Woman with a parasol by Claude Monet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Woman with a parasol by Claude Monet - Essay Example Though in this picture the subject matter is Camille and Jean, Monet manages to counteract the convention of creating a central form of interest, creating instead a vibrant sensation of light and movement throughout the picture, and therein lies his individual brilliance in the treatment of the subject at hand. For most of his pictures, as with this one, â€Å"Monet suggests transience metaphorically, through the formal means at his disposal. He plays on your emotions with color and tonality, ........ Monet ignores the time-honored convention of the center of interest, weighing every portion of his canvas equally with an accumulation of discrete, subtly inflected events†. Just as her shadow anchors her to the ground and her parasol with its handle provides an anchor to the eye, the green in its underside strongly echoes the green of the grass in front of her, planting her firmly in the picture, and providing the required balance. This brings us to the remarkable artistry of Mo net in the use of color, He was a devotee of color, to the extent that he had almost banished black from his canvas. Monet had scientifically studied color, especially Professor Rood's experiments in color, and had come to understand how different colors were affected by sunlight. â€Å"Aided by the experiments of the scientists and by his own keen observation, he discovered certain facts which had escaped the notice of less keen eyes unaided by science; for example, that green, seen under strong sunshine, is not green, but yellow.; that the shadows cast by sunlight upon snow or upon brightly lighted surfaces are not black, but blue; and that a white dress, seen under the shade of trees on a bright day, has

Marketing and New Product Essay Example for Free

Marketing and New Product Essay Scenario 1: Clean Edge Razor: Splitting Hairs in Product Positioning description After three years of development, Paramount Health and Beauty Company is preparing to launch a new technologically advanced vibrating razor called Clean Edge. The innovative new design of Clean Edge provides superior performance by stimulating the hair follicles to lift the hair from the skin, allowing for a closer shave. The company has already decided to introduce Clean Edge into the mens market where it has a strong presence. Jackson Randall, the product manager for Clean Edge, struggles with how best to position the product for the launch. One strategy is to release Clean Edge as a niche product, targeting the high-end market of fastidious groomers looking for superior skin care products. Another strategy is to release the product into the highly competitive mainstream razor market where the product can be positioned as the most effective razor available. Randall meets internal resistance to the mainstream strategy from the product manager for the companys current, but aging, mainstream razor products and he must consider the effects of cannibalization in his plan. Randall must recommend an optimal strategy and provide supporting economic analysis of his decisionnot just for Clean Edge, but for its effect on the entire company. Learning objective: Explore issues associated with strategic product positioning. Review new product development process and understand the importance of evaluating product-company and product-market fit in assessing new product opportunities. Understand the importance and marketing implications of determining whether a new product is a big breakthrough or a simple line extension. Subjects covered: Marketing strategy; New product marketing; Product positioning; Profitability analysis; Quantitative analysis Setting: * Geographic: United States * Event Year Begin: 2010 Scenario 2: Culinarian Cookware: Pondering Price Promotion description Subjects Covered: Price Promotion, Pricing Policy, Consumer Marketing, Profitability Analysis, Retailing, Sales Promotion, Distribution Policy, Brand Equity, Trade Relations, and Product Management. In November of 2006, senior executives at Culinarian Cookware were debating the merits of price promotions for the companys premium cookware products. The VP of Marketing, Donald Janus, and Senior Sales Manager, Victoria Brown, had different views. Janus felt price promotions were unnecessary, potentially damaging to the brand image, and possibly encouraged retailer hoarding; Brown believed the promotions strengthened trade support, improved brand awareness, and stimulated sales from both new and existing customers. The issue was complicated by a consultants study of the firms 2004 price promotions which concluded that these promotions had a negative impact on profits. Janus trusted the results, but Brown, believing the study assumptions were flawed and required further analysis, suspected the promotions had actually produced positive results. The pressing decision is whether to run a price promotion in 2007 and, if so, to determine what merchandise to promote and on what terms. The broader issue is what strategy Culinarian should pursue to achieve sales growth goals, and what role, if any, price promotion should play. Subjects Covered: Price Promotion, Pricing Policy, Consumer Marketing, Profitability Analysis, Retailing, Sales Promotion, Distribution Policy, Brand Equity, Trade Relations, Cookware Learning objective: 1. Explore the risks and opportunities of price promotion as a strategic and tactical marketing tool. 2. Through quantitative analysis, evaluate the financial impact of a price promotion using different cost and sales assumptions. 3. Develop the details of a price promotion policy consistent with overall marketing objectives. Subjects covered: Brand equity; Consumer marketing; Pricing policies; Profitability analysis; Sales promotions; Small medium-sized enterprises Setting: * Geographic: United States * Event Year Begin: 2006 Scenario 3: Metabical: Positioning and Communications Strategy for a New Weight Loss Drug (Brief Case) description Topics include Consumer Behavior, Marketing Communications, New Product Launch, Product Positioning, and Push/Pull Marketing. This case can be used separately or in conjunction with Brief Case #4183, Metabical: Pricing, Packaging, and Demand Forecasting for a New Weight Loss Drug. Cambridge Sciences Pharmaceuticals (CSP) expects final approval for its revolutionary weight loss drug, Metabical. Metabical will be the only weight loss drug with FDA approval that is also clinically proven to be effective for moderately overweight people. Barbara Printup, Senior Marketing Director for CSP, must develop the positioning strategy and marketing communications plan in preparation for the launch of the new drug. Printup must consider the consumer decision-making process and the interaction between the consumer who purchases the drug and the health care provider who prescribes the medication. Despite promising medical studies and consumer research, poor positioning of the drug in the highly competitive market for weight-loss solutions could spell disaster. Students analyze market research data and consider the optimal positioning strategy and marketing communications program. Learning objective: Understanding the hierarchy-of-effects, the decision-making unit, the decision-making process, and push vs. pull communications. Identifying strategies for segmenting, targeting, and positioning new products. Understanding the critical elements of a marketing communications program. Subjects covered: Consumer behavior; Marketing communications; Product introduction Setting: * Geographic: United States * Industry: Pharmaceuticals * Event Year Begin: 2008 Scenario 4: Reed Supermarkets: A New Wave of Competitors description Reed Supermarkets is a high-end supermarket chain with operations in several Midwestern states. Meredith Collins, vice president of marketing, visits stores located in Columbus, Ohio, an important region with the largest market and the greatest impact on revenue growth. She is concerned about increased competition from dollar stores and limited-assortment stores offering very low, appealing price points. Reeds market research shows that as a result of the economic downturn, customer loyalty is dwindling and consumers are willing to go to multiple stores to get the best deals. Collins must decide whether to change the current marketing and positioning plan in an effort to increase market share to meet challenging corporate targets. Her options include retreating from price competition and focusing on quality or embracing more private-label brands and competing more aggressively on price. She can also maintain the current positioning and appeal to customers looking for a quality shoppi ng experience. The case contains an implicit quantitative assignment that instructors can emphasize to the degree they choose. Learning objective: Explore elements of marketing strategy, market segmentation, product differentiation, and product positioning for a retail organization. Analyze and differentiate among conflicting strategic perspectives. Understand the cycle of retailing, which suggests that new retail stores naturally evolve from low-price, low-overhead stores to become upscale retailers offering additional services and product lines. Subjects covered: Competitive strategy; Consumer marketing; Market positioning; Market segmentation; Marketing strategy Setting: * Geographic: United States * Industry: Supermarkets * Event Year Begin: 2011 Scenario 5: TruEarth Healthy Foods: Market Research for a New Product Introduction (Brief Case) description Topics covered include: consumer marketing, market research, new product introduction, and quantitative analysis. TruEarth Healthy Foods, a maker of gourmet pastas, sauces, and meals, wants to build on its successful introduction of fresh whole grain pasta by introducing a similar product concept for pizza. In an increasingly competitive market, TruEarth is focused on beating its competition and wants to act quickly and decisively. The company conducts extensive market research, first using focus groups to test the concept and then following up with take-home trials. Acting as brand managers, students must complete a quantitative analysis of the available data to project the sales volume for pizza and then decide whether to bring the new product to market. Learning objective: 1. Understand the assumptions and techniques for estimating markets and projecting sales 2. Analyze and interpret data to decide whether to bring a new product to market 3. Recognize the importance of perceived value to consumers for a new product as compared with existing products 4. Understand the limitations of making decisions based on research and available data

Music Intervention as Anxiety and Stress Relief

