Reasons Why People Use the Internet

What is the Internet, and how does it work? The Internet, including the World Wide Web, is perhaps the single most important invention to impact on elementary, secondary, and higher education in today's world. If parents are to understand how their children use technologies for learning, they must understand some things about the Internet and the Web. This section of the San Diego Public Library site offers information for parents on various aspects of this invention. What is the Internet? The Internet, in simplest terms, is the large group of millions of computers around the world that are all connected to one another. These computers are connected by phone lines, fiber optic lines, coaxial cable, satellites, and wireless connections. When you log on to the Internet you are given access to many of the other computers that are connected around the world. Internet A global network connecting millions of computers. More than 100 countries are linked into exchanges of data, news and opinions. Unlike online services, which are centrally controlled, the Internet is decentralized by design. Each Internet computer, called a host, is independent. Its operators can choose which Internet services to use and which local services to make available to the global Internet community. Remarkably, this anarchy by design works exceedingly well. There are a variety of ways to access the Internet. Most online services, such as America Online, offer access to some Internet services. It is also possible to gain access through a commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP). The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to serve billions of users worldwide. It is a network of networks that consists of millions of private, public, academic, business, and government networks, of local to global scope, that are linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless and optical networking technologies. The Internet carries a vast range of information resources and services, such as the inter-linked hypertext documents of the World Wide Web (WWW) and the infrastructure to support email. Top 10 Reasons People Use the Internet 1. Information – The Internet is arguably one of the most successful and useful tools mankind has ever created. It is, in fact, the largest library ever created, and is growing daily. Although you need to always be careful of your sources, the Internet is THE modern source of information, delivered in multiple media: written word, visual graphics and images, video, and audio have changed the way that we humans look for and find information. 2. Communication – People use the Internet to communicate with one another. Software has made it possible to stream voice and video across the world with minimal delay, and email has become the main means of communicating for many a modern person. Without the Internet, it would be both more expensive and slower to maintain personal and professional relationships. 3. Entertainment – Many people use the Internet to enjoy themselves and to engage in personal interests. In recent years, multiple player games and virtual worlds have engaged the time and money of many. Plus, video and music are easy to find, stream and download†¦plus, the medium encourages feedback! Indeed, Internet use can go too far. But how can you know if you’re addicted to the Internet? We list the criteria and signs of Internet addiction in the link above. 4. Work – The Internet provides an alternative to 9-5 workdays, as more and more people can work from home, or â€Å"telecommute†. Plus, a growing number of people are making a living from the Internet itself, wither becoming experts in how people search the Internet, providing IT or web development services, or specializing in Internet marketing. 5. School – More and more elementary, high school and university curricula require use of the Internet for school work. 6. Relationships – People use the Internet to find, maintain, or end relationships. But people can get addicted to social networks, too. More on how to know if you’re a Facebook addict here. 7. Market – People use the Internet to research, find and buy services and products. Or to target and sell to the ultimate consumer. In effect, the Internet has become THE best way to buy and sell merchandise, as online â€Å"stores† are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 8. Sexuality – Although it may surprise you, it’s no secret that a real majority of search is centered around porn. So, people [men] use the Internet to view pornography and to engage their sexual instinct. 9. Self expression – People not only consume information on the Internet, they CREATE it. And in doing so, people are able to express themselves politically, artistically, vocally, socially, etc. and give voice to what is important to them. The Internet is the ultimate forum on which you can discuss or monologue as you like. 10. Ask for help – The protocol for Internet use is one of private consumption without need for naming yourself. By virtue of the privacy and anonymity factor of cyber space, Some people use the Internet to ask for help. People ask for help in the form of emotional support, medical advice, or even simply listening. If you think that you may be an Internet addict, there is help out there for you. If you want to explore the deeper emotional and psychological issues for compulsive use of the Internet, first start by asking for help from your family doctor. S/He may refer you to a mental health specialist or center for technology addictions in your area. Or, if there are no specialists that live in your area, you might even consider videoconferencing, a form of distance psycho therapy that is starting to help people, no matter where you are. Whatever the case, you may need help to uncover the real reasons behind your reliance on the Internet, and to learn how to cut back and monitor Internet use for a healthy mind.

“After Auschwitz” by Anne Sexton Essay

In the poem â€Å"After Auschwitz† by Anne Sexton, the speaker talks about her feelings after touring a concentration camp. The speaker writes about what humans are able to do to other humans and how horrible this specific time was. The speakers tone is mostly angry. During the poem, the speaker’s tone becomes more and more angry and dark but at the end of the poem in the last two lines it also turns into a sad tone. These tones are created to confirm the bad things that happened in the concentration camp Auschwitz. Sexton’s use of sentence structure, imagery and detail are key to create this angry, dark and sad tone through the poem. The strongest tone that appears through the poem is an angry tone. One technique Sexton uses to convey this tone is sentence structure. The sentences in this poem are mostly quite short. The poem already begins with the key word in line 1: â€Å"Anger,† From the very beginning of the poem, Anne Sexton is angry. Another examples in line 4 + 5: â€Å"Each day,† â€Å"each Nazi† This is a great example how Sexton uses very short and hard sentences. It sounds just like the speaker spits them out as they would be something gross which tastes bad. It conveys the anger of the speaker and thus the angry tone about how the horrible treatment of humans goes on every day, again and again. Another technique the author uses to convey the tone is imagery. Using that imagery the author makes the reader feel angry and also the reader can feel how the speaker’s anger is getting bigger and bigger until it reaches its pinnacle in lines 26 – 29. As the author writes in line 26: â€Å"Let man never again raise his teacup.†, she is so full of anger, so angry of all humans that it is almost a little bit scary although the tone is derived from something so innocent. She imagines this man sitting on a table or in a chair and drinking a tea and while she imagines that she gets so angry because she can’t believe that a man is sitting there, drinking a tea, doing nothing while somewhere else humans are tortured and die in concentration camps. The speaker thought of all the things in concentration camps through the poem and now she is just so angry that she would like to see the whole human race obliterated. Because of all the anger in it this image is so significant and it totally conveys the tone in the poem. Line 19 + 20: â€Å"And  death looks on with a casual eye, and scratches his anus.† is another really good example of imagery. The speaker imagines the death as a person. She imagines the death being somewhere in the concentration camp, simply standing there bored by the same things that happen every day, scratching his ass and waiting for the next person who dies. The speakers tone in these lines, as well as in lines 9 + 10, is still a little bit angry but it turned into a sad ton too. She feels sad about how people suffer so much pain and torture and everything and how they slowly die. I think this image is significant because it is such a good image that the poem literarily comes alive and you can see the concentration camp with its prisoners as you would stand in it. Detail is the third technique Anne Sexton uses to convey the tone. In the last two lines the tone changes suddenly from the dark and angry tone into a sad tone: â€Å"I beg the lord not to hear.†(line 33). This line is very important to understand the poem. Suddenly the speaker notices that she was thinking to do the same things to all humans as Nazis did to the prisoners in concentration camps. So she feels almost embarrassed and begs the lord not to hear her words. But, wouldn’t everybody else who reads this poem feel the same anger? Certainly this detail is key in expressing the speaker’s feelings on this topic and that’s why the detail is significant. The tone’s effect is that it reminds readers about the terrible treatment of humans in the concentration camp Auschwitz. Readers are moved by it because everybody knows the Nazi time but nobody really wants to remember it. Exactly that is where Sexton created her poem on. She’s one of the small number of poets who wrote a poem on that time. So when people hear, read or see about it they feel angry and sad just like Sexton!The universal idea of this poem is how humans could have ever done such horrible things or how they let could have let them happen. Anne Sexton writes in her poem how people today get away with it. The Holocaust is a vehicle for this poem. It is about anger, although it might sometimes not be justified, and sadness and how, while they are necessary emotion for survival, in the most loathsome and horrific of situations, it must not be the sole rule of one’s life. Sources: Poem: â€Å"After Auschwitz†www.wikipedia.comwww.americaspoets.com

