COPD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

COPD - Essay Example From this study it is clear that to understand this condition, it is vital to revisit the mechanism of gaseous exchange as a process keeping in mind the paths through which the gases inhaled or exhaled flow through. Physical examinatonn is the process by which a researcher uses their senses to gather and collect data that is objective to the research that they are doing. It is a very important step in the treatment and caring of COPD patients. For this process to be successful, the researcher has to have good assessment skills that will ensure that the physical examination is successful. Before the beginning of the research, the researcher has to define the normal findings so that incase an abnormal findings occur, the researcher is fast in noticing. The history of the patient that is being examined is also very important. There are four main approaches to physical assessment. This is inspection, percussion, palpation and ausculatation. Inspection approach is one of the preliminary s tages for this assessment and involves patients being checked in an overall manner so that the health care professional can detect any abnormalities. This process is very critical and should never be skipped as it ensures that a strong base is set for the assessment. Palpation is the process where the professional uses his/her hand to make an inspection on the patient. This has one major limitation that the professional has to be very experienced in the palpation process otherwise wrong results would be given. Percussion follows and the professional taps the area that is affected to hear the sounds that comes out. It also needs a lot of experience. Auscultation s the process where the stethoscope and listens to the various sounds that are made by the affected parts. This has one major advantage that it does not require a lot of knowledge and experience to write. A research done by Edmunds to find out the effectiveness of various physical assessments was done in 2007. According to th e study the main aim of the research was to find out the best approaches to use in physical assessments. The research found out that there were very many setbacks for this assessments and that there were many corrections that are needed in this field. The main correction that needs to be done are on the palpation stages. This is because most of the professionals performing this action are not qualified for this and as a result, they give out wrong information. The most important communication skill that the research proposes is best for physical assessment is assertiveness and proper listening skills. This ensures that the professional detects different conditions that are affecting the patients. Communication skills are also vital to the treatments of COP. Being assertive is one of the communicative skills that are necessary for the health professional to have During the inspection of inhalation of air by the patient, the gaseous mixture accompanied by the aforesaid pollutants pass through to the wind pipe downward to the bronchiole tubes.  

Current US GDP Figures and the Current State of the US Economy Research Paper

Current US GDP Figures and the Current State of the US Economy - Research Paper Example Economic system is the process of construction, distribution and consumption by specific people within a particular geographical setting. The people can be individuals, association, and businesses or government (Mankiw, 2011). With these considerations, the paper intends to illustrate the current GDP figures and the current status of the US economy. Current US GDP Figures The GDP figures in the US have witnessed a considerable fluctuation in the past decade. In the United States, the GDP figure in the year 2013 stands at 15684.80 billion US Dollars. Approximately, 25.30% of US GDP represents the world economy. The figures related to the US GDP were illustrated by World Bank Group. From 2004, the GDP figures have endeavored to attain peak position but in 2010 it came down to 13893.3 billion US Dollars from 14219.3 billion US Dollars in 2009. Then again, from 2010 onwards, it has kept on increasing, which signifies a relatively stable condition of the US industrial sector (Trading Econ omics, 2013). US GDP Source: (Trading Economics, 2013) The production of goods and services by the labor and assets located inside the United States has significantly increased to 2.5% in the 2nd quarter of 2013 as reported by Bureau of Economic Analysis. According to the 1st quarter of 2013, the GDP was 1.1% and 0.1% in 2012 Quarter 4 (Cable News Network. A Time Warner Company, 2013). The total GDP in June 2013 was estimated to be US$16.6 trillion. The US has one of the strongest and industrially advanced economies in the world. Rental, leasing, real estates, educational services, health care, professional and insurance constitute over 40% of GDP (Trading Economics, 2013). The following illustration depicts the distribution of GDP in the leading industrial sectors in the US: Government related services: 13% of GDP Transportation, utilities, warehousing and information: 10% of GDP Retail and Wholesale trade Centre: 12% Manufacturing, Mining and Construction: 17% of GDP Agriculture: 1.5% Source: (Trading Economics, 2013) The recent boost in the economy has facilitated the US in terms of ensuring more exports and fixed investment. Moreover, with the enhancement of the economic purview, there has been an augmentation in expenditure by local government and reduction in the imports along with deceleration in private firms’ investment and in personal expenditure (Sivy, 2013). US GDP % Change on a Quarterly Basis (2011 to 2013, Q2) Source: (Cable News Network. A Time Warner Company, 2013). Current State of US Economy The history related to the US economy could be viewed with reference to the influence made by the European settlements. US economy is the world’s leading and technologically advanced economy. The nominal GDP of US was reported to be US$16.9 trillion in June 2013. US economy is determined to be a mixed economy and is able to uphold overall growth in GDP. The US has huge natural resources, advanced infrastructure and high productivity. The na tion is the 2nd largest producer related to natural gas and 3rd major producer of oil as well as it is 2nd biggest trading country in the world following China. From 2010, the US has remained the world’s largest producer (The Heritage Foundation, â€Å"United States†). After recording more than three years of uninterrupted economic growth, at present The US economy has recorded less than 2.25% growth and is estimated to slow down to less than 1% in the near future (Sivy, 2013). The US with an economic freedom score of 76 remains down in 2013 index and noted its

