New Technique on Improving Writing Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

New Technique on Improving Writing Skills - Essay Example My recent discovery on how to improve writing is worth sharing so that other students who would like to improve their writing skills may also benefit from it. This may sound unusual but I learned that it is better to sleep on an essay and I mean literally to sleep on it. When I mean sleeping in an essay, I meant reading back the essay after a good sleep. Reading back an essay after a good sleep meant that we have fresher eyes and a clearer mind to look at the essay that we will notice the mistakes that we overlooked before. We will find areas of improvement on how the essay could be improved not only in terms of correcting its mistakes but also on improving its structure, organization, logic and flow of thought. By reading it back with fresher eyes and a clearer mind, I was able to develop my thoughts clearly and fully. After writing several essays, I learned that writing is just like any other skills that can be learned through practice and conscious effort to improve. With my exper ience in writing my essays, I learn that we get better at it every time we try. I see it be no different in playing basketball or any other endeavour that requires skill that we get better every time we practice only that learning how to write is more important because it is required in all of my subjects and is an indispensable skill when I become a professional someday. Having said this, it does not mean that I already learned everything. On the contrary, there is still a lot to learn and my writing skill still needs improvement.

The Legalization Of Marijuana For Medicinal Purposes Essay

The Legalization Of Marijuana For Medicinal Purposes - Essay Example In this context, medicinal cannabis is an example of alternative healing these ailments. Although setback by the illegal constraints, it is increasingly becoming a considered healing method. Through the hallucinogenic and soothing qualities, it lowers the level of pain for a short time. This means that an individual needs the medicine in large quantities. This article states that marijuana contains medicinal value through chemicals found in buds, leaves, and resin of the plant. The cannabis plant provides significance in pulp and fiber from the stalk including high nutrition seed oil. In 1973, Mikuriya traced the medicinal value of the herb plant. During the 19th century, William B. O'Shaughnessy deduced that it was effective and safe for the use of the drug in treating some maladies. In 1860, studies by the Ohio State Medical Society came up with similar conclusions. Information on this website depicts measures taken against therapeutic users of the hemp plant. In contrast, the site explains the advantages provided by the plant in the treatment of ailments that threaten the health and lives of human beings. In arthritis, cannabis contains anti-inflammatory qualities that aid in treating the disease. Cannabis also contains cannabidiol and cannabinoid elements according to researchers in the National Institute for Mental Health, in 1998. These elements help in the prevention of stroke and head traumas. In reference to the article, the goal of the legalization of cannabis is to make communities safer by regulating the drug and removing it from underground markets. This means that the value of the marijuana is evident and significant in solving heath some health issues. Tatiana demonstrates the use of cannabis sativa in the treatment of diseases such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma and eating disorders.