Childhood Obesity: Parents dilemma Essay

Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, musculoskeletal discomforts are some of the many serious health effects that should be the nightmare we all avoid. So why it is that in today’s society we are faced with the alarming fact of half of our population being obese, which are the causative agents to these malicious health problems? It seems as if this is an ongoing problem that may never cease to exist. Why? If the quandary of obesity isn’t realized and address it would not be acknowledged as a problem, therefore it would not be corrected. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, child obesity is defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) at or above the 95 percentile to children of the same sex and age. Obesity is an excess proportion of total body fat. A child is considered obese when his or her weight is 20% or more above normal weight. The most common measure of obesity is the body mass index or BMI. Obesity is rapidly becoming a world wide epidemic, and is starting with our children. Stanford (2001) proposes that the escalation of obesity could be the greatest health threat the world will face in the 21st century. Stanford is highlighting that childhood obesity is a growing health dilemma with a deadly prospect, but who are to blame? In this world today the roles of parents are becoming more demanding than ever before. Our basic knowledge of a parent is one that guides and teaches how to live and survive in this complex world. They are the ones that influence and set out lessons to learn and morals to live by, they are the ones to protect you from harm and detour you from their previous mistakes. Becoming a parent one takes on endless responsibilities and countless blames. However, a parent is only human and can only take full responsibility for certain decisions and behaviors made by their child or children. According to Oxford, a child is defined as a young human being below the age of full development which is 18 and childhood is the period of being a child. Obesity is one of the many hefty misconceptions placed on parents, as we over look the alliance with genetics, environmental and psychological factors. Childhood obesity is in fact highly associated with genetics. A child is in its developmental stage; therefore, genetics plays an accommodating position in the development of obesity. Hills (2011) assume that â€Å"recent studies of genetic syndromes of obesity in rodents have provided insights in to the underlying mechanisms that may play a role in energy homoeostasis. In recent years, research has begun to identify human disorders of energy balance that arise from defects in these or related genes [42]. These mutations have been shown to result in morbid obesity in children without the developmental features that commonly accompany recognized syndromes of childhood obesity. Most children probably have some genetic predisposition to obesity, depending on their family history and ethnicity.† There is no denying that genetic alone is the cause for childhood obesity but it is a major fact that it is a large contributor to this chief health hazard. Harvard (2012) remarks â€Å"subsequent work on the relationship between the FTO gene, physical activity, and obesity yielded contradictory results. (16-18) To arrive at a more definitive answer, investigators recently combined and re-analyzed the data from 45 studies in adults and 9 studies in children—nearly 240,000 people in all. (19) They found that people who carried the obesity-promoting FTO gene variant had a 23 percent higher risk of obesity than those who did not.† Nonetheless, genetics is a contributing factor, and the reality of it is that it can be controlled by means of healthy eating habits and exercise regiments. However, why should parents be blamed for uncontrollably giving their child the â€Å"obesity curse† which was given to them? Determination of a healthy choice is not an easy one for a child when there are a variety of endless environmental factors that alter decision making. Children spend time away from their parents almost 50% of the time in a day which can be spent at school, child care and community environments, while parents meet the demands of world. The development of a child can be a very confusing one based on decision making. It is difficult for many children to make healthy food choices when the environment they are exposed to encourage great availability to high-energy-dense foods and sugar drinks. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stipulate, â€Å"a recent study among children showed that a high-energy-dense diet is associated with a higher risk for excess body fat during childhood. Sugar drinks are the largest source of added sugar and an important contributor of calories in the diets of children in the United States. High consumption of sugar drinks, which have few, if any, nutrients, has been associated with obesity. On a typical day, 80% of youth drink sugar drinks.† Today the schools provide students with vendor machines, school stores, canteens or snack bars lighted up like candy land where you can eat to your hearts content. Cafeterias and lunch programs are no different; Hoang Do Wendt (2009) explains a report by USDA in the School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study shows that typical school lunches derive 35% of their energy from fat and 12% of their energy from saturated fat, which is higher than the recommended levels of 30% and 10% respectively (USDA 2001). Various lunch vendors and programs want to meet the satisfaction of their buyers, which are the children. Lehmann (2010) proposes that â€Å"even in the face of an obesity epidemic, cafeteria directors say they need the brand-name meals to keep their programs running. Schools and other food distributors are concerned with purchasing and distributing food that would be appealing to children. The choices made by most of the lunch vendors doesn’t exactly encourage healthy eating h abits, as their goal is to reinforce children’s taste for fast food for that golden dollar. In close relation to environmental factors, the additional causative agents of childhood obesity are psychological factors. The weight of depression, low self esteem, and social anxiety plays a major role in childhood obesity. Acceptance for a child, in relation to his or her peers places pressure on their mind and in their bodies. Lawson alleged that at the center of obesity-depression link is biology, notably the hormonal pathway known as the HPA axis. It is the route of communication between the hypothalamus, the peanut-sized part of the brain that governs parts of the nervous system, and the pituitary and adrenal glands, which secrete a variety of hormones, which work together to maintain chemical equilibrium when the body is under stress. The HPA axis is responsible for releasing cortisol, the so-called â€Å"stress hormone.† It plays a critical role in energy metabolism as well as other functions. The problem is, cortisol prompts the body to deposit fat around the abdome n, a pattern that is especially hazardous to health. Chronic stress also begets depression. â€Å"Obesity, depression and behavioral disorders have all been linked to abnormal functioning of the HPA axis,† says Mustillo. It is a fact that many children today battle depression due too many environmental stressor at home, school and friendships. Depression is coped many ways, however in relation to obesity, the comfort is found in food. This over loveable obsession for food in relation to depression contributes to an unhealthy lifestyle followed by an extension of psychological factors. Low self-esteem is also a contributing factor of obesity. When a child suffers from this disorder, what ever discussion, education, talk on caring for their body would travel through one ear and out the next. Eating may become a source of reassurance in reference to how they are feeling. Lawson discloses by acknowledging that there is an interaction between what’s outside your body and what’s inside. â€Å"Obesity carries a large social stigma and may bring on depression if it negatively affects self-esteem, body image or social mobility. It may even disrupt the normal hormonal pathways. Then again, depression may also bring on obesity, if a child lacks the energy to exercise or is immobilized by stress.† Dealing with social ills, social anxiety is one strongly associated with children and their social relationships. Children greatest fear in their psychological development is rejection from their peers. Some children shy away from the normality of having peers for different reasons. Many children are victims of bullying and social discrimination, for many, there only source of comfort is food. Martyn-Nemeth et al (2009) found that low self esteem is clearly associated with over eating and weight gain in adolescents. Many other studies indicate t hat overweight and obese children and adolescents have moderately lower self esteem than non obese peers. There are numerous types of psychological factors and they play with different approaches to obesity. In one study, 70% of obese children had at least one cardiovascular disease risk factor and 39% had two or more. It is heartrending to announce that there is a substantial amount of children affected by obesity today. We are all knowledgeable of health risks caused by obesity which includes physical and emotional dilemmas. These health risks can also create a shadow to follow children in adulthood. If children are overweight or obese, when in adulthood the affects are likely to be more severe. There are multiple factors in this occurrence of childhood obesity which makes food preferences and consumption questionable. Those factors does however, include parent influence and education. It is not denied that parents are totally out of being the causative agents of childhood obesity. They are however a massive contribution with this underlying problem, but we have to think out the box. Think about a thirteen year old girl entering puberty, whose parents love her unconditionally and her mother prepares all meals according to the national food guide, but yet still battles obesity. Are her parents overweight? What kinds of foods does she have access to at school? Is she suffering from depression or social neglect? One can’t look at an obese child and say I blame the parent. For all its worth that parent maybe the only struggling for help and answers. Obesity is a worldwide crisis, affecting millions of children from different ethnicities, cultures and religions. Does this mean that the millions of children affected, parents are to blame? Obesity can only be corrected by addressing all possible contributions to this dilemma. Therefore, the blame for childhood obesity needs to be lifted of the heads of parents and tackled by the world at large. Works Cited Fernando L. Vazquez and Angela Torres. Behavioral and Psychosocial Factors in Childhood Obesity. Hills, Andrew. â€Å"Genetics of Childhood Obesity.† Journal of Obesity 11 (2010) Lawson, Willow. The Obesity-Depression Link Philadelphia Lehmann, Deborah â€Å"Why School Cafeterias are Dishing Out Fast Foods† Intechopen Retrieved from http://www.intechopen.com/books/childhood-obesity

The Silk Road Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Silk Road Project - Essay Example This terrain significantly separated China from the nations in the west. Furthermore, the terrain in the west together with the peace treaties amongst the Western Nations led to the development of the Western economies. This paper will elaborate on the historical aspects that pertain to the Silk Road. It will address the origin of the term Silk Road, and the goods and products traded along the route. It will also cover on the significant traders of the Silk Road, and the effects on the East and West. The History of the Silk Road, Naming and Fate The Central Asian sections of the trade were expanded during the reign of Han Wudi, the Emperor in 2006 BCE- 220 CE period. The emperor had sent Zhang Qian in a mission to establish political treaties with the Yeuzhi people. However, on return from a 13 year journey, Zhang Qian reported of the lucrative trade that was taking place in the Western nations (Franck 66). The Emperor on an attempt to develop peace treaties with the western nations not only led to political relationships but also economic and cultural developments. The trade led to a great civilization in Ancient Rome, China, India, Persia, Arabia and Ancient Egypt. The route was given the name due to the lucrative Chinese silk that was traded along the road. Although there were other goods traded along the route, silk was the main commodity. ... Later on, in 1877, a German researcher, Ferdinand Richthefen, named the trade route as the Great Silk Road (Foltz 50). The overland trade route was divided into the Southern and Northern Routes by passing Lop Nur and the Taklimakan Desert. The Northern route started at Chang’an, which is the present day Xi’an. This was the capital city of the ancient Chinese Kingdom. Later on, Han expanded the route to Luoyang, a town in the east of China. This route travelled northwest through the Gansu from Shaanxi Province. It split into three routes where two routes followed the mountain ranges on the south and north of the Taklamakan Desert to join at Kashgar. The other route headed south to the Tian Shan Mountains through Almaty, Turpan and Talgar (Franck 71). Figure 1: The Silk Road The route then split at the West of Kashgar with a northern route travelling through Kokand, present day eastern Uzbekistan. It then progressed to the West to cross the Karakum Desert. The Southern br anch headed towards the Alai valley toward Balkh, currently Afghanistan, and Termez, currently known as Uzbekistan (Xinru 34). The routes rejoined in the southern side before reaching Merv, which is currently known as Turkmenistan. On the other hand, the Southern route was a single route which started in China through the Karakoram. Today, this route is known as the Karakoram Highway, an international paved road that connects China to Pakistan. The route then branches westward but with southwards branches enabling the journey to be completed using the sea. This route crossed through the Northern Pakistan, across the Hindu Kush Mountains to the present day Afghanistan. The southern route then joined the northern route near Merv. From Merv, the route followed a straight route to the West