Communications in Society Essay Example for Free

Communications in Society Essay MGMT 351 Exam 1 Directions: Respond to five of the following questions. Responding to more than five will not earn extra credit. If you decide not to follow this direction, the five lowest scoring answers will constitute the grade for this test. There are some important considerations for successful completion of the text: 1. Accurate information is important, and it must directly address the question. 2. Use all terms appropriately. 3. Several questions have more than one part. Complete and accurate answers will earn maximum credit. Make sure that all of the requested information is provided. 4. Each complete and accurate answer is worth 20% of the grade for this exam. 5. Assignments are automatically sent through Turnitin to check for appropriate use of material (e.g. paraphrasing, citations). Make sure that your work follows all the guidelines for academic honesty. 6. Use the numbers as here listed. Do not renumber. 7. Watch the deadline. Late exams will not receive credit. 8. Answers must reflect college level writing skills, i.e. clear sentence construction and correct spelling, grammar and use of punctuation. Deductions from the test score will be made for failure to meet this standard. 9. If anything is unclear, ask rather than assume it doesn’t make a difference. To complete this exam, follow these steps: 1. Download this exam and save it as a MSWord document. 2. Read through all the questions and choose those you will attempt to answer. 3. Provide complete and accurate answers to those five questions. 4. Save. 5. Post your saved response to the exam under the Assignment by the deadline for this assignment. Questions: 1. Effective organizational communication is truly an interactive process. The people taking part in the communication exchange must listen carefully and respond accurately to the other interactants. There are ten elements that contribute to interactive communication (see Figure 1.2 on page 5 of your text). Using an example from your own experience, identify how these ten elements impacted the communication process, making sure to accurately label all ten. 2. Organizational philosophy has significant influence on management practice and communication in an organization. Briefly distinguish between classical, humanistic and systems theories. Now describe possible impact of each of these perspectives on the writing of job descriptions. Be specific. 3. Strategic communication relies on effective tactics in four areas. Name them and define them. Now consider this situation and apply what you know about these four areas to this situation: Next week, Clark will be giving a very important budget proposal presentation. This could be a boost to his career, or a bust. If he hopes to have his proposal accepted, he needs to be strategic in the plan and delivery for this presentation. How should he use the four areas of strategic communication to accomplish his goals? 4. What is communication anxiety, what role does it play in communication, and what are the causes? Choose five of these causes and offer suggestions for effectively managing anxiety resulting from each of these causes. 5. What is organizational culture and how does it determine standards for communication, both internally and externally? Next, as an advisor to someone considering joining an organization, direct your advisee to some avenues to explore to discover what is the culture of an organization in order to determine if this is the right organization for your advisee to join. Lastly, how important is cultural match? 6. The American culture is certainly not uniform. There are considerable differences in how members view the world (e.g. values, beliefs, opinions, etc.). Not using national origin/heritage (e.g. Italian-American), choose three subcultures present in the American workforce and explain how the values and beliefs of each subcultures impact how those employees behave at work. 7. Communication competence is based on interactive listening. Questioning techniques improve listening by making the speaker more efficient, and they facilitate goal accomplishment. Imagine that you are a manager who has been approached by a subordinate who manages others, i.e. you are the manager’s manager. One of the manager’s subordinates, who up until recently has been a good performer, has been making significant mistakes lately. Using all of the five types of questions, help the manager design his/her own set of questions to get to the issues behind this dwindling performance. Make sure to accurately label each type of question used. Lastly, explain how this strategy is likely to help the manager correctly identify the performance issues involved. 8. Name and define each of the three D’s. Then list two consequences and two strategies for overcoming each of these problems. 9. Put yourself in a work environment. List all, naming at least five, of the nonverbal messages you notice, making sure to accurately label each. Now summarize the impact of this combination of nonverbal messages on the people working there. Is it a positive impact? Lastly, if you could change any of these messages by instituting a new personnel policy, what would you do and what would the policy look like? 10. Does gender make a difference in how employees communicate in the workplace? Using specific examples, support your conclusion. Now think of a time when communication was effective during communication involving coworkers of the opposite sex. Lastly, describe a time when communication between members of both sexes was not effective. What could have been done differently? Be specific. 11. Leaders step up when needed. Will you recognize when you should rise to a leadership position? First, write down the names of leaders (at least 3) that you admire or seek to emulate. Explain what you find admirable in their leadership styles. Now, choose at least one, of these leaders and note a situation in which he or she acted as a leader. Be prepared to discuss what elements of the situation combined with elements of the leader’s ability to lead resulted in an effective combination. Do you have any of the same leadership characteristics in common with their chosen leader or any of the other leaders? How will you recognize the right combination of situation and style for you to be a leader? 12. Managing change is something good leaders expect and have developed the skills necessary to be successful. Imagine yourself as a leader of the following organization: You are the CEO of a playing card company that has existed since 1889. Your company began producing its first electronic playing cards game in 1970 and has been highly successful. Now in the electronic age, it is important to acknowledge the lack of hand-held playing cards and embrace the video game era. You want to eliminate all hand-held playing cards from the company plan but the employees who have been around for a while wish to keep the cards around. How can you manage this change and the anxiety that it produces in your employees? General answers are not enough to earn points on this question. Identify specific steps you will take to achieve desired outcomes.

