Strategic Role of Information Systems in Contemporary Business Essay

Strategic Role of Information Systems in Contemporary Business Organisations - Essay Example Behind the Google search engine IT infrastructure are huge server farms and storage databases that enable the production of significantly high computational processing power. There is speculation about Google’s server farms, terabytes of storage disks packaged into shipping containers in order to allow for more set-ups of server farms around the world (Spencer 2011:35). These infrastructures are then distributed across numerous independent, which further provide resources for parallel computing. The arrangement has enabled Google to expand its market worldwide, surpassing the 100 billion dollars market capital as well as gaining admiration and respect all over the globe. Additionally, the paper uses Porter’s 5-forces approach to elaborate the competitive environment of the company as well as highlights its competitive advantages. Introduction The Google search engine is among the most widely used search engines in the globe. The firm has captured the hearts of informati on-craving individuals searching the web for everything and anything in their imagination. The growth of the company has been tremendous, dominating the search engine market by more than 60% worldwide (Scott 2008:162). Additionally, the firm currently has a market capital approaching the 200 billion dollars mark, which economically suggests that the company is doing great. The company capitalizes on information technology strategies to expand its market share, including improvement of its unique search engine algorithm as well as knowledge management techniques (Dalkir 2005:122). This paper seeks to analyze the conceptual framework of Google’s strategies and the application of knowledge management concept in developing and sustaining the strategic capabilities and the competitive edge of the company. The research strategy focuses on the recent adoption of knowledge management techniques in the search engine, as well as other application like the new social network Google Plus . The paper utilizes materials from educative and scholarly articles, journals, and books. Conceptual Framework The success of Google in the web-based search engine industry is attributed to the adoption of knowledge management principles in its search technology. Knowledge management is a powerful tool that Google has incorporated at the centre of its search paradigm (Fernandez and Leidner 2008:81). The search technology design is in such a manner that it polls the collective judgment of many web creators to optimize its search results. Consequently, the company has created a multi-billion dollar business empire from super-targeted advertisements that give magazines and newspaper classified a run for their money. Google was a first-mover in the many/ordinary business model, leaving most of the other competitors on the few/expert model (Bottletree Books 2011:23). The company capitalizes on the fact that search results be ranked based on collective judgment. The search results improv e as more people conduct web search using their application, enabling Google to associate relevant contents with keywords. Findings and Analysis The development of search engines began in early 1990s with aims of facilitating

Management of Poor Nutrition in Child

Management of Poor Nutrition in Child In each phase of life, human beings have specific dietary needs. During the first six months of life an infant acquires all its dietary needs from either breast milk or formula milk (Department of Health, 2005, p2). However after the age of six months it is important that the infant begins to complimentary feed in the form of a well-balanced diet that has the correct macro/micronutrients for optimum growth and development (Morgan Dickerson, 2003, p234). This part of the assignment will critically discuss the benefits of a well-balanced diet for the growing and developing infant. This will be undertaken with regards to the scenario given. The scenario is about a ten month old infant girl called Jasmine. She has been admitted to hospital for initial management of poor growth and malnutrition. The term malnutrition refers to both under-nutrition and over-nutrition. However, for the purposes of this essay the term malnutrition will be used for the term under-nutrition. Malnutrition can result from too little or the wrong kinds of food, or can be secondary to an underlying illness. Signs of malnutrition include short stature, thin arms and legs, skin and hair in poor condition, clearly visible vertebrae and rib cage, wasted buttocks, and in extreme cases, oedema, wasted facial appearance and lethargy (RCN, 2006, p30). Jasmine is still being fed on formula milk; however she has not be successfully weaned onto a solid diet. Delayed weaning can lead to slower growth and deficiencies in nutrients such as iron, zinc, fat soluble vitamins and fatty acids (EUFIC, 2000, p2). Adequate calorific intake is required for the infant’s growth, digestion, physical activity and maintenance of organ metabolic function. Carbohydrates are very important in the diet of a young infant as babies have only small hepatic glycogen stores and have a limited ability to carry out both gluconeogenesis and ketogenesis. It is recommended that carbohydrates should make up at least forty-forty-five percent of the infant’s total calorific intake (Turner, 2001, p572). Similarly, fat should make up around fifteen percent of an infants calorific intake. It is needed to provide energy and essential fatty acids, required for growth and tissue maintenance. As mentioned dietary fat is an important part of an infant’s diet. Infants need energy to enable the enormous growth of the first year and also facilitate high activity levels. Therefore, it is suggested that they require an energy-dense diet. Although this can be provided by carbohydrates, fat has almost twice as many joules of energy for weight than carbohydrate. As well as the energy component of fat in the diet, the infant requires the essential fatty acids for correct development of the nervous system (Livingstone, 1997, p9). It has been suggested that the lack of essential fatty acids may explain why malnourished children consistently achieve lower intellectual level, compared with their well nourished counterparts (Walker et al., 2007, p146). It is important to note however, that studies into this issue have methodical limitations that affect the results of the studies. The research had only a very small cohort of children, who had other psychosocial problems apart from being under-nourished. It is argued therefore that the findings can not be generalisable to al under-nourished children. Essential fatty acids can only be obtained from lipids (oils and fats) in the diet. Fat is also a source of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, each of which is needed by the infant to some degree. In very young infants the lack of vitamin D may produce hypercalcaemia and or hypocalcaemia convulsions alongside poor quality bone growth, resulting in rickets. Dietary vitamin D can be obtained through fish, cream and cheese (Morgan Dickerson, 2003, p315). Iron is another nutrient that is particularly important in an infant’s diet. By the age of six months, iron from foetal stores, breastfeeding or fortified formula milk is no longer sufficient to meet the infant’s demands. It is during this period of rapid growth and a simple weaning diet that dietary intake of iron may be insufficient to maintain normal haemoglobin. Therefore, infants need to be consuming significant amounts of iron in their diet. Iron is found in red meats, fish, liver and some leafy green vegetables. Absorption of iron can be enhanced by Vitamin C and intake of protein in the same meal or inhibited by phytates in cereals, legumes and tannins in tea and coffee (Neill Knowles, 2004, p162). Therefore, it is essential that Jasmine eats foods that have sufficient iron for her needs, in meals that have the correct amount of protein and Vitamin C. Iron-fortified infant cereals, alongside pureed iron-rich foods are a good start to the weaning process. Iron is essential to all cells. It is so important that the body has evolved specific mechanisms for its absorption, transportation and recycling. Iron is a mineral found in every cell of the body. Iron is considered an essential mineral because it is needed to make part of erythrocytes. The human body needs iron to make the oxygen-carrying proteins haemoglobin and myoglobin. Haemoglobin is found in red blood cells and myoglobin is found in muscles. Iron also makes up part of many proteins in the body. Haemoglobin is a protein found in erythrocytes that helps to transport oxygen around the body. Lack of iron in the diet can lead to iron-defciency anaemia (IDA). IDA is characterised by falling haemoglobin levels and increasing problems with breathlessness with ultimately, high output cardiac failure. Infants over the age of six months with IDA, which at this stage is primarily dietary in origin and which can develop slowly may reach extremely low levels of haemoglobin before any problem is diagnosed. Clinically, iron-deficient infants are often miserable, apathethic, with poor appitites and negative behaviours (Morgan Dickerson, 2003, p309). Besides calcium that is needed for the healthy growth of bones, another micronutrient that is important in an infant’s diet is zinc. Zinc has been found to be deficient, even in generally well-nourished infants. Zinc is an essential mineral that is found in almost every cell. It stimulates enzyme activity (substances that promote biochemical reactions the body). Zinc also maintains a healthy immune system, is required for wound healing, assists in sustaining the sense of taste and smell, and is necessary for DNA synthesis. Zinc also supports normal growth and development during pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence. Mild deficiency can lead to dermatitis, gingivitis, diarrhoea and loss of appetite. If the deficiency is severe and persistent this may lead to â€Å"failure to thrive† and neurological changes. Meat is a useful source of zinc, alongside dark green, leafy vegetables (Coutts, 2000, p2206). Infancy is a critical period for growth and development. After the first six months of life, babies can no longer acquire their nutritional needs from breast or formula milk alone. Weaning is the term used when solid foods begin to be introduced into the diet alongside milk feeds. From the evidence given, it appears that infants are at risk from certain disorders, diseases and delays in growth and development if certain macro/micronutrients are absent or deficient in the diet. It is essential therefore, that growing infants are given a well-balanced diet, which promotes and maximises the chance of the child having a long and healthy life. References Coutts A (2000) Nutrition and the life cycle 2: infancy and weaning, British Journal of Nursing, 9, 21, 2205-2216 Department of Health (2005) Weaning, http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4117080, date accessed August 2007 EUFIC (2000) Getting a Good Start in Life, Food Today, 11, 2 Livingstone B (1997) Healthy eating in infancy, Professional Care for Mother and Child, 7, 1, 9-11 Morgan J Dickerson JWT (2003) Nutrition in Early Life, Chichester, Wiley Sons Inc Neill S Knowles H (2004) The Biology of Child Health, Hampshire, Palgrave Macmillan RCN (2006) Recognising Nutrition, Paediatric Nursing, 18, 5, 30 Turner A (2001) Infant nutritional needs: an overview, British Journal of Midwifery, 9, 9, 572- 574 Walker S, Wachs T Gardner J (2007) Child development: risk factors for adverse outcomes in developing countries, Lancet, 369, 145-157 Essay question 2 The biological sciences in nursing curricula encompass anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, immunology, pharmacology, genetics and microbiology, a group of disciplines frequently referred to collectively as the biosciences (McVicar Clancy, 2001, p1415). This kind of scientific knowledge consists of facts, information, principles and theories. Debatably, in nursing, it includes evidence-based research findings and conceptual models of nursing, as well as research findings in other disciplines such as psychology, physiology, pharmacology and genetics. It is proposed that having this scientific knowledge base can help nurses describe, explain and predict (Wilkinson, 2007, p41). It is important to note that the study of biosciences and the specific study of child anatomy and physiology should go hand-in-hand with the social science of nursing and care so that a fully holistic approach to care and nursing is undertaken (Richardson, et al., 2001, p34). This will then empower and enable the paediatric nurse to give best-practice care that is person-centred and family-centred. This part of the assignment will discuss how knowledge of biosciences informs practice and contributes to the ability to meet both the nursing and dietary needs of Jasmine in a family-centred manner. It is proposed that understanding the biological influences on development allows for a better understanding of what possible errors may occur. With regards to nutrition, it is suggested that a paediatric nurse needs to know how various nutrients help the anatomical and physiological development of an infant. Jasmine has been admitted to hospital for initial management of poor growth and under-nutrition. It is suggested that it is a multi-disciplinary responsibility to ensure that Jasmine’s nutritional needs are met, and paediatric nurses have particular areas of responsibility and expertise (RCN, 2007, p2). These occur at all levels, entailing screening, assessing, planning, implementing, evaluating and monitoring the delivery of evidence based care that meets the nutritional and hydration needs of Jasmine. It is argued that, the ability to assess an infant’s nutritional status using anthropometry, observation and history is vital, but it is also as important for the paediatric nurse to have an understanding of the implications of information gained during an assessment. It is debated therefore that this is when knowledge of the biosciences is of particular importance. For instance, anthropometry, the measurement of the human body, can give useful information about growth and current nutritional status when compared with established norms. Here, knowledge of normal child anatomy and physiology is important so that any differences can be recognised. It is important to note however, that an assessment of nutritional status or growth should not rely on these measurements alone. Consideration must also be given to other factors, such as feeding history (Khair Morton, 2000, p2). It is debated that, knowledge of the biosciences if used with knowledge of psychosocial and environmental influences on health within a nursing context, will enhance patient care. Just relying on the importance of biological influences and not taking into account external influences on health can said to be â€Å"reductionist†. Arguably, reductionism in any form will lessen the quality of care. When taking into account external influences on health, the nurse in charge of Jasmine’s care must involve the family in the education of Jasmine’s nutritional needs. It is proposed that the greatest influence on a child is the family. Debatably, the infant’s experiences within the family have a considerable effect on their health, social and emotional development and these influences are not always positive. It is suggested that, there may be problems of poverty and depravation in Jasmine’s family and the paediatric nurse must have knowledge of other profess ionals who can give help and guidance to the family (Ross, 2003, p37). Arguably, in this way the family can learn together in partnership with other health and care professionals such as dieticians, social workers, psychologists, etc. From the evidence given, knowledge of biosciences when used in conjunction with other nursing care concepts can help paediatric nurses influence future health risks by educating families on the necessity of a well-balanced diet. However, nurses must first acquire an understanding of how nutrients affect a body’s growth and development. This understanding, alongside multi-disciplinary team work will provide the best holistic care possible. References Khair J Morton L (2000) Nutritional assessment and screening in children, Nursing Times, 96, 49, 2 McVicar A Clancy J (2001) The biosciences and Fitness for Practice: a time for review? British Journal of Nursing, 10, 21, 1415-1420 Richardson J, McEwing G Glasper EA (2001) Pre-registration children’s and young people’s nurse preparation: A SWOT analysis, Paediatric Nursing, 18, 10, 34-38 Ross A (2003) Promoting health: Challenges for children’s nurses, Paediatric Nursing, 15, 4, 37-39 RCN (2007) Nutrition Now: Principles for nutrition and hydration, www2.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/33898/Nutrition_now_Pamphlet_V7.pdf, date accessed August 2007 Wilkinson JM (2007) Nursing Process and Critical Thinking, New Jersey, Pearson-Prentice Hall

