Red Pada and Red Fox

The Red Panda comes from the family of Ailuridae and its scientific name is Ailurus Fulgens. The Red Fox, whose scientific name is Vulpes Vulpes, is from the Canidae family. They are both mammals and are the same size. However, the Red Panda and the Red Fox share similarities and differences in their appearance, habitat, diet, behaviour, reproduction and status of population. First of all, the Red Panda and the Red Fox are quite similar but a little different in their appearance. Like the Red Fox, the Red Panda has four legs, two ears, a black nose and two eyes at the side of their heads.They also have a long bushy tails with which they keep themselves warm, like a cover, in winter. The Red Panda looks like a cat, while the Red Fox looks like a dog. The main colour of the fur of these two animals is red. The Red Panda has while fur on its cheeks, around its eyes, and has black fur from its neck to its feet. In contrast, the Red Fox has while fur from its neck to its stomach and has b lack fur on its ears. There are both similarities and difference in their habitat. The Red fox and the Red Panda can both be found in the forest.But the Red Panda lives in temperature bamboo forests in northeast Asia, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Laos, Myanmar and Eastern Himalaya mountain at 1500-4000m above sea level. While the Red Fox lives around the world in many kinds of environments such as forests, grasslands, mountains and deserts. Most of the Red Foxes are found in the United States , Canada, Asia and Europe. The Red Panda sleeps in trees, whereas the Red Fox sleeps in dens. The next similarities and differences of them are in their diet.Both the Red Panda and the Red Fox eat many kinds of food, such as fruit, insects, bird’s egg, small birds and rodents. The main food of the Red Panda is bamboo leaves and young bamboo, while the favourite food of the Red Fox is rodents. In terms of behaviour they are somewhat similar, but there are also some differences. They are both sol itary animals, expect when they have a partner. The Red Panda is a excellent tree climbers. While the Red Fox hears very well and run with speed up to 48 km/h. Besides, the Red Fox like play with its prey before kill them.Finally, they are also similar but different in the way they reproduce. The Red Panda has a gestation period about 130 days, and its cub lives with it for one year. On the other hand, the Red Fox has a gestation period less than two months, and its cub leaves its mother after seven months. Both animals give babies although different gestation period. In conclusion, there are both similarities and differences between these two animals. They are share some similarities and differences in factor of them. The Red Panda is endangered species, while the Red Fox’s population are stable.

Medicare Never Pay Events Essay

Medicare is currently the primary healthcare insurer of the elderly in the United States of America. Medicare, which is funded by the federal government, paid providers $444 billion dollars in 2008 for healthcare expenses (National Healthcare and Medicare Spending, 2010). Due to enormous expenses, Medicare implemented changes during 2008 to improve patient safety and reduce cost by eliminating reimbursement to those who provide unsafe care. Medicare designed a list of â€Å"never† events. These are events Medicare will not reimburse, and the provider cannot bill the patient for the service. All providers receiving Medicare reimbursement have made themselves very familiar with the list outlined by Medicare. Failure to adhere to the list of never events would lead a facility into bankruptcy and out of business. The list includes wrong site surgery, retention of foreign object, death or disability with intravascular air embolism while in a healthcare facility, infant discharged to wrong person, patient death or disability associated with patient disappearance for more than four hours, patient suicide or attempted suicide resulting in serious disability while being cared for in a healthcare facility, death or disability due to medication error, death or disability due to incompatible blood products, death or disability associated with hypoglycemia while being cared for in a healthcare facility, stage three or four pr essure ulcers acquired after admission to a healthcare facility, and sexual assault while on the grounds of a healthcare facility (Torrey, 2011). Basically, never events are incidents that should never happen to anyone, and if they do neither Medicare nor the patient will be financially responsible. Thus, increasing accountability to the providing facility. Medicare Reimbursement and Nurse Retention Medicare reimbursement affects nurse retention by reducing revenue that could be allocated into budgets for pay increases, benefits, supplies, continuing education, and recruitment. In addition, keep in mind the stress associated with staff being aware of the costly event and the injury sustained by the individual and family. Furthermore, many of these issues are sure to stimulate legal action. Decreased budgets and additional stress factors definitely decrease nurses longevity with a facility. References Torrey, T., (2011). What is a medical error? Retrieved from: http://patients.about.com/od/atthehospital/a/mederrorlist.htm National healthcare and Medicare spending. (2010). Retrieved from: http://www.medpac.gov/chapters/Jun10DataBookSec1.pdf

The Impact of Globalization on the Economy

The impact of globalization on the economy Globalization is one of the main features of modern society. Today it covers almost all spheres of human activity, and its influence becomes more and more obvious. To talk about the effects of globalization, it is necessary to understand its nature and the factors, sources, which led to its emergence. Today majority of scientists agree that economic globalization â€Å"is the increasing economic interdependence of national economies across the world through a rapid increase in cross-border movement of goods, service, technology, and capital†.There are several sources of globalization. The first factor is technological advances. E-mail, the Internet, and the World Wide Web have significantly lowered the costs of transportation and communication in international trade and in doing business by and large. Next reason of globalization is trade liberalization that has led to more liberal world trading system. And finally source of globaliza tion is creating globalized media, the arts, and popular culture with the widespread use of the English language for global communication.Of course there is not a complete list of the factors of globalization, but in my opinion, those mentioned sources are the most important. Globalization has significant impacts on all economies of the world, with various effects. There are heated debates around positive and negative effects of globalization. Leading pro-globalization arguments make a strong case that globalization is simply the industrial revolution that rationalizes economic activity everywhere. For instance, it affects countries’ production of goods and services.It also affects investment, both in physical capital and in human capital. It also has major effects on efficiency, productivity and competitiveness. On the other hand, scientists consider about so-called paradox of globalization: in many cases, the gap between the rich and the poor is increasingly widening. An ar rival of foreign companies and foreign capital creates a reduction of unemployment and poverty; however it can also increase the wage gap between well-educated, skilled workers and those who are not. In the short term, some of the poor will become poorer.The arrival of foreign companies into developing countries increases employment in many sectors. But those foreign companies arrive with the new technology, which extends across the country. Automation, especially in the manufacturing and agricultural sectors reduces the need for unskilled laborers. As a result, employment rate in these sectors falls. To sum up, globalization is a complex process that works in various ways and has different effects. In my opinion, some solutions are needed to reduce negative impacts of globalization and to find happy medium between developed and developing countries.