Virtue ethics

Virtue ethics Introduction The purpose of this essay is to talk about virtue ethics, Deontology and I m going to talk about its meaning and how a person that practices, or have this kind of ethics system will act    if he or she would be in a dilemma; it is important to remember that I am going to show this on the different ethics systems that I am going to talk about, and that Ill explain it with some examples that weve learned in class. Another thing that I am going to express in this essay is my opinion about each ethic system that I will talk about. Body Virtue ethics Virtue ethics is a system of ethics that emphasizes on the virtues or the moral character of the people. This means that it is based on what the person had done if he has done bad things then he has a bad moral character. Supposing that someone needs help then, someone that practices the virtue ethics will eventually help him if he is a good person, he would help him because in that case the person that is helping is doing charity or benevolence. Now Ill explain it with an example that Ive seen in the class of Mr. Stevens: Suppose that there is a train that is going to crash five people and if you turn the roads of the train u kill one person; suppose that person is good and the other five are bad persons with bad moral character so someone that practices virtue ethics will let the train to kill the five people. Virtue ethics is based on some features that are: Its guiding question: What should I do? Emphasis on character, not on individual actions. The goodness comes from the people that perform the act not vice versa, this means that the good people here is the one that performs the act. It is based on the character of the person that you are helping if he is someone that has patience or benevolence he has virtues, and if he is someone that has cowardice or laziness, etc he has vices and he is not a virtuous person. To have a virtue is to respond to some certain sorts of situations or circumstances in the appropriate way, for example: having courage in a difficult or dangerous situation. Good people are virtuous and they dont have vices. It is important to remember that the virtue ethics were created by the Greek philosophers Aristotle and Plato. It was originated in the Greek Philosophy on that time. Deontology Deontology, also called deontological ethics, is a system of ethic that judges the morality (if its a good action or it is a bad action) of an action if the action is based on some rules or duties. So deontologists do their actions according to a rule or a duty that we can find in two main schools of deontology that are: Kant: As I have said before Deontology obeys rules and Inter Kant, that was a deontologist proposed three laws: Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law. Act as though the maxim of your action were by your will to become a universal law of nature. Act so that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in that of another, always as an end and never as a means only. This one was old, he was born on 1724 and died on 1804.There is other school of deontology and it is more modern that is the W.D.Ross (1877-1971) He says that the actions on deontology were judged according to some duties that he stated, that are: Duties stemming from ones own previous actions: 1. fidelity: duty to fulfill (explicit and implicit) promises/agreements into which one has entered 2. Reparation: duty to make up for wrongful acts previously done to others Duties stemming from the previous actions of others: 3. gratitude: duty to repay others for past favors done for oneself Duties stemming from the (possibility of) a mismatch between persons pleasure or happiness and their merit: 4. justice: duty to prevent or correct such a mismatch Duties stemming from the possibility of improving the conditions of others with respect to virtue, intelligence, or pleasure: 5. beneficence: duty to improve the conditions of others in these respects Duties stemming from the possibility of improving ones own condition with respect to virtue or intelligence: 6. self-improvement : duty to improve ones own condition in these respects Special duty to be distinguished from the duty of beneficence: 7. Non-maleficence: duty not to injure others So then according to the train example I have explained after in this essay a deontologist will let the 5 guys to die, even if they were bad persons. Ill explain it with a law that is the rule number 1 of Kant school. So a deontologist will let the 5 people to die because he follows rules, and in that case what will happen if all people would be doing an action to kill one people, the person that is doing the action is not killing him, but he is doing an action, there. My opinion about this ethic system, is that this ethics system is a good system because, it respects the life of everyone and the duties and laws are very good proposed because they let you make a good decision in which you would not feel guilty at the end. Bibliography Wikipedia, Deontological ethics. May 26, 2010.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deontological_ethics W.D.Ross Moral Theoryhttp://www.hu.mtu.edu/~tlockha/hu329ov8.htm Wikipedia, Immanuel Kant .May 26, 2010. http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immanuel_Kant Virtue Ethics, Stanford Encyclopedia of philosophy. 2003. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-virtue/

