Creating A Form Of Art Essay - 846 Words

A 2013 survey found that eight out of ten Americans are overly stressed about their jobs or schooling. Three out of five Americans cope with their stress in unhealthy ways such as overeating, drinking, smoking, or ignoring their stress altogether (Corinthian). Creating a form of art is is one of the most effective methods to relieve stress. The concept of using art as a form of managing stress has been around throughout all of history. However, art therapy was not a distinct profession until the 1940’s. Creating art is not only effective in managing stress, but also helps us safely identify, alleviate, and communicate our pent up emotions. Art allows you to take a moment to yourself and forget about your day to day problems. We tend to learn more about ourselves while creating art, â€Å"gaining greater self-knowledge can help us identify why and when we are stressed giving us the capacity to remove stressors or find ways of supporting ourselves when in stressful situations† (Willieme). Every form of art encourages creative thinking and problem solving skills, allowing you to come up with your own solutions since there are no right or wrong answers in art. The benefits of art aren’t limited to emotions, there are physical benefits to creating art as well. â€Å"The average person has 60,000 thoughts per day and 95% of them are exactly the same† (Alban). Creating art allows you to focus on a single activity and clear your everyday thoughts due to the â€Å"rhythmic and repetitiveShow MoreRelatedArts in Culture1509 Words   |  7 PagesArts in Culture Art is about ideas and representing them into visible perceptions and concepts. These ideas come from the heart and mind of the individual artist, putting all the talent they have into the artwork. In a way, that makes everyone that can specialize in a certain activity and create their expressions an artist. A cook preparing a meal with an appetizing appearance, an artist painting a beautiful painting, or a football star breaking a tackle for a game-winning touchdown all have theRead MoreEssay about Digital Art Technology1504 Words   |  7 PagesDigital Art Technology Technology is constantly growing and changing our ways of living. It makes life easier at times, and more interesting too. When one would think of art in the past, usually computers and technology did not come to mind. Now because of modern technology, the digital age is uncovering vast ways to create amazing works of art through computer tools and software. Art is now digitally created and can appear unbelievable to the modern eye. Digital art technologyRead MoreClement Greenberg Modernist Painting1062 Words   |  5 PagesModernist painting from previous forms of painting, particularly those of the Old Masters. Greenberg begins by relating Modernist art to Kantian philosophy claiming that, the same way Kant used reason in order to examine the limits of reason, Modernist art is when art became self critical because it uses the technique of art to draw attention to its status as art. Indeed, he explains how without this self-examination similar to that of Kant’s reflection on Philosophy, art would’ve been â€Å"assimilated toRead MoreConceptual Gardening : An Architectural Style Of Gardening1663 Words   |  7 Pagesconceptual art movement in the 1960s which has proven to be greatly influential towards the advancement of modern gardening. Conceptual gardening is an architectural style of gardening that focuses on the execution of ideas and themes rather than on landscape design solut ions. It began to emerge towards the end of the 20th century. Ultimately, conceptual gardening has revolutionized the horticulture world by shifting its focus from greenery to an outlet for artistic expression. The conceptual art movementRead MoreGraffiti Is A Form Of Art1019 Words   |  5 PagesWhite English 93 01 December 2016 Graffiti is Art Graffiti is a form of art well known in the street art. There are many forms of arts like drawing, painting, sculpture, or graffiti. Graffiti is an art used for the community to send messages as well as representing for community identity and pride through Graffiti artwork. In the book â€Å"Read Write Connect† by Kathleen Green Amy Lawler, chapter 22 Public Art talks about what graffiti art, vandalism art is, the differences between graffiti artworkRead MoreThe Budget Reduction Of Public Transportation And Its Security952 Words   |  4 Pagesinto glimmering canvases for those who wanted a form of expression. What started out as simple name taggings turned into a voice for society’s mutes. Despite being constantly at odds with the law, the community stood together and graffiti evolved into a more law abiding and more accepted variation of what it originally was. Despite its evolution and recognition, it has been constantly denounced as mere vandalism rather than a form of art. Graffiti is art because it is the purposeful arrangement of elementsRead MoreSkills For Visual And Written Analysis1474 Words   |  6 Pagescentral debate in different art societies. Writing about art has materialized to become a variable way to practice cultural, social, economic and political aspects. Precisely, a personal response to an art piece increases the understanding of the piece of art. As such, the role of individuals such as curators has become essential in improving the understanding of art. Evidence has proved that visual art has far reaching impact in reading, writing, geometry and science. Visual art creates an innate mentalRead MoreEcological Art And Its Effects On America And The Impact On The Entire Globe1473 Words   |  6 PagesAmerica and the impact the entire globe. Ecological art is an artistic movement to raise awareness and fight against the environmental damages caused by humans. Ecological art is an artistic movement to raise awareness and fight against the environmental damages caused by humans. This genre of art started in the 1990’s and uses practices from the 1960’s. The art practice works to preserve, reverse, stop environmental damage, or vitalize the life forms, resources and ecology of earth. These practicesRead MoreArt Deco And Buhaus Essay993 Words   |  4 PagesArt deco and Bauhaus are best known as the forms of art that changed previous views of artwork during the 1920s and 1930s. Both of these forms of art impacted not only art itself but also architecture, fashion design, graphic design and industrial design. During this time new inventions involving technology where becoming popular along with the new forms of art and sculpture. A major effect on modernity occurred along with the designs being created during the 19th and 20th century due to the inventionRead MoreThe Principles Of Art785 Words   |  4 Pages In Chapter 7 of T he Principles of Art, Collingwood is seeking to find a correct definition of what art is. He starts by showing how many people have tried to define art in the past. Many people in the past have set out to define art as a craft, and that the art itself is the actual end product that can be seen or heard. A piece of art that is a song is the actual audible noises strung together in a pattern, and a painting would be the colors and forms that are actually on the canvas. This is

Struggle And Growth In Alice Walkers The Color Purple

Struggle and Growth in Alice Walker s The Color Purple The Color Purple by Alice Walker depicts the struggle and growth of Celie, an uneducated slave of the South who became a victim of racism, men, and social injustices, that we learn through numerous letters that she writes as a diary. Walker uses Celie s uneducated grammar to help the reader perceive the pain that she thinks and feels in order to become a mature, twentieth-century woman. As Celie writes to God for guidance and strength asking that she may carry on, her letters shift to be intended for her intensely loved sister, Nettie, whom separated from Celie at an early age. Celie becomes a victim of brutal violence as she refuses to fight back to the injustices†¦show more content†¦He gave you life, good health, and a good women that love you to death. (119). Celie replies with All my life I never care what people thought bout nothing I did, I say. But deep in my heart I care about God. What he going to think. And come to find out he don t think. Just sit up there glorifying in being deff I reckon. (120). She eventually believes that God has failed her and won t serve as a confidant, therefore, reaches out to Nettie. Celie s unwavering love for Nettie provides Celie with some optimism to hold onto, for Nettie s eventual happiness leads Celie to believe that happiness may also be possible for her in the future. Every letter that Celie writes to Nettie illustrates the strictest confidence she delivers to her sister; most feelings remain trapped inside of Celie except those told to either Nettie or Shug. Celie confides in Nettie her fears, her secrets, her joys and her disappointments: I sit here in this big house by myself trying to sew, but what good is sewing gon do? What good is anything? Being alive begin to seem like a awful strain (262). Well you know wherever there a man there trouble (213). I am so happy. O got love, I got work, I got money, friends and time. And you alive and be home soon (222). Nettie s confiding in Celie allows for an amazing relationship to develop, where they can feel each other s presence in their hearts. There is so much toShow MoreRelatedEssay on Struggle and Growth in Alice Walkers Color Purple836 Words   |  4 PagesStruggle and Growth in Alice Walkers The Color Purple The Color Purple depicts the struggle and growth of Celie, an uneducated slave of the South who became a victim of racism, sexual roles, men, and social injustices, in numerous letters that she writes as a diary. Walker uses Celies uneducated grammar to help the reader perceive the pain that she thinks and feels in order to become a mature, twentieth-century woman.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As Celie writes to God for guidance and strength askingRead MoreCriticism and Reflection of the Color Purple by Alice Walker1151 Words   |  5 PagesCriticism and Reflection of the Color Purple by Alice Walker Criticized as a novel containing graphic violence, sexuality, sexism, and racism, The Color Purple was banned in several schools across the United States. Crude language and explicit detail chronicle the life of Celie, a young black woman subjected to society’s cruelties. Although immoral, the events and issues discussed in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple are prominent in today’s society, and must be public and conversed ratherRead MoreThe Color Purple by Alice Walker1192 Words   |  5 Pagesas a novel containing graphic violence, sexuality, chauvinism, and racism, The Color Purple was banned in numerous schools across the United States. Crude language, brutality, and explicit detail chronicle the life of Celie, a young black woman exposed to southern society’s harshness. While immoral, the events and issues discussed in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple remain pervasive in today’s society. The Color Purple epitomizes the hardships that Afri can Americans faced at the turn of the centuryRead MoreAlice Walkers Themes of Womanism, Community, and Regeneration1968 Words   |  8 Pages7th February 2011 Alice Walkers Themes of Womanism, Community, and Regeneration Alice Walker is considered one of the most influential African American writers of the 20th century, because of her raw portrayal of African American struggles and the injustices towards black women. She was the first African American female novelist to win both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for The Color Purple. Her work is appealing and powerful because â€Å"Walkers novels can be read as anRead More Alice Walkers The Color Purple: Celies Struggles Expressed in Letters547 Words   |  3 PagesAlice Walkers The Color Purple: Celies Struggles Expressed in Letters Dear God, Gets me out of here. I needs to love and laugh. I needs to be free of this bastard and these white people. At a very young age, Celie begins writing letters to God. In her letters she explains her fears about her stepfather raping her, her mother and sister being beat, and her fears for her sister, Nettie. This epistolary novel (a novel in which the narrative is carried forward by letters) takes placeRead MoreOvercoming Prejudices and Self Acceptance-the Color Purple1401 Words   |  6 PagesAcceptance Throughout Alice Walker’s novel, The Color Purple, the main character, Celie, reveals all of the hardships she has endured during her life. Celie confides in her younger sister, Nettie, and God to express the way she feels in certain situations. As the story progresses, Celie eventually finds her voice and breaks away from all the men who oppressed her during her life. For the duration of the novel, prejudice becomes a reoccurring theme. Not only does Celie struggle with the external prejudicesRead MoreAlice Walker And Zora Neale Hurston875 Words   |  4 PagesAlice Walker and Zora Neale Hurston Both Alice Walker and Zora Neale Hurston are similar to having the same concept about black women to have a voice and being perspective. These two authors are phenomenal women who impacted on the southern hospitality roots. Alice Walker and Zora Neale Hurston comment on fear, avenge, and righteousness among African American women that are abuse of their power. Walker and Hurston uses the same theory of feminism to point out the liberation that isRead MoreExamples Of Womanism In The Color Purple1866 Words   |  8 PagesWritten in 1982 by Alice Walker, The Color Purple is a Pulitzer-Prize winning novel about one Southern black woman’s life of abuse and journey of self-discovery in the search to reunite with her sister. With film and Broadway adaptations, the story has reached raving audiences all over the world and has come with a significant amount of both acclaim and criticism. In this essay, I will establish how Alice Walker subverts stereotypes associated with bla ck female sexuality through the relationshipRead MoreComparative Essay; to Kill a Mockingbird and the Colour Purple3841 Words   |  16 PagesOne Will Take What He Is Given The purpose of Alice Walker’s novel The Color Purple and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is to demonstrate the hardships that are met when ignorance and tradition bring about the influence of sexism, racism and genuine prejudice to the general public. Ignorance is the root cause of prejudice as it prevents one to see beauty, so when it comes to dealing with the discriminating behavior held in this social order, the vast majority of people are judged by the labelRead MoreThe Color Purple, by Alice Walker and Push, by Sapphire Essay3208 Words   |  13 Pagesshocked at how unprotected the heroine, Precious, is towards society. She is an African-American teenage girl who struggles with accepting herself and her past, but the cruel â€Å"unwritten laws† of her time constantly prevent her rise until she becomes the part of a community that will empower her to triumph over her barriers. â€Å"The Color Purple† is a Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Alice Walk er which tells the story of a black woman’s, Celie’s, striving for emancipation. (Whitted, 2004) These novels

