Marketing Communication Analysis on Apple (Emphasis on Ipod and Iphone)

Marketing Communication Analysis On Apple Name: Bokeny Kornel In this report I will analyse the marketing communication activities of the multinational corporation Apple, with great emphasis on the current top-selling products thereof: the iPhone, and the iPods. I will deal with the iPod and the iPhone, since the marketing communication used to promote these products is the most notable. The report will include several images, so that the reader can experience the products’ design and the corresponding advertisements for each product. Company overview Since the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984 with the 1984 Super Bowl commercial to the more modern ‘Get a Mac' advertisements, Apple has been recognized in the past for its efforts towards effective advertising and marketing for its products, though its advertising has been criticized for the claims of some more recent campaigns, namely 2005 Power Mac advertisements, and iPhone ads in Britain. Apple is an IT company founded in 1975 by Steve Jobs (the current leader), Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. The company's currently best-known hardware products include Macintosh computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the new iPad. In its early years, Apple only manufactured computers, but for the sake of greater success, it further expanded to the consumer electronics market. It was even called â€Å"Apple Computer, Inc. † for thirty years, but the word â€Å"Computer† on January 9, 2007, to show that the company’s main products are not computers anymore. Now in 2010, Apple is considered to be one of the largest technological corporations in the world by revenue. Apple periodically holds a so-called â€Å"Apple event† where information about new and future products is revealed by Apple’s superiors. The event’s host is usually Steve Jobs. Apple’s computers have their own operating system called the MAC OS, which is fabled for its performance and ease of operation. The iPod is praised for being small but powerful, because of its impressive storage capacity. The iPhone is the present top-selling product, which is a smart phone combined with a portable media device. It is considered to be an epoch-making technical product by many tech-fans. The latest product which is the iPad, is a new type of device, unique on the market. It is a tablet PC, which meant to be somewhere in-between PDA-s and notebooks. The Logo The first Apple logo which designed by Steve Jobs depicts Sir Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree. {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} This early logo was almost immediately replaced by the well known rainbow apple (2nd picture) because of marketing communication issues. Jobs insisted the logo to be in colour to humanize the company. The reason for the vivid colours was to transmit positivity to the customers and to represent the fact that the monitor is capable of reproducing images in colour. The Apple logo was designed with a bite so that it would be recognized as an apple rather than a cherry. In 1998, with the series of the new iMac, Apple discontinued the rainbow theme and began to use monochromatic themes, almost identical in shape to its previous rainbow logo. The iPod Apple’s former flagship product the iPod had a unique marketing campaign. The iPod was a mere mp3 player but through the outstanding marketing communication it became a must-have for portable music device fans. The advertisements showed black silhouettes of dancing people with an iPod in their hands, which stood out because of its white colour. The vivid background emphasised the figures even more: {draw:frame} {draw:frame} When the concept of the iPod and its advertisement was first introduced to the heads of Apple, it was laughed at. Later, when the product was released and the advertisement campaign was launched, it proved to be the biggest success in the history of Apple. Of course some people did not see the advertisements or did not react to it in buying the product, but there were other sources of advertisement in Apple’s mind. The iPod began to turn up in music videos, in the hands of famous stars. The increase of demand was immediately palpable after the premier of 50 cents’ music video of the song P. I. M. P. The singer here can be seen listening to a white iPod with white headphones. Although the Apple logo is not visible in the clip, the screen of the device is showed for a couple of seconds, displaying on the top the word â€Å"iPod†. In a few years, Apple has reached considerably big brand recognition, so whenever someone sees the small â€Å"i† at the beginning of the products name, he or she will immediately know that it is an Apple product. Apple is known for using a lot of slogans; the most of these were concerning the iPod. The first models’ slogan was â€Å"1,000 songs in your pocket† (2001). At that time, the iPod had the largest storage capacity on its market. This evolved further, but Apple returned to this slogan because these large numbers always catch potential customers’ eyes. After some years: â€Å"10,000 songs in your pocket† (2004) and in the present: â€Å"Your Top 40,000†³ (2010). Apple also used some creative, humorous slogans such as: â€Å"*Do not eat iPod shuffle† (2005) This Easter egg slogan was attached as a footnote to claim that the iPod shuffle was about the size of a pack of gum. After a lot of complaints about the lack of colour variety, Apple introduced the iPod shuffle in more colours, and a new slogan: â€Å"Put some color on† (2006). {draw:frame} The iPod’s strengths The iPod made a huge impact on the market, not only influencing other portable music devices, but the favourable brand perception had also increased sales of Macintosh computers. The iPod gives the company access to a whole new series of segments that buy into other parts of the Apple brand. The iPod has created a large group of aficionados who will stick to Apple products in the future; this will mean a stable minimum number of buyers to Apple’s future products even if these products are not that successful. Analysts say that the sound quality produced by the iPod is perfect as well. The music files can also be downloaded from iTunes, Apple’s online music store. The downloadable music has created a steady flow of capital for Apple. The iPod’s weaknesses It was reported that the Apple iPod Nano may have a faulty screen. The company has commented that some of its product has screens that break under impact, and the company is replacing all defective items. This is in addition to problems with early iPods that had faulty batteries, whereby the company offered customers free battery cases. The main complaint was that battery life is insufficient. There is pressure on Apple to increase the price of its music download file, from the music industry itself. Many of these companies make more money from iTunes (i. e. downloadable music files) than from their original CD sales. Apple has sold about 22 million iPod digital music players and more than 500 million songs though its iTunes music store. It accounts for 82% (and rising) of all legally downloaded music in the United States. The company is determined, but if it gives in to the music producers, it may be perceived as a commercial weakness. {draw:frame} The iPod’s opportunities The iPod had great opportunities to expand on the market, but consumers now demand more complex products, such as a cell phone combined with the iPod. Since Apple’s IT experts are of the bests, the iPod has a great chance of evolving into a smart phone (which happened 2007, when the iPhone was released, but this will be discussed later). Since music phones are becoming more and more popular, the iPod must adapt to the changing market. According to Steve Jobs the iPod will become smaller and smaller with time. The iPod’s threats As mentioned above, the market of mobile phones and portable music players is merging into one huge market of multi-purpose media devices. If the iPod does not adapt to the situation, it will surely be forgotten, since the demand for music players without any other special capabilities is falling. The huge number of competitors may also hinder the iPod’s success, as other IT companies have innovative ideas as well. The iPhone Observing the success of the iPod, Apple decided to move on. Marketing communication ceased for a period of time, but there were rumours about a new, groundbreaking product. This of course caused a big hype among Apple fans and potential Apple fans as well. In my opinion the information was leaked out on purpose by Apple, to get the attention of the customers. IT turned out, that this new product is a cell phone. Later, the iPhone was officially introduced on one of the â€Å"Apple events†, and the device’s features were reviewed. â€Å"Introducing the iPhone. Apple reinvents the phone†, and â€Å"The internet in your pocket† were the first slogans for the iPhone, which drew even more customers to Apple. On the date when the iPhone was finally released to the public, one kilometre long queues could be seen at Apple stores. The launch was a success, but later some information was revealed about the conditions of using the iPhone. The iPhone was exclusively available on one provider only: AT, and there was a monthly fee to use it. When Steve Jobs was asked about this, he only replied that â€Å"this is the price† which was a really bad step in terms of marketing communication. Many people decided not to buy the product after hearing about the conditions of its usage. In response to this, Apple launched a massive marketing campaign, advertising all over the big cities. {draw:frame} {draw:frame} Due to the the iPhone’s limited availability, hackers and software developers began to work with illegally unlocked devices. After half a year, Apple launched the Appstore in response, to decrease iPhone piracy. The Appstore gave the opportunity to programmers to write their own applications legally for the iPhone, and to publish it in the Appstore, where it will be available for download for a price of course. A new marketing campaign was launched with the slogan: â€Å"There’s an app for that†. With this, Apple tried to persuade customers that the iPhone can indeed do anything. In the television ads, questions were listed like: â€Å"do you want to shop online? †, â€Å"do you want to watch television? † and â€Å"do you want to use messenger? † etc. and the answer to all questions was â€Å"there’s an app for that†. This was a very convincing advertisement in my opinion; this device was like a small computer according to the ads. With the successful marketing communication and the Appstore, sales of the iPhone, began to rise again. Alongside with the Appstore, a new iPhone model was launched, the 3G, which now even had 3G mobile internet alongside Wi-Fi. With time, the Appstore proved to be a huge success; in nine months, the number of downloads has exceeded 1 billion. {draw:frame} As new applications needed more and more power, the two iPhone models seemed to be incapable of handling certain games and software. Customers, especially software developers complained about the lack of a graphical accelerator, and low processor speed. Apple decided to launch a new, third device; the iPhone 3GS. Many people wondered what the â€Å"S† could mean in the device’s name, and it was later stated that it stands for â€Å"super†. The device finally included a graphical chip, and a faster processor. The new iPhone deserved a new slogan, and Apple came up with this: â€Å"Meet the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet† and â€Å"The first phone to beat the iPhone. † The purpose of this slogan in advertisements was to ensure software developers and technically-conscious users that this model is indeed faster and stronger than its predecessors. I personally was not satisfied with the advertisement; I rather wanted a comparison between the new and the older models. When AT made a new contract with Apple, they have decided to cut down prices. Apple began to promote this by a new slogan: â€Å"Twice as fast, for half the price†. It seems that Apple’s marketing team is particularly talented in creating slogans. Switching slogan is always a hard decision in a company, since it might put brand recognition back a bit, but with Apple’s huge brand recognition it is feasible. I personally find these slogans pretty informative, and I especially appreciate those ones that are humorous to some extent. {draw:frame} The iPhone’s strengths The iPhone has several features that add to the strength of the product. These include its unique look and feel accompanied by a mobile operating system. It has phone sensors that work with the multi-touch screen, which is a new patented technology. The iPhone has a really flexible operating system (I even saw a video where someone could run windows 98 on the phone). These new features are presented to a large and loyal user base that Apple has gained over the years. Additionally, marketing was given support from all over the internet, saving the company a huge amount in advertising fees. Finally, the fact that the iPhone is first device in this area of computer phones is one of its greatest strengths. The iPhone’s weaknesses Like every new product, there are is a set of weaknesses. The first iPhone is not a 3G device and will not work in technologically advanced countries such as Japan and Korea. All of their phones are 3G compliant. Several of the iPhone features are also not particularly impressive. These include the fact that it has a subpar camera, standing at about 2 megapixels as well as its memory not being removable. The phone is priced currently around 500 to 600 dollars and most consumers are happy with their current mobile device; essentially, this phone is aiming at the high end consumers. Apple’s choice of distribution channel has also been because only Cingular and Apple stores are allowed to sell iPhones. Finally, its purpose is to be questioned; does the phone fulfil corporate duties or is it just an entertainment system? {draw:frame} The iPhone’s Opportunities There is quite a demand for a better mobile computing experience. The iPhone tries to combine both powerful computing as well as entertainment into one system. People have also noted that the Mac OS applications for desktop can be easily adapted for the iPhone. The emergence of Wi-Fi networks is pushing for there to be visitor fees instead of having a provider lock in users. It is very likely for the device fees and pay-per-view system to take flight, eliminating the month to month subscription fee. {draw:frame} The iPhone’s threats The majority of threats come from other companies including Nokia, Sony, and Google with their respective products. Smart phones are one popular example that stands to compete against the iPhone. The largest competitor according to most users is Google’s Android. It has similar features as the iPhone, but availability is much higher and the phone itself is cheaper. The other big threats are the hackers. Apple suffers great losses because of â€Å"jailbroken† devices (When an iPhone is â€Å"jailbroken†, the user can get any application from the Appstore for free and can run any third party applications). Conclusion In conclusion, Apple offers some very high quality technical products, though at a relatively high price. The company’s marketing communication is working quit well, Apple advertises on all important media intermediaries, including television, the Internet, and on streets as well. At this rate they would have immense promotion costs, but they can lower it by putting emphasis on Internet-advertisements via websites. {draw:frame} {draw:frame} They try to maintain a positive, humanlike image, which ensures customers about the firm’s good intentions. Over the years, they had many slogans, but their brand recognition has only changed in a positive way: it increased. Apple was formerly better known for its notebooks, but after the successes of both the iPod and the iPhone, people identify Apple as the company which produces the best mp3 players and one of the smartest phones on the market. Its music store; iTunes, is nowadays the prime way of distributing music legally in the world. Through the successful marketing communication and the creative advertisements, Apple will most likely gain more market share in the segment of smart phones and maintain its leading position as the best portable music device producer. Bibliography www. wikipedia. org www. apple. com www. szifon. com www. appleinsider. com

