Saturday, August 31, 2019

Assignment 2: Reflection Essay

Overall I am doing pretty well with each of the four components of interpersonal effectiveness, competence, emotional intelligence, mindfulness and ethics. The person I interviewed as my partner, was my sister Tanya. This is how she thinks I am doing on each of the four components: She thinks that my interpersonal effectiveness: I have great relationships with family and close friends. She also says that I have a good balance between priorities and self-indulgence. Tanya also says that I have self-respect and I respect others as well. Now with the competence component she thinks that I am successful in everything as long as I stay focused on my goal. Tanya also says that I have accomplished and mastered several things such as earning an Associate’s Degree, a computer skills certificate, an office skills certificate, and I have long time experience in cashiering. She says that I am very in tune to others emotions and that I am a very emotional person myself. My sister also tells me that I instinctively know when someone is happy, sad, angry, or just simply needs a hug. She also tells me that I am very emotional and I outwardly show those emotions. With mindfulness and ethics my sister says that I demonstrate effective mindfulness in my everyday tasks, which leads to good ethical decisions. She also says that I am very mindful when it comes to making all of my decisions. In a nut shell my sister is trying to get across that because I am very mindful of the choices I make, it reflects on my highly ethical standards and practices. The results of the Emotional Intelligence Self-Assessment Test in Module 1 were very accurate. I have learned that what my sister has written about me is very accurate with what the assessment test has informed me of my true emotional intelligence assessment, which I have known all along. Although, I need to work on the competence more. These tenets of interpersonal communication affects me positively in my personal life and my academic life, but my professional life I have some ways to go yet. Two key insights for this assignment for me would be that I found out that I am more competent than I thought I was, (I still need to work on this area.) and I have very good emotional intelligence. Looking back on the goals that I set for myself, the new behaviors that I can practice that will help me reach them are the four  components of emotional intelligence, interpersonal effectiveness, competence, mindfulness and ethics. I take pride in myself because I do my best to always use the above mentioned components all day, every day.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Customer Insight

CDWP Competency Framework for the Customer Insight Profession Delivering a Professional Service Delivers a professional service that contributes to organisational effectiveness by: Delivering a Customer Focused Service Develops and delivers customer-led services by: Analysing, Improving and Changing Analyses and uses evidence to inform improvement and deliver change by: Managing People and Performance Manages people and resources, and applies project and programme management techniques, to achieve high performance and value for money by: Building Capability LeadingBuilds capability to meet current and future business needs through continuous learning and by communicating in ways that support productive working relationships by: Developing Knowledge and Skills Develops knowledge and skills to meet current and future business needs. Leads by example to deliver business results by: Knowing the Business Understands the organisation and its customers and how customer insight can contribut e to improved services for customers. Responding to Customer Needs Seeks to understand customer requirements and deliver services that are responsive to diverse customer needs.Providing Excellent Customer Service Meets customer needs through excellent customer service. Analysing and using Evidence Uses information to understand performance and make decisions. Deploying People and Resources Effectively Uses resources flexibly and creatively in ways that promote diversity and support the principles of sustainable development. Delivering Results Manages performance to deliver business objectives and meet performance standards. Managing Finance Monitors and manages finances to ensure value for money.Demonstrating Integrity Demonstrates integrity at all times. Demonstrating Customer Insight Expertise Understands customer insight tools and techniques and uses them to generate insights which lead to an improved service and experience for DWP customers. Improving Performance Continuously Se eks and implements ways of improving performance. Working Collaboratively Works collaboratively in ways that value diversity and add to efficiency. Providing Direction Provides and communicates clear direction to achieve DWP strategic objectives.Building Customer Insight Capability Establishes effective stakeholder relationships and contributes to an increasing capability across the organisation for insight generation and application. Engaging with Change Implements change in support of DWP strategic objectives. Communicating with Impact Communicates in ways that promote understanding and maintain confidentiality. DWP Competency Framework for the Customer Insight Profession Delivering a Professional Service Knowing the BusinessUnderstands the organisation and its customers and contributes to its success by: †¢ Performing in a way that demonstrates understanding of their role within customer insight; †¢ Working in ways that supports the aims, visions and values of the organ isation in being an exemplar of customer service; †¢ Understand what’s most important to DWP customers and the role customer insight plays in developing the customers’ service experience; †¢ Working in ways that support learning from customer feedback; †¢ Working in ways that meet the requirements of the DWP Customer Charter.LEVEL Analysing, Improving and Changing Analysing and Using Evidence Delivering a Customer Focused Service Responding to Customer Needs Investigates, understands and responds to the needs of customers – internal and external – by: †¢ Using appropriate questioning techniques; †¢ Building and maintaining excellent relationships with customers; †¢ Responding to customer feedback; †¢ Treating all customers fairly and with regard to diverse needs.Uses information to assess progress and make decisions by: †¢ Identifying and interpreting relevant sources of information; †¢ Organising information i n a way that helps analysis; †¢ Extracting and presenting information appropriately. 1 Demonstrating Customer Insight Expertise Demonstrates expertise by: †¢ Maintains awareness of relevant customer insight tools and techniques; †¢ Giving colleagues and customers a positive impression of themselves and the organisation; †¢ Using information to inform customer insight decisions and making improvements within their area of ork; †¢ Providing soundly based advice to inform actions in response to customer issues, such as complaint handling/ redress. Providing Excellent Customer Service Delivers excellent customer service by: †¢ Using skills and resources to deliver the best possible service; †¢ Dealing with customer requests, queries and problems; †¢ Meeting customer service standards and requirements. Improving Performance ContinuouslyLooks for better ways of working to improve performance of self and team by: †¢ Reviewing own performance to identify areas for improvement; †¢ Considering a range of approaches when determining how to do things better. Building Customer Insight Capability Builds trust with stakeholders by: †¢ Maintaining a working knowledge of relevant customer insight activity being conducted; †¢ Maintaining a working knowledge of complaints handling/redress policy; †¢ Taking pride in their work, the service they offer and the benefits for the customer; †¢ Demonstrating a proven track record for customer service, delivery and capability.Engaging with Change Helps make changes work by: †¢ Seeking clarification if unsure about reasons for change; †¢ Supporting the implementation of change by making constructive suggestions; †¢ Helping others during times of change and respecting their rights to different views and ideas. DWP Competency Framework for the Customer Insight Profession Managing People and Performance Delivering ResultsKnows what is required in their day t o day work and takes responsibility for working to a consistently high standard by: †¢ Agreeing role requirements with those they report to and work with; †¢ Planning and managing day-to-day workload to meet agreed targets and deadlines; †¢ Consistently applying policies and procedures that are relevant to the role; †¢ Recognising and reporting risks to the successful completion of work; †¢ Making best use of the available technology and ensuring security of personal and other official information.LEVEL Leading Demonstrating Integrity Building Capability Developing Knowledge and Skills Develops the knowledge and skills needed to meet the requirements of the job and the objectives of the team by: †¢ Understanding their own strengths and development needs, taking into account feedback from others; †¢ Seeking new and better learning and development opportunities, including those available as part of their daily work activity; †¢ Applying and shar ing skills and knowledge learned; †¢ Giving constructive feedback to colleagues. Displays integrity and honesty by: †¢ Keeping promises and fulfilling commitments; †¢ Being able to admit when they have made a mistake; †¢ Building relationships which balance achieving the task with an appreciation of others’ needs. Deploying People and Resources Effectively Makes best use of own time and other resources by: †¢ Monitoring how their time is used and proposing more efficient ways of working; †¢ Reducing wastage and encouraging others to do the same; †¢ Considering the environmental impact of their actions.Working Collaboratively Adopts a business-like approach to working relationships that respects diversity and contributes to effective team working by: †¢ Listening and responding positively to people with differing views and opinions; †¢ Providing honest and constructive feedback and challenging negative behaviours; †¢ Working wi th others to achieve team objectives; †¢ Responding appropriately to diverse needs of others. Managing FinanceHelps to achieve value for money by: †¢ Applying relevant financial and procurement procedures; †¢ Considering value for money of all their actions; †¢ Raising relevant queries on financial reporting. Communicating with Impact Communicates clearly taking account of individual need by: †¢ Adapting communication style to the needs of the audience; †¢ Presenting own views clearly and building on the views of others; †¢ Safeguarding personal and other sensitive, official information.