Sample Letter Business Communication Free Essays

American Southern Airline 1804 Freeland Street East Warf, WA 97458 November 20, 2012 Mrs. Leticia Tomlinson 1952 Kanako Lane Mount Vernon, WA 98273 Dear Mrs. Tomlinson: At American Southern Airline, we take pride in exceptional customer services. We will write a custom essay sample on Sample Letter Business Communication or any similar topic only for you Order Now Not only is our staff regularly trained but also highly motivated to ensure comfort and convenience for our customers. Giving such importance to our customers is what differentiates us from other airlines operating in the country. Over the years, your feedback and our experience has indicated the need for a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for our flight teams. This allows our employees and customers to be well aware of our procedures and helps us consistently deliver the promise of superior service to you. At the heart of our SOP is proactive communication, which reflects through guiding our customers step-by-step from ticketing to safe landing at their destination. Most of customers travelling between Atlanta and Seattle take connecting flights to other destinations, Chicago O’Hare being the most suited switch stop for them. It also gives us an opportunity to clean up the cabins so that that the incoming passengers feel at home. For this reason, we always make an announcement advising the passengers to carry all their belongings with them while departing the aero plane. Despite all the measures to ensure your convenience, it is unfortunate for us for not being able to recover the loss of your prescription glasses. We assure you that we will continue searching and if we find it, we will have one of our team members deliver it at your doorstep. Taking this opportunity, we would like to tell you how much we value your choice to travel with us. As a token of gratitude, we would like to extend a special travel voucher valid for any destination up to 4,000 miles. We hope that you will continue to enjoy the same luxury we guarantee you every time. If I can be of any help, you may contact me directly at +91-566-8663456. Sincerely, Usama Rafi Manager, Customer Services How to cite Sample Letter Business Communication, Papers

