Factors influencing participation in sport Essay Example for Free

Factors influencing participation in sport Essay Some people have very different views on training and the factors that affect them to participate in sport. They have very different attitudes to training. Im doing climate affecting participation. Some people may want to go out in the rain and train as they may find this enjoyable, but a lot of other people may dislike the cold and wet weather and stay indoors to participate in sport or just sit about. Also the majority of people would rather be outside, but in the warmth, with the sun shining. The countrys climate is a big factor that affects the participation and type of sport that they do, this also affects their attitudes towards training, for example, people in Australia will play more outdoor sports such as windsurfing and skateboarding as their climate is ideal for this type of exercise. Kenya has produced a lot of world class athletes, this is due to their climate, hot and dry all year. This encourages people to train a lot more and also outdoors. Kenya are world class at long distance running as are morocco, this is mostly due to when they train, and what type of weather they train in. If the weather is hot all the time, athletes will train on a regular basis, but if the weather is cold and wet, the athletes will not be motivated enough to go out and train, they will either train indoors or simply just sit around and watch tv or play boardgames. This is the scene in Northern Ireland, and Sweden etc as these countries have unpredictable weather and climates so no one knows what type of day it is going to be. When the weather changes this can change most athletes attitude to training. The heat outside motivates athletes to train outdoors. Fumes from traffic and factories, over a long period of time will start to affect the community in which people live in, this will, in actual fact, bring you bad health. The fumes will bring harm to your lungs and make breathing difficult. This means your fitness level will suffer. The environment also affects your performance in a sport event; for example, on a hot day you can overheat which makes you weak and dizzy. And think what a windy day can do to a tennis match, all these factors affect the performance and attitudes towards the training and participation in sport. At high altitudes air is thinner than at sea level, so you must breath harder in order to get the right amount of oxygen to your lungs. To perform well in a sport at high altitude you must first need time to adapt to the climate and the type of environment you are playing the sport in. All types of weather affect the way in which we think about sport. Hot, cold, dry, wet.

e-books Essay -- Library Science, Myilibrary, Netlibrary

The library and information centres have undertaken collection management of printed books and now challenges in developing collection of electronic resources (e-resources) are waiting. Electronic books (e-books) consist of printed books being digitized or born digitally, the starting rise of new electronic formats. The increase number of e-books especially in UK also brings challenges to the publishers and aggregators, the importance in managing and promoting â€Å"e-books as the new electronic medium† (Armstrong and Lonsdale 2005). This essay will look at issues being addressed surrounding the management and promoting the e-books. One of the issues to be addressed in managing e-books is the selection and acquisition e-books. Librarians especially the academic librarians need to concern on selecting and acquisition new e-books, e-textbooks and titles associated to the students’ fields and demands. The librarians should train in considering the demands of e-books for distance learning, placements students and selecting printed books as back up to e-books’ (Armstrong and Lonsdale 2009). Acquiring the e-books from publishers and aggregators become issues in managing the e-books. The pricing and business model through subscription provides easy methods and ‘aggregators would be more attractive option than through publishers’ (Armstrong, Edwards and Lonsdale 2002). For the writer, e-book aggregators such as NetLibrary and Credo Reference give more advance access and tools for library, user of groups, relevance information and formats of e-book availability in pdf or web. However, subscript ions of e-books can be difficult. Libraries want to have ‘fewer complexes models and fair pricing structures’ (Ball 2009) and Edwards (2001) summari... ...ons. It is recommended stakeholders and JISC e-BOOK Working Group (Armstrong and Lonsdale 2005) are working together for effectively promoting strategies for e-books to all libraries. The e-book collections are no longer close entities but open widely to users. The libraries especially the academic libraries should concern on selecting e-books references for students and researchers. Issues concerned including the consideration giving effective ways on access and promotion need to be accounted. However, ‘Usage and licensing conditions vary widely and are not always library-friendly’ (Ball 2009). Licensing and bibliographical access still the crucial challenges for collection managements especially in relates to cost and legal legislate deposits. All the issues discussed above come up with literatures and approaches to issues of managing e-book collections.