Music Intervention as Anxiety and Stress Relief Evelyn Neville Music Intervention as Anxiety and Stress Relief during Minor Medical Procedures Introduction This concept analysis will address the anxiety and stress relief effect of music on patients during routine medical procedures. Music can have a calming effect on patients which can greatly reduce the anxiety and stress the patients may be feeling while enduring procedures such as blood draws or IV insertions (Mok Wong, 2003). The anxiety felt by many patients can provide many obstacles throughout the appointment such as the inability to listen effectively due to the inability to focus (Baldwin, 2016), a negative impact on seeking out further medical treatments in the future (Detz, Lopez Sarkar, 2013), and a general increase in muscle tightness, heart rate, blood pressure and respirations (Bandelow, Boerner ,Kasper, Linden, Wittchen Mà ¶ller, 2013). The alleviation of some of this anxiety and stress may have a powerful impact that could contribute to a patients overall health and continue to build a strong foundation for the relationship between the patient and their health care provider. It is significant that the concept of using music for anxiety relief is studied further as this could provide a new involvement for patients in their own healthcare. It could also provide cost effective ways for the healthcare providers to ensure patients are comfortable, are relaxed and walk away feeling better about their relationship with their health care provider. Music is a universal language that we can all relate to and we should use it to our advantage in the medical field. Music has been successfully used to reduce anxiety in dental procedures (Lahmann et al., 2008), the use of music may be a simple and inexpensive way for hospitals, clinics or doctors offices to make the patients experience better and less stressful. It has been found that music may even be have sufficient anxiety and pain relief in postoperative settings that it may be used as a substitute for adverse effect causing opioid medications (Allred, Byers Sole, 2008). Therefore it is significant that health care professionals should attempt to use the benefits of this non-pharmacologic intervention while treating their patients. The specific use of personally chosen music will ensure that the patient feels they have control over the situation and are involved in their own care (Erlang, Nielsen, Hansen Finderup, 2015). Assumptions The underlying assumptions of this concept analysis include that inherently people like music and it can aid in anxiety reduction as shown by lowered blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rates (Bandelow, Boerner, Kasper, Linden, Wittchen Mà ¶ller 2013). It has also been used in therapy and other medical practices such as dentistry to assist patients in coping with stress, pain and anxiety (Lahmann et al., 2008). Even though everyone copes differently with stress, it can be assumed that many people use music to reduce stress for physiological, cognitive and emotional processes (Thoma, La Marca, Bà ¶nnimann, Finkel, Ehlert Nater, 2013) Preview In the following section of this concept analysis the reader will be presented with a review of literature reviews that describe the concept in different disciplines. Using the Walker and Avant (2005) method, the concept analysis will include a discussion of the concept and its attributes, antecedents and consequences. Lastly, Empirical referents will also be discussed. Literature Review The literature review for this concept analysis was done with materials found on the following databases: Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL), DePaul Library Book Circulation, UptoDate and Google Scholar. The databases were searched between 1990 and 2017, focusing on articles published after 2000. The CINAHL database produced 1 result for nursing theory music, 11,857 results for music, 333 for music anxiety, 1,531 results for generalized anxiety disorder, 61 results for previous pain experience, and 52 results for music procedure. UptoDate was searched for generalized anxiety disorder with an undisclosed amount of total results. Google Scholar produced 908,000 results for music therapy, 46,200 results for music calming, 597,000 results for music preference, 102,000 results for music therapy anxiety reduction, 1,100,000 results for trust anxiety, 268,000 results for nursing theory music, 1,890,000 results for nurse patient relationship, 976,000 results for patient n urse communication long term, 1,990,000 results for music psychology, 749,000 results for music anxiety and 70,400 results by searching music social bonding. Two additional sources were used, 2 books about music found in the DePaul University Library Book Circulation database when searching for music medicine and music philosophy. Music Therapy According to Oxford dictionary music can be defined as vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion (Oxford Dictionary, n.d.). As music is an abstract form of art, it is able to relate the composers and musicians feelings and intention through direct imitation, approximate imitation and symbolization (Cooke, 2001). With this ability to convey emotion and feelings, music is able to stimulate a heightened emotional response from its creators and listeners (Sloboda, 1991), creating a framework for therapists to create an enriched environment through the use of music. Within music therapy the terms music and music therapy have been used interchangeably, this was especially common practice at that time when the profession was not yet established (Horden, 2000). Music in and of itself is defined as the use of music and/or musical elements (sound, rhythm, melody, and harmony) within the music therapy discipline. To describe music therapy the World Federation of Music Therapy goes one step further and defines it as a process designed to facilitate and promote communication, relationships, learning, mobilization, expression, organization and other relevant therapeutic objectives, in order to meet physical, emotional, mental, social and cognitive needs. (Horden, 2000). Music therapy has been used for anxiety reduction in the past including in a study about the effects of music therapy on patients anxiety while undergoing a flexible sigmoidoscopy. The results of this study confirmed that patients who listened to self-selected music tapes during the procedure had significantly decreased scores for State-trait anxiety inventory, heart rates and mean arterial pressures compared to the control group. Within this study it was concluded that music is an effective anxiolitic adjunct for the flexible sigmoidoscopy procedure (Palakanis, DeNobile, Sweeney, Blankenship, 1994). Psychology Music psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses on the production, creation and perception of music. Within music psychology, music is defined as patterned action in time which appears communicative, complex, generative and representational (Hallam, Cross Thaut, 2009). Music psychology can be applied to individual preferences, arguably due to personality, and the way music is perceived. Studies exploring influence of personality on musical preferences such as the study performed by Stephen J. Dollinger in 1993 have shown that overall personality does have an influence on the types of music individuals prefer. Dollinger, for example, showed that the personality trait openness had a positive correlation to enjoyment of a variety of different kinds of music (Dollinger, 1993). Anxiety has been linked to experiencing additional stressors in childhood, an environmental factor, according to Wiedemann (2013). He points out that personality traits are another factor that can predispose people to experiencing anxiety and how strongly they experience it. Age can also be a factor in the expression of anxiety, with adolescents having a higher incidence rate of anxiety overall (Wiedemann, 2013). Lastly, Wiedeman discusses that anxiety when due to a life event is adaptive, however once the perceived danger passes and the anxious state lasts, this may be due to a pathologic type of anxiety. These anxiety causing events may also cause the patient to experience lasting bouts of anxiety in the future during similar traumatic events (Wiedemann, 2013). Biology Within biology, music can have a neurobiological role. There music is regarded in biological terms as originating in the brain, so that most explanations concentrate on the ways in which brains process information (Freeman, 1998).   As explained by Freeman in his study, music is defined by deeply personal experiences of individuals which are made unique by the separation of information within the brain as it learns more and goes through epistemological solipsism or isolation of uniqueness of knowledge (Freeman, 1998). As sounds pass through the inner ear, along excited sensory neurons into the primary auditory cortex, musical experience is still a neurobiological experience deprived of emotion. However, as explained by Freeman: as the information is processed through neighboring cortical areas concerned with speech and song the information is passed between the newer brain and older part of the forebrain and can generate memories evoked by listening to music, and arouse the em otional states that have become associated with now familiar songs through previous experiences (Freeman 1998). As this information is continuing to pass through the brain, a sense of social bonding is felt by the subject through the perception, creation and sharing of music and dance (Freeman 1998). This social bonding leads to trust, and is related to a social aspect as well as a release of neurochemicals. It is therefore a plausible assumption that music can create neurobiological stimuli that create an environment of bonding and trust building. This can be an important aspect of a patient-nurse/healthcare professional relationship. Lastly, genetics is another factor when discussing anxiety in patients. In recent studies it has been shown that genetics explained about half of the variance when it comes to the predisposition of anxiety in familial cases (Wiedemann, 2013). Concept Maturity This concept has gained some traction within the last few years, especially in other disciplines besides nursing. Dentistry has used music to assist patients during dental exams and procedures for several years and more studies have been done recently in using music to assist in stress and anxiety relief. Generally the concept has been researched in specific instances such as children in the ED receiving IVs or patients receiving a flexible sigmoidoscopy. A longer term study within the nursing discipline needs to be performed to ensure a complete concept analysis can be done. Analysis Defining attributes The defining characteristics that are repeated in the literature include anxiety, music and a positive effect on decreased heart rate. Anxiety encompasses a general feeling of worry and concern about future events which may have an uncertain ending. This can be very well translated to patients worry and fears about medical procedures that may cause them pain and discomfort as well as feeling a lack of knowledge and control over the situation. It has been confirmed that anxiety can manifest itself in things such as increased heart rate, feeling of tightness, and muscle tension (Bandelow, Boerner ,Kasper, Linden, Wittchen Mà ¶ller 2013). The effect of music on heart rate as a relaxation technique has been studied in a clinical setting. It has been proven that a patients preferred music can have a positive effect on lowering the heart rate post procedure (Vaajoki, Kankkunen, Pietilà ¤ Vehvilà ¤inen-Julkunen, 2011). The heart rate is defined as a clinical value measured as a full heart contraction for the duration of a full minute. The ability to lower heart rate allows us to empirically measure the effects of music on the patients during and after their procedures. The patient will have sole control over their choice of music in this concept. Giving the patient the ability to control the type of music has also shown to provide