The Gypsy Swing Cats and the Beginning of Jazz

Joshua Pauly Professor Hsu Artistic/Cultural Plunge Essay 11 April 2013 The Gypsy Swing Cats and the Beginning of Jazz On Wednesday April 10th I decided to go to the Kaffee Meister Coffeehouse, located at 9225 Carlton Hills Blvd Santee Ca. 92071, for the specific reason of enjoying some Jazz music played by the San Diego based Gypsy Swing Cats. I was quite impressed with how they performed by mixing an energetic and innovated blend of Swing, Jazz, and Blues. From what I observed, their music merges Gypsy melodies and rhythms, with the influences of American Jazz reminiscent of Paris in the 1930's: cool, charming, and classy.The music of the Gypsy Swing Cats is thoroughly modern infused with the wild, mysteriously free and exciting Gypsy flavors. The tantalizing melodies of the Gypsy Swing Cats bring the audience a unique and new experience. Their highly rhythmic sound will electrify your listening experience with a new exciting energy. Gypsy Jazz, also known as Gypsy Swing, is a musi cal expression often said to have been started by guitarist Jean â€Å"Django† Reinhardt. He was foremost amongst a group of Gypsy guitarists working in and around Paris in the 1930's.The music combined the exciting sound of American Jazz that transformed the old into the new. The guitarists supercharged the music further by adding Swing to the fire and melancholia of the unique Gypsy sound. The tantalizing melodies of the Gypsy Swing Cats bring the audience a unique and new experience. My dad is a big fan of Jazz music and he played it a lot around me when I was growing up, but I never really paid attention to it or who the famous musicians of the genre were.Yeah, this Jazz music was and still is very soothing to my mind, but I just personally never had any drive to listen to it on my own. After Hearing The Gypsy Swing Cats’ band play this genre of music that I was not very familiar with, I decided to embark on a journey of discovering something new to add to my not-s o-vastly knowledgeable brain, how Jazz was born. Jazz started when World War I had just ended and a social revolution was on its way. Customs and values of previous social norms were rejected. Life was to be lived to the fullest.This was also known as the era of the â€Å"lost generations,† and the â€Å"flapper† with her rolled stockings, short skirts, and straight up-and-down look. They disturbed their elders in the casino, night clubs, and speakeasies that replaced the ballrooms of prewar days. Dancing became more informal. At the close of the nineteenth century in the unpleasant dance halls and brothels of the South and Midwest, the word Jazz commonly meant sexual intercourse. Southern blacks, delivered from slavery a few decades before, started playing European music with Afro modifications.The first place of jazz has many origins: New Orleans, St. Louis, Memphis, and Kansas City are just a few. But New Orleans was and still remains an important jazz center. The e thnic rainbow of people who went to the bars and brothels were a big part of the development of jazz. This city had been under Spanish French rule because of the Louisiana Purchase. By 1900 New Orleans was a blend of Spanish, French, English, German, Italian, Slavic and countless blacks originally brought in the country as slaves.The first jazz bands contained a â€Å"rhythm section† consisting of a string bass, drums, and a guitar or banjo, and a â€Å"melodic section† with one or two cornets, a trombone, a clarinet, and sometimes even a violin. Years later, jazz was taken over by large orchestras; A â€Å"society jazz† contained fifteen or more musicians. Today, there is a renewed interest in the â€Å"big band† era, even though the music has very little to do with real jazz. Jazz is characterized by certain features. The first is a tendency to stress the weak beats of the bar (2nd and 4th) in contrast to traditional music which stressed the first and t hird beats.The second feature is syncopation through an extensive repetition of short and strongly rhythmic phrases or â€Å"riffs†. The third feature of jazz is swing (regular but subtle pulsation which animates 4/4 time). The swing must be present in every good jazz performance. Jazz as a musical style it has been with us for more than a century. Jazz originated in the United States, It has spread over the entire world, and its influence can be seen everywhere. It is a universal language and means of communication, understood by people in all nations and all walks of life.It has been a major influence on many styles and classes of music since its origin in the late 1800's. It has also influenced dance, clothing styles, the recording industry, the film industry, radio and television, our language, and many other aspects of our lives. One major contributor to jazz was Louis Daniel Armstrong who was born in the Storyville District of New Orleans, Louisiana, on August 4, 1901. He always celebrated his birth as July 4, 1900 because that is what he was told and believed.His real date of birth was not known until after his death July 6, 1971. His father Willie, a laborer, left the family soon after he was born, his mother, a domestic servant and a part time prostitute called Mayanne, left Louis and his sister Beatrice, also called Mama Lucy, in the care of his grandma much of the time, however he always believed the love of his family helped him make it through those rough times. Louis dressed in rags and usually shopped in garbage cans. He sang with other boys on the streets for tips and began to develop his musical talents.At this time in his life, it was not a promising time for young Louis. To celebrate the New Year in 1913 Louis discharged a borrowed pistol into the air and was arrested. A very fortunate occurrence for Jazz and probably for him, he was then sent to the city's Colored Waif's Home for Boys, where he came under the very capable tutorship o f Peter Davis, the music instructor at the home. Louis had some background in harmony singing, as a natural ability, and the experience of singing on the streets, but under Mr.Davis he began to study music. First vocals, then percussion, then he became the home bugler, and finally cornet. The music was very structured mostly marches and other ensemble music. When being released from the waif's home at age fourteen, Louis worked selling papers, unloading boats, and selling coal from a horse and cart. He also listened to bands at clubs like the Come Clean Dance Hall and Mahogany Hall, in Storyville. Joe â€Å"King† Oliver with the Kid Ory Band was his favorite and he quickly became young Louis's mentor.By 1917 Louis was playing in various groups at dive bars in New Orleans' Storyville section. In 1919 he joined Fate Marable's band in St. Louis, and stayed with him until 1921. Marable headed a band and he played in Zutty Singleton's Trio, Papa Celestin's Tuxedo Orchestra, The Si lver Leaf Band, and When King Oliver left New Orleans in 1919 to go to Chicago, Louis took his place in Kid Ory's band, at the suggestion of Oliver. In 1922 Louis received a telegram from Joe Oliver, asking him to join his Creole Jazz Band at Lincoln Gardens in Chicago.Louis learned much working with Oliver. The experience of playing second cornet helped to develop his ear and harmonies, and, the importance of playing straight lead, as Oliver did, were lessons that he would use for the remainder of his life. While playing in Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, Louis met Lillian Hardin the piano player for the band, and they were married in February of 1924. By the end of 1924 she pressured Louis to leave the Oliver band. He moved to New York to play in Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra for 13 months.While in New York he worked many recording sessions with numerous Blues singers including Bessie Smith on her 1925 classic recording of â€Å"St. Louis Blues†. In 1925 Armstrong moved back to Chicago and joined his wife's band at the Dreamland. He recorded his first Hot Five records that same year. This was the first time Louis had made records under his own name. The records made by Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven are considered to be absolute jazz classics and the peak of his creative powers. The band never played live, but continued recording until 1928.Louis Armstrong died in 1969 his manager was Joe Glaser. According to records the first person to play jazz music was a man born in 1878, the legendary Buddy Bolden. The old-time musicians say that Buddy Bolden was â€Å"the first musician to start the big noise in Jazz. † They say he'd shine his cornet â€Å"till it glistened like a woman's legs†. Then he'd put his horn out the window and say to his band, â€Å"Let's call the children home†. He would blow and his children would come running. It has also been said that, â€Å"his trumpet could be heard all over New Orleans, and even acro ss the river in Algiers†.

Provinces of the Philippines and Kara David Essay

Ang Huling Prinsesa† (The Last Princess) is a documentary from Kara David shown in I-Witness back in 2004. It is a challenging feat for anyone who wants to see and explore a mysterious tradition preserved for decades among some of the mountains isolated communities. I-Witness travels to the Tapaz Mountain, considered the farthest in Capiz, located in the central Philippines island of Panay. Reporter Kara David reaches the community of Rizal Sur, a village that looks just like any other isolated community, where the people living in traditional huts and survive on whatever nature provides them. In the midst of this community, she meets one of the last remaining binukots, 73-year-old Lola (grandmother). This old woman lives in an old hut, just like everybody else in the community. However, she has stayed inside a room in the house ever since she was five years old, living in isolation as the family chosen binukot. Since being chosen the binukot of her tribe, the old woman has worn a veil so that no one can see her face. She is lifted onto a hammock every day so her feet never touch the ground. She is bathed, combed and served only the best food like an ancient princess. Her work is to learn the traditional dances and memorize the tribe’s hours-long epics. Only the binukots learn the epics, which are taught to them orally. Thus, they are also the only ones who may pass the long stories of their ancestors to the next generation. Personal insight Stories of princess were part of our childhood memories. We dream of becoming one during those times. But in Tumandok tribe in Tapaz, Capiz, Philippines, there were women, who were treated like a princess. They are known to be the binukot.