2008 Presidential Campaigns and the Internet Essay

In fairly recent times the Internet has gained vast importance for the dissemination of information to the public.   The numbers of users on the Internet have grown exponentially throughout the years.   Presidential candidates have always recognized this fact and have procured websites to establish their viewpoints and positions on issues as well as ask for donations.   An evaluation of the John McCain, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama website will demonstrate how the candidates react to their beliefs in how the public consumes information.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   John McCain’s website is the first to be investigated.   His website is mainly around to cater to his core voters of the Republican Party, but no doubt he is also attempting to appeal to all American citizens.   The first thing a person will notice from McCain’s website is that once you initially travel to his webpage it will first go to an introduction page asking viewers to join his email group as well as a button to donate money to his campaign.   The website does not start out with positions on issues or contain endorsements etc.   It appears McCain’s ultimate goal at the start is to solicit money to further his campaign.   This introduction page shows an image of John McCain in black and white with a black background, and does not contain any images or colors of the United States. (http://www.johnmccain.com/landing/?sid=gorganic) This aspect of the website is peculiar because it introduces a solicitation right from the start.   It could make some readers of the site not want to endorse McCain, especially readers that have ventured to his site in order to learn more about his positions.   At the bottom of the donation page there is a small link that asks whether or not the reader wants to go to the actual John McCain website.   Once a reader of the site clicks on this link then the real presidential website begins to form.   McCain’s main site has three items of note.   First, there is a video link that summarizes McCain’s torture and imprisonment in a POW camp, and the video is called â€Å"Courageous Service.† (http://www.johnmccain.com/)   Three other links to the website are on this part of the page called â€Å"About John McCain,† â€Å"Why John McCain,† and â€Å"On the Issues.† (http://www.johnmccain.com/) These sections are a good addition to the website because it allows an investigation into the person, why he should be president, and his stand on the issues.   The reader does not have to search through the site to find a particular campaign issue or information about McCain.   It is all separated and easy to identify.   A section of rotating pictures is on this portion of the site as well that gives insight into campaign activities.   An important aspect of the website is that McCain included a petition for the housing crisis. The petition is little more than a show of support for McCain in dealing with the housing crisis instead of what a reader would think as a real petition to enact some type of legislation. (http://www.johnmccain.com/involving/petition.aspx?guid=cf43f8ff-0854-4735-8346-9e4d07582474)   McCain’s presidential campaign website shows his trials and tribulations as well as his strong points throughout.   It establishes what many would see as a strong man that sticks by his beliefs on issues and does not waiver in the face of dissension.   Altogether the website effectively establishes what McCain undoubtedly attempted to present to the public.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hillary Clinton’s website is similar to McCain’s in that it initially starts off with a donation page that appears to be separate from her main page. (https://contribute.hillaryclinton.com/donate-b.html?sc=a724)   However, Clinton’s donation page is different from McCain’s because it plays a video of her support and numerous members of a crowd cheering her name.   Unlike McCain, Clinton’s donation page and the rest of her main site is not dark, but is a light shade of blue. (http://www.hillaryclinton.com/splash/)   Once a reader clicks to her main site, they are met with another page that is asking the person to join her campaign as a member.   This appears to be the entire composition of her website, which is a little disappointing.   A prospective voter cannot visit her site and learn about her message or positions on issues. A viewer may overlook yet another link that will send the reader to the main site. (http://www.hillaryclinton.com/splash/)   On the main site it seems as though Clinton is concerned about winning the Texas delegation. (http://www.hillaryclinton.com/?splash=1) A logo pleads with the reader to help her win the state.   A spotlight section on the main site lists events such as winning a chance to meet Clinton and Elton John, veterans’ affairs, and an opinion from Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin.   A little section titled â€Å"The Hillary I know† will show some of her positions on issues, but the logo for the link is very small and is not a major part of the page.   This is in stark contrast to the organized sections of the McCain site.   Clinton’s site is more appealing to the eye, but it lacks the substance that McCain’s website contains.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Barack Obama’s presidential website has the same introduction page as the other two, but this time Obama speaks directly to the visitor instead of showing some campaign activities.   In order to navigate Obama’s site, a user is required to register, however a reader can circumvent the registration process by merely typing in his main site and then visiting the sections on issues, learning about the candidate, etc. (http://my.barackobama.com/page/user/login?successurl=L3BhZ2UvZGFzaGJvYXJkL3ByaXZhdGU) This is a horrible concept for a website because it immediately will turn visitors away by making them think they need to register in order to learn more about the candidate.   Obama’s website is also in a light shade of blue similar to Clinton’s and offers many instances for a visitor to view videos and photos like the other campaign sites.   However, it appears that Obama’s website has the least amount of information available to a prospective voter, and thus is probably the worst website out of the three discussed. References Clinton, Hillary. (2008). HillaryClinton.com – Welcome. Retrieved March 25, 2008, from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   HillaryClinton.com Website: http://www.hillaryclinton.com McCain, John. (2008). John McCain 2008 – John McCain for President. Retrieved   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   March 25, 2008, from JohnMcCain.com Website: http://www.johnmccain.com Obama, Barack. (2008). Barack Obama : : Change we can believe in. Retrieved March   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   25, 2008, from BarackObama.com Website: http://www.barackobama.com

