Public Awareness of Diabetes

Public Awareness of Diabetes Lynn A. Bailey HCA/240 August 21, 2011 Dr. Monica Reed, PhD, MPH Diabetes is a disease that affects millions of people every year, and in most cases, this is a disease that is preventable. Increasing public awareness regarding risk factors and how this debilitating disease can be controlled and prevented may reduce the number of cases diagnosed each year. Throughout the years, scientists have developed a variety of treatment options and medications that are available for individuals diagnosed with diabetes. Future treatments for diabetes may include an artificial pancreas and stem cell therapy (Yoffee, 2009). Along with community support through awareness programs and advances in technology and treatment options, this disease is controllable and in some cases, may even be prevented. Diabetes and who it Affects Most Diabetes mellitus (DM), more commonly known as diabetes, is the result of insufficient insulin production or the body’s inability to respond to insulin (Forth & Jude, 2011). Diabetes is a disease that affects how the body uses blood glucose, or blood sugar. Blood glucose is vital to health because it is an essential source of energy for cells of the muscles and other tissues as well as the brain’s fuel (Mayo Clinic, 2011). Individuals that suffer from diabetes have difficulty regulating and maintaining healthy blood glucose levels. If an individual is diagnosed with diabetes, no matter type, he or she has too much glucose. Some genetic factors do play a role in an individual’s risk for developing diabetes along with other factors such as race, but lifestyle is to blame for most diagnosed cases of diabetes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2011). Anyone who is 45 years or older should consider testing for diabetes, especially if he or she is overweight or has a family history of this disease. Race may also play a role in the development of this disease. Individuals who are African American, American Indian, Asian American, Pacific Islander, or Hispanic American/Latino should also consider prescreening (CDC, 2011). Another group of people that are more susceptible to DM2 are lower income groups, especially women (Lega, Ross, Zhong, & Dasgupta, 2011). Diabetes affects the whole body including the most important hormonal system, the endocrine system. The Body System Affected by Diabetes and its Causes The endocrine system is a group of organs or glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream, which can affect the entire body. Glands of the endocrine system include the hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, pancreas, adrenal, testes, and the ovaries. The glands of the endocrine system release hormones into the bloodstream. The pancreas is the organ of the endocrine system, and when it is not functioning properly, the result is diabetes. Diabetes occurs when the pancreas malfunctions. One of the pancreas’s functions is to control the glucose level in the blood (Mulvihill, Zelman, Holdaway, Tompary, & Raymond, 2006). The pancreas secretes two hormones known as glucagon and insulin, which raise and lower glucose levels in the blood (Mulvihill et al. 2006). When insulin is secreted, blood glucose levels rise, and when glucagon is released, blood glucose levels decrease. If an individual is diagnosed with diabetes, his or her pancreas is not secreting enough insulin or target cells are not responding to the insulin that is being secreted (Mulvihill et al. , 2006). This malfunction of the pancreas results in either Type One (DM1) or Type Two (DM2) diabetes. DM1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas fails to produce insulin, and DM2 diabetes occurs when the pancreatic islets fail to secrete enough insulin or when target cells ignore the insulin (American Diabetes Association, 2011). The most common cause of diabetes is obesity, but other risk factors are involved as well. Risk Factors Some common risk factors for DM1 include genetics from both parents, environmental factors such as cold climates, viruses, race, and early dietary factors such as low vitamin D or exposure to cow’s milk (Mayo Clinic, 2011). Risk factors for DM2 consist of obesity, high or low birth weight, rapid weight gain in childhood, sedentary lifestyle, fetal exposure to gestational diabetes, family history, and race (Schub & Caple, 2010). Some of these risk factors may be controlled, whereas others cannot e controlled. Risk factors that are controllable include dietary needs and lifestyle choices. Obesity is the number one cause of DM2 among children and adolescents, and is commonly describes as body mass index, or BMI, which is a measurement of body fat that is based on height and weight (Schub & Caple, 2010). Obesity is a risk factor that is modifiable and may decrease an individualà ¢â‚¬â„¢s risk for developing DM2, and it may either prevent or reduce the onset. Obesity is a risk factor of DM1 as well. Although it may not prevent DM1, healthy lifestyle choices may help manage this type of diabetes as well. Other factors that cannot be controlled include genetics, fetal exposure to gestational diabetes, low birth rate, some environmental factors, and race. In today’s world, advances in medicine and technology have increased the availability of treatment options for patients diagnosed with diabetes compared to the past. Evolution of Treatment Options Over past several years, the list of medications used to treat diabetes has increased creating more options for patients and healthcare providers (Davis, 2011). In the past, insulin was the only treatment available for diabetes, and medications were limited. Metformin is an oral drug that has been used for many years as a treatment for DM2, but it is not always effective because of side effects such as gas, bloating, and diarrhea (Davis, 2011). With new advances in technology, this drug is now available in an extended-release formula, which reduces its side effects and makes is much more tolerable for many patients, and it is also available in a generic version, which is much less expensive for numerous individuals suffering from DM2 (Davis, 2011). Advances in treatment options have also led to the availability of drugs such as Byetta, Januvia, Onglyza, Tradjenta, and Symlin (CDC, 2011). Januvia, Onglyza, and Tradjenta are drugs that work with natural enzymes and the body’s own insulin to control blood glucose, Symlin is a synthetic hormone that helps lower blood glucose after meals, and Byetta is an injectable drug that assaults high blood sugar and diminishes one’s appetite (Davis, 2010). Diagnosis and treatments depend on which type of diabetes and individual may have. A healthcare professional will conduct different types of medical tests and procedures to determine the proper diagnosis. Current Treatment Methods When a patient suspects that he or she may have diabetes, the first thing they should do is see their doctor. The physician can perform tests and procedures that will determine whether or not he or she has diabetes, and if so, which type they have. These tests may include a fasting blood glucose level test, random (non-fasting) blood glucose level test, oral glucose tolerance test, hemoglobin A1c test, or a ketone test, which is used to diagnose DM1 (Right Health, 2010). A fasting blood glucose level test is a test that indicates a patient’s blood glucose level after a period of eight hours of fasting. At the doctor’s office, a medical professional will take a sample of blood from the vein in the inner bend of the elbow. The fasting blood glucose level should be below 99mg/dl, which is considered normal. Results that indicate levels of 100 to 125 are indications of pre-diabetes and 126 or higher indicate diabetes (CDC, 2011). Another test is random blood glucose level. Random blood glucose level test is a blood glucose test conducted on a patient that has not been fasting. Normal levels in and average adult are 70 to 130 mg/dl (CDC, 2011). If an individual’s test results reflect a level of 130 to 200, this may be an indication of pre-diabetes, and a patient with a level above 200 is considered a diabetic (CDC, 2011). A glucose tolerance test may also be used to diagnose diabetes. A glucose tolerance test is in which the patient, who has been fasting for about 10 hours, drinks a solution of glucose. After the patient drinks the solution, his or her blood and urine is sample are taken and analyzed over a period of three hours (Mulvihill, et al. , 2006). The urine test shows the presence or absence of glucose in the urine, or ketones (Mulvihill, et al. 2006). The A1c test is a test used for diabetics as well. An A1c is a test which indicates blood sugar levels over a period of three months (Medicine Net, 2011). This is a test that benefits the patient and the physician by giving an indication of how well a medication may be working. Normal range is 4-5. 9%, a level of 8% or more is an indication of poorly controlle d diabetes (Medicine Net, 2009). With advancing technology and medicine, the future holds more treatment options. Future Treatment Options Advancement in technology is making new treatment options available for many diabetic patients. Research has indicated new treatments such as an artificial pancreas and pancreatic cell transplantation (Yoffee, 2009). Medtronic, a medical device company, is combining glucose monitoring systems with insulin pumps to recreate the delivery system of insulin in the body (Yoffee, 2009). Scientists are also working on transferring pancreatic cells from pigs into humans (Yoffee, 2009). Even though advances in technology are allowing scientists and other professionals to invent new and exciting treatments for diabetes, prevention is the best defense against this disease. Evaluation of an Existing Educational Program One educational program that has made great strides to combat the growing threat of diabetes among children and adolescents is the Adolescent Health and Youth Development (AHYD) Unit of the Georgia Division of Public Health. They have helped fund 30 Teen Center Programs in 28 counties in the state of Georgia (Georgia Division of Public Health, 2011). One of these programs is the Diabetes Prevention and Control Program (DPCP), which was established to reduce the burden of diabetes on the communities of Georgia. This program provides communication to increase awareness, improve quality of care, increase screening, and reduce costs (Georgia Division of Public Health, 2011). This program has made some impact on communities, but there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. The DPCP was recognized by the CDC for achievement in A1c screening and improving the well-being of people affected by diabetes. Scholarships have been awarded to 374 medical professionals that help them pay for the Certified Diabetes Educators (CDE) exam. These are great accomplishments, but it is not enough. More needs to be done to reach out to the communities that are hardest hit by this disease. In addition to the A1c screening, a lifestyle initiative should be added. Adding a lifestyle initiative that would include local restaurants and other businesses to come out into their communities and get involved. Six annual picnics that included A1c screening, lunch, activities, and educational materials would be beneficial for many communities throughout Georgia. Local businesses could ban together and donated good to raffle off, which would draw families and community members to the event. The event could be held at a different area parks around the state. The hardest hit areas would be the first on the list. People need to be educated about the risks, causes, and prevention of diabetes, and our communities must come together in order to combat the onset of diabetes in our children and adolescents. An Effective way of Spreading the News No program will be successful without the proper advertising or spokesperson. In today’s world children and adolescents are drawn to Sponge Bob. If he were the spokesperson for healthy eating and exercise, children would react with enthusiasm and excitement. His picture on fliers that promote a healthy lifestyle could be mailed to surrounding area residents alerting them of the upcoming events. Children could come to the event and get their picture taken with Sponge Bob. Sponge Bob could lead a relay race for children and adolescents. An ad in the local newspaper would benefit the event as well. A website could be created for this event with links to Facebook and Twitter. With the help of Sponge Bob and the community, education on the benefits of a healthy lifestyle would reach a greater number of people, and help promote the prevention of diabetes. Conclusion Diabetes is a disease that affects millions of people. In some cases, this disease can be prevented by teaching and promoting healthy lifestyle choices. Over the years, many treatment options have changed, and with increasing advances in technology and medicine, there will be more changes in the future. The key to the prevention and treatment of many cases of diabetes is to provide sufficient public awareness. References American Diabetes Association. (2011). Type I. Retrieved from http://www. diabetes. org/diabetes-basics/type-1/. American Diabetes Association. (2011). Type 2. Retrieved from http://www. diabetes. org/diabetes-basics/type-2/. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). National diabetes fact sheet. Retrieved from http://www. cdc. gov/diabetes/. Davis, J. L. (2011). New Type 2 Diabetes Treatment Options. Retrieved from http://www. webMD. com/diabetes/. Forth, R. , & Jude, E. (2011). Diabetes: complications, prevention and treatment. British Journal of Healthcare Management, 17(1), 30-35. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Georgia Division of Public Health. (2011). Adolescent Health and Youth Development (AHYD). Retrieved from http://health. state. a. us/programs/adolescent/. Lega, I. , Ross, N. , Zhong, L. , & Dasgupta, K. (2011). Gestational Diabetes Histoy May Signal Deprivation in Women with Type 2 Diabetes. Journal of Women’t Health (15409996), 20(4), 625-629. doi:10. 1089/jwh. 2010. 2273. Mayo Clinic. (2011). Diabetes. Retrieved from http://www. mayclinic. com/health/diabetes/DS01121/. Medicine Net. (2011). Hemoglobin A1c Test. Re trieved from http://www. medicinenet. com/hemoglobin-a1c-test/articl. htm. Mulvihill, M. L. , Zelman, M. , Holdaway, P. , Tompary, E. , & Raymond, J. (2006). Human Diseases: A systemic approach. (6th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Right Health. (2010). Diabetes. Retrieved from http://www. righthealth. com/diabetes/. Schub, T. , & Caple, C. (2010). Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2: Prevention in Children and Adolescents. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Yoffee, L. (2009). The Future of Diabetes Treatment. Retrieved from http://www. EverydayHealth. com/. Zhang, X. , Luo, H. , Gregg, E. , Mukhtar, Q. , Rivera, M. , Barker, L. , & Albright, A. (2010). Obesity prevention and diabetes screening at local health departments. American Journal of Public Health, 100(8), 1434-1441. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Philosophy and Empire in Ancient China

