Wednesday, December 25, 2019
Peter P A Story Of Our Childhood - 1216 Words
Peter Pan is a fairy story of our childhood. I am attractive in fairy tale with magic and mystery so Peter Pan is my choice for this project. Nowadays, Peter Pan is not only a fantasy story for children but also a story which gives adult happiness and the memories about their childhood. The famous fantasy novel from J.M.Barrie was adapted into a movie. Peter Pan is a story take place in Neverland, where is an imaginary land. The story is about the interesting adventures of Peter Pan, Wendy, Michael, and John. Peter Pan is my favorite charecter. He is a free spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up. Peter Pan spends his never-ending adventures in Neverland, he is the leader of the lostâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Peter drifts out to the sea, Wendy shoots up with Tinker Bell, Michael and John fly somewhere. Wendy follow Tinker Bell while Tinker Bell felt jealous and want to do bad thing to Wendy. There are 6 lost boys on the land. Tootles, who often accidenta lly misses out on the best adventures. Next in Nibs, carefree boy. Sightly, who loves to dance and to reminisce about his earthly life. Curly, who tends to get in trouble. Finally, Twins, who looks exactly the same, therefone, thay are always a little embarrassed. They all looking for Peter Pan, Next come the pirates, ugly, tattooed and murdered. Captain Hook is awful but handsome, he fears nothing but his own blood. Next come is Piccaninmy tribe. Their leader is a beautiful princess Tiger Lily. Wendy met 6 lost boys, they built house for her as she askes them to. They beg her to be their mom and she agrees. She let them come in and reads them a story, they happily fall asleep. The next day Peter Pan makes the place to sleep for Michael, John, Wendy. Wendy spends time to take care of the boys. Wendy knows her parent will keep the window open for them to return but she worries her brothers will forget about their house, so she gives the boy quizzes of their own house. Only Peter does n t join in the game because he don t know how to read. Peter Pan lists several adventures is the other game. They all start to tell their adventures in the other game. The other afternoon, they are fighting with Hook and theShow MoreRelatedEvil991 Words à |à 4 Pagesâ⬠¦ Divorced, Beheaded, Survived The story, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived, takes place in two different settings. The first (The flashbacks) setting we get introduced to is the childhood neighborhood of Sarah and her older brother Terry. We hear about them and their friends, and how they used to play together in the game of playing the Tudors (old English royal family). The flashbacks are between the years 1973 and 1974. The second setting is taking place in the present time, in the home of Sarah,Read MoreGovernment-Subsidized Food1201 Words à |à 5 Pagesseen by children are for foods high in sugar, fat, or sodium, and that one thirty-second commercial can influence the brand preferences of children as young as twoâ⬠(Kalafa 3). It is cruelly ironic that the same White House that is trying to combat childhood obesity is the same one that spends billions of dollars every year on food subsidies which are used to create unhealthy foods. Yet, government-subsidized food is not a worst-case scenario. One study repo rts that, ââ¬Å"In 2009, more than 50 million personsRead MoreThe Effects Of Processed Food On Obesity1490 Words à |à 6 PagesHigh School Everyday in America the average citizen consumes three to five pounds of food each day (Andrew). The question is ââ¬Å"What exactly are they eating?â⬠The most common food an American consumes is processed food. At least 70 percent of our calories we intake come from processed foods (Warner, 2013, XV). Yes, processed foods are convenient. However, people tend to overlook how much sugar, sodium, and chemicals are in processed food before putting them into their body. Processed foods areRead MoreSibling Rivalry And Love Is A Kind Of Animosity Between Two Brothers1240 Words à |à 5 Pageskind of animosity between two brothers. It generally starts when two brothers spend more time with each other during their childhood than with their parents. A sibling relationship is often influenced and made complex by factors such as personality, birth order and parental treatment. In adulthood, brothers find their relationship with each other in clashes over unresolved childhood issues such as guilt, financial success and self-esteem. In ââ¬Å"The Richest Brotherâ⬠Tobias Wolff explores the rivalryRead MoreViolence And Tragedy : Staples Of Journalism1499 Words à |à 6 PagesViolence and tragedy are staples of journalism because readers are attracted to gruesome stories and photographs. ââ¬Å"If it bleeds, it leadsâ⬠is an undesirable rule of thumb. Ethical problems arise for photographers and editors because readers are also repulsed by such events. It is as if readers want to know that tragic circumstances take place, but do not want to face the uncomfortable details. After publication of a controversial picture that shows, for example, dead or grieving victims of violenceRead MoreNotes on Anil766 Words à |à 4 PagesAnil by Ridjal Noor Themes Dreams of the future Relationships/ Family ââ¬â the role of each member of the family Culture Childhood Violence Guilt Repression Fear Love Shame Superstitions: Lack of Education? Morality ââ¬â what is right/wrong Treatment of women Justice Plot A boy, Anil, lives in Malaysia with his mother father, who is a bully to his family, but timid respectful to his employer, the Headman. It is night-time and he is asleep in a hut with his parents. He needs the toilet but doesnââ¬â¢tRead MoreEssay on Understanding the Mothers in Amy Tans The Joy Luck Club1044 Words à |à 5 Pages their attempt to give advice is considered as an intrusion into our lives and our privacy. In The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan tries to get the reader to take a step back and see the good intentions behind our mothers actions. à In the stories told by Jing-Mei, Tan weaves in flashbacks and memories of Jing-Meis own childhood experiences, including stories she has heard of her mother Suyuans early life in China. These stories help to explain why she teaches her daughter the v alues of optimismRead MoreLiterary Criticism of Everyday Use by Alice Walker1499 Words à |à 6 PagesCultural Literature 4/14/08 The book Approaching Literature in the 21st Century by Peter Shackel and Jack Ridl is filled with various themes involving parents and their children. There are three specific stories that focus on mothers and daughters that I will use for this paper. The stories are Daughter of Invention by Julia Alvarez, Everyday Use by Alice Walker and Two Kinds by Amy Tan. These stories are similar in many ways in general, like they all involve a mother who has influenced herRead MoreDo Intelligence Research On Was Psychopaths, Particularly Serial Killers1567 Words à |à 7 PagesManipulation, Deception, and Evil, author Pamela Kulbarsh (2012) defines a psychopath as ââ¬Å"a morally depraved individual who represent the ââ¬Ëmonstersââ¬â¢ in our society; an unstoppable and untreatable predator whose violence is planned, purposeful and emotionlessâ⬠(p.1). While in the article it states that not all psychopaths are law-breakers that is a different story with serial killers hence in the name it says ââ¬Ëkillerââ¬â¢. Serial killers fit most of the aspects of a psychopath including the fact that they inflictRead MoreObesity : The Fight Against Obesity1425 Words à |à 6 PagesGoal to improve the cardiovascular health of the nation by 20à °/o.6 Sharing school spaces is also a strategy of the US National Physical Activity Plan,7 an objective of Healthy People 2020,8 and a recommendation of the 2010 White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity,9 and it is in line with recommendations of leading public health authorities.10-12 However, policy recommendations and tools are needed to facilitate and encourage the shared use of school resources. Obesity has been slowly increasing in
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Is Australia A Multicultural Country Essay - 834 Words
Australia is a multicultural country and welcomes people from varying nationalities into its communities each and every day. As a result, classrooms all over Australia are changing. No matter what location a teacher is contracted to, there will be some element of a variety of cultures within that environment. Diversity of cultures within individual communities will fluctuate from town to town and state to state as people re-settle and create homes for themselves and forge a new identity and sense of place. As a teacher, it is also important to note, that the experiences of migrant students in your class will vary. Some may assimilate very well; others may encounter more hurdles than others. A teacherââ¬â¢s role in a childââ¬â¢s life should be one which is positive. Supporting a child through their education and ensuring they have appropriate care and compassion in relation to their situation is important. This guide has been put together to help teachers with some backgr ound knowledge on educating culturally diverse students and some strategies to help foster compassion and understanding within the classroom. Culture is always changing. Beliefs, behaviours and presentation, religion and language all form part of what is an individualââ¬â¢s or communityââ¬â¢s culture. (Bowes, Grace, Hodge, 2012, p.75 77). Due to its intrinsic nature, when people migrate to Australia, they bring their culture with them. As migrants come from all over the world, and not the one place, theirShow MoreRelatedAustralia Is A Country That Is Diverse, Multicultural And Unique1071 Words à |à 5 PagesAustralia is a country that is diverse, multicultural and unique. Our geography and cultural history are different to anywhere else, which has definitely captured the attention of the rest of the world. For migrants from diasporic communities, assimilating to the Western identity while trying to maintain the cultural heritage is not an easy task, especially during the 20th century, where racial discrimination played a large role in impeding multiculturalism. I believe my childhood experiences isRead MoreIs A ustralia still Called the Lucky Country?680 Words à |à 3 PagesMany people think Australia is the ââ¬Ëlucky countryââ¬â¢. This is because Australia is known for its picturesque landscape and the multiculturalism in this country. However, there are issues that recently appeared. This includes the harsh climates of the Australian outback and the discrimination in this country. Australia is still a lucky country because it has the beautiful landscape. Australia has many beautiful environments such as the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru, the Blue Mountains and beautiful beachesRead MoreThe Integration Of Chinese International Students1350 Words à |à 6 PagesStudents in Australian Multicultural Society Australia is a multicultural and multiracial country. After the end of The Immigration Restriction Act 1901, an unprecedented number of immigrants has shifted to Australia from diverse cultural backgrounds, which accelerate the expansion of Australian multiculturalism (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011). Among all the immigration groups, along with the Europeans, labourers and business people from Asia countries have shifted to Australia to promote the AustralianRead MoreNobody Calls Me A Wog Anymore1137 Words à |à 5 Pagesdifficult to conclude on what being an ââ¬ËAussieââ¬â¢ really is. Thankfully, the two thought-provoking poems Nobody Calls Me a Wog Anymore by Komninos Zervos, and My Country by Dorothea Mackellar both use their discerning selection of themes to reflect modern attitudes in some extent. Along with their themes, Nobody Calls Me a Wog Anymore and My Country both use their story to capture the attributes modern Australians possess to some degree. The passionate writer, Komninos Zervos, has been renowned for hisRead MoreSocial Inequality And Stereotyping Cultures From Political Power1384 Words à |à 6 PagesDue: 25 August 2014 By: Kody Williamson (s4350274) Tutor: Dr Joy Kennedy Youdell (2012) argues that the singular and one-off multicultural events reproduce majority/minority, Same/Other relations in their display of minoritises cultures for the appreciation of or consumption by the majority. (p 153) This essay will look into the argument of how the one off multicultural events can be seen as racist, fostering social-inequality and stereotyping cultures from political power. It will also outlineRead MoreThe Legal Constitution Of Australia Essay1318 Words à |à 6 PagesINTRODUCTION The legal constitution of Australia was developed by the multiple principles of the British and the United States of America1. However, a major factor that was eliminated from these principles was the notion of the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights main purpose is to affirm, protect, promote human rights and fundamental freedoms1. Australia does not have a Bill of Rights, since it has been ascertained that the citizens of Australia are protected by common law and legislation2. It isRead MoreThe Effectiveness Of Australia s Multicultural Policy1498 Words à |à 6 PagesAbstract This paper will assess the effectiveness of Australiaââ¬â¢s multicultural policy through an analysis of its traits and its capacity to create a socially cohesive society. It recognizes that multiculturalism plays an important role in national identity. In addition to this, it recognises that there are a number of factors which can impact on the level of social cohesion including political discourse and global events. This essay will claim that the new arrived migrants and refugees from MiddleRead MoreThe Importance Of Language For Aboriginal People1286 Words à |à 6 PagesThe importance of language for Aboriginal people In 1788, when the settlers arrived in Australia, there were about 250 Indigenous languages. These distinct languages had many dialects. Today, there are about 145 languages spoken by Aboriginals, however only 18 languages remain strong in Australia. Language is a sense of identity for the Aboriginal people, is a way to communicate. Language is individual to specific tribes and unique to people and communities. Language is used to pass on cultural knowledgeRead MoreThe Impact Of Media Globalisation In The Eurovision Song Contest1384 Words à |à 6 Pagesparticular, this essay will focus on Australiaââ¬â¢s involvement in The Eurovision Song Contest, otherwise known as Eurovision, discuss how itââ¬â¢s participation is placed via media flows as discussed by Thussu, and finally how media globalisation causes Australia to be represented in new ways. Eurovision acts as a platform that effectively allows Australians to showcase their culture and identity, strengthening their sense of belonging in the world. This is a result of media globalisation and transnationalisingRead MoreAustralia And The White Australia Policy1672 Words à |à 7 PagesAustralia in terms of immigration, has had a poor history of dealing with people travelling into the country, shown in the beginning of hand picking the majority of Australia s population. However as the decades have rolled on, whether it be forced or by choice, Australia has become looser and more free in access and treatment within the country and importantly, less discriminatory. In order to see these improvements, the start must be shown, in which is generally summarised by the White Australia
