Cats vs. Dogs as Pets

The most popular pets in today’s society are cats and dogs. There has always been a debate for both sides. It’s a matter of opinion to which animal is superior. This essay is going to compare and contrast the two animals. One of the most obvious similarities is that cats belong to the feline family. Cats are independent and require less attention from their owners. Dogs belong to the canine family. Dogs are pack animals; this means they require more attention by their owners so they don’t become depressed and lonely.Looking at both animals, they both have different needs, habits and attitudes. Cats need less grooming because they clean themselves. Cats use a litter box and don’t have to be trained like dogs to use the bathroom outside. Cat litter can be expensive also. Dogs need to have baths, be brushed and taken care of when they use the bathroom. The cost for food is more expensive for dogs. The habits of both animals are very different and should be co nsidered by the owner. Dogs, if allowed, will share a meal with their owner. They can also share furniture such as bed, recliner, and couches.They like to be petted and go for walks. Dogs bark and can bother neighbors. Dogs nail care has to be done by a veterinarian which can cost you. Cats do to but don’t have to be walked. Cats can be trained though to walk on a leash. Cat’s meow, purr, growl, and hiss. Cats may scratch furniture and are very hard to train them not to do so. Cats can be declawed to deter the tearing up of furniture. The other difference between cats and dogs is that cats are nocturnal and dogs are daytime animals. The attitudes between the animals can be very different.Dogs can be loving, loyal, protective and do tricks if trained. Some dogs are really good with kids and some are not so you might want to look into which breed of dogs are good with children. Cats on the other hand can be unpredictable and scratch children. They can be sweet in nature and snuggle up with you. Cats enjoy playing with simple toys such as; paper balls, toilet roll cardboard, mouse toys and yarn. Cats don’t have to be entertained by their owners because they are independent animals. Sometimes cats can bring you surprises such as birds, mice, moles. They even chase and kill flies.Some cats may be shy and skittish around other people so they like to hide in different places throughout the house. There are many reasons we choose to have a pet. One reason may be to relieve stress. Some pet lovers might choose to get a dog to protect their house. Some prefer to own a cat instead of a dog and vice versa. Older people prefer cats for the companionship. Younger couples usually choose a puppy for their children to play with. It is also good to research all the options you have that will suit you and your family. Whether you choose a cat or dog you should always consider they both have different needs, habits and attitudes.

