Cognitive Development As A Young Person As They Reach Puberty

Cognitive Development in Adolescents Adolescence is a time when individuals go through many changes. These changes occur in the bodies and brains of the teen. The order of pubertal maturation is similar among most people. But the timing is different in some, if not all individuals. Studies have been conducted on the stages of maturation in young people. These studies range from one, which showed no signs of development, to 5 which showed full signs of development (Mendle, Harden, Brooks-Gunn, Graber, 2010). When a child reaches adolescence not only does their body change, but their brain does as well. These new changes mixed with the environment can cause some alterations in emotions and cognition (Steinberg, 2010). The adolescents†¦show more content†¦When a child hits puberty their brain starts thinking differently then when they were younger (Elkind, 1967). They are now able to conceive their own thoughts. With these newly developed notions they are able to reason more accurately (Elkind, 1967). Another a spect that comes with the maturation of the brain, is the new awareness for the thoughts of not only themselves but others (Elkind, 1967). Although this is a new found perspective of thinking for teens, they are still not able to discern what others are thinking and their own mental preoccupations. (Elkind, 1967). In other words, he/she thinks that others are just as interested in his or her appearance and behavior as they are. This is the egocentrism that is faced during puberty (Elkind, 1967). Prefrontal Cortex and Limbic System: Additionally, during puberty the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system are also developing ( B.J., Getz, Galvan, 2008). The prefrontal cortex, the more rational side of the brain, is still immature in the adolescent’s brain. Whereas the limbic system, the more pleasure seeking side of the brain, is being used to make decisions by most teens (Steinberg, 2010). It has been suggested that the rate of adolescent risk taking is very high (Steinberg, 2008). The changes that transpire in the prefrontal cortex, put young people at a higher risk of reckless behavior (Steinberg, 2008). During middle adolescence (ages 14-17) risky behavior is

Tristan Gonzales Free Essays

Gonzales#l Integrity is â€Å"the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness† (Google Definitions). The first person that comes to mind when I hear the word integrity is Nick Carraway from the movie and the novel â€Å"the Great Gatsby’. Nick Carraway is Gatsbys Lovers brother and Gatsbys best friend, he is also the narrator. We will write a custom essay sample on Tristan Gonzales or any similar topic only for you Order Now Nick shows honesty, moral principles, and moral uprightness throughout the ntire book. Nick Carraway as a narrator is honest and reliable because he explains all the Judgments from characters in general and is unbiased in doing so, he presents original plots or conversations does not scrutinize them and leaves them to the readers to decide, and these good qualities of Nick can be described by comparing others corruption in the book, such as Tom Buchanan, Gatsbys lover’s wife. Nick accepted the good parenting in his younger age, which helps him to be a decent person afterwards. It can be proved in the book where Nick’s father told him: â€Å"Whenever you feel like criticizing someone, Just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had all of the advantages you’ve had. â€Å"( Fitzgerald,l) this advice, which he has been turning over in his head ever since tells us that he is honest for the fact thathe does not Judge people without getting to know them first. Gonzales #2 Nick has high morality and decency while others do not. For example, â€Å"l was one of few guests who had actually been invited. People were not invited-they went there. † (F. Scott Fitzgerald, 43) Majority went there without an invitation. It shows those people have low morality and are dishonest. In the book Gatsby asks nick to go and tell daisy to meet him for lunch after he tells the story of him and daisy and what occurred with their relationship. He agrees to this gesture because he feels that tom Buchanan is an unfaithful husband and he has witnessed first hand of his affairs. He knows what he is doing is for the best and is looking out for daisy in more ways than ne. These reasons for Nicks integrity that I have stated are only the ones that truly stuck out to me on the contrary though if I re read the book I’m confident that I could conjure up 100 more reasons why he has integrity. In every chapter of the book he is in a circumstance where he must make the right choice, and he never fails to make that choice. In the third chapter atter meeting a lot ot the main characters Nick states â€Å"l am one of the few honest people that I have ever known†( Fitzgerald,54). And I agree with this quote completely. How to cite Tristan Gonzales, Papers

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Mental Disorder-myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theCognitive Behavioural Therapy for Mental Disorder. Answer: Background of the patient: The client in the case study is called James. He is a thin guy without any mentioned physical or mental disorder. However behavioural issues had been depicted by the client himself. He lives a happy family life with his wife and three children. They have financial stability as both are working. James work in a music company and his wife acts as registered nurse. Both have been in a stable relationship from the time of school and maintain a comfortable life in each others presence. However, most of the work in maintaining a proper social life is conducted by Jamess wife as he is not comfortable in socialising with people. He states that he lacks the courage to communicate with someone new in his daily life. He faces anxiety when any responsibilities on him regarding communication of performing any social duties arise. Her wife is very helpful and therefore she does all the social duties of the family without pressuring him or blaming him. He was working in small locally owned music st ore where few members worked previously and he developed bonding with them. He was comfortable with the slow pace of work and the warm relationships shared by all. However the company has been now taken over by national music Chain Company and work culture has changed. The fast paced work culture had become difficult for him to handle as it has exposed him to a wide number of customers with whom he needs to talk properly. From the childhood, his behaviour had not affected him much as he had been able to establish his career and a married life. However coming to this age, the problems of his shyness and inability talk at social level had aroused tension in him as he fears to lose his financial strength and also fears the embarrassments he has to go onwards from now on. Details of the problems and formulation: From the evaluation of the symptoms of the patients, the client is diagnosed to be suffering from social anxiety disorder. Dating back to childhood, it can be stated that he had suffered from selective mutism which is one of the forms of social anxiety disorders. As a phobia or communication, a child or an adult with this disorder in front of an individual person or a group of people is unable to speak properly although he has idea about what needs to be spoken to them (Lischenring et al., 2013). In simple words, they are fully capable of speaking but cannot speak in certain situations as they fear or become anxious before initiating the speech. It usually begins form the age of 2.7 to 4.1 years of age which is long before the mean age of social anxiety disorder arises. It gradually becomes apparent when the child enters a communal environment outside the family home for first time (Goldin et al., 2014). If not treated, it continues even to adulthood disrupting the development of qua lity life. Researchers over the years have identified the main causes of the disorder. Different trauma in childhood, minimal brain dysfunction or neuropsychological social cue processing disorder may be a cause. However no such cases are reported for him (Lischenring et al., 2013). The main causes which align with James upbringing is particular parent profile and parent-child relationship. As both the members have been reserved and his father was shy, he had adopted the traits in his cognitive development as researchers state that children pick up traits and characters form parents in their early life as they spend most of the time with them during their cognitive phase of development (Goldin et al., 2014. Until these days, his wife had done most of the work on the social front and therefore his symptoms of social anxiety disorder did not affect his life. He also could not make friends due to his issues of shyness and anxiety to speak to new people. However these are now affecting his professional life and he needs to handle the symptoms effectively. He has always escaped the situations of social communication as his wife had been proactive and considerate of his issues. However in the professional front, he needs to communicate with customers effectively to maintain sales and customer satisfaction. Therefore he has come to consultation centre. The different triggers which have been identified for the client are being introduced to other people (Handling new customers and also making new friends), having to say something in a formal as well as public situation (Like arranging and hosting social gathering), meeting people in authority (like in case of handling parent-teachers meeting in school for his children). Other triggers include feeling insecure and out of place in social situations and also getting embarrassed easily. Moreover others noticed were not meeting eyes and also making phone calls and others. All these need to be handled effectively to make hi m overcome the barriers. Treatment plan: Evidence based journals are of the opinion that cognitive development therapy has proved to be exceptionally beneficial for handling social anxiety disorders. After the completion of this therapy, people have been seen to suffer no longer from fear and anxiety before social communications. Appropriate therapy has been found to be successful in modifying peoples thoughts, feelings, behaviour as well as beliefs (Craske et al., 2014). While developing the treatment plan, the expert should be helping the client to identify the anxious thoughts which are contributing to the mute behaviour. He should be introducing strategies which would help him to be aware of his thoughts (Kocovskil et al. 2013). The strategies should be including recognizing his body symptoms of anxiety and identifying and challenging maladaptive beliefs. Moreover a coping plan would be developed which would help him to tackle his levels of distress (Mansson et al., 2015). Feelings of embarrassment, thinking himself to be incapable, feeling insecure are mainly results of anxiety and feelings of worry and these should be made to understand to the client. James would be taught new information through encouragement about his social skills, his inner powers, his capability to socialise well and empowering him with positive thoughts. James need to taken in what is taught to him by practicing them in homes and other social circles by means of continuous repetition. He would then be registering the new learning in his brain over and over again until it becomes automatic and habitual (Barlow et al., 2016). When James would have learnt properly, he would be able to think, act and feel differently. However this would take persistence, patience as well as practice. However the expert should mainly pay importance to the fact that the client remains adhered with the fact and make it a habit in his life to attain successful modifications of the behaviour. Proposed treatment plan: The treatment plan which should be followed by the expert for treatment of the client would be according to the Heimberg model. This would mainly comprise of 15 sessions with 60 minutes duration for each session. It would also comprise of 90 minutes of 1 session for the exposure. This treatment would require 4 months and would incorporate several important phases. The first phase is called the education about social anxiety. However, before that the expert should be sure that he has the ability to integrate the main elements of the interventions like exposure as well as cognitive restructuring (Bogels et al., 2014). He should make sure that he implements treatment in a manner which would not only be structured but also responsive to the needs of the client. In the first few sessions, the client needs to develop the ability to conceptualise his own social anxiety in the context of the model involving the primacy of cognition as well as negative consequences of avoidance and habituatio n. This would be completed in first two to three sessions of 60 minutes. The nest would be the establishing the hierarchy of feared situations. Here the client would develop the ability to help the client in constructing the hierarchy of feared and avoided social situations. With the help of the expert, he would rank them accordingly to establish the rate of degree or fear associated with it (Hedman et al., 2014). This would require 3 more sessions. The third phase would be the self monitoring phase where the client would be developing the ability to self monitor their anxiety and mood and thereby trying to troubleshoot any potential barriers. He should be doing this in his homework and it would require 2 sessions to confirm his adherence with the treatment model. The fourth is the step called cognitive restructuring which would require the expert to offer him illustrative examples stating the fact that they are not the events which are creating anxiety but are the interpretations o f the events which are doing so. Experts should also appraise the validity of the clients thoughts rather than considering them as wrong (Dagoo et al., 2014). He would also help the clients to make connections between the emotions, behavioural and physiological reactions and help him to challenge the automatic thoughts. The fifth step would be exposure of the client to real life situations and debriefing after exposure ensuring that all the perceptions of the clients have been explored and thereby providing feedback. This would require 2 sessions of 90 minutes. The last three of four therapies would mainly address the core beliefs which would help them to maintain their social anxiety properly in nature. One more 90 minutes session would be important to assure the overall progress of the effect of the treatments and to make further treatment based measures and discuss the issue of relapse (ElAlaqui et al., 2015). This also helps James to employ skills which he has learned, after tre atment ends. References: Barlow, D. H., Allen, L. B., Choate, M. L. (2016). Toward a Unified Treatment for Emotional DisordersRepublished Article.Behavior therapy,47(6), 838-853. Bgels, S. M., Wijts, P., Oort, F. J., Sallaerts, S. J. (2014). Psychodynamic psychotherapy versus cognitive behavior therapy for social anxiety disorder: an efficacy and partial effectiveness trial.Depression and anxiety,31(5), 363-373. Craske, M. G., Niles, A. N., Burklund, L. J., Wolitzky-Taylor, K. B., Vilardaga, J. C. P., Arch, J. J., ... Lieberman, M. D. (2014). Randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy for social phobia: outcomes and moderators.Journal of consulting and clinical psychology,82(6), 1034. Dag, J., Asplund, R. P., Bsenko, H. A., Hjerling, S., Holmberg, A., Westh, S., ... Andersson, G. (2014). Cognitive behavior therapy versus interpersonal psychotherapy for social anxiety disorder delivered via smartphone and computer: A randomized controlled trial.Journal of anxiety disorders,28(4), 410-417. El Alaoui, S., Hedman, E., Kaldo, V., Hesser, H., Kraepelien, M., Andersson, E., ... Lindefors, N. (2015). Effectiveness of Internet-based cognitivebehavior therapy for social anxiety disorder in clinical psychiatry.Journal of consulting and clinical psychology,83(5), 902 Goldin, P. R., Ziv, M., Jazaieri, H., Hahn, K., Heimberg, R., Gross, J. J. (2013). Impact of cognitive behavioral therapy for social anxiety disorder on the neural dynamics of cognitive reappraisal of negative self-beliefs: randomized clinical trial.JAMA psychiatry,70(10), 1048-1056. Goldin, P. R., Ziv, M., Jazaieri, H., Weeks, J., Heimberg, R. G., Gross, J. J. (2014). Impact of cognitive-behavioral therapy for social anxiety disorder on the neural bases of emotional reactivity to and regulation of social evaluation.Behaviour research and therapy,62, 97-106. Hedman, E., El Alaoui, S., Lindefors, N., Andersson, E., Rck, C., Ghaderi, A., ... Ljtsson, B. (2014). Clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of Internet-vs. group-based cognitive behavior therapy for social anxiety disorder: 4-year follow-up of a randomized trial.Behaviour research and therapy,59, 20-29. Kocovski, N. L., Fleming, J. E., Hawley, L. L., Huta, V., Antony, M. M. (2013). Mindfulness and acceptance-based group therapy versus traditional cognitive behavioral group therapy for social anxiety disorder: A randomized controlled trial.Behaviour research and therapy,51(12), 889-898. Leichsenring, F., Salzer, S., Beutel, M. E., Herpertz, S., Hiller, W., Hoyer, J., ... Ritter, V. (2013). Psychodynamic therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy in social anxiety disorder: a multicenter randomized controlled trial.American Journal of Psychiatry,170(7), 759-767. Leichsenring, F., Salzer, S., Beutel, M. E., Herpertz, S., Hiller, W., Hoyer, J., ... Ritter, V. (2014). Long-term outcome of psychodynamic therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy in social anxiety disorder.American Journal of Psychiatry,171(10), 1074-1082. Mnsson, K. N., Frick, A., Boraxbekk, C. J., Marquand, A. F., Williams, S. C. R., Carlbring, P., ... Furmark, T. (2015). Predicting long-term outcome of Internet-delivered cognitive behavior therapy for social anxiety disorder using fMRI and support vector machine learning.Translational psychiatry,5(3), e530.