EU Law problem scenario Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

EU Law problem scenario - Essay Example In this similar context, Bekka feels that such acts are irrelevant. Moreover, it has been viewed that she has been also engaged in sale of tinted film which is also restricted for sale in State Y as these products leads to decrease visibility and thereby causing accidents. On the contrary, she admits that such law in State X is indeed not applicable and being a Member State of European Union (EU), laws in both the State i.e. in State X and State Y must be similar. On the other hand Klaus who is married to Haruka, a Japanese national is struggling regarding residence permit. It has been observed that the residential permit of Haruka for State Y was ending and her permit would not be renewed as told by the local immigration office and thus she had to leave the country. In this regard, Klaus strongly realized that being lived in State Y for whole life, it is not justifiable to restrict his wife from living with him in his own country. At the same time, he has been confronted with anothe r problem related with the permission given by Minister for Environmental Affairs about establishment of waste disposal centre adjacent to his property. He firmly believed that such establishment would have radical impact on the flora and fauna of the surrounding area. Moreover, the bad odor released from the waste disposal centre would create significant problem in his hostel business. People are now reluctant to stay in his hostel and further he feels that waste disposal centre should be closed or shifted to another area. Contextually, the paper closely evaluates certain issues of law related with the case of Bekka and Klaus and advise them relating to their concerned matter. Issues Related with EU Law (Bekka) The open movement of goods is one of the critical factors leading towards the success of the EU Member States. The internal business market within the European Union makes easy to buy and sell goods in different Member States. A single European marketplace provides a strong platform in an open and competitive environment1. From lawful standpoint, it can be stated that the principle of free trade of goods is a main element in developing internal business market in the EU. It is viewed to be one of the economic autonomies that frame by the Member States of the EU. The EU defines the scope and content of the principle by prohibiting unjustified restrictions on intra-EU trade. Many of the vital restrictions on free movement of goods have been removed over the years to facilitate smooth functioning of EU trade. The prohibition of any products needs to be justified on the grounds of public ethics, public protection and protection of health as well as life of human, animals and plants. Contextually, member states may possess the right to ban any product on the basis of morality grounds. Therefore, EU law prescribed that goods brought from one state must comply with the national provisions concerning morality factor of the state where the product is being sold . Another important ground for restraint of free movement of goods can be acceptable on the basis of life as well as health of humans. EU law states that any Member States can impose barriers on any kind of products that affects national health and life of human, animal and plants. EU law also ensures safety of customers against deceptive advertisements. EU law also proclaimed that the authorities in one state cannot curtail customers from buying goods of

CRM industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CRM industry - Essay Example Simply speaking, they have to find where to buy what with the greatest benefit for the company. Information systems for strategic sourcing evolved from simple on-line catalogues to more complex on-line procurement transaction terminals, and even more: "Advanced eSourcing systems went a little bit further than comparing just the price. They compare the total cost of ownership, allowing for more flexible bidding and optimizing the overall supply chain" (Ishikawa et al, 2005). The use of IS for strategic sourcing is appreciated throughout the world. With an increasing number of means of communication, such as mobile phones, email, Internet messengers, pagers, video conferences, etc. contacting your business partner, customer, or employee becomes easy as never before. However such variety in communication devices brings another challenge on the scene: what is the best way to deliver your message to your contact' Since there is never an agreement on communication preferences, the best way is not to use single mean of communication, but rather select them all with the help of unified communication systems (UCS). They serve as a bridge between communication and IT infrastructures allowing its users "maximum choice and flexibility over how, where and when they wish to communicate. UC systems will intelligently route voice and data messages to the user's preferred communication device based on the user's profile." (Jennings, 2006) So UCS may be vital for companies that rely on fast and accurate information flows. Business Intelligence Today the success of a business greatly depends on the feedback that managers receive from company operations. Health of an enterprise is constantly monitored and analysed in order to avoid unexpected failures. Business intelligence without the use of IT is as ineffective as diagnosis without medical equipment. Management needs to get comprehensive information on factors affecting a business. Indicators and metrices on sales, production or internal operations serve as the best base for decision making. Software used for business intelligence may be divided into storing and analyzing the performance, or internal operations and tools for more "human" side of the businesses, i.e. CRM and marketing tools. Nowadays, BI software is still limited with rather slow dynamics. Systems are updated monthly, weekly, or daily. Meanwhile, Golfarelli (2005) argues that "'daily updates are unacceptable whenever an immediate decision must be kept. This is the case for many applications in the industria l world". Thus the business intelligence industry is currently working on dynamic instant updates of information, which will allow using it effectively in every business. Security and Privacy Information stored within companies along with their technology infrastructure often presents the base for their competitive advantages. That is why security issues become increasingly important with the ever growing use of IT in business. Of course, the main driving forces behind security developments are banks. Modern security information systems include not only reactive but proactive measures as protection from perceived threats, such as surveillance, encryption, and

Service Learning (SL) Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Service Learning (SL) Paper - Essay Example ir environment is a morale booster since they know that the government or some institution ( in this case DHA) is attuned to their needs as human beings. The history of DHA has come a long way surviving the war and even some lawsuits that fought for the upliftment of living conditions in these communities. Today, the DHA is a model agency and has contributed to the improved living conditions of low-income earners since they can choose from among the 12,000 units available. Most of DHA’s efforts were geared towards community building as it established partnerships with YMCA, hospitals and daycare-centers that can support the community. In fact, it is the first public housing authority that rehabilitated a shopping center which is really remarkable. By doing so, people who are in the DHA program believe in the intentions of the agency for their well-being which is crucial in earning public trust and credibility. If a country has good agencies, then citizens would be satisfied. The Housing Authority of the City of Dallas, Texas (DHA) provides quality, affordable housing to low-income families and individuals through the effective and efficient administration of housing assistance programs; and by creating and cultivating opportunities for program participants to achieve self-sufficiency and economic independence. This is the reason why I volunteered for this program. When I was younger, I had friends from poor communities whose homes were the typical run-down buildings that were not only unsafe, unsanitary but degrading for a human being to inhabit. It always bothered me to think about people living in the cold streets or in some obscure neighborhood that threatened his health, security and even sanity. I believe that I could make a difference by volunteering into this agency and feel relieved that I was able to help in my own little way to people who searched for decent homes. The target market of this agency are people who are between low-income to

A Super Computer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A Super Computer - Essay Example The problem was clear to the average reader and did not require a reader to go through it severally in order to understand the message that was being put across as the essay. However, the essay made hasty conclusions and provided incomplete arguments as the evidence that was provided was not sufficient to prove some of the points presented in the essay (White, 1996, 40). This is is seen in the argument that the computer is not capable of understanding the connection between between ideas in their own as this is a form of understanding that is developed by human being. Nonetheless, it shold also be noted that human beings are responsible for the manner in which computers work and all the input that that goes into them. Therefore, self-awareness for the computer cannt be ruled out as the computers can learn it from the human elements that the scientists input into it. The point that the essay states that agreeing to what the super computer is asking for on the basis of self-awareness will imply that the computer will not work in the way it is supposed to can be considered as an unknown fact. The main reason why this is considered as an unknown fact is that it cannot be used in science of philosophy and cannot be verified (White, 1996, 47). There is no way of being certain that the computer will fail to function as it is supposed to if it was allowed to continue operating with its self-awareness and if the scientists yield to its demand except through giving it that chance and making the decision after seeing the outcome.

Path and Culture expectations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Path and Culture expectations - Essay Example Despite the fact that women take part in law enforcement, the American law enforcement can be regarded as male dominated, in relation to gender make up. The American system of law enforcement tends to have more men than women. This emanates from some of the traditionally held beliefs, which assert that men should take jobs in security forces while women should be involved in other jobs where they do not compromise their lives (Scarborough & Collins, 2002). Within the law enforcement, there tends to be varying perceptions, reception, as well as treatment of women. In some cases, women law enforcers may not be respected, but rather treated unfairly by their male counterparts. For example, sexual harassment is a common phenomenon in law enforcement, especially when women are subordinate to men; men may violate the rights of women (Scarborough & Collins, 2002). Rookies may face immense challenges when they try to fit together with senior and old police officers. Rookies are always perceived as juniors and senior officers usually allocate them menial duties, as well as exercise excessive authorities over them (Cole et. al., 2013). Humility is a key virtue in law enforcement; in order to be accepted in the culture of law enforcement, rookies have to portray humility while dealing with their seniors. Rookies are not immediately accepted, and they have to be humble to the older officers. Humility is a quality that plays a crucial role in enhancing leadership skills in law enforcement (Cole et. al.,

Community Problem About Animal Shelter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Community Problem About Animal Shelter - Essay Example Human house denies that cat several benefits that the animal should be exposed to. Such is the space for giving birth in case of pregnancy. Cats are mostly secretive animals whose abundance of activities are undertaken in secret. Such activities are mating, removal of stool and giving birth. Cats cannot undertake such activities in the presence of people community. Lack of enough space leaves the cat highly fatigued and unable to freely move around. Proper room design and space design for the cat allows for the suitable nutritional meeting of the animal (De, Bairacli, 69).Human house denies that cat several benefits that the animal should be exposed to. Such is the space for giving birth in case of pregnancy. Cats are mostly secretive animals whose abundance of activities are undertaken in secret. Such activities are mating, removal of stool and giving birth. Cats cannot undertake such activities in the presence of people community. Lack of enough space leaves the cat highly fatigued and unable to freely move around. Proper room design and space design for the cat allows for the suitable nutritional meeting of the animal (De, Bairacli, 69). According to (Buckworth-Herne-Soame, 42), Cats similar other animals have defined Feeding spaces. Our homes and society have integrated cat feeding into the normal system. Good rearing practices for cats push for proper designing of cats rooms to cater for the feeding programs. Multiple groups of cats disease may emanate to poor exposure of cats feed.

