Tracing Your Family Medical History

Tracing Your Family Medical History You know you got your curly red hair from your grandmother, and your prominent nose from your dad. These arent the only things you may have inherited from your family, however. Many medical conditions, including heart disease, breast cancer, prostate cancer, diabetes, alcoholism and Alzheimers disease have also been shown to be passed down through families. What Is A Family Medical History? A family medical history or medical family tree is a record of important medical information about your relatives, including illnesses and diseases, along with the relationships among the members of your family. A family health or medical history is begun by talking with your immediate family members parents, grandparents and siblings as they provide the most important links to genetic risk. Why is a Family Medical History Important? Some studies say that over 40 percent of the population is at increased genetic risk for a common disease such as cancer, diabetes or heart disease. Understanding your risk for developing such diseases is an important reason to learn more about your family history. By knowing your risk, you can make informed decisions about prevention and screening, and even participate in genetic-based research aimed at understanding, preventing and curing disease. For example, if your father had colon cancer at age 45, you should probably be screened at an earlier age for colon cancer than age 50, the average age for first-time colon cancer screening. How is a Family Medical History Used? How is a family medical history used? A family medical history helps document familial patterns which may impact your health, such as trends towards specific types of cancer, early heart disease, or even something simple such as skin problems. Compiling a family medical history can help you and your doctor spot these family patterns and use the information to assist with the following: Diagnosing a medical conditionDetermining whether you may benefit from preventive measures to lower your risk of a specific diseaseDeciding what medical tests to runIdentifying other members of your family who are at risk of developing certain diseasesCalculating your risk of certain diseasesCalculating your risk of passing certain conditions to your children What Should Be Included in a Family Medical History? Going back about three generations (to your grandparents or great-grandparents), try to collect details on every direct family member who has died and the cause of death. Also, document the medical conditions of all family members, including the age at which they were first diagnosed, their treatment, and if they ever had surgery. Important medical conditions to document include: CancerHeart diseaseDiabetesAsthmaMental illnessHigh blood pressureStrokeKidney diseaseAlcoholismBirth defectsLearning disabilitiesVision or hearing loss For family members with known medical problems, make notes on their overall health, including if they smoked, were overweight, and their exercise habits. If a family member had cancer, be sure to learn the primary type and not just where it metastasized. If your family members came from a different country, make note of that as well, as some medical conditions have possible ethnic roots. How Should I Document My Family Medical History? Family medical history can be recorded in a similar manner to the traditional family tree, just using standard medical symbols in a pedigree format - squares for men and circles for women. You can either use a standard key, or create your own which specifies what your symbols mean. See Tools for Recording Your Family Medical History for more information, examples, forms and questionnaires. If you find the forms too complicated, just collect the information. Your doctor will still be able to use what you find. Remove any personal names from your work before giving it to your doctor or anyone outside the family. They dont need to know the names, only the relationships among individuals, and you never know where your medical tree might end up! My Family Cant Help Me, Now What? If your parents are deceased or relatives are uncooperative, it may take some real detective work to learn more about your familys medical past. If you cant get access to medical records, try death certificates, obituaries and old family letters. Even old family photos can provide visual clues to diseases such as obesity, skin conditions and osteoporosis. If youre adopted or otherwise cant learn more about your familys health history, be sure to follow standard screening recommendations and see your doctor for a physical on a regular basis. Keep in mind that the format and questions dont have to be perfect. The more information you gather, in whatever format is easiest for you, the more informed youll be about your medical heritage. What you learn could literally save your life!

Thanksgiving Lesson Plan Acrostic Poem

Thanksgiving Lesson Plan Acrostic Poem Are you in need of a quick and easy Thanksgiving lesson plan to share with your students in the week before Thanksgiving? Consider practicing acrostic poetry with your students. Acrostic poetry is great for building vocabulary and exercising creativity.   An acrostic poem uses the letters in a word to begin each line of the poem. All of the lines of the poem relate to or somehow describe the main topic word. Here are a few quick tips to consider. Model the format of acrostic poems with your students. Work together to write a collective acrostic poem on the whiteboard. You can use the sample below.Give your students a Thanksgiving-related word so that they can write their own acrostic poem. Consider: gratitude, thank you, Thanksgiving, thankful, blessings, or grateful. Discuss the meaning of these words and the true meaning of the Thanksgiving holiday.Give your students time to write their acrostic poems. Circulate and offer guidance as needed. Offer help but do not give students any phrases or sentences; let them do that on their own.If you have time, allow the students to illustrate their poems. This project makes a great bulletin board display for November, especially if you do it early in the month! Your students can even give their gratitude poems to family members as a creative way of saying thank you for all they do. Sample Thanksgiving Acrostic Poem Here are a few samples of Thanksgiving acrostic poems. Sample number three is written for someone. Sample No. 1 G - Giving me tasty food to eatR - Reading to me before I go to bedA - Always working hard for our familyT - Treating me sweetlyI - I appreciate you!T - Tucking me into bed at nightU - Understanding me when Im upsetD - Doing the right thingsE - Excellent parents! Sample No. 2 T - urkey time (I love the white meat!)H - oping the weather will stay coolA - untie’s pumpkin pie is my favoriteN -   ine plates around the family dinner tableK - eeping family traditions aliveS - tuffing my tummy with my nanas super stuffingG - iving thanks for my family and friendsI - nviting our elderly neighbors over so they won’t be lonelyV   - egetables that I love are corn and beansI - think I am about to burst from all of the foodN - aps for the babies, grandparents, and all of us!G - ames and laughter throughout the day! Sample No. 3 T - Thank you for alwaysU - Understanding. Thank you for alwaysR - Remembering to beK - Kind, helpful, generous, nice, and respectful ofE - Each other. That is why I am so happy and thankful everyY - Year for everything that you do for me.

