Legal Compliance with Un Directives

Beyond Bricks : A report on a new proposed business plan in the field of renewable energy 2013 Strategy Builders Consulting Inc. 2/5/2013 Introduction Sustainable development and renewable energy are among the most talked about topics at the moment. Renewable energy is the concept that the think tanks are throwing their weight behind, and the same is true for the European Union (EU, henceforth) The business model that we are going to propose, deals with promoting renewable energy resources, and has a lot of other elements to it, which are all in compliance with the vision that the EU has in place.The existing real estate agency in question is functional in both the residential as well industrial sectors. As a result of your operations, you have a strong and commendable network in place, which can be utilised in furthering our recommended business model. According to the ‘Energy 20:20’ vision of the EU, every new building must comply with renewable energy standards, set b y regulations. The existing and old buildings will also have to modify their installations to meet the new requirements.Considering that improving energy efficiency is high on importance for the EU, and for the entire developed world, we anticipate that the authorities are going to be fairly stringent on the issue of compliance of the said regulations. In approximately 7-9 years from today, it is going to be mandatory for buildings to meet the new set of criteria. Since we are still some distance away from the 2020 milestone, there is a fair chance of exploiting the time and reaping benefits. The Concept We propose to set up a model, wherein we facilitate installation as well as replacement of efficient and renewable energy components.We will have to tie up with providers of renewable energy sources and provide their services and products to our customers, who buy property from us. This service will also include our previous customers who would be looking to replace their current el ectricity system with renewable energy. In addition to promoting and facilitating use of renewable energy, we also propose to set up a carbon capture and storage unit and mechanism for our industrial installations. We will form alliances with small scale providers of these mechanisms and provide their services and goods to our customers.In addition to the task of acting as an intermediary, we also propose to employ and train a team of technicians, who will provide maintenance and after sales services to the customers. For this maintenance team, we will hire young, unemployed people from lower sections of the economy, who will be trained by our energy providing partners, and this initiative will hence, help in improving their societal placement. We also propose to tie up with an energy efficiency certification agency, so that our customers can easily obtain certifications.Rationale behind the concept The Commission says that EU must embrace renewable sources, not only to slow the cli mate changes but also because the EU's reliance on imported gas that is set to increase from 57% currently to 84% by 2030, and on imported oil from 82% to 93%. Hence the EU sets the goal of 1. Increasing renewable energy's share of the market to 20% by 2020, from around 8. 5% today. 2. Energy consumption is to be cut by 20% by 2020 through improved energy efficiency compared to 1990 levels. 3.Green house gas emissions are to be cut by 20% by 2020 compared with 1990 levels. The commission says states aid can legitimately be used to promote emissions cuts and increase take-up of renewables, so long as it does not breach EU competition rules. The commission has come up with new proposals for the EU to co-finance national and local schemes to promote energy-efficient housing. The EU will help member states install double glazing, wall insulation and solar panels in housing, especially targeting low-income households. The customersThe target group of customers for this business will be o ur own existing and new customers. Evidently, since renewable sources of energy are more expensive when compared to their non renewable counterparts, there might be an initial reluctance from the customers, to shell additional Euros. To educate them about the benefits of cleaner energy, their carbon footprint, as well as the impending EU regulations, we propose to have an â€Å"Energy Consultant†, who will lay out plans, a cost-benefit analysis and answer any questions that the customers might have.The existing customers will actually be a more vital part of this proposed business model, because they will be the ones who will be replacing their existing electricity systems into renewable sources, and they will form a bigger proportion of the revenue pool, because their numbers will exceed the number of new buildings coming up. The new business concept will have to be communicated to the existing customers using our contact database, and then the consultant/s will be functiona l in bringing them onboard with the new ideas.Scope of the Model: Target Market France’s real estate environment is in perpetual change from the classical renting to owner/occupant system and the trend is visible from the 1960’s to date whereby 45% of the people rented v/s 42 % owned to 38 % (renting) and 57% (ownership). The renting environment is currently made of 54 % of private sector housing and 46 % of social housing. Furthermore, out of the 9. 8 million private sector residences for rental purposes, 4. 5 million are HLM (habitation a loyer modere) or project housing.With these housing projects housing most of the poor populations, the costs of energy by legacy providers such as EDF is high and hence the costs of electricity and heating is an additional burden. The available housing is also relatively old (40%) of private rental properties built before 1948 and the needs for upgrading these properties to comply with EU regulation is tremendous. 60% of the rental property is also located in metropolis of 100000+ inhabitants with most of the rural housing being privately owned.The remote locations have lesser choices in terms of energy providers as the small scale providers are only present on part of the territory. The lack of competition drives prices high and slows the implementation of cleaner energy. As for the low income housing projects, most of them were built between 1950-1970 (50%) and due to high density and low maintenance, they require even more urgent upgrades to both comply with regulation and help the government in its housing policy making.By pairing up with smaller scale energy providers across the board from wind power harvesters like Planete Oui to solar energy providers like Direct Energy, we are creating a partnership with smaller scale EU based energy producers (as opposed to EDF) and we are encouraging competition, hence lowering costs for customers. Besides, this partnership can lead to training of young unemployed pe ople in the housing projects in electrical engineering/maintenance, hence contributing to fight unemployment. Besides, he youth know their neighborhood needs better and by outsourcing routine maintenance, the energy providers can save a lot in terms of travel costs for their maintenance teams. The Suppliers: Our role in this business model will be that of a facilitator, a middle-man of sorts. We will bring about the connection between renewable energy providers and willing buyers. We will focus on producers of wind power and solar power. We wish to focus on the smaller players in the market, because not only will in promote them, it will potentially increase competition in the energy market in France, where EDF is the largest supplier now.It will also be easier logistically for us to tie up with smaller producers. Our alliance will be based on a commission based system, where we will receive a commission based on the business volume from the producers, as we will be functional in en hancing their reach, network and business. Minimum Compliance Requirements: The states are obliged to comply with the above methodology in order to achieve cost-optimal levels. The level of these requirements is reviewed every 5  years.When setting requirements, Member States may differentiate between new and existing buildings and between different categories of buildings. New buildings  shall comply with these requirements and undergo a feasibility study before construction starts, looking at the installation of renewable energy supply systems, heat pumps, district or block heating or cooling systems and cogeneration systems. When undergoing major renovation,  existing buildings  shall have their energy performance upgraded so that they also satisfy the minimum requirements.When new, replaced or upgraded technical building systems such as heating systems, hot water systems, air-conditioning systems and large ventilation systems are installed, they shall also comply with th e energy performance requirements. Building elements that form part of the building envelope and have a significant impact on the energy performance of that envelope (for example, window frames) shall also meet the minimum energy performance requirements when they are replaced or retrofitted, with a view to achieving cost-optimal levels. Calculating energy performance:At the national or regional level, the buildings are evaluated by a methodology for calculating the energy performance which takes into account certain elements, specifically: * The thermal characteristics of a building (thermal capacity, insulation, etc. ); * heating insulation and hot water supply; * the air-conditioning installation; * the built-in lighting installation * Indoor climatic conditions The Finance Our research and analysis shows us that the initial start-up investment in the business will be â‚ ¬ 5 million. Out of this sum, we already have â‚ ¬ 1 million at our disposal.Out of the rest, we propose to send an application to the EU, with a request for funding under the EEPR or European Energy Programme for Recovery. We expect the EU to fund between 20% – 50% ( 1 mn – 2. 5 mn Euros ) of our project, and the rest will be sourced from angel investors and bank loans. The EEPR funds projects in three main areas of the energy sector: †¢Gas and electricity infrastructures †¢Off-shore wind energy †¢Carbon capture and storage This Regulation also establishes a financial instrument the aim of which is to support initiatives related to energy efficiency and renewable energy.The programme finances interconnection projects with a number of objectives, out of which, our business model complies with the following objectives: * Diversification of sources of energy and supplies * Optimisation of the capacity of the energy network and the integration of the internal energy market * Developmentof the network * Connection of renewable energy sources In addition to the se objectives, our model also includes carbon capture and storage, and this should facilitate the funding of our project, because it ticks a lot of check boxes on the EU list.Our project is aligned with the 2020 vision of the EU, The new concept goes beyond the classical real estate agent business, as it promotes clean energy use, it promotes SMEs, and it also increases employment among unemployed youth also. Appendix: Objective: Nearly zero-energy buildings By 31  December 2020, all new buildings shall be nearly zero-energy consumption buildings. New buildings occupied and owned by public authorities shall comply with the same criteria by 31  December 2018.The Commission encourages increasing the numbers of this type of building by putting in place  national plans, which include: * The Member State’s application in practice of the definition of nearly zero-energy buildings; * The intermediate targets for improving the energy performance of new buildings by 2015; * The information on the policies and financial measures adopted to encourage improving the energy performance of buildings. Financial incentives and market barriers Member States shall draw up a list of the existing and potential instruments used to promote improvements in the energy performance of buildings.This list is to be updated every three years. References http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/europe/7765094. stm http://europa. eu/legislation_summaries/energy/energy_efficiency/en0021_en. htm http://eur-lex. europa. eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ. do? uri=OJ:L:2010:153:0013:0035:EN:PDF http://europa. eu/legislation_summaries/environment/sustainable_development/l28075_en. htm http://ec. europa. eu/clima/policies/g-gas/index_en. htm http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/%C3%89lectricit%C3%A9_de_France http://europa. eu/legislation_summaries/energy/energy_efficiency/l27021_en. htm http://www. territoires. gouv. fr/spip. php? article1173