Calculation Of Traditional Costing Method Accounting Essay

Calculation Of Traditional Costing Method Accounting Essay The objective of doing this Cost Accounting Assignment is to understand how to do a proper calculation of traditional costing method and the Activity-based Costing. It is important to have this basic practice to help us in the experience of doing this calculation while we are studying other topic. Through the process of calculation of both methods, I have done by given the history of both method, the definition of both method, and the explanation of both methods. Other than that, I also have given the differences of the traditional costing method and activity-based costing. I also have given the advantages and disadvantages of both methods. This calculation is for understand total profit of ScooterDrivers product. And discuss the implication of activity-based costing for the director. TABLE OF CONTENT PAGE NO. 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 2. QUESTION 1 Calculation total profit Absorption costing Activity-based costing Report Evaluate absorption costing and activity-based costing Implication of activity-based costing 3-4 4-5 6-12 12-14 3. QUESTION 2 15-24 4. REFERENCES 25-26 QUESTION 1 Calculate the total profit on each ScooterDrivers three types of product using each of the following methods to attribute overheads Absorption costing OAR = Budgeted production overhead Budgeted activity level OAR = RM2,400 000+RM6,000 000+RM3,600 000 200 000 + 220 000 + 80 000(direct labour hours) = RM12, 000 000 500 000(direct labour hours) = RM 24 per direct labour hours Product cost per unit RisingStar(RM) RoadRider(RM) FireRoll(RM) Direct material 400 600 900 Direct labour (RM5ÃÆ'-100hrs) 500 (RM5ÃÆ'-137.5hrs) 687.50 (RM5ÃÆ'-200hrs)1000 Prime cost 900 1287.50 1900 (+)Production (RM24ÃÆ'-100) 2400 (RM24ÃÆ'-137.5hrs)3300 (RM24ÃÆ'-200hrs) 4800 Overhead Production cost per unit 3300 4587.50 6700 Profit RisingStar(RM) RoadRider(RM) FireRoll(RM) Total(RM) Selling Price per unit 4000 6000 8000 (-) Production costs (3300) (4587.50) (6700) Profit per unit 700 1412.50 1300 (ÃÆ'-)Output Unit 2000 1600 400 Profit 1,400 000 2,260 000 520 000 4,180 000 Activity based costing OAR = Budgeted production overhead Budgeted activity level Deliveries to retailer = RM2,400 000 250 (100+80+70) = RM 9600 per deliveries to retailers Set- up costs = RM 6,000 000 100(35+40+25) = RM60000 per set up Purchase orders = RM 3, 600 000 800(400+300+100) = RM 4500 per purchase order Product cost per unit RisingStar(RM) RoadRider(RM) FireRoll(RM) Direct material 400 600 900 Direct labour (RM5ÃÆ'-100hrs) 500 (RM5ÃÆ'-137.5hrs) 687.50 (RM5ÃÆ'-200hrs) 1000 Prime cost 900 1287.50 1900 Production overhead [ Deliveries to retailers 480 480 1680 [ [ Set up costs 1050 1500 3750 [ [ [ Purchase order 900 843.75 1125 Production cost per unit 3330 4111.25 8455 Profit RisingStar(RM) RoadRider(RM) FireRoll(RM) Total(RM) Selling Price per unit 4000 6000 8000 (-) Production costs (3330) (4111.25) (8455) Profit per unit 670 1888.75 (455) (ÃÆ'-)Output Unit 2000 1600 400 Profit 1,340 000 3,022 000 (182 000) 4,180 000 To : ScooterDrivers director From : Management Accountant Evaluate the labour hour and the activity-based costing methods in the circumstances of ScooterDriver. ABSORPTION COSTING METHOD During the most of the 1900s, almost all companies used traditional costing systems that those do not accumulate or report costs of activities or processes (Anderson, 1995). Traditional absorption costing methods attribute production overheads to units of output without attempting to allocate administration, selling or distribution overheads and many activities are not directly related to production volume(e.g. ordering, delivery, transportation, equipment set-up, machining and administration) (Miller and Vollman, 1985). These require non-volume based cost drivers if costs are to be appropriately traced and provide the motivation for the development of activity based costing (ABC) systems(Hilton, 1994). Direct material and direct labour costs can be easily be traced to jobs and processes, but manufacturing overhead may bear no obvious relationship to individual units of product and assignment of overhead made through a volume-based activity base (or cost driver), attempt to ensure that products which cause large amounts of overheads costs correspond with those which require large amounts of the cost driver (Sizer, 1989). The allocation of manufacturing overhead (indirect manufacturing costs) to products on the basis of a volume metric such as direct labour hours or production machine hours(Sizer, 1989). As manufacturing becomes more sophisticated the manufacturing overhead costs usually increase while the direct labour hours or production machine hours decrease therefore, the direct labour or machine hours are unlikely to be the root cause of the manufacturing overhead(Hilton, 1994).   ABC (ACTIVITY-BASED COSTING) ABC (Activity-Based Costing) arise in the 1980s from the increasing lack of relevance of traditional cost accounting methods (Weetman,2006). The traditional cost accounting methods were designed around 1870 1920 and in those days industry was labor intensive, there was no automation, the product variety was small and the overhead costs in companies were generally very low compared to today, from the 1960s particularly 1980s this changed rapidly (Whitehead and Upson, 1982). For these reasons, and more, traditional cost accounting has been called everything from number 1 enemy of production and questions whether it is an asset or a liability have been raised (Innes and Mitchell, 1998). ABC has been promoted by Johnson(1988), Kaplan(1988) and Cooper (1988), among others, as a means of improving the quality of management accounting information when traditional methods of allocation overhead costs might be misleading to the users of product cost information (Smith, 1995). Harvard Business School Professor Robert S. Kaplan was an early advocate of the ABC system, while mainly used for private businesses, ABC has recently been used in public forums, such as those that measure government efficiency (Cooper, 1990). ABC recognizes that many significant overheads are related to activities which are independent of volume and identifies those cost drivers which consume resources to determine process and product costs (Innes and Mitchell, 1998). ABC is an alternative to traditional accounting where business overhead (indirect costs such as lighting, heating, and marketing) provided in the percentage of direct costs of the activities but this is not satisfactory because the two activities that absorb the costs are directly can use very different amounts of overhead (Izhar, 1990). An industrial robot is a large scale, for example, can use the same amount of labour and materials as a robot. But the specific robot uses far more time (overhead) engineers from a mass production company (Johnson and Kaplan, 1987). ABC is an accounting method that allows businesses to gather data about their operating costs and they are assigned to specific activities such as planning, engineering, or manufacturing and then the activities are associated with different products or services (Jones and Dugdale, 2002). In this way, the ABC method enables a business to decide which products, services, and resources are increasing their profitability, and which are contributing to losses (Johnson and Kaplan, 1987). Managers are then able to generate data to create a better budget and gain a greater overall understanding of the expenses that are required to keep the company running smoothly (Izhar, 1990). Generally, activity-based costing is most effective when used over a long period of time, as opposed to shorter-term solutions such as the theory of constraints (Smith, 1995). ABC is a method of allocating costs to products and services (Izhar, 1990). It is generally used as a tool for planning and control and it was developed as an approach to address problems associated with traditional cost management systems that tend to have the inability to accurately determine actual production and service costs, or provide useful information for operating decisions (Hopper, Northcott and Scapens, 2007). With these defiencies managers can be exposed to making decisions based on inaccurate data. The higher exposure is for companies with multiple products or services (Innes and Mitchell, 1998).   DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL AND ABC SYSTEMS There is a basic philosophical difference between the traditional and the ABC approaches. Traditionally sees overheads as rending a service to cost units, the cost of which must be charged to those units (Atrill and Laney, 2007). ABC sees overheads as being caused by activities, and so it is the cost units that cause the activities that must be charged with the cost cause (Drury, 2005). It is not always easy to see how and why some overheads costs have arisen (Atrill and Laney, 2007). This has traditionally made them more difficult to control that direct labour and materials costs, if, however an analysis of overheads can identify the cost drivers, question can be asked about whether the activity driving certain costs is necessary at all, and whether the cost justifies the benefit (Warren, Reeve and Fess, 2005). Adopting ABC requires that most overheads can be analysed and the cost drivers identified (Drury, 2005). This means that it might be possible to gain much cleaner insights about the overheads costs that are caused, activity by activity, so that fairer and more accurate product costs can be identified, and costs can be controlled more effectively (Warren, Reeve and Fess, 2005). Under ABC, an overheads cost pool is established for each cost driver in which all of the costs caused by that driver are placed (Atrill and Laney, 2007). All costs associated with this activity would be allocated to that cost pool and the total costs in that pool would then be allocated to output, using the cost driver identified, according to the extent to which each unit of output drove those costs (Warren, Reeve and Fess, 2005). Allocating overheads costs to cost pools, as is necessary with ABC, contrasts with the traditional approach, where the overheads are normally allocated to production departments (cost centers) (Atrill and Laney, 2007). In both cases, however, the overheads are then charged to cost units (goods or service) (Drury, 2005). With the traditional approach, overheads are apportioned to product departments (cost centers) (Dyson, 2007). Each department would then derive an overhead recovery rate, typically overheads per direct labour hour (Weetman, 2006). Overheads would then be applied to units of output according to how many direct labour hours were worked on them (Abraham, Glynn, Murphy and Wilkinson, 2008). With ABC, the overheads are analysed into cost pools, with one cost pool for each cost driver (Drury, 2005). The overheads are then charged to units of output, through activity cost driver rates, and these rates are an attempt to represent the extent to which each particular cost unit is believed to cause the particular part of the overheads (Abraham, Glynn, Murphy and Wilkinson, 2008). ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF ABSORPTION COSTING AND ABC ABSORPTION COSTING ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES It assumes all the costs that contribute to the final product in some way(Atrill and Laney, 2007). This includes both direct costs and indirect costs(Atrill and Laney, 2007). Direct costs refer to the costs that can be detected directly to the product itself, such as direct materials or direct labor(Atrill and Laney, 2007). Indirect costs refer to costs which cannot be detected directly to the products and allocated to products, such as property taxes or factory manager wage(Atrill and Laney, 2007). A disadvantage of absorption costing involves pricing decisions(Drury, 2005). When a company has excess capacity and it considers various business opportunities, it may deny business that would generate profits for the company(Drury, 2005). The company evaluates each business opportunity using absorption costing as its base cost(Drury, 2005). The company accepts business opportunities that provide revenue above the absorption cost and rejects business opportunities that provide revenue below the absorption cost(Drury, 2005). Some of the business that the company rejects may contribute additional profits to the company when it has excess capacity (Drury,2005). Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) represents the standard that most corporations pursue for financial reporting(Johnson and Kaplan, 1987). Generally accepted accounting principles need corporations to use absorption costing for external reporting(Johnson and Kaplan, 1987). Companies that use different forms of product costing for internal analysis is still necessary to maintain a system of absorption costing to GAAP(Johnson and Kaplan, 1987). Companies that use absorption costing for all the valuable products have the advantage that the cost of the same can be used for all purposes(Johnson and Kaplan, 1987). Another disadvantage of absorption costing involves skewing the results of decisions made to discontinue business segments(Izhar, 1990). When the company uses absorption costing in the decision, the analysis includes fixed costs that will remain whether the company eliminates the segment or not(Izhar, 1990). Absorption costing identify fixed costs in the cost of the product(Izhar, 1990). Because it is suitable to determine the price of the product(Izhar, 1990). Pricing based on absorption costing ensure that all costs are covered. (Izhar, 1990) Absorption costing does not help in cost control and planning and control functions(Johnson and Kaplan, 1987). It is not useful in determining the responsibility for the occurrence of cost(Johnson and Kaplan, 1987). It is not practical to hold the manager responsible for the cost of which he / she does not control(Johnson and Kaplan, 1987). Absorption costing will show the proper calculation of the profit of variable costing in situations where production is carried out to have a sale in the future (e.g., seasonal production and seasonal sales) (Izhar, 1990). Some costs can be removed from the product during the income statement for the inventory issue(Johnson and Kaplan, 1987). Therefore, managers evaluated on operating income can temporarily increase profit by increasing production(Johnson and Kaplan, 1987). . ACTIVITY-BASED COSTING ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES The advantage of activity-based costing is the accuracy in the process of costing with regards to the product line, the end-users of the product, the stock-keeping units employed by the management and the channel and category which streamline the flow of the product from the producer to the end user(Dyson, 2007). The process of data collection for this system is very time consuming(Smith, 1995). This system helps in the process of better understanding the concept of resource allocation overhead costs business as common as they used by specific product line and their relationship to specific cost drivers(Dyson, 2007). The system is so transparent that some managers will not approve because they want to keep a few things from the viewpoint of owners(Smith,1995). This process is for   cost of unitary, or the marginal cost calculations based on the contrast with the traditional method of cost accounting that uses the total cost(Dyson, 2007). Capital expenditure on systems based on the following activities and running costs can be a road block for the firm(Smith, 1995). The system is easy to understand and interpret it can be accessed, use and functional implemented throughout all forms of business set-up(Dyson, 2007). The system helps in the process of benchmarking which is part of the quality control system(Dyson, 2007). The system works very well will increase the quality and up gradation program(Dyson, 2007). The implication of activity based costing The finance director argued that I very much doubt whether selling FireRoll is viable but I am not convinced that activity-based costing would tell us any more than the use of labour hours in assessing the viability of each produt. From my opinion, I not agree with what finance director told because in activity-based costing use cost driver. Cost driver is a factor that can cause a change in the cost of an activity. An activity can have more than one cost driver attached to it. For example, a production activity may have the following associated cost-drivers such as a machine, machine operators, floor space occupied, power consumed, and the quantity of waste and/or rejected output. In ScooterDriver they used three type of cost driver such as deliveries to retailers, set-up costs and purchase orders. So we can see how much each cost driver cost for the product and choose the product fairer and more accurate product costs can be identified, and costs can be controlled more effectively. Other than that, activity-based costing not only using labour hours for assessing the viability of each product, it also use machine hours. The marketing director argued that I am in the process of negotiating a major new contract with a motorcycle rental company for the RisingStar model. For such a big order, they will not pay our normal prices but we need to at least cover our incremental costs. I am not convinced that activity-based costing would achieve this as it merely averages costs for our entire production. From my opinion, I not agree with what marketing director told because activity-based costing shows average cost better than absorption costing. Absorption costing is more simplistic and less accurate than activity-based costing, and typically assigns overhead costs to products based on an arbitrary average rate. Activity-based costing is more complex and more accurate than absorption costing. This method first assigns indirect costs to activities and then assigns the costs to products based on the products usage of the activities. The managing director argued that I believed that activity-based costing would be an improvement but it still has its problems. For instance, if we carry out an activity many times surely we get better at it, and costs fall rather than remain constant. Similarly, some costs are fixed and do not vary either with labour hours or any other cost driver. From my opinion, I not agree with what managing director told because the definition of fixed cost in activity-based costing is a cost element of an activity that does not vary with changes in the volume of cost drivers or activity drivers. For example The deprecation of machine may be direct to a particular activity, but it is fixed with respect to changes in the number of units of the activity driver. Same goes to ScooterDrivers product the cost is fixed over a given time not all time or period. And the designation of fixed cost can also vary depending on the extent which the volume of production , activity drivers or cost drivers may change. The chairman argued that I cannot see the problem. The overall profit for the company is the same no matter which method of allocating overheads we use. It seems to make no differences to me. For my opinion, I agree with what chairman argued that both method gave same profit but from my point of view, I think that activity-based costing more benefit than the absorption costing. The profit of ScooterDriver company is RM4180000. For what I said that activity-based costing more benefit because absorption costing mostly utilizes volume related allocation bases while activity-based costing. uses drivers at various levels. Activity-based costing is a method that allocates a cost to various activities which then enable an organization to make informed decisions regarding products and/or services. Once the costs have been determined, they can be input into computer applications designed to analyze the costs. Management can then modify the budget and help the company become more profitable by decreasing inefficient activities. So activity-based costing is more advantage to a company to make profit. Question 2 Explain how the business environment that businesses face has changed over the past decades and discuss how this has had impact on management accounting. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) The so called new media boom of the 1980s failed to live up to expectations because the underlying technologies never became widespread(Drury, 2004). In contrast, technological advances on two fronts which are digitization and networking have become indispensable components of todays society(Drury, 2004). Digitization is enabling the fusion of different media based on technologies for processing and transmitting huge volumes of data(Drury, 2004). Networking is creating virtual communities on networks (cyberspace) centered on the Internet(Drury, 2004). With the advance of technology, electronic networks are revolutionizing structures and processes in the business world(Hilton, 1994). To improve processes, businesses are introducing e-mail and intranets. But of even greater impact is the revolution in business contacts not only with other companies but with consumers. The infrastructure has grown as more consumers use personal computers and participate in networks, and technological advances are making communication more efficient. Whereas information technology in the past mainly focused on changing work processes inside companies, todays revolution in information and communications technology could potentially alter the model of communication between businesses and consumers. In the old economy information communication, and transactions are all physical things(Hilton, 1994). They include cash, stamps, invoices, stock certificates, reports, face to face meetings, analog telephones, radio and television broadcasts, receipts, blueprints, maps, photographs, books, newspapers, magazines, and direct mail advertising. In the new economy, all types of information transactions, and personal communication will increasingly be digitized-that is, compressed into bits, stored in computers and transmitted through networks at the speed of light. The quality of information will be much better than with analog transmission. Today our approach to daily life is centered on physical things(Hilton, 1994). For example, the act of shopping involves a process of going to a store, obtaining information on the desired product, making a purchasing decision, paying money, and receiving the product. With the emergence of mail order shopping, transactions could be carried out simply by exchanging information on a product or service, and credit cards and mail delivery eliminated the need to visit a store and talk to a sales clerk(Hilton, 1994). In other words, information on products and services could be dissociated from and distributed separately from the physical product or service, eliminating time and space restrictions of conventional physical communication. This implies a shift in management resources from land, labor and capital, to information. In the information network society, the conventional conditions for corporate success such as large cities, large markets, and large companies will no longer apply. Companies can operate from anywhere if they are connected to a network, and can plunge right into the global market rather than grow in the local market. Since the most important factor is the value of the information a company possesses, we predict that market entry and competition will intensify as size of capital becomes irrelevant to market entry. Application of IT in management accounting has major impact on the organizations profits. It is wrong to conclude that implementation of new technology in management accounting will improve companys profits. Implementation of new technologies may reduce companys income, as the implementation is costly depending on the technology adopted. There is a risk to the companies that if inappropriate technology is chosen, then the company is forced to incur unnecessary costs which lead to waste of resources. However, if the management and the accountants study the feasibility and the functionality of the systems before the implementation of IT in management accounting, then the above risk can be avoided. The skill and knowledge of accountants should be repositioned to support the application of IT in management accounting. The companies have to send their staff to IT related training to acquire and update their IT skills to use the system efficiently. The users of the system must be trained w ell in order to take advantage of the technology within the system. Selecting user friendly system is essential, as it require less IT skilled personnel to handle the system. Most of the systems available now are user-friendly and easy to use. Technology is changing fast and it is very difficult to keep track with the technology changes. The companys challenge is to adopt a technology that can be used for a long period which may not be achievable now. The new technology today will be obsolete within couple of months and will be replaced by more sophisticated technology. So the company has to select the technology that is upgradeable to meet the future technology requirement. GLOBALIZATION Globalization means  the reduction of the difference between one economy and another  so that trade within and between different countries is increasingly similar all over the world. Globalization has become a big buzz word in the last 10/15 years, but it has been going on for centuries, and especially since 1945. In the 17th Century new ship design allowed Europeans to start trading with the rest of the world in a much bigger way, although trade was still a tiny part of the economy compared to agriculture. Later developments in transport, steam ships, the railways and now aircraft, have all contributed to the development of trade. Aircraft also move people around quickly, so the sense of the size and distances of the world shrinks making us feel that far-away places are no longer so strange. The internet now allows international communication in a way that was not possible before; your favourite site could just as easily be in New Zealand as in London. The following main factors have fuelled the pace of globalization which are first is technological change, especially in communications technology.  For example, UK businesses and data by satellite to India (taking advantage of the difference in time zones) where skilled but cheaper data handlers input the data and return it by satellite for the start of the UK working day. Second is transport is much cheaper and faster.  This is not just aircraft, but also ships. The development of containerization in the 1950s was a major breakthrough in goods handling, and there have been continuing improvements to shipping technology since then. Third is removal of capital exchange controls.  The movement of money from one country to another was also controlled, and these controls were lifted over the same period. This allowed businesses to move money from one country to another in a search for better business returns; if investment in ones own country looked unattractive, a business could buy businesses in another country. During the 1990s huge sums of money, mainly from the US, have come into the UK economy. There are three impact of globalization on management accounting. First, management accounting deals with both financial and non-financial data to support a wide range of managerial decisions in contrast to financial accountings focus solely on financial data to support investors and creditors capital allocation decisions. For many companies, notes CareerBank.com CFO Douglas Banister, the real value-add is the integration of financial reporting with operational information. Second, management accounting looks forward as well as backward, whereas financial accounting is oriented solely towards history. Management accounting involves anticipating what will, could, or should happen, as well as figuring out what did happen. Forecasting, planning, and budgeting are typical management accounting activities. Third, management accounting looks outward as well as inward, whereas financial accounting is focused solely on what happens internally within an enterprise. Management accounting involves proactively seeking and identifying opportunities and threats that an enterprise faces from customers, competitors, suppliers, regulatory agencies, and other external parties. In short, management accounting is focused on enhancing business performance in a competitive environment, not simply on ensuring compliance with standards and regulations. MANUFACTURING ENVIRONMENT New manufacturing strategy commonly involves the use of new technologies, and changes in organizational structure and management practices, such as Just-in-Time (JIT) and Total Quality Management (TQM) that possible lead to a radical change in the way business is conducted. AMT applications include applications such as computer integrated manufacturing (CIM), computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided engineering (CAE), flexible man