Blade Running to Cyberpunk Essay -- Cyberpunk Fiction Literature Genre

Blade Running to Cyberpunk Labels are a product of too many ideas that describes a field. Cyberpunk fiction is a genre that has only recently received its due respect as an art form. This label is the cause of great controversy when it comes to actually defining cyberpunk. To any definition, there are arguments to its validity and consistency, but there are some generally accepted traits of Cyberpunk (CP). CP is a reflection of the pop-culture of the eighties, an extension of Science Fiction that entangles hard and soft technology, and its stories contain realism. The eighties began the era of the CP movement. CP's early works reflected raw, young ideas of people who "refused the limits offered them by mere custom and habit (Sterling p 3--"Cyberpunk in the Nineties)." Across the world, technology was interfacing with the general population. The underground of New York, Tokyo, and London (Sterling p xii--"Preface to Mirrorshades) was writhing with desire for release. CP was an answer to that. It integrated the rock videos, synthesized music, and new technology of the decade, put it in context with the current social scene and then fast-forwarded it. The writers tended to have disregard and even disrespect for traditional publishing. In the nineties, the edge of the movement has worn off with the acquisition of maturity and success. "Good" CP retains most of those qualities today, with minor adjustments in style, such as having finer narrative, superior character development, and more insightful futurism (Sterling)." The integration of technolog y and narration has always been present. Uneducated readers may see CP as the same thing as Science Fiction. Any Cyberpunk would beg to differ. Though CP is derived from Science Fic... ...berpunk was not visible to most of the literary public. Some of those fantastic components in Bladerunner are realistic in modern day. So many opinions exist about what is and isn't Cyberpunk Fiction. Three elements have been (generally) agreed upon to be traits of the genre. They include reflections of the pop-culture of the eighties, combining of hard and soft technology, and an element of realism. Cyberpunk is more than an extension of Science Fiction, it is a literary movement that is growing and maturing. Though it has lost some of its young rawness, Cyberpunk remains a saucy defiance to the mainstream. Sources and Bibliograpy Bruce Sterling. "Peface to Mirrorshades". New York: Ace Books, 1986 Tonya Browning. "Writing about Cyberpunk Packet" Fall 1995 Bruce Sterling "Cyberpunk in the Nineties" Larry McCaffery's Interview with William Gibson