Financial Management Exacta Organization

Questions: 1. Exacta, s.a., is a major French producer, based in Lyon, of precision machine tools. About two-thirds of its output is exported. The majority of these sales are within the European Union. However, the company also has a thriving business in the United States, despite strong competition from several U.S. firms. Exacta usually receives payment for exported goods within two months of the invoice date, so that at any point in time only about one-sixth of annual exports to the United States are exposed to US Dollar currency risk. The company believes that its North American business is now large enough to justify a local manufacturing operation, and it has recently decided to establish a plant in South Carolina. Most of the output from this plant will be sold in the United States, but the company believes that there should also be opportunities for future sales in Canada and Mexico.The South Carolina plant will involve a total investment of $380 million and is expected to be in operati on by the year 2015. Annual revenues from the plant are expected to be about $420 million and the company forecasts net profits of $52 million a year. Once the plant is up and running, it should be able to operate for several years without substantial additional investment. Although there is widespread enthusiasm for the project, several members of the management team have expressed anxiety about possible currency risk. M. Pangloss, the finance director, reassured them that the company was not a stranger to currency risk; after all, the company is already exporting about $320 million of machine tools each year to the United States and has managed to exchange its dollar revenue for euros without any major losses. But not everybody was convinced by this argument. For example, the CEO, M. B. Bardot, pointed out that the $380 million to be invested would substantially increase the amount of money at risk if the dollar fell relative to the euro. M. Bardot was notoriously risk-averse on f inancial matters and would push for complete hedging if practical. M. Pangloss attempted to reassure the CEO. At the same time, he secretly shared some of the anxieties about exchange rate risk. Nearly all the revenues from the South Carolina plant would be in U.S. dollars and the bulk of the $380 million investment would likewise be incurred in the United States. About two-thirds of the operating costs would be in dollars, but the remaining one-third would represent payment for components brought in from Lyon plus the charge by the head office for management services and use of patents. The company has yet to decide whether to invoice its U.S. operation in dollars or euros for these purchases from the parent company. M. Pangloss is optimistic that the company can hedge itself against currency risk. His favoured solution is for Exacta to finance the plant by a $380 million issue of dollar bonds. That way the dollar investment would be offset by a matching dollar liability. An altern ative is for the company to sell forward at the beginning of each year the expected revenues from the U.S. plant. But he realizes from experience that these simple solutions might carry hidden dangers. He decides to slow down and think more systematically about the additional exchange risk from the U.S. operation. Questions a. What would Exactas true exposure be from its new U.S. operations, and how would it change from the companys current exposure? b. Given that exposure, what would be the most effective and inexpensive approach to hedging? 2. Discuss how diversification reduces risk. Comment on the beta of a portfolio with a large number of randomly selected stocks. (Hint: your discussion should include the increased importance of diversification post 2008 financial crisis.) Answer: 1. Background Information According to the given information it can be denoted that being the leading manufacturer of exactitude machine tools located in Lyons, Exacta, S. a., is looking forward to build a local plant for manufacturing in United States. The larger part of sales of the company is with the European Union. In United States, Exacta exports almost two-third of its output. Agreed by Exacta, s.a, management group, the sales level at United States is not only sufficient enough but also is in huge in order to have a unit in local manufacturing. The company also anticipates that in future there are possibilities of Expansion of business activities in the Market of Mexico and Canada. The Financial director of Exacta Organization, Mr. Pangloss, seems to be curious about this new venture after surveying the circumstances. With the provided information it was clear In South Carolina, the preliminary investment in order to establish the manufacturing plant; $380 million will be required. The facts state that there is a big opportunity to be successful, but then there are some shortcomings and anxieties related to the risks for expansion of business in International forum. The CEO of the Company Mr. M. B. Bardot as considered has clarified worried regarding the probable in reference to the exchange rate or the Currency. As per the information, though it is clear that Mr. M. Pangloss has made his efforts in order to boost the confidence of the CEO by stating the possible risk related to currency is not a new challenge for the organization. It can be true as according to the fact, presently the Organization is exporting tools of machine in US every year, whose worth is around $320 million. To do so, the company never witnessed any type of losses that are significant that were incurred due to risk of exchange rates and the dollar revenues for Euro. The information also did explore that recently the Company exercises a credit period of two month in order to pay for its goods which are exported. Hence, it indicates that about one-sixth part of money [previously stated as 320 million] has been before and now depicts to the currency oriented risk, at any point of time. Again it has also been stated that Mr. Pangloss has faith in the companys sufficiency in to prevaricate itself against risk related to currency with issuing bond as a way. Hence, it can be stated that certain initiatives might check and correct the amount of investment with the help of an equivalent dollar liability. This transaction would be in dollars. In reference to the given context of the information, it point towards the existence of another alternative for the company. It demonstrates that the Company can sell forward the expected revenue contract of $420 million preceding the progress with this project. Before proceeding with this project such kind of inform ation would help the Organization. Now, It is a fact that as the Director in Finance, Mr. Pangloss is acquainted with the fact that the responsibility to carefully handle the risk in regard to the exchange rate depends on him. The exchange rate might increase in future if such investments are made. In accordance with the information given, it can be denoted that an opportunity to earn probable amount of profit around $52 million per year can be made, if other affecting factors doesnt change. There wont be the requirement of any type of excess investment during operation that would exceed the time frame. This kind of Expansion in the U.S. market will increase the international survival of Exacta, which is advantageous for the company. Hence, it can be inferred that Mr. Pangloss as the manager in finance department needs to investigate and speculate any sort of dependent matters from U.S. investment. This can be done by the help of using techniques to check its existing as well as factual exposure. These techniques will help to take a decision on which certain specific method of hedging will be effective and would not be cost effective to the organization. Statement of the problem: From its new operation in U.S market what would be the true exposure of Exacta How the exposures from its new operation will, will differ from that of the current exposure of the company? In respect to that exposure, what could be the possible low cost and effective approach for hedging? The required options for management review. The two available alternatives for management review like: In requirement of the establishment of this new plan in South Carolina of United States of America, an investment of 380 dollar can be made by issuing bonds of US dollars. This would balance the amount of investment in dollars can be done with the aid of a equivalent liability of Dollars. To sell forward the contract of probable revenue of 420 million dollars before proceeding with the project, as this could an effective option for the organization (Announcements, 2014). Required financial information: The following are the information that would support in conclusions, is as follows: $380 million is the total amount to be invested for the new plant in United States. The operation expects annual revenue will be around $420 million. The net profit annually as per the expectation will be $52 million. $320 million is already being exported each year without any loss incurred in regard to exchange risk and currency. According to the CEO Mr. M.B. Bardot, the amount of investment of $380 million might be able to prove to make a significant amount of loss for dollar depreciation against Euro. The revenue will be earned in dollars from South Carolina new plant. About 2/3rd of the operating cost will be in Dollars. 1/3rd contribution would be from head office charges for services in management and patent use, and apparatus fetched from Lyons. In charge for patents, the decision of using Euro or Dollar is yet to be decided. Table 1: US $ per Euro *Shows U.S. $ per Euro Spot Rate Fwd Rate 1 Month 3 Months 1 Year Euro 1.25 1.2501 1.25 1.2507 Source: https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?From=EURTo=USD The above table represents the exchange rate of US dollar with Euro. From the above table, it can be said that in one month, the euro will be worth same as it is now. This indicates that the Euro is holding its value till one month (Berk DeMarzo, 2007). The table also shows that in three months, the Euro will have gone down the value and in one year, the euro will have gone up in value. Therefore, it indicates that, while in three month time, there are more Euros required to buy $1, in one year time, it will be the opposite, that is, there will be less Euros required to buy $1. Table 2: Exacta Currency Risk Description U.S. $ - now Euro - now Euro - 1 month Euro - 3months Euro - 1 year Investment $ 380,000,000.00 304,000,000.00 303,975,681.95 304,000,000.00 303,829,855.28 Annual revenues $ 420,000,000.00 336,000,000.00 335,973,122.15 336,000,000.00 335,811,945.31 Net Profits $ 52,000,000.00 41,600,000.00 41,596,672.27 41,600,000.00 41,576,717.04 2/3 Op Costs $ 245,333,333.33 196,266,666.67 196,250,966.59 196,266,666.67 196,156,818.85 1/3 Op Costs $ 122,666,666.67 98,133,333.33 98,125,483.29 98,133,333.33 98,078,409.42 * U.S. dollar price = euro price in France / # Euros per dollar * Euro price = $ price in U.S. / # $ per euro (Bos, Mahieu Dijk, 2001; Campbell, Medeiros Viceira, 2007) The above table provides details of the two investment strategies along with their currency risk exposure in terms of spot rate, 1 month forward rate, 3 months forward rate, and 1 year forward rate. Now, from the above table it is noted that if the organization aims to sell forward expected revenue, then, it will evidenced gain of 336,000,000.00 - 335,811,945.31 = 188,054.69 Now, since, the payment is received within two months of purchase, only 1 / 6 th of the money will 2. The risk management practices are the most significant aspect of Portfolio optimization succeeding to global financial crisis. Many expansions have taken place in the whole process of portfolio risk management. Nevertheless the construction for diversification using portfolio theories have become the pillars of investment decisions (christoffersen,2003). The global financial crisis of 2008 saw many doubts in the financial markets on the benefits and the limitations of diversification. At the same time the importance of diversification in reducing the risk of the portfolios came out (chen Yu, 2011 ; Moran, 2010). The section here will go through a proper study on the process of diversification and its advantages and disadvantages. The diversification of the portfolio principally rotates around the mean variance analysis to develop its risk return aspect (Figlewski, 2003; Hicks, 2000; Horcher, 2005). As per the mean variance analysis the diversification of the portfolio is done in two different ways(Jorion,2005; King Slorach, 1996; Lucas, 2010). At first a specific risk or variance level, the level of expected rate of return is determined, then for a specific return level, the risk or variance of the portfolio can be maximized to a good extent. Markowitz said that, by using any of the two approaches, the portfolio can be estimated (Arnold, 2013). The portfolios then collected in the mean variance space are termed as efficient frontier (Berk, 2013). Thus by eliminating the non-efficient portfolios, and mean variance analysis, diversification of portfolios can be estimated. Markowitz formulated that on a given level of risk a rationale investor will accept the portfolio which has the largest expected return on investment. Specifically, modern theory of portfolio endeavours to account for the risks and expected return. In short, it represents the most expected return at a given amount of risk at one point of time. The mathematical model developed by Markowitz f or the optimization of portfolios can be formulated as shown below: Min w w Subject to, w e = 1 w = m Where, denotes the covariance matrix of stock returns; W = (w1, w2, , wn) = vector of portfolio weights; = vector of expected return; m = target portfolio return; e = (1, 1, 1, , 1) from the view of an individual investor, optimizing the risk return trade off can be estimated using the above given optimization problem shows that the method of diversification does not only applies on risk alleviation but also it also guides the investors in making through investment decisions( Chen Yu, 2011; Moran,2010). The traditional portfolio theory has three strata of diversification of the portfolio. At first the allocation of capital is done then the needs to employ the allocation of assts is done and then it is followed by the selection of security ( Roache Merritt, 2006). The process of allocating capital rotates around the process of allocating capital between highly risky and marginal risky assets. The allocation of the capital depends on the overall estimated risk of the portfolio( Chen Yu, 2011 ; Moran, 2010). It tells about the amount of capital that should be invested on risky assets( Clarke, silve and Thorley,2013; Duchin Levy, 2009). So, this is an important f actor that determines the level of return of the portfolio considering this particular level of risk(Ross, Westerfield Jordan, 2000; Ross, Westerfield Jaffe, 2005). Once the allocation of capital has been done the allocation of the assets takes place. This explores the capacity of each asset and determines the level of risk that it holds