If You Really Like a Guy, Hit Him :: Personal Narrative Relationships Essays

If You Really Like a Guy, Hit Him I don’t remember wanting to punch Jeff. I remember wanting Jeff to â€Å"ask me out.† How I got into the position of hitting him is somewhat of a mystery to me. Jeff Stanford was the cutest guy in our third grade class. He had blonde hair, blue eyes-the whole shabang! He even wore tapered, stone washed jeans (it was the eighties, this was cool). He was my friend. I was, of all things, a tomboy. I ran faster then the boys. I could beat them all at tether ball. My hair was shorter then any of the boys, and I had the biggest crush on Jeff. Along with being head over heels in love with Jeff, I was a die hard Madonna fan. I had her tapes and even a sweatshirt with her picture on it. Jeff was not a Madonna fan. I thought this was something we could work out. Although we could not spend endless hours reciting lines from â€Å"Like a Virgin† together, we could always play tetherball. Tethe ball, at least at Pearson Elementary, was the game of champions. I loved to play, but at early recess the balls weren’t always up yet and Jeff, Kelly and myself sometimes had to make do with a rousing game of tag. This was definitely a â€Å"tag day.† â€Å"RUUUUUUUN Kelly, he is right behind you!!!!!† â€Å"Huh?† questioned Kelly. â€Å"Tagged you, tagged you!† taunted Jeff. â€Å"Ouch,† I screamed. â€Å"I have something in my eye.† I was completely serious. â€Å"There is something in my eye and it hurts!† I kept trying to get, whatever it was, out of my eye using the sleeve of my Madonna sweatshirt. Jeff was trying to help, in some way, but doing a piss-poor job of it. â€Å" What happened?† he asked. â€Å"Did Madonna stick her arm out and poke you in the eye?!!! Hahahahaaaahaaaha!† Boys are so dumb. â€Å"No.† It was all I could say, I didn’t have any witty come backs, but come on, he could have left me alone! â€Å"Why are you picking on me?† I asked. I wished he would just leave, but no, he kept taunting me. â€Å"You are so mean! LEAVE!† I shouted. For some unknown reason he didn’t get it! My eye still hurt, recess was almost over, and I decided I hated Jeff... WHAAAAP!!!!!!! I socked him. A right fisted jab, straight up the gut, full third grade force, and Jeff Stanford, my crush, went down.

Cardiovascular Disease Essay

Through cohort study designs and other evidence-based management studies, identify the major causes of CVD, and analyze the key steps, including current medications, used to address the disease. The understanding of the pathophysiology of many cardiovascular diseases is evolving rapidly, especially atherosclerosis, hypertension, myocardial, ischemia, and congestive heart failure. The role of genetics and its interaction with environment in the etiology and the progression of all forms of cardiovascular diseases is just one example of new information that is leading to improvements in prevention and treatment. Cardiovascular diseases include illnesses that involve the blood vessels like the veins, arteries and capillaries or even the heart, or both. The cardiovascular system, also called the circulatory system, is the system that moves blood throughout the human body. It is composed of the heart, arteries, veins, and capillaries. It transports oxygenated blood from the lungs and heart throughout the whole body through the arteries. Blood goes through the capillaries and vessels situated between the veins and arteries. When the blood has been depleted of oxygen, it makes its way back to the heart and lungs through the veins. The circulatory system may also include the circulation of lymph, which is essentially recycled blood plasma after it has been filtered from the blood cells and returned to the lymphatic system. The cardiovascular system does not include the lymphatic system. In this article, the circulatory system does not include the circulation of lymph. Angina is most frequently the result of underlying coronary artery disease. The coronary arteries supply the heart with oxygen rich blood. When cholesterol aggregates on the artery wall and hard plaques form, the artery narrows. It is increasingly  difficult for oxygen rich blood to reach the heart muscle as these arteries become too narrow. In additi on, damage to the arteries from other factors (such as smoking and high levels of fat or sugar in the blood) can cause plaque to build up where the arteries are damaged. These plaques narrow the arteries or may break off and form blood clots that block the arteries. The actual angina attacks are the result of this reduced oxygen supply to the heart. Physical exertion is a common trigger for stable angina, as the heart demands more oxygen than it receives in order to work harder. In addition, severe emotional stress, a heavy meal, exposure to extreme temperatures, and smoking may trigger angina attacks. Unstable angina is often caused by blood clots that partially or totally block an artery. Larger blockages may lead to heart attacks. As blood clots form, dissolve, and form again, angina can occur with each blockage. Variant angina occurs when an artery experiences a spasm that causes it to tighten and narrow, disrupting blood supply to the heart. This can be triggered by exposure to cold, stress, medicines, smoking, or cocaine use. Angina treatments aim to reduce pain, prevent symptoms, and prevent or lower the risk of heart attack. Medicines, lifestyle changes, and medical procedures may all be employed depending on the type of angina and the s everity of symptoms. Lifestyle changes recommended to treat angina include: 1.Stopping smoking 2.Controlling weight 3.Regularly checking cholesterol levels 4.Resting and slowing down 5.Avoiding large meals 6.Learning how to handle or avoid stress 7.Eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat or no-fat diary products, and lean meat and fish Medicines called nitrates (like nitroglycerin) are most often prescribed for angina. Nitrates prevent or reduce the intensity of angina attacks by relaxing and widening blood vessels. Other medicines such as beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, ACE inhibitors, oral anti-platelet medicines, anticoagulants, and high blood pressure medications may also be prescribed to treat angina.  These medicines are designed to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, slow the heart rate, relax blood vessels, reduce strain on the heart, and prevent blood clots from forming. In some cases, surgical medical procedures are necessary to treat angina. A heart specialist may recommend an angioplasty – a procedure where a small balloon is used to widen the narrowed arteries in the heart. Coronary artery bypass grafting is another common procedure; this is surgery where the narrowed arteries in the heart are bypassed using a healthy artery or vein from another part of the body. Develop at least five (5) leading questions that may be posed to your local health department in regard to mitigating the proliferation of the disease. Provide a sound rationale for raising these questions. 1. Can second or third hand smoking cause cardiovacular diseases? Cigarette smoking remains the leading preventable cause of cardiovascular disease in women, with more than 50 percent of heart attacks among middle-aged women attributable to tobacco. Risk of cardiovascular disease begins to decline within months of smoking cessation and reaches the level of persons who have never smoked within 3 to 5 years. 2. What do cholesterol has to do with cardiovascular diseases? High blood cholesterol is a condition that greatly increases your chances of developing coronary heart disease. Extra cholesterol in the blood settles on the inner walls of the arteries, narrowing them and allowing less blood to pass through them to the heart. Aim for total cholesterol below 200 mg/dL; LDL cholesterol below 130 mg/dL and HDL above 35 mg/dL. 3. How do weight gain or maintaining a healthy weight control cardiovascular disease? Obesity and sedentary lifestyles are epidemics in the United States that contribute to increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The prevalence of obesity has increased among both men and women in the United States in the past decade; currently about one third of adult women (or 34 million) are classified as obese. Also, 60% of both men and women get no regular physical activity. Obesity, especially abdominal adiposity, is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease in women. 4. Can exercise reduce cardiovascular disease? Recent evidence suggests that even moderate-intensity activity, including brisk walking, is associated with substantial reduction of cardiovascular disease risk. These findings support  the 1995 federal exercise guidelines endorsing 30 minutes of moderately intense physical activity most days of the week, a program that should be feasible and safe for most of the population. Regular exercise and maintenance of healthy weight should also help reduce insulin resistance and the risk of non–insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, which appears to be an even stronger risk factor for cardiovascular disease in women than in men. Diabetes is associated with a threefold to sevenfold elevation in cardiovascular disease risk among women, compared with a twofold to threefold elevation among men. Approximately half of all deaths in patients with non–insulin dependent diabetes mellitus are due to heart disease. 5.Can eating less saturated fat, more produce and more fiber reduce cardiovascular disease? †¨Diets low in saturated fat and high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fiber are associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Also, a recent study reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine journal confirmed that eating fruits and vegetables, particularly green leafy vegetables and vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables, seems to have a protective effect against coronary heart disease. You may even think about moving toward more flexitarian or vegetarian eating habits: A vegetarian diet reduces the risk of coronary artery disease, and may even reverse existing coronary artery disease when combined with other lifestyle changes. A Mediterranean diet that uses olive oil can reduce the risk of coronary artery disease. Based on the five (5) questions you developed in Question two (2), provide a rudimentary protocol to disseminate this information to your local community lea ders. Based on the above listed question in question two, the population that is directly affected by lack of basic health care information is poor families in rural areas across the United States. However, many others are indirectly affected by this including Governments who on varying levels are trying to determine how to keep their people alive and healthy longer and institutional partners who are spending significant resources to treat conditions that could be prevented or taken care of at earlier stages of a problem or condition. SMS to mobile phones which can be done through mobile networks at the prompting or through a contract with an institution, NGO, private company or the Ministry of Health. This does not have to be  expensive and is something in some countries that is partly supported by the Ministry of Health or can be provided in limit cases free of charge by the network provider. Through mobile cinemas which are used throughout much of Africa in rural areas to disseminate information on health care or other pertinent issues. Many times these mobile cinema vans already exist and are under the control of the Ministry of Transportation or Ministry of Health. It is possible, depending on the circumstances to access these vans and pay only for fuel consumption. Posters displayed in prominent areas that can provide a very clear and visual message, can sometimes transcend language barriers and get across simple messages most effectively. The cost of this would be the printing of the posters, the human resources to disseminate the posters (you can sometimes go through the Ministry of Health and utilize the community health workers and regional and district hospitals and other partners) and in some instances a small charge to hang the posters at certain locations. Radio spots that provide simple information in the most basic terminology to ensure the messages are construed properly. The cost of this depends on the availability of community messaging which is provided by some stations in some countries free of charge or station to station depending on country and size of the listener group. Recommend six (6) steps that may be given to your current or previous place of employment to prevent the proliferation of CVD. Provide support for your recom mendations. Heart disease and stroke, the principal components of cardiovascular disease (CVD), are the first and third leading causes of death in the United States. In 2002, employers representing 88 companies in the United States paid an average of $18,618 per employee for health and productivity-related costs. A sizable portion of these costs are related to CVD. Employers can yield a $3 to $6 return on investment for each dollar invested over a 2 to 5 year period and improve employee cardiovascular health by investing in comprehensive worksite health-promotion programs, and by choosing health plans that provide adequate coverage and support for essential preventive services. The most effective interventions in worksites are those that  provide sustained individual follow-up risk factor education and counseling and other interventions within the context of a comprehensive health-promotion program: (1) screening, health risk assessments, and referrals; (2) environmental supports for behavior change (e.g., access to healthy food choices); (3) financial and other incentives; (4) corporate policies that support healthy lifestyles (e.g., tobacco-free policies). (5) standardized treatment and prevention protocols consistent with national guidelines. (6) multidisciplinary clinical care teams to deliver quality patient care. References 1.Austin, C. J., & Boxerman, S. B. (2008). Information systems for healthcare management (7th ed.). Chicago: Health Administration Press. 2. Harvey, B.H.,†Technology, Diversity and Work Culture-Key Trends in the Next Millenium,†HR Magazine, 45,(7) ,p.59. 3. Bowen, D.E., and Lawler, E.III.†The Empowerment of Service Worker;†Sloan Management Review, pp.31-39. 4. Williams, S. J., & Torrens, P.R. (2010). Introduction to Health Services. Mason Ohio. Cengage Learning. 5.Marquis, M.S., & Rogowski, J.A. (2004). Journal of the American Medical Association, 52(5)408-415.