Gary Mckinnon Report

Professional Practice Ethical Case Study for Part 2 Gary McKinnon Introduction This report discusses about ethical issues that has been quoted from the Guardian â€Å"the biggest military computer hack of all time. † Gary McKinnon a Systems administrator from Glasgow; born 10 February 1966 who is suffering Asperger’s Syndrome and has been blamed upon of hacking into the United States Government computer systems. He presumably â€Å"states that he was merely looking for evidence of a UFO cover-up, the suppression of Free Energy, and other technologies potentially useful to the public. However the damages have resulted from this incident cost more than $800,000 of the Military and NASA’s computer security. This all first began in 1983 when Gary went to go to his local cinema to watch the movie WarGames, about a whiz kid who had hacked into the Pentagon, from an interview with Jon Ronson; The Guardian, Gary said that from this movie he did not mean it to actually c ome true, and had a thought in mind that he would work for the department of defence or NASA, on the other hand this is not the case for Gary’s case.Between the years 2001 and 2002 Gary McKinnon was arrested under the Computer Misuse Act in the UK just after the 9/11, and got bail by 2005. During that year the US government had started the â€Å"extradition proceedings,† Gary would face up to 70 years jail in the US, which would of exceeded to be sent to Guantanamo Bay, yet comparing the US punishment towards the UK it is considerably less. This case is still active, and McKinnon’s mother has prevented extradition from a long campaign.This report will look further in detail of what has been discussed above, as well as: * Gary’s Supporters/Appeal * Issues on his Disability * Damages on the US security These are the Ethical Issues which I think that should be discussed about Gary McKinnon’s case. Ethical Issues Surrounding Gary Mckinnon On August 200 8 Gary McKinnon’s Legal team settled on yet another appeal, this then lead onto finding out the fact that Gary McKinnon was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, but before the appeal Gary’s legal team made sure that the appeal would be granted first.Asperger’s Syndrome’s symptoms can come across â€Å"repetitive patterns of behaviour and interests,† and I think that this can clash against what has been mentioned before about the movie that Gary had seen when he was 17 about the whiz kid that hacked into the Pentagon. This may have affected Gary’s thoughts and even quoted from an interview â€Å"I didn’t mean it to actually come true. † From his interests and curiosity of UFO’s and other aspects, I do not think that anyone expected the result from all that has happened.Gary McKinnon was accused of hacking into 97 different NASA and the United States computers in the years 2001 and 2002, he had used the name ‘S olo’ and had additionally got accused of hacking into various networks that was used by US Army, Navy, Air Force, Department of defence and NASA. In the USA Gary McKinnon currently have up to 20 charges which include: * Obtaining USA Top Secret Documents * Intentionally damaging Computer protection software’s * Interfering with maritime navigation equipment * Stealing computer files * Deleting critical computer files * Deleting Navy Weapons logsThe list that is shown above is just a few out of the damage that Gary caused USA. With all this that has been accused upon Gary McKinnon, he denied of causing any damage arguing against his search of UFO information. However he did admit that he left a threat on one computer, this referred to how useless the USA computer security was especially after the 9/11 attacks, he will carry on disrupting at high levels. His statement represented his belief that the 9/11 attacks was an inside job. What Gary attempted to prove was that on ce you’re on the network called ‘NetStat’, this would list the connections to that system of the US army/NASA etc.And Gary was not alone; there had been hackers from Italy, Denmark, Turkey, Thailand and more doing the same as Gary. Hackers from all over the world were just simply going through files without any of the military realising. He had been doing this for more than 5 to 7 years just looking through files until the day that he got caught. Gary had been through many unfair trials such as McKinnon Vs United States 2008 which the defendant disputed â€Å"that the plea bargain constituted ‘unlawful pressure’ and had amounted to an abuse of process†.This case was then dismissed because the case was not proven enough to oppose extradition. On the other hand with another case in 2009 McKinnon Vs Secretary of State of Home Affairs it was discovered that Gary is suffering Asperger’s Syndrome and he claimed that it would clash against the European Convention on Human Rights. The Outcome There have been many supporters for Gary McKinnon, with websites, and even grown to be supported by the National Autistic Society and Liberty, this campaign that is been running by groups of people would hopefully end the extradition.There are groups online from Facebook, Twitter many web forums to show that the public believe that he should not be extradited. More with cross party politicians supporting and ‘high profile individuals’ such as Stephen Fry and Jonathan Ross. To get more people to support Gary, a petition had been arisen to support him to stop his extradition before it is too late. With the entire case in hand, the two countries have come across a huge disagreement, the US is simply wanting the extradition to take place so that Gary McKinnon can get up to 70 years in prison, with the UK trials 70 years is undoubtedly not close to that number.But without finding out that he has suffered Asperger’s Syn drome, for the people who have supported Gary McKinnon has said that he is â€Å"less blameworthy for his crimes†¦ does not necessarily mean that he can distinguish right from wrong. † There are still many questions for Gary and the future, Will Gary McKinnon’s Asperger’s Syndrome get worse and end up change his sentencing? Should people with mental disabilities be treated differently under our legal system? Conclusion For different people there are different opinions about Gary’s entire case, many people found him guilty as they seen him as deleting and intruding on mportant files from the US. Others had and still are supporting him to prevent him from getting extradition. What is the case with Gary McKinnon till this day? Currently Gary would have to face an extradition case during May 2010 just after the general election for the UK; this would mean that after the election this would leave a new government which could possibly lead into Gary McKinn on’s favour, in support of Gary; the opposition ‘Tories’ have tabled against UK-US extraditions.Also Gary’s mother ‘Janis Sharp’ has announced her candidacy to stand against ‘Jack Straw’ former Labour Home Secretary and current Minister in Blackburn (Lancashire) but confusingly Jack Straw is the least person to blame for the situation that Gary is in, he was the foreign secretary with the UK government who which negotiated with the US government that resulted in the Extradition Act 2003. Personal ReflectionWhen I first went through this case study, I was surprised and shocked in the situation that Gary McKinnon was in, I had never heard of this even though it was all over the international news and had a huge effect on the US government. With my initial thoughts I was against Gary McKinnon that he had hacked into the US and deleted important files and I immediately thought that he would be sent to prison. However I read on with th e case study that was given, researched on his situation and his court cases and then realised that this was a two way condition with arguments from two countries, whether he should have to face extradition or not.I had read on the Guardian with an interview with Gary from Jon Ronson and read along the lines that he did not mean to delete any files; it was just a matter of researching his quest of finding information on UFO’s. Then in the Wikipedia information it stated that he did admit on showing a threat referring that the US Governments security was not safe at all and many people had hacked in it many times from all over the world.With my thoughts I would support Gary McKinnon, there are many people from around the world that are hacking into the US Army, Navy, Air Force, Department of defence and NASA. With Gary’s case he had been through a lot, with the United States after him, suffering Asperger’s Syndrome and having to trial against the US for up to 7 y ears. I think that it could possibly end for him if the May 2010 British elections go the right way for Gary McKinnon.

Carbon Essay Example For Students

Carbon Essay CarbonWithout the element of carbon, life as we know it would not exist. Carbon provides the framework for all tissues of plants and animals. They arebuilt of elements grouped around chains or rings made of carbon atoms. Carbonalso provides common fuelscoal, oil, gasoline, and natural gas. Sugar, starch,and paper are compounds of carbon with hydrogen and oxygen. Proteins such ashair, meat, and silk contain these and other elements such as nitrogen,phosphorus, and sulfur. More than six and a half million compounds of the element carbon, manytimes more then those of any other element, are known, and more are discoveredand synthesized each week. Hundreds of carbon compounds are commerciallyimportant but the element itself in the forms of diamond, graphite, charcoal,and carbon black is also used in a variety of manufactured products. Besides the wide occurrence of carbon in compounds, two forms of theelementdiamond and graphite, are deposited in widely scattered locationsaround the Earth. PROPERTIES OF CARBONSymbol = CAtomic Number = 6Atomic Weight = 12.011Density at 68 Degrees F = 1.88-3.53Boiling Point = 8,721 degrees FMelting Point = 6,420 degrees F

Historical and contemporary issue in aging-Death Assignment

Historical and contemporary issue in aging-Death - Assignment Example Aging has become debate, especially with the various scientific advancements that seek to lengthen human existence (Heery & Richardson, 2009). However, this has received mixed responses at cross-cultural levels with some cultures in support and others in opposition. The mixed responses often concern the acceptance of longevity of lives among the society, with contemporary society in support of these advancements (Overall, 2006). Different individuals bear varying perspectives and attitudes concerning their demise thus bringing about death-stage theories and management of death attitudes among these individuals. People from diverse perspectives possess differing viewpoints concerning aging, with the physician perspective being in favor of death after aging since at this moment, the body is usually worn-out to handle daily struggles. Theological perspective considers death appropriate up to the period one dies a natural death, other than utilizing other methods such as euthanasia (Mitchell, Orr & Salladay, 2004). In modern-day world, death emanating from old age has considerably declined with physical fitness that enables the aging to regain cognitive strength in order to diminish cases of dementia and strengthen cardiovascular for extended existence and normal aging. Activities for instance contemporary dance have considerably influenced lifespan for aging individuals thus assisting in reducing negative death attitudes (Coubard, Duretz, Lefebvre, Lapalus & Ferrufino, 2011). This is because the aging have the assurance of a normal death compared to death that occurs due to aging complication s. Individuals within certain countries have positive attitudes towards death considering that they have completed their lifespan, and are often involved in professional dancing that has considerable influence on their end-of-life-care. The aging in the Japanese culture considers dancing corresponding to aging, since it assists in reducing death

Accounting info system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Accounting info system - Essay Example ults to improve targeting marketing activities that will lead to great impact in the next few months .It can help in a transportation company to identify the best prospects for its services. A bus topology or straight line topology is appropriate since all the computers are connected using a single cable, it involve transmission of packet data to all network nodes on the segment .the network is however cheap and simple to install and can be used by a large group of people Using cloud computing connection of wireless device can be difficult normally when it comes to personal devices .it can be expensive to set up on a small scale cloud computing. Data ownership is a problem when it comes to cloud computing especially when you have a lot of data to deal with This is a protocol where messages are divided into packets before they are sent. Each packet is then sent individually which can even follow different routes before reaching to its destination. After the packets forming the message reach at their destination they are then combined to form the original message. For the company there is the primary data which can be obtained from the ground or within the company its self internally .Secondary data is be obtained from other sources that have not been fully analyzed maybe from externally. The company can adopt the user machine system where both human and machines are involved in the performance of some activities in the accomplishment of a goal .The company can also use open system one that interacts with the environment By the use of database it can be of help in that the management can be able to evaluate historical data and be able to know how product have been manufactured in the company hence achieving in product

Corruption happened in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Corruption happened in China - Essay Example He said the government spent 3 billion to build the government building but because the people worked in the construction sector were venal, the accurate amount of money spent on the construction was just about 3 million. "The quality of the building was worrying", he said. Corruption had already affected too many people. In my town, a number of people who were in government and in charge of the city were venal, and many things which were their responsibility could not go on towards normal procedures. They would work for you only if you give them money. Also they would work for you no matter the things you asked them were legal or not. Many people are breaking the law everyday yet they think it is a normal practice. In my opinion, in order to stop this situation, we have to make the people in government aware of this situation and let them solve this problem, because as ordinary citizens we can barely do anything about it. I think we can gather a group of people to put out a protest. This protest needs to be carried out in a very silent way so that the mileage is good and the result discernable. I hope the people who went through the consequence of corruption could do whatever they can to stop this menace. This shall essentially set the basis for doing things the right way within China and bring an end to the immoral practices which are being compromised upon in this day and