and the market to which it belongs(Campbell, Mederios Viceira, 2007). The allocation of the assets generally specifies the level of risk it holds and the portfolio that it belongs to( Rudin Morgan, 2006). The proportion of assets allocation is adjusted after fix intervals in order to maintain a particular level of return. The figure that is mentioned below represents a proposed asset allocation at a particular investor`s portfolio. Figure: Proposed asset allocation: [source: Smart, Megginson Gitman, 2004]. The proportion of assets that must be included in the portfolio entirely depends on the expected level of return and the risks that are associated with all these assets ( Campbell, Medeiros Viceira, 2007). Here the figure shows that the domestic stocks include 35% of risks, bonds intermediate have 28%of risks, and international securities have 12% risks. If the portfolio is fairly diversified, then the risk of the portfolio is actually much lesser than the sum of each single asset(Duchin Levy, 2009). The third step of diversification of portfolio rotates around the selection of security. In this stage a security is being selected from each of the asset criteria. This is an indication that there is an opportunity to utilize company or industry diversification( Clarke, Silva Thorley, 2013; Duchin Levy, 2009). An important outcome that can be seen here is that if an investor invests at various securities from various industries instead of selecting a huge number of securities from on e industry, then it would reduce the risk associated with it. It will minimize the level of risk (Berk, DeMarzo and Harford, 2012). The three steps known as the levels of diversification(Smart, Megginson Gitman, 2004). Figure: Level of diversification: [ Source: Smart, Megginnson Gitman, 2004] The market crash that took place in the 2008, the portfolio had become highly volatile. The shortcomings of diversifications can easily be understood by this figure. The figure given below shows the mean correlation of the S P 500 indices increased during dot-com bubble as well as the attack of 9/11. Hence there was a huge global melt down in that year. The world economy saw a major drop in the investments and there was no profit on portfolios and the risk on investment was very less. Figure: The average correlation of the sectors in the S P 500 indices is calculated over two year rolling window.[ Source: Clarke, Silva Thorley, 2013]. The expectancy of portfolio diversification is significant for a long run which can mislead the investors. Thus the investors should invest in multiple securities in order to minimize the risk. Financial analysis Table 1: US $ per Euro Shows US $ per Euro Spot Rate Fwd Rate 1 Month 3 Months 1 Year Euro 1.14 1.47 3.72 14.5 Source: https://www.investing.com/currencies/eur-usd-forward-rates From the above table, it shows the valuable exchange rate of US dollar with Euro. From the table, it is observed that the value of will be increased in one month. It indicates the positive trend of Euro. This table shows that the value of Euro will go up to 3.72 within three month. The value of forward rate will further increase within one year. This data indicates that there will be fewer Euros required to purchase one dollar and in one year there will be less Euro required to purchase one dollar. Table 2: The Currency Risk of Exacta Description U.S. $ - now Euro - now Euro - 1 month Euro - 3months Euro - 1 year Investment $ 380,000,000.00 333,333,333.33 258,503,401.36 102,150,537.63 26,206,896.55 Annual revenues $ 420,000,000.00 368,421,052.63 285,714,285.71 112,903,225.81 28,965,517.24 Net Profits $ 52,000,000.00 45,614,035.09 35,374,149.66 13,978,494.62 3,586,206.90 2/3 Op Costs $ 245,333,333.33 215,204,678.36 166,893,424.04 65,949,820.79 16,919,540.23 1/3 Op Costs $ 122,666,666.67 107,602,339.18 83,446,712.02 32,974,910.39 8,459,770.11 Euro price in France/ Euro per dollar = U. S dollar price $ Price in US / $ per euro = Euro Price (Bos, Mahieu Dijk, 2001; Campbell, Medeiros Viceira, 2007) From the above table, represents the two investment strategy as per their above mention currency risk exposure according to the value of spot rate, one month forward rate, 3 month forward rate as well 1 year forward rate. There is an opportunity to get the profit if the company develops the strategy to sell the forward expected revenue. It will provide a gain of ( 112,903,225.81 28,965,517.24) = 83937708.57. As per the data, the payment is received within two month of purchase, 1/6 of the total money will be at risk. In this calculation, the value of the risk will be 83937708.57 * (1,6) = 13989618 In the above data, the change in dollar will be = (14.5 1.14)/ 1.14 = 11.72 Conclusion and recommendations: The prime company Exacta is one of the affluent of the invoice its US operation in Euros which relates to the selling activities as per the parent organization (Campbell, Medeiros Viceira, 2007). The main reason of that the value of Euro is increasing within the time frame of one year during the operation. The above calculation indicates, at the time of payment made, this will be beneficial for the organization than the payment is occurred in dollars (Chen Yu, 2011; Moran, 2010). As per the prior reason, it concluded that this happened due to the fact that the operation of the company in the US will provide fewer amount of the Euros within one year of the operation as per the comparison of the strategy in the US. a) From the above calculation it is observed that the new operation in the U.S, This Company Exacta get the transaction exposure. This will happened due to the delay of two months as per the payment in term of foreign currency transaction. In the above context, it is observed that M Pangloss have to estimate current exposure as per the risk related to currency which considered one sixth as per the total annual sales of $ 320 million, which will provide the total amount of $ 53.33 million. On the other way The Exacta true exposure of its new operation will be $ 174.67 million. This data is the combination of the operating expenses and the net profit. This is one of the fact that the as the organization has developed a plan to take loan as per the US dollar that need to be funded in the investment amount $ 380 million. This decision need to be taken as per the reason that the US revenue has to employ to mitigate the interest on the debt. In this case, the net income is one the main component return to France over the cost related management fees and patents. The organization has to make decision to get the money as per Euros over France of $ 380 million as per the same purpose. In this case, the company requires counterbalancing of the speculation in the $ 420 million of the annual revenues with the one sixth portion of the current risk. If the management of the company selected this option, then the company will get $ 70 million at the risk from the revenue and the investment risk will be $ 253.33 million, this combined the value of $ 323.33 million. It also observed that the value of dollar depreciated against the value of euro within the time frame of one year by 11.72. In this case the transaction exposure is not negligible. On the other hand it is also said that 11.72 will decreased according to the euro proceeds. In this case the organization should sell forward dollar (Coyle, 2000). This is happened due to the exports of this company taken place in term of Euros. b) From the table 1, it is observed that the value of Euro will be appreciated within one year of time. M. Panglosss need to sell one year forward which expected the revenue contract per year is going to be ineffective as per the US dollar. When the company sell one year forward in US dollar then it will lose money as the value of euro is appreciating and on the other hand the value of the dollar is decreasing. As per the circumstances, to develop the most effective approach of hedging for this company which require certain measure like issuing US dollar bond of the South Carolina Plant, management se rvice fees in Euros as well as bill the home office patent. When the company takes this measure then the risk related to the exchanging currency will be reduced (Campbell, Medeiros Viceira, 2007). Another reason is that the patent and management fees will be paid out of the one third of the total cost which generates from France. The sales of one year forward revenue contract in term of Euros represents that this company gets more investment if the management of the company use spot rate (Berk, DeMarzo and Stangeland, 2010). As per the proposal, the selling of forward expected revenue contract is very effective idea. This is helpful as the management of the company accepted the payment within the two month of purchase (Brealey, Myers and Marcus, 2012). It also noted that the one sixth of the total value is considering the currency risk as per the time frame due to the selling of forward expected revenue contract (Fisher Kumar, 2010). If the above scenario deviates from the calculated revenue then the company will face the trouble. From the calculation it can be observed that the 380 million dollar bonds as per the funding of U.S. plant which can be treated as ineffective investment. The main reason of that the dollar bonds have to be issued as per the US dollar that can provide positive impact to the company (Campbell, Medeiros Viceira, 2007). From the above charts it can concluded that the value of dollar is going to depreciate within the time frame of one year (Brooks, 2013). This situation raises the question if the investors are going to invest in bonds or not. If they invest then they will face the definite loss. In this case the bond holders have to sell the bonds as the money will provide more value to them. This indicates that if this company uses the bond amount to finance the capital for new plant then the company will not get the sufficient fund for future investment. Refrences: Announcements. (2014).Financial Management, 43(2), pp.467-471. Arnold, G. (2013).Corporate financial management. Harlow, England: Pearson. Berk, J. (2013).Corporate finance. [S.l.]: Prentice Hall. Berk, J., DeMarzo, P. (2007).Corporate finance. Boston: Pearson Addison Wesley. Berk, J., DeMarzo, P. and Harford, J. (2012).Fundamentals of corporate finance. Boston: Prentice Hall. Berk, J., DeMarzo, P. and Stangeland, D. (2010).Corporate finance. Toronto: Pearson Canada. Bos, C., Mahieu, R., Dijk, H. (2001).On the variation of hedging decisions in daily currency risk management. Amsterdam: Tinbergen Institute. Brealey, R., Myers, S. and Marcus, A. (2012).Fundamentals of corporate finance. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Brealey, R., Myers, S., and Allen, F. (2011) Principles of Corporate Finance, 10th ed. McGraw-Hill Irwin: New York. Brooks, R. (2013).Financial management. Boston: Pearson. Campbell, J., Medeiros, K., Viceira, L. (2007).Global currency hedging. Cambridge, Mass.: National Bureau of Economic Research. Campbell, J., Medeiros, K., Viceira, L. (2007).Global currency hedging. Cambridge, Mass.: National Bureau of Economic Research. Chen, C., Yu, C. (2011). International Diversification, Product Diversification, Firm Return, And Firm Risk.Academy Of Management Proceedings,2011(1), 1-7. doi:10.5465/ambpp.2011.1.1cy Chen, C., Yu, C. (2011). International Diversification, Product Diversification, Firm Return, And Firm Risk.Academy Of Management Proceedings,2011(1), 1-7. doi:10.5465/ambpp.2011.1.1cy Christoffersen, P. (2003).Elements of financial risk management. Amsterdam: Academic Press. Clarke, R., Silva, H., Thorley, S. (2013). Risk Parity, Maximum Diversification, and Minimum Variance: An Analytic Perspective.The Journal Of Portfolio Management,39(3), 39-53. doi:10.3905/jpm.2013.39.3.039 Coyle, B. (2000).Hedging currency exposures. Chicago: Glenlake Pub. Co. Duchin, R., Levy, H. (2009). Markowitz Versus the Talmudic Portfolio Diversification Strategies.The Journal Of Portfolio Management,35(2), 71-74. doi:10.3905/jpm.2009.35.2.071 Eptas, A., Leger, L. (2010). A Mean-Variance Diagnosis of the Financial Crisis: International Diversification and Safe Havens.JRFM,3(1), 97-117. doi:10.3390/jrfm3010097 Figlewski, S. (2003).Estimation error in the assessment of financial risk exposure. New York, NY: New York University Salomon Center, Leonard N. Stern School of Business. Fisher, B. Kumar A. (2010). McKinsey Quarterly: The Right Way to Hedge. Retrieved from https://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/The_right_way_to_hedge_2644 Fisher, B. Kumar A. (2010). McKinsey Quarterly: The Right Way to Hedge. Retrieved from https://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/The_right_way_to_hedge_2644 Grieve, I. (2013).Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 financial management. Birmingham, UK: Packt Pub. Helbk, M., Lindest, S. and McLellan, B. (2010).Corporate finance. New York: McGraw-Hill. Hicks, A. (2000).Managing currency risk using foreign exchange options. Boca Raton, [Fla.]: CRC Press. Holden, C. (2012).Excel modeling in corporate finance. Boston: Pearson. Horcher, K. (2005).Essentials of financial risk management. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Jandik, T. and Lallemand, J. (2014). Value impact of debt issuances by targets of withdrawn takeovers.Journal of Corporate Finance, 29, pp.475-494. Jorion, P. (2005).Financial risk manager handbook. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Khan, A. (n.d.).DHS financial management. King, R., Slorach, J. (1996).Corporate finance. London: Blackstone Pr. Laeven, L. (2003). Does Financial Liberalization Reduce Financing Constraints?.Financial Management, 32(1), p.5. Lucas, D. (2010).Measuring and managing federal financial risk. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Moran, M. (2010). Diversification and Risk Management with Index Products During the 2008 Financial Crisis.The Journal Of Index Investing,1(1), 117-130. doi:10.3905/jii.2010.1.1.117 Parrino, R., Kidwell, D. and Bates, T. (2012).Fundamentals of corporate finance. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Renneboog, L. and Zhao, Y. (2014). Director networks and takeovers.Journal of Corporate Finance, 28, pp.218-234. Roache, S., Merritt, M. (2006).Currency risk premia in global stock markets. [Washington, D.C.]: International Monetary Fund. Ross, S., Westerfield, R. and Jaffe, J. (2010).Corporate finance. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Ross, S., Westerfield, R., Jaffe, J. (2005).Corporate finance. Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Ross, S., Westerfield, R., Jordan, B. (2000).Fundamentals of corporate finance. Boston: Irwin/McGraw-Hill. Rudin, A., Morgan, j. (2006). A Portfolio Diversification Index.The Journal Of Portfolio Management,32(2), 81-89. doi:10.3905/jpm.2006.611807 Smart, S., Megginson, W., Gitman, L. (2004).Corporate finance. Mason, Ohio: Thomson/South-Western. Taillard, M. (2013).Corporate finance for dummies. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Walker, M. (2000). Corporate Takeovers, Strategic Objectives, and Acquiring-Firm Shareholder Wealth.Financial Management, 29(1), p.53. Watson, D. and Head, A. (2013).Corporate finance. Harlow, England: Pearson.