Childhood Obesity In America Essay

More and more American children are becoming overweight or obese. Years ago an elementary classroom may have one kid who was overweight but today that has drastically changed. We have a whole new generation of kids who are consuming much more â€Å"junk food† and eating fast food 3 or 4 nights a week and they are not as active as kids used to be. These kids are consuming things like Monster energy drinks, Starbucks coffee, Mountain Dew, chips, candy bars and more on a daily basis. Many of them are coach potatoes, video gamers, social networkers, texters, etc. We need to get this new generation of children to become more active. They also need to be educated on how to be aware of what they are eating and teach them to eat the so called â€Å"junk food† in moderation and incorporate more nutritious foods in his or her diet as well as maintain an active lifestyle. Childhood obesity is on the rise due to the many changes in our society and we need to do something to prevent it before it gets out of hand. Keywords: obesity, children, overweight Childhood Obesity in America Childhood obesity is becoming a problem across the globe and has been declared an epidemic in America. Children are consuming more calories than ever and many are not as active as earlier generations. For the first time in the history of this country, young people are less healthy and less prepared to take their places in society than were their parents. Diabetes is on the rise, American kids are getting sicker, becoming sadder and getting fatter. (W. Sears, M.D., M. Sears, R.N., J. Sears, M.D., R. Sears, M.D., 2006) Many of you probably remember running around the neighborhood when you were younger playing things like tag, hide and seek, capture the flag and many other outdoor games. Then you would get called in to eat, only to go right back out to play until it was time to come in for the  night. Now days you are more likely to find children indoors in front of the television, on the computer, texting a friend or playing a video game, not to mention they may be eating an unhealthy snack, such as a cookie or a bag of chips. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 12.5 million children and adolescents between the ages of 2 and 19 are obese. Obesity is a good indicator of unhealthy lifestyles, characterized by over-eating and lack of physical activity. Who is responsible for this you might ask. Is it the parents, the schools, fast food restaurants, technology, a down economy or even the food industry? We cannot single out and put the blame on any one of these. However, each one can be a contributing factor and the combination of them certainly could be part of the cause. Let’s take a look at how each of them impacts our children’s health. Let’s start with the parents. As I stated earlier, years ago children were outside playing much of the day. However, now parents are not letting the children out to play until they are much older because they worry about their safety. Part of the reason for this is that the world has changed. Ever hear the phrase â€Å"It takes a village†? Well years ago neighbors looked out for each other and their children. Now everyone minds their own business and keeps to him or herself. Even the cars going through the residential neighborhoods do not seem to be as cautious about watching for children. Maybe this has to do with the fact that children are not as often outside playing as they used to be. Families seem to be so much busier today than in the past. Most families are living on two incomes instead of one, which means there is not a stay at home parent making home cooked meals everyday. Not to mention families are having less and less meals together at the table. Instead parents are tired and are relying on quicker meals like frozen pizza’s, banquet chicken, corndogs, fries, hotdogs, macaroni and cheese, microwaveable meals, and even fast food. Many families are a single parent household and may be on a tight budget and may be purchasing the cheaper convenience foods that are typically less nutritious and have more additives and preservatives. Parents are not intentionally trying to make their children fat and/or sick. Most are trying to do the best they can and don’t realize the long-term effects of all the processed foods, especially combined with a less active lifestyle. What about the school’s role in all this? Kids spend a big part of their day at school and some eat breakfast and lunch at school. As a Licensed Family Child Care Provider, each year I have to take nutrition training through the USDA food program. After taking it one year and learning about high fat foods that are commonly served to children, I was looking at my son’s monthly lunch menu for the elementary school and noticed they were serving too many of these high fat foods in one week at lunch. In the same week the kids would be served chicken nuggets, pizza, and a breaded chicken sandwich. These foods are not bad if eaten on occasion and in moderation. However, what I learned in the nutrition training was that we should limit the amount of high fat foods served in one week. My daughter, who attends the high school, told me that everyday if the students don’t like the main option for lunch they could go and get a hamburger or hotdog with french fries as an alternative choice. Middle schools, junior highs, and high schools often have an a la carte line or snack bar at lunch, which consists of ice cream, cookies, juice, and other foods that are not very nutritious for a lunch. Some schools even have soda machines and snack machines. There have even been some schools that are cutting their physical education and sports programs. Technology plays a big role in the children not being as active as they used to be. There are no longer just Saturday morning cartoons. Now with channels like the Disney Channel and Cartoon Network kids can watch cartoons twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Today our children spend many hours on media devices, such as cell phones, Ipads, Kindles, and hand held video games as well as the television, computer, or other game systems such as Xbox. Many kids today would rather be inside on the computer or playing video games than out with a friend or being active. This morning I was at the doctor’s office to have my cholesterol checked. In the waiting room at my clinic they now have a TV up on the wall that is always playing something educational about staying healthy. Today as I was  watching it they were talking about how people who sit more than three hours at a time shave time off of their life. They said after three hours of sitting you should get up and move around for a while before sitting back down. According to this program we have enzymes in our body that help break down fat. However, when we are sedentary or sitting these enzymes are not able to break down the fat in our body. If that is true than these children who are spending hours on the computer, watching TV or playing video games are not burning as much fat as they could be if they took a break every now and then and got up and moved around for a bit before sitting back down. Another contributing factor to childhood obesity is the food industry. Why the food industry? I’ll tell you why. The food industry is packing more and more preservatives, dyes, fat, sodium, sugar and other stuff into our food to make it last longer and taste better, but what are these added ingredients doing to our children? They are literally turning our children into sugar and carb addicts. Products such as chips, cookies, candy and other junk food are being targeted towards our children. Watch a cartoon with your child sometime and pay attention to how many of these commercials you will see. You will be amazed. Something many of you might not think of is the down economy as another contributing factor. Many families are struggling and have had to make plenty of cutbacks on their spending. Yes, that sometimes includes cutbacks on food. It can get expensive feeding a family of four for a week. It is actually cheaper sometimes to buy processed foods and junk food than it is to buy natural and healthy foods. For example, it is much cheaper to buy a box of Little Debbie snacks than it is to buy a small bag of apples or carrots. During my own families rough financial times we discovered that feeding a family of four from McDonald’s $1 menu was not only more convenient but cheaper than cooking many meals as well. If everyone got 2 to 3 items it was less than $15 for the whole family. However, in the long run eating lots of the unhealthy foods and snacks is going to cost you more in healthcare and prescription medications from the consequences of eating an abundance of these foods. â€Å"A family with an obese child spends 30% more in health costs and 77% more in medication costs.† (Parekh, 2012, Prevention is Better than Cure, para 1). Also obesity in childhood often follows into adulthood, which further supports the importance of preventing childhood obesity. (Wang, 2011) Fast food is another big factor for some people. I am not saying you should never eat it at all but some families are eating the stuff three or more times in one week. When I was a kid I was lucky if I got fast food once every six months and that was a treat. McDonald’s seems to have taken the blunt for the fast food industry when it comes to the consequences of eating it too often. They have tried to make some changes like getting rid of the supersize portions and adding apple wedges as an alternative to fries in their kid’s Happy Meal. There even is a documentary that was made about the negative impact McDonalds and the rest of the fast food industry are having on society. The main character, Morgan Spurlock in the movie did a one-month experiment. He ate three full meals a day at McDonald’s, only ordered a super size meal when asked, and never ate food from any other source. By the end of Morgan Spurlock’s month long McDonald’s binge, he had become depressed and exhausted, he was experiencing dramatic mood swings, and his sex life had greatly diminished. He gained 25 pounds, his body fat percentage increased from 11% to 18%, his liver was showing notable signs of damage, and his total cholesterol increased from 168 to 225. However, because of Spurlock’s unrealistic extent of excess calorie consumption, the only thing that this really proves is that overeating is unhealthy. (2009) If eaten on occasion and in moderation as well as eating the right portion size it is not going to harm you and that movie can be misleading. However, it does show what can happen to those who eat it on a daily basis. Parents should limit their child’s meals at fast food restaurants and think of another quick healthy alternative for those other days they may be in a time crunch. Now that I’ve talked about some of the contributing factors of childhood obesity, let’s discuss the effects it has on our children’s health. Children are ending up with health problems such as, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and even type 2 diabetes. This form of diabetes was previously referred to as â€Å"adult onset† diabetes because it used to be more  typical for adults over the age of 40 to get this type. (Schraffenberger, L.A., 2012) Some of these overweight kids are also dealing with being teased by other kids and being called fat. This is leading to more kids being treated for depression. If these kids, some as young as elementary age, are having these kinds of health problems, what does that mean for their health as adults? So what changes have been made to fix this problem of childhood obesity in America? There have been some laws that have gone into effect. One such law has affected me as a childcare provider. The law went into effect in October of 2010 and states that all children over the age of 2 must be served low fat 1 percent milk or fat free skim milk. This law also applies to the schools. The schools have always had minimum calorie guidelines but now there is a maximum calorie guideline the school has to follow as well. This went into effect in July of 2012. Some schools are making changes like taking their soda and snack machines out or having them shut off during lunchtime. Some have even put in new machines with healthier options. Our first lady, Michele Obama has been actively involved in trying to prevent childhood obesity and has even visited some schools that have changed their menus to implement healthier options. Another big advocate in preventing childhood obesity is Rachael Ray. She has started the yum-o organization, which is a non-profit organization. According to the yum-o website, the yum-o organization â€Å"empowers kids and their families to develop healthy relationships with food and cooking.† Wang (2011) explains that the U.S. obesity epidemic can have many serious health and financial consequences if it cannot be controlled, and likely minority and low-income groups are hit harder. Childhood obesity is currently higher than it ever has been and we can do something to prevent it. Parents can help by limiting their child’s screen time, eating more nutritious home cooked meals at the table (not in front of the television) and encouraging their children to be active. For families with busy schedules the parents can take time on the weekends to plan meals ahead of time for the upcoming week. They do not have to be elaborate and can even consist of soup, sandwich fruit and milk. (American Academy of Pediatrics)  The schools can limit the â€Å"junk food† they offer in vending machines and the a la carte line or replace it with healthier options and offer more nutritious meals with the appropriate amount of calories. They can also stop cutting their physical education programs, as keeping children active is very important in preventing obesity as well. Families who are struggling financially can buy fruits and veggies that are on sale or in season and make meals that are cheap yet healthy. Also we should have more restrictions on the food industry, such as maybe a warning label for parents on foods that are way too high in sugar, fat, or sodium. If we all work together to make as many of these changes as we can our kids will be much happier and healthier. References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Obesity rates among all children in the united states. Retrieved September 30, 2012, from www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html Hassink, S. (Ed). (2006). A parent’s guide to childhood obesity. United States: American Academy of Pediatrics Parekh, N., (July 13, 2012). Childhood obesity prevention tips. Prevention is better than cure. Retrieved September 30, 2012, from http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/6-7-2004-55178.asp Ray, R., (2012). Rachael ray’s yum-o cook feed fund. Retrieved September 30, 2012, from http://www.yum-o.org/ Schraffenberger, L.A., (2012). Basic ICD-10-CM/PCS and ICD-9-CM Coding, Chapter 6, Page 123 Sears, W., Sears, M., Sears, J., Sears, R., (2006) The healthiest kid in the neighborhood. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company Wang, Y., (2011). Disparities in pediatric obesity in the united states. Retrieved October 21, 2012, from advances.nutrition.org/content/2/1/23.full.pdf+html