Must Individual Rights Be Supplemented By Some Form Of Group Rights Es

Must Individual Rights Be Supplemented By Some Form Of Group Rights There are two main forms of group rights, characterised by the way in which they are distributed and exercised. The first example of group rights is a differential distribution of individual rights. In this model, an individual may have more rights than others on the basis of some kind of 'selection criteria.' The most common being on the grounds of race or ethnicity, for instance in the former South Africa, rights were distributed on a decreasing scale, according to the colour of a persons skin. The second type of group right is a right which a group exercises collectively, it is a right that everyone has, but no one person can use. So in one conception, adding group rights to individual rights would happen on an individual basis. Each person would have a sort of legal checklist of characteristics, making it possible for their specific case to be formulated for them. In the second conception, groups are pre-determined and fixed entities, which act cohesively on all matters. The term 'group rights' refers quite specifically to a certain type of group. First there are the national minorities, who have been forcibly integrated into a dominant culture, and need to be protected from further assimilatory tactics. The second type of group is one which has been marginalised, discriminated against or disadvantaged in some way, either on sexual, racial or cultural grounds. Van Dyke noted two main problems with Britain's post war liberal political theory, the first being the 'veil of ignorance' it adhered to (Stapleton). By starting from the basis of a homogenous society, in which there were no cultural, racial or even sexual boundaries, the theory (as put forward in Rawls' 'A theory of justice') had created an theoretical world which couldn't exist, thus rendering the rest of the theory useless. Other liberal writers such as Mill spoke of there being one minority, defined as intellectual dissidents who set their minds against the majority opinion. His suggestion was a system of proportional representation which would grant people the sort of recognition they deserved on the political scene. In fact, groups are now many and varied, characterised by a number of factors, and affected by more forms of inclusion and exclusion than mere political representation. Inherent in the term is a notion of the overall value of a group, either to the individuals in it or the society as a whole. For a group to be granted rights over and above everyone else in a society, it must be recognised that their existence as a separate group is a useful and desirable thing, Unlike the contractual obligations which underpin membership of a voluntary society, membership of a group defines ones very identity. (Stapleton) That is the view of Iris Marion Young, who advocates special rights which would supplant equal treatment in public policy making. The idea is that these special rights would undermine the effects of oppression and discrimination felt by members of those groups. While there can be no doubt that groups are valuable, this doesn't come anywhere near solving the problem of how best to protect them. For instance her suggestion that groups could have he power to veto decisions which affect them directly would actually lead to a society in which every decision could be vetoed until the oppression and disadvantage is reversed. Although it is suggested that this could be an 'introductory measure,' what's to stop a group vetoing an end to their right to veto. Also, as Kymlicka points out the oppressed groups she refers to would cover 80% of the US population, which defeats the point. One of the things to note here is that Young also advocates the 'self identification' of groups, which is problematic because it undermines the validity of existing groups if a 'counter group' can just identify themselves as being marginalised by the first. Significantly, Taylor thinks that genuine recognition, as opposed to misrecognition, requires an acknowledgment of the way in which anothers identity is constituted within a single, distinct group cultural structure. As Taylor says, the universal demand of equal respect powers an acknowledgment of specificity, where specificity refers to the distinct nature of different, specific

Simon as a Christ Figure in Lo essays

Simon as a Christ Figure in Lo essays William Golding once believed in the idea that the educated, civilized people could do no wrong, but that is before the events of WWII forever changed his view of society (Spitz). In regards to that time, Golding once stated that, ...anyone who moved through those years without understanding that man produces evil as a bee produces honey, must have been bind or wrong in the head... (Spitz). With his new critical view of human nature, William Golding began work on the novel Lord of the Flies, with the intent to trace the defects of society back to human nature (Baker). Incorporating his experience teaching in England, William Golding creates a society on a deserted island with young schoolboys to show the true, violent nature of people, no matter how educated or civilized they are. The world Golding creates is representative of society as a whole as it demonstrates what happens when mankind fails to think logically and chooses to support ideas and the figures that present them, no mat ter how morally and legally wrong they are. To complete the allegory, Golding includes a young boy named Simon to represent Jesus Christ as Simon is an omniscient figure in a world where truth, knowledge, and reason have little importance. When Golding introduces Simon to the reader, he immediately distinguishes him from the rest of the boys by having him faint, which is a common ailment for Simon (Golding 20). This scene parallels the resurrection of Christ as Simon, who is momentarily weakened, is able to rise again and begin his new, yet short life on the island. With the beginning of his new life, Simon observes different aspects of the world around him to give him the vastly unappreciated power of omniscience. A striking example is when Simon makes the bold suggestion to the boys that the highly feared beast is merely a part of them. During one of the assemblies that takes place, Simon hesitantly stands and says, Maybe,...

