Gender Differences in Fundamental Movement Patterns Essay Example for Free

Gender Differences in Fundamental Movement Patterns Essay Raudsepp and Paasuke (1995) tested 60 8-year olds (33 boys and 27 girls), finding that there are no sex differences in the kinematics of running. However, they found that boys perform better in overhand throwing and in tasks evaluating motor performances and muscle strength. Girls outperformed the boys in two tasks: sit and reach and balance (p. 294). This study merits discussion on several fronts. First, the researchers hypothesize that factors other than biological account for the gender differences in motor skills that they found in their tests (p. 301). Second, the researchers note that biological variables had been considered in previous studies (p. 294), and they made this point a significant aspect of their own investigation. Third, the children were given classes before the testing sessions (p. 295). In trying to account for the results of their study, the authors hypothesize that factors other than biological could account for the gender differences. Biological factors include age, height, weight, and body fatness (p. 294). A factor that could explain these differences is experience. Indeed, the authors note that, in the case of overhand throwing, girls do not have the same amount of experience as boys, and that boys have more memories of practicing overhand throwing (p. 295). In trying to eliminate biological factors from the results of their study, Raudsepp and Pausuke standardized the age factor, as they chose only 8-year olds for their study. They also measured the height, weight, and BMI of their subjects, finding that there were no significant sex differences in height and BMI. However, the boys were heavier than the girls (p. 297). In their choice of subjects, the researchers have chosen groups that differ only in the biological factor of weight. This is a significant point for their study, however, there are other biological factors that could have been considered and that possibly might account for some of the differences the authors observed. For instance, could joint length (in proportion to height) account for the difference in stride lengths in the running kinematics test? Also, if the boys and girls are similar in height and BMI, what aspects of the body composition of boys accounts for their heavier weight? An intriguing aspect of this study is that the researchers gave the children classes before the testing sessions. In these classes, children were taught the proper techniques of running and throwing (p. 295). As these classes likely impacted the children’s performance in the tests, additional information should have been provided to the reader. Who taught these classes? Were the instructors male or female? Were the children separated by gender in the classes, or were boys and girls taught together? An additional component that could make an ideal subject for future investigation would be to test the children both before and after the training sessions. In this way, the elements of experience and technique could be weighed against performance, particularly in the task of overhand throwing. In summary, this study largely confirmed findings from previous studies. The authors, in their attempts to standardize biological factors, bring up important questions to consider in future studies. In the area of biological factors: What accounts for the boys’ heavier weight? Does limb length account for differences in stride length? Is there a difference in body composition or limb length that accounts for girls’ increased flexibility and balance? In respect to environmental factors: How did the technique classes affect the children’s performance?

Dating Methods Essay Example for Free

Dating Methods Essay For example, pollen, bone, hair, parchment, wood, charcoal etc. | 400-50000 years old. | Principal that all living things interact constantly with the atmosphere and we absorb Carbon 14, however at the point of death, living creatures stop absorbing carbon 14, and the carbon 14 is frozen. This carbon decays at a known, constant rate. AMS DATING (Acceleration, Mass, spectrometry)| Organic Materials| From 400-70000 years old. | Quicker results, much more expensive. Also more accurate, less samples needed and less possibility of contamination. | TREE-RING DATING (DENDROCHRONOLOGY)|. Trees or any timber object made from trees. | | Counted by looking at a cross section of the tree, looking at how many rings, the ring on the inner most centre is the first growth, and the outside ring is the last. THERMOLUMINESCENCE| Pottery| Over 50000+| When deducing if an artefact is fake, they can turn to Thermo luminescence to deduce weather it is real. Other time, in the form of energy, electrons will be stored within it, and if you heat the object to 500 degrees. Celsius or more, and then there is a flash of light which can be measured to see the age. | POTASSIUM ARGON DATING| Volcanic Rock| Up to millions of years. One of the most useful for dating human evolution. Used to date fossils. | DNA TESTING| | Has no age limit, can be used as long as DNA is available. | Shows the blueprint of an organism, is within all living or dead creatures. Useful in all matter to do with any remains, can tell us significant information. | URANIUM SERIES DATING| Roick including Calcium | 50000 – 500000 years old| Also useful for dating human evolution. |