An investigation of mediating effects on the core-self evaluation and Assignment

An investigation of mediating effects on the core-self evaluation and organizational commitment relationship - Assignment Example The decisions involving career planning needs to be done meticulously with emphasis given on individual strengths, weaknesses, skills, interest areas, motivational aspects and psychological assessment of the required job. The portfolio will deal with all the individual aspects and evaluation plans which can justify my key strengths and capabilities in finding the right job as per my professional capabilities. CV The making of Curriculum Vitae is the first step of the Personal Development Plan which highlights the key areas of interest, skills and expertise of a person. The best way of constructing a CV is to make it short, precise and emphasize on the points which matters the most to the companies like key areas of expertise, work experience in dealing with specified domains. CURRICULUM VITAE Steven Paul Birmingham, UK Cell phone: (+44) 7831310254 E-mail: spaul@yahoo.com OBJECTIVE Knowledge Acquisition and a learning drive are the motivating factors of my professional life which has helped me develop my professional goals and ambition. I am looking forward to a full time opportunity to work in a dynamic business environment. PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES Excellent interpersonal and communication skills Ardent believer in team work. Strong Management capabilities and experience to lead big teams. Project initiation and development. Self-motivated, hardworking and reliable Hunger to learn and acquire new skills, methods and procedures Computer skills: MS Office, MS Projects, Tally WORK EXPERIENCE 2007 till Date KPMG Project Leader Led a team of 10 people doing audit for client Held regular meetings with team for work assessment Gave Power Point presentations to the management for projects being carried out on a regular basis. ACHIEVMENTS/CERTIFICATES 2010 Diploma certification in Hedge Funds 2006 Certification in Science from Heritage Institute of Technology 2005 School Topper EDUCATION 2008-2010 Masters of Business and Administration from Durham University with specializa tion in Finance. 2005-2008 Bachelors in Science from University of Wales LANGUAGES Able to speak fluent English and French HOBBIES Reading; Playing sports REFERENCES: Available upon request Covering Letter To, The Human Resource Head Home Retail Group London, United Kingdom Sub: Application for the position of Financial Analyst Sir, This is to inform you that I wish to offer my candidature for the post of financial analyst. I am an MBA from Durham University with major in Finance. My key area of specialization is that of a management consultant. I have good domain knowledge of operations and logistics which I combine with my financial expertise to tell the management what would be the correct step forward. I have done years of research in Durham University which has helped my cause with enough industry experience. I would like to be given an opportunity to give a presentation to you where I can show my strengths and answer business related queries of yours. Thanking You, Yours truly , Steven Paul Job Market The world market was under recession in 2008 when the economy was in shatters with the top banking firms collapsing due to financial crisis which was more of a policy failure with huge financial credits given being unrecoverable. This had put the economy under severe recession and my firm was also retrenching candidates. From that stage the economy has recovered and so has the job market. The current job market in the accounting sector in 2012 has again seen a boost compared to the dip

Indiana Geology and Landscapes Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Indiana Geology and Landscapes - Assignment Example The ice sheets carried with them sediments, which were a mixture of sand, silt, clay, and stones. When warmer weather finally arrived this mixed silt was left behind as the ice retreated north. arrived the advanced into Indiana and as outwash sand and gravel when the ice melted. The more uneven original bedrock was filled in with this accumulated debris finally producing a gently rolling, somewhat monotonous according to some, landscape. Â  There are hills and areas of higher land, as are shown in the relief map below but this is simply because these parts of the sedimentary rocks, which include limestone, dolomite, shale, sandstone, and siltstone, although they tip to the south west, were always higher in elevation than the intrusive ice sheets. This is especially so in the northeast of the state, although the highest point is actually in the south in Wayne County, near to the state’s eastern border. The rock there is the oldest in date, being from more than 440 million years ago. according to Indiana University, Department of Earth Sciences ( undated). Â  The same researchers state that the youngest rocks, mostly sandstone with some shale, coal, and limestone, referred to as the McLeansboro Group. This difference in the bedrock explains in part differences in the visible and invisible landscape. The dissolving of rocks such as limestone leads to karst landscapes with sinkholes and caves as in the Mitchell Plateau in Southern Indiana, as described by The Nature Conservancy, 2012. Stream rise and also disappear among a rolling landscape. The same site describes the Muscatatuck area with similar results from the dissolving of the bedrock, but in this case, the rocks concerned date from the Silurian and Devonian ages. ( See figure 4 ). Â  

LITERATURE REVIEW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

LITERATURE REVIEW - Essay Example According to Gupta (2012), the systolic BP as well as the heart rate of old people is higher as compared to their counterparts who are in pre-retirement age. He attributes the above physiological characteristics to increased stress, anxiety, and depression amongst the old people. He argues that participation in cognitive activities could help old people counterweigh the physiological factors. Rockwood, Mitnitski and Rockwood (2010), did a research to test if deficit accumulation leads to loss of redundancy. They tested the relationship between age and FI-CGA. They found out that deficit accumulation decreases with increasing frailty, a state of helplessness arising due to old age. Nelson et al (2007) posit that the older people require to be engaged in exercise to improve their health as they age. Their report argues that America incurs a lot of cost treating the old people of diseases resulting from inactivity. They thus recommend inclusion of exercise programs for the old to help o ffset ailments such as cardiovascular complications, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, cancers such as of colon and breast. Additionally they argue that exercise helps reduce stress and depression, which trigger other diseases. Psychological Characteristics Loneliness, which is a common aspect characterizing the life of most old people is a major cause of many psychological as well as physiological problems. In most cases, loneliness contributes to depression, which is associated with declined cognitive capability particularly among the old people. Luanaigh & Lawlor (2008) suggest the need for research on possible interventions that could be used to decrease loneliness amongst the old. Dozeman et al (2009) suggest that old people, particularly those above 75 years are more vulnerable to depression. Their study on the prevalence of depressive symptoms across different ages showed that clinically related depressive symptoms are considerably high amongst the old people. They claim that such depressive symptoms are disadvantageous because they lead to reduced quality of life and make the old persons vulnerable to other conditions such as dysthymia. Sociological Characteristics According to Eliutina (2012), the problems faced by the old couples have received minimal attention by researchers. Their study showed that the number of old couples has decreased rapidly over the recent past due to increased death rate of men. After the death of their spouses, few widows choose to remarry due to fear of divorce. Additionally, the study revealed that old couples are often despised by the society and are given minimal attention. The old thus end up suffering of depression. The old couples are also likely to face individual differences among themselves, which call for the need for sociopsychological support programs to help the old people. Since most old people suffer from physiological as well as psychological problems, there is need for establishment of social programs such a s physical fitness programs to aid the old persons in the society (Meadows, Marechal & Catalan, 1998). Current Health and Activity Status When people get older, they become frail and dependent. Gurina, Frolova & Degryse (2011) categorize the health problems facing the old people. T

Research Papper Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Papper - Research Paper Example The manufacturing sector has also been heavily targeted and attacked by cyber terrorists and criminals. This has been done especially to access information about manufacturing processes and control process. Cyber terrorist may attack manufacturing industries systems so as to get access to the data concerning the processes and procedures used in that industry. This information may then be used elsewhere to manufacture counterfeit commodities. Cyber terrorist also attack the automated machine control processes so as to cause accidents in that particular industry. These may be politically motivated attacks. The other sector that is targeted by cyber terrorists is the health care sector. The sector has been at risk since it has not invested in cybercrime security procedures. These attacks may results into financial losses and even deaths. These cyber terrorist can access the hospital data system and for example change the medicine prescription of a patient resulting into death of the patient (Krasavin, 2004). The transport sector and the critical infrastructure of the country are also top targets of cyber terrorists. These cyber criminals can use their software to interfere with for example flight schedules in order to cause confusion in airports. Communication systems have also been attacked by cyber terrorists leading to access of vital information and confidential information of the American citizens. Cyber terrorists have as well targeted the education sector in the United States of America. This has been for example done through accessing the databases of various education institutions and changing the grades of the students or interfering with the curriculum. These terrorists have also used the internet to carrying out cyber bullying in order to intimidate students. In addition to that, students’ work and assignments have also been attacked and interfered with through spamming and other malwares. Cyber crime

DISCUSSION BOARD WEEK 6-1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

DISCUSSION BOARD WEEK 6-1 - Essay Example Qualitative Market Research, 14(4), 430-440. The main aspect of qualitative research method is the definition of research questions (Branthwaite, & Patterson, 2011). Qualitative methods are based on tested variables and hypothesis within the area of interest. Thus, qualitative research is based on a general research question, which can be narrowed down to the preferred research question. In addition, qualitative researchers are interested in exploring patterns that defines different research variables. Identifying patterns that define different research variables is the interesting element of qualitative research. This is because a qualitative researcher is capable of responding to research questions that cannot be addressed through the usual research techniques. This article provides basic guidelines for choosing appropriate design for my research topic. For instance, the article addresses design of research hypothesis and questions. Butler, A. C. (2010). Repeated testing produces s uperior transfer of learning relative to repeated studying. Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory & Cognition, 36(5), 1118-1133. According to Butler (2010), qualitative research question are created in neutral and exploratory language. This enables researchers to define several variables through a single research question. ... Qualitative research address question of ‘what’ and ‘how’. These questions explain or explore a certain pattern that is related to social behavior or trend. The article provide a concrete basis for development of research questions. Ring, N., Jepson, R., & Ritchie, K. (2011). Methods of synthesizing qualitative research studies for health technology assessment. International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care, 27(4), 384-90. Ring, Jepson, & Ritchie (2011), explores the impacts of technology on research. The researchers explore ways in which information technology can be applied in social research. Although the study is based on health assessments, it provides a general overview of qualitative research and its application. According to the article, qualitative research has the ability to respond to research questions that cannot be answered using alternative research methods. The article examines the role of technology in cubing Medicare fraud. A ccording Ring, Jepson, & Ritchie (2011), application of information technology in healthcare centers and institutions will greatly reduce cases of Medicare fraud. Jacobson, P. D (2001). Regulating Health Care: From Self-Regulation to Self-Regulation?  Journal of Health Politics, Policy, and Law. 26 (5) 1165–78. Jacobson, P. D (2001) explore the role of the authority in regulating the health sector through appropriate ethical practices. According to the article medical fraud, signify unethical performance within health institutions. The article explores the role of healthcare professional in regulating the health sector. The article defines the different trends that characterize Medicare fraud. This provides a significant aspect