Difference Between America and South Korea Health Care Essay

Each country has a different procedure when it comes to their health care and their care with pre and postnatal. Some countries can spend a great amount of money on their health care (such as the United States) but still might not have the best health care in the world. Others have special arrangements that new mothers and infants can go through to make sure that they start off their life in a good and healthy environment. In this paper I am going to compare and contrast the infant health care and the overall prenatal care in the United States and South Korea by referencing multiple articles and textbooks that focus on this subject. Both countries have various ways in which they handle their health system and the care of their newborns. There are many factors that determine the health of a newborn such as the nutrition that the soon to be mother consumes, the environment that the mother and the child live in, and the hospital that the child is born in. Throughout the years each of these countries have been putting time and money into their health system with the goal of having the most outstanding health care system in the world. Their progress can be recorded in many different ways which will be discussed within this paper. Also the United States and South Korea both have very different systems when dealing with prenatal and infant care. One way that the infant care of a country is measured is through the mortality rate of the infants. In fact (Bae et al. , 2011), â€Å"Neonatal mortality rate (NMR) and infant mortality rate (IMR) are two of the most important indices reflecting the level of public health of a country† (Abstract Section Para. 1). Without measuring and keeping track of these mortality rates, researches would not be able to figure out what countries are working towards a better health care service and which countries need help. Even though the United States is a developed country, and unlike less developed countries, it should have a high mortality rate. In all actuality the United States has one of the worst mortality rates compared to other counties. According to Levine and Munsch (2012), â€Å"Despite the wealth and the availability of (but not always access to) world-class edical facilities, the United States has the same or worse infant mortality rates compared with 37 other industrialized countries (Hoover Institution, 2007)† (p. 176). There are reasons for the high mortality rate, such as the fact there are many different races, ethnicities, and social statuses within the United States. Race and ethnicity do have an input in a person’s health and their life style. Some races (such as Asians) have a higher life expectancy and a lower mortality rate throughout their race because of the way that they are raised and the traditions that they fallow. The social statuses of the expecting mothers also have an impact on the future children because when the parent is part of a higher social status, it is assumed that they have a higher level of education and therefore know more about how they should care for themselves and their infants. The opposite goes for people who are part of a lower social status. The United States has been lowering the number of infant mortality rates by putting programs in affect to try and help out the health system. Some of these programs are (Bae et al. , 2011), †¦execution of Medicaid (1965), Medicare (1965), Supplemental Security Income (social health care security programs for children and pregnant women of the lower income group), provision of State Children’s Health Insurance Programs, Children Vaccine Program, Health Start Program (1991, Early Head Start Program, full day care service, parent education, case management, Community Resource Assistant)†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Discussion Section para. ) and much more. The United States has more programs to help reduce the risk of infant mortality and various diseases, they are also working on other ways to help out the infant mortality rate by focusing on premature and low-birth weight babies. According to Levine and Munsch (2012), â€Å"Birth data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2007a) for 2005 found that the rate of premature births in the United States is 12. 7% or 525,000 babies annually† (p. 178). This number is high for premature births and these programs that are being put into place should help lower it. Even with all of these programs working toward a better health system, South Korea has less of an infant mortality rate. South Korea has improved its health system throughout the years and it has shown in their child care. Their country includes programs such as (Bae et al. , 2011), †¦tests for inborn error of metabolism and care for sick infants (1991), registration of pre-term and congenital abnormal neonates and medical expense support 2000), early diagnosis of deafness (2007), campaign for preventing blindness of preschoolers (2000), prevention of maternal hepatitis B infection (2002†¦(Discussion Section Para. 1) and much more. There are also more programs that are scheduled to appear throughout the fallowing years. As mentioned before it is easier for South Korea to keep their infant mortality rate down because they do not have to focus on many different nati onalities in their country, most of the population in South Korea are Korean. If you compare the two countries and the programs that they are producing it is shown the South Korea has been receiving more advances in the 2000’s while the United States had a breakthrough in their health care in the 1900’s. Copyright  © 2011 The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences. This chart shows that South Korea started off with a higher mortality rate and it had a drastic decline. The United States had a decline in the 1900’s and during the 2000’s it started to stabilize. Copyright  © 2011 The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences. This Chart gives a better understanding as to where the United States and South Korea stand with other countries. Neither of them are the best or the worst country, however they are on opposite sides of the scale. It is expected for the United States to have a lower mortality rate because of the amount of money put into their health care system, but according to the chart this does not appear to be true. South Korea has a lot of respect when it comes to their infants. They see their children as the future to their country and they are willing to do anything to make sure that their infants are well taken care of. This is shown through the data on the chart above because South Korea is closer to the bottom of the scale instead of the top. Both South Korea and the United States have a different hospital system. South Korea has a post-natal care facility called a sanhujoriwon. According to Yeon-soo (2013), Dozens of mothers and newborns stay together in such facilities and more than half of the places operate as non-medical institutions, leading to occasional problems with hygienic management. To prevent mass infection among babies at sanhujoriwons, the government recently beefed up disease surveillance of workers there and instituted a standard terms of use (Para. 2) South Korea is the only country that has these facilities available for their new mothers. Many pregnant women from all over the world come to South Korea just to get this treatment after they give birth. However, this facility is expensive, so not everyone can afford this luxury. According to Yeon-soo (2013), â€Å"The cost of using an upscale sanhujoriwon is 5 million (4,730 U.  S. dollars) to 10 million won (9,460 dollars) for a two-week stay, but the facility is so popular that a reservation might not be possible if not made six to seven months prior to childbirth† (para. 4). That is the price for the most expensive and luxurious places; other places can be thousands of dollars cheaper. In these facilities the nurses make sure that the patients get the right exercise (such as light yoga) and eat the correct food so that their recovery after birth will be as pleasant and beneficial as possible. They also care for the newborn and make sure that they get the nutrients that they need in the first couple of weeks. This helps out the new mother because they have time to relax and recover while their baby is getting the necessary care that is needed. When the mother is ready to go home after a couple of weeks they have a better time adjusting to their new life with a baby because they had the rest and help that they needed. In the United States they do not have these same accommodations but they to do have systems to help out the new mother. The United States has many medical professionals to help with neonatal and postnatal care. Some of those occupations include (Link, Jakubeez, & Temple, 2013), â€Å"†¦neonatologist, neonatal nurse practitioners, bedside nurses, a clinical pharmacist, neonatal respiratory therapists, a nutritionist, a social worker, medical residents, and medical students† (Backgroud Section Para. 1). With a hospital consisting of these medical professionals the patients are likely to get the help that they need while going through the birthing process. Also many hospitals are expanding in the United States to include more room for neonatal care. The Hillcrest Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio expanded their hospital and included (Link, Jakubeez, & Temple, 2013),†¦Ã¢â‚¬ a new 24 bed level 3 neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and additional beds to accommodate high-risk maternal medicine patients† (Background Section para. 1). They expanded their hospital so that they could care for more patients at once; also so that the patients got the opportunity to receive the best care available to them. Usually after a mother gives birth (depending on the birthing method), the mother will stay at the hospital for a couple of days, and then return home. While at the hospital the nurses will help the mother with nursing, feeding, and changing the child. They will also make sure that the mother is recovering well after the birthing process. Both in the United States and in South Korea, they have programs to help mothers and infants after birth. However, the system in South Korea is more advanced because it keeps the mother and infants for a longer period of time which is more beneficial to their health. Nutrition to a pregnant women is a very important factor. If the mother does not get the correct nutrition than they are putting themselves at risks for multiple diseases. Also they are not only putting themselves at risk but they are also putting their unborn baby at risk. Some diseases that the mother can catch from bad nutrition are gestational diabetes, gestational hyptertension, and preeclampsia. Gestational diabetes when not looked after turns into gestational hyptertension; the worst out of the three that were mentioned is preeclampsia. This is because (Sizer & Whitney, 2011), â€Å"Preeclampsia affects almost all of the mother’s organs—the circulatory system, liver, kidneys, and brain† (p. 508). If all of these organs are affected than the baby is at a serious risk of getting hurt. Most of these diseases will disappear after giving birth, but it raises the risk for the mother to catch another serious disease, such as type two diabetes. When a pregnant women is diagnosed with having gestational diabetes they are more likely to catch type two diabetes later on in life. It might not be right away but it could happen a couple of years later. Also they are more likely to be diagnosed with gestational diabetes again if they ever become pregnant again. Being overweight and pregnant is a big risk during pregnancy. In fact (Chen et al. , 2013), â€Å"Metabolic impairments in maternal obesity and gestational diabetes (GDM) induce an abnormal environment in peripheral blood and cause vascular structure alterations which affect the placental development and function† (Abstract section Para. 1). As mentioned before it does not only affect the mother but it also affects the unborn child, but it also affects the child after they are born. Using APA, 2013), â€Å"The historical poor outcomes of pre-gestational diabetes are testimony to the harmful effects of high glucose in early pregnancy as manifest by congenital malformations and in later pregnancy as evidenced by LGA [large-for-gestational-age] and its consequences. † (para. 2). The reason why this is more of a problem in the United States is because they have a higher obesity record than South Korea has. So more women throughout the United States are developing these diseases than women in South Korea. (Amamoto et al. 005) â€Å"Comparison of body mass index (BMI) distributions in Japan and Korea showed the highest value in the normal category (74%) together with a very low obesity rate (1. 2%)† (Results section para. 1). Since South Korea has a low obesity rate within their, they are less likely to give birth to large babies. However, the opposite goes for Women who live in the United States and are obese. This is a problem because (Sizer & Whitney, 2011), â€Å"The infant of an obese mother may be larger than normal and may be large even if born prematurely. The large early baby may not be recognized as premature and thus may not receive the special medical care required† (p. 492). A premature baby might not be completely developed and need medical assistance after the birth. If the doctors don’t know that the baby has developmental problems than the newborn runs the risk of dying. This could also explained for the high mortality rate in the United States since they have a higher rate of obesity and it is difficult to label a child as premature and unhealthy if they are at a healthy weight. The environment that the pregnant women is living in is very crucial to her and her unborn child’s health. There are many illnesses that a woman can pass on to her child from environments that are hazards. When a mother is in her embryonic stage her baby is at a point of rapid development. This is a very crucial stage because the baby is starting to grow their organs, however they are also more likely to catch a disease which could cause a deformity during this stage. If the mother catches a disease than they are more likely during this stage to pass it to their baby which could cause a miscarriage or deformities. The issue of the environment is more of a problem for South Korea because of all the pollution that is in the air. South Korea is a very overpopulated country (especially in Seoul) and with all the cars and factories the air gets easily polluted. According to Sizer and Whitney (2011), â€Å"Pregnant women who are exposed to contaminants such as lead often bear low-birthweight infants with delayed mental and psychomotor developments† (p. 04). This is also an issue in some part of the United States, but it depends on where the person lives. If a pregnant women lives next to a factory that produces hazardous smoke than they are more likely to give birth to a baby with deformities. However, in South Korea many pregnant women are exposed to polluted air for most of their pregnancy and some of their babies are born with serious skin pro blems. There is air pollution everywhere a pregnant women goes but if the pollution is high than they are putting the baby more at risk. There are many factors that play into the prenatal and postnatal health. South Korea and the United States both work hard to make their health system the best that it can be. They have many programs in place and many more programs to come in the future. They are working on their hospitals to make sure they are as convenient as possible so that the mothers and newborns can have the best possible health care. Both countries are working towards lowering their mortality rate and lessening the amount of premature and low-birth-weight children. There is also the nutrition and the environment that the mother is exposed too. A simple factor as being obese can cause serious damage to the mother and the unborn child. Many expecting mothers do not understand that concept so they do not see the risk in it. Of course one country has a better health care system then the other, however they both have pros and cons to their countries. The United States has more funds to deal with and has more medical professionals working in their hospitals so that their patients can receive the best care possible. The negative aspect of the United States is that they have a high obesity rate and a high mortality rate. They also need to work on more programs to lower their mortality rate so that they can have the best possible health care. South Korea has excellent postnatal care, which many people around the world want to experience and be a part of. Also they have a low level of obesity so they are not as likely as the United States to get the diseases that come along with being overweight. The negative aspect of Korea is that their environment is not the best because of the pollution that is surrounding the air. South Korea is an overpopulated country so the air is filled with pollutants that are not good for a pregnant woman and can cause low-birth weight and birth defects. Overall both countries have areas in their health care system that they have to work on and areas outside of their health care system that they need to address. However, as of right now South Korea has a more exceptional health care system than the United States, especially when it comes to infant care.

