Monday, September 30, 2019

Talking to Your Mom and Talking to Your Friends

Talking to your mom and talking to your friends Every teen has their own secrets, which they might tell to either mom or friends. However, someone cannot tell it to his or her mom, because he or she very afraid to mom’s reaction to their secrets , also they are might be shy. Therefore, a lot of teens prefer to tell it to their best friends more than to thier moms. Mother, who always helps, loves, believes, listens and gives a good advice to you, is one of the best people in the world, but not often you can tell her all your feeling inside.Nevertheless, sometimes you won’t want to hurt her with your a few problems, so you do not tell it. But sometimes you tell her about your situation or problem and she always give you better advice to solve your problem than friends who cannot to do anything and help you. Everyone has a best friend, who know everything about you and your problems. Moreover, you spend a lot of time with this person and always tell your secrets, which you cannot tell to your mom.Furthermore, he or she can change your mistakes to joke, your sadness to happiness, whereas attitude with mom is on another level of mutual relations. In conclusion, talking to your mom or friends is depends on the person relationship between them. You can tell your secret or problem to your friend, in the same way to your mom. But no one wants to hurt his or her mom, so he or she just tells it to their friends.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Contribution of agriculture in the economy of Bangladesh Essay

The economy of Bangladesh is primarily dependent on agriculture. About 84 percent of the total population live in rural areas and are directly or indirectly engaged in a wide range of agricultural activities. The agriculture sector plays a very important role in the economy of the country accounting for 31. 6 percent of total GDP in 1997-98 at constant (1984-85) prices. The agriculture sector comprises crops, forests, fisheries and livestock. Of the agricultural GDP, the crop sub-sector contributes 71 per cent, forest 10 per cent, fisheries 10 percent and livestock 9 per cent. The sector generates 63. 2% percent of total national employment, of which crop sectors share is nearly 55 %. Agricultural exports of primary products constituted 10. 4% of total exports of the country in 1997-98. In the past decade, the agriculture sector contributed about three percent per annum to the annual economic growth rate. The agriculture sector is the single largest contributor to income and employment generation and a vital element in the country’s challenge to achieve self-sufficiency in food production reduce rural poverty and foster sustainable economic development. The Government has therefore accorded highest priority to this sector to enable the country to meet these challenges and to make this sector commercially profitable. Agriculture has been playing a vital role in socio-economic progress and sustainable development through upliftment of rural economy, ensuring food security by attaining autarky in food gains production, alleviation of poverty and so on. In FY-2004-05, the combined contribution of all sub-sectors of agriculture (crop, livestock, forestry and fisheries) to GDP is 21. 91 percent (table 7. 2). The crop sub-sector alone is projected to contribute 12. 10 percent to GDP and fisheries sub-sector accounts for 5. 03 percent. Of the total labor force in Bangladesh, 5. 17 percent are engaged in agriculture (BBS labor force survey, 2002-2003). The contribution of agriculture products (including raw jute, jute goods and tea) to the total export of the country is 5. 79 percent (FY2004-2005). In terms of value addition, the contribution of agriculture to the national economy is immense. Contribution of agriculture in GDP. Declining trend of contribution of agriculture sector to the Gross Development Products (GDP) continued in the present outgoing fiscal year. The growth of agriculture sector in the GDP has also gone down drastically in the last three years. National Economic Survey 2004 showed despite rise in crop production by six lakh metric ton and Taka 300 crore allocation for agricultural subsidy in the fiscal year for 2003-04, the contribution of agriculture sector in GDP has declined by 0. 54 percent from the last year. (2002-2003). After the fiscal year 2000-01, crop production did not witness any significant growth in the last three years like the growth during 1996-97 – 2000-01. Due to high volume of crop production, total food production rose to 267. 57 lakh metric tons in the FY 2001-01 from 203. 37 lakh metric tons. Even in the year of severe flood in 1998, food production increased by 12 lakh metric tons. Financial Year Contribution of Agriculture 1991-92 28. 70 1992-93 28. 21 1993-94 27. 30 1994-95 26. 02 1995-96 25. 68 1996-97 25. 87 1997-98 25. 34 1998-99 25. 28 1999-00 25. 58 2000-01 25. 02. 2001-02 23. 98 2002-03 23. 47 2003-04 23. 08 2004-05* 21. 91 Fig 1: Contribution of Agriculture in GDP In the last two fiscal years, the food production has gone down from the level in the Fiscal Year 2000-01 (FY ’01). Though the growth was slightly over one percent this year compared to last year, experts think that the growth was not sufficient in the last three years. Food production rose to 273 lakh metric tons in the current fiscal year (2003-2004). Growth rate in agriculture sector has gone down to 2. 41 percent in the FY 2003-04 from 5. 5 percent in the FY 2000-01. Agriculture growth had witnessed a negative growth of about 0. 6 percent in the following fiscal year 2001-2002. Fig: Growth of Agriculture. In the last five years, the highest growth of 6. 9 percent in agriculture sector was achieved during 1999 – 2000 when the growth in crop production was 8. 1 percent. During the year of negative growth, individual growth in crop production was also negative – 2. 4 percent. Comparatively, when the growth in agriculture sector was the highest during 1999-2000, crop production was also the highest in the last 10 years. In that year, crop production had yielded 8. 1 percent growth. Growth in crop production was much higher during FY ’00 and FY ’01 in the last 10 years. During the FY ’01, the growth in crop production was 6. 2 percent. Even in the year of severe flood, growth in crop production was 3. 1 percent. During FY ’94, FY ’95 and FY ’96, the growth in agriculture sector was -0. 7 percent, -1. 9 percent and 2 percent. In FY ’97, production started to rise and achieved 5. 6 percent in that year with 6. 4 percent growth in crop production. The trend of food production in the last ten years as charted in the Bangladesh Economic Survey 2004 has projected that food production was stagnating around 190 lakh metric tons from FY ’94 – FY ’96. But from FY ’97 to FY ’01, food production had increased from 203 lakh metric tons to 267 lakh metric tons. Contribution of Agriculture sub sector on GDP of Bangladesh Total agriculture sector is explained under four sub-sectors. They are- Growth rate in Agricultural Sector (In percentage) Budget Year Agriculture &Forestry Average Fishery Average 1991-92 1. 39 0. 44 8. 24 7. 76 1993-94 -0. 65 0. 44 7. 91 7. 76 1994-95 -1. 93 0. 44 6. 79 7. 76 1995-96 2. 03 0. 44 7. 39 7. 76 1996-97 5. 57 4. 58 7. 67 6. 18 1997-98 1. 63 4. 58 8. 98 6. 18 1998-99 3. 24 4. 58 9. 96 6. 18 1999-00 6. 92 4. 58 8. 87 6. 18 2000-01 5. 53 4. 58 -4. 53 6. 18 2001-02 -0. 62 1. 67 2. 22 2. 92 2002-03 3. 29 1. 67 2. 33 2. 92 2003-04 4. 38 1. 67 3. 09 2. 92 2004-05 -0. 37 1. 67 4. 02 2. 92 Contribution of each sub-sector in the economy of Bangladesh is discussed below.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Bookbinders Book Club Essay

