The Iodine Number of an Oil or Fat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Iodine Number of an Oil or Fat - Essay Example The fatty acids without carbon-carbon double bonds are classified as saturated, and those containing carbon-carbon double bonds are classified as unsaturated. Palmitic and stearic acids are the most common saturated fatty acids, and oleic and linoleic acids are the most common unsaturated fatty acids. A way to measure the relative degree of unsaturation of a fat or an oil is to determine its iodine number. The Iodine Number is defined as the number of grams of iodine taken up by 100g of fat. The amount of iodine consumed is determined by titrating the iodine released, after addition of excess potassium iodide with standard sodium thiosulphate solution and comparing with a blank in which the fat is omitted (Pocklington, 1990). In general, fats have lower iodine numbers than oils because oils have greater percentages of carbon-carbon bonds that are double bonds. For example, typical iodine numbers for butter are 25 to 40, and for corn oil, 115 to 130. The fat and oil samples with 0.3 g weight were placed inside a clean and dry conical flask. Chloroform (10 cm3) was then added into the reaction vessel. Using a burette, 25cm3 of Wijs solution was carefully added dropwise. The flask was kept in the dark for 30 - 45 minutes for the reaction to occur. After stirring the solution, a spatula of potassium iodide was added. The solution was mixed until the dissolution was complete. De-ionised water (100cm3) was then added into the solution. Titration was performed using the 0.1mol dm-3 solution of sodium thiosulphate provided until a pale straw colour was observed. After this, a starch indicator was added until the blue colour disappears. A blank was also prepared separately. The iodine numbers (I2 No) of the samples were computed using the Equation (1): where B and T are the respective blank and test values from titration (cm3), and W is the weight of the fat and oil (g). The B-T values represent the difference