Monday, December 9, 2019
The Nutritional Supplement
Question: How the nutritional supplement could suppress the occurrence of pressure ulcers ( PU) in patients who has been suffering from hip- fracture? Answer: It has been seen that PU development is more frequent in the health care centers of Netherlands. The author suggests that malnutrition is the major factor for the development of PU. A study suggests that the indices of the malnutrition and PU are interrelated. Since Netherland is a developing country, so the nutritional status among the people is very inadequate, so the malnutrition occurs at a very high rate thus resulting in the occurrence of pressure ulcers especially among the patients who has suffered the hip fracture. Many studies have been carried out showing that the percentage of PU is much higher in the non- malnourished patients than the malnourished one. So the author plans to conduct randomly, double-blind placebo-controlled experiment to see the effect of PU on the patients. He chose the randomization process of the experiment as to avoid the biases among the patients and to have the desired effect of the supplements. Randomized, the double-blind placebo-controlled type was the idea of the study which was designed by the author to conduct the experiment. This study is involved in a medical trial treatment where the number of patients is divided in to two groups . One is the experimental or treatment group and the other is the controlled or placebo group. The underlying difference between these two groups is in the giving of supplements. The desired nutritional supplement is given to the experimental group which shows the affect and normal lookalike supplement without any nutrients is given to the controlled group to see the desired results. In this type of study, both the patients as well as the assessors are blind fold which means neither the patients nor the assessors know what supplement is given to them until the end of the study. Out of the total sample population the patients are divided randomly into the experimental and placebo group. The source of the population was the three medical centers of Netherlands .Further this study was approved by all the participating centers of the Committee of Medical Ethical. The population study for this research was 103 patients. The patients who had hip fracture were also eligible for this study. The study was recruited by the Dutch Consensus Meeting where a score was allotted for the risk of PU. If the PU risk score was above eight according to the risk assessment tool of CBO, then those patients were eligible to be included in the study. At the time of the study, ten points were kept in mind like temperature , medication, intake and status of nutrition, mental and neurological condition, incontinence and diabetes. These points are needed for the recruitment of the patients to include in the study. These are the vital factors which determine the initial characteristics of the patients before the start of any experiment. By In a clinical experiment, the inclusion and exclusion criteria are the vital factors which must be specified for the participation of the patients in the experiment. Inclusion factors refer to those which must be possessed by the patients to enter in to the experiment. For the present study, the inclusion factors are sex, age, weight, height, hemoglobin, o peration duration of stay and the type of surgery performed. The exclusion factors refer to the which disqualify the patient's inclusion factors in the study. For this study, the exclusion factors are the metastatic hip fracture, care at terminal level, insulin- dependent diabetes, the renal disease where the creatinine level was more than 176mmol/l, the morbid condition of obesity with a basal metabolic index of more than 40 and liver disease. These factors also play an important role in determining the outcome of the experiment because based on these factors the p-values are calculated which significance in the experiment. To prove his point that mal nutrition may be the risk factor for developing PU and also to see the effects of supplements whether they can lead to the suppression of PU in hip fracture patients, Houwing designed his study to give supplements of two different types of both the groups in the experiment. To the treatment or the experimental group, he provided the supplement which was loaded with high proteinaceous nutrients like zinc, arginine, and anti-oxidants. In contrast, to the placebo group, the supplement provided was a normal water- based drink, non- caloric in nature which contained only sweeteners, coloring and flavoring agents. It was in actual not a supplement but a replica of supplement devoid of nutrients, only containing sweetening agents. Both the supplements' look, texture, and taste were not similar, but they were given in some identical packages where the difference could not be made. This was done to mask the difference between both groups so to avoid biases among the patients. If the patient comes to know that what supplement are given to them then they might be intentionally or unintentionally influenced which could have an effect on the outcomes of the interpreted data. Out of 103 patients involved in the experiment, 52 patients were randomized to get placebo treatment and 51 patients were given the normal treatment. After receiving the supplementation, it was seen that 57% patients were diagnosed with PU and 23% patients were diagnosed with stage II PU. If the results of both the groups are taken individually, then it was seen that the occurrence of the pressure ulcers were 59% which was higher than the group which was given the supplement whose number was 55%. When the results of the stage II PU was taken into consideration then also the placebo group had the higher value than the other. The placebo group had 28% development of PU where as the group provided with the nutritional supplement had 18% PU development. Though the results dint showed any significant difference in the statistics. The analysis of the results showed that the supplement which is enriched with nutrients might not cure PU, but it suppresses the progression symptoms of the PU disease in the hip fracture patients. The placebo group was a controlled one where no nutrient based supplement was given, and they showed the higher percentages of PU development. There are certain factors which are needed for all the experiments to give its validation proof. The two most important tools for the validation of the experiment are the external validity and internal validity. These tools, in general, generalize the effects of the experiment and also to draw inferences on the casual relationships between the variables. External validity is an integral tool for any experiment. It is required as the basic tool to design any experiment. There are two main criteria of the external validity- first being the generalization and the other being the results. Generalization refers to the process of the experiment where as the results which are being collected from the grouping of the sample, surroundings of the laboratory gives an idea about how long it can be further extended and also to make predictions about the whole population. Generalizability gives the answer to external validity regarding the questions asked about the setting of the experiment, populations, variables involved, treatments, and the outcome measures. The effect of generalizability is studied by this. Moreover, external validity can be categorized into the validity of the population and the validity of the ecology and both these parameters are involved in evaluating the strength of any experiment. External validity also paves a way for c oncern whether the same result would be found in other settings or not. In an experiment of science, there are mainly two approaches by which generalization characteristics could be understood. First is the sampling model where that population is identified which needs to generalize; then a fair sample is drawn from the above sample and the research is done, and finally we can generalize the results back to the population because the sample itself is the population representative. The second method is the model of proximal similarity. This is applicable for those situations where different sections in term of their similarities are to be taken like as those of times and places. By using this model we can generalize the results regarding places, persons or time. Internal validity refers to the approximate value which accounts for the validation of the two variables relationship when they are inferred. The inference of this should be the casual one. To have such results, the internal validity is obtained through the control techniques and design features. Experimental designs are the best features of the design, and the assignments of the randomization are the best techniques of control. The casual inferences of the internal validity are important because it helps us to improve further in that experimental world. The internal validity helps to make a conclusion that whether the applied treatment made any difference or not in the experiment as it also helps in the reduction of the score and in the symptoms of the disease. Internal validity also accounts for the generalizability of zero scores. Internal validity in the experiment gives the evidence that the experiment has been carried out, and even the outcomes have also occurred. It does not a ccount whether the experiment which we wanted to construct that has been done or not. An experiment with high validation of internal validity let the researchers choose a definite explanation with much more confidence and it leads to avoidance of many confounding factors. Fig: image showing the process of internal validity There are some tools which determine the efficiency of the internal validity by seeing the casual inferences drawn from the experiment. The tools are temporal precedence, elimination process, and covariation. A temporal precedence is an important tool which determines the strength of the cause of the internal validity and also its effect on the experiment. This tool says that the cause of the experiment has happened before the effect of the experiment comes into play. Covariation says that both the cause and the effect of the experiment is inter-related for the variables. It says that when the experiment has been done then, some measurable outcome has to be there. The elimination process of the causality factor is one of the most simple and easiest ways to prove that a particular experiment has a high internal validity. It does so by eliminating the confounding effects of the variables. 