Last Sacrifice Chapter Five

GETTING AWAY FROM DIMITRI WASN'T just about our rocky romantic past. I'd meant it when I said I didn't want him getting in trouble because of me. If the guardians found me, my fate wouldn't be that much different from what I'd already been facing. But Dimitri? He'd been making baby steps toward acceptance. Sure, that was pretty much destroyed now, but his chance for a life wasn't over. If he didn't want to live at Court or with humans, he could go back to Siberia and return to his family. Out there in the middle of nowhere, he'd be hard to find. And with how close that community was, they'd go to a lot of trouble to hide him if someone ever did try to hunt him down. Staying with me was definitely the wrong option. I just needed to convince him. â€Å"I know what you're thinking,' Dimitri said, after we'd been on the road for about an hour. We hadn't spoken much, both of us lost in our own thoughts. After a few more country roads, we'd finally made it to an interstate and were making good time toward †¦ well, I had no idea. I'd been staring out the window, pondering all the disasters around me and how I alone could fix them. â€Å"Huh?' I glanced over at him. I thought there might be the smallest hint of a smile on his lips, which seemed absurd considering this was probably the worst situation he'd been in since being restored from his Strigoi state. â€Å"And it won't work,' he added. â€Å"You're planning how to get away from me, probably when we eventually stop for gas. You're thinking maybe you'll have a chance to run off then.' The crazy thing was, I had been thinking very much along those lines. The old Dimitri was a good partner on the road, but I wasn't so sure I liked having his old ability to guess my thoughts back as well. â€Å"This is a waste of time,' I said, gesturing around the car. â€Å"Oh? You have better things to do than flee the people who want to lock you up and execute you? Please don't tell me again that this is too dangerous for me.' I glared. â€Å"It's about more than just you. Running away shouldn't be my only concern. I should be helping clear my name, not hiding in whatever remote place you're undoubtedly taking me to. The answers are at Court.' â€Å"And you have lots of friends at Court who will be working on that. It'll be easier on them if they know you're safe.' â€Å"What I want to know is why no one told me about this–or, I mean, why Lissa didn't. Why'd she hide it? Don't you think I'd have been more helpful if I'd been ready?' â€Å"We did the fighting, not you,' Dimitri said. â€Å"We were afraid if you knew, you might give away that something was up.' â€Å"I would have never told!' â€Å"Not intentionally, no. But if you were tense or anxious †¦ well, your guards can pick up on those kinds of things.' â€Å"Well, now that we're out, can you tell me where we're going? Was I right? Is it some crazy, remote place?' No answer. I narrowed my eyes at him. â€Å"I hate not being in the loop.' That tiny smile on his lips grew a little bigger. â€Å"Well, I have my own personal theory that the more you don't know, the more your curiosity is likely to make sure you stick around with me.' â€Å"That's ridiculous,' I replied, though really, it wasn't all that unreasonable of a theory. I sighed. â€Å"When the hell did things get so out of control? When did you guys start being the masterminds? I'm the one who comes up with the wacky, impossible plans. I'm supposed to be the general here. Now I'm barely a lieutenant.' He started to say something else but then froze for a few seconds, his face instantly taking on that wary, lethal guardian look. He swore in Russian. â€Å"What's wrong?' I asked. His attitude was contagious, and I immediately forgot all thoughts of crazy plans. In the erratic flash of headlights from oncoming traffic, I could see his eyes dart up to the rearview mirror. â€Å"We have a tail. I didn't think it would happen this soon.' â€Å"Are you sure?' It had grown dark, and the number of cars on the highway had increased. I didn't know how anyone could spot one suspicious car among that many, but well †¦ he was Dimitri. He swore again and suddenly, in a maneuver that made me grab the dashboard, he cut sharply across two lanes, barely missing a minivan that expressed its annoyance with a lot of honking. There was an exit right there, and he just barely made it without clipping the exit ramp's rail. I heard more honking, and when I looked back, I saw the headlights of a car that had made just as crazy a move to follow us onto the exit. â€Å"The Court must have gotten the word out pretty fast,' he said. â€Å"They had someone watching the interstates.' â€Å"Maybe we should have taken back roads.' He shook his head. â€Å"Too slow. None of it would have been an issue once we switched cars, but they found us too soon. We'll have to get a new one here. This is the biggest city we'll hit before the Maryland border.' A sign said we were in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and as Dimitri skillfully drove us down a busy, commerce-filled road, I could see the tail mirroring everything we did. â€Å"What exactly is your plan to get a new car?' I asked warily. â€Å"Listen carefully,' he said, ignoring my question. â€Å"It is very, very important that you do exactly as I say. No improvising. No arguing. There are guardians in that car, and by now, they've alerted every other guardian around here–possibly even the human police.' â€Å"Wouldn't the police catching us create a few problems?' â€Å"The Alchemists would sort it out and make sure we ended up back with the Moroi.' The Alchemists. I should have known they'd get involved. They were a secret society of humans who helped protect Moroi and dhampir interests, keeping us out of the mainstream human public. Of course, the Alchemists didn't do it out of kindness. They thought we were evil and unnatural and mostly wanted to make sure we stayed on the fringes of their society. An escaped â€Å"criminal' like me would certainly be a problem they would want to help the Moroi with. Dimitri's voice was hard and commanding when he spoke again, though his eyes weren't on me. They were busy scanning the sides of the road. â€Å"No matter what you think of the choices everyone's been making for you, no matter how unhappy you are with this situation, you know–I know you do–that I've never failed you when our lives were at stake. You trusted me in the past. Trust me now.' I wanted to tell him that what he said wasn't entirely true. He had failed me. When he'd been taken down by Strigoi, when he'd shown that he wasn't perfect, he had failed me by shattering the impossible, godly image I had of him. But my life? No, he had always kept mine safe. Even as a Strigoi, I'd never entirely been convinced he could kill me. The night the Academy had been attacked, when he'd been turned, he'd told me to obey him without question too. It had meant leaving him to fight Strigoi, but I'd done it. â€Å"Okay,' I said quietly. â€Å"I'll do whatever you say. Just remember not to talk down to me. I'm not your student anymore. I'm your equal now.' He glanced away from the side of the road just long enough to give me a surprised look. â€Å"You've always been my equal, Roza.' The use of the affectionate Russian nickname made me too stupid to respond, but it didn't matter. Moments later, he was all business again. â€Å"There. Do you see that movie theater sign?' I gazed down the road. There were so many restaurants and stores that their signs made a glittering haze in the night. At last, I saw what he meant. WESTLAND CINEMA. â€Å"Yes.' â€Å"That's where we're going to meet.' We were splitting up? I'd wanted to part ways but not like this. In the face of danger, separating suddenly seemed like an awful idea. I'd promised not to argue, though, and kept listening. â€Å"If I'm not there in a half hour, you call this number and go without me.' Dimitri handed me a small piece of paper from his duster pocket. It had a phone number scrawled on it, not one I recognized. If I'm not there in a half hour. The words were so shocking that I couldn't help my protest this time. â€Å"What do you mean if you're not–ah!' Dimitri made another abrupt turn, one that caused him to run a red light and only narrowly miss a number of cars. More honking ensued, but the move had been too sudden for our tail to keep up. I saw our pursuers whiz past on the main road, brake lights flashing as they searched for a place to turn around. Dimitri had taken us into a mall parking lot. It was packed with cars, and I glanced at the clock to get a grasp for human time. Almost eight o'clock at night. Early in the Moroi day, prime entertainment time for humans. He drove past a few entrances to the mall and finally selected one, pulling into a handicap spot. He was out of the car in one fluid motion, with me following just as quickly. â€Å"Here's where we split up,' he said jogging toward a set of doors. â€Å"Move fast, but don't run when we're inside. Don't attract attention. Blend in. Wind through it for a little bit; then get out through any exit but this one. Walk out near a group of humans and then head for the theater.' We stepped into the mall. â€Å"Go!' As though afraid I might not move, he gave me a small push toward an escalator while he took off on the main floor. There was a part of me that wanted to just freeze and stand there, that felt dumbfounded by the sudden onslaught of people, light, and activity. I soon pushed that startled part aside and began heading up the escalator. Fast reflexes and instinctual reactions were part of my training. I'd honed them in school, in my travels, and with him. Everything I'd been taught about eluding someone came rushing back to my head. What I wanted to do more than anything was look around and see if I had a follower, but that would have definitely attracted attention. I had to imagine that, at most, we had a couple minutes' lead on our pursuers. They would have had to turn around to get back to the mall and then circle to spot our car, presuming they figured out we'd gone into the mall. I didn't think Harrisburg had enough of a Moroi presence to summon very many guardians on short notice. The ones they had would likely split up, some searching the mall and some guarding the entrances. This place had too many doors for the guardians to watch them all; my escape choice would be pure luck. I walked as fast as I reasonably could, weaving through couples, families with strollers, and giggling teens. I envied that last group. Their lives seemed so easy compared to mine. I also passed the usual mall stores, their names registering but not much more: Ann Taylor, Abercrombie, Forever 21 †¦ Ahead of me, I could see the center of the mall where several corridors branched out. I'd have a choice to make soon. Passing an accessories store, I ducked inside and pretended to look at headbands. As I did, I covertly glanced back out to the mall's main section. I saw nothing obvious. No one had stopped; no one had followed me into the store. Beside the headbands section was a clearance bin filled with items that obviously deserved to be on clearance. One item was a â€Å"girly' baseball cap, hot pink with a star done in rainbow rhinestones on the front. It was god-awful. I bought it, grateful the guardians hadn't taken away the meager cash I'd had on me when arrested. They probably figured it wasn't enough to bribe anyone. I also bought a ponytail holder, all the while still keeping an eye on the store's