Role of Mathematics in Business Economics - 1407 Words

Role Of Mathematics in Business amp; Economics Introduction: Mathematics have been one of the primary elements of business and economics since ancient times, when farmers had to count the animals in their possession and merchants had to have a clear picture of their goods value. With the introduction of money as the universal legal tender, all goods acquired a numerical value, making math calculations even more important. Furthermore, in the competitive global market environment of today, businesses have to take advantage of every opportunity for profit, making frequent statistical market analyses a necessity. Business Mathematics: Business mathematics is mathematics used by commercial enterprises to record and manage business†¦show more content†¦Tax Records Basic math skills make it easier to file and maintain tax records, a necessity for individuals and businesses alike. And taxes like sales tax, property taxes, unemployment tax and social security taxes must be monitored. Without basic math skills, it is easy to make a mistake; errors in figuring taxes will likely lead to an audit, a complicated procedure, or a loss of significant amounts of revenue. Payroll Math is important when dealing with payroll systems. It allows you to calculate percentage raises, figure cost-of-living increases, or calculate how much an employee owes into his or her health savings accounts or insurance premiums. Other Decisions Math is important when making even general business decisions, like whether to expand into a new branch, whether you can afford to hire another employee, or if you can market a product nationally. Knowledge of basic math makes interest calculations, markups and markdowns, credit lines and mortgage calculations less tedious and time-consuming, saving you and your customers time and money. The Use of Mathematics in Business amp; Economics: The types of math used in economics are primarily algebra, calculus and statistics. Algebra is used to make computations such as total cost and total revenue. Calculus is used to find the derivatives of utility curves, profit maximization curves and growth models. Statistics allows economists to make forecastsShow MoreRelatedHow Business Is An Expansion Or Recession By Their Look And Attitudes At Dinner Essay1043 Words   |  5 PagesWhen I was young, my parents started their business supplying steel to construction firms. They often talked about their business when we had dinner. Since their business is closely related to the overall macroeconomic situation, I got a sense about business cycle at an early age. I could judge whether it is an expansion or recession by their looks and attitudes at dinner. Also, I got a feeling about how the business could function in the environment of competition before I entered high school. 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Hiv and Nutrition Free Essays

string(49) " between the shoulder blades, or on the breasts\." Few crises have affected human health and threatened social and economic development like HIV/AIDS. As infection rates continue to escalate around the world — particularly in countries with large rural populations and widespread small-scale agriculture — the pandemic is having a significant impact on food security and nutrition, creating a deadly cycle: HIV/AIDS typically strikes the household’s most productive members first. When these people become ill, there is an immediate strain on the family’s ability to work, feed themselves and provide care. We will write a custom essay sample on Hiv and Nutrition or any similar topic only for you Order Now As the disease progresses, it can become even harder for a family to cope, especially as resources are drained — for instance, valuable assets, such as livestock and tools, may need to be sold in order to pay for food and medical expenses — and poverty advances. Without food or income, some  family members  may migrate in search of work, increasing their chances of contracting HIV — and bringing it back home. For others, commercial sex may be their only option to feed and support their family.Food insecurity also leads to  malnutrition, which can aggravate and accelerate the development of AIDS. Likewise, the disease itself can contribute to malnutrition by reducing appetite, interfering with nutrient absorption, and making additional demands on the body’s nutritional status. Therefore nutrition plays a big part in enabling patients to properly take medication, manage side effects, and maintain adequate nourishment. Some of the nutritional issues inc lude:- 1. Recommendations for light snacks are included, as are remedies for unpleasant tastes caused by some medications. . Weight gain is an issue for all AIDS patients on antiretroviral therapy. 3. Nutritionists advise that to manage increasing weight, patients should cut fat and calories, but not eliminate the good fats, such as monounsaturated fats and Omega 3 polyunsaturated fat. 4. Because AIDS-related illnesses can cause loss of lean body mass and wasting, people with AIDS need to consume more protein. It is also important to maintain calcium in the diet for bone health, blood clotting, nerve transmission, and regulating heartbeat. 5.Carbohydrates round out the healthy diet by lowering cholesterol, lowering glucose absorption, alleviating constipation, and facilitating movement through the bowel. 6. Aside from a well balanced diet, it is important to prepare food safely and to know the source of any drinking water. As we have seen, HIV and nutrition are intimately linked. HIV infection can lead to malnutrition, while poor diet can in turn speed the disease’s progress. As AIDS treatment becomes increasingly available in the poorest parts of the world, critical questions are emerging about how well the drugs work in people who are short of food.Uncertainty also surrounds the role of vitamins and other supplements. And for those already receiving treatment, side effects such as body fat changes are a daily concern. Understandably, HIV positive people and those who care for them are keenly interested in whatever might benefit their health. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN HIV AND NUTRITION, AND WHAT THIS MEANS FOR TACKLING THE DISEASE. 1. Body changes AIDS  is well known for causing severe weight loss known as wasting. In Africa, the illness was at first called â€Å"slim† because sufferers became like skeletons.Yet body changes are not only seen during AIDS; less dramatic changes often occur in earlier stages of HIV infection. Whereas starving people tend to lose fat first, the weight lost during HIV infection tends to be in the form of lean tissue, such as muscle. This means there may be changes in the makeup of the body even if the overall weight stays the same. In children, HIV is frequently linked to growth failure. One large European study found that  children with HIV  were on average around 7 kg (15 lbs) lighter and 7. 