1.9: In an experiment, the study design is an important factor but the main important thing is the results of the experiments. The clinical, as well as the statistical data, are very helpful in determining the efficiency of the experiment conducted. In an experiment, a significance level is selected so that it gives the probability of neglecting any hypothesis which is null but this does not prove that the hypothesis is false. The statistics are significant because it helps to make a prediction that the results which were obtained are not due to by chance. With the rapid progress in the field of science, it has become mandatory that the focus should be given on both the statistical significance and also the magnitude of the experiment. The magnitude of the experiment is important because it helps to predict the scores and also to make the comparison between the scores obtained. So for the proper evaluation of the result and to avoid any underestimation of the errors it always preferable t o check magnitude and statistical significance of the experiment . Yes, the participants were assigned randomly to the group because the experiment itself was a double blind placebo one where the treatment group was given the supplement and the placebo group was given a normal supplement. Yes, the allocation sequence concealed because the author randomly divided the patients into two group and supplements were The two groups of the experiment conducted the experimental group and the placebo group were similar at the start of the experiment because they were divided randomly to receive the respective supplements. The two groups were similar in the type of the treatment they received. They may only differ in the significant values of the two groups that are their p-values. Yes, the participants were blind to their following study group since it was a randomized experiment where the patients dint know to which group they were placed in. They just followed their assessors in the terms of the supplements and the dosages provided by them. The assessors of the outcomes were not blind to the participant group study because they knew which group of patients was receiving what type of treatment and supplements. The assessors kept a daily record of the dosages given to each and every patient and how they were reacting to it. The nurses kept a daily track for the presence of pressure ulcers in the areas of patient's buttocks, bones of a tail, heels and other areas of the body. Thus, by seeing the above statement, it can be said that the assessors might not be blind to the participants in the study group. From the statistical figures, it could be seen that there were very little differences in the P-values of the characteristics of the patients. Though the occurrence of the PU was seen in the patients receiving the placebo treatment the P- values dint showed any marked difference. Thus by keeping the p- values in mind it could be said that the measured outcomes were not reliable as per the expectations of the assessors. As per the experiment, all the participants were properly accounted for the conclusion of the study but the follow up of the patients was also done properly by keeping all the inclusion and in mind. The follow up as done by keeping the tracks of the dosages of the supplements given to the patients, the analysis of the various body parts to check for the development of pressure ulcers. So it could be said that proper follow up of the patients were done by the assessors in the experiment. Intention to treat analysis is atype of analysis which includes all patients who have been randomly assigned irrespective of their criteria of adherence at the entry level. It does take into account the type of treatment involved with the patients and even the withdrawal treatment from the protocol. In this experiment , intention to treat analysis was used. As this experiment was a randomized one, so the assessors themselves dint knew that which patients has been assigned to which group. As per the author, this experiment dint had any many participants to conduct the study. The minimum number of patients required to conduct this type of experiment is 350 but in this experiment, the number of patients was 103. So hence it could be said that this study dint had as much of the required participants. In the field of epidemiology, experimental event rate is being defined as the measure of how frequent a particular event of statistics such as a response to some medications, death or any adverse situations occurs within the experimental group and this rate is compared to the non-experimental group. The value of the experimental event is an important one because it gives the of the risk to patients or the benefits of therapeutic agent in the treatment groups. It is an important factor because based on this value the other three factors absolute risk reduction, relative risk reduction and number needed to treat depends on. In the given experiment, In the experimental group. 55% of the patients developed PU. EVENTS YES NO EXPOSED 56.65 46.35 NON-EXPOSED 46..35 56.65 So the experimental event rate is a/a+b, then according to the table, the value of a= 56.65 and b=46.35 for the exposed group. So the calculation is 56.65/56.65+46.35 The value is 0.55. In the placebo group, 59% of the patient developed PU. EVENTS YES NO EXPOSED 60.77 42.23 NON EXPOSED 42.23 60.77 So the experimental event rate is a/a+b, then according to the table a= 60.77 and b=42.23 for the exposed group. Controlled event rate of the experiment is defined as the measure of the outcome for the non-controlled group in the experiment. It is very much identical to the experimental event rate in all terms except that it is used in the calculation for the non-exposed groups in the experiment. So from the above table it could be seen that in the experimental group, the non-exposed group has the value of c= 46.35 and value of d=56.65. Therefore, the formula to calculate the control event rate is c/c+d. Then according to the given table, the value is 46.35/46.35+56.65 The value is 0.45 Similarly, for the placebo group, it could be seen that for the non-exposed group the value of c= 42.23 and the value of d=60.77therfore the formula to calculate the control event rate is c/c+d. Then according to the table, the value is 42.23/42.23+60.77 Relative risk is defined as the ratio of comparing the events which have occurred in the experimental group to the events occurred in the non- experimental group. It includes two important criteria: risk comparison between two events of exposure and second being the proper denominators value in related to the exposure. The formula to calculate the relative risk is EER/CER. That means it is the ratio of the experimental event rate to the controlled event rate. So from the above calculation, the value of experimental event rate for the experimental group is 0.55 and for the placebo group is 0.59. On the other hand, the value of the controlled event rate for the experimental group is 0.45 and for the placebo group is 0.41. Then the relative risk for the experimental group is 0.55/0.45 and the value is 1.22. Also, the relative risk for the placebo group is 0.59/0.41 and the value turns out to be 1.43. Rate ratio or risk ratio can be differentiated by the value obtained in the relative ratio. If the relative ratio is more than 1, then it could be said that the concerned event is less likely to occur in the controlled group, and its chance of occurrence is more in the experimental group. If the relative risk is less than 1, then it could be said that the concerned event is less likely to occur in the experimental group, and its chance of occurrence is more in the placebo group. So from the above calculations, it could be seen that the relative risk for both the experimental and the placebo group is more tan one, so the experiment could be said as the rate ratio. Absolute risk difference in the field of epidemiology is defined as the change in the risk of the outcome of the experiment employed in the experiment. It is inversely proportion to the number needed the treat. It also helps in making the comparison between the occurrence of the events in the experimental and controlled reactions. So the formula for the calculation of the absolute risk reduction is CER-EER. So from the above values, the absolute risk reduction could be calculated. For the experimental group, EER is 0.55 and CER are 0.45, then the absolute risk reduction is (0.45-0.55) which is -0.1 For the placebo group, EER is 0.59 and CER are 0.41, then the absolute risk reduction value is (0.41-0.59) which is -0.18 3.6: NNT or number needed to treat is calculated by the formula 1/AAR. So for the experimental group, ARR is -0.1, so the number need to treat would be 1/0.1 and the value comes out to be 10. So for the experimental group, the NNT value is 10. Similarly, for the placebo group, ARR is 0.18, so the number needed to treat would be 1/0.18 and the value comes out to be 5. NNT or number needed to treat is defined as the number of patients needed who are needed for the treatment to prevent any disastrous outcome. It helps in giving the idea to the health care centers as how many patients need treatment. It is the inversely proportional to the absolute risk reduction and if the NNT value is one, then it means that with the defined treatment all the patient improves and no one gets the benefit from the controlled treatment. The main research proposal involved in the study of this hypothesis is the clinical measures which have been taken for the diabetic patients with foot ulcers. The statistical data which have been identified through the hypothesis includes that many people are the sufferers of the disease. The main question arisesthat why irrespective of age, sex, smoking status, the ulcer site and the severity of the patients has increased with a potential increment. The primary and the secondary care of the patients could be provided with extra care awareness, which would help the patients to recover from the respective disease. The hypothesis also measures the causes and the factor that are disease related. The sampling was conducted on the patients of October 2001 and February 2003, where the adults were diabetic patients of type The participants were from the authorities ofnational health serviceof South London. The criteria of the ulceration of the patients suffering from diabetesof type 1 or type 2 are measurement of the ulceration in the anatomical foot, it also includes the measurement of the ulcer on the foot with a thickness and break in the measurement of 5 mm approximately and the severely injured ischaemic feet with an approximate ratio ranging from greater than 0.5 and 1.5. The area includes the baseline of the ulceration site, the first diabetic ulcer sustaining from last one year, and the effect of the chronicity on the adverse outcome. The treatment studies started from the first three months on the cure. The exclusion criteria include 1) not being fluent in English, 2) independent of comorbid medical conditions and 3) severe mental illness for example schizophrenia, and other psychological disorders. The exposures of the hypothesis include the people of different parts of south London, which includes the macro vascular complications with respect to myocardial infarct, coronary angioplasty. It determines the presence or absence of major and minor depressive disorders by the diagnosis. Yes, the exposure was determined accurately, with the association of the symptoms, signs, and the treatment strategies. he hypothesis includes three outcomes respectively. The first was the amputation, which is the first ulceration which is noticed in the patients. The patient with the amputation was treated for healing. The amputation undergoes the treatment with the assistance of surgical removal on all parts included in the ulceration. The parts involved in the treatment includes the lower limb, and below the anatomical ankle. The foot ulceration may be defined as the thick break through the epithelial surface with a minimum 5 mm width, or different site including the baseline of the ulceration. The recurrence foot ulceration which is mainly considered due diabetes is treated with excess care. Yes, the follow up of the patients were significantly complete and long with the help of the following treatment as described in the respective hypothesis. According to the hypothesis, approximately two hundred sixty-two patients showed their first line of ulceration in the respective study period. Along with the participated people as well as the people who refused to participate were in the total study. The follow up rate as about 100 percent, with respect to the mortality outcome, whereas the about 92.0 percent to 90 percent were for the treatment undergoing amputation and the recurrence. This treatment includes the surgical methods to eliminate the ulceration from the body. The amputation people include lowering shortening of the duration of diabetes in the patients. After that, it was seen that there were about six patients who were having no glycosylated hemoglobin measure at that point of time respectively. The prognosis which has been highlighted through the respective hypothesis is the study which includes the determination of the patients with high risk of diabetes foot ulceration, and treatment with high care. The opinion was main including the application of the amputation and the reoccurrence on specific patients would help the people to survive with or overcome the life-threatening disease. The limitations of the study emphasis the prognosis that the people who have refused to participate in the study must be diagnosed and treated as early stages as possible. The main conclusion which has been focused through the hypothesis is the determination and outcome of the people suffering from the first line of the diabetic ulcer, which is followed up by 18 months. This disease was independent of the risk factors irrespective of the age sex, and other parameters which are directly responsible for the disease. In another hand, the diabetes control was one of the preliminary aspects to put a check on the life-threatening disease. He patients who were weak are the majority people who were to be hospitalized frequently. The patients who were under poor control over diabetes includes much severely affected with foot ulceration, etc. Of the greater clinical significance the patients with greater risk of the diabetes foot ulceration, includes moderate ischemia or peripheral arterial disease which is also known as PAD. In the other hand the diseases like coronary, carotid artery disease as well as hyperlipidemia, the PAD is also considered to be the most prevalent one amongst all with the addition of diabetes. Another conclusion which can be done through the hypothesis is the amputation, which has occurred in few studies and results of the respective hypothesis. The recurrent ulceration was not the fact associated with the depression. Therefore, it can be said that the patients already sufferers of the foot ulcerations is not severe, although have a pain sensation which on no treatment can cause a severe effect on the body. There it is concluded that the severity of the ulcer is the only risk, with the addition to other supports such as PAD, amputation, and the recurrence, etc. The study also emphasizes on the fact to improve the scenario of diabetes in a specific participants, and monitoring the people with specific care and identifying the patients with excessive risk.