Realism

Cognitive sentences are those that are dependent to facts and readily have or consist of truth values, such as true and false. Non-Cognitive Sentences constitutes statements which are independent of facts and are cannot be assumed to have a truth value. In this regards, statements such as â€Å"Girelle is stands about five feet and five inches tall† and â€Å"the vase is red† are statements which falls under the Cognitive division. While statements like â€Å"keep quiet† and â€Å"you must not lie† corresponds to Non-cognitive statements.(Marturano 2006, 1)According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of philosophy, Non-cognitive holds that moral properties otherwise known as moral facts do not exist. This means that moral statements are statements that can neither be true or false or simply these statements do not contain any truth condition. Moral sentiments are merely â€Å"approval or disapproval† expressions more akin to wishes and aspirations that ar e seldom associated with emotions than to cognitive â€Å"state of mind† such as beliefs or ideas. Moral Realism on the other hand holds that moral statements were actually reports of factual actions or ideas that are always true or real or existing. ( Sayre-McCord 2005, 1)Non-cognitivist argues that moral statements have no truth conditions in such case that their predicate was merely moral utterances or sentiments that neither have truth or falsity. It does not tell anything about its subject that could prove its truthfulness. In a sense, moral sentiments are meaningless and remain to be mere expressions. They further argue that moral statements were emotive, prescriptive and motivational that cannot be classified as either true or false (Ayer 1936, 28-55) .Non-moral statements on the other hand can express beliefs and ideas that can be evaluated as either true or false (Blackburn 1984, 12-25).Thus the Non-Cognitivist holds that since moral claims are non-cognitive statemen ts, they do not contain any descriptive sentence and are therefore not describing anything at all which means that they do not contain factual statements and are not asserting anything.(Railton 1986, 4-6)The Non-cognitivist believes that normative claims are not valid of any logic since they cannot be true or false. According to Ayer, as quoted in the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, â€Å"ethical claims are comprised of pseudo concepts which merely convey commands or feelings and do not contain any meaning (Marturano 2006, 1). Ethical statements remains important or significant because it is being use to persuade other people most specifically the receiver to perform or act in a certain way. In such case, ethical claims can be debated or can cause several disagreements and agreements but it can never comprise a logical understanding or reach any rational conclusion because normative claims cannot express the truth value of the statement. Thus, logical laws or basic rules of lo gic are inapplicable to moral statements (Hooker 1996, 3-5).By being a non-cognitivist, a person can deal with more relevant questions concerning reality. For instance, instead of dealing with the question of truthfulness of the statement â€Å"abortion should not be permissible†, people would be more focused on assessing the claim with respect to its effect or to its general utility. If abortion is done what would be its effect, thus basing the judgment on the factual outcome and not on mere assumption. To make this point clearer, consider the statement â€Å"genocide is wrong†, since it does not express any truth value, its assessment or its continuation would depend on its result.Non-cognitivism, by removing the truth value of normative statements has ended the dispute regarding the reality of an objective moral code or morality. This paved the way for moral relativism which favors the variation of moral codes in the different parts of the worlds at different times. This results to more respect to different cultures and traditions across national and ethnic boundaries.By denoting that moral statements are merely expression of approval/disapproval or sentiments, the non-cognitivist have also succeed in emphasizing the reason why there have been different reactions among different people regarding a certain moral issue. The varying reason as to why and how people view things differently. It also shows that moral statements cannot be true or false, thus they cannot be use to persuade other people in doing this or that.Moral realism on the other hand purports that moral statements is either true or false. The moral claim, â€Å"abortion is wrong† is either true or false. If this will be the case, there would be fixed moral codes that should apply to everyone else or at least every rational person in the planet. Yet, the relativity and subjectivity of moral statements seems to contradict the moral realist position because in different countr ies there were differing view regarding this matter and this is something that is prevalent in the reality in which we lived in. People does not agree on the same moral issue, most often they would argue differently depending on their position, biases, outlook, experiences and so on. The reason why I agree that â€Å"abortion is wrong† would be very different from your or his or her reason.In moral realism, people would continue to argue and debate over claims fruitlessly. In the end they would come up with a conclusion that is not far from being the decision of the â€Å"majority†. If moral realism are right in asserting that moral statements expresses truth value, then what people, specially influential and powerful ones would do is to persuade other people into believing that their statement is the right and whatever that contradicts their statement and purpose are wrong.Moral realism maintains that there can be â€Å"objective moral values† which contradicts the Non-cognitivist claims. However, moral realist failed to account what constitute the objective moral facts (Shafer-Landau 2005). They argued that â€Å"death penalty is wrong† can be accounted as either true or false simply because they believed that it is the same as any cognitive statement such as â€Å"it is dark†. Moral realist cannot prove that â€Å"death penalty is wrong is in fact true† for it differs from people’s opinion, perspectives and desire. There is no factual evidence that could actually prove that it is true (Stevenson1944, 15). The reality of the existence of moral facts is inaccessible to scientific inquiry and cannot be observed directly through our senses without appeal to our emotions, sentiments or feelings.References:Ayer, A. J. 1936. Language, Truth and Logic. London: GollanczBlackburn, S. 1984.   Spreading the Word. Oxford: ClarendonHare R. M. 1997. Sorting Out Ethics. Oxford: O.U.P.Hooker, Brad. 1996. Truth In Ethics. Ox ford.Kim, Shin. 2006. Moral Realism. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.Marturano, Anotonio. 2006. Non-Cognitivism in Ethics. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.  Railton, Peter. 1986. Moral Realism: The Philosophical Review. Vol. 95, No. 2 (Apr.,), pp. 163-207Sayre-McCord, Geoff. 2005. Moral Realism. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved on September 20, 2007. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/moral-cognitivism/Shafer-Landau, Russ. June 15, 2005. Moral Realism: A Defense.   USA: Oxford University PressStevenson, C.L. 1944. Ethics and Language. New Haven: Yale U.P

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U.S. Intervention in Panama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

U.S. Intervention in Panama - Essay Example This of course is a tapestry of stories that was later on exposed, together with the hubris of a presidency that did not want to be humiliated. Manuel Noriega swiftly came to power after a series of effective endeavors that included among other things being a confidant of no less than the United States government. He had strong ties with the government by proving himself a worthy ally and asset during the tension between the US and the then equally powerful USSR. Throughout the feud, Noriega became a trusted source that his link to the country was directly through the Central Intelligence Agency that was headed by George H. W. Bush himself. Noriega came to power with his strong U.S. support after the death of Omar Torrijos which was just in time after he no longer has the superpower’s favour. Manuel Noriega remained included in the payroll of the agency and this very influence has led him to amass the confidence of many important people that apparently included drug dealers in lieu of their exportation transactions. He â€Å"was seen as a valuable "asset," as a ruthless man whose loyalty could be bought, who would do whatever was needed to serve U.S. interests† (Revcom.us). ... The Panama Canal serves as the gateway to a greater presence in South America and directly to Asia. Originally under the control of Colombia, the United States grabbed control in the early 1900s and established bases in it. After the Second World War the SOUTHCOM, responsible for intelligence and other schemes, created its epicenter there. Led by the tyrannical government of Noriega the suffering of the people Panama and especially of American residents was used to justify the need for his deposition. Among other things, â€Å"He was involved in drug trafficking, arms smuggling, money laundering, and the ruthless oppression of his people. He also systematically violated the American-Panamanian Canal treaties and harassed U.S. forces and institutions in Panama† (Gilboa, p.539). The media played an important role in the execution of Operation Just Cause as utilized advantageously by the Bush government and it was the same venue that candidly exposed the controversies of the issu e. It is by the very image of the president as a ‘wimp’ because of his inability to deal with the Panamanian dictator despite serious allegations of drug trafficking and other oppressions that further agitated George H.W. Bush’s presidency. The final thread that validated the Panama invasion and its popular acceptance was the death of a Marine Lieutenant which was depicted as a definitive demonstration of unprovoked oppression. But this claim was soon probed by the media such as the Los Angeles Times that exposed that the marine actually belonged to a rogue group whose primary function was to rouse trouble that will ultimately provoke the PDF. This group, called ‘Hard Chargers,’ systematically engaged in acts and stratagems that will agitate the Panama

Audit Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Audit - Assignment Example In the course of the financial statements audit, an auditor is subject to the audit risk and he/she commits it if his/her audit opinion is inappropriate. This arises where the financial statements are materially misstated, making them be presented unfairly and fail to conform with the applicable financial reporting framework. To this extent, this paper aims at identifying the possible audit risks as presented in the case of Cupcake Co and the possible actions that the auditor is likely to take in each case. It will also discuss the benefits that accrue from conducting a risk assessment at the planning stage of the audit. According to this paper’s analysis, Cupcake Co is likely to suffer the loss of cash through theft. As presented in the case, the company keeps a sufficiently large amount of cash for the purposes of giving back change. The internal control of Cupcake Co has failed in its control over the cash, making it susceptible to improper diversions, as well as being misused. From the case, there was no separation of duties in cash handling. When such a case subsists such that a single department or individual is entrusted with both asset custody and their record keeping, there is a potential risk of frauds, in that, such assets can be stolen. In addition, accounting records falsifications to hide events can be done. In such a scenario, the management would have difficulties in holding a specific employee accountable in case errors or fraud is detected. To respond to this audit risk, the auditor can ask the management of Cupcake Co to state the internal controls they use to control their cash. The auditor will seek clarification on whether duties are segregated in the handling of cash. The auditor can also perform some analytical procedures such as the prevailing trend in the cash balance relative to the previous year’s balances. There could be an audit risk arising from the