patients with a sense of choice and involvement in the procedure (Erlang, Nielsen, Hansen Finderup, 2015). The musical choices of the patients will be songs played by instruments that are kept in a key with harmonies and rhythm. The patient has full control over the genre of music which may include rock, classical, pop and acoustic. Antecedents Most adult patients will have previously experienced a blood draw and therefore will know what to expect. This knowledge may range from a feeling of impending doom and anxiety over the pain and discomfort they may experience. Though blood draws may not always be painful, previous experiences influence a patients expectations and can translate into higher anxiety and stress when the previous experience was negative (Reicherts, Gerdes, Pauli Wieser, 2016). The travel to the medical facility and the identification of music to be played are also antecedents to the impending procedure. Consequences Consequences of the attempt to relieve anxiety during a blood draw can include a positive experience due to relieved anxiety as well as improved rapport with the nurse or other health care professional which will result in return of the patient for future screenings and preventative care (Detz, Lopez, Sarkar, 2013) . This in turn will result in the patient seeking out healthier long term behavior as well as a decrease in emergency service use (Weiss Blustein, 1996). Additionally, the patient may feel more relaxed and not tense up as much making the nurses job to perform the blood draw much easier. As illustrated in a study by Hartling, Newton, Liang, Jou, Hewson, Klassen and Curtis (2013) a significant amount of health care providers reported that it was easier to perform IV placement on children admitted into the Emergency Department who listened to music than those who were not listening to music. It was also noted that the health care providers were happier with the placement whe n patients were listening to music than if they were not (Hartling et al., 2013) The opposite experience may also occur, creating a negative consequence. The patient may not have found the music they wanted to listen to and may have not experienced anxiety relief during the blood draw. If the nurse was unsuccessful in performing the blood draw by having to start over, puncturing or fishing for the vein resulting in pain, the patient may reflect on this being a bad experience and will not want to return and may even feel the relationship with the nurse has been damaged which may result in the patient not seeking out medical care in the future. Empirical Referents The attribute of anxiety can be measured through a number of Anxiety scales such as the Generalized Anxiety Disorder seven-item scale (GAD-7) or The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) (Baldwin, 2016). These measurements can be done before and after the procedure, as well as across a population of patients who did listen to music as well as those that did not. A similar comparison between heart rate, blood pressure and respiration rate should be done for everyone involved in the study. A general Patient Satisfaction Survey may also be done for all patients to get an overall sense of the experience and to ask specifics on the patient-nurse relationship after the procedure. A study that may be emulated can include the study performed by Hartling et al. (2013) which looked at pediatric patients response to having music played while having an IV placed in an Emergency Department setting. Within the study an Observational Scale of Behavioral Distress-Revised was used to measure behavioral distress, as well as child-reported pain, heart rate and parent and health care provider satisfaction, ease of performing procedure and parental anxiety were measured. This takes into account a variety of different types of data (qualitative vs. quantitative) while measuring success from more than 1 angle. Nursing Application The following two cases will outline how anxiety can lead to a positive and negative experience while experiencing a blood draw. The model case will show a positive experience of how music is able to reduce anxiety while the contrary case will portray a case in which anxiety is high for the patient. Model Case Jane Doe is coming in for a routine physical with the instruction of fasting as she will have blood drawn for a routine blood panel. Jane has an established rapport with the doctors office she is attending including the nurse who will be performing the blood draw today. Since Jane has had good experiences with this nurse before she is feeling calm prior to her appointment; she knows what to expect. When the nurse arrives she explains that they have added a new feature of having music played while the blood is being drawn. She is given a tablet with a music app where Jane is able to choose what music she would like to listen to. This gives Jane a sense of control and involvement in the situation and feels she can relax while the nurse is drawing her blood. As Jane relaxes the nurse is able to easily insert the needle and draw the blood quickly on her first attempt. Janes ability to relax her muscles and lowered anxiety ensured that she would not flinch and potentially disrupt the bloo d drawing process. After the appointment Jane leaves happy with the interaction with the nurse and feels the music helped in keeping her anxiety at bay in a natural way reinforcing her positive view of this doctors office. Contrary Case Jane Doe is coming in for a routine physical with the instruction of fasting as she will have blood drawn for a routine blood panel. Jane has never been to this doctors office before and is feeling some anxiety about this new environment. As the nurse gets ready to perform the blood draw, Janes anxiety intensifies as she recalls previous needle sticks. She feels as though she has no control over the situation and is starting to tense up as the nurse begins prepping her arm. The nurse is unable to accurately place the needle into the vein and has to start over. Jane is now feeling more anxious than ever as the first attempt was very painful and now the nurse will attempt to reinsert the needle again. After the appointment, Jane leaves the office not being confident in the ability of the nurse nor her desire to want to continue making appointments with this doctors office. Discussion and Conclusion The purpose of this concept analysis was to analyze the effects of music on patient anxiety during blood draws.   Through the lens of music therapy, psychology and biology it is concluded that music may act as a cost effective and non pharmacological solution to anxiety reduction while also improving patient-nurse relationships and encouraging patients to further seek medical intervention and preventative care in the future. Musical intervention may even encourage patients to seek a more long-term relationship with their nurse or other Healthcare provider which will ensure better health outcomes in their lifetimes. A practical application of this concept would be a very real possibility at the Japanese American Service Committee. Here, older adults are provided with a place to go while their families are at work to provide a stimulating environment as well as ensuring they are safe. Most of the clients suffer from some type of age related difficulties in performing activities of daily living effectively and on their own. Some may have dementia while others are no longer able to ambulate safely on their own without an assistive ambulation device. Though JASC does have a nurse on staff, they do not have a need to perform blood draws, though the use of music may come in handy while giving vaccines or administering other types of injection medications. Often clients become anxious towards the end of the day as they worry they will not make it home or that their families have forgotten them. The use of music may be a simple and cost effective way for JASC to engage the clients while reducing their worry. The care takers may also teach the clients about the use of music during stressful medical procedures as many of the clients do see their doctors quite often. The education may also be given to the clients families who may be able to put the concept into use and therefore assist in making these doctors visits less stressful for everyone. Implications for further research include a more comprehensive study across all ages, genders, settings, socioeconomic and insurance status, various procedures and patients who are predisposed to anxiety disorders. There are many factors that can influence a patients anxiety level and it is important to distinguish between musics effectives versus a persons inability to effectively deal with anxiety. References   Ã‚   Allred, K. D., Byers, J. F., Sole, M. L. (2010). The Effect of Music on Postoperative Pain and Anxiety. Pain Management Nursing, 11(1), 15-25. doi:10.1016/j.pmn.2008.12.002 Baldwin, D. (2016). Generalized anxiety disorder in adults: Epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, course, assessment, and diagnosis. In M.B. Stein R. Hermann (Eds.). UptoDate. Available from https://www-uptodate-com.ezproxy.depaul.edu/contents/generalized-anxiety-disorder-in-adults-epidemiology-pathogenesis-clinical-manifestations-course-assessment-and-diagnosis?source=search_resultsearch=generalized%20anxiety%20disorder%20diagnosisselectedTitle=1~128 Bandelow, B., Boerner, J. R., Kasper, S., Linden, M., Wittchen, H. U., Moeller, H. J. (2013). The diagnosis and treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Deutsches Aerzteblatt International, 110(17), 300-309. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2013.0300 Cooke, D. (2001). The language of music. London: Oxford University Press. Detz, A., Là ³pez, A., Sarkar, U. (2013). Long-Term Doctor-Patient Relationships: Patient Perspective From Online Reviews. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 15(7). doi:10.2196/jmir.2552 Dollinger, S. J. (1993). Research Note: Personality and Music Preference: Extraversion and Excitement Seeking or Openness to Experience? Psychology of Music, 21(1), 73-77. doi:10.1177/030573569302100105 Erlang, A. S., Nielsen, I. H., Hansen, H. O., Finderup, J. (2015). Patients Experiences Of Involvement In Choice Of Dialysis Mode. Journal of Renal Care, 41(4), 260-267. doi:10.1111/jorc.12141 Freeman, W. J. (1998). A neurobiological role of music on social bonding. In N. Wallin, B. Merkur, S. Brown   (Eds.), The Origins of Music. Cambridge MA: MIT Press. Hallam, S., Cross, I., Thaut, M. (2016). The Oxford handbook of music psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Hartling, L., Newton, A. S., Liang, Y., Jou, H., Hewson, K., Klassen, T. P., Curtis, S. (2013). Music to Reduce Pain and Distress in the Pediatric Emergency Department. JAMA Pediatrics, 167(9), 826. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.200 Horden, P. (2014). Music as medicine: the history of music therapy since antiquity. Aldershot: Ashgate. Lahmann, C., Schoen, R., Henningsen, P., Ronel, J., Muehlbacher, M., Loew, T., . . . Doering, S. (2008). Brief Relaxation Versus Music Distraction in the Treatment of Dental Anxiety. The Journal of the American Dental Association, 139(3), 317-324. doi:10.14219/jada.archive.2008.0161 Mok, E., Wong, K. (n.d.). Effects of Music on Patient Anxiety. Aorn Journal, 77(2), 396-410. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0001-2092(06)61207-6 Palakanis, K. C., Denobile, J. W., Sweeney, B. W., Blankenship, C. L. (1994). Effect of music therapy on state anxiety in patients undergoing flexible sigmoidoscopy. Diseases of the Colon Rectum, 37(5), 478-481. doi:10.1007/bf02076195 Reicherts, P., Gerdes, A. B., Pauli, P., Wieser, M. J. (2016). Psychological Placebo and Nocebo Effects on Pain Rely on Expectation and Previous Experience. The Journal of Pain, 17(2), 203-214. doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2015.10.010 Sloboda, J. A. (1991). Music Structure and Emotional Response: Some Empirical Findings. Psychology of Music, 19(2), 110-120. doi:10.1177/0305735691192002 Thoma, M. V., Marca, R. L., Brà ¶nnimann, R., Finkel, L., Ehlert, U., Nater, U. M. (2013). The Effect of Music on the Human Stress Response. PLoS ONE, 8(8). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0070156 Vaajoki, A., Kankkunen, P., Pietilà ¤, A., Vehvilà ¤inen-Julkunen, K. (2011). Music as a nursing intervention: Effects of music listening on blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate in abdominal surgery patients. Nursing Health Sciences, 13(4), 412-418. doi:10.1111/j.1442-2018.2011.00633.x Weiss, L. J., Blustein, J. (1996). Faithful patients: the effect of long-term physician-patient relationships on the costs and use of health care by older Americans. 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EBays Growth Strategies: An Analysis