Sunday, December 1, 2019
Vincent Romano Essays (167 words) - Circadian Rhythm, Sleep
Vincent Romano Prof. Wells EDUC 1300 January 20, 2017 Path to Success There are a number of barri ers that I will face in college but the one that concerns me most is balancing work and school. One possible barrier include s working overnight shifts resulting in abnormal sleep patterns and the challenge of staying alert. Additionally, schedule conflicts may occur due to unscheduled work requirements. I plan to overcome this barrier in two ways. First, I will dedicate one hour at the beginning of every week to map out my week ly assignments and sleep opportunities. This strategy will allow me to finish my required work either on or before the deadline. It will also ensure I obtain the proper amount of sleep to perform optimally. Secondly, I will communicate often and early to both my instructors and supervisors. I will discuss possible schedule changes to plan ahead. This foresight will minimize the likelihood that unplanned schedule conflicts will interfere with my performance.
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Pool Boy Book Report
Pool Boy Book Report A Contemporary Summery onPool BoyBy Michael SimmonsReport By: Seth LoveGrade: 7thTeacher: Language Arts Teacher UnknownDate: Sunday August 3, 2003Time: 9:49For RRJ (Reading Response Journal)The book Pool Boy is about a seventeen year old who has to deal with life when his family loses all of is money. The reason he loses all of his money is because his father was an inside traitor and got caught by the police. To try to relive Brett's Dad of the charges, Bret's mom hires an expensive lawyer who does not win the case. Then, Bret's Dad is sent to jail for three years. After this Bret treated his Dad like garbage every Sunday when he went to see him.In a matter of weeks Brett's family is out of money despite selling all of their positions including their house. In a result of this Brett's family has to move in with Bret's aunt.Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels reconcile on the Janu...The aunt's name is Mary. Aunt Mary is always in a nightgown and slippers. Her house is dusty, dingy, and smal l.To help the finances Brett is forced to get a job. His first job is at a greasy fast food restaurant named Fast Burger. Around three months he quits. Bet quits because he thinks his boss and the customers are cruel , and food does not taste good.While walking home he noticed Alfie Moore. Alfie is a 70-year-old man with heart problems. When Brett was rich, Alfie cleaned his pool. Alfie and Bret had a conversation. During the conversation, Alfie asked Brett if he wanted a job. Bret said yes, and Alfie told Brett to meet him at his house at 7:00 am the next day to clean pools.Each day (except Sunday and Saturday) Brett and Alfie...
Saturday, November 23, 2019
Market Analysis Report Example
Market Analysis Report Example Market Analysis Report Example A market analysis report example determines the characteristics unique to the particular market and analyzes the information, which is extremely helpful in the decision-making process in the business relations. By conducting the market analysis report example, it is possible to gather the valuable data, which will help to know the customers better, determine the relevant pricing, and figure out the competitorsââ¬â¢ sensitivities. The global smartphone market is assumed to slow essentially over the next few years. Under a condition of a slowing smartphone market, the large vendors are undergoing growth saturation, and rising brands are interrupting existing brandsââ¬â¢ long-standing business models to raise their share. The developed markets were in the center of this yearââ¬â¢s deceleration. The core three markets of United States, Europe, and China continue to reach the new highs. The number of the first-time buyers in these countries is shortening rapidly. Therefore, the phone upgrades are the primary factor, which stimulates the sales. The top list of the greatest vendors of the smartphones heads two giants Samsung and Apple. As a world leader, Samsung has sold 81.3 million units in 2015 mostly due to its low-cost smartphones and the Galaxy series. In the first quarter of 2016, this amount has remained approximately the same. However, Samsungââ¬â¢s market share has increased from 23.2 in 2015 to 24.1 in the first quarter of 2016. Apple is the worldââ¬â¢s second-largest smartphone vendor and has sold 60.2 million iPhones during 2015. Appleââ¬â¢s market share in 2015 was 14.8 percent. In 2016, there is a growth estimated at 3.1 percent up to 17.9 percent. By varying smartphone market dynamics, Chinese brands are developing as the new top brands in the global scale. To this end, there are two Chinese brands Huawei and Xiaomi which were in the list of the top five worldwide smartphone vendors in 2015. These brands held 11 percent of the market. In the first quarter of 2016, one more Chinese company Oppo was included in the top list. As a result, currently, they represent 17 percent of the market together. These three Chinese smartphone vendors show a great performance, Oppo is the best within them, and take share from the leading players such as Lenovo, Samsung, and Apple. Huawei represents a strong smartphone demand in Europe, South and North Americas, and Africa. At the same time, Xiaomi and Oppo smartphone sales rise in emerging Asia and Pacific markets by 20 percent and 199 percent respectively. In the long term, a slow but stable growth of the smartphone market is expected. Predominantly, this growth will be caused by Asian market, India and Indonesia, in particular. Smartphone sales will be driven by the growing demand for the low-cost smartphones in emerging markets and for a transition from 3G to 4G smartphones, which will be supported by 4G connectivity promotion plans from communications service providers in the various markets all over the world. Additionally, a great effect on the smartphone market vector of developing will have a growing popularity of multi-SIM smartphones, increasing the corporate acceptance of smartphones as business class smartphones, the introduction of the faster data networks and the third-party application systems. References: BI Intelligence. (2016). The global smartphone report: The forces behind the global deceleration in smartphone sales. Business Insider. Web. Retrieved September 22, 2016, from businessinsider.com/global-smartphone-market-forecast-2016-3 Global Industry Analysts. (2015). Smartphones Market Trends. Global Industry Analysts. Web. Retrieved September 22, 2016, from strategyr.com/MarketResearch/ Smartphones_Smart_Mobile_Phones_Market_Trends.asp McKay, P. (2016). Global smartphone market share 2016. Statista. Web. Retrieved September 22, 2016, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/271496/global-market-share-held- by-smartphone-vendors-since-4th-quarter-2009/ Meulen, R. V. (2016). Gartner says worldwide smartphone sales grew 3.9 percent in first quarter of 2016. Gartner. Web. Retrieved September 22, 2016, from gartner.com/newsroom/id/3323017 Reisinger, D. (2016). As the smartphone market grows, the iPhoneââ¬â¢s share is shrinking. Web. Retrieved September 22, 2016, from http://fortune.com/2016/05/19/apple-iphone-smartphone/
Thursday, November 21, 2019
EPL Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words
EPL - Dissertation Example The proposed research study intends to examine the issue focusing specifically upon the English Premier League as it has been found from the analysis of the premier hiring records that the conception of internationalization of players is deeply embedded in the British soccer league and for many years, the foreign players are frequently hired in the teams and as the time passes, the ratio of international players is increasing in the EPL players. The proposed research study aims to investigate the evolution of the practice of hiring foreign players in the team and describes the conceptions and theories associated with this trend. The research study aims to illustrate the implication of the described literature and theories in to the English premier leagueââ¬â¢s traditions of inviting foreign players in the team and their performances after becoming part of EPL.à It is also revealed that the foreign players are commonly hired in the team against high fees because they are expected to gear up the performance level of the team carrying it towards the victory stand. Thus, the economic aspect of the management decision to hire foreign players is also an important point of focus for this research study that would be covered by discussing the amount spent by the English soccer team on the foreign players.à The practice of internationalization of football players has become very common in most of the western countries and alon g with England, some other countries like Spain, Germany and France also use to hire the services of the players from other countries.Ã
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
A Narrative Inquiry Qualitative Research Approach Proposal
A Narrative Inquiry Qualitative Approach - Research Proposal Example Given that this minority group has been inadequately covered in research, their challenges have lacked the necessary attention that is crucial in ensuring that they make wise choices in their life. Research has pointed out that these students are inclined to face more challenges unless there is an intervention to streamline their decision making process. As this population continues to increase, it is necessary to provide research driven recommendations to help them overcome their challenges and resolve their problems. The main purpose of this research is to investigate the factors that lead to First Generation Students (FGS) in obtaining multiple graduate degrees; undergraduate, masters, PhD and Doctoral programs. By interviewing FGS persons who have acquired post graduate education, it is possible to obtain their experiences and assess the factors that have contributed to their achievements. With this information, the research will assist in the generation of viable motivational approaches that can assist other FGS students to earn success in their education. The principle behind this study is that enhancing educational development is one of the best ways to impact community advancement in the contemporary society. The research will follow a narrative inquiry approach in the synthesis of the fact underlying the academic achievements of the FGS. With this interpretive approach, it will be possible to obtain the experiences of the selected samples and synthesise possible way in which to encourage other FGS to follow suit. In the recent past, the topic on First Generation students has generated a lot of heat in the area of research that is concerned with academic development. Ward, Siegel & Davenport (2012) define First Generation college students as those students entering college and originate from a family where none of the parents or siblings have attained have graduated
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Keeping the Canon Dim and Dull Essay Example for Free
