thoughts and feelings. She did not write for an audience. This is an important fact to know when one reads her intimate poetry and tries to make sense of it. It could be implied that she did not feel the world was in any way constant, and it is as if her poetry was a reflection of this. Much of her poetry is about a reaction to a certain situation, and there is a great deal of contradiction in her work. Dickinson’s poem "I Felt a Funeral in my Brain" records an intimate battle within herself. The first stanza of the poem serves as an introduction to the reader. It tells of how the poet invisions her men... ...iety in which she lived, and her rejection of it had consequences. Poems such as the one at hand illustrate the occurrence of church in all aspects of life, and even though she chose not to accept it, it was still a part of her. Her outward resentment towards the church left a void in her life which, one could assume, acted as a catalyst for the mental breakdown that she depicts in this poem. Emily Dickinson was a poet that was very different from other poets of her time. The fact that she withdrew herself from society and that she was a woman made her poetry quite unique. Because she had no contact with other poets of her time, her style was quite original. Because she was not writing for an audience, many of her poems are deeply personal. It is up to the readers of Dickinson’s poetry to remove themselves from reality, and escape into the many corners of her mind.

Deforestation In The Amazon Rainforest

In this coursework I will be investigating deforestation and stating my opinion on whether I think it should continue or not in the Amazon Rainforest In doing so I will identify the various different values and attitudes. In this assignment I will include maps as well as diagrams, graphs, charts. The Earth is a constant changing system; a serious type of change that is being contributed by man, is deforestation. Deforestation is the clearing out of forests so that they can cultivated and used for other purposes. Due to this particular method of cultivating land it has resulted with vast areas of the Amazon rainforest being totally destroyed far beyond repair. Because of this scientists fear that many natural medicinal plants and vegetation may be lost permanently. Deforestation In The Amazon Rainforest Deforestation robs the world of countless species, destroying crucial Biodiversity and losing species with potential uses in medicine, agriculture and industry. Biodiversity is important because it contributes to resiliency in my opinion and should take precedence. The main worry for environmentalists such as my self is that many species are being lost as their habitats are being destroyed. In a rainforest, certain small areas are individual, specific habitats themselves. This means that if one small area of the rainforest is cleared, it could mean that a whole series of species are wiped out. The clearing of trees causes the roots anchoring the soil in the land to be destroyed, the removal of leaves and branches that intercept eight out of every ten raindrops lead to soil erosion. These devastating effects cause the land to become inhospitable and lead to the further cutting down of trees to provide new agricultural land. Nearly 40 percent of all the tropical rainforest left in the world is in the Brazilian Amazon. Brazil, the largest country in South America, has perhaps the best opportunity remaining to save large tracks of tropical rainforest. Although Brazil has lost approximately 58 percent of its frontier forests (large tracks of relatively undisturbed old growth forest), the country still has are over 772,200 square miles of frontier forest, among the largest amount of any country worldwide. Brazil is also home to a second, less famous rainforest, the Atlantic Rainforest. This strip of rainforest extends from the northeast coast down to the southern state of Parana. Formerly covering more than 386, 100 square miles, only 5 percent of the original Atlantic Rainforest remains. Many species that live here, including river otters, jaguars, and armadillos, are at high risk of extinction due to habitat loss caused by logging and agricultural clearing. The Amazon is one of the world's great rainforests and its river, is longer than any river but the Nile. The vast Amazon basin covers more than two and a half million square miles, more than any other rainforest but for how long will this be the case? The Amazon rainforest is located in South America, where its area takes up a quarter of the content. The forest is so large it spans nine countries French Guyana, Brazil, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. It has an extremely humid climate as do most rainforests due its equatorial location which means it rains frequently â€Å"The rain becomes trapped in canopy causing heat† Warm air caring water vapor will rise Warm air that falls here will become trapped in the canopy this will raise the temperature. The Amazon rainforest has many different species of plants and animals. For plant species there are between 5,000,000 and 30,000,000 (estimated). Only a little more than 30,000 have been classified and this represents 10% of all plants around the world. As for animal species there are about 324 mammals, and there are 2,500 to 3,000 species of fresh water fishes in the Amazon River. â€Å"Statistics in this paragraph were taken from: http://oz. plymouth. du/~lts/conservation/Ecosystems/amazon. html† Deforestation In The Amazon Rainforest The Correlation between Deforestation And Soil Erosion: Once trees are felled there are no leaves to protect the soil beneath, from heavy rainfall also there are no roots to hold the saturated soil in place. When this occurs it makes it extremely easy for soil to be washed or blown away. Then the area of land becomes useless because you can't build on it because foundations won't be stable enough and you can't cultivate it â€Å"grow crops† because nutrients such as silt etc have been washed/blown away. Nobody benefits. Soil Loss In Tones Per Hectare Per Year. : Bare Soil : Pasture : Crop Land : Rain/Forest As you can see when a area of land is bare the soil erosion is at its highest and when it's left alone as Rain/Forest it's at its lowest the activity of deforestation obviously affects the rain forest but soil erosion is a perfect example of a more subtle affect, it not only damages the rainforest directly but also damages cultivating potential for the area and any future plans you may have for the site e. g. building etc Deforestation occurs in many forms most of the clearing is done for agricultural purposes grazing, planting crops, cattle ranches etc. Poor farmers place pressure on the Brazilian government and local authorities to allow them to cut down small areas of Rainforest (typically a few acres) and burn the tree trunks in a process called slash and burn. Slash and burn is the traditional method used by the American Indianans of the rainforest and they all ways replace the areas they damage. Although