Music the International Language free essay sample

Music Is a part of peoples lives from all around the world. It has been around for at least 50,000 years and most likely originated In Africa (Walling. Et al. 1). There are several distinct genres of music. The most recognized forms in the western hemisphere are: classical, Jazz, rock and folk, as well as others which are essentially branches from the four previously mentioned. Many career options exist for those wishing to pursue music, many of which require one or more scholastic degrees.In music, there are a plethora of diverse structural forms in which music is composed. A structural form usually describes the order the sections in a piece of music are written. Without composers, there would be little music today. Most composers have a unique style that they write In that can be Identified by anyone with a trained ear. Music Is constantly In an evolutionary state, and the music Industry changes to reflect that. We will write a custom essay sample on Music: the International Language or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The future holds endless possibilities for the social and economical effects of new music.Musical notation was not always nice printed symbols arranged in an easy to read format. The Greeks were the first to implement a system for translating written work onto sound. However this system made it difficult for someone to imagine the melody, and was extremely difficult to reproduce, and there were usually many errors on copies. The Romans used the first 15 letters of the Roman alphabet above the applicable words to determine pitch with the first letter as the low pitch and the 15th letter as the high pitch.Neumann, or Ensues, is a very peculiar notation used mostly by 6th to 12th century ecclesiastical writers. Deciphering this notation is essentially guesswork due to the number of variables affecting the sounds. (Changes in Musical Notation). F all the genres of music, classical Is the most distinct. It usually Includes string instruments, French horns, and trumpets, as well as others. Rock music or devil music as some people refer to it, has become increasingly popular around the world since its inception In the mid sasss. This type of music is known to use electric guitars, drum kit, and vocals.Jazz also uses those Instruments, but In a different way. In a typical big band jazz orchestra, there will be five saxophones, four trombones, four trumpets, a pianist, a drummer and a guitarist. The Jazz style is quite different room that of other types of music. Normally, the first and third beat of a four beat measure are emphasized. In Jazz the second and fourth beats are emphasized. In music, there are many formal structures (the way sections off piece repeat) in which songs are written. Sectional form is a mixture of short chunks of a piece (Delano. Et al. 87).Vocal music often employs the use of the strophic form, which repeats the same section over again Binary form, as the name might suggest, has two different sections played in succession (ABA) or one repeated and then the other repeated (BABY). Similarly to binary form, chain form has three or more sections played in succession (BBC) or (BACK). Ternary, or tertiary form, similarly to binary form has two different sections, the difference being there Is a B section sandwiched in between two A sections (ABA). Arch form has three different sections, 1 OFF (ABACA).Finally, rondo form, which comes in two varieties: symmetrical and asymmetrical. Symmetrical form is (ABACA) as asymmetrical form is (BACKDATE) (Musical Form). There are many fun and rewarding careers in music many of which involve working with an assortment of creative individuals. Composition, the art of writing music, is one of the more difficult, yet also more rewarding choices, although it is hard to make a living as a composer unless the utmost dedication is displayed. Teaching others music, either by instruments, theory, or otherwise, is an occupation in high demand around the United States (Bachelor of Music).Musicians are the key element of music, without them there would be no live music. Music therapy is one of the less known musical vocations. Music therapists help people with mental illness or disability by using music (Careers in Music Therapy). There have been many great classical composers, each with his or her own identifying characteristics in their writing. Johann Sebastian Bach is known for never leaving pauses in his music. However, George Frederic Handel writes so that there are moments where no notes are played (grand pause. ) Mozart has written over 600 pieces of music, all of which were written in one draft.Music is all about sound, and for a mostly deaf man, Ludwig Van Beethoven is quite an accomplished composer. The music industry is generally defined as the businesses and organizations that cord, produce, publish, distribute, and market recorded music (Music Industry). There are four major record companies or labels, Sony BMW, MI, Universal and Warner. In 2005, Universal dominated the United States market with a 31 . 71% market share. In a close second came Sony BMW with 31 . 71%. Warner firmly holds third with a solid 15% market share, leaving MI to clean up with the remaining 9. 55%. Independent labels covers 8. 3% of the US market, but there are many independent companies and none of which hold a candle to he big four (Cashmere). Music artists and record companies alike make most of their money from music sales, but with the rise of peer-to-peer file sharing networks, it has been increasingly popular to illegally download or, pirate, stolen music. According to the American Federation of Musicians, gross revenue for music drops about 20% annually due to piracy. In reaction to the horrifying statistics the Recording Industry Association of America or, ARIA, has taken a number of steps to fight internet piracy.One of their goals is to inform the public of the repercussions music piracy has on the individuals ho earn a living from legitimate music exchange (Online Music Piracy). Jazz is the only style of music native to the United States of America. It is clear that many other genres thought to be truly American are actually Just bits and pieces from the musical traits of other cultures. Jazz music is brimming with improvisation solos, where a musician is usually given a chord progression also known as time. Although the ink on the page may say to play in CO one could Just as well play in Cm in stead.Jazz is also not bound to the limitations of other forms of music and ill not always be cut up into easy-to-identify sections. One thing almost all types of music have in common is scalability, for example, there could be a single saxophonist playing Harlem Nocturne on a street corner, or there could be an 18 piece big band orchestra playing the same song in a concert hall. The same applies to classical music, but it is more common to see a street musician playing Jazz than classical music. The invention of solid-state electronics brought on many changes.The music world was affected when someone figured that if you make a keyboard and set it so each eye you press produces a different frequency at a line level current and run it through an amplifier, there will be an electronic piano-style keyboard! This device later became known as the analog synthesizer and was used in many performing band s. Several years later, digital sound synthesis technology made it possible to have hundreds of different patches on a keyboard, eliminating the need for expensive sound modules for analog synthesizers. Today, both technologies are used, but analog is mostly Just used and built for historical and experimental purposes. Every kind of music requires an instrument, be it human vocal cords, a bassoon, or a microchip, at least one instrument is required. There are three types of traditional instruments. Brass instruments are devices in which sound is made by pressing the lips to the large end of an almost conical mouthpiece and buzzing the lips whilst blowing. Instruments requiring no buzzing are referred to as woodwinds.The sound can be made either by a single reed, where the player places the top front two teeth on top of a tapered mouthpiece and presses the OTTOMH lip over the bottom teeth contacting the reed and blowing so the reed vibrates in between the mouthpiece and the bottom lip. A double reed instrument has no mouthpiece, only two reeds that are pointed together at the end. The third form of woodwind sound production entails placing the lips one the near side of a hole in the mouthpiece and blowing air over the gap, Just like making a glass bottle whistle. In music, there are two categories, one for the high society, and one for the low society.The high society music is that of the classical, baroque romantic and other such eras, are usually preformed in formal venues. In contrast, the low society music such as Jazz, rap and hip hop could be preformed in places where formal etiquette is not present such as a casino, night club or parking lot. It is apparent that the average audience member of a classical performance will have an income higher than that of an audience member from a hip hop concert. By analyzing this data, musicologists have concluded that the class distinction is not related to the music itself, rather, the crowd associated with that type of music.