5 cm (3 inches) shorter than uninfected children at ten years old. What causes these changes? One factor behind HIV-related weight loss is increased energy expenditure. Though no one knows quite why, many studies have found that people with HIV tend to burn around 10% more calories while resting, compared to those who are uninfected. People with advanced infection or AIDS (particularly children) may expend far more energy. But faster metabolism is not the only problem. In normal circumstances, a small rise in energy expenditure may be offset by eating slightly more food  or taking less exercise.There are two other important reasons why people with HIV may lose weight or suffer childhood growth failure. The first factor is decreased energy intake or, to put it simply, eating less food. Once HIV has weakened the immune system, various infections can take hold, some of which can affect appetite and ability to eat. For example, sores in the mouth or throat may cause  pain  when swallowing, while diarrhoea or nausea may disturb normal eating patterns. Someone who is ill may be less able to earn money, shop for food or prepare meals. Stress and psychological issues may also contribute.Secondly, weight loss or growth failure can occur when the body is less able to absorb nutrients – particularly fat – from food, because HIV or another infection (such as cryptosporidium) has damaged the lining of the gut. Diarrhoea is a common symptom of such malabsorption. 2. Effects of antiretroviral treatment Current  antiretroviral drug treatments  control HIV infection and prevent severe wasting, as well as other AIDS-related conditions. Emaciated people tend to regain weight once they begin treatment, and stunted children start to grow faster.Nevertheless, the drugs do not eliminate wasting. Studies have found that relatively small weight loss (between 5% and 10% over six months) is quite common among people with HIV who are taking treatment and not trying to lose weight. Although this might not seem like much, losses of this size have been linked to an increased risk of illness or death, as discussed below. In addition, some antiretroviral drugs have been linked to a problem called lipodystrophy. Whereas HIV-related wasting tends to deplete lean tissue, lipodystrophy involves changes in fat distribution. Prolonged treatment is sometimes associated with losing fat from the face, limbs or buttocks, or gaining fat deep within the abdomen, between the shoulder blades, or on the breasts. You read "Hiv and Nutrition" in category "Papers" Antiretroviral treatment can also contribute to lipid abnormalities by raising LDL cholesterol, lowering HDL cholesterol, and raising triglyceride levels in the blood. This may result in higher risks of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Other side effects of antiretroviral treatment include insulin resistance, which can occasionally lead to diabetes. 3. Micronutrient deficienciesMicronutrients are vitamins and minerals that the body needs to maintain good health. Researchers have found that people with HIV are more likely to show signs of micronutrient deficiencies, compared to uninfected people. Specifically they have found low levels of vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin D, carotenoids, selenium, zinc and iron in the blood of various populations. Nevertheless, it must be noted that the evidence is not entirely conclusive. It is possible that HIV might affect the markers used to measure micronutrient levels more than it affects the actual amounts of micronutrients available in the body.Some studies suggest that antiretroviral treatment improves micronutrient status. EFFECTS OF NUTRITION ON HIV 1. Disease progression The links between HIV and nutritional status run both ways. It has long been known that weight loss strongly predicts illness or death among people with HIV. More recently it has been found that this applies even to people taking antiretroviral treatment. Losing as little as 3-5% of body weight significantly increases the risk of death; losing more than 10% is associated with a four- to six-fold greater risk.A Zambian study involving nearly 30,000 patients has shown that failure to gain weight six months after the start of antiretroviral treatment increases the chance of death ten fold when compared with those who gain over 10 kilograms. Therefore, HIV leads to:- * Insufficient food intake, malabsorption, increased energy expenditure * Worsened disease * Nutritional deficiencies Various micronutrients have been linked to changes in the rate at which HIV infection progresses to AIDS. Low levels of vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin E and selenium seem to accelerate progression.The effects of other micronutrients, however, are more controversial. One such example is zinc. Although zinc is essential for a healthy immune system, it has been shown to play a role in HIV’s replication cycle. On the other hand, some scientists claim zinc delays HIV disease progression. 2. Antiretroviral treatment There is strong evidence that malnourished people are less likely to benefit from antiretroviral treatment. One study in  Malawi found that patients with mild malnutrition (a low body weight for their height) were twice as likely to die in the first three months of treatment.For those with severe malnutrition the risk was six times greater than for those of healthy body weight. Researchers in Singapore have reported similar findings. A study in  Zambia  showed death rates in the first three months of starting antiretroviral treatment were highest (95%) among the most severely malnourished. This is not just an issue for developing countries; for example a study of people receiving antiretroviral treatment in Sydney, Australia found that one in three did not have access to nutritious food, and one in five said they regularly went hungry.Without food or the right nutrition, taking antiretroviral drugs can be so painful that people simply don’t. In a choice between taking pills with no immediate or obvious effect, and eating food to survive, food will almost certainly take priority every time. A health worker in Zimbabwe, where malnutrition is widespread, explained that taking antiretroviral drugs on an empty stomach is like digesting razor blades. The result is that many