Normative ethics Essay Example for Free

Normative ethics Essay Metaethics talks about the nature of ethics and moral reasoning. Discussions about whether ethics is relative and whether we always act from self-interest are examples of meta-ethical discussions. In fact, drawing the conceptual distinction between Metaethics, Normative Ethics, and Applied Ethics is itself a metaethical analysis. Normative ethics is interested in determining the content of our moral behavior. Normative ethical theories seek to provide action-guides; procedures for answering the Practical Question (What ought I to do? ). The moral theories of Kant and Bentham are examples of normative theories that seek to provide guidelines for determining a specific course of moral action. Think of the Categorical Imperative in the case of the former and the Principle of Utility in the case of the latter. Applied Ethics attempts to deal with specific realms of human action and to craft criteria for discussing issues that might arise within those realms. The contemporary field of Applied Ethics arouse in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Today, it is a thriving part of the field of ethics. Numerous books and web-sites are devoted to topics such as Business Ethics, Computer Ethics, and Engineering Ethics. Ethical Relativism Distinctions within Relativism There is a distinction between morals and mores. The latter can be defined as harmless customs (e. g. , tea at 4); the former as treatment of others (e. g. , the practice of Apartheid). In discussing Relativism, we are concerned only with moral practices. The Problem of Relativism: What one society considers Right, another Society considers Wrong. Therefore, RIGHT AND WRONG are RELATIVE to a PARTICULAR SOCIETY. Here we need to be aware of two things: (1) Confusing harmless conventions (The British drive on the left side of the road) with harmful practices (Clitorectomy is customary among the Somali). (2) Even if moralities may differ from society to society, it need not follow that Morality Itself is relative for there is a further distinction between CULTURAL (descriptive) RELATIVISM and NORMATIVE (Ethical) RELATIVISM. Cultural (descriptive) Relativism: The descriptive relativist simply notes certain sociological FACTS: (a) Factual Claims: x is considered right in Society y at time t and x is considered wrong in Society z at time t. (b) Empirical Conclusion: Moralities are relative [Note that the claims of Cultural Relativism are either true or false. ] Normative (ethical) Relativism The normative relativist goes BEYOND any sociological facts. (a) Normative Claim: What is considered right in Society x at time t IS right for that Society. (b) Theoretical (metaethical) Claim: Morality Itself is Relative. Note that ethical relativism does not logically follow from any truths uncovered by descriptive relativism. Note also that the ethical relativist has a hard time explaining how radical moral change can occur within a certain society (as with slavery or womens suffrage in the United States). Ethical Egoism Psychological and Ethical Egoism. As a metaethical theory of motivation, psychological egoism asserts the descriptive claim that all of our actions can be reduced to self-interest: Whenever people do something, it is only because they think something desirable for themselves will result from it. The claim is descriptive and thus open to counterexamples, and it is broad, stating a reductionistic thesis regarding all of our actions. (Contrast psychological egoism with the psychological state of sympathy, where the weal and woe of the other becomes the motive for our action.) Ethical egoism is a normative theory that states that our actions ought to be done from the perspective of self-interest. One of the problems with this position is that it might not be in ones self-interest to have eveyone act from the perspective of self-interest. This state of nature would not be desirable (in Hobbes terms, life would be beastly, brutal, and short) and so it might ultimately be in ones self-interest to enter into a contract with others that would place restraints upon self-interested actions. Utilitarian Theories Utilitarianism Utilitarianism is a normative ethical theory that places the locus of right and wrong solely on the outcomes (consequences) of choosing one action/policy over other actions/policies. As such, it moves beyond the scope of ones own interests and takes into account the interests of others. Bentham’s Utility Principle: (1) Recognizes the fundamental role of pain and pleasure in human life, (2) approves or disapproves of an action on the basis of the amount of pain or pleasure brought about i.e, consequences, (3) equates good with pleasure and evil with pain, and (4) asserts that pleasure and pain are capable of quantification (and hence measure). In measuring pleasure and pain, Bentham introduces the following criteria: INTENSITY, DURATION, CERTAINTY (or UNCERTAINTY), and its NEARNESS (or FARNESS). He also includes its fecundity (will more of the same follow? ) and its purity (its pleasure wont be followed by pain vice versa). In considering actions that affect numbers of people, we must also account for its EXTENT. John Stuart Mill adjusted the more hedonistic tendencies in Benthams philosophy by emphasizing (1) It is not the quantity of pleasure, but the quality of happiness that is central to utilitarianism, (2) the calculus is unreasonable qualities cannot be quantified (there is a distinction between higher and lower pleasures), and (3) utilitarianism refers to the Greatest Happiness Principle it seeks to promote the capability of achieving happiness (higher pleasures) for the most amount of people (this is its extent). Act and Rule Utilitarianism. We can apply the principle of utility to either PARTICULAR ACTIONS or GENERAL RULES. The former is called act-utilitarianism and the latter is called rule-utilitarianism. Act-utilitarianism The principle of utility is applied directly to each alternative act in a situation of choice. The right act is then defined as the one which brings about the best results (or the least amount of bad results). * Criticisms of this view point to the difficulty of attaining a full knowledge and certainly of the consequences of our actions. * It is possible to justify immoral acts using AU: Suppose you could end a regional war by torturing children whose fathers are enemy soliders, thus revealing the hide outs of the fathers. Rule-utilitarianism The principle of utility is used to determine the validity of rules of conduct (moral principles). A rule like promise-keeping is established by looking at the consequences of a world in which people broke promises at will and a world in which promises were binding. Right and wrong are then defined as following or breaking those rules. * Some criticisms of this position point out that if the Rules take into account more and more exceptions, RU collapses into AU. * More genearl criticisms of this view argue that it is possible to generate unjust rules according to the principle of utility. For example, slavery in Greece might be right if it led to an overall achievement of cultivated happiness at the expense of some mistreated individuals. Deontological Theories Acting from Duty Deontological normative ethical theories place the locus of right and wrong in autonomous adherence to moral laws or duties. Monistic deontology Kants Categorical Imperative (Act only on that maxim whereby thou canst at the same time will that it should become a universal law) provides the source of right action. Its first formulation states Act as if the maxim of your action were to secure through your will a universal law of nature; its second formulation states Always act so as to treat humanity, whether in your own person or that of another, as an end in itself, never as a means only. Actions that conform to these imperatives (i. e., right actions) and are, furthermore, done from a sense of duty, are the epitome of morally praiseworthy actions. Critics of Kants approach claim that his Categorical Imperative does not contain within it a way to resolve conflicts of duties. Lying is wrong can be interpreted as Never lie and thus Universal Principles can harden into Absolute Principles. Pluralistic deontology For the 20th Century philosopher W. D. Ross, there are a number of duties that reflection reveals and these form a group of prima facie obligations. The phrase prima facie (all things being equal) refers to the fact that these duties do not bind us absolutely, but rather that they generally hold absent any further considerations. Two key duties are nonmaleficence (dont harm others) and beneficence (help others). Other prima facie duties include dont lie, dont kill, keep promises, etc. When conflicts occur between duties, our actual duty becomes that which intuitive judgment discerns as the right thing to do (e. g. , lying to save the life of an innocent person). Critics are cautious about referring to intuition as the criterion for determining our actual course of action. Stephen Toulmin suggested that we weigh up, as well as we can, the risks involved in ignoring either, and choose the lesser of two evils. Thus, while the principles may be deontic in nature, a resolution of conflicts of principles could appeal to probable consequences. Virtue Ethics Historical Perspective There is a long tradition in ethics that places great importance on the kind of person one is. We not only want those around us to tell the truth (for example, according to the Categorical Imperative), but also to be honest. Both Aristotle (arete) and Aquinas (virtu) emphasized this aspect of ethics by highlighting the role of what we would today call character in their discussions of ethics (and the classic virtues of courage, justice, and moderation). David Hume also gave virtue and personal merit a key role in his ethical theory. The recent revival of interest in virtue ethics can be traced back to Philippa Foot. She writes that a person’s virtue may be judged by his innermost desires as well as by his intentions; and this fits with our idea that a virtue such as generosity lies as much in someone’s attitudes as in his actions . The Moral Concept of Virtue We should distinguish the virtues found in a particular society or culture (e. g. , chastity) from those virtues that can be supported by moral reasoning (e. g. , honesty). A virtue is a trait of character that is socially valued, and a moral virtue is a trait that is morally valued†¦Moral reasons must support a claim†¦of moral virtue . By emphasizing the priority of character in discussions of ethics, virtue theorists can say: †¦rather than using rules and government regulations to protect subjects in research, some claim that the most reliable protection is the presence of an ‘informed, conscientious, compassionate, responsible researcher’. The underlying view here is that character is more important than conformity to rules and that virtues should be inculcated and cultivated over time through educational interactions, role models, etc. A practical consequence of this view is that the education of, for example medical doctors, should include the cultivation of virtues such as compassion, discernment, trustworthiness, integrity, conscientiousness as well as benevolence (desire to help) and nonmalevolence (desire to avoid harm). Critical Evaluation of Virtue Ethics Often times we encounter morality between strangers (as when one enters an Emergency Room after a car accident). At these times, it’s not the person’s character, but his/her need to follow rules and procedures that seem to come to the forefront (Virtue is not enough). Furthermore, persons of ‘good character’ can certainly formulate ‘bad policy’ or make a ‘poor choice’ and we need to evaluate those policies and choices according to moral principles. Constructive Evaluation of Virtue Ethics Yet †¦ethical theory is more complete if the virtues are included†¦motives deserve to be at center stage in a way that some leading traditional theories have inadequately appreciated †¦ To look at acts without also looking at the moral appropriateness and desirability of feelings, attitudes, forms of sympathy, and the like is to miss a large area of the moral picture (BC, 4th Ed., 69) Liberal Rights and Communitarian Theories Today we often find moral problems framed by perspectives derived from political philosophy. Issues like euthanasia, stem cell research and abortion as well as distributive justice concerns such as social security and medicare, are likely to be seen along the liberal/conservative divide. Traditional moral theories need to take these frameworks into consideration. Will Kymlicka’s Introduction to Political Philosophy provides analyses of the philosophical ideas behind the â€Å"ideological debates† that now envelop many topics in moral philosophy. Of particular value is his discussion of liberal equality, libertarianism, and communitarianism. Liberal equality is often associated with the work on John Rawls in his Theory of Justice. It argues that we should rationally affirm two fundamental principles of justice designed to protect our political liberties and social opportunities. It can be directly contrasted with the libertarian ideas found in Robert Nozick’s Anarchy, State, and Utopia. Nozick challenges Rawls’s approach to social inequalities and argues for a minimalist state. But both authors (and their followers) conceive of individuals as ‘Socratic’ in nature, capable of reasoning about their life plan and questioning, in principle, the world around them. In this sense, they are both ‘liberals’ in the tradition of John Stuart Mill’s essay, â€Å"On Liberty. † â€Å"For liberals, the question about the good life requires us to make a judgment about what sort of a person we wish to be†. Thus liberals will emphasize the role of choice and freedom from government interference in private matters. For communitarians, on the other hand, individuals are not atomistic, ‘unencumbered selves’ individuals are situated within a community, embedded in the received wisdom of our human culture. Communal values are ‘authoritative horizons’ wherein we take our orientation toward life . The self is not prior to, but rather constituted by, its ends we cannot distinguish ‘me’ from ‘my ends’ [and] our selves are at least partly constituted by ends that we do not choose, but rather discover by virtue of our being embedded in some shared social context . Since self-determination does not occur in a vacuum, the government needs to support a social environment that is conducive to the development of what is best in all of us. For those communitarians who are social conservatives, this will often take the form of a promotion family values that can, for example, discourage changes in the institution of marriage. Broadly speaking, these two positions account for the divide between ‘liberals’ and ‘social conservatives’ in dealing with matters such as abortion and euthanasia. In these situations, liberals tend to become pro-choice and social conservatives tend to become pro-life. ***** As is to be expected in a modern, pluralistic democracy, many of these issues are addressed in the political realm and through the political process (including the courts). But the kinds of cases that arise within these areas should also be addressed within the framework of applied ethics as a way to get clearer about the nature of the problem and its potential for resolution. Indeed, we often see analyses found in applied ethics, such as the concept of a person in the morally significant sense or the distinction between killing and allowing to die, embedded in the political debate itself. Ethics of Care In the 1970s and 80s feminist writers began to question the assumptions behind many of the traditional ethical theories. Carol Gilligan’s work in moral psychology challenged justice-based approaches to moral discussion: men tend to embrace an ethic of rights using quasi-legal terminology and impartial principles †¦ women tend to affirm an ethic of care that centers on responsiveness in an interconnected network of needs, care, and prevention of harm. Taking care of others is the core notion. Annette Baier’s philosophical account of an ethics of care does not recommend that we discard categories of obligation, but that we make room for an ethic of love and trust, including an account of human bonding and friendship. In both of these accounts, there is a specific criticism of Traditional Liberal Theory and its emphasis on impartiality and universality: The impartiality and the ‘standpoint of detached fairness’ advocated by liberal theories of justice, overlook, for example, the moral role of attachment to those close to us. Speaking from the perspective of medical ethics, The care perspective is especially meaningful for roles such as parent, friend, physician, and nurse, in which contextual response, attentiveness to subtle clues, and the deepening of special relationships are likely to be more momentous morally than impartial treatment In articulating the challenge to universal principles, Beauchamp and Childress write: We can produce rough generalizations about how caring physicians and nurses respond to patients, for example, but these generalizations will not be subtle enough to give helpful guidance for the next patient. Each situation calls for a set of responses outside any generalization†¦. Proponents of an Ethics of Care emphasize the roles of Mutual Interdependence and Emotional Response that play an important part in our moral lives: †¦many human relationships involve persons who are vulnerable, dependent, ill, and frail †¦ [and] the desirable moral response is attached attentiveness to needs, not detached respect for rights (BC, 373) and The person who acts from rule-governed obligations without appropriately aligned feelings such as worry when a friend suffers seems to have a moral deficiency. In addition†¦insight into the needs of others and considerate alertness to their circumstances often come from the emotions more than reason. Thus the emotions seem to have a ‘cognitive role,’ allowing us to grasp a situation that may not be immediately available to one arguing solely from a ‘justice perspective. ’ Critical Evaluation of the Care Ethic The example of a nurse who personally wants to help a patient die, but who will not do so as it violates professional duty, shows that †¦the ethics of care must confront situations in which bona fide requirements of impartiality conflict with acting partially from care. Some feminists actually interpret the ‘care ethic’ as culturally determined by the male hierarchy. For example, a terminally ill grand mother may request to be allowed to die because she doesn’t want to be ‘a bother’ to her family. Here someone like Susan Sherwin sees a need to examine the social context of care as well as to establish limits to the ethics of care. Both enterprises would involve appeals to justice†¦ Constructive Evaluation of the Care Ethic Sensitivity and emotional response to particular situations (like family discussions with physicians) provide important guides to morally acceptable actions. A care ethic also seems to favor adopting procedures from Conflict Resolution and Dispute Mediation as alternative ways to approach an apparent ethical conflict. Hedonism The term â€Å"hedonism,† from the Greek word (hedone) for pleasure, refers to several related theories about what is good for us, how we should behave, and what motivates us to behave in the way that we do. All hedonistic theories identify pleasure and pain as the only important elements of whatever phenomena they are designed to describe. If hedonistic theories identified pleasure and pain as merely two important elements, instead of the only important elements of what they are describing, then they would call it Hedonism uld not be nearly as unpopular as they all are. However, the claim that pleasure and pain are the only things of ultimate importance is what makes hedonism distinctive and philosophically interesting. Philosophical hedonists tend to focus on hedonistic theories of value, and especially of well-being (the good life for the one living it). As a theory of value, hedonism states that all and only pleasure is intrinsically valuable and all and only pain is intrinsically not valuable. Hedonists usually define pleasure and pain broadly, such that both physical and mental phenomena are included. Thus, a gentle massage and recalling a fond memory are both considered to cause pleasure and stubbing a toe and hearing about the death of a loved one are both considered to cause pain. With pleasure and pain so defined, hedonism as a theory about what is valuable for us is intuitively appealing. Indeed, its appeal is evidenced by the fact that nearly all historical and contemporary treatments of well-being allocate at least some space for discussion of hedonism. Unfortunately for hedonism, the discussions rarely endorse it and some even deplore its focus on pleasure. This article begins by clarifying the different types of hedonistic theories and the labels they are often given. Then, hedonism’s ancient origins and its subsequent development are reviewed. The majority of this article is concerned with describing the important theoretical divisions within Prudential Hedonism and discussing the major criticisms of these approaches. The Origins of Hedonism . a. Aristippus and the Cyrenaics The Cyrenaics, founded by Artistippus were also sceptics and Hedonistic Egoists. Although the paucity of original texts makes it difficult to confidently state all of the justifications for the Cyrenaics’ positions, their overall stance is clear enough. The Cyrenaics believed pleasure was the ultimate good and everyone should pursue all immediate pleasures for themselves. They considered bodily pleasures better than mental pleasures, presumably because they were more vivid or trustworthy. The Cyrenaics also recommended pursuing immediate pleasures and avoiding immediate pains with scant or no regard for future consequences. Their reasoning for this is even less clear, but is most plausibly linked to their sceptical views – perhaps that what we can be most sure of in this uncertain existence is our current bodily pleasures. b. Epicurus Epicurus founder of Epicureanism, developed a Normative Hedonism in stark contrast to that of Aristippus. The Epicureanism of Epicurus is also quite the opposite to the common usage of Epicureanism; while we might like to go on a luxurious â€Å"Epicurean† holiday packed with fine dining and moderately excessive wining, Epicurus would warn us that we are only setting ourselves up for future pain. For Epicurus, happiness was the complete absence of bodily and especially mental pains, including fear of the Gods and desires for anything other than the bare necessities of life. Even with only the limited excesses of ancient Greece on offer, Epicurus advised his followers to avoid towns, and especially marketplaces, in order to limit the resulting desires for unnecessary things. Once we experience unnecessary pleasures, such as those from sex and rich food, we will then suffer from painful and hard to satisfy desires for more and better of the same. No matter how wealthy we might be, Epicurus would argue, our desires will eventually outstrip our means and interfere with our ability to live tranquil, happy lives. Epicureanism is generally egoistic, in that it encourages everyone to pursue happiness for themselves. However, Epicureans would be unlikely to commit any of the selfish acts we might expect from other egoists because Epicureans train themselves to desire only the very basics, which gives them very little reason to do anything to interfere with the affairs of others. c. The Oyster Example With the exception of a brief period discussed below, Hedonism has been generally unpopular ever since its ancient beginnings. Although criticisms of the ancient forms of hedonism were many and varied, one in particular was heavily cited. In Philebus, Plato’s Socrates and one of his many foils, Protarchus in this instance, are discussing the role of pleasure in the good life. Socrates asks Protarchus to imagine a life without much pleasure but full of the higher cognitive processes, such as knowledge, forethought and consciousness and to compare it with a life that is the opposite. Socrates describes this opposite life as having perfect pleasure but the mental life of an oyster, pointing out that the subject of such a life would not be able to appreciate any of the pleasure within it. The harrowing thought of living the pleasurable but unthinking life of an oyster causes Protarchus to abandon his hedonistic argument. The oyster example is now easily avoided by clarifying that pleasure is best understood as being a conscious experience, so any sensation that we are not consciously aware of cannot be pleasure.

