Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Compassion and God’s Self-Revelation Essay Example

Compassion and God’s Self-Revelation Essay Compassion is a compound word, formed by putting up the words â€Å"co† and â€Å"passion† together, which literally means â€Å"together† and â€Å"strong feeling,† respectively. As such, the word â€Å"compassion† literally mans having a strong feeling about the other. It may be considered feeling a strong emotion over the predicaments of others, feeling for their pain, or their loss. It may also call for works that may eliminate or at least decrease the pain. Compassion is mostly manifested by acts of kindness like sharing, giving comfort or consolation, and extending sympathy and genuine concern (Dhammika). Compassion may be considered as the best thing one can extend to another person as all its manifestations are the best in human beings. It leads to the presentation of aspects of man that may be considered as God’s likeness. As such, it may be considered as a way for God’s self-revelation to his people (Dhammika). Different to God’s self revelation to Moses during the olden days, where the Israelites were committing idolatry while Moses was talking to God at Mt. Sinai, God’s modern day self revelation may not happen on the spiritual low points in mankind’s history. It may actually happen when man’s spirituality is at its all-time high (Laney 37). As compassion leads to actions that are based on the teachings of Jesus and other prophets of Gods, it may then be considered as the manifestations of the existence of God. An existence that is although different from the great burning bush in the time of Moses, still brings warmth to the hearts of his people especially to those who badly needs them (Laney 37). In addition, since compassion brings all the kindness of humanity and as man is told to be created from   God’s likeness, then it may prove that through compassion extended by an individual to another man shows, ultimately, he may be showing that facet of humanity that is that of God’s as well. This may be God’s self-revelation through his own people towards some of his people who may not yet be believers of his existence. We will write a custom essay sample on Compassion and God’s Self-Revelation specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Compassion and God’s Self-Revelation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Compassion and God’s Self-Revelation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Therefore, it may be concluded that compassion or that strong feeling towards another’s suffering leads to acts that are considered righteous even by other religions.   It may show man’s true nature. As he was created from God’s likeness and God is considered to be the kindest God, then man must show God’s existence through his kind acts. As such, God uses his people’s compassion as a key to his self-revelation.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Brazil An Economy Recovering From Chaos essays

Brazil An Economy Recovering From Chaos essays Brazil earned the reputation of being a miracle economy in the late 1960s when double-digit annual growth rates were recorded and the structure of the economy underwent rapid change. Since 1981, however, Brazils economic performance has been poor in comparison to its potential. The countrys dramatic reduction in output growth, which averaged an annual GDP growth of only 1.5 percent over 1980-93, reflected its inability to respond to the events of the late 1970s and 1980s. Some events that took place during this period were: the oil shock, increases in real interest rates, the debt crisis, and the resulting cutoff of foreign credit and foreign direct investment. These shocks, in combination with poor management of public finances and heavy state intervention, resulted in large fiscal deficits at state and federal levels. Even if the fiscal deficits were reduced after 1990, deviating policies generalized indexation, and exchange rate management contributed to keeping inflation high and increasing. Monthly inflation skyrocketed from 3 percent in the late 1970s to 50 percent in mid-1994. The countrys income distribution, already poor, worsened drastically in the 1980s. Against these conditions, the success of the Real Stabilization Plan in effect since mid-1994, which has reduced inflation to an annualized rate of about 15 percent, stand out noticeably. Growth rates were satisfactory in 1994 and 1995 at 5.8 and 4.2 percent, respectively (Page 45-47). From Portugals discovery in 1500 until the late 1930s, the economy relied on the production of primary products, such as sugar cane for exports. Portugal subjected it to a strict enforced colonial pact, or imperial mercantile policy, which for three centuries heavily restricted development. The colonial phase left strong marks on the countrys economy and society, lasting long after independence in 1882. Significant changes began occurring only late...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Confusianism in the People's Republic of China Essay

Confusianism in the People's Republic of China - Essay Example Western doctrines were applied in the New Confucianism, unlike the traditional principles which relied on the mythical past for inspiration. The new Confucianism adopted principles from upcoming religion like the Buddhism and Daoism. The traditional Confucianism was based on moral values and the strict adherence to the moral principles. The new Confucianism adopted the bending of rules to suit the people in the present times. Traditionally these rules were invented by the founder of the Confucian principle. However, with the revival of the new Confucianism various philosophers would invent the rules and be applied in life. In the past, Confucian humanism was the defining principle on political, family, social and ethical ideology. However, with modernization, the Confucian principles focused on spiritual orientation in the human community. Gender, region, race and ethnic differences were emphasized in the new Confucianism principles. The role of the different genders was adjusted to fit the present world. Neo Confucianism can be seen as one that has created a new of life that is in synchrony with global developments and industrialization. It is fashioned with regards to its utilization in the present practical action. Liang Shuming idea was to create a philosophy, Neo Confucianism, which would integrate with modern technologies; including organizational technologies. This is unlike the â€Å"traditional Confucianism†. Based on a pioneer of Neo Confucianism, Xiong Shili, Neo Confucianism is largely regarded to as a scholastic exercise. Contrary, Confucianism is regarded to as a political or social movement with influential capabilities. Despite this, Liang Shuming, who was highly influential in coining the philosophy of Neo Confucianism, refused to consider himself as a scholar. The old Confucianism governs social and political aspects of the Chinese people. Neo Confucianism is a phenomenon which provides a new horizon on some issues in the old Confucianism. However, it addresses some of the issues as a repetition of the old Confucianism. It attempts to integrate some aspects of the western culture such as equality, but not entirely. Liang Shuming’s Role in Shaping the New Confucian Liang Shuming, an intellectual,