Benjamin Franklin by Edmund Morgan Essay

One of the most famous biographies ever written is said to be made by Edmund Morgan, when he accounted that of Benjamin Franklin’s life. He did so by presenting a very special style in analyzing Franklin’s existence. He made it possible by not narrating an everyday account with the use of dates, but instead accounted for the overall legacy of Franklin’s life. After reading the book, it can be said that the book establishes a broad view of Franklin’s existence. Franklin has been discussed as universally well-known for three things: his discovery of electricity, his writings, and his participation in the American Revolution. In this way, Morgan was able to present how Franklin has influenced the American, the government and the society as a whole. Born on January 17, 1706, young Franklin was presented by the author as a vigorous and curios one. It was also mentioned that his favorite past time was playing chess and singing songs. A further reading of the article shows that he also has his own belief in religion, which is â€Å"Sin is not harmful because it is forbidden, but it is forbidden because it is harmful. Nor is a duty beneficial because it is commanded, but it is commanded because it is beneficial. † As an individual, though he believes that God is the creator, he does attend mass and does not read bible. Nevertheless, it was at this stage of his life where he started writing about the virtues he believed in. A decade later, Franklin’s curiosity was instigated, when his English friend sent him Leyden jars for static electricity storage. Immediately, he started his own experiments with electricity. Subsequently, he discovered that a metal rod with a sharp end can ignite a spark from a greater distance than that of a rounded one. Based on the said findings, he proceeded on and proposed to conduct an experiment with a kite and a key to confirm that lightning is indeed electricity. His efforts proved him right, and his successful experiment discovering electricity made him famous. Among the study Franklin has made, includes that of the effect which ocean current has on travel and the pre germ theory. Morgan also touched the life of Franklin being a writer. According to Morgan, Franklin, though he left the field of printing earlier, he never left it totally. This was possible because he continuously carried out his work secretly as a printer in the field of philosophy, alongside with the renowned Poor Richard’s Almanack. He also succeeded in circulating numerous satirical hoax discourses. One of the popular speeches he made talks about a woman who had five illegitimate children and ironically claims to be following God’s word to increase and multiply. Franklin’s prominent pieces of writing talks about the qualities which he said would lead one to moral perfection, which includes Temperance, Chastity, Cleanliness, and Humility. It bears stressing that Franklin wrote these articles based from his own insights of good deeds against faith and not from religious dogma and sermons. The core of Franklin’s writings on religion imparts that a human being can be moral and god-fearing even without dogmatic presence of the church. As for Franklin’s participation in American Revolution, it can be gleaned from Morgan’s statement that the transition of America into an independent nation may not have been as easy were it not for Franklin’s efforts. His international relations with the British government and the French before, during, and after the hostilities proved very useful to America in instituting and re-instituting alliances. In the book, Franklin was presented to be one who is so influential in defending a pre-Revolution Philadelphia from French privateers, evenly allowing the British to preserve their influence in America and the colonies to resist division. This was due to Franklin’s belief that the British government was unyielding, but necessitates several modifications. All the complexities which were faced by Franklin in his life were discussed in the later part of the book. This occurred after he was sent to England in 1764 as a colonial agent, where he realized how complicated for someone from America to tackle these corrections, principally that of the colonists’ aspiration to elect their officials and to enjoy rights. On an ending note, Morgan went further when he made statement that depicted Adams as the most contentious colleague of Franklin during that time, and the reason for making living miserable for Franklin. BOOK REVIEW A reading of the book reveals that it was written in a narrative form, which trails more chronological events in Franklin’s life. Morgan made this possible by utilizing several quotations and pictures from Franklin’s works in telling his account. These help the person who reads in appreciating the events and thoughts from Franklin’s viewpoint. In some way, it can be said that the book is the best speech ever written, which comprises of an all-encompassing prologue, followed by a comprehensive series of events that is supplemented with optimistic tales and motivating truth imparted by Franklin. At this point of view, readers can say that Morgan’s writing technique is interwoven efficiently and wittily. Furthermore, he vividly sketches the outlines of Franklin’s growing outlook while unremarkably helping his readers grapple the details of his life in politics and the surfacing international condition during the American Revolution. From time to time, he even personally directed statements to the reader and alludes to what he himself is trying to understand about Franklin. On a different note, it could also be said that the story is of an adventure type that take hold of readers with the anecdotes of Franklin’s participation in the political events of 18th-century America. Nevertheless, the author did not lose sight of the significance of the other facet of the man’s qualities and the opinion and actions of others toward him. This was the reason for the biography’s success since it engages readers’ attention in the grand live stage show of this intriguing man’s life. One of the topics which were concentrated by Morgan in Franklin’s life, is his being diplomat. It was presented by the detailed account of Franklin’s vital role in the lengthy progression of calculations and miscalculations that pressed the loyal and dutiful British colonies into revolution and forged them into the United States of America. As written, Franklin, can be seen in every event, frequently behind the picture, but always exceptionally influential, a compelling catalyst for change, which has left an impact in the life of Americans and British government and society. Importantly, in this book we can learn that Franklin is the sole man whose signature maybe found on all four of the important founding documents of the American republic which are the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the Treaty of Paris, and the Constitution. As for the impact Franklin’s life and this book may have in the society and public policy, it is important to mention that even if he did not believe in bible writings and the of the existence of God, he seems to have lived in an otherwise moral existence and have not lost sight of the need for people to be living with such religious morality. The most essential aspect of Franklin’s personality was his unselfish way of sharing to others and his belief that what is right is that which is beneficial. Thus, it can be inferred that one of the lessons in Franklin’s life which is being taught is that, being useful means providing the needs of other inhabitants, not only for one’s self, and that a man with an intelligence concerning him comes only to those individual who possesses a great heart. As for the economy, this book made us learn that Franklin, after experiencing his first achievement, had launched several successful commercial partnerships which lead to the development of the law of partnerships in America. This is said to be one of the many contributions Franklin has made in the history. Aside from the foregoing influences of Franklin has given to the society, it is of everyone’s knowledge that his greatest contribution was his discovery of electricity. This discovery was the product of his scientific curiosity which has originally established his fame in the world. In sum, it can be said that Morgan’s biography of Franklin imparts a representation of the renowned man with the kite that one might not anticipate in an intellectual biography. It is manifest from the opening that Morgan wishes the person who reads to see beyond the characterization of Franklin that we often read in books and articles. In this work, we came to learn, as stated at the outset, that Benjamin Franklin is famously known for three things: his experiments with electricity, his writings, and his involvement in the American Revolution. However, it is important to note that the behavior that Morgan actually wishes for the reader to be aware of is that to successful in this world, one should posse’s inquisitiveness and enthrallment with the world around him, coupled with a serene obsession for the intellectual strength of persons, and a benevolent social servitude. Reference: www. class. uidaho. edu/Engl440/NYRB/NRYB_Edmund_Morgan. htm, Retrieved April 09, 2007. http://www. brothersjudd. com/index. cfm/fuseaction/reviews. detail/book_id/1183/Benjamin%20Fra. htm Retrieved April 09, 2007

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Article Critique 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Article Critique 2 - Essay Example After reading the article, one realizes how important it is to avoid drugs in the first place as according to the article, the effect of the drugs on the brain chemistry is so fast and strong, that people don’t even realize how and when the drugs take control over them and make them addicts. Hence, the best way to reduce addiction is to keep away from drugs and never to fall in the trap of ‘just one time’. Summary The article â€Å"Stress, Habits, and Drug Addiction: A Psychoneuroendocrinological Perspective†, is written with an intention of understanding how stress leads to substance abuse and addiction by affecting the brain chemistry in human beings. Psychological stress helps the human beings to face the imminent threat and adapt to the surrounding. However, excessive stress response can lead to pathological disorders as it can enhance addictive behavior in people. The authors argue that stress not only stimulates the motivation in reward system and cre ates the possibility of addiction, but also develops a risk of relapse by developing a habit of certain actions and cravings that lead to addiction and relapse. Brain imaging has shown that goal directed actions in human beings are controlled by prefrontal cortex and habitual actions are directed by dorsolateral striatum. The choice (and the action) of taking drug for the first time is in control of human beings, but once the action becomes habitual, he loses control over it and becomes an addict. That is, the action becomes involuntary and gets into the category of habitual actions. Hence, addiction is called as maladaptive form of habit process as a voluntary action of taking drugs gets transformed into an addiction. According to the authors, the first important factor of addictive behavior is the function of dopamine. A study by Packard and McGaugh (1996) has revealed that dopamine is instrumental in development of habitual behavior and strengthening the different aspects of habi t formation in human beings. This leads to second factor which is the habitual behavior in human beings. Habits can be defined as the behavior pattern in which the actions of human being persist even when the reward or goal value of that action reduces to a great extent. It takes regular and persistence efforts for a particular action to become a habit. However, a study by Miles, Everitt and Dickingson (2003) has revealed that in case of drug use, people become addicted (habitual) to drugs in very short time and the transition from controlled dosage to addiction is unusually rapid and fast. The third factor of addiction is the substance itself as it acts as strong stimuli for cause of relapse in people suffering from addiction. The fourth factor in the development of addiction is a problem or injury to the goal directed system, which is located in the prefrontal cortex. Chronic drug administration leads to the damage of prefrontal cortex. This shows that use of drugs harm the human beings in two ways. Firstly, the drug use leads to damage of prefrontal cortex and secondly, the damage, in turn, strengthens the addiction to drugs. This shows how the brain chemistry influences the addiction in behavior pattern. However, the authors have found that even stress plays a

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Review of Pollock (2000) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Review of Pollock (2000) - Essay Example While Ed Harris has explored the personal life of Pollock, he has also satisfied the visual appetite of the viewer by choreographing scenes where Pollock stands in the midst of paints as colors drip down from paintings. These scenes often work as a contrast to the rest of the film since it is here that the movie picks up the pace and often gives the feel of an action film. In this way, the movie satisfies that viewers' preconceived notions of artists and their dedication towards art. Even though most of the movie is quite tragic but it does not damper the spirit of the viewers towards art. Rather the movie shows art as something that is able to break boundaries despite obvious shortcomings. As a biography, the film has perhaps not been able to fully cover the major events of Pollock's life. Even though the movie introduces characters like Clement Greenberg, it is often not accurate. For instance, the movie makes a reference to Pollock's drip painting technique. The movie shows that the technique of drip painting was accidentally discovered by Pollock when he dripped paint on the floor. However, none of the biographies written on Pollock give reference to just an incident. Overall the movie is a good watch. For viewers who want to gain insight on the life of an artist like Pollock, the movie is greatly recommended. The movie is also recommended for those who wish to understand life from the perspective of an artist. It is not an authentic source of information but offers a visual treat to the viewers.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Prohibition of Cigarette Manufacturing Term Paper

Prohibition of Cigarette Manufacturing - Term Paper Example â€Å"Awareness of and involvement with tobacco marketing were both significantly associated with being a smoker: for example, 30% (55/185) of smokers had received free gifts through coupons in cigarette packs, compared with 11% (21/199) of non-smokers (P