EBays Growth Strategies: An Analysis To gain market in India, eBay has to change the way it operates. eBay.in has to develop and implement new strategies for the change management. Using the following table the best theory to use is Lippitts Phases of Change Theory. This theory consists of 7 steps and it mainly focuses on change agents roles and responsibilities compared to evolution of change in the organization. Implementing Lippitts phases of change theory on eBay.in The problem: eBay failed to make its impression in India, one main reason is the countrys internet and technology is still developing unlike in USA, where internet and technology growth reached its maturity level. People in India consider eBay as a virtual market, and so they dont believe in it, when compared to retail and wholesale markets. eBay is unable to adapt the different languages and cultures in the country so it is unknown to most of the people. Motivation and capacity for change: eBay has enough capacity for the change, and to localize itself in various states/cultures it needs to appoint local business people/change agents, who are familiar with local markets and the technology. Increase in fuel price, inflation, and recession are forcing people to choose other methods to purchase products they need, so eBay is the choice people have, and the change agent if able to inspire them the organization will grow strong in the market within few months. Change Agent and Resources: Recruiting those individuals who know the local market as well as have good knowledge about the internet and technology can be helpful. To check the motivation and commitment of the agent, he/she will be assessed through few interviews and other psychological tests. As the organization depends mainly on internet and technology, the required resources are available in India, like manpower, transportation, etc. Progressive change objects: Developing action plans and strategies with respect to different cultures and languages needs those language and culture experts, organization should employee those people before they build their strategies. The main goal here is to gain the customers belief and get close to them so they know the organization. Aims of this process are to decrease complexity and achieve operational excellence. Role of Change Agent: organization should define what they are expecting from the change agent, and change should be clear about what his/her duties are and should make it clear for the organization and other employees, and customers, by which no one gets confused in the process of change. Maintaining the Change: developing new strategies for marketing, like campaigns, advertisements about the organization and how the organization operates is very important for the organization. Taking feedbacks and review helps organization to understand how people are reacting and what are the other changes the organization needs to make, to increase belief on the organization? Change Agent: once organization reached a stage where people are believing in the organization and are able to communicate properly without any problem, the role of change agent should be lessened and the change process should be terminated slowly. What would you do differently if undertaking a project of this nature in the future? Following above steps can increase the belief of the people on the organization, but I would like to concentrate on one specific point i.e. existence of the organization in the virtual environment. The main reason, why people dont believe the eBay.in is because of its virtual existence, and I would like to change that in to physical existence. Both buyers and sellers are customers of the organization and they can do it online, but I would like to provide a small place/ business centre where people can come and meet directly and exchange goods or products. By this process people will be more attracted towards the organization and customers belief towards the organization increases. However, this contradicts with the idea of online marketing but, this process should be and will be followed only for few days, until and up to the organization gains the belief of its customers. And we use this business centre only for those customers who are willing to come and for complex situations to reduce complexity. Factors which can influence the change management process Power: many organizations follow hierarchical power i.e. managers take decisions, sometimes with the support of employees and sometimes without the support of employees, about the process and strategies that organization is going to follow. Here management of eBay considers buyers and sellers are equally powerful to make their own decisions. Culture: eBay is a massive community with unique culture. In the site individuals can find articles offering wider information than just auction listing or price lists or web site tools. eBay creates opportunities for people, it cares its customers, and making a difference in the world. It explains us the unique psychology, attitudes, and beliefs and values of the management and founders of eBay. Communication: organizational communication and interpersonal communication plays a vital role in effective change management. Organization communication is leader communicating with the employees through meeting, conferences, or electronic mails. This information in general is for everyone in the organization to explain new strategies or action plans to its employees. Interpersonal communication is communication between management and employees, in general to provide information on what they are expecting from the employees and what organization aims at. It is also useful in taking feedbacks as not all the employees work and learns at same-pace. Interpersonal communication increases relationship between employees and management which is very important for an organization to sustaining change. Conclusion: eBay was able to make a strong impact on the market in USA, UK, etc. because the growth of technology in these countries was too high. eBay inc primarily depend on the internet for its existence and without internet and technology it cannot exists. In countries like India, where internet and technology is still growing and didnt reach its maturity level, it is hard for the organization to grow and make an impact on the market. Education level of the customers also plays an important role in online business, developing new software to make selling and buying process simple also plays a role in the development of the organization. Technology is a macro environmental factor, meaning organizations like eBay cannot control or increase the growth of technology in markets like India. So, developing new strategies like building physical existence rather than virtual existence can make a difference, it is not necessary to start a retail market but proving a business centre, where people can come in case of necessary and delivery issues can increase belief of customers on the organization. Providing local language call centres and customers support centres also helps organization to grow in the developing markets. Change is necessary in the present world, increase in globalization and internationalization is forcing organization to change and develop new strategies to gain the markets and customers. Because of increase in competition organizations are changing their products and markets to gain competitive advantage. In one way or another change is coming into the organizations, and managing change is very important as improper manage of change can destroy organization. An American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang | Analysis An American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang | Analysis According to Chun, who has studied the typical Asian American stereotypes and the myth of their success, Asian American descendants have been pressured into assimilating within an inflexible mold of Americanization to avoid the anti-Oriental stereotypes and prejudices of American society (The Myth). Chuns observation indicates that minority youth in the United States are constantly hard pressed by the biased and unequal educational system that is majorly dominated by those who enjoy white privileges. Shim argues in his article, which introduces the history of yellow stereotypes in America since 1800s, that the entertainment industry plays a critical role to enforce and expand racist practices through the false presentation of Asian stereotypes (From Yellow). Based on the strong influence of the media to young generations, stereotypes are extensively imitated and exercised at schools. In American Born Chinese, a graphic novel written by an Asian American immigrant Gene Luen Yang, the author successfully communicates to the audience of unjustified stereotypes faced by Asian American youth that equally share his cultural background at schools (American). Themes Yangs primary message of the novel is to persuade students to overcome racial adversities and accept their true identities. He effectively utilizes pathos in the scenes where everyone dislikes Chin-Kees abnormal behavior and where Jin constantly has to fight against Asian stereotypes to highlight the hardships of acculturation of young generation in America. On the other hand, the implicit message of the novel is to allow educators to notice and seek for solutions on racial discrimination against non-white groups students that discourage their academic motivation and cultural preservation. In light of Yangs primary and secondary messages, the audience can learn that culture is not static or inherent for anyone. Instead, it is reproduced and learned by young generation as an account of evolving and complex progress through educational experience. Yang appeals to the greatest level of audience with three different genres and demonstrate to them the idea that minority youth culture is s haped and distorted in academic environment through the use of stereotyped behaviors, provocative language and ironic caricatures of Chin-Kee in the novel. Yang adopts three genres to targets audience from the general