To Kill A Mockingbird Essays: Lasting Impressions :: free essay writer

The Lasting Impressions of To Kill a Mockingbird  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To Kill A Mockingbird deals with many primal and basic lessons in human nature. The book exposes many issues that affect most people throughout their lives. Scout, the main character was one of the most affected by these lessons. During the book she was exposed to many profound experiences, which no doubt will leave a lasting impression. In the three years that the book took place, she may have learned the most important things she will learn over her entire life. One person that affected Scouts life was Boo Radley. He brought wonder, fear and then finally relief to her heart. At first kids thought he was evil. There were rumours that while he cut out the newspaper for his scrap book he "drove the scissors into his parent's leg."(pg11) He had tried to kill them. Even though this may have been just a rumor the kids were terrified of the Radleys. They described him often as a monster "six-and-a-half feet tall" with "bloodstained" hands. He was said to eat "raw squirrels and any cats he could catch".(pg12) During the rest of the book Scout and companions tried to meet Arthur (Boo) and get over their fear of him. They did not succeed. But he showed affection for them by leaving them gifts in a tree. Finally at the end of the book he proves he is a good person by saving Scout and Jem's lives. In this instance Scout may have found that to negatively prejudge someone is wrong. Scout also learned compassion. Scout also learnt about the ugliness of life - about death and pain. This lesson occurred while her brother had to read to a sick and dieing old lady. This lady's name was Mrs. Dubose. She had been a morphine addict and had decided to go clean till her death. To die as a free women, to die knowing she had won. Scout describes her as an ugly lady and during their reading sessions she would have some kind of spasm-fits. Her head moved side to side. She would drool. "Her mouth seemed to have a private existence of it's own." (pg.107) After many reading sessions with her having a fit each time, she died one day. Probably the most important person in Scout's life was the one who had set the best examples for her. To Kill A Mockingbird Essays: Lasting Impressions :: free essay writer The Lasting Impressions of To Kill a Mockingbird  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To Kill A Mockingbird deals with many primal and basic lessons in human nature. The book exposes many issues that affect most people throughout their lives. Scout, the main character was one of the most affected by these lessons. During the book she was exposed to many profound experiences, which no doubt will leave a lasting impression. In the three years that the book took place, she may have learned the most important things she will learn over her entire life. One person that affected Scouts life was Boo Radley. He brought wonder, fear and then finally relief to her heart. At first kids thought he was evil. There were rumours that while he cut out the newspaper for his scrap book he "drove the scissors into his parent's leg."(pg11) He had tried to kill them. Even though this may have been just a rumor the kids were terrified of the Radleys. They described him often as a monster "six-and-a-half feet tall" with "bloodstained" hands. He was said to eat "raw squirrels and any cats he could catch".(pg12) During the rest of the book Scout and companions tried to meet Arthur (Boo) and get over their fear of him. They did not succeed. But he showed affection for them by leaving them gifts in a tree. Finally at the end of the book he proves he is a good person by saving Scout and Jem's lives. In this instance Scout may have found that to negatively prejudge someone is wrong. Scout also learned compassion. Scout also learnt about the ugliness of life - about death and pain. This lesson occurred while her brother had to read to a sick and dieing old lady. This lady's name was Mrs. Dubose. She had been a morphine addict and had decided to go clean till her death. To die as a free women, to die knowing she had won. Scout describes her as an ugly lady and during their reading sessions she would have some kind of spasm-fits. Her head moved side to side. She would drool. "Her mouth seemed to have a private existence of it's own." (pg.107) After many reading sessions with her having a fit each time, she died one day. Probably the most important person in Scout's life was the one who had set the best examples for her.