Monday, August 26, 2019

Huge selling concentration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Huge selling concentration - Essay Example Consequently it gives competitive advantage to the exporter while entering into a new geographical market and that advantage further consolidates while there are alliances with local distributors and sellers. The local alliances will help in understanding and acquiring skills that are necessary for existence in new geographical market. After alliances the strategy plays key role in making the foray into new geographical market a success. Next aspect that needs discussion in this paper is the production unit that needs to be set up in the new geographical area and selling it. The difference between the former context and the later is that the manufacturer should have much closer relations with the distributors and can have price advantage while marketing as the product is manufactured locally. However, the considerations may alter when the manufacturing a product in a geographical area is a costly process than the making of it in the origin of the company. 1 In the present era, the distribution plan is a time taking plan that involves different delivery systems and multiple logistical channel options. Online inventory tracking is one of the logistical channels and automated fulfillment adds to it. ... Online inventory tracking is one of the logistical channels and automated fulfillment adds to it. The faster transportation despite the online inventory process and automated fulfillment changes the face of distribution and provides an advantage over the competitors. The online inventory helps the marketing manager to furnish the required goods to the marketing channels as well as providing information for the production department so that they can plan production according to marketing needs. However, the distribution options differ with consumer package products, business to business/industrial manufacturing or service industries. When the distribution option varies, marketing manager should observe the change in role of distribution. Hence, the distribution options change from product to product. In case of consumer package product, the distribution role is complex as it depends on retailer. Normally, in the era of competition, manufacturers are planning the marketing strategy, so that they can give the product at the customer's doorstep. This involves three types of distribution options. The first and conventional one is producer-wholesaler-retailer-customer. The second one is producer-retailer-customer. The third and the latest option is producer to consumer. In the first context, the transportation and logistical problems are minimized for the producer but the results depend on the efficiency of the wholesalers and retailers between producer and customer. In the second one, as the wholesaler has been removed from the network, the retailer acts as both wholesaler and retailer due to presence of retail chains over a large geographical area. In

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Has Organisational Culture now replaced organisational Structure as Essay

Has Organisational Culture now replaced organisational Structure as the dominant method of management control in the organisation. reflect these controls with - Essay Example Taylor and Herbert Simon are all Americans. To enable the readers to fully understand the research question, the researcher will first define organizational structure as well as the organizational culture before comparing the difference between the two management control methods. Through the process of conducting a literature review, the researcher will identify the evolution of organizational structure and organizational culture. Prior to concluding as to whether or not organisational culture has totally replaced the importance of organisational structure as a more dominant method of management control within an organisation as well as whether or not it would be a good idea to consider whether these sorts of generalizations can be applied in a global manner or whether they tend to reflect the dominance of the US experience in management theory, the researcher will seek to examine the degree of detachment from the use of the formal rules and regulations within the UK government organization. Organizational structure is the structural pattern that is created within the organization based on the importance of each employee’s role. (Mabey, Salaman, & Storey, 2001; Mullins, 1993) The main purpose of the structure is to organize the allocation of work and responsibilities so as to hasten the accomplishment of the organizational goals. With the presence of an organizational structure, it is easier for the leaders to develop a strategic plan and control the internal activities within the organization. (Mabey, Salaman, & Storey, 2001) In line with the organizational structure is the classical bureaucracies which is normally based on a set of principles of hierarchy, authority as well as organizational control. (Weber, 1981 [1945]) These bureaucracies are structured into different compartmentalised hierarchial layers to determine the significance of the employees authoritative power

Saturday, August 24, 2019

News Article Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

News Article Analysis - Essay Example As asserted, due to the apparent higher expected supply of corn in the current year, the FAO index was reported to have exhibited an average of 199.1 points for the month of September; which was measured to manifest a 1 percent decline from the average points reported in the month of August. The more prominent change was reported to be a significant 5.4% decline from the average points reflected at the start of 2013. These trends were accurately pinpointed to be sourced from the significant level of production or supply of corn; of which the United States was reported to contribute as much as 348 million tons, or a 27% increase, from the production level in 2012. The favorable weather conditions this year, in conjunction with the greater expanse of acreage allotted to corn production were instrumental in the increased supply for corn in 2013. The article is related to the economic topic of demand and supply, particularly how markets respond to changes in demand and supply. From the e xplanation that was provided, there is an apparent impact on the increase of supply of corn to the world prices of food. With greater supply, and assuming a constant demand, the impact would evidently mean a decrease in prices of commodities affected by the abundance in supply of the mentioned product. In this situation, the global cereal production, composed of wheat and corn, was projected to manifest an increase in supply. It was clearly revealed that â€Å"global cereal production, which includes wheat and corn, is expected to be 8% higher over 2012’s level, at 2.49 billion tons. The U.S., the world’s largest corn producer, is responsible for the bulk of the increase, expected to harvest a record crop of 348 million tons—that’s 27% higher than the previous year† (Rai, 2013, par. 4). Likewise, another international agency, the International Grains Council corroborated the trend through their own projections that indicate production of corn to in crease to 943.2 million tons; while wheat supply would reach 692.6 million tons. Therefore, given that the demand remains on a fairly stable level, with no significant or considerable increase, the impact of the increase supply would be an evident decrease in prices of food, which is measured through the FAO index. The article provided greater insights in terms of the repercussive effect of economic components of demand and supply from one market or economy to another market or to the global market, in general. The incident could actually be evaluated as macro-oriented in terms of the supply of corn and wheat being instrumental in impacting other food products that uses them as their raw materials or main ingredients. Evidently, the impact is not restricted in the domestic market, such as the United States where the supply or abundance in production was seen to rise to significant levels. The fact that the U.N. FAO regularly monitors demand and supply of basic commodities only confi rm that there is a stronger repercussive effect as markets are seen to be closely correlated through economic activities and movements of economic indices. Since the United States has an overpowering impact as a powerful nation to other international economies, any significant changes in basic raw materials would have important effects to other economies in terms of prices of commodities. It would therefore be crucial to anticipate these changes to prepare other

Friday, August 23, 2019

Incidents in the life of a slave girl Research Paper

Incidents in the life of a slave girl - Research Paper Example This was precisely because inside the house, there was no hash scorching sun and they could also eat their master’s leftover (Bowdoin.edu 5). However, in some homes, it was not the case. After a meal, the master and family would spit on the pans and kettles so that the slaves could not feed on the left overs (Bowdoin.edu 5). For slave’s who were mothers, life was very hard since there was no better nutrition for them and their infants. Many infants died due to chronic undernourishment since there was little food and the mothers were also overworked (Bowdoin.edu 7). This hardship life saw many slaves die early and very few lived to old age (Bowdoin.edu 7). Slaves were considered not human. The abuse and torture they went through was worse than what animals went through. It is revealed how slaves were whipped, lashed and clubbed on daily basis whether they did something good or bad (Bowdoin.edu 10). For female slaves, life was even worse than males. Most were also subjected into physical abuse. Many women and girls were rapes and sexually abused by their masters (Bowdoin.edu 10). There was no one to rescue them. It is important to note that most slaves’ masters used this kind of harassment and punishment to control and dehumanize their slaves (Bowdoin.edu 5). The slaves had different ways of copying up with the bondage they were encountering. There are those who took in and those who fought back. Based on the repercussion, fighting back openly was a serious crime. No slave was allowed to defy his/her master’s orders. This was heavily punishable. However, slaves being human beings did not agree to everything the master said. But due to lack of courage to speak as a result of fear, many chose to collaborate. In the case of Linda who was a beautiful female slave fell into an additional trap since her master fell in love with her (Harriet, Jacob 11). She had

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Marketing Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 3

Marketing Management - Essay Example It strengthens the retail distribution and it benefits the retailers in building strong store traffic and enhances the store image. However, over enthusiasm and wrong decisions can prove to be fatal to the brand and may fail to attract the customers. Brands are assets that are difficult to develop, maintain, and adapt. A brand goes beyond the name or a logo or a slogan. It is the customers’ perception of the stimulus when the brand is presented (Berry & Lampo, 2004). Brands are a manufacturer’s promise of quality to consumers. Brands function as insurance policies against the monetary and social/psychological losses facing the consumers when they purchase a product (DelVecchio, 2000). A brand is supposed to reduce risk and enhance the confidence of the consumer when he purchases a product. A consumer believes that when a company has undertaken to invest in a brand, the product would not be of inferior quality. Since they lack personal experience with the product, they go by the reputation of the brand name. It provides the customers with both observable and unobservable product attributes, reduces their anxiety and simplifies the shopping process (Srinivasan & Till, 2002). Brands names affect consumers’ perc eption about the product attributes in different ways. Brands reduce the perceived risks and the search cost for the consumers (Kayman & Arasli, 2007). When discussing about corporate brands, Aaker (2004), contends that brand plays the role of an endorser as in the case of Courtyard (by Marriott), MSN (by Microsoft), or Lion King (by Disney). The brand adds credibility to the products that reassures the buyer, especially when a new technology is involved. Corporate brands communicate the service quality as in the case of the Starwood brand which endorses several hotel chains – Westin, Sheraton, and St. Regis. In the hospitality industry brand owners can charge a premium price over rivals, they can maintain market share over rivals