For an organisation; product; service or brand of your choice you are Essay

For an organisation; product; service or brand of your choice you are required to answer the following three questions - Essay Example It actively supports candidates who draft public policies that are related to the brand and its products. The company has its own political action committee Kraftpac which makes valuable contributions to the US Federal and State political parties and candidates; however all corporate contributions are made as permitted by law (Kraft Foods Group, 2014). The economic downturn has also affected Kraft Food sales; however it quickly launched strategies which helped it to recover from this difficult situation. For instance, it came up with meal solutions through which consumers got make the most of their grocery dollars and get quality food at reasonable rates (Kraft Foods Inc., n.d. [a]). In 2013, the sales of its refrigerated meals, beverages, snack nuts and enhancers increased while the sale of its cheeses decreased slightly (Zacks Equity Research, 2014); however it did miss its target slightly. On social front, Kraft Food is quite active and gives priority to health, well-being and nutrition issues. It has earned a name for itself in fighting obesity on one hand and malnutrition and hunger on the other (Siegert, 2013). It has emerged as a strong oppose of negative lifestyles and also been vocal about food quality and safety. Health maintenance, water purification and unaffordable nutrition are other factors it has been working on. During the anti-obesity drive, the company launched a policy not to target children below 6 years with its advertisements (Siegert, 2013). Better-for-you-products are advertised to children aged between 6 to 11 years. In school advertising has been eliminated and in Europe, the nutrition content is also mentioned on the packages to help consumers adopt a healthy lifestyle (Kraft Foods Inc., n.d. [c]). Kraft Foods has also lowered salt content and fat content from some of its products (Kraft Foods Inc., n.d. [c]). Innovation has always been the hallmark of Kraft Foods. It uses technology to its advantage and has come with

RHETORICAL ANALYSIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

RHETORICAL ANALYSIS - Essay Example public to constantly keep hearing the same chorus ‘Secure the perimeter first, then discuss about migration reform.’ The indication appeals to civic sentiment and appears like a modest demand. However, it is not clear what pundits and politicians mean when they publicize their idea. Most of them suggest that a border is protect only when no person crosses illegitimately and on cases when illegal imports slips through. However, anyone with minimal information or appreciation about the approximately 2,000-mile band of land amid Mexico and the U.S. realizes that needing a secure border launches an incredible standard. Hence, the question that most politicians have been ignoring is the amount permeability acceptable through the border. In April 2010, the state of Arizona legislators passed two regulations addressing migration, SB 1070 as well as HB 2162. These regulations added new government requirements, wrongdoings, and penalties connected to enforcement of migration laws. They were to become active on July, the year 2010. Before the rules could go into influence, the American Justice Department filed a complaint asking for an order against these rules disagreeing that they are unlawful. The aim of this rhetorical analysis is to shade more light on the Arizona immigration laws that dispute the direct analogy or ideology held by politicians on how the border should be secured. The article will be centered on the SB 1070 as well as HB 2162 immigration act. The major audience of the paper are the legislators in the aim to give a proper comprehension of their voice in securing the border and their law placed in Arizona. On the 19th of April 2010 the SB 1070, â€Å"Maintain Our Law Implementation and Safe Neighbourhoods Act† was accepted by the Arizona Legislature, and subsequently four days later, it was retained into ruling by Governor Brewer. SB 1070 comprises of provisions that add state drawbacks relating to migration law enforcement comprising trespassing,

Patient Safety in Rural Nursing Because of Nursing Shortage Essay Example for Free

Patient Safety in Rural Nursing Because of Nursing Shortage Essay The United States is in the midst of a nursing shortage that is being increasingly discussed in the context of declining healthcare facilities in the nation. Over 1 in 7 hospitals (15%) report a severe RN nursing shortage with more than 20% of their nursing positions vacant and 80%-85% of hospitals report that they have a nurse shortage This shortage is predicted to intensify over the next decade or two as nurses belonging to the generation of baby boomers retire. The Nursing Management Aging Workforce Survey released in July 2006 by the Bernard Hodes Group reveals that 55% of surveyed nurses and nurse managers reported their intention to retire between 2011 and 2020 (AACN, 2006). In April 2006, officials with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released projections that the nations nursing shortage would grow to more than one million nurses by the year 2020 (HRSA, 2003). Nursing colleges and universities are struggling to expand enrollment levels. In the report titled â€Å"What is Behind HRSAs Projected Supply, Demand, and Shortage of Registered Nurses? † analysts show that all 50 states will experience a shortage of nurses to varying degrees by the year 2015 (AACN, 2006). Factors driving the growth in demand for nurses include: an 18 % increase in the population; a larger proportion of elderly persons requiring proportionally higher levels of medical care; advances in medical technology that heighten the need for nurses; an increase in the number of work settings for nurses and demographic changes in an increasing U.  S. population (HRSA, 2003). Factors that are causing a decrease in the supply of nurses are: the declining number of nursing school enrollees, graduates and faculty; the aging of the registered nurse workforce; work environment issues leading to job burnout and dissatisfaction; high nurse turnover and vacancy rates; and declines in relative earnings (HRSA, 2003). Due to this critical imbalance between the supply and demand of nurses, the United States is today facing a nursing shortage crisis. Nursing shortage in rural settings: Research shows that nursing shortage as defined by the federal government exists mainly in rural areas of the country that are far away from metropolitan areas. These areas suffer more from nursing shortage than urban areas due to lack of economic resources to compete with urban based employers, inadequate training for nurses to practice in rural settings and dependence on non-hospital care settings in the rural areas. According to a paper published by the National Clearinghouse for Frontier Communities, â€Å"Impacts and Innovations in Frontier America† (December 2004), nurse shortages in frontier and rural communities derive not only from the current national shortage of nurses but also a long-standing trend favoring rural-to-urban migration of the educated, skilled workforce. There is also the issue of money. When examined by rurality, LPNs in rural settings ($21,941) report an income 23% lower than that reported by LPNs in urban settings ($28,408) (NCSBN, 2006). A large number of rural communities are losing existing employment and education opportunities and the paper suggests that the community context of a nurse shortage can be addressed only through community-based development approaches as well as the crafting of healthy rural policies. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation published a report titled The American Nursing Shortage with the help of its researchers Bobbi Kimball and Edward ONeil. According to this report, even when some people feel a calling for the professions such as nursing, they are deterred by certain dimensions of the lifestyle, such as low pay, compulsory mobility and the need for service in rural areas. Available data and literature suggest that the impact of the nursing shortage on rural and frontier communities varies greatly from community to community. IN some rural places, there is no difficulty in filling vacancies but there may be just a few good paying jobs. However, in most rural areas, recruiting for openings is estimated to take about 60 percent longer to fill than in urban areas (Long 2000). Nurse employers receive many applications but often find applicants do not meet desired qualifications and then, they often have to accept lower qualifications to fill positions. Differences in education between frontier and non-frontier nurses exist both in their basic nursing education and the highest degree earned (FEC, 2003). Fully half of frontier nurses had qualified as RNs through associate degree (ADN) programs, in comparison with 40% of the non-frontier nurses; in contrast, non-frontier nurses were more likely to have attended diploma or BSN programs. Differences remain when looking at highest degree received; 44% of frontier nurses’ highest degree is the ADN, in contrast with 34% of the non-frontier nurses. And, while the percentage of nurses who have earned a bachelors degree is slightly lower among frontier nurses (30% frontier, 33% non-frontier), the percentage who has earned masters degrees is also lower among frontier (7% frontier compared with 10% non-frontier) (FEC, 2003). At Prairie Vista Nursing Home in Holyoke, Colorado, a town of about 1,900 people about 130 miles northeast of Denver, administrators reportedly had to work double shifts to cover shifts after a nurse retired. Recruiting nurses to work in rural areas is difficult to begin with; and, when urban-trained nurses enter rural practice, they often find they are ill-prepared for the demands of the job, contributing to job dissatisfaction and turnover. Once there, they typically find it difficult to access continuing education opportunities that fit their needs. â€Å"When educators bring their knowledge to us, they often do not realize that we practice differently than urban centers do† (rural nurse, quoted in Molinari 2001). In the rural setting, nurses typically fill multiple roles. There is a need for a broad range of skills and cross training in multiple jobs. â€Å"Rural nursing requires a high level of generalist skills and critical thinking† (Fahs, Findholt et al. 2003). Another issue is that the ethnic composition of the rural nurse workforce does not correspond with the population it serves. The ANA Rural Nursing module identifies five factors that affect rural nursing practice: threats to anonymity and confidentiality; traditional gender roles; geographic isolation; professional isolation; and scarce resources (Bushy 2004). Patient safety for nursing shortage in rural settings: Surveys and studies published recently confirm that the shortage of registered nurses is impacting the delivery of health care in the U. S. and negatively affecting patient outcomes. Research now shows that how well patients are cared for by nurses affects their health, and sometimes can be a matter of life or death. These studies have found that (HRSA, 2003): †¢ A total of 53% of physicians and 65% of the public cited the shortage of nurses as a leading cause of medical errors (Harvard School of Public Health, 2002,); A higher proportion of nursing care and a greater number of hours of care by nurses per day are associated with better outcomes for hospitalized patients (Needleman et al. , 2002); †¢ Nursing actions, such as ongoing monitoring of patient’s health status, are directly related to better health outcomes (Kahn et al. , 1990) ; †¢ 126,000 nurses are needed immediately to fill vacancies at our Nations hospitals. Today, 75% of all hospital vacancies are for nurses (American Organization of Nurse Executives, 2002); Low nurse staffing levels have contributed to 24% of unanticipated events in hospitals that resulted in death, injury or permanent loss of function (Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, 2002); †¢ Patients who have common surgeries in hospitals with low nurse-to-patient ratios have an up to 31% increased chance of dying. Every additional patient in an average hospital nurses workload increased the risk of death in surgical patients by 7% (Aiken et. al. , 2002); Low nursing staff levels were a contributing factor in 24% of hospitals’ reports of patient deaths and injuries since 1996 (Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, 2002); †¢ Less nursing time provided to patients is associated with higher rates of infection, gastrointestinal bleeding, pneumonia, cardiac arrest, and death from these and other causes (Needleman et al. , 2002); and †¢ Nurse executives surveyed indicated that staffing shortages are contributing to emergency department overcrowding and the need to close beds (American Organization of Nurse Executives, 2002). The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, 2002 has issued a warning that failure to address the problem of nursing shortage in rural areas will result in increased deaths, complications, lengths-of-stay and other undesirable patient outcomes. JCAHO examined 1,609 hospital reports of patient deaths and injuries since 1996 and found that low nursing staff levels were a contributing factor in 24% of the cases (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, 2002). New research indicates that a shortage of registered nurses prepared at the baccalaureate and higher degree level is endangering patients. In an article in the September 24, 2003 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. Linda Aiken and her colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania found that patients experience significantly lower mortality and failure to rescue rates in hospitals where more baccalaureate-prepared nurses provide direct patient care. At least 1,700 preventable deaths could have been realized in Pennsylvania hospitals alone if baccalaureate-prepared nurses had comprised 60% of the nursing staff and the nurse-to-patient ratios had been set at 1 to 4. Unfortunately, only 11% of PA hospitals have more than 50% of the nursing staff prepared at the baccalaureate level ( Institute of Medicine, 2003). A survey titled â€Å"Views of Practicing Physicians and the Public on Medical Errors†, conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation reported in the December 12, 2002 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine found that 53% of physicians and 65% of the public cited the shortage of nurses as a leading cause of medical errors. Overall, 42% of the public and more than a third of U. S. octors reported that they or their family members have experienced medical errors in the course of receiving medical care (AACN, 2006). Nurse researchers at the University of Pennsylvania determined that patients who have common surgeries in hospitals with high nurse-to-patient ratios have an up to 31% increased chance of dying. Funded by the National Institute for Nursing Research, the study found that every additional patient in an average hospital nurses workload increased the risk of death in surgical patients by 7% (AACN, 2006). According to an extensive study by Dr.  Jack Needleman and Peter Buerhas, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in May 2002, a higher proportion of nursing care provided by RNs and a greater number of hours of care by RNs per day are associated with better outcomes for hospitalized patients (AACN, 2006). Conclusion: Available data and literature suggest that the issue of nurse shortage is a national one. Yet, the impact of nurse shortage is better seen in the rural areas where nurses are not well paid, existing nurses are not well qualified and patients are dependent on local medical facilities. Because most frontier and rural communities are distant from hospitals, residents may rely on non-hospital based care settings for a greater proportion of their care than their urban counterparts. Due to these reasons, nurse shortage in rural areas has endangered patient safety. Nurses are the primary source of care and support in the health care sector and hence, a sufficient supply of nurses is critical in providing the national and especially the rural population with quality health care. Nurses are expected to play an even larger role in the future.