Motives and Incentives in the Performance of Employees Dissertation

Motives and Incentives in the Performance of Employees - Dissertation Example One of the most important aspects of a business in production is the motivation of the workforce. Manual labour is not comparable to the work produced by machines, and therefore the amount of work done is not the same. Thus, the most effective way to increase company performance and ensure productive, effective employees is to take steps to motivate the staff. One of the usual managerial approaches to this goal is through the use of financial rewards, however research suggests that there may be other more suitable strategies. In fact, Kohn (1993) suggests that if the motivational frame is focused only on material rewards, the levels of production might actually decrease.  Pugh and Hickson (1989) investigated this area through the â€Å"Hawthorne Experiment†. The conclusion of their study was that if the managers do not take into account the employees’ personal necessities and desires, they will be likely to maximize payment but minimize effort. Therefore, it is a cruc ial issue among business at present to learn how to offer non-material rewards as motivation. Hoegl and Gemuenden (2001) support this by stating that teamwork can be defined as a social structure comprised of over three people in context or organization. Therefore, as members of this structure work together as a single unit and look to achieve the same objective, techniques which improve the inter-relationship will improve group output. Additionally, the power of agglomerate and relation of status, composition, leadership, size, principles.... The global crisis has made it increasingly vital for organizations to take measures to ensure the life of their businesses, overcoming both internal and external operation factors to achieve revenue growth and corporate performance. It is widely agreed that effective management of one of the most important factors for organizations to stay profitable in a highly competitive global economy. These factors of production are the three M’s: materials, machine and manpower. It is the last of these, the human resource of a company, which poses the biggest challenge. A motivated employee is a valuable asset that brings tremendous worth to an organization. 1.2 The Objectives of the Research This research will try to resolve the problem of employee motivation and incentives programs by determining the factors that would give them motivation in their work, which in turn will result into satisfactory performance that would make possible the organization’s success. It will also try to look into the style and strategies of Al-Amal Hospital in Jeddah, the company in focus, in dealing with their workforce and how their workforce stay motivated and happy with their job. 1.3 Research Problems It is the purpose of this paper to identify the motivational strategies and incentives that would improve employee behaviour in the workplace. The focus of this study will be an evaluation of the practices of hospitals in Saudi Arabia, particularly Al-Amal Hospital in Jeddah. This will include an evaluation of the employee motivation and incentive strategies available to Al-Jamal Hospital, how they were applied in the organization and the effectiveness of these approaches. 1.4 Limitations of the Study As the data collected for random sampling will be from a single

Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Movie Review Example Day for Night† was â€Å"named after a technical term for night scenes shot in daylight with a special filter,  offering a fascinating insight into the reality behind the art of moviemaking† (â€Å"New Wave Film† Web). The film revolves around a story of English woman married to a French man, who falls in love again with the father of her husband and together they escape. Actually, this was as a result of the son bringing the girlfriend, Pamela, to introduce her to the parents not really knowing that the two- his father and Pamela, will fall in love and leave him helpless. There are various themes in the film. Some of the themes include pregnancy and death, failure of particular love affair and rise of another, and also the motion of emergence of new careers and upholding the existing ones. The film is composed of the director, Francois Truffaut, who acts as Ferrand and is entitled to hard work and many challenges being the director. Ferrand has the leading lady called Julie who is Jacqueline Bisset, who is not covered by any insurance company and is suffering from the nervous breakdown, Jean-Pierre Leaud acting as Alphonse is just concerned with script girl than concentration on his acting role. Valentina Cortese acts as Severine and has a hot temper distracting her from memorizing the exact lines of the part assigned to her. Lastly, Jean-Pierre Aumont, taking duties as Alexandre meets his male lover secretly and persistently, yet no one really knows where he goes. Cinematographer in the film is Pierre-William Glenn; the assistant director of the day for night is Nathalie Baye acting as Joelle, and the producer, Marcel Berbert. (â€Å"New Wave Film† Web). The viewers have accepted the movie â€Å"Day for Night† and they credit the film highly between four over five to five over five. Various award and credits have been given out in favour of the fill due to its interesting, touching and funny nature. Not only the movie addicts were attracted to watch this