this method is the most sustainaiable it's the most dangerous and one of the most abused. Desperate farmers will request an area of land to be cultivated and purposely let the fire grow beyond control so they will be able to claim a few acres extra, due to the fact the slash and burn method is never exact and the method is so finial. â€Å"Once it's done its done† the government feels they are powerless. Intensive or modern agriculture occurs on a far greater scale, sometimes deforesting several square miles at a time. Large cattle pastures often replace rainforest to grow beef and such like for the world market, mostly for fast the food industry. McDonald's etc. Commercial logging is another common form of deforestation, cutting trees for sale as timber or pulp. Logging can occur selectively-where only the economically valuable species of tree are cut, or by clearcutting, where all the trees are cut. Commercial logging uses heavy machinery, such as bulldozers, road graders, and log skidders, to remove cut trees and build roads, which is just as damaging to the rainforest overall as the chainsaws are to the individual trees. Deforestation In The Amazon Rainforest Deforestation by peasant farmers is often done to raise crops for self-subsistence, and is driven by the basic human need for food. Most tropical countries are very poor by U. S. standards, and farming is a basic way of life for a large part of the population. In Brazil, for example, the average annual earnings per person is U. S. $5400, compared to $26,980 per person in the United State The causes of deforestation are very complex. A competitive global economy drives the need for money in economically challenged tropical countries such as Brazil. Governments sell logging concessions to raise money for other vitial projects such as hospitials and schooling, to pay international debt, or to develop a more advanced industry infer structure. For example, Brazil had an international debt of $159 billion in 1995, on which it must make regular payments each year. The logging companies seek to exploit the rainforest and make a profit from the sales of pulp and valuable hardwoods such as mahogany. Brazil hasn't got much to offer the world in material goods other than what resources it has in its Rainforest so their government feels that if they don't continue to allow this clear and obvious exploitation of the rainforest they will fall behind in their payments and be unable to support their expanding population. I would describe Brazil as a middle income developing country I would place it in the same bracket as Mexico and Malaysia Its â€Å"GNP US $ PER CAPITA† is 3020 and it has a high infant mortality rate 57. One can only assume that a government would want to change these statistics and the easiest and quickest way for the brazilin government to get there hands on the money to do this is through the rainforest. Some other effects of deforestation are less rainfall so the cleared land becomes much drier possibly even a desert. More CO2 in the air this increases the greenhouse gasses causing global warming and climate change. Industry and power stations that have been built give off more C02 fewer trees to produce oxygen and absorb CO2. Fewer trees means less transpiration and this mean less water vapor in the air less water vapor in the air means less condensation overall. Many birds, insects, and animals rely upon the rainforest as a food source and for shelter. After deforestation they will either die or be forced to move away from there natural habitat when animals move some where else it will put a strain on other food chains and may even cause a mass extension. When the Rainforest is cleared peoples that lived there before are forced to leave and mix with the mainstream population this has had dire effects on them because when they mix with people outside the rainforest they develop illnesses that they had no immunity from there immune systems can't cope with western illnesses â€Å"measles, influenza† Those who are brave enough to stick out and stay are soon driven out from their homes by the construction of roads mines and reservoirs. Many people who tri to resist developers are killed by developers. Trees absorb a tremendous amount of water if there are no trees the water will sink into the soil and change it to mud If it continues to rain many surrounding crops will be ruined because of flooding Humus Cycle In Area of Tropical Rainforest Rich Tree Growth Numerous Fallen Leaves Leaves Decay To for Humus Nutrients Added To Soil Humus Cycle In Area of Forest That's Been Cleared Poor Quality Vegetation Fewer Trees And Leaves Less Humus Fewer Nutrients Added To Soil Less fertile Deforestation In The Amazon Rainforest People Living In Urban Areas In Brazil % In This Graph you can see that the number of people choosing to live in urban areas is increasing dramatically this is one of the reasons the Brazilian government continues to clear vast areas of rainforest. The cleared areas can be turned into residential areas to house more and more people. Statistics for this graph were taken from the Key Geography book Cleared Natural Forest In Order To Build Roads For Mining Access In This graph you can see that Brazil has by far the highest clearance for mining access. This is because the Brazilian government export masses of mined goods found in and around the rainforest such as gold, sliver, and iron ore. Statistics for this graph were taken fromWWW. GREENPEACE. COM Deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest Groups of people that support deforestation in the Amazon rainforest are the Logging and mining companies as well as the various governments. Multinational companies support deforestation because they are supplying for demand and a huge market, if people want mahogany furniture and rare gems/metals then they'll go and clear entire forests in order to give it to them and make a huge profit in the process. These companies see developing countries as an easy target they can clear huge areas of forest and pay them a fraction of what they should do the ironic thing is they no they'll be grateful for the money because they can barley support there expanding populations. As an outsider you would see these actions as inhuman and immoral but they do help the countries where deforestation is taking place a great deal. Many of these countries have nothing to offer other that holiday destinations so the only thing they can sell sad as it may seem is there heritage and Rainforest. When land has been cultivated through logging and mining the money will go to the government who will spend the money on its population in the form of a better education or hospitals and roads so the peoples of these countries are benefiting slightly but some people may say that its not worth it in the long term if they keep on then sooner or later there will no rainforests at all then the big companies will leave them with nothing. Places where there is a growing population in urban areas such as Brazil find them selves allowing