Creativity in finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Creativity in finance - Essay Example The financial managers develop a wide range of choices that are suitable for the solving financial problems, through getting detached from the former theories that were taken as the basis for solving problems involving finances. The previous limitations in regard to problem solving are not paid attention to. It is characterized by uniqueness in the ideas generated. According to Shirur (2003 p 67), creativity involves spawning, putting into operation and communication of the inventive ideas to others in the financial system. It takes place when people are capable of organizing their opinions in a manner that eventually directs them to an improved appreciation of the subject matter. Julier and Moor (2009 p 112) further argues that creativity is a course of action whereby those who make financial decisions develop sensitivity in regard to financial issues. They focus on the major financial drawbacks, insufficiency, knowledge gaps, the lacking components, dissonance and such issues that hamper financial advancement, and establishing their complexity, identifying a viable solution, making appropriate presumptions or preparing a hypotheses in regard to the shortages, trying them and eventually reporting to the stakeholders. In general, creativity is meaningful to finance. This essay is a critique of this meaning, and how creativity could affect the processes and products in finance. Innovation is crucial in the organizational processes since it brings in new and better ways of improving the financial management of an organization. It also propels the organization towards accomplishment of strategic objectives for improvement of profitability. According to Proctor (1995 p 76), creativity is the origin of innovation. He defines innovation as putting in to practice creative ideas in order to improve the competitiveness of an organization,

I predict that the juice will have at least 2 Essay Example for Free

I predict that the juice will have at least 2 Essay I predict that the juice will have at least 2 or more of the same amino acids as the ones in the amino acid mix. I predict that the amino acid more likely to occur is aspartic acid, as lemon juice is acidic. Method We first extract some lemon juice from a lemon. Cut the lemon around the equator and squeeze it with a juicer.   Pour the juice into six tubes at approximately the same level each. Place the tubes in a beaker and weigh them (remembering to tare the beaker first). Make pairs of tubes of equal mass by adding or taking out juice with a clean pipette) and place them opposite each other in the centrifuge and set it to run for 5 minutes. After centrifuging the juice, pour all the supernatant into a beaker and wash out the solid precipitate from the tubes.   Take 2 samples of the raw centrifuged juice in tubes, label and put them away.   Add alcohol to the remaining juice with the ratio of 1:3 (1unit of juice to 3 units of alcohol).   Centrifuge the juice + alcohol after weighing out pairs of equal mass in the tubes again. Pour the supernatant into a beaker and take 2 samples if the juice + alcohol, label them and put them in a beaker to be put away. Results of centrifuged juice: Pair no. Mass of 1st tube Mass of 2nd tube Places in centrifuge 1 7. 85g 7. 85g 1,7 2 9. 82g 9. 82g 12,6 3 7. 20g 7. 23g 8,2 Results of centrifuged juice + alcohol: Pair no. Mass of 1st tube Mass of 2nd tube Places in centrifuge 1 10. 29 g 10. 29g 12,6 2 7. 32 g 7. 32 g 1,7 3 7. 69 g 7. 68 g 8,2 Making the chromatogram Before you begin spotting the chromatogram, you should:   Wash your hands (sweat contains amino acids)   Hold paper at edges. Place paper on two clean sheets of file paper   Only use pencil for markings on the paper Use a micropipette to spot the various substances on the chromatogram. They should be in the following order: Juice, Juice + Alcohol, Amino acid mix, Asp, Leu, Lys, Pro. We can now spot these substances onto the chromatogram. Dip the micropipette into a substance and touch the paper 5 times on the same spot, waiting a few seconds after each touch. However when spotting the juice + alcohol, the paper must be touched 7 times instead of 5 (Make sure to use the same micropipette for each component). After spotting all the substances, put the chromatogram onto a frame along with all the other chromatograms and place the frame into the fume cupboard and into the solution for the chromatography to take place. After chromatography had taken place:   Carefully remove chromatograms from the frame.   Spray with ninhydrin and then supply with heat for the reaction between the amino acids and the ninhydrin to take place, causing the colorless amino acids to show up in a certain color. Put an x in the darkest region of color for each substance and outline the entire regions of color too. Measure the distance between the origin and the solvent front, and the distances between the origin and the top, bottom and darkest region of each amino acid. With these measurements, calculate the Rf Values. My Rf Values: Rf ? Distance moved by component from origin Distance moved by solvent front from origin The order of calculations go up the chromatogram, h Therefore the 1st amino acid (aa) will be the one closest to the origin for that particular substance. Diagram of chromatogram in frame: Evaluation The amino acid found in the lemon juice was Aspartic acid, this supports my hypothesis. We can prove this because the x on the aspartic acid and the x on the 2nd amino acid in the juice are aligned, and so have traveled approximately the same distance from the origin, hence telling us that they must be the same amino acids. There is one other amino acid in the juice that we cannot identify using my chromatogram as it was not present in the amino acid mix. The spot did not align with any other spot on the chromatogram, and so showing that it is a different amino acid to the ones present. Not all the spots were the same size; some were a lot bigger. This could have been caused by too much of that substance being spotted onto the chromatogram, and so causing the amino acid to spread too much. After chromatography had taken place, the chromatogram was sprayed with ninhydrin and then heated. When a certain temperature is reached, a sudden reaction occurs between the ninhydrin and amino acids, causing each amino acid to give out a particular color. This reaction is helpful in making the amino acids visible to the naked eye. Because of the large spread of some amino acids, we end up with a large spread of color. This makes it difficult to determine the exact darkest region of that color, and so may cause the results to be slightly inaccurate. An example of this is with Leucine. I may have added too much Leu onto the chromatogram, causing it to spread quite largely, resulting in a large purple spot. I had marked what I thought was the darkest region of the spot with an x. However that mark was aligned with the mark for Pro and so indicating that they are the same amino acid. This is impossible, but may have been caused by either: Misinterpreting the darkest region of the spot (marking the wrong place) Accidentally using the same micropipette for two substances It would make more sense if the mark on the spot for Leu was closer to the top of the spot, where it would be aligned to one of the spots in the amino acid mix. The 1st amino acid spot for the juice had a smaller spot within it. The smaller spot even showed up as a different color to that of the larger spot, so it must be just another amino acid, not present in the amino acid mix. I could have improved this experiment by making sure that I do not add too much of a substance onto the chromatogram, by getting a second opinion on whether I had marked the darkest region of a spot or not and/or by using a wider variety of amino acids to identify the other amino acids in the juice which do not align with any others.

