Cybercrime and its impact on International Business

Cyber crime can be referred to any illegal activity that is executed with the help of a computer. Such kinds of crimes have always been executed ever since the computer technology was introduced (Cross, F 2007). With the advent of Internet, these crimes have gained an even faster pace. These thefts are not limited to enclosed vicinity. Accessing to data of an organization while sitting in another part of the world through internet has now become extremely effortless. This has drastic affects on organizations.Stealing sensitive information such as data of the stock exchange, profits of a financial institution and even identities of individuals (Cross, F 2007) to access into their personal accounts are crimes that are increasing rapidly. This has led to many connotations for businesses worldwide; taking better security measures. Cyber crimes committed are unique in such a way that no physical existence of material or equipment is needed. Everything is done through the use of a computer (Nag, D & Bajaj, K 2005). This has made these crimes even more dangerous and difficult to control. Opportunities for cyber criminalsThe increasing globalization has led to the merger of activities all over the world. Banks, stock markets, multi nationals all have become connected with each other and technology has become the life and blood for all organizations. Used for various purposes such as enhanced communication mediums and information sharing, technological advancements have also made businesses worldwide more susceptible to frauds and misuse of information (Grabosky, P 2005). Amongst all technological developments of the 20th century the internet is a widely used instrument for information sharing all over the world.Between the year 2001 and 2002 there has been an increase of $6501 billion revenue being generated from business executed online (Grabosky, P2005). This means there are greater chances for individuals to commit cyber crimes that are both dangerous and risky to t he business and also illegal in nature (ibid). Businesses worldwide make use of electronic communication means particularly those in the Western World and hence computer and cyber crimes have exploded after the 1990’s (Chamely, H 2003).The use of internet has fuelled the globalization process and hence the world has become smaller. People across the globe can now connect to each other easily though electronic means. However this advantage also carries perils to security. Issues such as fraud over the internet and piracy have been facilitated with the internet development (ibid). Multinationals have offices all over the world that are connected providing cyber criminals with the opportunity to act. It could be someone from within the employees or even a third party criminal.With the pace of technological development, e-commerce has come into existence and businesses are shifting not only their single operations online but transferring their complete business processes online ( Edin, M 2002). Bank for instances have started to offer international fund transfers from branches in two different parts of the worlds through internet which provides criminal opportunity for fund embezzlement which could mean loss of huge amounts of money for the banks. Online businesses such as Amazon. com deal in online shopping and purchasing of goods without dealing in any brick and mortar business.All such organizations function globally and hence are at a greater chance of cyber fraud then a business that only has one office in a single country and hence a smaller network and system. Impact of cyber crimes on business activities All businesses internationally have started to rely on electronic means of doing work and hence dependence on internet and technological sources has gained immense importance. Break down or illegal access to business information system and data base can have severe repercussions:†¢ Hindrance in day to day operations of a business like communicat ion with employees across the borders. Some companies function internationally with employees connected through means of video conferencing or emails etc (Grabosky, P 2005). †¢ A complete shutdown of business for instance organizations such as Wal-Mart function on a real time inventory management system and illegal access gained by a competitor means sharing of sensitive inventory data and customer preferences. †¢ E commerce business entails developing of relation online with suppliers as well.This affect is multiplied when cyber crimes not only gives access to financial data of the targeted organization but even its suppliers who may be functioning in another part of the world (Grabosky, P 2005). †¢ Another great loss that the company might face is the declining confidence level of customers. Consumer have less trust in the business functions especially online retailing like online shopping, purchases and electronic banking. And with the increasing rate of such crime s companies might lose on their customers.Thus companies must ensure that they do not loose on any important customers due lack of trust in the company’s system (Smith, A 2004). †¢ Economic losses to business resultant of frauds have also increased. These are measured in terms of declining profits or fraudulent transactions. An example could be the Russian TOC efforts to steal $10 million dollars from Citi Bank in the USA through forty unlawful fund usage (Jones, DM 2004). Another institution which has had to face the impact of cyber crimes in terms of economic losses is the stock market where traders trade online.Company information (functioning in L. A. ) available to individuals has been misused where wrong information was posted onto the internet leading to stock price increase and hence investors all over the world were affected (ibid). Types of cyber crimes and their impacts According to David Carter’s research (Grabosky, P 2005), there are three acts which can be labeled as cyber crime; entering into some one’s computer through illegal means and mishandling or damaging data, doing something illegal through means of the net or computer like piracy and thirdly, usage of computers to store some illegal information.Cyber crimes that generally take place within an organization take place through emails, viruses transferred through email or through software being used by the company, access to company database for employee or customer information (Nag, D & Bajaj, K 2005). Further detailed classifications of cyber crimes and how they affect organizations is explained below: Fraud in telecom services: Such a crime is committed by gaining access to the organizations switchboard and making use of call time.Not only does this cause the organization to be expensed with the bill worth the talk time used, is also a hassle for the individual subscribers using that particular service for instance an engineer in India was caught thieving hundre d Internet hours from a particular customer (Grabosky, P 2005). Criminals of such sort also gain access to calling card data for customers and hence they can make their calls on the expense of the customers who then have to pay larger bills and in return blame the company for poor device (ibid).Hacking into computers to gain access to data: Hacking into company data which is password protected is another form of cyber crime that is very common. This has caused the most extensive damage to organizations especially organizations which mostly deal in financial data example banks. For instance, the accountant of a bank who is computer literate can gain access to finances of the bank and transfer funds in his name causing economic losses to the his organization (Cross, F 2007)Cyber Terrorists: There work is very much similar to the terrorists that are a threat to national and international security of an individual nation and global relations. Cyber terrorists pose a threat to the nation al security of organizations by accessing into the central processing system (Cross, F 2007). This is particularly useful for business competitors to gain access to their competitors’ financial or future plans and monitor their activities to gain competitive edge (ibid).Piracy issues and counterfeiting: Reproducing products or services of various businesses without legal rights is another classic case of cyber crime. This is most extensively found in the media industry where movies are pirated without any legal rights and sold at even lower prices This has served as a problem for media producers example the movie â€Å"The world is not enough† starring James Bond was distributed over the internet even before it was available for public by the officials (Grabosky, P 2005). Implications for businesses: what businesses need to do?Cyber crime activities have caused losses of millions of dollars for companies however many companies do not prefer to report such incidents due to protection of their reputation and hence the data on cyber crimes is still incomplete (Grabosky, P 2005). The massive exploitation of these crimes has led businesses to take action. Global organization are making use of further technology to strengthen their systems of information sharing such as their data bases which contains customer information and financial data.Focus is now on IT itself to develop such products, services and solutions that do not promote the risk of cyber thefts and frauds (Edin, M 2002) Along with the governments of various nations coupled with investments from individual organizations in the corporate world, efforts are being made create more secure systems that could prevent cyber crimes (ibid). Venture in IT infrastructure and security According to a report of the Internet association Industry in Australia, on an average thirty five different cyber crime attempts are made on an individual organization’s system (Grabosky, P 2005).One of the great est actions that companies have now started to take is focus on their IT teams in order to build a strong and secure network and data base. This team must not only focus on building an internal secure system but also focus on cross border security as most businesses now function globally (ibid). Investing money in infrastructure and training related to IT development against cybercrime protection is becoming a necessity for all organizations and this investment is no longer considered to be an expense (Edin, M 2002).Such work was once and still is considered by some organizations as a function of purely IT engineers however this is not the case. As discussed how threatening the consequences of cyber frauds can be for any business, whether functioning online in a physical environment, it is important that a collaborative effort of all members of the organization is made to avoid these risks (Edin, M 2002).With this, development of a new concept has emerged; â€Å"cyber space securit y† (Smith, A 2004) which focuses on protecting not only business systems but also consumer information. Access to consumer information like their pin number and account information in a bank means risk of losing their money if their personal information is lost. Assessing financial impact of cyber frauds Another important analysis being conducted by companies across the world is the cost of security frauds being carried out within their organizations (Cashell, B et.Al. 2004). Such an analysis provides the companies with the facts of how risky such crime attacks can be for them in terms of risks of information sharing with competitors, risk of alteration of consumer perceptions (Smith, A 2004) and risk of economic losses (Miller, R 2007) being incurred by the firm I case of the system being damaged and information extracted. The fact that these frauds and thefts have led to losses in monetary terms has generated the focus of the organizations in this regard.According to survey conducted by a computer science institute, there has been an increase in financial losses reported by organizations due to cyber fraud in US in the past three consecutive years. Every year the percentage increase in frauds rises. According to that survey, corporations are not able to comprehend the danger that such frauds expose the organizations to and hence they misjudge the consequences (â€Å"Cyber crime bleeds US corporations: Financial losses from attacks climb for three years in a row† as reported in Koletar, J 2003).The increase in such acts has not only forced businesses but also government of individual nations to act to promote business especially that of e-commerce. The IT Act introduced in India in the year 2000, also incorporated certain activities related to cyber crime in e-commerce business and activities such as hacking into computer systems, affecting privacy of consumer information and disrupting computer system encryptions and codes (Nag, D & Bajaj, K 200 5). The basic reason was to instill trust amongst customers of e-commerce.The use of Internet is a two way tunnel for organizations. They must it to enhance relations with business partners, suppliers and customers. At the same time, it has given a chance to hackers for committing crimes of mass scale that require the attention of policymakers in the organization and individual employees too (Salifu, A 2008). Thus internet frauds have become a problem not only for the developing nations who face a shortage of technological skills but en the developed world (ibid). ConclusionSumming up the former discussion leads us to a conclusion that cyber frauds and risks have increased with the level of globalization and thus pose major threats to international business in the form of information loss, access of grave information by the wrong hands, threats to intellectual property right and to business operations, financial losses and wrong information being leaked out regarding a certain compa ny (Edin, M 2002). With the development of global business, more data is transferred and shared online through electronic means and hence cyber fraud has been motivated to a dangerous level.The threat of such risks has lead businesses and even governments to develop solutions ensuring that customer and company information I not leaked out and does not reach the wrong hands. Companies are focusing on developing risk management solutions and are â€Å"digitizing† (Edin, M, 2002, p. 17) their systems introducing stronger security checks and encryptions to protect the company against cyber frauds. Bibliography Cashell, B, Jackson, WD & Jickling, M, Webel, B 2004, Economic Impact of Cyber attacks, Congressional Research Service, Retrieved from scholar.google. com, Retrieved on 8th April 2010 Chamely, H 2003, Cybercrime and Society, Geo-Sciences, Environment and Man, Retrieved from books. google. com, Retrieved on 8th April 2010 Cross, F & Miller, R 2007, West’s legal enviro nment of business, 6th edition, Cengage Learning, Thomson West, USA Edin, M, Smith, B & Chiozza, E 2002, Challenges and Achievements in E-business and E-work, IOS Press, Netherlands Gobrasky, P & Broadhurst, R 2005 (eds), Cyber Crime: The challenge in Asia, Hong Kong University Press Jones, DM 2004 (ed.), Globalization and the new terror, Edward Elgar Publishing Limited, UK Koletar, J 2003, Fraud exposed, John Wiley and Sons Inc , New Jersey. Miller, R and Jentz, G 2007, Fundamentals of business law, 2nd edition, South Western Cengage Learning, USA Nag, D & Kamlesh, B 2005, E-commerce, the cutting edge of business, Tata McGraw Hill, India Salifu, A, 2008, The impact of internet crime on development, Journal of Financial Crime, Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 432-443. Smith, A 2004, Cybercriminal impacts on online business and consumer confidence, Online Information Review, Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 224-234.