Medicare is a complex medical insurance program Essays

Medicare is a complex medical insurance program Essays Medicare is a complex medical insurance program Paper Medicare is a complex medical insurance program Paper Essay Topic: Medical Medicare is a complex medical insurance program that is intended to cover to some certain extent medical expenses of those insured by it. Medicare insurance program is developed for people who reached age of 65 or older. People under 65 with certain disabilities and patients with end stage renal disease are also insured by Medicare. Medicare consists of several more or less independent components, or parts. Most basic of these components are Medicare part A and Medicare part B. Medicare part A will help cover expenses for inpatient care. This is very helpful for people over 65. People of this age have increased risk of considerable number of acute diseases emerging, such as myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, stroke, pulmonary edema and several other life-threatening conditions that can be properly managed only by skilled health care professionals in a hospital. Intensive treatment of such pathologic conditions requires relatively short period of time with subsequent period of observation and rehabilitation, which is usually more extended than initial period of intensive care. Still, total amount of time spent in hospital and rehabilitation centers rarely exceeds 60 days – the limit of 100%-coverage of all insured patients medical expenses for a single spell of illness. Patient needs only to pay single deducible, and the rest will be paid by Medicare. Even if the patient has to stay in hospital for more than 60 days, beneficiary of Medicare insurance is eligible for coinsurance program. Coinsured patient pays certain sum for every day he stays in a hospital, and Medicare pays for everything that exceeds this sum and is medically-necessary for the patient. Coinsurance program lasts for 30 days, and, if even longer hospital care is needed, patient has the right to use part of his â€Å"lifetime reserve† of insurance, which comprises another 60 days. During this lifetime reserve days sum for patient to pay for a day increases comparing with the sum payed for a day during coinsurance period, but Medicare will still pay the rest of medically-necessary expenses. Only when lifetime reserve will exhaust patient should pay full price for care and treatment he needs. But total time covered by initial and subsequent programs of Medicare part A comprises 150 days, which is usually more that enough. People over 65 also frequently have certain chronic diseases, that may need hospital or nursing care during exacerbation period. Apart from inpatient hospital stay, Medicare part A also covers stay at skilled nursing facilities (which provide medically-necessary rehabilitation and nursing care), psychiatrid inpatient care, home health care and hospice care. The same scheme of 100% coverage, coinsurance and lifetime reserve is applied for services listed. Medicare part B is the part of Medicare insurance program that covers certain considerably broad range of services that arent covered by Medicare part A. According to Smith (2008b), services covered at present time are physician and surgeon fees, outpatient services, immunosuppressive drugs, blood service (after the first three pints of blood in any calendar year are payed for), clinical laboratory services, some coverage for outpatient mental health visits, and ambulance service. This coverage is available providing the patient pays certain sum of monthly premium that gives him access to the Medicare part B services. Amount of this premium is rather small comparing with total amount of money required to pay for services covered if one has no insurance. There is a list of services that are excluded from coverage, however, but these services are not critical care services and are rather matter of choice for the patient. Medicare provides coverage of medically-necessary treatment and care. Medically-necessary services are those that are needed for the diagnosis or treatment of patients medical condition and meet accepted standards of medical practice. Therefore, almost all medical needs and expenses to manage life-threatening conditions and exacerbations of chronic illnesses that are not uncommon for people over 65, will be covered completely or, at least, partially. References: 1. Smith, F. (2008). Medicare part A. Retrieved December 28, 2008, from medicare. org/index. php? option=com_contenttask=viewid=15Itemid=49 2. Smith F. (2008). Medicare part B. Retrieved December 28, 2008, from medicare. org/index. php? option=com_contenttask=viewid=16Itemid=50

A Political Life of Pablo Picasso Research Paper

A Political Life of Pablo Picasso - Research Paper Example The research paper "A Political Life of Pablo Picasso" highlights Pablo Picasso's political side of life. Pablo Picasso is one of the pre-eminent artists of the twentieth century, having mastered various art forms such as painting, sculpting, print-making, ceramic-making and stage designing. Alongside Henri Matisse and Marcel Duchamp, Picasso is considered to have revolutionized plastic arts in the early part of the twentieth century. His political commitments have been one of the most underexplored areas of his life and work. But new scholarship and evidence from exhibitions identify the political facet of Pablo Picasso. This essay will argue that though not much publicized or documented Picasso held strong political beliefs. This is evident from the events of his personal life and the content of his artistic works. Although art critics often suggest that art should transcend politics, this assertion does not always holds true. The most important event in Picasso’s life, whic h betrays his strong political sympathies, is his joining the French Communist Party in 1944. Picasso’s contribution to the party came via his three drawings of Maurice Thorez in 1945. He also gifted to the Communist town of Vallauris, his sculpture L’homme au mouton. The painting ‘The Peace Dove’, produced in the aftermath of the the Second World War is further evidence for the link between the aesthetics and politics of the great painter. Picasso’s deep involvement with Leftist politics is made obvious through his 1953 portrait of Stalin.

Violence and conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Violence and conflict - Essay Example The review of the relevant literature has lead to an important finding: violence against women has been based on many factors; there is no single fact that leads to the specific behaviour against women. Therefore, addressing the problem requires a carefully designed plan. The change of traditional social beliefs in regard to women’s role in society would help to control the expansion of the phenomenon; however, such change could be achieved only gradually and with the support of the government. For example, schemes for informing the members of communities on the effects of violence against women would be preferred instead of programs addressing the issue at personal level. In other words, the resolution of the problem could be planned only through long-term initiatives and not through temporary measures. In general, the phrase ‘violence against women’ is used for showing specific actions that threaten women’s mental or physical health. In a relevant study, the violence against women is described as related to ‘the use of force/coercion with an intent of perpetuation/ promotion of hierarchical gender-relations in all social structures’ (Wahed and Bhuiya 2007, p.342). The development of violence against women has been closely monitored by relevant Bodies/ organizations both at national and at international level. According to a relevant report of the World Health Organization (WHO) the violence against women is usually developed into two forms/ modes: ‘a) as partner violence and b) as sexual violence’ (WHO 2013, par.1). In the same report it is noted that about 35% of women around the world have experienced, even once, one of the two types of violence (WHO 2013, par.2). Moreover, statistics published by Statistics Canada revealed that in 2011 about 173,600 women across the country suffered violence (Statistics Canada 2013, section 1, par.6). Worldwide, the problem seems

Introduction to Communication-Nonverbal Behaviors in Public-Discussion Personal Statement

Introduction to Communication-Nonverbal Behaviors in Public-Discussion - Personal Statement Example The intimate zone according to Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman covers the skin areas and approximately 18 inches to the outside (454). Therefore, the fact that the two individuals were in very close proximity is a clear indication they are very closely involved emotionally. Subsequently, I could tell the two individuals were in a happy mood. As they walked past where I was seated, I could hear them chat happily and I could also see occasional smiles on their faces. There is much to learn about nonverbal communication from these two individuals. For example, one can easily tell the feelings of another individual through his or her facial expression (Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman, 452). Smiling is an indication of happiness or contentment. Other than facial expressions, gestures can also help tell the feeling of an individual (Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman, 452). Two people walking as close as possible to one another is a sign of trust and hence there is emotional attachment. In a nutshell, people comm unicate either verbally or through body language. Facial expressions and gestures expresses the true feelings of an