big companies to destroy their rainforest in order for them to afford to destroy it them selves in processing large rainforest areas into residents for people to live in. Any one would love to earn something for nothing and that's exactly how these companies view it they get these valuable materials for next too nothing and sell them on for extortionate prices. They see them selves as aiding the developing countries and in a way they are but what they are actually doing is feeding them with one hand and killing them with the other. There are many groups of people that do not support deforestation in the Amazon rainforest such as the natives that lived in the rainforest; they see developers not as savors and job makers but as ruthless exploiters that kill vast amounts of animals and wild life with no remorse. Other reasons both the natives and local people are so against the clearing of the rainforest are they don't actually see any benefits in return the government often waste money on city expansion, national defense ,and economic aid which comes as a surprise since they can hardly feed them selves let alone any one else. When forest clearing was first introduced the main reason was to help them get out of debt but people who don't agree with deforestation will say they never been in so much debt they were better of living in small villages before at least then they could feed themselves and lived a less complicated life. The amount of land with trees on it shrinks each year. It gets harder and harder to meet local and global demands for wood and is extremely stressful and for what? Some people have proposed that the solution to tropical deforestation is to set aside vast areas as parks and reserves. This may buy enough time to give local governments a chance to address the underlying causes of deforestation-poverty, growing populations, and misguided policies. And many people feel that setting aside tropical reserves will ensure that unused areas will continue to exist. They point out that many species can't survive in managed (human-used) forests. Local people may say that the rainforest is one of the main reasons people come to visit them without that then they will lose a lot of revenue gained through tourists. People have not dwelt in large numbers throughout the tropical rain forests, but small groups of people live throughout the region. They constantly move around and clear small areas and plant crops. When they reach an area they want to use, they chop down trees and burn them in order to create a clear area. They then plant seeds in the ashes–but after a few years the soil nutrients become used up and it is no longer good for gardening, so they move somewhere else and start the process all over again. This process is called slash-and-burn cultivation, which can support a small population but will not work with larger ones. Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest In this assignment I will be investigating Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. I have been given a hypothesis, which I have to agree or disagree with the statement by using the sources and from my own research. The hypothesis I have been given is ‘Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest is a major global environmental issue that only the Brazilian government can solve'. The whole issue is about deforestation, Deforestation is the felling and clearance of the forest land. It began in the Mediterranean lands many centuries ago. Today is mainly taking place in the less economically developed countries that have the tropical rainforests as their natural vegetation. The Amazon rainforest in Brazil is one of the largest rainforest in the world, it contains 50% of the world's animal population and it produces one third of the world's oxygen. Pharmatical Company's across the world use plants from the forest to produce life saving medicines for the people of the world. How and why is the rainforest being cleared ? There are many reasons to why the rainforest is being cleared. One of them is that the Brazilian government has allowed deforestation to take place in the Amazon rainforest is because they are in debt. They have let the Multinational companies deforest the rainforest so that they can raise money to pay off their debt owed to the banks in the MEDC countries. These developments are taking place now in the Amazon rainforest e.g. Commercial logging, cattle ranches, raw materials, mining and e.t.c. when these development takes place large areas of the rainforest has to be cleared out. From my research I found out that only 5% of the forest trees are actually wanted by the loggers but to get those trees they have to damage or destroy 65% of the remaining ones. What groups benefit from deforestation in the Amazon rainforest ? They are many people and groups that benefit from deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. Mostly the MNC's, they have cleared large areas for cattle ranching. They have burnt down trees and replaced it with grass. Then the beef which is produced from the cattle ranches is gone to Europe and US to be made into burgers. The MNC's are also involved in logging, which has been permitted only in 13 designated areas. Source E supports my point, it says that â€Å"The USA is the main importer of Brazilian mahogany†. The multinational companies pay tax for every area they felled but they benefit from it because the money goes back to the banks in MEDC countries to pay off their debts. The external debt of Brazil's is getting lower by letting people and companies fell the trees in the rainforest as you can see in Source G shows a graph of the external debt of Brazil, which shows at the beginning the debt was low and then in the middle it got higher and now its getting lower. This source is consistent with Source J because it tells how the external debt got higher. In the Amazon rainforest large areas are being cleared to make hydro electric PowerStation because it rains a lot in the rainforest so there is unlimited water supply. The HEP stations provide cheap and plentiful energy for transport, domestic use and industry. The mining companies also benefit from it because there are huge deposits of iron ore, copper, gold, bauxite and other minerals in the rainforests. So these companies have felled the trees to build roads through the forest to reach these deposits. What are the negative consequences of deforestation ? Deforestation has many negative consequences globally and locally. The Amazon rainforest in Brazil is responsible for producing one third of the world's oxygen. Many trees have been felled, which has increased global warming because carbon dioxide is getting higher. Because of the increase of carbon dioxide it has started to destroy the ozone layer, which then lets the harmful rays from the sun reach earth. As you can see source O States how carbon dioxide goes into air and also source P which also shows that America is the largest polluter. Source R also shows us that if there were no trees there won't