The Myth of Atalanta

â€Å"The Myth of Atalanta† What is the price of love and happiness? Atalanta is a beautiful woman who was nursed by a she-bear during her earliest years. Then she was raised by a couple of hunters, including Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. As a result, Atalanta grew up in the wilderness to be a very skilled hunter. Atalanta was destined to be alone and celibate, until Milanion a young man that hated women fell in love with her. He began the chase even though others had lost their lives doing so. Atalanta was a skilled hunter and runner, so she challenged the best and bravest of the town’s men to compete against her.It was said that she could outrace any man. She even wanted to join the party that searched for the Golden Fleece but was denied the opportunity because of her beauty. Beautiful women were considered a distraction to men. This is to say that where men and women are together there is also great tension growing and the work that needs to be done may not be a ccomplished. This is not necessarily because of anything the woman has done. It is simply because of her presence and the attention that each man thinks he must devote to her in order to protect her from the other men.Atalanta was capable of taking care of herself because she was a skilled wrestler. On one occasion she fought and defeated the town’s hero and no man wants to be known as the one that was beaten down by a woman. After being denied the opportunity to hunt for the Golden Fleece, she took part in another hunt -the hunt for the Calydonian Boar. It is here she met and fell in love with the Prince of Calydonia. And it was during this hunting season the beautiful Atalanta became pregnant. However, before she could have the baby the Prince died.There is no evidence to support this theory but it seem that the Princes was careless and distracted by the woman that he loved. It may have cost him his life and because of this she secretly gave birth to a baby boy and left the baby on the mountain. The loss of her lover caused her to live a life of celibacy but men still found her very attractive. They were willing to give their lives to make her their wife. Suitors had to contend for her love and the task was not easy. The cost of failure was one’s life and many a man had lost his life for her. Still, that did not stop others from trying.Is love really worth dying for? We can look to Jesus for the answer. For, Jesus left his home -a place where, according the bible, every living being bows down in His presence and cries â€Å"Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty,† -in order to come into this sin-filled world (King James Bible, Revelations 4:8) . He came to die for you and me just because He loves us with an everlasting love. Milanion saw her beauty and was mystified by it during their frequent visits and hunts together. He began to notice her and became more and more attracted by her beauty.He drew himself closer to her every chance he got and even to the point of carrying her hunting nets. Milanion once placed himself in the way of an unwanted suitor. That suitor became angry and tried to hurt Atalanta. Milanion was badly hurt so Atalanta killed the villain then nursed Milanion back to health. Meanwhile, Atalanta began falling in love with Milanion. Love, however, would not come cheap for them because Milanion had to face the same challenge as all the other suitors just so that all could see that her love could only be won by her one true lover.As it states in the bible, â€Å"In a race all run but only one wins† (Bible, Romans 9:24). Milanion prayed for help and it was given to him. He came to the race prepared and during the race he followed the instructions given to him by XXXX. Atalanta, however, was just like Eve. She forgot the warnings given to her and succumbed to the lust of the flesh. Also like Eve, she picked the fruit and did not give thanks, and so was cursed to be an animal for the rest of her li fe. Conclusion: Atalanta a beautiful woman nursed by a she bear and raised by hunters was a skilled hunter, wrestler, and runner.She fell in love with the Calydonian prince but lost him while they were both still very young. Having been warned of what marriage would mean for her, she decided to live a life of celibacy. Unfortunately, her beauty attracted many men and she fended them off by challenging them to a foot race that would cost them their lives if they lost. In the end she willingly lost the race to a man that she herself was in love with and was eventually turned into an animal along with her lover. Work Cited Rom 9:24 KJV Bible Rev 4:8 KJV Bible ————————————————-How do you reference a web page that lists no author? ————————————————- How do you referenc e a web page that lists no author? When there is no author for a web page, the title moves to the first position of the reference entry: Example: New child vaccine gets funding boost. (2001). Retrieved March 21, 2001, from http://news. ninemsn. com. au/health/story_13178. asp Cite in text the first few words of the reference list entry (usually the title) and the year. Use double quotation marks around the title or abbreviated title. : (â€Å"New Child Vaccine,† 2001).Note: Use the full title of the web page if it is short for the parenthetical citation. Articles found on the web, like the example above, are not italicized in the reference entry and are not italicized but enclosed in quotations in the in-text citation, just like a newspaper or magazine article. Reports found on the web would be italicized in the reference list, as in Publication Manual (6th ed. ) Examples 31, 32, and 33 on pp. 205–206. They would also be italicized in the in-text citation, just like a book. (adapted from the sixth edition of the APA Publication Manual,  © 2010)

Does Word Length or Orthographical Neighbourhood Size?

Does Word Length or Orthographical Neighbourhood Size Effect Working Memory? Abstract Baddeley, Thomson and Buchanan (1975) were the first to systematically examine the effect of word length on memory finding that short words were recalled more easily than long words. This became known as the word length effect (WLE; Baddeley et al. 1975). Since this study WLE was further examined and presented mixed results (e. g. Baddeley, 2000; Cowan et al, 1992; Lewandowsky & Oberauer, 2009; Lovatt, Avons & Masterson, 2000).In 2011 Jalbert, Neath, Bireta, and Surprenant suggested that previous research conducted may have been subject to a confounding variable, orthographical neighbourhood size (ONS). In a study by Jalbert, Neath and Surprenant (2011) it was concluded that neighbourhood size, not length of the word, is important; therefore forgetting in short-term memory may be due to other variables than decay. The present study was further investigating the effect of word length and ONS by using 2Ãâ€"2 within groups ANOVA. The independent variables were word length and ONS.They both had two levels: 1 syllable (short) and 3 syllables (long) for word length and 3-5 neighbours (small) and 7-9 neighbours (large) for neighbourhood size. Words for the ONS were selected using MCWord, an online orthographic database (Medler & Binder, 2005). The dependent variable was the number of words successfully recalled in the correct order. It was hypothesized that short words would be recalled better than long words, and that words with a large ONS would be recalled better than words with a small ONS.There will be no interaction between the two groups. There were eight participants (Leeds Met undergraduates) selected through convenience sampling. The experiment was run with the use of E-prime (Schneider, Eschman, & Zuccolotto, 2002). Participants were presented with six words then words were displayed on the left side of the screen, participants were asked to indicate the order in which th ey had been presented in. The number of correctly recorded words was used as the measure of the accuracy of their memories.Results showed that there was no significant effect on the ease of recall relating to either word length or ONS, therefore not supporting the hypotheses or previous research. This could be due to a small sample size. The different stimuli used may also have been problematic as previous research indicates (Bireta, Neath & Surprenant, 2006). This may imply that there is another reason for why forgetting occurs and it is not specifically related to decay or ONS. Further investigation into this is recommended. References Baddeley, A.D. , Thomson, N. , & Buchanan, M. (1975). Word length and the structure of short-term memory. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 14, 575–589. Baddeley, A. D. (2000). The episodic buffer: A new component of working memory? Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 4, 417–423. Bireta, T. J. , Neath, I. , & Surprenant, A. M. (2006). The syllable-based word length effect and stimulus set specificity. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 13, 434–438. Cowan, N. , Day, L. , Saults, J. S. , Kellar, T. A. , Johnson, T. , & Flores, L. 1992). The role of verbal output time in the effects of word length on immediate memory. Journal of Memory & Language, 31, 1-17. Jalbert, A. , Neath, I. , Bireta, T. J. , & Surprenant, A. M. (2011). When does length cause the word length effect? Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 37, 338–353. Jalbert, A. , Neath, I. & Surprenant, A. M. (2011). Does length or neighbourhood size cause the word length effect? Memory and Cognition, 39, 1198-1210. Lewandowsky, S. , & Oberauer, K. (2009).No evidence for temporal decay in working memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Association Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 35, 1545-1551. Lovatt, P. , Avons, S. E. , & Masterson, J. (2002). Output decay in immediate serial recall: Speech time revisited. Journal of Memory & Language, 46, 227-243. Medler, D. A. , & Binder, J. R. (2005): MCWord: An on-line orthographic database of the English language. Schneider, W. , Eschman, A. , & Zuccolotto, A. (2002). E-Prime User's Guide. Pittsburgh: Psychology Software Tools, Inc.