Branch of government Essay Example for Free

Branch of government Essay The executive branch is the most important government branch. The executive branch is the 3rd branch of government and with out it, the entire system would be backwards and out of order. The executive is the branch of a government charged with implementing, or executing, the law and running the day-to-day affairs of the government or state. The de facto most senior figure in an executive is referred to as the head of government. The executive may be referred to as the administration, in presidential systems, or simply as the government, in parliamentary systems. The Executive branch provides national security and without national security there would definetley be no order and protection in the nation. The executive branch makes the President the commander in chief, the executive branch also makes the president the economic leader. The president appoints cabinet members, the cabinet contains the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, the Attorney General (Justice Department), the Secretary of the Interior, The Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce, The, Secretary of Labor, The Secretary of Health and Human Services ,the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Energy and, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. The executive branch is the most important branch of government because without the cabinet and all the departments, the country would be in turmoil. If there were no laws to execute then the whole country would be out of order. If there was no executive branch there would be no running the functions of the state, managing the bureaucracy, and deciding how to enforce the law. The organizational structure of the executive branch will determine the relationship between the heads of state and government respectively. The Executive Branch also carries out the laws. In a presidential system the leader of the executive branch is at once the head of state and head of government. In a parliamentary system, a cabinet minister with the title of prime minister is head of government, while the head of state is a largely ceremonial monarch or president.

Academic Patient Communication for Nursing Students

Academic Patient Communication for Nursing Students The Patient Care (Feel-Link) Project (PCP(FL)) is to help students to develop a patient-centered approach to the practice of medicine. To achieve this, I and a medical student, Nicole need to follow and interview a patient in an effort to discover the patient lived experience regarding issues of health and illness. In this essay, the first PCP(FL) visit, my thoughts and feelings will be described and evaluated based on evidence from the literature sources. Griffiths and Crookes (2006, p.186) suggest that multidisciplinary teams are needed in the health care system to provide holistic care to patients with optimal use of existing resources, and limited cost. This project is the first step in enhancing interdisciplinary co-operation and understanding between nursing and medical students. Both I and Nicole are required to fill in a problem-oriented patient record (POPR) after each visit. We have to co-operate with each other to recruit and interview one patient with the help of nurse specialist (diabetes), Ms. Shimen Au at the Ruttonjee and Tang Shiu Kin Hospitals. The patient that we had recruited called Mrs. Leung who is a 52-year-old housewife. She is currently married and lives with her husband. Her husband was unemployed and they had financial support offered from the government. She was suffered from diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and rheumatoid arthritis about ten years ago and first diagnosed to have bipolar affective disorder at age of 22. After we had explained the aims of this project to Mrs. Leung, she signed two identical consent forms, one copy to be kept by the patient whilst the other to be returned to the tutor. Then, Nicole asked some basic demographic data based on the personal particular form. Mrs. Leung answered one by one accordingly. The POPR also requires us to gather very specific information, such as the past medical history and family backgrounds. When I had asked Mrs. Leung whether she had any children, suddenly the atmosphere in the room became silence. Mrs. Leung was not saying anything for a few seconds, and then she stated she did not have any children. I felt surprised that a married woman at her age should have more than one child already. She explained that doctors had recommended her not to be pregnant in the past. So she was currently living with her husband only but she claimed that the relationship between she and her husband was poor. She had a conflict with her husband just before taking taxi to the hospital. She honestly knew that the reasons why her husband always grumbled about her because of her laziness to cook and buy the necessities. There were quarrels with her husband almost every day. She felt guilty about it. I thought this might be caused by her mental illness and chronic diseases. According to Friedman (2002, p.193), social isolation is a major problem that chronically ill patients experience. Social relationships are often disrupted and jeopardized because of the patientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s decreased energy, limitations in mobility, communication impairment, or time required for symptom control. Mrs. Leung usually slept for 13-14 hours per day but she graded the quality of sleep was poor. Even she rated her current level of health as very poor. She described her mobility in daily life had been affected by rheumatoid arthritis causing the swelling the knee joints and interphalangeal joints of hands. Therefore she never did any exercise. I was worried that she would become obese and thus increase the risks of falling and having cardiovascular diseases. I felt regret I had not encouraged Mrs. Leung to do some simple exercise regularly so as to keeping active and not staying in bed for all days. I needed to find some suitable exercise for her and advise her to do exercise in the next visit. Friedman (2002) points out à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“illness is especially likely to be subject to the influence of other people since it usually has important implications for a personà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s friends and associatesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (p.64); Mrs. Leung was concerned that her first love with a Japanese man at the tender age of 19. She was still thinking about him and she had tried to commit suicide in the past. When her husband heard about she was talking about that Japanese man, they would have quarrels for a long period of time. The negative emotions could really influence people around the patient. I was speechless at that time and I could only say to Mrs. Leung that her husband was care about her and tell her not to think about the past anymore. I thought I would perform better in the next visit as I had known some basic information of Mrs. Leung already. In conclusion, I think it is right that a nurse must be able to express opinions clearly and confidently. Good communication skills are essential for nurses, and are important in nearly all aspects of medicine. I feel that I will be more confident in dealing with patients and more effective in taking a patient medical history, for example. Developing greater confidence in how I communicate can lead to patients having greater trust in me as their nurse. Improving my skills in this area will also make me more effective in discussing cases with colleagues, and in participating in teams when necessary. This visit made me realized that I can talk confidently once I overcome my initial fears. It demonstrated to me that in order to make progress or create positive change you must first acknowledge that a problem exists. This is a lesson which may be useful in better understanding patient behaviour and attitudes. Often the first step to improving a situation, or dealing with a problem, is accepting that some change is necessary; and I might be more able to impart this information to patients having experienced this visit. Overall, this visit has had a positive impact on both my studies and on the development of skills needed in my future career. (Word count: 988words)

