Research-based Reading Program Essay

The Texas Reading Initiative has outlined a fairly comprehensive statement on the value of reading and the significance of infusing the habit of literacy among the young. Besides teaching/conducting a reading program per se, the quality, depth and integrity of such teaching methodology is equally important. This is the main reason why most reading advocates have bannered the discourse of a â€Å"research based† reading program rather than the traditional teaching methodology for teaching children how to read. It works on the emerging assumption that teaching the young is delicate enough for the reading teacher to adapt a research-based method. The paper on Components of a Research-based Reading Program, part of the Red Book Series by the Texas Education Agency, outlines the fundamental attributes of the recent development of teaching reading among the young. It is composed of a deeper understanding of the recesses of a child’s mind, its formation, development and predictable growth (Hilgard, 2001). Generally, the essential attributes of these Twelve Essential Components comprise an advanced understanding of adult-child training and communication: the Teacher-Trainer, the channel and the recipient (the child). These maybe the basic attributes of ordinary communication but an analysis of the paper can reveal that the communication framework is actually the basis of this research-based program, not to mention that the concept of code interpretation and language are involved and mentioned in that paper. The two ends of this communication curve, the Teacher-trainer and the child are the live working elements of this reading program, which makes the simplest components. What is generally interesting in these Twelve Components is the channel element and how the child decodes the communication. The paper frequently discusses the concept of language and how the child perceives instruction from the teacher, which is its whole point. This is the brunt/meat of the teaching methodology, where the paper discusses â€Å"opportunities† and â€Å"strategies† to aid child development. Such things are stated on the paper as to how to exploit the nature of the language channel, where educators strategically use the oral component to understand the written language-the act of reading. According to the authors, by the oral way, the child is directed into opportunities for appreciating sounds, its differences and â€Å"referents†, a concept used by linguists. They say that children may read aloud and â€Å"understand their building blocks† (www. tea. com), which we assume as auditory building blocks. This may imply that to reinforce one’s reading, one has to learn how to speak it first, using the auditory logic of the language’s construction, thus utilizing the nature of the child’s brain to absorb these â€Å"building blocks† into communicative memory (www. childdevelopmentinfo. com). And of course, there is the written format to contend with. This is where the recipient can visually decode using some of the strategies. Decoding in this context means visually playing with the language construction (â€Å"wordplay† as the paper says) through â€Å"blending† and what they call â€Å"word families† and writing patterns. On a lighter note, there is nothing new about the research-based reading program offered by the Texas Reading Initiative. The allegedly â€Å"new† methodology works much like teaching a foreign language to students in the collegiate level, but in the child’s case, localized and specialized for a kindergarten or grade-schooler. The same opportunities and teaching strategies have existed in basic foreign language class in university, and child psychologists seem to find it effective if made easier for children. Reference: Child Development Institute. Reading Improvement. Retrieved January 27, 2008, from http://www. childdevelopmentinfo. com/store/reading-improvement. htm. Hilgard, E. R. (2001). Introduction to Psychology. New York : Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

Intercultural communication Essay

The power distance refers to the closeness, or lack thereof, between a person of authority and his or her subordinates. Those that hold the power of authority, that is those people who can bring about a change of some type, are also, many times, those who present with some type of symbol of their authority when attending a meeting, or otherwise on display. For example, in an Arabic country, a person in authority might wear a richly decorated robe and head covering while those in subordinate roles might be dressed in a less elaborate robe and plain head covering or a suit. The language one uses also denotes their position of authority. For example, a person in authority in a more democratic and informal society would usually address a subordinate by his or her given first name instead of using a salutation such as Mr or Ms along with the person’s last name as would be the case in a more formal, less democratic culture. In addition, there is ample body language displayed both by the person in authority and by those whose are not in authority. A person of authority will usually command a presence in a room by presenting oneself in the front and center of a group of people. Subordinates to the person in power will flank that person by standing back away and behind the person in authority. Indeed, depending on the culture of the person in authority, that person will either talk to their subordinates in an aloof way that can seem to be almost rude to someone that is unused to it. The countries that demand this sort of communication include those located in the Arab speaking areas of the world, as well as Russia and China. In other cultures, such as those found in Australia, Canada, and Japan, there is more of an egalitarian mood to the interactions between a person with the power of authority and their subordinates. This is characterized by mutual respect between both parties that is not found in those more conservative countries.

Lead Auditors Report on Iso 14001 and Ohsas 18001

Auditees : ____HO s and staff Department : IFC,FEM,HR,KESSB,SSHE,PBB,AH,PH/BS,CARGO ____Date of Audit : _____26TH Nov 2012 – 18th Dec 2012___ Procedure Involved : a) OSH Act 1994 & relevant Regulations b) F&M Act 1967 & relevant Regulations (including BOWEC Reg. 1986) c) OHSAS 18001 Standard d) ISAGO Standards Manual Effective May 2010 2nd Edition e) EMS ISO 14001 StandardAudit Team : 1. En. Meor Badrul Niza bin Ahmad Rafie – Dept :ILS 2. En Amir Syakib Yahya – Dept QAD 3, En. Abdul Razak Sauzi – Dept :QAD 4. En. Zainudin Zaini 5.Cik Nadiah Yahaya| SUMMARY OF AUDITBased on the observation made during this audit, it was noted that KLAS has made a good start-up at launching the OHSAS 18001 and EMS ISO 14001 campaign working towards certification of OHSAS 18001 in 2013 and EMS ISO 14001 in 2014 for example: 1) Workers on site are consistently wearing basic PPE such as Yellow/orange vest and Safety shoes. 2) Almost all workers on site have been SHE inducted. 3 ) Centralised Scheduled Waste store is provided at GSE workshop 4) Consistently and periodically carrying out SHE training such as ERT; Fire fighting and Chemical spill control.However, below are the key improvements that the KLAS team needs to address: 1) To ensure all and every machineries on site are registered before they are used and monthly inspected with upkeep and maintenance done to ensure they are fit to use . 2) Ensure the quality of the inspection carried out is in detail and not just for the sake of inspection. 3) Ensure Security personnel are trained on the Site SHE requirements and they assist by screening employees and give safety briefing to visitors entering the site . ) To ensure all chemical containers are labeled and each chemical shall have its own MSDS and each site shall have its own Chemical Register. The Chemical Register and MSDSs can be placed at the SHE Notice board for easy reference 5) To ensure the scheduled waste management and communication flow is refined and retuned between process owners and scheduled waste store keepers. 6) Accidents and incidents without forgetting near misses are given due attention and investigated thoroughly to prevent future accidents and incidents. ) Compliance to the legal and other requirement are addressed diligently and carefully to avoid unnecessary penalty or hefty summonses. AREA OF CONCERN 1. Ground handling equipments and machineries are in bad shape and require immediate upkeep and maintenance to prevent from accidents and incidents. 2. Manual work involving cargo manual lifting ,distribution and loading or unloading is rampant thus back support PPE is a must unless an engineering control tool is introduced to reduce manual labour. 3.BOMB threat emergency procedure has not been addressed and need to be included in the existing ERP procedure. NON CONFORMANCERefer to CAR listing. | RECOMMENDATIONAs an Auditor, I strongly believe that KLAS Team can excel better than what and where WE currently are and this can be further enhanced by a better and systematic SHE management. | Signature : †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Date : †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Signature : †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Date : †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. (Lead Auditor) (Quality Manager)|

Waste in Government Spending Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Waste in Government Spending - Research Paper Example This paper shall specifically address the thesis: the United States government has a significant amount of unnecessary expenses which waste the taxpayers’ money. It shall discuss the fact that the US is spending unnecessarily for matters and items which can actually be discarded as government expenses. This paper is being carried out in order to establish an argumentative and logical conclusion to the thesis, setting forth a scholarly and detailed approach to the resolution of the issue raised. The US government has a significant amount of unnecessary expenses which waste the taxpayers’ money. President Barack Obama himself has acknowledged the fact that â€Å"0.004 of 1 percent of the federal budget as wasteful and proposed eliminating this $140 million from his $3.6 trillion fiscal year 2010 budget request† (Riedl, p. 1). Such waste in government spending is significantly impacting on the areas where actual and essential spending is needed and where deficiencie s are impacting on the quality of government services. There are different kinds of waste seen in government spending, and many of them were specified and detailed by Senator Tom Coburn in his 2010 report entitled â€Å"Wastebook.† Some of these unnecessary expenses shall be discussed below. ... This is an unfortunate circumstance considering the fact that thousands of American troops injured in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are set to return to the US requiring medical and other support services (Winter). There are about 5,000 buildings owned by the Department of Veterans Affairs, but about 300 of these are vacant and dilapidated. And yet, much money is being allocated for their upkeep and no lucrative or beneficial remedies are being implemented as yet by the government to address this issue. Coburn also discusses how the government is wasting about $1.5 million in sprucing apartments before tearing them down. This practice is seen in Shreveport, LA (p. 4). Coburn (p. 4) reports how the city of Shreveport, Louisiana spent $1.5 million of stimulus funds to fix moldy houses which were already considered for demolition. The housing authority set forth that it would use stimulus money in order to improve various low-income homes. After an audit, the authorities established tha t the city has not spent the money allocated to it; this was against the regulations set forth by the stimulus which required the city to spend the allocated money within a year. In order to comply with such mandate, the officials implemented mold remediation for the housing units (Coburn, p. 4). An evaluation established however that the remediation was not done properly; subsequently, the demolition of the buildings was implemented. Waste in government spending is also apparent with various agencies making unnecessary printing. Such unnecessary printing amounts to $930 million annual cost (Coburn, p. 5). Based on a report by Lexmark (p. 3), there are about $440 million printing savings