U.S History since 1877 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

U.S History since 1877 - Essay Example In terms of financial prosperity and social integration, the United States was so diverse that the nation had no other option that to isolate herself from all forms of political controversies and construct her own ground gradually so that the United States receive a stronger grip over the international system from political, economic, and cultural perspectives. Since the late 19th and early 20th century the United States was showing the glimpses of power that as a nation it has acquired. However, her participation in the First World War provided to be benefitting from various perspectives. In the World War I, while Europe suffered to the greatest extent both socio-culturally and economically, damage inflicted over the United States was considerably lesser. Moreover, detachment of the United States during first three years of the war also contributed in the situation in a way that compared to the European nations her wastage of national capital was much less. Once the War was over, th e traditional supremacy of the European empires over the global political situation weakened and the United States received huge opportunity to take hold of the situation: â€Å"Europeans experienced the destruction of ideals, confidence, and goodwill. Economically, too, the damage was immense. The Great War toppled four empires of the Old World – the German, Austro-Hungarian, Russian, and Ottoman Turkish – and left two others, the British and French, drastically weakened †¦. American involvement tipped the scales in favor of the Allies by contributing troops, supplies, and loans. The war years also witnessed a massive international transfer of wealth from Europe across the Atlantic, as the United States went from the world’s largest debtor nation to its largest creditor. The conflict marked the United States as a world power† (Norton et al 601). During the

EMC Design for Boiler Controller Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

EMC Design for Boiler Controller - Assignment Example The paper discusses the concepts related to Electro Magnetic Compatibility like Electro Magnetic Compatibility design principles. The paper also relates these concepts to the design of a Boiler Controller with five subsystems. The EMC mitigation techniques like filtering, shielding, bonding of cables, PCB layout, etc. have to be detailed for this Boiler Controller. Also, system hardening recommendations has to be proposed for system in case of any discrepancy in the design. Dr. Franz Schlagenhaufer and Mathew Wood says that ‘Grounding, shielding, filtering and cabling/wiring are important design criteria to achieve EMC on the equipment level. In order to avoid costly overkill solutions and to tailor individual measures in the case of contradicting requirements, †¦.their application must be based on sound theoretical principles. A sound knowledge of electromagnetic theory is essential to understand and appreciate EMC measures’.

Report on The British Museum Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Report on The British Museum - Assignment Example The purpose of writing this report is to analyze information pertaining to the British museum. Therefore, I looked into details on the in each and every aspect of the British museum. This was to make sure that the audience or the targeted readers will have a clear and vivid image of the museum and catch the glimpse of what goes around the museum. As a result, one will be in a position to make conclusions on the different aspect of the British museum. The tour was very useful particularly on my academic side, and it also gave me the chance to see the Iraqi artifacts, which farcinate me. I felt very proud to see the artifacts as I was able to relate to them and they were not things I had just heard about now as I got the chance to see them first hand. The tour provided me with an out seeing experience which is vital in the learning process. The lessons we had opened up my mind providing me with a clear and well elaborate knowledge on the museum’s specimens, objects and other crucial activities conducted in ensuring smooth running of the museum. Though the trip was beneficial, it had few challenges and faced some level of inefficiency. To begin with, the time allocated for the trip was not sufficient for conducting of all intended activities in an effective way. Most topics and subjects relating to the British museum were not fully scrutinized. This was because of the time limit challenge. The organization of the students during the tour and the study was not also efficient. For IFM/PMC to be efficient, various improvements will be expected from the top management and the students in general. The organizers and the top administration will have to give adequate time for preparation and for the entire process of travelling and engaging in the field trip study. This will assist on ensuring that the study and the accompanying tutors are well prepared and get information in details and in a satisfying way. In conclusion, will I appreciate students, teachers and all

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 8

Project Management - Essay Example Some of the cost are administrative, utility bills, etc. this cost are involved in the budget preparation using an agreed rate stating that indirect cost not to exceed a given percentage of the total cost, most project use 15 percent. No, because other costs e.g. taxes and interests that were not involved in execution of the project either directly or indirectly were deducted from the revenue after selling the project. From my point of view the project seems to generate revenue over time as compared to selling it at the completion which will fetch a low price. Average cost of concrete worker per hour (ACW/H) is $ 24.83 (â€Å"Average hourly and weekly earnings of production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls by industry sector, seasonally adjusted†, n.d.). These overhead charges are the costs that will be incur as the pouring of the reinforced concrete is executed, also referred to as indirect cost. The total estimate cost is $ 67,596. According to (Parker & Isola, 1991) overhead charges charge should not exceed 15% It is very important when a construction project or any other project is being implemented the overhead cost ought to be considered and caution to be taken, so as to prevent budget from being in crisis. Steel is one of the vital components required in reinforcing concrete. When the price of steel increases this has a negative impact to the budget of the project. This normally happens due to inflation or other factors that affect prices in the market. An increase in price will force the project manager to reduce the fund allocated to other activities or to source other funds to overcome the deficit. In budget preparation it is advisable that a 20 percent excess of the actual estimate should be added so as to take care of scenario like this one(Parker & Isola, 1991). Whenever hurricanes occur they cause destruction or

CIPD Course-Employee Relations - UK based system Essay - 1

CIPD Course-Employee Relations - UK based system - Essay Example this definition, one could outline several reasons why performance management is required: first of all, to run an organisation, one must be aware of the people who work within it, and of the skills that the staff members possess, so that before setting any target one could outline the plan of action and, moreover, consider the risk factors involved. Performance management allows managers to keep regular check of performance on an individual and group basis. Workforce acts as bearings in a machine that need to be kept clean and oiled on a regular basis; the same applies to PMS (CIPD 2013, pp. 3–4). Another purpose of using performance management is to control the budget of an organisation; it may include setting salary grades and hiring or firing people. Therefore, to maintain a business or to run an organisation, performance management has become a necessity in the present day scenario. 2. Data Gathering, Observation and Communication: To establish a frictionless momentum for a company, it is compulsory to maintain regular checks and balances. This is only possible in the presence of a keen observer, who is knowledgeable of the past and present, and does know how to communicate his/her findings to the workforce (CIPD 2013, pp. 2–25). 3. Performance Appraisal Meetings: The purpose of performance appraisal is to establish ground for both the lateral and vertical movement of employees. With the implementation of various tools and techniques, performance appraisal provides crucial inputs for succession planning and job rotation (CIPD 2013, pp. 2–25). Motivation refers to the force that urges an individual to work. Whether the job is simple or complex in nature or whether working hours are long or short, better output can be achieved provided motivation is there. Motivating factors are given importance in the industry. Pleasant and positive physical factors stir up motivation. Factors of motivation are also taken into account in the study of morale and

Kite Runner Essay Example for Free

Kite Runner Essay Bitter truths, soothing lies and carefully kept secrets are found throughout Khaled Hosseini’s novel, The Kite Runner, as many of the characters face one or the other at some point. Through their actions, Hosseini attempts to show the reader that despite the initial comfort a lie can bring, the harsh truth is often less soul destroying. This point is evident with Baba’s secret, which forces him to deceive his sons and brings awful consequences. Hassan’s noble show of loyalty to Amir in falsely admitting to the act of thievery is done with best intentions, yet no doubt the truth would have given Amir more freedom and joy in time. It is also emphasized that revealing the truth outweighs the lies as Soraya admits her shady past to Amir, and that he too can be honest with himself and admit the truth about his cowardice. Paragraph 1: By keeping a shameful secret from society, Baba does more harm than good to his beloved. Though he wishes only to preserve his dignity and honour, Baba’s choice to deceive the world means inflicting lasting consequences on his sons. From Amir, he steals his right to know he had a brother and instead Amir grows jealous and envious whenever Baba shows affection towards Hassan, and says â€Å"I wish he’d let me be the favourite†. He mocks and taunts his friend in his jealously and sees him as the â€Å"lamb he’d have to slay† to win Baba’s affection. Had he have known that Hassan was not â€Å"just a Hazara† no doubt he would have treated him with the trust and respect he deserved. Hassan meanwhile, had his identity stolen by Baba, as well as being denied Baba’s love, affection and security. Worse though, Ali was robbed of his honour from his best friend. When told the truth, Amir comes to the same conclusion initially responding in anger by yelling â€Å"my whole life is one big ****ing lie! And storming out. He wishes that Rahim Khan had let him live on in oblivion as he realises that both himself and Baba betrayed their best friends. Yet, as the sting of the truth dies down, he is filled with determination to set things right and atone for his and Baba’s sins. By keeping his secret from society Baba keeps his honour, but instead destroys the wonderful relationship he could have had with his sons. Despite the bitter truth, it has a beneficial impact on Amir as he faces his past and is fuelled by the determination to set things right. Paragraph 2: Conclusion: The Kite Runner is a novel overflowing with the mass of secrets, lies and truths. Yet, Hosseini attempts to show that a harsh truth may initially feel like a slap to the face but when the sting dies down, the person benefits, as seen with both Baba and Hassan’s life and their effect on Amir. Honesty strengthens relationships, while dishonesty destroys them, as is evident through Soraya and Amir. While a lie can be an easy way out and it can provide temporary comfort, the bitter truth does a world of good, despite the cost it may initially bring.