category of those who endeavor to identify their cultural heritage to the non-white minority groups in the American society. He expresses in an interview that, My Chinese heritage informs the way that I am an American (Youtube). These words indicate that Yang wants to draw the attention of Asian American immigrant specifically through the novel because of his academic experience. Nonetheless, the books increasing popularity successfully brought the attention of educators and critics of American power structures. He is able to reach different levels of audience for the reason that multi-culture education reflects the interaction of each individual pupil with the institutional system as well as the more complex economic-political society. Furthermore, Yang uses the comic book as the main genre, for that he regards comics as an individualistic pursuit that is intimate and reflective (Youtube). He also adopts sub-genres of sup erhero fiction and coming-of-age story in the novel to incorporate two different styles of stories that interrelate to each other. Three characters are portrayed by Yang in each story. All of them similarly feel the age to become Americanized with the expense of their original identity. The central characters include the Monkey King, who represents a superhero from the famous Chinese tale and Jin, who transforms himself into a typical white guy Danny to assimilate into American society. Yangs technique to adapt the old tale of Monkey King with some Catholic Elements proves that he successfully attracts not only Chinese American immigrants but also the audience from the dominant white culture. In addition, his own experience is reflected through the coming-of-age story, which persuades the wide range of audience of the novels credibility under the backdrop. In light of these methods, he inspires audience from various minority groups to discover and respect their cultural heritage. Stereotyped behaviors of Chin-Kee and Jin are depicted in the novel to present the distorted minority youth culture. Such students constantly face the hardships to accommodate and acculturate into American society. In anthropological terms, incommensurability refers to the fact that there are certain aspects of one culture that are hard for people from another culture to comprehend. According to American Born Chinese, Yang exaggerates scenes where Chin-Kee and Jin are constantly teased or excluded for the stereotyped behaviors by their white counterparts at school in order to reflect the incommensurable groups from the dominant culture. For instance, all the white students around Chin-Kee widely discuss about the fact that he eats crispy fried cat gizzards with noodle. Furthermore, the little white boy looks down upon Jin, who is introduced by the teacher on the first day of class. His expression very serious and disdainful, the boy insists that, My momma says Chinese people eat dogs . Yang goes on further to make the teacher respond that she thinks Jins family probably abandoned their old habit because they are eager to become like Americans (American Born Chinese).This two scenes indicates that the white students are unconsciously distinguishing between what we eat and what he eats. They fail to understand that this type of food, which they critically comment on, should not contribute to the reason why they regard their culture as more superior. As I have observed, Germans are frenzied about roasted pork feet. Also, Americans eat spam, a type of canned pork regularly. However, people from Islamic culture developed their eating habits that regard pork as dirty and inedible. Thus, the selection of food by people from different cultural backgrounds is idiosyncratic, and it should not be disrespected by anyone, for that otherwise the person automatically denies a part of his or her own culture. In the second scene, Yang intends to emphasize that educators should c ircumvent inequality and stereotypes while using their cultural power to teach students knowledge and the political structure. He arouses the audiences sympathy by presenting the critical stereotypes that the little boy Jin, who barely started his first day at an elementary school, has to experience. Jin not only encountered biased opinions from the teacher, but also the fellow classmates who spread rumors about his unusual relationship with a Japanese girl, Suzy Nakamura. At this point, the fact that white students concluded that Jin would marry Suzy once again implicates the students inability to notice that there are remarkable distinction between Chinese and Japanese culture although they both share the same Asian root. To a larger extent, the dominant groups falsely regard themselves as the mainstream culture and marked off a line between white society and the rest of others. This belief results in a subtraction process of minority youth culture that causes them to question the value of their original culture. Yang depicts the stereotyped opinions of Jins teachers and classmates to infer how academic environment influences Asian American immigrants like Jin to build their cultural identity. They need to constantly struggle between their original Asian blood and new Asian American citizenship. Also, through creating stereotypes from different angles of students and teachers toward Jin and Chin-Kee, Yang is able to persuade the audience that culture is a process that maintains the larger stratified system in American society. For instance, Jin assumes that he is not accepted by the dominant culture because of his racial identity. As a result of the cultural tension, he goes so far in the story as to transform himself into a white guy, Danny. Ironically, he ends up at a Chinese cafà © drinking Boba tea with Wei-Chen, the monkey, in a similar vein, who symbolically transforms into a human being. Jin abandons the American identity that he dreamed about. In this circumstance, the academic envir onment forced Jin to fight against his Chinese background to assimilate into the American society where white people rule the dominant culture. Yang deliberately set up the ending in which Jin ultimately recognizes that he should learn to appreciate his part of Chinese origin. This allows the minority immigrants under the similar context to understand that each culture encompasses unique practices and knowledge. The incommensurability is the product of students engagement in school activates. As a result, Yang shows how interactions among individuals empower the meaning of culture. He intends to emphasize that educators are responsible to inform the significance of culture and clarify the power structures beyond academic competence. Yang enhances the effect of Asian American stereotypes by applying rhetorical skills such as provocative language and ironic caricatures. Readers and Yang himself consider the language in American Born Chinese as unnecessarily crass (Yang, Kartika Review). Yang utilizes this style of language to transfer the idea that biased interrelationship of different cultures is unhealthy and uncivilized in a similar token. Furthermore, the categorized power structure influences younger generation to shape their notions toward a diversity of experience at school. For instance, Timmy, the white boy from Jins elementary school refers to Jin as bucktooth without any hesitation. He does not care what harm he causes Jin. On the other hand, Timmy changes his tone when he calls the other white friend Pansy Boy to a whisper due to his serious demand. Yangs use of transitional language here reflects Timmys perception of his position in the society. He visions white culture as more powerful and privileged , so that he verbally bullying the inferior races and compromise with the kid from his superior group. Lastly, Yang draws caricatures in the novel to symbolically refer to the exaggerated stereotypes that are placed on Asian American immigrants. For instance, Chin-Kee wears outdated clothing and has a physical appearance that looks like underdeveloped human beings. Also, Chin-Kee never changes his outfit throughout the novel and has long hair that only past ancestors do in China. Thus, through combining the Asian American stereotypes throughout the book with rhetorical devices such as language and caricatures, Yang successfully delivers the message that culture is not inherited but instead a process that is learned and shaped by power structures in the society through educational means. It is also described in the article Culture as Disability, written by McDermott and Varenne, that culture reveals not broken person but identifications neatly tuned to the workings of institutions serving political and economic ends. Yang intends to persuade educators that they should start to notice that it is their responsibility to respect each cultural practice and value. Although racial discrimination is hard to extinguish in the society, it is possible to educate young generation to appreciate their cultural heritage while assimilating into the American society. Most importantly, instructors should clarify the opportunity structure under the socio-economic context and ne atly tuned to explain the process of cultural construction. In this fashion, young generation may obtain different perspectives from It is because we are minority groups to We can make a difference because we are no different than people from the dominant culture. Electrical Stimulus in a Frog Muscle: Experiment Electrical Stimulus in a Frog Muscle: Experiment Frogs are keystone species, an essential organism to aquatic ecosystems. They have both terrestrial and aquatic niches as predators and prey and serve as indicator species to assess the response of ecosystems to environmental change. To execute daily locomotion patterns, frogs use skeletal muscles. We wanted to determine the relationship between the strength of the stimulus and the response of the muscle. We also wanted to measure the amplitude of contraction produced in a muscle that is stimulated with repeated pulses delivered at progressively higher frequencies. We hypothesized that increasing stimulus voltage in the gastrocnemius muscle of a frog will result in an increase in stimulation amplitude and that an increase in stimulation frequency at a constant voltage will result in an increase in force generated by the muscle up until a point where it plateaus. We found that our hypotheses were supported and that muscle regulation was via temporal and spatial recruitment. This study is important because it serves as a model for understanding skeletal muscle mechanisms in other organisms including humans. Frogs are widely distributed terrestrial amphibians that inhabit upland and wetland regions, found on all continents of the world except Antarctica. Many frog species, in both larval and adult stages serve as important prey for larger predators including fish, raccoons, snakes and birds of prey (Chalcraft and Resetarits 2003; Auniola and Kauhala 2001). Additionally frogs serve an important role as indicators of environmental stress (King 2010). A review of complex systems in temporary ponds by Wilbur (1997) makes the argument that frogs have two distinct niches, one terrestrial and one aquatic. Wilbur states all frogs with free-living larvae change at metamorphosis from aquatic omnivorous tadpoles to amphibious carnivorous adults. The role of such connections among food webs is a fruitful area for both theoretical and empirical research because the foraging of animals across ectones may be