Why Athletes Use Steroids

One of the most heated controversies in athletics centers on the use of anabolic steroids. Behind the dispute is the evidence that steroids pose a health hazard. They are linked to the cardiovascular disease, liver disorders, and cancerous tumors. In addition, there is evidence that they cause personality aberrations. Still, an alarming number of athletes are willing to risk their health for the enhanced performance steroids provide-and it is not hard to understand why. First of all, many athletes are so blinded by the obvious benefits of steroid use that they fail to note their adverse effects. They are so focused on the increased strength, stamina, and size that result from steroid use, that athletes may overlook the abuse their bodies are sustaining-often until it is too late. That is, athletes who are delighting in turning in the best performance of their lives are not likely to think about future harmful effects. This is the same psychology that keeps the nicotine addict smoking three packs a day, until the X-ray shows lung cancer is so advance that nothing can be done. Some athletes rationalize steroid use another way. They claim that anabolic steroids pose no greater health hazard than participation in such contact sports such as football, boxing, and wrestling. However, these athletes fail to understand that in addition to harming the body, steroids also heighten the danger of contact sports by making the users larger and stronger, thereby increasing their momentum and impact. Some people think steroid use continues despite the life threatening effects because athletes are just â€Å"dumb jocks† who are not smart enough to appreciate the risks. I don't accept that explanation. Instead, I suspect that steroid use continues partly because most athletes are young, and young people never feel threatened. Part of being young is invulnerable. That is why young people drive too fast, drink too much, and take risks like bungee jumping. They just do not believe that anything can happen to them. The same psychology is at work with athletes. They are young people who feel they will live forever. In addition, athletes assume that because their bodies are so physically conditioned they can withstand more punishment than the average person, so they feel even less at risk by steroid use. Perhaps the biggest reason athletes use steroids can be explained by the spirit lies at the heart of all athletics: competition. One a handful of athletes enhances their performance artificially, and then others follow in order to stay competitive. Eventually, steroid users dominate a sport, and anyone who wants to compete at the highest level is forced to use steroids or lose out. This fact explains why unscrupulous coaches and trainers who want to win at any cost have contributed to the problem by offering steroids to their players and urging them to use them. Sadly, this practice has even filtered down to the high school level in some cases. Competition for the thrill of winning is only part of the explanation, however, Big-time athlete means big-time money. As the financial rewards rise in a given sport, so does the pressure to win at any cost. Huge salaries, big bonuses, beautiful cars, girls and incredibly lucrative commercial endorsements all temp athletes to enhance their performances any way they can. Despite drug testing before competitions and dissemination of information about the danger of anabolic steroids, athletes still use steroids because the pressures to do so are so compelling. The truth is that too many athletes think steroids only hurt the other person, or else they think using steroids is worth the risk.