Paradigm of Cold Chain Management Systems

Paradigm of Cold Chain Management Systems The New Paradigm Of Cold Chain Management Systems And It’s Logistics On Tuna Fishery Sector In Indonesia Grasiano Warakano Lailossa Abstract. The Cold chain management is an important element in ensuring standards of quality and safety of fishery products. Trend Quality standard requirements quality ,safety and traceability of fishery products are getting higher and the global effect, this causes to the need for a new paradigm of the cold chain management application as appropriate the trend. The results of the review previous studys show, the application of cold chain management are still partial and not yet fully integrated in the whole process (Post harvest handling, processing and packaging, cold storage and distribution, refrigerated transportation, marketing of fishery products). This paper provides a new paradigm offers cold chain management by systems integration approach. The output of this integration model will be expected to improve the competitiveness exports of Indonesian fishery products(Tuna`s) Key Words: Cold chain management,Indonesian Fishery Poduct,Tuna Introduction. Cold chain system application is one way to preserve quality standard and safety of food products. Cold chain system or usually named with cold chain management is one of cold chain system which designed to guarantee whole process, starting from capture process/harvest, cultivation until product distribution less until it consumed, it will be continuously intact and according to desired functional standard. there are three basic standard: Quality, Safety and Traceability. One of the most significant constraints is the high level of post harvest losses. Post harvest losses as a result of a poor cold chain implementation in the industry are cited fifteen to twenty percent from the primary producer to retail outlet. See Figure 1 Figure 1 : Cold Chain Management (source: : http://www.iaph.uni-bonn.de/Coldchain/) Cold chain Specifically, a supply chain or logistics network is the system of organizations, people, technology, activities, information, and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer. Supply chain activities transform natural resources,raw materials, and components into finished products that are delivered to the end user. In sophisticated supply chain systems,used products may re-enter the supply chain at any point where residual value is recyclable A cold chain is a temperature-controlled supply chain; it is a concept resulting from specific needs related to the transformation and distribution of temperature-sensitive products(] J.P. Emond,2008) To manage the cold chain effectively we need to beware of what the drivers for change are along the food supply chain and be able to adapt to them(W Paul Davies,2003), Professor Davies lists the drivers of change as: Consumer Tastes and behaviour Competition and production efficiency Advances in technology Institutional pressures and regulatory requirements Environmental considerations International and globalisation influences Political influences We see this occurring globally as food supply chains compete aggressively with each other and buyers source products whenever and wherever it gives them advantage. Indonesian Fishery Sector. Indonesia is the biggest tuna-producing country in the world, contributing 15 percent of global tuna production in 2009, followed by the Philippines, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Spain. The main commercially caught tuna species in Indonesia are skipjack (62% of total tuna landings), yellowfin (29%),bigeye (7%), albacore (1%), and Southern bluefin (1%). The fishing grounds for Indonesian tuna fall under two convention areas, Indian Ocean and Western Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO). The Western Central Pacific Ocean currently supports the largest industrial tuna fishery in Indonesia, contributing almost 80 percent of total Indonesian commercial tuna production, while Eastern Indian Ocean contributes 20 percent (FAO 2010). Tuna products are the second biggest Indonesian fishery product export, after shrimp, contributing 14 percent of total export value, about USD 352 million, in 2009. The main markets for tuna exported from Indonesia are Japan (35%), the United States (20%), Thailand (12%), European Union countries (9%),and Saudi Arabia (6%) (MMAF 2010). Indonesia is also one of the major suppliers to markets in the United States and Japan. As the biggest fresh and frozen tuna supplier to the US, Indonesia contributes about 27 percent (or about 13 thousand tonnes) of the total US fresh and frozen tuna import in 2010, valued at USD 112 million (NMFS 2011). According to data from MMAF and JICA (2009), yellowfin tuna catches has showed downward trend, in 2000, total catch of yellowfin tuna reached 163,241 tonnes, but since then it tend to decrease and dropped to 94,406 tonnes in 2006, though in 2007 it started to recover again with 103,655 tonnes catch. Indian Ocean (Indian Ocean, Western Timor Sea, Bali Strait and Sawu Sea) used to be the main catching areas for yellowfin tuna. Almost 54% of total yellowfin tuna in Indonesia was caught from this area. In the eastern part, Sulawesi Sea and Pacific Ocean was the important catching areas for yellowfin tuna, covering 33.7% of total yellowfin tuna landings,followed by Flores and Makassar Strait (18.2%) and Moluccas Sea, Tomini Bay, and Seram Sea (12.4%) ,see Figure 2 Figure. 2. Yellowfin Tuna Landing Distributin per Fishery Management Areas (WPP) in 2004 (source: Indonesian Tuna Supply Chain Analysis, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership,2010) In general, Maluku-Papua contributes the biggest landings of albacore, bigeye tuna, and yellowfin tuna,with 26 percent of total Indonesian tuna landings, followed by North Sulawesi (24%), Bali-Nusa Tenggara (16%), South Sulawesi (12%), North Java (10%), and West Sumatra (8%) (Note: for Bali-Nusa Tenggara, North Java, and West Sumatra, the landings also include Southern bluefin tuna). Since tuna resources are abundant and scattered around Indonesian waters, fishing grounds and landing areas of tuna in Indonesia are dispersed. A significant volume of tuna is unloaded in Muara Baru (Jakarta) and Benoa (Bali); three other fishing ports that carry tuna are Bitung, Ambon, and Sorong, see Figure 3. Figure 3. Major Ports of Tuna Fisheries in Indonesia (source: : Sustainable Indonesian Tuna Initiative,White paper, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership,2011) Indonesian Tuna Supply Chain. Supply chains for most of the fish species start from oceans and end up with consumer markets far from thousands of miles. Asupplychainis a network of retailers, distributors, transporters, storage facilities andsuppliersthat participate in the production, delivery and sale of a product to the consumer (Harland, 1996), In the Indonesian tuna value chain, four main categories of operators can be distinguished: Fishermen Fish landing sites and ports Middlemen Processors/exporters , See Figure 4 Figure 4. Indonesian Tuna Supply Chain, (source : Indonesian Tuna Supply Chain Analysis, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership,2010) According LEI Wageningen UR (Arie Pieter van Duijn, Rik Beukers and Willem van der Pijl) in CBI Report The Indonesian seafood sector,2012, The bottlenecks for the Indonesian tuna industry occur at several stages of the value chain. Because pro-cessors and exporters mainly depend on the catches of the Indonesian tuna fleet, it is essential to opti-mise the potential of the fishing fleet. Better handling and storage of tuna can produce more high-quality tuna for export, benefitting processors and exporters too and preventing the need to further exploit tuna stocks. As there are many small landing sites, it is also crucial that tuna landed at these sites can be transported efficiently. Although several exporters of frozen and canned tuna are already EU certified, there is still potential to help small exporters meet EU requirements. Furthermore, there is a growing de-mand for sustainable and eco-labelled tuna in the EU market, which could have potential for Indonesian ex-porters. Also the lack of traceability throughout the entire value chain implies that support for fishermen, middlemen and processors/exporters is required.