Class Conflict Essay Example for Free

Class Conflict Essay Introduction: This essay aims to examine the extent to which class conflict affects education and life opportunities. The following paragraphs seek to illustrate how factors such as class position and parental attitudes affect education and life opportunities among different social classes and the conflict that lies between them. In order to understand the content of this essay it is first necessary to understand all of the possible variables involved. Throughout this essay I will examine the definitions of class, conflict, education and opportunity. The main body of the essay seeks to highlight the reason as to why people are members of certain classes and the effects this has on their chances for education and life opportunities, using the example of education in Britain. In conclusion, a brief synopsis of class conflict will be given and considerations of some of the reasons why this occurs. In answering the question through the use of an example from the social context in which class conflict effects education and life opportunities this essay aims to highlight how the conflict between classes effect a person’s right to an education and equal life opportunities. Class, Conflict, Education, Opportunity: In order to understand the content of this essay it is first necessary to understand all of the possible variables involved. Norman Goodman defines class as â€Å"a term widely used in sociology to differentiate the population on grounds of economic considerations such as inequalities in terms of wealth or income† (Goodman, 1992).In support of this the Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines conflict as â€Å"an incompatibility between opinions† (2004). In light of these two aforementioned definitions Karl Marx argues that â€Å"class conflict is not only inherent but inevitable within capitalism† (Goodman, 1992).Education can be defined as â€Å"the theory and practice of teaching† (2004). To once again quote from the Concise Oxford English Dictionary an opportunity is â€Å"a favourable time or set of circumstances for doing something† (2004). Why do we have social classes? Ultimately social classes are based on economic factors. Dating back to Victorian times, lower, middle and upper classes existed. The lower classes would have been made up of the landless labourers. Middle classes would have included the tradesmen i.e. people with a professional skill/qualification such as a blacksmith. Finally the upper classes would have consisted of the large farmers and business owners. The upper classes would traditionally employed people from the lower classes to run their farms or businesses. Although we have moved on since Victorian times, this social divide hasn’t changed much. There still remains today a prominent divide between the lower middle and upper class people. This can be seen now within the third level education in present days. Due to the economic crisis we are currently experiencing, less and less people are able to afford the luxury of a third level education. Sadly this is hitting the lower and working classes the hardest. Due to government cutbacks grants are being chopped leaving the less fortunate members of our society starved for further education. How does the conflict between different social classes effect education and life opportunities? As mentioned in the introduction class position and parental attitudes play a vital role in the effect that class conflict has on education and life opportunities. It has been proven that class position has a huge effect on parental attitudes in getting involved with their children’s school lives. A.Lareau outlines parental involvement as â€Å"preparing children for school (Lareau, 2000) , this includes assisting the child in learning the alphabet, speaking and reading stories to the child. This is to promote language development. Also parents should attend school event such as parent teacher meetings and comply with the requests teachers make of parents in furthering a child’s education. School success is positively linked with parental invol vement (Lareau, 2000). Through research it has been proven that a lack of â€Å"parental involvement is not random and that social classes have a powerful influence on parent involvement patterns† (Lareau, 2000).For example, â€Å"between forty and sixty per cent of working †¦ and lower-class parents fail to attend parent teacher conferences. For middle-class parents these figures are nearly halved, i.e., about twenty to thirty per cent. (Lightfoot1978, et al.). This is also proven true when we turn to the promotion of language development. These areas include â€Å"reading to children, taking children to the library, attending school events and enrolling children in summer school† (Lareau, 2000). Middle class parents were shown to take a more active role in schooling than the parents of middle and lower class children. Originally to enter the secondary educational system in Britain a fee had to be paid. It was privately organised and based on â€Å"differentiation along lines of socia l class† (McCulloch, 1998). The working and lower classes were only obliged to attend elementary education. Secondary education was intended solely for the wealthier middle class. The very wealthy and sons of landowners attended the â€Å"nine great schools of Eaton, Harrow†¦Merchant Taylors and St. Paul’s† (Sally Power, 2003), these were originally called public schools. Within the middle class there was a differentiation in the line of secondary education. This was shown by the Taunton Commission of the 1860s. Schools were divided into 3 categories depending on their clientele. The first group was catered for the sons of professional men, men in business (â€Å"whose profits put them on the same level as the great majority of professional men† (McCulloch, 1998)).This grade continued to the age of 18 or more. The second grade was much broader in its general curriculum than the first. This continued till the age of 16 and catered for the sons of â€Å"large shopkeepers, rising men of business and the larger tenant farmers† (McCulloch, 1998) .The third group catered for the â€Å"distinctly lower scale† such as small tenant farmers, small tradesman and superior artisans. This grade continued only till the age of 14. Gradually, however, access to secondary education was widened. The 1902 Act introduced a scholarship route which enabled intelligent products of elementary education to â€Å"proceed to free places in secondary education† (Roberts, 1977). Then, all children, â€Å"with exception of approximately five per cent whose parents desired and could afford an independent education† (Roberts, 1977), were given an equal opportunity with entry to different types of secondary schools that were introduced. â€Å"This depended solely on their performances in an impartial selection procedure that became known as the eleven-plus† (Roberts, 1977). At this time (1944) it was believed that society had reached equality in terms of secondary education and that each child was the maker of their own destiny depending only on their own accomplishments and hard work and not upon the socio-economic status of their parents. Now, However it is common knowledge that the 1944 Act was not successful as government reports showed that a â€Å"strong link remained between children’s educational attainments and their social class origins† (Roberts, 1977). Investigation showed that, in what was meant to be an equal opportunity of education for all, working class children seemed to â€Å"fall at every hurdle†. Social class was shown to be related to the allocation of children in primary school streams, their achievement in the eleven-plus selection procedures, â€Å"the streams towards which they gravitated within secondary schools† (Roberts, 1977), their chances of remaining in education passed the statutory age and also their resulting chances of entering higher education. Hence affecting their chance of employment in their future life which would enable them to support their family and hence being amore active member of the society in which they live. Conclusion: To conclude, from my research I do believe that class conflict has an effect on education and life opportunities as mentioned above parental attitudes and class position can have a devastating effect on a child’s life but it can also have a positive effect. This is down to where one’s family lies in the class structure. Trends show that many members of lower classes do not succeed in education as much as the members of the wealthier middle classes. This lack of success in education is often presents itself in further life. Bibliography: 2004. Concise Oxford English Dictionary. s.l. : Oxford University Press , 2004. Goodman, Norman. 1992. Introduction to Sociology. New York : Harper Perennial, 1992. Lareau, Annette. 2000. Home Advantage. Maryland : Rowman Littlefield Publishers , 2000. Lightfoot1978, Ogbu1974, McPherson1972 and Galen1987, Van. McCulloch, Gary. 1998. Failing the Ordinary Child ? Buckingham : Open University Press, 1998. Roberts, Cook, Clark, Semeonoff,. 1977. The Fragmentary Class Structure. London : Heinemann Educational Books Ltd, 1977. Sally Power, Tony Edwards, Geoff Whitty ,Valerie Wigfall. 2003. Education and the Middle Class. Buckingham : Open University Press, 2003.