Asian American and Asian communities in U.S Essay

Asian American and Asian communities in U.S - Essay Example One of the very important reasons is that of something called as â€Å"Asian parents Syndrome† (Online Education Articles, n.p). It has been an observation that Asian parents generally have higher expectations of their children. It is because of these expectations that many college students feel the need to achieve greater success. Asian parents cannot simply compromise that their children are not the best among everyone, and therefore, this drives the children to work harder (Online Education Articles, n.p). Asian culture and its expectations therefore enable the Asian students to work harder. Another factor, which plays a very important role, is that of maternal expectations of children. The study conducted by Stevenson group was based on Japanese and American students and mothers. When children did not perform well in school, almost 42 percent of American mothers were satisfied with their child’s performance. Contrary to that, only five percent of Japanese mothers ra ted the performance to be satisfactory. American mothers were also willing to accept a child’s low performance. Therefore, the study concluded that such American attitudes provided an excuse for the children for not working very hard. Such attitudes continue throughout life, therefore, American students might not perform better in colleges. Asian students are very adaptable to levels of hard work (Wray, pp. 57). Historically, Asian students have been driven to work harder. Educational achievements had become very important, especially in the case of Japanese and Chinese students. A study done by Suzuki in 1977 (Nakanishi & Nishida, pp.140) showed that Asian Americans came to pursue education because they were considered a ‘minority’ group. This led them to strive harder. During the 1940s, Asians were discriminated by the trade unions. They were refused membership. After the Second World War, there was a need for white-collar employees because of technological adv ancements. Thus, education became the prime goal for Asian individuals in order to achieve success. In addition, Connor in 1975 gave the explanation that Asian students had been denied in social and extra curricular activities before the First World War. This had emphasized educational values. Therefore, studies have proved that historically, Asian students have had the motive to pursue education with full zeal (Nakanishi & Nishida, pp.140). A study conducted on Japanese students and teachers showed that teachers expected a greater level from their students. They are taught that education is difficult, not always exciting, and it also requires a great amount of hard work. Responsibility and perseverance is also taught. Hence, Japanese students have been socialized to achieve success through education. Therefore, this attitude remains with them throughout life, and therefore when they go to study in colleges in US, they will tend to perform better. Therefore, values of culture also p lay a significant role (Wray, pp. 54). Generally, Asian immigrants also have spent more amount of time in school. On average, Asian students in their countries spent an average of 240 days in school per year, while the American students spent around 178 days in school every year. Therefore, this increases the performance of the Asian students (Santrock, pp. 626). Some other cultural reasons, which might also form part of religious values, attempt to explain why Asians generally do better in colleges. There are certain cultural values, which are common

The rates of reaction Essay Example for Free

The rates of reaction Essay Below are the results of the preliminary testing: Time in seconds As you can see from the results table above the column of 7:3 is not filled up and this is due to timing we did not have enough time in the lesson to complete the full test so we had to leave it, what this informs us is that we either have to reduce the time intervals because of our intervals being 30 seconds it is taking much longer than any body elses, or we have to work at a faster rate. The other reason to why we did not have time to do the last experiment was due to we forgot on several occasions to wash out the conical flask and we often remembered after we added the acid inside and the magnesium, so we had to take it out spill the acid and the magnesium turnings and start all over again because it is not called a fair test if we do not wash the flask out. Other problems that we faced which delayed out time was to put the burette upside down in the water bath, this is because everytime we tried to do this the water contents inside the burette would spill out so we would have to refill the water and try again. From the preliminary testing what I can evaluate is that for some reason there does not seem to be that much difference between the amount of hydrogen produced depending on the amount of concentration . The results seem to be fairly close together and stay in the range of 20 60cm. What I thought would happen is that there would be a drastic change in the results but then if I think about it there would not be a drastic change because we have not used drastic changes in the concentrations so we would not see the clear effects. If I wanted to see big changes in the hydrogen produced then I would have had to have a variety of ranges in the concentration and change is drastically e. g. from 100% to 50%. We ended up doing the experiment with the same concentrations that we used in our preliminary testing this is because we did not mark this problem before, we did not pay attention to the results that much and that was a mistake. I only realised this piece of information when I was analyzing the results and this was too late. The next time when we conducted our proper experiments what happened is that although we used the same magnesium substance magnesium turnings, what was going on was that the rate of the reaction was happening too quickly so in the space of 30 seconds 40cm of water would have been lost, and we were finding that before 210 seconds all the water was finished ,we did not believe it at first so we started up another experiment along side one and it was true the reaction for some reason was really fast and it had defiantly increased in speed since the pilot testing. We then had to change the type of magnesium we were using to magnesium ribbon and we decreased the amount that we were using as well from 0. 2g we decided to use 0. 1 g so that incase the mass of the magnesium was the cause of the fast reaction, by reducing the weight maybe the reaction will slow down. After we changed the magnesium from turnings to powder the reaction between the magnesium and the sulphuric acid was going at the correct speed as before and the reaction happening seemed to look correct. The results tables for the three tests are below: Results 1: Concentrations:100% Above are all the results that we obtained from the three experiments that we conducted. What I am going to do now is collect the mean results and to this what I have to do is add up the cm of hydrogen produced for the concentration of 100% and for 30seconds and divide it by 3 and so on: TIME concentrations. What I can see from this table is that the most amount of hydrogen is produced when the concentration of the sulphuric acid is at its most powerfullest so when the concentration is pure acid. I can tell this because the most amount of hydrogen was produced at the end of the 100% reaction at an average of 73. 3cm. so these results back one part of my prediction and it proved to be correct, but what I can also tell from average results is that as time goes on the amount of hydrogen produced decreased, so this proved my theory of what I thought might happen to be wrong. What I thought would happen is that as time went on the reaction would increase which would mean that the volume of hydrogen produced would be increased, but this was proved wrong because from my average table I can see that at the beginning 90 seconds was when we saw a greater difference between the first volume of hydrogen produced to the next amount in the space of 30 seconds for example from 30 seconds to 60 seconds the volume of hydrogen produced increased from 24.3 to 41. 3 this is an increase of 20cm of hydrogen and from that the volume goes up to 54cm this is an increase of 13. 3cm,but from 90 seconds onwards up to 210 seconds the rate at which the volume increases at is not that sufficient, it increases. By 6,4 then 3.this shows that as time is going on the energy with in the reaction is running out which means that less heat is available for the particles to collide harder and faster to produce the reaction that we are able to see, what is happening as time goes on is that the reaction is loosing he heat energy which is causing the particles to move at a slower speed which means that they are now weaker and that they will not collide more often to produce the hydrogen which in over all basically means that less hydrogen will be produced. After I have produced this table what I have done is that I have plotted these results onto a graph, this graph has all the average results on there so that I am able to compare the results and discus any anomalous results. From the average results graph what I am able to see is that as the levels of sulphuric acid in the solution decreases the amount of hydrogen produced decreases as well. I am distinctively able to see the decrease as the concentration decreases and this is because the lines on the graph decrease at each stage. The average results graph also shows me that during the first 30 60 seconds as the magnesium ribbon comes in contact with the sulphuric acid the levels of hydrogen produced are low, but the thing is that they are low in volume but during the first minute or so is the period of time where I am able to see the greater range between the volumes. So when time does increase the volumes are higher in rate, but not higher between the ranges of each 30seconds. There seems to be more variation during the first minute and a half rather than afterwards. This is visible on the graphs by the steepness of the gradients in the first 30 60 seconds after 90 seconds the gradient starts to curve this is applied to all of the four concentrations. Other general trends that I am able to se by looking at the graph is that as the time approaches to 210 seconds the lines seem to start to curve, this means that if we were to keep recording for a longer period of time the rate at which the hydrogen was being produced would of decreased and the reason to this is that once the energy in the reaction is lost it takes a longer period of time for the particles to come in contact with each other and collide to produce a reaction. I can also see that all four lines end at different volumes of hydrogen. I think that they all end correctly as they do not over take on and other, the reason why I say that they all end correctly is because as the concentration decreases the amount of hydrogen produced should decrease therefore the 100% concentration line should be the line which goes up the highest and the 7:3 concentration line should be the line where the line should end at the lowest amount of hydrogen produced in the whole experiment and this is what has happened therefore the lines are correct in that sense. Evaluation: I think that after we dealt with all the mishaps that we had during the course of the experiments the results obtained were of a good standard and they were reliable results which enabled me to analyse and evaluate them, therefore letting me produce line graphs for the results. I think that the results that I obtained from my experiment are clear and accurate enough, I can say this because when we conducted the experiment for the last three tests we made sure that we followed the safety measurements to ensure that results will be accurate, we did not make any mistakes and remembered to change the water in the measuring cylinder and we also remembered to wash out the conical flask each time we finished with a particular concentration unlike in the preliminary testing . We also made sure that we kept an eye on the time so that we did not exceed the time limit of each experiment and we also made sure that we recorded the results of how much hydrogen was produced as accurately as we could trying to get it to the nearest cm. , because we did all of the above thats why I can say that the results obtained and accurate enough to be used to draw good conclusions and graphs for this investigation. I have found some anomalous results and patterns in the individual experiments not the overall average. If you look at Test 1 graph, then you would see that the lines on the graph seem to over lap each other which is not meant to happen, because in theory what is meant to happen is as the concentration decreases so is the volume of hydrogen produced there for the lines should be in order with the 100% in coming up top followed by the 9:1, 8:2 and the 7:3 results line. But in test 1 results what has happened is that the results for the 9:1 concentration has overlapped with the 100% results. The reason for this is that the results of how much volume of hydrogen was produced for the 9:1 results was higher than the 100% results by 5cm. From the very beginning the 9:1 concentration produced higher results than the 100% concentration at 30 seconds 26cm of hydrogen was produced for the 9:1 testing whilst only 22cm of hydrogen was produced for the 100% concentration, at 150 seconds both sets concentrations had produced the same amount.