1. Before beginning any case, students should familiarize themselves with the model being used. Marketing Engineering for Excel comes with tutorials that demonstrate the capability of each model. The tutorial can be found under each model within the ME>XL menu after starting Excel. These tutorials are designed to work with our OfficeStar examples which are located in the My Marketing Engineering directory, usually installed in My Documents during software installation. The data required for this case is located in two files in the My Marketing Engineering directory (usually located within My Documents): Bookbinders Book Club Data (Customer Choice). xls Bookbinders Book Club Data (Customer Choice) Holdout Sample. xls 2. Introduction About 50,000 new titles, including new editions, are published in the United States each year, giving rise to a $20+ billion book publishing industry. About 10 percent of the books are sold through mail order. Book retailing in the 1970s was characterized by the growth of chain bookstore operations in concert with the development of shopping malls. Traffic in bookstores in the 1980s was enhanced by the spread of discounting. In the 1990s, the superstore concept of book retailing was responsible for the double-digit growth of the book industry. Generally situated near large shopping centers, superstores maintain large inventories of anywhere from 30,000 to 80,000 titles. Superstores are putting intense competitive pressure on book clubs, mail-order firms and retail outlets. Recently, online superstores, such as www. amazon. com, have emerged, carrying 1–2. 5 million titles and further intensifying the pressure on book clubs and mail-order firms. In response to these pressures, book clubs are starting to look at alternative business models that will make them more responsive to their customers’ preferences. Historically, book clubs offered their readers continuity and negative option programs that were based on an extended contractual relationship between the club and its subscribers. In a continuity program, popular in such genres as children’s books, a reader signs up for an offer of several books for a few dollars each (plus shipping and handling on each book) and agrees to receive Copyright  © 2008 by DecisionPro, Inc. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, go to www. decisionpro. biz. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without the permission of DecisionPro, Inc. a shipment of one or two books each month thereafter. In a negative option program, subscribers get to choose which and how many additional books they will receive, but the default option is that the club’s selection will be delivered to them each month. The club informs them of the monthly selection and they must mark â€Å"no† on their order forms if they do not want to receive it. Some firms are now beginning to offer books on a positive-option basis, but only to selected segments of their customer lists that they deem receptive to specific offers. Book clubs are also beginning to use database marketing techniques to work smarter rather than expand the coverage of their mailings. According to Doubleday president Marcus Willhelm, â€Å"The database is the key to what we are doing†¦. We have to understand what our customers want and be more flexible. I doubt book clubs can survive if they offer the same 16 offers, the same fulfillment to everybody. †2 Doubleday uses modeling techniques to look at more than 80 variables, including geography and the types of books customers purchase, and selects three to five variables that are the most influential predictors. The Bookbinders Book Club The BBB Club was established in 1986 for the purpose of selling specialty books through direct marketing. BBBC is strictly a distributor and does not publish any of the books it sells. In anticipation of using database marketing, BBBC made a strategic decision right from the start to build and maintain a detailed database about its members containing all the relevant information about them. Readers fill out an insert and return it to BBBC which then enters the data into the database. The company currently has a database of 500,000 readers and sends out a mailing about once a month. BBBC is exploring whether to use predictive modeling approaches to improve the efficacy of its direct mail program. For a recent mailing, the company selected 20,000 customers in Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio from its database and included with their regular mailing a specially produced brochure for the book The Art History of Florence. This resulted in a 9. 03 percent response rate (1806 orders) for the purchase of the book. BBBC then developed a database to calibrate a response model to identify the factors that influenced these purchases. For this case analysis, we will use a subset of the database available to BBBC. It consists of data for 400 customers who purchased the book, and 1,200 customers who did not, thereby over-representing the response group. The dependent variable for the analysis is Choice — purchase or no purchase of The Art History of Florence. BBBC also selected several independent variables that it thought might explain the observed choice behavior. Below is a description of the variables used for the analysis: Choice: Whether the customer purchased the The Art History of Florence. 1 corresponds to a purchase and 0 corresponds to a nonpurchase. Gender: 0 = Female and 1 = Male. Amount purchased: Total money spent on BBBC books. Frequency: Total number of purchases in the chosen period (used as a proxy for frequency. ) Last purchase (recency of purchase): Months since last purchase. First purchase: Months since first purchase. P_Child: Number of children’s books purchased. BOOKBINDERS BOOK CLUB CASE 2/4 P_Youth: Number of youth books purchased. P_Cook: Number of cookbooks purchased. P_DIY: Number of do-it-yourself books purchased. P_Art: Number of art books purchased. To assess the performance of the model, the data set includes a second sheet with 2300 customers–a holdout sample representative of the entire target market. The use of such a validation sample is an appropriate way to compare alternative models. BOOKBINDERS BOOK CLUB CASE 3/4 EXERCISES BBBC is evaluating three different modeling methods to isolate the factors that most influenced customers to order The Art History of Florence: an RFM (Recency, Frequency and Monetary Value) model, an ordinary linear regression model, and a binary logit model. 1. Summarize the results of your analysis for all three models. Develop your models using the case data files and then assess them on the holdout data sample. Interpret the results of these models. In particular, highlight which factors most influenced the customers’ decision to buy or not to buy the book. Bookbinders is considering a similar mail campaign in the Midwest where it has data for 50,000 customers. Such mailings typically promote several books. The allocated cost of the mailing is $0. 65/addressee (including postage) for the art book, and the book costs Bookbinders $15 to purchase and mail. The company allocates overhead to each book at 45 percent of cost. The selling price of the book is $31. 95. Based on the model, which customers should Bookbinders target? How much more profit would you expect the company to generate using these models as compared to sending the mail offer to the entire list? Based on the insights you gained from this modeling exercise, summarize the advantages and limitations of each of the modeling approaches. Look at both similar and dissimilar results. As part of your recommendations to the company, indicate whether it should invest in developing expertise in any of these methods to develop an in-house capability to evaluate its direct mail campaigns. How would you simplify and automate your recommended method(s) for future modeling efforts at the company. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 1 The case and the database were developed by Professors Nissan Levin and Jacob Zahavi at Tel Aviv University. We have adapted these materials for use with our software, with their permission. 2 DM News, May 23, 1994. BOOKBINDERS BOOK CLUB CASE 4/4

Friday, September 27, 2019

Environmental Problems in Africa Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Environmental Problems in Africa - Article Example Africa, specifically the Sub- Saharan states are enriched with natural resources of many kinds, yet it cannot overcome the poverty which its residents have been living in for centuries. According to the World Summit on sustainable Development (WSSD) in Africa in 2002 as mentioned in an article posted www.articlebase.com on 27 October, 2006, Africa is currently facing lack of fresh water, barren lands, deforestation, which has led to extinction of different species of birds and animals. The trade of oil through sea has resulted in water-pollution. Similarly the waste from industries is disposed off in water, which has ruined the life of different species of fish and marine-life. Trees cut to light fire for cooking and other purposes have led to deforestation. Poverty generates pollution which in turn generates poverty. This constant cycle has come into being as a result of development of factories and industries all over the world which has opened employment opportunities for those working in rural areas. Because of more and more mobility and networking among the people, there has been an increase in the need of all sorts of vehicles which consume oil to function. Oil is the basic source of income for many countries. But in the course of exploration of oil, much harm is caused to the environment. Though USA has taken some initiatives to eradicate poverty from Africa. It was mentioned in the same article as mentioned before that USA had planned to grant 4.5 billion $ to Africa over the course of next three years to launch an anti-HIV program and improve access to fresh and clean water for the Africans. These days, everybody is worried about the consequences of the destroyed natural environment which has caused a fundamental change in the social environment. Increase in pollution has made human beings take some steps to protect themselves against the evils of pollution. This has resulted in increased use of face-masks, bottled water

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Using ECOWAS as a Trading Bloc Discuss the Challenges that Coursework

Using ECOWAS as a Trading Bloc Discuss the Challenges that Globalization Poses to Economic Integration - Coursework Example Using ECOWAS as a trading block discuss the challenges that globalization poses to economic integration ECOWAS was established in 1975 in Lagos, Nigeria, with fifteen members joining; it utilizes three languages, English, Portuguese, and French. Its membership has remained stagnant, with only one additional member and one withdrawal. The main objective of ECOWAS is the promotion of economic integration in agriculture, commerce, transport, and natural resources among others. Generally, ECOWAS countries enjoy free movement of goods, which is tariff free, and therefore, reduction of trade barriers is evident among these countries. ECOWAS will be celebrating the 35th anniversary this year, with some of its achievements being suppression of custom duties and taxes, and economic growth. According to Mark, globalization can be defined as the process of continuous integration of countries globally, mainly influenced by technological change and trade liberalization. Technological changes are evident with globalization trend; indeed, improvement in transportation network and technology reduces t he transportation costs. The existence of globalization has fostered international trade, which has led to knowledge acquisition, especially for African countries, and as a result, fostering development in these countries. However, globalization is also accompanied with various challenges, especially to economic integration. ... This paper will discuss the Challenges that globalization poses to economic integration using ECOWAS as a trading block. ECOWAS as a trading block Economic integration involves the abolishment of trade barriers, which include tariff and non-tariff barriers, with an aim of enhancing the flow of goods and services between member nations. ECOWAS’ main aim is economic integration; competition law has been introduced by the organization, which comprises of a set of rules and regulations aimed at encouraging free and fair markets, equal competition condition, promotion of allocative efficiency, maximization of consumer welfare, and ensuring transparency and fairness (ECOWAS, N.d, p.3). Therefore, ECOWAS has regulated competition as a form of ensuring fairness and equality. Economic Integration or regionalism Economic integration enables member states to have a wide selection of goods and services at low costs due to reduced tariffs. In addition, economic integration encourages trade among nations. Moreover, employment opportunities are created through trade liberalization that leads to the expansion of markets. Market expansion yields to investments in other nations, thereby creating job opportunities for citizens of the host country. Countries that trade together can provide solutions for issues such as political instability, which may be affecting a trade partners. The agreement to manage and control trade, monetary policies, and fiscal policies is advantageous; for instance, trade is given a chance to progress, thus, acquisition of goods and services at low costs becomes a possible mission. Such agreements, for instance in ECOWAS, lead to long lasting relationship between countries, which can also lead to

Photovoltaic cells Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Photovoltaic cells - Research Paper Example PV cells energy conversion efficiency has now crossed mark of 20 percent. Several companies, universities and research institutions are doing intense research and development work to reduce the cost further so that its economics fare favorably to other competing energy systems. There has been considerable headway in the research and it is quite likely that it will become one of the most prominent technologies among all renewable sources of energy in next 10 years. Being eco friendly, it has the capacity to meet the current and future energy needs of mankind. Introduction Photovoltaic Cell is a technique to generate direct current through solar radiation using semiconductors. The PV cell technology is useful to produce electricity particularly, at the location where grid system is not available. This paper will study the technology, types of photovoltaic cells, current status, its economics, engineering issues, technological advances, future scope and the direction that the industry m ake take. Off-the-Grid Systems Off-the-grid system is useful when electricity demand cannot be met through grid due to its isolated locations. The benefit of the off-the-grid system is that it is self reliant, not dependent on any outside source, using some renewable source of energy such as solar. ... Solar radiation falls on PV cell to energize the electron producing DC current. Inverter converts DC current to AC. Energy is stored in array of batteries. The efficiency of photovoltaic cells is a key parameter to convert solar energy into usable energy. Van Geet home is a typical off-grid system for generating energy based on solar power. It is a remote location near Denver in Colorado. Several renewable-energy features along with energy-conservation measures have been incorporated in this home. The design of this home is studied as an ideal research home. It has photovoltaic based solar power system. The house is said to have achieved 89% energy savings. The system uses 1000-watt amorphous silicon PV with a tracking controller. It surpasses the norms of 70% HVAC and energy savings for Building America research homes. It has been now recognized as a model home and taken for further study and research as energy saving designs in US. (Barley et al 2004) Below mentioned diagram shows a typical off-grid energy system. Source: http://homepower.com/basics/solar/#MainDCDisconnect Mobile homes also use similar PV based energy system to meet their energy needs. Major components in such systems are PV Cells, Charge controller, Battery Bank, and inverter. PV Cells Working of Photovoltaics Solar energy is converted to electricity through photovoltaics. The technology exploits the photoelectric property of certain material that absorbs photons of light to release the electrons. These free electrons cause electric current to flow that can be used for our needs (Knier 2002). PV Cell is a chief component and the heart of such energy systems. More than 50 percent of the cost of the energy system is attributed to PV module. For this reason, the