Regular education classrooms Essay

All students participate in regular education classrooms except students with the most severe disabilities who would be in normalized and age-appropriate classroom on the same campus. Few students are excluded. Level IV – Despite the degree of disability, all students are fully included in general education classrooms. Specialists and teaching assistants provide support for students with the most severe disabilities within the classroom. The regular education teacher is responsible for structuring social interactions with typical peers. The least inclusive proposal places most students with mild disabilities in regular classes, but excludes those with moderate through severe disabilities, placing them in separate rooms within the regular school building (Lilly, 1986). This proposal is closest to the traditional manner of service delivery and is the easiest to implement in terms of using available special educators as support personnel and providing training in methods for regular education teachers to include these children. More inclusive is the proposal to place students with mild or moderate disabilities in regular education classes (Reynolds & Wang, 1983; Wang, Reynolds & Walburg, 1987). The essence and meaning of inclusion evolved from the historical concepts in early childhood special education, that is, mainstreaming and integration. Bricker (1995) discusses the evolution of these terms, noting that mainstreaming refers to the â€Å"reentry of children with mild disabilities be served totally in these settings eliminating the need for pull-out programs. While students with organically-based learning disabilities or moderately demonstrated behavioral disorders would not have been included in regular education rooms in the Level I proposal, they would be included here. Yet, proponents of both levels agree that there will be students with severe and/or multiple disabilities whose needs will not be served optimally in a mainstream environment. They feel that these students will need to participate full-time in separate settings. Level III includes a more extensive involvement of severely impaired students in regular education. All students are included except those who are unable to be involved in academic or social interactions (Gartner & Lipsky, 1987). However, even these students would participate in nearby classrooms which would be as normalized and age-appropriate as possible. The most extreme view is that of full inclusionists, who propose that all students should participate in general education classes. Claiming that to do otherwise would be to support a â€Å"dual-system† for the most disabled, Level IV proponents propose the integration of even profoundly-impaired students into totally normalized classes (Stainback & Stainback, 1984). This position has prompted the strongest reaction of implausibility from those opposed to the Regular Education Initiative. Yet parents and professionals supporting Level IV inclusion do acknowledge that there are situations in which these students cannot be grouped with other s because of instructional differences. Thus, the Regular Education Initiative gives a sense of inclusion for students. Yet, a number of researchers and educators have opposed the Regular Education Initiative strongly. They cite the historical inability and lack of desire of regular education to meet students’ needs. That is the reason why the IDEA cropped up. They worry about the loss of funding and parental right. They also note that most regular educators are not trained to have students with disabilities in their classes. They say that teachers cannot meet societal demands for excellence if they are expected to have vastly different levels of student academic and behavioral performance in their classes. Supporters of inclusion differ in the extent of disability integrated into regular education classes. Some support placement only of students with mild disabilities in regular education, with students demonstrating more severe impairments participating on the regular education campus, but in separate impairments participating on the regular education campus, but in separate classes. The continuum expands to include students with more severe impairments in regular classrooms on a part-time basis, to the full exclusionists, who would have all students participate full-time despite the degree of disability. The problem is how to incorporate students into classes where teachers and nondisabled peers are welcoming as well as competent in dealing with difference. Thus, the debate continues. This paper looks into these inclusionary practices and explores how these are helpful for all concerned. Enormous amount of research has been made to explore the factors associated with caring for a disabled children and the deleterious effects these factors have on parents’ well-being. Research evidences points out that the family attitude greatly contributes to the prognosis. Risk factors such as lack of services and negative attitudes can have an adverse influence on the prognosis of the mentally-handicapped child. Obtainable studies show that most often parents have a negative attitude towards their child with mental disabilities. Parents are weighed down with feelings of pessimism, hostility, and shame. Denial, grief, withdrawal, rejection, projection of blame and finally, acceptance are the usual parental reactions. (Drew CJ, Logan DR, Hardman ML. )

Design of a steel skew cantilever followed by construction and testing to destruction