Health Impacts of the Modern American Diet

Health Impacts of the Modern American Diet In contrast to the epidemics of infectious diseases in the 18th and 19th centuries, the conventional dietary guidelines Americans have been receiving in the past many years has resulted in an epidemic of another genre, that is Obesity. The magnitude of obesity epidemic surpasses the historical epidemics in terms of causing disease and deaths, and an economic burden on individuals and nations at large. About 25% of American populations use Statins (cholesterol lowering drugs) and more and more consume diet low in fat, but inspite of these steps more American are expected to die of heart disease than ever before. American heart Association statistics estimate that presently 75 million Americans have heart disease; about 20 million suffer from diabetes while another 57 million are prediabetics, at risk of developing diabetes disease later. All these diseases are affecting younger population more, contrary to the myth that chronic diseases only affect old people. In contrast to the epidemics of infectious diseases in the 18th and 19th centuries ,the conventional dietary guidelines Americans have been receiving in the past many years has resulted in an epidemic of another genre ,that is Obesity. The magnitude of obesity epidemic surpasses the historical epidemics in terms of causing disease and deaths, and an economic burden on individuals and nations at large. About 25% of American populations use Statins(cholesterol lowering drugs) and more and more consume diet low in fat, but inspite of these steps more American are expected to die of heart disease than ever before. American heart Association statistics estimate that presently 75 million Americans have heart disease; about 20 million suffer from diabetes while another 57 million are prediabetics, at risk of developing diabetes disease later. All these diseases are affecting younger population more, contrary to the myth that chronic diseases only affect old people. Americans have been thriving on a typical diet full of sugars, carbohydrates and processed foods with omega 6 oils, for the last 60 years. While we are enjoying the sweetness of a baked roll in our mouth, our bodies perceive it as a threat to its well-being like an enemy waging war. How can an innocent looking, delicious sweet roll cause a cascade of inflammation to cause serious disease? When you eat simple carbohydrates like sugar, it causes the blood sugar to rise. In response pancreas secrete a hormone Insulin meant to control the blood sugar level. Insulin drives the extra sugar into cells, but if the cells do not require that sugar they throw extra sugar again into blood, as excessive sugar might impair their function. The body secretes more insulin to deal with the rise in blood sugar as a result of extra sugar rejected by cells. The extra glucose gets converted to stored fats. Let’s talk more about that â€Å"not so innocent† sweet roll. Sugar is not the only culprit contained in it .it is baked in omega6 oils like soybean. The same omega 6 oils are used in chips and fries and present in processed foods to give longer shelf life. These omega 6 oils are essential as they are part of cell membranes ,but they need be in correct balance with omega 3 oils .A faulty balance between the two , due to excessive consumption of omega 6 can cause cell membranes to produce Cytokines ,chemical substances which cause inflammation. The ideal ratio of omega 6 and omega 3 should be 1:1, but up to 3; 1 is acceptable considering the trends in food consumption, but today an average American diet is imbalanced to the range of 15:1 to as high as 30:1 in favor of omega-6.This results in huge amounts of cytokines causing inflammation. To add to the injury caused by high blood sugar, the excess weight that we accumulate as a result of these foods, cause over-burdened fat cells which release chemical substances contributing in causing inflammation. So the journey that starts with savoring a sweet roll trigger the harmful process of inflammation in our body causing heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and Alzheimers disease, There is no choice but to accept that our bodies are not designed by nature to utilize foods rich in sugar and dripping with omega 6 oils. Our continued use of these foods means that inflammatory process in our bodies goes unabated. The solution for curbing this inflammatory process lies in getting closer to nature. Consume foods in their natural form. For carbohydrates choose fruits and vegetables (contain complex carbohydrates), eat proteins to build muscles. Restrict the use of mega 6 oils like corn oil and soybean oil and processed foods containing them. Make healthier choices, one tablespoon of corn oil contains 7,280 mg of omega-6; soybean contains 6,940 mg, instead choose to use olive oil or butter from grass-fed beef. These animal fats contain less than 20% of omega 6, thus much lesser risk for causing inflammation, as opposed to the so called healthier polyunsaturated oils. The myth that saturated fats alone are responsible for heart disease has been drummed into your ears for so long that you believe it as â€Å"science†. It is time for you to leave behind all overstated science of saturated fats raising cholesterol and only saturated fats causing heart disease. In context of the new discovery, that inflammation not cholesterol causes heart disease, the concern about saturated fats no longer remains relevant. The old cholesterol theory led to low fat and no fat dietary recommendations and consumption of foods taking the injurious effects of inflammation to an epidemic proportion. People were wronged by the advice to increase the consumption of omega 6 oils and decreasing the use of saturated fats, leading to injurious cascade of inflammation inside our bodies; it resulted in all-time highest rates for developing heart and other chronic diseases What you can do to Right this wrong? I will emphasize again, go natural. Try to remember the foods your grandmother served on the table and get closer to them instead of processed foods your mother bought from the grocery store. Good news is that by avoiding the inflammatory food and consuming fresh unprocessed food containing essential nutrients, you cannot only halt the process of inflammation inside the body, but you can also turn the wheels of this process backwards and reverse the injurious effects of eating a typical American diet for many years. Animal Proteins; You Should Eat Them for a Healthy Heart Most people think that only health problem associated with eating a vegetarian, also called as vegan diet, is Vitamin B12 deficiency, as its present only in animal sources in its natural form. This is a serious health hazard as research has shown that vitamin B12 deficiency can cause elevated homocysteine levels, which increase the risk for developing heart disease and stroke. But, B12 deficiency is not the only health risk associated with vegan diet. New research is coming up with evidence that diet devoid of all animal foods leads to a low dietary intake of proteins and sulfur amino acids, thus increasing the risk of heart disease in vegetarians. Vegetables are an excellent source of nutrients and have lots of benefits for the heart and overall health. You can eat as much vegetables as you like without any health fear, rather this is what should be aimed by every one for optimal health. The problem arises when you eliminate animal proteins completely from your diets resulting in deficiency of valuable nutrients that can only be obtained from animal sources. According to WHO (World health Organization), 36 million people die each year because of chronic diseases also known a Non communicable diseases. The four major diseases of this group include heart diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, Diabetes and cancers. In the US, in the Year 2013, more than 1,660,290 new cancer cases were projected to be diagnosed and about 580,350 Americans died from the disease. Today, heart disease is the leading Couse of death in America, both in men and women. About 600,000 Americans die of heart disease annually. Modern biomedical science has made leaps of advancement in technology in the last 50 years or so, but western medicine has failed to control the occurrence of these top killer diseases, i.e. cancer and heart disease. Practice over the years has shown that western medicine has developed â€Å"conventional strategies† for dealing these diseases from the diagnosis to treatment .These conventional strategies are based on wrong assumptions and approaches that have proven to be more harmful than beneficial. Moreover, these strategies of modern medicine do not address the root cause of the problem, which is a faulty diet high in Sugars and processed foods. For more than 60 years, saturated fats have been held responsible for causing heart disease. The conventional dietary advice and recommendations for prevention of heart diseases have remained focused on low fat diet, but these faulty recommendations have actually contributed in the epidemic of heart disease and other chronic diseases, we are facing today. Stress on low fat diets has resulted in promulgation of a very dangerous low-fat, high-sugar diet. Actually, an optimum diet that promotes health and prevents diseases should be high in good fats and very low in sugars and carbohydrates from the non-vegetable sources. Research conducted by some of the most prestigious institutions in the US confirms that Sugar is the main dietary factor responsible for development of chronic diseases. This information that sugar especially in form of fructose is the main culprit in causing heart disease and cancers enables you to chalk out a prevention plan for yourself. Health practitioners and naturopaths have been warning against the health risks associated with the high consumption of sugars. Many people stop or decrease the use of sugar in tea or coffee and other sweets or confectionaries, but you have to beware of the Hidden sugar in food products. Hidden sugar is present as ‘High fructose corn syrup’ (HFCS) in almost every processed food item ranging from sodas to yogurts, sauces, and breads. Many staple foods which are grain based like wheat, corn or rice are also eventually converted to the sugar in your body. Thus, the bagels, pan cakes and breakfast cereal are actually increasing the sugar burden in your body. The main culprit among sugars is Fructose. Clinical trials showed that people consuming HFCS were more likely to develop cardiovascular diseases risk factor in a short span of almost two weeks. The brighter side is that studies have also shown that if sugar consumption is restricted ,whatever sugar form it may be ,it significantly decreases the risk for developing both breast and colon cancers. The health benefits of fruits are far more greater than any concerns for fructose damage ,but remember two principles Eat in moderation ,as the newer trend to grow fruits that are very sweet has resulted in very high levels of fructose in fruits as compared to earlier times Eat the whole fruit and refrain from juices, as juice contains only the sugar and vitamins and deficient in the fiber and other nutrients contained in the pulp of fruits. The real cause of concern is the High fructose syrup that is added in almost every processed food or drink that we buy. Healthy diet for maintaining blood glucose and Insulin levels, in conjunction with a comprehensive exercise program are two essential components of a cancer recovery program. These are also essential parts of any cancer prevention strategy. Diet and exercise also play an important role in preventing heart disease. Research studies have shown that exercise can reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases by a factor of three. In a recent meta-analysis conducted at the Bloomberg institute of Public health, 305 randomized controlled trials were reviewed for comparing the effects of exercise and heart disease medications. The analysis interestingly revealed that there was no statistically significant difference between the effects of exercise and heart medicines like statins (cholesterol lowering drugs) and beta blockers. The crux of the matter remains that a â€Å"Healthy life style†, to maintain an adequate weight with healthy eating and regular exercise is the need. A healthy diet and exercise program ensures that insulin and leptin receptor sensitivity is maintained. As mentioned earlier, insulin and leptin resistance, resulting for the excessive consumption of refined sugars and lack of exercise, is the root cause of all chronic diseases Things to be done to reverse insulin and lepton resistance effectively are; Keep away from sugar, processed foods ,processed fructose and grains Consume healthy diet of organic, whole foods Carbohydrates in grains can be replaced with healthier choices like large quantities of vegetables, high quality proteins in low to moderate amounts; ideally form organically raised pastured animals. Forget the faulty recommendation of 10% fats in diet. Consume as much as you like from healthy fats (saturated and monosaturated fats from animal and tropical oil sources).For optimum health people may use up to 50-85% fats in their diet Deep fried food in Traditional Southern Diet makes you prone for developing- STROKE The traditional southern food is famous for the deep fried stuff, but new medical research suggests that consumption of these deep fried food increases the risk for developing Stroke. The results from a research study conducted at University of Alabama at Birmingham were presented at the annual International Stroke Conference in Hawaii. The results showed a massive 41 % percent increase in the risk for developing stroke for people who use the typical southern diet rich in deep fried items regularly, as compared to those who don’t use such food, and the risk was even higher for African-American which was 63 percent How to attain Balance in Omega 6:3 Ratio I would be giving you few tips for avoiding the consumption of foods that would adversely affect the omega 6:3 ratio. 1: Always read the label of the foods and condiments you buy. Almost all processed and prepackaged food contains oils that are rich in omega 6 and thus would adversely affect your Omega 6:3 balance. In the following table you would find oils rich in omega 6, thus need to be avoided and the other alternate choices of fats that are acceptable for maintaining this balance. The paleo diet consumed by our forefathers mainly consisted of lean meats, vegetables, fruits nuts, seeds and very limited amounts of grains, along with a very active lifestyle they maintained their blood sugar levels in the range of 60 to 90 mg /dl. Meanwhile the high carb and sugary diets which are consumed today result in unhealthy spikes in blood sugar levels. The excess blood sugar in our blood causes many health hazards including heart disease, damage to the blood vessels and may trigger yeast over growth resulting in fungal infections

