The History of Figure Skating and Ice Skates

Historians generally agree that ice skating, what we also today call figure skating, originated in  Europe several millennia ago, though its unclear when and where the first ice skates came into use. Ancient European Origins Archaeologists have been discovering ice skates made from bone throughout Northern Europe and Russia for years, leading scientists to posit that this method of transport was at one point not so much an activity as a necessity. A pair pulled  from the bottom of a lake in Switzerland, dated back to about 3000 B.C., are considered to be one of the oldest skates  ever found. They are made from the leg bones of large animals, with holes bored into each end of the bone into which leather straps were inserted and used to tie the skates to the foot. It is interesting to note that the  old Dutch word for skate is schenkel, which means leg bone. However, a 2008 study of northern European geography and terrain concluded that ice skates likely appeared first in Finland  over 4000 years ago.  This conclusion was based on the fact that, given the number of lakes in  Finland, its people would have had to invent a time-saving way to navigate across the country. Obviously, it would have saved precious time and energy to figure out a way to cross the lakes, rather than circumnavigate them. Metal Edged These early European skates didnt actually cut into the ice. Instead, users moved across the ice by gliding, rather than by what we have come to know as true skating. That came later, around the late 14th century, when the Dutch started sharpening the edges of their formerly flat-bottomed iron skates. This invention now made it possible to actually skate along the ice, and it made poles, which previously had been used to aid in propulsion and balance, obsolete. Skaters could now push and glide with their feet, a movement we still call the Dutch Roll. Ice Dancing The father of modern figure skating is Jackson Haines, an American skater, and dancer who in 1865 developed the two-plate, all-metal blade, which he tied directly to his boots. These allowed him to incorporate a host of ballet and dance moves into his skating—up until that point, most people could only go forward and backward and trace circles or figure eights. Once Haines added the first toe pick to skates in the 1870s, jumps now became possible for figure skaters. Today, increasingly spectacular leaps and bounds are one of the things that have made figure skating such a popular spectator sport, and one of the highlights of the Winter Olympic games. Sporting Developments  was developed in 1875 in Canada, although the first  mechanically refrigerated ice rink, named the Glaciarium, was built in 1876, at Chelsea, London, England, by John Gamgee.   The Dutch are also likely responsible for holding the first  skating competitions, however, the first official speed skating events were not held until 1863 in Oslo, Norway. The  Netherlands hosted the first World Championships in 1889, with teams from Russia, the United States, and England joining the Dutch. Speed skating made its Olympic debut at the winter games in 1924. In 1914, John E. Strauss, a blade maker from St. Paul, Minnesota, invented the  first closed-toe blade made from one piece of steel, making skates lighter and stronger. And, in 1949, Frank Zamboni trademarked the ice resurfacing machine that bears his name. The largest, man-made outdoor ice rink is the Fujikyu Highland Promenade Rink in Japan, built in  1967. It boasts an ice area of 165,750 square feet, the equivalent of 3.8 acres. It is still in use today.

The Effects Of Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries - 2160 Words

The Effect of Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries on Physical and Cognitive Function Jessica Halme Clark College Author Note This paper was written for Psychology 100, taught by Professor Fielding Abstract Concussions, classified as a mild traumatic brain injury, are a growing problem in the United States. Research is being done to determine immediate, short-term, and long-term effects as well as the most effective way to treat concussions and the best way to prevent them. The general population is learning more about concussions as more information becomes available. This is especially important because the spread of knowledge of concussions is crucial in preventing and treating concussions. It is important that people†¦show more content†¦This does not mean that they are any less significant or dangerous. Concussions typically do not involve any apparent damage to the face, head, or skull. Often the damage to the brain is so small that it cannot be seen on an MRI or CAT scan. This can cause a concussion to go unnoticed, which is extremely dangerous because an undiagnosed concussion can lead to mental retardation or even death. It is crucial that we understand and recognize t he symptoms and effects of mild traumatic brain injuries, in order to treat and prevent them from occurring. What is a Concussion? A concussion is â€Å"a clinical syndrome characterized by immediate and transient alteration of brain function, including alteration of mental status and level of consciousness, resulting from mechanical force or trauma† (American Association of Neurological Surgeons). Concussions are commonly seen in sports injuries in children and adolescents, but can also occur from falls, motor vehicle accidents, physical assault, and recreational injuries. In a concussion, a blow to the head or violent shaking causes the brain to twist or bump up against the skull. The force of the brain hitting the skull may tear blood vessels, pull, squeeze, stretch, or tear nerve fibers and neural cells, and bruise the brain (Brain Injury Association). This causes disruptions in brain processing and in turn all the symptoms associated with