ACT Sample Questions Every Question Type Explained

ACT Sample Questions Every Question Type Explained SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The ACT is daunting. It just is. One of the most intimidating things about it is the average student's initial uncertainty as to what types of questions are going to be asked:Will it test vocabulary? What's tested on the science section? How many formulas do I need to memorize?The best way to clear up the confusion is to look at some ACT sample questions, so you can get a sense ofwhat to expect on test day. As you are most likely aware, there are five sectionson the ACT- English, Math, Reading, Science, and Writing- each of whichhas its own types of questions. In this article, I'll guide you through every type of question you're going to encounter in each of these areas and offer some tips on preparing for them. Why Do I Need to Know All the ACT Question Types? Good question! Well, a big part of being prepared for the ACT is knowing what to expect when you open that test booklet. Increased familiarity with the material will ease your mind as the big day approaches and inform your study habits. Why waste time preparing for a task that doesn't appear on the exam? Instead, you should focus your energy on drilling the types of questions that actually matter. Imagine a vocab quiz.How would you study if you knew you'd be asked to... List the words from memory? Define each word, using a word bank? Use each word in an original sentence? Obviously, your approach would be very different given each scenario. And so it should be! Now, onward, to exploreofficial ACTsample questions. Vocab quizzes: the result of an unholy union between Scrabble and alphabet soup. Sample ACT English Questions All seventy-five English questions are multiple choice. They are all situated within the context of five, fifteen-question passages: no sentence stands in isolation. Most questions require you to determinewhich version of an underlined word or phrase is the best, but some ask about the author's intentions. There are two major categories of questions in the English section. Usage and mechanics - punctuation, sentence structure, and grammar and usage Rhetorical skills - style, organization, and strategy Usage and Mechanics Punctuation questions test your understanding of commas, apostrophes, colons, semicolons, em-dashes, periods, question marks, and exclamation points. Grammar and usage questions test your sense of grammatical agreement, verb use, pronoun use, comparative and superlative modifiers, and idioms. Sentence structure questions test your skill with dependent clause placement; run-ons, fused sentences, and comma splices; fragments; misplaced modifiers; and shifts in tense, voice, person, and number. Rhetorical Skills Writing strategy questions test your recognition of the author's choices and strategies - when and why might an editor add, delete, or modify a given statement? Organization questions test your knowledge of the best order and coherence of ideas as well as your ability to craft skillful introductions, transitions, and conclusions. Style questions test your discernment of tone, clarity, and economy (not using words that you don't need). For a more in-depth discussion of all of these skills, I heartily recommend our complete guide to ACT grammar and our analysis of which rules are most crucial to master. If you want a more detailed explanation of some of the terms and categories I threw around in this section, check out our article on what ACT English really tests- practically speaking. Don't forget our ultimate guide if there's anything else you want to examine in more depth! Math All sixty math questions are multiple choice and have five possible answers. Questions get progressively more challenging throughout the section. This is a general trend, not an exact science. In other words, question 1may not be the single easiest problem, and question 60may not be the single hardest problem, but question 60will be orders of magnitude harder than question 1. As far as content is concerned, the ACT aims to test the following topics: Pre-algebra (14 questions, or 23% of the section) Elementary algebra (10 questions, or 17% of the section) Intermediate algebra (9 questions, or 15% of the section) Coordinate geometry (9 questions, or 15% of the section) Plane geometry (14 questions, or 23% of the section) Trigonometry (4 questions, or 7% of the section) If you want to review any particular topics within these arenas, definitely consult our many guides on subjects from basic integer theory to dealing with functions. The six content areas above can be tested in three different ways: General math questions Math questions in settings Question sets I'm always making my calculator angry. I know exactly which buttons to push. General Math Questions These questions canbe basic in style or more complex. Basic math problems are straightforward: they may test difficult topics, but they're concise and don't give you anyunnecessary information. What you see is what you get. Answers are numeric in nature. The more complex questions shake things up a little bit. Some include too much or too little information. Answers may be numeric, or they may appear as expressions, equations, or statements. There may be figures or diagrams to analyze. As you can see, this is kind of a catch-all category including a range of questions with no other well-defined characteristics. Math Questions in Settings These are what we often refer to as word problems or story problems. They typically describe an everyday situation, and the equation isn't set up for you: you need to convertthe circumstances described into a math problem. Question Sets These are simply groups of questions that relate back to the same set of information:a paragraph, a diagram, or another scenario.These problems are easy to recognize, since they're always preceded by a box that explains how many problems are part of the set. This is yet another reason to read instructions carefully; skimming through the math section is a sure-fire way to miss these cues! For more info on ACT math questions, check out our ultimate guide to ACT math. Reading There are ten questions dedicated to each of the four segments of this test. Each segment consists of one long passage or one pair of shorter passages. All forty questions are multiple choice. There are four genres of literature that will appear on the ACT, always in the following order: Prose fiction:Typically a short story or an excerpt from a novel, prose fiction includes a narrated series of events or a progressive revelation of character. Social studies:Texts within this category discuss anything from anthropology and biography to psychology and sociology- any "soft" science or study of human phenomena. These passages present information gatheredvia rigorous research. Humanities:These texts can draw on arts of any flavor, ethics and philosophy, or personal reflections. The focus is on describing and analyzingarts and ideas. Natural science:This kind of text is rooted in any of the "hard" sciences- biology, chemistry, physics, etc. The aim is simply to explore a significant scientific topic. You'll be asked to complete the following types of questions: Detail Main idea Compare and contrast Inference Cause and effect Vocab-in-context Author intent and tone This cactus has clearly had too much caffeine. I'm never thisexcited to be reading the dictionary! Detail Questions The questions ask you to find information in the passage. For example, in the following question, you need to find a specific detail that was explained in the passage. The question states that it wants one data point that was "described in the passage". Main Idea Questions This type requires you to examine passages globally to determine main ideas. The following question refers to the passage "as a whole" and ask that you characterize its entire arc. We might suppose that the answer is never explicitly stated but derives from the sum of the article's many parts. Compare and Contrast Questions These are exactly what they sound like: you'll need to compare and contrast information given in a single long passage or in the two shorterpaired passages. For instance, the following question asks you to find what's similar across two short passages. (Note, though, that it could just as easily have asked for the primary difference between them.) Inference Questions These are the trickiest type of reading question: they ask you to identify the logicunderlying a claimor extend the implication of a statement. For instance, in the following question, you're asked to describe what the author "implies" about what people "commonly assume." Cause and Effect Questions These are specific type of inference question that require you to analyzecause and effect and sequences of events. You should understand what happened when and which event caused what. The following question asks about why the trap-jaw ant has developed the characteristics it possesses today: i.e. what happened originally to cause this new development in turn. Vocab-in-Context Questions These questions point you towards a specific instance of aword or phrase within the text, then ask you to offer a rough definition based on its use in context. Author Intent and Tone Questions For these, you'll be asked to draw conclusions about the author's voice and method. You should be able to explain the author's view of and attitude towards the topic, and you should also be able to identify why the author made certain salient choices. For instance, the following questions asks about the "author's attitude" and offers various descriptions of possible view points in the answer choices. For good, solid advice on how to attack ACT reading, check outour ultimate guide to the subject. Science The science section consists of seven passages, with forty multiple-choice questions. (Technically,there could be more or fewer passages, but there are almost always seven.) There are four categories of passages, content-wise: Biology:cellular biology, botany, zoology, microbiology, ecology, or genetics Chemistry:properties of matter, pH, kinetics and equilibria, thermochemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, or nuclear chemistry Physics:mechanics, thermodynamics, electromagnetism, fluids, solids, and optics Earth/space:geology, meteorology, oceanography, astronomy, and thermodynamics There are also three different passage formats, which I'll explore further below: Data representation Research summaries Conflicting viewpoints Fortunately, you will not be asked to spell deoxyribonucleic acid. Data Representation These passages contain a short introductory paragraph and a fewcharts, graphs, and diagrams. They look like something you might find in a science journal or textbook explaining a naturalphenomenon. You'll be asked to interpret charts and tables, read graphs, evaluate scatterplots, and analyze information in diagrams. Research Summaries These passages describe scientific studies. Generally speaking, you'll see two or three experiments per passage. The design, procedures, and results will all be set down for you. Graphs and tables are likely to be featured, but not guaranteed. You'll be asked to understand, evaluate, and interpret the design and procedures, and analyzethe results of the studies. Conflicting viewpoints This type of passage summarizes atleast two alternative theories, hypotheses, or scientific viewpoints. Each will be based on different premises or a set of incomplete data, and they will be inconsistent with each other. You'll be asked to understand, analyze, evaluate, compare, and contrast several theories, hypotheses, and viewpoints. Don't stop exploring science there! Take a moment to exploreour ultimate guide to this portion of the ACT. You won't actually need all four pencils on test day. Writing The ACT essay is a whole different ballgame from what it used to be.The new, enhanced essay presents you with a summary of some controversial issue and three different perspectives on that issue. You're expected to evaluate and analyze the perspectives; state and develop your own perspective, which may align with any one of the other three or none at all; and explain the relationship between your perspective and the three given. You have forty minutes to plan and write a relevant essay. I urge you to read about the specific types of prompts you're likely to encounter and how to nail this task with a perfect score. What's Next? Now that you know what you've seen every type of sample ACT question and know what you'llencounter on the test, it's time to think about learning some new strategies. Consider this list of 21 tips everyone could use, or these 15 tips designed to boost that score. Also consider picking up one of these ten highly recommended books to help you prepare for the test. If you've already settled on using the official guide, read how to use that tool to its greatest advanatage. Of course, you'll want to augment any book(s) with some of these wonderful websites! Rather than diving right into diverse resources with no sense of where you're headed, though, do make sure you take time to assemble a study plan, whether you're a sophomore or junior, a rising senior, or just really pressed for time. Also be thinking about what you really want out of the ACT. Read about what score you need to get where you want to go, and read about what a good ACT score really means. Finally, consider adding a program with PrepScholar to your study plans. PrepScholar will help you focus in on the exact types of questions that challenge you the most so that your studying is as effective as possible. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

Presentation and Supplementary Report Assignment

Presentation and Supplementary Report - Assignment Example Organizations have to bear the high initial cost of acquiring and running the operations, but innovative developments in technology is shortening the life span of the previous one. This is leading the organizations to re-invest in current technology, and increasing the cost to the company. Apart from this, if today’s environment is considered, then the likes and dislikes of customers are also changing frequently. The fast altering opinions, lifestyle, and preferences pose a challenge for the manufacturing business organizations, as they cannot exactly estimate the preferences of their target customer group. Further, generation gaps in the society have also made it difficult for the marketers to determine the consumer behaviour. Companies are investing heavily on analyzing consumer behaviour, so as to determine the appropriate way of satisfying the needs of the customers. Business organizations are facing a two sided challenge, in which the first side is consumer preference and behaviour, on the other side is the cut throat competition in the market. The recession is certainly squeezing the spending of the consumers and the market of the companies. Countries like UK, USA slipped into deep credit crunch, which also led its companies both in public and private sector into the economic slowdown. This also indicates that the challenges faced by the organizations in the past are different from those faced now. The world is changing rapidly and the organizations are facing challenges like intense competition, rigorous ethical inspection, globalization, digitalized workplace, requirement for fast response, and increasing level of diversity. These mentioned challenges which are affecting the business organization are further affecting the society at large. Managers in organisations measure marketing performances for evaluating and analysing effectiveness and efficiency of the business. This can be accomplished by concentrating on the