Extended Families Essay -- Television Media TV

Extended Families The evolution of extended families has progressed far from the early black and white episodes of The Addams Family, to the country life of The Waltons, and to the crazy lives of the family in Full House. It is clear that the changes in the portrayals of families provide audience members with a picture of families being more complex if nothing else (Bryant, 2001). Therefore, it is certain that each decade has surpassed the other in its growth and development of extended families. The 1960s series The Addams Family showed a very good example of an extended family. The extended family included Gomez Addams (an eccentric cigar-smoking millionaire lawyer), Morticia (his slender wife), Pugsley (their son), Wednesday (their little girl), Grandmama Addams, Uncle Fester, Cousin It, and Lurch (the family’s zombie butler). Other people residing in the household included Thing (a disembodied hand), Kit Kat (a cowardly lion), and Cleopatra (an African strangling plant). These are all different members of one big family that have come to live together to be a perf... Extended Families Essay -- Television Media TV Extended Families The evolution of extended families has progressed far from the early black and white episodes of The Addams Family, to the country life of The Waltons, and to the crazy lives of the family in Full House. It is clear that the changes in the portrayals of families provide audience members with a picture of families being more complex if nothing else (Bryant, 2001). Therefore, it is certain that each decade has surpassed the other in its growth and development of extended families. The 1960s series The Addams Family showed a very good example of an extended family. The extended family included Gomez Addams (an eccentric cigar-smoking millionaire lawyer), Morticia (his slender wife), Pugsley (their son), Wednesday (their little girl), Grandmama Addams, Uncle Fester, Cousin It, and Lurch (the family’s zombie butler). Other people residing in the household included Thing (a disembodied hand), Kit Kat (a cowardly lion), and Cleopatra (an African strangling plant). These are all different members of one big family that have come to live together to be a perf...

Marine Biology :: essays research papers

MARINE BIOLOGY CASE STUDY LAB - PART 2 Analysis 1. By running the programming with a fish.dat file containing the information for a 2 x 2 tank size, and changing the starting positions for fish A, B, and C, according to the problem, I was able to evaluate the random sequence of steps taken by each fish. The fish move in sequence of A, B, and then C. Then they move according to open slots. If a fish is covered on both sides by another fish, it is unable to move and, therefore, stays in that exact position. Analysis 2. The following is a diagram of what we predicted for the outcome of the default configuration: A C E _ B H D F G And this is a diagram of where the fish actually moved to when running the program with the current configuration: A C E D B H F G _ My prediction was inaccurate because I did not move the fish in their correct order. Instead, I proceeded to move the fish in the order of whichever came closer to an open space. Analysis 3. The 1000 x 1000 matrix was unable to display any data visible to the user on the console. It exceeds the screens limit of display. I discovered that the largest matrix possible for the console would be a matrix with the size of 23 x 79. Every time that I ran the program with these specifications, I found that the fish always traveled the first step down (a total of 10 tries). Analysis 4. When that data file contains two fish located within the same spot, the executable displays at the top of the console error, attempt to create fish at non-empty: (4,4), and then goes on to only display the first fish, A. Analysis 5. The sequence of fish positions does matter when you want certain fish names at certain locations within the