PRODUCTION IN THE WORK PLACE Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

PRODUCTION IN THE WORK PLACE - Research Paper Example In recognition of this commitment, we will strive to deliver high quality, cost-effective health care in the communities that we serve. The resources and research of Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) back us. HCA is one of the largest healthcare organizations in the country. Elevator Speech Each person has their own strengths and attributes that they can apply in the workplace to ensure attainment of organization’s goals and objectives. I believe if these are applied in the workplace they can greatly enhance productivity. Personally, I am a hard worker, a self starter and detailed oriented person, and with this I can impact positively on the productivity of the organization. In addition, I am flexible and highly adaptable to change regarding new initiatives or processes, and I enjoy leading such change with positive encouragement. It is always my pleasure to watch new operations in the organization gain acceptance and become successful, which also provides me fulfillment. I am also a smart, trustworthy and supportive individual who understand the importance of change. Furthermore, I have experience with multiple softwares such as hpf, meditech, artive among others. Hence, I believe with my personal attributes and strengths, interest in healthcare, as well as experience, I will make a valuable contribution to the productivity of this organization. ... A productive and committed workforce will drive the organization towards attaining its short term and long-term goals more effectively notwithstanding the various social and economic challenges facing the organization (Bulger & Reiser, 2009). Healthcare organizations must use the available resources wisely and efficiently to produce value quickly during tough times when the organization operates on tight budget. Sometimes the organization might resort to cut the labor costs to enable it gather extra funds to carry out other essential tasks aimed to improve quality of services. One of the greatest challenges facing contemporary healthcare organizations in their attempt to improve delivery of services is ways of managing the efficiently. For a team of healthcare personnel, key insights along with business intelligence innovation would yield substantial value in the short term (Bulger & Reiser, 2009). However, the team should also focus on mechanism and criteria that would help realize the long-term projections amid array of challenges. Apparently, the healthcare facility is particularly facing the challenge of managing the workforce that has always shown commitment to maintain patient volume ratio as well as caregiver hours. Similarly, the organization must maintain its focus of attaining labor costs. Nevertheless, the anticipated change in labor costs should not result to loss of morale and motivation to a hardworking labor force (Bulger & Reiser, 2009). Incidentally, many of the healthcare professionals will obviously feel demoralized by attempts to slash their wages and salaries following the drive to reduce labor expenses. The organization should largely focus on cutting expenditures on less productive labor, as well as activities that add little value to

Risk and Hedging Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Risk and Hedging - Essay Example The exposure is also related to a case whereby the company borrows money in a foreign currency. Coca Cola Company usually relies on lending’s from the subsidiaries that are found in other countries (Vigna, 2012). An economic exposure is one that measures the changes in the present value of Coca Cola Company and it results from changes in the future expected cash flows that may be caused by exchange rate changes that are not expected. The exposure in Coca Cola Company mainly affects the selling price and the sales volume of the company. An accounting exposure is used in measuring the changes that are derived from accounting as a result of coca cola Company translating its financial statements that are found in a foreign currency into a reporting currency that is single. That will affect issues such as the payment of the corporate tax incurred by the company. Coca cola company therefore hedges so as to avoid risks that are involved with foreign transactions (Murphy,

S Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

S - Essay Example However, others deem otherwise. The super accumulation of profits by MNEs made them so powerful, to push shifts in the development strategies of governments and international institutions, specifically, international financial institutions (IFIs). Whichever way shows direct inter-relationship between these international organisations and the international business. It is this relationship that concerns this paper. Believing that the main reasons for the two succeeding world wars were due to national economic disparities and trade conflict, and that unrestricted fair trade would bring about equal opportunity for the economic development of nation-states thereby eliminating the reasons for war (Hull, 1948, p. 81), developed nations concurred to John Maynard Keynes’ neo-liberal model of development: a liberal international economic system coupled with government intervention (Stewart, 1987, p. 465). The necessity of an international body to regulate international trade and international business was acknowledged – without a high degree of economic cooperation among powerful nations economic conflict will certainly recur that most likely will heighten into a fiercer military war. (Polard, 1985, p. 8) Within these premises, the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference, more known as the Bretton Woods Conference, held on July1-22, 1944 and attended by 730 delegates from 44 allied nations (Halm, 1945, p. 5; ‘Bretton Woods Conference’ 2007, p. 7057), agreed to establish the IMF and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) known today as the World Bank (WB) to preclude similar depression experienced in 1930: â€Å"massive unemployment, escalating tariffs, and collapsing commodity prices† (Stewart, 1987, p. 465). Specifically, the IMF was a mutual agreement of the member countries to ensure the stability of currencies by circumventing protective exchange practices and to provide pre-conditioned

Parallel imports are good for welfare, not bad for welfare Essay

Parallel imports are good for welfare, not bad for welfare - Essay Example In the United States annual retail sales of the unauthorized imports, or "gray market" goods, may have approached $10 billion during the 1980s. Governments around the world have struggled with the question whether the exclusive distributor ought to be able to block such parallel importation. (Takamatsu 57) The unauthorized importers have maintained that because their activity encourages price competition and benefits the consumer, it should be freely permitted. Allowing foreign manufacturers to establish exclusive distributorships and prevent all intrabrand competition, they point out, would be inconsistent with the principles of free enterprise in a market economy and would be inconsistent with the interests of consumers. As one gray market retailer pointed out: As a result of this importation of merchandise at lower prices, we sell at lower prices. The price differential to the consumer is between 10 and 40 percent with an average of probably 20 to 25 percent. This savings to the consumer also occurs on merchandise purchased from foreign brand distributors because most of the subsidiaries of foreign manufacturers have been forced to lower their U.S. ... The authorized distributors respond that irrespective of any benefit to the consumer, parallel importation unfairly injures enterprises which have made significant expenditures in generating goodwill, only to have the resultant returns siphoned off to others. The U.S. distributors may, for example, have spent large sums of money preparing to introduce a new product to the North American market, and gone to great effort and expense to build up consumer awareness, as well as to develop effective distribution channels. In 1983 the grey market hit us with full force as up to 30% of our sales were lost to the diverters. We experienced two layoffs and our advertising and promotion efforts were severely curtailed. . . . The impact of the grey market greatly impacted our bottom line as we suffered a catastrophic loss. And even established international brand names require careful attention to local regulatory standards, consumer tastes, income levels, language, and a host of other factors. Typically it is the U.S. distributor's responsibility to monitor and respond to these variables, to preserve and improve a product's image in the public mind. Parallel importers' "free ride" on the goodwill generated by such activities should be prohibited, the distributors maintain. But the parallel importers argue that the goodwill on which they trade ordinarily belongs to the manufacturer, not the distributor. The typical consumer decides to buy a "Nikon" camera, for example, not because of the reputation of the Nikon distributor, but because the customer recognizes the manufacturer's name as signifying a particular standard of quality. And gray market sales, the importers urge, cannot constitute free riding on this goodwill of the foreign manufacturer, since the products

Research on state government agencies Coursework

Research on state government agencies - Coursework Example With such core values, the agency is destined to make the best in their scope of work. To ensure they are working efficiently, the agency provided vital information. Some of the vital information include the address, telephone and contact details. The contact details for Texas transport department are telephone number: (800) 558-9368, address: 125 East 11th St. and the website is http://www.txdot.gov. The Texas department of public safety’s mission is to protect and serve the public. Its core values include integrity, excellence, and accountability. In order to serve people optimally, the department have given an email, which is kevin.jones@dps.texas.gov. Similarly, its address is 5805 North Lamar Blvd. while its contacts are Texas 78773-0251 and 512-424-5900. Its website is http://www.dps.texas.gov. The Texas parks and wildlife department mission is to maintain and conserve the resources in Texas. This includes the natural and cultural resources, in providing various services like fishing, hunting and outdoor activities (United States, 2012). It has various philosophies, which include being a recognizable manager of resources, serving Texas effectively, and maintaining responsibility. Its contacts include 4200 Smith School Road and its website is http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us. The Texas department of transportation has a wide scope of work. To begin with, the department ensures the highways are safe for public transport. This is by ensuring all roads are repaired in time. As such, they have to plan on all repairs on the highways. Secondly, the Texas department ensures the traffic is flowing accordingly. At times, there are traffic snarl-ups, which affect the people. As such, they have to avoid such instances. Thirdly, the department ensures people who commit road offences are apprehended. In some instances, people flout the traffic rules. This is the work of the department, to ensure people follow the rules.