Why You Take Animals To A Vet Sociology Essay

Why You Take Animals To A Vet Sociology Essay When a person gets sick they usually visit the doctor, but when an animal gets sick they cant go to a human doctor, they visit whats called a veterinarian. A variety of animals can visit the vet, from house pets to farm animals to animals in the zoo. Animals that visit the vet are healthier due to the number of vaccines and technology available; though it may be expensive, it does prolong an animals life. Veterinarians are physicians who help diagnose and treat diseases in animals. With continuous checkups, veterinarians can help control and prevent illness and disease in the animal. As stated by pet care, no matter how careful animal owners are, there will be a time when animals need to visit the vet. Though some believe vets can only offer an examination, they actually can do so much more. Vets are capable of spotting certain illnesses before they take full effect through blood test. They can repair joint or ligament, and they even provide professional grooming. Visiting the vet can prolong animals lives with the physicals done, and making sure animals have all their vaccinations. The major benefit for animals that go to the vet is that they are healthy. But the duties of veterinarians just dont stop at making sure animals are healthy. They make sure the meats people eat are healthy by testing the animal for diseases, monitoring the transportation of the animal, and the slaughtering of the now meat. A veterinarian can decide their specialty based off where they grew up at and the location of where their practice is at or will be at. There are three major categories that a veterinarian can specialize in; small, large, and exotic. Small animals are mostly known as the house pets, and they usually go to clinics or private practices. Clinics can be used for the larger animals, but they are mostly used for small animals. Clinics and private practices provide a waiting area, appointments, emergency appointments, and boarding areas. The major difference between a clinic and private practice is that a clinic is run by the government and a private practice is run by one person, the owner. The next specialties for a veterinarian are large animals. These animals tend to be farm animals, like cows, horses, and sheep. The main reason veterinarians do home visits for these types of animals is because of their size, the population they come in because its just not one cow at the farm. Equestri an veterinarians can also fall under this category, they focus in just horses. Those veterinarians tend to focus more on the unique horses, like ones that race or designer breed horses. The last type of animal that a vet can specialize in is exotic animals. These animals tend to be zoo animals; they can be monkeys, iguanas, ferrets or potbellied pigs. Depending on if they are located at the zoo, there will be a special veterinarian located at the zoo that runs their own private practice. Depending on the size of these exotic animals, that are pets to some people; they would go to a specific private practice for exotic animals only. But, if they are large exotic animals, a specific veterinarian would make a special home visit. Though there are three different specialties, there are veterinarians that will run a private practice for all types of animals and make home visits for all types of animals. As most people probably already know, the main reason to visit the vet is to help keep their animal healthy and living longer. Animals do age faster than humans do, so it is very important for animals to visit the vet. Just like humans, as the animals gets older their health does become worse. There are many pros for owners who take their animals to the veterinarian. Not only can an owner take their pet to get a wellness checkup, they can also have grooming done. When owners have their animals groomed, sometimes they take them to places where its not the best job being done. But taking them to the vet can ensure you that there are professionals back there taking care of the grooming process. Another pro that can benefit the owners and anyone else around the animal, is that taking an animal to the vet not only helps them be healthy but help keeps people in contact with the animal healthy too. Diseases can spread from human to pet and even pet to human. Then the fact that some animals are the meat people eat, so it would be a major pro having that meat healthy and disease free. Insurance can really help out with costs of vet bills for the exotic animals, so that is another major pro. Then by visiting the veterinarian, animals receive vaccinations. If an animal gets a disease or illness after receiving that certain vaccination and they recover, then they can become immune to it, which that will protect them for life. A con about visiting the vet of course is the money. Vaccinations, grooming, dentals, and surgeries are not cheap. It can be hard to afford an animal going to the vet monthly. Then another con about going to the vet would be if the veterinarian found something wrong. While performing their checkups there are possibilities of them finding a tumor or another illness. Then it will be expensive to pay for surgeries or medicine necessary for the animal to recover. Of course, the pros outweigh the cons. Having an animals life become longer and healthier is worth the cost sometimes. Visiting the veterinarian is mostly for the animals wellness checkup. A wellness checkup is just checking the animals out and making sure things are normal. The veterinarians evaluate the overall health of the animal and try to detect serious illnesses before they turn into something bad or terminal. Veterinarians check the animals ear for unusual odors; they check the animals teeth too. Then they make sure the lungs are working properly, the heart rate is normal, and then they check the joints of the animals. Checkups for the larger animals are somewhat different than the checkups for smaller animals. Usually when a large animal is having a wellness checkup or physical they are put a sleep with an anesthetic. After the animal is asleep the veterinarian assistants record the rates of the animal, while the vet focuses on the physical part of the examination. Medicine used in veterinary is similar to humans medicine. An animal can catch a simple stomach bug and also have many diseases that are terminal like types of cancers. Though a veterinarian cant help prevent cancer, they can help prevent stomach bugs with the help of vaccinations. A vaccine is a live pathogen or a killed virus that can be injected to help pathogens in the animals body produce antibodies. The antibodies are what help make an animal immune to a certain illness or disease. Veterinarians can perform blood tests which help show how immune an animal is to a certain disease. Animals can only become immune to a certain illness or disease if they catch it and recover from it. Sometimes animals dont recover and then they dont have the antibodies needed to help make them become immune to it. When people think of surgeries being performed by a vet, they think mostly of removals. But vets can perform many more types of surgeries, like neutering and spaying of house pets. Not only does neutering and spaying make an animal infertile, but by doing that it can help prevent certain cancers in the male and fe male reproductive organs. Then it has been proven that it reduces the chance of animals running off. They can declaw animals like house cats or even bears have been declawed. Also, bone and joint repair are major surgeries done to help animals. Sometimes joints become dislocated and the animal needs that surgery to be able to function properly. The last type of surgery that can be done is cosmetic, just like humans an animal can have things changed. Out of all the pros there are for visiting the veterinarian, the fact that just a visit once a month can prolong an animals life majorly. Having animals checked out by professionals with this technology in the 21st century just provides accurate information versus the knowledge of most animal owners. For the worst con, its not really about the cost for most animal lovers. Its about losing an animal, so the worst con for visiting the vet is the chances of the veterinarian finding something terminal with the animal. Obviously animals who visit the veterinarians like they should are healthier than those animals that havent ever been to a veterinarian. Just like humans, animals can leave germs and get germs. The germs can be in the waiting room area or in the back where the vet clinic boards animals. So even though animals visit the veterinarian they still can become unhealthy by catching a disease there at the vet. Veterinarians can do house calls and come personally to the animal. Maki ng those animals the healthiest; due to them not being in contact with the sick and still receiving the proper care by a veterinarian.

