Shostakovich Symphony No. 4 free essay sample

Classical music has taken over my life. Not a day of the week goes by without some sort of required activity involving classical music. I think that this exposure has been rubbing off on my personal life, since if you look on my iPod, youll find more Chopin than Taylor Swift. You can then imagine that when my dad told me he had two box seat tickets to see the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Kimmel Center, I was absolutely ecstatic. There was, however, a minor detail. My father didn’t tell me, nor did I ask, what was being performed, until it was too late. When I did ask, he did not know, so I logged on to the Kimmel Center website and began scrolling through the different performance dates. My eyes lit up as I saw names like Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Holst, and I became more excited about the performance. We will write a custom essay sample on Shostakovich Symphony No. 4 or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Then, I reached the date of our concert. My heart sank. Shostakovich, Symphony #4. I immediately recalled that my music teacher hates Shostakovich’s compositions, but I pulled up a recording of this mystery piece anyway hoping that my music teacher and I had a difference of opinion. As the xylophone rang out to announce the beginning, quickly followed by a muddled horn reply, I had to turn it off and my enthusiasm for this excursion faded. This composition was complete and utter atonal chaos. My first trip to the Kimmel Center was going to be an absolute horror. Eventually, the day of the concert came and while the novelty of this trip did restore some of my initial excitement, Shostakovich remained a dark cloud hanging over the whole event. On the other hand, I did not want to spoil this father-daughter outing, so I didnt let my aversion toward the music show. We arrived at the Kimmel Center early, so while waiting for the doors to open, I read the playbill cover to cover. I paid special attention to the section about the dreade d symphony, about which I learned many things in that small span of time. First, the symphony was over an hour long. I also read that it was bold. I’ve gathered that in the musical world, this is a way of saying that it does not fit the usual definition of melodic. I think that in the regular world, this means it is just weird. Even Josef Stalin walked out of a performance of one of Shostakovichs earlier works, which he criticized as being Muddle instead of Music.† When I read this I very nearly suggested to my Dad that we just leave the Kimmel and get cheese steaks in South Philadelphia. Instead, I held a carefully neutral expression as my Dad and I entered the hall. An hour and a half later, we emerged. I wish I could say that I suddenly had a revelation in hearing it live which magically changed my opinion, but honestly I still disliked the symphony. While the classical music I love has clear themes and strong melodies, I have absolutely no idea what Shostakovich meant to do. On the other hand, sitting through that marathon of a piece allowed me to appreciate what Shostakovich did. I may have hated the dissonances themselves, but the way that each instrument in the orchestra passed the moving line from one to another was interesting to follow from one side of the concert hall to the other. The bombastic chords played by the massive orchestra in full punctuated a playful dance between horns and winds. I then recalled the playbill and the history which served as the context for this composition and I could imagine the struggle of the citizens of the Soviet Union as they faced an uncertain future under the fierce rule of Josef Stalin. On the way home, my Dad and I discussed the hour long musical epic. I did not think it was the type of thing he would like. He did not like it, but he reflected on how the music sounded inside the concert hall and how he was impressed with the way the music felt in the floor and in the seats. For him, being there with the performers made all the difference. The quality of their presentation, the beauty of the space, and the historical background took music that I know we both hated and elevated it to an experience we could both admire. As we got closer to home, I decided that this ‘horror’ and ‘chaos’ was only considered so because of my preconceived and limiting notions of good music. While remaining completely out of my area of interest, and certainly not on any of my playlists, I learned to give Shostakovich my appreciation and respect.