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

We can but should we The purpose of this assignment is to investigate Article

We can but should we The purpose of this assignment is to investigate safeguards and apply ethical principles to the use health care technology - Article Example With such deliberations, it would be necessary to assess and articulate issues arising as a result of EHR introduction. The Chip is argued to contain no medical records, but it is the code in it that is revealed – and only in doctor’s office or hospital. The code is argued to be unlocked by healthcare providers in order to access that person’s medical information (Mollar, 2009). However, there is much to think about other than the safety of EHR. For example, with the announcement of intentions to introduce EHR, different companies have shown interest in venturing into the business of making the gadget. This is evidenced by the way these companies are making partnerships with various healthcare institutions. For example, â€Å"Emdat announced a partnership with IBJI, MediRew announced a new client with Bon Secours Charity Health System, and Philips announced the implementation of it enterprise-wide clinical informatics technology at Baptist Health South Florida (BHSF) among many others† (Miliard, 2012, Para 2, 3 and4). In this regard, it can be argued that the issue of EHR is endorsed by certain forces which among them include entrepreneurial urge. Proponents of EHR argue that EHR could help reduce errors in medical records (Mollar, 2009). To some extent, this can be argued to be true because no doubt that hand written records are subject to errors and omissions. It is also argued that, with written records, the likelihood of losing records is high. Cases of lost or missing files or files being misplaced have been reported in the past. Additionally, catastrophes like fire and floods have in the past destroyed physical records. In light with this, digital record is argued to store records for a long time (Mollar, 2009). It can also help keep health information that patients tends to forget with time. EHRs are also argued to

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Identity theft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Identity theft - Essay Example Identity theft has become an increasing problem globally in recent years, causing millions of people undue emotional and financial trauma, while costing society a great deal of money. The heartache caused has limited access to critical services and credit availability for millions of honest and hardworking citizens globally, but particularly in the United States. It is a serious issues that must be tackled. The aim of the short paper is to introduce the seriousness of this problem and to present possibly research questions that should be explored to better introduce society to various methods to limit the risk of becoming a victim of identity theft. Problem Statement The problem is that identity theft is destroying the financial security and freedom of countless individuals world wide. As honest, hardworking people have their identities stolen, they are subject to a loss of credit, difficulty in terms of employment, and encounters problems of various sorts with law authorities. Such victims must prove that their identity was stolen, often causing a great deal of anguish in the process. Local and national governments are currently taking measures to prevent identity theft, but the problem seems to be growing. There are five major types of identity theft being practiced today: 1) Criminal identity theft, 2) Financial identity theft, 3) Identity cloning, 4) Medical identity theft, and 5) Child identity theft. This proposed research study will examine each of these areas to help the reader understand the warning signs and avoid becoming a victim of such types of identity theft. In short, identity cloning involves one person taking on (stealing) the identity of another for the express purpose of hiding their own identity for one reason or the other. This is a bit different than other forms of identity theft, as financial information is not typically involved, causing the stolen identity to often go undetected for a long time (Anderson, Durbin, & Salinger, 2008, p. 1 71) . Criminal identity theft involves one person committing a criminal act, getting arrested, and then telling law enforcement officials that they are a different person (Harrison, 2007, p. 84). Conversely, synthetic identity theft refers to identities that are almost entirely made up. Most commonly this occurs by using a real social security number, but a different name or date of birth to make it more difficult to track (Ciechanowicz, 2010, p. 41). Medical identity theft involves one person seeking out medical care, not in their name, but in the name of another person. There are many reason why an individual might perpetrate this type of crime, including a lack of insurance on the part of the person (Agrawal & Budetti, 2012, p. 459). Finally, child identity theft involves just what its name implies. The criminal here commonly steals the social security number of a child, and then opens line of credit and commits other unlawful behavior using the stolen identity. This crime is par ticularly difficult to detect because children typically do not realize their identity has been stolen until well into adulthood (Dwan, 2004, p. 16). Relevance and Significance As demonstrated to this point, identity theft is a serious issue that must be tackled. It affects nearly everyone in society, either directly or indirectly. Even if a person is not a victim themselves, they pay the price in other ways. An individual who has fallen victim to any of the major types of

Monday, September 23, 2019

The World Trade Organization Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The World Trade Organization - Case Study Example These are just some of important concepts in international business. These concepts are very essential in understanding international business so as to know how it works in the international arena. Furthermore, it is important to understand these concepts so as to understand international business and other activities related to it. There are many issues surrounding international business. Understanding them is as important as learning and becoming a part of the international business ground. Over the years since international business began, every nation has learned to protect itself against foreign competition. High tariffs on imports of manufactured goods were imposed to protect domestic industries from foreign competition (Hill 2003, p. 8). This stands as one of the most significant barriers to international trade. This significant barrier is one of the most controversial issues which ignited agreement among nations working out in the elimination of tariffs on international trade. This has something to do with globalization which aims to unify the world as one whole single market which further is aiming to target and alleviate poverty. The bottom line of this is a fair economy as a stepping stone towards increased level of equality among nations. In fact, these good promises of globalization are just among of the reasons for the penetration of globalization in international trading. The power of globa... 2. A tendency towards cultural convergence has reduced the differences between national market characteristics, thereby reducing the cost of adapting products to those specific markets. 3. Improve communications (e.g. the telephone, air travel and the Internet) have reduced the cost of dealing with far-away places. 4. The emergence of large multinational corporations (MNCs) has facilitated the process of seeing the world as one global market. The power of globalization is indeed good and inevitable. On the other hand, it also means risk. According to Rosenberg (2002), in the opening of a nation's economy, a nation makes itself susceptible to contamination from abroad. In fact, a nation might probably be subjected to footprints of special interests. This is now then the reason that in the development of world trading system, international policies have to be implemented. Its implementation can just be significantly realized through the aid of the business environment. In business environment, the political environment has a great influence in shaping the general nature of the external environment as well as being responsible for passing legislation that affects specific types of organization (Palmer & Hartley 2002). The political environment has the capacity to impose multilateral agreement between governments. This agreement has made it possible for the implementation of World Trade Organization to have a significant influence to access overseas markets for a number of industries. World Trade Organization (2008) simply tries to present itself as a negotiating forum, set of rules and to provide help to settle disputes arising from conflicting interests among nations participating in international business. The present round of

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Principles of assessment Essay Example for Free

Principles of assessment Essay 1. 1 Explain the functions of assessment in learning and development What is assessment? This is the term given to the process of checking that learning has occurred and to check if that learning is effective. It is a way to evidence/ prove a learners achievement in the area being assessed. Assessment I is also used to identify learners needs, how best to support such learner while contributing to quality assurance and the development of good practice . There are three main stages of assessment namely; 1. Initial Assessment 2. Formative Assessment And 3. Summative Assessment . 1. 2 Why Assess? If you have just delivered a training session and you don’t assess, how can you be sure that any learning has taken place? Or if you are trying to work out a person’s level of skill in a particular area, how would you know whether their skill level is poor, moderate or exceptional without assessment? There are various reasons to assess such as: †¢Determining level of knowledge understanding †¢Ensuring that learning is taking place †¢Checking progress. Fulfilling part of a certification requirement like Nvq, PTTLS, etc. . Ensuring the learners specific domains has been considered. Hence the need for assessment at various stages of learning. Giving a summary of learning for the person carrying out the assessment means they can be confident that the candidate has the required level of knowledge on a particular topic or competency for a certain task. For the candidate, assessment usually means reassurance of their own level of knowledge / competency and usually a certificate at the end of the day.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Health Promotion: Post Natal Depression