Jekyll And Hyde †what view of human nature does stevenson present in jekyll and hyde? Essay

In 1886, Robert Louis Stevenson wrote ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’. It was a story about how a respectable, upper class man turned into a beast with no morals or dignity. It seemed that Stevenson wanted to show how good & evil could easily clash, much to Victorian society’s disgust. In the novel, he used many techniques and different situations to argue with society. He tried to prove human nature, and how everyone has two sides to him or her. It was around this time that Darwin had presented his theory of evolution to the world, and it is in ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde’ that Stevenson presents his argument. Growing up in the Victorian era, Stevenson had a very strict, biased upbringing. He was born into a Presbyterian way of life, and was taught the values of the belief by his families nurse; this meant that he was taught to believe the bible and nothing that contradicts it. He was also taught to respect the rich, and frown upon the poor. This often came natural to Victorian society, there was either an upper class or a lower class, and nobody would dare say that these two could clash, as reputation was everything. Often people repressed their true feelings, because they wanted to protect their status in society, Stevenson didn’t like this. Charles Darwin presented his theory of evolution that men evolved from apes. This was known as ‘The Origin of the Species’. The Victorian people hated this as it went against their image and their religious beliefs, as they believed we came from God and that we didn’t evolve from apes. So, when Stevenson portrayed Hyde as a ‘troglodytic’ being, and Jekyll as a kind respected man, it obviously showed the view of the Victorian people. Stevenson always placed Hyde in the dark, crime-filled side of London, and Jekyll in the busy, vibrant side of London. So once again he associated the lower class with crime and dirt, and the upper class with being innocent and care giving. For example, Utterson quotes in Jekyll’s house † the plate was of silver, the napery elegant, a good picture hung upon the walls.† Yet, when Hyde is outside, London is described as † district of some city in a nightmare.† The division of personality in man fascinated Stevenson, he believed you could be good & evil, that man had two sides to him. In Jekyll & Hyde, Jekyll is portrayed as good, the novel shows this by stating â€Å"a large, well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty every mark a capacity of kindness†. This shows that Jekyll is a kind, giving man. Whereas, Hyde is portrayed as a strange, brutal man, this is shown by the quote â€Å"he gave a strong feeling of deformity† this shows that he wasn’t normal, and wasn’t quite man, something lower down the process of evolution, the Victorian people would have panicked at the idea of this, that evolution was suddenly turning backwards. So, Stevenson was obviously trying to present that a man can have two very different sides, that it was human nature. In the novel, he gives more than one example, of someone or something having an alter ego. For example, the narrator of the novel, Utterson, is immediately said to have two sides, for example in chapter one, he is said to be â€Å"lean, long, dusty, dreary and yet somehow lovable†. This quote shows that he has two sides to him, he is grumpy-looking and boring, yet he also gives the sense of being lovable, and caring. He is also a repressed character throughout the novel, much like Victorian society; it is as if Stevenson has channelled society through Utterson. Stevenson also tries to play with the idea that Enfield is his alter ego. It seems in the novel that although they have nothing in common, they are stuck together. Every Sunday, without fail, they go for a routine walk together. Once again he uses two characters or personalities to give his view on human nature. Throughout the novel, there are minor characters that Stevenson also used to give his view and everyone else’s view, on human nature, and the statutory division of society. For example, Hyde is firstly presented in the novel by the quote † with ape-like fury, he was trampling his victim under foot.† Here he is once again relating to Hyde and the lower class to being careless and heartless. By using the word ‘ape-like’ it is also insinuating that Hyde has gone right back to the start of evolution. Secondly, at the scene of Hyde’s first crime, the doctor states † there is something wrong with his appearance; something displeasing, something downright detestable.† This quote refers that more than one person in society detests Hyde, this shows a direct relationship with Darwin’s theory, and how that everyone in society hated the idea of human nature having two sides to it. Although, when Utterson goes to visit Hyde, the maid shows an interest in what he has done. It seems Stevenson is trying to show that although society had to repress their feelings, they secretly did have a sly interest in the wonder and concept of human nature. In Conclusion, Stevenson showed a lot about his thoughts and his view on human nature, and how society viewed it in a negative, demeaning way. He also showed how although the Victorian people put on an act of disgust, although they secretly showed an interest.

The Negative Effects of Wealth in Society

The Negative Effects of Wealth in Society Wealth brings far more significant problems than depriving people of beauty. This is because once the rich in society set eyes on a given item or property, they will do anything within their means to ensure that they get it irrespective of the adverse effects that their actions may have on the lives of the poor.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Negative Effects of Wealth in Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This essay seeks to analyze the other adverse effects that wealth can bring to society apart from the aspect of the destruction of beauty. To this end, examples from modern day living shall be drawn and coupled with proper explanations to illustrate the weaknesses of wealth-driven society adequately. Wealth leads to the creation of frustrated individuals in society. For instance, a wealthy man driving on a highway through the countryside will see a large farm with animals grazing peacefully, and instead of appreciating the calmness of the region, he would probably see how he could turn the farm into an out-of-town shopping mall. The owners of the land may not be willing to part with their property, but this rich man could easily come with ridiculously vast amounts of money and ensure that he has convinced them to leave. Eventually, high story buildings will go up and concrete structures replacing the trees. In this instance, the rich man would have interfered with the beauty of the land. However, and even more disturbing is that he would not care where the farmer and his family relocate to because it is almost apparent he (the rich man) is not going to offer them an alternative settlement. Consequently, the farmer may find himself in an urban region where the costs of living are very high, and in time at all, the money he had received from the sale of the land will have gone into rent and food. With time the farmer and his family will have to go back to the rich man to look for men ial jobs at his shopping complex and in a way signing to lifetime slavery. From this example, it is easy to see that wealth also ends up creating a few happy persons at the expense of many frustrated individuals. The acquisition of wealth results in the breaking of family and societal linkages. An individual will generally tend to relate very well with members of his extended family as well as his neighbors as long as they don’t have a lot of money. However, once this individual lands an extreme amount of wealth, he will turn on the people that he used to share good times with and convert them into his laborers.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In a way, he will strive to ensure that even the people who helped him get where he is don’t get the opportunities that would make them arrive at his level. A good example is a way politicians in third world countri es behave. Before the election, they will meet with the people, share meals and even relate positively with them. They would spend a lot of time pledging to improve the lives of poor citizens as soon as they get elected. However, once they get to the office, they move into posh houses and buy huge cars with dark windows to ensure that the people who elected him/her do not get to know of his whereabouts. If a person, even his/her uncle wants to meet him to seek some slight help, the now-elected Member of Parliament or counselor will demand that they make appointments with his secretary and most of the time he/she will not make an effort to see whether the matter was attended. The desire for wealth also brings with it very many societal vices. One good example is corruption and bribery within public service. Individuals who work for the government are generally always complaining that they are not well paid. Since they are in the office for most of the day, they do not have time to do something else on the side, and this leads them to come up with ways of getting the extra dollar while still at work. So instead of following a given protocol while serving individuals who come seeking assistance from their offices, they will do things slowly and sometimes withholding certain relevant documents only to release them once the client has promised to give a few extra dollars to get the work done on time. The same applies to police officers who can catch an individual in the midst of committing a crime and instead of arresting him/her, they let the person go after receiving a huge amount of money as a bribe. This desire for wealth is the primary factor that drove western countries to invade the nations in Africa during colonial times. The colonialists discovered that Africa had a lot of natural resources and since they (colonialists) had the tools for accessing things like minerals, they invaded the countries, turned the natives into their slaves and shipped all the min ed products to their mother nations.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Negative Effects of Wealth in Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In conclusion, it is easy to see that the adverse effects of wealth in society are much more than just the destruction of beauty. As has been shown above through various examples, wealth can lead to the development of many unwanted characteristics in individuals which sometimes leads them to lose all sense of humanity such that they see other individuals as lesser humans. I, therefore, agree with the fact that apart from the destruction of beauty, wealth also generates many adverse effects in society.

Split Brain essays

Split Brain essays Our brain weighs about three pounds and is divided into two similar looking, but different hemispheres, the right and the left. Both are connected to a large bundle of nerves, called corpus collosom. In some people with sever seizer disorders such as epilepsy, it was found that if this bundle of nerves were severed their seizers would stop or at least be under better control. From this surgical procedure, it was discovered that the two hemispheres had different methods of processing information, as well as controlling parts of the body. The left controls the right and the right controls the left. We rely on both hemispheres to process different information; we tend to naturally have one hemisphere that is more dominate than the other. While the brain is an organ that can be seen and held the mind is quite another matter. The mind remains unseen and physically immeasurable, yet appears to be part of us that controls everything. Roger Sperry pioneered this surgical procedure called commissurotomy. The commissurtomy surgically separates the hemispheres, making the transfer of information between them impossible. The patient is then left with two independently functioning hemispheres. Researchers found that when the brain was surgically separated, each hemisphere continued to have individual and private experiences, sensations, thoughts, and perceptions (wood and wood 64). Several experiments were done to test the perception in the split-brain patient for example; words flashed to the right field of vision of patients could be said and written with the right hand. In contrast, patients couldn't say or write words flashed to their left field of vision. Although standard experiments revealed that right hemisphere is nonverbal, it is far from incompetent. Even though the right hemisphere could not communicate to observers what stimuli it had been presented with, it did show some verbal comprehension. Although the patien ...