The uses of propaganda posters in World War Essay Example for Free

The uses of propaganda posters in World War Essay On the poster you see a man and his two children. A girl is sitting on his lap with an open book, and a boy is sitting on the floor playing with soldiers. The daughter looks at him asking â€Å"Daddy, what did YOU do in the Great War? †. They designed the poster to induce a sense of patriotic guilt. They were trying to capture the British men unwilling to volunteer for the war and make them feel guilty if they didn’t join. The picture depicts a situation in the future, after the war, where the daughter asks her dad expectantly how he contributed to the war. The war on the poster is already over, the dad cant re-do it. This sends a message to the young boys, unwilling to go to war. Making them think what they would tell their children if they asked what he had done for the war. It also shows that he will come home to his family. The family in the poster are smartly dressed and look wealthy. The colours in the poster symbolise the war and army, the curtains have red roses on them and the chair has the sign of the royal coat of arms on it. This would also make the man think because these are marks of patriotism but this man has not done the patriotic thing. Everything in the poster is positive; nothing would put men off from joining the war even the boy’s toy soldiers are all standing up. â€Å"At the front† This poster would stand out to men because it is showing cavalry in battle, with horses reacting to an explosion in the foreground. This poster is trying to make boys interested in joining war to fight for their country. At the front† stands out to all readers, this would seem exciting to boys because they would be fighting at the front with their horses making them brave as the poster states. It also says â€Å"every fit briton should join† this implies that the men that fight in the war are healthy, strong and brave. It also sends out a challenge that is unspoken â€Å"ARE YOU†. This poster is very manly. The colours in this poster ties in to army colours, brown and green. This poster stands out because of the explosion. Most young boys would want be at the front with their horses working as part of a team, it is clear  these men work as comrades together to fulfill their task of bringing up the guns. Both of the posters’ primary purpose is to make men to join the army. During the World War 1, there were many of propaganda posters to persuade men in their country to enlist in the army. In addition, these two posters were one of propaganda poster to convince men to join the army with some of biased truth. Even though two of posters made same primary purpose, each of them has illustrated different intend and feeling. The poster, â€Å"Daddy, what did you do in the Great War† arouses guilt with sarcasm to those men who did not yet join the army so that it leads to men to join the army. Nonetheless, the poster, At the front! † imbue the courage and morale of the men that fight in the war. Personally I think the poster that poster â€Å"Daddy what did you do for the great war? † stands out because it is making you feel guilty with the children although the poster â€Å"At the front† would stand out more to men because it is very manly.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Experiment: Attractiveness Halo Effect on Human Faces

Experiment: Attractiveness Halo Effect on Human Faces Matriculation Number: 140011607 Partial Research Report Abstract The aim of this report was to test for an attractiveness halo effect on human faces. This experiment was conducted in the University of Dundee and the participants were international undergraduate students of both genders. The independent variable was the level of physical attractiveness, while the dependent variable was the estimated IQ score the participants gave to the male and female faces that have been selected at random. The hypothesis predicted that there will be an effect of attractiveness of faces on their perceived intelligence, meaning that subjects would rate highly attractive individuals with higher IQ levels and those with less attractive characteristics with lower IQ. The participants were asked to rate for attractiveness (7= very attractive and 1= not attractive at all) ten male and ten female faces shown to them that have been selected at random from a pre-existing data set and afterwards provide an estimated IQ score. The obtained results signify that there is a hi gh correlation between high attractive faces and higher IQ scores. This is in accordance with previous research, such as the attractiveness halo effect that is the tendency to assign positive personality qualities to people bases on their looks and Eagly’s (1991) research which claims that attractive people are attributed with lots of positive traits. Introduction Individuals are confronted with many serious decisions in their everyday life where they are either judging others or being judged. Langlois Kalakanis (2000) demonstrated that physical attractiveness plays a significant part in decision-making in situations such as hiring decisions, voting behavior and romantic partner choices. Physical attractiveness is a complicated concept that reflects numerous significant factors. According to Pansu Dubois (2002) facial attractiveness consists one of the main determinants of total rankings of attractiveness. Furthermore, Thornhill Gangestad, (1999) claimed that with regard to the face itself, masculinity, femininity and symmetry all rise perceived attractiveness. People that are more attractive tend to be advantaged in several critical and appraising ways. The halo effect can help interpreting the ‘what is beautiful is good’ stereotype. The halo effect is a traditional corollary in psychology. It is the idea that one personâ€⠄¢s central positive (such as attractiveness) or negative characteristic, affect another’s person’s decision about their other characteristics (for example, intelligence). According to Eagly (1991) people regularly ascribe positive traits to attractiveness and negative traits to less attractive individuals. This belief leads to erroneous judgmental, attribution errors and regular human perceptual partialities. By using practical research, Edward Thorndike was the first contending the halo effect. The definition he gave to the halo effect was ‘a question that rises in data collection when there exists a conveyance from an estimation to another’. Moreover, he conducted a study in 1920 in which commanding officers of the American army requested to classify their soldiers on groups of guidance, intelligence, character and physique. The findings of the study showed that there exists a direct interaction among all negative and all positive characteristics. After his study has been completed, Thorndike extended his first definition of the halo effect to be ‘an expansion of a total impression of an individual (or of one specific characteristic) to affect the total impression of that person’. Additionally, this is the part that has been highlighted in this research. If an individual is considered attractive then this person is deemed to possess many more positive attribute s such as intelligence. Furthermore, there is some proof that the effects of attractiveness on perceived intelligence may vary between women and men. In a study conducted by Chia, Allred, Grossnickle and Lee (1998) that was examining the effects of gender and physical attractiveness on conceptions of academic success, initiative, accomplishment related characteristics, intelligence and ascriptions of effort in respect to academic success, it was found that men and more attractive people would be assessed more positively comparably to women and less attractive people. This study relates the above research on the halo effect as its aim is to test for an attractiveness halo effect in human faces, while providing an estimated IQ score. In addition it is hypothesized that there will be an effect of attractiveness of faces on their perceived intelligence. Method Participants The target population is restricted to the opportunistic sample of 152 international undergraduate students of both genders of the University of Dundee. 103 of the people participated in the experiment were females and the other 49 were males. Materials This study is an experimental design as it has IV and DV. The independent variable is the level of physical attractiveness, while the dependent variable is the estimated IQ score the participants gave to the male and female faces that have been selected at random. The research hypothesis states that there will be an effect of attractiveness of faces on their perceived intelligence and the aim of the experiment is to test for an attractiveness halo effect in human faces. Descriptive Statistics will be used in order to test the hypothesis stated above. The materials used in this study where: Ten male faces and ten female faces have been selected at random from a pre-existing data set and displayed in a computer screen. The computer, which enable participants to see the pictures of the male and the female faces. The data collection sheet, in which participants wrote their ratings of attractiveness and the estimated IQ scores. Standardized instructions (Appendix 1). Procedure The opportunistic sample was obtained and welcomed in a silent room. Applicants were asked to sit to the desks. The experimenter informed the participants about the experiment by using a consistent set of instructions. Data collections sheets were distributed to the students. Students completed the survey by seeing the twenty different faces on the computer, rating them for attractiveness and provide an estimated IQ score for each face. After the participants completed the survey, the data collection sheets were collected by the experimenter. Once the data have been collected, faces were split into two groups based on the median of attractiveness and mean IQ score for each face was calculated. Students were debriefed about the nature of the experiment. Results Table 1 Mean number (M) of estimated IQ scores in faces with low and high attractive characteristics, plus standard deviations (SD) Table 2 Mean number (M) of estimated IQ scores in male and female faces with low and high attractive characteristics, plus standard deviations (SD) As can been seen in Table 1, faces with low attractive characteristics are estimated with lower IQ levels (M= 100.9, SD= 7.85) than faces with high attractive characteristics (M= 118.35, SD=15.55). A between-groups t-test revealed that faces with low attractive characteristics have significantly lower IQ levels than faces with high attractive characteristics, t (13.3) = -3.17, p = 0.007. As we can see in Table 2, column one, males with low face attractive characteristics are estimated with lower IQ levels (M=98.18, SD= 9.96) than males with faces with high attractive characteristics (M=129.84, SD=13.18). A between-groups t-test revealed that male faces with low attractive characteristics have significantly lower IQ levels than male faces with high attractive characteristics, t(8) = -4.29, p=0.003 As we can see in Table 2, column two, females with faces with low attractive characteristics are estimated with lower IQ levels (M=103.63, SD=4.55) than females with faces high attractive characteristics (M=106.86, SD=6.35). A between-groups t-test revealed that female faces with low attractive characteristics did not have significantly lower IQ levels than female faces with high attractive characteristics, t(8)= -0.9, p=0.38. Discussion The hypothesis that there will be an effect of attractiveness of faces on their perceived intelligence was supported. This means that participants rated people with faces with more attractive characteristics with higher IQ levels, where those with less attractive faces with lower IQ levels. This finding is similar to the study conducted by Thorndike in which he asked army officers to classify their soldiers on groups of guidance, intelligence, character and physique. The findings of the study, like in our experiment, showed that there exists a direct interaction among all negative and all positive characteristics and that participants rated more highly the ones that were more physically attractive than those who were not. The result also bolster the work of Eagly. In which is stated that people regularly mete positive traits to attractiveness and negative traits to less attractive individuals. In our example participants rated the more attractive people with higher IQ levels. Moreover, Chia, Allred, Grossnickle and Lee claimed in their study the existence of some proof that the effects of attractiveness on perceived intelligence may vary between women and men. They found that men and more attractive people would be assessed more positively comparably to women and less a ttractive people. This finding was supported in our experiment as men and more attractive individuals were rated with higher IQ levels while women and less attractive individuals were rated with lower IQ levels. In conclusion, the insinuation of our findings is that our opinion of others can be defective as a result of the tendency we have to generalize the personalities of people, or their ability to think based on positive traits they have, in this case, face physical attractiveness. References Chia, R., Allred, L., Grossnickle, W., Lee, G. (1998). The Journal of Social Psychology. Effects of Attractiveness and Gender on the Perception of Achievement Related Variables, 138(4), 471-473. Eagly, A., Makhijani, M., Ashmore, R., Longo, L. (1991). What Is Beautiful Is Good, But A Meta-Analytic Review of Research on the Physical Attractiveness Stereotype, 110(1), 109-113. Langlois, J., Kalakanis, L., Rubenstein, A., Larson, A., Hallam, M., Smoot, M. (2000). Maxims or myths of beauty? A meta-analytic and theoretical review. Psychological Bulletin, 126(3), 390-399. doi:10.1037//0033-2909.126.3.390 Nisbett, R., Wilson, T. (1977). The halo effect: Evidence for unconscious alteration of judgments. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology, 35(4), 250-256. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.35.4.250 Shinners, E. (2009). Journal of Undergraduate Research XII. Effects Of The What Is Beautiful Is Good Stereotype On Perceived Trustworthiness, 1-3. Appendix 1 Before the begging of the experiment the experimenter gave the following instructions: â€Å"If at any time you feel uncomfortable and wish to leave the experiment you may do so.† â€Å"If at the end of the experiment you wish your results to be removed, they can be.† â€Å"All results will be kept in confidence.† â€Å"Open the computers, go to ‘My Dundee’ then to ‘Module Materials’ then to ‘Workshops’ then to ‘Research Report’ and then open the ‘Faces presentation folder’. ‘Use the data collection sheet to rate each of the faces and provide an estimated IQ score’ After completing the experiment we were asked to make sure we have completed all sections of the data collection sheet The final instruction was to close the PowerPoint and log out of My Dundee. Appendix 2 Raw Data