Design of a steel skew cantilever followed by construction and testing to destruction. Analysis and improvements section included. Aiming for minimum weight and structural costs, while achieving a working load of 1kN and a failure load of 2kN. Statement of the Problem: To design and build a steel skew cantilever that is required to show no visible deformation at a vertical working load of 1000N and to fail at 2000N. The objective is to design a structure that satisfies the loading conditions, while keeping weight to a minimum and maintaining design simplicity; to reduce drawing and fabrication time, and making the structure more predictable through analysis. The load is at a horizontal distance of 815mm from a rigid vertical plate. The line of action of the load is 407mm to the right of the normal to the wall through the centre of the main plate when viewed from the front of the main plate. The load is applied through a rig with a 13mm diameter bolt. The main plate has 4 pairs of M6 tapped holes to which the structure may be attached. Designs Considered: The main design considered apart from the 4 main member triangulated cantilever, was based around a 3 main member design with cross bracing shown in the diagram to the right. The advantage of this structure is a reduction in weight, holes and rivets thus a huge reduction in cost. However, the design that we came up with was too difficult to analyse and predict during in failure, due to the side planes not being vertical. Also, construction would have been quite difficult because all cross braces would have to attach to the main members at an angle, thus additional plates would have be constructed which would have raised the price dramatically. The other design considered was based on the 4 main member design but flipped upside down. However, this would mean that the compression member would be comparatively long, increasing the need for cross bracing due to potential buckling. Thus the structure would be no better than the one we have selected only it would cost more due to the additional cross bracing. The box design was considered, however, it is not very suitable for a skew cantilever as construction would be immensely hard. Design considerations: The rig to which the structure was to be attached was inspected to see whether the load plate would fit and to get a general feel for the vertical constraints of the jack. To prevent a bending moment within the structure, lines of actions of forces in members must cross at a point. Hence in the drawings, lines of actions for every joint are shown to meet at a point within the material. For single cross braces, this line of action is 3/4 of the way in from the edge parallel with the edge. To make members act as though they were in mode B, the struts had to be rivet together. This was done 40mm from the edges of the struts in question and subsequently the remaining length was divided up into 3 sections at which the boundary of each division was riveted. This was performed on all the double angled struts. Where possible, the struts coming into connecting plates were made to touch the plate with their edge so that they would be transferring their load in a more direct manner. We attempted to make the base as wide as possible, for stability hence the connecting plates should go up to the edge of the main plate. Construction Phase: The base was the first thing to be constructed as it was easier than the upper members, thus by the time it had been built, experience had been gained and could applied to a more complex construction step (the upper members). The upper members were then constructed and both sets were fitted to the base plate. An additional plate was put in between the connecting plate and the main plate for the tension members to prevent the bolts from tearing out. The partially completed structure was taken to the measurement deck, where the alignment was checked. It was within 5mm in respect to the horizontal plane, thus we could slightly bias connections so that the alignment became closer to about 3mm. It was then noted that the rig that would connect the load to the load plate needed the load plate to have parallel edges, thus a double bend and an extension of 40mm in the load plate was required to allowed the rig to connect to the load plate. See right hand page for diagram. The load plate was then attached and the structure was checked that it aligned to about 3mm. The cross braces were than fabricated and attached. An attempt was made to work efficiently during construction, my laboratory partner and I finished with 6 hours to spare. Modifications: To M4 bolts were used to help keep the two sections of the load plate in alignment to achieve ease of rig attachment. These are attached as shown on the diagram to the right. A small cross brace was also placed between the two tension members at the top to attempt to prevent rotation of the structure. See right for the diagram. Also there was not enough space for the smallest cross brace connecting the compression members, thus it was not included. Some minor changes in the lengths of some of the members was required to improve alignment. Also some edges of struts had to be cut so that they could rest flat against others to transfer load more effectively. Cost and Mass of Structure: The mass was 2.52kg, which is heavy in comparison to the other groups, but not the heaviest. The material cost was 120.5 and the labour cost was 282 giving a total of 452.5, once again the cost ranked high amongst the other groups. However, considering the magnitude of the mass, if the cost saving strategies had not been applied then the cost would have been about 30 higher. These cost saving techniques consisted of using a hole to not only mount the members to connecting sheet metal but also a cross brace, thus saving a rivet, a hole and some time during fabrication. Depending on the forces, this technique could be slight disadvantage, the joint would now be in double sheer, and the rivet would be under greater loading. However, this effect would be small due to the small forces in the cross braces. Test results and Observations: The structure had a very slight amount of visible deformation at the working load of 1kN, and finally failed at 2.57kN. This was mainly due to the rightmost (looking at the front plate) compression member 5 buckling inwards at a position closer to the wall than the intersection between member 10 and 11. Another noted deformation was that the metal plates (A and B) connecting the main plate to the compression members had been bent inwards towards the main plate as the corners of the A and B were not touching the main plate. This meant that as the compression force in member 10 and 11 grew the force on the corner increased and cause deformation of the connecting plate. If the buckling in the compression member had not occurred, it would be conceivable that this would be the next location for failure. Suggested Modifications to Improve Performance: Using another cross brace in a sense parallel to the main plate between the lower main compression members 10 and 11 would have prevented the buckling that caused the main failure from occurring. The geometry of the proposed cross brace would force the member to become stockier thus its critical stress would be much higher, allowing us to once again us mode A with a 9.5mm by 9.5mm of thickness 0.8mm. If the holes for the bent plates that connects the main compression members 3 and 5 to the main plate were moved such that the corner of the connecting plate lay within the normal of the edge of the main plate, then this would reduce deformation of the connecting plate and hence the structure. If these connecting bent plates were to be the first point of failure, the modifications described would increase the failure load by postponing the tearing of the connecting plates. Conclusions: The main failure as discussed was mode B buckling of the longest compression member due to insufficient cross bracing. It would be interesting to rebuild the cantilever with the improvements and even have an entire redesign. One can learn many things from analyzing a failure. For example how to improve the structure and more importantly how to go about design in the first place.