Health Promotion: Post Natal Depression The issues of health and health promotion initiatives have gained much significance in the recent past. Stephens (2008:5) comments that from a social perspective health are understood as much more than a matter for individual experience and responsibility; health behaviour is seen in terms of relationship with others and health is structured by society. World HealthOrganisation(WHO) constitution of 1948, defines health as a state of complete, physical, social and mental well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. It also adds that health has been considered less as an abstract state and more as a means to an end which can be expressed in functional terms as a resource which permits people to lead an individually, socially and economically productive life, with respect to health promotion. (WHO, Geneva, 1986). WHO recognizes the spiritual dimension of health and regards health as a fundamental human right and states that the basic resources for health should be acc essible for all people. According to WHO, health promotion represents a comprehensive social and political process, which not only embraces actions aimed at strengthening the skills and capabilities of individuals, but also acts toward changing social, environmental and economic conditions so as to alleviate their impact on public and individual health. Its also the process of enabling people to increase control over the determinants of health and thereby improve their health (WHO official website) The concept of social determinants of health needs to be considered while discussing health and health promotion initiatives. According to a study conducted by Bambra et.al(2008), the wider social determinants of health were listed out as water and sanitation, agriculture and food, health and social care services, unemployment and welfare, working conditions, housing and community, education and transport. The term health promotion has variously been used to refer to a social movement, an ideology, a discipline, a strategy, a profession, and a strategy or field of practice delineated by commitment to key values(Keith and Tones, 2010).According to ODonnell (2009), health promotion is the art and science of discovering the synergies between their core passions and optimal health enhancing their motivation to strive for optimal health and supporting them in changing their life style to move toward a state of optimal health, which is a dynamic balance of emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual health. Tones and Tilford (2009) is of the opinion that health promotion as a quasi-political movement and professional activity can be described as militant wing of public health. At a general level health promotion has come to represent a unifying concept for those who recognize the need for change in the ways and conditions of living to promote health (Fleming and Parker, 2006). Post natal depression Postnatal depression is one of the most discussed topics in health today. This assignment discusses postnatal depression in detail, considering the significance it has and the risks associated with Postnatal depression, among the women in the United Kingdom. There has been a growing international recognition of postnatal depression as a major public health concern (Oates et.al, 2004). The government policy (Department of Health, 2004) recognises that the mental disorders during pregnancy and the post natal period can have serious consequences for individual women, their partners, babies and other children. Perinatal psychiatric disorder is one of the leading causes of maternal morbidity and is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the UK (Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths, 2001).NICE (2007) observes that the mental disorders which occur during pregnancy and the postnatal period can seriously affect the health and wellbeing of a mother and her baby, as well as for her p artner and other family members. This condition is a form of maternal morbidity that affects about one in eight women from diverse cultures and is a leading cause of maternal mortality(Dennis, 2009).Dennis(2009) also comments that postnatal depression can also have serious consequences for the health and well being of the family as the infants and children are particularly vulnerable to it impaired maternal-infant interactions can have an impact on the cognitive, social ,emotional and behavioural development of the children. According to the latest reports it is estimated that approximately 75000 women within the United Kingdom are affected by postnatal depression (Hanley and Hanley, 2009).Craig (2008) comments that postnatal depression has been various defined as non-psychotic depression occurring during the first six months, the first four weeks and the first three months post partum; but recently three months postpartum was suggested in the United Kingdom. There have been many views by various authors about postnatal depression. Wheatley (2006) comments that postnatal depression affects between 10 and 20 percent of women who have had babies, and it causes distress at a time when there is every reason for happiness. Wheatley (2006) adds that the symptoms vary from person to person as for some symptoms can be mild and for other women, it can lead to serious consequences including bouts of depression. However, the case of postnatal depression which is serious enough to warrant treatment percentage is bet ween 7% and 35%. Dalton and Holton (2001) defines that postnatal depression is one of the symptoms of a serious mental condition known as postnatal illness. They opine that postnatal illness covers a range of afflictions which range from sadness to infanticide which start after child birth. The disorders associated with postnatal illness are blues, postnatal depression, puerperal psychosis and infanticide or homicide. Dalton and Holton (2001, p.3) defines postnatal depression as the first occurrence of psychiatric symptoms severe enough to require medical help occurring after childbirth and before the return of menstruation. They add that it does not include the blues, and excludes the condition of those who have previously sought psychiatric help because of other psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia, manic depression, depression or drug abuse. Feeney (2001) is of the view that although the symptom of postnatal depression is dysphoric (depressed) mood, this state is also acco mpanied by other symptoms like extreme fatigue, strong feelings of guilt, disturbance of sleep and loss of appetite. Hanzak (2005) attributes the occurrence of postnatal depression to three factors; biological, psychological and social causes. She lists out some of the possible reasons for postnatal depression as history of disturbed early life, loss of own mother, current marital or family conflicts, infertility and investigations for four or more years , loss of a previous pregnancy, adoption or fostering, high medical anxieties over the pregnancy, admission to hospital for longer than one week over the last three months of pregnancy ,major upheavals or stress over the last three months, emergency Caesarean section, neonatal illnesses, hormonal changes and personal or family history of depression Walsh (2009) comments that the occurrence of postnatal depression is linked with birth experience. Parker (2009) had earlier opined that if the birth was traumatic, there are high chances for postnatal depression. Epidemiological factors of poverty, social class and low income influence the chances of postnatal depression (Gale and Harlow, 2003). Walsh (2009) puts forward a view that postnatal depression can affect fathers and children and hence its important to maintain communication and interaction between family members. Cox and Holden (2001) are of the opinion that the consequences of maternal depression are costly not only on a personal level, but also in terms of money and personnel level as well. They put forward an interesting point that when there is contact between professionals and mothers is high detection of postnatal depression is very low and that the failure to diagnose depression may be attributed to short appointments, a physical orientation of care and an emphasis on the babys rather than the mothers well being. Most cases of postnatal depression can be dealt with at primary care level with monitoring by the family doctor and interventions by primary care staff (Cox and Holden, 2001). Health promotion models and approaches Dahlgren and Whitehead (1991) had proposed that the factors which influence health are multidimensional and suggests a model which illustrates the wider determinants of health. The main factors according to them are general socioeconomic, cultural and environmental conditions, living and working conditions, social and community influences, individual lifestyle factors, age, sex and hereditary factors. The model depicts individuals as central characters, who are influenced by various other determinants, which play a major role in influencing their health factors. Source: Dahlgren and Whitehead (1991) Another model which is widely discussed with relation to health promotion is the stages of change model. Bunton et.al(2000) proposes that the transtheoretical or stages of change model has greatly influenced health promotion practices in the United States of America, Australia and the United Kingdom since the late 1980s.The stages of change model was focused on encouraging change for people with addictive behaviour. People go through several stages when trying to change behaviour (Naidoo and Wills, 2000). Fertman (2010) asserts that behaviour change occurs in stages and that a person moving through these stages in a very specific sequence constitutes the change. According to this model, there are five stages of change, which are listed as pre contemplation, contemplation, preparing for change, making the change and maintenance. The health belief important model is a well known theoretical model, which emphasises the role of beliefs in decision making. This model which was proposed by Rosenstock(1966) and modified by Brecker(1974) proposes that whether or not people change their behaviour will be influenced by an evaluation of its feasibilities and the comparisons of its benefits weighted against the costs. Evans et.al (2005) comments that the major three health promotion approaches are the behaviour change approach, the self-empowerment approach and the collective action or community development approach. They add that these approaches have different goals and adopt different ways to achieve their goals and propose different criteria for their evaluation, though they have a common aim to promote good health and to prevent the effects of ill health. Each of these approaches has a unique understanding of the origins of health and health behaviour and subsequently of their objectives in health promotion and these three approaches are mutually complimentary. (Victorian Health Promotion Foundation, 2004). NICE (2007) defines behaviour change as the product of individual or collective human actions, seen within and influenced by their structural, social and economic context. Resnicow and Waughan (2006) comment that the study of health behaviour change has historically been rooted in a cognitive-rational paradigm. The models such as social cognitive theory, the health belief model, the transtheoretical model have viewed behavioral change as an interaction of factors such as knowledge, attitude, belief etc (Rimer and Lewis, 2002; Baranowski et.al, 2003).It has been suggested by the evidences that behavior change occurs in stages or steps and that movement through these stages is cyclical involving a pattern of adoption, maintenance, relapse and readoption over time. It has been suggested by the evidences that behavior change occurs in stages or steps and that movement through these stages is cyclical involving a pattern of adoption, maintenance, relapse and re adoption over time(Di paitro and Hughes, 2003).. According to NICE (2007) the attempts to promote or support behaviour change take a number of forms, which are activities which can be delivered at a number of levels, ranging from local, one to one interactions with individuals to national campaigns. NICE(2007) divides interventions into four main categories as policy-such as legislation ,education or communication-such as one to one advice, group teaching or media campaigns, technologies-such as the use of seat belts, breathalyses , resources-such as leisure centre entry, free condoms or free nicotine replacement therapy. According to the Victorian Health foundation (2004) the behavioural approach focuses on implementing interventions to change or remove behavioural health risk factors. Interventions from this perspective are targeted at a particular behavioural risk factor associated with a particular negative health outcome, and they target a population performing the behavioural risk factor and endeavour to promote health through various strategies. However, Craig et.al (2008) adds that behaviour change interventions are generally complex to design, deliver and evaluate.Michie (2008) states that more investment in developing the scientific methods for behavioural change studies is essential. Behavioural science is relevant to all phases of the process of implementing evidence-based health care; development of evidence through the primary studies, synthesizing the findings in systematic reviews, translation of evidence into guidelines and practice recommendations and implementing these recommendatio ns in practice(Michie,2008). Dunn et.al (2006) proposes that Item Response modeling (IRM) can be used to improve the psychometric methods in health education and health behaviour research and practice. They add that IRM is already being adopted to improve and revise quality of life questionnaires. However Masse et.al (2006) comments that a number of issues seem to stunt the application of IRM methods, as they list out the following issues (i) Lack of IRM applications in the context of health education and health behavior research; (ii) lack of awareness as to what IRM can do beyond assessing the psychometric properties of a scale; (iii) lack of trained psychometricians trained in our field. It is to be noted that the behaviour change approach came under criticism from various quarters. The major criticisms pointed out by Marks et.al(2005) were the inabilities to target the major socio-economic causes of ill health, possible incompatibilities of the top-down recommendations with community norms, values and practices, the assumption of a direct link between knowledge attitudes and behaviour and the assumption of homogeneity among the receivers of health promotion messages. Post natal depression-Current significance and ethical considerations Post natal depression is a matter of serious concern in the current age, as many women are being affected by it. Almond (2010) comment that post natal depression can be deemed a public health problem as the effects of it are known to go beyond the mother and it also affects the partner and the child. He adds that it can lead to infanticide as well as maternal death by suicide and according to evidences, all countries are faced with the challenge of postnatal depression, and the most affected countries are the low and middle income countries. The NICE guidelines for the clinical management of antenatal and postnatal mental health (2007) have observed the risks associated with postnatal depression. Ramchandani (2005) concurs to it and observes that the postnatal depression in fathers can have long-term consequences for the development of their child, on behavioural and emotional aspects. A study entitled The children of the 90s by Bristol University in 2008, had found that post natal d epression in fathers can have long lasting psychological effects on their children. A notable observation in this study was that the boys born to depressed fathers are twice as likely as other boys to have chances of developing behavioural problems by the age of three and a half. It is essential to look into the long term consequences posed by the problem. Ramchandani (2008) points out that the conduct problems at the age of three to four years are strongly predictive of serious conduct problems in the future, increased criminality and significantly increased societal costs. The quotes by Ramchandani points out the threats posed by the depression among the fathers of new born babies. The impact of postnatal depression can be highly detrimental to a society, as proved by the recent unfortunate happening of a depressed teacher killing her baby in Exeter, as a result of the depression. Policy drivers There have been lots of developments over the last few years in policy on the mental health and womens services (NICE, 2007). NSF for Child Health and Maternity was published in 2004 and is a 10 year programme that is aimed at the long term and sustained improvement in childrens health. Setting standards for health and social services for children, young people and pregnant women, the NSF aims to ensure fair, high quality and integrated health and social care from pregnancy to adulthood (NHS, 2007). NICE(2007) lists out the four main strands of policy relevant to antenatal and postnatal mental health as National service frameworks(NSFs), (particularly the mental health NSF,NSF for children young people and maternity services),policy to ensure equal access to responsive mental health services( especially services that meet needs of women, people from minority ethnic groups), public health policy and policy on commissioning and delivering health care and social care services in the com munity and the policy concerned with strategies for improving mental health services. The screening for postnatal depression is highly talked about in the field of psychology and medicine today. Currie and Radematcher (2004) argues that pediatric providers are aware of the prevalence of postnatal depression and its effect on new born babies. However, there have been arguments for and against screening for postnatal depression and hence the practitioners should consider them carefully (Coyne et.al, 2000). The view proposed by Chauldron et.al (2007) is that from the legal and ethical standpoints and the perspective of feasibility, the benefits of screening outweigh the risks. However, they add that, the implementation must be seen as an iterative process, and implementing the screening for post natal depression in a systematic and comprehensive approach is critical to the ultimate well-being of children and families.Basten (2009) proposes that more studies in the field of psychotherapeutic research and psychological areas are required. This is in conformance with the ob servation by De Tychey ,Briancon et.al, 2008) that the diagnostic techniques need to be improved for both caregivers and sufferers through education and the communication should be promoted, focusing on the fostering of parenting skills as a preventive measure against Post Natal Depression.(de Tychey, Brianà §on et al. 2008). One of the recent studies by Norman et.al (2010) has found out that exercise can help women in combating postnatal depression and that the specialised routines could help new mothers decrease the chances of depression by upto 50 percent. Partnership working Partnership working is a very important term in the current health and social care system in the United Kingdom. Partnership working can be defined as a system where two or more disciples work collaboratively to deliver optimal care to an individual (NHS, 2007). In the context of post natal depression partnership working refers to working in partnership with the team involved in the mother and the newborn baby, which includes pediatricians and obstetricians(Byrom et.al,2009) .Douglas(2008) points out that partnership working is recognised as the most effective way of improving social care services. Department of Health (2006) had stressed that the action to improve health and care services will be underpinned through working in partnerships between individuals, communities, business, voluntary organizations, public services and government.Butt(2008) argues that partnerships have international appeal as a means to integrate health and social services in response to the realisation tha t both sectors serve populations whose complex needs cannot be met adequately through segmented approaches. Partnership working with women having mental health problems can be a challenging task (Department of health, 2008). According to NICE (2007) the impact of partnership working is a function of a number of features of joint working and it is possible to categorise partnerships along a number of descriptive variables such as membership, structures, leadership, agendas and organisational cultures. Previous studies have shown that the working of people involved in the care of women with post natal depression, a trusting partnership can be developed between carers, patients and professionals, which will be beneficial to all. Feeney et.al (2001) had proposed that working in partnerships with families is an essential component of effective programming in the early developmental stages of children. Hence partnership working holds a very important role in the post natal period as, it would be able to relieve the emotional stress which many women go through. It was observed by NICE (2007) that developing trust and accommodating relationships within facilitating partnerships is imperative to the attainment of partnership goals, and issues of process are highly important building blocks to success.Sorin (2002) comments that there are many reasons to establish partnerships and asserts that the family is the most significant influence on the mothers post natal health as well as the childs development and well being. Sorin( 2002) adds that partnerships that develop to address fear and other emotions can work towards understanding appropriate expression of these emotions, which include learning words to describe the emotion using forms like music ,talking to others . A report on safety in maternity services published by Kings fund (2008) emphasises the significance of team work and collaboration in ensuring the safety of mothers and babies and points out that effective team work can increase safety, whereas poor teamwork can be detrimental to the safety. The report proposes several solutions to resolve the difficulties in team work. The main suggestions include ensuring clarity about the objectives of the team and roles and that there is effective leadership among the group and clarity in procedures for communication is present (Byrom et.al, 2009). It is important to look into the barriers which affect the concept of partnership working. Lester et.al(2008) comments that there are barriers to closer working in partnerships, which include cultural differences, the time factor which is required to create and maintain relationships and recognition of the advantages of remaining a small and autonomous organisation. Conclusion This essay has critically analysed the effect of the behavioural change approach intervention of postnatal depression to address the needs of women who are more at risk in the United Kingdom. Various factors which lead to postnatal depression have been explained in the essay. It can be concluded that postnatal depression is to be seriously taken care of, and that the impact of postnatal depression can have serious consequences for society. The various health promotion models have portrayed the linkages between beliefs and behavioral changes. The essay has pointed out the importance of partnership working in improving the conditions of mothers and newborn babies. Effective working in partnerships can go a long way in alleviating the concerns of the mothers and improving the mental health of the new born babies, as they play a very important role in framing the future characteristics of the new born babies. A recent study by the University of Leicester has found out that women are less likely to become depressed in the year after childbirth if they have an NHS health visitor who has undergone additional mental health training. These findings point out the fact that postnatal depression can be effectively tackled with external help. The studies about postnatal depression and the concept of partnership working have been very effective in improving the health care system in the United Kingdom and hence serve as an interesting topic for future researches in the field.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Personal Narrative - Baptism Essay -- Personal Narrative Essays