The late Zhou period of, also known as the Age of a Hundred Schools of thought, was a turbulent era in Chinese history. Although these schools all contended against each other, they had the same basic goal. To unify China. The three most influential schools of thought that existed were Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism. Although ultimately it was legalist principles and methods that ended the Period of the Warring states, through the eyes of the Confucian thinkers, Qin Shihuandi's legalist policies may have been a harsh and overtly utilitarian way of unifying China. Confucianism is a school of thought that developed from one mans want for a more â€Å"moral way † of ruling. Kong Qiu, as he was named before history posthumously named him Kong Fuzi which was later â€Å"Latinized into Confucius, was born into an â€Å"aristocratic but impoverished family â€Å". His experience with rituals of his native state of Lu in Northwestern China, led him to embark upon a â€Å"14 year period of wandering with his students â€Å". Confucius traveled to various small courts attempted to convince their leaders to adopt his philosophies of life and government. He hoped his ideas would return China to a â€Å"state of harmony and justice â€Å". Confucius later returned to his home and remained teaching, believing himself a failure, until his death in 479. In actuality he was far from a failure. His ideas spread throughout the kingdom and played a profound role in shaping Chinese civilization. We must remember that the School of a Hundred thoughts took place during the Period of the Warring states. This was a particularly turbulent period of history where philosophers were trying to come up with anything they could to bring peace and confident rule to China. Many thinkers, such as Confucius, looked to the past to provide examples of for improvement. The past, especially the Zhou dynasty, was largely mythicized and believed to be a â€Å"Golden age of harmony and prosperity â€Å". Confucius believed the Sage kings had it essentially right. A ruler should be like a father figure to his people and lead by example, not by fear. Confucius also drew upon other age-old Chinese virtues such as filial piety or xiao, a moral humanity or ren, and ritual courtesy or li. Confucian thought emphasizes the principle that humans are generally moral creatures and are â€Å"by fact, obliged to comport themselves humanely and with integrity. While Confucianism preached preached a â€Å"doctrine of benevolent reform † based on the virtues of the past, Legalism contrarily emphasized a strict utilitarian regime. Leaders in legalist thought, realized that with the extreme disorder of their present day, new and drastic measures were necessary. For a governing body to succeed, it would depend on a effective system of rewards and punishments. To ensure his power, the ruler had to keep his officials in line with strict rules and regulations and his people obedient with predictably enforced laws. Shang Yang, Han Feizi gathered that the base of a state's strength was its armed forces and its agriculture. They then tried to dissuade people from being merchants, scholars, philosophers, or artists because these careers did not â€Å"advance the interests of the state â€Å". Legalist's imposed a strict regime with clearly and strictly defined laws and expectations. Failure to comply even to the most negligible of laws resulted in severe punishment. Legalist thought was that this fear of their leaders would inspire compliance with the laws that govern the state as a whole. Although the harsh ideals of the legalist school of thought may have later been smoothed out by adopting certain Confucian ideas, they originated as vastly different systems. We can see the legalist polices that Sima Quian recorded in his expansive history of China as they were enforced by Qin Shihuandi. Confucians such as Mencius would have likely disagreed with this style of rule. There are many discrepancies we can see when comparing Sima Quian's writings and the Analects recorded by students of Confucius. Qin Shihuangdi had a tower built on Mount Langya with clear inscriptions for his people to live by. One inscription reads † Great are the Emperor's achievements, men attend diligently to basic tasks, farming is encouraged, secondary pursuits discouraged. It is made clear that the â€Å"great emperor † wants to suppress his peoples desires to pursue anything but â€Å"basic tasks † that serve the greater good. This would sound preposterous for a Confucian thinker. How can the people build a better society if they are dissuaded from education? They may be forced to build walls or fight wars for the Emperor. Confucians did not believe in â€Å"governing with decrees and regulating with punishments â€Å". They believed that the â€Å"people will evade † their forced work and will have â€Å"no sense of shame â€Å". They believed the better way to govern would be to lead by virtue and example. Whereas Qin Shihuangdi may promote a crooked aristocrat to oversee the building of walls, a Confucian would promote an â€Å"upright â€Å"citizen who was knowledgeable and educated. While the crooked man may punish insubordination with violence to scare others into working, the straight man would â€Å"preside over them with dignity, [and his people] will be reverent; if [he] is filial and loving. His subordinates would want to work for a man who believes in them and they would encourage each to work harder through their respect for one another. â€Å"As for sageness and humanity, how dare i claim them? But to learn it insatiably and instruct others indefatigably-that much may be said of me, that is all†,† humbly stated master Confucius. Humility also must have had a different meaning for Qin Shihuangdi as he was quoted â€Å"in his sagacity, benevolence and justice to have said: â€Å"I humbly propose that all records but those of Qin be burned. If anyone who is not a court scholar dares to keep the ancient songs, historical records or writings or writings of the hundred schools, these should be confiscated and burned†¦ Those who in conversation dare to quote the old songs and records, should be publicly executed, those who use old precedents to oppose the new order should have their families wiped out. This is a stark contrast to the Confucian beliefs that were composed of many older ideals. Confucians studied ancient texts such as the Book of Documents, and the Book of Songs. The ideals they upheld emphasized the importance of education which came in part from these ancient texts. How was a man to educate himself and raise his family out of poverty without an education. As Confucius says â€Å"If he learns, he will not be benighted â€Å", or ignorant of the rituals that make a virtuousin shi. In a legalist China, where â€Å"no evil or impropriety is allowed† and where â€Å"kinsman care for each other â€Å", people who were often held to the principle of collective responsibility. All family members were expected to observe others closely, â€Å"forestall any illegal activity† and report it. Even if it was against their own family or community members. If there were such people who knew â€Å"of such cases but [failed] to report them, [they] should be punished in the same way. This also is a far cry from the benevolent practice of xiao. In fact, it is fundamentally opposite of the superior teachings of Confucius. Whereas legalist theory believes that children who rebel against their wrongdoing parents will grow to be upstanding citizens, Master You states that â€Å"those who are not apt to defy their superiors, but are apt to stir up a rebellion simply do not exist. † Although this is only a theory, I would say that it should hold more water than Qin Shihuangdi's. If the state practices â€Å"filial piety and brotherly obedience†¦ [being] the roots of humanity†¦ and the government conducts itself â€Å"with [a] virtue likened to the North Star † one could surmise that it would be a fairly pleasant society to live in. Also inscribed upon Qin Shihuangdi's stele was the phrase, â€Å"The common people know peace and have laid aside weapons and armor; kinsmen care for each other, there are no robbers and thieves: men delight in his rule. † A Confucian might believe this to be quite an exaggeration for to them there were no â€Å"common † people. Only people who should be treated how you yourself would like to be treated. In a society of people who are more encouraged to cultivate their own knowledge, and attainment of skilled judgement there would be less of a need for strict rules and guidelines as the people should conduct themselves according to the virtues and morals they have attained through education. The utilitarian procedures of legalism were largely responsible for the general lack of education among the common people of China. As a opinionated Confucian scholar under the reign of Qin Shihuangdi, I would be one of the people getting together to â€Å"slander the laws † and practices set in place by my legalist ruler. While might be able to agree that a legalist doctrine was responsible for building a unified state with a large-scale political organization that established a tradition of centralized imperial rule, i could speculate that China may have been a very different place had more Confucian values been implemented. As evidenced by the rule of Shang Yang, legalist politics were successful simply through the fear they instilled in the common people. While road work and agriculture was flourishing throughout the dynasty, so was unrest. Shang Yang was quickly executed upon the death of his patron, his body mutilated and his family annihilated. In the case of Qin Shihaungdi, there were many who welcomed the stability his reign brought, yet still many outspoken scholars, philosophers and others who criticized his regime. As the First Emperor didn't want his people to be confused with the old teachings of scholars, he demanded that the books be burned and had hundreds of scholars executed. We may never know what China would be like had more of the Confucian teachings survived but i believe that their history might be a little bit less bloody.