Child and Adolescent Health Case Study of Emma †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Child and Adolescent Health. Answer: Introduction This essay will reflect on a case study of Emma, a 3-month old girl whos brought in the emergency department by her mother, Jamie. On examination, Emma is noted to have difficulty to rouse and does not remain steady when her vital signs are taken. Shes noted to have bruises on her body but her mother insists that she rolled off the couch. The case will be discussed from the child and adolescent abuse point of view. General knowledge regarding what constitutes infant abuse and some of the findings that would show signs of child abuse and neglect will also be discussed in the write-up. Professional responsibility of a nurse in identification and reporting cases of child abuse if suspected will be presented, alongside potential impacts of abuse on the development and well-being of a child. Child maltreatment or abuse is a serious problem in the development and well-being of an infant, which negatively affects not only the physical health but also the mental health of a child (Bancroft et al., 2011). Although the definition of child abuse varies from one author to the next, Bancroft et al., (2011) describes child abuse as the act of commission or omission, by an individual responsible for the well being of that child such as a parent or a caregiver who endangers their physical and emotional development. Although in some scenarios the cases of child abuse can be isolated, there are countless cases which occur over a specified duration. Child abuse can either be sexual, physical, emotional or neglect. In the recent past, some publications have included witnessing a family violence as another form of child maltreatment (Geller et al., 2012). Obtaining a reliable data regarding the prevalence of child maltreatment has been very difficult, because in most times the cases are not reported, or may have been reported a very long time ago after the first abuse has occurred. This can be constituted by varied parameters that literature uses to define child maltreatment, as well as the different methodologies to collect information like the differences in the definition of what child abuse is all about. As of late in Canada, there are no studies concerning the widespread of child maltreatment and neglect (Radford et al., 2013). While the legislation and data regard to children protection exists, such data is more likely to be incomplete as well as inaccurate. Because the data presented may only reflect the cases that have been reported to the authorities, that can be contained or where the risks of infants harm have been accessed to be high. Research has shown that abuse can have a tremendous impact on the physical health as well as the development of a child. For instance, analysis of the National Longitudinal Survey of infants and children showed that children who are exposed to child maltreatments have much lower health status and more health conditions/ problems compared to those not exposed (Howell, 2011). Additionally, we know that children exposed to child abuse demonstrate post traumatic stress, behavioral problems, low self-esteem, as well as capacity for empathy. Its also understood that exposure to child abuse can lead to a host of problematic challenges and behaviors that may go up to teenage hood if not addresses early. Since not every child exposed to maltreatment sufferers both immediate and long term negative impacts, such exposure increases the likelihood that an adolescent will demonstrate behavioral and emotional problems. According to verlien (2010), theres increased danger for the development of relationship trauma or complex trauma because traumatic experiences are seen within the aspect of care giving, the same area where a child would expect to have both safety and comfort. Complex trauma is that which occurs continuously and cumulatively over a specified period as well as within certain aspects and relationships. verlien (2010) argue that the experience of complex relationship trauma like chronic exposure to child abuse can lead to loss of critical capabilities for self-control as well as interpersonal relatedness which puts infants at higher danger for future problems. The impact of such experience is controlled by some factors such as age, gender circumstances of the abuse, personality, plus the extent of support systems you can count on. Besides, the critical significance of the mental health of a child in such scenarios and the potential long term ramifications for such infants still go unrecognized in the majority of the professions that respond to the issues of child abuse (Sousa et al., 2011). These results are felt across key areas of human functioning; cognitive, emotional, behavioral and social. Sousa et al, (2011) postulates that there are two key areas of concern which relate to the future development and well-being, neither of which can be alienated from the state of a childs relationship with a close caregiver. They include the development of attachment plus the emotional regulation of distress. Emmas case demonstrates a high possibility of child maltreatment. Although thorough interviews, as well as physical and mental examinations, need to be done to discard the suspected child maltreatment, some of Emma's findings strongly indicate child abuse. She presents several small, oval shaped bruises to her torso and bruising behind her head. Although bruises are common accidental injuries that a child can sustain during normal day to day operations, they are also a manifestation of maltreatment (Stanley, 2011). Bruises are predominantly on the shins and legs unlike in the case for Emma where they are on her torso. Bruising is not common in areas including the buttocks, the back, forearm, abdomen/hip, cheeks /face, hand, posterior leg or upper arm. Besides, bruising to the hands is very rare among infants, and in case an injury is noted, a clear explanation for the injury should be sought. On the other case, Stanley (2011) also argues that accidental bruises to the head are very c ommon around the forehead, upper lip, chin, or nose in contrast to the abusive bruises which are found on the cheeks, neck, ear, or peri-orbital region. Childs abuse not only involves attention to cause physical damage or harm, not providing necessities such as food and water but also health care and hygiene can constitute to a child maltreatment in the form of Neglect (Stanley, 2011). Neglect can have