doorway. Before leaving, I bound my hair up as much as I could with the holder and then put on the hat. There was something silly about being reduced to disguises, but my hair was an easy way to ID me. It was a deep, almost-black brown, and my lack of any recent haircut had it hanging to my mid-back. In fact, between that and Dimitri's height, we would have made a very conspicuous pair walking through here. I merged back into the shoppers and soon reached the mall's center. Not wanting to show any hesitation, I took a left toward Macy's. As I walked, I felt slightly embarrassed at the hat and wished I'd at least had time to find a more stylish one. Minutes later, when I spotted a guardian, I was glad I'd made such a quick fashion choice. He was near one of those carts you always see in the center of malls, pretending to be interested in cell phone covers. I recognized him first because of his stance and the way he was managing to act interested in a zebra print phone cover while simultaneously searching around him. Plus, dhampirs could always distinguish each other from humans with close enough examination. For the most part, our two races appeared pretty identical, but I could spot one of my own. I made sure not to look right at him and felt his eyes pass over me. I didn't know him, which meant he probably didn't know me either. He was likely going off a photo he'd seen once and expected my hair to be a big giveaway. Keeping as casual an air as I could, I moved past him at a leisurely pace, glancing in windows that kept my back to him but sent no obvious messages that I was on the run. All the while, my heart pounded in my chest. Guardians could kill me on sight. Did that apply to the middle of a mall? I didn't want to find out. When I was clear of the cart, I picked up my pace a little. Macy's would have its own outside door, and now it was just a gamble to see whether or not I'd made a good call coming in this direction. I entered the store, went down its escalator, and headed toward the main floor exit–passing a very nice selection of cute berets and fedoras. I paused near them, not because I planned on upgrading my hat, but because it allowed me to fall in step just behind a group of girls who were also exiting. We left the store together, and my eyes quickly adjusted to the change in light. There were lots of people around, but I again saw nothing threatening. My girls stopped to chat, giving me an opportunity to get my bearings without appearing totally lost. To my right, I spotted the busy road Dimitri and I had come in on, and from there, I knew how to get to the movie theater. I exhaled in relief and cut across the parking lot, still watching my surroundings. The farther I walked from the mall, the less crowded the parking lot became. Lampposts kept it from being totally dark, but there was still an eerie feel as things grew quieter and quieter. My initial impulse was to head right for the road and take the sidewalk directly to the theater. It was well lit and had people. But a moment later, I decided it was too conspicuous. I was pretty sure I could cut across parking lots much more quickly to get to the theater. It proved true–kind of. I had the theater in sight when I realized I had been followed after all. Not far ahead of me, the shadow of a parking lamp's post didn't cast correctly. The shadow was too broad. Someone was behind the pole. I doubted a guardian had coincidentally picked this spot in the hopes Dimitri or I would come by. Most likely it was a scout who'd seen me and circled ahead for an ambush. I kept walking, trying not to obviously slow down, though every muscle in my body was tensing for attack. I had to be the one who attacked first. I had to be in control. My moment came, seconds before I suspected my ambusher would have made his move. I leapt out, throwing him–it turned out to be a dhampir I didn't recognize– against a nearby car. Yup. I'd surprised him. Of course, the surprise was mutual when the car's alarm went off, blaring into the night. I winced, trying to ignore the shrieking as I punched my captive on the left side of his jaw. I had to make the most of having him pinned. The force of my fist knocked his head against the car, but he took it admirably, promptly pushing back in an effort to free himself. He was stronger, and I did stumble a little, but not enough to lose my balance. What I lacked in strength, I made up for in speed. I dodged each attempt at me, but it brought me little satisfaction. That stupid car alarm was still going strong, and it was eventually going to attract the attention of other guardians or human authorities. I dashed around the side of the car, and he gave chase, stopping when we were on opposite sides. It was like two kids playing keep-away. We mirrored each other as he tried to anticipate which direction I'd go. In the dim lighting, I saw something surprising tucked into his belt: a gun. My blood ran cold. Guardians were trained to use guns but rarely carried them. Stakes were our weapon of choice. We were in the business of killing Strigoi, after all, and guns were ineffective. But against me? Yeah. A gun simplified his job, but I had a feeling he'd hesitate to use it. A car alarm could be blamed on someone accidentally getting too close, but a gunshot? That would elicit a call to the police. This guy wouldn't fire if he could help it–but he would if he ran out of options. This needed to end soon. At last I made a move toward the front of the car. He tried to intercept me, but then I surprised him by springing onto the car's hood (because honestly, at this point, it wasn't like the alarm could get any louder). In my split second of advantage, I threw myself off the car and onto him, knocking him flat to the ground. I landed on top of his stomach and held him down with all my weight while my hands went around his neck. He struggled, trying to throw me off, and nearly succeeded. At last, the lack of air won out. He stopped moving and fell into unconsciousness. I let go. For a brief moment, I had a flashback to our escape from Court, when I'd used the same technique on Meredith. I saw her lying on the ground all over again and felt that same pang of guilt. Then, I shook it off. Meredith was okay. Meredith wasn't even here. None of that mattered. All that mattered was that this guy was out of commission, and I had to get out of here. Now. Without looking to see if others were coming, I tore off across the parking lot toward the theater. I stopped once I had some distance between me and the wailing car, using another car as cover. I saw no one near the guy yet, but over by the parking lot's front, close to the mall, there seemed to be some activity. I didn't stick around to get a closer look. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good for me. I reached the theater a couple minutes later, breathless more from fear than exhaustion. Running endurance was something I had built up a lot of, thanks to Dimitri. But where was Dimitri? Theatergoers mingled around, some giving my disheveled state an odd look, as they either waited for tickets or discussed what movie they'd just seen. I saw no sign of Dimitri anywhere. I had no watch. How long had passed since we'd parted? Surely not a half hour. I walked around the theater, staying obscured in the crowd, searching for any indication of Dimitri or more pursuers. Nothing. Minutes ticked by. Uneasily, I reached into my pocket and touched the piece of paper with the phone number. Leave, he'd told me. Leave and call the number. Of course, I had no cell phone, but that was the least of my problems right now– â€Å"Rose!' A car pulled up at the curb where others were dropping people off. Dimitri was leaning out the driver's side window, and I nearly fell over in relief. Well, okay, not nearly. In reality, I didn't waste a moment in hurrying over to him and hopping into the passenger seat. Without a word, he hit the gas and got us away from the theater and back to the main road. We said nothing at first. He was so wound up and on edge, it seemed the slightest provocation would make him snap in half. He drove as fast as he could without attracting police attention, all the while glancing into the rearview mirror. â€Å"Is there anyone behind us?' I asked at last, as he drove back onto the highway. â€Å"It doesn't look like it. It'll take them a while to figure out what car we're in.' I hadn't paid much attention when I'd entered, but we were in a Honda Accord– another ordinary-looking car. I also noticed that there was no key in the ignition. â€Å"Did you hotwire this car?' I then rephrased my question. â€Å"Did you steal this car?' â€Å"You have an interesting set of morals,' he observed. â€Å"Breaking out of jail is okay. But steal a car, and you sound totally outraged.' â€Å"Im just more surprised than outraged,' I said, leaning back against the seat. I sighed. â€Å"I was afraid †¦ well, for a moment there, I was afraid you weren't coming. That they'd caught you or something.' â€Å"No. Most of my time was spent sneaking out and finding a suitable car.' A few minutes of silence fell. â€Å"You didn't ask what happened to me,' I pointed out, a little miffed. â€Å"Don't need to. You're here. That's what counts.' â€Å"I got in a fight.' â€Å"I can tell. Your sleeve is ripped.' I glanced down. Yup, ripped. I'd also lost the hat in my mad dash. No big loss. â€Å"Don't you want to know anything about the fight?' His eyes stayed on the road ahead of us. â€Å"I already know. You took down your enemy. You did it fast, and you did it well. Because you're just that good.' I pondered his words for a moment. They were matter-of-fact, all business †¦ and yet, his statement brought a tiny smile to my lips. â€Å"Okay. So what now, General? Don't you think they'll scan reports of stolen cars and get our license plate number?' â€Å"Likely. But by then, we'll have a new car–one they won't have any clue about.' I frowned. â€Å"How are you pulling that off?' â€Å"We're meeting someone in a few hours.' â€Å"Damn it. I really hate being the last one to know about everything.' â€Å"A few hours' put us in Roanoke, Virginia. Most of our drive had passed uneventfully up until that point. But as the city came into view, I noticed Dimitri watching the exit signs until he found the one he wanted. Turning off the interstate, he continued checking for a tail and found none. We reached another commerce-filled road, and he drove to a McDonald's that stood out clearly from the rest of the businesses. â€Å"I don't suppose,' I said, â€Å"that this is a food break?' â€Å"This,' he responded, â€Å"is where we catch our next ride.' He drove around the restaurant's parking lot, his eyes scanning for something, though I didn't initially know what. I spotted it a fraction of a second before he did. In the far corner of the lot, I saw a woman leaning against a tan SUV, her back to us. I couldn't see much of her except that she wore a dark shirt and had tousled blond hair that almost touched her shoulders. Dimitri pulled into the spot next to her vehicle, and I was out of ours the second he hit the brake. I recognized her before she even turned around. â€Å"Sydney?' The name came out as a question, though I knew for sure it was her. Her head turned, and I saw a familiar face–a human face–with brown eyes that could turn amber in the sun and a faint gold tattoo on her cheek. â€Å"Hey, Rose,' she said, a rueful smile playing on her lips. She held up a McDonald's bag. â€Å"Figured you'd be hungry.'