an important biological mechanism linking elements of the mosaics of habitats that form landsca pes. One trait frogs are most known for is locomotion. Frogs typically display two type of locomotion: jumping and swimming. Though frogs are traditionally presented as jump specialists most species also swim (Navas et al. 1999). Frogs exhibit these locomotive behaviors for a variety of reasons including escaping predators, often times by a short set of quick and powerful jumps (Carvalho, Gomes and Navas 2007). Frog locomotion is dependent on muscles, particularly skeletal muscles, which are muscles connected to the skeleton (Marsh and Olson 1998). Skeletal muscles are organized beginning with units called sarcomeres. A sarcomere consists of two opposing vertical Z-line discs each with actin filaments attached. A myosin filament floats between each horizontal actin section. Sarcomeres are connected to each other by Z-lines. One mechanism of muscle contraction begins with the sliding of the actin and myosin filaments. Parts of the myosin, known as myosin heads, bind to the free end of the actin, the end not attached to the Z-line, and pull it one way toward the center of the mysosin, in an accordian-like mechanism. The muscle shortens or contracts because the sarcomeres shorten. The process by which the myosin binds to the actin is called the Cross-Bridge cycle. The binding of the myosin to actin is the trigger for the myosin head to tilt and release an ADP and a P as well as a powerstroke. ATP binds to the myosin head and the myosin releases the actin, in a softening effect. The ATP is hydrolyzed and delivers energy to moved the mysosin head back and it is ready for the next powerstroke. The sarcomeres move closer together by many of these powerstrokes occurring one after the other. In the Cross-Bridge cycle myosin is normally prevented from binding to the actin. Another protein called tropomyosin, which is wrapped around the actin, is in the way to block the actin-myosin binding site. Another protein, troponin, is attached to the tropomyosin and when triggered, moves the troponin away to allow the binding to occur. But what triggers the tropomyosin to move the troponin? The simple answer is calcium and this occurs in a process called excitation-contraction coupling. In excitation-contraction coupling an action potential or electrical stimulus, runs down a T-tubule in the muscle fiber. The stimulus reaches a ryanodyne receptor which opens ion channels in the sarcoplasmic reticulum, a storage space for calcium in the muscle fibers. Once the ion channels are opened, calcium runs out into the cell. For the muscle to relax or return to its original resting position, calcium must be moved back into the sarcoplasmic reticulum by a SERCA pump. Because calcium is being moved against a concentration gradient, this relaxation requires ATP. The SERCA pump lowers calcium levels in the cytosol or cell and when the calcium is taken up again the muscle relaxes. Since muscles are not contracting all the time muscle contraction must be regulated. Regulating the muscles allows frogs to change aspects of locomotive behavior, such as how far a frog is able to jump. Muscle contraction force can be regulated by calcium in three mechanisms: temporal recruitment, in which the firing rate at which individual motor neurons fire is changed; spatial recruitment, in which the number of active motor units is changed; and the length-tension relationship, in which the sarcomere length is changed to generate tension. This study focuses on the force of muscle contraction via temporal and spatial recruitment. In temporal recruitment, the frequency of the action potential is changed, usually increased, so that more calcium is released into the muscle cell. More calcium in the cell results in more tension generated. Another mechanism for the regulation of muscle contraction force is motor unit recruitment, also known as spatial recruitment. A motor unit is comprised of muscle fibers and a motor neuron. There are different amounts of fibers per motor unit. In spatial recruitment the number of active motor units is increased to increase the strength of muscle contraction. More motor units means that more muscle fibers can be stimulated. If only half of the muscle fibers are stimulated, only half the amount of force will be generated. If all of the muscle fibers are stimulated, the maximum amount of force will be generated. We hypothesized that if we increase voltage of an electrical stimulus in a frog muscle we will see an increase in stimulation amplitude and if we increase stimulation frequency at a constant voltage, we will see an increase in force generated by the muscle up until a point where it plateaus. Materials Methods: We used the gastrocnemius muscle of a frog in two experiments. In the first experiment we used a single stimulus, changing the voltage of the stimulus from 0 volts to 2.0 volts. The force of the muscle was recorded. In the second experiment we stimulated the muscle in series of ten using a constant voltage identified in the first experiment. The frequency of the stimuli was progressively increased starting at 0.5 and ending at 30 Hz. Results: Our results showed that as the stimulus increases the amplitude of the muscle twitches increases up until a point where it plateaus. Our results also showed that as the stimulation frequency increases the passive tension of the muscle increase up until a point where it plateaus. Figure 1 shows a normalized graph for the effects of increasing stimulus on the amplitude of muscle twitches in the gastrocnemius muscle of a frog. The x-axis is the recorded stimulus in volts and the y-axis is the amplitude of the twitches (displayed as a percentage of the maximum). The graph shows that as the stimulus increases the amplitude of the muscle twitches increases up until a point where it plateaus. Table 1 shows a set of group data from the first experiment, in which amplitude and times of muscle twitches were generated by stimulus pulses of different amplitudes. As in Figure 1, Table 1 shows that as the stimulus increases the amplitude of the muscle twitches increases up until a point where it plateaus. The contraction time and latency period remains largely unchanged with changing stimulus amplitude. Figure 2 shows a normalized graph for the effects of increasing stimulation frequency on the passive tension in the gastrocnemius muscle of a frog. The x-axis is the stimulus frequency in hertz and the y-axis is the passive tension in the muscle (displayed as a percentage of the maximum). The graph shows that as the stimulation frequency increases the passive tension of the muscle increase up until a point where it plateaus. Table 2 shows a set of group data from the second experiment, in which the strength of muscle contraction was examined during mechanical summation and tetanus. As in Figure 2, Table 2 shows that as the stimulus increases the amplitude of the muscle twitches increases up until a point where it plateaus. The amplitude of the first twitch remains largely unchanged with changing stimulus amplitude. Discussion: The data shows that the direct electrical stimulation produces contraction of the muscle via motor units. A little bit of force is generated when a few of these motor units are being used and a lot of force is generated when lots of motor units are being used. The muscle does not respond to the low stimulus voltages because the electrical stimulus is not directly touching the muscle, it is touching the surrounding connective tissue. The low stimulus voltages are not strong enough to penetrate the tissue. As noted in Figure 1 and Table 1 the amplitude of the muscle response increases with increasing stimulus voltages. This is so because more and more of the muscle mass is stimulated as the voltages increase. At high stimulus voltages, the muscle response reaches maximum amplitude. The muscle response does not continue to increase with increasing stimulus voltages because the muscle is already functioning at the best of its ability. The muscle cells have reached the point where all the troponins are activated by calcium. Releasing more calcium into the cell will not result in any more tension generated, as the system is already working at its maximum capacity. Latency is the interval between stimulus and a response to the stimulus, here meaning muscle contraction. Over this period, the action potential sweeps across the cell membrane of the muscle cell and the sarcoplasmic reticulum releases calcium ions. The muscle fiber does not produce tension during the latent period, because the contraction cycle has yet to begin. The latency period in this study was constant at 0.025 seconds.This result been found by anyone else and it seems does not vary among other species, since it is roughly the same for humans (Hamilton and Osborn 1977). Since contraction amplitude is dependent upon the increases in concentration and persistence of intracellular calcium, the question of why the contraction amplitudes of single twitches are the same is raised. This can be explained because the same amount of calcium is being put in for the same repeated event. As noted in Table 2, the amplitude of the first twitch seems to be constant (value). This can be explained because the muscle is utilizing the same amount of calcium and is thus generating the same amount of force. Tetanus is the complete contraction of a muscle. Tetanus requires high stimulus frequencies. This tells us that the calcium re-uptake by the sarcoplasmic reticulum is slower than the original release. The rate of muscle relaxation is much slower after tetanus than after a single twitch because more calcium needs to be re-taken up and it takes longer to get all the extra added calcium back into the sarcoplasmic reticulum. A study on jumping bullfrogs by Marsh and Roberts reveals two points of interest: first, frogs jump farther than they should, considering only the force their muscles are able to generate. Second, muscles are able to do the most work when they contract slowly, however frog jumping involves a very rapid movement. They explain that by separating the performance of muscular work from the application of mechanical work to the body, a catapult-like mechanism, which works by loading elastic elements into the limbs prior to initiating a jump, overcomes the constraints of skeletal muscle function (Marsh and Roberts 2003). Another study by Aerts and Nauwelaerts (2006) indicates that by taking more small jumps as opposed to fewer larger jumps, frogs can increase their flexibility in movement because they would be able to change direction during the forward movement part jumping. Theoretically this means they would spend less time in the same spot during landing and recovery of the jumping cycle, which makes them more likely to be snatched by a predator. Frogs have physiological mechanisms that have enabled their muscles to generate enough force for jumping and swimming locomotion including changing the frequency of the action potential and increasing the number of active motor units. As mentioned before, frogs are a keystone species, meaning other organisms rely on it and not always directly in a predator-prey relationship. Without frogs, food webs would collapse and lead to the demise of many other species and potentially entire ecosystems. This study is important because it serves as a model for understanding skeletal muscle mechanisms in other organisms including humans.