Cartel Behavior and Amateurism in College Sports Essay

Cartel Behavior and Amateurism in College Sports - Essay Example Surprisingly, those working hard to produce the rents are African-American athletes while the whites come out as the beneficiaries. This discourse takes an in-depth critique of Lawrence Kahn’s article and in the process evaluates facts that he outlines. The paper also separates facts from fictitious information in the article. Critique Lawrence Kahn explains that African-American athletes produce the rents benefited by white Americans. He mentions that the African-American sportspersons spent their rent on facilities, head coaches salaries, and nonrevenue sports. The football programs earn revenue from accounting profits. This also happens in the field of basketball. Evaluation of the role of NCAA appears at two levels. One extreme end is people who believe that efforts by NCAA to restrict payments to sportspeople enhance the value of sports by upholding amateurism. The other group holds that NCAA is a cartel that restricts compensation to sportsmen and women. Since its incept ion, the NCAA has been controlling the capacity for its members to access televised games. This started in 1984. This is a typical characteristic of a cartel where it prevents members from accessing and doing business with other competing firms in the industry. This is to avoid a share of the rents produced by sportsmen and women. The cartel wants to enjoy all the money. This is the reason that informed the formation of College Football Association (CFA). The behavior of NCAA towards is enough proof that it is a cartel. Cartels thrive on threats and sanctions. The NCAA threatened to expel any school and higher institution of learning that would sign a different contract following CFA’s readiness to negotiate a different and parallel contract with NBC. Threats by NCAA amounted to schools under CFA loosing on the revenue from the basketball tournament. This is total tyranny. In the modern liberal market, business associations and companies cannot thrive on threats and financial embargos. Finally, the NCAA succeeded in enjoying all the revenues generated from football television rents. The change in broadcasting rights appeared for the first time in college sports following a successful court petition by the University of Oklahoma and the University of Georgia. Cases in the judiciary point to the fact that indeed the NCAA is a cartel. Courts proved in 1995 that it was engaged in backroom dirty tricks to limit salaries for assistant coaches. An association existing for the welfare of members such as NCAA needs to engage making lives for their members. However, NCAA does the reverse. It is very difficult to comprehend what good is in limiting a pay for members and proudly claim to be generating a fair playground for your members. Lawrence Kahn cannot purport to justify the role of NCAA to limit compensation as efforts towards enhancing sports by maintaining amateurism. Kahn explains the value of amateurism by stating the large of members in NCAA makes it dif ficult for it to put ceilings on earnings of sportsmen and women. He holds that a possibility of NCAA failing to prevent a competitive market among players due to the high number of members is farfetched. This point by Lawrence Khan does not hold water. NCAA is cartel and members of such an association have to operate within the rules. Therefore, the rules apply to all irrespective of the size of membership.

The tulip touch Essay Example for Free

The tulip touch Essay The 168 page book called The Tulip Touch by Annie Fine, quoted the book with the fiery eye and the secret message on the cover is about a teenage girl who lives inside a large hotel called the palace. After constantly staying at the hotel Natalie become bored, and with her mum busily running the hotel Natalie and her dad went for a walk by the farm which is where they met Tulip, who from that moment on became Natalies friend. At the beginning of their friendship Tulip almost never arrived at school and Natalie was left to drift around the playground aimlessly with out any friends hoping Tulip would show up. To make it even worse Natalie was not allowed to find Tulip after school for reasons she didnt understand. When they were together they went and did everything, always finding something fun and new to do. Later, when Tulip finally decided to regularly attend school Natalie become worried about her obnoxious behavior in class as she always managed to find some way to be sent outside into the hallway. Natalie didnt know why she did, but Tulip seemed to enjoy it whether she was scaring the staff half to death, refusing to work or even spoiling all the fun actives like the ropes and field trips. Natalie felt very undecided and confused with her parents decision of sending her to Heathcote and on the days just before the deadline she felt like a bird on an extremely hot wire, every few minutes she expected to hear her dad say well Heathcote it is and then to see him send off the note. Soon Natalie had become so influenced by Tulip that she too had become bad in and out of school, finding harder and harder ways to get into trouble, even going as far as conning their way into other peoples houses. As the flames of the chicken shed leapt higher and higher Natalie was suddenly pulled down into a ditch by Tulip as she heard the fire sirens, and then suddenly out of the whirl of confusion everything just clicked into place. For those were the moments that their friendship died. After the friendship died, Tulips behavior continued to quickly decline whether she was scratching the paint off the walls in the bathrooms or teasing the parents of a dead girl, she just kept getting worse. Tulips very last, very worst game of all was when she torched down the hotel the palace using petrol and paraffin. Tulip had chosen a night when everyone was all together singing and dancing, so that no-one would notice a dark figure running around outside. Natalie feels sorry and guilty for Tulip because she has a wonderful hotel to stay in and great parents to take care of her while Tulip lives in a dump with horrible parents who dont care for her. I think the message of the book is that no-one is born evil and that there is a reason for their behavior, for Tulip it was her parents and overall home life. I enjoyed the touch Tulip always added to her lies for example the lie was: the army is using the farm for training, and the touch she added was: when I get home they are letting me drive a tank. I learnt that there are some bad people in the world who may have had extremely sad lives and that all of us, like Natalie, can choose good or evil. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Miscellaneous section.

The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir Essay -- Second Sex Simone Beauvo

The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir In the chapter of her book The Second Sex entitled â€Å"the Woman in Love,† Simone de Beauvoir characterizes the romantic ideal of the relationship with a man as a woman’s purpose as a form of self-deception (translated here as â€Å"bad faith†). The self-deception de Beauvoir describes is based in the thesis of The Second Sex. This is the idea that women have been deceived into believing that they are second-class humans. Western culture, according to de Beauvoir, teaches us that women are missing some elusive element of the self that endows men with freedom- a concept essential to the existentialist definition of the conscious being. Therefore, a woman can never find fulfillment as a thinking person as long as she believes that men are free beings and women their dependents. This state of affairs is reinforced through an all-encompassing system of thought that posits man as subject and woman as object, â€Å"doomed to dependency.† (In this chapter, de Beauvoir writes about the â€Å"modern woman† whose consciousness of her self has not yet matured. Therefore, when â€Å"woman† is referred to here, this is merely shorthand for the self-deceiving woman. The independent woman is another matter entirely.) De Beauvoir postulates that the reason why women’s idea of love is so much more intense than men’s is because the woman, unable to become a whole person in and of herself, thinks that by attaching herself to a man she can transcend her position in life. She can move from object to subject through osmosis- the ultimate expression of â€Å"being for the other.† She can claim a share of his activities and his accomplishments in the public realm which she is prohibited to enter. Giving herself wholly to the man ... ...that many women cling to even after they give up hope that â€Å"he† will ever come. Is there a solution to this paradox, this Catch-22 that de Beauvoir describes? Yes, she says, but only when certain conditions are met. First, a woman must have a solid sense of herself as an existentialist â€Å"free being† before she goes looking for love. Second, the love relationship must be a freely chosen association of equals committed to respecting each other’s freedom. As de Beauvoir writes on p.667: â€Å"Genuine love ought to be founded on the mutual recognition of two liberties; the lovers would then experience themselves both as self and as other; neither would give up transcendence, neither would be mutilated; together they would manifest values and aims in the world. For the one and the other, love would be revelation of self by the gift of self and enrichment of the world.†

Electrical and Electronics

This effect can be used to build an electric power generator, such as the one described in this paper. A coil attached to a shaft spins within the magnetic field ofa â€Å"U† shaped magnet. Three conveniently designed conductive disks allow the electrical load of the generator to be fed either with alternating current or direct current. the loop terminals is sinusoidal with zero mean value (Fig. 2). Its frequency is equal to the number of revolutions per second executed by the loop. Each terminal of the loop is connected to a metallic ring. The contacts with rings are made by means of fixed brushes.If the brushes are onnected to an electrical load, an alternating current will be established in the circuit. Keywords. Alternating Current, Direct Current, Generator, Magnetic Field, Induced Voltage. 1. Introduction Although diverse forms of energy (mechanical, thermal, chemical etc. ) can be converted into electrical energy, the expression electric generator is reserved, in the in dustry, energy into electrical energy. The generators that produce direct current (DC) are called dynamos and the ones that produce alternating current (AC) are called alternators.The device described in this paper is a generator capable of supplying an electrical load ith the desired type of current: alternating current or direct current. s AC output Figure 1. AC generator. 2. AC generator principle of operation. Figure 1 illustrates the principle of operation of an AC generator. A wire loop rotates within the magnetic field generated by a magnet, which induces an AC voltage between the loop terminals. The periodic change of the voltage polarity is due to the change of the position of the coil relatively to the magnetic poles.The amplitude of the voltage depends on the magnetic field strength and is also directly proportional to the rotating speed [1, 2, 3, 4]. If he magnetic field is uniform and the rotation speed is constant, the voltage induced between Figure 2. AC generator out put. 3. DC generator principle of operation. The described AC generator may be transformed into a DC generator, substituting the contact rings by a mechanical switch. As illustrated on Fig. 3, a simple switch may be done with a metal ring divided into two isolated halves (segments), which are mounted in the axis.This type of commutator is denominated collector. segment of the collector. When the loop rotates, an AC voltage is induced in the coil, exactly as in the AC generator. But, before reaching the oad, the induced voltage is transformed into a DC voltage by the collector (Fig. 4), which works as a mechanical rectifier. The contact segments of the collector move to a different brush each half turn of the loop, keeping a unidirectional current flowing through the electrical load of the circuit [1]. The rotation speed has to be well determined so that the final result is the expected one.As stated before, the rotation speed influences the induced voltage amplitude and frequency. à ¢â‚¬Å"U† shaped strong permanent magnet, shown in Fig. 6. The most challenging part to build was a contact rings and collector unit (Fig. 7). It was ade of three printed circuit board disks, coaxially mounted on the rotating axis. The two smaller disks were kept with their entire conductive layer and were intended to supply the generated AC voltage. The conductive layer of the larger disk was cut into two halves, in order to implement the collector, which mechanically rectifies the generated AC voltage.Figure 5. Coil with iron core. DC output Figure 3. DC generator. Figure 6. Permanent magnet used to induce a voltage in the coil. Figure 4. DC generator output. 4. Generator' description Instead of a simple loop, an iron core coil with 1241 turns of O,16mm2 varnished copper ire was used. The iron core and its windings are shown in Fig. 5. The magnetic field used to induce a voltage between the coil terminals was provided by a Figure 7. Three coaxial printed circuit board disks w ith coil on top. 45 Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 illustrate how the rings and collector unit was built in a more comprehensive way.In Fig. 8, a cross-section of this unit is shown, revealing how electrical connections were made: one terminal of the coil was connected to one of the smaller disks and to one of the halves of the larger disk (collector); the other terminal was connected to the other smaller disk and to the ther half of the larger one. Fig. 9 shows a panoramic view of the assembly and the generator outputs responsible electrical load. In order to make the generator operate properly, the DC output brushes positions must be displaced by 1800 from each other.The AC output brushes may be placed anywhere on the respective disks. coil Copper wire Insulator Copper Solder Figure 8. Connecting the coil to the three coaxial printed circuit board disks. power could be easily measured, some sort of mechanical power meter was needed and it was not available. There are always mechanical and elec trical power losses in the process of ransforming mechanical energy into electric energy. Mechanical losses may be reduced by lubricating friction points. The generator was put to rotate at 3000RPM; the measured induced voltage was 1,2V peak-topeak, with a 50Hz frequency. . Conclusions Spinning a wire loop within a uniform magnetic field in a convenient fashion induces a voltage between the loop terminals. Rotation speed influences the induced voltage amplitude and frequency. If an electrical load is connected to the loop terminals, a current will be established in the circuit. The current generated by a basic electrical generator is alternating current. If the generator s intended to supply direct current, it must have a device working as a mechanical rectifier: the collector.A device capable of generating both AC voltage and DC voltage has been presented. A coil attached to a shaft spins within the magnetic field ofa â€Å"U† shaped magnet. Three conveniently designed condu ctive disks allow either with alternating current or direct current. This device is very useful to illustrate the principles of electrical energy generation. It also shows the main similarities and differences between AC and DC generators: the working principle is the same for both machines, but the AC generator has contact rings and the DC enerator has a collector.