Coming of Age Essay Example for Free

Coming of Age Essay There have always been challenges that a young adolescent must make to become an adult. Whether it was one hundred years ago, or today in this day and age, the challenges are ever so present. Unfortunately, the challenges faced back then were far more harsh and difficult for the young adults compared to the present. They lacked the technology, resources, and knowledge we now possess today. Most jobs one hundred years ago had to be physically done by people, not machines, which the 21st century seems to love. Although times are now different in the sense of materials and knowledge, the society and traditional structure of becoming an â€Å"adult† still stands; you get a job, you get married – you are an adult. There are plenty more things that need to be done and prepared for before even entering the work world, let alone becoming an adult. One hundred years ago, someone my age would have already been working on a farm or in a warehouse with production of some sort. They might be already married with a baby on the way and one already born. Life was very out of the ordinary compared to what we are accustomed to today. A young person was considered an adult at a very early age, typically because he/she started working very young to provide for a family. Life expectancy one hundred years ago, if you survived birth without any antibiotics, was not very long. For women it was fifty-six and men, fifty-two. Due to the short-lived lives of parents, children had no choice but to learn how to fend for themselves in this wild world we call life. Almost all of these jobs, lacking any requirement for education, were not the safest, cleanest, or best paying jobs. Not everyone went straight to work; some had the luxury of going to school to further their education so that they may obtain a good, high paying job. Those who were lucky enough to have the money to pay for an education are the ones who set the high demand for education in the world today. Only the children of the wealthy were educated, and they became wealthy as well. That was the mind set, which led to current day policy. Everyone goes to school. There are some people that go straight to work after high school. Similar to one hundred years ago, the jobs they obtain typically are not the highest paying jobs that require less education, typically are labor union jobs or â€Å"off the books† working. In this country, you need an education if you want to work anywhere, even at McDonalds. Education has become such a big part of the world today.

Community Resettlement Following Residential Care

Community Resettlement Following Residential Care Promporn Dokphutsa Task 1 Explanation of Te Tiriti O Waitangi and its application in the social services Te Triti O Waitangi was signed on 6th February 1840 at Waitangi. It significant to maintain the benefits of Maori people who living in New Zealand. It is concluded 4 important principles which are partnership, protection, participation and permission. These 4 principles are the basic necessary needs for Maori in term of living and culture. Therefore, while Maori people get engage into any social services, it is responsible for social workers to be aware and make sure that Maori clients have been treated with appropriate services. Firstly, partnership refers to working together for agreed outcomes. A a social service organisations must ensure providing policies that the needs of Maori are taken into description when cooperating with Maori client and their family/ whanau. By building trust and rapport with Maori clients and their family/ whanau is the first thing to consider introducing yourself and getting to know more detail of clients by making friendship. As well as involve clients in every processes of care plan such as let them sign the contract to ensure health safety support and fully inform need to be used. Secondly, protection focuses on client’s privacy and safety. The social workers may following the Code of Rights and Code of Conducts to maintain client’s confidentiality while attending social service. As well as respect the right of Maori to enjoy their taonga in social service settings. To be able to make important decisions those are in their best interests. Thirdly, participation is focused on service accessibility for Maori to make sure that their needs are met by asking or allowing them to participate in their care plan until discharge from residential care. Also family/ whanau engagement at all levels of service is another way to practice participation principle. Lastly, permission is important for social workers to be considered while engaging to social service. Maori clients must be free to speak Te Reo Maori and participate in any Maori spiritual or culture practices. To sum up, 4 principles of Te Tiriti O Waitangi are using to maintain and promote Maori’s physical and mental well-being and safety. Therefore, social workers have to provide as much as possible resources for Maori clients to make sure they needs are met and bi-cultural perspective by following Te Tiriti. Task 2 Manage the intake process of a person discharged from residential care. Context setting Residential support to Adult(18-65yrs) with an intellectual disability Individual Group Summary of reason residential care was required SH Adult (23) A Maori lady is being discharged from a residential care after she has completed to 6 months stay. SH had diagnosed with Perthes Syndrome (Childhood disease of hip joint) since she was born. But when she is growing up she started showing challenging behaviour included physical and verbal aggression such as throwing, hitting, kicking, spitting, swearing and pinching. Therefore, her family/ whanau suggested transferring her to stay in the residential care facility to develop social skills and to be independent in her environment. Contribution to managing intake process Date Notes/ key of information provided to the person 01/03/14 Receiving and collecting information of SH. Receiving and recording referrals for a meeting. Contacted SH family/ whanau and other key people and gave them access to the information for the meeting. 02/03/14 Service co-ordinator, house leader, CSW, Mother, GP, caregiver and healthcare professional have a meeting regarding to the improvement of SH. 03/03/14 All parties were agreeable that SH is ready to go back to the community. Summary of information provided to the person regarding the role, function, services and legal responsibilities of the social worker and social service provider. The intake process helps to identify and assess a client’s current situation, issues and needs as well as to determine the most appropriate and effective means of helping the client. Social workers and social service provider have to concern about client’s safety and wellbeing first before making any decisions during the process of discharged. Therefore, gathering data (qualitative e.g. interview/ quantitative e.g. number) to get personal information of client is necessary. It could come from the client, family’ whanau, friends, health care professional or other keys people who relevant to the care plan. Also physical and mental wellness of client is important to make sure the client is ready to go back to the community independently. Intake and Assessment is a reverential, organized process of gathering personal information of either clients or clients’ caregivers in order to facilitate service providers as well as clients to make informed decisions about the provision of the programme and/ or services. Social service organisation should make sure that they have progress their own timeline for intake and assessment that suits their programmes which lead in safe environment and suitable for the client/client’s caregiver. Notes/ key points of how you completed intake procedures according to the discharge plan, legislation, ethical practice and in accordance with your workplace standards/ requirements. Roles and responsibilities As a social worker will need to create suitable and focused on working together with clients, taking into account individual differences and the cultural and social context of the clients situation such as understands the concepts of culture, class, race, ethnicity, spirituality, sex, age and disability. Allow client to participate in the processes by motivates and encourages participation. Assists clients to gain their self-determination over their own environments. Provides choices for the client, gives accurate information by which the client can best decide. In working with clients, the social worker uses her/his personal characteristics appropriately. May attends supervision to develop best practice. Written policy and procedure Admission criteria. Intake and Assessment procedures. Documents to be completed and retained. Procedures to follow when a client cannot be assisted /referring on. Information to be provided to clients. Legislation relevant to the organisation. Others notes/ reflections on the intake process. Client’s safety and wellbeing must be the first consideration of the social service provider before completed intake procedures according to the discharge plan. Task 3 Contributions to assisting the person to manage the transition from residence to the community Date Notes/ key points of any meeting or other communication details of actions related to assisting the person. 05/03/14 SH’s family/ whanau was consulted about the discharge from residential care facility. 06/03/14 Discuss with SH about her interests and goals. 08/03/14 Support SH in term of decision-making in her interests and being independence. How did the assistance you provided encourage self-determination and discourage dependency on the social service worker or social service provider? Respect the right of clients to self-determination and assist clients in their efforts to identify and clarify their goals. As well as giving an opportunity for clients to request and ask for their interests or needs, but always have to be considered about safety and wellbeing of client and people around. Social workers should use clear and fully inform clients of the purpose of the services, risks, limits to services, relevant costs, reasonable alternatives, clients’ right to refuse or withdraw consent, and the time frame covered by the agreement. Then, social service worker or social service provider has to be responsible to follow and review of client’s self-improvement after discharge from the residential care. What people did liaise with in the community and how did this assist parties to the plan to contribute to the person’s resettlement? Disability service agency is responsible to provide resources that suitable to the clients by following client’s needs and requests. Also assisting connects the client with plans and resources in order to help them cope. However, relevant factors may include client’s abilities, her resources, her needs, client’s goals, and identify what is important to the client, also any risk factors. What resources did you manage, and what arrangements needed to be made for the transition from residence to community? -Safety is the most important and first consideration for the social service provider to be aware and ensure client’s physical and mental is safe. -As a social service provider has to be aware of â€Å"client’s cultural needs† to practice as a Maori. As well as promoting spiritual practice to maintain client’s customs and beliefs. Additional, cultural assistance should be provided to avoid of cultural conflicts. -Disability needs of client is another factor to be considered. To ensure client is living in safety and friendly environment with her disability. And maintain physical comfort in her daily routine. -Health needs for client may assist by regular visited of health care professionals and assist her with medication needs. -Language and communication should be clear and understandable to client and her family/ whanau. Additional, interpreter may provide if needed. Other notes/ reflections on the transition to community As a social service provider makes sure the client is living in safe environment and surrounding with positive people and activities. Therefore, it may help client to improve her social skills and being independence in community. Task 4 Assist the person to resettle in the community following residential care Date Notes/ key points of any meetings or other communication details of actions related to the person 09/03/14 Provide choices and opportunities for SH in term of her interests. 10/03/14 Allow SH to make her decisions by ensure respectful and confidentiality. 11/03/14 Fully inform to SH family/ whanau regarding to her decisions. Then discuss how to provide service and make her needs to be met. How did you encourage self-determination and discourage dependency on the social service worker or social service provider? Encouraging self-determination: -Outlined agency’s objectives and appropriate legislations, backing up agency orders/kaupapa. Provided information and fully informed SH of the limitations and possibility of the meeting, and allowed her to define the best options and which issues I could help her with. Discouraging dependency on social services: -Allow SH to express her possible solutions and choose her own best options. -Where possible the agency would step away, so that SH could step up. -Allowed SH to figure out so called â€Å"emergencies†. How did you assist the person to identify requirements for life in the community, i.e. set aims and objectives? Organised first meeting to provide intake assessment and referral accepted. Then second meeting had set up to interview with SH to discuss her particular needs at this point in time. Ensure effective communication is being used and document her needs and prioritise what need to be done first into an action plan. Lastly, arrange the key persons who would be responsible to action each of the itemised needs. How did you assist the person to evaluate their participation in the community against their aims and objectives? Identify progress against plan and review. Then asked scaling questions as to where SH felt she was in agreement to her hopes and her interests. How did you assist the person to establish a community lifestyle that focused on both their safety and the safety of others? -We established community supports before her transition such as 24/7 emergencies call if need any help. -Educate basic skills to her family/whanau how to deal with her aggressive behaviour while she is living in the community. -We discussed goals that will motivate her to gain her social skills and make more friends. What progress against the discharge plan was achieved? Her mental health status was unstable, according to the Epilepsy. Therefore, her seizures are managed by medications and need to be observed by health care professionals at all time if possible. What further options (if any) were identified? It is important to note that staffs have to be familiar and consistent with client when giving her social services to avoid of challenging behaviour and accident that may happen. Other notes/ reflections on the re-setting of the person Avoid confrontations with client and do not say â€Å"NO† to her. Do not say â€Å"Don’t do that† try to say â€Å"First you do†¦ (Something she may not like to do), Then you can do†¦ (Something she like to do)†. Task 5 Application of social service theory Maori Model of Practice -Maori model of practice within utilised social work practise research and validated to provide best practise. -Maori models of practise have holistic approach -Wellness of whakapapa focus opposed to individual focus. For example -Te whare Tapa Wha (four cornerstones of Maori health) including: i.)Taha tinana (physical health): healthy eating, sleep, physical activities, safety awareness and proper hygine. ii.)Taha wairua (spiritual health): beliefs, culture religion. iii.)Taha hinengaro (mental health): positive thinking, positive behaviour and healthy lifestyle. iv.)Taha whanau (family health): emotional support, financial and responsibilities. Social work knowledge, skills and values (Te Kaiawhina Ahumahi 2000) was a useful resource for the social workers to be used as a guideline to work in appropriate way and proper practice while giving services to the clients. Social policy theory involves the study of the social relations necessary to promote human wellbeing and things that affect the kinds of life. It can be love and safety, a job and money. References: http://www.polity.co.uk/shortintroductions/samples/dean-sample.pdf http://workplacewellbeing.org.nz/mana-mahi-resource/workplace-wellbeing-guide-6-working-with-te-tiriti-o-waitangi/ http://www.hdc.org.nz/education/presentations/the-health-and-disability-commissioner-act-and-the-code-of-rights-and-methadone-treatment