Keeping the Canon Dim and Dull Essay American novelist Nicholas Sparks ranks among the #1 best sellers of today with 14 novels in 13 years; four of them adapted in film and put his authorship in a bigger mainstream. With Kevin Costner as Garrett Blake in Message in a Bottle (1999), Mandy Moore as Jamie Sullivan in A Walk to Remember (2002), and Richard Gere as Dr. Paul Flanner in Nights to Rodanthe (2008), it became far easier for the name to leave a commercial mark and drop some familiarity among young and old alike. But can commercial success lift a writerââ¬â¢s distinction in the literary world? What exactly makes a canon? To put it simply, is Nicholas Sparks a canon writer? The word canon itself becomes trite these days with the plethora of websites from Lord of the Rings to Harry Potter that treat just any bit of hype to be a canon. Both created history in bestseller and box office but none of the two is ââ¬Å"universallyâ⬠considered as a literary canon although LotR is considered to father the modern fantasy stories. According to Stevens, literary canons are not just worthy of serious academic attention; they have also become ââ¬Å"celebrated namesâ⬠holding some measure of universal acclaim. They are too many in history, Shakespeare and his magnum opera would be the most obvious to mention. Of course, who does not know the Dickensonian Ebenezer Scrooge, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield or even Fagin? In the romantic genre, Jane Austen could captivate you body and soul with Pride and Prejudice and Emma. So where exactly does Nicholas Sparks fall? Before anything else, it is important to note that there is no written policy on the establishment of a literary canon. A work is canonized only when it is included in the literary works that are studied and respected by literary or academic critics. Since literature is evolving and is perceived differently at the context of time and the criticââ¬â¢s subjective experience, the canonization then is generally subjective in nature and thus transcends time. For example, Jane Austen who is much celebrated for her comedy of manners and intellectual repartees remained close to anonymous until given a posthumous academic recognition in the 20th century. It might be a blunder to compare Sparks to Austen but a comparison is necessary to establish the argument ââ¬â does Sparks belong to the canon poll? Since there is not a precise appraisal to making the canon mark, let us then examine his works at the context of its impact on literature and culture, while studying its literary style and end. Nicholas Sparks writes love stories, most often contain tragic endings and set the tragedy-in-fate archetype he is infamous for. He considers it a completely different genre and forbids to be labelled a romance writer. ââ¬Å"I dont write romance novels, any more than Tom Clancy writes legal thrillersâ⬠, he said in an interview covered by bookreporter. com. The Romance Writers of America explains it this way: ââ¬Å"Two basic elements comprise every romance novel: a central love story and an emotionally-satisfying and optimistic ending. â⬠(Simpson) Given this description, Sparks could either be doing one of the two; benchmarking a love story genre or falling into the romance novel trap half foot. Unlike the majority of writers who fashion their characters first and create the conflict that suit the characters just second, Sparks admit to be doing the otherwise. Though his characters are inspired by real people (Jamie Sullivan was inspired by the death of her sister Danielle), he made them more compelling by making their conflicts larger than life. The flop in such a technique is apparent to any sophisticated reader or writer wannabe ââ¬â instead of the characters giving the plot the edge and leading it to a compelling climax, the characters become mere pawns to the writerââ¬â¢s intent. There will be little to no relevant character development. The reader will struggle to identify a character to remember, the plot will overshadow it all, especially when it is so tragic, it leaves you wishing for a different twist. This is contradictory to most tragic love stories, classical in literature. In Faulknerââ¬â¢s A Rose for Emily (short story), though the end is foretold in the beginning, what draws you is the narrative that so ardently expressed the issues, both internal and external, in vivid detail. In the end, the reader will come to understand that the death of one character does not necessarily define the tragedy in the story ââ¬â but how the character evolved so as to reach that cheerless conclusion. Message in a Bottle (1998), A Walk to Remember (1999) and Nights at Rodanthe (2002) all exemplify this flat disaster. The Notebook (1996) has some good moments particularly with its compelling narrative in the beginning, but still, the characterization failed to maintain the force given the very predictable outcome. For always, Sparks brings us to a TIME when people were not troubled by major social conflicts or to a simple, smaller PLACE where his characters live detached from conflicts and distractions of modern day. Sparks however, stands on his novels being realistic. It can be observed that most of his women ââ¬â Allie Nelson (The Notebook), Theresa Osborne (Message in a Bottle), Denise Holton (The Rescue) and Elizabeth Green (The Lucky One) to name a few, were divorcees or single mothers trying to have a hold on life and finding their self in love once again. The situation per se is indeed realistic especially in this time. What made them stranger than fiction though is how they confronted these realistic struggles in a way, only a pen could smudge. For instance in The Notebook, Allieââ¬â¢s love for Noah was rekindled with not much plot support. The mother confessed of her ploy to separate them and the key to the reunion was easily established. In Message in a Bottle, Theresa embarked on a detective search for Garrett out of mere curiosity. Given that Theresa is a journalist, has a child and just finds herself caught in an unexpected divorce, it would be very uncharacteristic for her to feel real sappy and romantic over somebody she clearly did not know, and who matter-of-fact declared his love for someone else. Clearly, all these characters and sub-plots turned out not because they evolved like how humans are supposed to, but because that is how exactly the writer intended it to be. Taking into the iceberg principle of 10/90, 10% was real while the submerged 90% was a loosely based romance archetype. In fact, the plots of the 13 novels were prototyped from The Notebook, his first. That is why, only hardcore romance suckers would get whatever thrill there is while the more sophisticated readers who are looking for more sense and substance find the subsequent readings redundant and predictable. Although The Notebook and A Walk to Remember books were set in 1932 and 1958 respectively, it did not contain any historical account or social issues relevant to the setting specified. Unlike with Gabriel Marquez of One Hundred Years of Solitude, whose diversity of structure and literary plot showed the postmodernism for which he belongs, Sparks seems lost in principle and time. He is not a realist, not an impressionist, not a neo-classicist and does not claim to be a romantic. His works lack social and historical relevance and thus have no place in a serious academic discussion. For one, there is no need for a brow-knitting analytical criticism. In fact, your brows would knit effortlessly for lack of needed smarts than for over thinking. To get the sparks going, a reader only needs to have his / her tear glands all set, with the tissue or hanky at hand and the ride is on. Things can get pretty predictable so in order to avoid any failed expectation; do not expect anything at all. With Nicholas Sparks, the best thing you could get out of your seven bucks is a good cry and a great kiss. So what made Nicholas Sparks one of the most bankable writers at the moment? Personally, I see his first three works to be the primary determinant. The Notebook was a good spank for an undying love. Message in a Bottle was a curious case after the first hit. A Walk to Remember captivated a whole new, much younger audience. But all the rest that followed bored us to tears or to death. With each novel written and published just mere months after the other, it is clear that more than creating works of literary art, Nicholas Sparks is better hauled for the money. I am not saying it is a bad choice but it is not a direction for creating literary mark like Hemingway or Faulkner long achieved. Or maybe, we can blame Hollywood for taking a toll on the evolution or decline of American literature. With most of the writers choosing the more marketable screenplay career and with people going visual, it is indeed easier to go with the current and deliver the visual imagery the audience is looking for. Or maybe, just like the many writers that their time rejected, the future might hold a place for Nicholas Sparks and prove this personal deduction to be false. Only time could tell. For now, much credit is given to the stars that made Sparksââ¬â¢ masterpieces more compelling than the lines they convey and continue to burn Nicholasââ¬â¢ name in Amazon, or in the bookshops near you. References Simpson, Donna Lea. ââ¬Å"What Defines the Romance Novelâ⬠. suite101. com. 12 November 2007. http://romancefiction. suite101. com/article. cfm/what_defines_a_romance_novel, accessed 25 April 2009 Stevens, Charlotte. The Literary Canon. The Literary Encyclopedia. 10 January 2007. [http://www. litencyc. com/php/stopics. php? rec=trueUID=158, accessed 25 April 2009. ] Bookreporter. com. ââ¬Å"Nicholas Sparksâ⬠. 1996-2009. http://www. bookreporter. com/authors/au-sparks-nicholas. asp, accessed 25 April 2009.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) :: Essays Papers
Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) Abstract: Computers are being used for many different reasons all across the world. Computers are used in the work place for documentation and to keep records of clients. The question that will be answered is how does the computer monitor affect an individual during use? The anatomy of the human eye will be addressed to give the reader a better understanding of how light travels through the eye. Computer Vision Syndrome, also known as (CVS), is an effect of gazing into a monitor for long periods of time, and will be discussed to give the reader a clear illustration of the negative effects of the computer monitor. Computer monitors are used in everywhere in many types of lighting, and workplace lighting is an example that will be discussed. The factors that contribute to CVS will be discussed, the symptoms, and finally ways to prevent CVS will be addressed so that the reader will be aware of what can happen if they are sitting in front of a computer for a long duration. How does the computer monitor affect the individual during use? To answer this question, I will address the structure of the pixel and the anatomy of the eye. The human eye is very complex system that responds to many different types of light waves. The light waves enter through the cornea, which is a curved thin membrane that bends the light that passes through. The pupil is the part of the eye that contracts or dilates in response to a given amount of light. For example, if an individual stands in a well-lit room, then the pupils would be constricted because there is too much light. If that person turns the light off, then the pupils will dilate. They dilate, or become bigger because the eyes want to see what is going on. While an individual type on the keyboard in front of the computer monitor, the pupils act the same as in a lighted room versus as dark room. The images that one sees on a monitor such as graphics are made of small pixels. Pixels are the result of an electron beam striking the phosphors coated rear of the surface of the screen (Watt, 2004). Outside of the pixel is less bright than the center of the pixel (Watt, 2004). It is the pixel, which makes it hard for the eyes to focus.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
How the Food We Eat Reflects our Culture and Identity Essay
Ntozake Shange in her essay, What Is It We Really Harvestinââ¬â¢ Here? had taught her readers a very important lesson that is very vital in understanding oneââ¬â¢s culture and oneââ¬â¢s family. It is the simple truth that food is more than food. It was clearly communicated in Ntozake Shangeââ¬â¢s essay that food is not just an arbitrary or random thing that arises from oneââ¬â¢s culture or family. Rather, the local food of oneââ¬â¢s culture and family is a reflection of his or her environment and his way of living. The food that we eat is a mirror to what the nature provided to us outside of our houses. At the same time, food is also the mirror of our own creativity and taste. Whether we prefer sweetness over spiciness, such preferences appear and manifest on how we prepare and how we cook our foods. Summing it up, food is a very important element that we must take a look (and taste) to have a good grasp or understanding of oneââ¬â¢s culture or oneââ¬â¢s family. The essay What Is It We Really Harvestinââ¬â¢ Here? can be regarded as a very important and significant piece of literature in proving the significance of food in understanding onesââ¬â¢ culture. In the essay of Shange, she told the story of numerous local delicacies that will convince us to the point that we are establishing. Take for example the Shangeââ¬â¢s example of sweet potatoes. In the essay, she made a very good way of instructing his readers on how to grow quality sweet potatoes. Growing sweet potatoes require much dedication, patience and knowledge. As seen in Shangeââ¬â¢s instruction on how to grow a sweet potato, it was seen clearly how one must work hard to be able to produce a good quality potato. In fact, as stated in the essay, ââ¬Å"[one must ]Get your soil ready at least two weeks before planting. . . (Shange 111)â⬠The entire procedure is difficult. As stated again, ââ¬Å"The easiest thing to do with a sweet potato is to bake itâ⬠(112). These lines clearly showed that growing sweet potatoes is a tough job. This difficult method of growing such crops mirrors the characters of the people or group of people who happened to eat those crops. As growing a potato requires