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Literature Review Of Flooding And Flood Risks Environmental Sciences Essay

Literature Review Of Flooding And Flood Risks Environmental Sciences Essay The concept of flooding has a multi-disciplinary definition based on the interest of the defining discipline. However, flood is generally taken to include any case where land not normally covered by water becomes covered by water (FWMA, 2010: Pt 1). In recent decades there have been raging scientific and media debates on likely changes in flood regimes generated by land-use changes and climate change (Ranzi et al, 2002). The crux of most of these debates is centred on the simulated risk from such flood events. These risks are related to human health, infrastructure, socio-economic well-being of affected individuals and damage also to archaeological relics. Methods of evaluating and assessing flood risk have been developed in the field of insurance, technological and environmental fields (Molak, 1997; Jones, 2001). Although river flooding is often related to natural disasters, the impacts of human activities such as urbanization have been observed by many scholars (Sala and Inbar, 199 2; Kang et al, 1998; Ranzi et al, 2002). Flood risk is expressed in terms of the probability of occurrence of adverse effects of flood related hazards and vulnerability with potential consequences (Mileti, 1999; Merz, et al, 2007; FWMA, 2010). Although a number of approaches have been tested for flood events prediction, hydraulic models have been specifically designed to predict flood inundation (Horritt and Bates, 2002). Consequently, in the development of an effective and efficient flood risk management strategy hydraulic, hydrologic and socio-economic factors must be taken into consideration (Merz et al, 2007). 2.2 Urbanisation and Flooding Urbanization and flooding are intricately linked in both developed and developing countries. Increasing population growth and continued urban expansion has led to a reduction in surface permeability which invariably increases surface runoff in the absence of alleviating urban drainage design (Kang et al, 1998; Parker, 1999; Ranzi et al, 2002). Although the UK has only small rivers by world standards, with the tendency for smaller-scale floods to occur (Wheater, 2006), considerable economic and infrastructural losses arise from urban flooding (Mark et al, 2004). This loss is significantly higher in smaller river bank communities. For instance, Wheater (2006) notes that the 24hr rainfall in Carlisle on the 8th and 9th of January 2005 resulted in the loss of two lives, an estimated damage of  £450 million and flooding of over 2000 properties when the flood defences were over-topped. The engineering and design of flood defences are based on hydrological and hydraulic models of river ca tchments. Hydrological models simulate surface runoff from rainfall while the hydraulic model describes structural controls of the river system (Kite, 2001; Mark et al, 2004; Kidson et al, 2006; Heatlie et al, 2007). We conclude that urbanization can represent a very significant increase in flood risk at small catchment scale, but that the effects are commonly mitigated, to a greater or lesser extent, by design measures. The impacts of effects at larger scales are complex and depend on the relative magnitude and timing of sub-catchment responses and the performance of mitigation strategies. Relative effects of urbanization on flooding are expected to decrease with increasing storm return period, but the performance of mitigation strategies for events rarer than the design criteria adopted is largely unexplored. 2.3 Global warming and Flooding Though it is still difficult to attribute global warming recorded this century to the enhanced greenhouse effect and the resultant increase in observed rainfall (Reynard et al, 2001; Robson et al, 1998), the recurrent incidence of floods and their magnitude in the UK in recent times have raised major concerns that the effect of climate change is already being felt across the country (Robson, 2002). Milly et al, (2002) produced the theory Global Climate Models have been used to determine the likelihood of increased flood risk from global warming. Reynard et al (2001) used the CLASSIC (Climate and LAnd use Scenario Simulation In Catchments model) continuous flow simulation model to assess the potential impact of climate and changes in land use on the flood regimes of the Severn and Thames rivers. They found that for the 2050s, the climate change scenarios results in an increase in both the frequency and magnitude of flooding events in both rivers. Similarly, Milly et al (2002) observed that the frequency of great floods increased significantly during the twentieth century. Accordingly, the statistically significant positive trend in the risk of floods was consistent with the results from the climate model (Milly et al, 2002). Roy et al (2001) investigated the impact of climate change on summer and autumn flooding on the Chateauguay river basin. Their study reveals serious potential increases in the volume of runoff, maximum discharge and water level with future climate change scenarios for a three 20-year periods spanning 1975 1995, 2020 2040, 2080 2100. 2.4 Modelling of Flood events The simulation of extraordinary flow events characterized by high hydraulic risk has posed serious problems for policy makers, engineers and environmentalists around the world. The use of 1-D modelling for predicting flood risk generated by events of different return period or multiple land use and climate change scenarios is widespread (Lin et al., 2005; Mark et al., 2004; Horritt and Bates, 2002; Mark et al., 2004; Lin et al., 2005; Hall et al, 2005). In their study, Bates and De Roo (2000) demonstrated the use of a 1-D model type storage cell called LISFLOOD-FP to produce designated channel cells for channel routing and uniform flow formulae for floodplain routing, through the process of discrete raster-based analysis derived from a DEM at 100, 50 and 25m resolutions respectively and applied to a major flood on a 35km reach of River Meuse. Syme (2001) notes that in addition to rapid wetting and drying, the strength of TUFLOW is its powerful 1D linking options, modelling of hydraul ic structures, treatment of levees and embankments, effective data handling and quality control outputs. Horritt and Bates (2002) conclude that HEC-RAS models calibrated against discharge gave good flood predictions of inundated area on a 60  km reach of the river Severn, UK. Reed and Robson, (1999, cited in Dawson et al., 2006) stressed that many flood estimation problems were likely to arise at ungauged sites due to the unavailability of flood peak data recorded in the UK Flood Estimation Handbook (FEH). The FEH is produced by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology with information about River catchments in the UK such as, rainfall frequency estimation, statistical procedures for flood frequency estimation, rainfall-runoff and catchment descriptors. Dawson et al., (2006) used the Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) technique to estimate flood statistics for un-gauged catchments (for most of the River catchments in the UK). The index flood analysis from the ANN results produced a comparable accuracy to that obtained from the Flood Estimation Handbook (FEH), but the flood estimation for each catchment was carried out for only a 10, 20 and 30 year flood event period giving room for short term flood defence preparation thereby incurring future expense on what ca n be predicted for up to 1000 years. A study by Yang et al (2002) on prediction of flood inundation and risk, using GIS and Hydrodynamic model showed the ability to use a DEM manipulated in GIS and translated into MIKE21 (a modelling environment). In the study, different scenarios were evaluated and results translated to the GIS environment for visualization and analysis on flood events for an estimated 100-year flood return period. However, Yang et al, stressed that there were no real means to calibrate the simulations from the modelling output, as flow and stage data were rarely recorded for flood events and also, compare between outputs from MIKE21 and MIKE1, the former, being an upgrade of the latter. 2.5 One-Dimension ISIS flood Modelling The ISIS model has been used extensively in modelling inundated flow regimes of rivers across the UK (Heatlie, et al. 2007). The Manchester Ship Canal, a 58 km long river located in North West England and constructed in 1894 to include the navigable part of River Irwell (including River Irwell at Radcliffe, Bury) was one of the last major watercourses in the United Kingdom to be analysed with hydraulic modelling techniques (Heatlie, et al. 2007). In preparation of an indicative flood mapping (IFM), the EA used an unsteady ISIS 1-D hydraulic model for the mapping of a 47km length of the Upstream Bristol Forme catchment to define areas at flood risk in 2002 (Syme et al, 2004). According to past studies (Costa-Cabral and Burges, 1994; Bodis, 2007; Rees, 2000) it is evident that the use of Digital Elevation Model (DEM) in flood model creation have played a big role in the successful presentation of hydrological and topographical drainage basin data analysis (Peckham, 1998) because it depicts an array of elevations across the basin at regularly spaced intervals (Cunha, 2009). This eliminates the assumption that the catchment or area is a flat surface without contours. In research carried out by Sansena Bhaktikul (2006) on the integration of hydraulic modelling and GIS towards the study of river the Mae Klong (Bangkok, Thailand). The runoff frequency analysis was used in the creation of a flood risk map. The study also showed that the results from the simulation carried out, was properly presented in GIS and DTM format, by making use of the contour and river spot height data. Sansena Bhaktikul (2006) conclude their study by suggesting that further studies be done on larger basins by dividing them into sub-basins and the network link to integrate them should be introduced to have an overview of the basin. The runoff flow in flood plains, river channels and man-made structures are important factors in the study of runoff flow behaviour prediction of flood areas, they added, and thus further studies are therefore recommended to include rainfall runoff models in upstream and unsteady areas. 2.6 Aim To develop an appropriate one-dimensional ISIS hydraulic model of flood events that includes upstream catchments of the River Irwell and produce a flood map to predict flood extents an extreme flood event period. 2.7 Research Question Does the inclusion of upstream catchments improve the net flood prediction model of the river Irwell? What areas are most vulnerable to flood risk in Radcliffe, Bury? To what level should the flood defences be built around the Radcliffe area?