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The Life A Corpse Brought Them essays According to Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Death is the essential condition of life, not an evil. Gabriel Garcia Marquez discusses how death can inevitably bring life in this short story. In his other works, Marquez is known for writing about extraordinary events that provoke the readers imagination. This is no less true in The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World. When a ragged corpse washes up on shore, the nature of a small Latin village is changed forever. The authors use of symbolism through the transformation of the cadaver and Estebans size contribute to his characteristic style of magical realism. Garcia Mrquez's relentless insistence on his measureless appetite for lifeor rather Life, a word and a concept that he invokes with Zorba-like self-infatuation, he constantly juxtaposes with its nemesis, Death (Valiunas). What many may see as a grim reality and the distinct end to ones being, Marquez actually portrays death as the bringer of hope and rebirth to others and their surroundings. While many would ordinarily overlook this man that smelled of the sea and was covered with a crust of mud and scales (Marques 247), the people of this fishermans village took him in. His original state was such a disgrace that the women proceeded to ...remove the underwater stones entangled in his hair, and they scraped the crust off with tools used for scaling fish (Marquez 248). Now that he was clean they could view him in all his magnificence. Although the women of the village knew Esteban was from somewhere far away just by his physical differences, the commonality of a corpse washing up on shore brought to them a sense of nostalgia. Their perceived relationship between the dead man, whom they called Esteban and their own husbands, moves them to give him special care and a splendid b ...

Research Paper Introduction about Smoking

Research Paper Introduction about Smoking Research Paper Introduction about Smoking Smoking tobacco has become a usual thing in our culture nowadays. A person with a cigarette is a usual thing: we can see them on the street, actors smoke in films, there are also book characters who smoke, we have relatives or friends who smoke. Starting as mainly as a part of a religious ritual a long time ago, it has become a routine thing for us. This research paper is aimed at answering the following questions: How has the practice of smoking changed throughout all its history? How smoking influences smokers health as well as passive smokers? Why do people smoke? Physiological and psychological perspectives. What are the ways of giving up smoking? Is it right to ban smoking? In what places should smoking be banned? First of all, we will look at the process of smoking tobacco from a historical perspective. It will be important to know how has the number of smokers changed throughout the centuries, and what historical processes affected it. On the other hand, we are also interested in geographical distribution of smokers and what factors all these numbers depend on. Special attention will be paid to Europe and the USA. The next issue we would like to dwell upon in the research paper is how smoking affects our health. This will be viewed from the perspective of a smoker, as well as from the perspective of passive smokers who are also influenced by smoking. It is important to find out what the most widespread diseases among smokers are and what the percentage of deaths from smoking is each year. This statistical data is important both for modern medicine to tackle those problems and for smokers themselves to be aware of what consequences smoking can lead to. It is important for us to find out the ways of helping people give up smoking. Having researched all the physical and mental factors of this addiction, it will be much easier to know how to deal with people who find it difficult to give up smoking. Another thing that is important to know to help people give up smoking is to find the right approach to them and to inform them about how their health will improve after they give up this habit. Another issue is smoking from the perspective of law. We have to analyze laws in various countries and see how smoking is banned in public places and whether people find such bans a positive action. On the other hand, it would be necessary also to consider further actions which have to be taken on smoking in public places and ways of tackling such a problem. We also have to include smokers point of view on this question in order to find a way out that would be acceptable for both sides. How to Write a Research Paper Introduction on a Social Problem: Writing a research paper introduction on such a topic you should approach the issue from a non-standard point of view, considering that social problems are discussed rather often. You can check out different forums and problem oriented websites to see what people have to say about it. That can help to develop a better thesis statement, since you may be able to view the issue from a different angle. Make sure that there are no specific requirements to writing an introduction made by your instructor. The introduction usually consists of two parts and before the thesis statement you should introduce the general topic. You should make sure it doesnt have to include anything else. At you can buy a research paper written from scratch by highly qualified academic writers. You will get a 100% original customized paper on Smoking topics.

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Building of Pyramids of Giza - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that modified external ramp theory explains that the Pyramid was created with the use of an external ramp. This ramp was believed to be raised during construction. It is believed that the ramp is corkscrewed or spiraled to the top of the Pyramid. That was the only way to explain how an external ramp was used since there was no way a single long ramp was built in the area.  Another theory, a more recent theory, was presented by Jeanne-Pierre Houdin (Brier, 2007; George, 2008). He was a French architect who believed that the Pyramid was built using an internal ramp. He explained that the bottom of the Pyramids was built using an external ramp and the higher parts were built using an internal ramp. He proposed this theory after seeing the spiral-like structure within the Pyramid. I believe that the more recent theory of the internal ramp can answer how the Pyramids were built. Although it is possible that humans can haul the heavy stones on to p of each other to build the pyramid, I find it hard to believe that it is only done outside of the Pyramid. There is evidence showing there is a structure within the Pyramid. And there are holes at turning points to help the worker haul the heavy stones up. I find Houdin’s theory more realistic because of the many pieces of evidence that point towards its possibility.

Building of Pyramids of Giza Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 45

Building of Pyramids of Giza - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that modified external ramp theory explains that the Pyramid was created with the use of an external ramp. This ramp was believed to be raised during construction. It is believed that the ramp is corkscrewed or spiraled to the top of the Pyramid. That was the only way to explain how an external ramp was used since there was no way a single long ramp was built in the area.  Another theory, a more recent theory, was presented by Jeanne-Pierre Houdin (Brier, 2007; George, 2008). He was a French architect who believed that the Pyramid was built using an internal ramp. He explained that the bottom of the Pyramids was built using an external ramp and the higher parts were built using an internal ramp. He proposed this theory after seeing the spiral-like structure within the Pyramid. I believe that the more recent theory of the internal ramp can answer how the Pyramids were built. Although it is possible that humans can haul the heavy stones on to p of each other to build the pyramid, I find it hard to believe that it is only done outside of the Pyramid. There is evidence showing there is a structure within the Pyramid. And there are holes at turning points to help the worker haul the heavy stones up. I find Houdin’s theory more realistic because of the many pieces of evidence that point towards its possibility.

About a movie called (The Brother Grimm) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

About a movie called (The Brother Grimm) - Essay Example The two move to a part of Germany occupied by the French in the 19th century and set up a phony witch. They use the fake witch to trick the residents of the Karlstadt of their mystical powers. The two brothers do their tricks so successfully that when a trouble befalls the city, the French General Delatombe summons them and tasks them with resolving the mystery. However, the mystery is an actual problem with real risks. A supernatural queen needs to drink the blood of young girls in order to regain her beauty. She, therefore, captures young girls from the village. The general tasks the two brothers with finding the queen, defeating her supernatural powers and rescuing the girls. The adventure thereafter is exhilarating as the two brothers fail twice and are on the brink of losing their lives. However, they eventually succeeded after a series of attempts. They rescue the village from the horrific queen. The film is an independent production directed by Terry Gilliam. Terry Gilliam is an American film director, actor and screenwriter. He contributed to writing and later directed the film. He has directed numerous other films some of which are adventure films. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen produced in 1988 was one of the adventure films he directed. However, The Brothers Grimm is unique as the director adopts a fiery tale approach in the development of the film. He produced the Brothers Grimm in 2005, a period when the film industry globally was burgeoning. The film, therefore, portrays the development of the film industry as Terry Gilliam revamps his creativity in authoring the script and directing the film. The developers of the film employ various elements of film development strategically thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the film. Key among such elements in the film is lighting. Lighting plays an integral role in illuminating the setting among other