Call for a Blanket Ban on the Sale and Marketing of Cigarettes in the Essay

Call for a Blanket Ban on the Sale and Marketing of Cigarettes in the US - Essay Example People in the developed world and especially in the United States of America today approach the concept of health with an enhanced dedication and commitment. The food habits, lifestyles orientations and nutritional preferences are indeed altering in consonance with the guidelines and information available regarding health and healthcare. People today well understand that choosing a healthy lifestyle not only adds to the longevity, but also enables a person to be more productive and positive. However, relinquishing bad habits and making new choices does not seem easy when one intrudes into the area of addictive substances like tobacco. Moreover, the consumption of addictive substances like tobacco being legally valid and acceptable, most of the times people fail to realize that are the victims of a vicious addiction, which has the potential to take their life and to make them seriously sick. Considering this fact, the Federal Government should out with a law envisaging a pan-American ban on the sale and marketing of cigarettes and other tobacco products so as to reduce the healthcare costs, to save human lives and eventually to give way to a healthy and progressive society. The proposal for the coming into existence of such a law is not merely an emotive appeal, but is as much based on the existing data and information regarding the health implications of smoking. It goes without saying that to call for a blanket ban by the Federal government; it would be really pragmatic and reasonable to cull out the data from the existing government institutions and organizations regarding the mortality potential of smoking. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, â€Å"More deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by all deaths from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined (Online).† Also, smoking tobacco in any form are it cigarettes, cigars or pipe, has been found to considerably enhance the chance of dying from cancers of larynx, oral cavity, esophagus and lungs (CDC: Online). Cigarette smoking is responsible for one in every five deaths in the United States of America (CDC: Online). Cigarette smoking claims 443,000 lives every ear out of which 49,000 deaths are attributed to exposure to second hand smoke (CDC: Online). Men smoking cigarettes are 10 times more likely to die of bronchitis and emphysema and are 22 times more vulnerable to lung cancer (CDC: Online). The magnitude of the loss to human resources in the United States of America by cigarette smoking gets amply clear when one considers the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s claims that, â€Å"An estimated 46 million people, or 20.6 percent of all adults (aged 18 years and older), in the United States smoke cigarettes (Online).† Considering these figures one could also estimate the burden on the national and local healthcare systems that could be traced direct ly to cigarette smoking. So, when the government bodies are themselves aware of the health consequences of cigarette smoking on the nation’s population, considering the statistics provided by them, the Federal government should not have a problem or excuse regarding coming out with a blanket ban on the sale and marketing of cigarettes. In the

Harvard Reflection Paper - The definitive Guide to Recruiting in Good Essay

Harvard Reflection Paper - The definitive Guide to Recruiting in Good Times and Bad - Essay Example ndez-Arà ¡oz, who is a top global business consultant on decisions concerning promoting and hiring of new employees, whereas the other two are reputable professors in Harvard business school (Fernandez-Araoz, 2008). Hence, they possess the required knowledge and experience regarding human capital, which is evident in this research besides other scholarly they have authored. The research has prompted me to resolve advancing in all areas of my life (Gà ¶kmen & Ãâ€"ztà ¼rk, 2012). Since, an effective and dynamic person especially in current business world requires having excellent business ethics. These encompass working on my behavior especially how to adapt to diverse settings besides learning to get along with those whom I am working with in any assigned field (Gà ¶kmen & Ãâ€"ztà ¼rk, 2012). In addition, to be a competent person in any given field, one has to learn how to develop oneself where I will keep on reinventing myself. Human nature is extremely inflexible. This is evident when it comes to the adopting any prevailing change in diverse corporations where the top executives despite intending to have a competitive advantage in the market, continue applying their obsolete tactics. Since, they believe those tactics enabled them to make outstanding achievements before, hence they are effective (Fernà ¡ndez-Arà ¡oz, Groysberg, & Nitin, 2009). This is regardless of being aware that, the global business is rapidly changing and rendering numerous old tactics being obsolete. For illustration, many corporations up to date have not adopted constant recruitment process where they only recruit when the need arises. Therefore, they end up hiring incompetent people who may not have the necessary skills besides their academic excellence to hold and even thrive in the assigned field or position. For illustration, a position may necessitate an employee to have entrepreneurial skills besides having majored in a techn ical field. Hence, it is extremely difficult for an interview panel to

General psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

General psychology - Essay Example However, if this stage is not successfully resolved the adolescent will continue to feel lost and unguided during adulthood. In contrast Marcia expanding on Erikson's theory of psychosocial development adding new stages that he believed adolescents chronologically progress through. Erikson believed that adolescents are heavily influenced by their peers and role models. These influences may hinder the development of the self. Marcia expanded Erikson's theory on psychosocial development. Marcia believed that adolescents experienced four identity statuses. Moreover Marcia believed that adolescents can be divided into categories of the egos identity statuses based upon their experiences. In contrast to Erikson Marcia believed that adolescents face another stage of identity development based upon their chronological development. This stage can be determined if the adolescent has experienced a crisis and formed a commitment. Adolescents that have achieved a crisis and formed a commitment are considered to have achieved an identity. Adolescents that do not perceive social norms and rules established by parents, teachers or other authority figures are deemed in the foreclosure stage.

In what ways is Neo-realism similar to traditional Realism Essay

In what ways is Neo-realism similar to traditional Realism - Essay Example Modern debate on international politics can be traced back to the period between the first and the Second World War. Many scholars and political analysts still contemplated on the underlying reasons behind the wars. Politicians and nations endeavored to set up organizations such as the League of Nations, which would help in the maintenance of order all over the world. At this time, realists developed arguments that explained the debates on power relations, the balance of power, as well as international politics. Realists such as Hans and Waltz made notable contributions, which tend to have some similarities. Therefore, traditional realism and neorealism can be regarded as similar in a number of ways (Mearsheimer 1990, p. 10). First, in their definition of power, both traditional realists such as Morgenthau and neo-realists such as Waltz tend to share similar thoughts. Traditional realism and neo-realism see power as the main currency in the international arena, which they view as a hostile stage. As such, the concept of power forms the basis of how these two blocks of realism analyze international politics. Both traditional realists and neo-realists hold that the material structure that makes up the international system has a significant bearing on state behavior (Burchill et al., 2009). Neo-realists and traditional realists both argue that some of the most notable aspects of power include the armed forces and the military. These two blocks of realism also contend that power may comprise of the ways in which a nation controls another.

Metaphors We Live By George Lakoff and Mark Johnson Essay

Metaphors We Live By George Lakoff and Mark Johnson - Essay Example The book has been most illuminating in its exposition of role of linguistic in the life of man. The various aspect of human life incorporates ideas and concepts that are instinctively used in relation to our interaction with other people. Arguments, love, work paradigm etc are intrinsic part of life and social construction on these areas by different people varies vastly. Indeed, arguments are often perceived and compared to war primarily because they are designed to be won over by one party! Arguments are war and ideas are indefensible show that words like war and indefensible are used to convey strong feelings of competition and winning. The authors justifiably argue that while people in general are against war but the very concept of winning is ingrained within human psyche that is expressed through words. We are often prone to use language that best conform to our mental state at that time. If we are agitated or angry, we use words that may convey violence! The book has delved in to the wider implication and role of linguistic in the daily life of man. It has confirmed that communication is an important medium of expressing and explaining facts through words that could convey many things and therefore is used colloquially to emphasize a point of view.

Contemporary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Contemporary - Essay Example This is because a formal disclosure framework helps to guide regulators, and preparers towards better and more material disclosure. However, while material disclosure is supposed to be free and within a given time frame, there are numerous cases where preparers have failed to disclose significant materials to users or vice-versa. This fact has been associated with the idea that many organizations lack proper disclosure framework (White, 2009, p.67). It was this lack of proper disclosure framework that led IASB to carryout survey recently about disclosure framework, and found that regulators, preparers and users are supposed to work together so as to improve disclosure. All disclosures need improvement. Disclosure is supposed to be guided by materiality, and that principle based disclosure guidance would be essential. This study will be therefore examining why regulators, preparers and users are supposed to work together so as to improve disclosure. All disclosures need improvement. D isclosure is supposed to be guided by materiality, and that principle based disclosure guidance would be essential According to United States Congress Staff (2002, p.788), one of the most significant findings of IASB is that disclosure should be guided by materiality. ... The main issue is a clear and comprehensive disclosure of information related to sound decision making by market participants, authorities, and the public. Majority of people held the view that crucial information regarding funds and expenditure has always been concealed from the users or in case where it is given, it is not clear and comprehensive. This fact has raised many concerns among the people who want that information disclosure should be improved because it has been facilitating corruption. Due to this increased demands, many organizations are implementing disclosure policies as they have started to come up with succinct disclosure framework. For instance, Financial Market Insurers (FMIs) have implemented a disclosure framework that was organized to supplement the CPSS-ISCO principles for financial market infrastructures, and help it in providing the comprehensive degree of disclosure that is expected of them under Principle 23 on disclosure of rules, main processes, and mar ket data (Fung et al., 2007, p.140). According to Bunger (2012, p.337), the disclosure framework was prepared in association with the CPSS-IOSCO Assessment methodology for the principles for FMIs and the accountabilities of the authorities to ensure a common framework that will reduce burden on FMIs and give assessors a basic set of information from which to start their assessment of FMIs. Heated debate about accounting regulation that calls for a formal disclosure framework has led to establishment and implementation of new rules and regulation that governs information disclosure. For instance, federally tax-exempt organizations stated under IRC sections 501(c) and 501(d) ought to comply

Social Prejudices against Divorced Women in Modern China Research Paper

Social Prejudices against Divorced Women in Modern China - Research Paper Example She initiates the divorce and is okay living her life as a single mother. However, in the eyes of society, this is not the case. To them, a divorced woman is an unhappy, miserable woman. According to that society, it is assumed that a woman must be left or dumped by her husband for a divorce to take place. An illustration is when everyone in her workplace condemns Zhu Xiaofen’s husband for leaving her, without even knowing the full story or letting her explain her side of the story. Another example is when her friend from college insists that Zhu is aging and looking sickly just because her husband left her. When her colleagues see her jumping the rope outside their office, they all think that she is jumping to impress them and trick them to believe she is fine, so as to suppress her real feelings. In the story, another form of prejudice noted is that for a divorce to take place the woman must be the cause and she must do everything to avoid the shame of divorce. This is best illustrated when Zhu’s former principle sees her on the train and tells her that women must behave well in order to make a marriage work and avoid the shameful act of divorce. She claims that if Zhu had taken things seriously, her marriage would work. Another form of social prejudice observed is that divorced women cannot be self-sufficient. This is illustrated in the story when her friend who was a ticket-taker at the train station assumed that since she was divorced, no one would come and pick her and she even suggested asking her husband to give Zhu a lift in his cab. This is an assumption that when a woman gets divorced, she lacks the support of her husband and so she cannot do some of the tasks on her own. They tend to insist on helping even when it is not necessary.  Ã‚  