simply do not take them. In resource-poor countries such as,  treatment in children  is made more difficult because many children wi th HIV are severely malnourished. Very little is known about how best to treat such children, and in particular whether it is best to start antiretroviral treatment before or after nutritional rehabilitation. The World Health Organisation recommends treating the malnutrition first, but stresses that â€Å"further research on these matters is urgently needed. † The ways in which the body digests, absorbs and makes use of drugs are very similar to the ways in which it treats food, providing many opportunities for food-drug interactions. As explained later in this article, a number of foods and supplements are known to alter the effects of antiretroviral drugs.It is also possible that some micronutrient deficiencies may make the drugs less effective, or may worsen side effects 3. HIV transmission The chance of someone transmitting HIV is linked to the amount of virus in their bodily fluids, which is known as the viral load. In theory, micronutrient deficiencies may increase viral load by enabling HIV to replicate faster, or by weakening the immune system. Similarly, someone whose immune system has been weakened by micronutrient deficiencies may be more likely to acquire HIV.Research in this area has, however, been largely inconclusive. The strongest evidence links low levels of retinol (the animal form of vitamin A) in women’s blood with increased rates of  mother-to-child transmission. Poor nutrition may also affect the spread of HIV in a very different way: by altering sexual behaviour. One study of two thousand people in  Botswana  and  Swaziland  found that women lacking enough food to eat were less likely to use condoms and more likely to engage in risky activities, such as exchanging sex for money or resources.DIETARY ADVICE FOR HIV POSITIVE PEOPLE Dietary advice should be tailored to individual circumstances. However, in general the recommendations for people living with asymptomatic HIV infection are much the same as for everyone else, meaning a healthy, balanced diet. Only three differences are worth noting: * Because people with untreated HIV tend to burn more energy, the total number of calories should be around 10% higher than the usual guideline amounts, and up to 30% higher during recovery from illness. The balance of fat, protein and carbohydrates should remain the same. Many experts recommend a daily multivitamin (usually without iron, except in menstruating women or people with iron deficiency). * The World Health Organisation recommends vitamin A supplements every 4-6 months for young children living with HIV in resource-poor settings. HIV positive people suffering loss of appetite may need to make an extra effort to ensure they are eating enough. Helpful suggestions include eating several small meals per day, taking exercise to stimulate appetite, possibly mashing or liquidising food to ease swallowing, and seeking advice from a health provider or dietician.If other approaches have failed to reverse wasting then doctors may recommend a l iquid food supplement, an appetite stimulant, or resistance exercise to build muscle. Other possibilities include steroids and hormone treatments, though these can be expensive and have serious side SUPPLEMENTS AS AN OPTION TO BOOST THE DIETARY NEEDS When scientists compare people who have chosen to take a supplement versus people who haven’t, they cannot be sure that the supplement is making the difference; for example, it could be that those taking the supplement tend to lead generally healthier lifestyles.Therefore the most reliable evidence comes from large trials in which scientists randomly choose who takes the supplement and who takes a dummy pill called a placebo. Yet even the results of randomised trials must be treated with caution because diet and nutritional status vary widely. It is possible for a supplement that benefits one group of people to be ineffective or even harmful in another group. Multivitamins A trial involving a thousand HIV positive pregnant women in Tanzania found that daily multivitamins benefited both the mothers and their babies, compared to placebo.After four years, multivitamins were found to reduce the women’s risk of AIDS and death by around 30%. A large trial in Thailand also found that multivitamins led to fewer deaths, but only among people in the advanced stages of HIV disease. A third, smaller trial in Zambia found no benefits from multivitamins after one month of use Based on these and other, less rigorous studies, many experts recommend multivitamins for people living with HIV, particularly those who are undernourished and have advanced disease.For example  PEPFAR  (the American government’s international AIDS initiative) supports the provision of micronutrient supplements to high-risk individuals with inadequate diets Individual nutrients When it comes to supplementing individual vitamins and minerals, the evidence is less clear. Few studies have found significant effects on HIV transmission, disease progression or death rates. The most interesting results have come from studies of vitamin A and zinc. Vitamin A supplements have been found to reduce rates of illness and death among African children living with HIV.The World Health Organisation recommends vitamin A supplements every 4-6 months for all young children (6-59 months old) at high ri sk of vitamin A deficiency; this includes those born to HIV positive mothers in resource-limited settings. In contrast, studies providing vitamin A to pregnant, HIV positive women have had mixed results. Two trials in  South Africa  and Malawi found no effect on mother-to-child transmission, but saw some other benefits for the infants. A third trial in Tanzania found that vitamin A supplementation had no beneficial effects, and actually increased the risk of mother-to-child transmission by 40%.The inconsistency of these results (perhaps due to differences in diet) means that vitamin A supplementation is not generally recommended for HIV positive, pregnant women Several studies have found that zinc supplementation reduces cases of diarrhoea among children in developing countries. 30However most trials have been conducted among HIV negative children outside Africa, and their results may not apply in all situations. One study in South Africa found that zinc supplements reduced bouts of diarrhoea among HIV positive children, without hastening the progress of their HIV infection.Other results from Africa have been mixed, with some studies finding no evidence of benefit. 