Evidence-Based Practices in Nursing Research Paper

Evidence-Based Practices in Nursing - Research Paper Example Also, a primary care nurse is often the first person to working with clients who are dying, increasing the safety of patients, increasing patient outcomes and their overall experience in healthcare. In this paper, it is the intent of the student to show how evidence-based practice in primary care nursing correlates with the steps in the nursing practice for Neonatal Care (NICU) using the total patient care model. Care Delivery Model The team care delivery model seems to be the most relevant model for working in the Neonatal ICU to insure patient safety. When infants are in the intensive care unit they have different needs than infants who are in a regular nursery. In order to make sure that infants, parents, and family needs are met while the infant is in the ICU, a team provides around the clock care for each infant. According to our textbook, the RN is in charge of planning and providing the tasks to the other team members as to what is needed for each infant. The RN creates a coll aborative environment with all of the team members and is responsible for scheduling each member of the team. As a primary care nurse, being a part of the team is essential because the primary care nurse is the first one to see the infants in the ICU on a daily basis. Working as part of a team makes sure that the infants are cared for during breaks, lunches, and other situations that may come up for individual nurses. How Steps in Nursing Process Relate to Evidence-Based Process (A) Assessment The assessment area for evidence-base nursing in the literature is largely based on assessing the overall NICU programs. In some of the literature, it is shown that nurses are not always knowledgeable about evidence-based practice which may inhibit their ability to use certain interventions (Smith, Donze, Cole, Johnston, & Giebe , 2009). Using evidence-based practices has been shown to increase the level of care for patients by about 30% (Smith, Donze, Cole, Johnston, & Giebe , 2009). Allen an d Chubb (2010) add that using evidence-based assessment can help to redirect the needs of a Neonatal unit to improve care on every level. Russ, Dougherty, and Jagadish (2010) state that evidence-base practice can help nurses narrow the knowledge gap when they are working in the NICU which enhances their ability to o their jobs. (D) (Nursing) Diagnosis In diagnosis, evidence-based nursing provides an understanding of the interventions that have been used to assist in many conditions. D’Agostino (2010) suggests that the literature provides many cases of information about premature babies and how to diagnose their problems. The process of diagnosis was discovered through a series of evidence-based articles in electronic journals. The research provided a concrete foundation for working with premature babies and it provided the information that the nurses needed to proceed with a specific process. This is one of the roles that evidence-based processes have in diagnosis. Another ro le of evidence-based nursing is to provide the opportunity for nurses to discern the difference between quality studies and those that re not of good quality. As an example, Stapelkamp, Carter, Gordon and Watts (2011) studied the research on children and acute pain. They found that there were several articles that were not as good as others when

Entrepreneurship Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Entrepreneurship - Research Paper Example Entrepreneurs can be mangers while managers cannot attain the status of an entrepreneur. Small businesses have become a significant characteristic of modern microeconomics. However, recent statistics on the US retail sector showed that two thirds of all small business is more likely to close down before attaining five years than large business (Prentice, 1998). Small businesses are characterized by small capitals and they are usually operated as sole proprietorship entities. There are various reasons that contribute to the failure of small businesses. Traditional factors that cause failure of small businesses include lack of capital and inadequate knowledge. However, it is evident that entrepreneurial problems are the main cause of failure among small businesses. Controversies over the exact cause of business failure has been tossed between lack of managerial or entrepreneurship skills and therefore, it is the purpose of this paper to clarify this controversy by looking at both sides of the issue and coming up with a concise solution to the controversy. Entrepreneurship is concerned with management of other factors of production in order to sustain the production process. Management of other factors of production is ensuring their availability in sustainable quantities. Capital and labor are two significant factor of production since the enable production of economic goods and services. ... Failure of small business is therefore caused by lack of entrepreneurial skills among small business owners. Entrepreneurship is a critical skill that each business owner needs to have. However, it is evident that not all business owners are entrepreneurs. Unlike management, entrepreneurship skills cannot be achieved through learning the relevant literature this is because entrepreneurship depends more on the personality of an individual than their theoretical knowledge of management. On the other hand, management skills can be acquired through the right education. This indicates that there are more businesses being run by mangers than those that are run by entrepreneurs. Business managers have the responsibility of ensuring that all factors of production are available during the production process while entrepreneurs are concerned with ensuring the sustainability of all factors of production. This is the main source of failure among small businesses. Failure to reward labor and capi tal is the main cause of their absence in the chain of production of most small businesses. Labor requires wages or salary as a form of reward while capital is rewarded through interests. Lack of reward from either factor of production results in its elimination from the production process and, this is indicated as failure of the business. The business environment of any business changes constantly. This indicates that businesses have to cope with the changes resulting from their current business environment. Small businesses have a more dynamic business environment than large and medium sized business. This implies that small business owners have to be more flexible in adopting the changing environment than large businesses. An

Listening power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Listening power - Essay Example The technique to manage your boss to agree with you is through finding weak spots in him. If you listen carefully, your boss might give you ways into his weaker side through what he says and you could use them to your advantage. For example, if your boss tells you something like â€Å"I am just 2 years away from a great retirement plan. I don’t want to deal with stupid people like you†, then you must focus more on his retirement and less on you being referred to as a stupid person. Let us now move on and outline the basic steps you must take to get your boss to agree with you. First comes the listening part. You must listen carefully and find out what exactly it is that your boss wants. Every boss is different. Some bosses want to feel the power in their hands, some want security, and some are only concerned with the money. Therefore, you must listen and analyze your boss and find out what his basic requirements are. After that, you must deal with him accordingly based on what he wants. For instance, if he’s looking for power, ask him to give you a chance to do things your own way, and that if you failed, you would be ready to do whatever he wants. Similarly, if your boss appears to be insecure, you could try talking to him like a colleague rather than a subordinate and ask him about his family and interests. This would cause him to be more open to you and would develop a bond of trust and understanding between the two of you. It is important to note that arguing does not lead to any good. Whatever insight to your boss you get from listening and communicating with him, you must ensure that your tone is not that of an argument when you try to convince him. Instead, you should devise a well thought out plan of action for your discussion with him and ask him questions to get to the root of his requirements. Even after all the listening and planning, however, you might not be able to reach a

Entrepreneurship Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Entrepreneurship - Research Paper Example Entrepreneurs can be mangers while managers cannot attain the status of an entrepreneur. Small businesses have become a significant characteristic of modern microeconomics. However, recent statistics on the US retail sector showed that two thirds of all small business is more likely to close down before attaining five years than large business (Prentice, 1998). Small businesses are characterized by small capitals and they are usually operated as sole proprietorship entities. There are various reasons that contribute to the failure of small businesses. Traditional factors that cause failure of small businesses include lack of capital and inadequate knowledge. However, it is evident that entrepreneurial problems are the main cause of failure among small businesses. Controversies over the exact cause of business failure has been tossed between lack of managerial or entrepreneurship skills and therefore, it is the purpose of this paper to clarify this controversy by looking at both sides of the issue and coming up with a concise solution to the controversy. Entrepreneurship is concerned with management of other factors of production in order to sustain the production process. Management of other factors of production is ensuring their availability in sustainable quantities. Capital and labor are two significant factor of production since the enable production of economic goods and services. ... Failure of small business is therefore caused by lack of entrepreneurial skills among small business owners. Entrepreneurship is a critical skill that each business owner needs to have. However, it is evident that not all business owners are entrepreneurs. Unlike management, entrepreneurship skills cannot be achieved through learning the relevant literature this is because entrepreneurship depends more on the personality of an individual than their theoretical knowledge of management. On the other hand, management skills can be acquired through the right education. This indicates that there are more businesses being run by mangers than those that are run by entrepreneurs. Business managers have the responsibility of ensuring that all factors of production are available during the production process while entrepreneurs are concerned with ensuring the sustainability of all factors of production. This is the main source of failure among small businesses. Failure to reward labor and capi tal is the main cause of their absence in the chain of production of most small businesses. Labor requires wages or salary as a form of reward while capital is rewarded through interests. Lack of reward from either factor of production results in its elimination from the production process and, this is indicated as failure of the business. The business environment of any business changes constantly. This indicates that businesses have to cope with the changes resulting from their current business environment. Small businesses have a more dynamic business environment than large and medium sized business. This implies that small business owners have to be more flexible in adopting the changing environment than large businesses. An

Global Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Global Human Resource Management - Essay Example The manner in which an organization will use its resources to achieve competitive advantage in the larger environment is defined by strategies. Formulation of strategies and process of management analyzes opportunities and threats in business and resource breaches. Existing values and philosophy of management will also be analyzed. The success of an organization depends on how strategies are formulated and pursued. These strategies should take advantage of the prospects outside, minimize the effect of threats from outside and capitalize on strengths from inside the organization. An organization that has intentions to expand its operations into the international markets should base on the accurate competence. Right competence is necessary so that the organization is relevant in the international markets. An organization should also understand the target markets priorities together with the challenges involved into the environments of the international markets. In response, the organiz ation should develop strategies that would make it a decipherable player in the international stage. This paper sought to locate to locate the staffing strategies and supporting aspects in internalization of organizations in the automobile industry, using the BMW group as a case study. To sum up, the data analyzed identified various staffing strategies that organizations employ to ensure successful process of internalization. The strategies are market dominance position strategy, business models strategy, mode of entry strategy and opportunism on government policies. Organizations are about people and not strategy, structures or systems. Organizations adapt their human resource management practices for successful strategies execution so as to survive and grow in the international markets. International human resource field has been a focus of all business organizations and its