Military Intervention and Human Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Military Intervention and Human Rights - Essay Example However, a general consensus has been developed about the basic idea behind humanitarian intervention; Humanitarian intervention is essentially an armed effort in which a state or a group of states intervene in the internal affairs of another state and it often involves the violation of international borders or airspace of that particular state. Moreover, the state against which the humanitarian intervention is being conducted does not necessarily pose a threat to the peace or security of other states therefore the military action is taken solely on humanitarian grounds for the protection of human rights. Humanitarian intervention is a matter of great debate today because it involves two of the fundamental pillars of the United Nations system; one of them being state sovereignty and other is the protection of human rights; and unfortunately the scenario of a humanitarian intervention involves dealing with very complex circumstances in which one of the two pillars mentioned have to be compromised for the greater good (Jokic, 2003). The proponents of humanitarian intervention argue that it is imperative in certain circumstances to conduct military operations in states where the people are being opressed by the government, particularly in states which are ruled by dictators because in such states the change of government is not possible without intervention from outside. However, the critics of humanitarian intervention argue that it can be used as a pretext for a military action for the achievement of the vested interests of strong actors in the international political scenario. The issue of humanitarian intervention is also important because of the fact that there are a large number of lives associated with a military action taken against a state. In this paper an analysis based on the scenarios in various countries various military interventio

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 15

Management - Essay Example The constitution of Italy was adopted in 1947, following a referendum on 2 June 1946 that abolished the Italian monarchy and established Italy as a parliamentary republic. The constitution took effect January 1, 1948. The 1948 constitution created the position of President to fulfil the ceremonial roles of the Italian monarchy. The country is divided into regions, provinces and municipalities. The are 20 regions, which are divided into 95 provinces.   For quite a long time Australia and Italy has good relations with each other which are underpinned by strong community ties which has led to the development of strong trade and investment and cultural links amongst the two countries. Many bilateral agreements have been concluded between Australia and Italy covering many areas such as culture, double taxation, air services, economic and commercial cooperation, reciprocal social security and health care benefits, and film co-production. Many memorandums of understanding (MoUS) have been signed in areas such as science and technology cooperation, defense materiel, defense industry, motor vehicle safety certification, game meat exports and trade cooperation. The relations between the two countries can be proved by the number of high level visits made by the country representatives. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer visited Rome for bilateral meetings with Foreign Minister Massimo D’Alema, the Minister for European Policies and International Trade, Emma Bonino, and the Minister for the Interior Giuliano Amato.   An Australian Parliamentary Delegation headed by President of the Senate, Senator the Hon Paul Calvert, visited in 2005, and met with the Italian Presiding officers.  The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Neil Andrew, met his Italian counterpart Pierferdinando Casini in Rome during the summer of 2003. The Prime Minister, John Howard, visited Italy in July 2002, meeting then

Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) Essay Example for Free

Abercrombie Fitch (AF) Essay Products (Revised): Abercrombie Fitch Co. is a leading specialty clothing retailer. It always utilizes sex appeal to sell its products. AF often uses semi-nude models with rock hard abs on their new store opening ceremony and puts posters on the wall of store with hot semi-nude Caucasian. AF prefers to decorate their store with dark jungle feel. All of those strategies aim the same target, the sex attraction. A feature which can make a huge distinction from other brands is that AF doesn’t stock XL or XXL sizes for women clothing. It claimed that they want â€Å"cool kids†. The reason why they took this strategy is because the company wants to inspire consumers to strive for the Abercrombie Fitch â€Å"lifestyle.† Abercrombie Fitch sells a â€Å"lifestyle† of popularity that people aspire to have (Reichert, 2003). Their advertisements imply that AF is a fastidious and attractive brand and if you can have their clothing and then you can be the one of them. This characteristic makes the market polarized heavily. In the one hand, this declaration attracts some customers of its target groups indeed. Because people always want to be considered as â€Å"chic† and â€Å"fashionable†. So if there is a way can make them feel being cool, they will go for it. And they also want to beat others in anyways. AF gives the opportunities for those people exactly. The â€Å"not cool† people even can’t fit in the clothing of AF. Also as Jeffries said, those â€Å"cool kids† have their â€Å"cool† friends, and then AF can become a new fashion. On the other hand, this overt and cruel design results a consequence of losing profits of excluding customers. They can’t fit in those small sizes so they wont buy them certainly. The worse thing is that they may hate this brand. Now there are many video on YouTube of blaming AF’s strategy. The target markets of AF’s products are divided in detail. It aims the younger generation in the US generally. The target market falls between those ages because 14 years old is usually when a teenager begins dressing themselves and shopping for themselves, so naturally they want to dress  something cool and attractive. They target the groups in two ways. One of them is by the styles of products. Younger people like to wear in casual sports style like hoodies or joggers more than mature adults. They prefer chic style than OL. However it also leads the loss of other people who are excluded in these groups. Because most of the products are designed for youthful people, mature adults may think it’s too young to wear which is not good for expanding market. Unfortunately, mature people have stronger power in purchasing. So AF lose potential customers in unawareness. The second way is their store style. The decorations with semi-nude posters are offensive to older generatio ns and they even don’t want to walk in the stores. In conclusion, AF puts their products in an extreme position. AF only serves for the spectacular people who are targeted by clothing favor and size. The detailed target makes it easier to get the favor of specific customers. Price: The price of Abercrombie Fitch clothing from  £10 to  £150.Most of the tops are around  £30- £60 and the bottoms are  £50- £90. The coats and jackets are more expensive (more than  £90). Although it claims that they are providing quality and long lasting clothing, the price is a little bit higher considering their target consumers. Because the young adults usually can’t be independence of finance. However the young people often buy things on their instincts rather than rationality. So the high price may not be an obstacle of purchasing as long as they firmly believe the messages that AF is trying to imply (having AF clothing and being attractive and beautiful). Moreover the price represents not only their products but also their brand. AF puts itself at a high level of fashion. It makes the consumers strive for it instead of earning them. The high price can be a label of high level and it exactly caters to its attractive style which AF is always trying to sell. In addition, AF barely puts their clothing on sale. It’s largely because of their willingness to change everything in order to hang on to a non-price position and a revenue-driven profit formula. (WHY ABERCROMBIE FITCH (ALMOST) NEVER PUTS  ANYTHING ON SALE, BY MICHAEL E. RAYNOR AND MUMTAZ AHMED) After the economic depression more and more people focus on the price. Unfortunately competitors such as HM have relied heavily on discounts to gain market share while AF has struggled with its premium brand position and pricing. The slow adaptation of price promotions has positioned the company behind its competitors. (Strategic Analysis for: Abercrombie Fitch Co.) People turn to other brands because they can’t accept the high price of AF. For Abercrombie Fitch, how to balance the price and the high level position is one of their problem. Place Abercrombie Fitch has stores in 17 countries in the world including 323 stores. However there are 301 stores in the US and most of other countries only have one or two stores in their capital or booming city. In the USA, AF build their store along the coast more than in the middle because of the economics. Choosing the main cities to build stores can provide more customers because they pay more attention on dressing than small cities. People who live in big city can also have more purchasing power. They live in a higher level and care more about the brand. It’s exactly befit the propose of AF. In addition it’s a good way to show the brand’s attitude by building stores in big cities. It implies AF is at high level as the big city to the country. AF came from the US so it’s common to have a lot of stores in the US. In the mean time it also opens new market in Europe and Asia slowly. Because of the culture differences, every country has its own style of dressing so every single store in overseas has to be careful or it may get a financial loss. With the development of network, AF established the online shopping system. As other brands, AF can deliver the items to mostly address. It also has complete return/exchange policies. This channel expands the scale of customers. The limits of regions are most gone which depends on the shipping  situation of specific areas. People can sit in their room and buy commodities by internet. This way is more convenient than the traditional way and more suitable for the modern young people.