Human resources development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human resources development - Essay Example he Lake Monroe Reservoir is a project that is designed to provide a variety of services, which ranges from providing flood control, flow augmentation, water supply and also recreation benefits for the people of Indiana polis. The Indianapolis metropolitan area has a population of over one million people, with over 3.5 billion dollars to be spent annually. Jack Keltner has designed a series of changes that he would want to introduce in order to salvage the Fourwinds Marina from the present poor financial state, and set it on the path of recovery, through introducing measures such as adding a second receptionist bookkeeper, introduce a new inventory system, reduce the workforce, add 80 slips and then renovate the Marina so as to avert possible storm breakages. There are several strengths that are associated with the Marina. First, the Marina serves within a region that has a large population density that runs to over a million people who have over 3.5 billion US dollars to spend annually. This means that the business has a large market base for the services it offers, and a potential to earn substantial revenues from the huge money basket that the people have available to spend throughout the year. The fact that the Marina works seasonally is yet the other strength associated with it, considering that it is therefore able to shelve spending resources during the low season without earning reasonable incomes out of its operations. Further, the seasonal operation of the Marina is a major strength; since it enables the Marina get sufficient time to undertake the necessary renovations without disrupting the customers, since the renovations can be done once the season is closed. The major weakness facing the Marina is the lack of experienced general managers in the area of Marina management. The general managers that have been employed to manage the Marina have different areas of specialization, with McLaughlin having been a parts specialist, and Jack Keltner being a

Understanding of internal factors influencing customer behavior with Essay

Understanding of internal factors influencing customer behavior with application of theory in a given business situation and development marketing strategies - Essay Example This product-centric view of market segments has been long discarded as being inadequate for very logical and plausible reasons. For any given product or service, there are usually at least four or five different segments of prospective customers that may utilize that product to solve a particular problem or satisfy a specific need. Each one of these segments will have different needs and values. But companies with a product-centric view cannot even sight these differences not to approach the issue of comprehending them and using them to advantage in their marketing plans. They end up treating the various segments with a one-size-fits-all, generic solution. This fixated view is virtually a chink in the armor which competitors are waiting to pounce upon. In fact such an approach works to leave entry gates to the various segments wide open to the competitor. This competitor quietly enters in, reads the market segments and positions his products attributes and qualities with requisite d ifferentiation to make up a most relevant product bundle to the most valuable segment and skim it merrily. Therefore it is a prudent marketing stance to examine in depth not only one's own products and services but also the market of users for such products and services. Who buys our products, for what reasons and puts them to what uses are three critical questions that must be asked to broaden marketing thought away from generic fixation. Market segmentation is an oft used marketing tool just to do this. This paper has chosen the airline travel as a generic service and Singapore Airlines (SIA) as the business which offers such a service.SIA consciously recognized a new market segment and strategically aligned its marketing plan to benefit from this segment. The events triggering recognition of new market segment are also covered in the following paragraphs. Information on Singapore Airlines (SIA) SIA is considered by those in the airline industry, its travelers as well as its competitors, as one of the very best airlines in the world. In the time period to which this marketing event belongs, SIA was arguably Singapore's and Asia's best-known company, and rated consistently as Asia's "most admired company" (Asian Business, 1997). It is reinforced by the fact that it has won numerous industry awards. Nast Traveller magazine celebrating the tenth anniversary of the readers' choice awards, presented it's first-ever Hall of Fame awards to four individuals one of them being the CEO of SIA for" a decade of outstanding leadership and for transforming the standards of in-flight service in the 1980s" (Straits Times, 1997). In 1997 SIA also won The World's Best Airline for the fourth year running in the Zagat Airline Survey. SIA has had a continuous profit track record since it took to the skies more than 25 years ago, a track record almost unheard of in the brutally cyclical airline i ndustry (Asian Business Review, 1996). Its beaming, lithe flight stewardess, outfitted in tight batik sarong kebaya marketed as the Singapore Girl, is a globally popular international service icon. It not only serves as an effective unique selling proposition for the airlines but has also earned substantial legacy differentiation leverage over similar icons of