(CBI Report The Indonesian seafood sector, A value chain analysis, LEI Wageningen UR ,2012) Indonesia contributes about 4 percent of total global fresh and frozen tuna exports, exporting about 65.5thousand tonnes in 2007, valued at USD 150 million. Indonesia also contributes more than 4 percent of total global canned tuna exports, exporting about 52.4 thousands tonnes in 2007, valued at USD 151.9 million (Globefish, 2010). Indonesia was the leader of countries supplying tuna to Japan (mainly yellowfin and bigeye), sending about 20 thousand tonnes per year to Japan’s market. Indonesia only contributes about 2 percent (9,800 tonnes in 2008) of total canned tuna imported to the EU market. Exports of frozen Yellow fin tuna (in various product types) from Indonesia have increased in the last five years. In 2006 USD 13m was exported, while in 2010 the export value has more than doubled to USD 31m. Most of the frozen Yellow fin tuna is exported to the US. However, MMAF export statistics show that for the total export of frozen tuna (Yellow fin tuna as well as other species), export values were significant-ly higher. In 2010 the export value of frozen tuna to Japan was USD 22m, while exports to the US amounted to USD 18m. Other species that are exported as tuna will most likely concern Bigeye tuna. Methods. This paper based on paper review and some flelds study, This paper is a continuation of the first paper that presented at an international seminar on december 2nd APTECS 2010 Result And Discussion Integrity Cold Chain Systems. According to Jean-Paul Rodrigue,et all,2009, functionally, there are three elements that integrate within the cold chain system: Product. a product is characterized by physical attributes requiring specific temperature and humidity conditions. These conditions dictate its transport, which takes place in a manner that does not undermine its physical attributes to an extent that is judged acceptable. Otherwise, the product loses a share or the entirety of its commercial value. It mostly relates to how perishable and fragile a product can be; how it handles the cold chain process. Origin / Destination. a function of the respective locations where a temperature-sensitive product is produced and consumed. It is indicative of the potential difficulty of making a product available at a market, which for a long time was an important constraint. Because of advances in cold chain logistics, it became possible to use increasingly distant sourcing strategies spanning the world. Distribution. The methods and infrastructures available to transport a product in a temperature-controlled environment. It can involve temperature controlled containers (reefers), trucks and warehousing facilities.See Figure 5 Conditional demand. The demand of a product at a market (or place of consumption) is conditional to its qualitative attributes. Load integrity. Relates to the load conditions that must be provided to insure that a product keeps its value during transport and accounting its perishability. Transport integrity. The series of tasks and safeguards that must be performed to insure that the temperature controlled environment remains constant (Jean-Paul Rodrigue,et all,2009) Figure 5. cold chain system element`s (source: Jean Paul Rodrigue, Claude Comtois and Brian Slack,†The Geography of Transport Systems,† Second Edition,New York,2009) Bootlenecks for the export Indonesian Tuna Globalization makes no more will limit both in regional and international, but on the other hand the application of and determination standart food safety is tight.More stringent standart of food safety applied making no other choice for business community fisheries and the whole stack holder, to try to fulfill standart who need, if they want to keep survive,The cases of rejection of fishery on the destination country exports can be seen on a table 1 Table 1 Totality of the rejection cases on fishery product (source, Ababouch 2006) In CBI Report The Indonesian seafood sector,a value chain analysis, by LEI Wageningen UR (Arie Pieter van Duijn, Rik Beukers and Willem van der Pijl).2012, there was some weakness logistics system and value chain, especially of Tuna of fishery sector in Indonesia, four different categories of influencers and supporters can be distinguished: Government authorities (MMAF, Ministry of Trade) Research institutes (Agency for Marine and Fishery Research and Development, SFP) Producer and exporter associations (ATLI, ASTUIN, Indonesian fish cannery association, AP5I) Other supporters and influencers (LPMHP, Ice factories, WCPFC and IOTC) Six bottlenecks have been identified as a result of the desk study, the field work and the discussions at the strategic conference: Handling and cold storage of tuna after catching Traceability (EU-catch certificates/E-logbook) Eco-labelling Trade barriers of exporting tuna to the EU Lack of capacity for small/medium processors to do market intelligence Fluctuating tuna catches To more clearly can be seen from figure 6 below: Figure 6. The Indonesian tuna value chain and its bottleneck (source : Sustainable Indonesian Tuna Initiative, White paper, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership,2011) Risk Analysis and HACCP. The following factors which influential are Risk Analysis process (Risk Assessment, Risk Management and Risk Communication) and Hazard Analysis Critical Crisis Point (HACCP) is doing assessment and identification to against threat of potential danger that will arise to every cycle stage((Grasiano.W.Lailossa., 2010) The new paradigm changes in the application of Risk Analysis and HACCP should also be an important thing in the application of cold chain systems integration., on the other side of synergism and interaction between government and business must go well in the entire cycle from harvest until arriving at the consumer. Figure 7 bellow is the one form of interaction between the government and food company Figure 7. Interaction between the governments and industrys food safety activities ,modified from Jouve et al., 1998.(Source : H. H. Husset et al,† Assessment and Management of Seafood Safety and Quality,2003) Conclusion. Research on modeling of cold chain system, tend to make emphasis on cases which partial, means more focus on case model with every partial approach on four primary domain that already says above (standard and regulation, risk analysis modeling and cold chain management modeling/ refrigerated transport modeling), in other side, cold chain system is one cycle which systemic, so that optimization problem from cold chain system cannot be observed as partial from every domain, but it must be holistic and systematic (Grasiano.W.Lailossa., 2010) The study and review show that New Paradigm to Developed Cold Chain System,must be based on Change the paradigm that integrated and synergism of the whole stack holder who later applied continuously and consequent in the whole process starting from harvest to consumption The new paradigm of integrated cold chain systems is how to create : Integated model of cold chain systems that have the ability of refrigeration optimally during the process of transport of frozen fish from catching on the sea to arrive at destination exports country. Refrigeration system that has capabilities with the flexibility to continue to maintain the temperature of the products according to standards in charge, able to adapt to external variables that continue to influence will change sometimes even ekstirm due to the path or track that will be going through during the process of refrigerated transport. The Cold chain systems variabel should have the ability to affect of refrigeration during transport due to a temperature difference, optimization of variables that affected the refrigeration systems due to transport processes that can reduce cooling capabilities so it can not maintain the desired temperature References C. M. Harland, â€Å"Supply Chain Management, Purchasing and Supply Management, Logistics, Vertical Integration, MaterialsManagement and Supply Chain Dynamics†. In: Slack, N (ed.) Blackwell Encyclopedic Dictionary of Operations Management UK: Blackwell,1996 Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), FishStat-Capture Production 2010, Fishery Statistics.2010 Grasiano.W.. Lailossa,â€Å"Cold Chain System (Future Research Prespective),† proceeding the 2nd.International Seminar On Applied Technology, Science, and Arts(APTECS), ITS, Indonesia,2010 H. H. Huss, L. Ababouch and L. Gram,† Assessment and Management of Seafood Safety and Quality,†, FAO Fisheries Technical Paper 444,FAO,Rome,2003 Indonesian Tuna Supply Chain Analysis, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership,2010 Jean Paul Rodrigue, Claude Comtois and Brian Slack,†The Geography of Transport Systems,† Second Edition,New York,Routledge,2009 J.P. Emond, The cold chain, in: S.B. Miles, S.E. Sarma, J.R. Williams (Eds.),Chapter 11 of RFID Technology and Applications, Cambridge University Press,2008, pp. 1–2.) L. Ababouch, â€Å"Detension and Rejection of Fish and Seafood at Borders of Mayor Importng Countries,†Food and Agriculture Organization, Italy,2006 LEI Wageningen UR, (Arie Pieter van Duijn, Rik Beukers and Willem van der Pijl),†The Indonesian seafood sector A value chain analysis†, Compiled for CBI by Ministry of foreign affairs of Netherlands,CBI Report,2012 Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF).. Indonesia Fishery Statistics, 2010 R. Schuurhuizen, â€Å"The domestic chain is still characterized by small-scale fishermen and it has been marginalized by the export supply chain† , 2006. R. Schuurhurizen, A. A. D Van Tilburg, and E. Kambewa, â€Å"Fish in Kenya: The Nile-Perch Chain† Wageningen University, Department of Social Sciences, Marketing and Consumer Sciences Group, Wageningen, The Netherland, 2006. Sustainable Indonesian Tuna Initiative, White paper, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership,2011 Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). 2009. Stock assessment of yellowfin tuna in the western and central Pacific Ocean. Scientific Committee Fifth Regular Session, PortVila,Vanuatu,Aug.10-21,2009.