dedication and patience, we can also argue that the people that grow this crops are dedicated and patient. This is our first way of proving the point that we established above ââ¬â that food is viable factor to see in understanding oneââ¬â¢s culture or oneââ¬â¢s family. Another notable proof of the relationship of food and culture is the case of the Carolina Rice. As discussed in Shangeââ¬â¢s essay, rice, more particularly the Carolina rice reached a great demand in the 1700s. Because of this, the slaves who came from West Africa are priced better than their other counter parts. This is because of a more complex knowledge and skill that is required in growing rice. The slaves who grew from rice countries are priced better. As stated in the essay, ââ¬Å"Plantation owners were perfectly aware of the superiority of African slaves from rice countryâ⬠(114). Despite the complexity of growing rice, its cooking is much simpler than its cultivation. Again, this can be related to the simplicity of the lives of the people who adapt this kind of food. Rather than undergoing some complex process of cooking, rice are just simply boiled in water (116). Once again, this showed how rice that is very complicated to grow yet very simple to cook mirror its African cultivators who have a rich culture and tradition, yet living a simple life. The way we cook our own food tells a lot on our preferences and fondness. In the essay, it was written in the later part of it that North Americans does not prefer burnt rice at the bottom of the casserole. In fact, they find it scary. However for the people other people, rice, at least the bottom of it are preferred to be burnt. This burning made possible the cooking of very dry rice (116). In my opinion, these burnt rice preferences of the colored people remind them the colored of their skins. Sidestepping a bit from the literature to my own experience, being Hispanic also mirrored on my food tastes. My taste for a good food is determined by my background as someone who has a Hispanic descent. Coming from this particular background, I prefer foods that possess a great deal of flavor and variety. As common to all Hispanics, we prefer rice meals, chilies, spices and tomatoes. This in respect to our cultivation of these crops and fruits in the earlier times and of course to our rich cultural and historical past. Shange had successfully proved to us the important relationship of food and our cultural and familial identity. As we said in the beginning of this essay, food is not a random and arbitrary thing that just popped in our households. Rather, food is product of our experiences, our appeals, our desires that were smoothened by time. What we grow is who we are. What we buy is who we are. What we eat is who we are. Food is truly a mirror to our cultures and most importantly, a reflection of our humanity. Works Cited Shange, Ntozake. What Is It We Really Harvestinââ¬â¢ Here. p. 109-117
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Christianity vs Jainism Essay
I have selected Christianity and Jainism, two of the foremost world beliefs as the two beliefs I would like to compare. I chose these two beliefs because of my familiarity with Christianity and my concern in liking to discover more about Jainism. I begun my study by liking to understand about their likenesses but completed up discovering many more about their differences. I will start by giving a short abstract on each belief and then I will register and interpret three dissimilarities in their outlooks on perfection, convictions in Gods, and finally their convictions about non-violence. Lastly, I will announce the book reader how these dissimilarities sway the persons inside the religion. First, letââ¬â¢s take a gaze at Christianity. It is a monotheistic belief that begun almost 2000 years ago. In the publication, Living Religions, it states Christianity as a belief founded belief that aim itsââ¬â¢ outlooks on the life and outlooks of Jesus Christ (Living 295). Christians should make every effort to be like Jesus. The concepts that Christians accept as factual about Jesus (his life and teaching) are founded on biblical text (Living 297). The Bible, which comprises the educating of Jesus through scriptures and text, has been mentioned to as the divinely motivated Word of God. Christians accept as factual that Jesus is the Son of God and that God conceived all things (Konig). Jainism, on the other hand, is a non-theistic religion. It is a non-Vedic belief that drawn from out of India. There is no creator or destroyer (Living 122). Jainism is one of Indiaââ¬â¢s oldest and was one of its smallest renowned beliefs but is now evolving identified as a entire and fruitful route (Living 120). Christianity and Jainism disagree in their convictions about perfection. Christians accept as factual that no one except Christ is perfect. Christians accept as factual that there is no way to come to that flawless state. They accept as factual that as long as there are persons, there will habitually be sin. Judaism and Christianity evolved on the cornerstone complying God, on adherence to his directions and aims and their trustworthy fulfillment. Since the fulfillment of Godââ¬â¢s will is a obligation of a Jewish or Christian individual, both beliefs drop into the rule-deontological category. In Judaism, God is glimpsed as having a contractual connection with the Jewish persons where they should comply his holy regulations in come back for their rank of the selected people. God pays or penalizes Jewish persons founded on if they comply or disobey his will. In components of the Old Testament, although, God does display clemency or forgiveness, and in subsequent interpretations Godââ¬â¢s regulations such as the Ten Commandments are pursued not only out of commitment to God but furthermore because of their high lesson character. In Christianity, the focus is put on love of God other than on complying his will. People should accept as factual that God is merciful and loves them as well. As a reflection of Godââ¬â¢s love, persons should furthermore love other persons (and the entire humanity in general) and pardon their enemies. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus endorses agape, or selfless love (in compare to eros, or possessive love), which comprises of dedication to another personââ¬â¢s good, even at the total cost of our own good and happiness. People should perform calm and nonviolence; come back healthy bad and love for pain (ââ¬Å"turn the other cheekâ⬠). This directs to a exceptional beginning of fairness, called the ââ¬Å"divine justiceâ⬠, which is founded on giving a individual what he or she desires rather than warrants (e. g. , in case of a misdeed, redemption rather getting even). Even though anapestic love is absolutely a noble perfect, it is unstable equilibrium and an so straightforward casualty of the ââ¬Å"prisonerââ¬â¢s dilemma,â⬠in which the best alternate for a assembly of persons is not the best alternate for each individual in the group. In other phrases, firm adherence to anapestic perfect only works if every individual pursues it but falls short if there are self-centered persons who take benefit of the selfless people. Have you ever been exploring for a thing on the Internet and snapped on a guiltless staring overpass and been sent to a pornographic site? This eventuates more times than bulk separate population realize. Many times dead overpasses or wrong positions will self-acting lead you to a pornographic site. The way that pornography on the Internet is accessed wants to be modified, so it is not mistakenly opened. There is many of debate through if pornography ought be on the Internet or not. Personally I could care smaller diagram if it was on World Wide Web or not. I perform not view at any of it neither will I ever care to. There are numerous separate populations out there any people who perform decide to view at pornography. I sense that is someone choice. As prolonged as the someone is 18 or through they ought be competent to view at pornography on the computer show in public till their eyes pass over if they longing to. The simply real problem I look is how a customer can be so without obstacle misdirected to a pornography position and exploring to receive out of one of these sites later you have mistakenly been sent there can be annoying. I am definite we have all had this problem, you in one way or another receive sent to a porn position and all these tiny packing metal cans commence popping higher to play-act to other sites, to view at photos, and to pay for things. Trying to snap your way out can be crazy. Every time you lastly remove one packing reservoir another one pops up. If you test to exercise the behind button to receive out, you not able to because the siteââ¬â¢s designer has it initiate so you are snared there. The way these sites are initiate wants to be changed. A customer ought not to be sent there if not they prepared in ââ¬Å"pornographyâ⬠in a explore motor or they prepared in a actual pornographic siteââ¬â¢s address. Misdirection to these sites wants to be stopped. Many separate population dispute that pornography ought not to be on the Internet because younger young youngsters could receive into these sites and look item they perform not want seeing. In my view, younger young youngsters ought not even be on the Internet without develop someone supervision. There is many of knowledge on the Internet that younger young youngsters perform not want to be accessing in supplement to pornography. What I perform not understand is that you can play-act to a warehouse and pay for a pornographic journal or play-act to a cinema warehouse and hire a pornographic cinema and separate population are smaller diagram bothered by these ;than the very interchangeable thing on the Internet. I sense that just because there is pornographic material on the Internet that does not intend that you have to view at it. If it bothers you afterward just perform not play-act near these sites. Use the Internet for your have intents and sanction other separate population to exercise it for their reasons. As prolonged as the way pornographic sites are investigated on the Internet are modified in lead that separate population are not mistakenly sent to these sites ,I look no start why these sites not able to be on the Internet with all the other knowledge out there. I not able to ever play-act to these sites so if they are extracted it not able to act on at all since it does not act on me now. It is a someone determination that each someone has to generate for themselves and I consider every someone ought have the right to entry to no matter what material they are fascinated in.
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Insecticides essays
Insecticides essays An insecticide is used to kill insects. There are many kinds of insecticides, but organic insecticides are the most commonly used (World Book, 1999). Organic insecticides are split into three different categories: Chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides, organophosphate insecticides, and carbamate insecticides (World Book, 1999). In this paper, I'll explore how toxic each of these insecticides are, how they affect wildlife, humans, and the environment, and what we can do to help. Some insects, like white flies and mosquitoes, can carry deadly diseases that affect crops, animals and humans. Insects can cause about 5.5 billion dollars in crop and live stock losses every year. Some of the diseases they cause are Cattle Fever and Sheep Scab. The insecticides are used to kill insects and protect livestock (World Book, 1999). Insecticides can also be used on flea treatments for cats, dogs, and other animals (Ackerman, 1996). Organic Insecticides are the most commonly and widely used insecticides. They are synthetic substances made from carbon, hydrocarbon insecticies, organophosphate insecticides (World Book 1999). Chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides, also know as "organic chlorines", contain chlorine atoms (World Book 1999). Common members of this group are Acaralate, Acarol, Aldrin, BHC, Chlordance, Chlorobenzilate, DDT, dicofol, dieldrin, endosulfan, endrin, heptachlor, kepone, lindane, methoxychlor, mirex, perthen, TDE, and toxaphene (Hamm 1982). They're persistant because after being used once, they can still affect living things for several years. This is because they don't break down chemically so they're found in soil, animal and fish tissue, plants, and water (Hamm, 1982). These, and all persistant insecticides, are trying to be replaced and restricted because they kill bird, fish, and other animals (World Book, 1999). Organophospahte Insecticides contain phosphorus atom (World Book, 1999). Common members o...