be any oxygen, it also shows in the picture the clouds representing pollution. The other consequences are loss of wildlife where birds and insects rely on trees for food and shelter. There is a loss in medicine. It has also killed 96% of the Indians living in the rainforest because of the arrival of the Europeans. Those remaining have been driven from their homes by the constructions of roads, mines, reservoirs, cattle ranches and also forced to live in reservations. Source A talks about the Indians who are dying as development takes place. Their life styles are changing. The felling of the trees has also led to soil erosion by the rain in the rainforest. It rains every half and hour and is led to frequent flooding because there are no trees. All the rich soil which has the humus in it is flowed away by the flooding. After the rain there is a lot of heat given by the sun which bakes the poor soil, which then the areas of the forest which don't have trees turn into deserts. As it is also stated in source F in the second paragraph that the â€Å"Scientific studies have repeatedly shown that the Amazon soil is not suitable for agriculture and cattle ranching†. The hardwood is also becoming endangered. Source E also shows that the MNC's buy raw material like mahogany which they know come in illegal areas which they turn the blind eye on purpose. This source also talks about slavery which existed in the rainforest, which was abolished in 1888. People went to complain to the police about this but the police were corrupt and bribed and were useless. Government Actions The government is facing great problems now like the debts its facing which is getting higher everyday because of its interests. Brazil is trapped in the cycle of poverty. The government is also involved in causing more global warming and itself has done some deforestation in the rainforest. The other actions the government took was when the cities in the south east were very overcrowded and they reduce this problem by giving these people land in the middle of the rainforest where there wasn't a good infrastructure. The government has protected National Parks as it says in source C that the government has protected the rare areas of outstanding natural beauty to preserve and protect the future as these cannot be produced again. There are many companies who take advantage of Brazil's cheap resources. The Brazilian government has employed people from the favelas to work for these companies so the profit does not go straight out of the companies. Evaluation of the sources used ! Source A is against development and it's quite recent. It says it's a Brazilian newspaper but we don't know which one, we don't know how many Amerindians there were in the beginning. It's incomplete and it also tells us that the Multinational Companies (MNC's) and the government are working together to move the people to the Amazon. Source C is about what is the government doing? This source is sustainable but it is inconsistence and has exaggerated the facts like when it says in the third paragraph â€Å"From 2001 to April 2002, it transferred 20 million hectares.† When the source was adapted from a Brazilian newspaper which we don't know in March 2002. This shows that the dates were exaggerated because April 2002 had not come yet. Source E is against development and is reliable because it's a broad sheet which is more reliable than tabloid. There are other reasons why is reliable that is it there has been an interview with the MNC's, it's got facts, its quite recent, it has got dates and it tells us the true corruption. Source F is against development. Although the first paragraph is reliable because of the via satellite which does not lie but the second paragraph we don't know which scientific studies. Although this source is from the charity which most of the time charities exaggerate so that they get money and get known. But this source is reliable because they have done space research. Source G is for development because it's showing that by letting the MNC's deforest the rainforest their debt is getting lower. It is also reliable because it's consistent with source J and we also know the newspaper. Source J is for development. The headline is exaggerated. It is very reliable because it's consistent with source G but only the date is old. Source O is against development and it's reliable because the source is adapted from the UN. This source is 5 years old. Source P is against development and it's reliable because the source is from the UN. This source tells us that America is the largest polluter. This source is also 5 years old. Source R is against development. This source could be bias. This source shows us that the trees which provide oxygen are not there now, the clouds shows pollution and the person is getting bigger. Conclusion In my conclusion I agree with the hypothesis that only the Brazilian government can solve deforestation in the Amazon rainforest because they have started it and they are the one who can end it. One way they can make money without damaging or destroying the rainforest is by increasing their export so that their trade becomes surplus, that means that they export more than they import and by doing this they will get more money. There are two conflicts of interest in the rainforest. One is the groups that want to use the rainforest to make money. The other group of people wants to protect the rainforest and leave it as it is. In the middle are the people who live there. These people living in the forest want to preserve and use the resources from the forest to improve their standard of living. The solution to this is to manage the rainforest sustainable which is using the resources carefully like when cutting down the trees needed you shouldn't destroy the surroundings with it. The Brazilian government can also charge more tax for every area the MNC's deforest and also make them plant 3 more trees in that area.

Funny Ads

â€Å"Humour certainly succeeds in getting people’s attention and is the most effective advertising strategy of our time. † Advertisement is one of the important things for a company’s marketing. It can say that in today’s modern life advertisement plays a key role in order for any company or product to succeed the advertisement must deliver a powerful message which attracts the consumer’s attention (Creativenerds 2010). That is because â€Å"advertising can achieve communications object such as informing people about brands, it can create awareness and it can move people closer to choosing one brand rather than another. (Blithe 2009) Humour has become a mainstay of advertising campaigns and has proven to be one of the most effective methods ever devised for selling products and creating a positive brand image (Clayton n. d. ). That is because Funny advertisements are a way to make sure they provide something different to the eyes of customers to s tand out in the crowd of products of services (SloDive n. d. ). Advertising is defined as a paid insertion of a message in a medium, and