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Summary An Economic way of looking at life by Gary Becker Essay

Summary An Economic way of looking at life by Gary Becker - Essay Example Economic way of looking at life helps individuals to know moral pathways and how to be ethical in economics. In chapter 7, social issues that are discussed are termed as labor supply, which in it you find household production, the family, and the life cycle which can be well analyzed by economic way of looking at life. In making household decisions, certain factors have to be in mind. Some of these factors are, the economy, time, income and individuals involved. In household decision making, one of the key attribute is the size. For instance the size of the family and number of children dictate the economic way of living of that family. Often, women in society have a role in bearing and raising a certain number of children and carrying out farm works as opposed to men who work in outside jobs in various offices. Economic analysis of this kind of decision shows that the labor force is low compared to the size of the family. This is because, the income from the couple would be more compared to when only the male individual is working. If the latter is used it would mean poor living standards as the family is growing. As regards to whether families uses more by consuming purchased goods as opposed to home made goods also differs if we analyze using our knowledge on economic way of looking at life. Although there is no such a big difference between the two, if things such as labor and the time spent to produce the home made goods are considered, economic wise consuming household good will carry the day since leisure is achieved and no supervision when producing them. In a later age, household decision on when to retire comes in. The topic about taking care of yet grown up children and on the other hand, older children taking care of the aged parents is dominant. These two are interconnected and each of them is crucial and important. Analysis of this economically

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Public Administration Beckons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Public Administration Beckons - Essay Example The desire to make a living while providing for the basic needs of as many people as possible was born out of idealism and was nurtured by experience. I have always been both awed and fascinated by the intricate workings of government, the noble and delicate task of balancing the often scarce human and material resources to administer the executive-branch functions of government - international relations, environmental sanitation and conservation, mail delivery and providing for the general health, education and welfare of the citizenry. Public administration calls for a deep sense of responsibility and organization, foresight, leadership and a way with people. It also requires a steep grounding in accounting and management. In municipal and state governments, public administration means running programs on a multitude of concerns such as health, highway, fire, police, water, transportation, electricity, gas, care of parks and recreation facilities, development of natural resources, public housing and urban renewal. A public administrator sees to the proper staffing pattern for sanitation services, clerical and maintenance connected with the above functions. You will never find a more edifying set of challenges in other careers or professions where self-interest is the chief motivation for work.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Risk Factors of Asthma