Psychological Factors In Diabetes Mellitus Health And Social Care Essay

Psychological Factors In Diabetes Mellitus Health And Social Care Essay Health psychology is a topical development in the integration of biomedical and social sciences in health care. It addresses the role of psychological factors in the cause, progression, and outcome of health and illness (Ogden, 2007). Psychological theories can guide health education and promotion, and offer the health care practitioner a structured approach to understanding and meeting the health needs of health and social care service users (Morrison and Bennett, 2009). The appraisal of health psychology models can assist practitioners in evaluating their contribution to service users understanding of health, behaviours relating to health and the practice of health care. Appraisal and evaluation enable health care workers to apply psychological models and theories when analysing aspects of health and behaviour relevant to practice (Marks et al, 2005). Health psychology is concerned primarily with intrinsic factors, especially individual perceptions of health-related behaviour. Health behaviour, defined as behaviour related to health status, is becoming increasingly important. Public health policy has increased the emphasis on individual responsibility and choice and because of this; there is a corresponding need to improve understanding of individual motivations that affect those choices and health-related behaviours (Marks et al, 2005). The health behaviours studied by psychologists are varied, but the most commonly studied health behaviours have immediate or long-term implications for individual health, and are partially within the control of the individual (Ogden, 2007). Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, is a serious and progressive disease. It is chronic in nature and has no known cure. It is the fourth most common cause of death in most developed countries (UK Prospective Diabetes Study Group, 1998a). Although no exact figures are available, it has been suggested that by the year 2010 there would be 3.5 million people with diabetes in the United Kingdom (UK). However, approximately 750,000 of the estimated number may be undiagnosed (Diabetes UK, 2008a). Diabetes UK campaigns to raise awareness of type 2 diabetes because if left undiagnosed, the condition can result in long-term complications such as retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, and an increased risk of myocardial infarction and stroke. The total number of people with diabetes has increased by 75% over the last six years and the incidence in the UK is escalating at a faster rate than in the United States (Gonzà ¡lez et al, 2009). There is a higher incidence of type 2 diabetes in people with South Asian or African descent (Department of Health, 2007). One of the reasons for this is thought to be that these ethnic groups have increased insulin resistance. Signs of type 2 diabetes are already present in UK children of South Asian and African-Caribbean origin at ten years of age, according to research funded jointly by the British Heart Foundation and the Wellcome Trust (Whincup et al, 2010). The prevalence of type 2 diabetes increases with age to as much as one in ten in those aged 65 years. The lifetime risk of developing the condition in the UK is greater than 10% (Leese, 1991). Diabetes-related complications can have a major effect on the individual and family members, and are costly to the patient. A study undertaken by Bottomley (2001) examined the costs of living of patients with diabetes complications, including taking time off work and transport costs for hospital appointments. The study showed that the cost of treating someone with type 2 diabetes with microvascular and macrovascular complications was  £5,132 compared to  £920 for someone who does not have diabetes-related complications (Bottomley 2001). This also has implications for the National Health Service (NHS) in terms of the financial burden of managing and treating the condition and the use of resources. It has been estimated that the cost of treating diabetes nationally adds up to approximately 9% of the NHS annual budget, although most of that is used to treat associated long-term complications, such as kidney failure, blindness, amputations and organ transplantation, rather than the provision of medication (Bottomley, 2001). With regard to type 2 diabetes, psychological theories and models have a long history of informing attempts to change behaviour and improve emotional well-being. Over recent years, many clinical guidelines in the UK by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) have included recommendations for psychological interventions for long-term conditions. Evidence-based recommendations have been made not only for the treatment of associated mental health problems such as depression and anxiety (NICE, 2009; NICE, 2004) but also for physical health conditions such as obesity (NICE, 2007) and changing behaviour related to public health issues such as smoking and lack of exercise (NICE; 2007). The aim of this essay is to explore the psychological implications for a person suffering from type 2 diabetes and others involved in the experience of that illness. Type 2 diabetes, is caused as the result of reduced secretion of insulin and to peripheral resistance to the action of insulin; that is, the insulin in the body does not have its usual biological effect. It can often be controlled by diet and exercise when first diagnosed, but many patients require oral hypoglycaemic agents or insulin in order to maintain satisfactory glycaemic control and prevent the complications of diabetes (Diabetes UK, 2008a). To reduce the risk of long-term complications, both macrovascular and microvascular, people with type 2 diabetes need access to appropriate, individualised education, which informs them about the risks associated with the condition. Information relating to lifestyle changes such as healthy eating, increasing activity levels, and smoking cessation are vital (Diabetes UK, 2008a). Some people accept their diagnosis of diabetes and all that this means, and manage to adapt to their new lifestyle, but others find it difficult. Changes will need to be made to the type of food they eat, the amount they eat of particular foods and perhaps to the time at which they eat their meals. As a consequence of the required changes to lifestyle, it is not surprising that many people need some professional psychological support (Diabetes UK, 2008a). Diabetes may have an impact on peoples careers, driving, and insurance policies (life, driving, and travel). Difficulties surrounding holidays, work or travel abroad may prove insurmountable without support. People with diabetes who are also caring for others, for example children or elderly relatives, may find it very difficult to put themselves first (Diabetes UK, 2008a). Some people who have been diagnosed as having diabetes feel that they have been condemned to a life where everything has to be planned. There are, however, support networks available. For example Diabetes UK, a charity that supports people with diabetes, their families and the health professionals who care for them, has local and regional branches where people can meet and discuss problems and learn from each other how they manage their day-to-day-life (Diabetes UK, 2008a). The majority of people with type 2 diabetes are insulin resistant. Obesity exacerbates insulin resistance. As many as 80% of people with type 2 diabetes are obese at the time of diagnosis (Marks, 1996). Weight loss not only improves insulin resistance, but also lowers blood glucose, lipid levels, and blood pressure. Cardiovascular disease is often present in people with type 2 diabetes. The presence of insulin resistance accelerates atherosclerosis, leading to macrovascular complications such as myocardial infarction, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. The mechanisms responsible for this are thought to be hyperinsulinaemia, dyslipidaemia and hypertension (Garber, 1998). However, microvascular problems such as retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy still occur. The mechanism responsible is thought to be hyperglycaemia (Garber, 1998). Therefore, good blood glucose control is of crucial importance. Although the prognosis for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus is less than favourable, evidence has shown that making major lifestyle changes, such as having a healthy diet, smoking cessation, and increasing activity levels, can reduce the risk of long-term complications (UK Prospective Diabetes Study Group, 1998a). However, using the threat of long-term complications as a means of inducing lifestyle or behaviour changes has not proved to have any prolonged beneficial effect (Polonsky, 1999). Continued support and appropriate education is required to empower individuals to take charge of their condition and make appropriate and timely therapeutic decisions. The healthcare professional and the individual must decide on the most appropriate treatment regimen to provide optimum care and the best medical outcome (Marks et al, 2005). NICE published a document in 2008 entitled CG66: Type 2 diabetes which recommended that all people with diabetes should be offered structured education, pr ovided by a trained specialist team of healthcare professionals (NICE, 2008). The utilisation of theoretical health psychology models can assist these specialist team practitioner in empowering individuals with type 2 diabetes to contemplate and instigate the changes in lifestyle behaviours such as smoking, lack of exercise and unhealthy eating habits that have adverse consequences on long-term health outcomes. With regard to health psychology, as previously mentioned, health psychology is concerned primarily with intrinsic factors, especially individual perceptions of health-related behaviour. Attributing health-related behaviours to internal or external factors has been discussed in relation to the concept of a health locus of control. Individuals differ as to whether they regard events as controllable by them (an internal locus of control) or uncontrollable by them (an external locus of control) (Ogden, 2007). Accessing diabetes related health services for testing or treatment could be viewed from either perspective. The healthcare professional is perceived to be a powerful individual who can diagnose and treat diabetes (external); however, by accessing services the individual is taking responsibility for determining their own health status (internal). It is useful for the healthcare practitioner to consider that in attending diabetic health services the individual has made an initial st ep in taking control of their own health needs (Marks et al, 2005). Individuals with an internal locus of control are more likely to act in concordance with advice from a health professional than those with an external locus of control (Ogden, 2007). Knowing this can assist practitioners in their communication style with individuals who have type 2 diabetes. Identifying the specific needs of the individual, by understanding their locus of control, can help the healthcare practitioner to tailor the assessment (Marks et al, 2005). When an individual has a sense of responsibility for actions or behaviours that exposed them to a potential risk of diabetic complications, the practitioner can work on exploring the circumstances that surrounded those behaviours. The individual may already feel motivated to change these circumstances. In the case of a client who does not recognise that their own behaviour or actions were a contributory factor in posing a risk of behaviour related complications, the practitioner should focus on developing the individuals leve l of awareness to shift their locus of control from the external to the internal. For example, the individual who perceives that taking responsibility for healthy eating use is always that of their partner (Ogden, 2007). Self-management for chronic illnesses such as type 2 diabetes requires adherence to treatment regimens and behavioural change, as well as the acquisition of new coping strategies, because symptoms have a great effect on many areas of life (Glasgow, 1991; Kravitz et al, 1993). For many individuals, optimum self-management is often difficult to achieve, as indicated by poor rates of adherence to treatment, reduced quality of life, and poor psychological wellbeing, effects that are frequently reported in several chronic illnesses (Rubin and Peyrot, 1999). Self-management interventions aim to enable individuals to take control of their condition and be actively involved in management and treatment choices. In the 1980s, psychological theory was applied to develop theoretical models and their constructs have had a particular effect on the development of self-management interventions. The Health Belief Model (Becker 1974) defines two related appraisal processes undertaken by the healthcare practitioner in partnership with an individual: the threat of illness and the behavioural response to that threat. Threat appraisal involves consideration of the individuals perceived susceptibility to an illness and its anticipated severity. Behavioural response involves considering the costs and benefits of engaging in behaviours likely to reduce the threat of disease. It can be useful for the healthcare practitioner to establish the clients perception of risk and implications of their adverse health behaviours when discussing the reasons for healthy eating, increasing exercise, and smoking cessation. It is also important to discuss the likely impact of diabetes on the individuals lifestyle and behaviour (Marks et al, 2005). The Health Belief Model can be applied to evaluate the risk of lifestyle changes. The healthcare professional can initiate structured discussion with the individual to identify their educational needs, particularly around developing a realistic understanding of risk factors associated with diabetes and unhealthy eating habits, lack of exercise and smoking. It is important for the healthcare practitioner to discuss the efficacy of changes in the above in prevention of diabetic complications, while discussing other methods of behaviour modification in context (Marks et al, 2005). It is also important to establish that the individual feels confident in the practicalities of and behavioural change. Therefore, the healthcare practitioner must support the diabetic in behaviour change by giving practical health education advice on the issues of healthy eating, the benefits of exercise and the importance of giving up smoking (Marks et al, 2005). The Protection Motivation Theory (Rogers 1975, 1983) expands the Health Belief Model to include four components that predict behavioural intentions to improve health-related behaviour, or intention to modify behaviour. These include self-efficacy, responsive effectiveness, severity, and vulnerability. In social cognitive theory, behaviour is thought to be affected by expectations, with individuals confidence in their ability to perform a given behaviour (self-efficacy) particularly important (Bandura, 1992). Therefore, self-efficacy can be said to be the belief in ones ability to control personal actions (Bandura, 1992), and is comparable with the concept of internal locus of control. It is based on past experience and evokes behaviour concordant with an individuals capabilities. Self-efficacy is distinct from unrealistic optimism and does not elicit unreasonable risk-taking (Ogden, 2007). Within the context of smoking and diabetes, an example of self-efficacy might be, I am confiden t that I can take responsibility for protecting myself from increasing the risk of further complications by giving up smoking. This concept has been used in self-management interventions through the teaching of skills, such as problem solving and goal setting, to increase self-efficacy. Again, in type 2 diabetes, this could mean the acquisition of knowledge relating to healthy eating principles and putting that knowledge into practice by avoiding foods that would make the blood glucose rise quickly. The goal would be to incorporate this behaviour into daily life on a long-term basis (Marks et al, 2005). Behavioural intention can also be predicted by severity, for example: Diabetes will have serious implications for my health and lifestyle, but conversely, Good blood glucose control will decrease the risk of diabetic complications. The fourth predictor of behavioural intention is vulnerability, which in the context of diabetes may be the likelihood of cardiovascular disease or diabetic retinopathy occurring. Rogers (1983) later suggested a fifth component of fear in response to education or information as a predictor of behavioural intention. The concepts of severity, vulnerability, and fear outlined in Protection Motivation Theory relate to the concept of threat appraisal, as discussed in the context of the Health Belief Model. Self-efficacy and response effectiveness, on the other hand, relate to the individuals coping response, which is the behaviour intention. If a person has self-efficacy and perceives benefits in taking control of their actions (response effectiveness), they are likely to have the intention to modify their behaviour to reduce health risks (Ogden, 2007). Information or education that influences an individuals emotional response can be environmental (external influence, such as advice from a health professional), or interpersonal (relating directly to past experience). Information and education contribute to an individuals self-efficacy. This in turn helps develop a robust internal locus of control and will inform and/or contribute to the individuals coping response (Marks et al, 2005). The coping res ponse is considered to be adaptive (positive behavioural intention) or maladaptive (avoidance or denial). Assessment of the individuals capacity to understand and apply information and to have an adaptive response is a vital skill of the health professional. A maladaptive coping response, such as the denial of identified risk factors, has potentially serious consequences for the health of the individual (Marks et al, 2005). Successful implementation of the Protection Motivation Model can enable informed choice and empower the individual to take personal responsibility and control of behaviours influencing their health (Morrison and Bennett, 2009). Skilled questioning and the use of checking skills by the healthcare professional following information-giving are important to evaluate the benefit, if any, to the individual with diabetes (Ogden, 2007). Readiness to change is a concept derived from Prochaska and DiClementes (1983) transtheoretical model. It refers to how prepared or ready individuals are to make changes to their behaviour. Interventions guided by this theory focus on individuals motivation to change and the approach is adapted according to differences in participants motivation to change behaviour. Success is achieved only when the individual is ready to take on the actions needed to change behaviour. An individual may know that smoking and type 2 diabetes are not a good combination. However, unless the person is ready to quit smoking, no amount of discussion with a healthcare professional will change the persons decision to continue smoking. Establishing an internal motivator is a good first step to assessing an individuals readiness to change, however, an individual also needs to feel that the time is right and that they are prepared to change. Readiness to change can be assessed by asking individuals, as soon as the potential problem is identified, whether they have ever attempted to change the behaviour before. Six stages of change were identified in Prochaska and DiClementes (1983) Transtheoretical model of behaviour change: Pre-contemplation; Contemplation; Preparation; Action; Maintenance and Relapse. Most people (around 60%) will be at the pre-contemplation stage when they are identified by the healthcare practitioner and will generally react in a closed way to the idea of change (Prochaska and Goldstein, 1991). They may be rebellious to the idea, they may rationalise their current behaviour or be resigned to it, or they may be reluctant to consider the possibility of change (Prochaska and Goldstein, 1991). In this situation, it is tempting to push people into making an attempt at behaviour change using their health as a motivator or by making them feel guilty. However, this is likely to prompt the individual to either lie about their behaviour or avoid the nurse completely. During the contemplation phase, it is suggested that individuals who are starting to consider change look for information about their current and proposed behaviours, and analyse the risks involved in changing or maintaining their current behaviour. The most appropriate action is to ask the individual to form alise the analytical process by undertaking a decisional balance exercise (Health Education Authority (HEA), 1996). In this exercise the person is asked to consider the positive and negative implications of maintaining or changing their behaviour. The individual then decides whether maintaining or changing the behaviour will give them increased positive outcomes, and if they are willing to attempt the change. To be at the preparation stage, individuals need to believe that their behaviour is causing a problem, that their health or wellbeing will improve if they change the behaviour, and that they have a good chance of success (Prochaska and Goldstein, 1991). Once the healthcare practitioner establishes that the individual has an internal motivator and is ready to make an attempt at behaviour change, a supportive treatment plan is needed. Individuals who are in the process of behaviour change, or who have achieved and are maintaining the new behaviour, need help to avoid relapse (Pro chaska and Goldstein, 1991). The most effective way to do this is to ask the individual to reflect on their experiences so far. Apart from taking into account the management behavioural change for those with type 2 diabetes, it is also of vital importance that there is a consideration the emotional impact of a diabetes diagnosis and living with the condition. How patients feel when presented with the diagnosis of a chronic illness such as diabetes can have an enormous impact on their lives, and on their ability to make emotional adjustments to the disease itself (Marks et al, 2005). Research has found that that the diagnosis of a chronic illness can have a strong emotional impact on individuals, with reactions of grief, denial and depression. The emotional aspects of developing and coping with diabetes can affect overall control of the disease profoundly. Similarly, these feeling may form a barrier to effective listening and learning during the consultation process and any future self-management strategies. Therefore, it is proposed that this should be taken into consideration when developing educational prog rammes and protocols for people with diabetes (Thoolen et al, 2008). Coping and adapting to a long-term chronic illness is a major theme in health psychology (Ogden, 2007). Leventhal Nerenz (1985) propose that individuals have their own common sense beliefs about their illness. These include identity: diagnosis (diabetes) and symptoms (elevated blood sugar levels, excessive hunger and excessive thirst). Perceived cause of illness: stress, a virus, unhealthy lifestyle. Time line: acute or chronic. Consequences: physical (pain, mobility problems) and emotional (lack of social contact, anxiety). Cure and control: for example by taking medication or getting plenty of rest. With regard to adapting to an illness such as diabetes, the stress coping model of Lazarus and Folkman (1984) Transactional model of stress is the concept that is most widely utilised. The model suggests that there are key factors in adaptation to chronic illness, disease-specific coping efforts, changes in illness representation over time, interaction between psychological reality of disease and affective response, procedures for coping with the disease and interaction with context. The stress coping model (Lazarus and Folkman, 1984) emphasises the value of coping strategies to deal with a particular condition. Self-management strategies based on this model attempt to improve the individuals coping strategies. In type 2 diabetes, people are faced with the prospect of long-term complications caused by the condition. If people are aware of these possibilities and also that successful treatment is, available it makes a diagnosis of such problems less daunting. However, there are limitations to this model. It is debated that it is a frame of reference, not a theory that ignores specific features of the illness. The situation dimension poorly represented and it is not specific. The model also neglects interactions with context (e.g. social support, other life events) and offers no account of life goals on illness representation and coping (Ogden, 2007). It is of vital importance that stress is controlled and managed in an individual with type 2 diabetes. Research has shown a link between stress as a causal factor and that stress has been found to be a factor in regulation of blood glucose regulation. Sepa et al (2005) found that family stress has a significant impact on the and development of diabetes among infants. With regard to stress and metabolic control, research has found that stressful life events predict poor glucose control. In a study by Surwit et al, (2002) the management of stress was found to improve glucose control. Therefore, it is posited that the impact of stress can affect diabetes adversely and any interventions to manage stress may be a worthwhile component of diabetes education programs. An additional influence on coping and adapting to living with diabetes and the development of self-management strategies has come from clinical psychology, particularly Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (CBT). Central to these therapies is the importance of attempting to change how people think about their illness and themselves, and how their thoughts affect their behaviour. Depression is one of the most common psychological problems among individuals with diabetes, and is associated with worse treatment adherence and clinical outcomes (Gonzalez et al, 2010). A randomised controlled trial (RCT) undertaken by Lustman et al, (2008) found that the percentage of patients achieving remission of depression was greater in the CBT group than in the control group. Although the research found that there was no difference in the mean glycosylated haemoglobin levels of the groups post-treatment, follow-up mean glycosylated haemoglobin levels were significantly better in the CBT group than in the control group. Therefore, it is debated that the combination of CBT and supportive diabetes education is an effective non-pharmacologic treatment for major depression in patients with type 2 diabetes. It may also be associated with improved glycaemic control. It is important to note however, that certain limitation apply to the above study that may have an effect on the findings. The generalizability of the findings is uncertain. The study was limited to a relatively small number of patients. Similarly, the follow-up interval was limited to the 6 months immediately after treatment. Likewise, the researcher cannot exclude the possibility that CBT and diabetes education interacted in a way that potentiated antidepressant effectiveness; analogous interactions may have occurred in many clinical trials. Further studies comparing CBT and diabetes education, individually and in combination, are needed to answer such questions and to see whether successful CBT alone is sufficient to produce glycaemic improvement. Correspondingly, it is worth noting that patients in the CBT group had education almost a full year longer than controls. The difference in education was not statistically significant, but the extra educational experience may have contributed to improved outcome in the CBT group. Finally, treatment was administered by a single psychologist experienced in the use of CBT. Whether treatment would be as effective when administered by other therapists is uncertain. For any person with type 2 diabetes to engage in any self-management strategy, good mental health is necessary. However, studies have shown reduced self-worth and/or anxiety in more than 40% of people with diabetes (Anderson et al, 2001). There are several possible reasons for this. Being diagnosed with diabetes immediately poses major concerns for the individual, including what the future holds in terms of health, finance, and family relationships. Although everyone deals with diagnosis differently, for some it can cause immediate stress, including feelings of shock or guilt. Some individuals may also be ashamed and want to keep the diagnosis a secret. Others may be relieved to know what is causing the symptoms they have been experiencing. An Audit Commission (2000) report acknowledged that: people with diabetes are more likely to suffer from clinical depression than those in the general population. The report then went on to specify that therefore, diabetes services should make exp licit provision for psychological support and should monitor the psychological outcomes of care. In conclusion, to be successful in changing behaviour to negate the complications of type 2 diabetes, individuals need to decide for themselves which behaviours are undesirable, that is, which behaviours could have negative health, financial, social or psychological implications. People with diabetes also need to feel that the negative impact of risky health behaviours will be reduced or altered if they change their behaviour. It is important that individuals have confidence in their ability to make and maintain behavioural changes. It is not the health practitioners role to make this judgement or impose his or her beliefs. To support behavioural change, healthcare professionals need to feel comfortable in discussing lifestyle behaviours. They also need to assess an individuals preparedness to make a change and identify the factors that motivate them to change. The application of health psychology models, such as the Health Belief Model, the Protection Motivation Theory and the Trans theoretical model of behaviour change, to the management process can enable healthcare practitioners to assess contributory factors to health behaviours. Applying models can also help to identify motivators and barriers to health-improving and health-protecting behaviours, and identify strategies which assist the person in behavioural change. The role of the healthcare professional is to enable individuals to make an informed choice by working in partnership with them to decide when and if behaviour change is desirable. By understanding how an individual copes and adapts to living with a long-term condition such as diabetes can assist in empowering individuals to managed stress that appears to have a negative impact on blood glucose levels. Correspondingly, the use of CBT as a non-pharmacological treatment has been shown to improve depression that is often apparent in individuals with diabetes. Healthcare practioners caring for those with diabetes should be trained in the use of CBT .