Old El Paso

What: Kurt, the associate marketing manager of Old El Paso, needs to develop a new marketing plan to increase its brand awareness and educate the public about the convenience of preparing Mexican meals. Why: Old El Paso has been the market leader in the Mexican food industry for many years. Now, General Mills wants Old El Paso to increase its sales by 5% while maintaining the same level of profitability.However, Mexican food industry is growing at a relatively slow growth rate of 3% per year, because Mexican food is not always on customers shopping list as there is a strong perception that Mexican food is inconvenient and difficult to prepare. That is why Kurt needs to develop a new marketing plan to raise brand awareness and educate the public in order to achieve the 5% goal. There is a misunderstanding in the communication process between Old El Paso and its customers.Old El Paso has been positioning itself as a â€Å"Family Fun Experience† product. Meanwhile, the customers are more concerned about the process of preparing Mexican food, ie. , while many factors, including time needed for preparation and simplicity of preparation contributed to consumer perception of convenience/ease of preparation, ingredient availability was found to be the most significant barrier to making Mexican meals more often. They also need to educate their customers about the benefits of cooking Mexican food.For example, according to their consumer research, 70% of decisions to purchase Mexican meal products are made before consumers ever arrive at the grocery store. Apply the fact to the AIDA model, it is important to raise its brand awareness and get consumers interested in its products in order to increase sales, because most of the purchase decisions are made before the customers see the actual product. With the fact that Old El Paso is the market leader and its brand equity, as soon as the brand awareness and interest is established, the sales will increase.The biggest c ompetitor in the Mexican food industry is private labels. Old Pl Paso has most of the market share in Mexican dinner kits (91. 2%) and Mexican components (70. 4%) category, while ranks number 3 in the Mexican salsa (15. 6%) category. Although both private labels and Old Pl Paso products are in high standards, Old Pl Paso is the only brand that offers a full product line in the Mexican food industry and is distributed in 98% of all grocery stores (with an average of 7. Old Pl Paso items on shelf). This means that Old Pl Paso is reachable to most of consumers while certain private label’s products are only available in certain grocery chains. How: Targeted results: Increase brand awareness while convince the public that it is easy to prepare Mexican food. 1) General public: Using kiosks to demonstrate the process of how to cook a Mexican meal with in-store ingredients. Reason: 80% of the population still do majority of their shopping at grocery stores.By using in-store ingredie nts, the general public will know that everything they need for cooking a Mexican meal is in the store, so it is easy to prepare a Mexican meal. 2) Regular Mexican food shoppers: Place Old Pl Paso products at cashier counters. Reason: Placing products at the check-out counters to remain regular Mexican food shoppers that they could use Mexican food as an option for tonight’s dinner. Although this tactic implies impulsive shopping behaviour of some consumers, it also constantly remains consumers that Mexican food is available in the market.

Socialism in America essays

Socialism in America essays Socialism is the public collective ownership of, or control of the means of production, distribution and exchange with the declared aim of operating for use rather than for profit; also for assuring each member of society an equal share of goods, services, and warfare benefits. Socialism in America has officially never existed. To call a plan socialistic would be potentially dangerous in a democracy, being that America is a democracy and the business of America is business. We function as a capitalistic system which could not exist if any form of real socialism were present. In 1901 Mr. Tom Johnson was elected mayor of Cleveland on the platform of equal taxation on all properties rather than the government favoring certain owners. One of his main political aims as his term went on was the city ownership and operation of the utilities such as water and power and the transit system. This objective came into controversy because the public ownership of anything can be defined as a form of socialism. If Johnson got his way, the city utilities would be bettered and the main driving force would be the efficient supply of the utilities to the people and not the pursuit of selfish profit. This would also mean that the city would own the transit system and could better it to the needs of the public as well. The prices would go down and the overall decency of the services would increase. There really was no downside to his plan except perhaps the money and control that the previous owners would loose. The real question in the matter was if this plan was a form of socialism. Many pro-progressivists did not like the idea of socialism but were all in favor of city ownership of the utilities and services. People had no problem with eliminating the corruption and saving money. To further promote the success of his plan, Johnson decided to call this communal ownership a simple extension of democracy. He pronounce ...