Risk Factors of Asthma Table of Contents (Jump to) Introduction: Thesis/ Hypothesis: Motivation: Background information Terminology Arguments Argument 1 Gender and age Allergy and asthma Genetic and asthma Argument 2 Smoking and asthma Overweight and asthma Argument 3 Poverty and asthma Air pollution and asthma Climate and asthma Conclusion Limitations Works Cited Appendix Introduction: Asthma has been one of the common disease of today, there is about one in 15 people has asthma in the world. Asthma is a chronic condition whose symptoms are attacks of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing. There is no cure for asthma, but most people can control the condition and lead normal, active lives. This report we will be investigating the factors of asthma and also will be reaching variety of data and graphs. Thesis/ Hypothesis: The probability of developing asthma is influenced by uncontrollable factors such as age, sex or having other respiratory diseases; however, living habits of patients as well as the environment around them are also important factors that affect the severity or the chance of having asthma. Motivation: The main reasons why we choose asthma as our topic is because asthma has been a common disease in our life. There are millions of asthma sufferers around the world and some of them are around us. We believe by exploring the risk factors and the ways that can cause asthma like: age and sex, personal habit and environment, we can know more about the disease and how to prevent it. Background information What causes asthma? Asthma symptoms develop when the airways become inflamed as a result of exposure to specific environmental triggers, such as dust, smoke or even exercise. However, not all individuals exposed to the same triggers develop asthma symptoms. The main reason for this is that some individuals are genetically more like Asthma becomes more and more common disease in the world. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 13 people have asthma. Also, there are no ways to heal asthma but there are only some ways that can calm it down. Terminology Asthma: a disease of the airways or branches of the lung (bronchial tubes) that carry air in and out of the lungs. Asthma causes the airways to narrow, the lining of the airways to swell and the cells that line the airways to produce more mucus. These changes make breathing difficult and cause a feeling of not getting enough air into the lungs. Common symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, and excess mucus production. Asthma rate/ asthma prevalence: the percentage or number of people that have asthma. Allergy: an exaggerated response to a substance or condition produced by the release of histamine or histamine-like substances by affected cells. Air pollution: The condition in which air is contaminated by foreign substances, or the substances themselves. BMI: BMI stands for body mass index; it is used to indicate a persons fatness. BMI is calculated using the persons height and weight. Chronic disease: a disease that can be controlled, but not cured. Arguments Argument #1: Age and sex (other allergies) Age, sex are uncontrollable factors that will have an effect a persons chance of suffering from asthma, while having other respiratory disease can even increase the patients chance of developing asthma. Asthma is a chronic disease that a large part of the population suffers from it. Like many other diseases, the chance of developing Asthma differs according to the age group the person belongs to. On the other hand, the risk of having asthma for male and female are also different. These are due to the conditions of each persons airway will change according to their age and sex. Moreover, because asthma develops from airway inflammation, any other disease that is related to the respiratory system will also greatly increase the risk of developing asthma. Argument #2: PERSONAL habits (smoking, obesity) Asthma can also be acquired non-genetically due to personal habits such as smoking or being overweight. Some of the asthma patients developed it from the blood relatives, but the chance of developing asthma and the severity of the disease can be controlled by a person. For instance, smoking can do damage to the entire respiratory system and greatly reduce lung function. It can narrow the airway which will increase the risk of asthma. Also good personal habit, such as and lifestyle can keep you body in good shape and keep the airway unobstructed therefore avoiding asthma. Argument #3: ENVIRONMENT Living in a poor environment that has poor air quality or constantly exposed to allergen and dusts can also cause Asthma and even make it deteriorates. Asthma is a long term disease of a persons airway and lungs; therefore, although the direct cause of asthma is still not completely clear, breathing in dust such as wood dust or chemicals for a long period of time will affect the health of your respiratory system and then increase the chance of asthma developing. Argument 1 Gender and age Asthma is a disease that affects people from all age groups. However the chance of having asthma differs depending on which age group one is in. Figure 1.1.1 Graph of asthma prevalence and average humidity From figure1.1.1 above we are able to see that asthma actually usually happens before 30 years old, which is mainly childhood and early adulthood. Adults in their middle age will be less vulnerable to asthma, then the percentage of asthma patient slightly increase as it reaches old age. Moreover based on the data from statistic Canada, there are more male asthma sufferers than female. The average difference between female and male are 2.16, which means male have 2.16% more chance of having asthma. It can be a huge difference while dealing with the population of the entire country. Figure 1.1.2 Figure 2 based on the data from CDC and it showed asthma prevalence of age group below 12 years old. In this graph we are able to see that although very little infant have asthma, 16 to 17% of the entire population around 5 to 24 years old suffers from asthma, that means there are 3 asthma patient in every 20 person. Similar with the data from statistic Canada, the graph showed that people in their early ages are more likely to be suffered from asthma. This might be due to the incomplete development of the lung and airway so the airway is more sensitive and vulnerable and easily infected so as during old age. Figure 1.1.3 Figure1.1.3 above displayed the asthma prevalence of male and female. Among male, the asthma rate is more than 5% higher than female. It might be due to males respiratory systems slower growth. While among female, the asthma rate is higher after puberty. This can be due to males airway become much stronger after puberty. To conclude, although uncontrollable, gender and age is a risk factor that we should know in order to prepare for and preventing asthma. Allergy and asthma Another uncontrollable risk factor of asthma would be allergies and other respiratory disease. Figure 1.2.1 Figure 1.2.1 above used data collected from Unionville High School. In the sample, there are 4 people who suffer from asthma among 31 people which is near 13%. It matches the data from statistic Canada. Among these 4 people one of them own pet and two of them both own pets and have other allergies. Over half of the asthma patients have other allergies and the majority of them own pet. It shows owning pet might be a risk factor of asthma and the reason behind it might be the fur that can cause inflammation in the airway. Moreover there is a relationship between asthma and other type of allergies Figure 1.2.2 The result from another research also supported this argument. Most people that suffer from other allergies or atopic disease are also asthma sufferers therefore people with allergies are more likely to suffer from asthma. Genetic and asthma A very common way of having asthma is inheriting the disease from the family. This might be due to the genes they inherited from their parents have similar characteristic therefore asthma can be inherited. Figure 1.3.1 Looking at Figure 1.3.1 based on a sample from Unionville High School, 3 asthma sufferers out of 4 have family members that suffer from asthma. It is clear that the amount of asthma sufferers with siblings or parents that also have asthma is much higher than ones without. We can conclude that having a family member with asthma can raise the chance of developing asthma. Argument 2 Other than those uncontrollable factors that are related to a persons age, sex and other disease, ones everyday habit and activities is can also affect the asthma rate. Two of these unhealthy habits that can increase ones chance of having asthma will be smoking, overeating or lack of exercising that can cause obesity. Smoking and asthma Asthma is a common respiratory disease in the world. There are few ways that will turn this disease bad, Smoking is one of the major bad habit that turn asthma bad. Smoking is the inhalation of the smoke of burning tobacco encased in cigarettes, pipes, and cigars. According to the CDC, a research demonstrated that there is a higher rate to have asthma if you smoke. There are about 17% people in the US that smoke but there are about 21% people who smoke with asthma. Figure 2.1.1 The graph above demonstrated the people in different province in the United States and is split by with asthma who smokes and without asthma who smoke. The result shows that there are more people that smoke with asthma than without asthma. Overweight and asthma Although Asthma is a respiratory disease, ones body mass index (BMI) is also a factor of developing asthma and even an asthma attack.