Report wine Essay Example for Free

Report wine Essay The consumption of alcoholic beverages has been an integral part of Polish social tradition. It is well above the European average. This trend began during the communist era, and steadily increased through the 1980s. In 1980 the average male Pole over sixteen years of age consumed the equivalent of 16. 6 liters of pure alcohol per year. Nowadays, although consumption remains higher that the EU average, it is on a downward trajectory. Research suggests that exposure to media and alcohol marketing is associated with the likelihood that adolescents will start drinking alcohol, and with increased drinking amongst drinkers. In order to protect vulnerable groups, and especially young people, against harmful exposure to alcohol marketing, an effective alcohol marketing regulation is crucial. Content regulations could, if adequate, protect young people and adults against misleading or deceptive alcohol advertisements. When all relevant elements are addressed, content restrictions can protect young people against exposure to attractive alcohol advertising. Alcohol advertisers always search for innovative ways to market their product. When introducing partial alcohol marketing bans, there is a danger that alcohol is advertised in media, on times or places which are not restricted. Substitution effects are limited by a comprehensive alcohol marketing ban that is integrated in an integral alcohol policy. Alcohol advertising in Poland is subject to legislative regulations under the ‘The Act of October 26th, 1982 on Upbringing in Sobriety and Counteracting Alcoholism’ which ban an advertising for wine and spirits, based on the higher content of those beverages: â€Å"advertisement and promotion in the territory of the country of any alcoholic beverage shall be prohibited, except for beer†. Therefore, only the promotion of beer is allowed on TV and radio, in cinemas, outdoor, in magazines and newspapers and by sponsoring. Additionally, beer advertising is not allowed between 6 am till 8 pm on TV, radio and in cinemas, except for sponsor messages. Wine advertising is allowed on the internet and other new media, direct marketing, promotions from selling points (bars and restaurants) or catering industry and specialist magazines. The Polish spirit industry endorses a voluntary code which stipulates â€Å"concerning the protection of minors, that alcohol advertisements can only target persons who have the legal drinking age (with some other additional restrictions)†. Poland has implemented the AVMSD for all media when it comes to content restrictions. The advertising for all kinds of alcoholic beverages must comply with the following requirements: ?not to be directed to minors and under age persons or to be broadcast in programs for them; ? not to use minors and under age as performers or, in particular, present minors and under age using these beverages; ? the contents of the commercials must not be related to sport and physical achievements or driving vehicles; ? not to maintain that the alcoholic beverages possess therapeutic qualities, have stimulating or sedative effect or that they solve personal problems; ? Not to encourage the excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages or present the abstention or the moderation in negative light; ?not to suggest that the high alcoholic contents contributes to the good quality of the alcoholic beverages. ?not to create impression that the using of alcohol contributes to a social or sexual success. Volume and/or content restrictions can only be effective when adequately supported by a regulatory system. An effective regulation system should meet the following criteria: †¢The legal context must be supporting; there can not be any conflicting regulations on the national or international level that interfere with the alcohol marketing regulations. Like all regulations, self regulations in specific needs a clear legislative framework and enough incentives to function in an effective way. Therefore a legal backstop to support the enforcement of the restrictions should be taken into the regulatory system. A legal back stop makes it possible that when the code is offended (several times) a legal body is put in operation and to be able to sanction adequately. †¢An effective complaint system with easy access to and support from the public. To make sure the whole system of regulations, complaining and sanctions can be watched and monitored by third parties, the whole system should be transparent and information on these topics should be provided to the public on every stage of the process. From the evaluated regulations appears that not all Member State countries have a complaint system that is completely transparent. †¢Independent advertising committee: Evaluation by parties independent from commercial interests (not by adverting industry related or alcohol industry related) but by judges, public health advocates or consumer representatives. Self regulation system can only be effective when a third-party is consulted when evaluating possible breaches, else wise the code is created and abide by the same ones who monitor the compliance. This committee should in the first place protection of the public health and therefore evaluate the advertisements following the interpretation of the general public (with special regard to vulnerable groups). †¢Sanctions that are expected to be most effective are withdraw broadcasting rights and substantial financial penalties. Sanctions that are expected to be less effective are bad publicity or voluntary action. †¢Restrictions should cover the entire range of forms of marketing activities and should be updated regularly and be prepared to interact with future developments. Volume and/or content restrictions in alcohol marketing regulations will only be effective when there is an adequate regulatory system that supports the restrictions. This regulatory system empowers the implementation of the restriction, its adherence and evaluation process. Self regulation codes are written by the alcohol industry and mainly rely on content restrictions that do not prevent young people from being exposed to large volumes of attractive alcohol advertising, promotion and sponsorship. These content restrictions are often ambiguous and open to interpretation. Especially with these ‘vague’ codes, an adjudication system independent from commercial interests with the possibility of using effective sanctions is essential. More practical, the following recommendation to policy makers can be formulated: †¢Recognizing the effects of alcohol marketing exposure on drinking behaviour, decreasing the overall volume of alcohol marketing to which young people are exposed is desired. †¢To decrease the overall volume of alcohol marketing to which young people are exposed, a volume restriction on advertising, promotion and sponsorship is recommended. †¢In order to decrease substitution effects from restricted types of alcohol marketing to unrestricted types of alcohol marketing, a comprehensive ban is desired. †¢When alcohol marketing is allowed, alcohol marketing tools that are difficult to monitor (e. g.alcohol advertising on the internet) or reach many young people should be prohibited. †¢In media where alcohol marketing is allowed, content restrictions that address all attractive elements to young people are recommended. †¢To avoid ambiguous restrictions that are open to interpretation, content restrictions should address all aspects that are allowed to be used in alcohol advertisements instead of what is not permitted. †¢Alcohol marketing regulations should be supported by a strong supporting system that guarantees effective implementation, evaluation and adherence of the evaluation process: For the implementation of alcohol marketing regulations it is important that there are no conflicting regulations on the supra-national or national level and a legal backstop to support the enforcement of the restrictions. The evaluation process of alcohol marketing regulations will be improved by an adjudication committee independent from economic interests from the sale of alcohol or advertisements. The adherence to alcohol marketing regulations should be monitored regularly by the government or a board independent from economic interests of the sale of alcohol or advertisements. A mandatory pre-screening system, and a transparent complaint system and substantial financial penalties will increase the adherence to alcohol marketing regulations. †¢Since it is in the interest of public health, but not in the interest of the alcohol and advertising sector to restrict the volume of alcohol advertising substantially, alcohol marketing regulations embedded by law are necessary to protect vulnerable groups towards harmful exposure to alcohol marketing. †¢Due to the global alcohol marketing activities, harmonization of (statutory) alcohol marketing regulations at the European level is desired. This will decrease the possibilities of alcohol advertisers to reach young people by international channels. Concerning the Consumer Protection has undergone a profound change in recent years. As Poland has introduced the European Community legal system, the scope of consumer protection has been widened and the legal control in this respect has been strengthened. The main body responsible for consumer protection is the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection. In case of wine, Polish legal regulations set out safety norms. The act prevents unsafe products from entering the market and puts a number of obligations on the producers starting with the labelling of the product, research, providing consumers with information allowing for proper assessment of potential threats, and ending with the obligation to inform the president of the Office, should the producer find out that his already marketed product is unsafe. The president of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection has a right to force withdrawal of unsafe products from the market, to investigate and make decisions about practices which violate consumer rights, and intervene, should an agreement of sale include illegal clauses, which do not comply with law or accepted practice. Such interventions are on the rise in Poland. But, apart from the state of the legal system, the other crucial factor is consumer awareness so far, the cases of consumers suing producers have been few. It can be however expected that consumer awareness will increase and any company willing to conduct business activity in Poland should take it into consideration.

Gangs of New York, A Film Analysis :: Film

Bill the Butcher was the ideal "bad guy" for a movie. He was a stubborn individual who would not change his ways of thinking for anyone. If you came off a boat and tried to settle in the United States you were automatically hated by Mr. Cutting. Bill was a tall man, very skinny, and he had long hair with a matching mustache. Bill and his party believed that the only rightful people to have jobs, families, and make money were people who were born in the U.S., not immigrants. Women and children are not even spared by Bill and his rugged party. They hatred for the immigrants was so strong that they would shout profanities at them or hurl rocks at them when they unloaded from the massive ships. At times they would beat an immigrant close to death just because they looked at them the wrong way. Cutting's father installed these beliefs into him, Bill's father was killed in a gang war with the immigrants and he would never live that down. The way the immigrants were treated by some of the townspeople made some of the immigrants become very poor. Shop keepers and other store owners would not hire immigrants mainly because they did not like them and secondly that they did not want to upset Bill and his gang. Immigrants would soon leave New York and look for an easier life but most remained behind and lived in the side streets to fend for food with the rats. This is where thievery came in. Since most of the immigrants were poor they had to learn to steal to survive. "Pick-Pocketing" became the most famous means to steal in the streets of New York. The immigrants who would come off of the boats had no idea what was in store for them as they unloaded their boat. The immigrants were friendly people for the most part, they were not looking for a fight in America just a new start to their life.