Top 200 Landscaping Vocabulary Words

Top 200 Landscaping Vocabulary Words Here is a list of the top 200 English vocabulary items for the landscaping industry. This selection of vocabulary is based on the Occupational Handbook provided by the United States Department of Labor. Accredited - adjective / Weve applied to an accredited bank for a loan.Actual - adjective / Our actual problem is that the shipment is late.  Additionally - adverb / Additionally, well need three mowers.Agencies - noun /   There are a number of governmental agencies that can help.Aided  - adjective /   We were aided by a few part time employees.Analyze - verb /   We need to analyze the landscape.Applicators  - noun /   Lets use the new applicators for the treatment.Approved  - adjective / The approved plans call for extra gardening.Architect  - noun /   I have a meeting with the architect tomorrow.Architectural  - adjective /   The architectural design is outstanding.Architecture  - noun /   Its important to careful consider the buildings architecture.Area  - noun /   The area beyond the marsh is ready for development.Arrangement  - noun /   Weve made an arrangement for delivery next week.  Athletic - adjective /   The athletic facilities are e xcellent.Base  - noun /   Lets leave the materials at the base.   Basis  - noun /   The basis for our design is a flower.  Bench  Ã‚  - noun /   Can you please move that bench over here?Blower  - noun /   Grab the blower and get ride of the fallen leaves.  Board  - noun /   Could you pass me that board over there?Budget  - noun /   Weve gone over budget on this project.  Building  - noun /   Youll find him in the building over there.  Business  - noun /   Our business is based on customer satisfaction.  Campus  Ã‚  - noun /   The university campus is beautiful.Candidate  Ã‚  - noun /   We have a few candidates for the job.  Care  - noun / These plants need excellent care.  Cemetery  Ã‚  - noun / The cemetery needs to be raked.Center  - noun / The center of the garden is over there.  Certification  - noun /   Well need to apply for certification.Chance  - noun / Theres a good chance we can begin next week.  Chemical  - noun /   The chemical compound is dangerous.Class  - noun / This falls into a different class.  Clear - adjective / We have a clear objective for next week.  Client  - noun /   Our client lives in Canada. Climate  - noun /   Well have to wait until the climate gets better.  Clippers  - noun /   Use those clippers to prune the hedge.  Commercial - adjective   / The commercial applications are numerous.  Communication  - noun / Communication is essential on this job.Completion  - noun /   The completion date is next month.Computer  - noun /   Let me print the invoice out on the computer.  Condition  - noun / Make sure that all the contractual conditions are met.  Construction  - noun /   Ill call some to help with the construction.  Contractor  - noun / Well need to hire a new contractor.Council  - noun /   The council decided against the project.  Create  - verb /   Lets create a space over here.  Credentials  - noun /   He has excellent credentials.  Deadline  - noun / The deadline is next week.  Demand  - noun /   The customers demands are numerous.  Design  - noun, verb /   Thats a beautiful design.  Designerà ‚  Ã‚  - noun / Lets meet with the designer next week.  Detailed  - adjective /   Youll find a detailed quote attached to this email.   Disease  - noun / Unfortunately, these plants have a disease.  Drainage  - noun / The drainage ends in the pond.  Drawing  - noun /   That drawing will give you a good idea.  Duty  - noun /   Our duties include weeding and mowing.  Educational - adjective /   I think this meeting will be very educational.Engineer  - noun /   Well need to hire an engineer for this job.  Entry  - noun /   The entry should be raised.  Environment  - noun /   The environment is very balanced.  Environmental  - adjective / Make sure to take environmental concerns into account.  Equipment  - noun /   The gardening equipment was rather expensive.  Essential  - adjective /   The essential changes will need to be made.  Estimate  - noun /   The estimate seemed very expensive.  Exam  - noun / The exam was held last week.  Existing  - adjective / We need to modify the existing structures.  Facilities  - noun / The cooking facilities need to be modified.  Feature  - noun /   One beautiful feature is the garden pond.  Federal  - adjective / Federal regulations need to be examined.   Fence  - noun /   Could you fix my fence?Fertilizer  - noun /   That fertilizer smells horrible.  Field  - noun /   There are a few cows in the field.  Firm  - noun /   We hired a firm to help us with advertising.  Flower  - noun /   What beautiful flowers!Focus  - verb /   Our focus is on green practices.  Fountain  - noun /   The fountain in the square keeps everyone happy.Freshly - adverb / That building has been freshly painted.  Functional  - adjective /   The functional guidelines are printed on that sheet.  Fungicide  - noun /   Lets use some fungicide on that wall.  Garden  - noun /   The garden will include potatoes and tomatoes.  Geographic  - adjective /   The geographic location is remote.  Golf  - noun /   Golf is a game for those who like a challenge.  Graduate  - noun, verb /   Hell graduate next year.  Grave  - noun /   That grave needs to be cleaned.  Greenskeepers  - noun /   The gre enskeepers are working on the greens.  Grounds  - noun / Hes somewhere on the grounds.  Groundskeepers  - noun /   The groundskeepers come twice a month.   Handsaw  - noun / Lets use a handsaw to cut off that limb.  Healthy  - adjective / Thats a healthy alternative.  Hedge  - noun / The hedge needs to be trimmed.  Herbicide  - noun / Lets use a herbicide to deal with the weeds.  Hire - verb / We need to hire two new gardeners.  Historic  - adjective /   That historic building is beautiful.  Hold  - verb /   Could you please hold this for me?Homeowner  Ã‚  - noun /   Homeowners have some concerns in this economy.Horticulture  - noun /   I wish I would have studied horticulture.  Hotel  - noun /   The hotel is located at the end of the street.  Idea  - noun /   Thats a great idea!Impact  - noun, verb /   What do you think the impact will be?Insecticide  - noun /   Youll need to use an insecticide on that plant.  Institutional  - adjective / institutional spending has increased.  Institution  - noun / The institution hired a consulting company.  Interest  - noun / Do you have any interest in a fountain?Intern  - noun /   The intern helped us with the design.  Internship  - noun /   Were offering an internship at the company next week.   Involved  - adjective / The project is extremely involved and complex.  Land  - noun / The land costs are considerable.Landscape  - noun, verb / Isnt the landscape lovely?Lawn  Ã‚  - noun / The lawn needs watering.  Lawnmower  - noun / Use that lawnmower over there to cut the lawn.  Leaf  - noun / That looks like a maple leaf.  License  - noun / Have we got the license yet?Licensed  - adjective / The licensed plumber will be coming soon.  Maintain  - verb / Who will maintain the garden once weve finished?Maintenance  - noun /   The maintenance will cost about $200 per month.Major - adjective / Thats a major development.Mow  - verb /   Could you mow the lawn this afternoon?Natural  - adjective / We only use natural products.  Offer  - verb /   Were offering a 20% discount.  Parking  - noun / The parking is behind the building.  Park  - noun /   The trees in the park need to be trimmed.  Pass  - verb /   Weve passed the exam.à ‚  Pesticide  - noun / How much pesticide did you use?Plan  - noun /   Our plan is to finish by next week.   Plant  - noun, verb / Please plant these tomatoes in the garden.Playground  - noun /   The playground is full of children.  Power  - noun, verb / We use solar energy to power the house.  Prepare  - verb /   Lets prepare an estimate.  Prevent  - verb /   This will prevent moss growing on the lawn.  Procedure  - noun /   We need to review our procedures.  Professional  - noun, adjective / Hes a professional gardener.  Program  Ã‚  - noun /   Our program includes monthly maintenance.  Project  - noun /   The project will take three months to complete.  Pruners  - noun /   Use the pruners to trim the tree.  Public  - noun, adjective / Public interest has been outstanding.  Quality  Ã‚  - noun /   We only provide top quality.  Regional - adjective /   The regional competitors are excellent.  Registration  - noun / The registration is due by the end of the week.  Restoration  - noun /   The restoration of the buildin g should take two months.  Road  - noun /   The road needs to be paved.  Safety  - noun /   Safety is always our first concern.   Saw  - noun, verb /   Use the saw to cut off that limb.  Section  - noun /   One section focuses on designing gardens.  Service  - noun, verb /   We offer a wide variety of services.  Shrub  - noun /   The shrub is lovely.  Site  - noun /   The site needs to be reviewed.  Soil  - noun /   The soil is very rich.  Specialist  - noun /   The specialist will be in next week.  Specialize - verb / Id like to specialize in horticulture.  Supervision  - noun / Project supervision was given to Kevin.  Supervisor  - noun / The supervisor let everyone go home early.  Tree  - noun / That tree needs to be trimmed.  Trim  - verb / Please trim that tree.  Trimmer  Ã‚  - noun / Use the trimmer on that tree over there.  Turf  - noun / We need some new turn to repair our lawn.  Variety  Ã‚  - noun / We have a number of varieties.  Vegetation  - noun / The vegetation is very lush in Oregon.  Walkway  - noun /   The walkway was paved in stone.  Wetlands  - noun / The wetlands attract a lot of birds.

Bisphenol-A Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Bisphenol-A - Research Paper Example Numerous studies have proven that bisphenol A can disrupt the hormonal system of animals and humans. Other structural and physiological effects were noted in dysfunctions of sexuality, disrupts reproduction, triggering diabetes and respiratory illnesses, affecting mental abilities, behavior, encourages aggression and hampers learning outcomes. Other studies however are subject of controversial debates. Bisphenol – A 3 Introduction A review of greater than eighty (80) bio-monitoring investigations from nine (9) nations suggests exposure to industrial chemical, bisphenol A or BPA and this issue is ubiquitous in people from all over the world (Vandenberg, et al, 2010). Bisphenol-A (BPA) is one of the top produced volume of chemicals worldwide (Vandenberg, Maffini, Sonnenschein, Rubin and Soto, 2009) with around 3.8 million tonnes production in 2006 and corresponds up to 100,000 40-tonne HGVs. The largest share of this chemical is further processed in Europe area in a form of poly carbonates and epoxy resins, with over 6 billion pounds generated each year and over 100 tons discharged into the atmosphere by annual production. BPA, the building block of polycarbonate plastic (PasticEurope, 2009), is also one of the first synthetic substances that was known and has similar mode of action to that of the sex hormone of females known as estrogen. (Doods, 1936). Nevertheless, the said substance did not become successful in medical therapy since diethylstilbestrol (DES), a more potent synthetic estrogen was discovered (Doods, 1938). Years after, Bisphenol A became an industrial chemical, and exist in several everyday products, however, research reports found out that it can affect human hormone system, which presently have been the subject of dispute. Polycarbonate containers used as reusable food containers, some paper and cardboard, polyvinyl chloride and others have been examined for BPA content. Also, residual BPA were examined leaching from the epoxy resins lini ng cans all throughout specific foods including vegetables, canned pet foods, and fish.(Vandenberg, Maffini, Sonnenschein, Rubin and Soto, Bisphenol – A 4 2009), The experts added that canned infant formula and others were found to contain BPA which may have leach from the epoxy resin. Moreover, it is very alarming to find out that in blood serum samples, median levels of unconju ­gated BPA (biologically active) were higher compared to the levels predicted by toxicokinetic models, which form the basis of United States regulations for the said compound, arriving at the range that has been presented to cause adverse effects in animals (Environmental Health Perspectives, 2010). Objectives This paper is directed to highlight controversies over bisphenol A, a ubiquitous chemical produced from polyvinyl chloride plastics, polycarbonate and epoxy resins. It also presents relevant information regarding threats, health risks and interventions involved in the contamination process du ring the past decade and until recently. Literature Review Bisphenol A is a chemical substance, found mostly in very common products such as CDs, DVDs, plastic bowls, drinking bottles and containers for food water boilers, mobile telephones, motorcycle helmets, roof coverings, computer housings water boiler, safety glass (glassy polymers), Car parts (transparent plastic parts),

Lean Manufacturing--Mass Customization & Marketplace simulation Assignment

Lean Manufacturing--Mass Customization & Marketplace simulation - Assignment Example Knowing what the clients or rather what the customers want is very essential. Thus, the company should be in a position to understand the need for market segmentation. This is because, in today’s marketplace, it is necessary for a company to understand the need of market segmentation because of market fragmentation. In addition, the company should be in a position to explain how the marketers evaluate segments and choose a targeting strategy. In order to choose more segments and to target more clients, the company should be able to evaluate the potential for and success in the marketplace (Cagan, & Vogel, 2002). The process to which a computer producing company needs in order to have a good and continuous improvement is by knowing how much, and the quality and stability of computers the company supplies to the market. The computer company should be able to isolate and validate the goods they process, for instance: keyboards mouse, monitors, and processors among others. While in the market place target other markets. This particular computer company should not only focus on the current marketplace, and it should try to reach out to other markets for more profits. If the computer company invest in more designs and improve the quality and the designs of the machines it produces, it will be able to accomplish the market business stimulation it needs in the

Research Topic Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Topic - Research Paper Example The role of custodial parents by the grandparents is a multiethnic issue as the literature review section will indicate. The research in discussion below will also point out the different effects the role of being custodial parents has on different individuals and especially the grandparents and the grandchildren and what efforts if any has the state taken to deal or assist in this matter. Literature Review Overview The US census results of year 2005 were the first to openly show interest in the growing number of grandparents who have become custodians of their grandchildren. According to those results, there was an average of 5.7 million grandparents living with their grandchildren and acting as their parents. In line with multiethnic issues, the results further indicated that of the 5.7 million grandparents, 8% were African Americans, 16% were Hispanics and the rest were Caucasians. In a large state like Colorado which also is a multiethnic state, the results are almost similar wit h those indicated nationally and this statistics have been on the increase (U.S. Census Bureau, 2006). Theoretical model The best theory to explain the change of grandparents’ role to that of custodians of their grandchildren is the life course theory. ... According to Phua and Kaufman, 2008, it is with this light therefore that the life course of grandparents change and they now adopt the role of parents for their grandchildren. For the Hispanics and African American for example, the immigration, racial stereotypes and other ethnic difficulties of living in a foreign land contributes to the life course changes as it leads to changes in their social, cultural and structural lives which are contributing factors to the reasons why grandparents are left with custodial burden (Phua and Kaufman, 2008). Impacts of custodial grand parenting Numerous literatures have pointed out the impacts associated with this research topic to both the grandparents and the grandchildren. According to the National Institute of Mental Health and Population Reference Bureau, grandchildren who are in custody of their grandparents grow up with more emotional and behavioral problems compared to those raised by the parents (Scommegna, 2012). This is especially diff icult when it comes to adolescent grandchildren. The research also indicates that in homes where there is low income (mostly among African-Americans and Hispanics), the behavioral problems are likely to escalate. The problem however is not so rampant among the whites majorly because most of their custodial care starts when the children are young. Research findings by America Association for Marriage and Family Therapy indicate that grandparents also face their share of different impact. Some of these identified impacts include the legal problem and process of acquiring custody of their grandchildren. This is especially so in case of divorce where the parents are still alive. The other is the financial impact. Most grandparents are retired and therefore have no steady flow of