ÂÂ   BMI is calculated using ones height and weight; when a persons body mass index (BMI) is between 18.5 and 25, he will be considered normal, however when the persons BMI is between 25 to 30 he will be considered overweight and obese if the BMI is over 30. Graph 2.2.1 below shows the percentage of normal weight, overweight and obese adults suffering from asthma. Figure 2.2.1 The graph shows the relationship between ones BMI and asthma. For both men and women, the chance of suffering from asthma for an obese person is significantly higher than a normal weighted person. For the obese group, the asthma prevalence is almost 50% higher than the normal weight group. We can easily see that being overweight can greatly influence the prevalence of asthma, overweight people are more likely to suffer from asthma compared with others. This is because the extra weight on an overweight person will increase the pressure on his chest therefore it will be harder for the person to breath. On the other hand, inflammation, which obesity usually comes with, also contributes to increasing the risks of developing asthma. Inflammation around the wall of the airway will make it swollen and decrease the width of the airway, allowing lesser air to pass, and cause multiple asthma symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, and breathing difficulties. From the data, we are able to conclude the theory is true and being obese will greatly increase ones chance of developing asthma. Figure 2.2.2 https://nccd.cdc.gov/NPAO_DTM/IndicatorSummary.aspx?category=28indicator=30 From graph 2.2.3, we are able to see that according to CDC, more than 10% of the Americas population is obese, that means they will all be having a much higher risk of having asthma than the rest and they should be more careful about while doing strenuous exercise. Argument 3 While ones persona condition and habit changes his chance of developing asthma, like many other disease, the environment around the person can also influence the incidence of the disease. This is due to the environment can affect ones health condition slowly therefore a good environment can decrease ones chance of suffering from diseases and vice versa. Poverty and asthma One of the factors that can affect ones living environment is ones income. Typically, family that have more money will be able to afford living in cleaner area, more comfortable space and overall, a better environment; while the families with less income will not. Dust, small particles, molds, insects and many more types of allergens in these environment can trigger asthma and exposed to them will absolutely be a factor that causes asthma. Figure 3.1.2 Graph asthma prevalence by income in 2014 https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/nhis/2014/table2-1.htm The graph above shows the percent of people suffering from asthma versus their poverty level in America. Federal poverty threshold in the graph is a measure of income for every person. The standard income for an American is calculated each year and it is shown in the table below. PERSONS IN FAMILY/HOUSEHOLD POVERTY GUIDELINE 1 $11,670 2 15,730 3 19,790 4 23,850 5 27,910 6 31,970 7 36,030 8 40,090 For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $4,060 for each additional person. From graph 1 it is clear that there is a trend that shows less people suffer from asthma as their income increase. For instance for people with income lower than the poverty guideline, the prevalence of asthma reached up to 10%. Moreover, the area one lives in also matters Figure 3.1.3 Graph of amount of asthma patient versus poverty rate in 2014 http://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cps/tables/time-series/historical-poverty-people/hstpov9.xls Figure 3.1.3 above showed the poverty rate and asthma rate of the four regions in the United States. It also indicated that as the poverty rate of a certain region or area gets higher, so does the asthma rate. In general, families living in poverty lives in less developed areas, which means that they might know less about how to deal with asthma and asthma prevention. These data prove the relationship between poverty and asthma; therefore family that have less income is likely to have a higher risk of having asthma. Air pollution and asthma As mentioned, asthma is a type of long term respiratory disease and it mainly affects the airway and trachea, which is a part of the respiratory system. It is used as a tube to transfer air in and out of the lung while breathing; so, during this process, the wall of the airway frequently makes contact with the air outside that contains many pollutants. Therefore unlike skin that covers the human body, the unprotected wall can get infected and be stimulated very easily. Then the inflamed airway will cause coughing, wheezing and even asthma. Therefore if the environment isnt clean and the air quality isnt good, the chance of developing asthma increases. Figure 3.2.1 Graph of emission of sulfur oxide and asthma rate from 2010 to 2014 Figure 3.2.2 Graph of emission of nitrogen oxide and asthma rate from 2010 to 2014 http://www.ec.gc.ca/indicateurs-indicators/default.asp?lang=enn=E79F4C12-1 The two graphs above show the relationship between the emissions of several types of air pollutants as percentage of 1990 level and the percentage of people with asthma in canada from 2010 to 2014. We are able to see that there is a trend, as the emission of the two air pollutants decreases the percentage of people with asthma also decrease. For example, sulfur dioxide, a form of sulfur oxide found in lower atmosphere, is a harmful toxic chemical. The r of the trend line is about 0.703, which means there is a strong relationship between the emission the chemical and prevalence of asthma. In fact according to CDC, exposure to this type of chemical will affect ones lung health. Asthma suffers is more sensitive to even low concentration of sulfur dioxide. On the other hand, there is also correlation between emission of nitrogen oxide and asthma prevalence. The r in graph 3.2.2 is 0.9 therefore it shows that the relationship with asthma prevalence is even stronger for nitrogen oxide. A r esearch done by WHO indicates that respiratory disease is more common in area with higher nitrogen oxide concentration. Therefore, inhaling either of these chemicals in the air can do damage on ones respiratory system can is one of the factors of asthma. Figure 3.2.3 http://www.ec.gc.ca/indicateurs-indicators/default.asp?lang=enn=E79F4C12-1 Luckily, from the graph above, we can see that the emissions of these toxic chemicals are decreasing. Thus we can expect that as the average air quality get better in the future and the concentration of these chemicals decrease, the percentage of people with asthma should also slowly decrease. Climate and asthma Last but not least, the climate of each region also has an effect on the chance of developing asthma. In fact, one of the factors that can affect ones respiratory system would be humidity. Humidity is the amount of water in the air and higher humidity would mean there are more water around the atmosphere. When the humidity gets higher, it will be more difficult to breath in this kind of atmosphere, but if the atmosphere is too dry, the airway will be inflamed due to lack of water and will also be a factored that triggers asthma. Figure 3.3.1 Graph of asthma prevalence and average humidity https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/most_recent_data_states.htm https://www.currentresults.com/Weather/US/humidity-by-state-in-summer.php From this graph, we are able to see a U shaped trend. Most states in the United States have similar average humidity and asthma rate. However as the average humidity increase, more people suffer from asthma; as the average humidity decrease lower than 40% the amount of asthma patient increases again. As a matter of fact, the world health organization claimed that 50% humidity will be best to reduce the chance of developing asthma or asthma attack. State such as New Jersey and Maryland, are located at the east coast, had higher average humidity, being around 70% has more asthma patient; while states near the west coast has a lower average humidity around 60% and has less people has asthma there. On the other hand, the states in the middle region have a low average humidity near 30% to 40%; as expected the amount of asthma patients goes up. Therefore the theory a stated above is proven to be true, humidity can affect ones chance of developing asthma or an asthma attack. Conclusion Limitations Bias There is sampling bias in the result of our survey; this is because we take our sample from Unionville High School. The population in the school is mainly Asian therefore although we narrowed our report to only about North America; it cant represent the situation in North America precisely.ÂÂ   Moreover, we used snowball sampling while sending out the survey, the amount of Asians and non-Asians in the result will be more unbalanced. Not enough information When we are doing our research we found out that there are not many raw data that we can use, many of them are directly made into graphs or figures without posting the raw data and some of the data isnt able to be found on the internet. Moreover there are countries that do not make their data public. Therefore we decided to narrow our range down to only North America. And we found out that Statistic Canada and CDC have a lot of open source that we can work with Works Cited https://aspe.hhs.gov/2014-poverty-guidelines#tresholds https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2015/12/24/asthma_widea7d6c21be70cdf982718f2e7bcb6f1f5d5b3cfdc.jpg?s=1400 Appendix Table 1 Asthma, by age group and sex (Percent) 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 percent Total, 12 years and over 8.5 8.6 8.1 7.9 8.1 Males 7.1 7.4 6.8 6.9 7 Females 9.8 9.8 9.4 8.9 9.2 12 to 19 years 11.1 11.8 10.2 10.9 9 Males 11.4 11.1 10.6 11.1 8.3 Females 10.8 12.5 9.8 10.7 9.6 20 to 34 years 9.5 9.1 9.7 8 9.3 Males 8.5 7.9 8.7 7.4 8.2 Females 10.5 10.4 10.7 8.6 10.5 35 to 44 years 7.7 8 6.8 8 7.2 Males 6.3 7.2 5.7 7.3 5.5 Females 9.1 8.7 8 8.7 8.9 45 to 64 years 7.9 8.1 7.1 7.1 7.5 Males 5.5 6.6 4.7 5.6 6.4 Females 10.4 9.6 9.4 8.6 8.6 65 years and over 7 7.3 7.7 7.5 8 Males 6.2 5.6 6.4 5.8 7.1 Females 7.6 8.7 8.8 9 8.7 http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/health49b-eng.htm Table 2 https://www.dovepress.com/cr_data/article_fulltext/s91000/91654/img/COPD-91654-T01.png Table 3 https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/nhis/2014/table2-1.htm Table 4 https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db239_table.pdf#1 Table 5 2014: Percent of adults aged 18 years and older who are overweight Location Value 95% CI Sample Size National 35.2 (34.9-35.5) 425,875 https://nccd.cdc.gov/NPAO_DTM/IndicatorSummary.aspx?category=28indicator=30 Table 6 Ratio of Family Income to Poverty Threshold All Ages Total Children Adults 18+ 0-0.99 15.8 15.6 15.9 1.00-2.49 12.9 13.2 12.9 2.50-4.49 12.4 12.8 12.3 4.50 and above 11.8 12.3 11.7 https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/nhis/2014/table2-1.htm Region: All ages Total Children Age Adults Age 18+ Northeast 7,060