Importance of Exercise With Cystic Fibrosis

Importance of Exercise With Cystic Fibrosis Critically analyse how the physiological benefits of exercise contribute to an improvement in coping with the physical demands of everyday life in this client group and how it compares with traditional Physiotherapy Techniques (Postural Drainage and Percussion) Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease very common among Caucasians, but rare in Asians and Negroes. It is an autosomal recessive condition, with an estimated one in twenty of a Caucasian population heterozygous for the condition. The number of live births of children having cystic fibrosis is high; between 1 in 500 and 1in 3000 (P. Howard, 1991 p.137), or 1 in 2000 (P. McGowan, 20003 p.142, G.K. Crompton, 1987 p.289). In the UK a figure of 1 in 4000 is given (W.J.M/ Kinnear et al, 1999 p.52). Kinnear et al (p. 52) also suggest a reason for the extremely high number (1 in 20) of heterozygotes in the population, that perhaps this high number is the result of some selection advantage, in this case possibly providing some protection from severe secretory diarrhoea caused by for example cholera. A mutation in a single gene (called pf) causes a defect in a plasma membrane protein called cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTC). This gene is found on chromosome 7 (W.J.M. Kinnear et al, 1991 p. 52), and it is this gene that normally controls the movement of calcium ions. With it non-functional, calcium ions cannot pass through the membrane (P.H. Raven G.B. Johnson, 2002 p.261). As with many other inherited disorders, the pf gene has pleiotropic effects, i.e. one gene has multiple effects, in this case overly sticky mucus, clogged blood vessels, salty sweat, pancreas and liver failure and many other symptoms (Raven Johnson, 2002, p.253). Sometimes the gene appears to have the correct amino acid sequence but the condition is still produced. This appears to be due to a defect in one of the chaperone proteins, proteins that enable the gene product to fold to its final form. With the chaperone protein defective this does not occur and so cystic fibrosis is still the result (P.H. Raven GB Johnson, 2002 p.44). The table below shows (a) features of cystic fibrosis, (a) and (b) some complications arising from it. FEATURES OF CYSTIC FIBROSIS Respiratory manifestations Gastrointestinal manifestations Recurrent bronchopulmonary infection Meconium ilius Bronchiectasis Rectal prolapse Diarrhoea Failure to thrive Malabsorption COMPLICATIONS OF CYSTIC FIBROSIS Respiratory complications Other complications Bronchiectasis Abdominal pain Cor pulmonale Biliary cirrhosis Haemoptysis Delayed puberty Lobar collapse Diabetes mellitus Allergic aspergillosus Gall stones Sinusitis Growth failure Nasal polyps Male infertility Wheezing Portal hypertension Pneumothorax Rectal prolapse (Definitions:cor pulmonale: disease of the heart characterised by hypertropy and dilation of the right ventricle and secondary disease of the lungs or their blood vessels. Bronhiectasis: a chronic inflammatory or degenerative condition of one or more bronchi or bronchioles marked by dilation and loss of elasticity of the walls. Anon, 2006 in Medline Plus, Medical Dictionary) Other complications can also occur, some these being given by P. McGowan (2003 p.142) as Meningitis, Metastatic abscess (e.g. in the brain, and Amyloid formation (e.g. in the kidney). At present cystic fibrosis is always a fatal condition, death occurring either from the condition itself, or from one of its many complications. However the outlook for the patient, both in terms of life span and quality of life has continued to improve over the last few decades. Where once it was largely a disease of childhood with only about 5% reaching the age of 17, a 1987 publication estimates perhaps 25% surviving to age 20 (G.K. Crompton, 1987 p. 292). By 2003 though, the mean survival had risen to 29 years (P. McGowan, 2003. p.143). There are several methods of treatment for cystic fibrosis, improvements in some of these being responsible for much of the improvement in outcome for patients seen today. These methods will be discussed, in particular the traditional physiotherapy methods of Postural Drainage and Percussion, and compared to the effect of exercise on the patient’s prognosis. But first a brief consideration of the effects of cystic fibrosis so that it is clear what the treatment is aiming to change. Cystic Fibrosis: Signs and Symptoms Cystic fibrosis is primarily a disease of the respiratory system, although various other parts of the body are also affected. It is caused by the gene mutation referred to in the introduction. There are up to 500 different mutations, but 3 main ones, which cause 90% of the cases (W.J.M. Kinnear et al, 1999, p.52). These adversely affect the exocrine glands and the mucus-secreting glands, resulting in excess mucus and difficulty in clearing it. All such glands are affected, thus its wide ranging effects on other organs apart from the lungs, e.g. the pancreas. The excess mucus production is difficult to remove, due to impaired ciliary action in the airways leading to repeat infections and bronchiectasis. The disease is normally present at birth, although initially it may be asymptomatic or confused with other respiratory conditions such as asthma. Early signs of the disease are not always of a respiratory nature however, as some new-borns present with meconium ilius, while in some young children malabsorption and failure to thrive occur (W.J.M. Kinnear et al, 1999, p.52). Respiratory complications are however, the main feature, and generally present by age ten. Thick, viscid mucus is produced which is difficult to shift, and the bronchial obstruction it causes leads to infection. This leads to further obstruction as DNA from dead bacteria increases the viscosity and so produces a cycle of infection and increasing viscosity. Coughs, occasional at first, become more frequent, eventually leading to bronchiectasis with persistant purulent sputum expectoration. There may be blood in the sputum (haemoptysis), wheezing and intestinal obstruction, and the patient may become breathless (P. Howard, 1991, p. 28). These conditions worsen, nutrition may be poor leading to stunted growth, and finger clubbing becomes common as bronchial infection takes hold, and finally, in the terminal stages there may be cyanosis and cor pulmonale As can be seen from the aforementioned, cystic fibrosis is not a straightforward disease, and often, especially in babies and young children positive diagnosis can be difficult. Symptoms may be similar to other respiratory conditions, particularly in the early stages, plus secondary conditions may occur. These include infections such as with Staphylococcal pneumonia, this initial infection allowing further infections with other bacteria, particularly where broad spectrum antibiotics have been used so removing non-pathogens and allowing colonisation by drug resistant Staphylococci. If the patient survives to 16 or 17 years of age gastrointestinal problems may continue, but then respiratory disease tends to dominate, ending with cor pulmonale and/or respiratory failure (P. Howard, 1991, p138). Because of the variety of symptoms and the difficulty sometimes of diagnosing cystic fibrosis, there is no one specific treatment, treatment being aimed at the removal of mucus secretions so aiding prevention and control of pulmonary symptoms (GK Crompton, 1987, p. 291). And this is the more effective the earlier in the disease process it is started. Thus a definite diagnosis as early as possible will lead to more effective treatment. Various tests are carried out when cystic fibrosis is suspected. This may be because of a family history of the disease, failure of the child to grow at the expected rate, gastrointestinal problems or other respiratory problems such as asthma with which it may be confused. Pre-natal diagnosis may be carried out by amniocentesis or chorion-villous sampling if parents are known to be carriers of the condition. Otherwise various tests, e.g. the Guthrie test, the Immunoreactive trypsin test or most commonly the Sweat test (in which raised levels of sodium and chloride in the sweat are taken as a clear indication of the disease and is the most accurate test for this) are carried out. However the sweat test is not always so effective in adults. Traditional Treatments: Postural Drainage and Percussion Once the condition has been diagnosed treatment should be started immediately, even if the child has only minor symptoms or is asymptomatic. Treatment(s) may be based on any or all of the following: Physiotherapy, Antibiotics, DNase (to degrade the bacterial DNA that builds up in the airways, Anti-inflammatory drugs and nutritional support. It is the physiotherapy treatment that will now be considered. The two traditional physiotherapy techniques that are used for Cystic Fibrosis patients are Postural Drainage and Percussion. As the name implies, the former technique centres around placing the patient in a particular posture to facilitate draining of excess mucus from the airways. It is used in the treatment of bronchiectasis and lung abscesses, and the patient is placed head downwards so that the trachea is down and below the affected area so allowing drainage to occur (Anon, 2006). The use of postural drainage has quite a long history, with the first reference to its use in 1901 by W. Ewart in the Lancet (L. Lannefors et al, 2004). Ewart suggested continuous drainage for hours, with the patient sleeping in the position if possible. For postural drainage their are 12 positions, one for each lung unit, and once the patient is in the appropriate one percussion is applied (L.Lannefors et al, 2004). Percussion is a technique used to assess changes in the thorax or abdomen, and is carried out by tapping the surface to deduce the underlying structure. It is â€Å"done with the middle finger of the right hand tapping on the middle finger of the left hand, which is positioned with the whole palm on the body† (Anon, 2006). This can produce four different sounds, sonorous, hypersonorous, relatively dull sound, or completely dull sound, these indicating the structure below. For example a solid mass will produce a dull sound, while a hollow, air-containing structure will produce a sonorous sound. No studies have been carried out on the effects of manual percussion, but it is thought that air trapped between the chest wall and the cupped hand produces a vibratory wave that loosens secretions attached to the airway walls. These two techniques are often used in conjunction, a problem with the postural draining being the time that the patient must lie in the appropriate position, an