Use of Doubles in the Film, Shadow of A Doubt :: Movie Film Essays

Use of Doubles in the Film, Shadow of A Doubt The film Shadow of A Doubt uses doubles, a film concept in which a shot is created and then later exposed once again in another frame. There are various scenes in the movie where doubles are used to imply different ideas. Three concrete examples of this effect include the scenes where Uncle Charlie and young Charlie wake up, the scenes where both Charlie’s say that telling Emma about Uncles evildoings will be hurtful, and the scene of the trains going in opposites directions of each other. First and foremost, the scene where Uncle Charlie wakes up parallels directly to the scene of little Charlie waking up. The director makes it obvious that these two characters will be linked in some way through this use of doubles. Later in the film, we find that these two characters are closely connected but have a contrasting relationship. Their relationship was one of much love when Uncle first arrived to the family, and suddenly turned sour when little Charlie told Uncle that there was something inside him that no one knew. Next, Shadow of A Doubt uses the two different scenes where both Uncle Charlie and little Charlie say that telling Emma about Uncle will be hurtful are both combined into a double. The director does this in order to let the viewer see that both Uncle and little Charlie have common thoughts even though they have different perceptions on life. They have a common goal and that is for no one else to hurt from Uncles hidden evils. Lastly, this film uses doubles in the final scene of the movie where the two trains cross each other. This sequence is important due to the fact that Uncle was thrown under one of the trains to his death.