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

Management theories - Essay Example While managers administer, depend on control and focus on organizational systems and structure, leaders innovate, inspire trust and focus on individuals in an organization. In addition, managers and leaders differ greatly in that leaders have individuals following them whereas managers have individuals working for them. Moreover, leaders tend to be brilliant and charismatic, like taking risks, visionary and creative among others. They use non-coercive form of influence to make individuals achieve certain goals (Bertocci 2009, p.7). In contrast, managers are rational, problem solvers, and in most cases, they focus on organizational goals, structures, personnel as well as the availability of resources. Mostly, managers make use of formal and rational method when organizing people while leaders use passion and stirs emotions when dealing with their subordinates. Managers have to deal with complex issues in an organization like setting standards for development, developing action plans, and effectively using available resource (Klein 2007, p.2). Moreover, the effectiveness of leaders is determined by the accomplishment of goals while managers’ effec tiveness is determined by results like profit margins (Bertocci 2009, p.9). Nevertheless, leaders and managers approach to tasks differently, that is, leaders look at the problem and come up with creative solutions. Their charisma and dedications helps them to motivate employees to do their best and to effectively solve any problem arising. In contrast, managers establish strategies to form teams and combine ideas to come up with appropriate solution to any problem. They encourage their subordinates to share their views in order to reduce inherent risk and promote success. Accordingly, they both have different approaches to risk in that as leaders are risk takers, managers are risk averse. More so, leaders are the facilitators when decisions are made while managers are involved

Education and Medicines in Saudi Arabia and the United States Research Paper

Education and Medicines in Saudi Arabia and the United States - Research Paper Example In spite of having various similarities, Saudi Arabia and USA are acutely diverse in various fields. In the field of education, the two countries have a completely different outlook in terms of approach towards education, the rate of literacy, religion followed in school (). Other educational differences include the gender roles, grading scales and stages of education (Stevenson). For instance, attendance is mandatory for primary and secondary level students in the USA, whereas attendance is not mandatory in similar levels in Saudi Arabia (Stevenson). Also, while the USA boasts of a literacy rate of almost 99% for both men and women, Saudi Arabia holds a literacy rate of only 84.7% for men and 70.8% for women (Stevenson). Moreover, the two countries differ grossly in terms of religion followed. Although the majority of the US population follows Christianity, the country is home to the followers of various diverse religions as well. However, Saudi Arabia is a country that strictly fol lows Islam and Muslims dominate society. Also, the two countries exhibit totally uncommon lifestyles (â€Å"The Differences†). People have a conservative mindset in terms of women. Here two women are forbidden to go outside together. Moreover, they have to keep their heads covered in public. On the other hand, USA reveals a liberal and democratic mindset in which both the genders can enjoy equal privileges (â€Å"The Differences†). Strangely, the countries, Saudi Arabia and the United States reveal both similarities and dissimilarities.

Reading can be seen as an interactive process between a reader and a Essay

Reading can be seen as an interactive process between a reader and a text which leads to automatically on reading fluency. In - Essay Example This involves three phase process which consists of translating writings into a sound and then into a meaning. The silent symbols acquired through vision need to be transformed correctly to their expected meaning (Wolf, Bowers & Biddle, 2000). This is the first skill that a reader should possess. In order to read appropriately, the reader should be able to translate the symbols into words very fast because reading is handled by short memory in the brain (Diane, 1997). This makes the reader make a phrase. A group of meaningful phrases make sentences which forms an idea. Cognitive limitations cause difficulty in reading as readers translate sight to words much slowly which may make it difficult to produce the desired meaning (Diane, 1997). The reader should be able to detect and isolate basic sound units. This helps the readers to know phonemes associated with certain letters or words (Adams, 1994). They should tell clearly which letter, group of letters or words produce a certain phon eme. This ability tells how easily a learner can read (Adams, 1994). For the readers to appreciate and work with phonemes appropriately they should understand that their language can be broken down in to phonemes. This leads to easy integration of the senses and sound which is a key in the reading process (Walker, 2003). Sight is the sense that is widely applied in the reading process. ... This entails moving from left to right and following a sentence at a time (Stothard, 1994). Reading is difficult for someone who finds it hard to apply sequence appropriately because there is definitely a problem of converting symbols from one form to another correctly and with the desired speed (Walker, 2003). Using valid examples, briefly explain what guided and free writing tasks are. In writing, both free and guided writing are important in developing writing skills among the learners (Rivers, 1968). Guided writing is a form of writing whereby the instructors or the teachers help learners to write (Lori, 2007). This entails showing learners how to start writing, draft a text, revise a text and correct mistakes. The instructor aids the writing process by giving the writers the basis of writing as well as correcting them so as to write the way he/she expects (Lori, 2007). There are varieties of materials that help the learners to write. The instructor provides a material to guide i n writing. This may include dictating repeatedly what the writers are going to write (Myles, 2002). The instructor may also give material that the learners are going to copy. This form of writing also entails instructors going around the class to individual student or to group of students telling them how and what to write as well as correcting them repeatedly whenever they make mistakes (Myles, 2002). The instructor may also give graphics or video clips to guide the learners write. Learners in this case are required to write what they have already encountered. For instance they can be required to write about a story they have already read. They can as well be required to write a story based on a scene of a movie they have watched (Myles, 2002). The