Instructional Maual on chidren with diabetes Essay

Instructional Maual on chidren with diabetes - Essay Example Patients suffering from type 1 diabetes are forced to take insulin injections throughout their lives. In type 2 diabetes, body cells fail to react with insulin. It could also be caused by insufficient insulin production by the body. Gestational Diabetes affects women during the pregnancy period. This occurs due to increased blood glucose level, which reduces the amount of insulin produced in the body. Insulin is necessary for glucose transportation. Children living with diabetes (type 1 diabetes) require non-stop daily management, implying that they must become experts of their own condition and should be highly informed than the average doctor in order to manage the daily demands of the disease. According to scientific research, type 1 diabetes is partly hereditary. A vast number of differing genes are involved in the inheritance of the disease. However, children do not inherit the actual disease. They inherit genes that make them susceptible to contracting the disease. Type 1 diabetes that infects children is categorized as an autoimmune disorder. This means that the disease acts as an allergy in the bodies of infected children. It, therefore, makes their immune system to cause an attack on part of their bodies. However, the exact cause of diabetes in children is still unknown. The symptoms of diabetes in children start when pancreatic cells start deteriorating over a long period of time. Pancreatic cells play the role of insulin produce. Eventually, the cells reach a point when they start producing lower than 20 percent of the total insulin amount required by the body. At this point, diabetes is diagnosed. In many children, diabetic symptoms have been observed to begin shortly after a cold, flu or another infection. Diabetes symptoms in children include weight loss shortly after diagnosis of the disease, vomiting and tiredness. About 30, 000 children in the US are diagnosed with diabetes each year. Diabetes

Leadership a tale of two coaches Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Leadership a tale of two coaches - Essay Example Bobbi Knight and Coach K are two famous basketball coaches that achieved great success and whose leadership styles were completely different. This paper will discuss those two coaches and their leadership styles. Fielder's contingency theory is made up of leaders who are task oriented and those that are relationship oriented. It is based on the orientation of the leader, the elements of a particular situation and the leaders' orientation. Task oriented leaders do best in low to moderate control situations while relationship oriented leaders do best in moderately controlled situations. In the case of our two coaches, we would have to place Bobbi Knight in the task oriented leadership and Coach K in the relationship type. Furthermore each leader has a different kind of leadership power. That power is referent, expert, legitimate, reward and coercive. Power is part of the leadership influence. Coach Knight used coercive power, though many people liked him, he was able to accomplish what he did through coercion. On the other hand Coach K had referent power. His team sincerely liked him and played well because of it. He also used some coercion but his primary power was referent. In determining which of the coaches was a leader and which a manager, it appears that Coach Knight was the manager and Coach K the leader. The reason for that is that Coach Knight wielded the big stick. Do it my way or not at all which is more a management style, although not a great one. On the other hand, Coach K allowed some critical thinking from his players and brought them through the processes together, this is really leadership style. Five Factor Model The Five Factor Model supported in the text by McCrae & Costa (1987), is a model that describes human personality disorders and gives a basis for the general understanding personality. There are five factors that are considered and they are called the "big 5" (Bradshaw, 1997). These big 5 factors are neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness (Northouse, 2010). The OCEAN concept combines. Each of these traits has characteristics. These characteristics are noted in the table. Characteristics High Scorers Factor Characteristics Low Scorers Creative, original, curious, imaginative Openness-Toleration for exploration of the unfamiliar Unartistic, conventional Organized, reliable, neat, ambitions Conscientiousness-Individual has degree of organization, persistence, and motivation in goal directed behavior. Unreliable, lazy, careless, negligent Talkative, optimistic, sociable, affectionate Extraversion-Capacity for joy, need for stimulation Unartistic, conventional Good-natured, trusting, helpful Agreeableness-Ones orientation along a continuum from compassion to antagonism in thoughts, feelings, and actions Rude, uncooperative, irritable Calm, content, secure, unemotional, relaxed Neurotism-proneness to psychological distress, excessive cravings or urges, unrealistic ideas Self-pitying, worrying, insecure, emotional, nervous According to the text, most managers have an extroverted personality. Certainly in the case of both of these coaches there are extroversion traits in their personalities. They are both talkative and optimistic while Coach

The education system in kuwait Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

The education system in kuwait - Essay Example The Council of Education was established in the year 1936, which effectively made the Kuwaiti government responsible for providing monetary and other resources for education. It also undertook the supervision of teaching. In addition, the Council of Education was made responsible for organising learning, which it did by designing and planning the curriculum to be implemented. The very next year, the Council of Education established one primary school for girls, and two primary schools for boys (MOE, 2009). With the passage of time, education in Kuwait became quite popular. This resulted in a steady increase in the number of prospective students. In response to this development, the Council of Education enlarged the existing schools, by introducing additional classes in them. In the year 1947, a religious teaching institute was formally launched in Kuwait. Thereafter, in the year 1949, Kuwait established a teachers’ training institute, in order to cater to the needs of primary school teachers (MOE, 2009). The Arab Republic of Egypt and other Arab nations, provided some of the funds required by the education system of Kuwait. There was considerable emphasis upon education in the sciences. In the year 1952, the government appropriated to itself the management of education. In this endeavour, Kuwaitis were employed, and technical support was extended by the other Arab nations. Several educational reforms were witnessed in the year 1954, when a restructuring of the study plans and curriculum were undertaken. A restructuring of the learning stages was conducted, and the curriculum was made more flexible, with a view to rendering it more relevant to the cultural and social developments taking place in the nation. With these changes, education at the kindergarten and primary level was for a duration of four years, and in the intermediate and secondary stages it was four years each (MOE,

Drug and Diseases Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Drug and Diseases - Essay Example This saves resources and time for the FDA, making money available for other regulatory issues and increasing speed for other approvals. This method has no difference with current FDA drug approval regulations as reviewing justifications are low cost and effective at screening for possible candidates. For a generic drug, if bioequivalence with a non-generic drug is proven, than the two drugs have the same, or similar enough to be considered as same, function and effects. In this case, it is needless to conduct the many experiments on the drug’s pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics to show its function and effects. By proving only its bioequivalence, resources can be diverted to other uses. This method would be making the drug approval process more efficient. Thus, the FDA only need to make sure the generic drug is bioequivalent to its corresponding non-generic drug. As with innovative biologics, the company seeking approval is showing the drug’s bioequivalence to the FDA, while the FDA review the reports to save government resources 2. If the justifications are successful, then the FDA needs to duplicate only important experiments, and only if the results are the same or similar enough to be considered to be the same then can the proposal can continue. One of the main differences with the current approval process for generic drugs is the FDA needs to duplicate important experiments only. This is so that the FDA can make sure that important values are valid, as the peer-review process does not always ensure validity of experimental values. Since people would be consuming the drugs, it is important that these values are correct. There are many areas for drug firms to provide false data. Individuals must take full account of human errors that often occurs in non-academic research settings. Also, the peer-review process does

Managing Capabilities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Managing Capabilities - Essay Example The adoption of new technology on regular intervals has boosted the marketing capabilities of ASDA. For any organization to stay competitive in the world it is very important to adopt the strategic changes. For ASDA the distribution channel in connection with the internet by online stores has helped the company a lot to expand the range of services and providing the customers with various purchasing options. Another approach used by ASDA that enhances its overall capabilities is the process of acquiring more information related to the product while the customer is in the process of taking decision. Online services also serve as sales tool. ASDA is the second retail store to offer this online service. ASDA has also brought in structural changes like removing the top layer hierarchy and the freezing wages. This change brought in positive change in the performance of the organization. The transparency has helped the company win the name of the best employer in the UK today. This led to an increase in the shareholder value. ASDA is the second largest supermarket chain in UK and has about 17% of the market share. It is a powerful retailing business and is well reputed for the products it has and the convenience it gives to its customers. The primary focus of ASDA is to save money and keep the costs as low as possible. The company has a strong technology system that supports its operations. If we talk about the weakness of the company so it can be regarded as the lack of convenience stores and the small supermarkets (Ackerman, 1997). Talking about the biggest competition to ASDA that is Tesco it is found out that almost two third of its total... Managing Capabilities Structuring tools and strategy frameworks are main keys to assess the situation of the business. Value trade-offs and risks are made explicit that lead to proposals that are concrete for adding value and reducing the risk. The frameworks that have been discussed in this study and the Pestle analysis in specific are likely to help ASDA in the identification of related laws planning and conform to decrease any distraction associated with them. To retain the customer base ASDA meets the customer needs, customizes the service, ensures lower prices, helps in making better choices, continuous flow of in-store promotions. These analysis will help the company in assessing the possible success for opening new stores, that are small in any area, which is the need to stay in competition. These analyses are likely to assist in identifying the policies, regulations and laws that govern the competition and monopolies. This is a challenge faced by ASDA in its pursuit to expand its business. Under t he European Union law, the unfair competition and the large market share (dominant) can lead to low quality services and products that consequently will increase the prices of services and goods. ASDA needs to keep this in mind as it aims to increase the number of its stores and move to new areas. This study can be of great help for ASDA to maintain its strong position and implementation of the frameworks given in this study can further assist the company to enjoy the heights of success.

Phase response curves to light and to melatonin Essay

Phase response curves to light and to melatonin - Essay Example In human light PRC (Figure 1), the y-axis of the PRC shows the direction and relative magnitude of the phase shift in hours induced by light exposure (solid line). Circadian Time Zero (CT0) corresponds to 11:00 am and CT22-CT18 is the duration for day time activity. The black bar, which indicates the time period between 12:00 midnight – 8:00am, along x-axis represents the duration for sleeping. Bright light treatment causes the phase-delay of circadian phase, which is represented by the area from CT10 to CT18. During this period, bright light treatment causes later onset of sleeping/awakening cycle. As time progresses from CT10, stronger effect on phase-delay is observed. At CT18, this phase-delay effect is changed dramatically to phase-advancing effect. The peak phase-advancing effect coincides with sunrise. From CT18 to CT3, bright light treatment induces phase-advancing effect, causing earlier onset of sleeping / awakening cycle. This effect gradually decreases from CT19 to CT3. As noted in the graph, little or no effect is observed when bright light treatment is applied from CT14 to CT20, in which this time period corresponds to 2:00pm to 8:00pm. The intensity of the light used in bright light treatment can have direct effect on the magnitude of the phase advancement or delay. ... After this time point, this effect decreases to the lowest point to CT12. It should be noted that during this time period, bright light treatment has no phase-shifting effect on circadian rhythm. From CT18 to CT0, melatonin administration induces a phase-delay effect on circadian rhythm, however, this effect is relatively small when compared with the phase advancing effect induced by bright light treatment. From 2 hours before the onset of sleeping (CT12) onwards until time of sunrise (CT18), administration of melatonin does not exert any effect on circadian rhythm. This time duration coincides with phase delaying effect of bright light treatment. b. Using this knowledge of the phase response curves to light and to melatonin, design a protocol to alleviate the effects of jet lag when travelling from London Singapore (8 time zones eastward) The flights for travelling from London to Singapore are available both in the morning and at night. The local time in Singapore is ahead of London by 8 hours (8 time zones eastward). Assuming there are two flights travelling from London to Singapore, one flight has the depart time at 11:00 am (London local time) and arrive in Singapore at 7:00 am (Singapore local time, one day ahead); the other flight departs at 22:00 pm (London local time) and arrives at 18:00 pm (Singapore local time, one day ahead). The total duration of the flight is approximately 13 hours. The circadian rhythm may be entrained by advance or delay the sleep/awake cycle and both intake of melatonin at about 4 hours before to its natural peak in the circadian cycle or bright light treatment may induce an advance response (3). The following protocol is devised from