The Love Story Interpretations of Robert Frosts Poem, Wind And Window

The Love Story Interpretations of Robert Frost's Poem, Wind And Window Flower When reading Robert Frost Poem, Wind And Window Flower, I could not help but think that love and heartache were involved. I came up with two interpretations for Wind And Window Flower. In both interpretations, the Wind and the Window Flower signify a man and a woman. My first interpretation is as follows: Lovers, forget your love for an instance, and listen to the love of these two people. The characters in the poem are a Winter Breeze and A Window Flower. The man is the Winter Breeze. This man is a man who comes and goes, you never know exactly when he is coming or when he is going. He has a cold presence to him. The woman is the Window Flower. This woman is a mature, pretty, and warm woman. She is in full bloom, meaning she has experienced love, and is now ready for romance. The Window Flower falls in love with the Winter Breeze. The Winter Breeze would continuously walk in and back out of the Window Flowers life. The Window Flower found that each time this occurred, she was le...

To Be A Slave :: American America History

To Be A Slave The only things that come to my mind when I think of slavery and of the book To be a Slave are either misunderstanding or very negative. During the slavery years, African people were subjected to some of the worst treatments of the history of this planet. They were forced to work for white people as slaves, but that is nothing compared with the treatment they received. Slaves were beaten, mal-nourished, and disrespected as a whole. Slaves were considered as low as the lowest forms of life. They were treated less than some forms of life. They were treated as property that was disposable and replaceable, and I don't understand why this mentality came into the human brain. I sometimes can try to make myself understand how a man could feel that he could own another man. Money and greed is probably the reason that made people feel that they should convince themselves that they are superior to another race. I believe that white people tried to make themselves believe that they were superior, and eventually the idea surfaced that they were superior, even though deep down they knew they were not. Why treatment was so harsh I don't fully understand either. My theory is that the extremely rough treatment given to the Africans was to ensure that the white people would remain "top dog." This could also explain the holocaust, when the Nazis executed millions of innocent people for no apparent reason. They too could have felt threatened by a different society. The only difference is that the Americans didn't necessarily feel threatened by the Africans, but they probably didn't like the fact that they could revolt and free themselves. Intimidation was a very effec tive strategy. Harsh punishment could keep the slaves in-line. However, this thinking could only happen once the idea that White people were superior was firmly, and falsely, imprinted in the slave owner's minds. At first, when slave trading was new in America, I would be willing to assume that punishment was not as harsh. It was probably gradual. Leading to the climax of one of the worst spectacles that the eye of man has beheld.