Monday, August 19, 2019

The Small-Scale Study of an Open-Air Market in a Culturally Foreign Setting :: Essays Papers

The Small-Scale Study of an Open-Air Market in a Culturally Foreign Setting The task of learning about the broad patterns within a culture can be a daunting one, and attempting to uncover specific details about a foreign cultural setting is often a frustrating and difficult endeavor. The concept of cross-cultural understanding, however, is not one that can be approached with timidity. By nature, cultural study requires a degree of immersion, a willingness to get one's hands dirty and assault the senses with unfamiliar sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. Only through this experiential learning process can cultural understanding be truly achieved, one small step at a time. Four the past five months, I have undertaken this very assignment: to seek and uncover various cultural trends in a foreign setting through careful study of one aspect of society in that culture. Through this method I have been successful in leaning about both general aspects of culture and some particularities of the cultures I have encountered. The basic goal of the project is simple, to learn the workings of a small-scale market in a culturally foreign setting. Though this, I may be able to explore and discern cultural aspects of the marketplace. This includes both cultural trends influencing the market, and vice versa. Several questions are of particular interest. How does the market function? The economic side of the inquiry includes what sources of goods and materials are available and used, how is a shop rented or owned, and how the labor force is composed. Things like inputs, transactions, prices, demographics, regulation, and the development of the market are all considered. Next, what is the market's function in the city? Whose needs are served, which needs are served, and what is the market's place in the economy of the city or region? Also, what is the direct cultural significance of the market? Are there visible dependence relationships between the market and those who act within it? I will also consider the hist orical context. How and why was the market formed? Finally, what is the future of the market? Will it switch from a local to a tourist market? As you can see, many issues have been raised which may lead to conclusions about the culture of a given setting. In short, what can we learn about how people live by examining how they buy and sell in a market setting?

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Social Networkings Influence on Eating Disorders Essay -- Facebook, T

As many as 10 million woman and girls suffer from anorexia or bulimia in the United States (Steele). Anorexia and bulimia are very serious eating disorders. Many women and young girls feel that these disorders are the only way for them to be accepted by others. However the strive for acceptance only ends up causing pain, emotional harm, or death to those affected. Being a sufferer of anorexia, I know the emotional and physical damage this disease can cause. The root cause of having an eating disorder is still undetermined, yet some doctors and physiologist believe the new focus on a perfect body, shown by the media is to blame. Society’s portrayal and promotion of a thin body image as the ideal female body contributes to eating disorders and poor self-esteem in many woman and young girls. Eating disorders are a group of illnesses characterized by abnormal eating habits. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) classifies eating disorders into three categories: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and eating disorders not otherwise specified, such as binge eating. The history behind these controversial diseases start as far back as 1689 when an English physician, Richard Morton gave the first medical description of anorexia nervosa, which he called "nervous consumption", he said was caused by sadness and anxious cares (Eating Disorders Timeline). The more recent fascination of eating disorders came to light when model Twiggy arrived in the U.S. Her short-haired, super-thin, look altered the fashion industry and shed light on a new feminine body image based on extreme thinness. Twiggy also introduced the â€Å"model† body image known today (Eating Disorders Timeline). In 1994 a study published in the Journal of Adolescen... ...anice. "Old Problem, New Victims." Winston-Salem Journal (Winston-Salem, NC). 26 May 2009: n.p. SIRS Researcher. Web. 05 Apr 2011. Ogilvie, Megan. "How Biology Trumps Image As Cause of Anorexia 'I Became Obsessive..." Toronto Star (Toronto, Canada). 13 Apr 2008: SIRS Researcher. Web. 05 Apr 2011. Onstad, Katrina. "Thin Is Inviolate." Globe and Mail. 20 Nov 2010: L.15. SIRS Researcher. Web. 05 Apr 2011. Siegel, Judy. "Link Found Between Heavy Use of Facebook and Eating Disorders..." Jerusalem Post (International). 01 Feb 2011: 6. SIRS Researcher. Web. 05 Apr 2011. Schwarz, Fred. "Not Our Stars But Ourselves." National Review Vol. 61, No. 3. 23 Feb 2009: 22-24. SIRS Researcher. Web. 05 Apr 2011. Topping, Alexandra. "Kate Moss Fallout: 'Pro-Anorexic' Community Finds Comfort..." The Guardian (London, England). 21 Nov 2009: 11. SIRS Researcher. Web. 05 Apr 2011.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Bringing hydrocephalus

The history of hydrocephalus dates back to the time of Hippocrates (he died c. 375) and even further to medieval times when physicians believed that it was caused by an extractable (sic) accumulation of water. Surgical evacuation of superficial fluid in hydrocephalus children was first described in detail by Balalaikas AY Zachary in 1744 (Scoff, Kramer, Hashish & Sunken, 1999).While there have been many great strides, both in research and treatment, it seems the great pool of knowledge resides not thin the medical community, but in the adult survivors of the condition. One can only wonder if this is due, at least in part, to a perception by the medical community that it is not a survivable condition. Actually the exact opposite is now true. With proper medical treatment (done in a timely manner) and LOTS of love and support from the patient's family, many hydrocephalus children can go on to live near normal lives.Introduction The modern era of hydrocephalus research began with the st udies of Dandy and Blackman in 1914 (Grittier, 2007). To this day their work is considered an unsurpassed nutrition toward the understanding of hydrocephalus. While I applaud their work, it has been ninety-nine (99) years since any work of a similar scope or caliber has been undertaken and it is beginning to show. As an example, when I was born in 1963, I showed the early stages of congenital hydrocephalus and my family was basically told â€Å"take him home to die†.Needless to say, I didn't die and have become – even according to the local medical community – one of the best sources of information in our area when it comes to hydrocephalus. Although I feel honored to eave such distinction, it's not enough – the medical community – especially pediatricians – need to possess that same knowledge and that is my purpose in writing this paper. L. 20-Year decline in the mortality rate for hydrocephalus Before getting too involved in why hydrocepha lus research needs to be brought into the 21st century, an explanation of the condition is needed.Hydrocephalus is defined as â€Å"A condition marked by an excessive accumulation of cerebration's fluid (SF) resulting in dilation of the cerebral ventricles and elevated interracial pressure; (it) ay also result in enlargement of the cranium and atrophy of the brain† (Williams, 2006). It can take one of two forms. It can be either communicating (meaning there is not visible cause for the blockage of SF) or non-communicating (meaning it results from an abnormal flow of SF in and around the brain. It is also known as pediatric hydrocephalus since it is normally present from birth. (â€Å"Nervous system diseases,† 2008). When I was born in 1963, the life expectancy for a child with this condition was approximately two (2) years and the only known treatment, placement of a shunt, was still in its infancy. Since that time, shunt surgery has been refined and could almost †“ depending on the individual patient – be considered an almost routine procedure. In an article published in the August 2005 issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery, Dry. J. H. Chi, ET. AY. Stated â€Å"Congenital hydrocephalus has an estimated population incidence of 0. To 0. 8/1,000 live births† (Chi, Fullerton & Guppy, 2005). They credit this to improvements in techniques for SF shunting; however, they state that data describing mortality from congenital hydrocephalus – or that demonstrate improvements in the mortality rate are scarce. For those not familiar with shunt implantation surgery, it involves making a small incision in both the top of the head and the abdomen (in the case of a ventricular-peritoneal (UP) shunt) to insert the shunt which drains excess fluid from the brain (Goodman, 2013).To validate their hypothesis, the doctors performed an electronic search of the National Center for Health Statistics death certificate database to identify deaths f rom 1979 to 1988 directly attributable to congenital hydrocephalus, spins biffed with hydrocephalus, and acquired hydrocephalus in all children in the United States aged one (1) day to 0 years. There were 10,406 deaths attributed to childhood hydrocephalus during the 20-year period reviewed. This translates to an overall mortality rate of 0. 71 per 100. 000 person-years.Additionally, their research showed infants had the highest mortality rate with 3,979 deaths. Overall during the period deaths from acquired hydrocephalus – meaning that it occurs after birth and is the result of a tumor, injury, or disease that blocks the uptake of SF – decreased 67. 5%, deaths from congenital hydrocephalus declined 66. 3 %, and deaths from spins biffed with hydrocephalus declined 30. 4%. What does it all mean? It means that the medical community needs to re-think their position on hydrocephalus as well as what they tell patients and their families.It means saying â€Å"Take him/her h ome to die,† is no longer an option. Does it mean re-inventing the wheel? For an older doctor it could very well mean that although, in most cases, it will not be quite so drastic. The Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network (HCI) makes the following recommendations to its members: Reduce risk of infection associated with shunt surgery Approximately 8% – 10% of shunt operations result in an infection. A study is currently underway for a quality improvement technique that will reduce surgery- related shunt infection(s). (Woolens, 2013).The result will be a reduction in the infection rate thereby reducing the length of hospitalizing as well as patient morbidity. Management of hydrocephalus in premature children The HCI is investigating two (2) surgical procedures that are commonly used to manage IV-induced hydrocephalus in premature children. A sublease reservoir is an implant consisting of a tube which goes into the ventricle attached to a silicone bubble that sits under the skin. As fluid accumulates in the ventricle, it can be removed by a needle puncture through the skin and into the silicone bubble.The second procedure is an s sublease shunt, which is similar to the reservoir except that the silicone bubble under the skin has a reservoir has an opening in the side that allows fluid to flow out under the skin. The fluid is then absorbed into the tissues. Understanding the epidemiology and outcomes of Endoscopies Third Ventriloquist's or TV Endoscopies Third Ventriloquist's (TV) is a surgical procedure where a small perforation is made is made in the thinned floor of the third entrance allowing movement of SF out of the blocked ventricular system and into the intracellular cistern which is a normal SF space.The objective of this procedure, known as a interracial SF diversion, is to normalize pressure on the brain without using a shunt. Although TV is widely used in Europe to treat hydrocephalus, its use in North America is much less common. The H CI is working to understand when the procedure is indicated as well as its associated outcomes and possible complications. The use of TV is attractive due to the fact that infection s very rare as are other complications such as slit ventricles.Conclusion Our knowledge of hydrocephalus has come a long way since medieval times when it was believed that hydrocephalus was the result of extractable (sic) accumulation of water. It has even made significant strides since the groundbreaking work of Dandy and Blackman in 1914, but the medical community must not rest on its laurels. In order to fully bring the treatment of hydrocephalus into the 21st century, they must embrace research being done by organizations like the Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network.I feel this increased awareness is long past due because, even though it has been almost [emphasis added] a half-century since I was born with the condition, the amount of information available to the medical community remain largely unchanged. I think that is due – at least in part – to the misconception that there is not a high survival rate, therefore, why waste the money? My research has shown that over the past twenty (20) years, the mortality rate for hydrocephalus has actually declined with 0. 71 per 100,000 errors/year (Chi, 2005).The vast majority of the deaths were the result of congenital hydrocephalus – meaning that it is present to some degree when the baby is born. Here is how the AC can help to make my â€Å"big idea† (the name given by our instructor to our project) a reality. Publish more articles about the condition, research into it, and current treatment such as shunting and Endoscopies Third Ventriloquist's. Do feature stories about both child and adult survivors because we have a story we would like the world to know about!