Essay --

Personal Statement I have always had a great passionate for art and it never ending creation. I have always been fascinated with structures, sketch, designs, and many more, so therefore picking architecture as a career option will be the best career pathway for me. This is because it full faith the passionate that I have for art and design. Architecture is very graceful job as it takes into consideration both nature and nurture and this is the key motive why I would love to become an architect. Art has been one of the subjects which I enjoy the most and in my free time I like to research and develop my skills of fine art. I have a great interest in Art and Design which through out my educational career; I have learnt and developed my knowledge of fine art and 3d work. I have researched and worked on the bases which fine artist like Pablo Picasso or Van Gogh who were famous for their outstanding paintings and also worked in the way Kate Malone has presented fine pots which represents fruit and living objects. I have worked in these fields which the great artists have done and by following them and creating my own style of work which has given me the experience of the way these artists worked. I have an enormous interest in 3D work and one of my art works which I have done, a 76cm vases made from clay, then designed and craft apples and oranges around. This piece has been one of the successful works I have done. While building this large vase I have recognised that I have a c reation with 3D work and basing this to my career. During the experience I have learnt to use colour, still life, live drawings, 3D work, ink painting, oil painting and many more. Apart from Art and Design, I like to study about the world we live in, how we ... ...d. While working at D&A I have gained the knowledge of working within an organisation and following leaders or team member’s instructions. I have search to work in Architecture fields within an organisation and I was able to get into a business called ‘Hopkins Architects Ltd’ location near Marylebone Road which has happily offered me a place at summer to work. Through this work experience I will be able to understand and explore the work of creation and invention to make someone world come true. I aim for the best of my educational path and to expand my possibility in the field of Architecture. I recognise that been an Architect has a difficult stages but I aim to challenge the course and to become a professional Architect through your university. I aim to bring success to my career and to your university and I look forward with enjoyment to the challenges ahead.

Travel and tourism

Student Name: Cheryl Facial Define Tourism: Tourism is when someone travels within their own country or to another country such as Spain, weather it is for leisure or business reason and for all other purposes. Types of Tourism Description: Example: Describe Domestic: A domestic holiday Is where someone who lives In the UK travel to another part of the LIKE. An elderly couple who lives Bradford goes on a two week holiday to Scarborough. Describe Outbound: An outbound holiday is when someone who travel out of the UK to a different entry.A group of friends from Liverpool goes on holiday to Pizza to have fun. Describe Inbound: An inbound holiday is when someone who live in a different country that comes to the I-J. A Chinese doctor travel to London for a medical convention. VISITOR TYPE Identify Tourism type (domestic/inbound/outbound. When someone goes on holiday to relax and have fun. A family of five goes to Disneyland Paris. This is an outbound holiday. When someone stays in they ow n country or goes to another country for a business eating.A business woman from London travel to Paris for meeting This Is an outbound holiday. 1 OFF When someone travels to visit family and friends. A girl from Bradford goes to London to visit her auntie. This is a domestic holiday. EDUCATION When a group of school student goes on an educational trip. To Normandy for a history trip. SPORT Year ten student goes When someone goes to a sporting event trip such as football. A football fan from Spain come to the I-J to watch the final of the champion league This is an inbound holiday.