it is probably the most prominent of all marketing activities.Non-marketers often think that advertising is all that marketers do, which is of course not case the definition specifically excludes anything that is not paid for, or anything that does not pass through a medium, or anything that does not convey a message (Blithe 2009). However, it is true that using humour in advertisement can get people’s attention but it is not the most effective advertising strategy of our time. This essay will firstly show the disadvantages of using humour in advertising with some examples, and secondly, it also mentions some benefits of funny advertisement together with an example.The last thing is the recommendation about an advertising strategy. It is clear that the most obvious advantage of funny advertisement is that it does get more attention from cons umers and is better like. That is because humour is not only one of the best ways to captivate your audience’s attention but it also makes a product or service easier to recall or remember. People will probably love to  remember things  that make them smile or laugh and making people recognize a product is the most important thing for company’s marketing. The quote from presidiacreative is the good example. Humor is the best medicine, and this holds true in advertising as well, humor is one of the best ways to captivate your audience’s attention. Whether the humor is blatantly obvious, or a subtle joke, funny advertisements are always appreciated by the public, which is why so much effort goes into Superbowl ads. † (presidiacreative 2011) Furthermore, funny advertisement can get more attention because most people like funny things and it put them in a good mood. People love to be entertained that is why laughter has an enormous power when it comes to  advertisements.If asking some people about any advertisement that they seem to remember up to this day, more than 80 percents of them will think about  advertisements  that made them smile or laugh. They will relax and pay more attention when they know that advertisement has a sense of humor. Also, it create a more comfortable atmosphere and positive image for the company as Mr. Daboll, CEO of Ace Metrix, said â€Å"If you're equal on relevance and information, almost always funny will win over unfunny ads because it drives the other scores like likability and attention. (Neff 2012) Another advantage of using humour in advertising is that it can persuade people to buy products. Many people decide to buy the product because they like the advertisement. That is why the advertisement has a lot influence on circulation. According to Bhatti’s survey (2012), more than 50% of the current Vodafone customer is the result of effective funny advertisement created. Moreover, for a dvertisement, creativity is most important, and funniness is an extra added bonus for success. The Huggies advertisement is the very good example. It was successful funny advertisement because it conveys the message that a kid with a serious bladder problem can be contained. † (Hollis 2011). From two reason mentioned above it can understand that the advantages of using humour in advertisement are that people tend to enjoy it more, remember it, talk about it and then ultimately purchase a product. If a brand manager or a marketer always remembers that as long as people smile, they will surely buy. On the other hand, trying to use some serious approach in advertisement can make people find it boring and they will skip your advertisement (Sterling 2012).Although funny advertising has some advantages, it also has a lot disadvantages. The first one is that it can make consumers laugh but do not make them buy and the worst thing that could happen, and does happen, is for people to n otice the advertisement and remember the joke, but not the business (Theselfemployed n. d. ). It is true that funny advertisements are useful for entertaining viewers, but are not the most effective way for advertisers to convince those viewers to buy the product. There was a report about this point from Ace Metrix.It presented that â€Å"Funniness had little correlation with effectiveness in a scoring system that incorporates watchability, likability and persuasion among other factors. In fact, funny ads were slightly less likely to increase desire or purchase intent than unfunny ones. † (Neff 2012) These means that perfect ad is one that is appealing and memorable and effective all in the same breath (Pride et al. 2007). As Mr. Peter Daboll, CEO of Ace Metrix, said â€Å"Just being funny doesn't make an ad better, but being funny, relevant and informative are the things that really make an ad work† (Neff 2012).Secondly, some viewers cannot understand what those ads w ant to advertise. That is because there are a lot of jokes, slangs and spoken language in funny ads, so some people can understand but some people cannot. Nigel Hollis (2011), chief global analyst at Millward Brown, a global market research company, said that â€Å"Humor is culturally specific. Subtle references and puns tend to travel badly. † This is the example of one of the viewers’ opinion on the incomprehensible funny advertisement. I'm confused by the latest TV commercial for Adidas running shoes. The one that has the guy running through the city, and everything gets disrupted when he runs by it. Waterbeds explode, tractor trailer tires blow out, balloon floats deflate, a kid gets knocked off a pogo stick. At first I thought it was because the guy's feet smelled so bad he was causing all of this to happen, but the commercial is for a running shoe, so they wouldn't do that. † (Sassone 2005) This will make the company lose the group of people who cannot unde rstand he advertisement. A lot of people simply do not have a sense of humours, so if they think that the advertisement is not fun or they do not understand it, the company will lose these people immediately, and the potential size of the market will shrinks (Professional Advertising n. d. ). Thirdly, not all ads can be funny. It is believed that advertisement is a representative of company so if companies use funny things in ads that should not be funny, it will provide bad effect to companies’ images. In addition, advertising humor can backfire.If companies make a joke at the expense of any one group, they will surely alienate them. For example, many years ago, in Thailand, there was disrespectful act toward Buddha in one restaurant’s poster to make people fun. As a result, a lot of Thai people blamed on that restaurant and were banned it. This is because Buddhists who see a Buddha image placed in an improper place will feel very unhappy and may become subject to con flict arising from such situations. (Knowingbuddha n. d. ). Finally, some people cannot get any information from funny advertisement while some get bored with the same jokes.As the Professional Advertising said â€Å"The first time we see it we may laugh out loud. But after a while, although we still may smile at the joke, it’s not so funny anymore. Funny