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Humanity versus Virtual Reality Essay -- William Wordsworth Technology

Humanity versus Virtual Reality . . . Aiding this process was a definition of information, formalized by Claude Shannon and Norbert Wiener, that conceptualized information as an entity distinct from the substrates carrying it. From this formulation, it was a small step to think of information as a kind of bodiless fluid that could flow between different substrates without loss of meaning or form. Writing nearly four decades after Turing, Hans Moravec proposed that human identity is essentially an informational pattern rather than an embodied enaction. —N. Katherine Hayles, "How We Became Posthuman" William Wordsworth was well aware of the effect of technology upon human beings. Of course he would have been speculating had he tried to predict what life would be like in the 21st century; he could not have predicted the internet, for example. As one reads contemporary literature, particularly that which deals with virtual reality or the cyber-punk genre, one begins to see the ways in which Wordsworth's romantic thinking has infiltrated writers' and artists' perception of reality and the human mind. In Wordsworth's The Prelude (1805), Book Twelfth, the poem of primary interest in this essay, Wordsworth questions and contemplates the relationship of the external world with the human mind and perception, which becomes a question about the human soul. Virtual reality and Wordsworth's romanticism have this in common: they are interested in the relationship of the human being with his environment. Virtual reality involves the sensory stimuli of a person in an artificial environment. For Wordsworth, that which gives meaning to the human experience is the environment that is as real and as genuine as the person interacting within the... ...tities. That which gives us the energy to live and continue creating a society in which we want to live comes from something much larger than science. Reason and logic fail in giving humanity's quest for meaning an answer that is satisfactory and complete. The truth is not compiled or realized with an ordered inquiry; scientists will never find an equation for love. People must look beyond logic in order to realize the extent and the meaning of life. Works Cited Hayles, Katherine N. Prologue. How We Became Posthuman. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1999. Stephenson, Neal. The Diamond Age. Or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer. New York: Bantam Spectra, 1995. Wordsworth, William. "Book Twelfth." The Prelude. 1805. The Prelude: 1799, 1805, 1850. Eds. Jonathan Wordsworth, M.H. Abrams, and Stephen Gill. New York: WW Norton & Company, 1979. 436-456.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Gaps in education sector