Food and Hunger Essay

The most pressing factor now limiting the capacity of the earth to support life is the supply of food. Man’s need for food and his current nutritional requirements are all important for his survival. Nutrition is defined as the science of food and its relationship to health. Some of these nutrients are considered to be essential while others are considered to be non-essential. Essential and Non-essential Food Nutrients Essential nutrients are nutrients that cannot be synthesized by the human body and therefore must be derived from food sources. Essential nutrients include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids and some carbohydrates as a source of energy. Non-essential nutrients are nutrients which the body has the ability to synthesis from other compounds, as well as, from food sources. Nutrients are generally divided into 2 categories, macronutrients, and micronutrients. People are heterotrophs. A heterotroph is a creature that must ingest biomass to obtain its energy and nutrition. All heterotrophs have an absolute dependence on the biological products of autotrophs for their sustenance—they have no other source of nourishment. 1. Macronutrients are fats, carbohydrates and proteins. All three can serve as source of the energy that we need to survive. These nutrients are generally needed in large quantities. Organic. 2. Micronutrients are the substances that an organism must have in its diet in small quantities because it cannot make them for itself or because it cannot make them as fast as it needs them. The nutrients can be divided into vitamins which organic compounds, and minerals which are inorganic. [pic] Malnutrition and Diet. About 20,000 people die of starvation everyday, and at least 10 million children in the world are so malnourished (poorly fed) that their lives are in danger. 1. Starvation means death from lack of food. Most people who are inadequately fed do not actually die because they take in too few calories to sustain life. 2. Some 45 compounds and elements found in foods are considered essential nutrients necessary for the life and health of human beings. 5. General Categories of Nutrients a. Carbohydrates – is an organic compound that consists only of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen b. Proteins -are large biological molecules consisting of one or more chains of amino acids c. Lipids – constitute a group of naturally occurring molecules that include fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins A, D, E, and K), monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides, phospholipids, and others. d. Vitamins – is an organic compound required by an organism as a vital nutrient in limited amounts e. Minerals are the chemical elements required by living organisms, other than the four elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen present in common organic molecules. 3. Human nutritional diet can be met by eating some foods from each of the four groups daily. 4 Food Group Categories a. Milk and dairy products are for calcium, proteins and other minerals. b. Meat, fish, poultry or egg for protein, fats and vitamins. (luxury food) c. Grain and starchy vegetables are for carbohydrates, vitamins and proteins. (staple food) d. Fruits and vegetables are for carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and some proteins. World Food Preference The traditional diet of various people in the world differs tremendously. East Africa – berries, grains, vegetables, milk and blood from cattle. Polynesian – coconut, fish bread fruit, taro, tropical fruits and occasional pork and poultry American and Europe – bread, turkey and beef Filipino – boiled rice, fish or meat with vegetable The Politics of Hunger â€Å"The problem of hunger is largely the problem of poverty† The existing nutritional deficiencies results either from insufficient supplies of some or all these foods, or from poverty to ignorance. To comprehend nutritional problems, one must be aware of the problems of: a. Agricultural development and production b. Food distribution and pattern c. Agricultural economics d. Cultural food preferences e. Public health situation Issues in Nutrition Nutrition is the substrate upon which growth and development feed. It is the basic precondition for the maintenance of good health because of its role in the fight against diseases. It remains to be fundamental issue in health. Quite apart from overt diseases due to or abetted by malnutrition, the profound effects on physical and mental development in growing children and work capacity and performance in adults give rise to corollary problems that are difficult to quantify. How, for example, does one measure a lost opportunity due to mental retardation or decreased productivity in the workplace brought about by marginal or borderline nutritional status? The Current Estate of Nutrition in the Philippines: Children in Focus 16th National Nutrition Survey Pedro MRA. Et. al Food and Nutrition Research Institute Department of Science and Technology Conclusion and Implication of the Program? Under nutrition (underweight, thinness, shortness and increasing prevalence of anemia and VAD) affects a significant of Filipino children; the rate of prevalence of undernutrition to children needs to be accelerated. ? Inadequate infant and young child feeding practices including: †¢ Low prevalence and short duration of exclusive breastfeeding †¢ Decreasing consumption of milk and products ? Usual food intake of young child beyond breastfeeding is inadequate in energy, iron, calcium and vitamin A particularly after 12 months of age when milked intake has by then decreased and intake of other food is not sufficient. ? The only day per capita of Filipino household in 2003 was deficient for the most of the nutrients (iron, calcium, vitamin A, riboflavin a, vitamin C) in spite of the consumption of most food groups except fruits and vegetables, legumes and eggs. ? Under nutrition of children are more prevalent among households and mothers with experiences of food security, relation of poverty and nutrition†¦ Philippines Food and Nutrition Program (PFNP) Provides the mandate, political support, overall program design, manpower, strategies and mechanism. Department Of Health (DOH). Its part has embarked specifically targeted supplementary programs. Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) The institute continues to provide relevant technologies and scientific information on food and nutrition. National Nutrition Council (NNC) This is the country’s highest policy-making and coordinating body on nutrition. Nutrition Foundation of the Philippines, Inc. (NFP) This is a Philippine private, non-stock, non-profit organization engaged in improving the nutritional status of the Filipino community. MALACANANG M a n i l a PRESIDENTIAL DECREE No. 491 June 25, 1974. CREATING A NATIONAL NUTRITION COUNCIL AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES WHEREAS, malnutrition is seriously affecting millions of our people; WHEREAS, malnutrition retards mental and physical development of our children, weakens their resistance to infections resulting in unnecessary loss of human lives through high infant and child mortality rates; WHEREAS, studies indicate that infants and young children, pregnant women and nursing mothers are most vulnerable to malnutrition; WHEREAS, there is a multiplicity of government agencies engaged in various aspects of nutrition activities; WHEREAS, there are various food programs in the country such as the Green Revolution, Masagana 99, Palayan ng Bayan, Masaganang Maisan and others which are aimed at providing for food sufficiency; WHEREAS, there is a close interlinking relationship between food, education and nutrition; WHEREAS, Executive Order 285, series of 1971, vested in the National Food and Agriculture Council the responsibility to coordinate all nutrition programs in the country; WHEREAS, coordination has proven to be of great value in integrating the food and nutrition efforts of the various agencies; WHEREAS, one of the objectives of the New Society is to bring about social, economic, and political reforms to eventually improve the quality of life of every Filipino; WHEREAS, the nutrition program, being concerned with human resource development, is a vital and integral part of social reform and economic development; NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution do hereby adopt, approve and make as part of the law of the land, the following: Section 1. Title. This decree shall be known as the Nutrition Act of the Philippines. Section 2. Declaration of Policy. The Government of the Philippines hereby declares that nutrition is now a priority of the government to be implemented by all branches of the government in an integrated fashion. Section 3. Philippine Food and Nutrition Program. An Integrated Four-Year Program involving the government and private sector shall be drafted by the National Council is hereby created. The program shall be approved by the President to be implemented by all concerned. Section 4. Creation of a National Nutrition Council. There is hereby created an agency under the Office of the President, the National Nutrition Council, hereinafter referred to as the council, to be composed of the following officials; The Secretary, Department of Education and Culture The Chairman-Coordinator, National Food and Agriculture Council The Secretary, Department of Health. The Chairman, National Science Development Board The Secretary, Department of Social Welfare The Secretary, Department of Local Government and Community Development The Chairman of the Nutrition Foundation of the Philippines President, Philippine Medical Association One other representative of the private sector to be appointed by the President of the Philippines. In the event that any cabinet member cannot attend Council meetings, he shall be represented by an Undersecretary or Assistant Secretary. Section 5. Functions and Powers. The Council shall have the following functions and powers: (a) To formulate an integrated national program on nutrition. (b) To supervise, coordinate and evaluate the implementation of the integrated Philippine Food and Nutrition Program to be implemented by all agencies and instrumentalities of both the government and the private sector concerned with improving the nutrition of our people. (c) To coordinate and integrate policies and programs of all agencies and instrumentalities of the government charged with the prosecution of existing law, policies, rules and regulations concerning nutrition. (d) To coordinate the release of public funds for nutrition purposes in accordance with the approved projects and programs. (e) To coordinate all requests for loans and grants by the government agencies involved in the nutrition program. (f) To call on any department, bureau, office, agency and other instrumentalities of the government for assistance in the form of personnel, facilities and resources as the need arises. Section 6. Officers of the Council. The Chairman-Coordinator of the National Food and Agriculture Council shall be the Chairman of the Council. He shall maintain a close link of the nutrition program with the food programs of the government. In his absence, the Secretary of Health shall be the Acting Chairman. An Executive Director shall be appointed by the Council. He shall implement the policies, programs, projects and decisions of the Council. One or more Deputy Executive Directors may be appointed by the Council and shall assist the Executive Director in the performance of his duties or take charge of special project assigned by the Executive Director. A Management Committee shall be formed, the members of which shall be a representative appointed by each of the members of the Council, which representatives should be the head of the nutrition unit or project of his office. The Executive Director, or in his absence, a Deputy Executive Directors, shall be Chairman of the Management Committee. This Committee shall perform such functions as may be assigned to it by this Council. The Council shall hire such other personnel as may be necessary for the performance of its basic functions. All positions, except the technical and professional staff and such other positions as the Council may declare to be highly technical, policy determining, or primarily confidential, shall be subject to Civil Service rules and regulations and the Wages and Position Classification Office: Provided that, all personnel shall be entitled to the benefits and privileges normally accorded to government employees, such as retirement, GSIS Insurance, leave and similar matters: Provided further, that in the appointment and promotion or employees, merit and efficiency shall serve as basis, and no political test or qualification shall be prescribed and considered for such appointments and promotions. Section 7. Nutrition Month. The month of July shall be designated as NUTRITION MONTH, for the purpose of creating greater awareness among our people on the importance of nutrition. Activities thereto shall be approved and coordinated by the Council. This Nutrition Month of July shall be in lieu of the previously declared Nutrition Week in March. Section 8. Donations. The Council shall be authorized to received donations, grants, or gifts in whatever form and from whatever sources: Provided that, said grants, gifts or donations shall be terms of the grant or donations and in such manner as a majority of the council may in its discretion determine. Section 9. Appropriations. For the first fiscal year, 1974-1975, P3. 4 million pesos shall be appropriated from NFAC funds already stipulated for nutrition programs. Provided that, the sum of ten million pesos is hereby appropriated as operating funds of the National Nutrition Council starting fiscal year 1975-1976. Provided further, that said amount may be increased or deceased in the succeeding years by the Council in accordance with its financial position. This appropriation shall be included in the Annual General Appropriation Act beginning in Fiscal Year 1975-1976. Section 10. All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed and/or modified accordingly. Section 11. This Decree shall take effect immediately. Done in the City of Manila, this 25th day of June, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-four. Factors That Affect State Nutrition Food security. The most basic solution to malnutrition that will assure adequate supply and universal access to food. Poverty & Rapid increase in Population The discrepancy was the population of increase for the same period coupled with the static expenditure on food by the average household. Education Lack of specific knowledge due to poor or deficient education may magnify an already existing state of poor nutrition. Prevalence of Disease Who comes first? Disease or Malnutrition? However, it is established for some diseases, the effect of nutritional status is a major determinant of morbidity. Parasitic worm Diarrhea Malaria Geography Isolated pockets of population may suffer from peculiarities of geography. Due to difficult access to these places, food supply may suffer from time to dip, which results in decrease in consumption. Most of these regions cannot also produce the quantity and variety of food needed for adequate nutrition. The only specific solution for malnutrition is the provision of more food to supply the deficient calorie and nutrient. Definition of Terms Legumes – edible crop Peculiarity – ambiguous Malnutrition – undernourishment Discrepancy – difference Diet – cut down Deficiency – shortage Collar (collary) – line of job Workplace – place of work Marginal/Borderline – medium Mandate- authorization Embarked – board Supplementary – additional Prevalence – occurrence Morbidity – death rate Isolated – lonely. References: http://www. nnc. gov. ph/about-nnc#mission http://www. chanrobles. com/presidentialdecrees/presidentialdecreeno491. html#. UQDU8lsW7Dc http://en. wikipilipinas. org/index. php? title=Food_and_Nutrition_Research_Institute http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Nutrition_Foundation_of_the_Philippines,_Inc. http://www. questformuscle. com/articles/nutrition01. asp http://www. ndap. org. ph/food-pyramids University of Perpetual Help System- GMA CAMPUS Brgy. San Gabriel, GMA, Cavite COLLEGE OF ARTS, SCIENCES AND EDUCATION Environmental Science [pic] [Written Report] Submitted by:Submitted to: Jose Mariano A. EpinoMr. Prony Adrales III – AB PsychologyProfessor.