ads need to be replaced periodically. † (Professional Advertising n. d. ) Generally, when someone got the jokes, those jokes are not funny anymore. In the same ways as a funny advertisement, the first time people see the advertisement they will feel fun and interested, but they will find it not funny anymore when they see it again and again.Additionally, some advertisements have a lot of funny things but less information. In fact, giving information about a product is the most important of advertising and using humor is a supplement. Although funny advertisements drive the great advertising attributes such as attentio n and likeability, low information and relevance on many funny ads results in creating lower desire for the advertised products than non-funny advertisements (Tuttle 2012).This is the same concept as Michael Curran, Resource Manager at Capgemini, that â€Å"If an ad is merely funny and does nothing to bolster the featured product’s attributes, however, it’s probably a failure, no matter how funny the ad is. † (Tuttle 2012) In conclusion, Funny advertisement can get attention from viewers but it not always makes them buy a product. Besides, some people cannot understand what the ad wants to advertise and they sometimes cannot get anything about the product but fun. Also, not all ads can be funny.As a result, using humour in advertisement is one advertising strategy but it cannot be used with all advertisements and it is not the best way. It is recommended that companies should take care in considering what’s best for their brand. Don’t just jump on the funny band wagon because everyone is doing it. Every product must have its own proper way to advertise, so if a company can find that proper way, it will succeed in advertising. Some products are suited for funny advertisement but some are not, so companies should think carefully before advertising their product. Word count: 1670

Hotel Continental Case Study Essay Essays

Hotel Continental Case Study Essay Essays Hotel Continental Case Study Essay Essay Hotel Continental Case Study Essay Essay In July 1989. Mr. Oscar Mendoza. proprietor of Triumph Tours read in the newspapers an advertizement for the leasing of Hotel Continental’s installations. During the last six months. Oscar Mendoza has been earnestly believing about runing a hotel to complement his travel bureau concern. Oscar Mendoza had been sing troubles in acquiring hotel adjustments for his circuit groups since last twelvemonth during the peak travel months of December. January. July and August. Hotel Continental is a 27 room hotel located in Diliman. Quezon City along Don Mariano Marcos Avenue. It has three map suites that can sit twelve to forty individuals. a java store. a fast nutrient cafeteria. a formal dining room and a swimming pool. During the last two old ages. the hotel incurred losingss of approximately P2 to 3 million pesos which led direction to the determination of renting out its installations ( See Exhibit A ) . The room capacity of the hotel is merely right for Triumph Tours’ demands during the peak months. â€Å"My travel concern can supply one-year capacity use of the hotel to every bit much as 40 % merely. † Oscar Mendoza told his Selling Manager. Ernesto de los Santos. â€Å"How do we make full up the staying 60 % ? Before Cory became President. I read in the day-to-day newspapers that most of these five-star hotels in Metro Manila were underutilized? What led to this state of affairs? Could you gather some informations that will assist me in make up ones minding whether or non I should offer for Hotel Continental? The information could besides assist me in calculating the appropriate command monetary value. † Ernesto de los Santos instantly called his staff after the meeting with Oscar Mendoza. He told his staff to garner natural informations related to the hotel industry. â€Å"Just give me the informations. It’s up to you how you will split the work. I’ll take attention of composing the study for the foreman. † he informed his staff. Several yearss subsequently. Oscar Mendoza found on his desk a package of information jointly submitted by two of the five staff members of the selling section ( See Exhibit B ) . Ernesto de los Santos instantly read the informations to see if he could fix a preliminary study for Oscar Mendoza. Q I.a. ) Central Problem Should Mr. Oscar Mendoza. proprietor of Triumph Tours. command for Hotel Continental to complement his travel bureau concern? If he would offer for Hotel Continental. how can his travel concern fill up the staying 60 % of the hotel’s one-year capacity which is underutilized? Statement of the Problem:Oscar Mendoza’s trouble in acquiring hotel adjustments during peak travel months b. ) Minor jobs What would be the appropriate command monetary value? What factors caused the incurred losingss of Hotel Continental and how Triumph Tours can work out the unprofitable event? II. Aim To place the factors that affect the use of hotel installations. Cite accomplishable ways on how Triumph Tours will be able to make full up the staying 60 % of Hotel Continental’s underutilized installations. To weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each option. In this survey. both of the cited schemes will be discussed. To come up with the best solution. III. Alternative Courses of Action 1. Bid for Hotel Continental 1. Advantages I. It will work out Mr. Mendoza’s job in acquiring hotel adjustments for his circuit groups during peak months. Since acquiring hotel accomodations might do him a batch of clip and command for Hotel Continental will salvage him much. two. It provides better service for his circuit groups. Of the fact that Hotel continental can suit all his groups and still has approximately 60 % installations left for use. three. It allows the bureau to suit more clients. 40 % for the circuit groups and 60 % for other clients. four. It attracts more clients ` ( e. g. travel bundle ) v. It can salvage clip alternatively of looking for other hotels which might stop up in failure and Hotel Continental already being leased by other companies. chances merely come one time. six. Its room capacity is merely right for his circuit groups. dining grosss for the travel bureau concern by fulfilling the demands of the circuit groups. 