Acrylic polymer is derived from the monomer methyl metharcrylate or MMA

When modern man discovered plastic and its myriad of uses, there was no turning back. Today, plastics figured prominently in the lives of 21st century people. It is almost impossible to live comfortably without this substance. And among the many kinds of polymer there is perhaps nothing more versatile and very much in demand than acrylic polymers. This paper will look into the chemical properties and the myriad of uses for the compound normally designated as PMMA or Polymethyl methacrylate. Chemistry Acrylic acid (H2C – CHCOOH) was synthesized in 1843 according to Charles Carraher (2003, p. 160). Then he goes to add that ethyl methacrylate (H2C – C(CH3)COOC2H5) was synthesized and polymerized in 1865 and 1877, respectively (2003). With regards to polymerization e.g. acrylic or methacrylic acid, it must be done in an aqueous solution at less than 20-30% concentration (Feldman Barbalata, 1996). â€Å"Besides water, a conventional recipe involves an initiating system (potassium persulfate and sodium thiosulfate) and chain transfer agent† (Feldman Barbalata, 1996). Acrylic polymer is derived from the monomer methyl metharcrylate or MMA. Polymers can be divided into two groups: thermoplastics and thermosets. And that majority of them are thermoplastics meaning once the polymer is formed it can be heated and reformed over and over again (see American Chemistry Council, 2007). This major attribute alone is enough to make scientists and businessmen to be very interested in the application of the product. But interestingly there are many more surprises up the sleeves of the thermoplastic polymer.Properties The following attributes can be seen in most polymers and especially so to acrylic polymers: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Has a light transmittancy of about 92% with particular clarity at lower wavelength of 270 to 350 nm (Whitaker, 1996) 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Has good resistance to weathering 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Good mechanical strength 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dimensional stability along with high tensile and flexural strength (Whitaker, 1996) 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Chemical resistance – including salts, bases, aliphatic hydrocarbons, fats and oils, most common gases, and inorganic chemicals as well as dilute and concentrated solutions of most alkali Applications According to Feldman and Barbalatat, the most important usage of acrylic polymer is in the manufacture of adhesives, thickeners, coatings, flocculants, dispersants, fluidizers, in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, ion exchange processes and textile processing (1996). Now, a few years after acrylic polymer was first introduced by the scientific community, the said substance was first used as interlining for automobile windshields (Carraher, 2003). Since acrylic polymers exhibit good resistance to weathering it is widely used in thermoformed signs, aircraft windshields, and bathtubs. Acrylic polymers have long been used in the manufacturing of cuvettes, tubing connectors, speculums,and many other medical devices requiring impact strength, chemical resistance, biocompatibility, and clarity. In fact it occupies a, â€Å"†¦prominent place in the market for clear, disposable plastic – only glass transmits light as well† (Whitaker, 1996). In the medical field, acrylic polymers have shown its versatility and all around usefulness. From the start medical professionals were already well acquainted with the substance because it was used in the manufacture of incubators. In 1955 its range of usage was expanded when the first acrylic prosthesis was implanted. This probably came after its success as a primary material for aircraft canopies during World War II – pilots suffered fewer infections from shards of acrylic than they had from glass (Whitaker, 1996). Aside as an important component of cuvettes and tubing connectors, it is also used to produce test kits, luers, drainage wands, syringes, blood filters, blood pump housings, fluid silos, surgical blade dispensers, surgical trays etc. Finally, acrylic polymers is not only superior in terms of chemical resistance, clarity as a thermoplastic, and durability which is highly prized in the medical field. This substance is also easily recyclable, â€Å"Acrylic burns extremely clean [†¦] with end products of carbon dioxide and water. In addition, the material offers superior recyclability: acrylic can be reground and reused, which results in less material waste during molding† (Whitaker, 1996). But there is more. The said material can be depolymerized back to its monomer, thoroughly purged of its impurities, and then can go full circle back into PMMA. This is a true recycling process, whereas most other recycling processes involve crushing the material and using it in applications with lower specifications (Whitaker, 1996). In the world of plastic, acrylic polymers belong to the top shelf. The range of its applications is a great help in the development of many industries especially in the medical field. Among other things it has provided cost-efficiency and safety concerning the medical practice and other industrial purposes. References American Chemistry Council. (2007). The Basics – Polymer Definition and Properties. PlasticResource.com [online] Accessed 08 May 2007 from http: www.plasticresource.com/s_plasticresource/sec.asp? TRACKID=CID=124DID=226 Carraher, C. (2003). Giant Molecules: Essential Materials for Everyday Living and Problem Solving. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Feldman, D. Barbalata, A. (1996). Synthetic Polymers: Technology, Properties, Applications.    New York: Chapman and Hall. Whitaker, W. (1996). Acrylic Polymers: A Clear Focus. Medical Device Industry [online] Accessed 08 May 2007 from http: www.devicelink.com/mpb/archive/06/01/001.html.

Management Assignment Questions Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management Questions - Assignment Example In addition, volunteer groups and other non-profit organizations also work to support struggling sectors of the community. Such volunteer groups have a crucial role to play in abolishing social class systems and improving living standards of the society. Multinational corporations like Wal-Mart and Toyota allow its employees to take part in volunteer work so as to increase the stature of their business. 2. Simply, a Nichepreneur is an individual who operates big business in a small market. A Nichepreneur has several secrets and strategies, which would place him on the top of the market segment in which he operates. Sometimes, Nichepreneurs do not even try to compete in particular niches as they have already dominated against corporate giants having huge budgets and highly qualified PR teams. An effective tagline is one of the major secrets of success of a Nichepreneur as it is the way a customer identifies the company. In the opinion of marketing experts, the tagline must be too crea tive and should pass some strong messages to customers. Similarly, a Nichepreneur often focuses on the cultural aspects of the niches as he serves the needs of a specific group of people. According to Friedmann (2008), fewer competitors, higher efficiency, attractive profitability, and increased visibility are some of the most significant benefits of a Nichepreneur. 3. Developing a career plan is significant in an individual’s life, for it will assist him to work for attaining the predetermined goals and thereby to achieve a good standard of living. A well organized long term career development plan is greatly beneficial for an individual to obtain job promotion by enhancing his skills and abilities. In addition, this plan would greatly motivate individuals to deal with life difficulties as well. Moreover, a good long term career development plan may aid an individual to achieve financial security and thereby quality life (Professional growth). When a post-graduate MBA studen t enters the employment sector, he gets a range of quick start opportunities. Successful completion of the first assigned task may greatly assist the student to start his career outstandingly as every management team would be enthusiastic to monitor the performance of its new employees. In addition, development of a creative idea for a business venture would also assist a post-graduate MBA student to begin his career. 4. Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a post graduate degree that has been accepted globally. The idea behind this degree was derived from the need of applying a scientific approach to business administration. This degree in business administration greatly assists the holder’s career for long-term as an MBA course involves a wide variety of subjects like accounting, finance, marketing, economics, supply chain management, and project management. The MBA degree course includes training programs and it will definitely aid an individual to enhance his leader ship skills. In addition, various projects, presentations, and group assignments would greatly assist an individual to acquire different skills for addressing difficult business situations in future. Scholars opine that group assignments and project works may be beneficial for the student to evaluate the principles of teamwork and collaborative effort. Furthermore, this degree

The Fine Art of Complaining Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Fine Art of Complaining - Assignment Example The reader feels that the author cares about the issues which confront the reader and is genuinely interested in providing solutions. Many of the tips given by Rego are so simple that one cannot help but wonder why one did not think of it earlier. This is the major strength of the essay. Rego gives practical pointers to solve everyday problems. These are difficulties almost every individual would have encountered. The ‘you’ could be anyone of us. The essay is very educative. Rego’s point that â€Å"Readers always notice a P.S.† is very insightful. The details about the Better Business Bureau and the existence of small-claims courts are particularly informative. Rego’s essay changes the reader’s perception about complaining. Complaining is not just about raising one’s voice. One becomes aware that it is a process which requires thought and will yield successful results if done in the correct way. What is the next step to be taken if Rego’s suggestions do not succeed in getting the compliant

Abortion from a Pro-Life Perspective Research Paper

Abortion from a Pro-Life Perspective - Research Paper Example Many women suffered from serious and, often, long term, consequences, including internal damage, permanent sterility, and infections. There are a great number of women who did not survive long after having these procedures. To prevent these kinds of unsafe procedures abortions have been made more readily available to women. Unfortunately, this only led to a greater gap between those who fought on both sides of the issue. Those who support a woman’s right to choose abortion, often called â€Å"Pro-Choice,† as an option feel that it is a woman’s right and she cannot be forced to use her body to produce a new life unless she wishes to. The â€Å"Pro-Life† representatives, those who do not support abortion of any kind, actively believe that every abortion is essentially a murder of an innocent life (Giubilini, and Minerva 1). There are, also, moderates, those who have concluded that the only way to find resolution on this heated issue is through compromise. Th ey do not believe abortions should be completely legal and available, but based on circumstance. For example, underage girls who have suffered sexual abuse or incest, a woman whose pregnancy put her health in danger and anyone whose pregnancy resulted from an act of rape. These victims should have the option. In the end, because there are so many unanswered questions and uncertainties regarding abortion it is best to err on the side of caution and make abortion procedures illegal until such knowledge is gained. There are two very strong reasons to support the â€Å"Pro-Life† perspective. The first, involves the question, â€Å"when does life begin?† At what point in the development of a fetus does it become aware and when does it qualify for the rights belonging to all individuals? Is it the moment of conception or when the brain develops? We do not know. When does it have an innate right to its life and anything interfering with that becomes an act of violence or murd er? Many religious individuals press the topic of the fetus’s â€Å"soul.† Unfortunately, neither religion nor science can answer either of these questions with an absolute certainty. So we do not know if the fetus’s aborted possessed self-awareness, ethically have a right to its life, or is its existence until birth technically not its own being. Not knowing these answers, whether you are a religious person or simply a logical one, you cannot be certain then how can anyone flippantly determine that it is nothing more than a gathering of â€Å"cellular material.† Until these answers are found abortion must remain an issue of debate and not put into practice. The second main issue that supports a â€Å"Pro-Life† perspective is the worry that having legal abortions would lead to more and more abortion procedures being performed. If may make the sexually active public less dependent on contraception to avoid unwanted pregnancy and allowing abortions t o act as their birth control. The idea being that some woman would be having multiple abortions on a regular basis. Between legalization and the unanswered questions involving the rights of fetuses it makes for an unsettling and ethically questionable future. Legalization would only increases the numbers of unwanted pregnancies not reduce them (University California Santa Barbara). Creating new life should not be perceived the same way that an infectious disease is perceived. Discovery that you are pregnant should not be sending you to the clinic to have it treated like an illness. This sets the precedent that there are degrees to the value of