Epidemiological Research Article Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Epidemiological Research Article - Assignment Example Strotmeyer et al research article that is based on an epidemiological study. This research was carried out to describe retention by age and visit type with a view to determine the characteristics associated with visit types in a longitudinal study among older adults (Strotmeyer et al, 2010). The article will be critiqued against the basic principles governing epidemiology and biostatistics to determine whether the components of its research design supports the research question. Direct health-care providers and epidemiologists differ in their approach to who constitutes a patient. This is despite the fact that all of them are concerned with the occurrence and subsequent control of a disease (CDC, 2012). Biostatisticians are concerned with general health of the inhabitants of a community or area while Clinicians are interested in the health of the individual (CDC, 2004). Biostatistically therefore this study has succeeded in identifying its patient subjects. The sample of this cardiovascular health study was 5888 persons aged between 65-102 years irrespective of their individual health status (Strotmeyer, et al, 2010). Both the clinician and epidemiologist would be interested in diagnosing the correct type of cardiovascular disease that the patient is suffering from (CDC, 2012). The point of departure which this study succeeds in doing is that it seeks to establish how age affects long term retention of participants in a cardiovascular health study. It also aimed at determining characteristics of visit types for a longitudinal epidemiological study of older adults (Strotmeyer et al, 2010). The choice of population in this study will influence the application of the findings of this study in other settings. The research question is contained in the abstract party of this research paper. The question presents a statement of purpose because it clearly states what is actually being investigated (Thompson Writing Program, 2014). The purpose of this

Free

Free Trade In Society Essay How does the society benefit from an economy built on free trade where both the labor and the buyer only seek personal gain?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On an economy that is built of free trade, society will run like clockwork because of the various incentives that the various sectors of the economy provide.   It is human nature for individual to act upon incentives.   Children are commonly disciplined by their parents with the use of incentives. It is the same in the case of the laborer and the buyer.    Both of them seek only personal gain.   It is highly uncommon that either buyer or laborer will act for the greater good of the nation or for world peace.   They work because they want to earn a living.   They want a nicer car, a bigger home, a good education for their children, and a trip abroad for the summer perhaps.   All their efforts are targeted to their personal goals, all of which is quantifiable in terms of money.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The laborer will always look for a place where there is a higher monetary yield for a lesser amount of work.   He will work harder if he knows that there is a promotion ahead. The buyer, on the other hand, will always search for a good bargain for any of his purchases.   All in all, everyone wants more for their money and time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Society benefits from this system because it creates more competition in the markets of both buyers and laborers, resulting in more options and better options for both sectors.   With this equilibrium, society benefits because the economy benefits, thus increasing the standard of living. If however, there is an oversupply of labor, wages will go down and unemployment will go up, distorting the balance.   This is the same for buyers. A lack in competition will increase prices and decrease their purchasing power.   It is therefore necessary to maintain a good equilibrium in both labor markets and buyer markets which will result in a better economy, and which will eventually result in a higher standard of living for society.