Abortion is a Necessary Alternative Essay -- pro choice abortion

Abortion is not as harmful as its opponents claim it to be. Instead of viewing abortion as "murder," society as a whole must consider abortion as a necessary alternative. Abortion can save a woman's life, physically, mentally, and emotionally. In today's society, the following reasons clearly impact the abortion dilemma. First, the definition of "life" the anti-abortionists provide us with is self-contradictory. Second, abortions are safer than ever in the past. Third, abortions help society avoid the challenges caused by unwanted children. Fourth, abortions benefit the mother's emotional life. Finally, abortion has its consent from the Bible. Therefore, abortion in the United States of America should remain legal. The anti-abortionist argument can be very well refuted because many professionals say that the "biological" or "life" argument the anti-abortionists use is wrong. According to embryologist Charles Gardner (Podell 64), "the Ôbiological' argument that a human being is created at fertilization contradicts all that we have learned in the past few decades." Another embryologist, C. R., Austin notes (Kamm 212), "fertilization does not confer genetic uniqueness -- this is achieved as a consequence of the first meiotic division, which takes place just before ovulation." Although necessary DNA unequivocally exists for the first time at conception, C. R. Austin informs us that (Kamm 231), "the information required to make an eye or finger does not exist in the fertilized egg. It exists in the positions and interactions of cells and molecules that will be formed only at a later time." Besides, if anti-abortionists are claiming that ensoulment takes place at conception, then what happens whe n twins are born? They grow from the ... ... was introduced to man, man had morals : these morals helped man distinguish what was right from wrong. America was built on morals based on Judeo-Christianity, thus, we were all created equal. America is a country where everyone has the same rights. And one right, regarding bearing children, effect women. But for the anti-abortionists, who will hopefully be a little less narrow-minded and a little more compassionate, perhaps the argument provided in this thesis can help to provide a bridge or two across the gap between "pro-choice" and "pro-life." Every woman deserves a right to choose an abortion. Works Cited Patricia Lunneborg, Abortion: A Positive Decision (New York: Bergin & Garvey, 1992) Kamm, F. M. Creation and Abortion: A Study in Moral and Legal Philosophy. Oxford University Press, 1992. Janet Podell, Abortion (Reference Shelf, Vol 62, No 4)