Up In the Air Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Up In the Air - Essay Example The primary location depicted in the film is St. Louis Missouri, although it was substituted by other cities like Michigan, Omaha, Detroit, Las Vegas, Florida, Miami and Nebraska (Abramowitz, 2009). The film has won several awards in screenplays and nominations. This analysis looks at ‘Up in the Air’ film with particular reference to its music, sound, continuity and editing among other aspects of movie analysis. Music and soundtrack ‘Up in the Air’ film features different music including songs by; The Black Keys, (Black Keys member gone solo), Elliot Smith, Dan Auerbach’s ‘which is quite good stuff between’ and Crosby. Other artists that the film features include Sad Brad Smith, Stills & Nash and Sharon Jones & the Dap among others. In actual analysis of the music in this film, most of the songs featured can make up a 12 track soundtrack CD (Schuker, & Lauren, 2009). Furthermore, the film also includes Kevin Renick’s titular song ‘Up in the Air’. This is the song that plays in the closing credits of the film and is about uncertainty, loneliness, and disconnection where career transition is eluded. ‘Up in the Air’ is a melancholy song which also narrates about where one expects his or her life to go. ‘Angel in the Snow’ song by Elliot Smith is also included in the soundtrack of the movie. Analysts reveal that the application of this song is one of the best uses of music within a film (French, 2010). Continuity In any film making process, continuity is always an important threshold worth meeting, whereby a series of shots and casts are required to be physically continuous such that the cinema appears only to change angles during a single event. Technically speaking, it is the responsibility of the film director in this case Jason Reitman and the script supervisor who are responsible for keeping continuity in the film. ‘Up in the Air’ presents different dates of casting which also took plac e in different cities (Abramowitz, 2009). This calls for a professional editing to enhance the continuity of the film at the best recommended levels. For instance, the film was mostly cast at the St. Louis area, although other cities like Omaha, Missouri and Detroit are also featured. The filming of ‘Up in the Air’ commenced in March 2009 continuing all the way to the end of April, including more than 80 locations, and featuring heavy product placement with the American Airlines, Hilton Hotels, Hertz and even the Chrysler (Schuker, & Lauren, 2009). Therefore, with all these details and complexity of issues to be included, it can be deduced that ‘Up in the Air’ Film achieved some great milestone as far as its continuity is concerned. Editing It will be realized that the ‘Up in the Air’s’ post production schedule was much shorter in comparison to the previous films done by Jason Reitman. The editing of this film lasted between 16 to 17 wee ks as opposed to the usual editing periods which is normally between 22 to 26 weeks (Abramowitz, 2009). This is attributed to the fact that Reitman was heavily involved in the post production of the movie during shooting. Moreover, the entire shooting of the film took place on location. Scenes would be sent to the film chief editor everyday as soon as they were ready from the source (Schuker, & Lauren, 2009). Editing of the film was quite essential in determining how the nonverbal moments shaped the cast characters i.e. Alex and Ryan’

ESPANOL PARA NEGOCIOS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

ESPANOL PARA NEGOCIOS - Essay Example El Acuerdo General sobre Aranceles y Comercio fue creado con el objetivo de eliminar barreras que afecten el comercio. El nà ºmero de paà ­ses fue crecido hasta llegar a noventa y seis. Muchos paà ­ses de las Amà ©ricas fueron miembros. Este tratado terminà ³ y empezà ³ en su lugar la Organizacià ³n Mundial de Comercio (OMC) en 1995. Han sido otros tratados entre los paà ­ses de Amà ©rica Latina. El Mercado Comà ºn del Sur (MERCOSUR) fue creado en 1991 entre Argentina, Brasil, Uruguay y Paraguay. El tratado de Asuncià ³n tiene por objetivo promover el movimiento de bienes, personas y capital. A partir del 4 de julio de 2006 Venezuela se alià ³ con los otros paà ­ses. Ya Bolivia, Chile, Perà º, Colombia y Ecuador son estados miembros asociados. El Mercado Comà ºn del Sur ha causado muchos beneficios a los paà ­ses participantes. Desde 1990 se aumenta mucho el comercio de los paà ­ses. Tienen la oportunidad de producir la diversificacià ³n en los productos y las relaciones comerciales. En aà ±os pasados cuando, por ejemplo, Brasil tenà ­a relaciones comerciales con la Unià ³n Europea no tenà ­a la obligacià ³n de importar bienes y servicios con los paà ­ses sudamericanos. Aparte de las razones economà ­as el mercado tambià ©n tiene beneficios sociales. Permite la integracià ³n de expresiones artà ­sticas y comparten actividades culturales e histà ³ricas. Uno de los desafà ­os del Mercado Comà ºn del Sur es el nivel de los avances en el à ¡rea cientà ­fico y tecnolà ³gico. Tambià ©n el sistema de productividad es diferente en cada paà ­s como los servicios y la infraestructura. Se presenta una fluctuacià ³n entre las industrias diferentes. No hay mucha seguridad entre las zonas fronterizas. Los paà ­ses tienen que tomar medidas para reducir la ocurrencia de contrabandos. La Comunidad Andina de Naciones (CAN) estaba formada por Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Perà º y Venezuela en 1997. Este acuerdo se inicià ³ cuando se firmà ³ el Pacto Andino en 1969.

Case study 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

2 - Case Study Example The reason one experiences pain in the right upper quadrant is because of the position of the gallbladder, and what happens to the gall bladder whenever it is blocked by the gallstones. The gall bladder has the cystic duct through which bile flows into the duodenum. A blockade of this duct means that bile cannot pass through. It becomes concentrated in the gall bladder causing irritation and inflammation. This inflammation causes pain that radiates to the surrounding parts. This is why an individual with gallstones experiences pain in the right upper quadrant that may further extend to the back (Whitney & Pinna 565; Bluth & Benson 1). When one eats, more bile is produced from the liver, and this goes into the already inflamed gall bladder. The act of eating stimulates the gall bladder to contract and push the bile into the duodenum for the normal digestion process. Because of the existence of the gallstone on the cystic duct, the contraction causes pain (Crutchlow, Dudac, MacAvoy and Madara 213). If Martha gets lucky and the doctor finds out that the gallstones can be dislodged, they will pass through the duodenum. Here they can be dissolved using ursodeoxycholic acid, or can pass through the intestine (DeBruyne, Whitney & Pinna

ESPANOL PARA NEGOCIOS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

ESPANOL PARA NEGOCIOS - Essay Example El Acuerdo General sobre Aranceles y Comercio fue creado con el objetivo de eliminar barreras que afecten el comercio. El nà ºmero de paà ­ses fue crecido hasta llegar a noventa y seis. Muchos paà ­ses de las Amà ©ricas fueron miembros. Este tratado terminà ³ y empezà ³ en su lugar la Organizacià ³n Mundial de Comercio (OMC) en 1995. Han sido otros tratados entre los paà ­ses de Amà ©rica Latina. El Mercado Comà ºn del Sur (MERCOSUR) fue creado en 1991 entre Argentina, Brasil, Uruguay y Paraguay. El tratado de Asuncià ³n tiene por objetivo promover el movimiento de bienes, personas y capital. A partir del 4 de julio de 2006 Venezuela se alià ³ con los otros paà ­ses. Ya Bolivia, Chile, Perà º, Colombia y Ecuador son estados miembros asociados. El Mercado Comà ºn del Sur ha causado muchos beneficios a los paà ­ses participantes. Desde 1990 se aumenta mucho el comercio de los paà ­ses. Tienen la oportunidad de producir la diversificacià ³n en los productos y las relaciones comerciales. En aà ±os pasados cuando, por ejemplo, Brasil tenà ­a relaciones comerciales con la Unià ³n Europea no tenà ­a la obligacià ³n de importar bienes y servicios con los paà ­ses sudamericanos. Aparte de las razones economà ­as el mercado tambià ©n tiene beneficios sociales. Permite la integracià ³n de expresiones artà ­sticas y comparten actividades culturales e histà ³ricas. Uno de los desafà ­os del Mercado Comà ºn del Sur es el nivel de los avances en el à ¡rea cientà ­fico y tecnolà ³gico. Tambià ©n el sistema de productividad es diferente en cada paà ­s como los servicios y la infraestructura. Se presenta una fluctuacià ³n entre las industrias diferentes. No hay mucha seguridad entre las zonas fronterizas. Los paà ­ses tienen que tomar medidas para reducir la ocurrencia de contrabandos. La Comunidad Andina de Naciones (CAN) estaba formada por Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Perà º y Venezuela en 1997. Este acuerdo se inicià ³ cuando se firmà ³ el Pacto Andino en 1969.

To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Example for Free

To Kill a Mockingbird Essay â€Å"As you sojourn through life, forgive. No matter what has been done to you, said about you, or how painful it may be. In the end you will feel the warmth of the tapestry of love youve created.†-Harper Lee. This quote, stated from Harper Lee, the author of â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. Its knowing youre licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do. I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. Its when you know youre licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do. Mrs Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of her. According to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew. â€Å"Courage, the quality of mind which meets danger or opposition with intrepidity, calmness, and firmness. Harper Lee uses this quality as one of her major themes in her novel, to Kill A Mockingbird. Through the use of several of her characters she expresses the real meaning of courage.† Is courage having the inability to show fear, even though you might be trembling on the inside? Could it be having the strength to face hardship, danger, and fear? Is it having the right of mind to consider different decisions? Courage also known as fortitude, is the ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty or intimidation. It can be divided into â€Å"physical courage† — in face of physical pain, hardship, and threat of death — and â€Å"moral courage† — in the face of shame, scandal, and discouragement. As a virtue, courage is covered extensively in Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, its vice of deficiency being cowardice, and its vice of excess being recklessness.