What is the effect of the recent information deluge on our Essay

What is the effect of the recent information deluge on our intellectual capabilities - Essay Example hich they had read and that which they had not read since moving between links disrupts memory and the transfer of information from working memory to the long-term memory. As a result, the conclusion was that hypertexts in documents did for learning and in any case, it lowered the ability to retrieve information from documents by affecting retention (Carr, 2010). People’s general misconceptions were that use of the internet actually made people smarter as there were more stimuli and there was increased brain activity as people go through then web. The rerouting of brain neurons allows people to be better at problem solving, which is apparently not since increased brain activity does not translate in improving brain activity or cognitive skills (Armstrong, 2011). Instead, it only serves to reroute people’s neural pathways for information. It is also a misconception that the web is making us smarter as; in fact, it only strengthens brain functions in relation to solving fast-paced problems. The reason behind web surfing and multitasking is the need to absorb information rapidly and within the shortest time possible in bits and pieces (Carr, 2010). This is meant to identify information quickly in order for one to choose whether he or she will read further for more information. This is such that web surfing is meant to allow one to be in communication with the rest of the world while at the same time obtaining information from the internet. Multitasking, on the other hand is a form of distraction from one task to the next or another task and it is done to the presence of multiple stimuli and search for relevance in everything people do in the web and beyond. Cognitive overload and switch cost has significant effects on our brains in that it corrupts our power to retain the knowledge that we acquire and the ability to relate between memories by creating connections between them. This way, cognitive overload affects the brain in that it influences our ability to

Social and Personal Related Factors Influencing Teenage Pregnancy Essay Example for Free

Social and Personal Related Factors Influencing Teenage Pregnancy Essay Introduction Teenage pregnancy or adolescent pregnancy is the early conception of female whose age ranges from 13 to 19. Just recently, adolescent has become an important issue in health in great number of countries, both developed and developing. However, pregnancy in adolescence is not an unusual phenomenon as it keeps on rising every now and then. There are lots of speculations about which factors triggers pregnancy the most. Some of these factors were deemed to be poverty, socioeconomic factors, educational attainment etc. Actually, a family with history of teenage birth is considered as one of the factor that influences teenage pregnancy. Teen female with family history of teenage births are significantly more likely to experience teenage pregnancy (East, et.al 2007). Childhood history of sexual abuse has also been taking in place as a factor of having early pregnancy. This factor increases the risk of teen women for subsequent adolescent pregnancy and that addressing conditions associated with childhood sexual abuse might impact the overall pregnancy rate (Noll, et.al. 2009). Somehow, even non expected factors such as childhood bullying were deemed to contribute for teen to have early pregnancy. Childhood bullying tends to have negative effect on the childhood of teen females. In fact, both bullies and victims had high risk of becoming teenage mothers regardless of the family-related risk factors. Reports of bullying and victimization from the girls themselves, their parents and their teacher were associated with becoming teenage mother independently of each other. Therefore, there is a predictive association between being a bully in childhood and becoming a mother in adolescence and it may be useful to target bullies for teenage pregnancy prevention (Lehti, et.al 2010). Conclusively, there are lots of factors which are deemed to influence teenage pregnancy and it is still a mystery that which factors we should consider above them all thus awareness could be given to those who will need it mostly. The aim of the study is to determine whether which of the social-related or personal-related factors greatly influences teenage pregnancy. Thus, when the study have determined and relay the results this could serve as a basis or guidelines for women to avoid early pregnancy. While for the parents of female teenager this will enable them to know of what aspect should they consider to avoid this teen pregnancy from happening and even for nurses, to conduct health teaching and public awareness that teenage pregnancy can always be prevented just as long as the action plan includes proven data and has the real factors that might lead teenagers to this unwanted and early pregnancy. Significance of the Study The study is deemed to be relevant in nursing profession and for the community in establishing a link between rendering care for the community both in Public and Private setting. The result aims to determine or to discover which among the following factors influences the teen women to be pregnant the most. The study is believed to benefit the following.

Existentialism and Choices Essay Example for Free

Existentialism and Choices Essay Existentialists are commonly seen as being distressed with human degradation. Something seen as ugly and negative or as related to naturalists. However existentialists are more than that. In fact, existentialism is the works of a musician or a poet. The clear definition of existentialism is not what is commonly seen as negativity or as naturalists. Sartre tells us ‘it can be defined easily. ’ Existentialism aims at emphasizing ‘the individual character they are philosophizing. ’ There are two different types of existentialists that are confused with each other. The first of the two types is the existentialists who are Christian and the second is the atheistic existentialists. Atheistic existentialists make more sense because they are not Christians, nature, or God centered. Existentialism prefers hominocentric that is centered on humans not God. As the lecturer said, they are tired of people talking about metaphysics. Yet both share one similar thing in common, they both think that existence precedes essence. Essence is a particular object, it is all around us. Yet as humans, our existence precedes essence because we are not objects in the world. The way we identify ourselves is different from the way other things are identified. The way we identify ourselves from objects and animals differently is the choices we make that defines us. Freedom is what enables us to make choices and is also what sets humans apart from ordinary things and animals. Humans are always constantly becoming who they are for their self definition is never complete. Sartre believes that ‘a man is nothing but what he makes himself. ’ That is the first principle of existentialism. The man must be aware of the state of being indefinable as the first step because he is nothing at first. â€Å"‘I think, therefore I exist’ is the absolute truth of consciousness becoming aware of itself. † Only then will that man become something, his actions sets his life. His choices are making himself a part of who he will be in his future. These choices can be overwhelming because these choices come with great responsibility. Here Sartre tells us that a ‘man has a human nature, the concept of the human, is found in all which means that each man is a particular example of a universal concept. ’ There is more to a man’s responsibility than to its own individual self for it also applies to all men. There are those, called cowards and stinkers, who do not accept this responsibility by their decision because they are either hiding from it or just refuse to take it. When cowards make choices they raise excuses such as they were influence by others to choose this way. Cowards lets others choose for them and therefore cowards let others identify them the way the others want to. Sartre says that ‘cowardice is the act of renouncing or yielding. ’ Cowards are those with an uneasy conscience. However the stinkers do not want this responsibility. They make choices as for their own individual and not for all men. Then there are those who choose responsibility for themselves and for everyone else known as authenticity. They are creating a certain image of man that seems fit to all men. Authenticity is the existentialist value. It does not let others define them but hold them responsible in choosing themselves and they choose men. Humans are condemned with freedom because we are left forlorn and abandon. Yet who is making us feeling this way? In this hominocentric belief, the death of God does, his purpose does not serve here. This is why we make choices freely with no principles to bind us. Sartre says there is nothing written of the existence of God and we live in a world filled with men. Humans live in anxiety because there really is no guide to their choices. They live in anxiety because of the fear they are not being right. Men are abandoned and left in human condition. The uncertainty is the reason why life is dreadful. Since there is no God, there are universal responsibilities. The feeling of being alone with no God and no rules to help us with our universal responsibilities; we are constantly faced with some easy and hard situations in our everyday life. Every situation is different every time. easy situations, you are choosing either the good choices or the bad choices, as human you normally will choose the good choices. On the other hand, hard choices are dealing with two good choices. Despite the difficult choices, there are no wrong choices you can easily cancel out and the bigger issue is there is no basis for choices. No one can tell you how to make your own decision except yourself. ‘Reality alone is what really counts, that dreams, expectations, and hopes warrant no more than to define a man as a disappointed dream, as miscarried hopes, as vain expectations. ’ This is where the value system is formed. Your priorities help you isolate the choice that is not a higher value than the other choice. Yet when the priorities are not clear, anxiety rises and the pressure can sometimes be overbearing. When feelings interfere with decisions, it can turn into one big circle. You don’t know what you are doing unless you precisely feel it, on the other hand, you don’t know what you are precisely feeling unless you are doing it. Feelings will get in the way of our judgment of choosing. Existentialists place passion as an excuse and a man’s responsibility. Luckily, our moral character eases our decisions for we will rule out choices that seem unfit. We always tend to choose the good as we are choosing the good for all. Sartre is an atheistic existentialist who does not believe in God. Sartre believes that if he was mistaken about the existence of God then life would still be the same as if there was no God. We still will face the great responsibility and be alone with our freedom. There would be no difference, we still have to make our choices alone. No matter if we are a coward, a stinker, or authentic, our future relies heavily on our actions that is forming it. At any moment we don’t realize which one can change our life. That is what makes life exciting.