2. Disadvantages I. Hotel Continental has incurred losingss for last two back-to-back old ages. Victory Tours is challenged of this event and should come up with the best scheme on how to maximise net incomes and avoid. if non possible. decrease the sum of losingss and in clip arrive to a net income by changeless recovery and advanced programs. two. Merely 40 % of hotel installations will be utilized by the travel bureau yearly. this requires them immense attempt to be efficient in their resources and non stop up in underutilized public-service corporations. three. The location of the hotel is non strategic. There are many rivals at present and besides. at future. four. More capital is needed. Capital is a critical component of all organisations if one strives to roll up net incomes and remain in the competition. v. Merely during travel peak months does Mr. Mendoza encounters hotel adjustment jobs. six. 5-star hotels have history of underutilization before Cory Aquino’s term. Modernize the hotel’s installations Advantage: Modernizing installations and heightening services would exercise a pull on more tourers. increasing hotel tenancy rates. thereby intensifying hotel capacity use. And besides. the fact of a stiff competition among hotels. the action will take to a more competitory Hotel Continental with which clients can take from. Disadvantage: Modernization of installations would ask big sums of costs and affect employee hiring. Offer more services Advantage: Offer more services such as watering place. beauty salons. fittingness centres. dress shops. different eating houses and conference installations would take full advantage of the hotel’s capacity to provide to more countries of services. thereby maximising net incomes. Disadvantage: Offer more services would necessitate big sums of costs. employees. Besides. many who venture into enlargements fail at maximising net incomes. Find lesser cost alternate ways of operating concern activities Advantage: Based on the income statement of Hotel Continental. a big part of the losingss was due to the immense sums of operating disbursals. If those operations would be done utilizing lesser costs. there would be a important addition in the income of the hotel. Disadvantage: Searching for lesser cost alternate ways in runing the concern will take a batch of clip and resources. Besides. non all alternate ways are every bit good as what the concern used before. Advertise the hotel together with the travel agency’s offers Advantage: Ad non merely lets people know about the services rendered by the hotel. it besides creates the demand for them to avail of its merchandises and services. Disadvantage: Ad through a batch of signifiers of media requires a batch of costs. Expand the hotel into a hotel-resort concern Advantage: The transition of the hotel into a hotel and resort concern would non merely pull those professional clients. it would besides pull both tourers and locals. Since a batch of people are into loosen uping holidaies. providing to their demands maximizes the hotel’s capacity. Disadvantage: The transition of the hotel into a hotel and resort requires a batch of costs and non all ventures into the resort industry win. 2. Command for other hotels 1. Advantages I. There is a possibility of a less bid monetary value. There may be hotels in close bankruptcy or have suffered more losingss than Hotel Continental and is renting their installations at a much lower monetary value. two. There is a possibility that other hotels have non incurred losingss. It is non certain but one may happen other hotels that are in lease advertizement but have non suffered losingss. three. It will work out Mr. Mendoza’s job in acquiring hotel adjustments for his circuit groups during peak months. four. It provides better service for his circuit groups v. It allows the bureau to suit more clients. six. It attracts more clients ( e. g. travel bundle ) seven. There is a possibility that the other hotels are in a strategic location 2. Disadvantages I. It consumes more clip to garner informations and to seek for hotels in rental. uncertainnesss may come and either fulfill their concern or dissatisfy them. two. Room capacity may be excessively much or excessively less. Too much may besides necessitate extra programs in order to make full up the staying underutilized installations and excessively less might ensue to disappointing services and lower grosss. three. There is a possibility of a higher command monetary value. particularly for hotels that have non undergone losingss or other jobs. four. There is a possibility that no other hotels are for rental. 3. Construct ain hotel 1. Advantages i. Mr. Mendoza can decently turn to the demands of his circuit groups. They can stipulate their building harmonizing to the estimated demands of their travel bureau concern and be efficient of their resources ( e. g. adequate room capacity with 100 % use of the hotel installations ) . two. He can take a more strategic location for his hotel. They have the pick to make whatever they may in order to model a edifice that will suit their demands best. three. Complete authorization over the hotel for hey are the proprietor. 2. Disadvantages i. Mr. Mendoza needs most significantly a immense sum of money. Constructing a new edifice is non easy undertaking. get downing from the purchase of land for a strategic location. design and design. building workers. budget. and so on. two. Construction takes clip. undergoes many procedures. It is non a program which can be instantly accomplished. it requires months. old ages to complete. three. He bears all the hazards. Unexpected catastrophes. budget deficit. and some neglected minor jobs at the start that may go a big hinderance for the coating of the building and may impact the minutess of Triumph Tours. four. The entity ( travel bureau and hotel ) will be incurring more disbursals 4. Continue bureau operations without the hotel 1. Advantages i. Mr. Mendoza can concentrate betterments in his travel bureau. Less distractions can take to more concentration on the minutess of Triumph Tours. two. There are merely 4 travel peak months in a twelvemonth. 2. Disadvantages i. Mr. Mendoza continues to see troubles in acquiring hotel adjustments during travel peak months. two. It causes incommodiousness to his travel groups. To clients of the travel bureau. they may happen another travel bureau which they think will function them better because there are many rivals besides of Triumph Tours. IV. Recommendation We recommend that Mr. Oscar Mendoza of the Triumph Tours command for Hotel Continental and he must spread out the hotel into a hotel and resort concern. Besides. upon the transition. he must overhaul the installations of the hotel and he must open newer constitutions in the hotel. V. Conclusion Based on the income statement of Hotel Continental from 1987- 1988. a big part of the operating disbursals was due to the Property Operations. Maintenance and Energy Cost. Due to the out-of-date installations of the hotel. a batch of fixs and care were done which finally led to a strain in the hotel’s resources. Overhauling the hotel’s installations will decidedly cut down operating disbursals. Besides. offering newer and more varied services to the clients would increase the use of the hotel’s installations. Last. the transition of the hotel into a hotel and resort would pull more tourers and locals. thereby maximising the capacity of the hotel. Besides. the transition would set up a stable income for the concern because it would non merely roar in net incomes during peak seasons of Christmas and summer. it would besides offer installations for professional conferences every bit good as watering place. eating houses. fittingness centres among others which are non seasonal in nature.