Usb Flash Drive

————————————————- USB flash drive Definition:Â  USB flash drives are compact file storage devices to save your information externally. Flash drives are about the size of a disposable lighter and can be conveniently worn around your neck or attached to your keychain. The end of the flash drive is inserted into the USB port on the computer. Once attached to the computer, they operate in much the same way as floppy drives, but have capacities currently in the range of up to 2 gigabytes.Pen drives, or USB–based technology thumb drives, have become the most popular data storage media devices for working professionals, students, academicians and independent tech consultants. Lightweight, small and easy to carry from place to place, a pen drive easily fits into a pocket or a wallet. Pen drives now available in multiple capacities, ranging from 512 MB to 32 GB, are used to store documents, photos, files, music videos and more. All read/write speed values are displayed in MB/Sec. Store Files A 4 GB or 8 GB pen drive can be used to store basic documents, PDF files, PowerPoint presentation and spreadsheets. 16 GB or 32 GB pen drives can be used to store high-capacity files such as videos, TV episodes and even movies. Transfer Files * Word documents, PDF files, presentations, photos and other files saved on a computer can be easily transferred or downloaded onto to a pen drive. Similarly, files can be transferred from a pen drive to a PC or laptop. Portable Devices * Independent technical consultants and PC technicians can use pen drives as portable work devices.They can store important files, utilities tools and programs in pen drives, and transfer them to another workstation or work site elsewhere. Working professionals can transfer their presentations and other important files stored on their hard drives to pen drives and take them elsewhere. Back-Up D evices * As almost all brand pen drives are password protected, they can also be used as effective back-up storage devices. Important personal information such as medical history, critical family information, important contacts, old family photographs, etc. can be stored in pen drives. Promotional Items * Many companies are now using pen drives to sell promotional material, marketing communication content and other sales literature. The ease with which pen drives can be customized and imprinted with company logos, pictures and images makes them effectivee promotional items. A USB Pen drive is a data storage device that contains flash memory with a combined Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface. USB Pen drives are naturally changeable and rewritable, and physically much lesser than a floppy disk.We can use USB pens easily to plug it into the USB port of your computer and lookout the system automatically identifies the new device. You can stare at your system drive; a new drive has bee n produced. The operating system can communicate with your USB Pen Drive just like any ordinary Hard Disk Drive. The USB Pen Drive is dust-proof and shock-proof and contemplating a mere 21 grams, it needs no batteries, has no touching parts and is presented in range of volumes from 32 mega byte to a massive 1 giga byte.USB stands for Universal Serial Bus and it is a ‘standard' organized by the computer manufacturing to agree a vast amount of different devices to be easily involved to one machine with the minimum condition for further drivers and software and still work at an effective speed. Many firms within the UK use Persuasive USB pens as little enticements to customers of old and new. The hint of giving out Promotional USB pen drives is to offer customers with something that they can use that has your company logo upon it. A collection of Promotional pen drives can be given out to clients it all depends on how current you want them to be.General items of Promotional USB p en drives have been pens with messages printed upon them. Give your fixed customers Promotional USB flash drives like printed pens and they will have an thing they can use on a regular basis that has your name inscribed upon it. Moreover, give Promotional USB drives to prospective new clients and they will be capable to deliver your company brand inside their business premises. Each time they use an USB pen that has been given to them by you, your goods will be floating through their minds and your company will be leading in their thoughts. For more information visit http://www. global-emarketing. com .

Physics Help Us in Daily Life Essay

Well how does the study of physics made a milestone for the world. And how does it help me in my daily life. Physics is the science of matter and its motion, space-time and energy. Physics describes many forms of energy – such as kinetic energy, electrical energy, and mass; and the way energy can change from one form to another. Everything surrounding to us is made of matter and Physics explains matter as combinations of fundamental particles which are interacting through fundamental forces. It will not be an exaggeration if it is said that Nature is almost Physics (apart from the fact that the word Physics itself is derived from Greek â€Å"physis† meaning nature). Physics is all around us. We can find Physics as the backbone for any daily life example such as an electric light, electricity, the working of our vehicle, wristwatch, cell phone, CD player, radio, plasma TV set, computer, and – the list goes on Physics and its principles are integrated with almost everything you do. A few of the things physics controls are how: †¢Pool balls react and move †¢Heat transfers into your cooking †¢Refrigerators cool the contents †¢Car engines work †¢Airplanes fly †¢Televisions and computers operate †¢Water gets to your house and sewage leaves †¢There is fizz in your soda or beer †¢Paint sticks to a wall The problem is that these activities are so integrated with your experience that you know how to throw a ball so it gets to the catcher in baseball (for example) without doing the math. However in the same way you can appreciate music without under standing the key, attack, dwell or pitch musicians (and in physics, scientists) need to know them to make more for your enjoyment.

Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens.

Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens. Many characters face imprisonment in the novel Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens. This essay explores those imprisonments, be they literal or figurative."'Keep still you little devil or I'll cut your throat!'A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg."Early on in the novel Great Expectations, Dickens introduces the concept of imprisonment, a theme that is subtly intertwined throughout the story. In this first part, the man who is speaking is imprisoned by his leg iron. The person being spoken to is imprisoned by the threats of the other.Pip, the protagonist of Great Expectations, and also the person being threatened in the above quote, suffers from imprisonment on a day to day basis. As a child, he has a frightening encounter with an escaped convict. He carries the imprisonment of the many lies and secrets he must keep to himself as a result of this experience.English: Miss Havisham and Pip, in an illustration...As an adolescent, he has to suffer the impriso nment of his social class. He routinely laments about his chosen career as a blacksmith, since Estella looks down upon his for it. Pip's "prisons" are the ones that affect the tone of the book the most.Estella suffers from various "prisons" as well. Miss Havisham is an obvious one. Miss Havisham totally controls all the thought processes in Esteem's head. Estella is brainwashed to have "no heart." In this way, Estella is also her own prison. Her inability to feel emotions ultimately leads to her downfall. She marries Bentley Drummle because he does not expect her to feel anything towards him. Unfortunately, the marriage is an unpleasant and abusive one.Miss Havisham is in the most torturous prison of all, because it eventually ends up taking her life. Ever since she received that fated...

Bio Lab Essay Example

Bio Lab Essay Example Bio Lab Essay Bio Lab Essay Santiago NevillePeriod 110/14/12 Enzyme lab Enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up the process of chemical reactions. They are also proteins, and most enzymes activities occur within organism. They decrease activation energy, energy that is needed to start a chemical reaction. Enzymes are substrate specific substrates ending in -ase, enzymes ending in -ase. External factors, such as temperature, pH, and concentration of the substrate, affect the enzymes activity in the lab, pectase and cellulase will be used to compare different enzymes on apple sauce. The lab is designed to investigate the effect of different enzymes on apple juice production The combination of pectinase and cellulase will be the most effective simply because two is better than one. MATERIALS: apple sauce, pectinase enzyme, cellulase enzymes, funnels, filter paper, lab aprons, splash-proof goggles, paper towels, stirring rods, graduated cylinders, access to the water, paperclips, access to a stop watch, and access to a triple bean balance. Procedure: 1) Collect materials 2) Follow safety protocol ) Measure 1 tablespoon of apple sauce and place it in a cup 4) Add 10 drops of pectinase to the apple sauce and stir for 1 minute 5) Line a funnel with a coffee filter, place funnel in a graduated cylinder, empty the mixture into the funnel, and let it filter for 5 minutes. 6) Record the amount of juice collected 7) Repeat steps 1-5 with cellulase and water. Enzyme Lab 4 3. 2 3. 1 3. 28 2. 4 1. 6 Cellulase Pectinase C+P Water 0. 8 0. 86 0. 52 Amount of apple juice in ml A mount of apple juice in ml 0 Average Type of Enzyme Conclusion: Enzymes are catalysts that speed up the process of chemical reactions. They are also proteins, and most Enzymatic activities occur within organism. They decrease the activation energy that is needed to start a chemical reaction. The problem was the effect that different enzymes have on apple sauce, and the lab was designed to investigate this. The combination of pectinase and cellulase will be the most effective simply because two is better than one. The hypothesis was correct because it collected the most amount of apple sauce with 3. 28 ml. We tested the enzymes by mixing it with apple sauce. We got our results by seeing which one collected the most apple sauce. The combination of both pectinase and cellulose was the most effective on apple juice production with 3. 28 ml. The water was the least effective with 0. 52 ml of apple juice collected. In the lab we all collaborated to get the most valid results we could get. The results were collected by testing each mixture in the same way and kept all the control variables constant. This experiment is valid because the controlled variables were kept constant. The independent variable was the type of enzyme or mixture we tested. The dependent variable was the amount (in ml) of apple juice that would be collected out of the coffee filter paper. The controlled variables were: to keep the amount of apple sauce the same, the size of the coffee filter paper, amount of each mixture, amount of time spent on mixing it with the apple sauce and the amount of time allowed letting it drop through the filter paper. The experiment taught us that the combination of the two enzymes was the most effective. Santiago Neville Biology Honors period 1