Personal Narrative - Baptism I took my first step down into the font and thought. Baptisms are funny things. The brightness of it all is profound. It seems as if there is one brilliant mirror reflecting boisterous cheer everywhere. The idea is to pack as much happiness, either real or faked, into one too-hot room in the hope that it will be absorbed into the absolutely petrified soul of the prospective individual about to be baptized. The joy was so thick that it bounced around the walls and the floor searching for something to absorb it, something to hold it in permanently. The beams certainly had many obstructions to navigate around. There were too many fat women with satiated grins made wider still by the application of inordinate amounts of heavy crimson lipstick. Hair that reached ever upward in a maddeningly vertical gyre, as if they were competing with steeples in an effort to be closer to God. Maybe they thought the preponderance of hair would be a better conduit for God. With all the glistening hair spr ay, their hair had to be a conductor for something. Maybe there was a lightning rod tucked inside the cocoon of hair. Indeed, the hair imparted a degree of luminosity to the scene. At just the right angle, the artificial light would hit the summit of hairdom and create an angelic halo around their persons. Perhaps it was one big conspiracy. Perhaps some secret Relief Society tome specifies that women should wear eye-dizzying lipstick and hair spray in proportion to their weight. That made it all so bright. The Spirit, this pure being of truth, was being artificially implanted into the baptismal font through the use of cosmetics and cover-up. The brethren ruined the conspiracy theory, or maybe they just didn't have ... ...ed her head against my chest, tucked it among the folds of my baptismal clothes, seeking the light she radiated, seeking the unproven power I wish I had. It was a power that even my grandma couldn't define, though I knew she had it. The power of tension, the power of electrons, even the power of gravity paled in comparison to the power possessed in this embarrassed but strong old woman standing at my side. I wondered why everyone didn't come to gain this power. But I already knew the answer. The truth behind this power could not be given in equations stitched on the back of a lab coat. It could not even be obtained by simply reading of its source. The power is personal to us all. It is different for everyone. My grandma found her truth and her power, and I found myself clutching frantically for the beams of light that raced joyously out of her still trembling frame.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Euthanasia Essay: The AMA and Assisted Suicide -- Euthanasia Physician