Salmon Essay -- essays research papers

The upriver salmon migration is one of nature's most exciting dramas. But to the five species of Pacific salmon (Chinook , chum, coho, pink, and sockeye), it is a long, strenuous, desperate race against time, with every obstacle taking its toll. Pacific salmon belong to a group called anadromous fish that includes Atlantic salmon, sturgeon, lampreys, shad, herring, sea- run cutthroat trout, and steelhead trout. These species hatch and live the first part of their lives in fresh water, then migrate to the ocean to spend their adult lives, which may be as short as 6 months or as long as 7 years. When they reach sexual maturity, they return to the freshwater stream of their origin to lay their eggs. Pacific salmon make the round trip only once, but some Atlantic salmon may repeat the cycle several times. Migration between fresh and salt water occurs during every season of the year, depending on latitude and genetic characteristics of the fish. Groups of fish that migrate together are called runs or stocks. Salmon spawn in virtually all types of freshwater habitat, from intertidal areas to high mountain streams. Pacific salmon may swim hundreds, even thousands, of miles to get back to the stream where they hatched. However, only a small percentage of salmon live to reach their natal stream or spawning grounds. Those males that survive the trip are often gaunt, with grotesquely humped backs, hooked jaws, and battle-torn fins. The females are swollen with a pound or more of eggs. Both have large white patches of bruised skin on their backs and sides. Since salmon do not feed once they leave the ocean, some will die on the way because they lack enough stored body fat to make the trip. Many will be caught in fishermen's nets. Those that evade the nets may have to swim through polluted waters near cities. Many must make their way over power dams, leaping up from one tiny pool to the next along cement stairstep cascades called fish ladders. In the tributary streams, waterfalls and rapids are steep and swift enough to eliminate all but the strongest. Otters, eagles, and bears stalk the salmon in shallow riffles. Once on the spawning grounds, the fish battle each other: females against females for places to nest, males against males for available females. The female builds her nest, called a redd, by agitating the bottom gravel with her fins and tail, and bending ... ...almon belong to the Department of Commerce's National Marine Fisheries Service. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other federal and state agencies also have recovery responsibilities. The largest of the Pacific salmon, chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) average about 24 pounds when they return to their natal river to spawn, most after 2 or 3 years at sea. The chinook is the least abundant of the Pacific salmon. Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), fourth in Pacific fishery abundance, is the number one sport fish. It spends only one winter at sea, returning the next fall to spawn. It averages about 10 pounds when full grown. Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) make up about 25 percent of the West Coast catch, and chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) make up about 13 percent. Both follow similar migration paths in the Pacific and reach a common weight of about 12 pounds before returning to their natal river to spawn. Pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), the smallest of the Pacific salmon, average only about 3 to 5 pounds. However, they make up more than half the total West Coast commercial catch. Pink salmon seldom travel more than 150 miles from the mouth of their natal river.