Charles Dickens and Samuel Clemens :: essays research papers fc

Charles Dickens and Samuel Clemens (1812-1870)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (1835-1910) Charles Dickens and Samuel Clemens lived in different parts of the world, England and America. Charles Dickens was twenty-three years old when Samuel Clemens was born. Charles Dickens was a boy who loved learning, while Samuel Clemens could hardly wait for school to end. Despite the fact that both authors reference Christianity and its customs, historians believe that Charles Dickens was a Christian whereas Samuel Clemens was not. The similarities between Charles Dickens and Samuel Clemens are numerous. Both authors are world famous legends who wrote many novels, created many characters, had an autobiographical character, and based characters on people in their lives. Samuel Clemens used the pen name Mark Twain and Charles Dickens, for a brief time, used the pen name Boz. Both authors worked as journalists and wrote until the day they died. Their life experiences were reflected in their writings and the period in which they wrote was merely an account of what was really happening in history. England in the early years of the seventeenth century enjoyed the regency of the Prince of Wales, went to war with the United States and watched Napoleon’s final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo. During this time, one of the world’s greatest morally and socially responsible novelists, Charles Dickens was born in Portsea, England in 1812. Charles was the second child and the oldest son of John and Elizabeth Dickens. Charles’ early years were happy especially during the ages of 5-9. He loved school, was imaginative and had a hunger for reading. Charles Dickens: A Literary Life page 47 describes the collection of books in the attic that Charles would read as if it were a matter of life or death. Don Quixote, Robinson Crusoe, Arabian Nights and The Tales of the Genii, was reading material not suitable for a child, yet all of these stories influenced the novels Dickens would eventually write. His father was a clerk in the Navy Pay Office. Charles had a carefree life. He and his friends wore white beaver hats and called themselves Giles’ Cats. His parents had many parties and invited many friends, but the problem was that they spent more money than they had. By the time Charles was ten his family had lived in six different houses and each one was poorer and poorer than the one before. There were eight children and the family fell deeper and deeper into debt.