Engine Cooling And Lubrication System

Engine Cooling And Lubrication System Cooling System: Despite the vast improvement in the basic internal combustion engines, around 70% of the energy from the gasoline is converted to heat. As it is not dissipated to the atmosphere on its own, a cooling system is employed for this purpose. Several purposes of the cooling system which it serves by cooling the engine include cooling the engine to keep it from overheating by transferring the heat to the air. This helps avoid the excessive wear and tear at high temperatures, auto-ignition due to hot cylinder which may result in knocking and hence, piston/cylinder failure. It may also incorporate thermal stresses which is not good for the engine itself. Figure . Cooling system and plumbing connection While it serves the purpose of cooling the engine, it also helps the engine to warm up quickly during cold start ups and then maintaining a constant temperature. When the engine is cold, components wear out faster too and the engine is less efficient, emitting more pollution. Types of Cooling System: There are two types of cooling systems found in cars: Air-cooled Liquid-Cooled Air-Cooled Engines: Many small and the medium-sized engines are air-cooled. This category includes most small engines like lawn mowers, chain saws, model airplanes etc. Using the air-cooled system allows both the weight and price of the engine to be kept low, along with reduced complexity of the machine. The air-cooled system is still widely used on most of the motorcycles in use these days. This system utilizes the concept of heat transfer through fins to cool the engine. The cross-sectional area of the fin being larger closer to the head and a reduction in the area as we move further from the engine block. The basic principle on which the air-cooled engines rely on is the flow of air across their external surfaces to remove the excess heat to keep the engine from overheating. The airflow on machines like motorcycles and aircrafts is provided across the surface when the vehicle moves forward. Deflectors and ductwork is incorporated to direct the airflow to the critical locations where more cooling is required. The outer surface of the engine is made from a good conductor of heat and the surface is finned to promote maximum heat transfer, along with which an extra fan is used to increase the air-flow rate; whereas others use the concept of free-convection. These fins are to be properly designed for appropriate cooling effect which is required. Some automobile engines also use exposed flywheels with air-deflectors fastened to the surface. When the engine is in operation, these deflectors create air motion which increases the heat transfer on the finned surface. Even after considering and applying all the measures, the uniform cooling of cylinders is still difficult to achieve on air-cooled engines as compared to the liquid-cooled engines. The figure below shows that the cooling needs are not the same at all the locations. Figure . Variation of heat losses from the fins of an air-cooled aircraft engine. Seventy-one percent of the heat losses occur on the hotter side of the cylinder, containing the exhaust valve. The engine shown was used on a number of different aircrafts. Hotter areas, such as the ones around the exhaust valve and manifold need greater cooling and hence larger finned surface area. Cooling the front of an air-cooled engine which faces the forward motion of the vehicle is much easier and efficient as compared to the back surface of the engine. This may result in temperature differences and thermal expansion problems. Disadvantages: Disadvantages of air-cooled engines are that they: Are less efficient, Are noisier, with greater air flow requirements and no water jacket to dampen the noise, Need a directed air flow and finned surfaces. Advantages: When compared with liquid-cooled engines, air-cooled engines have the following advantages: They are lighter in weight, They cost less, No coolant system failures (e.g., water pump, hoses), No engine freeze-ups, and Faster engine warmup. Liquid-Cooled Engines: In a liquid or water-cooled engine, the engine block is surrounded by a water jacket through which the coolant flows. This allows for a better control of the heat removal from the engine, just by added weight and a more complex system. Very few water-cooled engines use just water as the cooling fluid in the water jackets; this is because the water has a freezing temperature of 0Â °C which is unacceptable as coolant in colder regions, so additives are usually used for better performance. Although water has very good heat transfer properties, but when used alone, it causes rust and corrosion in many of the pipes of the cooling system. Ethylene glycol (C2H6O2) is the antifreeze agent which acts as a rust inhibitor and a lubricant for the water pump. When added to water, it lowers the freezing temperature and raises the boiling temperature of the coolant. The properties of the mixture depend on the ratio in which water and the antifreeze agent are mixed. Pure ethylene glycol should not be used, and even at high concentrations the heat transfer properties of the water are lost as well. The properties of the ethylene glycol water mixture are shown in the table below. In addition to good thermal properties, a coolant should satisfy the following requirements: 1. Chemically stable under conditions of use 2. Non-foaming 3. Non-corrosive 4. Low toxicity 5. Non-flammable 6. Low cost Most commercial antifreezes satisfy these requirements. Many of them are basically ethylene glycol with small amounts of additives. Some commercial engine coolants use propylene glycol as the base ingredient. It is argued that when coolant systems leak or when the coolant becomes aged and is discarded, these products are less harmful to the environment than ethylene glycol. Basic Components: The basic components of a liquid-cooled system is shown below. Figure . Basic liquid-cooled system radiator radiator top hose radiator bottom hose water pump thermostat thermostat housing electric cooling fan thermo-time switch Radiator: The radiator is the part of the cooling system which is responsible for the heat rejection from the coolant and into the atmosphere. The radiator core is usually made up of flattened tubes with aluminum strips (fins) that zigzag between the tubes. These fins effectively transfer the heat contained in the coolant into the air stream to be lost into the atmosphere. On each end of the radiator is a tank made up of plastic to cover the ends. The tubes either run horizontally or vertically between the two tanks. The aluminum-plastic system is more efficient and cost effective. On radiators with plastic end caps, there are gaskets between the aluminum core and the plastic tanks to seal the system and keep the fluid from leaking out. The tanks have a large hose connection, one mounted towards the top of the radiator to let the coolant in, the other mounted at the bottom of the radiator on the other tank to let the coolant back out. On the top of the radiator is an additional opening that is capped off by the radiator cap. Another component in the radiator for vehicles with an automatic transmission is a separate tank mounted inside one of the tanks. Fittings connect this inner tank through steel tubes to the automatic transmission. Transmission fluid is piped through this tank inside a tank to be cooled by the coolant flowing past it before returning to the transmission. Radiator Fans: One or two electric fans are mounted on the back of the radiator close to the engine. These fans used the concept of forced convection to cool the heated coolant going through the pipes in the radiator core. If noticed, this fan starts working once the engine reaches a predefined temperature, after which the cooling by just natural convection during the forward motion of the car cannot be achieved. In the cars with air conditioning, there is an additional radiator mounted in front of the normal radiator. This radiator is called the air conditioner condenser, which also needs to be cooled by the air flow entering the engine compartment. As long as the air conditioning is turned on, the system will keep the fan running, even if the engine is not running hot. This is because if there is no air flow through the air conditioning condenser, the air conditioner will not be able to cool the air entering the interior. Pressure cap reserve tank: The pressure cap is simply a cap which maintains the pressure in the cooling system up to a certain point. If the pressure builds up higher than the set pressure point, the spring loaded valve releases the pressure. Figure . Pressure cap When the pressure in the cooling system reaches the point when the cap needs to release this excess pressure, some amount of coolant is bled off. The coolant which is bled off goes into the reserve tank which is not pressurized, which causes a partial vacuum in the cooling system. The radiator cap on these closed systems has a secondary valve which allows the vacuum in the cooling system to draw the coolant back from the reserve tank into the radiator. Coolant Pump: It is a simple pump which helps in circulation of the coolant around the system. This pump is run using one of the following: A fan belt that will also be responsible for driving an additional component like an alternator or power steering pump A serpentine belt, which also drives the alternator, power steering pump and AC compressor among other things. The timing belt that is also responsible for driving one or more camshafts. The impeller of the pump uses centrifugal force to draw the coolant in from the lower radiator hose and send it under pressure to the engine block. A gasket seals the water pump to the engine block and prevents the flowing coolant from leaking out where the pump is attached to the block. Thermostat: The thermostat is simply a valve that measures the temperature of the coolant, and if the coolant is hot enough it opens to allow the coolant to flow through the radiator otherwise the flow to the radiator is blocked and the fluid is directed to a bypass system that returns the coolant to the engine. Figure . Thermostat The engine is at times allowed to run at higher temperatures of 190-195Â °C; this reduces emissions, moisture condensation inside the engine is quickly burned off improving engine life, and a more complete combustion improving fuel economy. Oil as a Coolant: The oil when used to lubricate the engine also helps to cool the engine. The piston for example gets very little cooling from the coolant in the water jacket or the externally finned surface, so when the back surface of the piston crown is subjected to the oil splash or flow the piston is cooled to some extent. This is very necessary as the piston is one of the hottest elements in the engine. Usually, the oil is sprayed in pressurized systems, and splashed in non-pressurized systems. The oil acts as the coolant on the back face of the piston crown as it absorbs energy and then runs back into the larger reservoir where it mixes with the cooler oil and dissipates this energy into the other engine parts. This splash cooling of the piston is extremely important in small air-cooled engines as well as in automobile engines. A few other engine components other than the piston are also cooled by oil circulation, either by splash or by the pressurized flow from the oil pump. Oil passages through internal components like the camshaft and connecting rods offer the only major cooling these parts are subjected to. As the oil cools the various components, it absorbs energy and its temperature rises. This energy is then dissipated to the rest of the engine by circulation and eventually gets absorbed in the engine coolant flow. Some high-performance engines have an oil cooler in their lubricant circulation system. The energy absorbed by the oil as it cools the engine components is dissipated in the oil cooler, which is a heat exchanger cooled by either engine coolant flow or external air flow. Oil Pump: The gear-type oil pump has a pair of meshing gears. The spaces between the teeth are filled with oil when the gears unmesh. The oil pump obtains oil from the oil pan and sends oil through the oil filter to the oil galleries and main bearings. Some oil passes from the holes in the crankshaft to the rod bearings. Main bearings and rod bearings are lubricated adequately to achieve their desired objectives. In the rotor type oil pump, the inner rotor is driven and drives the outer rotor. As the rotor revolves, the gaps between the lobes are filled with oil. When the lobes of the inner rotor move into the gaps in the outer rotor, oil is forced out through the outlet of pump. An oil pump can also be driven by a camshaft gear that drives the ignition distributor or by the crankshaft. Oil Pan: Oil also flows to the cylinder head through drilled passages that make up the oil gallery, lubricates camshaft bearings and valves, and then returns to oil pan. Some engines have grooves or holes in connecting rods, which provide extra lubrication to pistons and walls of cylinders. Oil Cooler: Oil cooler prevents overheating of oil, by flow of engine coolant past tubes carrying hot oil. The coolant picks excess heat and carries it to the radiator. Oil Filter: The oil from oil pump flows through oil filter before reaching the engine bearings. The oil filter retains the dirt particles and allows only clean filtered oil to pass. The Lubrication system and its types: There are three basic types of oil distribution systems used in engines: Splash, Pressurized, or A combination of these. The crankcase is used as the oil sump (reservoir) in a splash system, and the crankshaft rotating at high speed in the oil distributes it to the various moving parts by splash; no oil pump is used. All components, including the valve train and camshaft, must be open to the crankcase. Oil is splashed into the cylinders behind the pistons and onto the back of the piston crowns, acting both as a lubricant and a coolant. Many small four-stroke cycle engines (lawn mowers, golf carts, etc.) use splash distribution of oil. An engine with a pressurized oil distribution system uses an oil pump to supply lubrication to the moving parts through passages built into the components. A typical automobile engine has oil passages built into the connecting rods, valve stems, push rods, rocker arms, valve seats, engine block, and many other moving components. These make up a circulation network through which oil is distributed by the oil pump. In addition, oil is sprayed under pressure onto the cylinder walls and onto the back of the piston crowns. Most automobiles actually use dual distribution systems, relying on splash within the crankcase in addition to the pressurized flow from the oil pump. Most large stationary engines also use this kind of dual system. Most aircraft engines and a few automobile engines use a total pressurized system with the oil reservoir located separate from the crankcase. These are often called dry sump systems (i.e., the crankcase sump is dry of excess oil). Aircraft do not always fly level, and uncontrolled oil in the crankcase may not supply proper lubrication or oil pump input when the plane banks or turns. A