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Save Me the Waltz (1932) by Zelda Fitzgerald
Save Me the Waltz (1932) by Zelda Fitzgerald Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald was the troubled wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald, one of the most famous American writers of all-time.à Save Me the Waltzà is her first and only novel, one which is largely autobiographical and whichà coversà approximately the same time period as her husbandââ¬â¢s masterpiece,à Tender is the Night (1934). Both books fictionalize the couples life in Paris together, but each from their own perspective.à Whileà Tender is the Nightà deals with F. Scottââ¬â¢s attempt at handling his wifeââ¬â¢s eccentric nature and ultimate mental breakdown,à Save Me the Waltzà is much more about Zeldaââ¬â¢s hopes and dreams and her sense of being overshadowed in most regards by her husbandââ¬â¢s great success.à Zelda Fitzgerald was considered to be one of the first American ââ¬Å"Flappersâ⬠ââ¬â a glamorous and materialistic woman whose greatest hope was to become a prima ballerina, though she only pursued dance late in life. The story itself is interesting in that it reveals Zeldaââ¬â¢s perspective on F. Scott as well as her interpretation of that great American time period known as ââ¬Å"The Roaring ââ¬Ë20s.â⬠The majority of the characters, aside from Alabama (Zelda), David (F. Scott) and Bonnie (their daughter) are relatively flat and, at times, even incongruous (charactersââ¬â¢ names spelled in different fashions, eye colors changing, etc.).à What Fitzgerald does well, though, is to create charactersà in relation toà Alabama.à The dance instructors and love interests, for example, all come to life quite unexpectedly because of the way they interact with Alabama.à The relationship between David and Alabama is drawn extraordinarily well and, in fact, is reminiscent of the loversââ¬â¢ relationship in Ernest Hemingwayââ¬â¢sà (1946, 1986). Theirs is a tortuously romantic bond, hopeless and beautiful at the same time.à It makes sense that this would be the most aptly developed relationship, considering it is at the core of the story (and the primary impetus for Zeldaââ¬â¢s writing the story in the first place). Little Bonnieââ¬â¢s character is also quite charming and her relationship with her Dad is lovely, particularly near the end.à This book has been both praised and derided for its prose and style. The structure is sound and relatively traditional; however, the prose and language are quite odd. At times, it seems to read like a less sexual, female version of William S. Burroughs; the narrative breaks into vivid streams of consciousness, where one has to wonder if passages were written in a fury of rage. While these moments are sometimes over-the-top, even inexplicable or irrelevant, they are also quite beautiful.à Thereââ¬â¢s a bizarre honesty to the breaks in tempo and the seemingly random items which Fitzgerald chooses to romanticize through language.à Some readers are bound to be enamored by this style, but others might find the self-indulgent moments both distracting and exasperating. When Zelda Fitzgerald originally wrote this book, it was much more accusatory and biographical than the version which was ultimately published.à Her husband believed that she had created the book in a fit of self-destruction, hoping to destroy her (and his) reputations. F. Scott Fitzgerald and their editor, Max Perkins, ââ¬Å"assistedâ⬠Zelda with revisions.à Although historical evidence (letters, manuscripts, etc.) seem to prove that their part in the revision process was limited and mostly geared toward making elements and characters who were modeled after real-lifeà events andà individuals more obscure, Zelda would later accuse her husband of forcing her to change the book entirely and also allege that he stole her original manuscript to write his own (Tender is the Night).à Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this book, then, is in its history and historical significance.à Much can be learned about the Fitzgeraldââ¬â¢s relationship and personalities not only by reading the story, but also in researching the history and creation of the book itself, as well as her husbandsà similarly-themed novel.
Sunday, November 3, 2019
PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE LAB PAPER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE LAB PAPER - Essay Example The factors that were measured included my percent of fat, my VO2 max, my forward flexion, my grip strength max, grip sum per weight ratio, my vital capacity, my actual vital capacity per ratio, my blood pressure, my risk for coronary heart disease and my total fitness score. These factors help me to determine what changes I need to make to strengthen my body and minimize my risks for heart disease. The VO2 max is the amount of maximum oxygen or volume of oxygen that is utilized during one minute of exhaustive exercise according to our informative handout. It is measured in the units of milliliters of oxygen used in one minute per kilogram of body weight. During my assessment, my VO2 level of milliliters per kilogram per minute was at 26.4 percent. This falls in the range that borderlines between average and below average. This factor helps to determine my capacity to perform exercise and correlates with my aerobic fitness. Since it is at a fair range, I consider it to be one of the positive aspects of my physical assessment values during the analysis of the test. Other positive aspects of the physical assessment test are that according to body fat percentages, I am considered to be lean at 20 percent. My vital capacity was average at 3.46 liters. My actual vital capacity ratio was 0.89 which was also considered to be average. As far as my forward flexion in inches, I was at 1 inch which was fair but still below average. My total coronary heart disease risk was at an 8, which is average but a little bit on the higher side. These were the most positive aspects of my assessment. When looking at the negative aspects, though my coronary heart risk was at an 8 which was at average risk, I would prefer if it were to be below average. My VO2 max being at 26.4 milliliters per kilogram per minute is below average. My maximum grip strength was poor at 20.0 kilograms. One thing that concerned me a little bit was my blood
Thursday, October 31, 2019
HAPPINESS AND MORALITY Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
HAPPINESS AND MORALITY - Term Paper Example Based on the points raised by virtue ethics, a person is being moral when he is performing moral acts. Therefore, the requisite for cultivating a reputation as being virtuous is through performing acts that are moral or virtuous which makes the person becomes moral or virtuous. This is the heart of her argument regarding the supposed autonomy of happiness and morality with each other. Aristotle postulates ââ¬Å"being moral will make you happyâ⬠(qtd. in Vitrano 4), which Vitrano argues saying that the morality and intellectual character of a person do not automatically lead to happiness (3). In her words, Vitrano states ââ¬Å"we do find happy immoralists, people who knowingly break the rules of society and appear unaffected by itâ⬠(3). Vitrano makes a plausible explanation for her conclusion that a person who appears to be moral needs first to perform virtuous acts or by being virtuous. One cannot establish his or her image as a virtuous person without doing acts that ha ve intrinsic moral values in it. I agree with Vitrano that an appearance of a virtuous individual entails the actual doing of things which are deemed virtuous. For instance, a president is not seen as a virtuous person without acting like one, such as abolishing the death penalty because it is pro-life. If the president does the opposite by signing the retention of that capital punishment, on a philosophical perspective, he appears to be immoral by doing the exact opposite of a virtuous act. Based on Aristotelian perspective, moral or intellectual virtues are the key to happiness; meaning, failure to appear virtuous by not performing moral acts does not make a person happy. However, I do agree with Vitrano that moral acts do not necessarily result to happiness because it is an independent domain apart from morality and intelligence. This has also the same logic with what Martin says, ââ¬Å"Individuals blessed with every good fortune can be unhappy because they are depressed, and in dividuals with little good fortune can still be happyâ⬠(8). In the same way that fortune does not mean happiness, doing moral acts also does not automatically lead to happiness. Pascalââ¬â¢s Wager: Similarities and Differences with Vitranoââ¬â¢s Christine Vitranoââ¬â¢s view of happiness and morality shares some similarities with Pascalââ¬â¢s Wager. Both Vitrano and Pascal acknowledged the subjectivity among humans in terms of reasoning their state of happiness and their religion. Vitrano states that happiness cannot be construed on the volume of material possessions a person has or the moral and intellectual cause of his or her actions (3). Happiness is when humans view their lives positively, albeit fortune or doing things with morality and intellectual purpose as foundations (Vitrano 3). In other words, human happiness depends on the personal outlook of the person regarding the way he or she lives life. This view is embodied in the ââ¬Å"life satisfaction viewâ ⬠that follows the subjectivity of oneââ¬â¢s basis for being in a state of happiness (Vitrano 3). On one hand, Blaise Pascal in his work Pensees, encapsulated in his Wager the rationalization behind every religion. In the same case as Mathematics believes the existence of an infinite number although its appearance has not yet been witnessed, the same case applies to the existence of God. In Pascalââ¬â¢s Wager, he quantifies that God is ââ¬Å"infinitely incomprehensibleâ⬠because he is not, by affinity, related to us, and that he has neither ââ¬Å"
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Sales of bonds backed by riskier US corporate loans have surged to Essay
Sales of bonds backed by riskier US corporate loans have surged to their highest level in seven years, helping to fuel a leveraged lending boom that is concerning regulators - Essay Example Furthermore, the low-interest-rate environment, more credit spreads, and promising laws have bolstered many performance metrics to better than pre-crisis levels. It is predicted that the asset class will experience growths stemming from the attractive returns offered by the CLOs in comparison to similar collaterals. A collateralized loan obligation can be argued to be the entire structured financial transactions where several degrees of equity and debt are delivered via special service vehicles that are primarily composed of commercial loans. Specifically, a distinction exists between a Collateralized loan obligation and bond obligations or mortgage obligations in that CLO in that they are debt securities that are collateralized by commercial loans. The Collateralized Loan Obligations work on a purchase basis. Typically, the degree and extent of the investment in the Collateralized Loan Obligations depends on the risk tolerance level of the investor, such that, risk tolerant investors receive more returns on their investment relative to risk averse investors. Comparatively, a case of a default on loans leads to the risk averse investors reaping the most (Westerfeld, & Weber, 2010, p. 75) Throughout the third quarter of 2008, the market experienced one of the worst financial crisis ever experienced in the twenty-first century. The crisis was characterized by the failure of major business and reduction in consumer wealth by huge margins (Westerfeld, & Weber, 2010, p. 70). Nevertheless, experts argue that the bursting of the housing bubble in 2006 led to the plummeting of the pricing in the real estate business, an issue that damaged most financial institutions. Key among the players in the causes was the Collateralized Loan Obligations that acted a substantial part in the sub-prime of the housing boom. With the continued growth of the CLO throughout 2005, more focus shifted to the use of subprime mortgages as collateral against
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Advantages and Disadvantages of System Testing
