How to write successful business and management essays

How to Write Successful Business and Management Essays is a systematic guide to successfully producing written work for business and management degrees. The authors address the all too common pitfalls of essay assignments, as well as providing students with a step-by-step programme to approach essay questions, both in coursework and exam contexts. Starting with the basics this book helps develop skills through the use of examples, exercises and checklists. Helpful features include: - Annotated essay examples, showing both good and bad points - Tips on time management and motivation, note taking and effective reading - Final checklists to use before you hand in - Explanation of what the markers are looking for – and how to give it to them Many students find referencing particularly confusing so the book provides detailed but easy-to-use information on what referencing is and how to do it properly.

Modelling tribology of slider and disk in a computer hard drive system

Issues of wear and tribology are increasingly important in computer hard drives as slider flying heights are becoming lower and disk protective coatings thinner to minimise spacing loss and allow higher areal density. Friction, stiction and wear between the slider and disk in a hard drive were studied using Accelerated Friction Test (AFT) apparatus. Contact Start Stop (CSS) and constant speed drag tests were performed using commercial rigid disks and two different air bearing slider types. Friction and stiction were captured during testing by a set of strain gauges. System parameters were varied to investigate their effect on tribology at the head/disk interface. Chosen parameters were disk spinning velocity, slider fly height, temperature, humidity and intercycle pause. The effect of different disk texturing methods was also studied. Models were proposed to explain the influence of these parameters on tribology. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used to study head and disk topography at various test stages and to provide physical parameters to verify the models. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) was employed to identify surface composition and determine if any chemical changes had occurred as a result of testing. The parameters most likely to influence the interface were identified for both CSS and drag testing. Neural Network modelling was used to substantiate results. Topographical AFM scans of disk and slider were exported numerically to file and explored extensively. Techniques were developed which improved line and area analysis. A method for detecting surface contacts was also deduced, results supported and explained observed AFT behaviour. Finally surfaces were computer generated to simulate real disk scans, this allowed contact analysis of many types of surface to be performed. Conclusions were drawn about what disk characteristics most affected contacts and hence friction, stiction and wear.

Silica-clad neodymium-doped lanthanum phosphate fibers and fiber lasers

We have fabricated a neodymium-doped phosphate glass fiber with a silica cladding and used it to form a fiber laser. Phosphate and silicate glasses have considerably different glass transition temperatures and softening points making it hard to draw a fiber from these two glasses. A bulk phosphate glass of composition (Nd2O3)(0.011)(La2O3)(0.259)(P2O5)(0.725)(Al2O3)(0.005) was prepared and the resultant material was transparent, free from bubbles and visibly homogeneous. The bulk phosphate glass was drawn to a fiber while being jacketed with silica and the resultant structure was of good optical quality, free from air bubbles and major defects. The attenuation at a wavelength of 1.06 mu m was 0.05 dB/cm and the refractive index of the core and cladding at the pump wavelength of 488 nm was 1.56 and 1.46, respectively. The fibers were mechanically strong enough to allow for ease of handling and could be spliced to conventional silica fiber. The fibers were used to demonstrate lasing at the F-4(3/2) - I-4(11/2) (1.06 mu m) transition. Our work demonstrates the potential to form silica clad optical fibers with phosphate cores doped with very high levels of rare-earth ions (27-mol % rare-earth oxide).

Manufacturing and assembly automation by integrated metrology systems for aircraft wing fabrication

Discrepancies of materials, tools, and factory environments, as well as human intervention, make variation an integral part of the manufacturing process of any component. In particular, the assembly of large volume, aerospace parts is an area where significant levels of form and dimensional variation are encountered. Corrective actions can usually be taken to reduce the defects, when the sources and levels of variation are known. For the unknown dimensional and form variations, a tolerancing strategy is typically put in place in order to minimize the effects of production inconsistencies related to geometric dimensions. This generates a challenging problem for the automation of the corresponding manufacturing and assembly processes. Metrology is becoming a major contributor to being able to predict, in real time, the automated assembly problems related to the dimensional variation of parts and assemblies. This is done by continuously measuring dimensions and coordinate points, focusing on the product's key characteristics. In this paper, a number of metrology focused activities for large-volume aerospace products, including their implementation and application in the automation of manufacturing and assembly processes, are reviewed. This is done by using a case study approach within the assembly of large-volume aircraft wing structures.