African Elephant Facts

African Elephant Facts The African elephant (Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotis) is the largest land animal on the planet. Found in sub-Saharan Africa, this majestic herbivore is known for its remarkable physical adaptations as well as its intelligence. Fast Facts: African Elephants Scientific Name: Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotisCommon Names:  African elephant: savannah elephant or bush elephant and forest elephantBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: 8–13 feet tall, length of 19–24 feetWeight: 6,000–13,000 poundsLifespan: 60–70 yearsDiet:  HerbivoreHabitat: Sub-Saharan AfricaPopulation: 415,000Conservation Status: Vulnerable Description There are two subspecies of African elephant: savanna or bush elephant (Loxodonta africana) and forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis). African bush elephants are lighter gray, larger, and their tusks curve outwards; the forest elephant is darker gray in color and has tusks that are straighter and point downward. Forest elephants make up about one-third to one-quarter of the total elephant population in Africa. Elephants have a number of adaptations that help them to survive. Flapping their large ears enables them to cool down in hot weather, and their large size deters predators. The elephants long trunk reaches food sources located in otherwise inaccessible places, and the trunks are also used in communication and vocalization. Their tusks, which are upper incisors that continue to grow throughout their lifetimes, can be used to strip vegetation and dig to obtain food. Habitat and Range African elephants are found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, where they typically live in plains, woodlands, and forests. They tend not to be territorial, and they roam large ranges through several habitats and across international borders. They are found in dense forests, open and closed savannas, grasslands, and in the deserts of Namibia and Mali. They range between the northern tropics to the southern temperate zones in Africa and are found at the oceans beaches and on mountain slopes and elevations everywhere in between. Elephants are habitat modifiers or ecological engineers that physically alter their environments affecting the resources and changing the ecosystems. They push over, debark, break branches and stems, and uproot trees, which causes changes in tree height, canopy cover, and species composition. Studies have shown that the changes generated by the elephants are actually quite beneficial to the ecosystem, creating an increase in total biomass (up to seven times the original), an increase in nitrogen in the content of new leaves, as well as an increase in habitat complexity and food availability. The net effect is a multilayered canopy and a continuum of leaf biomass supporting their own and other species.   Edwin Godinho / EyeEm  /  Getty Images Diet Both subspecies of African elephants are herbivores, and most of their diet (65 percent to 70 percent) consists of leaves and bark. They will also eat a wide variety of plants, including grass and fruit: Elephants are bulk feeders and require an enormous amount of food to survive, consuming an estimated 220–440 pounds of forage  daily. Access to a permanent source of water is critical- most elephants drink frequently, and they need to obtain water at least once every two days. Elephant mortality is quite high in drought-affected regions. Behavior Female African elephants form matriarchal groupings. The dominant female is the matriarch and the head of the grouping, and the rest of the group consists primarily of the females offspring. Elephants use low-frequency rumbling sounds to communicate within their groupings. In contrast, male African elephants are mostly solitary and nomadic. They temporarily associate with different matriarchal groups as they seek mating partners. Males assess each others physical prowess by play-fighting with one another. Male elephants behavior is linked to their musth period, which typically takes place during winter. During musth, male elephants secrete an oily substance called temporin from their temporal glands. Their testosterone levels are as much as six times higher than normal during this period. Elephants in musth can become aggressive and violent. The exact evolutionary cause for musth is not definitively known, though research suggests that it may be linked to the assertion and reorganization of dominance. Reproduction and Offspring Elephants are polyandrous and polygamous; mating happens year round, whenever females are in estrus. They give birth to one or rarely two live young about once every three years. Gestation periods are approximately 22 months long. Newborns weigh between 200 and 250 pounds each. They are weaned after 4 months although they may continue to take milk from the mothers as part of their diet for up to three years. Young elephants are tended by the mother and other females in the matriarchal grouping. They become fully independent at the age of eight. Female elephants reach sexual maturity at about 11 years of age; males at 20. The lifespan of an African elephant is typically between 60 and 70 years.   Patrick Robert - Corbis  /Getty Images Misconceptions Elephants are beloved creatures, but they arent always fully understood by humans. Misconception: Elephants drink water through their trunks. Truth: While elephants use their trunks in the drinking process, they dont drink through it. Instead, they use the trunk to scoop water into their mouths.Misconception: Elephants are afraid of mice. Truth: While elephants may be startled by the darting movement of mice, they have not been proven to have a specific fear of mice.Misconception: Elephants mourn their dead. Truth: Elephants demonstrate an interest in the remains of their dead, and their interactions with those remains often seem ritualistic and emotional. However, scientists have not yet determined the precise cause of this mourning process, nor have they determined the degree to which elephants understand death. Threats The main threats to the continued existence of elephants on our planet are poaching, habitat loss, and climate change. In addition to overall population loss, poaching removes a majority of bulls over the age of 30 and females over the age of 40. Animal researchers believe that the loss of older females is particularly acute, as it impacts the social networks of elephant herds. Older females are the repositories of ecological knowledge who teach calves where and how to find food and water. Although there is evidence that their social networks are restructured after the loss of the older females, orphaned calves tend to leave from their natal core groups and die alone. Poaching has decreased with the institution of international laws prohibiting them, but it does continue to be a threat to these animals. Conservation Status The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies African elephants as vulnerable, while the ECOS Environmental Conservation Online System classifies them as threatened. According to the Great Elephant Census of 2016, there are approximately 350,000 African savanna elephants located in 30 countries. Between 2011 and 2013, more than 100,000 elephants were killed, mostly by poachers seeking their tusks for ivory. The African Wildlife Foundation estimates there are 415,000 African elephants in 37 countries, including both savanna and forest subspecies, and that 8 percent are killed by poachers annually. Sunshine Seeds/Getty Images Sources Blanc, J. Loxodonta africana. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T12392A3339343, 2008.Elephant. African Wildlife Foundation.  Foley, Charles A. H., and Lisa J. Faust. Rapid Population Growth in an Elephant Loxodonta Africana Population Recovering from Poaching in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania. Oryx 44.2 (2010): 205–12. Print.Goldenberg, Shifra Z., and George Wittemyer. Orphaning and Natal Group Dispersal Are Associated with Social Costs in Female Elephants. Animal Behaviour 143 (2018): 1–8. Print.Kohi, Edward M., et al. African Elephants (Loxodonta Africana) Amplify Browse Heterogeneity in African Savanna. Biotropica 43.6 (2011): 711–21. Print.McComb, Karen, et al. Matriarchs as Repositories of Social Knowledge in African Elephants. Science 292.5516 (2001): 491–94. Print.Tchamba, Martin N., et al. Plant Biomass Density as an Indicator of Food Supply for Elephants (Loxodonta Africana) in Waza National Park, Cameroon. Tropical Conservation Scie nce 7.4 (2014): 747–64. Print. The Status of African elephants. World Wildlife Magazine, Winter 2018.Wato, Yussuf A., et al. Prolonged Drought Results in Starvation of African Elephant (Loxodonta Africana). Biological Conservation 203 (2016): 89–96. Print.Wittemyer, G., and W. M. Getz. Hierarchical Dominance Structure and Social Organization in African Elephants, Loxodonta Africana. Animal Behaviour 73.4 (2007): 671–81. Print.