Weight Watchers Swot Analysis

Strengths * Brand Recognition * Patented Points Program * Science Based Approach/Clinically Proven Results * Multiple Support Options * History of successful Weight Loss * Multiple Payment Options * Flexible Meal Plans * Face to Face Support Groups * Located in 30 Countries and on the Web| Weaknesses * Slow Weight Loss * Costly over time * Successful weight loss is not typical| Opportunities * Science Driven approach can be a Medical Model * Affiliation with the Department of Education * Affiliations with Fitness Centers * Meeting the growing weight loss needs around the world| Threats * Strong Competition * Competitors new products and innovation * Surgical Procedures offering quick weight loss| Weight Watchers International is a Weight Loss Business that utilizes the philosophy of a Science-driven approach to help participants, also known as members, lose weight by forming helpful habits, eating smarter, getting more exercise and providing support.They target consumers who want to manage their weight through weight loss or weight maintenance. Their vision is to ensure Member satisfaction and retention by making Members feel cared for, well informed, part of the group and motivated to succeed. Weight Watchers has been around for 50 years and has developed their brand of providing weight loss services and products that make them a leading weight management service globally. The patented points program is based on a formula calculating the protein, carbohydrates, fat and dietary fiber content developed with consultation from a Scientific Advisory board. Each food is assigned a points value that reflects how the body breaks down food and converts it into energy.This Board is made up of world renowned medical experts to ensure that its weight loss plan is based on the most current scientific expertise. (Weight Watchers International) The Good Health Guidelines utilized by Weight Watchers are also recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture Center fo r Nutrition Policy and Promotion. (USDA) Weight Watchers offers a variety of support options to members who attend weekly meetings which are located in 30 countries around the world, weigh and go at store locations, attend meetings in their place of employment (At Work Meetings), or utilize the internet to participate in Weight Watcher’s services. Members are encouraged to share their struggles and successes.Struggles and successes are employed to motivate other members to achieve their weight loss goals by following the program and obtaining the proprietary tools offered for purchase. Members who reach their goal and maintain it for six weeks become Lifetime Members. Lifetime members maintain their membership by continuing to participate on a monthly basis. These members are free advertisements who attest to the success of the program. The meal plans are simple and the Points Plus system is very flexible. Each member receives a Daily Point Target (DPT) based on their height, weight, gender and age. The DPT represents the amount of food that each person should eat in a day.Foods that are low in fat and sugar tend to have lower point values and provide more volume to a meal or snack than less healthy options. Required foods are non-specific so the member is permitted to choose how they will consume required foods such as diary, healthy oil, and whole grains. All foods and drinks are permitted as long as the point value is calculated and accounted for when deducted from the DPT. Many members succeed in their weight loss efforts but not all members are successful. One of the biggest complaints of the program is that it offers slow weight loss. Our culture is one that appreciates immediate gratification. (The Associated Press, 2006) The competition offers much quicker weight loss methods.The success obtained by Lifetime members who worked for weeks, months and years to accomplish their goals is not nearly as appealing to the average consumer who is inundate d with quick fix fad diets. (Speri) Weight Watchers offers a lifestyle change that reduces food intake. It is not designed as a quick fix but instead is one that promotes healthy lifestyle changes that gradually accomplish weight loss. The consumer’s cost for Weight Watchers is very low compared to other weight loss programs or at least it appears so up front. (Sugar) There are no meals, shakes, supplements or bars that are required to be purchased in order to participate in the program. The food that you eat on plan is very much the same food that one could purchase in any grocery store or restaurant.There are multiple periods of free registration throughout each year and the weekly fee is nominal at approximately $13. 00 per week. The problem with this is that there are many hidden costs at Weight Watchers. The proprietary point system is unlike any other weight loss system. Successful members utilize food scales and measuring cups to weigh and measure their food, pedometer s and activity monitors to measure a person’s activity level, cookbooks, calculators and more. These products can all be purchased at lower prices from many convenience stores but they do not convert their information into point values the way that the Weight Watcher products do so many members purchase expensive Weight Watchers products to assist them with their weight loss journey.Additionally, the gradual weight loss concept requires members to attend for longer periods of time before they are able to reach a free Lifetime status. Lifetime members remain free if the member maintains their weight at no more than two pounds above their goal weight. Most people’s weight fluctuates regularly and fees are charged no matter what the reason for the weight gain. Weight Watchers has many opportunities to join with the medical profession to promote its science based plan. The Scientific Advisory Board that is hired to consult with Weight Watchers is made of Medical Profession als and the weight loss method is one that is promoted by most medical doctors even if they do not promote the Weight Watcher’s brand. USDA) The United States alone has determined that Obesity in America is common, serious and costly. (Fox News Latino) Weight Watchers has promoted a medical model for many years. An affiliation with the medical community would surely add value to the weight management scientifically based model that is currently promoted at Weight Watchers. The United States First Lady, Michelle Obama, has brought additional light to the obesity epidemic and the need for American’s to manage their diets. Her â€Å"Let’s Move† initiative has gained the attention of the entire country. Weight Watchers is a healthy living model that combines healthy foods with more activity.Teaming up with fitness centers, exercise centers and schools will accomplish more together than the weight loss community or the physical fitness community can do on its own. A true healthy lifestyle includes eating right and moving more. (Grain Foods Foundation) Our quick fix society is one that shows little patience for counting calories or points utilized by slower burning weight loss programs. The competition has now gone beyond that which offers diets where certain foods are limited or forbidden, and some are replacing them with pre-cooked meals that are very high in sodium. These programs, including NutriSystem, do not promote weight maintenance following the program but they do promote mindless weight loss.Those who follow this program do not need to think about what to eat or how to prepare it as all of the meals and shakes are prepared, frozen and shipped to the dieter’s home. (â€Å"NutriSystem: Lose weight with meals conveniently delivered to your home†) Many diet programs eliminate foods and replace them with supplements. The Atkins diet, for example, restricts the dieter’s ability to consume carbohydrates. This mean s that all sugars including fruits and vegetables are minimized or omitted from one’s diet. It is not in line with a medical model approach for healthy weight loss but it does promote quick weight loss. Unfortunately, this does pose a threat to Weight Watchers as the weight loss experience in such a plan does satisfy the quick fix needs of those who opt for these types of plans. Frazier) In an attempt to make weight loss quicker and easier, the medical profession has taken to providing surgical procedures that reduce the size of the stomach by removing part of the small intestine. This procedure is very risky to one’s health and has a tremendous amount of medical complications associated with it. It is however, one that does not require that a person who has had the surgery to persevere delayed gratification and behavioral changes that are required when one loses weight following a weight loss program such as Weight Watchers. (Staff) For many consumers, quick weight lo ss is far more appealing despite the potential negative consequences. References The Associated Press. (2006, May 28). Poll: Americans like instant gratification. USA Today. Fox News Latino. (2012, September 18).Obesity in America: Can it Get Much Wors? Yes, Advocacy Group Says. http: //latino. foxnews. com/latino/health Frazier, K. (2011, June 14). How much weight can I lose in a Month on Atkins? Retrieved from http://www. livestrong. com Grain Foods Foundation. (2012, May 15). The Key to a Healthy Body: Eating Right & Moving More. Retrieved from http://www. sixservings. org NutriSystem: Lose weight with meals conveniently delivered to your home. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. dietsinreview. com/diets/Nutrisystem Speri, M. (n. d. ). Why Slow Weight Loss Wins. Retrieved from http://www. weightwatchers. com/util/art/index_art. aspx Staff, H. (2011, April 6).Weight Loss Surgery Health Center: Rux-En-Y Gastric Bypass. Retrieved from http://www. webmd. com/diet/weight-loss-surgery Sugar, J. (2011, August 29). How Much One Month of WEight Loss Costs. Retrieved from http://www. fitsugar. com/Weight-Loss-Program-Cost-Comparison USDA. (2013, March 7). Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Retrieved from http://www. cnpp. usda. gov/dietaryguidelines. htm USDA. (2013, March 7). Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Retrieved from http://www. cnpp. usda. gov/dietaryguidelines. htm Weight Watchers International. (n. d. ). History and Philosophy. Retrieved from http://www. weightwatfchers. com/about/his/board. aspx