adverse effects on the health as well as the development and well being of a child. In Emmas case, the bruises on her occiput can be due to tripping or a hit on the ground with the back of her head or a fall from the sofa as per mothers explanation. This can happen as a result of negligence or lack of proper care to the child by the care giver. A 12-hour history of vomiting and lethargy and lack of energy during investigation plus seizure in Emmas case are indicators of child negligence which amounts to maltreatment. However, early recognition and intervention of such factors are crucial especially in the process of avoiding further victimization of an infant. They can also increase the likelihood of adolescents recovering from maltrea tment and neglect. According to Wildeman (2010) nurses are the first-hand healthcare officers in contact with the patients seeking health care. Due to this, it's of great essence that nurses understand pretty well the primary role they play in identifying, recording, as well as reporting suspected cases of abuse and neglect, especially to the children and adolescents. Since the definition of a child abuse can vary from one state to the other, any suspected cases of child and adolescent abuse or Neglect should be reported within the shortest time possible as Wildeman (2010) puts it. In Canada for instance, the report of suspected child maltreatment is a mandatory particularly for those professions that deal with the kids directly such as Nurses and teachers. According to Wildeman (2010) nurses who fail to report cases of child Neglect or maltreatment might be at risk of facing legal consequences like a jail term of not less than ten years. As per the literature, some of the barriers that prevent nurses or any other health professional from reporting cases of a child abuse include; fear of being identified as the principal source of the claim particularly in small communities where people live close to each other (Yount et al., 2011). Another fear could be a wrongfully suspect or report abuse, which may cause discomfort to the children and their caregivers/parents, as well as the risks of legal consequences not only for the departments where the nurses work but also for themselves. Yount et al., (2011), hold that the key reason manifested by health workers who fail to report cases of child maltreatment or neglect is due to lack of proper training in identifying an infant and adolescent abuse. Studies have shown the need that educational programs have in recognizing and preventing child maltreatment or neglect. Nurses have a moral obligation of reporting suspected cases of child abuse so that further investigations can b e done to access whether theres a situation that can cause danger either to the physical, psychological or emotional integrity of a child (Taft et al., 2011). The consequences of not reporting these cases by a nurse are more dare for the infant than the impact of reporting when theres no Maltreatment. Conclusion In this essay, we have shown that child and adolescent maltreatment or neglect is a serious problem affecting almost every society globally. Child maltreatment as discussed above can have dire consequences in the children going through abuse, that impact either short or long term physical, emotional, psychological, social development or the well being of a child. The consequences of child abuse depend on age and growth of the child at the time the abuse takes place as well as the support of the society after the maltreatment is reported. Resilience can act as a tool to reduce the cases of child abuse. As demonstrated in the case study, evaluation and further examination of Emma's condition can be a possible case of child maltreatment or neglect. Although Nurses plays a critical role in identifying possible cases of child abuse, every other person's input to the matter can help in a quick recovery for the children who suffer ill-treatment or neglect and are still unidentified. References Bancroft, L., Silverman, J. G., Ritchie, D. (2011). The batterer as parent: Addressing the impact of domestic violence on family dynamics. Sage Publications. Geller, A., Cooper, C. E., Garfinkel, I., Schwartz-Soicher, O., Mincy, R. B. (2012). Beyond absenteeism: Father incarceration and child development. Demography, 49(1), 49-76. Hester, M. (2011). The three planet model: towards an understanding of contradictions in approaches to women and children's safety in contexts of domestic violence. British Journal of Social Work, 41(5), 837-853. Howell, K. H. (2011). Resilience and psychopathology in children exposed to family violence. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 16(6), 562-569. Moylan, C. A., Herrenkohl, T. I., Sousa, C., Tajima, E. A., Herrenkohl, R. C., Russo, M. J. (2010). The effects of child abuse and exposure to domestic violence on adolescent internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. Journal of family Violence, 25(1), 53-63. verlien, C. (2010). Children exposed to domestic violence: Conclusions from the literature and challenges ahead. Journal of Social Work, 10(1), 80-97. Radford, L., Corral, S., Bradley, C., Fisher, H. L. (2013). The prevalence and impact of child maltreatment and other types of victimization in the UK: Findings from a population survey of caregivers, children and young people and young adults. Child abuse neglect, 37(10), 801-813. Sousa, C., Herrenkohl, T. I., Moylan, C. A., Tajima, E. A., Klika, J. B., Herrenkohl, R. C., Russo, M. J. (2011). Longitudinal study on the effects of child abuse and childrens exposure to domestic violence, parent-child attachments, and antisocial behavior in adolescence. Journal of interpersonal violence, 26(1), 111-136. Stanley, N. (2011). Children experiencing domestic violence: a research review. Dartington: Research in practice. Taft, A. J., Small, R., Hegarty, K. L., Watson, L. F., Gold, L., Lumley, J. A. (2011). Mothers' AdvocateS In the Community (MOSAIC)-non-professional mentor support to reduce intimate partner violence and depression in mothers: a cluster randomised trial in primary care. BMC public health, 11(1), 178. Wildeman, C. (2010). Paternal incarceration and children's physically aggressive behaviors: Evidence from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Social Forces, 89(1), 285-309. Yount, K. M., DiGirolamo, A. M., Ramakrishnan, U. (2011). Impacts of domestic violence on child growth and nutrition: A conceptual review of the pathways of influence. Social Science Medicine, 72(9), 1534-1554.