Comarative analysis of video games Essay Example for Free

Comarative analysis of video games Essay Introduction Pascal, after remodeling your house and adding a bonus/entertainment room, you mentioned that you would love to buy a new video gaming system. The last video gaming system that you owned was a Nintendo 64, which pales in comparison to the systems available today. Since owning a Nintendo 64, your experience with playing video games has been limited to playing MMORPGs (Massive Multi-player Online Role Playing Games) on your personal computer. I have been researching your options and am constantly considering your preferences and restrictions. Your primary preference is game genre, with your most preferred genre being Role-Playing. Several other genres that you are interested in are Action, Adventure, Platformers, and Strategy. Your only real restriction is a spending limit of $700 for your entire gaming setup. Other preferences that have been noted are the system’s Blu-Ray capabilities, and that the system targets a mature audience. The three most prominent video gaming systems on the market that fit your preferences are Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Nintendo’s Wii, and Sony’s Playstation 3. The following criteria are being used to evaluate your options. * Cost * Hardware Specifications * Games Offered * Target demographic * Common Hardware Malfunctions and Glitches * Movie-Playing Features The remaining contents of this comparative study will be organized into the several sections. RESEARCH DATA will be presented organized first by option and then by evaluative criteria. Each of the evaluative criteria will be compared in the RESULTS section by showing the results for each option side-by-side. These results will be totaled and a final CONCLUSION will be made. Finally, I will make a RECOMMENDATION as to the most appropriate course of action. Research Data Microsoft Xbox 360 Cost: $199. 99 – includes a 4GB console with built-in wi-fi, one wireless controller, A/V cables, and a one-month subscription to Xbox LIVE Gold. Hardware Specification: The following table shows vital hardware specifications that are important to your gaming preferences. Table 1. 1: Xbox 360 Hardware Specification * Media Type| * DVD| * CPU| * 3. 2 GHz PowerPC Tri-Core Xenon| * Internal Memory| * 4 GB Flash| * RAM| * 512 MB| * Online Services| * Xbox Live| * Online Multi-Player Services| * Yes| * Connector Types| 1 x AV cable port,5 x USB 2. 0, 1 x Kinect port,1 x HDMI output1 x SPDIF output,1 x Ethernet| * * Games Offered: The following table shows how many Xbox 360 games are offered in your three most preferred genres. Table 1. 2: Xbox 360 Total Games in Preferred Genres Genre| Titles Available| Action| 563| Role-Playing| 108| Strategy| 48| The following images show compiled game review scores by genre to show which console does best for several preferable genres. The results have been split into two types for each console. The lighter shaded color bars show the average score for all games for the specified system in that genre. The darker shaded color bars show the average score of just the top 5 best-scoring games in that genre for the specified system. Graph 1. 1: Role-Playing Games Bar Graph Graph 1. 2: Adventure Games Bar Graph Graph 1. 3: Platformer Games Bar Graph Target Demographic: The target demographic of the Xbox 360 is most easily identified and quantified by looking at the ESRB ratings of the most popular game titles. The following is a list of the number of Xbox 360 titles offered for each ESRB game rating. EVERYONE 303 Titles rated E (Everyone) have content that may be suitable for ages 6 and older. Titles in this category may contain minimal cartoon, fantasy or mild violence and/or infrequent use of mild language. EVERYONE 10+ 213 Titles rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) have content that may be suitable for ages 10 and older. Titles in this category may contain more cartoon, fantasy or mild violence, mild language and/or minimal suggestive themes. TEEN 535 Titles rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older. Titles in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language. MATURE 491. Titles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language. RATING PENDING 149 Titles listed as RP (Rating Pending) have been submitted to the ESRB and are awaiting final rating. (This symbol appears only in advertising prior to a games release. ) Common Hardware Malfunctions and Glitches: The ten most common hardware malfunctions and glitches for the Xbox 360 are as follow: * 3 red flashing lights, also known as â€Å"Red Ring of Death† * Open tray and/or disc error messages. * No video or only audio * DVD laser replacement * DVD drive replacement * System freezes, dotted video or similar issues * 1 red light, E74 * 2 red lights * Stuck DVD tray * White screen Most of these issues must be dealt with by professionals and will be costly. Self-repair is a possibility, but is not recommended. Most systems run into issues eventually, but the Xbox runs into hardware problems more frequently than the other options. Movie-Playing Features: The Xbox 360 is capable of playing the following types of multimedia discs (list does not include Blu-Ray): * Xbox 360 Discs * Xbox 1 Discs * DVDs * CDs * DVD-R * DVD+R. * DVD-RW * DVD+RW * CD-R * CD-RW * Dual Discs Nintendo’s Wii Cost: $149. 99 – includes one remote controller, one nun chuck controller, one wheel controller, one sensor bar, and Mario Kart for Wii. Hardware Specification: The following table shows vital hardware specifications that are important to your gaming preferences. Table 1. 3: Wii Hardware Specification * Media Type| * Flash Memory Card, * Nintendo Wii Disc, * Nintendo GameCube Disc| * CPU| * 729 MHzIBM PowerPC â€Å"Broadway†| * Internal Memory| * 512 MB| * RAM| * 512 MB| * Online Services| * Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, WiiConnect24,| * Online Multi-Player Services| * Yes|. * Connector Types| (4 pin USB Type A),4 x Game controller,Component video output,Composite video output,S-Video output,2 x USB| * Games Offered: The following table shows how many Wii games are offered in your three most preferred genres. Table 1. 4: Wii Total Games in Preferred Genres Genre| Titles Available| Action| 593| Role-Playing| 33| Strategy| 32| Also, see the graphics and information in the section Microsoft’s Xbox 360 – Games Offered. Target Demographic: The target demographic of the Nintendo Wii is most easily identified and quantified by looking at the ESRB ratings of the most popular game titles. The following is a list of the number of Wii titles offered for each ESRB game rating. EVERYONE – 916 Titles rated E (Everyone) have content that may be suitable for ages 6 and older. Titles in this category may contain minimal cartoon, fantasy or mild violence and/or infrequent use of mild language. EVERYONE 10+ 355 Titles rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) have content that may be suitable for ages 10 and older. Titles in this category may contain more cartoon, fantasy or mild violence, mild language and/or minimal suggestive themes. TEEN 374. Titles rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older. Titles in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language. MATURE 57 Titles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language. RATING PENDING 61 Titles listed as RP (Rating Pending) have been submitted to the ESRB and are awaiting final rating. (This symbol appears only in advertising prior to a games release. ) Common Hardware Malfunctions and Glitches: Three common hardware malfunctions and Glitches for the Wii console are as follows: * Power Supply Issue * WiConnect 24 Issue * Dual Layer Wii Disc Problem All of these minor issues are covered by warranty and do not occur on the same scale as other video gaming system. The most common issue relating to the Wii system occurs when an excess of light interferes with the Wii Remote. Movie-Playing Features: The Nintendo Wii is only capable of playing Wii and GameCube discs and doesnot support the playing of DVD or Blu-Ray Discs. Sony’s Playstation 3 Cost: $299. 99 – Includes access to the Playstation Network at no charge, 160GB harddrive, and one wireless controller. Hardware Specification: The following table shows vital hardware specifications that are important to your gaming preferences. Table 1. 5: Playstation 3 Hardware Specificaton * Media Type| * Blu-Ray| * CPU| * 3. 2 GHz IBM Cell Broadband Engine (8-core)| * Internal Memory| * 160 GB HDD| * RAM| * 256 MB XDRAM| * Online Services| * Playstation Network| * Online Multi-Player Services| * Yes|. * Connector Types| 2 x USB,1 x Ethernet,1 x HDMI output,1 x PlayStation 3 AV output,1 x SPDIF output| * Games Offered: The following table shows how many Playstation 3 games are offered in your three most preferred genres. Table 1. 6: Playstation 3 Total Games in Preferred Genres Genre| Titles Available| Action| 536| Role-Playing| 117| Strategy| 33| Also, see the graphics and information in the section Microsoft’s Xbox 360 – Games Offered. Target Demographic: The target demographic of the Playstation 3 is most easily identified and quantified by looking at the ESRB ratings of the most popular game titles. The following is a list of the number of Playstation 3 titles offered for each ESRB game rating. EVERYONE – 481 Titles rated E (Everyone) have content that may be suitable for ages 6 and older. Titles in this category may contain minimal cartoon, fantasy or mild violence and/or infrequent use of mild language. EVERYONE 10+ 186 Titles rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) have content that may be suitable for ages 10 and older. Titles in this category may contain more cartoon, fantasy or mild violence, mild language and/or minimal suggestive themes. TEEN 529. Titles rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older. Titles in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language. MATURE 373 Titles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language. RATING PENDING 145 Titles listed as RP (Rating Pending) have been submitted to the ESRB and are awaiting final rating. (This symbol appears only in advertising prior to a games release.) Common Hardware Malfunctions and Glitches: The five most common Playstation 3 hardware malfunctions and glitches are as follows: * Yellow light of death (3 red light beeps) * Not reading games/blu-rays * No video * Stuck discs * No power Doing self-repair is very difficult on the Playstation 3 is highly discouraged. Most of these issues are not easy fixes and require the replacement of key components. Movie-Playing Features: The Playstation 3 is capable of playing the following types of multimedia discs (list includes Blu-Ray): * Playstation 1,2, and 3 Discs. * Blu-Ray Discs * DVDs * CDs * DVD-R * DVD+R * DVD-RW * DVD+RW * CD-R * CD-RW * Dual Discs RESULTS Comparing Costs The following table shows your three options with their prices and a ranking based on affordability. Table 1. 7: Comparing Costs Option| Cost| Ranking (1-Best Option)| Microsoft’s Xbox 360| $199. 99| 2| Nintendo’s Wii| $149. 99| 1| Sony’s Playstation 3| $299. 99| 3| BEST OPTION: All Because you have already identified that your spending limit is $700 for a gaming setup, none of these options go against your cost preference. Cost is not a preventative factor in purchasing a video gaming system based on this information. However, if you decide that you would like to readjust your spending limit given the substantial difference between your limit and the prices of the systems, the Wii is your best option. Comparing Hardware Specifications The table below lists the hardware specifications for each option, and also includes the online capabilities of each system and their respective networks. Table 1. 8: Comparing Hardware Specifications | Options| Hardware Specification| Xbox 360| Wii| Playstation 3|. * * Media Type| * * DVD| * * Flash Memory Card, * Nintendo Wii Disc, * Nintendo GameCube Disc| * * Blu-Ray| * * CPU| * * 3. 2 GHz PowerPC Tri-Core Xenon| * * 729 MHzIBM PowerPC â€Å"Broadway†| * * 3. 2 GHz IBM Cell Broadband Engine (8-core)| * * Internal Memory| * * 4 GB Flash| * * 512 MB| * * 160 GB HDD| * * RAM| * * 512 MB| * * 512 MB| * * 256 MB XDRAM| * * Online Services| * * Xbox Live| * * Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, WiiConnect24,| * * Playstation Network| * * Online Multi-Player Services| * * Yes| * * Yes| * * Yes| * * Connector Types| 1 x AV cable port,5 x USB 2. 0, 1 x Kinect port,1 x HDMI output1 x SPDIF output,1 x Ethernet| (4 pin USB Type A),4 x Game controller,Component video output,Composite video output,S-Video output,2 x USB| 2 x USB,1 x Ethernet,1 x HDMI output,1 x PlayStation 3 AV output,1 x SPDIF output| * Ranking| 1| 3| 2| BEST OPTION: Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Because your preference is to play online Role-Playing Games, the focus of the hardware specification criterion has to be online capabilities. When it comes to online game-play, Xbox 360 has the technical specifications to make it the best option. One of the most important specifications in a system is its processor speed. The Xbox 360 boasts a 3. 2 GHz PowerPC Tri-Core Xenon processor, which is the same speed as the Playstation 3, but far superior to the Wii. When it comes to intense online game play with potentially dozens of other players, it is important to have a processor that can keep up. To keep the whole system running smoothly and minimize lag time, it is also important to have a substantial amount of RAM. The Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 have 512 MB or RAM, while the Wii only has 256 MB. At this point, the Xbox and Playstation 3 are nearly equal in terms of specifications that lean toward online gaming. What really pushes the Xbox 360 in the lead is their network: Xbox Live. As of 2011, Xbox Live has over 30 million users worldwide. Most of the games that are played on the Xbox Live network are geared toward your gaming preference of Role-Playing and Adventure games. However, due to the massive size of the network and the sheer number of users, even a less popular category like Strategy is available for multi-player gaming. According to Michael McNeilly, an experienced Xbox 360 online gamer, â€Å"There is really nothing like the Xbox Live network out there. The network for PS3 is okay, but it isn’t nearly as big and has a lot of bugs that still haven’t been worked out. † Michael Mcneilly has played all of the other systems extensively, but due to his love for online gaming, he chose the Xbox 360. Ralph Jones, an avid Wii owner and player, explained to me that he really has no need to play online. He mostly enjoys the physical nature of the Wii’s gameplay, and doubts that the Wii is even capable of serious online gaming. According to Kyle Johnson, an avid gamer and owner of all three options, the Wii is not a competitive option in terms of online gaming. When asked about the Playstation 3 and its online gaming community, Kyle explained that there is a reason that the Playstation Network does not have a subscription fee. It is not adequate when compared to Xbox Live, and the number of users sometimes makes it hard to play the less popular games online. Clearly, the Xbox 360 offers the best of both worlds. It has a massive online gaming community and also boasts a powerful 3. 