Abortion: Controversial Issues in Society Today Essay

One of the major controversial issues confronting the society today is abortion. I chose abortion as the topic of discussion since it contradicts my values and beliefs. Abortion is the extraction of the human fetus from the mother’s womb with an intention to end the life of that fetus prior to its natural birth. Most religious people believe that abortion should be completely banned. They agree with the idea that it is simply a type of murder and murdering a person is a crime and abortion is just a different type of killing. Some other, generally non-religious people believe that abortion should be not be banned and it should be a personal choice whether a women gets an abortion or not. There could be some cases where the women has no choice but to have an abortion and considering these circumstances some part of the population believe that abortion should never be banned. The controversy surrounding abortion is whether it should be legalized or not? In my opinion, bearing in mind the different views on abortion I cannot agree with a particular one.I chose this issue for discussion to bring to light many of the hidden facts and arguments, of which people are unaware and not very sensitive today. Abortion is a controversial issue lacking of humanity and moral value because of the various motives behind it. Article 1 â€Å"The more you relax, the less pressure and pain you will feel,† she says. Dr. Oyer dilates Anna’s cervix and turns on the vacuum aspiration machine. She inserts a tube through Anna’s cervix, and a gentle whirring sound fills the room. She barely has to raise her voice to explain, â€Å"The cramping you feel is totally normal.† Anna lets out a few gasps before Dr. Oyer clicks off the machine, signaling the end of the five-minute procedure. By: Liz Welch for Glamour magazine. P.O.V-In this article the author tries to convey abortion as a simple convenient procedure ignoring the stigma attached to it. The stating of the process as a five minute procedure clearly shows the way society has altered the sensitivity of abortion. Article 2 The GOP:Party of Quacks. â€Å"Out of the various layers of falsehoods contained in Todd Akin’s now-notorious claim that â€Å"legitimate rape† cannot end in pregnancy, one that caused many eyebrows to raise the highest was his contention that â€Å"doctors† had told him that the female body has a way to prevent pregnancy from rape through a vague mechanism he described as â€Å"shut that whole thing down.† Surely no actual doctor would say such a thing, many of us thought. But we underestimated the right’s devotion to creating their own set of â€Å"facts,† backed up by their own â€Å"experts.† Just as conservatives have been able to pay handsomely for people with impressive-sounding credentials to spread lies about everything from global warming to weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, so have they been able to build up their own little empire of medical doctors who will say any fool thing about women’s bodies and pass it off as science. If anything, the anti-choice movement was instrumental in shaping the conservative approach to science. Anti-choicers were among the first to realize that if the experts and the evidence counter your beliefs, you can simply make up your own claims and put them in the mouths of well-credentialed people. It’s just as good as the truth! Better, even, because it can be endlessly manipulated to meet new ideological goals.† By Amanda Marcotte. P.O.V: Amanda Marcotte is a Brooklyn based freelance journalist, grounded on the above article her main focus is on showing resentment towards the conservative party rather than the actual question of abortion. ARTICLE 3 MOSCOW ; â€Å"Every year, millions of Russian women undergo an abortion. Russia’s government is making free abortions available to women who fall into several newly defined categories, through their twenty second week of pregnancy. Critics of the free abortions blame Russia’s declining birth rate on cheap abortions. In the past six months, twice as many deaths as births have been recorded in Moscow. Of course it’s sad, said Vaganov. The whole story is sad, the number of abortions still being performed is sad, mortality figures are sad†¦. The thing is that you can just see more of what used to be hidden from the public eye he said. We are just trying not to hide the new realities of life, and we are not neglecting the old ones.; P.O.V; The journalist is trying to show that the united states is not the only one facing challenges in abortion and is possibly biased towards the united states. Source:Cable News Network, Inc.2011 Article 4. A pregnant leukemia patient who became a flashpoint in the abortion debate in the Dominican Republic died Friday morning, a hospital official told CNN. The 16-year-old, who had been undergoing chemotherapy, died from complications of the disease, said Dr. Antonio Cabrera, the legal representative for the hospital. Her case stirred debate in her country, as her life was potentially at risk because of anti-abortion laws in the Dominican Republic. Doctors were hesitant to give her chemotherapy because such treatment could terminate the pregnancy — a violation of the Dominican Constitution, which bans abortion. Some 20 days after she was admitted to the hospital, she finally began receiving treatment. The case sparked renewed debate over abortion in the Dominican Republic, with some lawmakers calling on officials to reconsider the abortion ban. From Rafael Romo, Senior Latin American Affairs Editor,CNN According to Article 37 of the Dominican Constitution, â€Å"the right to life is inviolable from the moment of conception and until death.† Dominican courts have interpreted this as a strict mandate against abortion. Article 37, passed in 2009, also abolished the death penalty. P.O.V: The author wants to identify the situations where abortions can be deemed necessary. He tries to convince the readers to see the two sides of abortion. He seems to support the notion of legalizing abortion in the Dominican republic. ARTICLE 5: â€Å"Legalized abortion is a national holocaust; an affront to our national character; a contradiction of established principles subscribed to from the beginning of Western Civilization; an insult to the principles of our Declaration of Independence; a bane of our national spirit; and a stench in the nostrils of Almighty God. That we have allowed it to continue for 37 years now stands as an indictment against this generation of Americans and bodes ominously for the well-being of our posterity.† By Pastor Chuck Baldwin P.O.V-The author is clearly against abortion .As a pastor he takes a religious stand on as he considers it to be unholy. Based on his article he tries to urge the readers to be against any form of abortion. CONCLUSION As said by former Surgeon General and a pediatrician Dr. C. Everett Koop, the most common reason for abortion is convenience. Only three to five percent of all abortions performed are for reasons of rape, incest, the possibility of a deformed child, or severe threat to the life of the mother. According to researchers at the Alan Guttmacher Institute, of those obtaining abortions in 1980, 30 percent were under age 20 and 79 percent were unmarried, which shows that abortions in the United States are most often sought as a â€Å"solution† to the problem of pregnancy outside of marriage. The major reason behind most of the abortions is mere inconvenience or unwantedness of the baby seems mean, insensitive and unreasonable .However the question of whether abortion is right or wrong will remain a controversial issue for everybody has their own point of view on the subject. The ultimate right of choice should lie with the woman who is undergoing the abortion. This remains one of the foremost arguments and is often stated by supporters to be as important as the basic right of survival.