hour being suggested as the effective time. For babies and toddlers an hour in this position is only likely to be possible when they are asleep. For older patients compliance with the treatment may be difficult – how many children or teenagers can happily stay still in a particular position for up to an hour without boredom setting in? But what of the actual effectiveness of these techniques? They have been used for a long time now often with modifications to the original method. There is much in the literature concerning these methods but including much that is conflicting, leaving the benefit of these treatments not always clear. There are now many techniques for airway clearance including variations on the two in question, thus it is difficult to make a straight comparison between them all. SG Butler and RJ Sutherland (1998) looked at several airway clearance techniques and concluded that no one technique was shown superior to the others. But a long-term study comparing conventional postural drainage and percussion with the positive expiratory pressure (PEP) technique found PEP to be significantly better. One other study looking at several techniques concluded that there was no particular difference between them, but that all were better than no treatment (J Thomas D Brooks, 1995). More recent papers indicate a lesser use of postural drainage in its original form, for example BM Button et al, (2004), compared traditional postural drainage with a modified form and found that the latter resulted in less episodes of gastro-oesophageal reflux. Similarly a review of the physiotherapy management of hospitalised children (K Farbotko et al, 2005) revealed a significant decrease in the use of postural drainage, but an increase in the use of a modified postural drainage system, and positive expiratory pressure devices. Other methods showed no significant change in their use. Another recent study (F Dennis MJ Rosen, 2006) considered non pharmacological airway clearance therapies by reviewing many papers on the subject, and concluded that such therapies did increase airway clearance, but that their effect compared with the unassisted cough was unknown. Thus there are many studies but they are often not comparable, they assess different methods, do not always have large enough sample sizes to make statistical comparisons, and of course are using different groups of patients who may vary in many ways. For instance in age, sex, seriousness of their symptoms, or in compliance with the treatments. CM Oermann et al, (2000) found that it was the sicker patients who were more likely to be compliant, something that could skew results if not taken into account in further studies. Benefits of Exercise In recent years more emphasis has been placed on the use of exercise as a means of treating cystic fibrosis patients, and for these an improvement in aerobic capacity is particularly useful. Exercise has benefits for all, and changes in both anaerobic and aerobic systems can occur depending on the type of training undertaken. Improvements in anaerobic systems are of more use in preparing for short-lived events requiring power or speed, e.g. weight lifting or sprinting, while improvements in aerobic systems are needed for distance events. In patients whose respiratory systems are compromised as in cystic fibrosis there will often be a reduction in lung volume or distensibility, with a corresponding reduction in vital capacity, total lung capacity and also inspiratory muscle strength (M Estenne et al, 1993). For these patients aerobic exercise is likely to be useful. Aerobic respiration causes various changes in the individuals’ metabolism and in the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Some of these are listed below, the list being compiled from Exercise Physiology, by McArdale et al, (1996) Metabolic Adaptations Mitochondria from trained skeletal muscle become larger and more numerous Increased capacity to generate ATP An increase in the trained muscles capacity to mobilise, deliver and oxidise lipids Increased carbohydrate metabolism Selective hypertrophy of fast and slow twitch muscle types depending on use Cardiovascular and Respiratory Adaptations Heart size generally increases Increase in plasma volume Heart rate decreases as a result of aerobic training The heart’s stroke volume and cardiac output increases A significant increase in quantity of oxygen extracted from the blood Aerobic training causes a large increase in total muscle blood flow during maximal exercise Blood pressure is reduced both at rest and at sub-maximal exercise Psychological benefits. A consideration of the above list indicates several changes of interest for the cystic fibrosis patient, for example the increase in oxygen extracted from the blood and an increase in the ability to oxidise lipids. And psychological changes produced by sport or any physical activity are important for both the healthy individual and the CF patient. It can reduce mild depression, aid in sleeping, and give confidence in ones physical abilities, all which will make the patient more confident in themselves and in their handling of their condition. Although exercise alone is not going to replace all other treatments, it has a definite place as one of them, especially in the earlier and milder stages of the disease. An overview of treatment for cystic fibrosis (L Lannefors et al, 2004), describes the methods used at the Lund CF Centre in Sweden, starting in the 1980’s. There the treatment is tailored to each individual, with an emphasis on physical activity and absolutely no use of postural drainage or percussion (not used there since 1983). The treatment is started as soon as the condition is diagnosed and incorporates much physical activity. This is particularly important for babies or very young children, as they need to get used to someone applying physiotherapy. Left to the age of 3 or 4 years the child may not be very amenable to what to them is a boring and pointless activity, but started sooner is more likely to accept the treatment. The activity part of the treatment is tailored for each individual with their input taken into account, and aims to keep air-ways as clear as possible using physical activity, and physical activity as therapy for adults with bronchiectasis has been described ( J Pryor, 2004). Although there appears to be little to back the approach considering the lack of rigorous clinical studies available, it does appear from accumulated clinical experience that patients benefit from it. The paper by DM Orenstein et al, (2004) considers at length strength and aerobic training in children with cystic fibrosis, with many similar points made as in L Lannefors et al, (2004) overview of CF treatments. The introduction to this paper contains a brief review of many others, often showing similarities in results but not backed up by rigorous clinical studies. This study is the first fully randomised trial, measuring fitness, pulmonary function and quality of life, and was tested on a home based exercise programme. The CF patients were chosen according to pre-set criteria and randomly allocated to treatments. Thus the results could be analysed to check for any significant changes in outcomes. Results for this study were not always as expected, particularly for the aerobic training group which showed no increase in measures of aerobic fitness over time. It did not produce any greater fitness or pulmonary function than strength training. However both groups showed significant increases in weight gain, of particular importance, as CF children are often underweight leading to increased morbidity and mortality. The trial did not always give the expected results, but as great care had been taken with the experimental design, at least the results could be properly quantified and analysed. Conclusion In conclusion, it would appear that work still needs to be done regarding appropriate experimental design, to fully understand the rationales for treatment, and to fully appreciate the effect of physical activity on aerobic capacity and disease progression. For as Orenstain et al comment: â€Å"Exercise has the ability to improve the ability of a patient with Cystic Fibrosis to cope with the physical demands of everyday life† (Chest 2004, 126:1204-1214) REFERENCES Anon (2006) Medline Plus on-line Medical Dictionary http://www2.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/mwmednlm accessed 29/04/06 Butler, SG, Sutherland, RJ (1998) Current airway clearance techniques. New Zealand Medical Journal vol 111:183-186 Button, BM, Heine, RG, Catto-Smith, AG, Phelan, PD Olinsky, A (2004) Archives of Disease in Childhood vol 89:435-439 Crompton,GK (1987) ‘Diagnosis and Management of Respiratory Diseases’ 2nd ed pub: Blackwll Scientific Publications Dennis, F, Rosen, MJ (2006) Monpharmacological Airway Clearance Therapies Chest. vol 129;250S-259S Estenne, M., Gevenois, PA, Kinnear, W, Soudon, P, Heilporn, A De Troyer, A. (1993) Lung volume restriction in patients with chronic respiratory muscle weakness: the role of microatelectasis. Thorax vol. 48(7):698-701 Farbotko, K, Wilson, C, Watter, P and MacDonald, J (2005) Change in physiotherapy management of children with cystic fibrosis in a large urban hospital. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice vol. 21(1)pp13-21 Howard, P (1991) ‘Respiratory Medicine in Clinical Practice’ pub: Edward Arnold Kinnear, WJM, Johnston, IDA. Hall, IP. (1999) ‘Key Topics in Respiratory Medicine’ pub: Biosis Scientific Publishers Lannefors, L, Button, BM Mcilwaine, M. (2004) Physiology in infants and young children with cystic fibrosis: current practice and future developments. Journal. of the Royal Society of Medicine vol 97 (suppl 44):8-25 McArdle, WC. Katch FI, Katch, VL. (1996) ‘Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition, and Human Performance’ 4th ed. Williams Watkins, pub: McGowan, P (2003) ‘Respiratory System’ 2nd ed. Mosby, pub. McIlwaine, PM, Wong, LT, Peacock, D Davidson, AGF (1997) Journal of Pediatrics vol 131(4):570-574 Raven, PH Johnson, GB (2002) ‘Biology’ 6th ed. pub: McGraw Hill, Oermannr, CM, Swank, PR Sockrider, MM. (2000) Chest vol 118(1):92-97 Orenstein, DM, Hovell, Mulvihill, MF, Keating, KK, Hofstetter, CR, Kelsey, S, Morris, K, and Nixon, PA. (2004) Strength vs Aerobic Training in Children with Cystic Fibrosis. Chest. vol 126:pp 1204-1214 Pryor, J. (2004) Physical Therapy for Adults with Bronchiectasis. Clinical Pulmonary Medicine vol. 11(4):201-209 J R Soc Med 2004;97(suppl. 44):pp8-25 Thomas, J, Cook, DJ Brooks, D. (1995) Chest physical therapy management of patients with cystic fibrosis: a meta-analysis. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. vol 151 (3 part 1):846-850