Employee Wellness Programs Health And Social Care Essay

Employee Wellness Programs Health And Social Care Essay Worksites are where most adults spend more than half of their waking hours .   In light of this, they offer a unique opportunity to affect change in an individuals health status.   Billions of dollars are spent each year addressing health in the workforce only after illness and/or injury has already occurred (2). This translates to profit losses in the form of lost wages and compensation, productivity, and high employee turnover.   Employees also pay a high physical and emotional price for poor health. Rising healthcare costs are also passed along to the consumers who share the burden of higher premiums, deductibles, and copayments (3). Prevention is the key in addressing issues in a proactive manner. For most organizations, this phenomenon is reflected in a high utilization of personal time off and requested sick leaves (2) (4) (5). A related issue is the abuse of the sick leave benefit where employees feel a stress-day off is a benefit and at their discretion. This is often related to stress in the work place or a work place environment that is uncomfortable for the employee (6). Past efforts to control this issue have included requiring physician certification of a valid health problem, implementing company policies that limit utilization of ad hoc time off, and encouraging managers to say no when asked for excessive days off. Some companies have even eliminated the concept of a sick day and increased the employees personal time off by a day or two to compensate (6). Regardless of the labeling for time off or of the managements effort to control increased health related issues, many organizations report that employees taking unplanned days off has increased (4). The recommendat ion is to move away from the confrontational approach of imposing corporate rules to limit the abuse and focus on the core of the problem, health problems and stress management in the workplace (2) (5). A human resources (HR) industry survey found that reported personal illness accounts for 35 percent of all unscheduled absences in the workplace (4). Some HR experts estimate that absenteeism can cost a company around $600 per employee per year, and thats just in use of benefits and healthcare costs. The estimates are higher if the calculation includes other related costs such as overtime pay, costs of temps, missed deadlines, and lower productivity (7). Some of these unaccounted for sick days can be avoided if the companys management is proactive when making organizational changes and in providing means for helping employees deal with health issues (1-5). This increased utilization is driving up the cost of coverage and company officials are considering some desperate options to save money such as a drastic reduction of coverage or the elimination of benefits altogether.   Prior to the implementation of such measures, company executives need to consider a different approach upon which they feel may not only raise awareness of health and safety issues, but provide the tools necessary for employees to increase their quality of life. The Healthy People 2010 initiative is a government effort to promote employers to get involved in the health of their workers with the intended goal being to Increase quality and years of healthy life (3).   One area recommended is to implement an employee wellness program that addresses staying healthy, increasing exercise opportunities, and reducing worksite injuries through increase safety practices (1) (2) (5). Employee wellness programs are predicated on the basis that most illness is directly preventable and that the workplace has the ability to transform lives (1).   Companies that implement programs will see a decrease in healthcare costs by lowering utilization rates of sick days and improving the workplace environment (2) (5).   These programs are meant to improve the overall quality of life for each of their employees (3).   Statement of the Problem The purpose of this study was to determine if an organization takes proactive efforts to implement healthy programs that can positively influence a reduction of sick days used by employees. Researchers have found significant cost savings for the organization by taking the action of becoming involved in the wellness of employees (2) (5). The use of sick days, whether due to illness or a need for a personal day away from stress, result in higher costs due to issues such as overtime pay, costs of temps, missed deadlines, and lower productivity (7). Healthy Workforce 2010 (3), a program within the Healthy People 2010 initiative, recommends employer groups take an active role in implementing programs, such as an employee wellness program, in order to improve the overall health of their employees and subsequently creating a healthier work environment. Hypothesis Hypothesis 1. The introduction and management of a worksite wellness program at a manufacturing organization will improve the overall health and wellness of their employees. Hypothesis 2. There will be a significant decrease in the number of personal days off and sick time, as reported to Human Resources, based on improved employee health and satisfaction at their workplace as a result of implementing a workforce wellness program. Hypothesis 3. There will be an increase in employee knowledge and skills for healthier living as measured by a pre and post-test measuring the amount of information gained from interventions such as onsite workplace classes. If these of hypothesis do not prove true, the researcher expects that the organization will still experience costs equal to or exceeding that of previous years in health related time off, which will be reflected in personal time off (PTO) or sick days (STO) utilization rates. Employees may show an increase in knowledge of healthier lifestyle changes but this may not change their behaviors surrounding time off and implied expectations of utilizing a company benefit. Delimitations This studys focus is on reducing the overall costs to an organization as impacted by the over-use of PTO and STO by employees. The actual cost savings are estimated to include reduction in other areas such as overtime, hiring of temps, and production losses. But to keep this studys outcomes in a reasonable space, the only measurements for success will be the reduction of overall usage of time off or PTO and STO per 100 employees. The base measurement for this analysis will be statistics from previous years. In order to keep the number of employees and impact at a manageable level, the study will only review the effects of a wellness program on one organization, a large manufacturing organization in a suburb outside of Los Angeles, California. The organization has over 600 employees at the target location, consisting administrators, engineers, line supervisors, and skilled factory workers. Managers have reported an average expected utilization of time off related to health and stress issues. Limitations Since the study will focus on a specific population in a specific industry, the results may reflect the impact of a program that is only successful under certain environmental influences. Also, a CCH survey (6) discusses the abuse of PTO or STO days, highlighting that use of these days are influenced by various reasons in addition to sickness or stress. Some areas indicated in surveys (4) include family illnesses or problems, which may not be impacted by a wellness program, and seasonal influences such as summer or holidays, which often results in 4 day weekends. The study is relying upon the information collected by the HR representatives of the organization, which limits the analysis to days reported to HR and avoiding comp time or personal days which are taken as agreements between supervisors and employees. Since the baseline will be the reported days from previous years, this limitation should have little impact on the outcome of the study. Assumptions In defining this study, the following assumptions were made: All time off is reported and tracked by the HR department. Since illnesses and stress leave are human-based factors and not necessarily bound to a specific industry, the results of this study will be applicable to other industries and workers. Implementing a program that focuses on reported time off will not unduly influence an increase or decrease in reported days due to the study itself. Since the study is qualitative, the results will be only be the starting point for other studies that should include other factors that may influence increased use of personal days off. Operational Definitions PTO Personal Time Off, a company benefit for employees of most organizations. STO Sick Time Off, a company benefits only offered at some organizations; some companies have rolled sick time into the personal time benefit. MATCH Multilevel Approach to Community Health. A five-phase program planning model developed in the late 1980s. Normative Need The needs of a population based on expert opinion. Expressed Need The needs of a population based on factual data. Healthy People 2010 U.S government publication that brought together much of what was known about the relationship of personal health behavior and health status. Primary Data Original data collected by the planners. Lifestyle Disease A disease that is associated with how a person lives. Such as their smoking habits, alcohol, drug abuse, physical activity and eating habits. Lifestyle diseases include, heart disease, stroke, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Risk Factors is a variable that is associated with increased risk of disease or infection. Risk factors can include, lack of physical activity, diet, etc. Wellness Wellness is an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices towards, a more successful existence (8). Absenteeism is defined as a chronic absence and in this context it is in relation to work. Non-communicative diseases diseases that are not infectious. These disease include those that are from genetic or lifestyle factors. Segmentation process of identifying groups of consumers that share similar characteristics and will respond in a like way to a marketing strategy. Chapter Two Literature Review Over 100 years ago, the biggest health care threat we faced had to do with the spread of communicable diseases. Today, communicable diseases take a back seat to a much bigger problem that plagues American citizens which is that of lifestyle origin. A lifestyle disease is defined as one that is affected by factors such as poor dietary habits, alcohol and/or drug usage including tobacco smoking, and lack of physical activity (9). These factors individually as well as in combination make a person much more susceptible to cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, obesity, and certain types of cancers. In order to reduce the risk of these diseases, individuals must address changes to their lifestyles that include participating in workplace healthy wellness programs. This chapter will review the influencing factors in the effort, the scope of the problem of lifestyle diseases, and discuss some of the benefits of targeting specific areas in a wellness program. Addressing Lifestyle Changes Researchers have shown found a direct relationship between providing intervention to improve a persons health and the cost saving realized by that persons employer (1) (2) (5).Taking proactive measure to improve the persons health and to implement preventative measures keeping the person out of a high-risk category for lifestyle diseases extends the persons life and benefits everyone they are involved with, from their employer to their families (1). Some researchers found the reverse to be true also. Ignoring the factors identifying people by their risk for lifestyle diseases will result in an increase of health problems and in costs to the employer through use of sick time and increased workplace injuries (2) (5). Modifying an individuals risk factors for lifestyle diseases can be difficult. People usually express a lack of time outside of the workplace for healthy behaviors such as meal planning and exercise; since, half of our waking hours are spent at work (9). In addition to time constraints, beginning any new healthy lifestyle behavior is no easy task, but it can make a profound effect on both physical as well as mental health. These benefits hold true regardless of the workers age. One large cohort study of 15,708 examined the impact of adoption of new lifestyle behaviors (9). All individuals were of typical working age 45-64. It was found that people who newly adopt a healthy lifestyle in middle-age experience a prompt benefit of lower rates of cardiovascular disease and mortality. Further conclusions recommend that we begin to adopt strategies to encourage healthy lifestyles. This is especially true among those with pre-existing medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, or obe sity (9). Lifestyle changes not only take commitment on the part of the participant but a great deal of support from others as well. Support from co-workers can be a strong motivator but in order for healthy changes to be fully adopted by the workforce, it must be a priority among the decision makers within the company (2) (5). The cost impact of a disease such as obesity is well documented. Obesity contributes to monetary losses for the employee as well as employer. In response, employers continue to look for ways to offset those costs through the offering of company-sponsored wellness and weight management programs. Health care organizations in particular hospitals, as well as public employers can be important role models in this process. A change in policy could make a dramatic difference for smaller employers which represent the majority of U.S. employers as they are far less likely to offer health promotion programs unless