A Reflection on the Welfare Provisions

A Reflection on the Welfare Provisions Welfare is the provision of necessary supports- be it monetary, social, or otherwise, for people who lack the current means to support their basic needs. The main goal of welfare is to aid those who do not have the ability to meet these needs with the income that they are currently earning. This welfare is usually provided by the government and takes form in different programs and policies. The social welfare system mainly addresses the social problems of poverty, disability, and the economic disparity that is found between the middle and upper classes and the lower class population. Economic welfare impacts the poor in many different ways by aiming to close the gap between where an individual is currently living financially and the level needed to support basic human needs. Programs such as TANF, food stamps, and housing and childcare vouchers are mainly aimed to help those living in poverty as they are need based programs. In order for an individual or family to be able to participate in these programs, they need to meet certain criterion that are based on poverty and financial aid. One issue directly stemming from this is that these programs are not available for those families deemed to be living above poverty. For those just above the need requirements for welfare programs, they may still be struggling to make ends meet but are not able to receive any governmental aid. This brings about the question of how we define poverty and the poverty line. Should those living above poverty but still struggling be able to receive financial aid? Does this require a shi ft in how we define the poverty line? Social welfare programs to aim to lessen the percentage of people living in poverty, but it’s important to consider just how successful different programs are. Social welfare is defined mainly as â€Å"direct public provision of cash and in-kind benefits to individuals and families, free or at below market cost† (Abramovitz). This system is often thought of as only serving to help poor people, but what many don’t realize is that its reach goes far beyond that. There are many social welfare programs that benefit middle and upper class people, and these programs are often seen to receive more federal funding and less stipulations than those that serve the lower class. Middle class and wealthy families do benefit from welfare in many ways. In 2000, the government spent more than 3 times as much funding on programs that do not require poverty or other need as a specification in order to receive aid than on the programs that did directly affect those living in poverty. There are many reasons for the disparity in funding- one main one being that there is a larger number of people living above the poverty line than those living at or below it. This difference also stems from the fact that program requirements for inclusion are normally less restrictive for those programs that benefit the middle and upper classes. These differences are highlighted in the U.S. House Committee on Way and Means’s comparison of disparities in average monthly cash benefits of individuals in welfare programs. This report looked at social security and public assistance as the two main categories of welfare programs, then focusing in on benefits per person. Retired worke rs received about $800 per month from social security while a family of 3 received $420 per month from TANF. This is just one disparity that helps us to see where society places its values. Historically, US policies and programs have treated those in the working class as more deserving of aid than people without jobs and single mothers. There’s a severe discrepancy in how we view those with and without jobs- often including an assumption that people without jobs are simply lazy and that single mothers are undeserving recipients because of their marital status. Social insurances are based on an individual’s prior earnings and â€Å"payroll contributions† (Marx) while public assistance is based on financial need. Social insurances such as social security are universal programs because they do not have a need-based criterion in order to participate. The latter is what is most commonly referred to as welfare, with much of the general public not recognizing that prog rams such as social security are also social welfare programs. Welfare benefits people of all classes in a multitude of ways. Society has, historically, looked down on welfare because it is seen as serving only those living in poverty. This fails to realize that the middle and upper classes also benefit from welfare programs, and that these programs are usually better funded than those serving the poor population. The social welfare system is expansive and aims to help people of all different financial levels.

Research and analysis of business problems Paper

And analysis of business problems - Research Paper Example This industry is mainly driven by technology, globalization and Integration. The logistic Industry trends show that in the coming years this sector is going to strengthen further. The expansion of the geographical boundaries and tapping more customers is the main motive of the logistics companies nowadays. The study is on one of the major companies in the Logistics Industry, known as FedEx. The company Fed Express Corporation, popularly known as FedEx, is an American company which was established in the year 1971 by Frederick W. Smith. FedEx offers several services to its customers which includes overnight couriers, freight services and other business support and logistics solutions. It is one of the biggest transportation companies providing logistics services and delivering consignments all over US and in more than 220 countries. The revenue of FedEx is about $ 34,734 million in the year 2010. There was a decrease in the revenue of 2.1 percent due to the impact of global recession. But surprisingly there was an increase in the profit percentage of the company compared to its last year’s profit (â€Å"Company Overview†). Business Problems of FedEx The major business of FedEx is overnight delivery of consignments. Though FedEx is one of the major players in the logistics sector, yet it is facing tough fight from the other logistics companies. The major issues that FedEx is facing are: The global environmental problems In the environmental issues, the first problem is with the airlines facilities. The absence of proper landing spaces, back-up plans and the airport facilities hampers the guarantee of delivering consignment on the right time. Cut Throat Competition The major issue in competition is to face the price wars of the competitors. UPS is a close competitor of FedEx and after its entry into the logistics market, the revenue of FedEx declined by 30.3 percent. Technological problems The technological factor is very important because it keeps c hanging within a short span of time. Zapmail became obsolete due to the introduction of Fax machines. FedEx lost about $ 350 million and it had to withdraw itself from such business. So it is very important to develop the technologies within the company so as to compete with the advance technology (â€Å"Introduction†). Human Resource problems The FedEx ground services faced new challenges from its contractors delivering parcels at FedEx ground. These contract drivers own the trucks which they drive for FedEx to deliver the consignments to different places. Now, these contract drivers are not the direct employees of FedEx. So these drivers are demanding direct employment of FedEx. This would entitle them with the pension schemes, medical facilities and other facilities that FedEx employees get. But FedEx is not accepting such demands of its contractual drivers. This is a major issue which has created a huge problem in the FedEx ground department (Johansson 7-10) The logistics market is highly competitive and it gets affected very easily by price and service changes. So the

International Trade Theories Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

International Trade Theories - Assignment Example A brief discussion of the classical trade theories will provide a backdrop of the detailed examination of the modern trade theories and how these could be viewed in the present patterns of international trade. Classical theories Mercantilism During the 17th and 18th centuries, the theory of mercantilism was widely practised in international trade. Essentially, mercantilism saw international trade as a zero-sum proposition. French statesman Jean-Baptiste Colbert, who pioneered this theory, believed that the wealth of the world was essentially fixed and that trade was a closed system, so that those nations which exported more and imported less acquires more of the world’s wealth and becomes richer, and vice-versa. While mercantilism is the oldest of the trade theories, this does not mean that it is obsolete. Even today, the effects of mercantilism are evident in policies of trade protectionism, and makes the argument that rather than import from other countries and risk a trade deficit, a country would be economically better off if it were self-sufficient (Peng, 2010, p. 149). Absolute Advantage Advocated in 1776 by British economist Adam Smith, the theory of absolute advantage stated that the force of the free market should best determine the economic activities of a nation and, inclusively, the level of international as well as domestic trade. Smith’s theory of free trade (also called laissez faire) relied on forces of the free market to operate unrestricted, to enable free trade to seek out the most efficient means for value creation. The absolute advantage in the creation of a product or service is that which is attained by the nation that is able to produce that good or service most efficiently. The implication of this theory is that (1) the principle of self-sufficiency is best abandoned because no country could efficiently produce all goods and services; and (2) countries would best specialize in production of good and services where they hav e the advantage. International trade ceases to be a zero-sum case, and becomes a win-win proposition. Comparative advantage In 1817, British economist David Ricardo developed the theory of comparative advantage. The theory saw the ability of countries to efficiently produce goods and services not in absolute terms but in relation to which country they trade with. Comparative advantage is the relative advantage in one economic activity possessed by one nation over other nations. Net gains from trade may be realized when countries specialize in producing goods and services where they have comparative advantage. There is a trade-off, however, known as the opportunity cost, which is the cost incurred by a producer in choosing to give up production of a good or service in favour of concentrating on another (p. 152). The three foregoing theories, while useful in conceptualizing trade relations, make the necessary but unrealistic assumption that trade is static. Through time, factor endowm ents and trade patterns change, necessarily debunking the theory that trade is static. This gave way to the modern trade theories of the mid-twentieth century, also known as the dynamic theories, which aim to account for the change in trade patterns over time. New theories Product life cycle Product life cycle was developed by Raymond Vernon, an American economist, in 1966. Vernon saw the world’s trading nations as consisting of three categories: (1) the lead innovation nation which is usually assumed to be the US, (2) other developed nations, and (3) the developing nations. Aside from distinguishing among the nations, Vernon also classified products according to three life cycles: (1) new, (2) maturing, and (3) standardized. New products commanded a higher price (price premium)

How Free is the will of the individual within Society Research Paper

How Free is the will of the individual within Society - Research Paper Example At the beginning, she did not comprehend what was happening; however, she now understands all the gifts and outings were crucial in the grooming process. Mallet now 20, filed a civil suit in U.S. District Court claiming the school authorities failed to ensure that she was safe from the predator; thus, the suit was as a result of her ordeal with the assistant principal. Her lawsuit alleges that school officials and teachers understood or were ware about the abuse but did nothing to end it or keep her safe. Mallett consents that she kept quiet because she was afraid no person would believe her; besides, she wanted to reveal her ordeal but did not know whom she would trust; thus, she felt trapped. However, she managed to overcome her fear and embraced the philosophy that promotes embracing what is correct even if it means standing alone; therefore, her past hugely influenced her will to reveal the secret and consequently the lawsuit she filed. She eventually revealed the secret to the s chool chaplain who in return informed the authorities. All through the affair, she considered it wrong; however, the assistant principal would defend the affair by saying that he loved her and she trusted him. She got into this trusting relationship since the predator was good at comprehending what worked for the victim; thus, it was difficult for the victim to see clearly the big picture when sex began. Choice could be free will or determined and has implications on moral conscientiousness Stace argued that free will indicates the absence immediate causal agents like being forced at gunpoint. Therefore, this soft determinism viewpoint never denies internalization of past experiences cognition and emotions that consequently form the basis for a choice. Mallet makes the choice of revealing the secret to the school chaplain through her experience, cognition and morality, as it is certain that â€Å"without free will there would be no morality† (Stace 924) since morality regards what individuals ought to or not do. However, if a person lacks the freedom of choice, it would be meaningless to correct the individual’s act in addition there would a big challenge to punish the individual for what he or she could not help doing. Stace greatly opposes â€Å"hard determinism† pointing out that if free will did not exist, attaining high levels of morality would be impossible. For instance, if an action taken by an individual does not make the individual morally responsible then, encouraging people to embrace moral choices would also be outside the picture. Stace goes a long way to illustrate free acts and unfree acts; for instance, free choices are not compelled by circumstances external to the individual; however, unfree acts are compelled by external forces (928). An example of a free act is an individual starving himself in protest and in this case, Mallet decides to get over her fear and let the secret out despite the way the society may perceive her. Morality drove her to this choice therefore the scenario shows a compatibility take of free will and determinism. Stace state that soft determinism is the absence of coercive external agents that enables an individual to take a certain action freely. Therefore, from this viewpoint, a person’s behavior may be a result of internal psychological states that have causes but the absence of immediate pressing agents that influence behavior ensures that the individual makes a free will (Stace 929). Mallett’