where the red fern grows :: essays research papers

In the story, Billy was walking home one day when there was a dog fight in the ally and he went to investigate to see what was going on and there was a bunch of dog’s beating up on one dog so he decided to get involved and break it up. They all scattered away when they saw him coming. The dog that was getting beat up and was lying on the ground and it was hurt. He went to the dog and saw it was a beautiful hound dog. He also noticed that the dog wasn’t hurt that bad, just scared.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Billy was a boy he always wanted a pair of hound dogs. However, as much as he wanted a pair of hounds he did not receive them. Every now and then he would hear the neighboring dogs calling treed to their masters, and their masters whooping back to them to tell the hound that they were on the way. This encouraged Billy to want a hound even more. His dad told him one day that his grandpa wanted to see him soon. Once he got to his grandfather, his grandfather told him that he had seen an ad in the newspaper for some hound dog pups. So he went and got an old tin can and started putting money in it that he made from working in the fields. Over the next year he had saved up enough money to buy his hound dog. He hiked over the mountains to the nearest town post office because that’s where his dogs where going to be until he picked them up. He got to the post office and put them in a potato sack bag and headed for home. His grandpa had given him a coon trap so he could train his dogs. He named his dogs Little Anne and Old Dan. By the time hunting season had come he had his dogs trained and ready to go. The first night they treed their first ringtail coon. He skinned the coon and took it to his grandfather for money. He gave the money to his father. After about a year his dogs had become very good at hunting. The neighboring kids thought that their dogs were the best dogs. He told them that his dogs could catch any coon. So they challenged him thinking that they were going to get five dollars out of him.

Essays --

All it takes is one person to take the lives of twenty six students. Imagine dropping your kid off at school, and finding out that they, along with twenty five other classmates were killed by a single gunman. This was the reality for many parents at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newton, Connecticut. And while this terrorist act affected the lives of 26 families, it also affected America as a nation. A day after the tragic shooting, the National Rifle Association’s Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre addressed the media, and examined how America needs to take action to protect our children. In La Pierre’s speech, he claims how the effect of a gun can differ depending on who is firing the gun. Through the use of logos, pathos, and demagoguery, he effectively provides an argument that existing gun laws have not saved us from the violence that our society has developed. The use of Logos in LaPierre’s speech is evident through the use of facts supported by his impactful words and statistics. LaPierre depicts how the media has created a violent culture in our society today, â€Å"A child growing up in America witnesses 16,000 murders and 200,000 acts of violence by the time he or she reaches the ripe old age of 18.†(La Pierre, 17) He claims that in today’s world, many movies, video games, and T.V. shows depict violent situation that usually involved bad guys shooting innocent people. LaPierre wants people to see that the media is too blame for this violent culture. By using large numbers such as sixteen and two hundred thousand, he is able to prove that media does have an effect on our society. LaPierre believes that anything can influence society, and the killers are the ones who will incorporate movie scenes into their real life actions... ... right now, starting today, in a way that we know works †(LaPierre, 3) The italicized words allow the audience to reflect on themselves. LaPierre wants people to realize that they can make a change and provide money/guns for school security even if the government will not. He also states the words â€Å"we† and â€Å"family† throughout his whole speech. This is LaPierre’s most effective use of Pathos. He is constantly remind the audience he is on their side and that he is suffering with all the families that have lost loved ones. LaPierre incorporated pathos and logos to create the effect he desired on his audience. He demonstrates logos effectively by the use of facts and supporting evidence. He also uses pathos to appeal to the audience’s emotions. Both strategies, give provide a greater chance that the audience will agree with his argument for armed security in schools. Essays -- All it takes is one person to take the lives of twenty six students. Imagine dropping your kid off at school, and finding out that they, along with twenty five other classmates were killed by a single gunman. This was the reality for many parents at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newton, Connecticut. And while this terrorist act affected the lives of 26 families, it also affected America as a nation. A day after the tragic shooting, the National Rifle Association’s Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre addressed the media, and examined how America needs to take action to protect our children. In La Pierre’s speech, he claims how the effect of a gun can differ depending on who is firing the gun. Through the use of logos, pathos, and demagoguery, he effectively provides an argument that existing gun laws have not saved us from the violence that our society has developed. The use of Logos in LaPierre’s speech is evident through the use of facts supported by his impactful words and statistics. LaPierre depicts how the media has created a violent culture in our society today, â€Å"A child growing up in America witnesses 16,000 murders and 200,000 acts of violence by the time he or she reaches the ripe old age of 18.†(La Pierre, 17) He claims that in today’s world, many movies, video games, and T.V. shows depict violent situation that usually involved bad guys shooting innocent people. LaPierre wants people to see that the media is too blame for this violent culture. By using large numbers such as sixteen and two hundred thousand, he is able to prove that media does have an effect on our society. LaPierre believes that anything can influence society, and the killers are the ones who will incorporate movie scenes into their real life actions... ... right now, starting today, in a way that we know works †(LaPierre, 3) The italicized words allow the audience to reflect on themselves. LaPierre wants people to realize that they can make a change and provide money/guns for school security even if the government will not. He also states the words â€Å"we† and â€Å"family† throughout his whole speech. This is LaPierre’s most effective use of Pathos. He is constantly remind the audience he is on their side and that he is suffering with all the families that have lost loved ones. LaPierre incorporated pathos and logos to create the effect he desired on his audience. He demonstrates logos effectively by the use of facts and supporting evidence. He also uses pathos to appeal to the audience’s emotions. Both strategies, give provide a greater chance that the audience will agree with his argument for armed security in schools.