India essays

India essays Indias modern history begins in the 14th century when European nations began to flex their imperialistic muscles in the Middle East and Asia. The Portuguese, French, Dutch, and English were all competing for their own part of India. Everything began with the East India Company, which was established by the British in 1600 to challenge the Dutch-Portuguese monopoly of the spice trade. Queen Elizabeth granted the company monopoly rights to bring goods from India. With the approval of local Indian rulers, the East India Company established trading posts in Madras, Bombay and Calcutta. The company was now trading in cottons, silks, indigo, saltpeter and tea, and had a monopoly of this trade until 1694 when the House of Commons passed an act that enabled all British firms to trade with India. The East India Company retained its dominant position and continued to make large profits from India and by 1720, 15% of Britain's imports came from India. In the beginning of 17th century, Europeans, particularly British, started trading in the subcontinent. Merchants of the East India Company never imagined that British presence in the subcontinent could mean anything more than peaceful trading. The French arrived in the middle of the 17th century, signaling the beginning of militarism. Within 100 years the French were a spent force and the British possessed the most efficient military machine in the subcontinent. In the early 1800s India was still seen as an extremely attractive country to western imperial powers. Traders were interested in Indias rare spices, rices, silk, sugar cane and fine muslins. For this reason the British East India Company took control of the country in around 1818, defeating the ruling ancient Mogul empire. In the late 1800s new nationalist reform movements began to develop in India. In 1885 the Indian National Congress (INC) formed. It became the major organization representing Ind...

Remembering the Holocaust essays

Remembering the Holocaust essays Six million Jews and millions of others, including Gypsies, Slavs, homosexuals, the mentally ill and the infirm were murdered by the Nazis between 1933 and 1945. The magnitude of brutality, the remorseless cruelty, and the mass murder during the Holocaust are unique. However the root causes of the Holocaust continue. Racial hatred, economic crises, human psychological and moral flaws are still ominously common. Saying this, we must have the courage to remember the Holocaust, no matter how disturbing the memories may be. For only informed, understanding, and morally committed people can prevent such persecution from happening again. There will never be enough remembrance of the Holocaust. To forget about the holocaust is to ignore the tragedies many millions suffered, to bring about a possibility it could be repeated, and to agree with Adolf Hitlers philosophy. "Never think there is an easy way to make an end to such bitter memories...Never think there is a way to forgive the hate in the human heart...or an easy way to believe that the worst has occurred and is past. Only know that hope lives when people remember." (Simon Wiesenthal) The persecution of people is always and everywhere intolerable and to act against it is a beginning for hope. Jewish communities existed continuously in Europe for over 2,000 years. Many of these communities were older than the countries in which they existed. Nevertheless, as the countries of Europe developed, Jews were rarely given complete citizenship status. At best they were tolerated as guests. Their social and religious distinctiveness made them persistent targets for persecution; and such persecution, in turn, intensified the cohesiveness of Jewish communities. Jews were starved, beaten, experimented on, tortured, and killed. They were forced to face an almost certain death. The Jewish people were persecuted for their religion. Although the Jewish p ...

Financial Panics of the 19th Century

Financial Panics of the 19th Century The Great Depression of the 1930s was called great for a reason. It followed a long series of depressions which afflicted the American economy throughout the 19th century. Crop failures, drops in cotton prices, reckless railroad speculation, and sudden plunges in the stock market all came together at various times to send the growing American economy into chaos. The effects were often brutal, with millions of Americans losing jobs, farmers being forced off their land, and railroads, banks, and other businesses going under for good. Here are the basic facts on the major financial panics of the 19th century. Panic of 1819 The first major American depression, the Panic of 1819 was rooted to some extent in economic problems reaching back to the war of 1812.It was triggered by a collapse in cotton prices. A contraction in credit coincided with the problems in the cotton market, and the young American economy was severely affected.Banks were forced to call in loans, and foreclosures of farms and bank failures resulted.The Panic of 1819 lasted until 1821.The effects were felt most in the west and south. Bitterness about the economic hardships resonated for years and led to the resentment that helped Andrew Jackson solidify his political base throughout the 1820s.Besides exacerbating sectional animosity, the Panic of 1819 also made many Americans realize the importance of politics and government policy in their lives. Panic of 1837 The Panic of 1837 was triggered by a combination of factors including the failure of a wheat crop, a collapse in cotton prices, economic problems in Britain, rapid speculation in land, and problems resulting from the variety of currency in circulation.It was the second-longest American depression, with effects lasting roughly six years, until 1843.The panic had a devastating impact. A number of brokerage firms in New York failed, and at least one New York City bank president committed suicide. As the effect rippled across the nation, a number of state-chartered banks also failed. The nascent labor union movement was effectively stopped, as the price of labor plummeted.The depression caused the collapse of real estate prices. The price of food also collapsed, which was ruinous to farmers and planters who couldn’t get a decent price for their crops. People who lived through the depression following 1837 told stories that would be echoed a century later during The Great Depressio n.The aftermath of the panic of 1837 led to Martin Van Buren’s failure to secure a second term in the election of 1840. Many blamed the economic hardships on the policies of Andrew Jackson, and Van Buren, who had been Jackson’s vice president, paid the political price. Panic of 1857 The Panic of 1857 was triggered by the failure of the Ohio Life Insurance and Trust Company, which actually did much of its business as a bank headquartered in New York City. Reckless speculation in railroads led the company into trouble, and the company’s collapse led to a literal panic in the financial district, as crowds of frantic investors clogged the streets around Wall Street.Stock prices plummeted, and more than 900 mercantile firms in New York had to cease operation. By the end of the year the American economy was a shambles.One victim of the Panic of 1857 was a future Civil War hero and US president, Ulysses S. Grant, who was bankrupted and had to pawn his gold watch to buy Christmas presents.Recovery from the depression began in early 1859. Panic of 1873 The investment firm of Jay Cooke and Company went bankrupt in September 1873 as a result of rampant speculation in railroads. The stock market dropped sharply and caused numerous businesses to fail.The depression caused approximately three million Americans to lose their jobs.The collapse in food prices impacted Americas farm economy, causing great poverty in rural America.The depression lasted for five years, until 1878.The Panic of 1873 led to a populist movement that saw the creation of the Greenback Party. The industrialist Peter Cooper ran for president on the Greenback Party ticket in 1876, but was unsuccessful. Panic of 1893 The depression set off by the Panic of 1893 was the greatest depression America had known, and was only surpassed by the Great Depression of the 1930s.In early May 1893 the New York stock market dropped sharply, and in late June panic selling caused the stock market to crash.A severe credit crisis resulted, and more than 16,000 businesses had failed by the end of 1893. Included in the failed businesses were 156 railroads and nearly 500 banks.Unemployment spread until one in six American men lost their jobs.The depression inspired Coxeys Army, a march on Washington of unemployed men. The protesters demanded that the government provide public works jobs. Their leader, Jacob Coxey, was imprisoned for 20 days.The depression caused by the Panic of 1893 lasted for about four years, ending in 1897. Legacy of 19th Century Financial Panics The economic problems of the 19th century periodically caused pain and misery and it often seemed that the federal and state governments were powerless to do anything. The rise of the progressive movement was, in many ways, a reaction to earlier financial panics. In the first decades of the 20th century financial reforms made economic collapses less likely, yet the Great Depression showed that the problems could not be easily avoided.

Global civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Global civilization - Essay Example The legend of Napoleon came about in form of effective internal governance. Code of Napoleon and other associated functions were the gift of his works. Napoleon Bonaparte consolidated his power and in turn enforced the influence of France in the affairs of Europe. For next fifteen years Napoleon single handedly took upon the rest of the European states and created panic in their ranks. The Tsarist government and rule came to an end towards the later part of First World War. It was brought about by number of events. The disturbances and nerviness within could be felt from the middle of 19th century. The decay of the monarchy from within was another factor. The appearance of the likes of Rasputin did not help the cause and made it further worse. The elements of Rasputin only added controversy and scandal to the existence of the monarchy (Garrard & Newell, 2006, 180). The war with Japan did not go too well either. The Dumas established as an attempt to bring about reforms did not auger well for the Tsar. In the light of these events, the commoners were dissatisfied and demanded a revolution. Vladimir Lenin was the pioneer of this entire movement and he organized the party of Bolsheviks in an effective manner to stage an upset and revolution. Woodrow Wilson was the first American President who aimed at breaking the American isolation from the global affairs. This came about in the form of the 14 points of Woodrow Wilson at the end of the First World War. Being an important global player, it aimed at imposing its influence and contributing towards the global peace. The 14 points were an effort towards restoration of the peace and avoiding of similar affair and account. Woodrow Wilson had aimed at bringing about an early end to the war that was causing direct damages to the humanity. Although there were number of significant points in the 14 point agenda, yet the establishment of the League of Nations was one of the direct gifts of Woodrow Wilson’s ideas.