Credit Crunch and Its impact on UK's Real Estate Market Dissertation

Credit Crunch and Its impact on UK's Real Estate Market - Dissertation Example Bernanke and Lown (1991) define a credit crunch as a decline in the supply of credit that is abnormally large for a given stage of the business cycle. Credit normally contracts during a recession, but an unusually large contraction could be seen as a credit crunch. The credit crunch is the result of multiple factors. These multiple factors adversely affect the ability of the banks to supply credit at a time when banks’ ability to adjust to these factors was unusually limited. A credit crunch that continues for a long time is actually opposite of easily available and plentiful lending practices .These cheap lending practices are sometimes called â€Å"Easy Money† or â€Å"Loose Credit† .As it been stated earlier that credit crunch is a cyclic process . During the upward phase in the credit cycle it is seen that the prices of the assets undergo lot of fervent competitions .Upward credit cycle is also marked by the presence of leveraged bidding with inflation in a p articular asset market. These all situation can then lead to formation of a speculative price bubble. During the upswing of the cycle increase in the money supply happens because of new large debt creation. This in turn stimulates the economic activities. Finally there is also chances of temporarily raise in economic growth and development.(Cooper,2008) The reason of credit crunch can be diverse. Few of the reasons are given below: 1. If there is an anticipation about the decline in the value of the collateral. The collateral is used by the banks to secure the loans that are taken. If the decline in value continues then it will lead to credit crunch.(Bizer ,1993) 2. If there is perception in the market about the risk of insolvency of other banks in the banking system. In this situation the traditional financial institutes will tighten the credit lending regulations (Kleege and Stephen,1992) 3. When the central government is imposing direct credit controls or are implementing monetar y changes then lending of the loans will be done very warily by the goverment. (Grant,1993) 4. When there is a prolonged carelessness in lending the loans. The process of lending the loans is inappropriate and doesn’t take into account the intricacies of market and interest rate. This leads to losses to the lending institutions. The debtor is not able to pay the debt and finally the financial institutions will reduce the availability of credit. The prolonged defaults by the debtors leads to credit crunch.(Peek ,Joe and Eric,1993). 5.When the assets which were overpriced, before ,suddenly sees a sharp fall in their prices then it leads to financial crisis because of price collapse. If this price collapse continues then many banks and investors will face insolvency and bankruptcy. The financial institutions will become more alert .As the result the financial institution restore to restrict the regulations for lending the loan and as a result the market will face the credit crun ch.( Rosenblum.1991) The last two points were the main reason for the recent credit crunch that struck the world’s economy. This was caused due to the bursting of housing bubble in

Processing and Packaging of a Specified Prepared Chilled Food Product Essay

Processing and Packaging of a Specified Prepared Chilled Food Product - Essay Example This essay approves that the appropriate storage conditions labeled on packed chilled food further minimizes the risk of microbial contamination after processing and packaging. The declared minimal shelf life may be lost when improper storage conditions are used or when the storage conditions are not mentioned on product. Maintenance of appropriate temperature and sterilized environment during pre-processing and processing steps followed by controlled sterilized and chilled atmosphere during packaging and storage results in the effective storage of packed food. The regulation of temperature and sterilized conditions throughout, retards many of the risks generated due to microbial, physical, chemical and biochemical factors. The distribution of processed and packed chilled foods at low temperatures (i.e. refrigerating temperatures) after controlled packaging ensures safety and quality of food at the time of consumption and therefore, must be monitored throughout distribution chain. This report makes a conclusion that the contribution of chilled temperature environment plays a significant role in dealing with the identified microbiological, physical and chemical hazards that have potential to spoil packaged chilled food items. Furthermore, it’s the proper maintenance of sterilized conditions following strict inspection of quality of raw materials that ensure the production of safe food. The regulation of refrigerating temperatures during distribution and storage is equally important as chilling temperature prevent growth of microbes on pasteurized processed food.

How Free is the will of the individual within Society Research Paper

How Free is the will of the individual within Society - Research Paper Example At the beginning, she did not comprehend what was happening; however, she now understands all the gifts and outings were crucial in the grooming process. Mallet now 20, filed a civil suit in U.S. District Court claiming the school authorities failed to ensure that she was safe from the predator; thus, the suit was as a result of her ordeal with the assistant principal. Her lawsuit alleges that school officials and teachers understood or were ware about the abuse but did nothing to end it or keep her safe. Mallett consents that she kept quiet because she was afraid no person would believe her; besides, she wanted to reveal her ordeal but did not know whom she would trust; thus, she felt trapped. However, she managed to overcome her fear and embraced the philosophy that promotes embracing what is correct even if it means standing alone; therefore, her past hugely influenced her will to reveal the secret and consequently the lawsuit she filed. She eventually revealed the secret to the s chool chaplain who in return informed the authorities. All through the affair, she considered it wrong; however, the assistant principal would defend the affair by saying that he loved her and she trusted him. She got into this trusting relationship since the predator was good at comprehending what worked for the victim; thus, it was difficult for the victim to see clearly the big picture when sex began. Choice could be free will or determined and has implications on moral conscientiousness Stace argued that free will indicates the absence immediate causal agents like being forced at gunpoint. Therefore, this soft determinism viewpoint never denies internalization of past experiences cognition and emotions that consequently form the basis for a choice. Mallet makes the choice of revealing the secret to the school chaplain through her experience, cognition and morality, as it is certain that â€Å"without free will there would be no morality† (Stace 924) since morality regards what individuals ought to or not do. However, if a person lacks the freedom of choice, it would be meaningless to correct the individual’s act in addition there would a big challenge to punish the individual for what he or she could not help doing. Stace greatly opposes â€Å"hard determinism† pointing out that if free will did not exist, attaining high levels of morality would be impossible. For instance, if an action taken by an individual does not make the individual morally responsible then, encouraging people to embrace moral choices would also be outside the picture. Stace goes a long way to illustrate free acts and unfree acts; for instance, free choices are not compelled by circumstances external to the individual; however, unfree acts are compelled by external forces (928). An example of a free act is an individual starving himself in protest and in this case, Mallet decides to get over her fear and let the secret out despite the way the society may perceive her. Morality drove her to this choice therefore the scenario shows a compatibility take of free will and determinism. Stace state that soft determinism is the absence of coercive external agents that enables an individual to take a certain action freely. Therefore, from this viewpoint, a person’s behavior may be a result of internal psychological states that have causes but the absence of immediate pressing agents that influence behavior ensures that the individual makes a free will (Stace 929). Mallett’

Processing and Packaging of a Specified Prepared Chilled Food Product Essay

Processing and Packaging of a Specified Prepared Chilled Food Product - Essay Example This essay approves that the appropriate storage conditions labeled on packed chilled food further minimizes the risk of microbial contamination after processing and packaging. The declared minimal shelf life may be lost when improper storage conditions are used or when the storage conditions are not mentioned on product. Maintenance of appropriate temperature and sterilized environment during pre-processing and processing steps followed by controlled sterilized and chilled atmosphere during packaging and storage results in the effective storage of packed food. The regulation of temperature and sterilized conditions throughout, retards many of the risks generated due to microbial, physical, chemical and biochemical factors. The distribution of processed and packed chilled foods at low temperatures (i.e. refrigerating temperatures) after controlled packaging ensures safety and quality of food at the time of consumption and therefore, must be monitored throughout distribution chain. This report makes a conclusion that the contribution of chilled temperature environment plays a significant role in dealing with the identified microbiological, physical and chemical hazards that have potential to spoil packaged chilled food items. Furthermore, it’s the proper maintenance of sterilized conditions following strict inspection of quality of raw materials that ensure the production of safe food. The regulation of refrigerating temperatures during distribution and storage is equally important as chilling temperature prevent growth of microbes on pasteurized processed food.