Play Preferences of Developing Children

Play Preferences of Developing Children This cross-sectional survey research investigated play preferences of children with and without developmental delays who were between 3 and 7 years old. Parents completed questionnaires regarding their childs play activity and context preferences. Valid results were obtained for 166 children, 83 of whom had developmental delays. Preference ratings were compared by gender, age, and delay status. Play preference did not differ by gender. Rough-and-tumble play and computer/video game play increased with age, whereas object exploration decreased. Children with developmental delays had higher preferences for rough-and-tumble play and object exploration and lower preferences for drawing and coloring, construction, and doll and action figurine play than typically developing children. This comparison of childrens play preferences across ages, gender, and developmental status enhances our understanding of how these variables influence childrens play. ABSTRACT This cross-sectional survey research investigated play preferences of children with and without developmental delays who were between 3 and 7 years old. Parents completed questionnaires regarding their childs play activity and context preferences. Valid results were obtained for 166 children, 83 of whom had developmental delays. Preference ratings were compared by gender, age, and delay status. Play preference did not differ by gender. Rough-and-tumble play and computer/video game play increased with age, whereas object exploration decreased. Children with developmental delays had higher preferences for rough-and-tumble play and object exploration and lower preferences for drawing and coloring, construction, and doll and action figurine play than typically developing children. This comparison of childrens play preferences across ages, gender, and developmental status enhances our understanding of how these variables influence childrens play. Play is a primary childhood occupation and as such deserves the utmost attention from the occupational therapy profession. In the past, many authors have written about play as a means to measure other skills (Bundy, 1993) or as a reflection of child development (Sparling, Walker, Singdahlsen, 1984). Play has been observed, categorized, labeled, and studied by researchers in many fields (Cole la Voie, 1985; Fein, 1981; Gesell, 1940; Parten, 1932; Saunders, Sayer, Goodale, 1999). Previous research has clearly demonstrated that children progress through stages and exhibit differing play preferences over time (Cole la Voie, 1985; Fein, 1981; Lowe, 1975). Recently, occupational therapy scholars have stressed the importance of examining play as an occupation rather than analyzing its component parts (Bundy, 1993; Couch, Deitz, Kanny, 1998, Knox, 1997; Parham Primeau, 1997). Influences on Play Preferences Many variables (e.g., gender, culture, environment, and age) influence a childs play occupations. This descriptive study explores young childrens play preferences and investigates how play choices vary according to the childs age, gender, and typical development versus developmental delay status. Gender Research has repeatedly demonstrated gender differences in the play of typical children (Caldera, Huston, OBrien, 1989; Connor Serbin, 1977; Meyer-Bahlburg, Sandberg, Dolezal, Yager, 1994; Saracho, 1990). In early studies of preferences related to gender, researchers found that girls preferred dolls and house toys and boys preferred blocks and transportation toys (Fein, 1981). Recent research continues to find gender-related differences in many aspects of play beginning at early ages. For example, as early as 1 year of age, children make different toy choices based on their gender (Servin, Bohlin, Berlin, 1999). At 18 months of age, boys preferred to play with trucks and trailers, whereas girls preferred doll-related activities (Lyytinen, Laakso, Poikkeus, Rita, 1999). Gender differences are found in many aspects of play. Boys are more likely to choose physical and block play over dramatic and manipulative play, and girls are the reverse (Saracho, 1990). Although boys are more likely to enjoy vigorous or active play, girls are generally rated as more playful (Saunders et al., 1999) and more likely to enjoy both dyadic interaction (Benenson, 1993) and smaller play groups than boys. Within dramatic or fantasy play, the type of fantasy play performed differs by gender. For example, girls use more verbal pretending and choose different play themes (Wall, Pickert, Gibson, 1989) and demonstrate less aggressive content (von Klitzing, Kelsay, Emde, Robinson, Schmitz, 2000). Girls fantasy themes tend to be complex and abstract. In contrast, boys play is more physically vigorous and they tend to choose simpler fantasy themes, such as playing superheroes (Pellegrini Bjorklund, 2004). Boys and girls also differ in play with computers and video games. Boys generally play video games more frequently and for longer time periods (Kafai, 1998), and they tend to play games in which competition is important. Girls like games with in-depth social interactions and character development; they appear to enjoy participating in a story more than participating in a competitive game (Salonius-Pasternak, 2005). Age A childs age is related to both play skills and play preferences for the type and context of play. Developmental changes in play skill have been found in a variety of studies of childrens play. For example, pretend play first emerges between 1 and 2 years of age and increases in prevalence and frequency throughout the preschool and kindergarten years (Fein, 1981). Play preferences have been shown to begin early in life. Infant toy preferences are noted by mothers as early as 3 months of age, and by 1 year of age almost 90% of infants have a favorite object (Furby Wilke, 1982). Children have also demonstrated changes over time in their preference for specific forms of play, such as physical play. In one study of physical play, the authors found that preference for each of three types of physical play peaks at a different age (Pellegrini Smith, 1998). Rhythmic stereotypes dominate during infancy, exercise play peaks during the preschool years, and rough-and-tumble play is most common during middle childhood. Age also interacts with gender to affect the choices. For example, the preferences of young children for gender-segregated groups begin to change in pre-adolescence (Brown, 1990), as do the gender-specific preferences for indoor and outdoor play (Pellegrini, 1992). Age may be less of a factor in play development in children with disabilities (Sigafoos, Roberts-Pennell, Graves, 1999). Developmental Delay or Disability Multiple studies have demonstrated that children with physical disabilities play differently than children who are developing typically. Children with physical disabilities spend more time in passive activities (Brown Gordon, 1987) and may demonstrate less active involvement with objects (Gowen, Johnson-Martin, Goldman, Hussey, 1992). Children with physical disabilities spend more time with adults than with their peers and participate more in passive activities, such as television watching, than in active and varied play experiences (Howard, 1996). In addition, children with physical disabilities, cerebral palsy in particular, may be less playful than their typically developing peers (Okimoto, Bundy, Hanzlik, 2000). Based on previous research, it is unclear whether children with disabilities have different play preferences or merely have an inability to access various forms of play. One study demonstrated that children with mild motor disabilities held preferences similar to children without disabilities (Clifford Bundy, 1989). In a study investigating object play preferences in children with an autistic spectrum disorder, Desha, Ziviani, and Rodger (2003) found that the children (41 to 86 months old) engaged predominantly in functional play and preferred toys with salient sensorimotor properties (toys that produced sound or movement with minimal effort). Other research has suggested that children with autism prefer toys and play situations that are structured and predictable (Ferrara Hill, 1980). Contextual Variables Contextual factors may affect play occupations. Researchers have demonstrated that children have fairly stable preferences for play partners, including the gender of play partners (Hay, Payne, Chadwick, 2004; Martin Fabes, 2001), play settings, and play objects (Knox, 1997). Other studies suggest that the physical environment impacts childrens development of play occupations. For example, outdoor play provides children with opportunities for sensory exploration (e.g., in dirt, water, sand, and mud), learning about space, and vigorous physical activity. Indoor play offers opportunities for quiet play, reading, drawing, construction, and computer games (Clements, 2004). Research Questions The literature on childrens play preferences suggests that children have clear preferences that are influenced by gender, age, and developmental status. Examining the current play choices and preferences of children is important to further understand the development of play occupations and what variables influence a childs play choices. This study investigated the play preferences of children with and without developmental delays who were between 3 and 7 years old. The specific research questions that guided our survey research were the following: 1. Do boys and girls differ in their play activity preferences? 2. Do childrens play activity preferences differ by age in early childhood years? 3. Do play activity preferences differ between children with developmental delays who receive therapy services and children with typical development? Methods Sample Convenience sampling was used to recruit parents of children with typical development or with developmental delays (who received occupational, speech, or physical therapy services) who were between 3 and 8 years old to complete a survey describing play preferences. A total of 330 surveys were provided to parents of typically developing children and children with developmental delays in the Northeast and the Midwest regions in the United States. In the Midwest, participants were obtained through a large childcare center and two preschools. All participants in the Northeast were obtained through two large private practice clinics. To obtain a sample of typically developing children in the Northeast, parents of children receiving therapy services in the clinics were asked to complete a survey for a sibling without developmental problems. Instrument The survey was based on Takatas instrument (Takata, 1969) that measures play preferences and the categories were modified to reflect modern play activities. The survey required parents to respond to a list of play activity preferences for one of their children. Studies have demonstrated that mothers can accurately rank play activities (Tamis-LeMonda, Damast, Bornstein, 1994) and parent report has been used previously in research of childrens play preferences (Finegan, Niccols, Zacher, Hood, 1991). The survey listed play activities and contexts and asked parents to rate their childs preference for each activity and context. Parents were also asked to provide information about age, disability status, and gender. The parents were asked about play preferences within a 3-month period because other researchers have suggested that play preferences remain relatively stable within this period of time (Finegan et al., 1991). Parents were not asked questions regarding their nationality, race, ethnicity, social class, or socioeconomic status because these factors have not been demonstrated to be related to play preferences (Meyer-Bahlburg et al., 1994). To pilot test the survey, two peer reviewers commented on the items and then six parents completed the survey and were asked to comment on its format and clarity and the amount of time it took to complete. Minimal revisions were made to improve clarity. The final survey listed 37 play activities in 11 categories of play and 11 contextual variables. The survey used a 4-point Likert scale for scoring, with each play activity rated from highly preferred (4) to not preferred (1), and respondents could also select not applicable. Individual activities were listed under broader categories (e.g., gross motor play, creative play, and pretend play). The second part of the survey asked for the childs preferences for specific play environments, including social context (e.g., friends or family) and physical contexts (e.g., inside or outside). A third section asked for descriptive information about the child (e.g., gender, birth date, diagnosis, if any, and services received). Data Analysis Demographic data and preference ratings were summarized using descriptive statistics. Children were combined into age groups by year by rounding to the nearest year. Although specific diagnoses were identified for the children, the children were grouped into those with and without developmental delays for purposes of analysis. To reduce the data, the individual activities were combined into play categories (e.g., gross motor, rough-and-tumble play, and pretend play). The 33 activities were collapsed into 9 play categories and the 11 contextual variables were collapsed into 4 play contexts. The figure identifies how the items were combined into categories. When computing mean scores, the responses not applicable and not preferred were combined as a score of 1 because both responses indicated that the child did not engage in that play activity. Using each play category and play context, a three-way analysis of variance with gender, age, and disability status as the independent variables was computed. Scheffe post-hoc analyses were used to compare individual age groups. Effect sizes (Cohens d) were calculated for gender and developmental status comparisons. Although a Likert scale produces ordinal data, parametric statistical procedures were selected over non-parametric statistical procedures based on research demonstrating that these statistics result in the same conclusions as non-parametric tests (Glass, Peckham, Sanders, 1972), they are preferable in most cases, and they do not increase the likelihood of a Type I or Type II error (Nanna Sawilowsky, 1998; Rasmussen Dunlap, 1991). Use of parametric statistics allowed us to examine t he interactions among the variables. Results Sample A total of 175 surveys were returned. Only five surveys for 8 year olds were returned; therefore these were omitted from the analysis. Of the 170 remaining, 166 were sufficiently complete to use in the analysis. Demographic data for the sample are presented in Table 1. Gender The three-way analysis of variance identified no significant differences in play activity preferences between boys and girls (effect size ranged from .01 to .26). Table 2 lists the mean scores, analysis of variance results, and effects sizes for the primary play categories. Play preferences were remarkably similar for boys and girls, with equivalent preference for gross motor play, rough-and-tumble play, video and computer games, drawing and coloring, dolls, and pretend play. The interaction for gender and age was significant for doll play preference. Three- to four-year-old boys preferred play with dolls and action figurines more than 3- to 4-year-old girls. In contrast, 5- to 6-year-old boys preferred play with dolls and action figurines less than 5- to 6-year-old girls. Play contexts were also compared by gender. Boys (m = 2.03) and girls (m = 1.95) were equally neutral about playing alone (F [1,156] = .074; p = .786). Both boys (m = 2.63) and girls (m = 