2 GHz processor. With processor speed and RAM that are equal to the Playstation 3 and far superior to the Wii, the Xbox Live community is what gives the Xbox 360 the top ranking and makes it the best option in terms of hardware specification. Comparing Games Offered Table 1. 9 lists a calculated average of the two figures previously provided in graphs 1. 1, 1. 2, and 1. 3. These figures were mean game-review scores of all games in three genres, and mean scores of the top-five best-selling games for the three genres. Table 1. 9: Comparing Games Offered pt. 1 | Options|. Genre| Xbox 360| Wii| Playstation 3| Role-Playing Games| 79. 4| 72. 7| 71. 75| Adventure Games| 76. 1| 76. 7| 77. 9| Platformer Games| 76. 2| 72. 2| 76. 2| Ranking| 1| 3| 2| Table 1. 10 shows how many games are available for each system in your most preferred genre: Role-Playing Games. Table 1. 10: Comparing Games Offered pt. 2 | Options| Genre| Xbox 360| Wii| Playstation 3| Role-Playing Games| 108| 33| 117| Ranking| 2| 3| 1| BEST OPTION: Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Based on the averages found for all five relevant genres, the Xbox 360 is the best option for the Games Offered criterion. Even though the Playstation 3 has a slightly higher total number of Role-Playing Games available for sale, it does not outweigh the fact that the Xbox 360 scored significantly higher on overall game-review scores. It is generally more important to have higher-rated games than a greater quantity of lower-rated games. For this reason, the Xbox 360 is the best choice for the Games Offered criterion. Comparing Target Demographic Table 1. 11 displays your three options and the total number of ratings received for each rating category out of all games available for each system. Table 1. 11: Comparing Target Demographic. | Options (Number of Ratings)| Rating| Microsoft’s Xbox 360| Nintendo’s Wii| Sony’ Playstation 3| Everyone| 303| 916| 481| Everyone 10+| 213| 355| 186| Teen | 535| 374| 529| Mature| 491| 57| 373| Rating Pending| 145| 61| 145| Ranking| 1| 3| 2| BEST OPTION: Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Based on all of the games available for each gaming system, the Xbox 360 has the most games with ratings in the Mature and Teen categories. Since you, Pascal, are an adult and prefer the types of games that are most commonly rated Teen and Mature, the Xbox 360 gets the top rank for the Target Demographic criterion. Sony’s Playstation 3 comes in second with a comparable number of games in the Teen and Mature rating categories, but they are not quite as high as the Xbox 360. Nintendo’s Wii has least number of ratings in each of those categories. The Wii has a staggeringly low number of games in the Mature category at 57, and roughly 150 less games in the Teen category than the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. This makes it clear that the Xbox 360 is geared toward an adult audience, and will likely have more games that suit the preferences of an adult. The Playstation 3 is a close second, but still offers significantly less games in the Mature category. The Wii seems to be geared toward a younger, less mature audience, and will likely have the least number of games that will fit your preferences. With all of this considered, it is clear that the Xbox 360 is the best option for the Target Demographic criterion. Comparing Common Hardware Malfunctions and Glitches Table 1. 11 shows all of the common hardware malfunctions and glitches for each option. This table also assigns a ranking (1 being the system with the overall least severe hardware problems relative to the other options). Table 1. 12: Comparing Common Hardware Malfunctions and Glitches | Options|. | Microsoft’s Xbox 360| Nintendo’s Wii| Sony’s Playstation 3| Common Hardware Malfunctions and Glitches| *Complete System Crash – â€Å"Red Ring of Death†*Basic Hardware Failure (eg. DVD tray and laser failure)| *Power Supply Issue*WiConnect24 Issue*Dual-Layer Wi Disc Failure| *Complete System Crash –â€Å"Yellow Lights of Death†| Ranking| 2| 1| 3| BEST OPTION: Nintendo’s Wii Based on this table and other research, I have identified Nintendo’s Wii as your best option for the Common Hardware Malfunctions and Glitches criterion. Even though the Wii does run into problems occasionally, they are rarely as severe as they are with the other options. All of the problems listed for the Wii are covered by warranty and are not worthy of complete system replacement. Alternatively, the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 both commonly run into full system crashes, which render the system unusable. Kyle Johnson, an avid gamer and owner of all three options, has never run into a problem with his Wii, but has experienced full system crashes on both his Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. The only reason the Xbox 360 is ranked higher than the Playstation 3 is because self-repair on the Playstation 3 is strongly discouraged. Kyle Johnson and Michael McNeilly have both performed minor repairs on their Xbox 360’s, but have never dared to open up their Playstation 3’s. With all things considered, Nintendo’s Wii is the best option for the Common Hardware Malfunctions and Glitches criterion. Comparing Movie-Playing Features Table 1. 13 below shows all of the media discs played by each option, and whether or not that option satisfies your preference of having a built-in Blu-Ray player. Table 1. 13: Comparing Movie-Playing Features | Options| | Xbox 360| Wii| Playstation 3| Media Discs Played| * Xbox 360 Discs * Xbox 1 Discs * DVDs * CDs * DVD-R * DVD+R * DVD-RW * DVD+RW * CD-R * CD-RW * Dual Discs | * Wii Discs * GameCube Discs| * Playstation 1,2, and 3 Discs * Blu-Ray Discs * DVDs * CDs * DVD-R * DVD+R * DVD-RW * DVD+RW * CD-R * CD-RW * Dual Discs | Satisfies Preference? | No| No| Yes| Ranking| 2| 3| 1| BEST OPTION: Sony’s Playstation 3 Based on the media discs that each option offers, Sony’s Playstation 3 is the obvious choice for the top rank in the Movie-Playing Features criterion. The Playstation 3 is capable of playing both DVDs and Blu-Rays, while the Xbox. 360 is only capable of playing DVDs. The Nintendo Wii, however, cannot even play DVDs. Because you have identified that you prefer a video gaming system that has a built-in Blu-Ray player, the Playstation 3 is the best option for the Movie-Playing Features criterion. CONCLUSIONS Table 1. 14 lists the rankings of each of the six evaluative criteria used throughout this report. In order to come to an overall conclusion as to which option to select, I have assigned reversed point values to the previously determined rankings. If, for instance, an option received a ranking of 1, it would be valued a 3. A ranking of 2 receives a value of 2, and a ranking of 3 is valued a 1. The total number of points will be shown at the bottom of the table along with the final ranking. The video gaming system with the highest number of points will be ranked as 1 and will be your best option. Table 1. 14: Overall Ranking | Options| Evaluative Criteria| Xbox 360| Wii| Playstation 3| Cost| 1| 1| 1| Hardware Specification| 1| 3| 2| Games Offered| 1| 3| 2| Target Demographic| 1| 3| 2| Common Hardware Malfunctions and Glitches| 2| 1| 3| Movie-Playing Features| 2| 3| 1| Total Points| 16| 10| 13| Overall Ranking| 1| 3| 2| RECOMMENDATIONS. It has been determined that Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is the best option, and I would like to recommend to you several retailers where it is available for purchase. The price is universal when bought new, but may vary depending on bundling and other promotions. I have prepared a table showing three popular retailers, the nearest location, and the price of the Xbox 360 4GB system. Table 1. 15: Retail Locations and Price Retailers and Locations| Price| GameStop(425) 895-833116475 NE 74TH STRedmond, WA 98052| $199. 99| Target(425) 482-641013950 NE 178th PlWoodinville, WA 98072| $199. 99| Walmart(425) 741-94451400 164Th St SwLynnwood, WA 98087| $199. 99| Throughout my research I began to realize that the final outcome would depend heavily on how much any criterion was valued. Based on your personal preferences, the best choice is the Xbox 360. However, if you decided that you valued having a Blu-Ray player above everything else, then the Playstation 3 would be the best option. If you decided that the only way to play Role-Playing Games was to use a remote and a nun chuck, then the Wii would be the best choice. It all depends on the valuing of any particular criterion. If you are interested in doing further research, the bibliography lists all sources used. My personal interviewees may be available if you would like to ask them questions, and all of my other sources have a variety of useful and reliable information. Based on everything I have learned from this report and my personal experience with the system, I believe that the Xbox 360 is the best choice for a video gaming system. Bibliography Console at Nintendo Wii. Nintendo Wii Console. Web. 07 Aug. 2011. Dotree, Phil. 3 Common Wii Technical Problems. Associated Content from Yahoo! Associatedcontent. com. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. ESRB Ratings Guide and Definitions. Entertainment Software Rating Board. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. How to Fix Common Xbox 360 Problems: Same Day Repairs, Low Prices. Same-day Xbox Repair. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. Johnson, Kyle. Owns All Three Options, Personal interview. 29 July 2011. Jones, Ralph. Wii Owner, Personal interview. 30 July 2011. McNeilly, Michael. Xbox 360 Owner, Personal Interview. 30 July 2011. Microsoft Xbox 360 Slim Specs (4GB) Consoles CNET Reviews. Product Reviews Electronics Reviews, Computer Reviews More CNET Reviews. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. Nintendo Wii Specs (original, Wii Sports Bundle) Consoles CNET Reviews. Product Reviews Electronics Reviews, Computer Reviews More CNET Reviews. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. PlayStation 3 160 GB System. PlayStation PS3. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. Playstation 3 Search GameStop. Games for PS3. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. Sony PlayStation 3 Slim Specs (160GB) Consoles CNET Reviews. Product Reviews Electronics Reviews, Computer Reviews More CNET Reviews. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. Towell Justin, Games Radar UK, â€Å"Which console does best and worst in each genre? † 09 Aug. 2011. Wii Search GameStop. Games for Wii. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. Xbox 360 4GB Console Xbox. com. Xbox 360 Official Site Xbox. com. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. Xbox 360 Game Search GameStop. Games for Xbox 360. Web. 04 Aug. 2011.   [ 1 ]. Xbox 360 4GB Console Xbox. com. Xbox 360 Official Site Xbox. com. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. . [ 2 ]. Microsoft Xbox 360 Slim Specs (4GB) Consoles CNET Reviews. Product Reviews Electronics Reviews, Computer Reviews More CNET Reviews. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. . [ 3 ]. Xbox 360 Game Search GameStop. Games for Xbox 360. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. . [ 4 ]. Towell Justin, Games Radar UK, â€Å"Which console does best and worst in each genre? † 09 Aug. 2011. [ 5 ]. Towell [ 6 ]. Towell [ 7 ]. Towell [ 8 ]. Towell. [ 9 ]. Towell [ 10 ]. GameStop [ 11 ]. GameStop [ 12 ]. ESRB Ratings Guide and Definitions. Entertainment Software Rating Board. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. . [ 13 ]. Xbox 360 Game Search GameStop [ 14 ]. ESRB [ 15 ]. Xbox 360 Game Search GameStop [ 16 ]. ESRB [ 17 ]. Xbox 360 Game Search GameStop [ 18 ]. ESRB [ 19 ]. Gamestop Xbox 360 Search [ 20 ]. ESRB [ 21 ]. How to Fix Common Xbox 360 Problems: Same Day Repairs, Low Prices. Same-day Xbox Repair. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. . [ 22 ]. Johnson, Kyle. Owns All Three Options, Personal interview. 29 July 2011. [ 23 ]. Johnson [ 24 ]. Johnson [ 25 ]. Console at Nintendo Wii. Nintendo Wii Console. Web. 07 Aug. 2011. . [ 26 ]. Nintendo Wii Specs (original, Wii Sports Bundle) Consoles CNET Reviews. Product Reviews Electronics Reviews, Computer Reviews More CNET Reviews. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. . [ 27 ]. Wii Search GameStop. Games for Wii. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. . [ 28 ]. Towell [ 29 ]. Wii Search GameStop [ 30 ]. Wii Search GameStop [ 31 ]. ESRB [ 32 ]. Wii Search GameStop [ 33 ]. ESRB [ 34 ]. Wii Search GameStop [ 35 ]. ESRB [ 36 ]. Wii Search GameStop [ 37 ]. ESRB [ 38 ]. Xbox 360 Game Search GameStop [ 39 ]. ESRB [ 40 ]. Dotree, Phil. 3 Common Wii Technical Problems. Associated Content from Yahoo! Associatedcontent. com. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. . [ 41 ]. Dotree [ 42 ]. Jones, Ralph. Wii Owner, Personal interview, 30 July 2011. [ 43 ]. Jones [ 44 ]. PlayStation 3 160 GB System. PlayStation PS3. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. . [ 45 ]. Sony PlayStation 3 Slim Specs (160GB) Consoles CNET Reviews. Product Reviews Electronics Reviews, Computer Reviews More CNET Reviews. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. . [ 46 ]. Playstation 3 Search GameStop. Games for PS3. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. . [ 47 ]. Towell [ 48 ]. Playstation 3 Search GameStop. [ 49 ]. Playstation 3 Search GameStop [ 50 ]. ESRB [ 51 ]. Playstation 3 Search GameStop [ 52 ]. ESRB [ 53 ]. Playstation 3 Search GameStop [ 54 ]. ESRB [ 55 ]. Playstation 3 Search GameStop [ 56 ]. ESRB [ 57 ]. Playstation 3 Search GameStop [ 58 ]. ESRB [ 59 ]. How to Fix Common Xbox 360 Problems [ 60 ]. Johnson [ 61 ]. Johnson [ 62 ]. Johnson [ 63 ]. Johnson [ 64 ]. McNeilly, Michael. Xbox 360 Owner, Personal Interview. 30 July 2011. [ 65 ]. Johnson [ 66 ]. Johnson [ 67 ]. McNeilly [ 68 ]. Jones [ 69 ]. Jones [ 70 ]. Johnson [ 71 ]. Johnson [ 72 ]. Johnson [ 73 ]. Johnson [ 74 ]. Johnson, McNeilly.