Sample Essay - Do You Have a Ticket in Your Hand Where Will You Go?

Sample Essay - Do You Have a Ticket in Your Hand Where Will You Go?You have got a ticket in ur hand where will you go? Who will give you a break? We all know that the most common problem of those who have been behind the wheel of a car is that they end up looking at themselves and comparing them to others. But when it comes to public transportation, most people are very comfortable with the idea of relying on someone else to take care of their own transportation needs.And there are many of us who do not like asking other people for help. The problem with this is that if the problem is as simple as getting on the bus or train, you will be able to determine who to ask for help very easily. There is one person in particular who should be able to get you out of this mess: yourself.The first question you need to ask yourself is 'what am I going to do?' The second question you need to ask yourself is 'who am I going to ask?' As soon as you can figure out these two questions, you can get on with your question of the day, which is...Do you have a sample essay? If you don't, that's fine. There are lots of free writing resources online. If you can get access to a course or perhaps a teacher on the subject, great!Okay, now let's move on to a good question: how can you make this happen? To start, you need to have something to write about. By this I mean a real story, or some sort of experience that gives you a little bit of insight into how this works.If you are more creative than you may be comfortable with, that's completely fine. Whatever you feel is most comfortable for you. The key is to create a story, or describe a situation in as much detail as possible, to make sure that it is honest and true.Writing an essay is not as easy as it sounds. It takes practice and it is definitely not something you can expect to do in an hour or two. That's okay; all you need to do is to work on the essay in the proper order.The first question you need to ask yourself is 'what am I goi ng to do?' The second question you need to ask yourself is 'who am I going to ask?' The third question you need to ask yourself is 'where will I go' and the fourth question you need to ask yourself is 'why? '.

Ch 2 The Theory of Production, Cost and the Firm Essay Example

Ch 2: The Theory of Production, Cost and the Firm Paper 2.4 The theory of production, cost and the firm In the production process, firms turn inputs (or factors of production) into outputs (or products) via a process of transformation using the available technology. Inputs can be divided into three broad categories: labour (L), capital (K) and materials (M); and can further divided into subcategories such as: skilled and unskilled labour, fixed and flexible capital and so on. For example, a wind turbine manufacturer uses inputs which include the labour of its assembly workers, engineers and the entrepreneurial efforts of its managers; capital, such as its buildings, equipment, inventories and materials such as steel and fibreglass; and other running costs such as electricity and water. It is worthwhile highlighting that in addition to commodities such as steel, petroleum, cement and so on, raw materials can be thought to include environmental inputs such as waste water and the atmosphere, especially as firms are being faced with paying fo r access to the environment as a pollution sink. This relationship between inputs and outputs can be described by a production function – which relates the output Q for every specified combination of inputs: (2.4) Just as the theory of consumer choice describes the consumption decisions of the individual through the interaction of indifference curves and the budget line, the theory of production describes the behaviour of the firm by the interaction of the isoquant and isocost curves respectively (Figure 2.3). For graphical simplicity, the following discussion will limit the number of inputs to two. Two examples will be developed using the framework in Figure 2.3, one modelling the relationship between capital and labour, and a second modelling the relationship between capital and GHG emissions, exemplifying how ‘the environment’ may be considered a factor of production. An isoquant is a downward sloping convex (to the origin) curve which shows all the possible combinations of inputs (in our first case, labour and capital) that can yield the same output (Q). An important difference to the theory of consumer choice is that while indifference curves can only give ordinal rankings of preferred market baskets, isoquant curves have a quantitative measure associated with them – thus also give a cardinal ranking. A set of isoquants, or isoquant map, describes the firm’s production function. We will write a custom essay sample on Ch 2: The Theory of Production, Cost and the Firm specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Ch 2: The Theory of Production, Cost and the Firm specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Ch 2: The Theory of Production, Cost and the Firm specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In Figure 2.3 Q 50 gives all the combinations of labour and capital that yield 50 units of output a year. Q 100 lies above and to the right of Q 50 because it takes more of either labour or capital or both to obtain a higher level of output. Figure 2.3 The theory of production Note that labour and capital are flows, meaning a firm uses a certain amount