2.60) equally preferred to play with friends (F [1, 156] = .031; p = .860) and equally preferred indoor (mean range: 2.73 to 2.80) and outdoor (mean range: 2.75 to 2.86) play. Age Groups Play preferences were compared by age groups. Table 3 shows which play categories were significantly different for age groups between 3 and 7 years old. In this early childhood age span, changes in play preferences were few. Preference for rough-and-tumble play changed significantly from 3 to 7 years old. Rough-and-tumble play was preferred most at 5 years old and was only somewhat preferred at 7 years old. Preference for video and computer games increased significantly in this age range. Video and computer game play was scored between not preferred and neutral at 3 years old and was somewhat preferred by 7 years old. Preference for drawing and coloring and construction increased from 3 to 7 years old, but these differences were not significant. Preference for pretend play differed significantly across the age groups, with low preference scores at the youngest and oldest ages and higher preference scores at 4 and 5 years old. Doll and action figurine play was also highest at 4 years old; however, changes in doll play preference were not significant across age groups. When play contexts were compared across the age groups, children showed no differences in preference for playing alone (range: 1.88 to 2.23; F [4,156] = 1.3; p = .272) or with friends (range: 2.27 to 2.93; F [4,156] = 1.95; p = .105) or for playing indoors (range: 2.35 to 2.86; F [4,153] = .793: p = .531) or outdoors (range: 2.50 to 2.91; F [4,152] = 1.23; p = .300). The least preferred play context across all ages was alone. Children With and Without Developmental Delays Play preferences of children with developmental delays were compared to those of children with typical development. Mean scores, analysis of variance results, and effect sizes are presented in Table 4. Children in the delayed and non-delayed groups equally preferred gross motor play, but rough-and-tumble play was preferred more by children with developmental delays, demonstrating a moderate effect (d = .52). In the quiet play categories, typically developing children preferred drawing and coloring more than children with developmental delays. For drawing and coloring, there was also an interaction with gender: preferences of boys with developmental delays (m = 2.57) were lower than those of boys with typical development (m = 3.42), but girls were equivalent in the two groups (developmental delays m = 3.13; typical development m = 3.19). In children with developmental delays, preference for doll and action figurine play was significantly less and preference for object exploration was slightly greater than for children without developmental delays. Although pretend play did not differ in these groups, the interaction of age and developmental delay status for pretend play preference was significant. In younger children (3 and 4 years old), those who were typically developing preferred pretend play; this preference reversed by 7 years old when preferences of children with developmental delays were significantly higher than typically developing children for pretend play. Play preferences for these two groups of children are rank ordered in Table 5. The five most preferred play forms for children with typical development were gross motor, drawing and coloring, reading and watching television, construction, and rough-and-tumble play. The five most preferred play forms for children with developmental delays were rough-and-tumble play, gross motor, reading and watching television, drawing and coloring, and construction. Preferred play contexts also differed for the two groups. Although both groups were neutral about playing alone, children with developmental delays showed a lower preference for playing with friends (m = 2.29) than children with typical development (m = 2.93) (F [1,156] = 13.11; p Discussion Gender Comparisons A surprising finding was that boys and girls held the same or similar play preferences. For example, we found no differences between boys and girls in doll and action figurine play or pretend play. In contrast, most of the research literature has concluded that boys and girls prefer different types of play. In older studies (Fagot, 1974, 1978; McDowell, 1937), girls and boys preferred different toys (i.e., girls preferred dolls and house toys, whereas boys preferred blocks and transportation toys). During the preschool and early childhood years, boys are more likely to adopt fantasy and aggressive play (e.g., monsters or fighting) and girls are more likely to play house (Fein, 1981). One possible reason for our finding that boys and girls were similar in play preferences is that we broadly defined doll play to include play with action figurines (e.g., Batman, Spiderman, and robots), which are considered boy toys. With dolls defined this broadly, boys and girls did not differ. In the research literature, pretend play is not the only play category where boys and girls differ. In two studies of children between 4 and 12 years old, boys preferred rough-and-tumble play and girls preferred quiet play (Finegan et al., 1991; Saracho, 1990). Saracho (1990) found that boys are more likely to prefer physical and block play over dramatic and manipulative play, and girls were the reverse. In a review of electronic play, Salonius-Pasternak (2005) reported that boys spend more time in video and computer game play than girls. Our study found no differences between boys and girls in preference for gross motor, rough-and-tumble play, or video game activities. Gym sets, trikes and bikes, and playgrounds were preferred play activities for both genders. When genders are compared, preferences of boys and girls were remarkably similar. Boys were slightly, but not significantly, higher than girls in rough-and-tumble play (d = .26), and other areas that differed in previous studies (e.g., preference for video and computer games and drawing and coloring) were equivalent. The equivocal results between our study and those that preceded it may be explained by their different methodologies (e.g., our survey used parent report and listed both boy and girl examples of the play categories). Gender differences may not exist when broad play categories are measured. Age Comparisons When the ages of the children were compared, three categories showed significant differences across age groups. Rough-and-tumble play increased from 3 to 5 years old, and then decreased from 5 to 7 years old. As preference for rough-and-tumble play decreased, preference for video and computer games increased. Other researchers (Salonius-Pasternak, 2005) have documented the increase in computer game play, which begins at 7 years old and peaks in adolescence. As documented in the literature, pretend play increases during the preschool years (3 to 5 years old) and decreases after 6 years old (Fein, 1981), when rule-governed games begin to dominate play (Parham Primeau, 1997). Other categories showed expected trends, but differences among the age groups were not significant. Gross motor play (defined as bike, trike, tag, and gym set activities) did not decrease across the age groups and was consistently a highly preferred activity. Drawing and coloring, construction, watching television, and reading activities remained somewhat preferred throughout the age range. The development of play skills has been well documented by researchers (Rosenblatt, 1977; Takata, 1969); however, most research has focused on the first 2 to 3 years of life, which is when play skills change dramatically. Our study captured ages during which play preference is stable for certain forms of play and evolving for others. Takata (1969) conceptualized 4 to 7 years old as one play epoch. Dramatic role playing, social role playing, and realistic construction characterize this epoch. Play preferences appear to change substantially after 7 years old, which is when children prefer games with rules and social play in the context of organized games. Our findings regarding the effect of age on play preferences, which were significant but not dramatic, may reflect that our age range was essentially one play epoch (Takata, 1969). Differences Between Children With and Without Developmental Delays In our sample, children with developmental delays were primarily children with sensory integration dysfunction, autism, pervasive developmental disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or general developmental delays. Children with these diagnoses often have motor planning difficulty, sensory processing problems, and social and communication limitations without frank motor, manipulation, and mobility impairments. The play preferences of children with developmental delays were consistent with the performance limitations associated with these development disorders. Children with developmental delays preferred rough-and-tumble play significantly more than children with typical development. This preference may reflect the sensory needs of children with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, or sensory integration disorder. Rough-and-tumble play, such as wrestling and rough housing, provides children with deep tissue pressure and joint compression, which is the proprioceptive input that helps their systems organize and calm (Baranek, 2002; Blanche Schaaf, 2001). In addition, rough-and-tumble play does not demand fine motor skills or precision performance; it is play in which almost every child can participate and succeed. The other play category in our study preferred significantly more by children with developmental delays was object exploration. Object exploration reflects basic sensory motor play that predominates in children 1 to 3 years old and decreases during the preschool years as more skillful and symbolic play emerges. The higher preference by children with developmental delays probably reflects preference for simpler, lower demand play activities. In other play forms, typically developing children showed higher preference; they preferred drawing and coloring and dolls and action figurines more than children with developmental delays. These play forms require fine motor and manipulative skills, and they require higher levels of cognitive ability, imagination, pretend, and understanding of symbols. In addition, the interaction of pretend play, age, and developmental delay was significant. At younger ages, pretend play was preferred more by children with typical development; this reversed at older ages, when pretend play was preferred more by children with developmental delays. Therefore, the children with developmental delays developed an interest in pretend play at older ages, which is when interest by children with typical development was diminishing. This finding contrasts with that of Sigafoos et al. (1999), who found that children with disabilities did not exhibit play forms beyond sensorimotor and functional play. Our contrasting findings may be explained because the children in our sample were less severely involved. Both groups were neutral (mean range: 1.81 to 2.45) for doll and action figurine play and pretend play. This neutral preference may reflect that the time spent in pretend play is minimal when compared to other play forms. Fein (1981) suggested that preschool children spend between 10% and 17% of their time in pretend play, which reflects only a small portion of boys and girls total play time. Sigafoos et al. (1999) observed that children with developmental delays spent 10% of their time in pretend play. When the types of play are rank ordered by preference, pretend play and doll and action figurine play have the lowest preference scores. Numerous studies have documented differences in play when children with disabilities were compared to children without disabilities. Research demonstrates differences in play skills (Mogford, 1977), object and social play (Sigafoos et al., 1999), and playfulness (Clifford Bundy, 1989; Okimoto et al., 2000). Sigafoos et al. (1999) followed preschool children with developmental disabilities for 3 years and documented that they primarily engaged in exploratory (28%) and functional play (57%) and that these percentages did not change over time. Baranek, Reinhartsen, and Wannamaker (2001) described the play of children with autism as lacking in imitation and imagination, containing fewer play repertoires, exhibiting decreased play organization, and exhibiting limited social play. Their play tends to lack flexibility and creativity (Craig Baron-Cohen, 1999). Functional play seems to dominate in children with autism with minimal evidence of pretend or symbolic play (Libby, Powell, Messer, Jordan, 1998). Differences in children with sensory integration dysfunction have been identified by Parham and Mailloux (2005) and may be more subtle than the differences seen in autism (Desha et al., 2003). The play of children with sensory integration dysfunction is often limited in play scenarios because they avoid certain play experiences that cause sensory feedback discomfort and they have restricted action repertoires due to perceptual difficulties and dyspraxia (Knox, 2005; Parham Mailloux, 2005). Using a sample of preschool age children (4 to 6 years) with sensory integration dysfunction, Clifford and Bundy (1989) did not find significant differences in play materials preferences but did find differences in how the children used toys. Our sample with developmental delays, which included autism, sensory integration dysfunction, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, showed trends similar to the literature in that the children preferred simple play forms (i.e., object exploration and rough-and-tumble play) to more complex and skilled play forms (i.e., drawing and coloring and pretend play). When all play preference categories are ranked, the order of preference differed between groups, but the top five preferences were the same. The primary difference between the groups was in rough-and-tumble play (ranked first for children with developmental delays and fifth for children with typical development). Object exploration was the least preferred for children with typical development and dolls were least preferred for children with developmental delays. Consistent with the literature that describes problems in social play in children with developmental delays, children with typical development had significantly higher preferences for playing with friends (d = .57) than children with developmental delays. Playing alone was significantly more preferred in children with developmental delays. Response to these items may reflect the childs preference or may relate to actual play opportunities and experiences. Delays in communication and social interaction may create barriers for children with developmental delays to play with peers (Baranek et al., 2001; Tanta, 2004). Clinical Implications The findings of our study confirm the importance of physical play because, almost universally, the study participants enjoyed, and often preferred, physical play. At the same time, the participants balanced their preference for physical play with more sedentary play forms, such as reading, watching television, drawing and coloring, and construction. The range of preferences may indicate the need for relaxation as one aspect of play (Parham Primeau, 1997). Children seem to have broad and varied play preferences because 6 of the 11 play forms were rated as somewhat to highly preferred. Individual play preferences appear to be best defined by the player and cannot be assumed based on age, gender, or disability status. Of concern is the preference of children with developmental delays t