University Thrust Essay Example for Free

University Thrust Essay A Thrust is a broad statement of intended strategic actions. The statement should provide a â€Å"compelling theme that knits together otherwise independent activities and focuses the energies of functional groups on things that matter in the market. † A thrust is intended to create a broad, sharedunderstanding of what strategic actions are intended in planning. Universities around the world must maintain their focus in providing quality education. The institutions’ programs and activities are embedded in its thrust to achieve their vision- mission and objective. A Thrust, when referred to an institution, means as the powerful force in leading the institution in its desired disposition. According to Prof. Edwin L. Apawan, a faculty of College of Education in Notre Dame University, University Thrust is embedded in its philosophy translated to its vision-mission and articulated in its goals and paradigms. In an educational institution, Thrust is very much important for it is the reason why it runs. Everything that the institution does is anchored from its thrust. In Notre Dame University, being an educational institution has cited its University Thrust namely: Formation, Instruction, Research and Extension (FIRE). The focus of the study is to know the Thrust specifically in the field of Instruction and Extension and whether if it is running in the Teachers Education Program in Notre Dame University. Instruction is defined by Saylor and his colleagues as â€Å"the actual engagements of learners with planned learning opportunities; thus, instruction can be thought as the implementation of the curriculum plan† cited by Aquino, 1986. The higher education institution must exhibit a continuing quest for excellence in instruction through the quality of its educational programs, outstanding achievements of its students, and above national average performance in the majority of the programs offered requiring government instructions. While each constituent units may have its own thrust in extension that responds to their service area, it may institute mechanisms for the coordination and integration of these activities for more effective use of resource and in order to achieve bigger goals (Sarmiento III, 2009). The University, being a storage, generator, and disseminator of knowledge, should make an impact on the community within its reach. Although its graduates will naturally be involved in the development of the community where they work and live, there are a lot more people who were not able to have formal university training, and the need outside help to make them productive members of the community. The higher education institution must have credible outreach programs which may take the form of continuing education, application of the research results community services, and many others. The study aims to assess the operation of the Notre Dame University Thrust if it is being worked out in the Teachers Education Program of the said institution among its students. Statement of the Problem The study aims to determine if the University Thrust, particularly in the field of Instruction and Extension are really working in the Teachers Education Program as assessed by the third and fourth year students of the College of Education, Notre Dame University in the School Year 2012- 2013. Specifically, this aims to answer the following questions: 1. What is the profile of the students as to their age, sex and year level? 2. How will the respondents assess if the University Thrust, particularly Instruction and Extension arein reality operating in the Teachers Education Program in terms of: a. ) Instruction delivery by the College Faculty; b. ) Community extension Programs initiated by the College; and c. ) Involvement of the College to community exposures? 3. How is University Thrust been able to run in Teachers Education Program? Significance of the Study The study will tell if the University Thrust is working in the College. The assessment of the University Thrust in the Teachers Education Program is important among the Administrator, Faculty, and the Students of theCollege of Education. Administrator Knowing the Thrust runs in the college or not, may help the Administrators become aware of the college’s needs and problems regarding the implementation of the programs and activities that fulfill the operations of the University Thrust especially in the field of Instruction and Extension. As a result, the Administrators will be able to plan programs and activities for the College that will be anchored from the two specific University Thrusts. Faculty The result of the study will help the teaching staff be aware if their instruction is anchored to the desired criteria suggested by the University Thrust in the area of Instruction. This would help them whetherthey will espouse, amend, and seek new ways in delivering their instruction that would fit and reach the expected outcome attached from the criteria. The study will also help the teaching staff in incorporating and integrating Community Extension related activitiesin their teaching approach, strategy, method, and technique. This will help them achieve the criteria recommended by the Community Extension. Students The students’ assessment will indicate certain strengths and weaknesses in the variables considered in the study. This would help in the improvement of the programs and activities in developing them accordingly, especially driven by the University Thrust. Scope and Limitation The study is concerned with the assessment of the University Thrust, FORMATION, INSTRUCTION, RESEARCH, and EXTENSION (FIRE), if it is conveyed in the Teachers Education Program in Notre Dame University. Its focus is specifically in the field of INSTRUCTION and EXTENSION. This would tell if these two Thrusts are actively operating in the College: if students are aware of the University Thrust (FIRE); if the programs and activities conducted in the College are attached with these specific Thrusts (FIRE); and if the teaching staff’s delivery of their instruction, as perceived by the students, is anchored in the desired outcome suggested by the Thrust. Furthermore, the respondents are limited only among the third and fourth year students enrolled in the College of Education for the School Year 2012-2013. Definition of Terms To process the understanding of discussion in this study, the following terms are herewith defined operationally: University refers to Notre Dame University as an educational institution. University Thrust refers to the FIRE (Formation, Instruction, Research, Extension); the driving force of Notre Dame University as an educational institution which is embedded from its objectives and paradigms; it intends to create a broad, shared understanding of what strategic actions are intended in planning; it is where the university’s programs and activities are inclined. Administration refers to those who organizes and operates activities, programs, educational planning and curriculum in the Teachers Education Program. Faculty refers to the teaching staff who implements and supervises the University Thrust, specifically the Instruction and Extension. Students refers to the third and fourth year students of the College of Education; the ones who will simplify the realization and utilization of the University Thrust that was being translated by the Administrators and Faculty. Instruction refers as one of the University Thrust which is focused on the Curriculum and other learning opportunities involved; as the word itself defines, it is the programs of studies done. Extension refers also as one of the University Thrust which is concerned with the activities held outside the Institution; also refers to the community involvement and community service. Chapter II Review on Related Literature This chapter contains the summary of relevant concepts, ideas, and research findings as well as conceptual framework. Related Literature. Topics discussed include the following: Thrust as the driving force of an institution; Instruction and Extension as Thrust of an educational institution; Administration and Faculty’s role in the operation of Thrust in the Teachers Education Program. Thrust as the driving force of an institution Business, government, educational, and many other institutions run because of a driving force that enables to do. In an interview, Dr. Joel Genzon of Notre Dame of Cotabato, Inc. , said that â€Å"Thrust is a driving force that provides the meaning why an institution carries out a certain action or   work. This action or work is commonly known as the one that strengthens its foundation that enables an institution fulfill its Vision-Mission. † In an interview with Prof. Elsa C. Tamse, the Executive Assistant to the President of Notre Dame University, she defined Thrust as the direction and guide of the school for a particular school year that will help in the attainment of the vision of the school. It is anchored with the vision and mission of the school or university. This is being reviewed and changed to meet the particular vision the school wants to attain. It is also in the Thrust that the strategies are crafted so that the mission will operate to achieve the school’s vision for the year. Instruction Instruction is defined by Saylor and his colleagues as â€Å"the actual engagements of learners with planned learning opportunities; thus, instruction can be thought as the implementation of the curriculum plan (Aquino, 1986). The program of studies required and implemented by the university should have well defined and clearly stated objectives and learning outcomes and should meet prescribed standards. The teaching and learning process used in instruction should be appropriate, varied, and should facilitate the wholistic development of the students. The process should reflect to the institutions’ teaching learning framework. Learning should be available inside and outside the classroom. Variety of teaching-learning strategies should be used. For an effective instruction the teaching-learning environment should be conducive. It should be well-equipped and can offer comfort and can accommodate a number of students per session. The learning outcomes of the academic program should be well-defined. Instructional supervision program should exist that includes practical measures: requirement of syllabi, informal dialogues with students and faculty, class visitations, and evaluation of text examinations. Faculty should encourage students to join activities such seminars and educational associations that would help them in developing their instruction. Students should be oriented on the availability of academic guidance and counseling. This is for them to be guided by their instructors if there are some difficulties they are encountering with the delivery of instruction by their teachers (PAASCU). Extension One of the important functions of a higher education institution is to have an Extension program. Vis-a-vis instruction and in light of recent technology advancement, extension complements and fills in the gaps left by instruction especially for those who, for multifarious reasons, cannot access formal instruction to gain individual information (Wakat, 2010). The university being storage, generator, and disseminator of knowledge, should make an impact on the community within its reach. Although its graduates will naturally be involved in the development of the community where they work and live, there are a lot more people who were not able to have formal university training, and the need outside help to make them productive members of the community. It is in this light that the university has the Community Involvement. This acts as the university’s arm in directly reaching out to the people in the community who need help – technical, financial and moral- to improve their living conditions. This mandate is carried out by means of programs like: training and non-formal education. This is done through non-degree training programs, extending financial assistance, if possible. Through Extension the university shall contribute to the development of empowered citizenry capable of making the rational decisions pertaining to the improvement of their livelihood, work productively and efficiently, and be confident part of the mainstream society in their community. Generally, Extension service is the process by which technology and innovation are transferred to an identified clientele with ultimate objective of improving the way of life of the people. Then Senate President Marcelo B. Fernan defined extension service as a concept that encompasses people empowerment and human resource development geared towards human capital enhancement, and technology and facilities diffusion among the â€Å"masang† Pilipino, if not, the poorest of the poor. (www. mseuf. edu. ph, 2012) Community involvement should be one of the basic aspects of the University. This is accurate and true, most especially in a progressing country like the Philippines, where community involvement may be matched to the total effort whereby the university relates itself to national, regional and local imperatives of development. The university, in educating citizenship, should implement not just through academic and professional programs through the pursuit of the fundamental objective of total human formation. It should also include a necessary social aspect. In so applying, it should maintain the focus on the academic, the professional and the personal development. A university that is exposed to community involvement actually enhances pride, dignity, and integrity, extends its identity and achieves greater and larger goal. In the attainment of this goal, such services will take place in the community through programs conducted in the expansion of the university. The community involvement of the university must consist not only about building community awareness and producing graduates in the professions or vocations where they can serve their communities competently and they may achieve personal upliftment. It must also include guiding and motivating students, faculty and staff towards community service and give them chance to be exposed to the community and actual service and to make them more sensitive to extension as an integral part of instruction and research; to establish the structure that will ensure coordination, communication, planning, linkages and monitoring of extension programs; To establish necessary infrastructure to sustain the extension program of the University; to integrate extension into both curricular and co-curricular activities; to formulate clear-cut policies on extension among the various sectors/colleges in the University: and to strengthen coordination and cooperation between and among sectors. The university’s commitment to community service and development should be carried out through projects and activities, which are well planned, organized, implemented, evaluated and supported by the school (PAASCU). Community involvement is an institutional community extension program whose commitment is towards community service and development. It works hard to the conscientization of men and women, equitable distribution of benefits and provision of equal access to opportunities through the optimal use of resources and human expertise in organized cooperative effort. It achieves such through giving of technical assistance in the form of functional education, community organizing, health programs, cooperative formation, capability building, women in development, income generating project and technical assistance. The role of Administrators and Faculty in the operation of Thrust in the Teachers Education Program Administration The Administration of a certain institution plays a very important and has specific roles. It undertakes to be accountable to be efficient and effective when it comes in managing and facilitating the institution especially in administering the instruction and extension as the two of the University Thrust, to its constituents. For an administration