of each factor over a period of time. Isoquants highlight the flexibility that firms have when making production decisions – for example, a shortage of cheap, low, skill labour may result in increased automation of the production process using capital, or the import of labour intensive components from low-wage countries. Thus isoquants are another way of describing the substitutability between factors of production. The slope of the isoquant at any point measures the marginal rate of technical substitution (MRTS) – the ability of the firm to substitute one factor of production for another while maintaining constant output. This tells us that the productivity that any one input can have is limited. As a lot of labour is added in place of capital (say, as the firm moves from point b to point c in Figure 2.3) the marginal productivity of labour falls and the MRTS decreases. (2.5) The relative slopes between isoquants can also be used to demonstrate the law of diminishing returns. For example, in the short run, capital is often difficult to expand. In Figure 2.3, as the firm moves from A to B to C it applies only more labour to achieve greater output. At each point the slope of the isoquant can be seen to flatten out, showing there are diminishing returns to labour. Conversely, if the firm were to expand output using only capital, moving from E to D to C, and as the MRTS increases the productivity of capital falls and that of labour rises, showing that there are diminishing returns to capital. Because adding one factor while holding the other constant eventually leads to lower and lower increments to output, the isoquant must become steeper, as more capital is added in place of labour, and flatter when labour is added in place of capital. The relative slopes of different isoquants also reflects the nature of the technology embodied in the production process. For example, a relatively flat isoquant reflects a production process where the marginal productivity of capital is very high – to keep producing the same amount one less unit of capital requires a large amount of labour to replace it. For example, this might be the case in an industry using DNA sequencing technology, which requires large computers to process vast quantities of information with relatively little labour input. Conversely, a steeply sloping isoquant suggests a high marginal product of labour and a large investment in capital to replace relatively small amounts of labour to maintain production. This would be common in labour intensive industries such as some textiles or fruit and vegetable harvesting. In the last example, one factor of production was held constant while the other was increased to demonstrate the law of diminishing returns. What if more than one input was allowed to vary? The measure of increased output associated with increases in some or all inputs is fundamental to understanding nature of the production process. There are three main cases: Increasing returns to scale are said to exist when a proportional doubling of inputs leads to more than a proportional doubling of outputs. For example, this could arise because the increased size of the firm allows greater specialisation of workers which boosts productivity and enables the use of larger, more sophisticated machinery. In these cases it is economically advantageous to have a small number of large firms supplying the market at a relatively low cost, than many small firms, at relatively high costs. These are typical characteristics of the electricity supply sector. Constant returns to scale are said to exist when an increase in inputs leads to the same increase in outputs. In this case, the size of a firm’s output does not affect the productivity of its factors. With constant returns to scale, one plant using a particular production process can be easily replicated, so that two plants produce twice as much output. For example, a large company which supplies sandwiches might provide the same service per customer as a small company and use the same ratio of capital (store space) and labour (kitchen and service staff). Decreasing returns to scale exists when an increase in inputs leads to a less than proportional increase in outputs. Decreasing returns arise in large scale operations when the difficulties of increased complexity associated with the management of a large operation begin to introduce inefficiencies leading to reductions in the productivity of both labour and capital. Just as consumption behaviour is not determined only by consumer preferences, but also be the budget line; production is not just determined by the isoquant line. Firms face costs when using factors of production, these are represented by the isocost line. This shows all possible combinations of labour and capital that can be purchased for a given total cost (C). (2.6) and (2.7) The formula for the isocost line is given by equation (6) and is determined solely by the relative price of labour (w) and capital (r). It describes the combinations of labour and capital which can be combined at the same cost. For example, if the wage rate was  £10 per unit and interest rate  £5 per unit, then a firm could replace one unit of labour with two units of capital with no change in total cost. It is the interaction between the isocost and isoquant curves which provides us with a description of the firm’s optimal production level and mix of inputs. In Figure 2.2, suppose a firm has decided it wishes to produce at Q100. Isocost