Research methods in health and social care Essay

Research methods in health and social care - Essay Example The purpose is also to create a baseline or basis for the study that the researcher will conduct. Another purpose of the literature review is to justify the proposal and show any gaps that happen to be in the literature. A final reason for the literature review is to show how a certain topic has been approached by other academic scholars (Jones 2003). With these thoughts in mind, a better look at the literature reviews by Burton (2000) is in order. Burtons purpose for the study was to identify the experiences of stroke patients form their perspective. Within the review, Burton identified information from studies that showed specific ideas that was presented by others. The general issues that showed several perceptions that patients had. There were no clear distinctions of how there were gaps in the literature. AT the beginning of the review, Burton suggested that stroke recover received only limited description; (Burton 200:302) in nursing studies. There was more information found about the experience of the disease rather than the experience of the perception that the patients had. However, the literature reviews she found did have information about what she found. Burton did not indicate whether the studies that were found were form nursing or form medicine in general. Jones (2007) states that a successful literature review not only states what other scholars have said but also offers an assessment of the quality and scope of existing studies †¦ (p. 45). Burton did not give an assessment of the quality of the studies but only told what other researchers stated on the topic. Burton used the literature review to show the literature may support her study. Burton chose a phenomenology framework to gain a meaning of life with stroke. The study used grounded theory to gain an understanding form interview transcripts.

A news feature story about Indiana Universitys effort to control Essay

A news feature story about Indiana Universitys effort to control student costs by making it more likely that students will graduate on time - Essay Example According to Mr.McRobbie, the program will allow qualified students to receive on-time completion award equal to any increase in tuition and fees that they could otherwise have incurred during their final two years in the university. The program will also allow any qualifying student who has not graduated to pay the current tuition and fee according to the current rates for any time at Indiana University beyond their fourth year. This move is seen as a step aimed at encouraging students to graduate in four years without having to incur excessive debt. To eco this, McRobbie said †this award makes two things clear: that we are serious about holding down the cost of an IU degree, and that we are equally serious about providing tools and incentives to help students stay on course for on-time degree completion.†. He continued to state, â€Å"The University has clearly put into consideration both the students and families message that to them, cost matters when pursuing a degr ee course. Our efforts in trying to keep our degrees at affordable standards will not only improve will not only improve on graduation time rates, but also lower the cost of the degree.† The university has not only sought to reduce the tuition costs alone. It has instituted a financial literacy program for students. The move was welcome by students who saw it as a great relief from the backlog of academic tuitions as well as instilling more knowledge on their financial understanding. Most of the students in their final years of their study previously, were not exempted from class work. â€Å"This move by the university comes as a relief to most students who are on their final years of their studies with minimal work to cover. Indeed, mostly, students at this stage of their program rarely attend classes,† Said the Universities’ student spokesperson in an interview. â€Å"At least, we now can position ourselves as students with enough information on financial literacy† he states.

Business and Politics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business and Politics - Case Study Example As Lowi describes, politics makes it harder for the entire system to deal with power control since only part of the organizations are actually given actual hold of the situation. (Lowi 54) On the other hand, having the need to actually consider the political system of dealing with situations could actually be completed strategically for the better benefits of the owner and the whole staff that makes up a certain business group such as that of Smith's. Doing so could even strengthen the company's stand in dealing with the issues of differences that they are usually confronted with. In the case of Smith's Left Handed Widgets Inc. case, it could be noticed that a balanced political approach may appear to be the most useful and most effective approach to be used towards the instances when the need to be politically acquainted with becomes necessary. It is rather considered important though that the organization look at the process in a rather consuming way. Doing so would help them remember how the need of keeping things under the need of being balanced would rather keep them and their mission towards the application of such approach and how it should be kept in a balance to assure that its values and original standing to equal commercial systems remain undoubtedly unblemished by the ideas of being politically engorged in the system that they are embracing, likely one that is directly portrayed by the major ideas that suggest the existence of business as entity and not an interest group (Hart 65). Even though it is rather considered important for Smith's Left Handed Widgets Inc. to adapt to the political systems that are currently governing the commercial industry of widgets today, it is highly suggested that the company try to make mandated views as to how much they are clinging to the said approach to business; this has been strongly suggested in accordance to the description of Waitzkin regarding the fact that in business, the capitalist rule and their control and power affects those others that are under them making business politics a bit in line to those who have the resources(Waitzkin 34). Limiting the involvement of the business to the political forces that it needs to ride into at some point could help so much in protecting the thoughts and the idealisms of the whole business group as they battle the need to be competitive while striving to remain unbiased in assuring that their values remain intact besides all the possible changes that they may incur as they partly e mbrace the political culture of the business systems. c) The likelihood that this bill can be killed Even though the industry of widgets might have been getting negative considerations from certain clients who might have had different thoughts in having been able to use the said products, major changes suggested by the bill that has been

Six Sigma and DMAIC Imporvement Process Coursework

Six Sigma and DMAIC Imporvement Process - Coursework Example There six sigma has proven to an effective tool for improving performance. Basically, the effective adoption of the six sigma facilitates quality improvement and efficient performance (Pande & Holpp, 2002). For a clear understanding of the benefits accrued from using the six sigma it is important to study its five phase, which are expressed as DMAIC. The five phase are definition of the problem (D) measuring/mapping the process (M), analyzing the cause of the problem (A), improving the situation (I) and finally controlling the implantation of the solution (C). The purpose of this study is to evaluate an article that focuses on a case study of an aluminum company. The issue of quality improvement has been very controversial among various companies. In essence, every company strives to outdo the competitors by producing unique products that are perceived to be of top quality. From the case study, it can be identified that the company faces considerable competition from other firms producing similar products. Earlier studies reveal that the six sigma model is an infective approach to quality improvement. Apparently. From the case study, it can be identified that the author recognizes the importance of six sigma in problem-solving. In addition, the author points out that DMAIC is an appropriate procedure to solve the problems facing the company. In essence, various scholars encourage the use DMAIC in solving business challenges (Breyfogle, 2003). It is important to note that businesses are usually exposed to problems and that these problems have to be solved cautiously to mitigate adverse consequences. Apparently, the quality of a product is an important component as far as generation of profits is concerned (George, 2002). In essence, a company whose products are of high quality enjoys a better market share compared to that whose products are of low quality. Both the author of the article and the existing studies argue

Brand Extension Marketing Plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Brand Extension Marketing Plan - Research Paper Example Lavington Green Village is an estate that is mainly made up of high class persons who live luxurious lives. Therefore, the customers mainly demand products that will improve their living standards or increase their lifestyles. Low class products do not have an impact on the market since the people already have the product. This is known from the statistics taken by Clean-So Company. Secondary market trends; these will be short term price fluctuations in the market which may last for only a few days or weeks. Under this trend, the prices may rise or may fall. This trend will affect the way in which the customers view the product because; customers may generalize a price increase to have affected all the products in the market (Winer, 2004). Secular market trend; under this trend, customers are likely to change their tastes and preferences since the trend is long-term. Primary market trend; this trend will also influence the customers since it lasts for a year or more. Therefore, by at the end of one whole year the customers will have changed to other products (EconomyWatch, 2010). The market is growing since; statistics show that there has been a continuous increase in the users of the products each year. The population also keeps on increasing and hence, the users of the products keep on increasing in number. The growth trends observed includes cyclic and exponential trends. This is evidenced by the data which shows that the numbers of customers have been increasing exponentially. A growing market implies an increasing demand and hence; the company will address it by increasing the output. Strengths; the company has three key strengths which include; it has a strong marketing unit and hence can attract a large number of customers. The company also has qualified and experienced employees. Thirdly, it has the strength of being innovative and creative. However, the company

Six Sigma and DMAIC Imporvement Process Coursework

Six Sigma and DMAIC Imporvement Process - Coursework Example There six sigma has proven to an effective tool for improving performance. Basically, the effective adoption of the six sigma facilitates quality improvement and efficient performance (Pande & Holpp, 2002). For a clear understanding of the benefits accrued from using the six sigma it is important to study its five phase, which are expressed as DMAIC. The five phase are definition of the problem (D) measuring/mapping the process (M), analyzing the cause of the problem (A), improving the situation (I) and finally controlling the implantation of the solution (C). The purpose of this study is to evaluate an article that focuses on a case study of an aluminum company. The issue of quality improvement has been very controversial among various companies. In essence, every company strives to outdo the competitors by producing unique products that are perceived to be of top quality. From the case study, it can be identified that the company faces considerable competition from other firms producing similar products. Earlier studies reveal that the six sigma model is an infective approach to quality improvement. Apparently. From the case study, it can be identified that the author recognizes the importance of six sigma in problem-solving. In addition, the author points out that DMAIC is an appropriate procedure to solve the problems facing the company. In essence, various scholars encourage the use DMAIC in solving business challenges (Breyfogle, 2003). It is important to note that businesses are usually exposed to problems and that these problems have to be solved cautiously to mitigate adverse consequences. Apparently, the quality of a product is an important component as far as generation of profits is concerned (George, 2002). In essence, a company whose products are of high quality enjoys a better market share compared to that whose products are of low quality. Both the author of the article and the existing studies argue

The Seeds of Ageism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The Seeds of Ageism - Assignment Example Ageism is an amalgamation of stereotypes beliefs, discrimination behaviors, prejudice evaluations. Ageism is attributed to the changing demographic trends in various part of the world. Life expectancy is enhanced as a result people live for a longer duration and may lead a healthy life (Marques Presentation FLARE31Aug). According to the United Nations aging index, the number of individuals above the age of 60 years is equal to the number of individuals between the age of 0- 14 years this highlight the fact that elderly people are equal in number to the young population. Further, Europe witnessed an aging index of 136.2 in 2007 while it is anticipated to enhance to 229.7 in 2050 (Ageism in Europe). These data indicate that there is going to be a drastic alteration in population structure in future which is going to have lasting implication on the society in terms of labor markets, growth both economic and developmental, the behavior of consumer as well as health systems. These implications are not ordinary to overlook as they are going to change the structure of the society. Health systems are going to affect to a greater extent as they have to witness new paradigms. Ignorance of any kind leads to prejudice or ageism. Ageism has a negative implication and it depicts the attitude an individual display towards elderly people. According to Nelson (2002), Older adults in the United States tend to be marginalized, institutionalized and stripped of accountability, supremacy and eventually their distinction. Considering the history, people used to respect their elders and provided them great regard and respect, they were considered to be guide and teachers who are experienced to help them to reach the solution in case if any problem arise. It was considered to be divine if one lives for more than 50 years of age (Branco and Williamson, 1982).  