Physics of Lightning Essay -- physics lightning thunder weather

In ancient times, lightning was seen as a tool of the gods. In Viking legend, it was Thor’s hammer striking an anvil in the sky that was responsible for lightning. For the Greeks, it was Zeus who threw lightning down to the earth. North American Indian tribes thought that lightning was produced by a mystical bird with flashing feathers whose flapping caused thunder. Even now, hundreds of years after the first scientific work with lightning, people remain in awe of its power. In the 18th century, the first systematic scientific study of lightning was carried out by Benjamin Franklin. Before Franklin’s experiments, electrical science had grown to the point of separating positive and negative charges, and had developed primitive capacitors. The sparks produced in laboratories were noted as similar to lightning, but it was Franklin who designed an experiment to prove that lightning was electrical. Benjamin Franklin believed that clouds must be electrically charged, which would mean that lightning must also be electrical. For his first experiment, he stood on an electrical stand with an iron rod in one hand to achieve an electrical discharge between the other hand and the ground. If Franklin’s belief that the clouds were electrically charged was correct, then sparks should leap between the iron rod and a grounded wire held by and insulating wax candle. This test method was published in London and performed in both England and France. Thomas Francois D’Alibard of France was the first to successfully perform this experiment in May of 1752, when sparks were seen jumping from the iron rod during a thunderstorm. Before Benjamin Franklin achieved results from his first experiment, he devised a better way of testing his hyp... ...wave). Lightning is often seen long before its thunder is heard. This is because sound travels at about 343 m/s though air, much more slowly than 3.00x108 m/s, the speed of light. While a lightning strike takes less than a second to complete, the sound of its thunder often lasts much longer. There are many reasons for this. The shape of the lightning bolt is a major factor, as all parts are not an equal distance from the listener. Sound produced by closer portions of the bolt will be the first of the thunder a listener hears, and sound produced by portions of the bolt that are farther away will be heard later. Another factor is that objects on the ground interfere with the sound, and echoes from hills and other objects can perpetuate thunder. Often lightning occurs in groups, so the sounds from multiple bolts sometimes overlap to cause longer lasting thunder.

Rattlesnakes of the Southwest Essay -- essays papers

Rattlesnakes of the Southwest Rattlesnakes are very common in North America; they mainly range from Arkansas to Southern California. Rattlesnakes as most people known use a rattle, located at the ends of their tail, to warn people of their location. Rattlesnakes are from the Pit Viper family of snakes. They use pits located in their head to sense heat from prey or predators. Some rattlesnakes can sense heat from a mouse from as far as twelve feet away. Some common rattlers of the southwest are the Western Diamondback, Mohave, Sidewinder, and Prairie Rattlesnakes. All snakes listed are of the Genus Crotalus; which is the most common among rattlesnakes. Western Diamondbacks are the most common and most likely to come in contact with people. It has the widest geographic range, ranging from Arkansas to Southern California and into Northern Mexico. It is the largest rattlesnake in the southwest, attaining lengths of up to six feet. It also packs the most venom; normal yield is normally around 200-300 mg. A dose of 100 mg is usually lethal to humans, although most bites are defensive and venom is not injected. These snakes are very difficult to see because they blend in so well with their surroundings. They commonly have about ten rattles at 5 to 6 years of age. Mohave, sometimes referred to as Three-Stepper, are the second most common rattlers in the southwest. The main factor of the Mohave Rattlesnake is that it is the most venomous snake in this family. It’s normal yiel... Rattlesnakes of the Southwest Essay -- essays papers Rattlesnakes of the Southwest Rattlesnakes are very common in North America; they mainly range from Arkansas to Southern California. Rattlesnakes as most people known use a rattle, located at the ends of their tail, to warn people of their location. Rattlesnakes are from the Pit Viper family of snakes. They use pits located in their head to sense heat from prey or predators. Some rattlesnakes can sense heat from a mouse from as far as twelve feet away. Some common rattlers of the southwest are the Western Diamondback, Mohave, Sidewinder, and Prairie Rattlesnakes. All snakes listed are of the Genus Crotalus; which is the most common among rattlesnakes. Western Diamondbacks are the most common and most likely to come in contact with people. It has the widest geographic range, ranging from Arkansas to Southern California and into Northern Mexico. It is the largest rattlesnake in the southwest, attaining lengths of up to six feet. It also packs the most venom; normal yield is normally around 200-300 mg. A dose of 100 mg is usually lethal to humans, although most bites are defensive and venom is not injected. These snakes are very difficult to see because they blend in so well with their surroundings. They commonly have about ten rattles at 5 to 6 years of age. Mohave, sometimes referred to as Three-Stepper, are the second most common rattlers in the southwest. The main factor of the Mohave Rattlesnake is that it is the most venomous snake in this family. It’s normal yiel...