Jazz Concert Review

Concert Evaluation Guidelines: MUS 2014: General guidelines to writing the paper. AFTER THE CONCERT Write your paper as soon as possible after the concert while the experience is fresh in your mind. What you include in you Concert Review will depend largely on the concert you attend. FORMAT Typed: double-spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman, one inch margins Title page: Concert title, performers (do not list performers in larger ensembles), date of concert, course number and section, your name, and date. Length: No more than three pages. Assemble: All concert reports must be stapled, with the concert program stapled behind your paper.Your name should be on each page, and also on the program. Programs: Attendance at a live performance is required; streaming concerts are not acceptable for this assignment. The concert program must be turned in with your paper; papers submitted without programs will not be accepted. Printed PDF programs and Xerox copies will also not be accepted. Be advise d that a well-attended performance may run out of programs; be sure to arrive early to get a program. STYLE Write your paper in the first person. This is about your concert experience and your reactions. Avoid jargon, slang, and wordiness.Points will be deducted for grammatical and spelling errors. CONTENT What do you include in your paper? The most important goal of the concert-going experience is to enjoy the music. If you are busy taking notes and trying to remember everything that you hear, then you are not listening and reflecting. There is not time to analyze the music in great detail in the context of a concert. The primary goals are to listen, enjoy, reflect, and to later articulate your impressions using musical terminology to the best of your ability through the writing of your Concert Review.What to include: Your paper should follow a standard format including an introductory paragraph, body (one paragraph on each work), conclusions, and a closing paragraph. Introduction: Include name of ensemble(s) and/or soloists performing and the genre of music being performed (eg. Swing, Latin, BeBop, etc.. ). Body: Dedicate one paragraph to each work of music. In each paragraph give the name of the piece, composer, and performer(s) (if different from one to the next). For concerts with several shorter works, these paragraphs will be brief. You MUST attend the entire performance. For concerts with several works, a minimum of 4 works is required) †¢ If possible, include historical context. Include the time period. Were there musical characteristics from that time period that you were able to recognize? Did the piece sound like other pieces in that time period that you heard in class? †¢ Most importantly, include your overall impressions of each piece. Did you like or dislike the work? What was it that you liked or disliked? Using musical terminology articulate to the best of your ability what you liked. †¢ Can you relate the piece to anything you have listened to in class? Had you heard the piece before?Conclusions/Closing Paragraph: †¢ Did you enjoy one piece of music more than others? If so, why? †¢ Have you been to a concert of this type before? †¢ How does attending a live concert influence your listening? †¢ What did you think of the quality of the performance? †¢ Given the opportunity, would you go to another concert of this type? Things to Avoid: †¢ Do not give a â€Å"play by play† of the pieces. â€Å"First the piano†¦ † â€Å"Next the Saxophones†¦ † then the percussion†¦. † †¢ Do not take unnecessary space with long lists of instruments, and performers. †¢ Avoid overused words like upbeat, smooth, entertaining, and cool. Avoid redundancies. For example, if an entire concert of music is from the Swing era, this does not need to be stated in each paragraph. †¢ Do not call a piece of music a â€Å"song† unless it has words an d someone was singing. †¢ Do not use additional sources without citing them. THE UNIVERSITY WRITING CENTER The University Writing Center is located on the bottom level of the Belk Library and Information Commons, in Room 008. Consultants will work with you one-on-one and provide assistance with style, organization, content, grammar, and documentation. For more information, visit www. writingcenter. appstate. du; or call 262-3144 to make an appointment. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY As a community of learners atAppalachian State University, we must create an atmosphere of honesty, fairness, and responsibility, without which we cannot earn the trust and respect of each other. Furthermore, we recognize that academic dishonesty detracts from the value of anAppalachian degree. Therefore, we shall not tolerate lying, cheating, or stealing in any form and will oppose any instance of academic dishonesty. This course will follow the provisions of the Academic Integrity Code, which can be found on the Office of Student Conduct Web Site: Jazz Concert Review Mus1104 Concert Review A Night of Jazz with the University Jazz Bands The concert I chose to attend was the University Jazz Bands’ Student Ensemble Concert on Wednesday, March 6, 2013. The concert featured two ensembles, both the Virginia Tech Jazz Ensemble and the Jazz Lab Band. At this concert, I was both a perceptive listener due to my knowledge of music and music performance, and a casual listener enjoying my friends performing a great concert. I enjoy my nature of listening because I can appreciate the music on many different levels, and get much more out of the performances than the casual listener.The concert was entirely jazz music, performing hits by Tommy Wolf, Duke Ellington, Mike Tomaro, and on. The ensembles varied in exact composition, but both contained: alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones; trumpets and trombones; drums, bass, piano, and guitar. A performer of every instrument had a solo and one point or another in the various songs, which provided not only a g reat chance to hear individual musician’s talents, but also a great opportunity to hear how the instrument itself can be used in jazz improvisation and how styles vary from instrument to instrument due to the nature of playing/performing them.There were nine songs performed at the concert, each with their own unique melody and form, but all following the jazz standards. The first song, â€Å"Rosewood,† was written by Woody Shaw and was performed by the Jazz Lab Band. The song features a fast presto tempo, fast with engineering and a driving bass line. A quarter of the way through the song, there’s a great trumpet solo blaring over a more subdued standard jazz riff, which goes straight into a tenor saxophone solo. The saxophone solo developed nicely upon the trumpet solo, both incorporating the first melody with some minor improvisations.The song had three themes, which were played in an ABACA pattern. The song was generally polyphonic, with one soloist or instru ment group playing a melody (theme) while the other instruments provided harmonies. The contrast between the trumpet section’s unity and the saxophones’ varying parts added depth to the song. The second song was â€Å"Dat Dere† was written by Bobby Timmons but arranged by Mark Taylor. In contrast to â€Å"Rosewood,† this song features a main theme that recurs throughout, with episodes throughout which develop upon the theme before it is repeated in its original form again.It featured a trombone solo which was unique to hear for me, because most pieces I’ve heard feature saxophone and trumpets but never a trombone. â€Å"Dat Dere† also features the typical saxophone and trumpet solos, however those follow the trombone. The tempo is more relaxed than that of â€Å"Rosewood† and is just below an allegro. However, the energy and enthusiasm of the musicians made it lively even though it wasn’t fast-paced. The third piece, Sammy Nest ico’s â€Å"Basie, Straight Ahead† also had a unique solo: the piano.The pianist had been switching between piano and keyboard for the first two songs, and in â€Å"Basie, Straight Ahead† finally got his time to shine. The piece emphasizes syncopation like none other, with the melody being one syncopated measure after another. There was great conversation between the saxophones and the trumpets, firing back and forth at each other with their music. The tempo was similar to that of â€Å"Dat Dere†. Towards the end, the drums really emphasize the syncopation by playing on the beat so that you can clearly hear that everyone else is off the beat.The next song the Jazz Lab Band played was â€Å"C-Jam Blues† by Duke Ellington, a classic jazz piece featuring a distinctive motif that is played over and over again. The theme is then developed upon by a few soloists, taking a simple two measure phrase and turning it into great ditty. The trumpet players make great use of Harmon Wah-wah mutes, keeping in the style of the original song by the Duke. Definitely the most laid back piece with regards to tempo, â€Å"C-Jam Blues† is definitely more bluesy than jazz.After the blues, the Band went into Tommy Wolf’s â€Å"Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most† which ended up morphing into â€Å"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy† by Josef Zawinul. It opens with a beautiful slow piano solo which is quickly followed by a beautifully flowing saxophone solo. Definitely a song of polyphony to start, the saxophone soloist keeps going while the rest of the band accompanies quietly in the background. As soon as the solo is over though, the song quickly sped up and the background temporarily took over the melody, before the solo began some great improvisation upon the main theme.After the saxophonist, the drummer takes over for some great rhythmic variations. After a brief intermission, the Jazz Ensemble performed four pieces, which were al l more lively, energetic, and engaging than the first half. It was the Jazz Ensemble’s performance that I would recommend to friends, because it was much more enjoyable to watch and listen to than the Jazz Lab Band. Whether it was because of their bigger numbers or just a difference in personality of the performers, they were so much more energetic.The Ensemble’s first piece was â€Å"Max† by John Clayton, which gradually adds instruments in and gives a lot of attention to the saxophones by giving most of the melody and theme to them, unless it is being played by everyone. The trumpets break out their Harmon mutes again, which really does add a great layer of depth to the piece. The tempo was more casual than the other pieces which was a great way to relax into the second half. The next piece was â€Å"Lambeau Leap† by Fred Sturm, which quickly crescendos before a duet between the keyboardist and a trumpeter.Following them was a great guitar solo which wa s quite enjoyable, due to how great jazz guitar sounds. The theme was recurring, with an ABABA pattern throughout, with the B theme being improvisations upon the theme by soloists. The second to last piece was â€Å"Ice Castles† by Marvin Hamlisch, which was an incredible piece and was rich in melody and harmonies. Originally intended to be performed by a trumpet player Dave Detwiler, it was performed instead by the director Jason Crafton due to Mr. Detwiler getting stuck in Washington, D.C. from weather. The trumpet solos throughout the piece are quite smooth and beautiful, giving the piece a nice calm blues feeling. The piece is almost a concerto due to the nature of the trumpet solo. However, it was a great example of polyphony as the ensemble built underneath him, gradually growing in the number of people playing and in dynamic level, all the while accompanying the main trumpet’s theme. The final piece of the concert was â€Å"Minuano†, which is an intriguin g and difficult piece by Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays.Starting with a swirling almost klezmer melody. The song is led by a saxophone soloist until a trombone player takes over and leads the group. A theme and variation of sorts, the main melody is constantly developed upon by various instrumental parts, the tempo changing as they go, starting from a relaxed andante and quickly working their way up. The trumpets’ final use of the Harmon mute was quite enjoyable; a personal favorite of mine. All in all, it was a great concert, with much to talk about! It gave me a new appreciation for jazz music.