diaphragm controls the oil level in the reservoir of a dry sump system, assuring a continuous flow into the oil pump and throughout the engine. Figure . Lubrication of an engine consisting of a combination of a pressurized system and splash system Oil pumps can be electric or mechanically driven off the engine. Pressure at the pump exit is typically about 300 to 400 kPa. If an oil pump is driven directly off the engine, some means should be built into the system to keep the exit pressure and flow rate from becoming excessive at high engine speeds. A time of excess wear is at engine startup before the oil pump can distribute proper lubrication. It takes a few engine cycles before the flow of oil is fully established, and during this time, many parts are not properly lubricated. Adding to the problem is the fact that often the oil is cold at engine startup. Cold oil has much higher viscosity, which further delays proper circulation. A few engines have oil preheaters which electrically heat the oil before startup. Some engines have pre-oilers that heat and circulate the oil before engine startup. An electric pump lubricates all components by distributing oil throughout the engine. It is recommended that turbocharged engines be allowed to idle for a few seconds before they are turned off. This is because of the very high speeds at which the turbocharger operates. When the engine is turned off, oil circulation stops and lubricated surfaces begin to lose oil. Stopping the oil supply to a turbocharger operating at high speed invites poor lubrication and high wear. To minimize this problem, the engine and turbocharger should be allowed to return to low speed (idle) before the lubrication supply is stopped. Lubrication system in 2-stroke engines: Many small engines and some experimental two-stroke cycle automobile engines use the crankcase as a compressor for the inlet air. Automobile engines which do this generally have the crankcase divided into several compartments, with each cylinder having its own separate compressor. These engines cannot use the crankcase as an oil sump, and an alternate method must be used to lubricate the crankshaft and other components in the crankcase. In these engines, oil is carried into the engine with the inlet air in much the same way as the fuel. When the fuel is added to the inlet air, usually with a carburetor, oil particles as well as fuel particles are distributed into the flow. The air flow then enters the crankcase, where it is compressed. Oil particles carried with the air lubricate the surfaces they come in contact with, first in the crankcase and then in the intake runner and cylinder. In some systems (model airplane engines, marine outboard motors, etc.), the oil is premixed with the fuel in the fuel tank. In other engines (automobiles, some golf carts, etc.), there is a separate oil reservoir that feeds a metered flow of oil into the fuel supply line or directly into the inlet air flow. Fuel-to-oil ratio ranges from 30:1 to 400:1, depending on the engine. Some modern high-performance engines have controls which regulate the fuel-oil ratio, depending on engine speed and load. Under conditions of high oil input, oil sometimes condenses in the crankcase. Up to 30% of the oil is recirculated from the crankcase in some automobile engines. It is desirable to get at least 3000 miles per liter of oil used. Most small lower cost engines have a single average oil input setting. If too much oil is supplied, deposits form on the combustion chamber walls and valves will stick (if there are valves). If too little oil is supplied, excess wear will occur and the piston can freez e in the cylinder. Engines that add oil to the inlet fuel obviously are designed to use up oil during operation. This oil also contributes to HC emissions in the exhaust due to valve overlap and poor combustion of the oil vapor in the cylinders. New oils that also burn better as fuel are being developed for two-stroke cycle engines. Some two-stroke cycle automobile engines and other medium- and large-size engines use an external supercharger to compress inlet air. These engines use pressurized/ splash lubrication systems similar to those on four-stroke cycle engines with the crankcase also serving as the oil sump. Lubricating Oil: The oil used in an engine must serve as a lubricant, a coolant, and a vehicle for removing impurities. It must be able to withstand high temperatures without breaking down and must have a long working life. The development trend in engines is toward higher operating temperatures, higher speeds, closer tolerances, and smaller oil sump capacity. All of these require improved oils compared to those used just a few years ago. Certainly, the technology of the oil industry has to continue to improve along with the technology growth of engines and fuel. Early engines and other mechanical systems were often designed to use up the lubricating oil as it was used, requiring a continuous input of fresh oil. The used oil was either burned up in the combustion chamber or allowed to fall to the ground. Just a couple of decades back, the tolerances between pistons and cylinder walls was such that engines burned some oil that seeped past the pistons from the crankcase. This required a periodic need t o add oil and a frequent oil change due to blowby contamination of the remaining oil. HC levels in the exhaust were high because of the oil in the combustion chamber. Modern engines run hotter, have closer tolerances which keep oil consumption down, and have smaller oil sumps due to space limitations. They generate more power with smaller engines by running faster and with higher compression ratios. This means higher forces and a greater need for good lubrication. At the same time, many manufacturers now suggest changing the oil every 6000 miles. Not only must the oil last longer under much more severe conditions, but new oil is not added between oil changes. Engines of the past that consumed some oil required periodic makeup oil to be added. This makeup oil mixed with the remaining used oil and improved the overall lubrication properties within the engine. The oils in modern engines must operate over an extreme temperature range. They must lubricate properly from the starting temperature of a cold engine to beyond the extreme steady-state temperatures that occur within the engine cylinders. They must not oxidize on the combustion chamber walls or at other hot spots such as the center crown of the piston or at the top piston ring. Oil should adhere to surfaces so that they always lubricate and provide a protective covering against corrosion. This is often called oiliness. Oil should have high film strength to assure no metal-to-metal contact even under extreme loads. Oils should be non-toxic and non-explosive. Some desired qualities of Lubrication oil: Lubricating oil must satisfy the following needs: Lubrication. It must reduce friction and wear within the engine. It improves efficiency by reducing the friction forces between moving parts. Coolant Removal of contaminants Enhancement of ring seal and reduction of blowby Slow corrosion Stability over a large temperature range Long life span Low cost Hydrocarbon Components in Lubricating oil: The basic ingredients in most lubricating oils are hydrocarbon components made from crude oil. These are larger molecular weight species obtained from the distillation process. Additives: Various other components are added to create a lubricant that will allow for the maximum performance and life span of the engine. These additives include: Antifoam agents: These reduce the foaming that would result when the crankshaft and other components rotate at high speed in the crankcase oil sump. Oxidation inhibitors: Oxygen is trapped in the oil when foaming occurs, and this leads to possible oxidation of engine components. One such additive is zinc dithiophosphate Pour-point depressant Antirust agents Detergents: These are made from organic salts and metallic salts. They help keep deposits and impurities in suspension and stop reactions that form varnish and other surface deposits. They help neutralize acid formed from sulfur in the fuel. Anti-wear agents Friction reducers Viscosity index improvers Rating of Lubricating Oils and grades: Lubricating oils are generally rated using a viscosity scale established by the Society of Automotive Engineering (SAE). The higher the viscosity value, the greater is the force needed to move adjacent surfaces or to pump oil through a passage. Viscosity is highly dependent on temperature, increasing with decreasing temperature. In the temperature range of engine operation, the dynamic viscosity of the oil can change by more than an order of magnitude. Oil viscosity also changes with shear, decreasing with increasing shear. Shear rates within an engine range from very low values to extremely high values in the bearings and between piston and cylinder walls. The change of viscosity over these extremes can be several orders of magnitude. Common viscosity grades used in engines are: SAE 5 SAE 10 SAE 20 SAE 30 SAE 40 SAE 45 SAE 50 Common oils available include: SAE 5W-20 SAE 10W-40 SAE 5W-30 SAE 10W-50 SAE 5W-40 SAE 15W-40 SAE 5W-50 SAE 15W-50 SAE 10W-30 SAE 20W-50 Synthetic Oils: A number of synthetically made oils are available that give better performance than those made from crude oil. They are better at reducing friction and engine wear, have good detergency properties which keep the engine cleaner, offer less resistance for moving parts, and require less pumping power for distribution. With good thermal properties, they provide better engine cooling and less variation in viscosity. Because of this, they contribute to better cold-weather starting and can reduce fuel consumption by as much as 15%. These oils cost several times as much as those made from crude oil. However, they can be used longer in an engine, with 24,000 km (15,000 miles) being the oil change period suggested by most manufacturers. Available on the market are various oil additives and special oils that can be added in small quantities to standard oils in the engine. These claim, with some justification, to improve the viscous and wear resistance properties of normal oils. One major improvement that some of them provide is that they stick to metal surfaces and do not drain off when the engine is stopped, as most standard oils do. The surfaces are thus lubricated immediately when the engine is next started. With standard oils it takes several engine rotations before proper lubrication occurs, a major source of wear. Oil filters: Included in most pressurized oil systems is a filtration system to remove impurities from the engine oil. One of the duties of engine oil is to clean the engine by carrying contaminant impurities in suspension as it circulates. As the oil passes through filters that are part of the flow passage system these impurities are removed, cleaning the oil and allowing it to be used for a greater length of time. Contaminants get into an engine in the incoming air or fuel or can be generated within the combustion chamber when other than ideal stoichiometric combustion occurs. Dust and other impurities are carried by the incoming air. Some, but not all, of these are removed by an air filter. Fuels have trace amounts of impurities like sulfur, which create contaminants during the combustion process. Even pure fuel components form some contaminants, like solid carbon in some engines under some conditions. Many engine impurities are carried away with the engine exhaust, but some get into the interior of the engine, mainly in the blowby process. During blowby, fuel, air, and combustion products are forced past the pistons into the crankcase, where they mix with the engine oil. Some of the water vapor in the exhaust products condenses in the crankcase, and the resulting liquid water adds to the contaminants. The gases of blowby pass through the crankcase and are routed back into the air intake. Ideally, most of the contaminants are trapped in the oil, which then contains dust, carbon, fuel particles, sulfur, water droplets, and many other impurities. If these were not filtered out of the oil, they would be spread throughout the engine by the oil distribution system. Also, the oil would quickly become dirty and lose its lubricating properties, resulting in greater engine wear. Figure . Oil Filter Flow passages in a filter are not all the same size but usually exist in a normal bell-shaped size distribution. This means that most larger particles will be filtered out as the oil passes through the filter, but a few as large as the largest passages will get through. The choice of filter pore size is a compromise. Better filtration will be obtained with smaller filter pores, but this requires a much greater flow pressure to push the oil through the filter. This also results in the filter becoming clogged quicker and requiring earlier filter cartridge change. Some filter materials and/or material of too small a pore size can even remove some additives from the oil. Filters are made from cotton, paper, cellulose, and a number of different synthetic materials. Filters are usually located just downstream from the oil pump exit. As a filter is used, it slowly becomes saturated with trapped impurities. As these impurities fill the filter pores, a greater pressure differential is needed to keep the same flow rate. When this needed pressure differential gets too high, the oil pump limit is reached and oil flow through the engine is slowed. The filter cartridge should be replaced before this happens. Figure . Exploded view of an Oil Filter Figure . Pore size distribution for common filters Sometimes, when the pressure differential across a filter gets high enough, the cartridge structure will collapse and a hole will develop through the cartridge wall. Most of the oil pumped through the filter will then follow the path of least resistance and flow through the hole. This short circuit will reduce the pressure drop across the filter, but the oil does not get filtered. There are several ways in which the oil circulation system can be filtered: 1. Full-flow oil filtration. All oil flows through the filter. The filter pore size must be fairly large to avoid extreme pressures in the resulting large flow rate. This results in some larger impurities in the oil. 2. Bypass oil filtration. Only part of the oil leaving the pump flows through the filter, the rest bypassing it without being filtered. This system allows the use of a much finer filter, but only a percentage of the oil gets filtered during each circulation loop. 3. Combination. Some systems use a combination of full-flow and bypass. All the oil first flows through a filter with large pores and then some of it flows through a second filter with small pores. 4. Shunt filtration. This is a system using a full-flow filter and a bypass valve. All oil at first flows through the filter. As the filter cartridge dirties with age, the pressure differential across it needed to keep the oil flowing increases. When this pressure differential gets above a predetermined value, the bypass valve opens and the oil flows around the filter. The filter cartridge must then be replaced before filtering will again occur. Solid lubricants, such as powd