Pestle Analysis

PESTEL analysis of the macro-environment There are many factors in the macro-environment that will effect the decisions of the managers of any organisation. Tax changes, new laws, trade barriers, demographic change and government policy changes are all examples of macro change. To help analyse these factors managers can categorise them using the PESTEL model. This classification distinguishes between: . Political factors. These refer to government policy such as the degree of intervention (interference) in the economy. What goods and services does a government want to provide? To what extent does it believe in subsidizing (grants or loans) (buying) firms? What are its priorities in terms of business support? Political decisions can affect many important areas for business such as the education of the workforce, the health of the nation and the quality of the infrastructure of the economy such as the road and rail system. .Economic factors. These include interest rates, taxation changes, economic growth, inflation (price rise) and exchange rates. As you will see economic change can have a major impact on a firm's behaviour. For example: -higher interest rates may stop investment because it costs more to borrow? – a strong currency may make exporting more difficult because it may raise the price in terms of foreign currency? – inflation may lead to higher wage demands from employees and raise costs -? higher national income growth may increase demand for a firm's products . Social factors. Changes in social trends (fashion/lifestyle) can impact on the demand for a firm's products and the availability and willingness of individuals to work. In the UK, for example, the population has been ageing. This has increased the costs for firms who are committed to pension payments for their employees because their staffs are living longer. It also means some firms such as Asda have started to recruit older employees to tap into this growing labour pool. The ageing population also has impact on demand: for example, demand for sheltered accommodation and medicines have increased whereas demand for toys is falling. .Technological factors: new technologies create new products and new processes. MP3 players, computer games, online gambling and high definition TVs are all new markets created by technological advances. Online shopping, bar coding and computer aided design are all improvements to the way we do business as a result of better technology. Technology can reduce costs, improve quality and lead to innovation. These developments can benefit consumers as well as the organisations providing the products. .Environmental factors: environmental factors include the weather and climate change. Changes in temperature can impact on many industries including farming, tourism and insurance. With major climate changes occurring due to global warming and with greater environmental awareness this external factor is becoming a important issue for firms to consider. The growing desire to protect the environment is having an impact on many industries such as the travel and transportation industries (for example, more taxes being placed on air travel and the success of hybrid cars) and the general move towards more environmentally friendly products and processes is affecting demand patterns and creating business opportunities. Legal factors: these are related to the legal environment in which firms operate. In recent years in the UK there have been many significant legal changes that have affected firms' behaviour. The introduction of age discrimination (discrimination definition: where u make fun and not treat someone right because of their background, colour, how they look or age) and disability discrimination legislation, an increase in the minimum wage and greater requirem ents for firms to recycle are examples of relatively recent laws that affect an organisation's actions. Legal changes can affect a firm's costs (e. g. if new systems and procedures have to be developed) and demand (e. g. if the law affects the likelihood of customers buying the good or using the service). . Different categories of law include: .1) Consumer laws; these are designed to protect customers against unfair practices such as misleading descriptions of the product. .2) Competition laws; these are aimed at protecting small firms against discrimination by larger firms and checking that customers are not exploited by firms with control and power . ) Employment laws; these cover areas such as redundancy, dismissal, working hours and minimum wages. They aim to protect employees against the abuse of power by managers 4) Health and safety legislation; these laws are aimed at ensuring the workplace is as safe as is reasonably practical. They cover issues such as training, reporting accidents and the appropriate provision of safety equipment. http://www. scribd. com/doc/16171096/PESTEL- Framework-and-Porters-Five-Forces-Model

Notes Eagle Industry With Solutions

Demand Management Volume Leveraging Address factors such standards, requirements, policies reduce related internal demand Aggregate like goods/services across organize,anal units order leverage negro,ate belle pricing terms, condo,ions Source: Cross (2007) 3 procurement decision must consider the Total Cost of Ownership, not just the purchase price. 4 The Formal Strategic Sourcing Process Conduct Opportunity Assessment Profile Us apply Market Develop Issue RFC Negotiate Implement and Manage Performance What buy? From whom? How buy did it oh t? 5 Eagle Industries Case Questions 2. . 4. 5. 6. Why are office products frequently chosen as a lead commodity in strategic sourcing efforts? What observations can you develop about Eagle's SKIS usage, prices they pay and contracts they currently use? Discuss potential implementation barriers. Perform a supplier market analysis and discuss strategic sourcing leverage points you observe. Use information given in the case to estimate potential sav ings. I am looking for specific numbers here. Use the information you assembled thus far to develop a sourcing strategy for Eagle. A. B. C. D. 7.Should they pursue a centralized or decentralized strategy? Should they use contract, catalog, or Internet suppliers? Should they deal with a single supplier or multiple suppliers? How should they structure the contract for Super As, A, B, and C items? What is your recommendation for implementing the strategy? Copyright 2013 Elena Kate, University of 6 Office Products rage Spend: typically $200 – $1 500 per employee. Widely available Many suppliers: potential for competition Implementation barriers often lower/reasonable Administrative purchasing often causes problems.

Pre-Historic Art and Egyptian Art

There were many differences between Pre-historic art and Egyptian art . One being that pre-historic art was before written history. Which roughly started about 40,000 BC as to were written was about 3,500 BC. Also many pre-historic sculptures which they date to be around 40,000 BC had three main aspects to it Found ,Portable ,Magical . A prime example of this would be the Venus of Willendorf which was dated around 25,00-21,00 BC. This figure shows the apparent large size of the breasts and abdomen ,which can be interpreted as a fertility symbol. The figure has no visible face as well which could mean that it was universal in the sense, that it could be any female not just a particular one. There were also many caves that were found with different types of paintings in them known as cave paintings. About 30,000 BC. One of the first cave paintings found was in 1911. Some of the Egyptian art was such as the palette of narmer about 3100 BC. The Narmer Palette is a flat plate of schist of about 64 centimeters in height. Its size, and decoration show us that it was a ceremonial palette, rather than an actual palette for daily us. Things like the Egyptian tombs or mastaba’s were made to perfection with detail and in most cases made out of gold. Pyramids themselves were magical works of art such as the pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. Egyptain sculptures were more detailed and never free standing always and a flat back piece to it to keep it from falling or balancing the weight.