Importance Of Environmental Impact Assessments

Importance Of Environmental Impact Assessments The environment that we live in is the foundation on which all life is based on. We need to preserve and protect the natural environment and by implementing environmental impact assessments we can sustain the environment for future development and not ruin it. Environmental impact assessments (EIAs) are becoming increasingly important all over the world, and the need to perform environmental impact assessments have been made compulsory in a lot of countries. In South Africa the environmental laws are very strict to protect the environment of the country that we live in. EIAs are performed on the sites where new developments are scheduled to be undertaken or where there is a planned extension of previously developed projects, to assess the impact that the developments will have on the environment. One person cannot perform an environmental impact assessment alone, but rather a team of environmental assessment practitioners (EAPs). The environment The word environment has a very broad spectrum of areas that it could consist of, but it is most commonly used to describe the naturally occurring environment. It is the world we live in, work in, play in, and includes all living (and non-living) things that we encounter on earth. (Aucamp, 2009, p.1). The environment has the ability to vary as time goes by. Therefore the species or organisms that live in an environment need to be able to adapt to these changes in their living environments in order to survive. The environment provides resources for different types of projects. These resources are all part of the environment and prove to be a very crucial part of our lives. The environment is the foundation of future life and needs to be protected and preserved. Environmental Impact Assessment An environmental impact assessment (EIA) is defined by Canter (1999) as the classification and estimation of the impacts that a planned project could potentially have on various workings of the environment. These impacts can occur directly, as well as indirectly and include both environmental and social implications. Environmental impact assessment of proposed development should prove that a project does not have a major negative effect on the environment. If a project does have a significant impact on the environment, the environmental impact assessment should show that these impacts can be mitigated to such an extent such that it doesnt have a great effect on the environment. An environmental impact assessment is not just a document, but rather a process that is followed. This process can be described as very flexible, since there are many different methods and techniques of performing an EIA. EIAs should only be performed once a well proposed project has been planned. Main activities that take place during an EIA During an environmental impact assessment a lot of crucial steps need to be followed and it is very important that all of these steps are completed thoroughly to ensure that the EIA has been performed correctly. These are the four main activities involved in an EIA: Scoping Stakeholder involvement Environmental assessments Related legal aspects These activities will be explained individually throughout the remainder of this report. Screening Screening is the process that needs to be undertaken to establish whether or not an environmental impact assessment has to be done. This process (screening) is done by compiling all the necessary given information or, if there is not enough information, a brief assessment or site visit needs to be done. The level at which an EIA must be performed can also be determined by implementing screening. The steps that can be followed After screening has been completed, decisions on how to continue with the development can be made. The steps that can be followed to perform screening are as follows: Initial meeting with the promoter of the proposed development The environmental assessment practitioner that has been placed in charge of the specific project needs to meet with the person who is promoting the new development or the extension of an old development. They have to discuss all the aspects of the proposed project. These aspects are things like the reason of the project, the size, cost, main stakeholders, opposition and whether some parts of the project are negotiable or not. The environmental assessment practitioner needs to know who all the people are that are in charge of the different categories of the project in order to assess exactly what all the impacts of the project will be. Visit the proposed or existing location of the site During a visit to the intended site, a lot of necessary information can be gathered that is needed for the screening of the project. The exact co-ordinates of the site can be obtained as well as pictures. This makes the project more realistic to assess and easier to visualize once you are no longer on site. While on site, observation can be made and in situ tests can be conducted. The surrounding areas can also be assessed and therefore the whole screening process becomes more intense, which allows for more accurate results concerning the level of the environmental impact assessment that possibly has to be performed. A study of all applicable legislation All the legal requirements that involve an EIA have to be examined. Regulations and rules regarding EIAs according to the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) need to be adhered to at all times. These regulations could also determine whether a basic or full scale environmental impact assessment is required. Knowledgeable experts should be advised when working with all the legal aspects of a project during screening. Scoping After the screening process has been completed, or even at the same time as the screening process, scoping can commence. During scoping the most important issues are attended to. These are the issues that have been raised during the screening of the proposed development that has caused the greatest concerns among the environmental assessment practitioners, the people in charge of the project and the general public. Therefore this process mainly highlights which impacts will have the greatest effect and provides a trend for the final assessment. Scoping is necessary for projects of all sizes. Scoping should be performed throughout the project. Once the site for the proposed development has been finalised the angle of the scoping will differ. Then there will be less issues and more attention can be placed on detailed aspects of the assessment. According to Hamilton (2000) additional time is needed to assess unknown impacts that the project may have on the environment and the social community. This is caused by ineffective scoping. Activities During the scoping process a number of activities take place. These activities include: Identifying the key stakeholders and introducing them to the project and the stakeholders list. Highlighting the most significant issues, values and concerns that need attention during an EIA. Using findings accurately in debating situations as well as in crucial decision making, involving alternatives that could be introduced to a project. The process of identifying all the policies, regulations and detailed aspects of the assessment. These activities should provide a comprehensive scope and could point to means of mitigation or alternatives (Aucamp, 1999; Bekker, 2006). Stakeholder involvement In order to comprehend the stakeholder involvement it is first necessary to understand who a stakeholder is. Howlett and Nagu (1997) define stakeholders as all those people and institutions who have an interest in the successful design, implementation and sustainability of the project. This includes those positively and negatively affected by the project. Stakeholder participation involves processes whereby all those with a stake in the outcome of a project can actively participate in decisions on planning and management. They share information and knowledge, and may contribute to the project, so as to enhance the success of the project and hence ultimately their own interests. Stakeholder involvement is the process where the affected parties of a proposed development or activity participate in the project and includes the full range of communication between the stakeholders and the decision makers of the proposed development. The stakeholders of a project should therefore be part of decisions that are made during a project and they should always be briefed as to the status of the project. Stakeholders should have a right to their opinion and always be brought into consideration during and after a project has been completed. Reasons why stakeholder involvement is important according to Hughes (1998) Stakeholders help identify and address issues that are relevant during an EIA. The involvement of stakeholders helps to connect traditional knowledge of the environment to the project. During an EIA the stakeholder involvement improves the communication between the promoters of the development and the stakeholders. The involvement of all the different stakeholders allows the promoters to identify each stakeholders requirements concerning the project. Stakeholders could identify problems and come up with promising opportunities for the mitigation of problems. Stakeholders make sure that the EIA is performed thoroughly and assure that no aspects have been neglected. When satisfactory attention is spent on stakeholder involvement during an EIA, the class prediction of the environmental assessment improves. Stakeholder involvement allows for more information to be gathered when an assessment is being done. Some local stakeholders have cumulative knowledge about their environments and more availability to information concerning the area of the development. Environmental assessments An environmental assessment (EA) is the process of determining the consequences or effects of change (positive or negative) that a proposed development or activity might have on the environment. The environmental assessment therefore studies the effects that these changes will have on both the physical as well as the social environment. Some changes wont have any effect on the environment. Jain (2004) concluded that some projects that undergo an environmental assessment wont experience any changes caused by the actions, but the present status of the project might have been unacceptable from the start. Methods used to perform environmental assessments according to (Aucamp, 2009) Comparisons with EIA projects in similar projects