Therefore, we applied a quality gaps model to ten courses belonging to the open university system In Brazil, researching course coordinatorsand students. Themulti-methods researchnoticed that institutionsgenerallydo not adopta market- riented model for decision-making in their courses and, therefore do not own d well- defined process to identity students' expectations and, consequently,to create quality strategies andpoliciesbased on theseexpectations. On the otherhand. lthoughhigher educatlonls legallyregulatedby the Ministry ofEducatlon, Institutions seekdifferentiation in the market byhiring and retaining qualified and caring personnel end by thedevelopment oflnnovetlveendexcltlnglearnlng actlvltlesthat stimulatestudent motivation. These actions are strategically differentiated and help reducing barriers related to distance education. Theinfrastructure which Is vital to thesuccess of atechnology-based coursels, stlll,a Ilmltanonlnremote areas. Flnally, a t- test shcwved there was a favorableperception of quality for both students andcoordlnators, but the latterwere moreoptlmlstlc Services quality.Introduction The study of services quality date of 1980's. These studies began with Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry published papers. Until then quality used to be studied only by operations field, which focus on tangible products quality. In operations quality means the absence of defects or compliance with the requirements of production [1]. Operations approach to quality assessment proved inadequate for the study of services, given its peculiar characteristics: intangibility, heterogeneity and inseparability . lntangibility means the inability to account for, store and test a service before its delivery.The heterogeneity comes from the intrinsic variability of the service, it means, a service will have different performance depending on the service provider, the client engagement and the context in which service is provided. Finally, inseparability concerns to th e fact that a service is consumed simultaneously to its production. These unique Mantovant Dateliy Mn et. al. l sep. -oct. 2013 | vol. 2 1 Issue 5130-39 characteristics make it difficult to assess quality for a service [1]. Parasuraman et al. were pioneers in assessing quality in services.Their approach was so successful that it has been used since the 80's. For the authors, unlike tangible products, the quality of a service refers to the perception customers have about it[l] and this perception occurs during the interaction between the client and the service provider [2]. Under this perspective, perceived quality is measured by the difference between the perceived erformance of a service and the initial expectations about it (service quality = perception of service performance – expectations about the service). pproach considers that expectations refer to the service desired by the customer and the minimum level of service acceptable in his/her point of view. Then, a zone of Available online at www. management]ournal. info tolerance is created, determining satisfactory and acceptable levels of service [3]. Difference between perception of service performance and initial expectations gave rise to what is called â€Å"gaps model of service quality', the object of this study. Pioneer studies focused on banking services quality, credit card and maintenance services [1].Services quality assessment became popular and other services began to be studied in the same light. Higher education can be understood under services point of view, since education market has become client-oriented (considering student as a client). This means education market is no longer purely education-oriented (pedagogy-oriented), which makes it possible to consider education institutions as providers of educational products and services [4]. It is important to note that education is not a common service, like banking or estaurant services, since it owns a key role in society and has a non-business mission to develop criticalcitizens.Education core mission is social, non-commercial; it means education aims to develop better human beings and better citizens Higher education institutions (HE's) have been facing fierce local and global competition, besides of challenges, such as high dropout rates and limited understanding of the market and students' needs. Online distance education has outstanding participation in increasing competitiveness among institutions around the approach feasible for education comprehension Word of mouth communicationIn Brazil, distance education has been gaining importance. In 2010, 14. 6 % of college students were attending distance education course, compared to Just 0. 2 % in 2002 [7]. This scenario can be explained by the expansion of education in Brazil, with the creation of new institutions, creation of new vacancies and creation of the Open University of Brazil (I-JAB), subject matter of the article. Distance education, for its pecu liar characteristics (space and temporal separation between instructor and student, technology intensive use, learner empowerment etc. faces its own challenges, such as student motivation ifficulties, high dropout rates and time management trouble. Given social importance of education, the growing role of distance education in Brazil and the challenges faced by this modality, the purpose of this article is to assess quality gaps in a distance education undergraduate course. We studied Public Administration undergraduate distance course from the Open University of Brazil, using the perspective of services quality.Thus, we compared students' and managers' (course coordinators) perceptions about the education services provided. We collected data from institutions belonging to I-JAB project and applied oth qualitative and quantitative methods in a multi-method research approach. Quality Gaps Parasuramanet al. [1] were pioneer on services quality research. As a result, they observed gaps between executives perceptions and consumers' perceptions about a same service quality, which gave rise to a five gap model, presented in Fig. 1.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Free Essays on High School Violence