Sharp

Anna S BA 3103 Critical Analysis Paper Sharp Sharp’s third quarter results showed very disappointing performance. The company reported a ? 249. 1 billion ($3. 12 billion) loss. Moreover, it is forecasting a ? 450 billion, or $5. 6 billion, loss for the fiscal year through 2013. Apparently, the company is burning through more cash than it is generating and having difficulty in securing short-term financing. Also, the company is considering selling some holding in other companies and office building in Tokyo.Furthermore, it’s thinking to sell television assembly plants in Mexico and China, which would reduce its payroll by 3,000 jobs, added to the 5,000 positions assigned for layoff earlier this year. The company has decided to cut the current Sharp’s payroll by 14%. In addition, Sharp's shares are down 75% this year. This paper will conduct a situation analysis of internal and external environment of Sharp’s weak performance. It will also summarize the prim ary causes of company’s weak performance. Internal Analysis Financial ProblemsCurrently the company faces two problems: it is under pressure to reduce interest-bearing debt, which increased to ? 1. 25 trillion since June 2011 and, also, needs to repay ? 200 billion of convertible bonds that mature in September 2013 (Daisuke Wakabayashi). At the end of June 2012, the company’s cash, accounts receivable, inventory and other assets couldn't cover its short-term liabilities. The company is struggling to raise cash. Sharp's net loss for the first half included ? 84. 4 billion in restructuring costs, including a ? 30. billion impairment of assets in its solar batteries unit, a ? 53. 4 billion write-down on inventory, and a ? 61. 0 billion write-down on deferred tax assets. Also, at the end of September, the Sharp's shareholder equity ratio fell to below 10 percent, which is half the rate generally considered a healthy minimum. Sharp remains highly dependent on short-term bor rowings. Weak internal cash flow has forced the company to pay off unsecured promissory note mostly with bank borrowings (Reuters). In addition, the company is currently considering alliance with other companies. You can read also Thin Film Solar CellExternal Analysis Product Demand The Sharp’s main products, LCD TV and flat panels, were accounted for 60% of total revenue in 2012, however, the demand substantially weakened, especially in comparison to Korean rivals. For the first time in the company history, shipments of LCD TVs fell year-over-year, declining just over 3% to 43 million units. The decline had  a  considerable  impact on the market, with total TV shipments falling almost 8% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2012, the drastic decline since the second quarter of 2009.When the market slowed down, Sharp has been left with excess capacity at its domestic plants. Sales of LCD TVs nearly halved in the October-December quarter. The manufacturer of electronics products and their components also reported quarterly sales of solar cells fell by a third from a year ago, slowing demand and increased competition from Chinese makers (James Topham). Global Economy Sharp has st ruggled with a slow economy, losing the power it once got from transition to global digital broadcasting and from subsidies for purchases of energy-efficient goods.Demand for LCD televisions in developed economies has been saturated; however, growth in developing markets is slowing. Also, the strong yen has made Sharp’s products more expensive overseas. Therefore, it is difficult for the company to compete in the global market. Product prices were also affected by Japan's relatively high labor cost, electricity, imported fuels and raw materials. In addition, euro debt crisis became another reason for the slow growth in the world economy (James Topham). Competition Sharp faces increased competition from very large electronic companies such as Apple, Samsung and LG.Samsung  Electronics  Co. , Ltd and LG Electronics, Inc. have generated better profits and strengthened market positions in the TV and panel businesses during 2012, supported by an improved product mix. Samsungâ €™s flat panel TV revenue share remains the largest in the industry, almost 26% (Dan Graziano). Samsung is also the top brand in the key segments of LCD TV, 40†+, LED-backlit LCD, and 3D TV. Also, the company benefits from favorable exchange rates and aggressive investments. Samsung’s current capitalization is $163 billion and Apple’s $634 billion.As opposed Sony, Panasonic and Sharp combined are now  worth only $54 billion at current market values  (Michael Fitzpatrick). Summary Based on internal and external analysis of Sharp’s recent activities, the primary causes of company’s poor performance are: 1) the company is struggling to raise internal cash flow and, therefore, cannot cover its short-term liabilities; 2) the demand for LCD and flat panel TVs has substantially weakened due to global economy slow down; 3) Sharp is facing a fierce competition from Samsung, LG and Apple, which currently holding the largest market shares in electronic manufacturing industry.Bibliography 1) WAKABAYASHI, DAISUKE. Sharp Says Its Future Is at Risk. 1 Nov. 2012. 7 Dec. 2012 ;http://online. wsj. com/article/sb10001424052970204712904578091761289023722. html;. 2) Reuters. TEXT-S;P summary: Sharp Corp.. 30 Nov, 2012. 8 Dec, 2012 ;http://www. reuters. com/article/2012/11/30/iduswlb148420121130;. 3) Topham, James. Sharp Corporation Blames Falling LCD TV Prices, Increase In Yen For Forecast $3. 8 Billion Loss. Feb. 2012. 8 Dec. 2012 ;http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2012/02/01/sharp-corporation-lcd-prices_n_1246028. html;. 4) Graziano, Dan. GLOBAL LCD TV SHIPMENTS FALL FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. 21 Jan. 2012. 8 Dec. 2012 ;http://bgr. com/2012/06/21/global-tv-sales-lcd-shipments-down/;. 5) Fitzpatrick, Michael. Fear and loathing in Japan. 18 Sep. 2012. 8 Dec. 2012 ;http://tech. fortune. cnn. com/2012/09/18/fear-and-loathing-in-japan/;.