Definition And Types Of Anxiety English Language Essay

Definition And Types Of Anxiety English Language Essay In order to understand the specific type of anxiety that learners experience in a foreign language classroom, it is important to first consider anxiety in general terms. As a psychological construct, anxiety is described as a state of apprehension, a vague fear that is only indirectly associated with an object (Scovel, 1991, cited in Tanveer, 2007, p. 3). Speiberger (1976, cited in Wang, 2005, p. 13) distinguished anxiety from fear by pointing out that although anxiety and fear are both unpleasant emotional reactions to the stimulus conditions perceived as threatening, fear is usually derived from a real, objective danger in the external environment while the threatening stimulus of anxiety may not be known. Spielberger (1983, cited in Wilson, 2006, p. 41) defined anxiety as the subjective feeling of tension, apprehension, nervousness, and worry associated with an arousal of the autonomic nervous system. More specifically, Morris, David, Hutchings (1981, cited in Wilson, 2006, p. 41) claimed that general anxiety consists of two components: worry and emotionality. Worry or cognitive anxiety refers to negative expectations and cognitive concerns about oneself, the situation at hand, and possible consequences, and emotionality or somatic anxiety concerns ones perceptions of the physiological-affective elements of the anxiety experience, which are indications of autonomic arousal and unpleasant feeling states, such as nervousness, upset stomach, pounding heart, sweating, and tension (Morris, David, Hutchings, 1981, cited in Wilson, 2006, p. 41, cited in Cubucku, 2007, p. 134). Trait Anxiety, State Anxiety, and Situation-specific Anxiety MacIntyre Gardner (1991, p. 87-92) identified three approaches to the study of anxiety, which are: trait anxiety, state anxiety, and situation-specific anxiety. Trait anxiety is an individuals likelihood of becoming anxious in any situation (Spielberger, 1983, cited in MacIntyre Gardner, 1991, p. 87). As trait anxiety is a relatively stable personality characteristic, a person who is trait anxious would probably become anxious in many different kinds of situations, more frequently or more intensely than most people do (Woodrow, 2006, p. 309). This approach to anxiety research has been criticized in that the interpretation of trait anxiety would be meaningless without being considered in interaction with situations because a particular situation may be perceived as anxiety-provoking by some but not by others although those people may have similar trait anxiety scores (MacIntyre Gardner, 1991, p. 88). State anxiety, in contrast to the stable nature of trait anxiety, is momentary and thus not an enduring characteristic of an individuals personality. It is the apprehension that is experienced at a particular moment in time (MacIntyre Gardner, 1991, p. 90). In other words, it is a transient anxiety, an unpleasant emotional temporary state, a response to a particular anxiety-provoking stimulus such as an important test (Spielberger, 1983, cited in Wang, 2005, p.13, and cited in Tanveer, 2007, p. 4). The higher the level of trait anxiety an individual possess, the higher the level of state anxiety he or she may experience in stressful situations (MacIntyre Gardner, 1991, p. 90). The state-anxiety approach to anxiety research has been criticized for asking the question Are you nervous now? instead of Did this situation make you nervous?; in other words, it does not the subjects to ascribe their anxiety experience to any particular source (MacIntyre Gardner, 1991, p. 90). Situation-specific anxiety re ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ects a trait anxiety that recurs consistently over time within a given situation (MacIntyre Gardner, 1991, p. 87; Spielberger, Anton and Bedell, 1976, cited in Woodrow, 2006, p. 309). Zheng (2008, p. 2) proposed that the three categories of anxiety can be identified on a continuum from stability to transience, with trait anxiety related to a generally stable predisposition to be anxious across situations on one end, state anxiety related to a temporary unpleasant emotional state on the other, and situational-specific anxiety related to the probability of becoming anxious in particular situations in the middle of the continuum. According to MacIntyre and Gardner (1991, p. 90), situation-specific anxiety can be considered as trait anxiety, which is limited to a specific context. This perspective examines anxiety reactions in a well-defined situation such as public speaking, during tests, when solving mathematics problems, or in a foreign languag e class (MacIntyre Gardner, 1991, p. 90). Facilitating Anxiety and Debilitating Anxiety Facilitating anxiety improves learning and performance, while debilitating anxiety is associated with poor learning and performance. According to Scovel (1978, cited in Tanveer, 2007, p. 10), anxiety, in its debilitating and facilitating forms, serves simultaneously to motivate and to warn the learner. Facilitating anxiety occurs when the difficulty level of the task triggers the proper amount of anxiety (Scovel, 1978, cited in Zheng, 2008, p. 2). In such case, facilitating anxiety motivates the learner to fight the new learning task; it gears the learner emotionally for approach behavior (Scovel, 1991, cited in Tanveer, 2007, p. 11). However, although a certain level of anxiety may be beneficial, too much anxiety can become debilitating: it motivates the learner to flee the new learning task; and stimulates the individual emotionally to adopt avoidance behavior which may lead to avoidance of work and inefficient work performance (Scovel, 1978, cited in Zheng, 2008, p. 2; Scovel, 199 1, cited in Tanveer, 2007, p. 11). Such phenomenon can be best described by the Yerkes-Dodson Law, which suggests a curvilinear association between arousal and performance (Wilson, 2006, p. 45). When represented graphically on an inverted U-shaped curve, the Yerkes-Dodson Law shows that too little arousal produces minimum performance; moderate arousal enhances performance and reaches a peak at the top of the curve; after that, too much arousal will again hinder performance (MacIntyre, 1995, p. 92). FIGURE 1 (MacIntyre, 1995, p. 92) Anxiety in Foreign Language Learning Language learning anxiety has been classified as a situation-speci ¬Ã‚ c anxiety, or a trait which recurs consistently over time within the given context of language learning situations, that is, the language classrooms (MacIntyre and Gardner, 1991; Horwitz, 2001). Horwitz et al. (1986) were the first to treat foreign language anxiety as a separate and distinct phenomenon particular to language learning (Young, 1991, cited in Wang, 2005, p. 16). According to Horwitz et al. (1986, p. 128), foreign language anxiety is a distinct complex of self-perceptions, feelings, and behaviors related to classroom learning arising from the uniqueness of the language learning process. Other researchers also proposed similar definitions. Oh (1992, cited in Wang, 2005, p. 16) perceived of foreign language anxiety as a situation-specific anxiety students experience in the classroom, which is characterized by negative self-centered thoughts, feelings of inadequacy, fear of failure, and emotional reactions. In a similar vein, MacIntyre and Gardner (1994, cited in Wang, 2005, p. 16) described foreign language anxiety as the feelings of tension and apprehension, which are particularly associated with activities in a second language learning context. According to Horwitz (1986, p. 126), anxiety centers on the two basic task requirements of foreign language learning: listening and speaking, and difficulty in speaking in class is probably the most frequently cited concern of the anxious foreign language students. On the other hand, Hilleson (1996, cited in Matsuda Gobel, 2004, p. 22), in his diary study, identified various types of anxiety related to different skill areas: the participants in his research demonstrated anxiety related to not only speaking and listening but also reading and writing. Although research into foreign language anxiety has been almost entirely associated with the oral aspects of language use, there has been a recent trend to identify the relationship between anxiety and other language proficiencies ((Horwitz, 2001, p. 120; Matsuda Gobel, 2004, p. 22). According to Tallon (2008, p. 7), while previous studies suggested that foreign language classroom anxiety is a more general type of anxiety about learning a second language with a strong speaking anxiety element, recent research on foreign language anxiety showed the existence of language-skill-specific anxieties: listening, reading, and writing. The Measurement of Anxiety in Foreign Language Learning Generally, there are three major ways of measuring anxiety in research, including behavioral observation; physiological assessment such as heart rates or blood pressure tests; and participants self-reports of their internal feelings and reactions (Casado Dereshiwsky, 2001; Daly, 1991; cited in Zheng, 2008, p. 3). According to Zheng (2008, p. 3), participants self-reports are by far the most common way of examining the anxiety phenomenon in educational research. Early Research on Foreign Language Anxiety As anxiety is a complex, multi-faceted construct (Phillips, 1992, p. 14), it is not surprising that early studies of the relationship between anxiety and language learning provided mixed and confusing results. Youngs (1991, p. 438-439) review of sixteen studies that examining how anxiety interferes with language learning and performance showed inconsistent results both within and across studies, and she concluded that research in the area of anxiety as it relates to second or foreign language learning and performance was scattered and inconclusive. According to Horwitz (2010, p. 157), Scovels review of the then available literature on anxiety and language learning can be considered a turning point in the study of foreign language learning anxiety. Scovel (1978, cited in Horwitz, 2001, p. 113) attributed the truly conflicting set of findings to ambiguity in the conceptualization and measurement of anxiety. He argued that since the early studies employed different anxiety measures such as test anxiety or facilitating-debilitating anxiety, etc, it was understandable that they found different relationships between anxiety and language learning. Some studies found the anticipated negative relationship between anxiety and language achievement, but there were also several studies which found no relationship, and positive relationships between anxiety and second language achievement were also identified. For example, in a research conducted by Chastain in 1975 (cited in Horwitz, 2010, p. 156), the directions of the correlations between anxiety (test anxiety) and language learning (course grades) in three languages (French, German, and Spanish) were not consistent, indicating three levels of correlation: positive, negative, and near zero. Backman (1976, cited in Aida, 1994, p. 156) examined Venezuelan students learning English in the US, whose language progress measured by a placement test, a listening comprehension test, and teachers ratings did not show a significant correlation with any of the anxiety measures. Kleinmann (1977, cited in Horwitz, 2010, p. 156) utilized the facilitating-debilitating anxiety framework to study Spanish-speaking and Arabic-speaking ESL students, and found that learners with more facilitating anxiety had a lower tendency toward avoidance behavior in the oral production of linguistically difficult English structures while there was no evidence that debilitating anxiety negatively influenced their oral performance. Horwitz, Horwitz, and Copes Construct of Foreign Language Anxiety It is essential to trace the development and subsequent use of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (Horwitz et al., 1986), as this instrument has been employed so widely (in its original form, or translated, or adapted) and with such consistent results since it first appeared. As it has been observed to be highly reliable (Horwitz, 1986; Aida, 1994; Rodriguez Abreu, 2003), I was interested in using it for my research. 3.2.1. Development of the FLCAS According to Horwitz (1986b, p. 559), research into the relationship between anxiety and language achievement had been held back by the lack of a reliable and valid measure of anxiety specific to language learning. She further stated that although teachers and students generally felt that anxiety is an obstacle to be overcome in learning a second language, the empirical literature at that time failed to adequately define second language anxiety and to demonstrate a clear-cut relationship between anxiety and language achievement or performance. She suggested that one likely explanation for the inconclusive results of previous studies was that existing measures of anxiety did not test an individuals response to the specific stimulus of language learning. The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale was developed so as to provide researchers with a standard instrument for such purpose (Horwitz, 1986b, p. 559). This self-report measure was claimed to evaluate the degree of anxiety, as ev idenced by negative performance expectancies and social comparisons, psycho-physiological symptoms, and avoidance behaviors (Horwitz, 1986b, p. 559). The author stated that the scales items were developed from student reports, clinical experience, and a review of related instruments. 