Gemstone and Diamond Mining Through the Years

Gemstones have been a symbol of wealth from the ancient times up to the present. These stones with their own characteristic, unique and special properties have always been associated to beauty too. Popular and famous persons throughout history, especially those from the noble family have used gemstone to adorn not only themselves but their dwellings as well. In the United States, mining of these stones has been for recreational activity only for collectors and hobbyists since 1935 (Gemstones Production, USGS). Nevertheless, as the value of gemstones inflated, large scale mining operations have been initiated. In this paper, we would explore the world of gemstones; what truly fits the word gemstone, how are they classified and the methods of mining.GemstonesThe word â€Å"gem† actually came from the Latin word gemma, which means â€Å"bud† (Microsoft Encarta). It is a very fitting name since gems seem to bud out of the earth’s crust like flowers in a garden. Gem o r gemstone means any mineral or organic material that can be used to decorate one’s body, for display or can be considered an object of art due to its unique properties it possesses such as beauty, rarity and durability. Colored and diamond gemstones are subcategories of gemstones. Basically, colored gemstones are all other stones except diamond such as amber, coral and shell (Olson 32.1).On the other hand, natural gemstones are minerals, stones or any organic matter that can be cut, polished, or treated for use as jewelry or other personal ornament (Gemstones Terms, USGS). Gemstones can be further classified as precious or semiprecious gemstones. Precious gemstones have beauty, durability and rarity, while semiprecious gemstones have only one to two of these characteristics (Gemstones Terms, USGS). Diamond, ruby, sapphire, emerald, aquamarine, topaz and opal are classified as precious gemstones while others are treated as semiprecious (Gemstones Terms, USGS). Since gemstones are rare, they are not plentiful and these stones do not form ores like other mining products. They tend to be scattered throughout a large body of rock or can be crystals found on small cavities of rocks (Gemstones Environment, USGS).Gemstones are primarily found from Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, North Carolina, Oregon and Arizona (Gemstones Specialist 64). However, most gem diamond reserves are not found in the United States. Diamonds are usually mined from Southern Africa, Russia, and Western Australia (Gemstones Specialist 65). The very first used as jewelry were amber, amethyst, coral, diamond, emerald, garnet, jade, lapis lazuli, pearl, rock crystal, ruby, serpentine and turquoise (Olson 32.1).In the US, the commercial gemstone industry consists of individuals and companies that mine gemstones or harvest shell and pearls, firms that manufacture synthetic gemstones and individuals and companies that cut natural and synthetic gemstones (Olson 32.1). Worldwide, the industry is only composed of two sectors: diamond mining and marketing and the production and sale of colored gemstones (Olson 32.3).Throughout the year, few of the diamonds mined are of gem quality; much of them are of near-gem and industrial in quality. Gem quality diamonds display high standards of excellence in quality and can be sold as jewelry. Clarity of such diamonds is from flawless through to visible inclusions. On the other hand, near-gem quality represents diamonds that fall between gem and industrial quality and thus can be used for either purpose.   Clarity of this set is from visible inclusions to industrial. Lastly, industrial quality diamonds are of low quality and cannot be used as jewelry or adornment. These diamonds are suitable only for industrial use such as dentist’s drills and earthmoving equipment (Mining Diamonds).Diamonds are formed beneath the earth’s surface and required tremendous pressure and temperature. Like diamonds, most gems are crystals forme d by cooling hot gases, solutions, and melts. As the earth’s soil surface weathers and erodes, and rivers forcefully flow through, gemstones may be exposed and be unearthed where one can even simply bend over the riverbank and pick them up (Microsoft Encarta).MiningOne of the two primary industries of early civilization is mining. Like agriculture, it is one of humankind’s earliest endeavors (Introduction to Mining 1). In 3400, Egyptians in Sinai did the first ever-recorded mining where they have found turquoise (Introduction to Mining 7). Usually, gemstones are excavated at the surface. However, through the years, underground mining especially for diamonds have been developed. Unlike surface mining, underground mining is more complicated and expensive. It involves the efficiency, safety and permanence underground (Introduction to Mining 11).Mining is the process of obtaining useful minerals from the earth’s crust. Its process requires excavations in underground mines and surface excavations in open pit or open cut mines. Thus, it involves physical removal of rock and earth to acquire gems and other important minerals. (Microsoft Encarta). Mining consists of four stages. These stages are prospecting or search for mineral deposits, exploration or the work included in evaluating the extent of economic value of the deposit, innovation or the work of preparing access to the deposit so that the minerals can be extorted from it and exploitation which is the process of extracting the minerals (Microsoft Encarta).Methods of MiningThere are several methods of mining. For gemstones, they are usually obtained on rivers and shores. However, there are also other ways of obtaining them in large scale mining operations. Exploitation methods can be classified into two categories based on setting which are surface and underground mining. Surface mining operations consists of mechanical excavation techniques such as open pit and open cast or strip mining. T here are also aqueous methods such as placer mining and solution mining. On the other hand, underground mining is usually categorized