The Oneota Culture - Last Prehistoric Culture of the American Midwest

The Oneota (or western Upper Mississippian) is the name archaeologists have given to the last prehistoric culture (1150-1700 AD) of the American upper midwest. The Oneota lived in villages and camps along tributary streams and rivers of the upper reaches of the Mississippi River. The archaeological remains of Oneota villages are located in the modern states of Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri. What Did They Know of Cahokias Complex Capital? The origin of the Oneota people is somewhat of a controversy. Some scholars argue that the Oneota were descendants of the pre-Mississippian Woodland groups who were immigrants from other as-yet unknown locations, perhaps the Cahokia area. Another group of scholars argue the Oneota were local Late Woodland groups who changed their society as a result of contact with Middle Mississippian technologies and ideologies. Although there are clear connections in Oneota symbolism to the Mississippian complex of Cahokia, the Oneota sociopolitical organization was widely divergent from that of the complex society at the capital in the American Bottom near St. Louis, Missouri. Oneota groups were mainly independent chiefly societies located on major rivers upstream and far away from Cahokia. Oneota Characteristics Over the nearly six hundred years of their (recognized) occupation of the Upper Mississippi region, Oneota people changed their style of living and subsistence patterns and as the Europeans moved into the region, they migrated far to the west. But their cultural identity maintained a continuity, based on the presence of a number of artifact types and icononography. The most commonly recognized artifact of Oneota culture is shell-tempered, globular-shaped ceramic vessels with purposefully smoothed, but not burnished, exteriors. Distinctive point types used by Oneota hunters are small unnotched triangular arrow points called either Fresno or Madison points. Other stone tools connected with Oneota populations include pipestone carved into tablets, pipes and pendants; stone scrapers for buffalo hides, and fishhooks. Bone and shell hoes are indicative of Oneota agriculture, as are the ridged fields found in the early and eastern villages of Wisconsin. Architecture included oval wigwams, multi-family longhouses and cemeteries organized in sprawling villages on terraces near main rivers. Some evidence of warfare and violence are seen in the archaeological record; and the evidence of movement west with a maintained connectedness to people back home in the east are indicated by trade goods, including pipestone and hides, and metasedimentary abrasive rocks called paralava (formerly mis-identified as volcanic pumice or scoria). Chronology cal AD 1700-present day. Historic and modern tribes thought to be descended from Oneota include Ioway, Oto, Ho-Chunk, Missouria, Ponca and othersProtohistoric Oneota (Classic) (cal AD 1600-1700). After direct and indirect contact with French trappers and traders, La Crosse was abandoned, and the people moved westward along the Iowa/Minnesota borders and west following bison herdsMiddle Oneota (Developmental) (cal AD 1300-1600), Apple River and Red Wing abandoned, expanded outward. Oneota settlements opened at La Crosse, Minnesota, and the central Des Moines River valley (Moingona Phase)Early Oneota (Emergent) cal AD 1150-1300. Apple River (northwest Illinois) and Red Wing (Minnesota) localities are started, decorative motifs derived from Mississippian Ramey Incised pots Initial or Emergent Phase Oneota The earliest villages recognized as Oneota arose about AD 1150, as diverse and scattered communities along the floodplains, terraces and bluffs of the rivers, communities that were occupied at least seasonally and perhaps year-round. They were horticulturalists rather than farmers, relying on digging-stick agriculture based on maize and squash, and supplemented by deer, elk, birds and large fish. Foods gathered by early Oneota people include several plants that would be eventually domesticated as part of the Eastern North American Neolithic, such as maygrass (Phalaris caroliniana), chenopodium (Chenopodium berlandieri), little barley (Hordeum pussilum) and erect knotweed (Polygonum erectum). They also collected various nuts--hickory, walnut, acorns--and conducted localized hunting of elk and deer and communal longer-distance hunting of bison. There likely was a lot of variation in these early villages, especially with respect to how important maize was in their diets. Some of the largest villages have accretional burial mounds. At least some of the villages had a tribal level of social and political organization. Development and Classic Period Oneota Middle Oneota communities apparently intensified their farming efforts, moving into broader valleys and including the preparation of ridged fields, and the use of shell and bison scapula hoes. Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) were added to the diet about 1300 AD: now Oneota people had the entire three sisters agricultural complex. Their communities shifted as well, to include larger houses, with multiple families sharing the same long house. Long houses at the Tremaine site in Wisconsin, for example, were 6-8.5 meters (20-27 feet) wide and varied in length between 26-65 m (85-213 ft). Mound building ceased entirely and mortuary patterns shifted to the use of cemeteries or burials beneath the floors of the longhouses. By the late period, many Oneota people migrated westward. These dispersed Oneota communities displaced the locals in Nebraska, Kansas and adjacent areas of Iowa and Missouri, and thrived on communal bison hunting supplemented with gardening. Bison hunting, assisted by dogs, allowed Oneota to obtain adequate meat, marrow and fat for food, and hides and bones for tools and exchange. Oneota Archaeological Sites Illinois: Gentlemen Farm, Material Service Quarry, Reeves, Zimmerman, Keeshin Farm, Dixon, Lima Lake, Hoxie Farm Nebraska: Leary site, Glen Elder Iowa: Wever, Flynn, Correctionville, Cherokee, Iowa Great Lakes, Bastian, Milford, Gillett Grove, Blood Run Kansas: Lovewell Reservoir, White Rock, Montana Creek Wisconsin: OT, Tremaine, La Crosse, Pammel Creek, Trempealeau Bay, Carcajou Point, Pipe, Mero Minnesota: Red Wing, Blue Earth Sources This article is a part of the About.com guide to the Mississippian Culture, and the Dictionary of Archaeology. Several good locations on the web for Oneota information include Lance Fosters Ioway Cultural Institute, the Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist, and the Mississippi Valley Archaeological Center. Betts CM. 2006. Pots and Pox: The Identification of Protohistoric Epidemics in the Upper Mississippi Valley. American Antiquity 71(2):233-259. Boszhardt RF. 2008. Shell-tempered pottery from the upper Mississippi river valley. Southeastern Archaeology 27(2):193-201. Emerson TE, Hedman KM, and Simon ML. 2005. Marginal Horticulturalists or Maize Agriculturalists? Archaeobotanical, Paleopathological, and Isotopic Evidence Relating to Langford Tradition Maize Consumption. Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology 30(1):67-118. Estes MB, Ritterbush LW, and Nicolaysen K. 2010. Clinker, Pumice, Scoria, or Paralava? Vesicular Artifacts of the Lower Missouri Basin. Plains Anthropologist 55(213):67-81. Fishel RL, Wisseman SU, Hughes RE, and Emerson TE. 2010. Sourcing Red Pipestone Artifacts from Oneota Villages in the Little Sioux Valley of Northwest Iowa. Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology 35(2):167-198. Logan B. 2010. A Matter of Time: The Temporal Relationship of Oneota and Central Plains Traditions. Plains Anthropologist 55(216):277-292. OGorman JA. 2010. Exploring the Longhouse and Community in Tribal Society. American Antiquity 75(3):571-597. Padilla MJ, and Ritterbush LW. 2005. White Rock Oneota Chipped Stone Tools. Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology 30(2):259-297. Ritterbush LW, and Logan B. 2009. A Late Prehistoric Bison Processing Camp in the Central Plains: Montana Creek East (14JW46). Plains Anthropologist 54(211):217-236. Theler JL, and Boszhardt RF. 2006. Collapse of crucial resources and culture change: a model for the Woodland to Oneota transformation in the Upper Midwest. American Antiquity 71:433-472. Tubbs RM, and OGorman JA. 2005. Assessing Oneota Diet And Health: A Community And Lifeway Perspective. Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology 30(1):119-163.