Plesiosaurs and Pliosaurs - The Sea Serpents

Plesiosaurs and Pliosaurs - The Sea Serpents Of all the reptiles that crawled, stomped, swam and flew their way through the Mesozoic era, plesiosaurs and pliosaurs have a unique distinction: practically no one insists that tyrannosaurs still roam the earth, but a vocal minority believes that some species of these sea serpents have survived down to the present day. However, this lunatic fringe doesnt include many respected biologists or paleontologists, as well see below. Plesiosaurs (Greek for almost lizards) were large, long-necked, four-flippered marine reptiles that paddled their way through the oceans, lakes, rivers, and swamps of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Confusingly, the name plesiosaur also encompasses the pliosaurs (Pliocene lizards, even though they lived tens of millions of years before), which possessed more hydrodynamic bodies, with bigger heads and shorter necks. Even the biggest plesiosaurs (such as the 40-foot-long Elasmosaurus) were relatively gentle fish-feeders, but the largest pliosaurs (such as Liopleurodon) were every bit as dangerous as a Great White Shark. Plesiosaur and Pliosaur Evolution Despite their aquatic lifestyles, its important to realize that plesiosaurs and pliosaurs were reptiles, and not fishmeaning they had to surface frequently to breathe air. What this implies, of course, is that these marine reptiles evolved from a terrestrial ancestor of the early Triassic period, almost certainly an archosaur. (Paleontologists disagree about the exact lineage, and its possible that the plesiosaur body plan evolved convergently more than once.) Some experts think the earliest marine ancestors of the plesiosaurs were the nothosaurs, typified by the early Triassic Nothosaurus. As is often the case in nature, the plesiosaurs and pliosaurs of the late Jurassic and Cretaceous periods tended to be bigger than their early Jurassic cousins. One of the earliest known plesiosaurs, Thalassiodracon, was only about six feet long; compare that to the 55-foot length of Mauisaurus, a plesiosaur of the late Cretaceous. Similarly, the early Jurassic pliosaur Rhomaleosaurus was only about 20 feet long, while the late Jurassic Liopleurodon attained lengths of 40 feet (and weighed in the neighborhood of 25 tons). However, not all pliosaurs were equally big: for example, the late Cretaceous Dolichorhynchops was a 17-foot-long runt (and may have subsisted on soft-bellied squids rather than more robust prehistoric fish). Plesiosaur and Pliosaurs Behavior Just as plesiosaurs and pliosaurs (with some notable exceptions) differed in their basic body plans, they also differed in their behavior. For a long time, paleontologists were puzzled by the extremely long necks of some plesiosaurs, speculating that these reptiles held their heads high above the water (like swans) and dived them down to spear fish. It turns out, though, that the heads and necks of plesiosaurs werent strong or flexible enough to be used this way, though they certainly would have combined to make an impressive underwater fishing apparatus. Despite their sleek bodies, plesiosaurs were far from the fastest marine reptiles of the Mesozoic Era (in a head-to-head match, most plesiosaurs would likely have been outflippered by most ichthyosaurs, the slightly earlier fish lizards that evolved hydrodynamic, tuna-like shapes). One of the developments that doomed the plesiosaurs of the late Cretaceous period was the evolution of faster, better-adapted fish, not to mention the evolution of more agile marine reptiles like mosasaurs. As a general rule, the pliosaurs of the late Jurassic and Cretaceous periods were bigger, stronger, and just plain meaner than their long-necked plesiosaur cousins. Genera like Kronosaurus and Cryptoclidus attained sizes comparable to modern grey whales, except that these predators were equipped with numerous, sharp teeth rather than plankton-scooping baleen. Whereas most plesiosaurs subsisted on fish, pliosaurs (like their underwater neighbors, the prehistoric sharks) probably fed on anything and everything that ventured their way, ranging from fish to squids to other marine reptiles. Plesiosaur and Pliosaur Fossils One of the odd things about plesiosaurs and pliosaurs pertains to the fact that, 100 million years ago, the distribution of the earths oceans was much different than it is today. Thats why new marine reptile fossils are constantly being discovered in such unlikely places as the American west and midwest, major portions of which were once covered by the broad, shallow Western Interior Sea. Plesiosaur and pliosaur fossils are also unusual in that, unlike those of terrestrial dinosaurs, theyre often found in one, completely articulated piece (which may have something to do with the protective qualities of the silt at the ocean bottom). These remains baffled naturalists as long ago as the 18th century; one fossil of a long-necked plesiosaur prompted a (still unidentified) paleontologist to quip that it looked like a snake threaded through the shell of a turtle. A plesiosaur fossil also figured in one of the most famous dust-ups in the history of paleontology. In 1868, the famous bone-hunter Edward Drinker Cope reassembled an Elasmosaurus skeleton with the head placed on the wrong end (to be fair, up to that point, paleontologists had never encountered such a long-necked marine reptile). This error was seized on by Copes arch-rival Othniel C. Marsh, kicking off a long period of rivalry and sniping known as the Bone Wars. Are Plesiosaurs and Pliosaurs Still Among Us? Even before a living coelacantha genus of prehistoric fish that was believed to have died off tens of millions of years agowas found in 1938 off the coast of Africa, people known as cryptozoologists have speculated about whether all the plesiosaurs and pliosaurs really went extinct 65 million years ago along with their dinosaur cousins. Whereas any surviving terrestrial dinosaurs would likely have been discovered by now, the reasoning goes, the oceans are vast, dark and deepso somewhere, somehow, a colony of Plesiosaurus might have survived. The poster lizard for living plesiosaurs, of course, is the mythical Loch Ness Monsterpictures of which bear a marked resemblance to Elasmosaurus. However, there are two problems with the theory that the Loch Ness monster is really a plesiosaur: first, as mentioned above, plesiosaurs breathe air, so the Loch Ness monster would have to emerge from the depths of its lake every ten minutes or so, which might draw some attention. And second, as also mentioned above, the necks of plesiosaurs simply werent strong enough to allow them to strike a majestic, Loch Ness-like pose. Of course, as the saying goes, the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Vast regions of the worlds oceans remain to be explored, and it doesnt defy belief (though its still a very, very long shot) that a living plesiosaur may one day be scooped up in a fishing net. Just dont expect it to be found in Scotland, in the vicinity of a famous lake!