Political Apathy in Youth Essay

Political Apathy in Youth Essay Is Political Apathy Among Youths Prevalent Across The World Today? Tan Hong Kai Introduction The antithesis of social advancement, political apathy, is a pressing yet thorny issue all countries need to address. Citizens’ impassivity towards politics could destabilise a country, particularly the youths as they are the future of a nation. With the increasingly rapid pace of life, youths tend to be more occupied with keeping up with the Joneses and climbing up the social ladder rather than getting themselves involved in the affairs of their state. Recently, American youths have also made clear that they do not vote due to their dislike of politicians. Political apathy is a universal problem. It recognises no boundaries, and continues to be pervasive across many parts of the world today. Definition of Key Terms Political apathy is a lack of concern and the indifferent attitude of citizens towards public affairs. Throughout this essay, the term youths will refer specifically to persons between the ages of 18 and 29. Political Apathy Among Youths in America One of the main problems with American youths is the huge propensity to be politically indifferent. This attribute is seen in two metamorphic events, the 2008 and the 2012 Presidential Elections. 3.12008 and 2012 Presidential Elections The 2008 United States Presidential Elections saw Barack Obama succeed George Walker Bush as the 44th President of the United States. The voter turnout for the 2008 Presidential Elections was 61.6%, which was the highest since the 1968 Presidential Elections. Howbeit, Hayes (2013) pointed out that the youth vote made up a mere 19% of the electorate. The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement pointed out that youths â€Å"make up 21% of the voting eligible population in the U.S.† The data above can be represented in a pie chart, as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1. 2008 Presidential Elections Voter Turnout. Only 11.7% out of the 21% of youths casted a vote in the elections. Four years later, in the 2012 Presidential Elections, Barack Obama was re-elected to a second term. Voter turnout, however, decreased from 61.6% in 2008 to 58.2% in 2012. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (2012), 45% of youths voted, which is a decrease as in 2008, 51% of youths casted a vote. Evidently, less than half of all American youths are keen in choosing the leader they want to represent their nation. According to Kohnle (2013), the 2013 Harvard Public Opinion Project found that most American youths would replace every member of Congress if they could. However, 26% have declined the opportunity to vote in the 2014 midterm elections. Although American youths do hold certain views against the political leaders, they are uninterested in instigating change themselves. Stockley (2014), per contra, expressed that historically youths have been the least reliable voters as they tend to be distrust and be dissatisfied with the government for not listening to concerns, thus believing that their votes do not matter. This could be the reason why American youths choose not to vote. The participation of American youths in the elections suggests that problem of political apathy among youths is present in America. As youths are uninterested in voting, there is a lack of political participation as they choose to abstain from voting. Political apathy is thus present in the United States. 3.2Political Participation of American Youths Nevertheless, American youths cannot be said to be completely apathetic about politics. During the African-American Civil Rights Movement, youth activists participated in the â€Å"sit-in movement†, which had â€Å"at least 56 colleges in the region linked to† it. A decade later, hundreds of youth demonstrated at Times Square to protest against the Vietnam War. Thus in history, youths were proactive about politics and wanted a say in the decisions the government makes. In recent times, similar movements had taken place as well. In 2011, youths organised the Occupy Wall Street protest movement to express dissatisfaction at the country’s economic disparity and alleged political corruption. This suggests that even till today, youths do participate in politics and in this case, pressure the government to reform and ameliorate the country’s plight. American youths are hence not as apathetic as feared. American youths are concerned and do express their thoughts over state affairs through demonstrations and protest. Political Apathy Among Youths in China While America is ruled democratically, the People’s Republic of China adopts a different kind of political ideology. Governed by the Communist Party of China, civilians in the socialist country do not have the opportunity and freedom to vote for a leader. Nonetheless, the difference on political ideology has no impact on whether citizens are concerned about the state’s affairs; youths in China are politically apathetic as well. To date, the Tiananmen Square protest of 1989 was the only student-led demonstrations in China. In 1989, Chinese youths gathered in Tiananmen Square. Youths called for social equality, freedom of speech, and most importantly, democracy, amidst political corruption and economic nepotism. However, on 4th June, Chinese troops entered Tiananmen Square and opened fire on these student protesters. This attack conveys the message that the government is unwelcoming of these demonstrations and will be hostile towards anyone who partakes in such protests. Political apathy in China can be attributed to the education system and the stringent laws the Communist Party of China had enforced in the country. The Chinese Education System The Chinese education system places a huge emphasis on galvanising chauvinism. Taboo topics such as the Cultural Revolution, the Hundred Flowers Campaign, the Great Leap Forward and the aforementioned Tiananmen Square Massacre are intentionally omitted from the syllabus. (â€Å"Political Apathy Among Youth†, 2012) As these taboo subjects are usually events which stir anti-government fervor, youths lack exposure to these movements which could have spurred them to participate in political activities and make a difference. Besides, in the Chinese education system, America’s multi-party system is ridiculed. In high school, students go through Political Science lessons and courses, in which they are taught sensitive yet critical issues such as Sino-Japanese relations, the â€Å"Taiwan Issue† and â€Å"Mao Zedong Thought.† These lessons stir nationalistic feelings and promote patriotism among the students. Thus, youths are taught to be loyal and committed to the Communist Party of China. As a result, youths would refrain from instigating anti-government protests or participating in politics as they are satisfied with status quo. The Prohibition of Demonstrations All protests are banned in China. â€Å"Public demonstrations from dissidents that explicitly oppose the government will be whisked away by the police force.† (â€Å"Political Apathy Among Youth†, 2012) Due to such strict laws the government has imposed, youths would naturally be unconcerned about politics. Youths know that any efforts to call for change will be dismissed. Only government-sanctioned protests are permitted. This can be seen from the 2012 Anti-Japan Riots. Tang (2012) reports that â€Å"Outside the Japanese Embassy, student protesters shouted slogans demanding that Japan relinquish the Senkaku islands.† While Chinese youths do not initiate any movements or demonstrations as it is banned, they would still participate in protests approved and led by the Communist Party of China. Political apathy is hence prevalent amongst Chinese youths as they do not display any interest or concern unless they are instructed by the government to do so. Political Apathy Among Youths in Singapore Singapore has always been known as the bridge between the East and the West. As mentioned, both the youths in the East and the West are politically apathetic. Intriguingly and idiosyncratically, that is not the case in this hybridised cultural melting pot. Political Participation of Singaporean Youths Singaporean youths have actively participated in politics. This can be seen from the organisations youths have established in response to certain political issues. 5.1.1Youth for Ecology In 2013, the government released the Population White Paper which proposed the Singapore population to hit 6.9 million in 2030. The release triggered a countrywide debate as Singaporeans did not welcome the import of foreign labour. A group of youths from Singapore Polytechnic realised that â€Å"there was little said about the environmental impact of what was outlined in the paper†, thus they formed the â€Å"Youth for Ecology† to raise awareness. Dialogues were organised and papers were written and submitted to Nominated Member of Parliament Faizah Jamal to address in Parliament. Singaporean youths are concerned about the nation’s future as well. They are also willing to take action to appeal to the government certain aspects they might have missed out. 5.1.2Social Media According to Lee (2013), a Singapore Polytechnic survey found that â€Å"almost 71% of those aged 15 to 19 said they speak up on politics and the Government on social media, while 68% of those aged 20 to 24 do so†. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, all of which are hugely popular among the tech-savvy youths, can be used to express their opinions on state affairs. A study conducted by the Institute Policy of Science (2010) showed that 25.5% of youths participate in politics online as compared to 16.8% adults. Over 77% of Singaporeans in their 20s have a Facebook account (Nielson, 2009) while more than half of Singapore Members of Parliament have a Facebook account. (Hussain, 2010) Thus, social media can be utilised to convey their opinions on political issues and ensure it is heard by the Members of Parliament. With such a convenient platform, youths are recommended to air their views freely and encouraged to participate in political activities. 2006 and 2011 General Elections Nonetheless, the voting turnout of Singaporean youths has been largely disappointing. Chang (2012) found that in Singapore, despite its compulsory voting, the youth turnout had a 40% drop from 63% to 2006 to 38% to 2011. About 70% of young voters had hardly voted in elections. A survey conducted by The New Paper found that 40% of youths will not vote if voting were optional. Furthermore, 25% of youths bemoaned that they have little say in government policies. (â€Å"Are our young Singaporean voters politically apathetic?†, 2011) This suggests that Singaporean youths believe that it would have been pointless to vote since they could not influence any plans the government proposes. Conclusion As Meheresh Yeditha puts it so nicely, â€Å"As the youth, we are its future. Our habits, political views, and actions will have a major effect on the future of our country, and the future of humanity. We as a youth have a moral obligation not only to be informed about current situations, but also to try to make a difference.† Political apathy is something any country could not afford. Youths, being a crucial subset of every electorate, can influence election results to a huge extent. Despite, political apathy is still present in today’s world. Youth turnout for the American Presidential Elections in 2008 and 2012 was low. Nevertheless, American youths have organised political movements to protest about certain issues. Saying that American youths are politically apathetic would be a sweeping statement. In China, due to the education system which places a huge emphasis on chauvinism and the prohibition of demonstrations, youths believe that any participation would not have any impact on how the country is ran at all. Therefore, Chinese youths would not be concerned about state affairs knowing that there is no room for contribution. In Singapore, youths are actively participating in the country’s state affairs. For instance, youths have established organisations which provide feedback to Members of Parliament on certain governmental policies. Youths have also used social media as a platform to express their opinions. However, youth turnout has declined, and youths would choose not to vote as they believe they had little say in politics. Nevertheless, voter turnout should not be the only measure used to determine whether a country’s youths are politically apathetic or not. Political participation should also consist of how vocal they are and how much they engage themselves with political issues. Such is the case in America and Singapore, where youths may not vote but are proactive in voicing out their concerns through protests and peaceful demonstrations. As in the case of socialist China, since there are no elections and freedom of expression is limited, Chinese youths are demotivated to participate in politics, which explains why they are politically apathetic. Plato once said â€Å"One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. For a democracy to work, people must participate in that democracy. The same applies to any political ideology. Governments worldwide have gradually become aware of that and are starting to take measures to curb political apathy. In America, MTV has established the â€Å"Rock the Vote† organisation, which strives to fuse pop culture and technology to encourage youths to register and cast a ballot. It allows youths to register online, which is a more convenient process. In Singapore, the People’s Action Party has set up and developed a youth wing, called the â€Å"Young PAP†. Formed by Singaporean youths, it seeks to influence youths to participate in politics as they are indispensable to Singapore’s future. In China, while plans have been made to provide more channels to allow youths to express their thoughts, it remains to be seen what will be put into effect. During the 2011 United Nations High-Level Meeting, Senior Official Zhou Changkui mentioned, â€Å"As youth is an important political force, facilitating youth in political participation symbolizes equality and progress of a society. Participation is a way for young people to improve their status, exercise their rights and promote common development.† It could only be a matter of time when barriers are removed and Chinese youths start to engage themselves in political activities. It is therefore unfair to say that political apathy among youths is prevalent across the world. While it exists, it is not pervasive and widespread. Youths in democratic countries such as Singapore are less politically apathetic as compared to those in countries with lesser freedom, such as China. Hence political apathy among youths is not prevalent across the world today, but it is existent and is a pressing problem for countries to curb and prevent. 7.0References