Checklists Environmental cost-benefit studies Expert opinions and systems Indicators of environmental media or resources Laboratory testing Landscape evaluation Interaction matrices Impact tree networks Photography These are just a few examples and there are many more methods used to perform environmental assessments. Most important environmental legislation controlling the undertaking of an EIA in South Africa In South Africa there are environmental laws that need to be followed when one plans on performing an EIA. This body of rules and guidelines forms part of the structure of the South African environmental legislation. Multinational environmental agreement (MEA) This is part of an international law and includes the following: Treaties Attending to endangered species. Protocols These include the Kyoto protocol that controls carbon emissions. Conventions This includes the likes of the Montreal convention. The Constitution The constitution addresses the rights of all South African citizens. The South African Constitution environmental right section 24 (Republic of South Africa, 1996a) says that: Everyone has the right (a) to an environment that is not harmful to their health or wellbeing; and (b) to have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations, through reasonable legislative and other measures that (i) prevent pollution and ecological degradation; (ii) promote conservation; and (iii) secure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources while promoting justifiable economic and social development. Statuary law Written statuary laws are signed by ministers and presidents. The following are general statuary laws: Environmental Conservation Act (ECA) No. 73, 1989. National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) NO. 107, 1998 Chapter 5 amended 2008. Specific law The following are specific laws that are pert of the South African environmental legislation: Air: VEMA Air quality Act No. 39, 2004. Water: National Water Act No. 36, 1998. Soil: Conservation of agricultural resources Act No. 43, 1983. Biodiversity: NEMA Protected areas Act 2003 NEMA Environmental Biodiversity Act No. 25. 1999. Heritage: National Heritage Resources Act No. 25, 1999. Civil law The civil law is one that is unwritten. It is based on precedent and it is between individuals or between individuals and companies or governmental organizations. All of the above mentioned laws form part of the structure of the most important environmental legislation controlling the undertaking of EIAs in South Africa. When an environmental impact assessment should be undertaken in South Africa Every country has their own environmental legislations and follows different procedures when they plan on performing environmental impact assessments. South Africa has one of the best environmental legislations in the world, which covers every aspect of the environment in order to protect and preserve it for sustainable development. South Africa is very prosperous in terms of natural environment, since the country has a great deal of wildlife and resources. Knowing when to perform an environmental impact assessment is crucial and no short cuts should be taken when determining this. Knowing when to perform an EIA A certain criteria of requirements need to be met in order to ensure whether or not an environmental impact assessment should be performed or not. In South Arica there are rules and regulation controlling this decision. These requirements are all covered in the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), the three listing activities and the EIA regulations. New projects that have started after the 2nd of August 2010 need to adhere to the new regulations. These regulations are discussed in the following subsection. New regulations When determining whether an EIA should be performed the new regulations that have been promulgated in June 2006 should be taken into consideration. After the EIA legislation was introduced to South Africa it was reviewed in 2006. This review brought a number of amendments to the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) which improved certain acts that wasnt up to standards. On the 2nd of August 2010 these regulations were changed slightly. The following regulations have come into effect: Projects that run through this transitional period and cross over into the new regulations only need to adhere to all the old environmental impact assessment regulations, which were still in effect when the project started. Differences between basic and full scale environmental impact assessments in South Africa Full scale EIA Acknowledge receipt Check application Submit application EIA Response Submit scoping report Scoping Notification of decision Decision Response Basic EIA Submit application Basic assessment report Public participation Await authorisation Acknowledge receipt Check application Response Notification of decision Images of environmental impacts in South Africa Moses Mahbida Stadium in Durban Description This photo shows the construction of the soccer stadium. This huge structure covers 89600 m2 and is 45 m in height. A 350 m long arch that stretches across the stadiums length reaches a height of 100 m. Type of project This was a construction project for the development of Durbans Fifa World Cup 2010 venue that replaced the old Kings Park Soccer Stadium. Impacts This stadiums biggest negative impact was its visual impact on Durban, since it is such a massive structure and it was an upgrade of an existing stadium. Mitigation of impacts The design of this stadium was done to world class standards. The stadium was designed to be a great engineering accomplishment and by doing this the big structure no longer had a negative impact on the social environment. Everyone was looking forward to the completion of the great stadium and they were proud to include this stadium to the image of Durban. Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) Description This is a photo of the Cape Town International Conference Centre that is stated to be the greenest building in South Africa. This project is attempting to set international standards in sustainable building design and management. Type of project A 30000 m2 extension project of the Cape Town International Conference Centre was performed to improve the facility. Impacts This building didnt have any significant negative impacts on the environment, but it didnt have any positive impacts either. Mitigation of impacts The mitigation process for this project was turning a project with no impact on the environment into a project with an overall positive impact on the environment. According to Harcourt (2008) they accomplished this by designing the building to use 40 percent less energy per m2, 25 percent less waste to landfill and 95 percent potable water. The port of Ngqura Description This is a development of a deep water port at the Coega River Mouth. It is situated about 20 km from Port Elizabeth and will be the deepest container terminal in Africa. Type of project This is a brand new project that has been built from scratch. It will have a fixed embedded jet pump sand bypass system. It will include major earthworks as well as road networks. Impacts The natural environment around this area has been severely changed and damaged. This was a very simple piece of land and there were no endangered species. It will surely also positively impact the economical environment of a previously undeveloped and poor region. Mitigation of impacts The areas all around the Port will be developed once Ngqura is promoted to South Africas hub port. These damaged areas will then be created into an industrial area and create thousands of jobs and economically strengthen the region Gautrain Project Description The Gautrain will be a Rapid Rail Link system that can improve transportation in the Gauteng area. It is a world class railway system and will produce high speed trains for speedy transportation that stretches from Johannesburg to Pretoria. Type of project This will be South Africas most technological transportation project to date. This Rapid Rail Link system has been under construction for several years and is currently up and running. This project has a lot of potential of expanding in the future. Impacts Due to the size of this project there are a lot of impacts. There are both bio-physical and socio-economical impacts. The bio-physical impacts are the following: Fauna and flora along the path of the construction. Ground and wetlands that are destroyed. Soils along the route and the geology of the earth. Air quality around the construction sites. The socio-economical impacts are as follows: Noise and vibration that will be caused during the construction and once the trains are running every day. Land use and the property values. Social. Heritage. Economic. Mitigation of impacts The developers of the Gautrain project have held several meetings with the public and their stakeholders in order to mitigate all of the problems that have arisen from this project. All endangered plant species have been saved and protected. Wetlands have been rehabilitated to previous conditions as well as damaged ground and soils. The noise levels have been lessened considerably since the project has been running and there have been no major complaints. All heritage sites have been protected during the construction. Overall this project has shown a very large potential for economic growth. Impacts The most significant impacts involved with this project are the transmission integration factors, seismic suitability of the sites, impacts on dune geomorphology, impacts on wetlands, impacts on vertebrate fauna, impacts on invertebrate fauna and economic impacts. Mitigation of impacts Conclusion This report has shown the importance of environmental impact assessments. It is definitely a fundamental step in the life of a project. Performing an EIA is critical for a successful project and that projects are done without performing EIAs are destined for failure and devastation to all the people involved in the project. The South African law proves to be very up to date when it comes to environmental legislation and is of world class standards. These laws protect all environments and help enforce developers to build according to the regulations. EIAs very detailed processes and all developers should gain insight as to what the procedures are when performing EIAs and when EIAs should be performed to basic or full scales. EIAs are there to protect the environment and ensure sustainable development. They ensure that we leave something behind for future generations.