line nm gives the total cost of the factors of production to yield this amount and intersects the isoquant at points b and c, each with their respective combinations of labour and capital. However, the same amount of output can be produced at a lower cost along isocost line rs at point a. If we can assume the rational behaviour of the firm is to minimise costs for any given level of output in order to maximise profits, it follows that the firm will use the combination of inputs where the slopes of isoquant and isocost curves are just equal. At this point, the production of an additional unit of output costs the same, regardless of which input is used. It is worthwhile to briefly question how realistic is the assumption of profit maximisation? For small firms, which are managed by their owners, profit is likely to be a major objective, however other ojectives such as provision of a particular nonprofit service or lifestyle for the proprietor maybe also important. In larger firms, where managers have little contact with the owners (such as stockholders) there is likely to be even greater deviations from profit maximisation. For example, managers may be more concerned with revenue maximisation in order to expand growth, firm size and prestige; they may also seek to maximise dividend payouts to shareholders or short-run profit (perhaps to earn a large bonus or to take a larger proportion of revenues in salary) at the expense of longer-term profit which seeks to maximise the value of the stream of profits over time. Thus the profit maximisation assumption has several potential serious weaknesses – and as noted by Alan Greenspan following the 2008 collapse of the banking system: â€Å"those of us who have looked to the self-interest of lending institutions are in a state of shocked disbelief†. The weakness of this central assumption – what Greenspan terms a â€Å"pillar of competitive markets† means that care must be taken when assessing what exactly markets are maximising and regulations put in place to support market abuse. In theory, firms or managers that do not place profit maximisation at the heart of their business are unlikely to survive and will become either take-over targets, or sacked by their boards respectively. However, in practice because markets are characterised by the diffuse nature of share ownership and weak corporate governance, problems regarding the goals and management of the company can go undetected creating systemic problems for the stability of markets (Kay, 2012). This model can now be used to predict the effect of relative price changes among the factors of production on output. Changes in factor prices can occur for many reasons, be it movements in commodity prices, such as for oil; changes in interest rates; collective union agreements pushing wages up; or improved technologies which bring down the cost of inputs, such as in computing. For our example, instead of using labour as factor 2 we will use the atmosphere’s properties to absorb GHG pollution as a factor of production. This assumes that property rights to the environment can be adequately defined. In this case an energy production firm is required to face the costs it imposes on others through its pollution. This is the case in example 2 of Figure 2.3, where the imposition of a price on GHG emissions is shown by the inwards rotation of the isocost curve from zx to zy. When the carbon price is increased for every tonne of GHG emissions the firm must pay the government an environmental charge. It is no long possible to produce Q50 at the same cost and the isocost line rotates inwards to reflect the higher price for factor 2. The shift in the point of profit maximisation from point e to g can be separated out into an income effect and a substitution effect. The substitution effect, shown diagrammatically as the shift from point e to h and gives the decline in the quantity of emissions (from f2 e to f2 h ), and the increase in the capital (from f1 e to f1 h – a cleaner production technology, such as carbon capture and storage, for example), required to maintain output at the same level. The income effect (from point h to g) reflects that the firm now has less money to spend on inputs as it has to pay the government the carbon fee, and represents the fall in use of the environment (from f2 h to f2 g ) and fall in the use of capital (from f1 h to f1 g ) associated with having less money available to it. There are a couple of insights we can draw from this – the first is that the more the factors of production are substitutable, the easier the firm can deal with its GHG pollution without using the atmosphere as a waste sink and the more effective the fee will be in reducing pollution. Second, the greater the degree of substitution, the more easily the firm can avoid the effluent fee. 2.5 Technology and the production function To model more clearly the role of technology on the production process we can set out a production function. The production function describes the optimal combination of inputs and outputs for any given technology, across all levels of outp ut (i.e. points e and a, and so on, for each feasible isocost and isoquant curve). Technology in this context is understood to be a given state of knowledge about how to transform inputs into outputs. In Figure 2.4, a standard production function is shown where the increased use of inputs begins with increasing returns to scale (over the range a to b), transitions into constant