How to Prepare for a Remote Job Interview

How to Prepare for a Remote Job Interview Some job seekers may be under the mistaken impression that having a remote interview is easier that interviewing for a position in person. Nothing could be further from the truth. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, remote interviews are becoming more common as workers are hired to work from home in the millions. Because an individual being interviewed wants to make the best impression during a remote interview, a few tips can help. 1. Prep the Area for Your InterviewSetting up for your interview in a messy room with children’s toys or other personal items around can make you appear unprofessional. In addition, letting an interviewer see the way you live is giving out unnecessary information that does not pertain to the job. When you set up for your interview, look around at what the interviewer will be seeing in the background. Keep your background businesslike, clean and preferably neutral. If your desk will be showing, organize the top neatly and get rid of any clutter.2. Show Some EnthusiasmJust as in a regular interview, an individual who shows no enthusiasm for the company or position will not impress the recruiter. Those who act bored or restless during an interview are perceived as just going through the motions. In other words, employers want employees who are happy to work for them and will do their best at the job. Enthusiasm for the position gets the interviewee closer to getting hired.3. Dress the PartDress appropriately for your interview. The point is to blend in with the culture of the company, but you want to use caution to neither underdress nor overdress. Stay away from clothing with logos and splashy patterns because it is distracting, and the hiring manager want to concentrate on what you have to say and whether you are a good fit for the company and job. Choose your clothing to fit in with the company and look polished for the interview. Although you may be tempted to wear jeans with your dress shirt, jacket and tie, realize that t he entire ensemble can reflect your attitude, so don’t skip on the suit pants or skirt. If the company dress is more casual, go with that but make sure your clothing is in good condition, pressed and presentable. In addition, remember to get that haircut if needed and present yourself with a well-scrubbed and polished look.4. Do Your ResearchIt can be difficult to have a good interview for a company you know little about. Do your research, and learn about the company where you are applying for a job. Whether in a healthcare job, sales, desk job or another type of employment, check out the company background, major news and the person with whom you will be interviewing.5. Keep the Noise Level DownWhile you are being interviewed, keep the noise level in your home down. This may involve asking someone to watch your children at their home for a little while or taking the dog for a walk. Turn off the television and stereo. You don’t want anything that might distract either you or the interviewer from concentrating. Turn off your cell phone or house phone ringer until the interview is over.6. Don’t Show ArroganceThis is a big turn off with recruiters. Talk about what you accomplished for your previous employer, but be cautious about bragging. Mention how your expertise benefitted the company such as talking about how your sales contributed to the company’s earnings, not about how you are the best salesperson in the business.Properly prepping for an interview, whether in person or remotely, is important to make that next step into a job successful. The way in which you find that job is also important. TheJobNetwork can help by doing the job search for you in any field such as sales jobs, medical receptionist jobs and in many other areas. After you enter your qualifications and job interests, sign up with TheJobNetwork, and we search around the clock for jobs that match your description and send you these listings in the form of email alert s.

Child Education Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Child Education - Assignment Example This paper describes in any human being, there are several stages that he passes through, that is, there are several stages in between the Conception and death of a person. Development of a human being is usually divided into several life aspects that includes; emotional, physical, social as well as cognitive development. This essay analyzes the behavior of Zayaan This paper comes to the conclusion that the biggest issue facing the teachers is children’s education. Teachers as well as the children’s parents need not only think but also care for the needs of the children. In the light of this case involving Zayaan, it is evident that the development of a child in a positive way is dictated by the way the people close to him relate with him. If they can not relate with him, then most of the stages of a child development will just go unnoticed and as such, that child will tend to develop an aspect of redundancy. At such tender age like of that of Zayaan, it is suitable that the child is close monitored to detect any deviation from the normal development and thereby correcting the child. The kind of behaviour that this child show poses as a great concern and therefore, it necessitates an intervention. The parents and the teacher should enter into a new mode of interactions with the child so that he can feel he is loved and hence a se nse of belonging. What this child needs is response of the care giver by ensuring that they enter into a new mode in regards to interactions with the child. As such, the child will tend to realize that the situation is a constraint and thereby striving to overcome it (Oakley, 2004). Review of the Literature Early childhood can be said to include a set of; principles, concepts as well as facts. As such, they not only tend to explain and describe the process involved in the transformation of immaturity aspect to the maturity status and functioning but also account for them (Katz, 1996). Development is usually divided into several stages, which include; Physical, social, emotional, cognitive and social developments (Berk, 2000). Bredecamp and Copple claims that, at the age of 6-10 years, a child is usually characterized by gross motor developments occurring in a rapid manner (1997). As such, he is able to reason in a great way, he is able to solve questions, and the fact that he is abl e to assimilate shows a cognitive development. The vocabulary of the child also increases rapidly. Moreover, his written communication capabilities also develop. In the social aspect, the child starts understanding the perspectives of other people and further, he becomes conscious of fairness and therefore tries to monitor his own behavioural attributes. Influences of Early Childhood Development The practices that enhance the development of a child are mostly influenced by theories addressing child development. According to Berk (2000), a theory is a set of statements, which are integrated and which tend to describe, predict or explain behaviour. A child’s development is a kind of a social constructivism (vygotsky, 1896-1934). He further asserted that a child development is mostly determined by the prevailing culture. According to Berk & Winsler (1995), a certain number of tenets exist in social constructivism. As such, these tenets are usually unique. Practices According to Katz, child development theory knowledge is ideal in guiding educational practices (1996, p. 136). Scott & Bowman, assert that theories addressing child development are essential since they assist a researcher as well as teachers to guide their observations (1997, p. 170). Teaching to Enhance Development and Learning According to Buchanan et al. (2003), the teaching young children should comprise of giving children an opportunity for choice, promoting collaborative attitude in children and use of a variety of strategies for teaching among others. In a study conducted by McCormic and colleagues it was found that the provision of choice in selection of learning materials and activities were essential as they aided in performance of a child. Establishing Reciprocal Relationships with Families The indicators used n assessing the involvement of a family in serving the young

Discussion questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Discussion questions - Assignment Example In order to stabilize its revenue, the organization should also consider venturing into mining and manufacturing especially in those areas that will directly determine the supply of its raw materials. As with other big organizations, virgin group should also venture in to the financial market to boost its revenue in the unstable global markets. Renewable energy sector is another promising area that virgin group can venture in since as the world moves from the conventional sources of energy such as petroleum products, the demand for renewable sources of energy is likely to increase which translates to profits for virgin group (Barwise & Meehan, 2010). Other companies that have built their value proposition on image include McDonalds, which specializes in fast foods; the company has built an image as the best source of fast food in America. Apple is another company that has also built its value on its image proposition on its communication gadgets such as mobile phones, tablets and personal