Effect of Perceived Anonymity of Group Task Social Loafing

Effect of Perceived Anonymity of Group Task Social Loafing Title: The effect of perceived anonymity upon individual effort in a group task. Abstract: Social loafing according to Latanà © et al (1979) is the decrease in personal effort that occurs when an individual works within a group. However, when people feel as though their input is identifiable they are motivated to exert more effort, thereby mitigating social loafing. (Harkins Jackson, 1985) In an attempt to discover if this effect could be replicated, an opportunity sample of 52 participants was recruited to partake in an independent measures experiment. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups, the public group or the private group. Both groups were asked, via email, to provide suggestions on how their town centre could be improved. The â€Å"public† group believed their results would be attributed to them publicly whilst the â€Å"private† group were assured anonymity. It was hypothesized that the public group would provide more suggestions than the private group. The â€Å"private† condition resulted in a lower mean number of respon ses (M 3.8, SD 2.6) than the â€Å"public† condition (M 6.8, SD 2.22) which supported the hypothesis. Introduction: Social loafing is the propensity for group members to come to be less productive as the group size increases (Latanà © et al, 1979). This effect reveals the converse relationship that exists between group size and an individual’s input to the accomplishment of a task. While examining the association between performance effectiveness and group productivity, Ringelmann (1913) discovered that having members of a group work collectively (in this case, pulling a rope) actually resulted in considerably less effort being applied than when the individual carried out the task independently. Ringelmann also revealed that as more individuals join a group, the group frequently grows progressively inefficient; rejecting the premise that group effort reliably leads to increased productivity. He suggested that groups fail to maximise their potential as several interpersonal processes diminish the group’s overall ability. Williams, Harkins and Latanà ©, (1981) attributed two distinct processes as potential sources for the reduced productivity within groups: motivation loss, and coordination issues. However, group members largely believe that they are contributing to their full potential when asked; evidence has indicated that individuals exhibit loafing without realising (Karau Williams, 1993). In order to facilitate a reduction in social loafing, several suggestions forwarded. Kerr Bruun (1983) state that individuals who exhibit social loafing often fail to contribute as they believe other group members will compensate for them. Therefore, each member of a group should be made to feel like they are vital to the completion of the task at hand. By increasing the individual’s perceived importance of their part of the group, members tend to expend more effort towards achieving the required outcomes. Harkins Szymanski (1989) assert that groups that establish explicit goals tend to outperform groups with unclear objectives. Setting clearly defined aims is believed to encourage many production-enhancing processes, such as increased commitment, comprehensive planning and quality monitoring of group tasks, and increased effort (Weldon, Jehn, Pradhan, 1991). Similar results can be achieved by decreasing the group size; as group size reduces, each members role in the group becomes increasingly integral, so the opportunity to loaf is reduced. Finally, and the focus of this study, when people feel as though their individual contribution is identifiable, they become motivated to work harder on a group project (Harkins Jackson, 1985). This is due to the individual experiencing evaluation apprehension, thereby increasing productivity through social facilitation. Social facilitation is an improvement in performance produced by the presence of others, as in the â€Å"audience effect† as demonstrated by Dashiell (1935), However, should a project allow individual members to remain anonymous, they feel less anxiety about being judged by others, resulting in social loafing (Harkins Petty,1982). The research hypothesis for this study is: Participants in the public group will provide more suggestions than participants in the private group. Method: Design: An Independent measures experimental design with two groups was employed. The independent variable, attribution of comments, was manipulated so that one group was informed that their comments would be publicly attributed to them while the other group was informed that they would remain anonymous. The dependent variable was the total number of responses. Participants: 52 Participants from the experimenter’s friends, family and workplace were asked via email to participate. Participants were assigned, on an alternate basis, to either the â€Å"public† or â€Å"private† condition. The number of participants in each condition was equal. Materials: Standard (2013) desktop PC running Windows 8 and Microsoft Office 2010 was used for all email correspondence, data collation. Ethical consent form obtained from a university representative prior to experiment. (See Appendix A). Participant consent form (See Appendix B). â€Å"Public† group instruction form (See Appendix C). â€Å"Private† group instruction form (See Appendix D). Response collation form (See Appendix E). Participant debrief form (See Appendix F). Procedure: Each participant in the first instance was contacted via email to ask if they wished to take part in a research experiment. Participants who agreed were randomly assigned to one of two groups, the â€Å"public† group or the â€Å"private† group, by means of order of response. For example the first participant to agree to take part was allocated to the â€Å"public† group, the second to â€Å"private† and alternated thusly until all participants had been assigned a group. Each was then sent, via email, an instruction form relating to their group and a consent form to complete. Each participant was asked to follow the instructions provided and return both the consent form and their responses by email within 48 hours. Once the responses were received the debrief sheet was sent out to inform the participant of the true nature of the experiment and advise them that they could remove their data and consent should they wish to. As no consent was withdrawn all dat a gathered was utilised. The total number of responses for each participant was counted and recorded under the appropriate group heading on the response collation form for statistical analysis. Results: The results from the two groups were collected and collated into a table of raw data (See Appendix G). Summary statistics are provided in Table 1 and the mean values are displayed in Figure 1. An independent-samples t-test was conducted to compare the number of responses in â€Å"public† and â€Å"private† conditions (See Appendix H). There was a significant difference in the scores for the â€Å"public† (M=6.8, SD= 2.2) and the â€Å"private† (M=3.8, SD=2.6) conditions; t (50) =4.52, p= Figure 1. Mean number of responses for â€Å"public† and â€Å"private† conditions. Discussion: The results generated in this study support Harkins and Jackson’s (1985) assertion that identification increases group productivity in that the â€Å"public† group provided a significantly higher â€Å"response† mean. It also suggests Ringelmann’s (1913) observations and Latanà © et al’s (1979) â€Å"social loafing† may occur even when group members are not physically part of a group. A possible issue of using an independent measures design for this type of research is the potential for error arising from individual differences between participants, for example it may have been that those selected for the â€Å"public† group may have been, in general, more civically minded with a greater personal investment in their home town. As a result the â€Å"public† group might return more responses, not as a result of the independent variable being altered but of the individual differences in participants. To mitigate this effect more information would need to be gleaned from participants to ensure equal distributions between groups. Social loafing and social facilitation, in general, are viewed as distinct lines of research in social psychological literature. It appears, however, that these two phenomena may be closely related as the latter appears to mitigate the former. Further research into the extent to which they interact would be useful in uncovering the depth of the relationship. A pertinent question would be; is there a situation where social facilitation fails to affect social loafing? References: Dashiell, J. F. (1935). Experimental studies of the influence of social situations on the behavior of individual human adults. Harkins, S. G., Petty, R. E. (1982). Effects of task difficulty and task uniqueness on social loafing. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 43(6), 1214. Harkins, S. G., Szymanski, K. (1989). Social loafing and group evaluation.