Asbestos In Buildings: Types and Health Effects

Asbestos In Buildings: Types and Health Effects Asbestos in buildings current status Introduction Asbestos has been used for more than 2,000 years. It was named by the Ancient Greeks, its name meaning inextinguishable. Even then the Greeks noted the harmful affects of asbestos, as they noticed the slaves that wove the asbestos into cloth form had developed respiratory problems after studying their lungs. (asbestosresource) The asbestos fibres fall into two types, amphiboles and serpentines. The blue and brown asbestos fibres fall into the amphibole group. They fall into this group because they are compounds of metal silicates which consist of short and sharp fibres. For this reason they have the ability of remaining within the human body for long periods of time. Also for this reason this group of asbestos is more dangerous than the white fibred asbestos. (asbestoswatchdog) Today asbestos is a general term that is given to numerous naturally occurring silicate minerals. There are six forms of asbestos the three that are not very common are known as actinolite, anthophyllite, and tremolite. Amongst the six naturally occurring minerals there are three main forms of asbestos which are known as Chrysotile, Crocidolite and Amosite. Otherwise they are known in the same order as white, blue and brown. In 1999 The Asbestos Prohibition Regulations banned the use of all new forms of this material. There has been a gradual decline in the use of asbestos from the early 1960s. Even though a high number of buildings have had the asbestos removed and then replaced with a more suitable material, there is still a very high number of buildings that still contain asbestos and most of it is has remained undetected. (Eclipsescientific) Asbestos has many properties and for this reason it was widely used. Strength Incombustibility Use as a binding agent Resistance to high temperatures Resistance to electrical current Resistance to acids and alkalis Absorbs sound (Asbestos-answers) It can be seen very clearly why asbestos was used on such a wide scale, looking at the properties it seemed to be the only material that had such a variety and was also available on a broad scale. Asbestos possesses unique tensile strength and flexibility from its fibres and it is for this reason that it was used in the first place. These fibres are too small to be seen by the naked eye. The ability of the asbestos fibres to flex allows them to be woven, though it is harder to weave the amphibole group due to there rigidity. On the other hand the serpentine group was used more due to its flexibility. There is no simple test to recognize the different types of fibres, and this judgment cannot be made on colour alone, but it requires a lab test to find out which type of asbestos it is that they are dealing with. More will be discussed on how the tests are carried out and the types of samples that are used later on in this report. All these forms of asbestos are known to be very dangerous to human health and can cause illnesses to which there is no cure. The way the asbestos enters the body is through the inhalation of the fibres, these fibres then rest in the lower part of the lungs where they can lay for many years. These fibres cannot be absorbed through the skin. Due to the size of the fibres they can only be seen through a microscope, and there size also allows them to penetrate deep into the lungs, this can cause respiratory diseases or some types of cancer. â€Å"The principal asbestos related diseases are that of: asbestosis (fibrosis) scarring of the lungs; mesothelioma a cancer of the inner lining of the chest wall or abdominal cavity; lung cancer; and diffuse pleural thickening a non-malignant disease in which the lining of the lung (pleura) becomes scarred.† (13/11/07, healthandsafetytips) The types of asbestos containing materials found in domestic properties are likely to be in ducts, access panels, ceiling tiles, partitions etc. These if still existing in domestic buildings will be found 1960’s and 1970’s built housing. Most of the materials containing asbestos look similar to those materials that do not contain asbestos. If the materials that contain asbestos are in good condition they can be left in place and managed, but if they are damaged dangerous fibres can be released which have to be removed only by an approved contractor. Asbestos being a very hazardous material only becomes dangerous when it is airborne and the fibres are inhaled. Today the types of commercial buildings that asbestos may still remain in are the ones that were refurbished in between 1950 and 1980 as this was the peak time that the asbestos was used in buildings. What will make it more likely for the building to contain asbestos is if the building had a steel frame and contained boilers with thermal insulation. Asbestos wasn’t only used in sheet form and as an insulation but also as asbestos cement which was used to cover walls etc. The asbestos was also used in the buildings in the form of a spray which was mixed with hydrated asbestos cement; this was then sprayed on to many of the structural and non-structural members, so the majority of the building may contain asbestos in one form or another. (HSE) Overtime the members and materials coated with asbestos spray may break down due to wear and tear this will gradually release asbestos fibres into the air which due to their non visible fibres could be inhaled therefore causing health problems. Before work is started on a building any asbestos containing material cement, plasterboards etc must be identified. Any work carried out on asbestos containing material must be carried out by a HSE licensed contractor. (sutton.gov.uk) Asbestos 2.1– Types As mentioned in the introduction to this report there are six forms of asbestos chrysotile, crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite, tremolite, and actinolite. Of these six there are the three main forms of asbestos which are amosite (brown), chrysotile (white) and crocidolite (blue). The colours of these types of asbestos are not visible to the human eye, so all the asbestos should be treated as equally hazardous. Chrysotile or better known as white asbestos is obtained from rocks known as serpentines. This is the only type of asbestos that belong to this rock group. These rocks are found commonly through out the world. This type of asbestos is the only one out of the others which has curly flexible fibres as opposed to the other types of fibres which are straight, sharp like a needle and some are even brittle. This is also the most common type of asbestos as it accounts for about 90% of all the asbestos consumed across the world, when compared to the other types. This is still the most commonly mined form of asbestos till today. (phhenv) This fibre is known to do the least amount of damage to the lungs. This fibrous material is composed of 40% silica and 40% magnesium, though these fibres have a good heat resistance they can be destroyed by acids. Chrysotile has fibres which have a layered silicate structure. These layers can be regarded as made up from silicon atoms and each of these atoms is surrounded by four oxygen atoms at the corners which creates an almost regular tetrahedron. Then there are the magnesium atoms, of them each are surrounded by six oxygen atoms which creates an almost regular octahedron. These two are linked by the sharing of there basal oxygen atoms which then forms a continuous layer. Amosite asbestos is a part of the amphiboles rock group; this is mainly used as a flame retardant material within thermal insulation material such as ceiling tiles. This brown asbestos is typically used in insulating materials. The crystals in this type of asbestos vary and they can be flat prisms, brittle grains or long thin threads. The threads are commonly found in naturally occurring bundles. The longer and thinner fibres of amosite are rather flexible and curve to form wide arches. These long wide arches of amosite fibres then break into minor groups that consequence in sharp needle like fibres. The ends of the fibres are plane and do not have tattered or split ends, this is one of the main characteristics that helps differentiate amosite from chrysotile asbestos fibres. Broken bundles also are frequently found and resemble broom tails in appearance. Remains of the crystal fibres can be recognized in some building resources that were manufactured with amosite. (davidcole) Crocidolite asbestos is one of the five types of amphibole asbestos; this means the fibres in Crocidolite are made up of mineral crystals that look like chains. Crocidolite is often called blue asbestos, and occurs naturally in Australia, South Africa, Russia and Canada. Crocidolite was the least types of asbestos used in commercial products. Crocidolite fibres usually bear a resemblance to chrysotile fibres but they are vaguely more brittle. This form of asbestos is harder than any other member in the amphibole family. This is also one of the most carcinogenic fibres as it induces the release of reactive oxygen species from phagocyte cells (cells that engulf and destroy invading organisms). This in turn damages the cells DNA and as all cells are programmed to die after a certain amount of time, the damaged DNA changes that and therefore the cell will reproduce uncontrollably. This will eventually result in malignancy and show the result of the carcinogenic properties of asbestos fibres. (carcin.oxfordjournals) The contemporary use of asbestos dates from the late 1800’s where great amounts of asbestos deposits were discovered in Canada. Brusquely after this discovery commercial asbestos mine was opened in Russia. Since then the two former mentioned countries have been the main worldwide producers of chrysotile. There is no asbestos mined in the UK and the largest asbestos producer in the world is Russia. The main sources of asbestos that are imported into the UK are from Canada and South Africa. It can be seen that Russia has been the largest producer of the most commonly used form of asbestos (Chrysotile). Whereas South Africa has been the smallest producer of white asbestos. These production values have dropped since the ban of asbestos around Europe, hence the amounts of asbestos used has declined. tonnes. It also indicates the amount of asbestos that America has been using since the 1940’s. It can clearly be seen that America was the largest consumer of asbestos until the 1970’s when the use of asbestos started to decline. By 1999 the worldwide production of asbestos had also declined by more than a half since 1990. This signifies that around the 1990’s asbestos had started become prohibited around the worlds largest consumers hence the overall consumption of asbestos was rapidly reduced. 2.3– Processed Asbestos is processed through a milling procedure, where the useful fibres are separated from the non-useful materials within the asbestos rock. When the fibres are separated they become shorter and also split lengthwise due to their crystalline structure. Many of the fibres that result from the milling process are too small to see with the naked eye. The fibres that are milled are graded by a machine as they pass through it they are caught in a sieve and then measured. This process may vary from mine to mine. There are many different grades of fibres that are used in the construction industry but the focal point is on those fibres that are in the respirable range, as it is these fibres that have the size and shape which can cause damage to human health by penetrating into the depth of the lungs, and this is where they will remain for long periods of time. (Asbestos: from rock to fabric, 1956) 2.4– Uses in construction The first use of asbestos for construction purposes was in 1890 in the form of fireproof roofing materials. Later on in the next 10 years on from 1890 the use of asbestos expanded to engine gaskets and boiler insulation, it can be seen that the heat resistance properties of asbestos were being exploited for commercial use. Then from the early 1900’s the use of asbestos expanded to building insulation and in the 1930’s this had extended to a cement bonding agent. Indicating that asbestos had become a highly sought after material. Up to date it has been estimated that asbestos may be a component of more than 3,000 types of construction materials (Hess, 1998). According to figures from the asbestos report from the committee, out of 143 000 tonnes of asbestos that was imported into the UK in 1976, roughly about 42 900 tonnes were used to manufacture construction products such as cladding sheets and roofing tiles (Stationery Office, 1979). Due to the high heat resistance of asbestos it was mainly used in the construction for fire protection, i.e. to separate rooms. It can also be mixed with cement and used as a spray, which is then sprayed onto articles within a structure. Due to its high-quality weather resistance it was used on a large scale on roof sheets, pipes and guttering. (Harrogateaccommodationservice) There were many materials manufactured for construction purposes. They are as follows; For the roofs of the buildings there were many different materials used, the main materials contained asbestos bonding. Cement roof slates, cladding and roofing sheets all contained asbestos bonding in the form of cement. The former three materials were all designed to be strong as they will face different temperatures and weathering. The combination of asbestos and cement made it very hard for these materials to release fibres, unless they were heavily damaged, drilled or cut using other machinery. As mentioned above the roofing asbestos products were made to be very strong so therefore they are of low risk when it comes to releasing fibres and danger to human health compared to those asbestos products used on the inside of the building. The flooring in buildings that were constructed with ACM’s may also contain asbestos. This can be in the form of 99 inches thick floor tiles which were used in the early stages of ACM’s becoming popular. The tiles also come in the 1212 inches size which is the more common size used for floor tiles today. Linoleum floor sheeting is also another type of asbestos containing material that was used for floors of kitchens and bathrooms but was most commonly used in commercial buildings such as hospitals and school corridors. In addition mastic glue was used to stick the linoleum and tiles to the floor may have also contained asbestos. Like every asbestos product it should be assumed that these products contain asbestos until proven otherwise by microscopic identification (Sandro A, p68). The illustration above shows typical asbestos linoleum floor sheeting and asbestos containing wall tiles which could also be used for the floor. Insulation was another material used in construction that contained asbestos namely crocidolite. This was used to line the attic of a building and in some cases to line fireplaces and pipes. Asbestos is chemically lifeless hence it has excellent thermal and electrical insulation properties and this is the reason for its use as insulation (Fillmore. W, Galaty, Wellington. J, 2002). It must be noted that asbestos was almost always bonded with other materials that were already being used for a certain job i.e. roof tiles, cladding etc. All the asbestos did is improve the properties of these materials making them more durable, heat resistant and flame retardant. Acoustic ceiling materials were used to reduce the amount of sound travel between the floors of a building. The asbestos was used as a spray which was applied to the ceiling; this was mainly to save money from having to plaster the ceiling. The asbestos was bonded with ceiling paint and