into unsupported, supported and caving methods (Introduction to Mining 11).Placer mining involves excavating loose or alluvial such as sand and gravel. The sought after gems are separated from the sand or gravel by a series of screens, jigs and sluices. This type of mining is usually used for diamonds and rubies (Microsoft Encarta). At present, surface mining involves production of blastholes 3-15 inches in diameter by rotary or percussion drills for the placement of explosives in order to remove consolidated rock. The explosives are then inserted and detonated. The material then is loaded and hauled for transport (Introduction to Mining 15).Diamond MiningDiamonds are mined by pipe or alluvial methods. In pipe mining, extraction of diamonds is done from volcanic pipes. Unlike other gems, diamonds are usually found underground and on volcanic rocks and lands. In diamond pipe mining, large areas are exploited wherein an average of 250 tons of volcanic rock is mined just to produce a one-carat gem quality polished diamond (Mining Diamonds). Due to this intricate and costly process, diamonds are really rare and precious. Diamond pipe mines are composed of kimberlite material called blue ground. At the start, kimberlite is dug from the surface by rough opencast mining. Nevertheless, as the surface deposits are exhausted, pipe mining is employed by sinking shafts into the ground at the edge of pipes and tunnels are driven into the deeper parts of the pipes. By doing so, diamond-bearing rock is excavated and is then transported for screening (Mining Diamonds).Another method of diamond mining is alluvial mining. In this method, diamonds are extracted from riverbeds or ocean beaches. It is true that diamonds are made inside volcanic pipes and lands, however, millions of years allowed that some of the diamonds formed are weathered out of the volcanic pipes and carried to great distances by rivers and oceans. Thus, the process of alluvial mining involves building a wall that holds back the surf. About 25 meters of sand is demolished aside to reach the diamond-containing level in the ocean and riverbeds. The diamond-containing sand is then acquired and transported to screening plants (Mining Diamonds).In screening plants, diamonds with kimberlite are cleaned and purified. Separation of the diamonds from the kimberlite ore involves a process much like the panning of gold. The kimberlite ore is put into large funnels along with a heavy fluid and is then, mixed in a rotating manner. Since diamonds are heavier than the other materials from which it is mined, they sink into the bottom of the funnels and spill out. After this process, the diamond is almost free from other waste (Mining for Diamonds).Diamonds can then be washed on shaking grease-covered tables. Uncut diamonds then adhere to the grease while the other fragmen ts of waste ore are vibrated past and are discharged to tailings pile. The tables are then scraped for diamonds in the grease and then are boiled to melt the grease and separate the diamonds (Microsoft Encarta). Finally, these diamonds are separated into different grades or quality as industrial, gemstone or near-gem grades.After-Mining OperationsRough uncut diamonds do not actually look attractive. Such diamonds are needed to be cut and polished before anyone can see their beauty and relevance in personal adornment and jewelry. The process of cutting and polishing originated in India where Indian natives discovered a way to make rough diamonds glisten by simply grinding another diamond against it (Mining Diamonds). Diamonds are known for their hardness, no material has ever been found which is capable of cutting diamond until the Indians found out that diamonds could actually be cut and polished by diamonds. The process of cutting and polishing typically lasts for several hours to several months. After which, the diamond will turn out lighter for at least half of its original weight (Mining Diamonds).Diamonds are first carefully examined before cutting. Diamonds are popularly cut into round brilliant since this shape gives the greatest possible brilliance with the minimal weight loss. Cutting uses an instrument similar to grinders. This cutting instrument is made of a paper-thin metal disc coated with diamond dust revolving at a fast speed. Lasers can also cut diamonds nowadays. The corners of the diamonds are then rounded by grinding another diamond producing some dust that can later be used in polishing. Diamonds are then polished to make them sparkle brighter. The diamond dust from the cutting is placed on a turntable made of iron and oiled. The cut diamond is then grinded against the turntable until it sparkles beautifully (Mining Diamonds).ConclusionGemstones are treasures not only of powerful people but also of mighty and ancient civilizations. As human kind became civilized, gemstones such as diamonds and sapphires became symbols of prosperity and elegance. Their crystalline structure, the rarity, and the arduous process of mining them have lived up to their symbolism throughout the years and continue to do so.Works Citedâ€Å"Gemstones Environment.† 18 June 1997. United States Geological Surveys, USGS. 30 April 2008 < http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/gemstones/environment.html>.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Gemstones Production.† 18 June 1997. United States Geological Surveys, USGS. 30 April 2008 < http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/gemstones/production.html>.â€Å"Gemstones Terms.† 18 June 1997. United States Geological Surveys, USGS. 30 April 2008 < http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/gemstones/terms.html>.â€Å"Gemstones†. Gemstones Specialist (703) 648-7721, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 1996. USGS. 30 April 2008 .â€Å"Introduction to Mining.† 30 April 2008. .â€Å"Mining.† Microsoft Encarta 2007. 1993-2006 Microsoft Corpora tion. CD-ROM.â€Å"Mining Diamonds†. 30 April 2008 .â€Å"Mining for Diamonds.† 30 April 2008 .Olson, Donald. â€Å"Gemstones.† USGS 2000 Yearbook. USGS. 30 April 2008