Human needs paper :: essays research papers

1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚ · The needs of public assistance helps single parents or families just starting out with low income; Theses help qualify them for public housing and assistance.  · They usually receive the basic things that any person with a full time job would receive such as, medical cards, health insurance, dental insurance, and eye care. 2. I really don’t pay taxes, so I really shouldn’t have any opinions about this issue, but I do. I don’t really mind the public assisted people especially the ones who are single parents and need the money because their isn’t any income or child support being brought in to feed children in the house. I don’t agree with the people who do nothing at all and just milk the system. I’d like to go kick my feet up on their T.V. and say â€Å"why don’t you make your self useful and get me a beer out of the fridge and while your up get me a cigarette, cause odds are, the working people of America are paying for it, anyways. 3.  · The pros and cons of family life involves the emotion, development and public assistance part of the authors views.  · Sometimes families, when poor steer to solidarity, willingness to share. This solidarity gives them a strong sense of priority for their families. This also helps the kids of these type of families to make better for their kids.  · There are joint parental responsibilities that are shared between the mother and father. Their responsibility is to, financially manage, companionship with children, discipline of children, and other family responsibilities. IN public assistance services, this type of way of family life doesn’t work. This is caused because of their amount of money, that they have coming in and it is hard for these type of people to agree on financial decisions, let alone take care of their children’s together.  · In these type of public assistance houses parents do not prepare their children for lives hardships, due to the fact that they only usually care about themselves.  · The house being ran by a woman has it’s pros and cons. A good thing is a women’s ambition and her efforts to make sure that her children have the best. I’m not trying to be stereotyping but most of them in public assistance housing, use their kids to benefit from the government funding and their kids usually see none of it. Human needs paper :: essays research papers 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚ · The needs of public assistance helps single parents or families just starting out with low income; Theses help qualify them for public housing and assistance.  · They usually receive the basic things that any person with a full time job would receive such as, medical cards, health insurance, dental insurance, and eye care. 2. I really don’t pay taxes, so I really shouldn’t have any opinions about this issue, but I do. I don’t really mind the public assisted people especially the ones who are single parents and need the money because their isn’t any income or child support being brought in to feed children in the house. I don’t agree with the people who do nothing at all and just milk the system. I’d like to go kick my feet up on their T.V. and say â€Å"why don’t you make your self useful and get me a beer out of the fridge and while your up get me a cigarette, cause odds are, the working people of America are paying for it, anyways. 3.  · The pros and cons of family life involves the emotion, development and public assistance part of the authors views.  · Sometimes families, when poor steer to solidarity, willingness to share. This solidarity gives them a strong sense of priority for their families. This also helps the kids of these type of families to make better for their kids.  · There are joint parental responsibilities that are shared between the mother and father. Their responsibility is to, financially manage, companionship with children, discipline of children, and other family responsibilities. IN public assistance services, this type of way of family life doesn’t work. This is caused because of their amount of money, that they have coming in and it is hard for these type of people to agree on financial decisions, let alone take care of their children’s together.  · In these type of public assistance houses parents do not prepare their children for lives hardships, due to the fact that they only usually care about themselves.  · The house being ran by a woman has it’s pros and cons. A good thing is a women’s ambition and her efforts to make sure that her children have the best. I’m not trying to be stereotyping but most of them in public assistance housing, use their kids to benefit from the government funding and their kids usually see none of it.

teens with hiv taking more risks :: essays research papers

Teenagers infected with HIV are more likely to engage in risky sex and drug use since the introduction of powerful medicines that effectively keep AIDS at bay, a new study finds. The trend, which began surfacing after highly active antiretroviral therapies (HAART) were introduced in 1996, points to the need for targeted interventions to reduce risky behavior and improve quality of life for those in this group, the researchers noted. Roughly a quarter of the 40,000 new HIV infections in the United States each year occur in people under the age of 21, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Young people, post-HAART, are engaging in more unprotected sex and engaging in more substance abuse, and are more emotionally distressed and have a lower quality of life," said lead researcher Marguerita Lightfoot, an assistant research psychologist at the University of California, Los Angeles' Center for Community Health. This finding was surprising, Lightfoot added. "I had a hypothesis that the young people who are taking HAART would be healthier, because they had more hope, they were living longer. And I was surprised that that wasn't the case." In the study, Lightfoot and her colleagues compared behaviors among 349 teens with HIV from Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City and Miami from 1994 to 1996, with 175 teens with HIV in the same cities from 1999 to 2000. The two groups did not include the same people, but they were a similar mix of sex, age, race and ethnicity, as well as socioeconomic factors, according to the report in the March issue of the American Journal of Health Behavior. The researchers found the post-HAART group was almost two times more likely to have had unprotected sex. The post-HAART teens had almost twice the number of sex partners, compared with pre-HAART teens. And post-HAART teens were more likely to have a sexual partner who used injected drugs. In addition, the post-HAART group was diagnosed with HIV at a younger age and was in worse health than the pre-HAART group, Lightfoot's team found. Lightfoot said there are a number of reasons for these findings. She noted the powerful drug regimen isn't perfect. "There are increased expectations for HAART," Lightfoot said. "But not everyone is successful on HAART." Lightfoot also noted that teens infected with HIV are more apt to be involved with the juvenile justice system and spend time in jail. "Maybe it says something about the kind of young people who are more likely to be infected with HIV.

Compare and Contrast A Description of New England and A Model of Christ

Compare and Contrast A Description of New England and A Model of Christian Charity Mankind can be conceived in interesting ways by analyzing the writings of John Smith and John Winthrop.   As I read through John Smith‘s â€Å"A Description of New England† and John Winthrop’s â€Å"A Model of Christian Charity,† it became evident to me that the two readings had similar and different viewpoints of the essential nature of man.   Throughout my paper, I will compare their similar beliefs of community and diversity of people and completely contrast their ideas of emphasis on religion and relationships with enemies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both authors stress a sense of community and diversity in order to survive in America.   Smith could not think of anything to â€Å"be more pleasant, than planting and building a foundation for his posterity, got from the rude earth, by God’s blessing and his own industry, without prejudice to any† (Smith 114).   This proves Smith believes everyone in the community should join together without showing any type of discrimination.   Likewise, Winthrop declares we must have â€Å"before our eyes commission and community in the work, our community as members of the same body† (Winthrop 225).   He basically wants the settlers to live and share their wealth as one joined community.   Smith and Winthrop also agree that diversity needs to exist in each community.   â€Å"Carpenters, masons, fishers, fowlers, gardeners, husbandmen, sawyers, smiths, spinsters, tailors, weavers, and such like† are the variety of men Smith f ound in America (Smith 117).   All of these types of men contribute a part of their lives to their community.   In the same way, Winthrop assumes God ordered â€Å"all these differences for the preservation and good of the whole† (Winthrop 21... ...ospel.   Both authors have totally opposing opinions on how an enemy should be treated in America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ideas of community and diversity of people are similar for Smith and Winthrop, but their emphasis on religion and relationships with enemies greatly differ.   In other words, both authors feel a need for togetherness among various groups of people in order to start a successful life in America.   But while Winthrop places more emphasis on God, Smith places more emphasis on having power over the enemy.   This makes their views of man completely different when it comes to how religion has affected our lives and how we act toward one another.   Like Winthrop, I believe that God is the basis of our life, and He has shown us the way to lead a productive life by loving our enemies.   Without religion, America would not have become the civilized country that it is today. Compare and Contrast A Description of New England and A Model of Christ Compare and Contrast A Description of New England and A Model of Christian Charity Mankind can be conceived in interesting ways by analyzing the writings of John Smith and John Winthrop.   As I read through John Smith‘s â€Å"A Description of New England† and John Winthrop’s â€Å"A Model of Christian Charity,† it became evident to me that the two readings had similar and different viewpoints of the essential nature of man.   Throughout my paper, I will compare their similar beliefs of community and diversity of people and completely contrast their ideas of emphasis on religion and relationships with enemies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both authors stress a sense of community and diversity in order to survive in America.   Smith could not think of anything to â€Å"be more pleasant, than planting and building a foundation for his posterity, got from the rude earth, by God’s blessing and his own industry, without prejudice to any† (Smith 114).   This proves Smith believes everyone in the community should join together without showing any type of discrimination.   Likewise, Winthrop declares we must have â€Å"before our eyes commission and community in the work, our community as members of the same body† (Winthrop 225).   He basically wants the settlers to live and share their wealth as one joined community.   Smith and Winthrop also agree that diversity needs to exist in each community.   â€Å"Carpenters, masons, fishers, fowlers, gardeners, husbandmen, sawyers, smiths, spinsters, tailors, weavers, and such like† are the variety of men Smith f ound in America (Smith 117).   All of these types of men contribute a part of their lives to their community.   In the same way, Winthrop assumes God ordered â€Å"all these differences for the preservation and good of the whole† (Winthrop 21... ...ospel.   Both authors have totally opposing opinions on how an enemy should be treated in America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ideas of community and diversity of people are similar for Smith and Winthrop, but their emphasis on religion and relationships with enemies greatly differ.   In other words, both authors feel a need for togetherness among various groups of people in order to start a successful life in America.   But while Winthrop places more emphasis on God, Smith places more emphasis on having power over the enemy.   This makes their views of man completely different when it comes to how religion has affected our lives and how we act toward one another.   Like Winthrop, I believe that God is the basis of our life, and He has shown us the way to lead a productive life by loving our enemies.   Without religion, America would not have become the civilized country that it is today.