Midterm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Midterm - Essay Example The proposed rule aims to eliminate this loophole by allowing the employees to be acquainted with the specific provisions of law so that they may not be taken advantage of. This protection of labor is enshrined in the laws of the nation. Under Section 7 of the NLRA, the law provides for the employees’ basic right to self-organization by forming or joining a union freely and actively to bargain collectively towards â€Å"mutual aid or protection.† This right to organize is likewise coupled with the right not to self-organize or to join any organization of the same nature at the election of the employee and upon his own volition. The employer cannot impede this right to organize and to collectively bargain as this will lead to economic unrest. Furthermore, it is safe to pinpoint that to do such acts would be tantamount to unfair labor practice and proscribed by law. Consequently, the protection of labor is seen as mutually beneficial not only between the labor force and t he corporations but ultimately beneficial to the entire nation. The NLRB proposes that as to the employers, there will be requirements of notice and posting that they must comply with. The Board exemplifies that the notice requirement is contained in other relevant and analogous laws but interestingly enough is not contained in the NLRA. This is addressed by the proposed rule as penned by the NLRB. This proposed rule enumerates the major aspects of the employee notice as to the ‘content requirements,’ ‘size and form requirement’ and such other relevant matter as ‘knowing noncompliance as evidence of unlawful motive.’ These matters shall be determined and enforced by the NLRB for the strict compliance of the employers. Among other things, there must routine posting in conspicuous areas that will elicit attention from the employees concerned. Because of the nature of today’s interactions, there is also consideration to the possibility of n ot only physical posting but also through electronic medium. This will be a great addition founded upon good intention to provide for the employees the opportunity to acquaint themselves of their own rights. As previously pointed out, many remain unaware of these and thus have a higher tendency to fall victim to unfair labor practices. The obligation upon employers to somewhat contribute to their education introduces transparency to the workplace. Though it is a maxim that ignorance of the law excuses no one, it remains imperative that people, especially the labor force, are informed and constantly made aware that these laws exist for their benefit and not the other way around. The proposed rule would now have the provident task, as pointed out in the dissenting opinion of Brian Hayes, that the Board is not given the power under the NLRA to address acts of noncompliance. Nonetheless, this opinion is not entirely base on solid ground as the NLRB has the mandate fundamentally to imple ment the NLRA. Establishment of the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness Executive Order 13564 of January 31, 2011 The issue of unemployment persists to be the most pressing issue faced by Pres. Barack Obama. This problem has been the most heated subject of the just recently held presidential debate with reference to no less than Big Bird even being made mention of by his opponent Mitt Romney. People out of job have been a prevailing concern lingering within the past few years which

Sleeping-Deprivation for College Students Research Paper

Sleeping-Deprivation for College Students - Research Paper Example As per the same study, almost 20 percent of the college students admitted to remaining awake at night, at least once a week (Medical News Today 1). It was also reported that more than 60 percent of the college students do tend to have disturbed awake-sleep cycles, and some of the college students resort to alcohol and substance abuse to combat the fatigue and stress caused by sleep deprivation (Medical News Today 1). Though the average sleep requirement for the young adults stands to be eight hours, it is merely thirty percent of the college students that manage to muster 8 hours of quality sleep at night (Medical News Today 1). When it comes to weeknights, 20 percent of the college students remain awake all night, at least once a month, while almost 35 percent of the college students tend to remain awake till 3:00am in the morning (Medical News Today 1). Surprisingly, it was observed in some studies that Asian and African American students tend to suffer less from poor sleep habits as compared to the Latino and White college students (Medical News Today 1). Considering their young age, many a times, college students tend to underestimate the relevance and importance of sleep in their academic and personal life. Students have been noted to compromise sleep during high stress periods without understanding that by doing so they tend to sabotage their physical and mental health. So, considering the available data, there is no denying the fact that the college students tend to be the most sleep deprived pool in the regular population. Importance of Proper Sleep in a College Student’s Life Sleep deprivation not only impacts a college student’s ability to remain awake in the class, but also has a direct impact on a college student’s academic performance. Sufficient and adequate sleep is vital for a college student who intends to remain alert and awake (American Academy of Sleep Medicine 1).