shall: * Develop and maintain a school atmosphere conducive to the promotion and preservation of academic freedom and effective teaching and learning to harmonious and progressive school-personnel relationship; * Assume and maintain professional behavior in his work and in his dealings with students, teachers, academic non-teaching personnel and administrative staff; * Render adequate report to teachers, academic non-teaching personnel, and non-academic staff on their actual performance in relation to their expected performance and counsel them on ways to improve the same; * Understand the curriculum and instructional processes of the institution (Aquino, 1986); * And conduct public services where it can be the training ground for young men and women to develop leadership qualities, civic involvement, community participation, training in management and other non- academic areas (Franco, 1994). The following are stated as the expected roles and responsibilities that the Administration should execute in order to pertain and deliver ‘what is due to them’. Litchfield (1956) has identified three broad, functional areas of administration: (1) policy, (2) resources, and (3) execution. These functional areas are applicable to the three fields of administration, including educational administration. A policy is defined as a statement of those objectives that guide the actions of a substantial portion of the total organization. The resources of administration are composed of people, money authority, and materials. Execution is a function of integration and synthesis of resources and policies that are intended to achieve a purposeful organization (Aquino, 1986). Faculty The roles and responsibilities of a faculty member are closely confined to the main functions of higher education. Their roles as an individual supports to the vision-mission of the University. Faculty members, however have similarities on their responsibilities to commit themselves fully to their teaching obligations, to participate in the development of the programs imparted by the institution as a whole, to engage scholarly activities, and as appropriate to support the University in its goal to render public services. One aboriginal formal description of these functions was pertained in the 1915 â€Å"Declaration of Principles† produced by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). According to the declaration, the colleges’ and universities’ functions are â€Å"to promote inquiry and advance the sum of human knowledge, to provide general instructions to the students, and to develop experts for various branches of the public service† (Joughin, pp. 163-164) cited by Aquino, 1986. A faculty member shall also play the role of facilitating and processing of influencing their students towards setting and achieving goals. They should help the group to decide on its goal, able to tolerate uncertainty without anxiety or angry, reconciles conflicts and turns confusion into order, exhibits good judgment and conviction, able to create a climate for creativity and innovation and emphasizes productivity and promotes the growth of students. Theoretical Consideration Social psychologist Douglas McGregor of MIT expounded two contrasting theories on human motivation and management in the 1960s: The X Theory and the Y Theory. (Theory X and Theory Y- Leadership Training from MindTools. com, 2013) The Theory Y behavioral pattern states that: * Employees under this pattern believe that expenditure of physical and mental effort in work is natural as play or rest. * Workers will exercise self-direction and self control in the service of attaining goals and objectives. * They believe that rewards are associated with individual achievements and contribution to group goals. * The average human being learns under proper condition. They seek responsibility to grow and develop as responsible person. The work groups have different values that influence the managerial pattern of leadership. A work group that value independence and unilateral decision making can influence the managers style to be one involvement and participation. On the other hand, the manager should adjust his style when the employee displays an opposite value. The Manager, therefore, must know when to ring the bell to change his course of action. (Pereda, 2011) On our study which focuses on the Notre Dame University Thrust as seen in the teacher education program of the College of Education, the Theory Y Behavioral Pattern visualizes the pattern in which the board of administration processes the crafting and developing of the strategic plans and they have the capability and talents to increase production and develop better services by means of making a direction to reach a particular vision the school wants to attain for a particular school year. This will be translated among the lower sectors/department heads (colleges) that will translate it among the students to see the effectiveness of the developed thrust if it supported the mission in attaining the vision of the school. Chapter III METHODOLOGY This chapter contains research design, respondents, research instruments, sampling design, and data gathering procedure. Research Design The researcher employs the descriptive research design. It describes the perceived effectiveness of the Notre Dame University Thrust, especially in the field of Instruction and Extension, as operated in the College of Education; profile of the College of Education Third and Fourth Year students; and programs and activities being conducted in the College anchored in the University Thrust. Respondents There are 105 third year students, composed of 17 males and 88 females, and 91 fourth year students, composed of 27 males and 64 females who are the respondents of the study with the total number of 196 students. The respondents came from the Notre Dame University College of Education, enrolled during the School Year 2012- 2013. Research Instrument The researchers will use a Key Informant Interview questionnaire and a survey questionnaire instruments in order to gather the data needed in the study. The Key Informant Interview is conducted to the Notre Dame University College of Education Dean and Program Head. The interview is composed of questions that intend to get further information about the programs and activities that the College is conducting. The information is compared to the result of the survey to see if it will coincide with each other making the result of the study reliable. The survey questionnaire will cover two (2) parts: Part I, it’s the profile of the students, specifically the name, gender, and age; Part II are the questions regarding the programs and activities operating in the College of Education that are anchored from the Notre Dame University Thrust (Instruction and Extension). Sampling Design Using the census method, the data will be collected from every member of the total population of the respondents. The respondents will be identified by getting the whole number of population of the Third and Fourth Year students enrolled in the College of Education during the Second Semester of the School Year 2012-2013. Data Gathering Procedure. The activities to be undertaken in the process of gathering relevant data which the study requires: The instruments ready, researchers’ sent letters of permission to the Dean of the College of Education to administer the survey questionnaire. Upon the approval of the letters, the researchers will personally distribute the questionnaire to the respondents. APPENDIX October 18, 2012 DR. MA. CORAZON C. NATANO Dean. College of Education Notre Dame University Cotabato City Dear Dr. Natano: Greetings of peace and love! We, the students of Notre Dame University taking up Bachelor in Secondary Education major in English are currently enrolled in Educ 314B with the descriptive title Thesis Writing. In line with this, may we ask permission from your good office to get a list and conduct a survey for our thesis entitled â€Å"An Assessment of the University Thrust as Translated in the Teacher Education Program in Notre Dame University†. The data will be helpful to us in the completion of our study. We are hoping for your positive response towards our humble request. Very truly yours, MA. CHARIS ELLA AMANDO BUTCH PASCUAL RACHEL ANNE NUNEZ ResearcherResearcherResearcher Noted by: CHARLITO K. CORTEL, JR. Research Adviser January 16, 2013 DR. MA. CORAZON C. NATANO Dean, College of Education Notre Dame University Cotabato City Dear Dr. Natano: Greetings of peace! We are in the process of formulating our survey questionnaire in relation to the study â€Å"An Assessment of the University Thrusts as Translated in the Teacher Education Program of Notre Dame University†. We thought of looking into the Annual Programs and Services of the College of Education as one of the vital documents related to the implementation of the University Thrusts. Hence, we would like to ask permission to have a copy of such documents with the assurance to keep it confidential. Our sincerest thanks for being a helping factor to our research. Respectfully yours, MA. CHARIS ELLA AMANDO BUTCH PASCUAL RACHEL ANNE NUNEZ ResearcherResearcherResearcher Noted by: CHARLITO K. CORTEL, JR. Adviser January 9, 2013 DR. DOLORES S. DAGUINO Vice President for Academic Affairs Notre Dame University Dear Dr. Daguino: Greetings of peace and love. We are third year students of the College of Education and working on a research trying to assess whether the University Thrust (Formation, Instruction, Research, and Extension) are evident/functional in the programs and services in the Teacher Education Program in our own department. We feel that we need help from people who can best enlighten us about it. Hence, we seek your help. We would like appreciate much it you can lend us some documents that will lead us to better understanding of the NDU Thrust. Thank you very much for your kindness. Respectfully yours, MA. CHARIS ELLA AMANDO BUTCH PASCUAL RACHEL ANNE NUNEZ ResearcherResearcherResearcher Noted by: CHARLITO K. CORTEL, JR. Adviser DR. MA. CORAZON C. NATANO Dean, College of Education January 9, 2013 PROF. ELSA C. TAMSE. Executive Assistant to the President Notre Dame University Dear Prof. Tamse: Greetings of peace and love. We are third year students of the College of Education and working on a research trying to assess whether the University Thrust (Formation, Instruction, Research, and Extension) are evident/functional in the programs and services in the Teacher Education Program in our own department. We feel that we need help from people who can best enlighten us about it. Hence, we seek your help. We would like appreciate much it you can lend us some documents that will lead us to better understanding of the NDU Thrust. Thank you very much for your kindness. Respectfully yours, MA. CHARIS ELLA AMANDO BUTCH PASCUAL RACHEL ANNE NUNEZ ResearcherResearcherResearcher Noted by: CHARLITO K. CORTEL, JR. Adviser DR. MA. CORAZON C. NATANO Dean, College of Education Key Informant Interview Questionnaire: 1. What is University Thrust? 2. How important it is especially to be run in the College of Education? 3. How is this University Thrust being translated to the college and to the students? 4. What are the specific programs and activities conducted in the College of Education that are anchored in the University Thrust? 5. Why it is those activities/programs are done? For what reason/s? 6. Are those activities/programs enough? Is it appropriate? 7. Do the activities/programs conducted for the students really helpful? And meet the prescribed standards? 8. What are the efforts done by the faculty and staff of the College of Education for these activities/programs to be successfully implemented? 9. Are those efforts enough? Why? And why not? 10. Are those activities/ programs enough to tell if the university Thrust is really operating in the college? 11. Do you think the college already met the prescribed standards of the University Thrust? Survey Questionnaire: Part I: Students’ Profile Name: _________________________________Sex: ________ Age: ________Year Level: _________ Part II: Survey questions Instruction: Rate the following questions according to what you have observed in the College. Scale:4- Strongly Agree (SA)2- Disagree (D) 3- Agree (A)1- Strongly Disagree (SD) Instruction: 1. The objectives and learning1234 outcomes are well-defined and clearly stated. 2. The given objectives meet1234 the prescribed standards. 3. The learning objectives reflect 1234 to the institution’s teaching learning framework. 4. The teaching and learning1234 process used in the class is appropriate and varied. 5. The teaching- learning strategies 1234 used by the teachers varied depending of students’ learning styles and multiple intelligences. 6. The strategies used in1234 the class facilitate the holistic development of the students. 7. The use of Learning Teams are being1234 facilitated well in the class 8. The instructions used1234 in the class are useful inside and outside the classroom. 9. The teachers practice research-oriented1234 Instruction. 10. The teachers require students with 1234 research-based assignments, projects and assessment tasks. 11. The teachers provide for1234 Collaborative activities that encourage Students to work with learning teams. 12. The teachers provide for 1234 individual tasks that develop students communication skills and promote students HOTS and critical thinking. 13. The teachers conduct activities 1234 that develop students to become problem solvers, creative thinkers and independent learners. 14. The teachers integrate current issues1234 in the course to develop students to become sensitive and responsible of their roles in social transformation in Mindanao. 15. The teachers integrate multi-cultural1234 issues in the course to develop among students respect of diverse culture and faith. 16. The teachers design academic tasks1234 that requires students to develop their ICT skills and utilize technology resources. 17. The faculty in the college1234 encourages the students to join activities such as seminars and educational associations. 18. The teacher is using seat plan1234 and checks the attendance. 19. The learning environment1234 is conducive for the students. 20. The learning environment1234 is well- equipped and offers comfort and accommodates a number of students per session. 21. The learning outcomes1234 of every academic program held in the College are well- defined. 22. The students are well- oriented 1234 on the availability of academic guidance and counseling. 23. The Academic Support Programs in the College are wellconducted and facilitated: * Enhancement program in English1234 * Tutorial Class in Mathematics1234 * Faculty-Student Consultation1234 (eg. tutorial, thesis consultation). Extension: 1. The college has an adopted community. 1234 2. The college has programs involving 1234 Community extension. 3. The students in the College of Education are1234 exposed to community. 4. The college is developing students by 1234 allowing them to be exposed in the community to achievecommunity awareness and personal upliftment. 5. The teachers in the college give activities1234 whereincommunity extension involved. Specify what kind of activity/ies: __________ 6. The college also gives technical assistance1234 in formof functional education, community organizing, health programs and other community programs. 7. The college includes: a.Guiding and motivating students, 1234 Faculty and staff toward community service andgives them chance to be exposed to the community and actual service to make them more sensitive to extension as an integral part of instruction and research. b. Establishes the structure that 1234 will ensure coordination, communication, planning, linkages and monitoring of extension programs. c. Establishes necessary infrastructure1234 To sustain the extension program of theUniversity. d. Integrates extension into both 1234 curricularand co- curricular activities. e. Strengthens coordination and 1234 cooperation between and among students. 8. The college’s commitment to1234 co.