Gender Disparities and Gendered Miseries in Divakarunis One Amazing T Essay

Gender Disparities and Gendered Miseries in Divakarunis One Amazing Thing - Essay Example In One Amazing Thing, Divakaruni argues that gender discrimination produces women who are unhappy with themselves and their lives because of the gender norms and expectations that hinder them from developing their abilities and taking risks for their loved ones. Womanhood does not necessarily mean personhood, and without personhood, happiness and self-development are elusive. Gender discrimination, despite state policies that promote gender sensitivity and equality, manifests through gender norms, including son preference. In â€Å"Explaining Son Preference in Rural India: The Independent Role of Structural versus Individual Factors,† Pande and Astone studied the reasons for son preference in rural India. They concentrated on son preference as an effect of interest, and they theorized that a person’s son preference is a product of a complex process that the society, the household, and the individual factors shape. They investigate these factors that affected son preference from the late 1980s and early 1990s. Their sampling included 50,136 ever-married women. Findings showed that social norms, household and individual factors impact the decision to prefer sons over daughters. The same practice is evident in One Amazing Thing. Mohit’s parents do not want him to marry a Chinese woman, whom they think does not deserve to marry an affluen t rich Indian man. Their preference for the son superseded their preference for their son’s happiness. Gender discrimination produces unfair gender norms and expectations that delimit women’s capacity for self-development. Mrs. Pritchett wants to feel loved, but she feels it is too late for she married a self-centered man who is unaware of her needs as a woman. She has not developed her personhood because of her restrictions as a woman. Mangalam experiences sexual harassment, though this gives her power over a life of poverty. Nevertheless, her experience shows that because she  is poor and a woman, she cannot attain the kind of life she wants to have. Sexual harassment is common in patriarchal countries (Gupta 95).

DB1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DB1 - Essay Example Forecasting is the practice of predicting the sources of expected revenues while budgeting details the use of the expected revenues (Dlabay & Burrow, 2007). Forecasting data is mainly used in preparing the budgets. Budgeting allows the organization to control the cash flow of the organization (Shim, Siegel & Shim, 2012). In summary, budgeting entails preparing a financial plan while forecasting involves predicting the future revenues and expenditure. Budgeting is mainly done for a financial year unless forecasting that can take longer periods (Crosson & Needles, 2011). There are certain differences between operating budgets and cash budget. Operating budget is mainly prepared for each income statement components such as the production budget, sales budget (Crosson & Needles, 2011). Operating budgets mainly provide a blueprint on how the business will conduct its operations in a certain period of time like the expected production level, the sales volumes (Dlabay & Burrow, 2007). On the other hand, cash budgets are prepared after the preparation of operating budgets. The cash budget contains the receipts, disbursements, the cash deficit or surplus (Burton & Thakur, 1998). Zero based budgeting approach requires each cost element to be justified. The budget allowance is usually zero. Each budget is prepared from zero based instead of the previous year’s budget as the base (Crosson & Needles, 2011). Each manager must justify the need for spending through detailed proposals of costs, purpose, alternative courses of action and measures of budget performance. Zero based budgeting will improve efficiency through detecting inflated budgets and recognizing obsolete operations (Crosson & Needles, 2011). The budgeting approach leads to greater incentives for responsible decision making and increases communication and coordination in the organization (Burton & Thakur, 1998). Forecasting is predicting the future events,

Explain what is meant by the 'Biopsychosocial' perspective. Show how Essay

Explain what is meant by the 'Biopsychosocial' perspective. Show how this perspective is important in our understanding of psychological disorders - Essay Example The main aim is to define what is meant by BPS and how it is applied in the treatment of psychological disorders. To achieve this, I will be analyzing a disorder through the lens of BPS. The aim is not so much in determining the treatment of the disorder but to make the reader appreciate the use of BPS. The biopsychosocial (BPS) model in healthcare stresses the need for approaching illnesses and disorders holistically. Usually, medical professionals would usually limit themselves to understanding illnesses thru the lens of science especially that of biology. The model considers the health and disorders of human beings as the result not only of biological failure or invasion but also of psychological and social environment by which he is immersed. In treating disorders, beliefs, thoughts and emotions must also be taken into account. We can think of the human physiological systems including our genes to be rather open and flexible systems which respond to the demands place upon them as opposed to the encapsulated system view that is so pervasive in our society. BPS relies on the assumption that biological disorders could lead to psychological disorders. This is further amplified by social factors such as inappropriate environment and undesirable social interactions. The overall result is a dysfunctional and painful state of mind (Kirkpatrick, 1990). A biopsychosocial perspective in the treatment of alcoholism in wom... The wealth of literature of the topic helps us further to provide a more revealing discussion on the use of BPS. In the following passages, the reader will find that there are unique circumstances and challenges women alcoholics must deal with when compared to their biological counterpart. 2.3 Biological Factors There are certain biological realities that make women alcoholics at a worse position than men. To start with, women tend to be more affected physiologically by the consumption of alcohol. They may be drinking a little amount but that is already equivalent to a drinking spree by their male peers. In the study undertaken by Wilsnack, Wilsnack, and Miller-Strumhofel (1994) and Deal & Galaver (1994), it was found out that the biological makeup of women of having more fatty tissue causes this difference in physiological response. Since women have more fatty tissue and that alcohol does not dissolve well in this environment, the same amount of alcohol consumed by a man and woman will lead to higher blood pressure for the later. Deal and Galaver (1994, p. 190) was also able to show that women have lower levels of dehydrogenase - a very important enzyme in breaking down alcohol. This together with the fatty tissue differentials result to a higher blood alcohol concentration for women which also translates to higher risks for developing the liver illness called cirrhosis. There are many studies indicating that women are indeed more prone to cirrhosis than men and this includes that of Krasner, Davis, Portmann, & Williams (1977) and Peres, Gavallero, Brugera, Torres, & Robes (1986). Nixon (1994) was able to establish that in populations with alcoholic hepatitis, the women's condition were likely to deteriorate to

Critical Skills of Senior Executive Assistants Case Study

Critical Skills of Senior Executive Assistants - Case Study Example Most employers were from colleges, universities and other academic institutions, with average earnings of $44680. Becoming an executive assistant one requires to have some educational credentials to succeed in the dynamic business market. Some common courses include typing, computer applications, business law, records and information management, office administration and business communication. Table of Contents 2 parts Advertisement done with log for the financial review in Sydney and a case study report 1 Executive summary 1 Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Critical Skills of Senior Executive Assistants 3 Writing Skills 3 Project Management Skills 4 Financial Skills 5 Benefits, salary, and salary packaging options 6 Salary Trends 6 Conclusion 7 Bibliography 9 Introduction An executive assistant plays a crucial role in an organisation. In the ever changing business environment, it is the executive assistant’s job to assist the key decision maker to stay focused, effective a nd a better leader. The key skills of this position are excellent communication, creativity and ability to work independently (Yukl, 1998; Zeng, 2011, pp 2 –93; Priem, 1994, pp 421–437). ... cruit an office manager, this position has three direct officers; the receptionist and two administrative staff (Scarborough, & Zimmerer,2006;Shimek & Wen,2008). Critical Skills of Senior Executive Assistants In the ever changing office environment, the critical skills required of an effective senior executive assistant is communication. How the incumbent interacts with peers and other decision makers is paramount on how ideas exchange across the organisation. Other vital skills are interpersonal effectiveness, project management skills, financial planning abilities, and effective writing skills (Torrington & Hall, 2004, pp. 205; Drew, 2007, pp359-369). Writing Skills Effective writing skills are particularly essential for an office manager to put the right words on paper quickly. Therefore, they must be able to communicate more clearly, concisely and persuasively. Words matter and an effective office assistant must learn, develop and enhance how to use them. The key areas that requi re effective principle of writing are: successful correspondence, message shaping, writing to the point, avoiding writing traps, diplomacy and politics, refining the writing and managing minutes in a meeting (Eije ,2006; Eisenhardt,1989, pp 57-7; Fan, Wong, & Zhang,2007, pp 330-357). Communication Skills An outstanding executive assistant should possess soft skills and abilities to maximise appropriate communication skills for personal and professional potential. The positive traits needed include; self awareness, personal openness, conflict handling, frustration and stress control, assertiveness and making commitments to development. Appropriate communication skills are key to developing a positive image, giving and receiving feedback, presenting ideas with confidence and clarity.