The AMA and Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide      Ã‚   The American Medical Association (AMA) has long been known for its strong views. As the issue of euthanasia, particularly doctor-assisted suicide, has come to the forefront, the AMA has taken a strong position on this controversial subject also. This time the AMA has taken a firm stand for preserving, not terminating, the life of the elderly/handicapped/depressed/mentally ill, etc. patient. This essay will explain in detail the stand of this influential group of doctors.    The AMA filed an amicus brief in the 9th Circuit case regarding doctor-assisted suicide. In this brief, the AMA stated, "There is, in short, compelling evidence of the need to ensure that all patients have access to quality palliative care, but not of any need for physician-assisted suicide ..." The AMA is keenly aware that doctors perform a crucial act of healing and saving life. Accepting a dual role of taking life, while at the same time protecting life, would undermine their credibility and the sacred trust that exists between a patient and doctor. Thus the AMA has recently announced the implementation of the Institute for Ethics. The goal of this entity within the AMA will be to educate 10% of its member doctors (estimated to be 20,000) on hospice and palliative care. Further, they believe that providing responsible alternative treatment to ending life will all but eliminate the quest for euthanasia. This aggressive new project will be headed by Linda Emanuel, Professor of Bioethics at Harvard. The two-year pilot program is funded by a 2-million-dollar grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Ironically, this foundation is also well known for aggressive pro-abortion funding. However,... ...ertaking. They are convinced that when patients are offered a reasonable alternative, they will reject euthanasia. "The other side is preying on fear and anxiety," said Dr Gomez. "When you attack that fear directly, you take the steam out of the other side's arguments."    The program is expected to be up and running in six to eight months. It will take that amount of time to train the needed speakers and get things organized. It is too early to tell if the Institute will be involved in sponsoring and promoting anti-euthanasia legislation on the state or national level. However, the Institute for Ethics plans to set the tone for the AMA whenever it speaks on this issue -- a powerful and influential voice in America's medical communities.    WORKDS CITED: AMA Institute For Ethics http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/2559.html   

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Peyronies Disease :: essays research papers

Peyronie's disease What is Peyronie's disease? Peyronie's disease is a disorder affecting the penis that can cause:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a lump within the shaft of the penis  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  pain in the shaft of the penis  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  abnormal angulation of the erect penis ('bent' penis). Not all of these features are necessarily present, but, typically, a man would first notice a tender lump in the penis, which might later be followed by bending of the penis when erect, sometimes at very odd angles. The flaccid penis is not usually deformed. It is important to remember that a degree of upward (towards the head) angulation of the erect penis is quite normal and not a feature of Peyronie's disease. Good advice Noticing a lump in the penis can be a frightening experience. Men are often concerned that they have developed a cancer. Cancer within the penile shaft is very rare indeed, while Peyronie's disease is by far the most common cause of such lumps. If you find a lump, it is important to seek prompt medical advice, but you should not be too fearful that a serious cause will be found What causes Peyronie's disease? The penis consists of basically three cylinders, covered by several sheaths of tissue and, finally, by skin. A pair of corpora cavernosa form the erectile tissue that becomes engorged with blood during erection, acting like the inner tube of a tyre. They are surrounded by the tunica albuginea, a tough, inelastic, fibrous sheath, which might be compared with the tyre itself. When the penis becomes erect, the inner tubes (corpora cavernosa) inflate, filling the space within the tyre (tunica albugenia), making it more rigid. In Peyronie's disease, tough, fibrous plaques spontaneously appear within the tunica albugenia, and are felt as tender lumps. When the penis becomes erect, it inflates unevenly and tends to bend around the plaque, causing the characteristic deformed appearance of Peyronie's disease. Experts are not certain why some men get Peyronie's disease and others do not. Several factors might be involved, including:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  genetics: occasionally the disease has a tendency to run in certain families (inherited or genetic predisposition), but this is not common.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  injury: Peyronie's disease is more common after injury to the penis, such as penile fracture or forceful bending of the erect penis. It also occurs more frequently in men that give injections into the penis for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (impotence).  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  circulatory disorders: more men with Peyronie's disease seem to be affected by high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), so these conditions might possibly be involved in its development.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Regarding Maternal Deprivation Essay

1) Give an understanding of your feelings regarding maternal deprivation. â€Å"Maternal depravation† has been used to describe a whole range of situations in which the infant is deprived of his/her relationship with its mother/ primary carer. Bowlby’s theory of â€Å"Maternal depravation† was founded on the hypothesis, that if a child is detached on a physical and emotional level from its primary carer that this will have long term effects emotionally for that child. According to Bowlby this detachment will see an increase in disruptive and defiant behaviour as well as a detachment between themselves and their children in the future. Bowlby even goes as far as to suggest that the affected child could possibly grow into an affectionless psychopath lacking and social conscience. Bowlby based his research on a group of children who had been referred to his clinic for stealing (Juvenile thieves). Bowlby found that 32% of them were indeed lacking any conscious understanding or empathy towards the society in which they inhabited and were a part of. 86% apparently had indeed experienced early separation (if only for a week before the age of five). And in contrast only 17% of these children had not been deprived during their early years. On this basis Bowlby claimed that maternal depravation would have the following consequences on the child:- * emotionally and physically aggressiveness, * Depression, * Delinquency, * Dependency anxiety (clinging), * Dwarfism (retarded growth), * Affectionless psychopath (showing no feelings for others), * Intellectual retardation and, * Social maladjustment. Maternal Deprivation has always been an emotive subject giving rise to extremes of opinion, for example, in 1951 Bowlby concluded that â€Å"..Mother love in infancy and childhood is as important for mental health as are vitamins and proteins for physical health† however at the other end of the scale Casler (1968) concludes â€Å"The human organism does not need maternal love in order to function normally.† Klaus and Kennell (1976) found that if  a separation occurs during the first 4 hours after delivery it is infact the mother who may fail to establish a bond with her baby. Evidence has been provided (Freud and Dann) to show that it is not necessarily the formation of a bond with just the mother that is so vital, they conducted a study of 6 children who were orphaned by Nazi persecution and raised together. All of these children made strong bonds with each other in the absence of a parental figure, all these children were under the age of 5 when the study began, Moskovitz (1985) then carried out a follow up of these 6 children and he found that in middle age two of them were happily married, successful, charming with warm personalities, the third was very insecure and suffered from depression, and the fourth had not adapted at all and was still preoccupied with the insecurities and privations of childhood, these findings contradict Bowlby’s theory that children who suffer maternal deprivation go on to have affectionless psychopathy. Spitz (1945) studied children who had been hospitalised long term, where the child is separated from their parents and the home environment he said that children in this situation frequently showed apathy, slow development and general depression and he concluded that environmental circumstances experienced by children who are separated from their mother will undoubtedly make a major difference to the infants emotional reactions. He also concluded that ample toys and play facilities were vital on the grounds that boredom leads to distress. Rheingold and Samuels (1963) investigated 10 month old hospitalized infants and found that that child who’s mothers stayed with them but didn’t provide toys for the child to play with led to the child being fussy and they fretted more than those children who had both toys and their mother present. Goldfarb (1943) found that children raised in institutions were often retarded intellectually and linguistically, he conducted a study of thirty children who had all been removed from their natural parents at a few months of age, half of these were raised in a foster home and half in an institution, when the children were between the age of 10 and 14 he discovered that the children who were institutionalised were significantly more retarded developmentally, but he didn’t take into account the level of stimulation these children had received nor did he consider why those children were adopted and some were not- maybe they were already ‘different’ at the start of the study. Tizard and Rees (1974) studied a group of 4 year  old children and concluded that with a good staff-child ratio together with a general provision of toys, books and outings this will promote an average level of development at 4 years of age when there is no close or continuous mother relationship. They suggested that children who are not often talked to or read to and are not given a variety of stimulation tend to be retarded whatever the social setting. However when they followed the development of a group of these children who were adopted from the residential nursery between the ages of 2 and 7 they did demonstrate some problems but by the age of 8, although the majority of them had well above average IQ’s half of them were experiencing problems at school, such as being unpopular, restless, quarrelsome and attention seeking. By the age of 16 however their relationships with their adopted parents was still good the problem lay with their peer relationships and the children were generally more anxious. They concluded that there did appear to be continuing effects of early maternal deprivation however these were different from those which Bowlby predicted. Bowlby was criticised for the research he did and the claims he made. Criticisms such as 1) the adverse effects of separation are due to a variety of causes, not just maternal deprivation. 2) Linguistic and intellectual retardation is more likely to be the result of lack of linguistic and environmental stimulation rather than a breakdown in the mother-child relationship 3) the mother child relationship is not unique. Many forms of research have been carried out based on different situations, children who spent their childhood in care, children in institutions, children who required hospital treatment at a young age, children separated from their mothers and indeed children who remained with their mothers but didn’t receive appropriate amounts of stimulation, and the effect these different situations had on children with regard to maternal deprivation. While evidence shows that some children who are believed to have suffered some form of maternal deprivation have gone on to have successful happy lives later on, whereas others have shown to have problematic relationships or psychological problems later on in life. It is always good to remember that before making any generalisations that  there is a definite relationship between early separations and later antisocial behaviour it is essential to consider the causes of the original separation. There are a much larger percentage of children who are separated from their parents due to family discord showing later antisocial behaviour than those separated due to physical illness. Bowlby indicated that children had an inbuilt tendency to form just one major attachment which is different in kind to that of other relationships they form however when children suffer maternal deprivation they are rarely deprived only of their relationship with their mother. There are always many different factors involved. It is a mixture of different factors and different circumstances which leads to such varying results.