returns (around point b), then into decreasing returns (from b to d) and then finally the situation of negative returns to scale is shown for output beyond point d. As technology becomes more advanced and is absorbed by the firm, the form of the production function changes as the firm can obtain more output for any given set of inputs. For example, improvements in nanotechnology may allow a producer of photovoltaic cells to supply a greater number of solar arrays each month for any given combination of labour, capital and raw materials. This is shown in Figure 2.3 as the shift from Q tech1 to Q tech2 . In Figure 2.4 (a) the shape of the average and marginal product curves are shown, which are closely related. When the marginal product is greater than the average product, the average product is increasing, and when it is less than the average product, they both are falling. When the marginal product crosses the axis, output is maximised at point d and d’ respectively. This happens because an additional unit of input adds so much to the complexity of management, that it actually slows down the production process. Note that even though the law of diminishing returns to scale still applies as we move along Q tech2 , it sets in at a higher rate of output and input. This is an important insight, which explains why, although there are diminishing returns to both labour and capital, output has been able to expand preventing the economy from falling into the so-called Malthusian trap. Next Page – Ch 2: The Cost of Production Previous Page – Ch 2: Equilibrium – the Basic Neoclassical Model and Extensions

9th Grade Science Fair Projects

9th Grade Science Fair Projects 9th grade is the first year of high school, so 9th graders might be competing against older students in a science fair. Even so, they stand every bit as good a chance of excelling and winning. The key to success is choosing an interesting project that doesnt necessarily take a lot of time to complete. 9th graders have a lot going on, so seek an idea that can be developed and completed over the space of a few weeks or less. The quality of the presentation is very important  since high school students are expected to be familiar with word processing programs and printers. Give some attention to the quality of the poster. Be sure to cite any references used in developing the experiment. 9th Grade Science Fair Project Ideas tooth whiteners s of chemicals to try would include hydrogen peroxide solution, dilute hydrochloric acid solution, dilute isopropyl alcohol solution, fruit juice. Some of these agents are thought to be able to loosen the seed coat surrounding the plant embryo.hair conditioner - Use a microscope to determine whether hair conditioner affects the condition of hair (either comparing brands or comparing with conditioner to without-conditioner). Try to get empirical data, such as a diameter measurement of each hair strand and the distance a strand can stretch before it breaks.What is the best way to store bread to keep it fresh the longest time? What things can you do to improve the efficiency or effectiveness of your clothes dryer or water heater or any device? For example, can you take actions or make changes that will decrease the length of time it takes your dryer to get a load of towels dry?Does listening to music while you study affect your ability to memorize facts?Does the presence of smoke in the air affect plant transpiration?Does eye color affect peripheral vision? Supposedly people with darker eyes tend to have wider pupils for a given amount of light than people with light-colored irises. If you have a more open pupil, does it give you measurably better peripheral vision? Another idea to test would be to see if you have the same peripheral vision in bright light as compared with dim light.acid snow? - You know about acid rain, but do you know the pH range of snow? If you live in an area with snow, test its pH. How does the pH of snow compare with the pH of rain from the same region?What methods of preventing soi l erosion work best? For example, what is effective at preventing erosion in your yard? What can you do to reduce noise pollution in a room? What factors contribute to noise pollution inside a residence?seed viability - Is there a test you can perform to predict whether or not a seed will germinate? What factors can you measure that might be used to construct a test?Does an external magnetic field have any noticeable effect on animals such as brine shrimp, cockroaches, or fruit flies? You could use a strip magnet and containers of sample organisms and make observations to address this question.Is the brightness of glow-in-the-dark (phosphorescent) materials affected by the light source (spectrum) used to make them glow or only by the intensity (brightness) of the light? Does the light source affect the length of time a phosphorescent material will glow?Can you affect vitamin C (or another measurable vitamin) levels in juice (or another food) by adding a preservative to the juice?What is the best thickness of insulation for preventing heat loss?Is light bulb lifespan aff ected by whether the bulb is run at full power? In other words, do dim bulbs last longer/shorter than bulbs run at their power rating? What type of box material gives you the best sound for your speaker?When comparing different brands of batteries, is the battery that lasts the longest at a high temperature the same brand that lasts the longest at a cold temperature.