No topic Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

No topic - Assignment Example t from the questions based only on ‘yes/no’ there would be questions asking for the personal view of employees in regard to a series of critical issues, such as the level of equality in the workplace, the fairness in compensation and so on (Macey et al. 2011); through such information, that could not be retrieved through other performance measurement tool, managers could have a clear view in regard to employee satisfaction and could suggest effective measures for improving retention. In order to be prepared for survey feedback meetings with managers OD practitioners should proceed to the following actions: a) they need to analyze the data gathered so that key findings are identified and appropriately evaluated; b) then, OD practitioners should search for plans for addressing existing organizational problems, as revealed through the survey feedback; c) OD practitioners should also decide on changes that would be required in regard to one or more organizational departments; the changes would be decided depending on the performance of each organizational department, the organizational objectives and the resources available (Sengupta et al. 2006). In Hallmark there is a series of seasonal components, as for example: a) Specific products are available for Holidays, such as: for Valentine’s Day, for the Passover, for Easter and so on, b) there are products related to Occasions, such as Wedding or Birthday; c) depending on the Recipient, products have been introduced for men, for women and for kids, d) there are products that reflect a specific psychological status/ feeling, such as Sympathy or Wishes for rapid recovery (Hallmark, Organizational

BIO100A Home Lab 2 Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

BIO100A Home 2 - Lab Report Example The pine cone protects the seeds from the water logging by covering them with the woody scales. The seed cone was kept in a cup of water and the change in the cone appearance was observed. d) Record: time out of water: 5 minutes. The seed cone appearance: more swollen and the woody scales of the cone are soft and comes out easily when touched up. The color of the seed cone has changed. Since the scales are soft, the seeds are now getting exposed. There are small pores visible to the naked eye in the cross section of the celery stalk. They are juicy and filled with water. This concludes that there are xylem tubes present in the stalk to carry plentiful water within it. Seed dispersal is very important for the plants for many reasons. The most important thing is that they enable the seeds to grow in a habitat that is away from the parent plant and they increase the survival rate of the seeds. The seeds are dispersed to different environmental conditions and the plant variety is dispersed to different regions. The survival rate of the seed increase as they receive food with less competition. The seeds also get the chance to land on the soil for better growth. (Lawson, 2001). Gymnosperms use wind, water and rain, animals to disperse the seeds. Some gymnosperms such as red wood require fire to release the seeds. Fire is used by a means by the redwood to ensure nutrient for the seedlings and less competition from the environment for the growth of the seed. The gymnosperms have wings for the dispersal of the seeds. The nuts in the pine are spread by the nut-eating animals too. Angiosperms are more diverse in their types and population. The seeds of angiosperms are very light and have fluffy wind spread seeds or winger seeds. Some angiosperms use sea route, flooding forests, large animals and wind. Redwoods release the seed only after a fire. The female cones are tightly packed and preserved as such for

Discussing the Law Cases in the United States Assignment

Discussing the Law Cases in the United States - Assignment Example Officer D’onofrio took a single picture of the defendant without the accompaniment of Mr Glover, the alleged buyer. He only relied on the description given to him by Mr Glover. This is another hitch; what if there is another person who resembles the defendant and maybe is the one who sold the alleged heroin to Glover It is hard for the officer to prove that the picture he took was actually of the person Glover described. Glover admits that he had neither met the defendant nor had he seen him before, this also makes his positive identification of the defendant challengeable in a court of appeal. In short, the procedure the officer used to obtain evidence of the case is improper according to the US federal constitution. The defendant lawyer can argue that the evidence given is inadmissible since it is derived by Glover pretence to lure his client to commit a crime. The US criminal penal code states that; .."Whenever evidence is objected to as inadmissible because it was discovered as a result of or otherwise derived from compelled testimony or evidence, the burden shall be upon the person offering the challenged evidence to establish a source independent of the compelled testimony or evidence"( Sec. 54-47a). Since the court relied on evidence given by Mr.  Ã‚   It should be noted that the defence lawyer has all the right to apply for rejection of any information or evidence given under the U.S Federal criminal penal code. The federal court can upon motion by the defence lawyer at any time dismiss any information and order the defendant discharged. (Sec.54-56 ).

Best Teacher Essay Example for Free

Best Teacher Essay I was the kind of child that always struggled to pay attention in school. I never wanted to be in class, except to visit with my friends. At times I wanted to drop out of school. I always felt like school was a big waste of time. Until I met a teacher named Mrs. Meyers at Kent Mountain View Academy. Mrs. Meyers is a teacher that is the most influential person in the world, (but the world doesn’t know it yet), I really admire her because she always encouraged me to go to class and treat other teachers and students with respect, and to try my best. If I ever needed any extra help in homework; she was there, it didn’t matter which subject it was. She always told me that I was very smart and to never to doubt myself. Mrs. Meyers is easy to talk to, I could just tell her anything because she’s very honest and talks to me (or anyone for that matter) openly about anything in life. She was always ready to listen to me when I was feeling down. With her comfort and warm words I always felt better and important. When I needed some advice, she was there for me. She is my friend, my mentor and like a mother. Mrs. Meyers has a great passion and love to teach children. She has so much patience to sit down with them and explain the work to them. She never makes the school work boring; she always made it fun and exciting and easier to learn. She always did it with a smile on her face, even when she wasn’t feeling well. If I had one hour to spend with Mrs. Meyers, I would ask her what influenced her passion for teaching children, how did her life experiences influence her to be a teacher, and many other questions relatable to that. I would ask these questions because she’s a great person, and who doesn’t want to know about a great person? I hope one day I could feel that same passion, care and love that she has of teaching and helping children like the way she help me. She completely changed my life around and made me a different person the one I am today. Mrs. Meyers was the one person who influenced me the most and to whom I am very thankful because she gave me the inspiration to become a teacher or at least strive to do my best at whatever job I choose. I am very glad that I met her and I think that without her I would never do as well as I do in school. Or in life for that matter.