Assessment and Students Essay

Journal assessment Conclusion Reccomendation III. INTRODUCTION: Why do Assessment? Are you asking too little of your class? Are your students approaching your course as hurdlers, barely clearing required levels of performance? Or are they approaching your course like high jumpers, pushing themselves under your guidance to increasingly more challenging heights? If your students aren’t high jumpers, maybe it’s because you aren’t asking them to high jump. By using appropriate assessment techniques, you can encourage your students to raise the height of the bar. There is considerable evidence showing that assessment drives student learning. More than anything else, our assessment tools tell students what we consider to be important. They will learn what we guide them to learn through our assessments. Traditional testing methods have been limited measures of student learning, and equally importantly, of limited value for guiding student learning. These methods are often inconsistent with the increasing emphasis being placed on the ability of students to think analytically, to understand and communicate at both detailed and â€Å"big picture† levels, and to acquire lifelong skills that permit continuous adaptation to workplaces that are in constant flux. Moreover, because assessment is in many respects the glue that links the components of a course – its content, instructional methods, and skills development – changes in the structure of a course require coordinated changes in assessment. IV. RESEARCH (CONTENT) What is Assessment? Assessment is a systematic process of gathering, interpreting, and acting upon data related to student learning and experience for the purpose of developing a deep understanding of what students know, understand, and can do with their knowledge as a result of their educational experience; the process culminates when assessment results are used to improve subsequent learning. Huba and Freed, 2000 Key Points Assessment is an ongoing process aimed at understanding and improving student learning Multiple methods Criteria and standards Evidence Students know, can do and understand It’s more than just collecting data Sequence in Preparing Instructionally Relevant Assessment INSTRUCTION Indicates the learning outcomes to be attained by students LEARNING TASK Specifies the particular set of learning task(s) to be assessed. ASSESSMENT Provides a procedure designed to measure a representative sample of the instructionally relevant learning tasks. Is there close agreement? What is the Assessment Process? AIMS ASSESSMENT ACTION ADJUSTMENT Importance of Assessment To find out what the students know (knowledge) To find out what the students can do, and how well they can do it (skill; performance) To find out how students go about the task of doing their work (process) To find out how students feel about their work (motivation, effort) What is Student Assessment for? *To help us design and modify programs to better promote learning and student success. To provide common definitions and benchmarks for student abilities that will enable us to act more coherently and effectively to promote student learning. *To provide feedback, guidance, and mentoring to students so as to help them better plan and execute their educational programs. *To provide improved feedback about student learning to support faculty in their work. Functions of Assessment Diagnostic: tell us what the student needs to learn Formative: tell us how well the student is doing as work progresses Summative: tell us how well the student did at the end of a unit/task What can be assessed? Student learning characteristics -Ability differences -Learning styles Student motivational characteristics -Interest -Self-efficacy -goal orientation Learning Content knowledge Ability to apply content knowledge Skills Dispositions and attitudes Performances Direct and Indirect Assessment Measures Direct methods ask students to demonstrate their learning while indirect methods ask them to reflect on their learning. Direct methods include objective tests, essays, case studies, problem solving exercises, presentations and classroom assignments. Indirect methods include surveys, interviews and student reflection and/or self-assessment essays. It is useful to include both direct and indirect assessment measures in your assessments. How should we assess? True –False Item Multiple Choice Completion Short Answer Essay Practical Exam Papers/Reports Projects Questionnaires Inventories Checklist Peer Rating Self Rating Journal Portfolio Observations Discussions Interviews Criteria In Choosing an Assessment Method It should be reliable. It should be valid. It should be simple to operate, and should not be too costly. It should be seen by students and society in general. It should benefit all students. Who should be involved in assessment? The teacher The student The student’s peer Administrator Parents What should we do with the information from our assessment? Use it to improve the focus of our teaching (diagnosis) Use it to focus student attention of strengths and weaknesses (motivation) Use it to improve program planning (program assessment) Use it for reporting to parents Classroom Assessment Paper and pencil assessments: Ask students to respond in writing to questions or problem -Item level: Assessing lower vs. higher skills -Knowledge vs. application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation -Authentic tasks e. . multiple choice, T/F, matching (recognition), short answer, essay (recall) Paper and Pencil Assessment Strengths -Can cover a lot of material reasonably well -Fair -Effective in assessing declarative knowledge of content – Easier to construct and administer than performance assessments Weaknesses -Require forethought and skill -Less effective in assessing procedural knowledge and creative think ing -Construction of good higher level recognition items is difficult -Recall items that do a good job of assessing higher level thinking (essay questions) are difficult to score. Performance Assessments – assessment that elicits and evaluates actual student performances Types of Performances: Products: drawings, science experiments, term papers, poems, solution to authentic problems Behavior: time trial for running a mile, reciting a poem, acting tryouts, dancing Performance assessments Strengths – Effective for assessing higher level thinking and authentic learning -Effective for assessing skill and procedural learning -Interesting and motivating for students Weaknesses -Emphasize depth at the expense of breadth Difficult to construct -Time consuming to administer -Hard to score fairly How can we assess student learning? Traditional assessment: assess student knowledge and skills in relative isolation from real world context. Traditional assessment practices reflect what students are able to recall from memory through various means, such as, multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blank, and matching questions. Authentic assessment: assess stu dents’ ability to use what they’ve learning in tasks similar to those in the outside world. Occurs when the authenticity of student learning has been observed. It requires information from a variety of source such as content work samples, observation during class activities, and conferences with students. Classroom Assessment Informal Assessment: teachers’ spontaneous, day to day observations of student performances. Examples Verbal -Asking questions -Listening to student discussions -Conducting student conferences Nonverbal -Observing -Task performances -On-and off-task behavior -student choices -student body language Informal Assessment Strengths -Facilitates responsive teaching -Can be done during teaching -Easy to individualize Weaknesses -Requires high level of teacher skill -Is vulnerable to -Bias -Inequities –Mistakes Classroom Assessment Formal assessment : assessment that is planned in advance and used to assess a predetermined content and/or skill domain. Strengths -allows the teacher to evaluate all students systematically on the important skills and concepts -helps teachers determine how well students are progressing over the entire year -provides useful information to parents and administrators. Portfolios A collection of student samples representing or demonstrating student academic growth. It can include formative and summative assessment. It may contain written work, journals, maps, charts, survey, group reports, peer reviews and other such items. Portfolios are systematic, purposeful, and meaningful collections of students’ work in one or more subject areas. Importance of Portfolios For Students Shows growth over time Displays student’s accomplishment Helps students make choices Encourages them to take responsibility for their work Demonstrates how students think Importance of Portfolios For Teachers Highlights performance-based activities over year Provides a framework for organizing student’s work Encourages collaboration with students, parents, and teachers Showcases an ongoing curriculum Facilitates student information for decision making Importance of Portfolios For Parents Offer insight into what their children do in school Facilitates communication between home and school Gives the parents an opportunity to react to what their child is doing in school and to their development Shows parents how to make a portfolio so they may do one at home at the same time Importance of Portfolios For Administrators Provides evidence that teacher/school goals are being met Shows growth of students and teachers Provides data from various sources What do portfolios contain? Three basic models: Showcase model, consisting of work samples chosen by the student. Descriptive model, consisting of representative work of the student, with no attempt at evaluation. Evaluative model, consisting of representative products that have been evaluated by criteria. Disadvantages of Portfolio Require more time for faculty to evaluate than test or simple-sample assessment. Require students to compile their own work, usually outside of class. Do not easily demonstrate lower-level thinking, such as recall of knowledge. May threaten students who limit their learning to cramming for doing it at the last minute. Rubric It is a scoring guide that seeks to evaluate a student’s performance based on the sum of a full range of criteria rather than a single numerical score. It is a working guide for students and teachers, usually handed out before the assignment begins in order to get students to think about the criteria on which their work will be judged. Rubrics are scoring criteria for Free-response Questions Scientific reports Oral or Power point presentations Reflections/Journals Essay Laboratory-based performance tests Article review or reactions Portfolios Many others Open-ended Question Concept Mapping It requires students to explore links between two or more related concepts. When making concept maps, they clarify in their minds the links they have made of the concepts and having visual representation of these links, they are better able to rearrange of form new links when new concepts are introduced. Laboratory Performance In this format students and teachers know the requirements in advance and prepare them. The teacher judges the student performance within a specific time frame and setting. Students are rated on appropriate and effective use of laboratory equipment, measuring tools, and safety laboratory procedures as well as a hands-on designing of an investigation. Inventories Diagnostic Inventories: Student responses to a series of questions or statements in any field, either verbally or in writing. These responses may indicate an ability or interest in a particular field. Interest Inventories: student responses to questions designed to find out past experience and or current interest in a topic, subject or activity. Classroom Assessment Presentation : a presentation by one student or by a group of students to demonstrate the skills used in the completion of an activity or the acquisition of curricular outcomes/expectations. The presentation can take the form of a skit, lecture, lab presentation, debate etc. Computers can also be used for presentation when using such software as Hyperstudio, Powerpoint or Corel presentations. Peer Evaluation : judgments by students about one another’s performance relative to stated criteria and program outcomes Journal Assessment This refer to student’s ongoing record of expressions experiences and reflections on a given topic. There are two types: one in which students write with minimal direction what he/she is thinking and or feeling and the other requires students to compete a specific written assignment and establishes restrictions and guidelines necessary to accurately accomplish the assignment. Journals can evolve different types of reflecting writing, drawing, painting, and role playing. REFLECTIVE JOURNAL What did I learn? How do I feel about it? What happened? SYNTHESIS JOURNAL How I can Use It? What I learned? What I Did? SPECULATION ABOUT EFFECTS JOURNAL What could happen because of this? What happened? V. CONCLUSION A fair assessment is one in which students are given equitable opportunities to demonstrate what they know and can do. Classroom assessment is not only for grading or ranking purposes. Its goal is to inform instruction by providing teachers with information to help them make good educational decisions. Assessment is integrated with student’s day-to-day learning experiences rather than a series of an end-of-course tests. Why link assessment with instruction? Better assessment means better teaching. Better teaching means better learning . Better learning means better students. Better students mean better opportunities for a better life. VI. RECCOMENDATION Specific assessment tools, listed below, are strongly recommended to faculty and department heads for their ability to provide useful information for accountability and, more importantly, to foster dialogue to improve student learning within courses. These three assessment tools are strongly recommended because they are concise and effective direct evaluations as opposed to indirect evaluations. Direct evaluations can be both formative (the gathering of information about student learning during the progression of a course or program, usually repeatedly, to improve the learning of those students) and summative (the gathering of information at the conclusion of the course, program or undergraduate career to improve learning or to meet accountability demands. ) 1. Rubrics:  These are the most flexible types of direct assessments and can be used to score any product or performance such as essays, portfolios, skill performances, oral exams, debates, project/product creation, oral presentations or a student’s body of work over the course of a semester. Since we are talking about assessing â€Å"official† course learning outcomes that are stated in course documents, all faculty teaching that course must agree on a detailed scoring system that delineates criteria used to discriminate among levels and is used for scoring a common assignment, product or performance or set of assignments, products or performances. Information can be obtained from the course document’s assignment and evaluation pages to help guide the creation of the rubric. Pros: †¢ Defines clear expectations. †¢ Can be used to score many kinds of assignments or exams †¢ Faculty define standards and criteria and how they will be applied Cons: †¢ Faculty must agree on how to define standards and criteria and how they will be applied 2. Common Final Exam or Common Capstone Project:  These direct assessment methods integrate knowledge, concepts and skills associated with an entire sequence of study in a course. Either use the same final exam for all sections offered in a course (commercially produced/standardized test or locally developed final exam) or require a culminating final project that is similar (using the same grading rubric to evaluate). Pros: †¢ Good method to measure growth over time with regard to a course †¢ Cumulative †¢ The data is more robust if all students complete the same assessment †¢ Provides an additional buffer between student learning performance and an individual instructor’s teaching performance Cons: Focus and breadth of assessment are important †¢ Understanding all of the variables to produce assessment results is also important †¢ May result in additional course requirements †¢ Requires coordination and agreement on standards 3. Embedded Test Questions:  Embed the same agreed upon questions that relate to the course’s student learning outcomes into the final exam for all sections of the course and analyze tho se results and/or embed the same agreed-upon requirements into the final project/assignment for all sections of the course and analyze those results. Pros: †¢ Good method to measure growth over time with regards to a course †¢ Cumulative †¢ The data is more robust if all students complete the same assessment †¢ Provides an additional buffer between student learning performance and an individual instructor’s teaching performance †¢ Embedded questions can be reported as an aggregate Cons: †¢ May result in additional course requirements †¢ Requires coordination and agreement on standards If some instructors embed and others do not, the data will be difficult to compare and analyze †¢ Separate analysis of embedded set of questions is required VII. REFERENCES https://www. google. com. ph/search? q=ASSESSMENT+TOOLS+PPT;rlz=2C1GTPM_enPH0537PH0537;aq=f;oq=assessment+tools+;aqs=chrome. 0. 59j57j61j60l2j0. 3437j0;sourceid=chrome;ie=UTF-8 http://www. slideshare. net/armovil/assessment-of-student-learning? from_search=2 Fulks, Janet, â€Å"Assessing Student Learning in Community Colleges†, Bakersfield College, 2004