Do Prisons Work Essay

This study will examine the effectiveness of current prison treatment programs in Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia, United States of America in rehabilitating or reforming an individual and coinciding recidivism rates upon a prisoners release. Prison based treatment programs for sex offenders in Western Australia, New South Wales and New Zealand are examined and recidivism rates compared. Treatment programs for offenders with drug and alcohol issues and the various strategies within the criminal justice system such as diversion, education and drug court programs are examined and differences explained. Rehabilitation programs such as education, life skills, employment and cognitive behavioural treatment are explained and research discussed. Conclusions will be drawn outlining programs with the highest level of recidivism both in Western Australia and globally. The â€Å"nothing works† mantra (Martinson) 1974, is seen to be refuted and treatment is seen to be successful when it is matched to the criminogenic needs of the offender (MacKenzie, 2006). Future recommendations are made in regards to the need for correctional staff to assess each offender as an individual with different needs, and to therefore implement programs that will give the offender the best change of reform or rehabilitation (MacKenzie, 2006). There are many treatment and rehabilitation programs currently used in corrections around the world aimed at reducing recidivism (MacKenzie, 2006). A heuristic approach classifies various strategies into incarceration, treatment programs and rehabilitation (McKenzie, 2006). These interventions represent different strategies for controlling crime in the community, and have some theoretical rationale for expecting a reduction in crime, despite being different in the mechanism anticipated to produce the reduction (MacKenzie, 2006). Incarceration deprives the prisoner of opportunities to commit crime, usually through detention in prison or in some states capital punishment (McKenzie, 2006). Rehabilitation is based on the premise that people can change, and if assessment is to contribute to rehabilitation it must be capable of measuring change (MacKenzie, 2006). The Static 99 risk assessment measure is an International Tool that is currently used to assess recidivism levels of sex offenders (Hoy & Bright, 2008). Rehabilitation orientated treatment programs include education, cognitive skills and employment (MacKenzie, 2006). Correctional educational programs are seen to have optimistic results in lowering levels of recidivism in prisoners (Stevens & Ward, 2007). Kaki Bukit Prison School based in Singapore is seen to be successful in reducing recidivism by aiming to creative a learning environment based on Peter Senge’s book â€Å"The Fifth Discipline† (Senge, 1990). Part of the discipline involves inmates engaging in the â€Å"The Reflective Thinking Process† (Oh, 2007), an education programme which aims to assist prisoners in reflecting on past destructive behaviour and to encourage appropriate restitution. The school is supported by a multidisciplinary team of teachers, prison officers and counsellors who work together to help students in their studies and in their journey of change to become responsible, thinking citizens (Tam, 2007). For inmates who completed their studies at Kubit Bukit Centre and were released in 2000 and 2001, the 2 year recidivism rate was 24% (Oh, 2007). Acacia, Western Australia’s only private run prison, is operated by Serco and aims to bring service to life (Needham, 2009). Storybook Dads is an example of this and aims to rehabilitate prisoners, break the cycle of reoffending and close the gap between a child and his father (Needham, 2009). The program opens up a broad range of educational opportunities ranging from writing their own stories to learning how to use a computer (Needham, 2009). The main objective of the program is to empower fathers and for children to feel loved, which then improves the lives of the prisoner’s children (Needham, 2009). Prisoners are given the opportunity to record their child’s favourite bedtime story on a CD with sound effects, personal message and CD cover (Needham, 2009). Current research indicates that fathers who have been imprisoned tend to withdraw from life outside the prison and subsequently lose contact completely with their children (Needham, 2009). Statistics show that six out of ten children whose father is a current or ex- prisoner become involved in criminal activities and consequently find themselves in similar situations to their father’s in prison (Needham, 2009). The Storybook Dad’s program runs in eighty prisons in the United Kingdom and maintains family connections and reduces reoffending (Needham, 2009). The National Fatherhood Initiative runs a similar programme called the Incarcerated Father’s Program which operates at Branchville Correctional Centre in Indiana (Gosnell, 2006). It is similar to Storybook Dad’s programme in helping prisoners reunite with their children and families (Gosnell, 2006). One study monitored 186 men for three years after release from prison with only five returning (Gosnell, 2006). Three men returned for small offences whilst two came back on a long term basis indicating low levels of recidivism, when in comparison seventy percent of men released from prison normally return within an average of one to three years (Gosnell, 2006). Prison based treatment programs offered in Western Australia for sex offenders are the Sex Offender Program, Indigenous Sex Offender and Intellectually Disabled Offender (Macgregor, 2008). Community based maintenance programs are offered for each type of offender, the current program for disabled people being the Safe Care Program (Macgregor, 2008). In Australia, most treatment programs for sex offenders are based on cognitive behavioural therapy aimed to target the criminogenic needs or risk factors of offenders (Macgregor, 2008). If these needs are altered the chances of changing the criminal behaviour are higher in the range of 10-30% (Blud, 1999). The programs are seen to be effective in that they work to alter many of the cognitive deficits displayed by offenders (Blud, 1999). They target the known risk factors for sexual reoffending which are cognitive distortions, empathy deficits and wide ranging self regulation (Hoy & Bright, 2008). A Western Australia study in 2002 measured recidivism rates of 2165 sex offenders referred to the treatment unit from 1987 to 1999 (Greenberg, 2002). The study compared treated offenders with non-treated offenders, with no significant findings on effects of treatment on sexual recidivism (Greenberg, 2002). Systematic differences between the non-treated and treated group in the Western Australian study, such as indigenous status, risk category, and length of sentence may have impaired comparisons of groups (Lievore, 2004). Inconsistencies across the data, methodological limits may have limited the study from being able to identify less significant treatment outcomes, and to identify sources (Greenberg, 2002). At present a prison based treatment program designed for adult sex offenders is offered in every Territory and State Australia, despite many having yet to be evaluated (Macgregor, 2008). An evaluation conducted in New South Wales on the Custody Based Intensive Treatment program for high risk offenders (Hoy & Bright, 2008) compared recidivism rates of 117 treated offenders with those predicted by the STATIC 99 risk assessment measure, an internationally used tool that assesses the recidivism risk of sex offenders (Hoy & Bright, 2008). STATIC 99 risk probabilities are based on a large sample of sex offenders in the United Kingdom and Canada (Hanson & Thornton, 2000). The study found that 8. 5% of sex offenders treated at the Custody Based Intensive Treatment programs committed further sexual offences in 3. 5 years, compared with a predicted sexual recidivism of 26% (Hoy & Bright, 2008). An evaluation was conducted on the Te Piriti Special Treatment Program for child sex offenders in New Zealand (Nathan, Wilson & Hillman, 2003). Te Piriti incorporates cognitive behavioural therapy methods in combination with Tikanga Maori, holistic practices derived from world view and a desire to understand the universe (Nathan, 2008). This study compared recidivism rates of Te Piriti graduates with a control group used in the Kia Marama study (Nathan, 2008). In comparison with the non-treated group’s sexual recidivism rate of 21%, a small 5. 7% of offenders who completed the programme at Te Piriti reoffended sexually (Nathan, 2008). Maori sexual offenders were also found to have a positive response to the program (Nathan, 2008). Only 4. 41% of Maori offenders reoffended sexually after receiving treatment at Te Piriti (Nathan) 2003 compared with 13. 58% of Maori Kia Marama graduates (New Zealand Corrections, 2003). These results are supportive of the argument that programs are more effective in reducing sexual recidivism when the design and implementation are attuned to the cultural background of the offenders (Macgregor, 2008). Currently, there are various strategies within the criminal justice system that respond to offenders with drug and alcohol issues (Makkai & Payne, 2003). At one end of the spectrum is the diversion by police of first offenders or low level offenders into education or treatment programs (Makkai & Payne, 2003). At the other end, is the diversion of repeat drug dependent offenders facing imprisonment into intensive drug court programs (Makkai & Payne, 2003). Drug courts aim to divert both men and women offenders (Freeman, Karski & Doak, 2000). The elements of the New South Wales drug court program are treatment; social support and the development of living skills; regular reports to the court; and regular urine testing (Freeman et al. , 2000). During the twelve month program, participants are expected to stabilise their lives by not using drugs to address health issues, and to cease criminal activity (Freeman et al. ,). Ideally, they consolidate their situation and develop life and job skills, and financially reintegrate fully, becoming financially independent (Freeman et al. ,). Analysis of the data indicates a high success rate, with only thirteen percent of the participants having committed an offence on completion of the program, indicating a low level of recidivism (Freeman et al. ,). A promising approach to combating illicit drug use has been implemented at the Metropolitan Women’s Correctional Centre in Victoria (Peachy, 1999). Carniche program includes core courses in drug awareness, drug education and Alcoholics Anonymous, which provides a group therapy environment and a twelve step program based on abstinence and group support (Peachy, 1999). The program runs for three to four months, after which the prisoners are reintegrated into the mainstream prison population (Peachy, 1999). The program involves a maximum of ten prisoners who live in a residential unit separate from the main prison population who participate in intensive drug group and individual counselling (Peachy, 2000). The program has not been evaluated for its effect on offender recidivism and its success may depend on the support available to prisoners upon release (Peachy, 2000). A new program for women offenders, titled Reconnections, completed its pilot phase at Bandyup Women’s prison in September 2009 (Porter, 2009). The program was based on therapeutic interventions to assist women in looking at past trauma and abuse in addressing their offending behaviour (Porter, 2009). Although the program was scheduled to commence in early 2010, funding problems prevented the commencement of the program (Porter, 2009). Despite the program failing to commence prison doors at Bandyup continue to open to volunteers and visitors, a move imprisoned women value (Department of Corrective Services, 2005). The Western Australian Department of Justice allows over 3,000 volunteers who provide support for victims of crime, prisoners and juvenile detainees (Department of Corrective Services, 2005). Western Australia’s drug rehabilitation is seen to be a part of the whole sentencing process both in prison and the community for a prisoner’s release on parole (Cox, 2007). There is a continuum drug users who go through the Perth Drug Court’s treatment programs are less likely to reoffend than those sent to prison (Cox, 2007). Recidivism rates for offenders using the court’s drug treatment programs were 17 percent lower than those for offenders sent to prison (Cox, 2007). The study assessed 250 drug users, dealt with the Drug Court who were charged with offences such as burglary, theft or fraud between 2000 and 2003 (Cox, 2007). In comparison to Western Australia one in every 100 adults is locked up in America and there punitive corrections system do not follow a Western approach, incorporating resources such as Drug Courts to help prevent re-offending (McClatchy, 2008). Kansas has been seen to rethink incarceration policies, with a focus on reserving prison for the worst criminals who pose a real danger to society (McClatchy, 2008). Kansas’ only drug court, in Lyon County, has slashed offender rearrest rates almost by half. (McClatchy, 2008). In California, a study found that in a two-year period, drug courts cost $14 million but saved tax-payers more than $43 million over the costs of sending offenders to prison (McCatchy,2008). Kansas Department of Corrections has had success with a new parole re-entry program, including a pilot project in Wichita that gives parolees more support and helps them to keep on the straight and narrow (McClatchy, 2008). Corrections Secretary Roger Werholtz has seen the new philosophy dramatically cut re-offender rates state-wide and reduced recidivism (McCatchy, 2008). Spectrum Addiction Services offers residential treatment, outpatient, detox and domestic violence service for substance abusers and Correctional Recovery Academies in Massachusetts, Georgia and Rhode Island (Astell, 1995). The treatment strategy supported by Spectrum is based on behaviour and based on self-esteem, participant’s feelings, and self-revelation much as the 12 step program of Alcoholics Anonymous (Astell, 1995). Spectrum views the way to fight recidivism is behavioural, teaching people the skills to stay straight (Astell, 1995). A situational approach to drug abuse may be another avenue to explore when examining the Vietnam War (Astell, 1995). Many American soldiers who were involved with heroin use in South East Asia did not bring the habit home, indicating that some drug abuse is situational (Astell, 1995). In the mid 1970’s a pessimistic assessment of rehabilitation programs by Robert Martinson asserted that â€Å"nothing works† in correctional treatment (Cullen & Gendreau, 2000). However recent reassessment using methods of meta-analysis has found that offender treatment programs do reduce problem behaviour (Cullen & Gendreau, 2000). Effective programs are those which recognise the importance of individual differences and the measurement of these factors when assessing what programs and interventions would be most suitable for each offender (Harland, 1996). Privatisation of prisons is seen to be a positive solution to improving treatment programs and reducing associated recidivism in developing more of a restorative framework to treatment programs (Corporate Responsibility, 2007). This involves emphasising the importance of good relationships between prisoners and staff, the need to recognise the impact of cultural differences when implementing programmes and matching an officer of suitable culture and temperament to best assist the needs of the prisoner (Corporate Responsibility, 2007). Further study is indicated as being required for WA Sex Offenders with little research being available for this group of offenders when compared to other states in WA (Cullen & Gendreau, 2000). Systematic differences between the non-treated and treated group in the Western Australian study, such as indigenous status, risk category, and length of sentence may have impaired comparisons of groups (Lievore, 2004). Inconsistencies across the data, methodological limits may have also limited the study from being able to identify less significant treatment outcomes, and to identify sources (Greenberg , 2002). A recommendation for improved research design is suggested in the implementation of a similar tool as the Static 99 in Australia which is currently only available internationally in measuring sexual recidivism (Mackenzie, 2006). Another finding from reviews of the studies is the large difference of amount of research completed for drug-offenders in comparison with other offenders, such as women prisoners and sex offenders which is currently limited (MacKenzie, 2006). Given the current concern about the increasing amount of drug offenders entering the correction system it is apparent as to why there is uch a large number of evaluations of programs being completed for these offenders (MacKenzie, 2006). Although the role for corrections appears to be a current challenge, it is hoped that with further research, funding , availability of treatment programmes and education of prison officers in addressing individual and cultural differences, that the offender be given the greatest chance for rehabilitation, reform and consequently a life of freedom outside the prison bars (MacKenzie, 2006).