Case Study †The Golden Rule and a Global Strategy

Since the attacks of September 11th occurred in the United States, there has been a level of social, environmental, and political unrest. This unrest is not only among individuals, but also among businesses worldwide and Four Seasons is not excluded from that list. Most of the scrutiny that is felt is directed at countries and more specifically groups of the Middle East that seemed to be involved with, or to be blamed for the disturbances of September 11th.The case study clearly points out that political unrest between the Middle East and the United States could play a huge role in determining the expansion and over all success of that area (or lack there of). Unfavorable economic and political conditions in international markets, including civil unrest and governmental changes, could undermine consumer confidence and reduce the consumers' purchasing power, thereby reducing demand for leisure products like luxury hotels.In addition, boycotts resulting from political activism could re duce demand, while restrictions on the ability to transfer earnings or capital across borders which may be imposed or expanded as a result of political and economic instability could impact profitability for four seasons. Without limiting the generality of the preceding sentences, the unfavorable business environment, the current unstable economic and political conditions and civil unrest and political activism in the Middle East, and the unstable situation in Iraq or the continuation or escalation of terrorist activities could adversely impact international business.Even with these economic and political factors to consider, socio-cultural factors also play a huge role in assessing risk for the development of a Four Seasons hotel in the Middle East. The four Seasons practices business in a European way (being headquartered in Canada), with their primary focus being customer service, customer loyalty, and values that correspond to American and European culture. Middle eastern Social values are vastly different, and may result in conflicts of service. For one, Woman are considered to be in a lower separate classes, as compared to American and European beliefs.This would go against the hotels core competencies and beliefs for how their customer should be treated. Small things such as having pets, or understanding poverty, all play a huge role in understanding the culture. The bottom line of this issue is tolerance. Tolerance between our socio-cultural beliefs are vastly different, therefore could be risky if you try to mix them for business reasons. The case talks about how the industry is under the process of consolidation. Strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions are a huge reason why international investments in the Middle East may be less concerning.In the case of Four Seasons, the article discusses how many acquisitions and mergers have taken place with Four Seasons since the 1970s and 1990s. An important one was the acquisition of Regent international hotels. Not only did that expand them into Eastern markets, but it also lured an alliance with The Saudi Arabian Prince when he bought 25% of the company for 167 million dollars. His understanding the culture and his deep pockets allowed them into a market that was otherwise a very risky proposition. As per the case study, this reason is the reason for economic expansion and growth in the Middle East.The pro’s and Con’s of the luxury hotel segment There are many benefits to being in the luxury hotel segment. The case study strongly suggests that individuality is a key competitive advantage for this segment. What positively distinguishes a brand is the unique level of service offered, known as â€Å"the golden rule†. The golden rule is to treat others as you would like to be treated (which in the Ritz Carlton, it means ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen). This is typically not the case in lower level hotel segments, which creates a competitive adv antage for these upper echelon hotels.Another key advantage that the case points out is the luxury segments ability to be averse or immune from economic downturns, such as the one that occurred on September 11th 2001. The effected population consists of the middle class. The â€Å"movers and shakers† of the world will still utilize the amenities of the luxury segment. Brand name recognition is another huge advantage for this segment. This accounts for over 80% of their marketing efforts. According to the urban land institute property performance survey, the upscale luxury segment will significantly outperform the mid prices economy segment through mid 2002.  (Even with a total market share of only 17. 6%).Another advantage was occurring in times of economic distress. The cost associated with opening new hotels was astronomical, causing a very high barrier to entry for non-established brands in the middle market segment. This is a clear indicator of a strong luxury segment. Companies such as the Four Seasons have been moving into hotel management, which has a lower perceived risk and a lower cost of ownership. With all these advantages at hand, the case study suggests that now is the time that the luxury hotel segment should expand on all these factors.Although the advantages seem legitimate, there are causes for concern for the luxury hotel segment and it starts with competition with the lower hotel segments. The case discusses a downturn in business travelers and an upswing of leisure travelers by a considerable margin. The issue for the luxury segment occurred when lower level hotels were cannibalizing their guests by tailoring services to match their needs instead of losing them to luxury hotels. Examples of this would be Wyndham by request, which is a customer relationship management model.Another huge area of concern for luxury hotels is the change in technology and how that affects the capture of new and repeat clientele. It’s stated in t he article that lower segment hotels have adopted recent technology changes quickly but the luxury segment was slow to grasp it. This was a clear disadvantage to the luxury industry that relied heavily on bookings from agents, and telecommunications. In 2002, Four Seasons hired MICROS systems to consolidate all customer records and help them link the properties systems. The development of new luxury properties was sure to slow down drastically in an economic downturn.This made expansion a harder proposition. It would cost luxury hotels nearly 375,000 dollars per room to