Acc 561 Week 2 Wiley Plus Assignment E13-5, E13-6, E13-9

E13-5| | The comparative balance sheets of Nike, Inc. are presented here. | NIKE INC. | Comparative Balance Sheets| May 31| ————————————————- ($ in millions)| Assets| 2007| 2006| Current assets| $8,076| $7,346| Property, plant, and equipment (net)| 1,678| 1,658| Other assets| ————————————————- 934| ————————————————- 866| Total assets| ————————————————- $10,688| ————————————————- $9,870| |   |   | Liabilities and Stockholders' Equi ty| | | Current liabilities| $2,584| $2,612| Long-term liabilities| 1,079| 973| Stockholders' equity| ————————————————- 7,025| ————————————————- 6,285| Total liabilities and stockholders' equity| ————————————————- $10,688| ————————————————- $9,870| | | | | | | | | | Correct. | |   | Complete the horizontal analysis of the balance sheet data for Nike using 2006 as a base. (If amount decreases, use either a negative sign preceding the number, e. g. 45 or parenthesis, e. g. (45). Round all percentages to 1 decimal place, e. g. 12. 5. ) NIKE, INC. | Cond ensed Balance Sheet| December 31| ————————————————- ($ in millions)| |   |   | Increase or (Decrease)| | 2007| 2006| Amount| Percentage| Assets|   |   |   |   | Current assets| $8,076| $7,346| $ 730 | 9. 9 %| Property, plant and equipment (net)| 1,678| 1,658| 20 | 1. 2 %| Other assets| ————————————————- 934| ————————————————- 866| ————————————————- 8 | ————————————————- 7. 9 %| Total assets| ———â€⠀Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- $10,688| ————————————————- $9,870| ————————————————- $ 818 | ————————————————- 8. 3 %| |   |   |   |   | Liabilities and stockholders' equity| | | | | Current liabilities| $2,584| $2,612| $ -28 | -1. 1 %| Long-term liabilities| 1,079| 973| 106 | 10. 9 %| Total stockholders' equity| ————————————————- 7,025| ————————————————- ,28 5| ————————————————- 740 | ————————————————- 11. 8 %| Total liabilities & stockholders' equity| ————————————————- $10,688| ————————————————- $9,870| ————————————————- $ 818 | ————————————————- 8. 3 %| | | | | | | | | | | | Correct. | |   | Complete the vertical analysis of the balance sheet data for Nike for 2007. (Round all of the percentages to 1 decimal place, e. g. 12. 5. NIKE, INC. | Condensed Balance Sheet| ————————————————- May 31, 2007| | $ (in millions)| Percent | Assets|   |   | Current assets| $8,076| 75. 6 %| Property, plant and equipment (net)| 1,678| 15. 7 %| Other assets| ————————————————- 934| ————————————————- 8. 7 %| Total assets| ————————————————- $10,688| ————————————————- 100. 0 %| |   |   | Liabilities and stockholders' equity| | | Current liabilities| $2,584| 24. 2 %| Long-term liabilities| 1,079| 10. 1 %| Stockholders' equity| ————————————————- 7,025| ————————————————- 65. 7 %| Total liabilities and stockholder's equity| ————————————————- $10,688| ————————————————- 100. 0 %| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ————————————————- Top of FormBottom of Form| E13-6| | Here are the comparative income statements of Winfrey Corporation. | WINFREY CORPORATION| Comparative Income Statements| —à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€ For the Years Ended December 31| | 2010| 2009| Net sales| $598,000| $520,000| Cost of goods sold| ————————————————- 477,000| ————————————————- 450,000| Gross profit| $121,000| $70,000| Operating expenses| ————————————————- 80,000| ————————————————- 45,000| Net income| ————————————————- $41,000| ——†”—————————————- $25,000| | | | | | | | | Correct. | |   | Complete the horizontal analysis of the income statement data for Winfrey Corporation using 2009 as a base. (Round all percentages to 1 decimal place, e. g. 12. 5. ) WINFREY CORPORATION| Condensed Income Statements| ————————————————- For the Years Ended December 31| | | | Increase or (Decrease)| | | | ————————————————- During 2010| | ————————————————- 2010| ————————————————- 2009| —â₠¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- Amount | ————————————————- Percentage | Net sales| $598,000| $520,000| $ 78,000 | 15. 0 %| Cost of goods sold | ————————————————- 477,000| ————————————————- 450,000| ————————————————- 27,000 | 6. 0 %| Gross profit| 121,000| 70,000| 51,000 | 72. 9 %| Operating expenses| ————————————————- 80,000| ————————————————- 45,000| â₠¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- 35,000 | 77. 8 %| Net income| ————————————————- $41,000| ————————————————- $25,000| ————————————————- $ 16,000 | 64. 0 %| | | | | | | | | | | | Correct. | |   | Complete the vertical analysis of the income statement data for Winfrey Corporation for both years. (Round all percentages to 1 decimal place, e. g. 12. 5. ) WINFREY CORPORATION| Condensed Income Statements| ————————————————- For the Years Ended December 31| | ————————————————- 010| —à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- 2009| | ————————————————- $| ————————————————- Percent| ————————————————- $| ————————————————- Percent| Net sales| $598,000| 100. 0 %| $520,000| 100. 0 %| Cost of goods sold| ————————————————- 477,000| ——————————————â €”—- 79. 8 %| ————————————————- 450,000| ————————————————- 86. 5 %| Gross profit| 121,000| 20. %| 70,000| 13. 5 %| Operating expenses| ————————————————- 80,000| ————————————————- 13. 4 %| ————————————————- 45,000| ————————————————- 8. 7 %| Net income| ———————â€⠀Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- $41,000| ————————————————- 6. 8 %| ————————————————- $25,000| ————————————————- 4. 8 %| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ————————————————- Top of FormBottom of Form| | E13-9| | Armada Company has these comparative balance sheet data: ARMADA COMPANY| Balance Sheets| ————————————————- December 31| | 2010| 2009| Cash| $25,000| $30,000| Receivables (net)| 65,000| 60,000| Inventories| 60,000| 50,000| Plant assets (net)| ————————————————- 200,000| ————————————————- 180,000| | ————————————————- $350,000| ————————————————- $320,000| |   |   | Accounts payable| $50,000| $60,000| Mortgage payable (15%)| 100,000| 100,000| Common stock, $10 par| 140,000| 120,000| Retained earnings| ————————————————- 60,000| ————————————————- 40,000| | ————————————————- $350,000| ————————————————- $320,000| Additional information for 2010: 1. | Net income was $25,000. | 2. | Sales on account were $375,000. Sales returns and allowances amounted to $25,000. | 3. | Cost of goods sold was $198,000. | 4. | Net cash provided by operating activities was $48,000. | 5. | Capital expenditures were $25,000, and cash dividends were $18,000. Compute the following ratios at December 31, 2010. ( Round to 3 decimal places, e. g. 2. 515. ) Current|    3. 00 :1| Receivables turnover|    5. 6 times| Average collection period|    65. 2 days| Inventory turnover|    3. 6 times| Days in inventory|    101. 4 days| Cash debt coverage|    . 31 times| Current cash debt coverage |    . 87 times| Free cash flow | | | | | | Current ratio| =| ————————————————- $150,000| =| 3. 000 :1| | | $50,000| | | Receivables turnover| =| ————————————————- $350,000| =| 5. 600 times| | | $62,500(1)| | | (1) ($65,000 + $60,000) ? Average collection period = 365 days ? 5. 600 = 65. 179 days Inventory turnover| =| ————————————————- $198,000| =| 3. 600 times| | | $ 55,000(2)| | | (2) ($60,000 + $50,000) ? 2 Days in inventory = 365 days ? 3. 600 = 101. 389 days Cash debt coverage ratio| =| ————————————————- $48,000| =| 0. 310 times | | | ($160,000 + $150,000) ? 2 | | | Current cash debt coverage ratio| =| ————————————————- $48,000| =| 0. 873 times | | | ($60,000 + $50,000) ? 2| | | Free cash flow = $48,000 – $25,000 – $18,000 = $5,000

Summary of Sam Shepard’s play: Buried Child

Buried child was penned down by Sam Shepard in 1978. This play is one of the Sam Shepard’s master pieces of all time. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Shepard received the Gold Medal for Drama from the Academy in 1992, and in 1994 he was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame. Shepard is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of more than forty five plays. Shepard won Obie Awards for eleven of his plays including Buried Child. (Amazon) In his family drama, Buried Child, Shepard takes a shocking look at an American Midwestern Family who has buried their dark secret in the field.This takes a form of paradox because the characters seem intricately entangled to each other by dark secrets; they are also for all time alone. In the start of the play Halie and Dodge engage into a hilariously gaunt quarrel wich they seem to have been having forever. Married to Halie, 65 year old, Dodge is seventy years old drunkard, smoker and frequently has violent coughing outbursts. He is seventy years old. Halie spends time with the church Father. The father is an alcoholic and likes to spend time with women. He enjoys the not-so-secret affair with Halie.Dodge fathered three children with Halie. Tilden, the oldest son shows up after 20 years. Tilden was an All-American quarterback or fullback. Now he is mixed up in the head and can't take care of himself. Bradley is not considered very bright; he chopped his leg in a chainsaw accident. Bradley has serious discrepancy with Dodge. Ansel, the soldier died in a motel, on his honeymoon with the Catholic Italian girl. Haley believes that Ansel got unlucky the day he married. (Amazon) Vince, Tilden’s son, arrives at the farm house but nobody recognizes him.When Vince brings his girlfriend, Shelly, home to meet his family, she is at first charmed by the â€Å"normal† looking farm house. Bizarrely, no one seems to remember Vince at first, and they treat him as a trespasser and imposter. Ultimately, they r eluctantly agree on acknowledging him as a part of their greatly dysfunctional family. Slowly and gradually, the dark secret that the old couple has been hiding from their children and grandchildren starts to pop out like a seed grows and the plant pops out tearing the earth.Long time back, Dodge buried an unwanted child (the product of an incest relationship between Tilden and his mother) in an undisclosed location. From that point onward, the entire family lived under a cloud of shame that is at last chased away when Tilden discovers the ill-fated child's remains and carries it upstairs to his mother. This act seems to wash out the family of its curse. Corn grows in the fields where nothing would grow for years. The play ends with a declaration of hope from Halie.(Theatre) The most important symbol used in the play is the rain, that lets the crops in the field grow. At the beginning of the play rain falls on the family’s farmhouse and all its visitors, washing away the dirt and the smell and, symbolically, the sins of their past. Some of the most powerful symbols in this play are associated with nature and fertility. The dead land where no crops have grown forever symbolizes Halie. It suggests that Halie was past menopause.The rain that brought the land to life and vegetation and plant life popped out of the dead earth. This particularly symbolizes Tilden’s potential of conceiving a child with his own middle aged mother. Tilden handles to reap the bare fields. (Amazon) References: Buried Child by Sam Shepard, Amazon. com, Amazon (2010), web, July 11, 2010 from http://www. amazon. com/Sam-Shepard-Starving-Turista-Tongues/dp/0553346113 Buried Child, Theatre database, Plot synopsis, n. d. web, July 11, 2010 from http://www. theatredatabase. com/20th_century/buried_child. html