Friday, August 16, 2019

Exercise and Cardiovascular Fitness

Exercise and cardiovascular fitnessAdam Hunt Word Count: 624 Most types of exercise are practiced in order to utilize the body's core functions and to better those bodily functions. Cardiovascular exercise is a popular type of exercise which is used to increase the heart's functions and the effectiveness of said functions. One main type of exercise is resistance exercise, which increases strength and mass, bone strength, and the body's metabolism. By practicing this cardiovascular exercise, you increase your heart's strength, making your heart more fit. With isometric exercise, another exercise utilizing your muscle's strength development, your muscles contract, but the fibers maintain a consistent length. This increases your heart's muscle's dynamic action, increasing the strength of your heart and, like resistance exercise, makes your heart more fit. There are also many other exercise types that help your heart gain strength to get your blood flowing. Because your heart is another muscle, exercising it frequently keeps it fit, like any other muscle. Regular exercise keeps your body in a healthy condition, and by keeping your body healthy, one can be defended from disease far more than an out of shape body. With a healthy diet, and regular exercise, you can maintain a good healthy heart and prevent heart disease. Many studies show that making improvements with your physical fitness will lower your risk of developing illness. Both aerobic and anaerobic exercises improves cardiovascular efficiency, strength and endurance, increases energy and metabolism, relieves stress, and increases flexibility. Those who regularly exercise have lower heart rates and have only about a third of the aerobic decline as those who don't exercise at all. Individuals who regularly practice aerobic workouts have been proven to increase lung capacity up to seventy six percent. Aerobic exercise is very effective in increasing lung capacity, decreasing LDL cholesterol levels, improving tamina and providing body fat burning. By exercising frequently, one can increase your health, and prevent health problems. These problems include developing heart disease, a large increase in blood pressure, increasing or development of high cholesterol, an increased risk of developing colon cancer and breast cancer, increasing risk of becoming diabetic, reaching an unhealthy body weight, weaker muscles, bones and joints, increase of depression and anxiety, reduction in psychological wellness, and poor performance in work, recreation and sports. However, with aerobic exercise and strength training, one can expect an improvement in cardiovascular function, increased cardiac output, an increase in stroke volume, more blood volume and the ability to carry oxygen in the blood, a less strenuous workload on the heart, an increased blood supply to muscles and ability to use oxygen, a much lower heart rate and blood pressure, larger likelihood for lactic acid accumulation, a much lower resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure with individuals suffering from high blood pressure, more HDL cholesterol which is better for the body, decreased blood triglycerides, reduced body fat and improved weight control, and finally an improved glucose tolerance and reduced insulin resistance. With strength training, the body has an increase in muscular strength as well as tendon and ligaments, it also has the potential to improve the range of motion in your joints and decrease blood pressure. Finally, strength training is proven to have great potential to improve strength, balance and the functional ability in most older adults, reducing the risk of heart problems and other health complications. With so many factors pointing towards aerobic exercise as a means of building a healthier heart and maintaining a better lifestyle, it's obvious that exercise is a main way to achieve cardiovascular fitness and to have a healthier heart. By utilizing strength training and other types of exercise, one can reduce their risk of deadly disease and heart complications, and maintain a fit body and improved functionality.