Benefits of Quitting Smoking

Benefits of Quitting Smoking Group name: Anca Manaf, Asmita Ghale, Comfort Kumi, Hannah Cotton, Ma-Myo Thuzar. Introduction This essay attempts to discuss the health promotion activity on the benefit of quitting smoking. The assessment of health need, epidemiology, demography, current national or local health policies, identification of target group, approaches chosen will be discussed. Ultimately, this essay will evaluate the effectiveness of the health promotion activity. Assessment of health need Health need assessment (HNA) is an essential component of effective health promotion (Carroll, 2004). According to Cavanagh and Chadwick (2005), HNA is a systematic approach of recognising priority health issues, targeting the populations with the most need and taking actions in the most cost-effective and efficient way. MacDowall, Bonell and Davies (2006) stated, HNA is important for health promotion as it provide an opportunity to engage with specific populations and enable them to contribute to targeted service planning and resource allocation. Bradshaw (1972) therefore outlines the four main categories of needs; normative need, comparative need, felt need and expressed need. Hence, normative need was the chosen need for the health promotion activity. Consequently, this need was chosen for the health promotion activity as it is based on the opinion and experience of experts according to the current research and findings (Wills, 2011). They will provide advice, evidence based information, provide individual with range of services, techniques and support them throughout the process of quitting (Will, 2011). Epidemiology and demography, data and trends The number of smokers over the age of 16 in the UK is reducing, from a high of 45% in 1974 to 21% of men and 20% of women in 2010 (Rutter, 2013). Smoking is most common in those aged under 35; 32% in people aged between 20 and 24, and 27% in those aged 25 to 40 (Lader, 2007). It is least common among people aged 60 and over (Public Health England, 2012). Prevalence of smoking among people in the routine and manual socio-economic group (33%) continues to be higher than amongst those in the managerial and professional group (14%) (Public health England, 2013). In England, 2010-2011, 459,900 of NHS hospital admissions were attributable to smoking among adults aged 35 and over (ASH, 2013). Among pregnant women, smoking prevalence is highest for those under aged 35 (Penn and Owen 2002; Sproston and Primatesta, 2004). Smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths and disease in the UK (Cancer Research UK, 2012). About half of all life-long smokers will die prematurely, losing on average 10years of life. Findings has shown that smoking related deaths are from; lung cancer, respiratory disease and circulatory disease (Huffman, 2003). This attributed to; 36% (22,500) of all respiratory deaths, 28% (37,400) of all cancer death and 14% (18,100) of all circulatory disease (Public health England, 2012). In 2011, there were a total of 442,759 deaths of adults aged 35 and over in England of which 79,100 (18%) were estimated to be attributable to smoking (ASH, 2013). Target group and why health promotion is required The target group for our health promotion activity is focused on smokers. This is because recent statistics has shown that smokers have a significantly increased risk of avoidable mortality and morbidity compared to non-smokers (Heidrich et al, 2007). Thus, Petrosillo and Cicalini (2011) identified that, the major causes of this excess mortality and morbidity among smokers are diseases that are related to smoking such as; cancer and respiratory and circulatory disease. Therefore, health promotion will be required as it is aimed at raising awareness of the health dangers of smoking and tobacco use, and encouraging smokers to try and quit, doing so in the most effective way (DOH, 2013) by providing motivational advice and support. Is smoking a public health issue Smoking is one of the biggest threats to public health, costing more than 120,000 lives per year in the UK (Peto et al, 2004). Behaviour factors affecting health issue Research identified ranges of behavioural factors that influence uptake and pattern of smoking (Nichter, 2003). Some of these behavioural factors include; addiction and attitude to smoking. Being addicted are commonly mentioned reasons for keeping people smoking (Siqueira et al, 2001). People tend to find it difficult to quit smoking because they are addicted to the effects of nicotine addiction. Research reports that smokers who consider themselves to be addicted to nicotine had not expected to become so when they had started smoking (Balch et al, 2004). Furthermore, smokers who have attempted to quit smoking experience withdrawal symptoms including; cravings, difficulty dealing with stressful situations, increased appetite, frustration, irritability and anxiety (Siqueira et al., 2001) Having more positive attitudes towards smoking has been repeatedly related to an increased risk of smoking (Buller et al, 2003). Smokers have more positive attitudes towards the mental effects, appearance features and are less concerned about negative physical and social consequences. Policies: A recent policy that was relevant to the health promotion activity was developed by DOH in 2013, called reducing smoking. Its stresses that high prices put people off smoking, most especially young people and people on lower incomes. Therefore, the government aims to continue to set tax rates high enough to discourage people from smoking, provide updated guidelines to make it easier for local trading standards and HM Revenue Customs officers to work in collaboration to enforce the law against fake and smuggled tobacco. The policy also highlighted that the government will continue to run ‘smokefree’ campaigns to encourage people to change their behaviour. In 2005, the WHO issued a global policy by developing a framework convention on tobacco control, which provides international cooperation to support tobacco control. The initiative of the policy is to protect the present and future generations from the devastating health consequences of tobacco consumption, by providing a framework for tobacco control measures to be implemented worldwide. The tobacco control measures includes; price and tax policies, bans on tobacco advertising, protection from exposure to second-hand smoke, education and public awareness measures, regulation of tobacco product contents and disclosures treatment for tobacco dependence, and measures to combat illicit trade. Approach Health promotion has been applied to wide range of approaches to improve health of people, communities and populations. Naidoo Wills (2009) acknowledged that there are five different approaches to health promotion, which are; medical, behavioural change, educational, empowerment and social change. However, the approach chosen, to this health promotion activity was the educational approach. This approach was chosen to provide knowledge and information to the target group on the benefit of quitting smoking, the support available and develop the necessary skills in order to enable them make well-informed and rationale choices about their lifestyles and behaviour (Gottwald Brown, 2012), through provision of leaflet, visual displays and one-one education. Health belief model (1974) proposed that, people need to have some kind of cue such as; one-one-education, distributing of leaflet, mass media campaign, to take action to change behaviour or make a health-related decision. This informa tion provided will help them explore their values and attitudes and a willingness to change behaviour and lifestyles. An advantage of educational approach is that, it enables individuals to develop their knowledge and change their attitude (Gottwald Brown, 2012). However, Naidoo Wills (2009) expressed that; educational approach can be time consuming and individual may not make healthy choices. Aims and objectives The aim for the health promotion activity is to promote smoking cessation by increasing awareness of the benefits of quitting smoking. The SMART objectives were; by the end of this session, the participants will understand three benefits of quitting smoking, be able to name two diseases caused by smoking and be aware of where to get help. Evaluation Evaluation is an essential element of systematic programme planning (Timmereck, 2003). It is important to assess whether an activity has met its objectives and find out if method used were appropriate and efficient, as it will give a sense of achievement and help work out ways to improve for future (Raingruber, 2014). Therefore, Naidoo wills (2009) identified that, there are three stages of evaluation; process, impact and outcome. Process evaluation involves assessing the activities in the program and quality of the program (Naidoo Wills, 2009). The group used posters, leaflets, NHS free quitting kits, cigarette timeline, AR lung website and one-one communication to address different learning styles, providing information to the target audience that came to the stand. Findings on learning styles Kolb (1984) has shown that people learn differently, so using a range of styles allow for the use of range of learning experiences to help learners develop a wider repertoire than their usually preferred style ( Bunton Macdonald, 2002). The posters were colourful, and clear at first glance, appealing and had catchy slogans to attract the attention of the target group. Koelen, Anne Ban (2004) suggested that, posters should be eye-catching, appealing and stimulate the viewer to think about the content of the message in order to achieve the desired objectives. Leaflets were distributed to the target audience during the one-one communication and education. According to Koelen, Anne and Ban (2004) leaflet may have a meaningful function following interpersonal communication. This leaflet comprises of information of the health benefits of quitting smoking, advice on how to stop smoking, stop smoking service and getting professional support. Therefore, this will enable them to re-read the information given at own pace and at the moment they have a need for this information. The NHS free quitting kit was employed by the group of health promoters to the target audience to help them think about reasons for quitting and recognising the triggers that can make them crave cigarettes, improving their chances of quitting successfully. The NHS free quitting helped the target audience work out how much money they will be saving by quitting. The cigarette timeline contained information of the health benefit of quitting smoking and the healing process, that is, what happens in the body when a person stops smoking. The AR lung website was used as a shock tactic to demonstrate to the participants the damage smoking does to their lungs. In addition, the group communicated effectively with the participant, ensuring that the language used was clear, understandable and Jargon free to convey messages (Lehman Dufrene, 2008). Impact evaluation involves measuring the immediate effects of the program (Naidoo Wills, 2009). In measuring the effect of the activity, questionnaires were handed out to the participants to collect immediate feedback and assessed their level of knowledge at the end of the activity (Powell, 2009). It consisted of few questions that assessed the participant’s on their knowledge and understanding of the benefit of quitting smoking. The data collected showed that, 93.3% of the participants were able to name three benefit of quitting smoking. 80% of the participant answered the questions correctly in regards to diseases caused by smoking. 40% of the participant knew the three available services of helping people to quit smoking. 100% thought the activity was very useful; however, this may not be accurate as participants may find it difficult to give negative feedbacks due to the presence of the group. 60% of the participant did not suggest any further improvement for the activity; nevertheless, 40% requested for free freebies. The second and third questions were misinterpreted by the participant which may have been the reason why 80% incorrectly answered the question. Therefore, in future when writing the questionnaire, the health promoters will ensure the questionnaires are re-framed in a much easier format, to aid easy understanding. The table was not big enough to contain all our leaflet, therefore In future, a bigger table will be deemed necessary for any future health promotion activity. Also, the group will have more interactive game and free freebies to attract more participants to the campaign. Outcome evaluation involves measuring the long-term effect of the program (Naidoo wills, 2008). The outcome will be unrealistic to measure as it will be difficult to gather participants together again due to the small scale of the activity, lack of resources necessary for undertaking the survey and time to assess participants in the future. Boltz (2012) suggested, outcome evaluation is more complex, difficult, costly and time consuming to implement. Therefore, HP activity on the benefit of quitting smoking can be carried out in the hospital and community, as supported by Youndan (2005), nurses are in frequent contact with smokers in the community and hospital, therefore, the role of nurse as a health promoter is important. WHO (2014) suggested that, smoking is one of the biggest threats to public health; hence, nurses are in a major position to help people quit by offering encouragement, providing information and refer them to smoking cessation services. In addition to Christensen ( 2006), nurses have a wealth of skills and knowledge and must be able to use this knowledge to empower people to make lifestyle changes and choices. These skills include; excellent communication and negotiation skills, caring and empathetic, non-judgemental and counselling skills (priest, 2013). Conclusion Health promotion is carried out in order to enable individual increase their control and improve their state of health. Undertaking this health promotion activity has broadened student’s understanding on the important of health promotion in nursing. WORD COUNT: 2, 197 References: Ash. (2013). Smoking statistics: Illness and death. Retrieved April 25, 2014 from http://www.ash.org.uk/files/documents/ASH_93.pdf Balch, G. I., Tworek, C., Barker, D. C., Sasso, B., Mermelstein, R. J., Giovino, G. A. (2004). Opportunities for youth smoking cessation: Findings from a national focus group study. Nicotine Tobacco Research, 6 (23), 9-17. Boltz, M. (2012). Evidence based geriatric nursing protocols for best practice. (4th ed.). New York: Springer publishing company. Bradshaw, J. (1972).Ââ€Å"A taxonomy of social need, Problems and progress in medical care. † (7th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press Buller, D.B., Borland, R., Woodall, W.G., Hall, J.R., Woodall, P. Voeks, J.H. (2003). Understanding factors that influence smoking uptake. Tobacco Control, 12 (16), 25. Bunton, R. Macdonald, G. (2002). Health promotion: disciplines, diversity, and developments. (2nd ed.). London: Routledge. Cancer Research UK. (2012). Smoking. Retrieved April 25, 2014 from http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/cancerstats/types/lung/smoking/lung-cancer-and-smoking-statistics Carroll, P. (2004). Community health nursing: A practical guide. Canada: Delmar, division learning. Cavanagh, S. Chadwick, K. (2005). Health needs assessment: a practical guide. London: National institute of health and clinical excellence. Christensen, M. (2006). From expert to tasks, expert nursing practice redefined? Journal of Clinical Nursing, 15(11), 1531-1539. Department of Health. (2007). Review of the health inequalities infant mortality PSA target. London: Department of Health. Gottwald, M. Brown, J.G. (2012). A guide to practical health promotion. London: open University press. Heidrich, J., Wellmann, J., Heuschmann, P., Kraywinkel, K. Keil, U. (2007). Mortality and morbidity from coronary heart disease attributable to passive smoking. European Heart Journal, 28(11), 2498-2502. Hoffmann, D. (2003). Medical herbalism: The science and practice of herbal medicine. London: Healing arts press. Koelen, M.A., Ban, V.D. Anne, W. (2004). Health education and health promotion. Netherlands: Wageningen Academic publishers. Kolb, D.A. (1984). Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice Hall: New Jersey. Lader, D. (2007). Smoking-related Behaviour and Attitudes. Office of National Statistics: Newport. Lehman, C.M. DuFrene, D.D. (2011). Business communication. Mason, OH: South-western/Cengage learning. McDowall, W., Bonell, C. Maggie, D. (2006). Health promotion practice. USA: Open University press. Naidoo, J. and Wills, J. (2009) Foundations for Health Promotion. London: Baillià ¨re Tindall Elsevier. Nitcher, M. (2003). Smoking: what does culture have to do with it? Addiction, 98(1), 139-145. Penn, G. Owen, L. (2002). Factors associated with continued smoking during pregnancy: analysis of socio-demographic, pregnancy and smoking-related factors. Drug and Alcohol, 21 (11), 17–25. Peto, R., Lopez, A., Boreham, J., Thun, M. Heath, C.J. (2004). Mortality from smoking in developed countries. London: Oxford university press. Petrosillo, N. Cicalini, S. (2013). Smoking and HIV: time for a change? BMC Medicine, 11(16), 1741-7015. Powell, A. (2009). Exploring stakeholder engagement in impact evaluation planning in educational development work. Evaluation, 15(3), 285-306. Priest, H. (2012). An Introduction to Psychological Care in Nursing and the Health Professions. Canada: Routledge. Public health England. (2012). Statistics on smoking. Retrieved April 25, 2014 from http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB07019 Raingruber, B. (2014). Contemporary Health Promotion in Nursing Practice. USA: Jones Bartlett learning. Rosenstock, I. (1974). Historical origins of the health belief model. Health education Monographs, 2(4), 332-334. Siqueira, L.M., Rolnitzky, L.M. Rickert, V.I. (2001). Smoking cessation in adolescents: the role of nicotine dependence, stress, and coping methods. Archives of paediatrics Adolescent medicine, 155 (11), 489-495. Sproston, K. Primatesta, P. (2004). Risk factors for cardiovascular disease. London: The Stationery Office. Timmreck, T.C. (2003). Planning, program development, and evaluation: A handbook for health promotion, aging, and health services. (2nd ed.). London: Jones and Bartlett publisher. United Kingdom. Department of Health. (2013). Reducing Smoking. London: HMSO. United Kingdom. National Institute For Health and Clinical Excellence. (2014). Smoking cessation services. London: HMSO. United Kingdom. Public health England. (2013). Statistics on Smoking: England, 2013: London: HMSO. Wills, J. (2004). Vital notes for nurses: promoting health. London: Blackwell publishing LTD. World Health Organisation. (2005). Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Retrieved April 27, 2014 from http://www.who.int/fctc/text_download/en/ World health organisation. (2014). Tobacco Free Initiative. Retrieved April 27, 2014 from http://www.who.int/tobacco/mpower/tobacco_facts/en/ Youndan, B. (2005). Nurses’ role in promoting and supporting smoking cessation. Nursing times, 101(10), 26-39.