Physics of Mining Essay -- physics mining miner

Mining is a necessary component of the world we live in and it has been practiced for thousands of years. The mining industry produces billions of tons of raw product every year. The process of mining is very complicated and involves plenty of physics! Two main components of the mine cycle are: Drilling, and Blasting. Some important factors in mining are the pillars, rock elasticity, and the slope stability of the ground being mined. A basic method for destroying rock is mechanically induced stress, such as drills and erosion jets. A turbine drill for example, uses a turbine to rotate a diamond faced cutter wheel. The power output, p, can be calculated using the equation p=2 Ï€NT where N is the rotational speed of the turbine and T is the torque on the cutter wheel. As the rotary speed increases, the torque decreases. The maximum power output of a turbine drill is when the rotary speed is between 5,000 and 10,000 rev/min. Erosion jets can be classified as low speed or high speed. The low speed jets use abrasive particles, such as sand to erode rock at 10 to 200 m/s and the high speed jets use water at 200 to 1,000 m/s. The high speed jets are used for the hardest rock and require pressures up to 5,000 kg/cm ²! In underground, non coal mining, the excavation of rock is done largely by conventional percussive drills. These break the rock by indentation. The drilling machine applies a force to the drill bit, giving it a velocity which hits the rock and causes it to break. The equation for the peak stress induced by the drill bit on the rock is as follows: ÏÆ' = Ï  cv, where ÏÆ' is the maximum stress induced, and Ï , c, and v are the density, compressional wave length, and velocity of the drill bit, respectively. In coal mining, ... ... Now there is an added force from the water called pore pressure and the normal force is decreased making the slope more likely to fail. The following diagram represents this scenario with 'W' as the gravitational force downward of the upper rock, 'p' as the pore pressure from the water, and 'A' as the area that the water affects. Mines are erected by pillars, which have factors of safety. The factor of safety is the average strength divided by the average stress ratio. When this ration falls below 1.00, there is pillar instability. If one pillar in a mine collapses, the result is greater force acting on the rest which in turn increases their stress and decreases their factors of safety. If all of the pillars are highly stressed, one pillar failure could lead to a domino effect and the collapse of a mine. 1.60 is considered a good factor of safety for pillars.

Schizophrenia: Effects on the Brain :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Schizophrenia: Effects on the Brain Schizophrenia is a disease that affects the brain. It alters brain chemistry and brain form to produce the different behavior in those afflicted with the problem. It appears that these alterations change the inherent I-function in each individual. Loss of important functions associated with this piece of the greater nervous system box is found in these people. To understand why this occurs, it is necessary to have some background knowledge of what schizophrenia does to a person's brain. The conclusion of altered I-function can be drawn as this information is presented. The symptoms of the disease also aid in the explanation. Schizophrenia results in varied and abnormal responses compared to those of normal, healthy individuals. The brain of individuals with the disease endures such changes that their basic functions and operations are altered. Schizophrenia is an internal disease caused by fundamental organizational differences in the brain. It begins to be noticed in a person's late teens through twenties. Signs of it can be seen from early childhood and it is now being hypothesized that it is actually present during adolescence (1). Since this hypothesis extends to fetal development, brain formation in the earliest stages is effected. The alteration of pathways and deviation of neurotransmitters from normal arrangement is believed to be a factor behind the affliction. The brain of these individuals forms differently. Neurotransmitters are believed to misfire altering the chemical balance of the brain causing behavioral problems. There are deficits in cortical and subcortical cognitive processes (5). There are also enlarged ventricles in the brain causing further impairment of ability (3). When the disease is present there are certain symptoms that are easily recognizable. They fall into three categories overt, negative, and positive. The overt symptoms are delusions, hallucinations, alteration of the senses, inability to sort and then respond appropriately to incoming sensations, an altered sense of self, and changes in behavior (2). The negative symptoms are emotional flatness, inability to start or follow through on activities, brief speech lacking content, and lack of pleasure or interest in life (2). All of these include an inhibition on processing information and further imply a differentiation in the normal self. The basic information above provides a solid background to understanding the disease and already possible problems to a person's I-function can be seen. The afflicted person's lack of knowledge concerning the disease suggests a hindrance to the I-function.

Cell Phones: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Essay

The prevalence of cell phones in American culture shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone. Cell phone use has risen in the United States from approximately 91,000 users in 1985 to 250,000,000 in 2007 and in 2009 was somewhere in the neighborhood of 280,000,000, which means that approximately 90% of Americans own cell phones. And Americans aren’t the only ones. According to a February 2010 article on www.cbsnews.com, there are approximately 4.6 billion cell phone subscriptions worldwide and that number is expected to surpass five billion by the end of the year. I had to wonder, what are the advantages and disadvantages of 90% of Americans (New York Times, May 13, 2010) and nearly 85% of the world’s population using cell phones? I figure there had to be quite a few advantages for so many people to have cell phones, so I asked around. The number one answer I found was the convenience. Peoples’ ability to be reached at all times, able to reach others at all times, and how fast communication with others has become. Can’t reach someone by phone? Send a text. Text messages are delivered almost instantaneously and there’s no need to leave a message and wait for a call back anymore. Many others cited having a cell phone in case of emergency. According to Pew Internet, in 2006, 74% of cell phone users reported using their cell phones in emergency situations. While cell phone bills are usually not lower than landline bills alone, the long distance cost is significantly less for cell phone users. Long distance costs are included in the overall minute usage for most cell phone subscriptions, whereas many landline providers charge by the minute for long distance calls. As cell phone technology advances, so do the tools available to cell phone users. A growing number of users report using their phones for such things as listening to music, checking email, keeping their daily calendars, making grocery lists, and even keeping track of daily calorie intake. (New York Times, May 13, 2010). There are many organizational tools available on the new generation of â€Å"smart phones† as well as many different navigational tools. GPS locators in phones are subscribed to by many parents of underage cell phone users. Cell phones can also be used as cameras and video recorders and those photos and videos are easily emailed to others or  uploaded to sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Entertainment is even making the list of advantages to having a cell phone these days. As I mentioned previously, users can listen to music on their cell phones, but it doesn’t stop there. Technology has advanced so much that users can now watch television shows and movies on their phones. So it seems I was correct about how many advantages must be out there, but what about the downside? The very first thought I had was about the ban on cell phones in schools and what a huge disruption cell phones must be in the classroom. That issue is just part of the larger issue of the widespread distraction cell phones cause. Everywhere you go you see cell phones in use – in the coffee shop, the movie theater, the grocery store, even church, and while driving. Going back to the cost of cell phones, while heavy long distance users may notice a relief in their long distance costs, cell phones are still on average much more expensive to operate than a landline. There are costs for air time usage, text message usage, broadband usage, music purchases, games purchases, and app purchases, not to mention the dreaded overage costs. Some cell phone companies charge as much as sixty cents per minute for every minute of air time over your allotted plan. Add that to long contracts and hefty fees for cancelling contracts and cell phones become quite an expensive venture. The ever-increasing technology is adding to these costs as well. Newer, smarter phones released every few months are of course attractive to users, but on top of the cost of upgrading phones on a regular basis is the added cost of the service provider’s data package. In order to utilize these newer smart phones, the data package is a requirement and on average costs something like an additional $30 per month. Aside from financial impact, what about health impact? There seems to be quite a bit of worry over the radio frequency radiation given off by cell phones and cell phone towers. There is much argument about whether or not this sort of radiation is of any real concern, but according to www.controlyourimpact.com, there are many very serious health concerns to think about. There are reports that cell phone use can cause disturbances in sleep and concentration, fatigue, and headache. According to a BBC News report (www.news.bbc.co.uk), â€Å"Cell phones damage key brain cells and could trigger the early onset of Alzheimer’s disease . . . Researchers have found  that radiation from cell phone handsets damages areas of the brain associated with learning, memory and movement.† Reports linking cell phones to sterility in men, eye tissue damage, and increased chances of depression and cancer have also been published. In researching the negative effects of cell phones, I happened across some even more sinister effects. Take â€Å"sexting† – â€Å"the act of sending, receiving, or forwarding sexually explicit messages, photos, or images via cell phone, computer, or other digital device. These messages, photos, and images are then often being further disseminated through email and internet-based social networking websites well beyond their original intended recipients.† (www.mass.gov) There have been hundreds of reported cases of sexting – a handful of those cases involving suicide and/or sex offense criminal charges such as child pornography in the cases involving high school students. According to www.msnbc.com, 39% of high schools students admit to sending these types of messages and 48% say they’ve received them. Another very dangerous habit Americans have developed is talking on their cell phone while driving. â€Å"You have four times the risk of being in a crash if you’re on the phone while driving.† (www.myoptumhealth.com) What’s even scarier are the results of a Car and Driver Magazine study that found texting while driving is much worse than driving while intoxicated. The results of this study showed that unimpaired, it took the test driver .54 seconds to brake when indicated to do so. Add four feet to that time for legally drunk drivers, thirty six feet for drivers reading email and seventy feet for drivers reading a text. (http://www.cnbc.com/id/31545004/site/14081545). According to a report by the National Safety Council, 28% of accidents involve talking or texting on cell phones. I couldn’t help but notice that the risks seem to outweigh the benefits considerably, but I also admit that I’m still addicted to my cell phone. There has been some state regulation of cell phone use while driving, but there is little restriction of their use elsewhere and I think there needs to be much more, although, I’m not certain how feasible that would be to accomplish. At any rate, we all make our own choices and we all need to  make smarter choices about our cell phone use.