Biomes of the earth Essay

A Biome is all of the life zones, all plants, animals, and other organisms, as well as the physical environment in a particular area. A biome is characterized by its plant life, which is determined by its location. For example, northern coniferous forests exist in sub-arctic portions of North America and Asia, but further north, the conditions are simply too harsh and the season too brief for trees to grow. Instead of trees, the short vegetation of the tundra thrives in these areas. The same occurs with altitude, as trees give way to short alpine vegetation in high mountainous regions. A biome is composed of many ecosystems, which are smaller communities of plants and animals and their habitats, the physical parts of their environment that affect them. Whereas, the boundaries of a biome are determined by climate, the boundaries of ecosystems are physical features, such as ridges or riverbanks, which separate one community from another. Any given place may have several different ecosystems that vary in size and complexity. A tropical island, for example, may have a rain forest ecosystem that covers hundreds of square miles, a mangrove swamp ecosystem along the coast, and an underwater coral reef ecosystem. No matter how the size or complexity of an ecosystem is characterized, all ecosystems exhibit a constant exchange of matter and energy between the biotic and abiotic community. The ecosystems of a particular biome tend to have plants with similar growth forms and animals with similar feeding habits. Major biomes include tropical rain forest, northern coniferous forest, tundra, desert, grassland, savanna, and chaparral. The tropical rain forest is the most complex biome in the world. This biome is found at low elevations in the tropics where it is always warm and wet. Rain forests are characterized by a dense tree canopy tree top branches and leaves that overlap with each other, creating a shaded forest interior. These canopies may reach up to 160 feet high. The thick canopy allows little sunlight to penetrate, so rain forest floors have little ground cover. The soil lacks nutrients, and most plants are able to store what few nutrients  they can absorb. There are more species of plants in rain forests than in any other ecosystem in the world. Deep within the clutter of dense foliage, individual species boast unique characteristics suited to their highly specialized existence. Middle-story plants, for example, often have large leaves to capture what little light filters through the canopy, while epiphytes have overlapping leaves that trap and store water. The northern coniferous forest, also known as the taiga in Russia, is found in a broad subarctic band across Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia, Russia, and China, where the winters are long and cold. Conifers, such as spruce, larch, and fir, are the dominant plants, but lichens and mosses are abundant too. These forests usually occupy formerly glaciated regions and occur in association with lakes, bogs, and rivers. The tundra is the treeless plain that lies north of the northern coniferous forests and on the Antarctic Peninsula in the southern hemisphere. Trees cannot survive in this biome because of the cold temperatures, high winds, and heavy snowfall, as well as the permafrost, a layer of permanently frozen subsoil. Plant life tends to grow low to the ground. In the summer, large numbers of birds migrate to the tundra to feed on insects. Other animals found in this area include reindeer, wolves, fox, voles, and lemmings. A similar biome, called the alpine biome, is found in high mountain areas around the world. Similar harsh conditions cause vegetation to grow low to the ground in alpine meadows. Desert biomes are characterized by less than 10 inches of annual precipitation and high temperatures. To combat this lack of moisture, desert plants have developed water-conserving features, such as leaves that are light-colored, small, thick, or waxy. Animals that live in the desert are often light-colored, blend in well with their surroundings, and are usually more active at night to avoid the blazing heat during the day. Grassland biomes are found on every continent except Antarctica, accounting for about one quarter of the Earth’s land surface. Typically found on flat or rolling terrain, grasslands tend to occur in the interior of continents  where precipitation is lower. Periodic droughts occur in most grasslands, accompanied by searing heat that scorches most vegetation in the area. Grasslands are covered with grasses, sedges, and other low-growing, perennial plants. Drought, fire, and grazing by herbivores, such as bison and deer, restrict tree growth. Most grasslands have been extensively cultivated and are now regions where major crops of wheat, corn, and other grains are grown. Temperate natural grasslands develop in regions characterized by an annual rainfall between 10 and 30 inches. Tropical savannas are expansive grasslands dotted with trees. The world’s largest and best-known savanna is the African savanna, which covers much of the continent south of the Sahara desert. In the African savanna, herds of animals graze on the tall grass, and giraffes browse on the trees. Other tropical savannas are found in South America, India, and Australia. The chaparral biome is dominated by dense thickets of mostly small-leafed evergreen shrubs. It is characterized by hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. This biome can be found in the foothills of California and Mediterranean climate regions. Chaparral plants have adapted to the frequent fires that result from lightning and dry conditions. The chaparral shrublands of California, with mixed communities of low-growing evergreen or deciduous shrubs, represent a distinct habitat in large parts of western North America. Some of the most well-developed chaparral shrubland is found in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and Coast Range mountains of California and in mountainous areas of Arizona and Utah. All of these biomes contain different animal species. However, all of these biomes have the same purpose in the world. That purpose is to support and sustain life on our planet.