3.2.2. Conceptual Foundations of Foreign Language Anxiety From a theoretical viewpoint, Horwitz et al. (1986, p. 127) argued that foreign language anxiety implies performance evaluation within an academic and social context. They therefore identified the three related performance anxieties: communication apprehension test anxiety; and fear of negative evaluation, which are believed to provide useful conceptual building blocks for a description of foreign language anxiety (Horwitz, 1986, p. 128). However, Horwitz (1986, p. 128; 2010, p. 158) also emphasized that foreign language anxiety is not a simple combination of these performance anxieties transferred to foreign language learning. Instead, it is perceived as a distinct complex of self-perceptions, beliefs, feelings, and behaviors à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ arising from the uniqueness of the language learning process (Horwitz, 1986, p. 128). Communication apprehension was originally defined by McCroskey (1977, cited in Aida, 1994, p. 156) as an individuals level of fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication with another person or persons. According to McCroskey (1984, cited in Wang, 2005, p. 17), the typical behavior patterns of communicatively apprehensive people are communication avoidance, communication withdrawal, and communication disruption. According to Horwitz (1986, p. 127), due to its emphasis on interpersonal interactions, the construct of communication apprehension plays an important role in language learning. Difficulty in speaking in groups (oral communication anxiety) or in front of the class (stage fright), or in listening to or learning a spoken message (receiver anxiety) are suggested to be all manifestations of communication apprehension (Horwitz, 1986, p. 127). People whose typical communication apprehension is high tend to encounter even greater difficulty communicating in a foreign language class where they have little control of the communicative situation, there exists a disparity between learners mature thoughts and their immature foreign language proficiency, and their performance is constantly monitored (Horwitz, 1986; Horwitz and Gregersen, 2002, p. 562). The inability to express oneself fully or to understand others not only lead to frustration and apprehension in typical apprehensive communicators but also make many otherwise talkative people become silent in a foreign language class (Horwitz, 1986, p. 127). Test-anxiety, or the tendency to view with alarm the consequences of inadequate performance in an evaluative situation (Sarason, 1984, cited in Aida, 1994, p. 157), is also relevant to a discussion of foreign language anxiety because performance evaluation is an ongoing feature of most foreign language classes (Horwitz, 1986, p. 127). Some learners may inappropriately view foreign or second language production as a test situation rather than as an opportunity for communication (Horwitz, 1986, cited in Horwitz and Gregersen, 2002, p. 562). According to Horwitz (1986, p. 126), test-anxious students often put unrealistic demands on themselves and feel that anything less than a perfect test performance is a failure. Unfortunately, students who are test-anxious may suffer considerable stress and difficulty in foreign language classrooms since daily evaluation of skills are quite common and frequent in most foreign language classes. Moreover, making mistakes is inevitable in the language l earning process, and even the brightest and most prepared students often make errors (Horwitz, 1986, p. 128). Fear of negative evaluation, the third performance anxiety related to foreign language learning, is defined as apprehension about others evaluations, avoidance of evaluative situations, and the expectations that others would evaluate oneself negatively (Watson and Friend, 1969, cited in Horwitz, 1986, p. 128). Although similar to test anxiety to some extent, fear of negative evaluation is broader in scope in that it applies to any social and/or evaluative situation in which an individual worries about the possibility of being unfavorably evaluated by others (Wilson, 2006, p. 68). Horwitz (1986, p. 128) pointed out what distinguishes foreign language learning from other academic subjects is that language learners are continually evaluated by the teacher and may also feel they are subject to the evaluation of their peers. Unfortunately, learners who are highly concerned about the impressions others are forming of them tend to behave in ways that minimize the possibility of negative eva luations (Horwitz and Gregersen, 2002, p. 562). In foreign language classrooms, students with a fear of negative evaluation tend to sit passively in the classroom, withdrawing from classroom activities that could otherwise enhance their improvement of the language skills or even cutting class to avoid anxiety situations (Aida, 1994, p. 157). 3.2.3. Reliability and Validity of the FLCAS Horwitz et al. (1986) developed the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) as a 33-item self-report instrument scored on the basis of a 5-point Likert-type scale, from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Students respond to statements regarding their reactions to foreign/second language classes. Possible scores on the FLCAS range from 33 to 165: the higher the score, the higher the anxiety level. Items were developed from student reports, interviews with specialists about their clinical experiences with anxious language learners, the authors teaching experiences, and a review of related measures of anxiety. According to Horwitz (1986, p. 129), pilot testing of the scale with seventy five introductory Spanish students at the University of Texas at Austin demonstrated its reliability and validity. In terms of internal reliability, the FLCAS achieved internal reliability, achieving an alpha coefficient of .93 with all items producing significant corrected item-total scale correlations. Test- retest reliability over eight weeks yielded an r = .83 (p In one sample of 108 introductory students of Spanish, scores ranged from 45 to 147 (M = 94.5, Mdn = 95.0, SD = 21.4). Internal consistency, as measured by Cronbachs alpha coefficient, was .93, and test-retest reliability over 8 weeks was r = .83, p = .001, n = .78. Aida (1994) tested Horwitz et al.s construct of foreign language anxiety by validating an adapted FLCAS for students of Japanese. She aimed to discover the underlying structure of the FLCAS and to examine whether or not the structure reflects the three kinds of anxiety presented earlier. Her study, using ninety-six students of Japanese, yielded internal consistency of .94 (X = 96.7 and SD = 22.1), using Cronbachs alpha coefficient. The reliability, mean, standard deviation, and range obtained in this study were very similar to those of Horwitz (1986), whose sample was a group of students in introductory Spanish classes. FIGURE 2 (Aida, 1994, p. 159) Manifestations of Foreign Language Learning Anxiety Anxiety, in general, can have physical/physiological, emotional, and behavioral manifestations, and these manifestations can differ with each individual. According to Oxford (1999, cited in Williams Andrade, 2009, p. 4, and cited in Yanling Guizheng, 2006, p. 98): Physical symptoms can include, for example, rapid heartbeat, muscle tension, dry mouth, and excessive perspiration. Psychological symptoms can include embarrassment, feelings of helplessness, fear, going blank, inability to concentrate, as well as poor memory recall and retention. Behavioral symptoms can include physical actions such as squirming, fidgeting, playing with hair or clothing ¼Ã…’ nervously touching objects, stuttering or stammering ¼Ã…’ displaying jittery behavior, being unable to reproduce the sounds or intonation of the target language even after repeated practice. More importantly, behavioral symptoms of anxiety can be manifested in negative avoidance behaviors like inappropriate silence, monosyllabic or non-committal responses, lack of eye contact, unwillingness to participate, coming late, arriving unprepared, showing indifference, cutting class, and withdrawal from the course. Other signs which might reflect language anxiety: overstudying, perfectionism, hostility, excessive competitiveness, as well as excessive self-effacement and self-criticism (e.g. I am so stupid). Causes of Foreign Language Learning Anxiety Research has indicated a number of ways that learning a foreign language can cause anxiety for language learners. Young (1991, p. 427), in a comprehensive review, summarized the personal factors and instructional factors contributing to language anxiety into six categories: 1) personal and interpersonal anxieties, 2) learner beliefs about language learning, 3) instructor beliefs about language teaching, 4) instructor learner interactions, 5) classroom procedures, and 6) language testing. Generally, the six factors proposed by Young (1991) combine with other factors indicated by other researchers to form three main sources of foreign language anxiety: learners characteristics, teachers characteristics, and classrooms characteristics (Tallon, 2009, p. 2). Personal factors (Learner characteristics) Personal and interpersonal issues, according to Young (1991, p. 427), are possibly the most commonly cited and discussed sources of language anxiety. Several studies have discovered the link between anxiety and proficiency (Aida, 1994; Gardner, 1985; Gardner et al., 1997, cited in Zhang, 2010, p. 9). There are significant differences between high proficiency and low proficiency students in language anxiety level with the low proficiency students being much more anxious (Young, 1991). In a similar vein, Horwitz (1986) attributed anxiety to learners immature communicative ability in the foreign language. On the other hand, several other researchers argued that low self-esteem and competitiveness are the two significant sources of learner anxiety. Bailey (1983, cited in Young, 1991, p. 427) studied the diary entries of 11 students and reported that competitiveness can lead to anxiety when language learners compare themselves to others or to an idealized self-image. Likewise, Price (1991 , cited in Young, 1991, p. 427) stated that the majority of her subjects believed their language skills to be weaker than those of the others in class; that they werent doing a good job and that everyone else looked down on them. As regards to self-esteem, Hembree (1988, cited in Young, 1991, p. 427) implied that students who start out with a self-perceived low ability level in a foreign or second language are most likely to experience language anxiety. Krashen (1981, cited in Ohata, 2005, p. 5) also suggests that anxiety can arise according to ones degree of self-esteem as those students tend to worry about what their peers or friends think, in fear of their negative responses or evaluation. In addition, Gregersen and Horwitz (2002) examined the relationship between foreign language anxiety and perfectionism, and found some common characteristics between anxious language learners and perfectionists (e.g., higher standards for their English performance, a greater tendency toward pro crastination, more worry over the opinions of others, and a higher level of concern over their errors). The authors supposed that such characteristics may make language learning unpleasant and less successful for the perfectionist students than for others. Another personality trait that has a positive correlation with foreign language anxiety is shyness: Chu (2008, cited in Zhang, 2010, p. 11) affirmed that anxiety, willingness to communicate, and shyness function together to create a negative impact on Taiwanese students study of English. Learner beliefs about language learning, if erroneous and unrealistic, are also a major factor contributing to language anxiety (Young, 1991, p. 428). According to Tallon (2008, p. 4) when students unrealistic expectations about language learning are not met it can lead to negative feelings about ones intelligence and abilities. For example, the language learners in Horwitzs study (1988, cited in Young, 1991, p. 428): 1) expressed great concern over the correctness of their utterances; 2) placed a great deal of stress on speaking with an excellent accent; 3) supported the notion that language learning is primarily translating from English and memorizing vocabulary words and grammatical rules; as well as 4) believed that two years is enough time to become fluent in another language; and believed some people were more able to learn a foreign language than others. Such erroneous beliefs may make the students later become disappointed and frustrated. In addition, Horwitz (1989, cited in Tallon, 2008, p. 5) found a link between several language learning beliefs and levels of foreign language anxiety in university Spanish students: the more anxious learners judged language learning to be relatively difficult and themselves to possess relatively low levels of foreign language aptitude. Palacios (1998, cited in Tallon, 2008, p. 5) also found that the following beliefs are associated with learner anxiety: the feeling that mastering a language is an overwhelming task; the feeling that one needs to go through a translation process in order to communicate in the target language; the difficulty of keeping everything in ones head; and the belief that learning a language is easier at an earlier age. Tallon (2008, p. 5) concluded that all of those faulty beliefs may cause the students to have unrealistic expectations about the language learning process, and thus lead to anxiety. Instructional factors Teacher characteristics Instructor beliefs about language teaching, which determines instructor-learner interactions, are a further source of language anxiety because the teachers assumption on the role of language teachers may not always correspond to the students needs or expectations toward the him or her (Ohata, 2005, p. 7). Young (1991, p. 428) listed the following teacher beliefs which have been shown to evoke feelings of anxiety in students: it is necessary for the teacher to be intimidating at times; the instructor is supposed to correct every single mistake made by the students; group or partner work is not appropriate because it can get out of control; the teacher should do most of the talking; and the instructors role is that of a drill sergeant. According to Tallon (2008, p. 5), a judgmental teaching attitude (Samimy, 1994) and a harsh manner of teaching (Aida, 1994) are closely linked to student fear in the classroom. Besides, Palacios (1998, cited in Tallon, 2008, p. 5) found the following characteristics of the teacher to be associated with anxiety: absence of teacher support, unsympathetic personalities, lack of time for personal attention, favoritism, absence that the class does not provide students with the tools necessary to match up with the teachers expectations, and the sense of being judged by the teacher or wanting to impress the teacher. Moreover, Young (1999, cited in Tallon, 2008, p. 6) stated that using speaking activities that put the learner on the spot in front of their classmates without allowing adequate preparation are also sources of anxiety for many students. Additionally, Ando (1999, cited in Tallon, 2008, p. 6) argued that having a native speaker for a teacher can cause anxiety because the teacher may lack the sensitivity of the learning process or the teachers English may be hard for students to understand. Classroom characteristics Classroom procedures and other classrooms characteristics are the third major source of foreign language learning anxiety. Young (1990, cited in Tallon, p. 6) proposed a list of classroom activities which are perceived as anxiety-provoking: (1) spontaneous role play in front of the class; (2) speaking in front of the class; (3) oral presentations or skits in front of the class; (4) presenting a prepared dialogue in front of the class; and (5) writing work on the board. Similarly, Palacios (1998, cited in Tallon, p. 6) found demands of oral production, feelings of being put on the spot, the pace of the class, and the element of being evaluated (i.e., fear of negative evaluation) to be anxiety-producing to students. Notably, Oxford (1999, cited in Tallon, p. 7) emphasized learning and teaching styles as a potential source of language anxiety. If the instructors teaching style and a students learning style are not compatible, style wars can trigger or heighten anxiety levels. In addition, it is understandable that language testing may lead to foreign language anxiety (Young, 1991, p. 428). For example, difficult tests, especially tests that do not match the teaching in class, as well as unclear or unfamiliar test tasks and formats can all create learner anxiety. Effects of Foreign Language Learning Anxiety Foreign Language Learning Anxiety and its Associations with the three stages of the Language Acquisition process (Input, Processing, and Output) The effects of language anxiety can be explained with reference to the cognitive consequences of anxiety arousal (Eysenck, 1979; Schwazer, 1986; cited in MacIntyre Gardner, 1994, p. 2). When an individual becomes anxious, negative self-related cognition begins: thoughts of failure (e.g. I will never be able to finish this), self-deprecation (I am just no good at this), and avoidance (I wish this was over) begin to emerge. They consume cognitive resources that might otherwise be applied to the learning task. This then creates even more difficulties in cognitive processing because fewer available resources may lead to failure, which results in more negative cognitions that further consume cognitive resources, and so on. According to MacIntyre (1995, p. 26), anxiety can be problematic for the language learner because language learning itself is a fairly intense cognitive activity that relies on encoding, storage, and retrieval processes (MacIntyre, 1995, p. 26), and anxiety interferes with each of these cognitive processes by creating a divided attention scenario (Krashe