Self Efficacy In Writing Performance Psychology Essay

Self Efficacy In Writing Performance Psychology Essay Writing, is a complex process and competent writing is frequently accepted as being the last language skill to be acquired. Al-Mekhlafi, 2011 Due to its complex process, writing is regarded as a challenging task not only for native speakers of a language but also for second language learners. As it is the case for any other acquired skill, writing skill also evolves continuously until the product, a piece of writing, meets the expectations of both the writer and reader. However, when it comes to learning how to apply certain conventions of writing in a formal learning environment, the role and responsibility of the learner becomes even more important. As cited in Sheila Matoti and Almon Shumba (2011), writing problems identified by previous studies are grammar, spelling, punctuation, expression, and the ability to explain, structure and interpret facts as well as vocabulary and referencing. Although it can be claimed that the problems listed above can be fixed, to a certain extent, through formal instruction and learners effort, it is a fact that having some sort of knowledge about ones capabilities and skills can indeed play an important role in motivating human behaviours. (Bandura,1986) According to Banduras Social Cognitive Theory, individuals possess a system of self-beliefs that enables them to exercise control over their thoughts, feelings, and actions. (as cited in Garcia Fidalgo,2008, Rahimpour Jahan, 2010, Al-Mekhlafi, 2011, Shah et al. 2011, Galligan ,2011, Alexander Schmidt, 2012). Broaddus (2012) explained that social cognitive theory forms the roots of both writing self-efficacy and motivation both of which change from course to course, depending on students interest, efficacy for performing tasks in the course, and other social and environmental factors. In other words, learners may create their own path of learning through engaging themselves in tasks. Therefore, students set their goals for learning a specific subject. Self-efficacy is a construct proposed by Bandura (1977) and has been tested in a variety of fields, focusing on a variety of topics. Broaddus (2012) and Bong (1999) define self-efficacy as peoples convictions about their own capability for successfully executing a course of action that leads to a desired outcome. Schmidt and Alexander (2012) argued that self efficacy is not only a current but also future disposition requiring learners or participants in a research to evaluate their beliefs in their future abilities. Therefore, self-efficacy requires self-evaluation, about what one can do and what can be improved. As well as self-evaluation, there are two more factors affecting self-efficacy: modeling (coaching) such as coding the information for retention, being capable of producing the presented patterns, and maintaining a certain level of motivation; goal setting, such as acquiring skills and knowledge or making good grades. (Schunk, 2003). When considered specifically for the writing ability, writing self-efficacy translates into a strong sense of confidence for the task of writing.( Pajares Valiante,1997). In other words, once learners have sufficient self-belief in their ability to write in their second language, their interest in writing may increase, they may display constant efforts, and great eagerness and resiliency when they are working on a writing task. In his study conducted in 2012, Broaddus concluded that journalism course students who hold high self-efficacy for grammar have put more effort into their time management and environmental resources while studying and it was found that these high efficacy attitude towards grammar resulted in better grammar skills. This was interpreted as these students determine where the challenge or obstacle related to the task lies and they develop strategies so as to succeed in their writing assignments. Garcia and Fidalgo stated in their 2008 study that in difficult tasks such as writing which includes many recursively employed cognitive processes, self-efficacy plays a the key role. While acquiring writing skills, students need to use their cognitive, behavioral and motivational engagement and learning. Recently, an enormous amount of research has been done on the writing composition proceses that student writers undertake(Erkan Saban, 2011). Although writing instruction has gone through numerous changes, according to an action research carried out by Yavuz and Genà § ( 1998), students tend to display negative attitudes towards writing. Yavuz and Genà § (1998) concluded their research findings as, for students writing is an obligation in order to pass final exam. Erkan and Saban (2004) suggest that this attitude can be interpreted as students apprehension and lack of self-efficacy in writing. The reason for students apprehension and lack of self efficacy may be due to limited time allocated for writing practice in classes. As cited in Leki and Carson (1994), according to the results of structured interviews of a study, university students who completed language courses in intensive English program at five different university reported that they only spent 10 % of their time on writing assignments across the curriculum. However, it should be noted that in order to succeed in their academic studies, second language learners, especially the students at universities are required to gain a certain ability to write well since writing is integral to academic success.Although the time spared for writing practice may not always be possible, the use of a variety of writing assignments, with clear, concise evalution criteria, could help student writers in the development of their self-efficacy while dealing with a writing task. (Broaddus, 2012) When examined specifically, Turkish students practising the conventions of writing in English, even students who are proficient at other language skills share the same problems with writing: they are afraid to make writing errors; they lack self-efficacy in writing.(Erkan Saban, 2011)In her study, Erkan concluded , similar to previous research findings, it was confirmed that the degree of students negative attitude, writing apprehension, does affect Turkish Tertiary level students writing performance. In other words, the higher the apprehension, the weaker the writing skills / performance. This aspect of Erkans study, one that specifically looks at relationships between writing apprehension and writing performance, is an expansion in the research area since the number of studies conducted to investigate second language learners wiriting apprehension is very few. However, as cited in Garcia and Fidalgo (2008), Bandura maintained that misjudgement in ones beliefs about potential performance may be detrimental, which is proved by some research that it can be prevalent in writing classes. Although there is a great number of research examining the relationship between self-efficacy,to the best knowledge of the researchers Rahimpour and Jahan, there is no research on relationship between general self-efficacy and writing (Rahimpour and Jahan, 2010). Rahimpour and Jahan claimed that all the previous research mainly focused on the investigation of self-efficacy among groups with a very limited range of proficiency. Therefore, Rahimpour and Jahan determined their research area as the impact of self-efficacy and proficiency on EFL learners written task performance regarding load, fluency, complexity, and accuracy. The participants chosen were low-proficiency and high-proficiency learners of English aged between 18-25. In addition to completing three separate tasks, the participants were asked to fill out the General Perceived Self-Efficacy questionnaire, through which the participants level of confidence was aimed to rate. The results indicated that there was a significant relationship between self-efficacy and personal tasks in terms of concept load in high proficieny participants; however, there was not a significant relationship when it came to fluency, complexity, and accuracy only for low but also high proficieny participants performance. Another area of research on self-efficacy is related to help seeking which is recognized as a component of self-efficacy. Help seeking is comprised of two types of behaviour: adaptive and nonadaptive behaviours. (as cited in Williams Takaku, 2011) Various studies yielded significant correlations between self-efficacy and help seeking. Williams and Takaku cited that while high self-efficacy students tend to express high help seeking behaviour, low self-efficacy students, despite being under similar circumstances, less willing to seek help. It is commonly accepted by researchers in the field that just as help seeking, self-efficacy belief has been found to be a predictor of academic success. In addition to their teachers, most students may seek help at writing centers remedial courses in the institutions they attend. Writing centers have been proved to be helpful when it comes to improving students writing performance. Williams and Takaku (2011) hypothesized that writing self-efficacy would influence writing performance. The participants of the study were both native and nonnative university students who attended a one semester intensive writing course for all content areas. In contrast to the researchers anticipation, the analysis showed that the frequent visitors to writing center in order to receive professional assistance from the writng center staff, managed to get higher grades than the ones who did not. What makes the results of the study more noteworthy is the fact that these results apply for both ESL learners and native-English- speakers. When the results are generalized, it can be argued that when appropriate assistance is provided, every student practising the conventions of writing can improve himself or herself. A study carried out ,by Shah,Wan Mahmoud, Din,Yusof, Pardi in 2011 with Malaysian secondary school learners in order to determine the students self-efficacy in writing. The results indicated that there is ,indeed, a large, significant positive correlation between self-efficacy and writing performance. That is, it was,again, confirmed that learners with high self-efficacy tend to pursue opportunities to write, put more effort into writing, and be more persistent in seeking writing competence. Another research conducted by Early and De Costa-Smith, in 2011, confirmed Banduras social cognitive theory. To put it differently, self-efficacy beliefs can be developed by mastery experience, social models and lived experiences, and social persuasion. The impact of multiple opportunities to practice any genre, along with peer and teacher feedback and interaction during the intervention may play a key role on the increase in students self-efficacy beliefs related to the genre. All in all, while strong efficacy leads to success, overly high or low efficacy can undermine the proper development of cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral skills. (Broaddus, 2012) On the other hand, Igo (2002) asserted that the students overestimated their self-efficacy because of several reasons, namely, high school teachers failure to provide appropiate and correctional feedback, the teachers negligence of promoting the importance of producing good work, and teachers overappraisal of mere student participation in the writing process. Conversely, when individuals see that another person, in our context a classmate, performing a desired task, self efficacy believes are positively affected. To pplace this into the context of university English preparatory school classrooms, when a student witnesses that a friend of his or her succeeds in writing a well-organized essay, he or she may be more willing to try writing an essay on his own. As Broaddus (2012) cited observers self-efficacy beliefs would be reduced if they see their peers repeatedly fail to accomplish a required task. Whether high or low, self-efficacy in writing has a crucial role in students writing performance. Broaddus (2012) cites from Bandura (1997) and draws our attention to environmental context and says that it often affects efficacy. In a formal language learning environment where there is only limited time can be allocated to writing, it is an undeniable fact that determining students with low self-efficacy and assisting these students while they are developing their writing skills is highly important. Instructors should not only provide the standard techniques of writing and provide corrective feedback on vocabulary and grammar but also provide one-to-one assistance whenever their students seek help. The amount of assistance provided by teachers should also have limits. As cited in Broaddus (2012), Bandura (1997) says Successes achieved with external assistance carry little efficacy value because they are likely to be credited to external aids rather than to personal capabilities METHOD Participants Participants were 20 Turkish learners of English at a preparatory school of an English medium university, Turkey. The participants initially took a standard language proficiency test prepared by the preparatory school testing office. The proficiency test consisted of 80 four-option multiple choice questions before the semester started. The multiple choice items aimed to test the students level of grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension abilities, The passing grade for the proficiency test was determined as 60.The students who got lower than 60 took the placement test consisting of 80 questions. The students were also required to write an essay on a topic provided by the testing office after completing the multiple choice section. According to the placement test scores, the students were placed in three different levels-A, B, and C levels. The intermediate level students were placed in A level classes. In other words, the participants can understand and speak English with some confidence and they have the grammar and the vocabulary to talk and read about a wide number of subjects. Moreover, they can assess and consciously improve their own pronunciation. They have studied all the main tenses and can confidently make sentences, question forms and clauses in all of them. However, intermediate students are only in the beginning phase of improving their use of phrasal verbs and modal verbs. On the other hand, intermediate level is equivalent to IELTS score 4.5 5.5, TOEFL IBT score 55, TOEIC score 450 650, Cambridge PET. Out of 20 participants, there were only 3 students who were private high school graduates. In Turkey, private high schools English curriculum is more intense when compared to state schools English curriculum. Both males and females were involved in the study. They ranged in age from 18 to 20. Instrument The questionnaire administered in the study was developed for the purpose of assessing international students in Marquette University, U.S.A. Marquette University is a private university in Milwaukee, U.S.A. The development of the questionnaire was one of the four assessment areas that Marquette university aimed to assess the four advanced ESL academic bridge courses, one of which focused on international students efficacy in their writing performance. The original questionnaire is a 36-item self-assessment scale to grade the strength of participants belief, or self-efficacy, in their writing performance. However, the questionnaire used to investigate the relationship between students self-report on their writing efficacy and their writing performance is a 20-item questionnaire. The reason why the original questionnaire was not used in the current study was the fact that some of the items did not serve the purpose of the study. The adopted writing efficacy questionnaire features 20 i tems with positive polarity (I canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦).The instrument of 20 item questionnaire was used to assess students self- efficacy beliefs related to the skills needed in different essay organizations and other factors that determine students writing performance as successful or unsuccessful. Some of the investigated factors through the questionnaire are brainstorming, outlining, as well as their self- efficacy in terms of grammar, vocabulary, and spelling. Level of efficacy in writing ability was measured on a five point- likert scale included the responses (usually not true of me, somewhat true of me, usually true of me, always or almost always true of me). The questionnaire will be used as the independent variable when the relationship between self-efficacy and writing scores is investigated. Procedure Questionnaire is distributed to participants at the beginning of the semester as a self-completing questioonnaire. Since they were not received any writing instructions before the semester, it is assumed that this questionnaire served to measure their self-efficacy without any intervention of teacher. During the semester, they learned basics of essay writing such as paragraph organization, thesis statement and some grammar backup. Quiz scores which will be used as the dependent variable in my essay are based on the Second Quiz, took after XXXXXXX which constitutes 20% percent of the midterm grade. Findings Self-Efficacy of Participants Table 1. Mean Standard Deviation Coefficient of Variation item3 topic sentence 3,75 0,64 0,17 item11 clear thesis statement 3,75 0,79 0,21 item20 using my independent thinking 3,70 0,66 0,18 item14 effectively brainstorm 3,65 0,81 0,22 item9 support /develop main point 3,60 0,60 0,17 item1 summary 3,50 0,61 0,17 item8 spell, capital, punctuation 3,45 0,83 0,24 item13 a good conclusion 3,45 0,76 0,22 item17 wording, gram., pun,spelling 3,40 0,88 0,26 item15 outline to logically organize 3,40 0,75 0,22 item10 a good introduction 3,40 0,82 0,24 item7 various sent.structures 3,35 0,59 0,18 item6 vocab/ word forms 3,25 0,55 0,17 item4 paragraph organization 3,15 0,67 0,21 item18 effectively write under time constraints 3,13 0,56 0,18 item16 revise to improve dev. org. 3,05 0,69 0,23 item19 write quickly in English 2,95 1,03 0,35 item2 paragraph 2,95 0,51 0,17 item12 different types of organization 2,85 0,93 0,33 item5 academic style tone 2,58 0,67 0,26 Above table shows descriptive statistics of items used in the questionnaire. Since the questionnaire is composed of Likert scale questions, 1 stands for the lowest score and 5 is the highest possible score. According to this table, participants self-efficacy is relatively high in items like topic sentence, clear thesis statement, using my independent thinking, effectively brainstorm and support/develop main point where average scores are above 3,50 over 5. Their weakest points are stated as academic styletone, different types of organization, paragraph and write quickly in English, where averages are below 3 over 5. Generally speaking, participants seem to be confident in idea development and they feel themselves relatively weaker in the structural aspects such as academic style and tone. Coefficient of variations, calculated by dividing standard deviation to mean for each items show how responses are dispersed in each item. Highest dispersion is observed on item19, write quickly in English and on item12, which measures self-perception about the ability to use different types of organization, both coefficient of variations are above 0,34. Lowest scores are observed on these items topic sentence, support/develop main point, summary, vocab/word forms and paragraph, all of them are 0,17. Descriptive statistics give some hints about overall level of self-efficacy of participants, and it is almost sure that this is not something uni-dimensional. However a multivariate analysis is beyond the limits of this essay and number of cases is very small to conduct further analyses. Consequently remaining parts of this essay will be based on the assumption that self-efficacy is uni-dimensional, something possible to measure in a single dimension. Efficacy scores of respondents are calculated on their raw scores obtained by using above described self-efficacy questionnaire. Total efficacy score is calculated by using a simple summation of responses. Theoretical maximum score is 100 showing the highest self-efficacy score, and minimum theoretical score is 20, indicating that respondent stated him/herself on the lowest end in each question. Table . Descriptives of Self Efficacy Scores Average Std. Dev. Min. Max. Efficacy 66,15 7,34 53 86 Descriptive statistics are presented above. Mean self-efficacy score is 66,15 with a standard deviation of 7,34. Coefficient of variation (V) is 0,11, indicating a low level of variation. Minimum score is 53, which is above theoretical minimum and observed maximum 86 is below theoretical maximum. These findings show that scores are located between 60 and 90. In order to facilitate interpretation of analyses, all raw scores are transformed to standardized (Z) scores. Newly created self-efficacy scores have a mean of 0 and standard deviation of 1. Distribution of this new scores are presented in the below histogram. Although number of participants is limited (we have only 20 cases), this distribution is very close to be normally distributed. Figure . Histogram of Standardized Self Efficacy Scores Measurement of Academic Performance: Quiz Scores It is so far argued that quiz scores are used to measure academic performance of participants. Quiz scores are graded over 100. Table . Descriptives of Quiz Scores Average Std. Dev. Min. Max. Cause and Effect Quiz Scores 60,05 7,78 52 83 Above table shows that average quiz score is 60, and standard deviation is 7,78. If we consider that range between minimum and maximum scores is only 31, it is possible to conclude that quiz scores are relatively less dispersed. Correlation Analysis Our expectation is that academic performance of students is correlated with their self efficacy. As one students is more confident about his/her efficacy, it is expected that he/she performs better in courses; and as he/she performas better academically; his/her self efficacy increases. Since direction of causality is not clear; correlation analysis is the best tool to present the nature of the relationship between self-efficacy and academic performance. In our cases, self-efficacy of participants are measured by using a self completed questionnaire and their self efficacy scores are calculated based on their answers; meanwhile their quiz scores are accepted as indicators of their academic performance. Table . Correlation Analysis Compare and Contrast Quiz Self Efficacy 0,60 Above table shows that correlation coefficient between self efficacy and compare and contrast quiz scores is 0.60. Correlation coefficient is a score located between -1 and 1, where -1 stands for perfect negative correlation and 1 stands for perfect positive correlation. As this coefficient comes closer to 0, it shows that power of relationship is relatively week, if it is 0, it means that there is no relationship between examined variables. A correlation coefficient of 0.60 means that there is a positive correlation between self efficacy of participants and their academic performance, a finding not falsifying our expectations. If we emphasize on the strength of this relationship, 0.60 shows a more than moderate relationship between our two variables. This finding shows that there is a positive relationship between self-efficacy of participants and their academic performance. As ones self efficacy increases, his/her academic performance also increases; and since correlation coefficient is a symmetrical measure; this finding also shows that as ones academic performance increases; his/her self-efficacy also increases. Although the measurement of self-efficacy precedes the measurement of academic performance; it is not sufficient to talk about a causal relationship between self-efficacy and academic performance; because self-efficacy of participants most probably affected by their previous academic performance, such as their performance in the high school or other exams they attended. Consequently accepting self-efficacy scores as an indicator of academic performance is a less risky choice compared to using them to forecast future academic success. In order to make such a forecasting, we need much more detailed measurement of academic performance and self-efficacy and higher number of respondents. Anova Test A further analysis is conducted to see whether there is a significant difference between students, based on their self-efficacy scores. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) is preferred because it allows us to test statistical significance of an intervening factor on a dependent variable. We expect that students having high level of self-efficacy are more successful in academic terms. Above discussed measurement of self-efficacy is accepted as the independent variable and Quiz Scores are dependent. Since self-efficacy is an interval level variable, recoding these scores to a nominal level variable is needed. It is preferred to use standardized self-efficacy scores to facilitate interpretation. Standardized self-efficacy scores are recoded as follows: Those having a score less than 0 are recoded as low efficacy and those having a score less than or equal to 0 are accepted as high efficacy. 12 students are categorized as low-efficacy students and 8 are grouped as high efficacy students. Table . Descriptives of Quiz Scores according to the Level of Self Efficacy Average Std. Dev. Std. Error N Low Self Efficacy 57.33 3.45 0.995 12 High Self Efficacy 64.13 10.7 3.772 8 Total 60.05 7.78 1.739 20 Descriptive statistics of both groups are presented above. It is known that overall average of quiz scores is 60.05 with a standard deviation of 7.78. Students with low self-efficacy scores have an average of 57.33 and standard deviation of this group is 3.45. Meanwhile, students having high self-efficacy scores are also more successful in quizzes, their average is 64.13. At this point, we need to consider that standard deviation of these students is very high, 10.7; compared to other students. Table . ANOVA Results Sum of Squares Df. Mean Square F. Sig. Low Self Efficacy 221.41 1 221.41 4.30 0.05 High Self Efficacy 927.54 18 51.53 Total 1148.95 19 Above presented results of ANOVA shows that difference between average quiz scores of low self-efficacy and high self-efficacy students is statistically significant. F score is 4.3 and this score is statistically significant at 0.05 level. Thus, we can falsify our hypothesis that group means are equal, meaning that students with high self-efficacy scores have higher scores in the Quiz, than students with low self-efficacy scores. Similar to correlation analysis, ANOVA analysis does not allow us to make generalizations about the causal relationship between self-efficacy of students and their academic performance. However, it is clear that there is a statistically significant difference between these two groups of students. I believe that causal relationship has to elaborated by using more sophisticated data analysis tools and using these instruments with higher number of participants. DISCUSSION This essay targeted to discover whether there is a relationship between students perceptions about their efficacy in the English language and their academic performance. Literature review led us to think that there is a positive relationship between self-efficacy scores of students and their academic performance. There are a lot of reasons of this relationship discussed in details in literature review section of the essay. Our hypothetical expectation is that as self-efficacy scores of students increase, their academic performance in writing also increases. Since this relationship is recursive, meaning that self- efficacy leads to better performance in exams and better performance may also lead to higher self-efficacy, causal relationship wont be tested in this essay. In order to measure self-efficacy of students, an adopted version of the questionnaire developed by the Marquette University has been used with 20 students at the beginning of semester. Original questionnaire was shortened to limit it with writing related items. By using these questionnaires, an index of self-efficacy is calculated and standardized. Meanwhile academic performance of students are measured with their grades in a Quiz held on XXXth week of the semester. Correlation analysis showed that there is a positive correlation between self-efficacy of students and their academic performance. With a coefficient of 0.60, this relationship seems to be moderately powerful. As a result of restrictions of correlation analysis, it is not possible to understand direction of causality between these two variables. My second analysis also showed that difference between mean quiz scores of students with high and low level of self-efficacy is statistically significant. Standardized self-efficacy scores are transformed to a binary variable. ANOVA showed that these two groups have different mean quiz scores and this difference is statistically significant. While correlation analysis showed that there is a positive relationship between self-efficacy scores and academic performance; ANOVA results presented that students having high and low level self-efficacy scores have different quiz scores. Both findings indicate that self-efficacy scores matter. It is so far argued that these findings cannot give any idea about direction of causality, since relationship between self-efficacy and academic performance is recursive. However, my analyses presented the existence of a relationship and it deserves further discussion. It is possible to repeat this exercise with a larger sample and to prevent a possible falsification of hypotheses as a result of small sample size. Questionnaire revised to measure self-efficacy may be refined and developed to make a better measurement of this concept. Fu