Fin 4100 free essay sample

Financial Management 1. Happy Valley, Inc. stock is valued at $51. 40 a share. The company pays a constant dividend of $3. 80. What is the required return on this stock? Po = D/Rs $51. 40 = $3. 80/Rs Rs = 7. 39% 2. The Francis Company is expected to pay a dividend of D1 = $1. 25 per share at the end of the year, and that dividend is expected to grow at a constant rate of 6. 00% per year in the future. The companys beta is 1. 15, the market risk premium is 5. 50%, and the risk-free rate is 4. 00%. What is the companys current stock price? Po = D1/(Rs-g)Rs = 4% + (5. 5%)1. 15 = 10. 325% Po = 1. 25/(. 10325-. 06) Po = 28. 90 3. Nachman Industries just paid a dividend of $1. 32. Analysts expect the companys dividend to grow by 30% this year, by 10% in Year 2, and at a constant rate of 5% in Year 3 and thereafter. The required return on this low-risk stock is 9. 00%. What is the stock’s current market value? D1 = 1. 716 D2 = 1. 8876 D3 = 1. 98198 P2 = 1. 98198/(. 09-. 05) = 49. 5495 Po = 1. 716/(1. 09) + (1. 8876+49. 5495)/(1. 09)^2 Po = 44. 87 4. A firm has the following sales: 008200920102011 $1,248,311$1,542,661$1,821,962$2,048,725 Use the compound average growth rate to forecast 2012 sales. We will write a custom essay sample on Fin 4100 or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page g = [(2048725/1248311)^ . 3333] -1 g = 17. 956069% 2012 sales = 2048725 (1+. 17956069) 2012 sales = 2416595. 469 5. A firm is considering two projects, and it requires a 12% return on its projects. Their minimum payback period is 2. 5 years. Assuming the projects are independent (not mutually exclusive), which would you choose based on the payback method? The NPV? The IRR? Project AProject B Initial outlay $200,000Initial outlay $180,000 Cash flows Year 1$70,000Year 1$80,000 Year 2$80,000Year 2$90,000 Year 3$90,000Year 3$30,000 Year 4$90,000Year 4$40,000 Year 5$100,000Year 5$40,000 Payback for A: 2. 55 years (reject) NPV for A: $104,275. 05 (accept) IRR for A: 30. 15% (accept) Payback for B: 2. 33 years (accept) NPV for B: $32,647. 23 (accept) IRR for B: 20. 57% (accept) If the projects were mutually exclusive, then based off of Payback, only B is accepted; off of NPV, A is accepted; and off of IRR, A is accepted. 6. A firm has a capital structure containing 40% debt, 20% preferred tock, and 40% common stock equity. The firm’s debt has a yield to maturity of 8. 1%, its annual preferred stock dividend is $3. 10, and the preferred stock’s current market price is $50 per share. The firm’s common stock has a beta of 0. 9, and the risk free rate and the market return are currently 4% and 13. 5% respectively. The firm is subject to a 40% tax rate. What is the firm’s WACC? WACC = . 40 (8. 1%) (1- . 40) + . 20 (6. 2%) + . 40 (12. 55%) = 8. 204% 7. A firm has 1 million shares of outstanding common stock which currently trades at $50 per share. The firm’s stockholders require a 15% return on their investment. The firm also has $47. 1 million (par value) in 5 year, fixed rate notes with an after tax yield to maturity of 7% . The current market value of the five year notes is $49 million. The firm also has 200,000 outstanding shares of preferred stock which pay an annual dividend of $8 and currently trade at their $80 per share par value. What is the firm’s WACC? Market cap for common stock: $50M Market cap for debt: $49M Market cap for preferred stock: $16M WACC = . 15 (. 43478) + . 07 (. 42609) + . 10 (. 13913) = 10. 90%