Risk Management in Rapid Linear and Linear PMLC Assignment

Risk Management in Rapid Linear and Linear PMLC - Assignment Example Implementing the Rapid linear project management life cycle model instead of linear project management life cycle model however has associated risks that I seek to explore in this paper. One of the involved risks in implementing the Rapid linear project management life cycle model instead of the linear project management life cycle model is the possible confusion that may arise from the required extensive documentation. The manager may therefore miss the most important aspects of the management process because of demanded attention by the documentation process and the documented information. Loss of creativity in a project is another risk that is associated with the Rapid Linear PMLC model and arises from the rigid scope of the model that reduces the project manager and project team members to instruments for implementing designed processes rather than creative resources for improving project process and products. The associated complications in disintegrating project functions are another risk of the model and may lead to mistakes and inaccuracies in project implementation (Wysocki 28; Wysocki n.p.). The model’s swim lane operational approach also identifies risks of ineffectiveness and excessive wastes in event of paralyzed process in one lane. Concurrent implementation of process may also lead to wasted resources is one phase fails. Under the linear model, such a failure would mitigate losses by suspending subsequent processes but such measures may not be possible because other processes in the rapid model will be underway. Reliance on same personnel for operating the different phases of a project, in the rapid model, is another risk factor because personnel may be held up in one department and fails to attend to an emergency in another department. The tight schedule of the model that seeks to complete a project within the shortest time possible also poses the

Marketing Story Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing Story Analysis - Essay Example At a deeper level, however, one can find the existence of international marketing strategy, brand image and strategic retail management. 2. Analysis a. Retail Management One of the major and all-encompassing marketing concepts highlighted by this article is that of retail management and consumer behavior. The U.K, like its developed counterparts, is facing a change in its demographics with a skewed population pyramid (KPMG, 2013). The so-called â€Å"ageing population† translates to changing customer habits based on age. In the middle of such a transition, retailers such as Tesco are finding it difficult to adapt to such changes in customer behavior. This transition has given way to increased significance of one-stop convenience shopping as elder individuals find themselves difficult to visit several stores for buying food and non-food products (SAS, 2013). This is one of the most important aspects of retail strategy which requires companies to build store formats based on the needs of the target market (Gilbert, 2003). For instance, IKEA has adapted to customers’ needs for buying furniture for their first apartment (Castella, 2012). Furthermore, it caters to customers’ need to engage in one-stop shopping for their home by offering a maze-like retail format whereby customers walk through virtually everything before getting down to the product they intended to buy (Tozer, 2011) . The article demonstrates just how the â€Å"space race† is no longer important as it used to be. In fact, multi-channel strategies, as the author puts it, are the basis for such advantage in the contemporary world. This points to the area of retail format development which involves the development of a new format of stores for the existing customers with a different retail mix (Levy & Weitz, 2012). In the context of Tesco, this means making the shopping experience more convenient for customers. Tesco has strictly adopted the multi-channel strategy by having T esco Express, Metro, Superstores and Extra in its pipeline of stores (Doyle, 2008) (West et al., 2006). These outlets fulfill different market needs ranging from being located near to customers’ place of residence or work to offering ready-to-eat meals in City Centers. Another way of viewing the same is to understand the shift from the traditional bricks and mortar store format towards digital/online presence (Bernstein et al., 2008). b. E-commerce and multi-channel strategy The scope for e-commerce has been highlighted in the article by claiming that, owing to busy work schedules, individuals are now flocking towards online shopping which has already increased by over 8% in Britain with respect to Tesco. Even successful traditional companies such as Wal-Mart are now offering e-shopping in addition to their traditional services (Rosenbloom, 2013). However, given the fact that virtually all major retailers have adopted this perspective, one may challenge whether or not the mul ti-channel strategy can guarantee a â€Å"sustainable† competitive advantage in today’s world. Further contradiction arises from some authors who have claimed multi-channel strategies to be obsolete. According to them, the â€Å"channel† perspective is being replaced by the â€Å"touch-points†