Elephantiasis :: essays research papers fc

I did my report on filariasis, which is more commonly known as elephantiasis. Elephantiasis is the late phase of filariasis. Filariasis is a tropical mosquito born parasitic disease causing obstruction of the lymph vessels. In some people the presence of the worm causes a tissue reaction that causes the lymph flow to be blocked. This blockage produces lymphedema which is a swelling and can eventually lead to a tremendous enlargement of an extremity or organ. When elephantiasis follows repeated infection, parts of the body -- particularly the legs -- become grossly enlarged and the surrounding skin hardens and ulcerates. Certain types of elephantiasis can be treated surgically. Elephantiasis of the legs is usually treated with elastic bandages and frequent elevation of the legs. The leg and foot, may swell to elephantine size. There may be allergic reactions like itching and localized swelling. The body may also react by causing calcium tissue to be deposited around the worm, walling it off and eventually causing its death. In humans, the mature worm lives tightly coiled in the lymphatic vessels where they reproduce. The female holds the fertilized eggs in her body. Later the embryos, called microfilariae, are discharged alive. An interesting feature of these worms is the periodic swarming of the microfilariae in the bloodstream. In most species swarming takes place at night. The embryos can be taken up by an insect only when they are in a human's bloodstream. They develope into infective larvae in the insect, which is the intermediate host. These hosts are various genera of mosquitoes, notably A?des, Anopheles, and Culex. Within 10 to 11 days after ingestion by a human skin they migrate to the lymphayic vessels