Monday, September 16, 2019

ICAS Report Planning Template Essay

ABC Ltd supplies a complete range of carpets and furniture to the general public. ABC Ltd has over 75 nationwide high street shops in all major UK cities and many large towns. ABC Ltd also has a 24/7 online shop which is on the head office site in Aberdeen. Over the past seven years the company has grown steadily and now has revenue of over  £29 million. It employs around 400 full-time staff. Who are the businesses major stakeholders (internal and external) and why? Major stakeholders of the business could be anyone who has an interest in the business. The business is the sole supplier of a range of furniture. The relationship with this supplier is crucial to the success of the business due to the competitive advantage that it offers ABC. Accounts Department (PIC 1.1, 1.4) How big is the Accounts department? What is the purpose of the accounting function? What type of organisational structure is there? Where does the accounts department get its information from? How does the accounts  department inter-relate with other departments within the business? At ABC Ltd the accounts department consists of the Finance Director, Company Accountant, General Ledger and Inventory Clerk, Accounts Payable Clerk, accounts receivable clerk, costing technician As well as payroll and personnel database clerk. The departments deal with the payments of invoices, comparing them to the   purchase orders and the stock receipts. They also monitor the stock and requirement for purchase orders. The department is also responsible for the credit control function, monitoring customers and the payment of the staff wages. In order to carry out these roles Accounts are forced to interact with the whole of the organisation to gather information. ABC use an account spackage which is fully integrated with the rest of the business software. The use an Enterprise Management System called PRONTO. This software allows for multi user access which can be restricted based on job roles. Non accounts users can see, but not change essential financial data, such as supplier and customer balances. Describe (in relation to the organisation) the 3 main financial statements – Income statement, SOFP and Statement of Cashflow. (PIC   What do they show? Who uses them? What decisions are made based on them? Income Statement SOFP Statement of Cashflow Income statements illustrate ABC Ltd profit or loss over a certain periods of time. The income statement records all revenue, losses and operating expenses for the business. The IS can be used to show profitability of the  company. Income statements are used by stakeholders, company accountants, financial directors and  managing directors. The income statements compared with other income statements within ABC Ltd over a period of time or  companies within the same sector will be able to determine the operating performance of ABC Ltd. Managers and the company accountant may be able to find out what areas of the business are over budget or under budget and make necessary changes. Statements of Financial Position (SOFP) illustrate a snap shot of the business financial condition. The SOFP includes the assets and liabilities of ABC Ltd. This is ia good indicator of the liquidity of the business. This statement will again be used by stakeholders, company accountants, financial directors and managing directors. Managers and the company accountant may be able to quickly get a handle on the financial strength and capabilities of the business, it’s also demonstrates if ABC ’s assets is enough to cover its liabilities, how liquid its assets are if ABC was to declare bankruptcy, if the business is in a position to expand etc. Statements of Cash flow illustrate the amount of cash generated and used by the business in a given period of time. Again this gives an indication of liquidity and working capital management. This statement will again be used by stakeholders, company  accountants, financial directors and managing directors. Managers   and the company accountant may be able to determine whether the business has enough cash to cover payroll and other immediate expenses or liabilities, as well as allow potential lenders to decide whether or not ABC Ltd is able to pay of its liabilities. What accounting regulations cover the preparation of the above financial statements? (PIC 2.1) In the UK, financial statements are governed by UKGAAP (UK Generally Accepted  Accounting Principles). They are also governed by the Companies Act What other accounting regulations and industry specific regulations does the company have to comply with? Does the company have to deal with Money-Laundering regulations? Does the company come under Sarbanes-Oxley? (PIC 2.1) The company also has to comply with the data protection act as they hold customer and staff information. Non compliance with this act can have severe financial and reputational implications. They are also required to comply with any rules set out by HMRC when paying employees and also calculating the tax liability of the business. The company does not have to comply with Sarbanes Oxley as this only affects companies registered with the New York Stock Exchange When the company has to deal with a change to the above regulations how does it organise this? In what way are system users affected by the change How do they get to find out about the change? (PIC 1.5) The Finance manger and HR manager monitor all regulations and alert the business when changes are made that will affect how the business operates. Changes are implemented by ensuring all staff are made aware of the change via internal communication methods. If need be employees are trained to ensure they fully understand the changes taking place.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

C. Wright Mills and His Understanding of the Cold War/Wwiii

Yunlong Li November 11, 2012 C. Wright Mills and His Understanding of the Cold War/WWIII Authors and historians have attempted to understand what caused and perpetuated the Cold War for decades. Although it is not a simple answer with simple component reasons, this brief essay will seek to explain to the reader a few of the main reasons why the Cold War transpired as it did and what mechanisms kept it going. As a means of understanding the Cold War, the author of the essay has reviewed the writings of C.Wright Mill with relation to this topic as well as various other authors who have been cited and referenced in the below analysis. Before delving into the subject matter and trying to understand what caused and perpetuated the Cold War, it is worth first pointing out some of the factually incorrect information that surrounds many common approaches to the Cold War. The first, and perhaps most prominent of these faulty points of view, is that the Cold War was thrust upon the United Stat es by a dangerous and overly aggressive Soviet Union after the conclusion of World War II.This view is faulty due to the fact that both superpowers that emerged after the Second World War were inherently distrustful of the other. Furthermore, it can be seen that the power structure that emerged put both actors on a collision course with respect to the fact that the economic systems championed by both the United States and the Soviet Union were inherently against one another.As such, it can be understood as a self-fulfilling prophecy that both sides would come into conflict with each other (Goertzel 243). In this way, it can be understood that it was not either necessarily the fact that the United States or the Soviet Union was actively aggressive that ensured that the two powers would come at odds with one another; rather it was their inherent differences in political systems, ideology, economics, and the fact that they were both superpowers intent on dominating the world system.Per haps the most interesting idea that Mills put forward was the idea of what ultimately kept the peace between the United States and the Soviet Union during periods of extreme pressure and stress that occurred during the Cold War. Mills claimed that a hierarchy of power elite were the true actors behind the scenes that worked to ensure a full confrontation between the two superpowers would never translate into an actuality (Marino 29). These power elite†, as Mills called them, were the executive branch (president of the United States), top Pentagon military leaders, and the corporate rich. Although this view definitely bears some truth, the fact of the matter is that such an oversimplification does not factor in to account the key players in the Soviet Union that also sought to keep the conflict from coming to a head to head confrontation. Mills goes on to state that one of the largest reasons that would precipitate World War III would be the fact that both sides were in such a dire state of preparedness for such a conflict.This particular view is interesting due to the fact that many authors have listed this preparation as one of the reasons that the two sides did not actually come to blows (Warner 174). Although hindsight is of course perfect, Mills seemed to believe that the process of preparing for such a conflict would mean that the two sides would be left with a type of self-fulfilling prophecy as well as a broad range of advanced weaponry which would guarantee that the two would come to blows in the form of a Third World War.More specifically, Mills saw the advent of new weapons systems and the way in which the military industrial complex continued to push for an escalation in the conflict as proof positive that the momentum for all out war was definitely evident. Many authors claim that Mills particular view of the way in which the Soviet Union and the United States would come into conflict as a result of the tensions created by the factors that ha ve been listed was not the result of the fact that he truly believed this to be true but due to the fact that he was attempting to agitate political change within the United States.Mills, although a prolific writer and well known intellectual, was also a member of the movement known as the â€Å"New Left†. This particular movement subscribed to the view that the military and key elements of the power elite had entirely too much power over the way in which policy decisions were being made and the common man/electorate was less and less important in determining the future of the nation.Accordingly, authors have attempted to show that rather than showing his true position on the Cold War and what might occur as a result of the political actions that were taking place at the time, Mills instead sought to create a movement for change within the current political structure by engaging academics and intellectuals in realizing that the current course could only lead to conflict and d estruction of all systems equally.Yet another alternate view states that the true allure and appeal of the Cold War was a solidifying effect for American and Soviet leaders. As they were able to present to their people and electorates that an existential threat existed outside of their own system, they were able to elicit levels of patriotism, belief, and economic efficiency/utility that would not have otherwise been able to be realized (Saull 1124).As a result of the fact that the leadership of both systems recognized and valued the importance that such a bi-polar view of the world effected on their populations, both sides were no doubt at least partially interested in keeping up the appearance of sudden confrontation as a means to manage their people and direct the overall efficiency of their economies. All of the guess work and alternate theories deserve their place; however, just because the theories of MAD and the deterrence that other strategic decisions that were made by both sides encouraged more level heads to prevail during this chilled conflict.Merely due to the fact that a theory is old and has been tested and measured thousands of times does not require that a new theory should be put in its place (Roberts 1476). Accordingly, although many of Mills points bear analysis, it would be premature and reckless to put these theories in place of the time-tested and proven theories that have for so long helped to define the logic of why the United States and Soviet Union were able to keep the peace between themselves during the turbulent years surrounding the Cold War.What is important to understand from the preceding analysis is not whether C Wright Mills or any other theorists were correct; rather, understanding the different ways that these theorists and philosophers/political intellectuals saw the interplay between these superpowers and the subsequent conflict or lack of conflict it predicted helps the researcher to both understand and appreciate the d iffering levels of thought that helped to nuance and develop our current understanding of the conflict surrounding the Cold War.In this way, trying to prove or disprove C Wright Mill’s views with relation to whether or not he was ultimately correct in the way he categorized and defined unique developments between these two superpowers becomes of secondary importance to attempting to understanding the causal historical factors that helped to develop the world view he works to give to the reader. Works Cited Goertzel, Ted G. â€Å"The Causes Of World War III: Thirty Years Later. † Sociological Forum 4. 2 (1989): 241. Academic Search Complete.Web. 7 Nov. 2012. Marino, Noel. The arms trade. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Roberts, Geoffrey. â€Å"The Cold War As History. † International Affairs 87. 6 (2011): 1475-1484. Academic Search Complete. Web. 7 Nov. 2012. Saull, Richard. â€Å"Social Conflict And The Global Cold War. † International Affairs 87. 5 (201 1): 1123-1140. Academic Search Complete. Web. 7 Nov. 2012. Warner, Geoffrey. â€Å"The Cold War In Retrospect. † International Affairs 87. 1 (2011): 173-184. Academic Search Complete. Web. 7 Nov. 2012.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Informative Speech Outline, Children and Violence Essay