colon cancer :: essays research papers

The colon and rectum are part of the large intestine (bowel). Colon and rectum cancers, which are sometimes referred to together as"colorectal cancer,"usually grow in the lining of the large intestine. Cancer of the Colon and Rectum is the third most common cancer in adults and accounts for 11% of all cancer deaths. Other types of cancer that can grow in the large intestine include lymphomas, melanomas or sarcomas. Alternative names for Cancer is; Colorectal cancer; Intestinal cancer; Bowel cancer; Cancer – colon. . In most cases, colon cancer has no symptoms, therefore, it is very often diagnosed and treated in the advanced stages when the success rate is reduced. Hidden blood in the stool is mostly the first, and often times the only warning sign. In a high percentage polyps precede the development of colon cancer. Causes, incidences, and risk factors, There is no single cause of colon cancer. Factors associated with colon cancer are colorectal polyps, cancer elsewhere in the body, a family history of colon cancer, ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and immunodeficiency disorders. Dietary factors associated with colon cancer are a high-meat, high-fat, low-fiber diet. Prevention lower your risk factors where possible. Colon cancer can be prevented if polyps that lead to the cancer are detected and removed. If colon cancer is detected in its early stages, it is up to 90% curable. Beginning at age 50, get screening tests to allow early detection. If one of your first-degree relatives has had colon cancer, you should start getting screened 10 years prior to the age your relative was diagnosed. This will help identify pre-cancerous polyps. The four common screening tests and recommended frequency of use are: 1. Fecal Occult Blood Test (annually) 2. Sigmoidoscopy (every 5 years) 3. Double Barium Contrast Enema (every 5 years) 4. Colonoscopy (every 10 years) The colonoscopy is the most useful, but most invasive test. New tests using CAT scans to do a "virtual" colonoscopy are being developed. These are less invasive, but one must subsequently undergo a colonoscopy if a suspicious lesion is seen.