The Elements of Fantasy and Horror Essay -- Literary Analysis, This Wa

The elements of fantasy and horror blend together perfectly to create an unforgettable series of events. An example of dark fantasy is Something Wicked This Way Comes, the novel by Ray Bradbury that tells the story of two young boys, Jim and Will, who discover the secret of a mysterious traveling carnival. The magical carnival has many temptations, including a frightening mirror maze and a carousel that changes one’s age. However, its allure only causes one to fall into the clutches of the ringmaster, Mr. Dark, an illustrated man who tattoos each person bound to the carnival in servitude onto his skin. Along with Will’s father Charles, the boys set out to investigate and destroy the soul-sucking attraction. They eventually defeat the carnival through love and happiness; during this time, Charles also comes to the extraordinary realization to not take life too seriously. Ray Bradbury’s symbols in the novel Something Wicked This Way Comes define and emphasize the t heme life endures through constant struggle between good and evil. Jim and Will, Charles, and the carnival attractions demonstrate the theme in Bradbury’s novel and bring it to life. The literary elements Ray Bradbury incorporates in Something Wicked This Way Comes plays an essential role in shaping the main idea of the novel. Jim and Will represent symbols that greatly help unravel the theme in Something Wicked This Way Comes. In the first place, they illustrate symbols of good and evil, with Jim as the darker of the two and Will as the lighter. Charles can see that this appears obvious, and he points it out to the kids. He states, â€Å"[Jim] wears the black ten-gallon hats and reads books to fit. Middle name’s Moriarty, right, Jim? Any day now he’ll move up from Fu Manchu ... ...ruggles and will continue to do so as long as life itself continues. The carnival attractions serve as excellent symbols in proving the theme. The use of symbols in Something Wicked This Way Comes renders the theme that life bears through unvarying battle between good and evil more apparent. To begin with, Will and Jim represent good and evil, respectively, and struggle constantly between themselves throughout the course of the novel. Subsequently, Charles also symbolizes good and battles with many types of evil in the book, including Mr. Dark and the Dust Witch. In conclusion, the carnival attractions include forms of fear and temptation that fight against the main characters as the plot progresses. Something Wicked This Way Comes combines dark nights, folk-tale characters, and magical elements to relate supernatural and sinister matters to everyday life.

(Written in Outline Format) Computers: A Necessary Evil :: Technology

COMPUTERS AS A NECESSARY EVIL DEFINITION: First of all NECESSARY EVILS means that though a particular subject or issue that affects human life might contain some disadvantages to it that does not rule out the fact that its advantages have a much stronger basis for it to be utilized. INTRODUCTION: In this modern day and age, the Computer era has seemed to revolutionize the concept of Industrialization thus affecting all humans in one way or another. Without them modern man would have had to evolve at a much slower pace since with the aid of computers certain aspects of work can be completed with precise accuracy. To maximize the benefits and minimize the harms those making decisions about the implementation of computer systems must be sensitive to the problems as the advantages. â€Å"It has a colossal qualitative defect that springs directly from its quantitative virtues. It increases probability and it decreases possibility† -Lewis Mumford EFFECTS IMPACT OF COMPUTER ON PEOPLE 1) POSITIVE IMPLICATIONS a) Job opportunities in areas of programming, computer operations and information system management. b) Greater job satisfaction, this is done by tackling of interesting problems that seemed impossible until the dawn of the computer era. c) Businesses today rely on computer technology to assist them in almost every area of corporate life. Computers have invaded grocery stores, fast food restaurants, big businesses and small offices. They process data, store information, work out complex mathematical problems, track inventory, and even control temperature and lighting in office buildings. Reliance on the high-speed digital computer is so complete that the world of commerce would break up to a sudden stop if computers were removed. d) Use by Public Organizations, through avoiding waste and improving efficiency in government agencies, school districts and hospital units can also result in better services and a reduced tax burden for citizens. e) Home use, it’s used in entertainment and hobby purposes, for educational uses, for family financial applications and for countless other tasks. 2) Potential problems a) Threat of unemployment - The greater efficiency made possible by the computer usage can result in job obsolescence and displacement for some workers who are not in any way learned in the computer usage. b) Use of questionable data processing practices -Input data about individuals are routinely captured by many organizations, are entered into computer processed files. Inaccurate and incomplete data about people have been placed in files. c) WINNERS OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AREA AFFECTED HOW AFFECTED Financial institutions More free-based consumer and business services Programming Industry Proliferation of new packaged programs Larger Universities Programmed education opportunities Insurance Industry Lower life/ health/ property claims cost

From Man to Boy

Lemons. The author makes his first stand at the very opening of the work with this hard peeled, soft-fleshed visual. The sour fruit, which is cut into by the narrator at the beginning of John R. Coleman’s, essay From Man to Boy, stands as a metaphor for the life circumstances in which he continues to find himself and others. The choice allows for a much shorter opening to the essay by utilizing the well-known allegory of the lemon as an acerbic, broken object or happenstance from which the owner has no means of escape. In the beginning lines Coleman produces the appearance of a setting in which the weight of an entire world the reader does not have to see to believe in, is resting on the shoulders of the narrator. He does this by coupling the lemon with a position of employment that is both low on the wage scale, and limited in skill requirements. Even the waitress, a position most readers will equate with being lesser in station, looks down on the work, therefore the worth, of the narrator. This immediately sets up the main character as a victim of his surroundings and appeals to the reader for compassionate understanding and perhaps even pity. This appeal is sustained by the dialogue between the co-workers when Dana tells Jack â€Å"It’s no use†(LaRocco, 128) trying to change the attitude and belief of the waitress who called him a boy. The writer tells the audience, in the same paragraph, that Dana was working this job even as he, the narrator, was reading the billboards’ insidious warnings. In doing so, the narrator is offering up tangible evidence for the argument of an irredeemable quality of ignorance in the world. The argument of ignorance is juxtaposed against the theme of education. The billboards, a metaphor for society’s spoken standards versus their actual behaviors,  promise the worthy and dedicated student a life free of discrimination, bias, and general condemnation. What the writer declares to be the truth of the matter however, is that reality falls far short of the pledge. Life is a lemon. Education does not prevent the action from happening; the waitress still calls him a boy. What education provided him with was a means to recognize the insult and therefore be injured by it. This injury is noted in the sad look on Dana’s face. The exposure of the treatment of the housekeepers by the students at the college serves to call further attention to the wide spread plight of the working class. At the same time, it presents an argument that educated people are as likely to fall into the pattern of abuse, yet more likely to change their behavior once it is questioned. The narrator seems to convince the students to cease the use of the term â€Å"wombats (128),† however he also makes clear that it does not erase the ramifications of the actions for those who were abused by them. Naming them as â€Å"the cleaning women (129)† continues a convention from the beginning that says much about society by not saying anything at all. Coleman maintains Dana and himself as the only individuals worthy of names, therefore individual identities, in the short piece. Doing this preserves the notion of a singular hero with only nominal support attacking the great beast of society without actually coming forward and declaring himself a hero. Rather than failing to define himself as the hero of the episode, Coleman comes closer to refusing it. This leaves him on the same playing field as his audience, which acts in tandem with his stylistic choices in the text. By using the quick, almost darting  motions of his statements, and the clipped pacing of short paragraphs and a barely over one page essay, he keeps the reader not only involved but in step with the narrative voice. In order to make points with the intended audience of blue collar working class America, Coleman does all he can to avoid triggering the alienation he is so adamantly set out to battle. Simplicity is the key to the peace. Coleman gets in, makes his point in clear, concise terms, and gets out. This appeal to the working class reader for whom this particular piece is written is continued with a lack of satire in the essay. The simple vocabulary, short sentence construction, and lack of word play beyond the lemon all feed into the assembly of a connection between the writer and blue collar America. He never feels the need to address the existence of those high paying white collar positions directly, while they are inferred by the PhD, the collegiate tack of the students, and the billboards with their empty promises. Reference to the Quaker tradition further exposes the intention of the author to connect with a wholesome and righteous way of life. This is the assumed role many hard working laborers aspire to. The association of Godliness with the Quaker traditions works on another metaphorical level with the housekeepers when the saying is considered; Cleanliness is next to Godliness. Throughout the entire essay, Coleman does his best to solidify his roots in this working class in order to achieve a single goal. The final remark returns to the scene of the first crime in the work, a seemingly flippant remark about being a boy who cuts lemons. By returning to this line the narrator takes a stand for all of the young men who  have had to defend their honor as men simply because they were not making money in the right tax bracket. Coleman combines this with an appeal to the student from working class family to be aware of the results of their choices in treating others before the damage is done. Overall, he produces a very effective essay that is driven on the backs of metaphors and unspoken pieces of the puzzle, which are alluded to behind sweeping statements designed to stir the primal instinct of honor and self preservation in the face of societal imposed duress. Work Cited LaRocco, C (Ed.). (1995). The Art Of Work : An Anthology of Workplace Literature. McGraw- Hill.