applied Carcinogenic agents are those that can influence the carcinogenic development either by mutating vital target genes or by escalating the amount of cells at threat from mutations. â€Å"Cytogenetic and molecular studies of asbestos-related cancers indicate that inactivation or loss of multiple tumor suppressor genes occurs during lung cancer development. Aneuploidy and other chromosomal changes induced by asbestos fibers may be involved in genetic alterations in asbestos-related cancers†. (Pubmedcentral) Furthermore, asbestos fibers may influence the carcinogenic process by inducing cells to rapidly multiply and produce new cells or tissues, free radicals, or other promotional mechanisms. This indicates that asbestos fibers may act at numerous stages of the carcinogenic process by both genetic and epigenetic (changes the physical characteristics of an organism) mechanisms. The ability of the asbestos to remain in the lungs and body is undoubtedly important in fibre carcinogenicity. On the other hand, the time necessary for a fibre to remain in the lung to put forth a cancer-related effect is tricky to state. (Pubmedcentral) Studies of how health-related conditions occur in specific populations show that the amphiboles and chrysotile can increase the risk of lung cancer. The carcinogenicity of chrysotile has been recognised for some time by international bodies, â€Å"This carcinogenicity was confirmed by the experts consulted by the panel; with respect to both lung cancers and mesotheliomas†¦we therefore consider that we have sufficient facts that there is in fact serious carcinogenic risk associated with the inhalation of chrysotile fibres† (epa.gov) The above statement indicates that chrysotile has the carcinogenic ability to be able to cause cancer if people are exposed to airborne fibres. (Mesotheliomareference) Details of exactly how asbestos fibres cause malignancy in cells is still largely unknown. Although there is a lack of information of how the malignancy occurs in the cells from these fibres the basics of how these mechanisms occur is known. It is not apparent if the asbestos fibres cause malignancy by encouraging the cells by direct relations or by the toxic materials that are released by the fibres which will eventually cause cancer. The fibres will first cause local irritation and inflammation to the neighbouring tissue, where they will get lodged afterwards. The inflammation and irritation causes the body to release chemicals, these chemicals cause changes in the cells and the interaction with the asbestos fibres and other factors which are largely unknown, will eventually cause the cell to continue onto a malignant change. (medicineworld.org) The human body has different sets of genes for growth promotion and growth suppression. In a regular healthy state the genes that promote growth and genes that suppresses the growth are in good synchronization, so that the cell growth and cell division occur only when it is needed. These growths related genes are susceptible to and can get damaged by internal or external factors. Therefore if a growth suppressing gene is damaged the mechanism that controls the suppressing and unwanted growth might be lost. Alternatively if damage occurs in the growth promoting genes, they might lose their capability to endorse cell growth, but some types of damage can actually increase the growth promoting ability of these types of genes. The result of this type of damage to the cell genes is that it no longer pays attention to the commands of the tumour suppressor genes and continues to multiply. Each cell is programmed to expire after definite number of cell divisions. Due to the damage this programmed cell death does not take place, in turn causing the cell to multiply without any control making the cell almost immortal. This ability to multiply without control and the immortality factor rapidly increases the chances of the cell to develop into cancer. The asbestos fibre will damage the genes of the cells and causing genetic changes in a cell which is programmed to perform a certain task will almost definitely cause more harm then good, and in this case it can lead to cancer. So asbestos does have a level of carcinogenicity, but the factors that this depends on are varying i.e. length of exposure, type of asbestos exposed to. (Environmental Toxicants: Human Exposure and Their Health Effects, 2000) 3.1 – Fibre types and Health affects. 3.1.1 – Which is worst Currently there is no strong evidence that supports which type of fibre is the most harmful to the human body. It is stated that chrysotile is the least harmful and that amosite is the most harmful as it has the highest link to lung and respiratory cancers and conditions. 3.1.2 – Why is the worst 3.1.3 – Illnesses Mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelium; this is a thin membrane which lines the chest, abdomen and the organs that surround this area. This type of cancer is usually associated with Crocidolite, but it can also be caused by other types of asbestos as well. The cancer can develop even after very little exposure to asbestos fibres, and can take up to 15 years to develop. This is known as the latent period and in some cases it has known to take up to 40 years before it develops. It is also thought that this type of cancer may be related to other malignancies than just asbestos. As with all the types of asbestos cancers smoking can cause the cancer to speed up. Lung Cancer from asbestos exposure can take two common forms the small cell lung cancer which is as stated by its title a cancer where the cells are small and round. Alternatively there’s the non small cell lung cancer, this is where the cancer cells are larger. Out of these two types of lung cancers the small cell lung cancer accounts as the main from by having a cancer relation of 80%, where as large cell lung cancer only accounts for 20% out of the two types. Asbestosis is the progressive scarring of the lungs; this is due to continuous exposure to asbestos fibres. This illness may take years before it is noticed but the common signs of asbestosis also mimic those of other respiratory problems. The most common symptoms of asbestosis are breathlessness and dry coughs, but these can easily be confused with other problems. The asbestos fibres continuously irritate the lung surface causing it to scar and eventually leading to the thickening of the lung surface. Diffuse Pleural Thickening Benign Pleural Effusion Benign Pleural Plaques Rounded atelectasis or folded lung Mesothelioma (asbestosawarenesswales) 3.1.4 – Occupational exposure Electricians and construction labourers are one of the most common workers who have a higher chance of being exposed to asbestos. They are more likely to come across ACM’s as they work around the area of ACM’s, electricians work in lofts or re wire buildings where they have to disturb some of the materials. These materials may contain asbestos and therefore release fibres that can be inhaled and eventually cause disease. Construction workers when carrying out demolition on a building are at a very high risk of disturbing large amounts of asbestos fibres and therefore increase the amount they inhale. These two occupations may come across asbestos more often than any other occupations. (lhc.org) Insulation workers and Laggers who apply insulation materials can also be at high risk of asbestos exposure, this is because they have to disturb walls and sometimes have to work near the roof of the building and these are the most common areas that asbestos remains in buildings. This is because asbestos was used in the spray form to help strengthen plaster boards and cement products and if any of these are disturbed then they will release asbestos fibres. This will expose the workers to high amounts of asbestos as these areas are not well ventilated and therefore they will be breathing in more fibres. (Asbestosawarenesswales) Carpenters, Plumbers and pipe-fitters are also at risk from asbestos exposure because they have to drill through walls to carry out there duties and the drilling will agitate any asbestos fibres and therefore may cause exposure to asbestos. The asbestos disease are all caused due to the asbestos fibres causing damage to the body in one form or another, either by damaging the cells at DNA level or damaging the tissue as a whole. These fibres are very sharp when examined under a microscope. It is this sharpness that causes the damage and also the ability of the human body to remove the asbestos fibres, as the cells try to engulf the fibres to destroy them, which is a near impossible task to do they and up being damaged in return. (asbestos.net) All of the above occupations and many more are at risk from asbestos exposure and the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 makes sure than any building that is suspected to contain asbestos records it in an asbestos register and this register is shown to anyone who maybe carrying out work on the site. The regulations will be discussed in more detail during the course of this report. 4. – Remains/Assessments 4.1 – Types of building Most asbestos will be remaining in buildings that were built, refurbished or repaired between 1950 and 1980, as this was the peak period were asbestos was used in building materials in the United Kingdom. The amount that remains in buildings is very hard to determine or even estimate as it will be a very time consuming job. All the relevant data that is needed to even make an estimation cannot be found in one place. There are many estimated and approximated figures for the amount of buildings within the UK which contain ACM’s. Most of the information is based on commercial and non-domestic properties. Any buildings that were constructed before the year 2000 is assumed to contain asbestos unless there is strong evidence pointing otherwise. The reason for this is because the final ban on asbestos was bought in during the year 1999. This is also the basis of the estimation for the current status of asbestos in the UK, as the year 2000 was considered the year where all new asbestos building materials were completely banned in the UK. 4.1.1 – Commercial/Domestic While there are no dependable figures, it is approximated that there are still thousands of tonnes of asbestos remaining in buildings. As many as 750,000 non-domestic premises may contain asbestos. (rgeurope) Others governing bodies suggest that â€Å"It is estimated half a million commercial premises may contain asbestos† (amsscotland). So the estimated number of commercial buildings that may contain ACM’s is around the half million figure. This figure is estimated by adding up of all the non-domestic properties such as offices, schools, factories and hospitals that were built before the year 2000. 5. – Surveys 5.1 – How survey carried out After an extensive search three types of surveys have been identified. Type 1: Walk Through Survey The first survey that is carried out is a presumptive survey. This survey does not involve any sample taking; rather it involves identifying all areas and locations which may have asbestos containing materials (ACMs) by a visual inspection. From this survey the condition of the ACMs are noted and there locations this is for the purpose of benefiting the person that may be carrying out work on a structure or occupying it. This is because any suspected materials have to be treated as asbestos containing materials unless there is a guarantee that the materials do not contain any asbestos. This confidence can only be reassured if the materials are glass, wood or metal. It must also be made sure that these materials that do not contain asbestos are not hiding any materials that do i.e. wooden joist hiding an asbestos ceiling tile etc. (Bridgend) Type 2: Sampling Survey This survey is that same as the first survey in all aspects except that samples are collected from some suspected materials and then these samples are sent off for analysis to a lab which will most likely use a microscope to identify the fibres. The sampling can be carried out at the same time as the survey and each suspected material is sampled. Unlike the first survey which can be carried out by an in house member this survey can only be carried out by a qualified and trained professional. (Bridgend) Type 3: Pre-Demolition/Refurbishment Survey This survey is carried out to gain full access to all ACMs and it may involve destructive inspection. This is a must if a building is going to be demolished because if the ACMs are not removed then the dangerous asbestos dust can be released into the air which can cause health problems on a large scale. This also helps to identify all areas with ACMs so they can be removed before a major refurbishment and replaced with more suitable materials. Therefore this survey is deemed necessary if work is going to be carried out on a large scale, so the current condition of any ACMs is established. As above this survey should only be carried out by a trained and qualified professional. (Ac-environmental-services) 5.2 – How to take samples of suspected material Taking samples of suspected materials depends on the type of survey that is carried out. If there were materials that are suspected of containing asbestos during a type 1 walkthrough survey then no samples will need to be taken, this is because they will just be identified and there location noted. Whereas if type 2 or 3 surveys were carried out then the samples taken could be of thumbnail size or they could be larger. It should be noted that these samples will be identified as ACM’s under a microscope so there is a limit to the size that a sample can be. Samples from each suspected ACM are collected and analysed to validate or contradict the surveyors judgement. Sampling may take place with the survey or, in the case of some larger surveys, as a separate exercise following completion of a Type 1 survey. 5.3 – Procedures and Precautions taken The procedures for taking samples are that first a site survey must be carried out in the form of risk assessment. Any risk found in the assessment will form the procedure to follow when taking samples. The main and foremost part of the procedures is that anyone taking samples must make sure that any disturbance of suspected ACM’s is kept to the bare minimum. This is because it will reduce the amount of fibres that are released. The person taking the samples must take into account that the premises may be occupied and the minimal disruption is caused to the client’s daily operations. There may also be employees or tenants on site and all precaution must be taken to protect their health and safety. (HSE) The sampling personnel must also make sure that the adequate personal protection equipment is worn while carrying out this delicate procedure, as they are the ones closest to being exposed to the asbestos. They must make sure that the bare minimum that they use is disposable overalls, over shoes and a respirator. There may also be other equipment used but this depends on the risk assessments finding for example if the risk assessment found that there was asbestos that has been disturbed then air extraction may have to be used to stop the fibres spreading but if there is just suspected ACM’s then basic equipment mentioned can be used. (HSE) There are different respirators for different types of ACM’s, which ever was identified in the risk assessment. The main precaution just before taking samples is to wet the suspected ACM to make sure that the amount of fibres released is minimal. The sample area can be wetted by using basic waster or a wetting agent. Wetting can be done in different ways for different materials, for boards and sheets the water or wetting agent can be sprayed directly on to the surface, as t