Reflective Essay On A Patient Undergoing An Acute Care Nursing Essay

Reflective Essay On A Patient Undergoing An Acute Care Nursing Essay Introduction This is a reflective essay that will be focusing on my experience and feeling on how I related with a patient who was complaining of severe pain in the surgical ward during my posting there. I will be using the Gibbs (1998) reflective cycle as a guide on this essay. The Gibbs (1998) Reflective Cycle which is one of the most popular models of reflections consists of six steps: Description which describes as a matter of fact the situation and what happened during the incident. For my case the management of this patient who was admitted and was being managed pre-operatively for intestinal obstruction; secondly, feelings which is the description or the analysis of what my thoughts and feeling were at the time of this incident. Thirdly, the evaluation of my experience: this is about what was good and bad about my experience. Fourthly the analysis of my experience about what I can make out of the situation. Conclusion is the sixth step and it is about what else I could have done and what c ould I not have done. The final step is the action plan. The action plan will be about what I will do if this situation arose again or what I will do differently bearing in mind my experience from the steps above (Jasper 2003). Reflective practice writing is a way of expressing and explaining ones own and others stories crafting and shaping to and understanding and development and it enables practice development because the outcomes of reflection are taken back into practice, improving and developing (Bolton 2005). Reflection is a way of learning from your direct experiences, rather than from the second-hand experiences of others (Cottrel 2003, p6). There are several other models of reflective practice. In addition to the Gibbs (1998) models, there are the Johns model of reflection (1995); Kolbs Learning Cycle (1984) and the Atkins and Murphys model of reflection (1994). Description During my placement at the acute surgical ward, I came across a patient who I will name Mr Jones (not real name). This is due to confidentiality. According to the NMC (2008) The Code: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives article 5, 6 and 7, it states that You must respect peoples right to confidentiality; You must ensure people are informed about how and why information is shared by those who will be providing their care; You must disclose information if you believe someone may be at risk of harm, in line with the law of the country in which you are practising (NMC 2008, p2). When I arrived at the ward on the 8th of October, the senior nurse briefed us about the cases on the ward. I learnt that Mr Jones was admitted into the surgical ward with severe abdominal pain and he has been diagnosed with small intestinal obstruction and is being managed pre-operative for surgical intervention. While attending to the patients in the ward under the supervision o f my mentor (NMC 2008), Mr Jones called out to me that he is in severe pain. Walking up to him, I noticed the agony and pain he was in. Once he had my attention he was screaming and berating me that he is in terrible pain and that he need more pain killers. I approached Mr Jones and introduced myself with the aim of building an initial and good rapport with him and to establish a nurse-patient relationship (Holland et al 2008). I was so petrified with the signs and the way he communicated with me in such a way that really expressed he was in severe pain. I assured Mr Jones that I will have a word with a qualified nurse and will be back. I walked up to my mentor and ask that Mr Jones would need some pain killers as he is in severe pain. I was very surprise when my mentor said to me okay, where is Mr Jones drug chart? And to my utmost surprise, instead of getting a cocktail of pain killers for Mr Jones, she was asking several questions. How do you know that he is in such severe pain as you have just described to me? Have you asked him with the trust policy of pain scale? What type of pain killers has been given to Mr Jones and for how long ago were these given to him? She went on and on and I felt embarrassed and at same time very eager to correct my mistakes. I was unable to answer any of the questions she has asked. I guess I must have been overwhelmed with sympathy rather than empathy for the patient. I went to bring Mr Jones drug chart and my mentor explained to me that from his drug chart recordings, he is on oral morphine 10mg 4 hourly and the last dosage was given in just an hour ago. He would need a doctor to review to see whether he might need another route and dosage of the analgesic she explain to me. Feeling My first feeling was that this patient could be in severe pain and there is need to administer some form of strong analgesics. Pain according to the International Association for the Study of Pain is, An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage (IASP 1979). Pain may not be totally objective but subjective according to Braun et al (2003), they went on to further point out that included in pain are emotional as well as personal experiences. Pain could be divided simply into acute and chronic pain based on its duration (Shipton 1999). Acute pain is of short or limited duration usually associated with traumatic tissue injuries, whereas chronic pain is a pain or discomfort persisting for about 3 to 6 months and may persist beyond the healing period (Sinatra et al 2009; Ready and Edwards, 1992) and pain could progress from acute to chronic (Blyth et al, 2003). There is a psychological aspect to pain. According to Eccleston (2001), pain can be influenced among other things by culture, previous pain experience, mood, ability to cope or even belief. He concluded that pain is multifactorial and as such individuals should be treated differently. One of the underpinning principles of the Roper-Logan-Tierney model of nursing is the individualisation of nursing care and nursing practice (Roper et al 2000). My mentor showed me that Mr Jones is on 10mg oral morphine four hourly and that he may need a new review by the doctor so as to reassess his pain. I went to inform Mr Jones of this. On getting to him, I introduced myself with the aim of continuing our initial good rapport and also to obtain consent. According to the RCN Informed consent is an ongoing agreement by a person to receive treatment, undergo procedures or participate in research, after risks, benefits and alternatives have been adequately explained to them (RCN 2005, p5). Also, it has long been documented that information r educes anxiety (Byshee 1988 cited in Hughes 2005). I informed him that he will need a reassessment by the doctor in order to change his pain killer or if there is need to increase the dose and that the doctor has been notified of this. To my surprise, this seemed to calm him down a little as I explained and listened empathically to him. In a study carried out by Matthewson at the elderly care unit at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton, she concluded that nursing is the art of caring and as such we must listen empathically to what patients and service users want so we can give them the care that they deserve (Matthewson 2002). Evaluation This being my first encounter of meeting a patient with acute pain, I have so much to learn and gain especially about acute pain management. Having ask several questions and establish a good patient-nurse relationship (Holland et al 2008), I was involved in most of management of Mr Jones. Monitoring vital signs and recording them accurately. I learnt according to Mr Jones past medical history that he was first admitted in to the hospital in September 2009 for hernia repair and discharged home. He is now being treated for small intestinal obstruction which is one of the side effects of adhesions which could result from hernia repair (Ryan et al 2004). I asked the qualified nurse series of question and she informed me that caring for patients with intestinal obstruction require great deal of nursing skills. Patients suffering from small intestinal obstruction do have not only physical needs but also psychological and nurses should be aware of the fact that patients react differently to the fact that they are acutely ill (Hughes 2005). The ward sister informed me that some of the important factors to look out for when managing a patient with bowel obstruction are the presentation symptoms and vital signs such as pain, dehydration and fluid and electrolyte imbalance and nausea and vomiting. According to Anderson (2003) vital signs need to be monitored closely for changes by nurses and respond quickly and appropriately. After re-assessment by the resident doctor that responded to the summon, Mr Jones morphine was increased to 20mg, 4 hourly in titrated doses so as to minimize the effect of euphoria and unwanted effects. Also the route of administration was changed so as to quicken the onset of action. According to McQuay and Moore (1999) it is sometimes advisable to change the route of administration if the patient is still complaining of pain as oral and trans-dermal route may delay the onset in acute pain. All strong opioids require careful titration from an expert practitioner it is better to begin with a small dose and increase gradually in conjunction with careful assessment of its effectiveness (Hanks et al 2001). Analysis Despite the fact that Mr Jones has had a surgery to repair his hernia a year earlier and is about to undergo another one shortly, he was in very good spirit. The whole process from when I came into the ward and Mr Jones called out to me that he is in severe pain till now has all been eventful and educating at same time. Mr Jones was given morphine to manage his acute pain. Several preparations are available in the pre-operative period for pain management. These include intramuscular analgesics and opiates such as morphine (Hughes 2005). Morphine was used as a drug of choice in the management of Mr Jones acute pre operative pain. Though it has several advantages that are well suited for small intestinal obstruction management like its effect on slowing down the motility of the gut (Rodney 2010) which in the case of small intestinal obstruction is good, it causes nausea and vomiting as some of its side effect due to its direct action and stimulation of the chemoreceptor trigger zone of the brain (Daniels 2008). Though anti-emetics were prescribed to counter the effect of nausea and vomiting, their effect was not profound and this caused some delay in the operative process. Under the supervision of my mentor, I actively participated in the monitoring of Mr Jones vital signs. In addition to recording the temperature, I was involved in the monitoring of the fluid and electrolyte balance. Fluid balance was monitored hourly as one of the senior sisters explain to me the importance of a maintaining its balance. Haemodynamic stability is crucial as hypovolaemia can occur quickly because of the obstruction, fluid levels can rise quickly due to decreased gut movement causing the bowel to distend and losing its functionality of absorbing water and minerals thereby leading to fluid and electrolyte imbalance (Torrance and Serginson 2004). Conclusion I feel that the whole process involved in the management of Mr Jones pre-operative acute pain went smoothly. Being my first placement in the surgical ward I asked several questions and mentor and senior nurses were on hand to explain and in some instances demonstrate this out. But what else could I have done or what could I have done differently? Well, from the first time I went to meet the patient and then relaying the patient concern to my mentor, I should have looked at the patients drug chart rather than being overwhelmed by self pity. All documentation with regard to the patients management is on the patients record and it is vital that I look at this. Effectual documentation according to Porter and Perry (2009) within a patients medical record is an imperative and fundamental aspect in the practice of nursing. To minimize the risk of errors in the management of a patient, there is the need for accurate documentation of all drug activities in the patients drug chart (Youm 2002). As I have come to realize, pain may not be totally objective but subjective and included in this are elements of emotion as well as personal experience (Braun et al 2003). Rating scale are the most commonly used method of accessing acute pain and its relief. The World Health Organisation (WHO 1996) modified analgesic ladder to control pain in that the simple principle is that the beginning of pharmacological intervention begins on the first step of the ladder and proceeds upward. Opioids are used extensively in the management of pain and believed capable of relieving severe pain more effectively than non steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (McQuay and Moore 1999). Action Plan My action plan should a situation such as this arose again will be significantly different. I will continue to reflect and study how acute pain is managed and the role of the nurse in such management and most especially to ensure I look at documentation for patients. Effective pain management is fundamental to quality care, good pain control speeds recovery. To increase the effectiveness of nursing interventions and to improve the management of pain, the use of pain assessment tools for acute pain has to be followed such as verbal description scales(VDS) which are based on numerically ranked words such as none mild, moderate severe and very severe for assessing both pain intensity and response to analgesia. Numerical Rating Scales (NRS) this is easily used as a verbal scale of 0-10 indicating no pain on one extremity of the line and 10 indicating severe pain at the other extremity (Hammer and Davies 1998). Uncontrolled pain can lead to increased anxiety, fear, sleeplessness and muscl e tension which further exacerbate pain (Dougherty and Lister (2008). Perkins and Kehlet (2000) suggested that poorly controlled acute pain may lead to the development of chronic pain. I also learnt that there is a psychological aspect to pain. My nurse-patient relationship really helped in this area. According to Holland et al (2008) each patient should be regarded as unique in a nurse-patient relationship and that individuality should be taken into account when undertaking nursing care (Holland et al 2008 p11). Another aspect of nursing care that helped was effective communication which is an essential prerequisite for effective nurse-patient relationship (Robinson 2002). By talking to patient in an open, honest way about their pain made them feel more relaxed and in control which help them to cope better. I hope to increase my nurse-patient relationship and how to deal with acute cases. This will be a goal I will be aiming at in my next placement though discussion with my mentor and further research.

Violence in Our Schools Essay -- School Violence Essays

Violence in our Schools Children today are growing up in an increasingly violent atmosphere, both in society in general and in their schools. While there is no easy answer as to how to end this violence once and for all, we can look at some of the causes and take steps to contain that which we can. The main contributing factor in all recent school shootings has been the shooters’ feelings that they were bullied by and alienated from the rest of the children and were made to feel that they were not as good as their peers. Being targeted by the other children and having nowhere to turn to for help can cause a build up of more anger until, finally the alienated child is unable to take anymore. They struck out at their peers in what seems to them to be the most effective way, by eliminating them. Although several factors enter into school violence, the most obvious way of preventing violence is to eliminate these feelings of being outcast by one’s peers. If we want to put an end to school violence , we need to put an end to bullying behavior (Shore, 1996). Many instances of bullying behavior can be linked back to the climate in which a child was raised. Those who are raised in poverty or who have no good role models will frequently suffer due to the lack of examples of adults in productive roles. If the â€Å"coolest† guy in the neighborhood is a gang member, then his or her bullying behavior will be emulated by the children in the neighborhood, continuing the cycle of abuse. This pattern usually leads to other negative traits such as becoming easily provoked and developing an inability to solve problems effectively. When these traits are continued in the school system, they are compounded by peer-pressure and the lack of faculty support. The bullies soon learn that they are free to abuse whomever they wish, and although faculty and staff help when they can, there are simply not enough resources necessary to catch and prevent bullies from targeting their peers (Bennett-Johnson, June 2004 p199). One way that children are targeted is based on how he or she is treated by teachers and faculty. According to Andrea J. Cook in Columbine Author Speaks Out, those who are â€Å"just right† or are smart, attractive, and good at sports, are treated well by teachers, because they appear to be everything a teacher wants in a student. Those who are not â€Å"just right† are treated po... ...ents in their academic accomplishments. Recognizing successes of students and teachers and celebrating the positives brings back school pride and willingness to make a difference (Shore, 1996). Reference: Hernandez, Thomas J., Seem, Susan R. (April 2004), A Safe School Climate: A Systemic Approach and the School Counselor, Vol. 7, Issue 4, P 256, Retrieved from EBSCOhost 2/11/05 Shore, Rebecca Martin, (Jan. 1996), Curbing School Violence Through a Personal Approach. Greenhaven Press, Retrieved from Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center, Jan. 27, 2005 Rabinowitz, Dorothy, (2002), Bullying is not a Valid Reason for School Shootings. School Shootings. Retrieved from Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center, Feb. 5, 2005 Bennett-Johnson, Earnestine, (June 2004) The Root of School Violence: Causes and Recommendation for a Plan of Action. Vol. 38 Issue 2, p 199, Retrieved from EBSCOhost, Jan. 30, 2005 Cook, Andrea, (2004), Columbine Author Speaks Out. Reclaiming Children and Youth, Retrieved from ESBCOhost database. Feb. 5, 2005 Wright, Jeanne, (2000), The Chaotic Atmosphere of School. School Violence. Retrieved from Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center, Jan. 27, 2001.