Fall in Elderly

1 The Role of Tai Chi Exercise in Promoting Health Benefits for Older Persons Fuzhong Li, Ph. D. , Oregon Research Institute Tai Chi, or Taijiquan to be exact, originated in China about 300 hundreds years ago (China Sports, 1980) and began as a form of martial arts like boxing. It has continued to evolve from being originally used as a combative and self-defense form to a health-enhancing exercise, practiced by individuals of all ages to maintain health and prevent disease. As an alternative exercise, Tai Chi has drawn increasing research interest, with accumulating evidence showing the therapeutic value of Tai Chi to overall health and well-being. The goal of this paper is to summarize current research findings with a particular focus on geriatric populations, discuss findings with respect to their practical implications, and highlight future research directions. Overview of Research Findings A number of excellent review articles exist showing evidence that Tai Chi generates various health benefits for individuals of varying age groups and patient populations (Fasko & Grueninger, 2001; Lan, Lai, & Chen, 2002; Li, Hong, & Chan, 2001; Verhagen, Immink, va der Meulen et al. , 2004; Wang, Collet, & Lau, 2004; Wayne, Krebs, Wolf, et al. , 2004; Wu, 2002). Without overdue redundancy, the following provides a summary review of research studies that involve randomized controlled trials (RCTs) although results from non-RCTs are reported in the absence of RCTs. With aging processes, declines in physical and mental status in older adults often result in balance control impairments, functional limitations in locomotor activities, disability in particular activities, and decreased quality of life. Therefore, this review also focuses on health outcomes that have been shown to be clinically most relevant to this population. These include balance and falls, musculoskeletal conditions, sleep quality, cardiovascular and respiratory function, and psychosocial wellbeing. Balance Control, Falls, and Fear of Falling Falls are significant public health problem among older adults (Murphy, 2000; Stevens, 2005), making it a major threat to the independence and quality of life of older adults, as well as imposing significant burden to individuals, society, and national health systems (National Action Plan, 2005). As a stand-alone exercise intervention, Tai Chi has been shown to reduce the risk for falls. Wolf and his colleagues (1996) conducted the very first randomized controlled trial comparing the efficacy of two methods of exercise on falls. Community living healthy adults were randomized to one of three groups: Tai Chi training; computerized balance training; and an attention control. Results of this 15-week trial showed that Tai Chi participants experienced significant reductions (by about 47%) in falls compared to the exercise control participants. In a follow-up 48-week RCT, Wolf et al (2003) evaluated Tai Chi with older adults who were less robust (that is, transitioning to frailty). No significant between-experimental group reductions in falls were observed. However, by analyzing fall data from month four through month twelve, the study showed a significantly reduced risk of falls in the Tai chi group compared with the exercise control group. In an independent study, Li et al. (2005) confirmed the general findings of those reported by Wolf and his colleagues. These researchers reported that, at the end of a 6-month Tai Chi intervention, significantly fewer falls (38 versus 73), lower proportions of fallers (28% versus 46%), and injurious falls (7% versus 18%) were observed in the Tai Chi condition, compared to a low-impact stretching control condition. Overall, the risk of multiple falls in the Tai Chi group was 55% lower than that of the stretching controls. In addition, compared to stretching control participants, Tai Chi participants showed significant improvements in measures of functional balance, physical performance, and reduced fear of falling. Of equal importance, intervention gains in these measures were maintained at a 6-month postintervention follow-up in the Tai Chi group (Li et al. 2004). Musculoskeletal Conditions Evidence to date indicates that Tai Chi training preserves or even increases lower-extremity muscle strength. Wolfson et al. (1996) showed that 6 months of Tai Chi training (following their primary interventions) did not improve lower-extremity muscle strength, compared to an exercise control group. However, their data did indicate that Tai Chi training preserved lowerextremity strength gains developed by the intervention. In a 20-week pilot study, Christou et al. 2003) showed that, compared to those in the control condition, Tai Chi participants significantly improved knee extensor strength and force control among older adults. Tai Chi also appears to be safe and beneficial for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. In a randomized trial among older women with osteoarthritis, Song et al (2003) showed a 12-week Tai Chi program resulted in significant improvements in pain and stiffness in joint s, balance, and abdominal strength, and fewer reported perceived difficulties in physical functioning, compared to those of control subjects. Another randomized trial, Hartman et al (2000) showed that a 12week program significantly improved osteoarthritis symptoms such as fatigue, arthritis selfefficacy, feelings of tension, and satisfaction with general health status. More recent evidence points to the potential of Tai Chi as a weight-bearing exercise for retarding bone loss in older women. In a 12-month randomized trial, Chan et al (2004) tested the hypothesis that Tai Chi may retard bone loss in early postmenopausal women. At the end of the trial, bone mineral density (BMD) measurements revealed a general bone loss in both Tai Chi and control subjects at all measured skeletal sites, but with a slower rate in the Tai Chi group. Although the BMD findings were equivocal, the findings lend some support for the potential of Tai Chi to retard bone loss. Cardiovascular and Respiratory Function Although numerous studies have evaluated the effects of Tai Chi on cardiovascular and respiratory function, no RCTs have been reported that involve older adults. A number of Taiwanbased observational studies have shown improvements in cardiorespiratory function resulting from Tai Chi. For example, among long-term older adults practicing Tai Chi, significantly better cardiorespiratory function has been reported (Lai, Lan, Wong, & Teng, 1995; Lan, Lai, Chen, & Wong, 1998), and improvements were also observed among coronary artery bypass surgery patients deemed to be at low risk during their participation in a Tai Chi exercise program (Lan, Chen, Lai, & Wong, 1999). Hypertension Tai Chi is a low-impact activity with self-paced and fluid movements, making it appropriate as a means to reduce blood pressure in people with hypertension. Two intervention trials compared the effects of Tai Chi and aerobic exercise on blood pressure – a surrogate for hypertension. An earlier study by Channer et al (1996) showed that over 11 sessions of exercise, both Tai Chi and aerobic exercise were associated with reductions in systolic blood pressure; Tai Chi was also associated with reductions in diastolic blood pressure in a sample of patients recovering from acute myocardial infraction. In a different study by Young et al. (1999), physically inactive older women with systolic blood pressure 130-159 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure > 95 mmHg were randomized to a 12-week moderate-intensity aerobic exercise program or a Tai Chi program of light activity. At the end of the intervention, the Tai Chi group decreased 7. 0 mmHg of systolic and 2. 4 mmHg of diastolic blood pressure. No significant differences were observed between the two exercise activities. The authored concluded that programs of moderate intensity aerobic exercise and light exercise may have similar effects on blood pressure in previously sedentary older individuals. Quality of Sleep Self-reported sleep complaints are common among older adults (Neubauer, 1999) and it is estimated that up to 50% of elderly persons complain about their sleep (Alessi, 2000). Li et al. (2003) conducted a six-month intervention trial to examine the impact of a simpler Tai Chi program on improving quality of sleep and reducing daytime sleepiness among older adults reporting moderate sleep complaints. Participants were randomly assigned to a Tai Chi group or an exercise control group. At the end of the study, Tai Chi participants reported significant improvements in several sleep-quality related measures in comparison to the control participants; with reduced sleep latency (by about 18 minutes per night) and daytime sleepiness, and improved sleep duration (by about 48 minutes per night). The study provided preliminary evidence linking the benefits of Tai Chi exercise to improved quality of sleep and reduced daytime sleepiness in older adults. Psychosocial Wellbeing and Confidence Li and his colleagues (2001a,b,c,d, 2002a, 2002b) provided a series of reports examining the extent to which Tai Chi enhanced older adults’ multidimensional psychological well-being and health-related quality of life indicators. In a 6-month randomized controlled trial, healthy older adults were randomly assigned to either a control condition or Tai Chi. Results indicated that Tai Chi participants reported higher levels of health perceptions, life satisfaction, positive affect, and well-being, and lower levels of depression, negative affect, and psychological distress (Li et al. 2001a). Participants also showed higher levels of both domain-specific physical self-esteem (Li et al. , 2002b) and exercise self-efficacy relevant to movement confidence (Li et al. , 2001c). Change in the level of movement self-efficacy was found to be significantly related to change in physical functioning (Li et al. , 2001b). Similar profiles have been reported by other researchers (Kutner, Barnhart, Wolf, McNeely, & Xu 1997) in that Tai Chi practice resulted in improved well-being, increased alertness, relaxation, better mental outlook, achievement, and greater confidence. Practical Implications The previous summary and review makes it clear that Tai Chi provides multiple health and therapeutic benefits for older adults. Thus, some discussion of practical implications appears to be in order. Fall Prevention Falls can result in devastating consequences for older adults. Accumulating evidence to date suggest that Tai Chi may be an effective means of improving deficits in balance and functional limitations, and therefore, may serve as a therapeutic exercise for balance and strength, and consequently, reduce the risk of falling and the rate of falls in older adults. Tai Chi may also be considered as an exercise modality that generates confidence building to counteract fear of falling, a common psychological symptom of falls among community adults. However, Tai Chi does not provide a quick fix for the fall problem. Most research in this area has focused on short-term results. Findings from current RCTs show that, however, a minimum of three months training is required before clinically meaningful reductions in risks of falling can be achieved, suggesting the need for long-term, sustained, and frequent practice, perhaps on a day-to-day basis, to obtain the full benefit. Tai Chi as an Alternative, Therapeutic Exercise Tai Chi has been recommended for treating many chronic conditions. For example, as a lowimpact, low-intensity alternative exercise therapy, Tai Chi has also been proposed as a potential option for the management of osteoarthritis (Lumsden, Baccala & Aartire, 1998). As a fall prevention activity, Tai Chi has emerged as an appropriate stand-alone balance training program for older adults to improve balance and prevent falls (JAGS, 2001). But even though Tai Chi appears to have numerous benefits to participants, it is still too early for physicians to begin prescribing Tai Chi as a remedy for chronic health problems because many of the studies have design limitations (Wang et al. , 2004), making it difficult to generalize results to broader patient populations. In this regard, patients with chronic health problems need to take precautions before beginning a Tai Chi program, because for some people Tai Chi could worsen medical conditions or problems/ symptoms. In some cases, appropriate odifications may be needed to better accommodate patients’ special needs or physical limitations. Program Costs, Logistics, and Protocols One of the most desirable aspects of Tai Chi is its absence of a need for high technology in promoting health. Tai Chi is easily distinguished from highly technical computerized balance training protocols, and may be just as successful in achieving fall reduction or balance improvement objectiv es; certainly, Tai Chi is more practical. Tai Chi is a low-cost exercise regimen because special equipment or facilities are not needed (Lan et al. 2002; Li et al. , 2003). Li et al (2001b) reported that, in a 6-month RCT, the total direct cost was approximately $9000 (an average of $3. 