Will Extreme Measures at High Schools Stop Teen Violence? Presented By: Brian Fisher, Jude Gentsch, Sharon McElmeel, Lacy Schilkofski Table of Contents SUMMARY 4 PURPOSE 5 SCOPE 6 LIMITATIONS 6 JUSTIFICATIONS 6 RELATED PUBLICATIONS 7 PRESENT STUDY 9 INTERVIEW INFORMATION 10 THE CHANGING AMERICAN SCHOOLS 10 THREAT OF TEEN VIOLENCE 11 PROBLEMS BEGINNING AT HOME 12 TEENAGERS LEARNING VIOLENCE 13 VIOLENCE FROM THE MEDIA 13 GUNS IN AMERICAN SOCIETY 14 DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE AND TEEN VIOLENCE 15 GANGS AND VIOLENCE 15 MEASURES TO ENSURE SCHOOL SAFETY 16 METAL DETECTORS IN THE SCHOOL 16 WARNING SIGNS OF A TROUBLED CHILD 17 CONCLUSIONS 17 RECOMMENDATIONS 17 WORKS CITED 19 Memorandum To: Mr. Koehl and Mrs. Hovey From: Group #1 Date: 4/8/2003 Re: Memo of Transmittal The following report is the written portion of an overall English and Business Communication presentation. This report is a requirement for the class. The topic covered is school safety. Jude Gentsch, Brian Fisher, Lacy Schilkofski, and Sharon McElmeel researched this topic of school safety different ways. Various sources including the Internet, library books, and current magazines were used to gain information for the report. Each group member interviewed at least two people. Persons interviewed include Normal Community High School's Officer Jeff Caughron, Dr. Alan Chapman, and Mr. Dotzert. Students were also interview to understand what the student population believes is good or bad about the safety of NCHS. The information collected was used for this report and presentation. It is our hope through this report that anyone who wants to know about how safe NCHS is that they can find out by reading or watching our presentation. Summary We intend to show our attendees that outside factors are the cause of teen violence in school. Our group believes that drastic measures inside school will not curb school viol... Free Essays on High School Violence Free Essays on High School Violence Will Extreme Measures at High Schools Stop Teen Violence? Presented By: Brian Fisher, Jude Gentsch, Sharon McElmeel, Lacy Schilkofski Table of Contents SUMMARY 4 PURPOSE 5 SCOPE 6 LIMITATIONS 6 JUSTIFICATIONS 6 RELATED PUBLICATIONS 7 PRESENT STUDY 9 INTERVIEW INFORMATION 10 THE CHANGING AMERICAN SCHOOLS 10 THREAT OF TEEN VIOLENCE 11 PROBLEMS BEGINNING AT HOME 12 TEENAGERS LEARNING VIOLENCE 13 VIOLENCE FROM THE MEDIA 13 GUNS IN AMERICAN SOCIETY 14 DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE AND TEEN VIOLENCE 15 GANGS AND VIOLENCE 15 MEASURES TO ENSURE SCHOOL SAFETY 16 METAL DETECTORS IN THE SCHOOL 16 WARNING SIGNS OF A TROUBLED CHILD 17 CONCLUSIONS 17 RECOMMENDATIONS 17 WORKS CITED 19 Memorandum To: Mr. Koehl and Mrs. Hovey From: Group #1 Date: 4/8/2003 Re: Memo of Transmittal The following report is the written portion of an overall English and Business Communication presentation. This report is a requirement for the class. The topic covered is school safety. Jude Gentsch, Brian Fisher, Lacy Schilkofski, and Sharon McElmeel researched this topic of school safety different ways. Various sources including the Internet, library books, and current magazines were used to gain information for the report. Each group member interviewed at least two people. Persons interviewed include Normal Community High School's Officer Jeff Caughron, Dr. Alan Chapman, and Mr. Dotzert. Students were also interview to understand what the student population believes is good or bad about the safety of NCHS. The information collected was used for this report and presentation. It is our hope through this report that anyone who wants to know about how safe NCHS is that they can find out by reading or watching our presentation. Summary We intend to show our attendees that outside factors are the cause of teen violence in school. Our group believes that drastic measures inside school will not curb school viol...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

How to Answer the 10 Toughest Interview Questions

How to Answer the 10 Toughest Interview Questions Everyone is nervous on interviews, but with a little practice and guidance, you will be able to confidently answer the most difficult interview questions and land the job. To help you prepare, here 10 of the toughest interview questions and how to answer them.1. â€Å"Tell Me About Yourself†This question can be tricky because the interviewer is essentially aiming to discover who you are as a person and how well you fit with the company.Full Answer   6 Steps to Answering ‘Tell Me About Yourself’ During a Job Interview2. â€Å"Why Should I Hire You?†In an interview, few questions can throw off a candidate’s poise like the simple, â€Å"Why should I hire you?† After all, it seems redundant. What have you been talking about this entire time, if not the reasons why the company should hire you?!Full Answer   6 Dos and Don’ts for Answering â€Å"Why Should I Hire You?†3. â€Å"Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?†When you ’re sitting in an interview, there’s a good chance that most of your mental real estate lately has been going toward this day. So when the interviewer asks you where you see yourself in five years, it can be a bit of a jolt to suddenly think about the long term.Full Answer   How to Answer â€Å"Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?†Ã‚  4. â€Å"What’s Your Perfect Day?†Recently, it came out that Facebook’s head recruiter’s favorite interview question to ask is more like a personal essay question. â€Å"On your very best day at work- the day you come home and think you have the best job in the world- what did you do that day?†Now that this is making the viral rounds, don’t be surprised to hear it in your non-Facebook interviews as well. Here are some tips for breaking the question down and being ready to pounce on it.Full Answer  Ã‚  How to Answer the â€Å"What’s Your Perfect Day?† Interview Question5. â€Å"The Salary Question†The job application process has a number of separate stages: applying, interviewing, job offer, then salary negotiation and acceptance. Most employers stick to this, and let the money talk wait until things are further along. But if they jump the gun and ask you up front for a) your current salary or b) desired salary, what do you do?Full Answer   How to Answer the Salary Question in an Interview6. â€Å"Can I Contact Your Current Employer†If anyone asks where you were today, you were at a dentist’s appointment. Right? The vague â€Å"appointment,† always in the middle of the day, is a classic tactic for interviewing for new jobs while you’re still at your current one. You just put up your â€Å"out of office† message and hope no one notices that you’re awfully dressed up for a Wednesday. However, your slick cover story could be blown if the interviewing company contacts your current one.Full Answer   How to Answer â€Å"Can I Contact Your Current Employer?†7. â€Å"Why Have You Had So Many Jobs?†You’re sitting in the interview, and things are going fine, when the hiring manager looks up from your resume, eyebrow raised, and asks the question you’ve been dreading: â€Å"You’ve had an awful lot of jobs, haven’t you? Can you walk me through that?†Full Answer   How to Answer â€Å"Why Have You Had So Many Jobs?†8. â€Å"Aren’t You Overqualified For This Position?†In an ideal world, we’d all be applying for (and getting) a job that is a perfect, snug fit for our skills, experience, and career goals. In the real world, that’s not always an option. Maybe you were laid off, and are seeking a foot (any foot!) back in the door of your career path. Perhaps you’re feeling stalled in your current job, and are looking to move back a step or two to get new skills and experience. Whatever the reason, it co uld very well lead to the dreaded â€Å"aren’t you overqualified for this position?† question in an interview.Full Answer   The Best Way to Answer the â€Å"Aren’t You Overqualified?† Interview Question  9. â€Å"Why Are You Leaving This Position?†Chances are, the interviewer will ask you why you’re looking to leave your current job- or if you’re currently unemployed, why you left your last job.Full Answer   How to Answer the 5 Most Common Interview Questions10. â€Å"What Changes Would You Make if You Came On Board?†Watch out!   This question can derail your candidacy faster than a bomb on the tracks  and just as you are about to be hired. No matter how bright you are, you cannot know the right actions to take in a position before you settle in and get to know the operation’s strengths, weaknesses key people, financial condition, methods of operation, etc.   If you lunge at this temptingly baited question, y ou will probably be seen as someone who shoots from the hip.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Love, Political Economy and the Importance of Private Property Essay