Law and Ethics, Patients Rights in Practice Essay Example for Free

Law and Ethics, Patients Rights in Practice Essay In particular, those aspects observed by the student relating to patients privacy, confidentiality and any situations which warranted a limitation to patient privacy will be described and discussed with reference to patients rights. Situations in the hospital setting where the student nurse viewed health professionals informing patients about treatment options, encouraging patients to take action in decisions about their health, and gaining informed, voluntary consent prior to procedures will be discussed. An explanation of reasons for selecting privacy and consent as two essential concepts which health providers must understand will be illustrated. The legal and ethical responsibility of health care providers in relation to the aforementioned fundamental principles of achieving patient privacy and gaining informed voluntary consent will be examined with a clear emphasis on patient’ rights. While on clinical placement, the student nurse observed health professionals maintaining patient privacy to a high standard by consistently shutting curtains around patient’s beds, lowering their voices when working with patients in rooms containing multiple beds, courteously requesting visitors to leave the room when procedures of a sensitive nature were preformed and closing patient’s doors to limit unwanted interference from hallways. In order to show patients respect, dignity and consideration, which are outlined as a fundamental patient right in the Queensland Health Public Patient’s Charter (2002), patients were consistently examined in areas that were as private as was possible at the time. This attempt by health care providers to maintain the physical privacy of all patients by consistently minimizing unwarranted outside attention is a clear demonstration of how health care providers maintained patient dignity, consideration and respect. According to the Ramsay Health Care/Cairns Private Hospital Patient Charter (nd. , patients have a right to be treated with courtesy throughout their hospital experience. The actions of the health care team correlate positively to this statement as through the maintenance of patient’s physical privacy, health care providers are demonstrating consideration for their patients and respecting their rights set forth in both the Queensland Health public patient charte r and the Ramsay health care charter. Throughout the clinical placement of the student nurse, the health care facility in question demonstrated exceptional adherence to national privacy principles 4. set forth in the Privacy Amendment Act (2000). Initiatives currently in place at Cairns Private Hospital ensure confidentiality of both patient’s medical records as well as patient’s personal details by limiting outside access to confidential information and preventing health care professionals from transmitting such information to the broader community. One such example observed by the student nurse involves the hospitals policy preventing nurses from leaving the hospital with materials used in nursing handovers that contain information regarding patient’s condition and personal details. The destruction of such material prevents the transmission of private information to the wider community and demonstrates the role of health care providers in maintaining patient privacy. According to the national privacy principle 4. 1 extracted from the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act (2000, p. 9), â€Å"An organisation must take reasonable steps to protect the personal information it holds from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Therefore, by ensuring patients information is protected from unauthorised access and disclosure, Cairns Private Hospital is fulfilling the legal obligations set forth for private organizations in the Privacy Amendment Act (2000) principle 4. 1. Patient’s right to have their personal information kept private and confidential, as outlined in the Queensland Health Public Patient’s Charter (2002), was also exceptionally demonstrated by those nurses with whom the student nurse was in contact during c linical placement. Health care providers consistently maintained patient confidentiality by limiting discussion of patient’s condition to those situations where health care providers must share patient information to improve patient care. When the student nurse observed an exchange of information between health care providers pertaining to patient’s condition, it occurred in a manner such that other patients or visitors were unable to discern the content of discussion. This includes, but is not limited to, patient information related in nursing handovers. By treating patient’s personal information obtained in a professional capacity as confidential, nurses are adhering to the expected national standards for Australian nurses as stated in ANC Code of Professional Conduct for Nurses in Australia (nd. ). The importance of maintaining patient privacy is unquestionable. Patients belief that health care professionals will handle their personal information with respect, dignity and maintain their confidentiality not only illustrates the ethical and legal responsibilities of health care providers, but correlates positively with the formation of trust between patient and nurse. According to Stein-Parbury (2005 p. 42), â€Å"†¦ without trust, there is minimal self-disclosure and little chance that patients will share their experiences with nurses or that nurses will come to understand patients’ experiences. † Therefore, through the maintenance of patient privacy and confidentiality, the element of trust, which forms the basis of all nurse-patient relationships, is strengthened. Crisp and Taylor (2005), illustrated the importance of patient privacy and confidentiality as without these two essential components patients would not feel able to tell health care professionals their most intimate and private details. This potential hesitation to share personal information with health providers can have a negative impact on the provision of care and can ultimately lead to treatment that does not take into consideration essential aspects of patient’s health. The maintenance of patient’s privacy is essential in both building trust between nurse and patient and providing holistic nursing care. As stated previously, the maintenance of patient privacy has implications in both legal and ethical spheres and is paramount to the formation of the nurse-patient relationship. Student nurses must therefore gain an understanding of the importance of maintaining patient privacy to ensure that once qualified as a registered nurse, one will understand the reasons why legally and ethically we must adhere to the guidelines. In today’s health care setting, the emphasis of patient’s rights and understanding these rights is paramount if one wishes to practice safe appropriate care for all peoples. It is for these reasons that the central issue of patient privacy was selected for consideration. Although the importance of maintaining patient privacy is unquestionable, there are ertain situations that warrant the sharing of patient information. As observed by the student nurse, health care professionals continuously share patient information between themselves in attempts to allow allied health professionals to provide appropriate holistic patient care. In today’s hospitals, with shift work and the increasing specialization of various allied healt h workers, it is essential that patient information is shared to improve patients care and outcome. In order to achieve appropriate care for patient’s, this is a requirement and will not be considered as a breach of patient privacy. This team work approach to health care is viewed as of benefit to the patient and is absolutely essential is today’s health care facilities where health care professionals are increasingly working in more specialized fields. Throughout the entire clinical placement, the student nurse consistently observed health providers informing patients of their various treatment options, encouraging patients to take an active role in decisions about their health, and ultimately gaining informed voluntary consent prior to any procedure. As outlined in the Queensland Health Public Patients Charter (2002), and the Ramsay Health Care/Cairns Private Hospital Patient Charter (nd. ), patients have a right to easy to understand information about their condition, treatment options, risks, and expected outcomes. The health providers viewed by the student nurse exemplified exceptional adherence to the patients right to accurate information as nurses were observed directly informing patients wherever possible about their treatment options, risks, and choices available to them. Health care providers not only adhered to their legal obligation of providing treatment information to patients, but did so in a way that reflected nurses ability to use due care in support of their ethical responsibilities. According to the Ramsay Health Care/Cairns Private Hospital Patient Charter (nd. ), patients have a right to ask questions and seek clarification in regards to matters that concern them. The actions of the health care team exemplified good practice with reference to this patient right. Health care providers were willing at all times to respond to patients questions or concerns and faced each situation with enthusiasm and clear respect for patients right to ask questions and seek clarification. Patients right to take part in decisions about their health care as stated in the Queensland Public Health Charter ( 2002), was viewed by the student nurse to occur in conjunction with the aforementioned patient right to information about treatment. By providing patients with easy to understand information about their condition, it allowed patients to make informed choices regarding their treatment and overall health. Health professionals were observed to provide patients with the information they require such that patients could make their own decisions regarding their treatment options. By thoroughly providing patients with necessary information as well as encouraging patients to take an active role in decisions about their health, health providers were empowering patients and fostering patient’s autonomy. Autonomy, the freedom to decide and act (Stein-Parbury, 2005), can be enhanced when a patient is given information about their condition and encouraged to take an active role in making decisions about their health. Informing patients of various treatment options and encouraging patients to take an active role in decisions about their health are fundamental components of informed voluntary consent. Informed voluntary consent may be implied, written or verbally given. The student nurse observed various nurses obtaining implied consent from patients when performing routine procedures such as taking a blood pressure reading. The student also viewed health providers obtaining verbal consent from patients when preforming procedures such as showering and mobilizing patients. The health providers adhered to the legal requirements which state that consent must be voluntarily given and informed (Forrester Griffiths, 2005). The actions of the health care team correlate positively to the statements set forth in both the Queensland Health Public Patients Charter (2002) and the ANMC Code of Ethics for Nurses in Australia (nd. ). The charter asserts that patients have the right to give their permission before they are treated. Whether consent was implied or verbal, the student nurse observed patients giving their permission prior to any procedure. According to Value Statement 2 in the Code of Nursing Ethics (nd. ), nurses must accept the rights of individuals to make informed choices in relation to their care. By ensuring that patients right to make informed choices in relation to their care and obtaining informed voluntary consent, health providers are meeting their legal and ethical obligations surrounding patients consent. It is essential that student nurses have an understanding of their moral and legal requirements surrounding patients consent. If a health provider performs a procedure without acquiring consent, there is a possibility that their actions legally may amount to assault or battery. According to Forrester and Griffiths (2005), battery involves the unlawful touching of a person without his or her consent. In charges of battery, there is no requirement that the patient sustains any injuries as a result of health professionals unlawful touching. Health providers must therefore have an understanding of the legal ramifications surrounding consent to ensure that they provide safe nursing care based on respecting patient’s legal rights. It is for this reason that the issue of patient’s consent was included for discussion in this paper. It is becoming increasingly important for health professionals to have an understanding of their legal and ethical responsibility for the maintenance of patient privacy and obtaining informed voluntary consent prior to preforming any procedure with patients. With the emphasis on patiens rights becoming more prevalent in the health care setting, it is essential that health care workers respect patient’s rights which include, but are not limited to, maintaining patient privacy and obtaining informed voluntary consent. The health providers present at the health care facility attended by the student nurse were observed to demonstrate good practice with respect to patients’ rights as set forth in the Queensland Health Public Patients Charter (2002).