Final Assignment : Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

Francesca Mancini Prof. Nakamoto October 23, 2012 Final Assignment  : Sugar-Sweetened Beverages The article â€Å"A Randomized Trial of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Adolescent Body Weight†(2012) aims at examining the causal relationship between the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and obesity among adolescents. The research for this article is a follow up of a previous pilot study that has been conducted on a period of six months involving normal weight, overweight, and obese adolescents who consumed sugar sweetened beverages regularly.Results showed that there was a significant decrease of body weight and body mass index (BMI) among the overweight and obese adolescents. Due to this result, a further study has been designed to reanalyze the data from the pilot study and further explain the effects of sugar-sweetened beverages. The research method used was a random sample of 224 adolescents that are obese or overweight who consumed at least one serving of sugar-sweet ened beverages or fruit juice per day. Participants were randomly assigned to a control group or an experimental group for two years; where one year would be an intervention and the second year a follow up.Since the participants are young, the parents provided a written consent and the participants a written assent. The multicomponent intervention aimed to reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages for one year in the experimental group by providing access to home delivery of non-caloric beverages. Motivational telephone calls with parents were conducted on a monthly basis and three check-in visits with participants. The control group on the other hand received $50 supermarket gift cards to participants at four to eight months as a retention strategy but did not instruct them on what to purchase with the cards.It is important to note that the study did not focus attention to other diet methods or physical activity, however, they have included the daily physical activity lev el and the amount of television watched daily. The measures for his study: * Demographics: sex, race, date of birth, ethnic group, parents level of education, and total annual household income. * Physical activity: in collaboration with the persons metabolic equivalence. * Television viewing: hours per day. * Dietary intake: includes three main items. 1) beverages per servings per day: a-sugar-sweetened, b-fruit juices, c-artificially sweetened, d- unsweetened. ) energy intake per calorie per day: a-total, b-sugar-sweetened beverages, c-fruit juices. 3)Sugar grams per day. * Weight and height: in kilograms and centimeters (these are used to compute the BMI * BMI as an outcome over the two years: used the bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) to calculate body fat. * Adverse events: any symptom or medical attention that was reported during the study. Hypothesis: One single hypothesis was formulated for this study. They hypothesized that the experimental group would gain weight at a slower rate than the control group.Results: When testing the covariates for interaction, Hispanic ethnic group is found to be the only modifier for group differences, as they have portrayed the most change; causing the study to add an interaction term for the ethnic group. At baseline, regarding the demographics or other variables, there were no differences between the experimental and the control groups. In terms of dietary intake at year one, change in consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages was different between the control and the experimental groups; declining almost to zero for the experimental.Also meaning that the experimental group consumed more artificially or un-sweetened beverages. At year two, same results remained however, the intake of artificially sweetened beverages did not differ between the groups. Also, sugar intake in both years was less for the experimental group. In terms of the outcomes, at year one the net BMI was significant, but not in year two. When suga r was added to the BMI measure there was no longer a significance. Body fat was not significant among the groups. Although, there was no intervention done for physical activity, the experimental group watched less television.In terms of ethnic group, among Hispanics in the two years, there was significant effect on the BMI, as well as in the change of body weight. The effects of Hispanic youth was strong compared to the non-Hispanics. Discussion: The results show a support of the hypothesis; the experimental group did gain weight but at a slower rate than the control group. These are shown in the results of the overall BMI computed and the overall weight of the participants. Most of the difference is due to the Hispanic participants, as they are the ones that showed to have the most effect out of the intervention.Even if the overall study did support the hypothesis in quest, there are many discussion points towards the results and the overall study: * The unexpected finding that the Hispanics are the ones that have showed the most dominant findings, causing the major change in BMI over two years, is one that should be studied more. It is interesting that they started out with a sample that includes diversity, however, if the Hispanics hadn’t been part, the hypothesis wouldn’t have been supported.There is a reason to why the Hispanics have been affected this much, it would be interesting as they have stated, to look more into the physiology and in generic susceptibility. * During the second year, when the intervention was not playing a critical role, there was an effect but not as powerful. The level of consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and juice had increased a bit and this shows that the intervention was not that efficient as with time this will increase. It is clear that the results of the study were conducted and everything they needed to establish was accomplished, though, the aim is to keep that behavior going.There should have been a stronger message that could be captured by the participants. * They did not focus on any other diet activity or exercise because their main focus was to check the effect of the sugar-sweetened beverages and non-caloric beverages; wanting to leave everything constant. However, (explaining on a personal level) when people are in an intervention, there is some kind of psychological factor that works to lead to the belief that they are on a certain form of diet; causing them to indirectly adjust other things in heir lifestyle (although in the results shown, people have gained weight overall, but it still makes a small difference). If we look closely at the results in year one, the participants technically did decrease their overall weight because as the height increased, it causes a slight change to the weight, therefore leading to an increase in BMI; whereas in year two, one would think that there would be same constant increase (as the increase in height did not differ much) however, participants gained more than the previous year.Which leads to the previous point that shows that the intervention was not efficient enough to stay through the follow up, the participants did not continue the behavior change. * The measure of the time spent watching television daily is also a critical factor that was not used much, as it was clearly stated that they were not examining the effect of physical activity or anything else; it was just an overall view. Results stated that the experimental group did spend less hours watching television; maybe it is relevant to the key point stated earlier about the unconscious change in lifestyle. â€Å"Missing values for BMI were imputed by assessing that the participants’ BMI z score was unchanged from baseline†(p. 3). Including manipulated data to the results would have an effect on the overall study, the missing information of any participant should just be omitted, as well as the participant itself. * There was no intera ction with the parents level of education and the total household income, probably useful to show the differences among social classes; as the study is one of a diverse sample, including differences in all characteristics. * Adverse events were included, however, did not have much significance with the study.. n this study of reduced sugar-sweetened beverages, there are not side effects that could lead to any severe injury. Probably it was necessary to cover everything needed, maybe during a severe injury, the interventions was not followed or the participant have gained or lost weight because of the incident. Impact of paper on intervention: Sugar-sweetened beverages has an effect on the increase of body weight, this was evaluated in the article through an intervention that included the provision of non-caloric beverages to check the difference in weight gain among the two groups of study (experimental and control).There were some issues that the article â€Å"A Randomized Trial o f Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Adolescent Body Weight†(2012) does not answer; these are issues that relate to the messages sent out. To start by saying, an intervention in medical terms is â€Å"any measure whose purpose is to improve health or alter the course of disease† (Medical Dictionary). In this paper, the intervention aimed at the provision of non-caloric beverages aimed at reducing the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages, however, the message was not strong enough.It was a trial period of one year to check if sugar sweetened beverages did cause a gain in weight, and whether substituting these with non-caloric beverages would make a difference at a slower pace, and it most certainly did. The researchers did not identify to the participants and their parents what promotes or protects weight gain; they should communicate the effects of these sugar-sweetened beverages, the idea behind using non-caloric beverages, the impact it has on the body, and the aim of modifying the behavior to adjust obesity problems.The telephone calls every month did not include information, just checking up with parents of child’s consumption. Overall the paper did provide the non-caloric beverages, however, it did not communicate the impact of these beverages body weight. Study proposal: To recap, the study in the article provided emphasized on difference in weight gain over a period of two years. One year was including the intervention where non-caloric beverages were provided, and the other year was a follow up, with no intervention.The research however, did not focus on any details about the drinks itself or the amount consumed per day, except that it was non-caloric and â€Å"diet† beverages. A proposed study that includes different variables of beverage intake is going to be explained shortly. The aim is to review the research and suggest additional variables and measurements that are going to be tested and therefore, predict the results. T he research proposed is derived from the study of the article â€Å"Reduction in Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages is associated with weight loss: The Premier Trial† (2009) by Chen, Appel, Loria, et al.Obesity and overweight rates in Europe are increasing as the years pass and is a serious public health concern, at the range of 7. 6% to 24. 7% as reported by the Statistical Office of European Union (2011). A major factor for this obesity is the increase in dietary energy intake from beverages. Energy intake among European adolescents is on average 1455 ml/day, mostly consumed from sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit juice, and sweetened milk (Duffey et al. , 2011). Calories consumed in liquid for have weak satiety properties and cause poor energy compensation compared with calories from solid food (Chen et al. 2009). Having explained that, it is safe to say that the reduction in liquid calorie intake may lead to weight loss, which leads to the purpose of this study; to ex amine how changes in the beverages consumption affect weight change among adolescents: * How changes in liquid calorie intake affects the body weight * How changes in consumption of specific beverages affect body weight * The effect of both in terms of time—6 months and 18 months This study is in Europe, more particularly in Switzerland and the sample population is adolescents.We are going to use the same sample size of 224 adolescents that are overweight or obese and that consume sugar-sweetened beverages, juices, or any form of energy intake in the form of liquids on a daily basis. Just like the previous study, there will be a written informed consent provided by the parents and a written assent provided by the participants. The intervention includes participants to be involved in groups where they receive information and behavioral counseling; information and advice on the impact of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption on body weight.Each individual receives two 30 min che ck-in sessions every month as well as group meetings every other week, in addition to the original monthly telephone call with the parents. In this study the control would be the baseline, as everyone is part of the intervention, and all participants would be studied closely in order to see the effects of decreased consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages as time passes. Data collection is done in three parts: at baseline, at 6 months, and at 18 months.To begin, a questionnaire would be filled in order to get the baseline characteristics of each individual, followed by an interview via telephone to provide the â€Å"unannounced† 24 hour dietary intake (including portion size and exercise). This was done every time new results had to be measured, meaning at baseline, 6 months, and 18 months. The hypotheses formulated for the study: Hypothesis 1: changes in consumption of liquid calories will cause a reduction in weight; only when liquid calorie is decreased.Hypothesis 2: chang es in consumption of individual types of beverages will cause a reduction in weight. Hypothesis 3: Weight reduction in terms of any decrease of sugar-sweetened beverages will be greater in 6 months, compared to 18 months. The design presented: Independent variable (what we manipulate): Liquid calories Types of beverages Dependent variable (what we measure): Weight change Design 1 | Body Weight:| Liquid Calories: | 6 months | 18 months | No change | No change | No change| Increase on 100 kcal| Increase | Increase |Decrease of 100 kcal| Decrease (0. 3kg)| Decrease (0. 2kg)| Design 2 | Body Weight| Beverage Category:| 6 months | 18 months| Decreased by one serving | Sugar-Sweetened| Decrease (0. 5kg)| Decrease (0. 7kg)| Diet Drinks| No effect| No effect | 100% Juice| No effect | No effect| Other (milk, coffee,.. )| Decrease (0. 1kg)| Decrease (0. 2kg)| The measures for this study: * Demographics: sex, race, date of birth, ethnic group, parents level of education, and total annual house hold income. * Physical activity: in collaboration with the persons metabolic equivalence.Evaluated in the questionnaire, as a recall of the previous 7 day activity. * Dietary intake: includes portion size 1) beverages per servings per day 2) energy intake per calorie per day: a-sugar-sweetened beverages, b- juices, c- diet drinks. Received through â€Å"unannounced† telephone calls 24 hour dietary intake. * Beverages divided into categories: a- sugar-sweetened, b- diet drinks, c- 100% juice, d- other: includes milk, coffee, tea, †¦ * Weight and height: in kilograms and centimeters – these are used to compute the BMI.Results: The results do show that the change in liquid calorie intake does affect body weight and that a decreased in beverage type will also cause body weight to decrease, however, this is explained in more detail. In terms of hypothesis 1- a decrease in liquid calorie did cause a decrease in body weight. Results have shown that a reduction of 100 kc al was associated with a decrease of 0. 3 kg at 6 months and a 0. 2 kg at 18 months (Chen et al. , 2009).In terms of hypothesis 2- there was a relationship with beverage type and body loss, however, not with all the beverage types; with some there was no correlation. When tested, a reduction of one serving of sugar-sweetened beverage was significantly associated with weight loss at both 6 months and 18 months. Diet drinks, 100% juice were inversely associated with weight loss, but this was not statistically significant, leading to not effect in weight loss; a decrease of one serving of the other beverages did show a slight decrease in weight loss along both time periods (Chen et al. 2009). In terms of hypothesis 3- weight reduction will be greater at 6 months, compared to 8 months, showed no significance; the opposite occurred. Compared to baseline, as stated in hypothesis 1, the weight loss was greater at 18 months, also proven at a reduction in sugar-sweetened beverages by one ser ving was associated with a 0. 5kg weight loss at 6 months and a 0. 7kg weight loss at 18 months (Chen et al. , 2009). Meaning at 18 months people lost more weight than at 6 months. Discussion/ Commentaries: From the proposed study, findings have suggested that a reduction in liquid alorie intake was significant with weight loss in both 6 months and 18 months, and that the reduction of sugar-sweetened beverages was also associated with weight loss in these periods of time. The original study by Ebbeling et al. , (2012) was an intervention to reduce the number of sweet-sugar beverages consumed and instead consume the unsweetened beverages or non-caloric beverages. This was studied without advising the participants on the effects of these beverages on the body and overall weight, just by observation and calculation of BMI.Although the results were aimed at checking the weight gain in two years between a control group and an experimental group, their focus was on the result of the BMI w hich is a measure relative to weight and height: people had an increased BMI as they were growing taller and gained more mass. In this proposed study however, the intervention is focusing on the opposite outcome, the weight loss with time of using less sugar-sweetened beverages, the measure here was the overall weight difference caused by these beverages, shown in kg. It also includes counseling, advice, and information on the effect of these beverages on the body.Overall, this is mainly planned so that people could accept this behavior change; and because this is done on obese and overweight participants, the behavior of reducing the intake of these sugar-sweetened beverages is one that should be continued – when participants see a change in the overall weight loss (in which the study has proven to be supported), they would be more motivated to carry on this behavior. It is merely a way of tackling the same issue but in a different way with a stronger intervention – m ore information given to participants.Aside research has shown that the link between sugar-sweetened beverages and body weight is related to the high fructose content in these beverages. On the long-term this can promote fat storage and excessive food intake through an increase and change in the hormonal patterns that are related to this issue –called the â€Å"postpantrial hormone patterns† (Chen et al. , 2009). This is probably why in hypothesis 2, the other types of beverages did not have an effect on weight change, as they do not have the same amount of fructose.The different nutritional components of each beverage type has a different effect on the body, some aiding in the process of losing weight and others adding difficulties, while some have no effect. Another point that is interesting to point out is that earlier, the term liquid calories was used, this is to state the specific energy intake, as there are two kinds of energy intake- the liquid and the solid fo rm; this study is focusing on the liquid calorie intake of most prominent beverages. Strengths and Limitations:Some strengths of this study is the duration of the study, it was long enough to test if there is a significant difference in the change of consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, also the ability to evaluate a variety of beverages and knowing the effects of each on the body, as this might affect the overall effect. Another strength would be the responsiveness and excellent participation rate on the group meetings, the individual session, and the availability of information about the 24 hour dietary recall to measure dietary intake.Some might argue that the â€Å"unannounced† 24 hour dietary intake may be a little bit faulty, that the dietary intake should be written on a daily or weekly basis in order to evaluate it better; not just done at baseline, 6 months and 18 months. Although this point may seem like a limitation, the study sees it as a strength as the inte rvention is focusing on the liquid calorie, with the behavioral counseling and advice on increasing or decreasing liquid calories is pretty clear that there is a tight control and a trust that the participants are following what is being told.Some limitations of this proposed study would be the lack of follow up, the study was aimed at 18 months with the manipulation of calorie intake from different kinds of beverages along with counseling, there was no follow up to see if people maintained the lower calorie intake or not. Another limitation would be the lack of provision of these diet beverages or fruit juices in schools, we have not controlled what and where participants should obtain these beverages, we have just instructed them to do reduce the liquid calorie intake.The study has used a rather small sample size in order to have more control and focus on all the results yielded; there is no doubt that the results would be different, however, it is always better to pick a larger s ample size as we are referring to the country as a whole. What we learned: What we learn from this study is that the reduction in liquid calorie intake is associated with weight loss, specially in the reduction of sugar-sweetened beverages.In this study, while focusing on the weight in kg, the result change in overall body fat was clear; the overall change in weight because of liquid calorie reduction is not a large amount, however; it does prove that it has an effect on weight gain or weight loss. Moreover, the study supports policy recommendations and public health efforts to reduce intakes of liquid calories, specially the reduction in sugar-sweetened beverages (Chen et al. , 2009).A number of factors were assumed , however, more prospective studies with accurate measures of exposures and outcomes in terms of body composition are needed to provide more robust evidence on which to base interventions to achieve long-term behavioral change and prevent excess weight gains in adolesce nts (Rennie, Johnson, & Jebb, 2005). References Chen, L. , Appel, L. J. , Loria, C. , Lin, P. H. , Champagne, C. M. , Elmer, P. J. , †¦ Caballero, B. (2009). Reduction in Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages is Associated with Weight Loss: the PREMIER Trial. American Society for Nutrition 89:1299-306. Retrieved from http://ajcn. utrition. org/content/89/5/1299. full. pdf+html. Christian Nordqvist. (2011). European Adult Obesity Rates Range From 7. 6% To 24. 7%. Medical News Today. Retrieved from http://www. medicalnewstoday. com/articles/ 238283. php. Ebbeling, C. B. , et al. (2012). A Randomized Trial of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Adolescent Body Weight. New England Journal of Medicine, 367:15, Oct. 11, 2012, 1407-1416. Intervention. (2007). In Medical Dictionary online. Retrieved from http://medicaldictionary. thefree dictionary. com/intervention. Duffey, K. J. , Huybrechts, I. , Mouratidou, T. , Libuda, L. , Kersing, M. , De Vriendt, †¦ Popkin, B. M. 2011). Bever age Consumption Among European Adolescents in the HELENA Study. Eur J Clin Nutr. 66(2):244-52. doi: 10. 1038/ejcn. 2011. 166. Epub 2011 Sep 28. Retrieved from http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pubmed/21952695 Rennie, K. L. , Johnson, L. , Jebb, S. A. (2005). Behavioural Determinants of Obesity. MRC Human Nutrition Research, 19(3):343-58. Just in case: http://ajcn. nutrition. org/content/87/6/1662. short http://pediatrics. aappublications. org/content/123/4/e661. abstract (used as a limitation cy my intervention did not include a policy inclusion in order to deal with the issue) http://ajcn. nutrition. org/content/84/2/274. full