a government incentive was offered (10). Worksites are where most adults spend more than half of their waking hours. In light of this, they offer a unique opportunity to affect change in an individuals health status. Health in the workplace should focus on one main role central to prevention. Prevention tactics can be geared towards prevention of illness and spread of disease as well as prevention of accidents, injury, and disability. Billions of dollars are spent each year addressing health in the workplace only after illness and/or injury has already occurred (11). This translates to profit losses in the form of lost wages and compensation, productivity, and high employee turnover. Prevention is the key in addressing issues in a proactive manner. Wellness programs are an important component of employer benefits packages because they offer workers and their families choices for pursuing healthier lifestyles with less illness, ultimately leading to less costly benefits packages (9). Wellness programs and employee assistance programs are important benefits for workers and their employers; data from the National Compensation Survey (NCS) show that workers in the public and private sectors had greater access to these kinds of benefits in 2008 than they did a decade earlier. In an age of ever-increasing health care costs, services that promote health and wellness have become an important element of U.S. society. Wellness programs often include health education and an awareness component. According to some analysts, these programs address issues that increase worker satisfaction and productivity. Implementing a Wellness Program Using MATCH Researchers have found the employers who implement proactive, work-based wellness programs can realize significant savings in utilization of STO, decreased productivity and costs for production lags (2) (5). In one study, researchers implemented a worksite health promotion program to reduce the utilization of short-term disability days at a large company. The researchers estimated the potential cost savings over a 2-year period would be in excess of $1,300,000 (2). A similar study that implemented a health-promotion program over five years found estimated cost savings from reduced sick days at over $600,000 a year (5). The target populations in both of these studies focused on employees who were high users of sick days. Expanding that approach to the entire population should contribute even more to the cost savings. Affecting change in a population with varying influential levels is strength in the program design called the Match Model. Match is an acronym for Multilevel Approach to Community Health (12). The concept behind the Match Model is based on attempts to reach various levels within a target population through working with individuals of influence at various levels. Once appropriate goals are selected in the Match Model, intervention planning begins with the selection of objectives and approaches. The program development then commences with the creation of the actual delivery pieces such as information materials and class curricula. The preparation for implementation is the next step whereby key individuals who will deliver the intervention are trained, roll out dates established, and the program actually begins. The final step in the Match Model involves the program evaluation process. This critical step provides the program development team with outcomes measures to evaluate the program effectiveness and provide necessary feedback that will drive future programs. Worker Health in the United States Worker health in the United States is a broad issue. Multiple political initiatives have been recently developed in an effort to address the problems that have arisen as a result of national attention to multiple health concerns that currently plague the country which includes rising obesity rates, type II diabetes, tobacco usage, as well as a host of other issues. An example of a set of national health initiatives is the Healthy People 2010 (3) objectives, aimed at making a difference in 10 years. Many of the initiatives contained within are aimed at increasing quality of life through the prevention of disease. The program has a total of 467 objectives organized into 28 focus areas. There are special provisions for physical activity, tobacco usage, and obesity (3). The program also addresses issues for employers such as high utilization of benefits, increased absenteeism, and productivity issues, all resulting in high-cost employees especially those who experience multiple risk fact ors for diseases including high blood pressure, smoking, and sedentary lifestyles (3). Top reasons for taking what might be called non-sick days are family issues (21 percent), personal needs (18 percent), entitlement mentality (14 percent), and stress (12 percent). Lisa Franke, a workplace analyst at CCH, says that absences for stress and entitlement taking days employees believe they have earned are up slightly from last year because leaner staffing levels have intensified workloads (13). Based on these findings, recommendations to employers in the United States are focused around two main factors. The first recommendation from the Healthy People 2010 program is that employers, at least 75% of those in the United States regardless of size, should offer a comprehensive employee health promotion program. The second recommendation is that employer groups should strive for a 75% participation rate among all employees. The objectives of Healthy People 2010 sparked a subsidiary report known as Healthy Workforce 2010 (3). The report outlines eight primary objectives that promote health and quality of life among workers in the United States. Among the objectives presented in the report, the researchers highlighted the impact of unhealthy habits of the U.S. population on the economy and future of the country. In 1998, the report estimates that a quarter of the adult population smoked; this statistic is even higher at 35% for American teenagers. Other vices such as alcohol and drug abuse have cost the U.S. economy over $276 billion dollars as a result of healthcare, auto accidents, lost productivity, and other issues (3). In addition to problems created by substance abuse, the Healthy Workforce 2010 report estimates that over half of the U.S. population is overweight or classified as obese. This problem can be addressed by encouraging employees to participate in regular daily exercise. Similar to substance abuse among workers, this growing problem results in related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, and osteoarthritis which costs both employers and the U.S. economy in healthcare costs (3). Other areas resulting in higher healthcare costs and impacting the work area include addressing work-related injuries and providing a safe working environment for employees. Even beyond the deaths caused by work accidents, the U.S. Bureau of Labor estimates that employees experience approximately 5.7 million non-fatal accidents annually, resulting in over 2.7 million lost work days. The Healthy Workforce 2010 recommends employers not only focus on preventing accidents but also increase healthcare coverage, since the U.S. Census Bureau reports that over 42 million American workers are not covered by health insurance, a trend predominant in smaller companies (3). Worker Health in California Studies from the State of California Department of Health (14) reported similar findings at the national level. The larger issues that appear to be problematic in the State of California involve lost wages and productivity caused by diseases that are aggravated by unhealthy lifestyles. These include obesity, hypertension, and cardiovascular complications among others. The literature revealed that worksite wellness programs help to reduce overall operating costs from increased healthcare utilization, accidents and poor productivity. Employers also benefit from these programs through enhanced recruitment, retention of healthy employees, and reduced absenteeism (15). The easiest way to address health related issues is to take actions that prevent the problems in the first place. Primary healthcare measures are the key to ensuring a healthy population. Worker Health in Los Angeles County Similar reports in Los Angeles County provided population-wide data on health related quality of life in Los Angeles County and used measures developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to track health trends at the national and state levels. The average numbers of unhealthy days and activity limitation days were higher in Los Angeles County (6.4 and 2.4, respectively) than in California (5.9 and 2.1) and the United States (5.5 and 1.9, respectively) in 1999. These differences may reflect disparities in health status across the three populations but as well as demographic differences (e.g., socioeconomic or racial/ ethnic differences) between the populations. In addition the number of unhealthy days and activity limitation days were significantly higher in persons previously diagnosed with depression, arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, or asthma than in persons not diagnosed with these conditions (16). Health Consequences for Workers Employees also pay a high physical and emotional price for poor health. Rising healthcare costs are passed along to the consumers who share the burden of higher premiums, deductibles, and copayments. Financial responsibilities can lead to increased stress levels among workers. Employee wellness programs are predicated on the basis that most illness is directly preventable and that the workplace has the ability to transform lives. These programs also decrease healthcare costs through lowering utilization rates. These programs are meant to improve the overall quality of life for each of the participants (3). The Importance of Physical Activity Regular physical activity provides a multitude of benefits to an employee. According to the American Council on Exercise (11) low-back pain is a leading cause of job-related disability and missed work in the United States. This problem results in over $50 billion every year in healthcare costs. Work-related back pain experienced by most people can be prevented with just a little forethought. In high-risk back pain jobs requiring frequent bending, lifting, and twisting, employees and employers can be taught a variety of methods in order to reduce stress on the back and help prevent injuries. This risk of injury increases in those who are overweight, smoke or are inactive (11). Benefits of Smoking Cessation According a report conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (17) over 8.6 million people in the U.S. experience a health-related problem due to smoking. In the subsequent CDC report the next year (17), the agency reported that smoking was responsible for over 90% of lung cancer mortalities and over 80% of the COPD (emphysema and chronic bronchitis) deaths. This is largely because cigarettes and other tobacco products contain over 4,800 chemical, 69 of those which have been identified as carcinogenic. Smoking has also been linked to other serious illnesses and medical problems such as slow wound healing, peptic ulcers, and other diseases contributing to loss of employee productivity (18). Employers have responded by creating smoke-free workplaces nationwide, where employees can be protected from the life-threatening effects of secondhand smoke. In 1999, a study found that approximately 70% of the U.S. workforce was impacted by a smoke-free employer policy (19). But l aws and employer responsibility varies by state, so this statistic can vary above 80% in states like Utah and Maryland or drop below 50% in states like Nevada (19). Healthy Diet Advantages According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) (20), diabetes is one of the fastest growing and one of the most costly health issues facing the U.S. worker. The disease has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, affecting a growing number and percentage of people every year. The cost of diabetes to the American healthcare system is staggering, resulting in missed work days and higher benefit requirements for employers. In the ADA report, one-fifth of the healthcare dollars spent is used to provide care for someone with diabetes, while one-tenth of the healthcare dollars spent is associated with diabetes. For employers, the costs of diabetes increased 32% from 2002 to 2007, with the increase in medical expenditures and lost productivity estimated at $174 billion. Per capita, the annual cost of diabetes is approximately $11,744 a year. Many people do not recognize that they are at risk for diabetes (or diabetes-related complications if they already have diabetes). How ever, type II diabetes can be prevented or delayed for many of those at high risk for diabetes and diabetes-related complications can be also be prevented or delayed with lifestyle practices including maintaining a healthy weight, regular exercise, and a balanced diet (20). Summary The prevalence of lifestyle diseases among Californians and within the U.S. is growing. Everything from fast foods to sedentary activities plays a role in contributing to this national problem. Addressing the issues requires more than just adding a few cardio sessions every week or walking a little more, the effort requires attacking the problem at the root, changing how people define and move through their lives. Lifestyles changes are exactly that, changes that affects across a persons life and hopefully for the rest of their lives. Many factors contribute to lifestyle diseases include home culture, resting activities, and work environments. Implementing a wellness program at a worksite will provide the support and information needed to make effective changes to the employees health while benefiting both the employee and employer (2).