32 Studies und ertaken on zinc supplementation and adults living with HIV paint an equally unclear picture. While some studies have found that zinc supplements do not have any impact on HIV positive patients,  another has shown a 60% reduced risk of diarrohea in the HIV positive participants of a study conducted over 18 months. Potential for harm Some HIV positive people take a lot of supplements in the hope that at least some of them might be beneficial.This is not necessarily a sensible idea, however, because supplements can do harm as well as good. As an expert reviewer has noted: â€Å"different doses may have different and even opposite effects, and the effect of the same dose may depend on baseline micronutrient intake or status†¦ Furthermore, micronutrients often interact, so that the effect of a micronutrient supplement depends on the intake of other micronutrients. † Taking doses of vitamins far in excess of the recommended daily allowances – known as megavitamin therapy – is certainly not advisable.Megadose vitamin C, for example, has no proven benefit and can lead to diarrhoea, while too much vitamin A can cause a range of ailments including jaundice, nausea and vomiting. Some foods, herbs and supplements interact with antiretroviral drugs, potentially increasing the risk of treatment failure or side effects. Harmful interactions have been observed between certain drugs and some of the foods promoted as nutritional therapy for people living with HIV, which otherwise may be beneficial as part of a balanced diet.Notable examples are St John’s Wort, African potato, Sutherlandia, garlic, vitamin C and grapefruit juice. It is important for HIV positive people to tell their doctors about any supplements they are taking. NUTRITIONAL ASSISTANCE Because HIV and nutrition are so strongly linked, nutritional assistance is seen as an important part of the response to HIV. This may take the form of nutritional assessment, counselling, or food provision. Nutritional assessment and counselling Nutritional assessment helps HIV positive people receive appropriate treatment, care and nutritional support.Even in the poorest settings, according to the World Health Organisation: â€Å"Screening for nutritional status and assessment of dietary intake should be included routinely in HIV treatment and ca re for adults and children. † In the US, the Department of Health and Human Services advises that, ideally, all people living with HIV should have access to the services of a registered dietician with expertise in HIV/AIDS. A dietician can assess the patient’s diet, lifestyle and nutritional status, and provide counselling and referrals as necessary. Nutritional counselling may include education on various topics, including: * Healthy eating Achieving or maintaining a healthy body weight * Managing lipid abnormalities and lipodystophy * Managing dietary complications related to antiretroviral treatment * Managing symptoms that may affect food intake * Appropriate use of herbal and/or nutritional supplements * The role of exercise * Food safety (important for preventing  opportunistic infections) Providing food Providing food supplements to malnourished patients on antiretroviral treatment can increase programme success. Some programmes helping people living with HIV provide a limited amount of fo od to those most in need.For example  PEPFAR funding may be spent on food for the following groups, if funds cannot be obtained elsewhere: * Orphans  and vulnerable children born to HIV infected parents * HIV-positive pregnant and lactating women * Malnourished adults in antiretroviral therapy and care programmes Foods provided in resource-poor areas include peanut butter-based paste, milk, flour and vegetable oil, each fortified with micronutrients. Alternatively HIV positive people may be helped to set up vegetable gardens or animal rearing projects to improve their diet.In some rich countries there are non-profit organizations that deliver meals to the homes of people who are ill because of HIV infection. Examples include Moveable Feast in Baltimore, USA, and The Food Chain in London, England. Food provision is, however, not without its hazards. Organizations focused on combating HIV are wary of getting drawn into providing long-term food aid. In communities with widespread hunger, providing food only to HIV positive people may fuel discrimination, or even appear to reward people for becoming infected.In most cases food is provided to mitigate the impact of HIV, or to support antiretroviral treatment. Some experts have suggested that more general hunger alleviation could have a role in slowing the spread of the epidemic: â€Å"In poverty-stricken communities, the incentive of reducing HIV risk behavior should be an added reason for national governments and international agencies to invest in reducing hunger by improving infrastructure and development†¦ Ignoring such basic issues as food or hunger could be a major stumbling block to HIV prevention strategies. Professor Nigel Roll ins Why is good nutrition important in HIV? * Good nutrition helps keep your immune system strong, enabling you to better fight disease. A healthy diet improves quality of life. * Weight loss, wasting, and malnutrition continue to be common problems in HIV, despite more effective antiretroviral medications, and can contribute to HIV disease progression. * Good nutrition helps the body process the many medications taken by people with HIV. Diet (and exercise) may help with symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, and fatigue, and with fat redistribution and metabolic abnormalities such as high blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglycerides. CONCLUSION HIV and nutrition are directly related and there is need for proper nutrition for those infected. Patients need to fortify the body with all the nutritional requirements to help the body withstand the ravages of the diseases and to cope with the ARV’s. Dietary requirements and recipes are available to ensure that the daily nutritional needs of the patients are met. However there are so many challenges that need to be overcome in developing countries like Kenya, the biggest of which is lack of sufficient income to cater for the special dietary needs of the patients.REFERENCES1. NUTRITION/INFECTION UNIT: -http://www. tufts. edu/med/nutrition-infection/hiv/health. html2. EFFECTS OF HIV ON NUTRITION: http://www. avert. org/hiv-nutrition. htm3. FAO: HIV AIDS, FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION : http://www. fao. org/ag/agn/nutrition/household_hivaids_en. stm How to cite Hiv and Nutrition, Papers

Project Management Success