Why People Refuse To Use Internet Banking Information Technology Essay

Why People Refuse To Use Internet Banking Information Technology Essay Do you consider online banking in its current state to be secure. In your experience, what are the biggest mistakes that financial services providers and their customers make that expose them to security risks? The world is changing at a staggering rate and technology is considered to be the key driver for these changes around us (Papers4you.com, 2006). An analysis of technology and its uses show that it has permeated in almost every aspect of our life. Many activities are handled electronically due the acceptance of information technology at home as well as at workplace. Internet can be seen as a truly global phenomenon that has made time and distance irrelevant to many transactions. The transformation from the traditional banking towards e-banking has been a leap change. The evolution of electronic banking started from the use of automatic teller machines (ATM) and has passed through telephone banking, direct bill payment, electronic fund transfer and the revolutionary online banking. The future of electronic banking according to some is the acceptance of WAP enabled banking and interactive-TV banking. Online banking is the future of electronic financial transactions. The rise in the e-commerce and the use of internet in its facilitation along with the enhanced online security of transactions and sensitive information has been the core reasons for the penetration of online banking in everyday life (Papers4you.com, 2006). According to the latest official figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS, 2006) indicate that subscriptions to the internet has grown more than 50% from 15 million in 2000 to 35 million in 2005 in the UK. It has also been estimated that 60% of the population in the UK use internet in their daily lives. Why people refuse to use internet banking? Today, there are still many internet users who refuse to do their banking online. Their main reason for not doing so is the lack of online banking security. One of the reasons why they feel insecure about banking online is because of misinformationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.not knowing the correct information about internet security. A study from the University of Michigan by Atul Prakash looks at design flaws that many online banking sites have today. He concluded that they fail to protect users who dont know the basics about internet security. The study focussed on design flaws rather than actual software programming weaknesses. Website design flaws are decisions or assumptions that were made by the web developers when they designed the online banking website. For example, the developers assumed that online banking users were educated about internet security. In fact, the opposite is trueà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.many online banking users are uneducated about basic internet security. This assumption can be taken advantage of by unscrupulous hackers. Some of the design flaws of online banking security are: Being able to access the site by using insecure HTTP, Being redirected to an untrusted site, Low security password thresholds and e-mailing confidential data to users. These are all examples of website design flaws that can lead to confidential data being leaked! Strong Passwords: As far as user password information goes, many of the sites involved in the study dont require password restrictions for users. Having low quality passwords invite themselves to being disclosed by brute-force attacks. The study also noted that having a strong password does not protect against phishing sites and key loggers. Many banks find it to be just an inconvenience for their users to force strong passwords. The online banks claimed that by enforcing a three-strike  [1]  lockout policy when incorrectly typing in a password makes brute-force attacks on low quality passwords unrealistic. However, the study found that even when a three-strike lockout policy is enforced, it can be broken if low quality passwords are allowed. For example, if you use a password that is very weak like password, hackers can successfully use automated attacks to compromise your login. This is so, even if the online bank enforces a three strike policy. The design flaw here is that online banks have assumed that users will always use strong passwords. Online banks must not assume that some online users understand basic internet security and enforce the creation of strong passwords. Well designed online banking sites will enforce strong passwords by using JavaScript  [2]  to immediately test the passwords strength. If the password is not strong enough, the user will immediately be advised by an on-screen error message or a graphic. Click here to create a password and test whether it is a strong password. Hackers and intruders have an easier time figuring passwords out when they are not frequently changed. You must change your passwords regularly, especially for your online banking password. When you change your password, the hackers would have to start over again. Online banks with strong password security policies automatically enforce users to change their passwords periodically. Typically a password creation screen will appear and you will be asked to update your password twice. You will also need to know the old password. It is harder for hackers to figure out your password if you use a number of different charactersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ especially if it is a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols found in your keyboard. Of course, it will be harder for you to remember the new password, so you have to make sure you memorize the combination. A useful tip: never use passwords that are codes like your birth date, spouses name, or other relevant information because your password can be deduced quickly and easily. These coded passwords are used by a lot of people, particularly in ATM machines and email passwords. By doing this, you simply make yourself a big target to hackers. Chain of Command: The University of Michigan study by Atul Prakash also mentions websites that break the chain of trust. Often time, bank websites will redirect you to other websites without notice. These sites may not be secured by using SSL  [3]  . Many times the certificates  [4]  used are not affiliated with the bank at all and there is no way for the user to tell if they are still on the banks website or not. This makes it hard for even knowledgeable users to know if they are on a phishing  [5]  siteà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ or not! Some online banking sites may present secure login options within an insecure webpage. While their online banking site may offer secure logins via SSL and HTTPS  [6]  , that same webpage may be available insecurely through a HTTP  [7]  version. While redirection to a secure page may occur, if the user had already entered in credential information under the insecure page, then their credentials are at risk of being compromised. While many sites exhibited 1 or 2 of the noted flaws, there were many on the list that didnt show any flaws and offered very good security. It also went on to note that some of the sites may have even fixed the flaws noted in the study at the time when the study was released. Online Banking: Tips for Doing It Safely With the increasing popularity of the Internet as a virtual marketplace, consumers and criminals alike have capitalized on this growing community. As a result the issue of Internet security has become one of great importance, especially when it comes to online banking. However, safe banking online is not as difficult as it may seem. It simply involves making the right choices. Here are some tips that will help ensure a safe banking experience on the Internet. First, make sure that the bank you choose is legitimate. If they do not have a branch you can visit locally, then you wont have the convenience of checking them out in person. In such cases, it is advisable to read pertinent information about the bank on its site. Most financial institutions will have an About Us tab where you can read more information about the bank and its history. You should even be able to the find name and address for the banks headquarters along with a toll free number you can use to speak with a live person. Second, be aware of criminals who put up fraudulent websites under a name or web address similar to that of a credible bank. Unfortunately, these undesirables have caused some trepidation when it comes to online banking. However, they can be fairly easy to spot and avoid. These sites are designed to trick you into entering their website and providing your personal information (i.e., social security number, account number, password). Be sure you have typed the appropriate web address for your bank before accessing your account online. This can be easily ensured by book marking your banks site or adding it to your favourites in your web browser. Doing this virtually guarantees you will visit the correct site in the future. Third, safeguard your private information. Thieves would love to get a hold of your credit card numbers, banking info, social security number and other private data. Review your banks security practices. This information is usually available on their website, but you should also be able contact the bank directly if necessary. Fourth, a secure online banking site will provide encryption  [8]  . In this process, private information is scrambled in order to prevent the wrong eyes from seeing it. Some web browsers will show an icon at the bottom of your screen that looks like a key or a lock. This icon indicates that your transaction is secure and your private information has been encrypted. Hackers and bad people are constantly attempting to crack into our online accounts and access everything from our email to our online banking records for nefarious purposes. How can you stop them from easily accessing your accounts? One very important step is to use highly secure passwords that arent easily guessed or cracked by their malicious software. Most of the time theyre after easy targets and will move on if your account cant be hacked quickly. Here are five tips to help you create secure passwords for your online accounts: Dont use names, dates, phone numbers, or addresses Dont use common words from the dictionary Use a mix of lowercase letters, uppercase letters, numbers, and special characters (such as! * % where possible) Make it at least 8 characters long (longer is better) Change it often (for online banking or hosting accounts, try every month) You may want to use an online random password generator. If youre worried that you may have trouble remembering all your secure online passwords, dont resort to using the same password at multiple sites or using passwords that arent secure! Instead, consider an option like RoboForm or RoboForm Online. You can also use Firefox as your browser (its free) and allow it to save your passwords. Just be sure to use a master password to secure your passwords file. You can find details about that at http://kb.mozillazine.org/Master_password Finally, make sure that you logout of the online banking site completely. When you are finished with your online banking session, you need to be sure that you log out. If you do not physically click the log out button, you may stay signed in. Anyone who uses the computer that you used to check your bank account could then get into your bank on-line account. It could also give more time to those people who want to crack into your bank account. Checking for the lock that indicates a secure log in is crucial to being careful when using online banking. It helps you to ensure that you are giving your password and information over a secure connection. Password protection, and having a secure password, will allow you to make it difficult for others to log into your account. By logging out, you can be sure that you have stopped the connection, preventing anyone (both online or in person) from finding and using your account. You need to be responsible when using online banking to ensure that your finances are safe. It should be clear that safe online banking is not an impossible task. It simply involves being well informed and making the right decisions.