The Importance of Manufacturing Industry in Malaysia

1. Discuss the importance of manufacturing industry in Malaysia. com/chapter-practice/">Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale. Such finished goods may be used for manufacturing other, more complex products, such as household appliances, automobiles or sold town whole sellers, who in turn sell them to retailers, who then sell them to end users – the â€Å"consumers†.Manufacturing takes turn under all types of economic systems. In a free market economy, manufacturing is usually directed toward the mass production of products for sale to consumers at a profit. In a collectivist economy, manufacturing is more frequently directed by the state to supply a centrally planned economy. In mixed market economies, manufacturing occurs under some degree of government regulation. Modern manufacturing includes all intermediate processes required for the production and integration of a product’s components. Some industries such as semiconductor and steel manufacturer use the term fabrication instead.The manufacturing sector is closely connected with engineering and industrial design. Examples of major manufacturers in Malaysia include Proton, PETRONAS and Palm Oil industry. Recently, manufacturing industries in Malaysia grow very rapidly if compared to previous decades. With the rapidly grow of manufacturing industries, the government has to play its role in order to ensure every aspects of current trading policies and regulatory to be obeyed. Other than that, this will ensure that the current trading and manufacturing environment in Malaysia to be peaceful yet globally competitive.To start with, manufacturing sector in Malaysia contributes almost 80% of overall country’s export and besides, Malaysia a lso known as the 17 largest exporting nations in the world. For that reason, Malaysia’s government has to work hard in order to maintain, preserve and enhance our manufacturing sector. It is stated that products manufactured in Malaysia are accepted in developed countries such as US, EU and Japan. This shows that our manufacturing sector already achieved a level that can be proud of. As we all know, Malaysia also known for its agro-based sector.In Malaysia, some commercial-based plants are heavily grown and these plants are harvested to produce some kinds of raw materials such as palm oils, rubber, timber, rice and fiber. Unfortunately, the income that can be generated from agro-based sector is not really huge compared to manufacturing sector. For that reason, with the availability of the manufacturing sector, Malaysia does not need to rely on the agro-based sector only. Furthermore, manufacturing sector can help in boosting the development of agro-based sector by offering th e capabilities of some downstream activities such as product processing, packaging and distributing.These activities are useful in order to turn the raw material (palm oil, rubber, rice) into finished product or half-finished product. Besides, the manufacturing sector can assist in the utilization and development of R&D and ICT adoption for business and manufacturing purposes. Along the way, ICT adoption can lead to the wider usage of electronic commerce for business to business. Other than that, ICT will facilitate the utilization of RFID and product coding standards. In the education aspects, the development in manufacturing sector can help to boost Malaysia’s education sector.Manufacturing sector has the capability to offer and provide the working experience, industrial training and actual case study for education and other government sectors in Malaysia. As a matter of fact, undergraduate and postgraduate students in Malaysia can take these chances to get some exposur e of working in manufacturing sector in Malaysia. Besides, a lot of researches can be conducted in order to solve industrial problems and this can lead to the occurrence of technology transfer and the discovery of new knowledge.Despite that, Malaysia is one of the Islamic country and other than that, Malaysia also does a lot of active collaboration between other countries. Malaysia can be the â€Å"door† for other countries such as developed countries to do collaboration with other Islamic nations. In the same way, many Islamic countries have the ability to offer lower manufacturing costs especially the raw material, labor charge and business capital. From the collaboration with developed countries, the Islamic countries can enhance their economy conditions and receiving technology transfer.In Malaysia’s manufacturing sector there is no end for continuous development efforts. In order to achieve the competitiveness level and innovative capability that up to the global standard, the manufacturing sector is doing its best. For example, Malaysia is doing collaboration with Australia via Free Trade Agreement (FTA). By implementing FTA, Malaysia is trying to achieve and put herself the global manufacturing environment. Along with that, Malaysia will be a country that manages to produce a higher-tech, higher-value added and more sophisticated products and services.Similarly, joint-ventures and collaborations made with developed nations yield a lot of benefits. Next, Malaysia can go to a higher level and respected globally. In addition, through joint-ventures and collaborations, Malaysia can obtain a flow of expertise that her really need and as well as valuable technology transfer. On the other side, Malaysia can also carry out some projects abroad with the developed countries expertise and material and labor from Malaysia. This will give credits to both parties. After a while, Malaysia can be proud to be known as a successful developed country.

Hearthfullness: Suffering Essay

We are compelled as Christians to persevere in life whenever we face a situation that will make us suffer; this is because Christ commanded us to do so. In the bible perseverance is among the values that Christians must have and practice all the time. Jesus Christ set a good example when He was on this earth regarding suffering as a Christian. Today so many Christians go through so many trials and suffering but the result is that they are always complaining. This is contrary to what our Lord showed us on this earth. Jesus suffering was predicted by the prophet Isaiah in his earlier days and in Isaiah 53:3 he says ‘He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. ’ The nature of human beings is that we are always weak and tend to want to avoid suffering if we can. This however is not practical in a Christian life because just like Christ we cannot avoid suffering. We tend to run away from all the situations surrounding suffering and forget that what was predicted about Christ by Isaiah, the prophet really came to pass later as is written in the book of mark 14:1-9. In this passage Jesus was about to be taken for crucifixion and despite of this he continues t perform His miracles and healings. In this particular passage Jesus rebukes the Pharisees that whatever the poor woman did by pouring the Alabaster oil on his head was to be remembered during the spread of the gospel after he has gone to heaven (Mark 14:8,9) Thomas Keating in his book Foundation for centering prayer and the Christian contemplative life admonishes the Christians to always be ready to suffer just like Jesus did. He draws us to the sufferings Christ went through in his road to crucifixion. He says that this did not only affect a few people but the whole humanity. He says that since it’s a universal issue we all must carry a message of humanity for the most profound kind, remembering to pray and avoid being carried away by anger, grief and retaliatory emotions. We are all one body in Christ and we need to unite and persevere whenever there is suffering. The example Christ gave when he underwent the trials and sufferings before his death on the cross should be very practical in a Christian life. Egan in his book John on the Cross reminds us that we should take our sufferings just as Jesus Christ persevered in is way to Crucifixion. References: Keating, T. (2007) Foundation for centering prayer and the Christian contemplative life, New York: Continuum. Laird, M. (2006) Into the silent land: A guide to the Christian practice of contemplation, Oxford University Press. The bible: New International Version

Malicious Code Cyber Attacks

The use of internet and networks have various advantages where companies can increase cost efficiency by sharing resources and crucial data can be shared and backed up on various locations. The network of a company though quite important in modern times is prone to various cyber attacks which target the financial and sensitive sectors of a company. A potential hacker could target the network of a company in various ways if there is a security loophole in the company network. The various cyber attack threats a company faces include cracking, malicious code, back door, sniffer, TCP hijacking, mail bombs and other threats.The nature of such a threat, its effect on the network, problems caused by the attack and the countermeasures available to the company is explained. Cyber Attacks Using Malicious Code The most common type of cyber attacks involves malicious code. A hacker encodes a piece of code using some programming language and attaches an executable file to an email or sends this f ile to potential targets using an internet messenger service. The code usually creates a loophole in the network infrastructure of the company and the hacker can easily access any data or files available on the intranet of the company that is not shared with the general public.The hacker can easily access financial, personal and other sensitive information from the network of the company and misuse it in various ways. The sensitive data may include the industrial secrets of the company, the personal files of employees, financial information regarding the company and marketing policies and plans. When a company is attacked through malicious code, a person would receive an email or instant message requiring the person to open a file which would be executed and embedded in the network infrastructure and the company would face various problems (T., Sachs, Devost, Shaw, & Stroz, 2004). The level of severity of these problems may be minimum or maximum. The hacker would have access to the marketing and financial procedures of the company and could black-mail the company or provide this data to the competitors of the company. Another major problem caused by this attack would be the malfunctioning or stoppage of any crucial software which is necessary for running business operations. Personal information of the employees including names, telephone numbers and addresses would be compromised and would create a personal threat to them as well.The cyber attack could launch a companywide malfunction of hardware and software limiting the operations of the company, as today almost all operations are dependent on computers. The code could change critical information relating to business operations such as input data for various operating processes. The company can stop and prevent these cyber attacks in various ways. The malicious code technique of attack usually involves a file which is transferred through emails, instant messengers, loopholes in the firewall framework and da ta transfers from insecure websites and sources.The attacks can be prevented by filtering content received over the internet through emails and instant messengers. Antivirus, intrusion detection and content filtering programs can be implemented to limit transfer of malicious software or code. The employees of the company should be trained in this regard and should be made aware of the potential dangers of malicious code and the sources it can come from. The firewalls implemented in the company should be tested and audited with test scenarios to guarantee the safety of these firewalls.All backup of data should be kept in safe and secure locations which is not available on the network of the company. When the attack does occur there should be contingency plans available to cope with the effects of this attack and operating procedures should be defined well ahead of time to deal with such threats. Intrusion detection and prevention systems should be implemented at all levels of the net work to increase the safety and security of the network (GFI, 2009). Conclusion Cyber attacks are very common in modern times and there are various types of threats and these methods and types changing with the pace of time.Individuals and companies also need to be updated on the various new methods, techniques and prevention for such attacks. If there is a cyber attack on an individual or a company, it could result in adverse consequences including loss of crucial data and loss of financial resources. To prevent and limit the frequency and probability of these attacks various protection and safeguard tools such as antivirus and intrusion detection should be implemented. References GFI. (2009). Targeted Cyber Attacks. Cary: GFI. T. , P. , Sachs, M. , Devost, M. G. , Shaw, E. , & Stroz, E. (2004). Cyber Adversary Characterization. Burlington: Syngress.