Introduction To some degree, the success of every project depends on the expertise of a leader who has to guide the activities of team members and foster their cooperation. In some cases, this professional has to coordinate the work of people who may be located in different countries and this task can be very challenging.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Project Management Success specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This paper is aimed at discussing the key factors needed for project success and team building. In particular, close attention should be paid to such concepts as key performance index, communication strategy, and performance measurement tools. They are critical for the effective work of many businesses and public organizations. Apart from that, it is important to focus on the role of managers who should possess various skills that are related to different areas such as HR policies, cross-cultural com munication, or motivation of employees. These are the main issues that should be discussed. Key performance index One of the most important tasks is to monitor the progress of team members and eliminate possible problems or mistakes that are often inevitable. However, this task can be done properly if there is the key performance index or KPI that helps a leader identify the strengths or weaknesses of a project (Lan Untelkar 2006, p. 106). This concept is used to describe an indicator or a group of indicators that are most important for an organization (Lan Untelkar 2006, p. 106). To a great extent, they reflect the goals that the project is supposed to attain (Lan Untelkar 2006, p. 106). So, at first, it is important to distinguish the criteria according to which the performance of a team should be evaluated (Chan Chan 2004). It should be noted that companies can have different KPIs. They can be related to the operational costs of a project, functionality of a product, timeline s, customer satisfaction, increased rates of production and other parameters that are taken into account by managers (Marks 2012, p. 53).Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Overall, the development of these indicators is one of the first steps that managers should take prior to the start of any project. To a great extent, KPIs help leaders determine whether the team achieves the goals that were set at the very beginning. This is why management should concentrate on the development of key performance indicators. Without them, the organization will have to face many pitfalls such as delays. This is the importance of KPI should not be overlooked. Communication strategy Additionally, it is important to speak about the communication strategy adopted by an organization. The exchange of information is critical for every activity involved in the project. Therefore, one should dete rmine how different participants can interact with each other (Turner 2007, p. 790). Business administrators should remember about several aspects of this question. First of all, they should think about the communication with major stakeholders such as clients, business partners, corporate executives, suppliers and so forth (Turner 2007, p. 790). They should know how the project is managed and what kind results are achieved (Turner 2007, p. 790). Furthermore, they should be able to interact with the team members and make recommendations if they are necessary (Ndoni Elhag 2010). The manager should distinguish different types of information and determine how it should be communicated. It is necessary to focus on data related to the project plan, its status, and key events or problems encountered by the team (Binder 2007, p. 101). This is one of the issues that should be considered. Provided that a leader achieves this goal, it will be possible to avoid many conflicts and delays.Adver tising We will write a custom assessment sample on Project Management Success specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Apart from that, it is important to speak about the communication within a team or between several teams. This question is particularly important when a project involves several teams that can operate in different countries or even continents. Each participant of the team should be informed about the goals of the project, schedules, and requirements of customers (Ndoni Elhag 2010). Furthermore, these professionals should be able know about the possible changes in the project plan or new goals that they may need to attain (Ndoni Elhag 2010). Additionally, employees, representing different departments, should know about the work of other departments. In this way, project managers can better coordinate the work of various departments of teams (Ndoni Elhag 2010). Overall, communication strategy is critical for the achieve ment of project goals. This is one of the issues that a leader should address. If he/she copes with this task, it will be easier for the team to meet timelines and attain the objectives set by customers or corporate executives. Performance measure tools One should bear in mind that project management involves the evaluation of people’s performance and the overall progress achieved by the team. The duty of a manager is to make sure that each group understands what is expected from him or her, and the individual and teamwork will be assessed. For example, many managers prefer the so-called 360-degree assessment which enables to evaluate the performance of an employee (Reiss 2012, p. 111). This performance measurement tool focuses on such criteria as quantitative results of an employee’s work, customers’ satisfaction, or initiatives taken by this individual (Reiss 2012, p. 111).Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More If a leader uses appropriate evaluation methods, the leader will be able to motivate every participant. This is why project managers should think about the ways in which the performance of workers will be assessed and how it will be compensated. Additionally, project leaders will play a critical role in team-building, since employees can work successfully only if they share some values, attitudes, or beliefs (Reiss 2012, p. 111). This is why leaders should foster cooperation among different participants involved in the project. Furthermore, these professionals should not be isolated from one another. In other words, they should know about the duties of each other (Ndoni Elhag 2010). This is why managers should focus on team-building. For example, this person should organize joint meetings during which each participant can share their views with one another. Conclusion Therefore, one can argue that project management has several aspects and each of them is important for the success of every various initiatives implemented by a team. In particular, business administrators should attach importance to such issues as key performance indicators, communication strategies, and team-building because these elements are critical for the effective work of an organization. Furthermore, these professionals should ensure that different stakeholders such clients, corporate executives, managers, and workers who should interact with each other. These opportunities are particularly important when one speak about international projects. References Binder, J 2007, Global Project Management: Managing Virtual Projects and Programmes Across Borders, Gower Publishing, Ltd, London. Chan, A Chan, A 2004. ‘Key performance indicators for measuring construction success’, Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 11 no. 2, pp.203 – 221. Lan, Y Untelkar, B 2006, Global Integrated Supply Chain Systems, Global Integrated Supply Chain Systems, Idea Group Inc, New York. Ndoni, D. Elhag, T 2010, ‘The integration of human relationships in capital development projects: A case study of BSF scheme, International Journal of Managing Projects in Business’, vol. 3 no. 3, pp. 479-494. Marks, T 2012, 20:20 Project Management: How to Deliver on Time, on Budget and on Spec, Kogan Page Publishers, London. Reiss, M 2012, Change Management: A Balanced and Blended Approach, BoD – Books on Demand, New York. Turner, J 2007, Gower Handbook of Project Management: Fourth Edition, Gower Publishing, Ltd, New York. 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Railway Signalling Using Wireless Sensor Networks

Railway Signalling Using Wireless Sensor Networks Free Online Research Papers Railway Signalling is safety critical domain, where still traditional technology is in use. There are many reasons for using traditional technology; one of the main reasons being the proven Safety performance of the older systems (Relay Based). As the rail traffic is increasing and with higher speed of trains there is an acute need for modernization of Railway Signalling Technology. Even with the advent of Microprocessor based technology, the problems have not been solved. This article proposes the use of Wireless sensor networks in Railway Signaling domain which combines the Ground base signalling and the On–Board Signalling, which is suitable for high Speed Railway Traffic. The article gives brief idea of the architectures of a Sensor Node, Driver node, Gateway Node and Base Station. It discusses the network Architectures and the Routing algorithms to be used in the sensor networks. It also discusses the design of Control laws (Interlocking Logic) for safe movement of trains and also the failsafe techniques to be used in the design of such Technology. It also describes the challenges in using the Concept of Wireless Sensor Networks in Railway Signalling Domain. Research Papers on Railway Signalling Using Wireless Sensor NetworksBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfOpen Architechture a white paperPETSTEL analysis of IndiaThe Project Managment Office SystemEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoGenetic EngineeringIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 Europe

The Meaning of Literature - William J. Long

The Meaning of Literature - William J. Long from English Literature: Its History and Its Significance for the Life of the English Speaking World (1909) William J. Long uses the analogy of a boy and man walking along a seashore and finding a shell. Heres what he writes about books, reading, and the meaning of literature... The Shell and the Book A child and a man were one day walking on the seashore when the child found a little shell and held it to his ear. Suddenly he heard sounds,strange, low, melodious sounds, as if the shell were remembering and repeating to itself the murmurs of its ocean home. The childs face filled with wonder as he listened. Here in the little shell, apparently, was a voice from another world, and he listened with delight to its mystery and music. Then came the man, explaining that the child heard nothing strange; that the pearly curves of the shell simply caught a multitude of sounds too faint for human ears, and filled the glimmering hollows with the murmur of innumerable echoes. It was not a new world, but only the unnoticed harmony of the old that had aroused the childs wonder. Some such experience as this awaits us when we begin the study of literature, which has always two aspects, one of simple enjoyment and appreciation, the other of analysis and exact description. Let a little song appeal to the ear, or a noble book to the heart, and for the moment, at least, we discover a new world, a world so different from our own that it seems a place of dreams and magic. To enter and enjoy this new world, to love good books for their own sake, is the chief thing; to analyze and explain them is a less joyous but still an important matter. Behind every book is a man; behind the man is the race; and behind the race are the natural and social environments whose influence is unconsciously reflected. These also we must know, if the book is to speak its whole message. In a word, we have now reached a point where we wish to understand as well as to enjoy literature; and the first step, since exact definition is impossible, is to determine some of its essential qualities. Meaning: The Shell and the BookQualities of LiteratureImportance of LiteratureSummery The first significant thing is the essentially artistic quality of all literature. All art is the expression of life in forms of truth and beauty; or rather, it is the reflection of some truth and beauty which are in the world, but which remain unnoticed until brought to our attention by some sensitive human soul, just as the delicate curves of the shell reflect sounds and harmonies too faint to be otherwise noticed. A hundred men may pass a hayfield and see only the sweaty toil and the windrows of dried grass; but here is one who pauses by a Roumanian meadow, where girls are making hay and singing as they work. He looks deeper, sees truth and beauty where we see only dead grass, and he reflects what he sees in a little poem in which the hay tells its own story: Yesterdays flowers am I,And I have drunk my last sweet draught of dew.Young maidens came and sang me to my death;The moon looks down and sees me in my shroud,The shroud of my last dew.Yesterdays flowers that are yet in meMust needs make way for all to-morrows flowers.The maidens, too, that sang me to my deathMust even so make way for all the maidsThat are to come.And as my