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,56(6), 934. Karau, S. J., Williams, K. D. (1993). Social loafing: A meta-analytic review and theoretical integration.Journal of personality and social psychology,65(4), 681. Kerr, N. L., Bruun, S. E. (1983). Dispensability of member effort and group motivation losses: Free-rider effects. Journal of Personality and social Psychology, 44(1), 78. Latanà ©, B., Williams, K., Harkins, S. (1979). Many hands make light the work: The causes and consequences of social loafing.Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology,37(6), 822-832. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.37.6.822 Ringelmann, M. (1913). Research on animate sources of power: The work of man.Annales de l’Instuit National Agronomique,12, 1-40. Szymanski, K., Harkins, S. G. (1987). Social loafing and self-evaluation with a social standard.Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology,53(5), 891-897. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.53.5.891 Weldon, E., Jehn, K. A., Pradhan, P. (1991). Processes that mediate the relationship between a group goal and improved group performance.Journal of personality and social psychology,61(4), 555. Appendix: Appendix A Completed ethical consent form obtained prior to study. Research Projects UHI Students All Undergraduate, Taught Postgraduate and Research Students registered on any UHI programme undertaking a research project must seek ethical approval via their Project Supervisor prior to undertaking any form of fieldwork or data collection exercise. Please read the UHI Research Ethics Framework before completing this form and submitting it to your Project Supervisor for approval and signature. Please pay close attention to the guidance notes, as it may be necessary for you to complete another form as part of this exercise. Further information on UHI’s Research Ethics Policy and the ethical approval process can be found at http://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/research-enterprise/resource/ethics Research Ethics Checklist Please complete as appropriate If the answer to the above question is â€Å"Yes†, compliance with NHS Guidelines will be required (see www.nhshighland.scot.nhs.uk/Research/Pages/ResearchEthics.aspx ), and there is no need for you to answer the remaining questions. Please complete and sign the declaration at the end of this form and submit it to your Project Supervisor. If the answer is â€Å"No†, please continue to Question 2. If the answer to the above question is â€Å"Yes†, please answer the remaining questions. If the answer is â€Å"No†, please complete and sign the declaration at the end of this form and submit it to your Project Supervisor. If you have answered â€Å"No† in each case to Questions 3-14, please complete the Declaration and pass this form to your Project Supervisor for approval. If you have answered â€Å"Yes† to any of the questions, please complete Form REC1-D Student and submit it to your Project Supervisor along with this form. DECLARATION *please delete as appropriate PROJECT SUPERVISOR AUTHORISATION I confirm that: Comments ‘Approved’ or ‘Not Approved’: Thank You. Once authorised, please pass this form, along with Form REC1-D Student if relevant, to the UHI Research Ethics Officer Appendix B Participant consent form. Consent Form Name: Age: Top of Form Gender: MaleFemale Would you like a copy of the completed report? Yes No Bottom of Form Appendix C â€Å"Public† group instruction form. Instructions – Public Group Thank you for volunteering to take part in this project. You are in a group of about 40 people from your local community who have been asked to provide suggestions on how your local town centre can be improved (e.g. provision of litter bins, other shops you would like to see/not see, activities etc). All group members will receive a copy of all suggestions and their authors, made by the group. You can provide as many suggestions as you like. Please send your suggestions by return email within 48 hours. You will then receive a debrief sheet. Appendix D â€Å"Private† group instruction form. Instructions – Private Group Thank you for volunteering to take part in this project. You are in a group of about 40 people from your local community who have been asked to provide suggestions on how your local town centre can be improved (e.g. provision of litter bins, other shops you would like to see/not see, activities etc). No-one else in your group will see your suggestions or name and participation will be in the strictest confidence. You can provide as many suggestions as you like. Please send your suggestions by return email within 48 hours. You will then receive a debrief sheet. Appendix E Result collation form. Appendix F Participant debrief form. Debrief sheet Thank you again for taking part in this project. You have in fact been taking part in an experiment into social loafing. You were amongst a group of 40 participants who were randomly assigned to one of two groups, a public group and a private group. The aim of the experiment was to compare the amount of suggestions provided by each group. It was anticipated that the public group would provide more suggestions as they believed they would be identified and as such would not want to appear to be putting the overall performance of the group down, the private group were expected to provide less suggestions as they were not to be identifiable and it would not be known if they provided only one suggestion for the group, and therefore more prone to ‘social loafing’. The data has now been collated and we did indeed find that the public group provided more suggestions than the private group. These findings along with a report will be written and submitted to the University of Highlands and Islands as part of an assessment carried out by 3rd year Psychology Degree students. Your personal details will not appear in the final report other than the amount of suggestions provided and you will be referred to by number only. We apologise for deceiving you and accept that you may wish to withdraw your data from this study, if so please inform us by return email and we will remove your data from the group. In order for us to use your data, please complete the attached form and return by email as soon as possible. Should you wish to receive a copy of the report, please tick the appropriate box on the attached form. Thank you again for your participation in this study. Appendix G Raw data collated from participant responses. Appendix H Independent Samples T Test results. 1

Understanding SNPs : Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms :: Biology SNP Natural Selection

missing figures Introduction Throughout the 21st century scientists have made remarkable leaps and bounds in the field of human genetics. One particular subject that has recently gained a lot of attention is the development of the human genome. Because of the human genome it is now widely understood that many humans throughout the world have thousands of genes in common. However, there are just as many different forms of variation that take place among humans. For example, genetic variation is noticed through differences in hair color and texture, height, eye color and many other physical traits (phenotype). Another form of genetic variation is called single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs). An SNP is simply a location on a DNA chain were ONE nucleotide has undergone a change or variation (morphed). This point of difference represents a single nucleotide polymorphism. It is a location in the DNA helical structure where there is a point of difference in a set of bases. These are what scientist are referring to when they map the human genome and find the loci of SNPs. Scientists are currently studying SNPs for various reasons and now have the ability to designate the location of SNPs in the human genome. Scientists are so intrigued with the study and tracking of SNPs because it can unfold layers of information regarding the variation of particular genes, such as pathogenic genes. In addition, scientists have found that some genes are more variable than others. (Refer to table 1) Furthermore, the study of SNPs helps researchers understand mutations in populations and migratory patterns. However, the most significant contribution that the study of SNPs provides to the scientific world is a greater understanding of Natural Selection. There are examples throughout this paper which demonstrate how Natural Selection is better understood through SNPs. Method Data from the Human Genome Project allowed Dr. Nachman to address the question if nucleotide variation is positively correlated to recombination rates in humans. First, by integrating physical maps of the human genome with genetic maps, the genetic and physical distances between markers could be compared and recombination rate variation could be estimated. Next, nucleotide variability measurements from other studies were compared to determine the level of nucleotide variability in humans. Finally, these data sets were analyzed to determine the correlation between recombination rate in humans and nucleotide variability. Additionally, Dr. Nachman compared correlations between recombination rates and nucleotide variation by looking at data of SNP density obtained from the Human Genome Project. PCR technique is essential to the study of SNPs.