General Purpose/ Goal: To inform. Specific Goal: I want my audience to know more about TV violence and children’s exposure to it. Thesis Statement: My informative speech is going to inform you about the definition of violence, how the media rates violence, and children’s exposure to media violence. Organizational Pattern: Topical INTRODUCTION I. Mahatma Gandhi said, â€Å"An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.† II. Today I am going to inform you about the issues of TV violence and the impact of the contents’ exposure to children. III. I am not a parent myself; however this issue should be of concern to each and every one of you because children are our future and we should do what we can to keep our futures looking bright. IV. From the definition of violence, how the media rates violence, and children’s exposure to media violence. (Transition: With that being said, let me tell you about what the definition of violence is and what is considered to be violent.) BODY I. What is considered to be violent can vary greatly, depending on the people you address. A.As stated in the Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, violence is defined as, â€Å"an exertion of physical force so as to injure or abuse (as in warfare effecting illegal entry into a house)† and/or, â€Å"an instance of violent treatment or procedure†. B. According to law.yourdictionary.com, violence is defined as, â€Å"the use of physical force, especially physical force utilized with malice and/or the attempt to harm someone.† C. Both of these definitions are pretty similar, basically meaning violence is anything involving the use of physical force to cause harm to others. 1. Violence can be anything from punching someone in the face to something more severe, such as stabbing someone with a knife and killing them. 2.Law enforcement punishes people that act violently and the severity of the punishment depends on the age of the criminal and the type of violence committed. (Transition: With that knowledge of what violence is, let me inform you of how the media rates violence.) II. The media has a general guideline for the suitability of shows for different age groups. A.Television shows have audience ratings, designed to help indicate which audience the TV program is appropriate for. 1.TV-Y, which is appropriate for all children, targeting children from ages 2-6 yrs. Old. 2.TV-Y7, directed to older children. Ages 7yrs. old and up. 3.TV-G, general audience. 4.TV-PG, parental guidance suggested. May contain material that parents may find unsuitable for younger children. Including moderate violence, some sexual situations, infrequent coarse language, or some suggestive dialogue. 5.TV-14, parents strongly cautioned. Ages 14 yrs. and up. To include: intense violence, intense sexual situations, strong coarse language, or intensely suggestive dialogue. 6.TV-MA, mature audience only. Unsuitable for children under 17. Contains graphic violence, explicit sexual activity, or crude indecent language. B.Even though there are warnings for the material that you are about to view on the TV, these warnings don’t physically stop you from watching the content that isn’t appropriate for your age group. (Transition: Now that you see the relationship between media and violence, let’s talk about my last main point, which is children’s exposure to media violence.) III. With the media increasing the amount of violent shows aired, children are becoming more exposed to the content. A. The media doesn’t necessarily target children as their main audience, but children nowadays do have more access to exposure of it on TV, whether it is due to the lack of parents monitoring what children watch or the mere public airing of it. B.According to the American Academy of Pediatrics website, â€Å"they found that children’s shows had the most violence of all television programming and that statistics read that some cartoons average twenty acts of violence in one hour, and by the age of eighteen children will have seen 16,000 simulated murders and 200,000 acts of violence on television.† 1.The American Academy of Pediatrics website also says that, â€Å" Television programs display 812 violent acts per hour; children’s programming, particularly cartoons, displays up to 20 violent acts hourly. C.The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry says that, â€Å"hundreds of studies of the effects of TV violence on children and teenagers have found that children may: become â€Å"immune† or numb to the horror of violence, gradually accept violence as a way to solve problems, imitate the violence they observe on television; and identify with certain characters, victims and/or victimizers.† D.Professor Craig Anderson testified before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee hearing in 2004, stating three effects of exposure to media violence, â€Å"short-term effects: aggression increases immediately after viewing a violent TV show or movie, and it lasts for at least 20 minutes. Long term effects: children who watch a lot of violent shows become more violent as adults than they would have become had they not been exposed to so much TV and movie violence. Long-term and short-term effects occur to both boys and girls.† CONCLUSION I. In conclusion II. I have told you about the definition of violence, how the media uses violence for entertainment, and about children’s exposure to TV violence. III. Please take this information to heart, when you’re sitting down on your lazy boy recliner after work and trying to choose something to watch on TV. IV. So I ask you, is your eye really worth the violence? Works Cited â€Å"ACT Against Violence : Media Violence & Children : At Home.† Adults and Children Together Against Violence Web Site. N.p., 2013. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. . Adams, Nicole. â€Å"How Tv Violence Affects Kids | LIVESTRONG.COM.†LIVESTRONG.COM – Lose Weight & Get Fit with Diet, Nutrition & Fitness Tools | LIVESTRONG.COM. N.p., 20 July 2012. Web. 19 Feb. 2013. . â€Å"Children and TV Violence.† American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. N.p., Nov. 2002. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. . â€Å"Media Violence and Children’s Play.† Sacramento City College. Child Action, Inc, n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2013. . â€Å"Media Violence, Sex Threaten Kids, Pediatricians Say – ABC

Friday, September 13, 2019

Sampleing Under Pressure Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sampleing Under Pressure - Assignment Example A simple randomized sampling strategy was used to provide an estimate of the total number of species inhabiting the ecosystem. Table 1 below shows the summary of the number of species discovered from the forest and their exact population in the sample areas. According to this data, the total number of species identified is 42 % lower than the expected number, which is 42, according to the lab manual. The data also shows that more than a half of the total number of species discovered has a population of greater than three in the whole sampling area. This low frequency number may be accounted by the nature of sampling strategy used, which aimed at getting a diverse and species rich data. To provide an estimated number of the species present in the habitat a cumulative number of new species discovered in each sample was recorded. This cumulative number was plotted against the number of samples as shown in figure 1 below. The slope of the graph shows an increasing number of new species discovered with an increase in the number of the samples collected. This association is not observed after the tenth sample where further increase in the number of samples has insignificant effect on the number of new species found. This is perhaps at this point the number of new species is nearly exhausted. A general rule to determine the total number of species can be formulated from the shape of the plot. For instance, the total number of species can be determined by taking ten samples, doubling the cumulative number of new species and subtracting 10 (the number of samples taken). This rule however, has an error margin of 4.7 percent and still needs further validation. When applied in this lab, the rule gives an estimated number of 40 species, which is relatively closer to the exact number of species in the habitat. There are several sampling schemes that can be used to collect data in different case studies of this nature. For

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Scientific Taxonomy and Earths Biodiversity Paper Essay

Scientific Taxonomy and Earths Biodiversity Paper - Essay Example Bees produce honey from the nectar that they collect from flowers, which they store and return to the hive. Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus): A North American butterfly which has also been found in both New Zealand and Australia. It has a wingspan of between three and four inches and has a distinct pattern of orange and black on its wings. Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus): A species of hummingbird that is present throughout North America, it is small around three inches in length and has a straight bill. Like other species of hummingbird, the birds hover as they collect nectar from flowers a unique feature among birds. Melon Sea Urchin (Echinus melo): Small, globular marine animals that are covered in spines, growing up to seven inches in diameter. They feed on algae and are predated upon by other marine animals such as sea otters and eels. Ochre Sea Star (Pisaster ochraceus): A purple starfish that has become widely known in scientific literature because of its proposed role as a keystone species . It is common in the Pacific Ocean and has five rays, which range from four to ten inches in length. The kingdom Animalia is one of six kingdoms of life that include every living organism. It is part of an overall classification system that defines life in terms of evolutionary history. Organisms that fall into the animal kingdom share the characteristics of having eukaryotic cells which contain discrete organelles, and the animals are multi-cellular and do not have a cell wall. In general most animals, and all listed here, are able to move and require organic material in order to survive. Most use sperm and egg cells in order to reproduce . The cheetah is a feline (family Felidae), while the red fox is canine (family Canidae). The red fox is a common species, and is considered a threat to many native species, while the cheetah