soul, so too their soul will beLaden with fragrance of the days gone by.The maidens that to-morrow come this wayWill not remember that I once did bloom,For they will only see the new-born flowers.Yet will my perfume-laden soul bring back,As a sweet memory, to womens heartsTheir days of maidenhood.And then they will be sorry that they cameTo sing me to my death;And all the butterflies will mourn for me.I bear away with meThe sunshines dear remembrance, and the lowSoft murmurs of the spring.My breath is sweet as childrens prattle is;I drank in all the whole earths fruitfulness,To make of it the fragrance of my soulTh at shall outlive my death. One who reads only that first exquisite line, Yesterdays flowers am I, can never again see hay without recalling the beauty that was hidden from his eyes until the poet found it. In the same pleasing, surprising way, all artistic work must be a kind of revelation. Thus architecture is probably the oldest of the arts; yet we still have many builders but few architects, that is, men whose work in wood or stone suggests some hidden truth and beauty to the human senses. So in literature, which is the art that expresses life in words that appeal to our own sense of the beautiful, we have many writers but few artists. In the broadest sense, perhaps, literature means simply the written records of the race, including all its history and sciences, as well as its poems and novels; in the narrower sense literature is the artistic record of life, and most of our writing is excluded from it, just as the mass of our buildings, mere shelters from storm and from cold, are excluded from architecture. A history or a work of science may be and sometimes is literature, but only as we forget the subject-matter and the presentation of facts in the simple beauty of its expression. Suggestive The second quality of literature is its suggestiveness, its appeal to our emotions and imagination rather than to our intellect. It is not so much what it says as what it awakens in us that constitutes its charm. When Milton makes Satan say, Myself am Hell, he does not state any fact, but rather opens up in these three tremendous words a whole world of speculation and imagination. When Faustus in the presence of Helen asks, Was this the face that launched a thousand ships? he does not state a fact or expect an answer. He opens a door through which our imagination enters a new world, a world of music, love, beauty, heroism,the whole splendid world of Greek literature. Such magic is in words. When Shakespeare describes the young Biron as speaking In such apt and gracious wordsThat aged ears play truant at his tales, he has unconsciously given not only an excellent description of himself, but the measure of all literature, which makes us play truant with the present world and run away to live awhile in the pleasant realm of fancy. The province of all art is not to instruct but to delight; and only as literature delights us, causing each reader to build in his own soul that lordly pleasure house of which Tennyson dreamed in his Palace of Art, is it worthy of its name. Permanent The third characteristic of literature, arising directly from the other two, is its permanence. The world does not live by bread alone. Notwithstanding its hurry and bustle and apparent absorption in material things, it does not willingly let any beautiful thing perish. This is even more true of its songs than of its painting and sculpture; though permanence is a quality we should hardly expect in the present deluge of books and magazines pouring day and night and to know him, the man of any age, we must search deeper than his history. History records his deeds, his outward acts largely; but every great act springs from an ideal, and to understand this we must read his literature, where we find his ideals recorded. When we read a history of the Anglo-Saxons, for instance, we learn that they were sea rovers, pirates, explorers, great eaters and drinkers; and we know something of their hovels and habits, and the lands which they harried and plundered. All that is interesting; but it do es not tell us what most we want to know about these old ancestors of ours,not only what they did, but what they thought and felt; how they looked on life and death; what they loved, what they feared, and what they reverenced in God and man. Then we turn from history to the literature which they themselves produced, and instantly we become acquainted. These hardy people were not simply fighters and freebooters; they were men like ourselves; their emotions awaken instant response in the souls of their descendants. At the words of their gleemen we thrill again to their wild love of freedom and the open sea; we grow tender at their love of home, and patriotic at their deathless loyalty to their chief, whom they chose for themselves and hoisted on their shields in symbol of his leadership. Once more we grow respectful in the presence of pure womanhood, or melancholy before the sorrows and problems of life, or humbly confident, looking up to the God whom they dared to call the Allfather. All these and many more intensely real emotions pass through our souls as we read the few shining fragments of verses that the jealous ages have left us. It is so with any age or people. To understand them we must read not simply their history, which records their deeds, but their literature, which records the dreams that made their deeds possible. So Aristotle was profoundly right when he said that poetry is more serious and philosophical than history; and Goethe, when he explained literature as the humanization of the whole world. Meaning: The Shell and the BookQualities of LiteratureImportance of LiteratureSummery So, why is Literature important? How does it show itself as indispensable to a culture? Heres what William Long has to say... Importance of Literature It is a curious and prevalent opinion that literature, like all art, is a mere play of imagination, pleasing enough, like a new novel, but without any serious or practical importance. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Literature preserves the ideals of a people; and idealslove, faith, duty, friendship, freedom, reverenceare the part of human life most worthy of preservation. The Greeks were a marvelous people; yet of all their mighty works we cherish only a few ideals,ideals of beauty in perishable stone, and ideals of truth in imperishable prose and poetry. It was simply the ideals of the Greeks and Hebrews and Romans, preserved in their literature, which made them what they were, and which determined their value to future generations. Our democracy, the boast of all English-speaking nations, is a dream; not the doubtful and sometimes disheartening spectacle presented in our legislative halls, but the lovely and immortal ideal of a free and equal manhood, preserved as a most precious heritage in every great literature from the Greeks to the Anglo-Saxons. All our arts, our sciences, even our inventions are founded squarely upon ideals; for under every invention is still the dream of Beowulf, that man may overcome the forces of nature; and the foundation of all our sciences and discoveries is the immortal dream that men shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. In a word, our whole civilization, our freedom, our progress, our homes, our religion, rest solidly upon ideals for their foundation. Nothing but an ideal ever endures upon earth. It is therefore impossible to overestimate the practical importance of literature, which preserves these ideals from fathers to sons, while men, cities, governments, civilizations, vanish from the face of the earth. It is only when we remember this that we appreciate the action of the devout Mussulman, who picks up and carefully preserves every scrap of paper on which words are written, because the scrap may perchance contain the name of Allah, and the ideal is too enormously important to be neglected or lost. Meaning: The Shell and the BookQualities of LiteratureImportance of LiteratureSummery So, to sum up, William Long explains that Literature is the expression of life... Summary of the Subject We are now ready, if not to define, at least to understand a little more clearly the object of our present study. Literature is the expression of life in words of truth and beauty; it is the written record of mans spirit, of his thoughts, emotions, aspirations; it is the history, and the only history, of the human soul. It is characterized by its artistic, its suggestive, its permanent qualities. Its two tests are its universal interest and its personal style. Its object, aside from the delight it gives us, is to know man, that is, the soul of man rather than his actions; and since it preserves to the race the ideals upon which all our civilization is founded, it is one of the most important and delightful subjects that can occupy the human mind. Meaning: The Shell and the BookQualities of LiteratureImportance of LiteratureSummery

Corporate Finances Case study Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Corporate Finances Case study - Research Paper Example In this case, the business has to take some precautionary measures to cushion the business form such financial meltdown. In a business, it does not matter the amount of profit your company is making in a day, a month or quarterly, the most important thing to ensure is the continuity of the cash flow of the business. In this case a cash flow forecast is important and an integral part of any business successes. Without doing the forecast, one is destined to have problems in paying suppliers as well as meeting the basic business financial obligation and this will results into failure of the business to operate (Ross, & Westerfield, 1996). In this regard based on the information of the cash flow of the business, there are several options open for the business to evade the financial crisis. There are several ways of mitigating on a looming cash flow crisis; these are considered depending on the analysis of the business performance and cash flow. In the case of Manson the following are considered; The mainstream sources of cash flow are the revenues collected from sales of the business products. Mason Corporation must then ensure that they constantly meet the projection of the sales to ensure collection of sufficient cash (Ross, & Westerfield, 1996). Money borrowed to make up for a looming financial problems associated with poor cash flow are not always the best option. The business should ensure that the sales targets are met and that there is no viable market that is left unattended to. For instance, if a business has the potential of making sales of up to $ 2 million and manages only $1million, this will imply that the business will be short of the $ 1 million untapped. This always makes businesses to opt for other sources of income to meet their financial obligation, which are paid at extra cost. Mason should thus endeavor to rationalized its credit policy and significant reduce the debtors. Mason

Nebraska Conflict between Native Americans and the Whites Research Paper

Nebraska Conflict between Native Americans and the Whites - Research Paper Example Present-day Nebraskans may be surprised at though of Confederate troops defending their state from Indians in the Platte Valley. Nevertheless, former Confederates helped much to defend Nebraska frontier during two crucial years of Indian War. By 1864 it became clear that Nebraska needed some kind of help on its frontier because the available manpower grew increasingly less and less adequate. In summer of that year the Arapaho, Sioux and Cheyenne tribes broke telegraph communications, closed the Overland Route, and drove the whites in horror to the Plains. Col. John M. Chivington’s desperate attack on peaceful Natives at Sand Creek, Colorado, infuriated more hostile Indian tribes. 1865 promised to bring an exodus of the whites from already colonized territories. This notwithstanding frontier defenses was enforced by the regiments of the so-called Galvanized Yankees. Officially named â€Å"United States Volunteers†, these were the regiments composed of the former Confederate soldiers. These former Confederates were willing to fight Indians on the assurance that they would not be ordered to fight their country-fellow-men in the south. In the aftermath of the Civil War, the frontier of Nebraska gained its full development. With the release of the volunteers, the regular units resumed the task of the defending the frontier and the regular soldier became Nebraska’s frontier society’s integral part. Dozens of new military posts were built; to the few outposts previously established in Nebraska were added such up-to-date installations as Fort Sidney and Camp Sargent at North Platte. Army campaigns against the Natives intensified increasingly until the power of Indians on the Plains was utterly destroyed. The third phase of Nebraska’s frontier’s history had begun. The significance of these activities is clear by the rapid social and economic growth of Nebraska as of that territory reached its statehood. There were really plenty of the reasons to worry. To be sure after the Civil War was over Nebraska did really escaped violence in scales usual for the times of trouble like that.