Love, Political Economy and the Importance of Private Property - Essay Example The difference between both the ancient writers is of viewing an issue from different perspectives. Rousseau is right in his perspective but Locke is not wrong when he deems property rights adding to the welfare of humanity in various ways. Rousseau has forcefully raised the issue of property while reflecting on property, the basis of modern politics. Rousseau finds the idea of right to private property quite disturbing as it promotes inequality among men and lacks the legitimacy. Both Rousseau and Locke are on the opposing sides on the individual right to property so much that Locke finds a solution to the political problem in the right to property while Rousseau finds it a cause of incessant misery of man. Rousseau’s criticism of the property right should not be considered as he is a supporter of communist viewpoint of getting away with private property. Actually, Rousseau is abnormally â€Å"realistic† to the limit of going against laissez-faire (Orwin and Tarcov 152). Rousseau wants government interference in limiting the desire to own property, to control inequality of luck, and to subdue the severe competition, and reduce the feeling of possession among people. On the other side, Locke considers the right to property as the right way to peace, as property right is more downright. Locke desires the economic system over the right to property to be deemed with reverence by the authority. A government provides security to the property owner, allowing the person to be least worried over any aggression to the individual’s property (Orwin and Tarcov 151). Locke, in the Second Treatise of Government, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, in On the Origin of Inequality, address the notion of acquiring private property. Locke favors property rights of individuals by arguing that property rights encourage human rights. Locke views property from the perspective of human right. On the contrary,

Friday, November 1, 2019

Wall Street Journal Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Wall Street Journal - Article Example Now a new product is making a name for itself. Nuvo, a sparkling vodka, from France has made a big splash in bars and liquor stores across the country. People are attracted to its promise of high quality. Its brand is taking off. What accounts for the new interest in artisinal spirits, and for Nuvo in particular? During the financial crisis of 2008, many luxury brands took a hit as people had less money to spend and had to scale back a lot of their spending habits. But as the recovery takes off, people are coming out of their hibernation and starting to spend time searching for new brands to try out. Nuvo has found a niche in the market and is riding that niche all the way to the bank. People want to feel good again. They want to be seen in the clubs with the latest thing. And Nuvo is that latest thing. Nuvo was originally intended to be marketed towards women, but its creators soon found that it had wide appeal and sought to market it towards both men and women. It is an artisinal l iqueur, but much of the artisinal quality is communicated through the product's packaging. A bottle of Nuvo looks very similar to a bottle of perfume. The colour too suggests that this is something you might find behind the counter at an expensive department store. The creators have taken the aesthetic quality of a perfume bottle and put a new liqueur twist on the concept. Americans seem to love it, especially young New Yorkers. A survey of a number of bar-going young women by this reporter found that Nuvo was one of the hottest drinks of the season. Sally, a 24-year-old real estate developer called Nuvo a â€Å"breath of fresh air.† She gushed when talking about the bottle's design, â€Å"I feel more like I'm in a boudoir when I see the bottle than a bar. It looks beautiful.† Others agree with her opinion. A word frequently used to describe it is â€Å"chic† (Scott). It plays up its Frenchness, which in America is a byword for sophistication and class. Nuvo has made a splash in the city. The product's website describes the drink as an â€Å"accessory† and plays up its trendiness. It boasts that it will â€Å"dazzle your taste buds† and says that it is a premium vodka infused with passion fruit nectar. The product is evocative of artisinal champagnes and capitalizes on that concept to suggest it is a luxurious product. Little is said about how it is actually made or produced. The packaging and branding do all the work in suggesting it is artisinal. The product has been featured in a number of music videos and has rapidly become a part of the cultural furniture, largely due to its distinctive bottle, which again suggest craft and care in the production process. People know what the product is because of its bright colours and unique shape. This is an important point. Some artisinal alcohol products such as bourbon have a powerful story to tell about how they are made. The bourbon must stored in particular barrels for a certain amount of years at a certain temperature. There is a real craft to the product. For Nuvo, there may be a similar process, but much more emphasis is placed on the branding and marketing aspects to suggest that it is artisinal. Even the brand-name itself suggests refinement and freshness. The word â€Å"nouveau†Ã¢â‚¬â€French for â€Å"new†Ã¢â‚¬â€has been shortened and made easier to pronounce, while still maintaining a kind of exoticism. While there is much to praise about the product, it is not for everyone. A story from last year indicates that Nuvo is so distinctive there has