Tradition of Tension and Oppression Essay -- China

Xinjiang lies on the far western boundaries of the People’s Republic of China. An area three times the size of France, home to the vast majority of the People’s Republic of China’s Uyghur population (along with twelve other officially recognized ethnic groups), the Xinjiang Autonomous Region has been isolated from its central Beijing-based government by rough terrain, a language barrier, and starkly different religious traditions and economic structure. Even the region’s Chinese name, Xinjiang or â€Å"new frontier† implies both the relative recentness of the province’s acquisition by China and the imperialist nature of this acquisition. Early Chinese Communist Party policy in the region led to atrocious acts of cultural genocide. Separatist movements developed as resistance to the Chinese Communist Party’s attempts to incorporate the region into a culture with which it was incompatible. While Mao era policies had disastrous effects a cross the People’s Republic, the effort to promote a stronger Chinese identity lead to the isolation of the Uyghur community and the development of Uyghur nationalism as demonstrated by PRC policy towards the non-Han populace during the 1950s and the resulting Yi-Ta incident of 1962. Xinjiang’s past status throughout Chinese history has been used as justification both for and against its incorporation into PRC, depending solely on political perspective. As a sparsely populated and resource-rich vast buffer region between the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic, Xinjiang was strategically and economically valuable. When the Peoples’ Liberation Army entered the province in 1949, despite a lack of familiarity with either the geography or the people, they successfully quelled resistance efforts . A provin... ...-145. Web. Gladney, Dru C. Muslim Chinese: Ethnic Nationalism in the Peoples' Republic. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1996. Print. Kaltman, Blaine. Under the Heel of the Dragon. Athens: Ohio University Press, 2007. Print. McMillen, Donald H. Chinese Communist Power and Policy in Xinjiang, 1949 - 1977. Boulder: Westview Press, Inc., 1979. Print. Millward, James A. Eurasian Crossroads. New York: Columbia University Press, 2007. Print. Moseley, George. "China's Fresh Approach to the National Minority Question." The China Quarterly.24 (1965): pp. 15-27. Web. of Slavists, Canadian. "The Uighurs between China and the USSR." Canadian Slavonic papers 17.2/3 (1975): 341-65. jstor. Web. Waite, Edmund. "The Impact of the Sate on Islam Amongst the Uyghurs: Religious Knowledge and Authority in the Kashgar Oasis." Central Asian Survey 25.3 (2006)Print.

A Diagnosis for Mr. Fix-it Essay -- Medical Research

Mr. Fix-it is a 59 year old man with a history of alcohol abuse and diabetic hypertension. Mr. Fix-it has been currently experiencing symptoms such as: rambling speech, poor short-term memory, weakness on the left side of his body, neglects both visual and auditory stimuli to his left side, difficulty with rapid visual scanning, difficulty with complex visual, perceptual and constructional tasks, unable to recall nonverbal materials, and mild articulatory problems. The diagnosis for Mr. Fix-it’s problem is most likely a right-hemisphere stroke. A right-hemisphere stroke is occurs when a blood clot blocks a vessel in the brain, or when there is a torn vessel bleeding into the brain. â€Å"A right-hemisphere stroke is common in adults who have diabetes and who are over the age of 55†, similar to Mr. Fix-it (Kluwer, 2012). In addition, Mr. Fix-it has a history of alcohol abuse in which it could have also increased his chances of experiencing a right-hemisphere stroke. The symptoms of a right-hemisphere stroke are very much similar like the symptoms Mr. Fix-it is experiencing. For example, both suggest that functions on the left side of the body are completely neglected; therefore, the left visual section of the body does not respond effectively to stimuli due to the neglect. Damage to the right occipital lobe is very likely. The patient may have experienced some damage to areas 18 and 19 of the occipital lobe. â€Å"Damage to these association areas resulted in the patient’s failure to recognize items even when they have been seen before†, such as Mr. Fix-it’s deficiency to recognize geometric shapes (Carlson, 2010). Moreover, the patient could have also experience damage in the frontal lobe, specifically on area 8, in which it could have r... ...lood pressure medication in order to keep his blood pressure in the normal state of 120/80. Other than taking medications, there is another alternative such as surgery, such as â€Å"ventriculosmy, craniotomy, and carotid endarterectomy† (Kluwer, 2012). The patient also has the option of going to a rehabilitation center where the patient may be able to receive speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. In addition, the rehabilitation center may also include â€Å"functional electrical stimulation† (Kluwer, 2012). Works Cited Carlson, N. R. (2010). Physiology of behavior. (10 ed., pp. 69-101). Boston, MA: Pearson. Hemiparesis. (2011). Retrieved February 9, 2012, from http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=hemiparesis Kluwer, W. (2012).Right hemispheric stroke. Retrieved February 6, 2012, from http://www.drugs.com/cg/right-hemispheric-stroke.html

The destructive results of Insomnia

Insomnia is one of widely-spread sleep disorders which as a result of worries, fears, anxiety and bad brain patterns function make a person unable to maintain his/her sleep. The people suffering from insomnia become irritable the next day and often worry about the coming night when they will have to fight for sleep.As a result during the day people may meet unexpected desire to fall asleep what completely ruins the course of the day and leads to stress and depression. A person with Insomnia may also suffer from other sleep disorder such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and restless legs syndrome.The destructive results of Insomnia make us to think of it as a serous mental disease, however it is only a symptom caused by medications, psychological condition, inappropriate sleeping habits or by other stressful events. Among the medications that may greatly contribute to the progression of Insomnia are caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, antidepressants, amphetamines, diuretics, appetite suppressants and different drug products including cocaine and marijuana.The extent to which a person can be imposed to Insomnia has two levels of difficulty. The primary Insomnia defines a person who is having sleep problems are not directly connected with any other health states or problems. Secondary Insomnia means that a person’s inconveniences with sleep are associated with inherent health conditions such as depression, cancer, heartburn, asthma or others. Because of their pain and medications they are taking they start to have other health problems which are connected by the chain of successive conditions.Sleep disorder in its primary level can be easily treated if a person take make a habit from the following activities: ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Regularity of sleep times; ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Comfortable conditions for sleep (bed, temperature and lightening); ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prevention from accepting the stimulants (e.g. coffee or ciga rettes); ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Practice of relaxation methods; ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Avoidance from taking naps during the day.  Medicines interference into Insomnia treatment is not required as it can be treated with setting new sleeping habits. However for short-term Insomnia one can use over-the-counter sleeping drugs. It is important not to use them regularly as there may appear dependence upon them and create the situation of good sleep impossibility unless the drug is used.Treatment for long term Insomnia requires more complex procedure. First it is needed to conduct a first treating of any underlying conditions or health problems that are determined to cause Insomnia. If Insomnia progresses one can chose either to go through the behavioral therapy or start to accept medications. The first method helps people to replace their ways of living and focus on achieving of specific goals while gaining more control over their lives.Professionals in the fi eld of advancement of Behavior Therapy identify some common goals of behavior therapy. The Insomnia persons should follow this goal which requires for them to use only one bedroom for sleep (Acting), try to understand how his/her stresses influence the sleep (Feeling), to realize that at least 7 hours of sleep is a must for everyone (Thinking), to integrate diet and exercise to encourage the sleep (Dealing), and to train himself/herself in self-management skills (Coping). Medical therapy by contrast with Behavioral therapy has side effects and must be used with caution.Bibliography:1. Fogel J (2003). Behavioral treatments for insomnia in primary care settings. Topics in Advanced Practice Nursing eJournal, 3(4).2. Morgan K (2003). Daytime activity and risk factors for late-life insomnia. Journal of Sleep Research, 12(3): 231–238.3. â€Å"Insomnia Help / Behavioral Treatments for Insomnia†http://www.helpguide.org/aging/insomnia_treatment.htm  

Assessing Corporate Culture Essay

1. Scheins approach to assessing organizational culture a. Strengths of scheins approach to assessing organizational culture Schein defines and describes culture as any one of many elements of organizational culture. The culture of an organization can be viewed and treated like other structures within an organization. Certain organizations such as by-laws, committees, and chain of command flow charts, may serve to answer basic questions such as â€Å"how do we interact with the external environment?† and â€Å"how do we order ourselves internally?† As an organization responds to these questions, the responses become core assumptions. These core assumptions become the frames through which the organization interprets the world round it. In place of questionnaire or instrument that utilizes typologies, Schein prefers clinical research model of assessing organizational culture. In this model of organizational culture investigation, the researcher gets much more directly involved within the organization by acting as participant o bserver or ethnographer. He suggests that members of the organization will more openly respond to the researcher and the investigation because the members of the organization think they have something to gain by collaborating with the researcher. Schein believes that valid data on the culture of the organization will only be collected when the researcher is perceived as the consultant who is seeking to help the organization and has the best interest of the organization in mind. Schein admits that the clinical model of evaluating organizational culture assumes that the researcher intervenes in the culture of the organization. If the organization perceives that the researcher is helping to make changes that will benefit the organization, then the research will accurately yield the cultural dynamics of the organization. b. Weaknesses of Schein approach to assessing organizational culture The results gained from qualitative result are limited to specific cases under investigation. Direct comparison cannot be made between the results from other studies unless the research is specifically designed in that manner. Furthermore, results cannot be generalized to other settings and links to organization’s performance are rarely explored. One significant weakness to Schein’s approach (qualitative method) is the time needed for data collection and analysis which makes the research more costly and time consuming 2. Cameron and Quinn approach a. Strengths of Cameron and Quinn approach to assessing organizational culture Cameron and Quinn provide an evaluation tool called the organizational culture assessment inventory (OCAL). The OCAI is a survey instrument established on a theoretical model called the competing value framework. This framework is valuable for organizing and interpreting various phenomena within an organization. The competing values framework refers to whether an organization strives for flexibility and individuality or stability and control, whether or not an organization is focused externally or internally. The purpose of the OCAI is to discern the relative strengths of these culture types within a given organization. Used over time, the OCAI can measure culture changes within the organization. Cameron and Quinn observe many cases in the business world where culture change is the key to increasing organizational effectiveness. The four major culture types proposed by Cameron and Quinn embody these competing values: clan-internal/control; adhocracy-external/flexible; market-external/control; hierarchy-internal/control. In fact pure control (hierarchy), compete (market), collaborate (clan), or create (adhocracy) are extremely rare. Most of the company cultures that have been diagnosed using Cameron and Quinn’s organization culture instrument indeed have a strong secondary component. Cameron and Quinn identify the cultural and organizational competencies that give rise to value creation. It explains how cultural and leadership competencies can be profiled which, in turn, can lead to a diagnosis of culture gaps, cultural congruency and cultural strength. 3. London first united church Cameron and Quinn’s model is appropriate for this church. This approach is built around clan, adhocracy, market and hierarchy. These four maps themes were also used in the analysis of how organizational culture of London first united Methodist church chances with structural inventions. The church is both an organization and an organism. As such, the church has a lifecycle development built into it: birth, growth, reproduction, decline, and death. The church itself historically has through several changes. Change as renewal is a major aspect of the Methodist movement. Much of the rise and fall of the Methodism can be traced to how the church was willing, or not, to change. Oftentimes, organizations experience growth and/or renewal because of structural changes within the organization. The four maps themes therefore fit this church.