Reflection on Care Interventions and Decision Making

Reflection on Care Interventions and Decision Making Reflective evaluation of care interventions and clinical decision making. Introduction This essay is a reflective examination of a care episode in the domain of mental health nursing, in relation to the processes of nursing decision making, clinical reasoning, and processes associated with patient care planning and management. The reflection on elements or aspects of care, or on specific clinical experiences, is an important part of nurse development and ongoing professional practice (Rolfe, 2005). Reflection is more than simply looking back at experiences and incidents, it is a process of making sense of them, understanding all the dimensions of an experience, and using information, evaluation and analysis to improve future practice (Hargreaves, 2004). It is, therefore, about learning from experiences, as much as learning about experiences (Gibbs, 1988; Kolb, 1984). Although reflection is known to be, at times, an imperfect means of reviewing practice, because there is always the possibility of biased reflection, or poor memory (Jones, 1995), it is a means of allowing student nurses and qualified nurses to ask questions about their practice and look at it in the light of knowledge and evidence. Using reflection, this essay will attempt to examine the care of an older adult with dementia, in order to examine the elements of clinical decision making and clinical reasoning in relation to their care and the management of care for them in the longer term. As such, it will also look at elements of care planning for this patient, and the processes which surrounded a key clinical decision, which is about place of care for the designated patient, who will be described below. The essay will be based within the framework of Gibbs (1988) cycle of reflection, which provides a structure and guideline for constructive reflection and allows practitioners to develop action plans for future practice improvement (see Appendix). The essay will present the case history and summary of the client’s clinical/health status, and then will follow the structure of the Gibbs (1988) reflective cycle. It will conclude with the action plan and a brief conclusion of the arguments developed throughou t the essay. Case History/Summary The patient, whose name has been changed to protect confidentiality, is Arthur, a 69 year old man who was admitted to a general medical ward three weeks ago with pneumonia. Arthur is married to Anne, who is also 69, and both are retired teachers. Arthur was diagnosed with vascular dementia three years ago, and his health, and in particular, his symptoms of dementia, have been steadily worsening since that time. Anne is his chief carer, and gets regular support and help from their two children, a daughter, who is a full time clerical worker, and a son, who is married and lives an hour’s drive away from his parents. Anne and Arthur live in their own home, where they have lived since they were married 47 years ago. Arthur’s symptoms are memory loss and dysfunction, apathy, fatigue, withdrawal, fixation on routines, communication difficulties, and ‘wandering’. Arthur is accustomed to regular social activities at the local Home Guard club, some of which Anne attends with him, and also to going into the local shopping area most days to buy a paper. Anne has to help him with the majority of his activities of daily living. His appetite has decreased, and he needs assistance with dressing, hygiene and other self-care activities. Anne helps him manage his medication. He has a history of essential hypertension, which is managed with anti-hypertensive medication. Arthur developed pneumonia following a viral infection, and was admitted with dyspnoea, pyrexia and increased confusion, alongside dehydration. He was treated on a medical ward, and during this time was reviewed by an occupational therapist, social work liaison, and by the mental health team, as well as his medical team. His pneumonia responded well to antibiotic therapy, and he received nutritional supplements and assistance with some of his activities of daily living. Reflection Description: What Happened Arthur’s physical health improved sufficiently for the medical team to determine that he was ready for discharge from the medical ward. Initially, the discharge plan was straightforward, and had been commenced on admission, and finalised by the nursing team looking after Arthur, under the leadership of his named nurse. Arthur was to be discharged home to his own home, with community nursing involvement. However, because of his degenerative condition, and his current state of health and wellbeing, one of the nurses on the team objected to this plan, and decided that it might be time to consider the best place of care for Arthur in the longer term. In the light of her referral to the medical consultant, and to the primary care nurse consultant, a full case conference and multidisciplinary review was called to review the discharge plan. A number of professionals were present: occupational therapy, a social worker, his named nurse, the nurse who had instigated the case conference, the Nurse Practitioner, a representative of the mental health team, and the author, along with Arthur’s Registrar and SHO. Each professional presented their case, and discussed Arthur’s current state of health, and the support, care and input he needed. Because of his increasing debilitation, reports of his wandering behaviours on the ward, and his increasing dependence on carers, it was decided that Arthur should not be discharged home, but instead a place should be found in an EMI nursing home, where he could receive the level of support believed to be necessary for him. It was agreed that a nursing home close to his own home would be chosen, so that his wife would be able to visit him, but the home found for him was seven miles away from their home, and when his wife was informed of his place of care after discharge, she was upset. She wanted Arthur at home with her, and insisted that she could cope with his care. She also explained that the care facility they proposed was not on an easily accessible bus route, and it would take two buses and a considerable amount of time to travel from her hom e to visit him. Despite this, she was informed that the best place for him now was a nursing home, because his safety was at risk, and eventually, it was agreed that he be discharged to this nursing home as soon as a room became available. Feelings: What Were You Thinking and Feeling. My feelings were very much around empathy with Arthur’s wife, who wanted Arthur discharged to his familiar home environment, but also a sense of concern for Arthur, for his safety and wellbeing, and for the burden that his care was placing on his wife. However, I also felt quite strongly that she should have been included in the case conference. I also felt that Arthur should have been consulted about where he preferred to be discharged to. Although he had poor communication, there were times when he was able to appear at least aware of his surroundings and circumstances, and I felt that someone should have tried to get his thoughts and feelings on where he would go after discharge. I felt that the multidisciplinary team was working effectively, that they were communicating openly and professionally about the care, but that they still did not quite seem to see Arthur as a person, a whole person, with a life, a family, and his own preferences. Instead, I felt that they saw him predominantly in terms of the problems he posed for care services. And I felt that this was not necessarily the best ethos to underpin such a significant, life-changing decision. Evaluation: What Was Good and Bad about the Experience. Positive aspects of the experience included the insight I gained into a multidisciplinary team case conference, in which all the professionals concerned were not only well prepared and well meaning, but eager to listen to each other, to listen to people’s experiences of caring for Arthur, and to debate the whys and wherefores of his case and the discharge decision. Attitudes towards Arthur were positive, in terms of focusing on his wellbeing, safety, and prognosis, as well as focusing on the wellbeing of his wife and main carer. However, negative aspects of this were chiefly the exclusion of Anne and Arthur from the case conference, and the lack of the presence of a member of the community nursing team, or Arthur’s GP, or anyone who actually understood his home circumstances properly. It seemed to me that no one was able to really state with certainty what his home circumstances were like. I also felt that the team should have considered the effects on Anne of ‘losing’ her husband’s presence in her home, because this could have consequences for her emotional, social and even financial wellbeing. While Arthur is their primary concern, if they had seen him and his wife in terms of the realities of their lives together, this might have affected their decision. Analysis: What Sense Can You Make of the Situation? Providing care for the older adult who has a diagnosis of dementia, whatever kind, is difficult and challenging, because the disorder affects so many aspects of their lives, not just their ability to take care of themselves. The NSF for Older People (DoH, 2001) clearly states that all care for the older adult should be based on person-centred care principles, looking at the individual needs, and looking at the person in context of their social life and home life. However, because the older adult is more likely to have a number of concurrent health problems (Grabbe et al, 1997), providing care to meet all the needs of the patent can be very challenging. The literature suggests that despite the Governmental guidance, and the ongoing drive to improve care for the older population, standards of care for this sector are still not as good as they should be (Helme, 2007). This suggests that there are still considerable improvements to be made in the ways that such people are cared for, and the kinds of decisions made and treatment choices offered for them (Redfern and Ross, 2001). Dementia is a difficult disease to plan care around, because it has so many manifestations, and for different reasons. It is a very prevalent disorder in the older population (DoH, 2001). According to Helme (2007) more than 50% of elderly people in nursing homes, and an equivalent number of elderly patients who are admitted to hospitals, have dementia. This poses a considerable burden on health and social care. But the NSF also argues that it is vital that older people’s dignity is preserved and prioritised within these healthcare services (DoH, 2001), and if this is the case, then the kinds of decisions made about their place of care, as in the case of Arthur, should be decisions that are about their dignity, and their autonomy. It could be, in this case, that the balance between preserving Arthur’s autonomy at home, and between protecting his dignity (he has been known to wander out of the house in his underwear, or get lost in town), has brought the team to their dec ision. If the team are practising patient centred care, or person-centred care, then Arthur’s wellbeing would be the reason for the decision. However, this is not always the case, and it could be that the decision has been made based on what is likely to cause the least amount of strain on the community health and social care services (Dellasega and Fisher, 2001). There is some evidence in the healthcare literature that many healthcare professionals continue to have innate prejudices or stereotypes of elderly patients (Gunderson et al, 2005). If this is the case, then Arthur may be being judged based on his diagnosis, and on preconceptions about his current clinical/mental state, rather than on a holistic picture of his whole life and his social context. There are those who would argue that making this decision for Arthur is the wrong course of action, because he has been functioning well at home prior to hospital admission for a medical problem, and there is no reason why he could not carry on with the same level of support for the time being (Hoare, 2004). However, it might be that this admission to hospital has been the first time that such a large team of healthcare professionals from different disciplines has had the opportunity to assess Arthur’s current health status and healthcare needs, and this is what has led to this decision (Fielo, 1998). It might be, for example, the first time the true impact of Arthur’s condition on the activities of daily living has been observed (Farley et al, 2006). However, it is also important to remember that as a patient with Dementia, Arthur is likely to behave very differently in a hospital setting than he would in a familiar home environment, and so this assessment may not be based on how he usually manages his daily life (Zarit and Zarit, 2007). However, if the professionals involved believe that the complexity of Arthur’s needs are such that the easiest place for Arthur to be cared for is within a nursing home environment (Miller et al, 1996), this might be the reason for the decision, perhaps in relation to an awareness of local resou rces and availability of certain support services for Arthur (Eloniemi-Sulkava et al, 2001). The process of discharge planning is one which still seems something of a mystery, despite the clear communication between the multidisciplinary team. It is apparent from the literature on the subject that discharge planning conferences can be difficult, and for many health professionals and patients, it can be hard to get your opinion across and make sure that this opinion, or observation, is taken seriously (Efraimsson et al, 2006). Certainly, I felt that I could not voice my opinion during this conference, and yet in hindsight I feel that I should have done so, because I really feel that the most important people were missing from the case conference. The voice of Arthur was not there, perhaps because the team believed he would not be able to communicate effectively (Efraimsson et al, 2004), but Anne should definitely have been involved, as his wife and primary carer (DoH, 2001). The literature shows that lack of involvement in discharge planning, particularly when significant decisions are being made such as this, disempowers patients and their families and can have detrimental effects on health and wellbeing (Efraimsson et al, 2003). Leaving Anne out of this decision may have an impact on her health and wellbeing, including her mental and emotional health, and if she had been involved, she might have come to the same conclusions that the team had, rather than just having them make a rather paternalistic decision without consulting her (Redfern and Ross, 2001). Conclusion: What Else Could you Have Done? One conclusion that I have reached through examining this case, is that it is important to question care decisions and clinical decision making processes, even if you are in the minority (Daly, 1998). In this situation, I felt disempowered, and I am sure that it might have been the case that Anne would have felt quite challenged to be part of the conference, but it should have been opened up to include her and to give her a chance to voice her own thoughts and feelings, and provide the insight into Arthur’s health, wellbeing and home life that was lacking from the conference. Another conclusion I have reached is that while multidisciplinary conferences are important, there can still be underlying personal agendas, or prejudices, and so focusing on a person-centred model of care and discharge planning is important. Also, it might be that the label of dementia has been colouring everyone’s reactions and making them lean towards nursing home care because of what they know about dementia, rather than because of what they know about Arthur. I should have raised the questions that I had, and been more proactive. I also felt that they could have referred more explicitly to the available guidelines, such as the NSF (DoH, 2001), and the local policies and guidelines on discharge planning, and on social care planning. There should have been community nurses or Arthur’s GP involved in the discharge conference. I should have raised these points, and perhaps referred to the appropriate guidance, or asked for it. Action Plan: If it arose again, what would you do? I would ensure that the patient and their primary carers were included in the discharge planning conference, that their preferences, experiences and opinions were sought, and that these were incorporated into the clinical decision making process. I would gather together all available policies, guidance and governance documents relating to the case. I would also seek out and gather together as much of the evidence base as possible relating to the patient’s care, in order to make a more reasoned decision. I would make sure that the community health professionals who had been involved in Arthur’s care up to the point of his admission to hospital were also involved in the discharge conference. This would mean that a more realistic picture of his needs was presented. I would include detailed information about an alternative plan of care and social support for Arthur, one which included realistic assessments of available resources and impact on current care provision. I would make sure that the impact of this admission on Anne and her home situation was also considered in making the final decision. I would also attempt to ensure that the discharge plan included identification and mobilisation of resources and support services for Anne as well as for Arthur. Conclusion It would appear from this reflection that a significant decision making process such as this, even when many good principles are adhered to, is complex and difficult, and it is important to make sure that all aspects of the client’s needs are being met, not just their safety and medical/social care needs. Decisions such as this cannot be made without the full picture and without considering alternatives to what might appear to be the easiest solution. References 213569 Daly, W..M. (1998) Critical thinking as an outcome of nursing education. What is it? Why is it important to nursing practice? Journal of Advanced Nursing 28 (2) 323-331. Department of Health (2001) The National Service Framework for Older People Available from www.dh.gov.uk. Accessed 10-11-08. Dellasega CA. Fisher KM (2001) Posthospital home care for frail older adults in rural locations. Journal of Community Health Nursing. 18(4): 247-60. Draper, B. Low, L. (2005). What is the effectiveness of acute hospital treatment of older people with mental disorders? International Psychogeriatrics, 17, 539-555 Efraimsson, E., Sandman, P. Hyden, L-C., and Rasmussen, B.H. (2006). How to get one’s voice heard: the problems of the discharge planning conference. Journal of Advanced Nursing 53 (6) 646-655. Efraimsson, E., Rasmussen, B.H., Gilje, F. and Sandman, P. (2003) Expressions of power and powerlessness in discharge planning: a case study of an older woman on her way home. Journal of Clinical Nursing 12 707-716. Efraimsson, E., Sandman, P. Hyden, L-C., and Rasmussen, B.H. (2004). Discharge planning: ‘fooling ourselves?’ – patient participation in conferences. Journal of Clinical Nursing 13 562-570. Eloniemi-Sulkava, U., Notkola I.L., Hentinen, M. et al (2001) Effects of supporting community-living demented patients and their caregivers: a randomized trial. Journal of the American Geriatric Society 49(10):1282-7. Farley, A., McLafferty, E. and Hendry, C. (2006) The physiological effects of ageing on the activities of living. Nursing Standard 20(45) 46-52. Fielo, S. B. (1998) Discharge Planning for the Elderly: A Guide for Nurses. Nursing and Health Care Perspectives Volume 19(2) 94-95. Gibbs, G. (1988) Learning by Doing. A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods Further Education Unit, Oxford Polytechnic, Oxford Gould, D., Berridge, E-J. And Kelly, D. (2007) The National Health Service Knoweldge and Skills Framework and its implications for continuing professional development within nursing. Nurse Education Today 27 26-34. Grabbe, L., Demi, A., Camann, M.A. and Potter, L. (1997) The health status of elderly persons in the last year of life: a comparison of deaths by suicide, injury an natural causes. American Journal of Public Health 87 (3) 434-437. Gunderson, A., Tomkowiak, J., Menachemi, N. and Brooks, M.D. (2005) Rural physicians’ attitudes toward the elderly: evidence of ageism? Quality Management in Health Care 14 (3) 167-176. Hargreaves, J. (2004) â€Å"So how do you feel about that? Assessing reflective practice.† Nurse Education Today 24 (3) 196-201. Hoare K. (2004) Care home placement: can admission direct from acute hospital be justified? Nursing Older People. 16(6): 14-17. Jones, P.R. (1995) Hindsight bias in reflective practice: an empirical investigation. Journal of Advanced Nursing 21 (4) 783–788. Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential Learning London: Prentice Hall. Miller, J., Neelon, V., Dalton. J. et al (1996) The assessment of discomfort in elderly confused patients: a preliminary study. Journal of Neuroscience Nursing 28 (3) 175-182. Redfern, S.J. and Ross, F.M. (2001) Nursing Older People. Third edition. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. Rolfe, G. (2005) The deconstructing angel: nursing, reflection and evidence-based practice Nursing Inquiry 12 (2), 78–86. Zarit, S.H. and Zarit, J. M. (2007) Mental disorders in older adultsfundamentals of assessment and treatment. New York: The Guildford Press. Gibbs (1988) Cycle of Reflection http://www.nursesnetwork.co.uk/images/reflectivecycle.gif