Library management system Essay

1. 1 Background of the study With diminishing finances, it is rarely possible for a library or information center to have enough resources to fulfill the needs of its clients. What is being delivered is only a portion of what their clients actually need (Ramos & Mohd Ali, 2005). Collaboration is widely recognized as the best way for libraries to cope with the ever increasing challenges: volume of information resources; nature and quality of information; user needs and expectations; information and communication technology competencies and infrastructure; inflated cost of information resources; and staffing needs. However, although these challenges have continued to prevail, libraries working under collaborative initiatives like the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI) have registered tremendous success. This thesis reports the findings of a thorough study to establish the factors that have led to the success of CARLI and how such success factors can be applied in libraries of developing countries like Uganda. Emphasis is placed on the establishment of CARLI leadership, the sharing of responsibility and decision making processes as well as sources of funding for the consortium. Also central to the research study is exploration of the role and responsibility of participating member libraries and their contributions to and expectations from the consortium. I contend that lack of funding to facilitate consortium activitiesis not the central factor in the failed progress of the planned consortium activities in Uganda, rather it is the lack of committed leadership and cooperation among participating libraries that is responsible for the lack of progress. In any kind of organization or cooperation like a library consortium, funding has never been enough due to ever changing technologies and continuous demands from library patrons. However, good leadership and cooperation among membership plays a bigger role in achieving a common goal. Having and working towards a common goal, under dedicated, dynamic and faithful leadership with an active and energetic membership plays a great role in the success of a consortium. 2 To assist in the possible improvement of consortium operations in Uganda, I need to understand the leadership, responsibility, staffing, collection, policies and procedures, funding and structure of academic libraries in the participating membership of CARLI in comparison with those of Uganda. My research has incorporated interviews with CARLI staff and a questionnaire survey to all the participating CARLI membership. 1. 2 Problem statement. There is now ample research on the benefits of library collaboration mainly in developed countries (Kaul 2001, Riley 2006, Wright 2006, Bennett 2007, Foulonneau et al. 2007, Williams 2008, Feather, Bracken & Diaz 2008, Butler 1998, Domatob, 1998). In Africa, a lot of research has been devoted toward the need for collaboration (Musoke 2008, Paulos 2008, Kinengyere 2007, Ibeun & Obasuyi 2007,Amaeshi (Ed. ) 2003, Kaul 2001, Rosenberg 2001, Ade Ajayi, Goma & Johnson 1996) and a few registered successes (Musoke 2008, Paulos 2008, Rosenberg 2001, Kinengyere 2007, Ibeun & Obasuyi 2007, Amaeshi (Ed.) 2003, Kaul 2001). However, no research has been reported on how to apply identified success factorsfrom developed countries in order to bring a change in developing countries. Developed countries have registered tremendous success stories compared to less developed countries; failure in developing countries has been attributed to poor funding without looking at other factors like committed leadership and cooperative membership. The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) (2007) indicates that there are six public and twenty-four private universities giving a total of thirty registered universities in Uganda. Of these, only twenty-one universities and two research institutions are actively and currently participating in the Consortium of Uganda University Libraries, (CUUL) (2008). It is clear, however, that most of these universities do not have adequate resources to support certain, if not all, areas of their academic and research programmes. Since 2005, access to computer facilities, books and other learning materials has improved; still many are farfrom reaching ratios comparable to world standards; and, unfortunately, the student tobook ratio dropped from twenty-three books per student to nineteen in 2006 (NCHE, 2007). The NCHE 2006 (2007) study further shows that there has been a 9. 4% increase in the total number of students that enroll in the universities from 124,313 in 2005 to 137,190 in 2006 without an increase in 3  the number of information materials in most of these universities. Although there is evidence of no increase in the number of information resources to be used by students in these universities, NCHE instead attributes the low level of research across the higher education spectrum to inadequate funding; more so, the student to book ratio stated above is far below the set standards and NCHE does not suggest for these universities to participate in resource sharing as a way of bridging the student to book ratio. The NCHE (2007) acknowledges the usefulness of the library, stating that â€Å"the library†¦ is the heartbeat of an academic institution†. However, its 2006 study indicates that universities have continued to reduce the amount of money spent on books (0. 1% in private and in 2. 5% in public universities) and that library space is being converted to student instruction classrooms. This is an indication of low spending on library books; much as these universities are still working harder to acquire information materials, space to store them is also becoming another challenge. One of the important things I have learned all through the time I have worked at Makerere University Library’s outreach programme inpartnership with CUUL as Deputy Country Coordinator for E-resources, on top of other significant institutional challenges among African universities, a committed leadership and membership was noticed as still lacking among CUUL membership. While there are already tangible successes registered by CUUL, still much has not been achieved, like spearheading resource sharing as one of its objectives since inception. This study begins to address issues that are surrounding the inefficiency involved in partnership, networking and collaboration among university libraries in Uganda. This includes how universities with far better information resources like Makerere University can share with newly established universities lacking sufficient library resources. More particularly, the study directly addresses consortium issues like leadership, communication and membership contribution as key factors in this kind of collaboration. 1. 3 Objectives of the study. †¢ Study the consortium history among academic and research libraries in the state of Illinois 4 †¢ Identify the factors that influence libraries to join and continue to participate in a consortium †¢ Determine how consortium values affect participating libraries †¢ Determine the effectiveness and extent of resource sharing among CARLI member libraries †¢ Identify factors that lead to the success of a consortium other than money †¢ Suggest practical ways for resource sharing in developing countries like Uganda 1. 4 Limitations of the study. Any comparison of differing societies, or search for causal relationships must be conducted within dimensional identities (Amaeshi (Ed), 2003); meaning, a perceived need to understand the economic, political, educational and sociological factors that affect information sharing among universities in both developed and developing countries. While the majority of the developments are standard practice in academic libraries in the developed world, many of these issues are relatively new to us in developing countries, and we have had to contextualize them by finding practical but local ways of addressing some of them (Musoke, 2008). In this study therefore, I do fully understand the dimensional identities that exist among CARLI and CUUL; I try to contextualize identified success factors by finding practical but local ways of applying these factors that have led to CARLI advancement putting into context the economic, political, educational and sociological environments of operation between the two consortia. 5 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW. 2. 1 Introduction In my literature review, I have found a good representative literature discussing the need for collaboration among Uganda’s universities and research institutions and a few outlines of the benefits so far registered in these universities. However, little is written in detail about resource sharing as a way to bridge the shortage of information resources among these universities. I am grateful to some authors (Musoke 2008, Paulos 2008, NCHE 2007, Rosenberg 2001, Kaul 2001) who identified some of the factors that have hindered collaboration in Africa, although their discussions outline funding as a major factor in this progress as opposed to good leadership, effective communication and responsive membership. By studying the relevant literature, it will help me understand more fully how other factors play a big role in the development of consortium in developing countries. 2. 1. 1 State of higher education in Uganda. To date, the existing physical resources of higher education institutions are quite inadequate. Past political instability, lack of financial resources and the general lack of a culture that values maintenance have combined to cause gross negligence in the maintenance of physical infrastructure including laboratories, seminar rooms, libraries, research facilities and staff offices (Musisi, 2003). Higher education received about 10 percent of a total Ministry budget of UGX 619. 93 billion in the 2004/05 budget year (Ministry of Education and Sports,  2005), a rate that has remained more or less constant since the mid 1990s. The implementation of cost sharing in institutions of higher learning has increased revenue generation to supplement transfers from the government. In addition to cost sharing, funds are generated internally through private sponsorship of students, consultancies, sales of services and contributions from donors, (Musisi, 2003). However these sources have not beenable to accommodate the ever increasing budget needs. Due to such poor funding, much has been left undone. 2. 1. 2 Structure of academic libraries in Uganda According to the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act of 2001, with reference to Makerere University library structure (Makerere University Library, 2007), 6 the overall administration of libraries is vested in the office of the University Librarian who reports to the Vice-Chancellor through the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in Charge of Academic Affairs (DVC-AA). The University Librarian is a member of Makerere University Top Management and Senate. Within the library, the University Librarian and deputies form the Library’s Management team, which works with heads of sections and branch libraries to implement University Library policies and programmes, and enforce library rules and regulations. The policy making body of the University Library is the Academic Programmes and Library Committee, which is a senate committee chaired by the DVC-AA. It is composed of members of Senate representing the sciences, arts and humanities, library, students and other relevant stakeholders. 2. 1. 3 History of consortium in Uganda To strengthen the network of librarians, researchers and academics in developing countries and Uganda in particular, the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) encouraged librarians to form national consortia. During a workshop on the topic of library cooperation for effective provision of information in Uganda and beyond, CUUL was established in 2001. Areas of cooperation include resource mobilization and sharing, and training and marketing of member libraries (Kinengyere, 2007). One of the challenges being addressed by CUUL is the sustainability of e-journal subscriptions atthe end of donor funding. In November 2005, CUUL decided on the mechanism of cost-sharing the e-resources, starting in 2006. Out of the 43 registered Programme for the Enhancement of Research Information institutions-(PERI)-Uganda, only 11 (25%) responded to the e-resources sustainability initiative in time for the 2007 subscriptions and this trend has not changed to date (Kinengyere, 2007). The networking and collaboration of CUUL has not yielded good results as outlined in its objectives and thishas been blamed on the lack of funds without looking at other factors like the commitment of its membership, and trust from its leadership. Both CUUL and CARLI which began in July 1, 2005, do have a lot in common in their formation. Like UIUC for CARLI, Makerere University Library is the coordinating institution for CUUL under the PERI programme. The current establishment of CUUL as per its constitution (2001) is composed of a five member elected executive committee (Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary, 7 Publicity) who conduct CUUL activities in addition to their institutional responsibilities; and a committee of representatives from actively participating institutions called ‘Functional committees’ who help to coordinate CUUL activities in their respective institutions. It is interesting to note that the ‘Functional committees’ referred to by CUUL are never as active as they should be. 2. 1. 4 The need for collaboration A perceived need for collaboration among the African university libraries was stated as early as 1990 (Ifidon, 1990); and was outlined in the Carnegie meeting of 2004, which identified the ability to participate in a global economy that is increasingly centered on access to knowledge as a critical key in solving the problems of the African nations. One of the goals of the conference was to develop partnerships between libraries and donors, and establish a platform on which future consortia and agendas could be built. During the meeting, many problems faced by African university libraries were discussed, such as poor networks, little cooperation between institutions that create their own databases of local materials, and very few digitization programs to increase African content on the Web and respond to the thousands of different cultures and languages across the continent. The benefits of collaboration, consortia, networks and peer support have been emphasized in information science literature for a long time. Most of the success stories reported by African University Librarians revolve around collaboration and networking within institutions to lobby policy makers, within the country to form consortia and share the subscription of e-resources, build capacity andget professional support. The actual and potential of networking, cooperation and digitization is to modify the functions of acquiring, storing and disseminating information and knowledge, hence the need to be supported (Musoke, 2008). Because of limited resources there is, therefore, need to build on the achievements, share experiences and best practices through collaboration and networks. 2. 1. 5 Resource sharing The concept of resource sharing has been used in the developed countries as a means to alleviate the resource inadequacies of individual libraries. In Africa, it has been seized upon as a way of sustaining informationservices. Rosenberg (2001, p. 14- 8. 15) in her paper â€Å"The sustainability of libraries and resource centers in Africa† quoted a Kenyan librarian who concluded that â€Å"there is no doubt that resource sharing programmes have a significant role to play in developing countries, given the problem of scarce resources† and â€Å"if libraries are to continueto meet the demands of other users, increased cooperation and resource sharing are vital†. Rosenberg (1993) continues to note that on the ground there is little in the way of resource sharing. In some ways the situation has deteriorated, as systems that used towork (like the East African Literature Service) have collapsed. The survey (Rosenberg, 2001) of University libraries in Africa found that interlibrary lending (the main, if not the only, form of resource sharing practiced), was minimal, especially in-country and within Africa. Such evidence suggests that there is a lot that needs to be done in order to bring a change about the idea of resource sharing among universities and research institutions. Even though these universities have little to share, even a little sharing may help future sharing of acquisitions in the most demanding subject areas. 2. 1. 6 Research and research paradigms In her paper â€Å"Strategies for addressing the university library users’ changing needs and practices in Sub-Saharan Africa†, Musoke (2008) states that there is drastic change in the methods of conducting research and research paradigms. For example, the demand for a multidisciplinary approach to research has meant that a research project in the Medical School, which would ordinarily require medical literature now also requires some social science and ICT components. Such approaches put further demands on the already meager information resourcesin our libraries, hence the need for sharing. The diversity of research methods is an indicator of the complexity of research and the challenges of meeting the information needs of human beings conducting research. Such challenges call for immediate revival of resource sharing among these universities in order to meet the changing needs. The presence and advancements in information technology can also help in this process. 2. 1. 7 Policy formation and leadership The Association of African Universities (AAU) emphasizes that the way ahead for the development of research and postgraduate capacity in African universities is through selective concentration of resources within the university system, and the 9  achievement of collaborative links among African universities, and between African universities and research institutions (AAU, 2009). In order to achieve that goal, AAU suggested that providing effective leadership to facilitate meaningful regional interuniversity cooperation among African universities may help to ease the resource constraints and to build a viable educational enterprise in Africa capable of meeting the challenges ahead (Ade Ajayi, Goma & Johnson, 1996) 2. 1. 8 Consortium membership. Among the most serious problems of Uganda’s libraries is the low level of and response rate towards collaboration and consortium in a number of library and information science activities. According to Paulos(2008), the most successful libraries in southern Africa, like in Botswana and South Africa, have been able to form strong alliances. Developing complex and strong links and partnerships facilitates the utilization of information resources. An example of a successful regional network is the Association for Health Information and Libraries in Africa (AHILA). In addition to its international connections, AHILA has two internal concerns—sharing scarce resources through interlibrary cooperation and developing systems for improved bibliographic control of the health literature produced in Africa (Kinegyere, 2008). Such strategies if applied at the national level will not only strengthen regional networks, but also work as satellite communication networks for international organizations to overcome the problems of lack of physical infrastructure and as a basis for enhancing access to information among university libraries with fewer resources. 2. 1. 9 Library funding The importance of government support towards consortia is elucidated in the plan of the United Nations (UN) World Summit on theInformation Society. This body acknowledges the significance of addressing fundamental issues of development in universal access, infrastructure, information and communication technologies, literacy, skills and training, E-learning, and E-Agriculture (Ibeun & Obasuyi, 2007). If Uganda is a signatory, it should join other countries in the attempt to support libraries and archives. Lack of funding has been a bigger issue among university libraries and has been attributed to lack of understanding of the role of libraries in an institution of higher 10 learning by university and political leaders as it emerged from the Carnegie conference (2004) and mentioned by many other writers (Musoke 2008, Ade Ajayi, Goma & Johnson 1996, Paulos 2008, Rosenberg 2001). However, not all African countries are dependent on external funding. Libraries in Botswana and South Africa are examples where funding is internally generated and the quality of library resources is very high, (Paulos, 2008). As a source of funding for libraries in Africa, including Uganda, Paulos (2008) in his paper â€Å"Library resources, knowledge production, and Africa in the 21 st century† suggested the need for funding from African governments; the importance of proactive approaches on the part of academic librarians in Africa – including the importance of identifying unique materials in the collections and seeking collaboration to digitize them; and the importance of outreach, in particular, seeking the support of Africans in the diaspora. 2. 1. 10 Increasing number of library users The growing number of university students, the increase in study programmes coupled with paradigm shifts in curriculum and research, the increase in research and the rapid ICT developments have all changed the routines of traditional academic librarianship (Musoke, 2008). The demand for information resources has increased, with diminishing budgets, resulting in a poor service to library users. This is further evidenced in the NCHE report of 2007 as outlined above. 2. 2 Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI) CARLI is an unincorporated association, with a total of 153 member institutions all over the State of Illinois (CARLI, July 2009). 2. 2. 1 History July 1, 2005 saw the merging of three Illinois academic library consortia to a consolidated consortium called CARLI; the merged  consortia include: Illinois Cooperative Collection Management Program (ICCMP), formed in 1986 and provided statewide collection studies and grants; Illinois Digital Academic Library (IDAL), formed in 1999 and provided centralized electronic resource licensing; and Illinois Library Computer Systems Organization (ILCSO) formed in 1980, provided the shared integrated library system Illinet Online which became I-Share in the consolidation. The merging of these three consortia was aimed at improving the efficiency and cost 11  effectiveness of services, increasing the effectiveness of consortial and member library staff efforts, and creating opportunities to pursuenew programs and services that the three constituent consortia would not have been able to provide on their own. CARLI has continued to add new products, services and programs including: The I-Share integrated library system, E-resources licensing, digital collections and statewide collections awards and programs. 2. 2. 2 Strategic plan, values, and goals CARLI remains fully committed to fulfilling its established mission: The Consortium leads Illinois academic libraries tocreate and sustain a rich, supportive, and diverse knowledge environment that furthers teaching, learning, and research through the sharing of collections, expertise and programs  and attaches great importance to cooperation among academic and research libraries of all types, sizes and missions; respect for the diverse missions and populations served by member institutions; recognition of each member institution’s autonomy; Sharing the full range of academic library resources effectively and economically; free and open access to all intellectual resources; excellence in providing services and programs; innovation in identifying and implementing collaborative solutions to shared challenges; responsiveness to member needs; cost-effectiveness in the delivery of programs, services, and products; careful stewardship of all CARLI resources; protecting the privacy and security of library records; supportingintellectual freedom; and advocacy for academic and research libraries at the local, state, regional and national levels. Furthermore, the consortium reaffirms its commitment to resource sharing, through the continued maintenance and development of its integrated library management system, and the provision of meaningful electronic resources, through brokering, subsidization and cost-sharing agreements as outlined in its four broad strategic priorities: Collaboration and Leadership, Innovation, Resource Sharing, and E-Resources (CARLI, 2007). 12 2. 2. 3 Membership 2. 2. 3. 1 How to become a CARLI member All higher education institutions in Illinois that are recognized by the Illinois Board of Higher Education, and are members of the Illinois Library and Information Network (ILLINET) are eligible for membership in CARLI; andwill agree to abide by the terms and conditions of the CARLI Membership Agreement and any other subsidiary agreements governing participation in a specific CARLI service. However individual member libraries retain autonomy over their own operations. CARLI membership includes three categories each with a different entitlement and responsibility, and different annual membership fees. As of the fall of2009 there were 107 Governing, 30 Associate and 16 Basic members. 2. 2. 3. 2 Membership categories and obligations Governing membership is entitled to participate in all CARLI products, services, and programs at the fullest level of central support; participate in all CARLI committees, task forces, and user groups; receive priority status on waiting lists to join I-Share and other premium services like enrollment in training sessions. Associate membership is eligible for most services and programs, and participates in CARLI governance as a group represented by a single voting member on the CARLI Board of Directors. Basic membership qualifies for selected services and programs, and does not participate in CARLI governance or voting. CARLI member institutions may upgrade to a higher or move to a lesser membership level by following the CARLI Bylaws. Eligible institutions that have not joined CARLI may participate in CARLIemail discussion lists, and may attend CARLI training events and workshops at a feesometimes higher than that of the three membership categories. 2. 2. 3. 3 Membership benefits. CARLI serves over 98% of Illinois higher education students, faculty and staff at 153 member institutions of which 76 institutions benefit from I-Share; E-resources brokering with over 1,000 discounted subscriptions to electronic journals and other resources; a 24-hour delivery by Illinois Library Delivery Service (ILDS) to 141 CARLI libraries and all the state’s regional library systems; the Book Digitization Initiative for Illinois academic and research libraries; in-house development of VuFind an open 13 source front end to I-Share catalog; and participation in the University of Rochester’s Extensible Catalog project. 2. 2. 3. 4 Funding sources CARLI’s sources of funding include annual subscription membership fees where Governing membership contribution ranges from a minimum of $1000 to a maximum of $10,000 and is calculated by student Full Time Equivalent (FTE) enrollment and institution type, Associate members pay $500, and Basic membership is $100. Other funding includes contributions towards e-resources brokering, development of library systems like I-share catalogue and VuFind, support for digitization projects and the Open Content Alliance, through conducting workshops where each membership contributes different fees to participate in any activity, and grants from the state and federal governments. The CARLI financial year runs from July 1 – June 30. 2. 2. 4 Governance CARLI operates under the direction of the CARLI Bylaws 2008 (CARLI, 2008, 2006). The University of Illinois serves as CARLI’s fiscal and contractual agent under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois and CARLI Board of Directors. CARLI operates as a unit of the University Office for Planning. and Administration, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 2. 2. 4. 1 Board of Directors and committees CARLI Board of Directors oversees the affairs of CARLI except those reserved for the entire membership; sets strategic directionof the consortium; oversees all CARLI committees; reviews and approves the detail and thetotal organizational budget each year; advises and gives recommendations on the hiring and evaluation of the Assistant Vice-President for Planning & Administration/ CARLIExecutive Director; and provides advice and input to the University of Illinois in matters relating to the Consortium. The Board meets regularly throughout the year. In addition to the Board of Directors, there are several committees, working groups, user groups, and task groups established to support the Board in carrying out operational and programmatic activities of the consortium; assist the Board in the development, implementation, operation, and evaluation of programs and services; provide the Board with advice and recommendations related to policy, management, fiscal, and on other matters that 14 require the Board’s attention. Each committee or group has CARLI liaison fulltime staff who works as a focal point for a designated committee; committees meet quarterly with CARLI Board of Directors or as required. The committees and groups are required to present reports at the end of each task assigned tothem; the reports are published and made public online on the CARLI web page. 2. 2. 4. 2 Board committee organization Board committees are of two categories, standing (permanent) committees referenced in the CARLI Bylaws and temporary â€Å"ad hoc† groups established to carry out a specific task and then discharged. All committeesreport to the Board on a schedule established by the Board. Each Board committee has a CARLI staff liaison. Ad hoc groups have sunset dates at which point the group will be discharged. 2. 2. 4. 2. 1 Standing (permanent) committees There are five permanent committees established by the CARLI Bylaws. Executive committee: The officers of the CARLI Board of Directors shall constitute the Executive Committee. The Committee is advisory both to the Chair and to the Board of Directors on scheduling agenda topics and preparing information for the Board of Directors’ review and action. The Executive Committee is authorized to act on behalf of the Board of Directors on any urgent matter requiring Board approval, unless a regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors is scheduled to take place within 48 hours. The CARLI Board elects its own Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect each year to join the current Chair, Past Chair, and CARLI Executive Director in forming the Executive Committee and will meet as needed to update the Board on their plans and actions. CARLI Executive Director is the Staff or Board liaison. The finance committee provides the Board with recommendations related to annual budget requests, the annual budget, the annual financial performance report, and any other financial matters that require the Board’s attention. It’s composed of four Board members, one each from public institutions, private institutions, community colleges, and one at large. The Past CARLI Chair isthe chair of the committee. The Finance committee reports to the CARLI Board of Directors, on a quarterly basis. CARLI Staff or Board liaisons are the CARLI Executive Director, and CARLI Director for Business and Financial Services. 15 The personnel committee provides the Board with recommendations and input into the recruitment, compensation and evaluation of performance of the Assistant VicePresident and Executive Director. The Board, in turn, provides its recommendations to the University of Illinois. The Committee may also provide the Board with recommendations and input into any other personnel matters that require its attention. The Personnel Committee is composed of four Board members, one each from public institutions, private institutions, community colleges, and one at large. The ViceChair/Chair Elect is the Chair of the Committee. The group reports to the CARLI Board of Directors and University of Illinois Associate Vice President for Planning and Budgeting on an annual basis. The CARLI Board liaison is the University of Illinois Associate Vice President for Planning and Budge.