50 per person per session). Others (Wilson & Datta, 2001) have reported that a twice weekly Tai Chi program was cost-saving whether direct benefits alone (hip fracture costs averted) or direct plus indirect benefits were considered, with a total net cost savings of $1274. 43 per person per year. When considering direct cots only, the net cost savings were $8. 04 per participant per year. Lower costs ensure that more community-dwelling older adults have 5 sufficient access to programs, and abundant opportunities to participate, which is likely to have profound public health implications. While costs of learning Tai Chi are potentially low, one should not underestimate the fact that Tai Chi is a complex system of movements that, when performed, requires body awareness, motor coordination, and agility; features that could make Tai Chi less immediately deliverable to community adults (Li et al. 2003). Therefore, even though the benefits of regular Tai Chi exercise are quite clear, the challenge of maximizing the opportunity for older persons remains because certain movements may be beyond the capabilities of some elderly individuals or others with disabilities. Thus, there is a need to modify existing Tai Chi protocols to develop forms that are simple, easy to perform, and enjoyable (Chen, 2002; Li et al. , 2003; Wolf et al. , 1997), and that do not require years of sust ained practice to master. Tai Chi Styles There are several styles of Tai Chi, some of which are historic/traditional and some of which are of more recent origin. The earliest known form can be traced to the Chen style and evolved and progressed into multiple styles or schools. Currently, there are five main schools of Tai Chi (People’s Sports, 1996), each named after the style’s founding family: (a) Chen, (b) Yang, (c) Sun, (d) Wu (Jian Qian), and (e) Wu (He Qin). Each style has a characteristic protocol that differs from other styles in the postures or forms included, the order in which they appear, the pace at which movements are executed, and the level of difficulty. For example, one significant difference between Chen and Yang styles is that Yang style movements are relaxed and evenly paced. By comparison, the Chen style is characterized by alternating slow movements with quick and vigorous movements, including restrained and controlled actions/motions, reflecting its martial origin. Yang Style Tai Chi, which evolved from the Chen school, is probably the most popular Tai Chi style being practiced today (e. g. , Swaim, 1999; Yu & Johnson, 1999). Yang style movements are performed in a relaxed and flowing manner, with the trunk erect as the axis of all movements, making it immediately suitable for elderly, frail, or disabled populations. To date, the Yang style, with its variations, has been used as an therapeutic exercise modality in most medical and behavioral research. Although there are multiple versions of the Yang style (both short and long, covering 24-, 48-, 88-, and 108-Forms) (China National Sports Commission, 1983), the 24-Form, based on the most popular sequences of the Yang Chengfu school (China Sports, 1980; People Sports, 1996), is the most readily adaptable to the lifestyles and living situations of older adult populations. It is also the most accommodating, requiring minimal demands of personal strength, speed, endurance, flexibility, and motor skills for participation. Is Tai Chi Ready for Dissemination? In a 2001 joint communique on the prevention of falls among the elderly, the American Geriatrics Society, the British Geriatrics Society, and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons suggested that Tai Chi â€Å"†¦is a promising type of exercise, although it requires further evaluation before it can be recommended as the preferred balance training† (JAGS, 2001). Since the publication of this joint communique, one large successful RCTs has been published (Li et al. , 2005) providing supporting evidence documented by Wolf et al. ’s earlier work (1996). As a result of these studies, we should be asking questions about how we can most effectively translate and disseminate the Tai Chi program. With this accumulated evidence, the time is near 6 for Tai Chi to be recommended as a preferred exercise for balance training and be routinely prescribed for older patients at risk for falling following appropriate screening. Future Research Directions Despite the increasing interest in studying the effectiveness of Tai Chi training and the resulting evidence of health benefits, there remain areas that require further research. We highlight a few of these. A Need to Understand the Mechanisms of the Benefits Shown Although findings from Tai Chi intervention studies are important from a public health perspective, they provide little information relative to the underlying mechanisms that may produce such effects. In this regard, little attention has been given considering intervention/treatment mediators or moderators that help identify causal pathways between treatment and outcome, and possible mechanisms through which a treatment might achieve its effects. For example, although Tai Chi has repeatedly been shown to improve balance, possible mechanisms by which Tai Chi improves this outcome, and prevent subsequent falls, remains to be determined. Future studies should target specifically older adults with balance impairments, and consider integrated laboratory and/or clinical measures that may help identify specific mechanisms whereby Tai Chi can remedy balance disorders. A Need to Better Understand Effects to Patients with Chronic Conditions A review by Wang et al. (2004) concluded that there is insufficient information to recommend Tai Chi to patients with chronic conditions. For example, the impact of Tai Chi on several important geriatric syndromes such as frailty, dementia, and sarcopenia are worthy of study or further research. Large clinical trials, involving populations with specific medical conditions are needed before health professionals can recommend Tai Chi exercise as an alternative to the more conventional exercise forms that have been shown to produce health benefits. The potential application of Tai Chi to important geriatric issues yet to be studied include: obesity, osteoporosis, diabetes, neurological disorders (e. g. , Parkinson’s disease; peripheral neuropathy). A Need to Study Long-Term Effects Tai Chi intervention studies are typically conducted with a short-duration (e. g. , 3 months, 6 months). Long-term effects of Tai Chi training (e. g. , 12 months up to 2 or 3 years) are largely undetermined. Therefore, questions such as how long the established effects on clinical endpoints will sustain over a longer period of time remains to be determined. Certain outcomes may take a longer time to show an effect. Reductions in falls are a good example. Other outcomes such as BMD, may require up to one year to demonstrate clinically meaningful change because Tai Chi is a low-impact activity. Also, research from the general exercise literature indicates that people who participate in an exercise program often fall back into their older inactive lifestyle after a program ends (van der Bij, Laurant, & Wensing, 2002). Although anecdotal evidence suggest that participants remained active upon program termination (Li et al. , 2001b; Wolf et al. , 1996), critical issues such as getting people to initiate and maintain the Tai Chi activity over a long-term need to be addressed. A Need to Evaluate Programs That Can Be Disseminated in Broader Community Settings Ultimately, for the results of the research-based evidence to have greater public health impact they must be diffused and made accessible to the community. However, it remains unclear whether the general community can readily implement or adopt these Tai Chi training protocols despite evidence of their tested efficacy. To date, there is no widespread, nationally available Tai Chi-based falls prevention program that is based on the effectiveness of scientifically controlled studies. In this regard, program evaluation research is needed to translate effective interventions into a program that is implementable in community settings. The Oregon Research Institute is currently conducting a project to move effective interventions into community practice. The project has identified randomized controlled studies of scientifically-based effective Tai Chi fall interventions and focuses on issues related to â€Å"reach† (i. e. , proportion of older adults who are willing to participate in a given Tai Chi program initiative), â€Å"uptake† (adoption; i. e. , the proportion of settings and service agencies who are willing to initiate a program), and â€Å"implementation† (i. e. the intervention agents' fidelity to the various elements of a Tai Chi training protocol, including consistency of delivery as intended and the time and cost of the intervention). The intended results of this translation and dissemination project will provide an effective, evidence-based falls prevention package that can be implemented in community settings to improve functional ability and reduce fall prevalence among communit y-dwelling older adults. Summary The extant research evidence provides strong support for what was originally considered â€Å"anecdotal evidence† about the health benefits of Tai Chi for older adults. Overall, Tai Chi has been shown to have physiologic and psychosocial benefits and appears to be safe and effective in promoting balance control and muscular strength, and cardiovascular fitness for older adults. More research is needed, with rigorous scientific methodologies, to fully understand the mechanisms whereby Tai Chi produces these health benefits. From a public health perspective, immediate efforts are needed to translate programs that can be disseminated in local settings that target community healthy older adults. Fuzhong Li, Ph. D. , is a Senior Research Scientist at the Oregon Research Institute, Eugene, OR. References Alessi, C. A. (2000). Sleep disorders. In Beers MH, Berkow R, eds. The Merck Manual of Geriatrics. 3rd edition. NJ: Merck & Co, 459-463. 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