Effects of Music on the Mind Essay -- essays research papers

Effects Of Music On The Mind Are people typically geniuses? Statistically, people probably are not. In fact, most people probably aren't even intellectually gifted at all. Most people are likely to be pretty much average, maybe a little bit above average, or a little below, but very average none the less. It is universally understood that people strive to learn to become wiser and more informed about the world around them. The more people learn, the more powerful they can become. It is the speed at which people learn that separates the geniuses from the average people and from the learning disabled. Geniuses don't run into problems while learning, because they learn very fast. It is everyone else that could really use help. One solid way to increase the speed at which people learn is with music. People learn through music and their minds grow faster because of it. Some music, when implemented properly, can have positive effects on learning and attitude. Music is a powerful thing, and when we understand its significance, it can bring dramatic changes both positive and negative into our lives. The earliest stages of learning for young children are the most important. The fundamentals of learning are instilled into a child at a very young age. How much importance is placed on these fundamentals can have dramatic affects on the future of the child's learning. Music, when applied in a constructive way, can have positive effects on a child's ability to learning and can help them in many ways. One way that music can make learning easier for a young child is by implementing music lessons into a child's normal activities. A small study was done two years back involving ten three-year-olds who were tested on their ability to put together a puzzle and the speed at which they could do it ("Learning Keys" 24). After the initial test was taken, five of the children were given singing lessons for 30 minutes a day and the other five were given piano lessons for 15 minutes a week (24). The lessons were conducted over a six- month period of time, and after the six months, all of the kids showed substantial improvement in the speed at which they could put together the puzzle (24). The researchers understand this skill in putting pieces of a puzzle together as the same reasoning that engineers, chess players and high-level mathematicians use. In this study of inne... ...esource. In recent years there have been concerns about some types of music such as â€Å"street† Rap having very negative effects on peoples minds and moods. This type of music imprints an extremely violent image into people's minds and there has been growing concern about it and tying it in with violent crimes. In cases like this, it only shows how much more we need to study music to fully understand its full impact on the human mind. In these days where cutbacks are always eminent in people's local schools, people need to fight to keep the music and art intact. Music and the arts are what make life worth living and without them, people lose hold of their culture and diversity. The ideal way to learn in the future would be to fully incorporate music into the curriculum of every school. If every school supported and encouraged their students to freely pursue music with the culture of music in their everyday lives, people would become much more efficient in their learning and would become much better students on the whole. Music is a power too great for man to comprehend at this point but through further study man can learn how to better harness its power and use it to improve mankind.