expand with a new building as opposed to the 48,900 dollars per room for middle market hotels. Due to this drastic cost difference, luxury hotels had to rely on developing there existing assets which is â€Å"very difficult† to the case studies point. Hotel Management VS real-estate Ownership In order to discuss why the Four Seasons became a management company, we must first understand how it was accomplished. In 1974, cost overruns nearly led the company into bankruptcy.As a result, the company began shifting to its current, management-only business model and eliminate costs associated with buying land and buildings and instead begin earning profits through managing them. The recent economic downturns such as the September 11th disaster forced the company to sell its shares to majority stockholders such as the Saudi Arabian Prince who bought 176 million dollars in shares. After that point, Four Seasons got into the market of managing properties as they acquired hotels such as Regent and many others.This is when Four Seasons started to manager their properties. It operates them on behalf of real estate owners and developers. The contracts between Four Seasons and property owners typically permits the company to participate in the design of the property and run it with nearly total control over every aspect of the operation. Four Seasons generally earns 3 percent of the gross income and a pproximately 5 percent of profits from the properties it operates, and the property owners are required to additionally contribute money for chain-wide sales, marketing and reservations systems.Four Seasons hotels have larger staffs than competing chains, therefore they create separate reserve accounts to cover upkeep costs. While profit margins are relatively low, the reputation of the brand and the value of the hotel for sale as well as loan collateral generate developer interest. Lets look at some figures from the table on page 29 to understand why they chose to be a management company. From 1998 to 2000, ownership operations produced a positive income of 9,000, 8,000 and 13,000.Although the numbers are positive, they are a minuscule number in comparison to the profits of the management operations, which were 79,000, 89,000 and 125,000 for those years. If we look ahead to the years 2001 and 2002, you will notice that the ownership operations actually yielded a loss for both years of (10,000) and (19,000). These numbers are in congruence with the expected economic downturn that occurred at that time that affected all hotels. This is why Four Seasons made the move to managing hotels.If we pull up the management operations profit figures, we notice that for year 2001 they earned 95,000 and in 2002 they earned 82,000. Although it’s less then the year’s prior, we can clearly see the difference in profits, even with a management fees and royalties earned of 3 to 5 %. Average revenue streams and the interpretation of net earnings and cash from operations Average revenue per property: Worldwide $52,173 x 365 = $19,143,145 United States $67,808 x 365 = $24,749,920 Europe/Middle east $44,572 x 365 = $16,268,780 Net income: 1999 $86,4792001 $86,486 2002 $21,231 Cash used in operations: 1999 $106,787 2001 $75,510 2002 $41,673 Calculation of difference between the tow measures: Year 1999 ($20,308) Year 2001 $10,976 Year 2002 ($20,532) In the year 1999, Fou r Seasons showed a positive growth in their net earnings statement coming in around 86,000. The issue here is that the cash used in operations exceeded the amount that was profit, leaving a negative number. The same applies for year 2002. However, in 2001, it shows that the net profits were still higher than cashed used in operations.This pattern does not directly correlate to overall business decline, but just a difference in how the money is being received throughout Four Seasons. Operating cash flow is the lifeblood of a company and the most important barometer that investors have. Although many investors gravitate toward net income, operating cash flow is a better metric of a company's financial health for two main reasons. First, cash flow is harder to manipulate under GAAP than net income. Second, â€Å"cash is king† and a company that does not generate cash over the long term is on its deathbed.Calculations of profit margins, ROA, and ROE and the 5 year trend 1998-2002 Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Net Profit Margin 28. 02% 31. 16% 29. 66% 28. 53% 7. 46% ROA 12. 79% 10. 39% 10. 47% 8. 82% 2. 19% ROE 12. 79% 10. 39% 10. 47% 8. 82% 2. 19% From the above calculations, we can make some educated inferences as to the direction that the company is headed. We can see that the Net profits are steady and then take a severe plunge. This is probably due the September 11th occurrence (which also leads to consumer shock and uncertainty). Nonetheless, it’s frightening to see your margins fall that low.On the flip side, we can see that the ROA and the ROE are identical. First of all this means the Four Seasons did a great job managing their debt to equity. Research indicates that if your ROA equals the ROE, then your company has no debt. This was accomplished when Four Seasons decided to become private again and sell its shares to rich investors. This also was a testament to their willingness to change amid a vastly adapting service industry. They had to create a niche in the management field and shy away from the real estate norm.The direction that the company will head in the next 5 years will also involve much of what they already did, and that is adapt to change. The calculations and all the research through this case study suggests that its getting harder and harder to attain the same cash flows by doing the same activity. A new platform will have to change the way Four seasons captures new business, and secures its returning business for more profits than ever before. The platform is consumer technology platforms. With time, the luxury consumer will become happier, but also more discerning.Customization on a customer-by-customer basis will be important. Creating a digital experience on the web will heavily increase traffic. Most important of all points will be the age of social media networking. Companies like facebook are starting to pop up in this 5 year trend forecast, and being the front runner in this technology will crea te a digital media universe at the their disposal. The mobile revolution is also on the horizon in this forecast, so having your company prepared for this will undoubtedly help your profits, ROA, and ROE.