The Hale Bopp Comet :: essays research papers

The Hale Bopp Comet As I am sure all of you know, we have recently been able to see a new but not permanent additon to the night sky. This addition is known as Hale-Bopp, a comet that is about 122 million miles (about 1.3 times the distance of the sun to the earth) from the earth and is approximately 25 miles wide. Hale-Bopp was discovered on July 23,1995 by two scientists named Alan Hale in New Mexico and Thomas Bopp in Arizona. This is the first discovery for both of them, although Alan Hale is one of the top visual comet observers in the world, having seen about 200 comet apparitions. That is one of the reasons they put his name first. Alan Hale comments, "I love the irony -- I've spent over 400 hours of my life looking for comets, and haven't found anything, and now, suddenly, when I'm not looking for one, I get one dumped in my lap. I had obtained an observation of P/Clark earlier, and needed to wait an hour or so before P/d'Arrest got high enough to look at, and was just passing the time til then, and I decided to look at some deep-sky objects in Sagittarius. When I turned to M70, I saw a fuzzy object in the same field, and almost immediately suspected a comet, since I had been looking at M70 last month, and *knew* there wasn't any other objects there." Thomas Bopp explains his story like this, "On the night of July 22, 1995 some friends and I headed out into the desert for a dark of the moon observing session. The site, which is west of Stanfield, AZ and a few mile south of Interstate 8 is about 90 miles southwest from my home. My friend Jim Stevens had brought his 17-1/2" Dobsonian. We started the evening observing some of the Messier objects such as the Veil and North American Nebulae in Cygnus, when Jim said " Let's look at some of the globulars in Sagittarius." We started our tour with M22 and M28, observing at 50X and then at 180X. Around 11:00 local time, we had M-70 in the field when Jim went to the charts to determine the next object of investigation. I continued watching M-70 slowly drift across the field, when it reached a point 3/4 of the way across a slight glow appeared on the eastern edge. I repositioned the scope to center on the new object but was unable to resolve it. I called to Jim and asked him if he knew what it might be, after a visual inspection he stated he wasn't familiar

My Journey :: fictional narrative

It was late afternoon, when I just stepped into the house. The silence had captured the room. I was tired. My body felt like dead, but my mind was beyond that. A blue, blue frame caught my eyes. The deep blue sank my thoughts deeper and deeper and made them flow away as the waves pushed them more into the magic, no ending space. I was looking at the world itself, and seemed like it was standing at the palm of my hand. Some things seemed awkward while this world was rotating. Lots of mysteries surrounded my boat, as I was going further in this magnificent journey.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fishes along with other ocean creatures were curios to know where this boat was going to bring us all. I was curios too. My curiosity reached to the point, where few houses appeared and beautiful palms seemed to wave at me from far. I left the boat closer to the shore and I followed the way that the palms were. The houses were one into another, very close to each other. The streets were narrow and everything seemed empty and lifeless. The darkness that surrounded the place, made it become more mysterious than it was.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As I was walking alone and looking at every corner of the place, I sow few old people. My thoughts went deeper than ever. My mind was telling me to continue my walk, but my body seemed frightened and frozen. But my curiosity to know that, how this beautiful place had only few people and that they were all old made my body to go on further. It was a very different place from others. I was thinking as I was going through this streets and looking at the houses, to knock in one of them, but my phone went off and my thoughts got stuck in that house. It was a big and very old house. It was my friend who called. I sow myself cutting the conversation with him to go back into the journey and get back my thoughts. I sat back at the same place I was, and the house appeared in front of me. I looked at the house, and its doors and windows and the whole house was trying to tell me something that I could not understand. In front of the house, was a beautiful girl. She was the first young person there.

The Cattle Industrys Effect on our Environment Essay -- Beef Environ

The Cattle Industry's Effect on our Environment Before I began my research, I avoided beef for health reasons. During my junior year of high school, I reformed my diet away from my family’s very beef-laden diet into a more heart-healthy, Mediterranean-style one. My great grandfather started a revolutionary meat company in San Francisco, CA which later moved to Marysville, CA called DPM. Most of my family, including my father, worked in this company and its butcher shop for many years before it was eventually sold to an international corporation. Needless to say, my extended family has a strong love and passion for quality meat and cooking it is a large part of our frequent family get-togethers. I must continually defend my choice to not eat beef, and even though it has been many years since I first made this decision, many of them often seem to â€Å"forget† when choosing a menu. Since I stopped eating beef, I have been more interested in other related issues, such as the hormones and antibiotics we give our ca ttle, as well as the link to this nation’s huge obesity problem. I met a friend while I was living in Italy named Caitlyn who did not eat meat, primarily because of the impact it was having on agriculture, and the methods used in producing it. She told me briefly of her reasons, but never went into explicit detail with me; ever since then I have had a lingering curiosity to do my own research and come to my own conclusions. When I first began my research, I knew of many of the issues with antibiotics and hormones that we give our cattle, and did not agree with them. As biology major, I have learned about this trend in school. Antibiotic resistance is a huge problem; there are already many infections that whil... ...tions of nutrients in many of the crops. Organic farming today is closer to the way farming was in the days of old, with locally-minded people concerned with their community’s health and sustainability. If you want to make our environment better, buy grass-fed free-range beef and â€Å"Go Organic!† Works Cited Cheeke, Peter R. Contemporary Issues in Animal Agriculture, Third Edition. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc., 2004. 155-181. Goodall, Jane. Harvest for Hope. New York: Warner Books, 2005. 66-96. Harper, Charles L., Bryan F. Le Beau. Food, Society, and Environment. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc., 2003. 162-201. Lappe, Frances Moore. â€Å"Diet for a Small Planet.† Composing a Civic Life. Eds. Michael Berndt and Amy Muse. New York: Pearson Longman, 2007. 454-459. Wallace, Scott. â€Å"Last of the Amazon.† National Geographic Jan 2007: 40-71.

How does television cause violent behavior? Essay

How does television cause violent behavior? Good question. All people watch TV but only some of them use violent behavior. Television is an idol of the modern days. Watching television is an experience shared by the vast majority of children and adults, men and women, wealthy and poor people. It is convenient, inexpensive, available and attractive. Television can entertain us and can teach us some useful or useless things. Too frequently it is used even as a substitute for other activities. Activities like violence. For the most the violence is ugly, unattractive and †¦ forbidden thing. We can see it in the streets, back alleys, school, and even at home. But the main source of violence in our life is television. Children are the most vulnerable group for influence of the television violence. Seeing a lot of violence on television can lead them to behave aggressively. I read story about a 16-year-old boy who broke into a cellar in the city of New York. When the police caught him and asked him why he was wearing gloves he replied that he had learned to do so to not leave fingerprints and that he discovered this on television. But television violence does not affect only child’s youth; it can also affect his or her adulthood. This can force the child into a kind of premature maturity. As the child matures into an adult, he can become bewildered; have a greater distrust towards others, a superficial approach to adult problems, and even an unwillingness to become an adult. In Alabama, a nine-year-old boy received a bad report card from his teacher. He suggested sending the teacher poisoned candy as revenge as he had seen on television the night before. This young Borja probable will have problems with conflict management in the future. It will be easier for him to think about poisonous candy or another Kunststueck than to face the conflict and find wise solution (e.g. learn subject better). I am wondered why people find the violence that they can see on television more attractive than the violence on the streets. Probably when we sit near the television screen, in safety and comfort, our curiosity make us to look to the unattractive features of human relationship? We know that those lakes of blood, explosions, masculine domination or brutal words are far from our sweat home. But children don’t always realize that this is not the way thing are handled in real life. They come to expect it, and when they don’t see it the world becomes bland and in need of violence. The children then can create the violence that their mind craves. A seven-year-old Californian boy sprinkled ground-up glass into the lamb stew the family was to eat for dinner. When asked why he did it he replied that he wanted to see if the results would be the same in real life as they were on television.Television sends not only messages about exciting world of adventures and violence. It offers role model which child can try to put on. Children find the violent characters on television fun to imitate. This could be a problem for children in the big cities, where aggressive behavior is more acceptable. I do not feel sure that there are no gender peculiarities of television violence impact on the youth. Probably, boys are more sensitive to this impact. They see heroes who become their role models. They accept that it is cool to carry an automatic weapon and use it to knock off the bad guys. I never had Kalashnikov or M-16 automatic rifle but I saw awesome movie – Bowling for Colombine†¦Fortunately, there were developed programs for parents’ and children education to prevent unfavorable effects of watching violence television. We advise to limit television viewing time to 1 to 2 hours each day, to control content of TV shows and movies watching by children, to discuss with children issues of violent behavior and ways how to solve problems without violence. I propose not palliative but more radical preventive measure – do not watch TV at all. Today American children spend near television more time than they spend in school. They watch cartoons, movies and shows with the violence. Children should stop it and read more books. Without violence, of course.