LDL-Lipids from patients with hypercholesterolaemia and Alzheimer's disease are inflammatory to microvascular endothelial cells:mitigation by statin intervention

Elevated LDL concentration in mid-life increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) in later life. Increased oxidative modification (oxLDL) and nitration is observed during dementia and hypercholesterolemia. We investigated the hypothesis that statin intervention in mid-life mitigates the inflammatory effects of oxLDL on the microvasculature. Human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC) were maintained on transwells to mimic the microvasculature and exposed to patient and control LDL. Blood was obtained from statin-naïve, normo- and hyperlipidaemic subjects, AD with vascular dementia (AD-plus) and AD subjects (n=10/group) at baseline. Only hyperlipidaemic subjects with normal cognitive function received 40mg simvastatin intervention/day for three months. Blood was re-analysed from normo- and hyper-lipidaemic subjects after three months. LDL isolated from statin-naïve hyperlipidaemic, AD and AD-plus subjects was more oxidised (agarose gel electrophoretic mobility, protein carbonyl content and 8-isoprostane F2α) compared to control subjects. Statin intervention decreased protein carbonyls (2.5±0.4 Vs 3.95±0.2nmol/mg; P<0.001) and 8-isoprostane F2α (30.4±4.0 pg/ml Vs 43.5±8.42 pg/ml; P<0.05). HMVEC treatment with LDL-lipids from hyperlipidaemic, AD and AD-plus subjects impaired endothelial tight junction expression and decreased total glutathione levels (AD; 18.61±1.3, AD-plus; 16.5±0.7nmol/mg protein) compared to untreated cells (23.8±1.2 vs nmol/mg protein). Basolateral IL-6 secretion was increased by LDL-lipids from hyperlipidaemic (78.4±1.9 pg/ml), AD (63.2±5.9 pg/ml) and AD-plus (80.8±0.9 pg/ml) groups compared to healthy subject lipids (18.6±3.6 pg/ml). LDL-Lipids isolated after statin intervention did not affect endothelial function. In summary, LDL-lipids from hypercholesterolaemic, AD and AD-plus patients are inflammatory to HMVEC. In vivo intervention with statins reduces the damaging effects of LDL-lipids on HMVEC.

Connecting a sociology of childhood perspective with the study of child health, illness and wellbeing:introduction

This chapter focuses on concepts and theoretical points of departure found in child health and wellbeing studies. Firstly, seeing children as a social group draws attention to the ways this group is placed and perceived in the structures of societies. Children as a social group need to be understood in relation to other social groups. Secondly, understanding children as social agents and as co-constructors of their social worlds is fundamental to studying their experiences and ways of dealing with health and wellbeing in everyday life. Thirdly, in recent years, there has been a turn towards seeing children as beings. The chapter discusses the child health issues and concerns in contemporary society. Children are diagnosed with an increasing range of conditions and are subject to more and more elaborate child health and welfare interventions, reflecting a medical perspective on the changing panorama of illness and health risks in the 21st century.

Transition from community dwelling to retirement village in older adults:cognitive functioning and psychological health outcomes

Supported living and retirement villages are becoming a significant option for older adults with impairments, with independence concerns or for forward planning in older age, but evidence as to psychological benefits for residents is sparse. This study examined the hypothesis that the multi-component advantages of moving into a supported and physically and socially accessible “extra care” independent living environment will impact on psychological and functioning measures. Using an observational longitudinal design, 161 new residents were assessed initially and three months later, in comparison to 33 older adults staying in their original homes. Initial group differences were apparent but some reduced after three months. Residents showed improvement in depression, perceived health, aspects of cognitive function, and reduced functional limitations, while controls showed increased functional limitations (worsening). Ability to recall specific autobiographical memories, known to be related to social-problem solving, depression and functioning in social relationships, predicted change in communication limitations, and cognitive change predicted changes in recreational limitations. Change in anxiety and memory predicted change in depression. Findings suggest that older adults with independent living concerns who move to an independent but supported environment can show significant benefits in psychological outcomes and reduction in perceived impact of health on functional limitations in a short period. Targets for focussed rehabilitation are indicated, but findings also validate development of untargeted general supportive environments.

Application of staged O2 feeding in the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene over Al2O3 and P2O5/SiO2 catalysts

Drastic improvements in styrene yield and selectivity were achieved in the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene by staged feeding of O2. Six isothermal packed bed reactors were used in series with intermediate feeding of O2, while all EB was fed to the first reactor, diluted with helium or CO2 (1:5 molar ratio), resulting in total O2:EB molar feed ratios of 0.2-0.6. The two catalyst samples, γ-Al 2O3 and 5P/SiO2, that were applied both benefitted from this operation mode. The ethylbenzene conversion per stage and the selectivity to styrene were significantly improved. The production of COX was effectively reduced, while the selectivity to other side products remained unchanged. Compared with co-feeding at a total O 2:EB molar feed ratio of 0.6, by staged feeding the EB conversion (+15% points for both catalysts), ST selectivity (+4% points for both samples) and O2 (ST) selectivity (+9% points for γ-Al2O 3 and +17% points for 5P/SiO2) all improved. The ethylbenzene conversion over 5P/SiO2 can be increased from 18% to 70% by increasing the number of reactors from 1 to 6 with each reactor a total amount of O2 of 0.1 without the loss of ST selectivity (93%). For 5P/SiO2 a higher temperature (500 C vs. 450 C for Al 2O3) is required. Essentially more catalyst (5P/SiO 2) was required to achieve full O2 conversion in each reactor. Staged feeding of O2 does not eliminate the existing issues of the catalyst stability both in time-on stream and as a function of the number of catalyst regenerations (5P/SiO2), or the relatively moderate performance (relatively low styrene selectivity for γ-Al2O 3). © 2014 Elsevier B.V.