Advantages and Disadvantages of System Testing Assessment and reporting are the means by which learning can be monitored and stakeholders can be informed of achievement. Its educational aspect sees results used to identify strengths and weaknesses and improve future learning, and its instrumental aspect involves grouping of students according to achievement . Parents, teachers and students are interested in its educational function, whereas external stakeholders such as governments are concerned with the instrumental aspect. Movement towards a global and digital economy has necessitated skilled and knowledgeable school leavers, crucial for Australias social and economic prosperity. Governments therefore require schools to demonstrate student achievement at acceptable levels to justify their economic support . This accountability also ensures the community understands provision of funding and services to schools . To provide this information, assessment must be undertaken on a national scale. As the information required differs to that required in the classroom, strategies for assessment differ in design, implementation and reporting. National assessment must be inexpensive, rapid and externally mandated, and results must be transparent and accessible . Herein lie the issues with national testing. Authentic assessment is becoming popular in the classroom, testing real-life experiences and practical knowledge over numerous assessment tasks. In contrast, national tests assess students on one occasion and rely on a pen-and-paper mode of deliver, leading to debate over validity. Benefits of system-wide testing Over the past 40 years, international and national testing has increased substantially. While early implementation assisted selection of students for higher education, more recent national assessment is used to evaluate curriculum implementation . As different curricula operate throughout Australia and internationally, benchmarking has been developed to facilitate comparisons between countries or students and identify strengths and weaknesses . In Australia, the National Assessment Program (NAP) incorporates annual NAP literacy and numeracy (NAPLAN), and three yearly sample assessments in science literacy, civics and citizenship, and information and communication technology literacy. Most debate surrounds NAPLAN, hence it will be discussed further. NAPLAN proceeds under direction of the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA, previously MCEETYA) and is federally funded. It was developed to test skills essential for every child to progress through school and life . Each year, all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are assessed in reading, writing, language conventions and numeracy. NAPLAN endeavours to provide data enabling Government to: analyse how well schools are performing identify schools with particular needs determine where resources are most needed to lift attainment identify best practice and innovation conduct national and international comparisons of approaches and performance develop a substantive evidence base on what works . NAPLAN claims to achieve this by collecting a breadth of information that cannot be obtained from classroom assessment. Government benefits from analysis on such large data samples: outcomes for groups including males/females, Indigenous and low socio-economic status students provide an evidence-base to inform policy development and resource allocation . Comparing individual students to others in their state, and national benchmarks provides detailed information for teachers to inform future learning. Individual students can also be mapped over time, to identify areas of improvement or those requiring intervention. In addition, national testing assists students moving schools in that it allows immediate identification of their learning level by their new school . Strict guidelines surround reporting of results to ensure benefits are gained. The Government have committed to ensuring that public reporting: focuses on improving performance and student outcomes is both locally and nationally relevant is timely, consistent and comparable . If NAPLANs implementation follows these guidelines, it will provide great benefit to Australia. However in these early stages of implementation, it is important to consider the troubled experiences of other countries regarding national testing. Lessons to be learnt National assessment was introduced in England in 1992 to establish national targets for education. Students are assessed at ages 7 and 11 in English and mathematics, and at 14 also in science . The no child left behind legislation was implemented in the USA in 2001 to reduce the disparity between high and low ends of student achievement, focussing on literacy and numeracy. Students are assessed yearly between Year 3 and 8, and once between Year 9 and 12. Results are analysed on the basis of socioeconomic and ethnic background, and published as school league tables by the media. Federal funding is linked to school performance . The common issues with both cases will be discussed below. Being a topical issue, the majority of literature on national testing is highly biased towards the authors opinion. However if or when these effects occur, they have the capacity to negatively impact on students. As such, they also need to be considered within the Australian context. Narrowing of the curriculum With funding linked to success, teachers are obliged to ensure students achieve the best result possible in assessed subjects, and can end up teaching to the test. Those teachers who produce successful students using this strategy are rewarded, deepening the problem . Within assessed subjects, increased class time is spent teaching students to take tests and increasing focus on tested areas, leading to reduced emphasis on skills such as creativity and higher order thinking . Furthermore, time spent on subjects not tested is reduced in preference for those that are. This type of teaching has been labelled defensive pedagogy and leads to narrowing of the curriculum . Excluding low-achieving students Reports suggest that some low-performing students are excluded from enrolment or suspended during testing to improve school performance . In one example, students with low scores were prevented from re-enrolling, but were officially labelled as having withdrawn . Compounding this effect, successful schools then have further power to choose students, leading to a widening gap between low and high performing schools; in direct opposition to the reasons for implementing national assessment . disregarding high-achieving students High-achieving students can also be adversely affected, as many results are reported only as percentage achieving benchmarks. Priority is therefore given to students just below benchmarks to ensure they reach them . This has been described as developing cookie-cutter students, all with similar skills . In doing this, students achieving above benchmarks are not challenged, reducing motivation and causing disengagement. Lowered self-esteem In one study, for the three years after national testing was implemented student self-esteem was significantly reduced compared to students the previous two years. Furthermore, attainment in national tests correlated with self-esteem, suggesting that both pressure of testing and the students achievement can influence self-esteem . Increased drop-out rates When compared to schools of similar socio-economic background but without national testing, a significant increase in Year 8-10 students dropping out of school was observed . This may be linked to pressure to suspend students or reduced self-esteem and motivation associated with high-stakes testing. Reporting of league tables National testing results are often reported as league tables, presenting average scores allowing direct comparison between schools. However, results tend to reflect socio-economic status rather than true achievement, and the depiction of schools as successes or failures leads to even further inequity between socio-economic groups . Importantly, the tables give no information as to the cause of low achievement or means for improvement , and therefore do not fulfil their intended purpose. Recent trends have seen publication of value-added data, adjusted for socio-economic status , however the methods of calculation are not explicit, hence their benefit is debatable. disparity from classroom assessment Classroom assessment has become increasingly authentic, with students being assessed on real-world tasks , giving them the best possible chance of demonstrating knowledge and skills. The use of national testing opposes this model, assessing students on one single occasion and leaving teachers uncertain as to appropriate pedagogy. Results obtained during classroom inspections of authentic styles of assessment have been shown to differ to those from national testing , leading to questioning over validity. Ensuring reliability and validity in Australia The issues described above need to be considered to ensure reliability and validity of national testing in the Australian context. Reliability Reliability refers to consistency of assessment, where results should be the same irrespective of when, where and how the assessment was taken and marked . The primary issue is marking consistency throughout Australia. Information technology facilitates accurate marking of simple answers, and Newton suggests computer-based scoring algorithms for constructed responses also improve reliability. Moderation ensures all assessors use the same strategies, and marking by more than one person may also improve reliability. Moderation also assists in maintaining threshold levels over time . Validity Validity refers to the assessment testing what it was designed to test. Construct validity: assessment is relevant, meaningful and fair and provides accurate information about student knowledge Content validity: assessment is linked to a specific curriculum outcome Consequential validity: assessment does not result in a specific group of students consistently performing poorly Concurrent validity: students receive similar results for similar tasks . Debate arises over the capacity of national assessment to demonstrate real-world tasks in meaningful contexts, or deep thinking and problem solving . With diverse cultural and language backgrounds, Australian students bring to school a variety of experiences and beliefs and demonstrate learning differently. The single occasion, pen and paper style delivery of national testing does not capture this diversity and can lead to anxiety . This is evident particularly for students from Indigenous and low socioeconomic backgrounds. One teacher suggested that the assessment is daunting, and skills valued in their culture are not seen as relevant . The concept of silent and individual examination is foreign due to their cultural value of collaboration, and the numeracy assessments are unfair because of their low English literacy (G. Guymer, personal communication, April 2011). Much time is spent teaching students how to complete forms, reducing teaching time already limited by low attendance . The aspiration for equality in Australian education is evident. However, this evidence suggests that rather than closing the gap national testing may actually be increasing it. Reporting of results In the past, rather than publishing league tables Australia has value-added to data by grouping schools with similar characteristics, to track individual students, and identify schools in need . However, this grouping has been challenged, as each school is essentially unique . To address this, the My School website was published in 2010 (http://www.myschool.edu.au), publishing a school profile including information on staffing, facilities and financial resources. The NAPLAN results are reported for each school against national averages as well as against 60 schools with similar socio-economic characteristics throughout Australia . Using results to improve learning Despite the overwhelming negative response to national testing, it is unlikely to disappear. As such, using results to improve student learning is the best response. Some methods used successfully are described below. Diagnostic application Although not designed for the purpose, results can be used to identify strengths and weaknesses for individuals or groups of students. By analysing specific questions, common errors can be identified and inadequacies in thinking inferred . In doing so, national assessment results can be used as a formative assessment to guide future teaching. As NAPLAN is undertaken every three years, results for individual students can also be analysed over time to identify improvement or decline. Consistency of schooling Together with the National Curriculum, results from NAPLAN will ensure students receive the same schooling across Australia. This will reduce difficulty associated with students changing schools, as their achievement level will be immediately accessible. Incorporation of content in the classroom NAP assessment tasks will be based on National Curriculum content once implemented. As students will be exposed to content during class, national testing should not pose an added burden for teachers. Teachers at Ramingining School ensure all worksheets incorporate question formats similar to those on NAPLAN tests, and in primary school tests are undertaken weekly in English or mathematics under test conditions (G. Guymer B. Thomson, personal communication, April 2011). The school therefore does explicitly teach students to take the test. Allocation of funding and resources Arguably the most important outcome of national testing is to identify schools with particular needs and determine where resources are most needed to lift attainment . Appropriate distribution of funding and resources will mean NAPLAN has delivered on these promises. In turn, there should be a closing of the gap between low and high achieving schools, and a reduction in many of the issues discussed. Hopefully, implementation of the National Curriculum will support the purposes of NAPLAN, together leading to equality for young Australians.
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