Toxic Gases Emitted From the Burning of Coal Case Study

Toxic Gases Emitted From the Burning of Coal - Case Study Example Although the present system seems favorable for the Chinese consumers, yet â€Å"UNDERPRICING ENERGY REPRESENTS THE WORLD’S NUMBER ONE SUBSIDY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION† (Chandler 5). This imparts the need to increase the number of coal power plants in China with the FGD systems installed in them. Presently, Chinese industries that directly burn coal are imposed sulfur taxes upon, but these sulfur taxes are too small to cause any reduction in pollution. â€Å"REGULATED OR NOT, ENFORCEMENT GENERALLY FALLS TO THE PROVINCIAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, WHICH MUST BALANCE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS AGAINST ECONOMIC GROWTH PRIORITIES† (Rosen and Houser 36). As a Chinese leader, I would have to determine the optimal level to which the environment can be protected without compromising upon the economic growth of the industry. Installing fully operational FGD systems at all coal power plants in China is certainly not an option given the immensity of increase it causes in the electricity tariffs. So I would consider increasing the number of coal power plants with the FGD systems installed from 4 to 8 per cent to 20 to 30 per cent. This would hopefully cause substantial reduction in the emission of hazardous gases in the environment. â€Å"THE CHALLENGE FOR POLICY MAKERS IS TO DEVELOP STRATEGIES THAT HELP THE MARKET CONVERGE ON THE MOST COST-COMPETITIVE TECHNOLOGIES† (Chandler 5). In order to develop such strategies, I would place emphasis on encouraging market-based technologies that are feasible as well as on eradicating the barriers to the widespread use of those technologies. Another area that requires my attention as the Chinese leader is the transportation boom as it happens to be a potential threat to the air quality in China. â€Å"SOME 14,000 NEW CARS HIT CHINAS ROADS EACH DAY† (Elizabeth para. 9).

Identify a corporate situation that could disturb you as a manager Essay

Identify a corporate situation that could disturb you as a manager. Evaluate the situation and use marketing research methodolo - Essay Example It also stages quarterly fashion shows to showcase their new styles of children’s clothes. The company explored internet and social media advertising to boost their sales and indeed, sales increased more than 100% in just one year. The report shows evidence that advertising through Google ads, Facebook, Twitter and other internet websites can be very effective marketing strategies to gain more profits for a small business such as Twinkles Children’s Gear. ... This development provides much hope for small and medium enterprises to widen their exposure and reach a bigger market. Twinkles Children’s Gear is a small enterprise that sells customized clothes for aged children (7-12 years). Established in 2010, it is a relatively new company that has thrived on traditional marketing to sell their products. They stage fashion shows in hotels to show their new line of clothes on a quarterly basis and advertise these shows in local newspapers, posters and distributing leaflets in local shops, fast food outlets, schools, clinics and establishments catering to children and their parents. The manager of the business found the advertising strategies too time consuming and inconvenient and even encountered difficulty in securing permits for signage. Hence, they were ambivalent in posting signs everywhere to advertise their business. At the same time, expenses in staging fashion shows were getting higher. This pushed them to explore internet adver tising to supplement their present marketing strategies. Traditional advertising methods brought them more business as it was able to stir up interest from customers that it kept them coming back or calling for more information regarding show dates, studio location, new styles, etc. When they began exploring the internet as a possible platform for marketing, they found out that possibilities were endless. Upon setting up their first website, they were able to direct their potential customers to it for more in-depth information. At the end of the same year, they promoted their website with Google ads by paying for web hits. This caused traffic on their site to dramatically increase

Business Research for Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business Research for Decision Making - Essay Example both of his sons are not keen to follow in his footsteps and the debate ensues over the implications of family control on the overall performance of the Larouche Candy Company (Bougie and Sekaran, 2013). For this reason, they hired an external consultant, Paul Thomas Anderson, to conduct a business research on the company. A business research is a process that is objective and systematic where one gathers record and analyzes data with the aim of making an informed business decision. The project done on the company is a research project because it will study the pros and cons of running a family business. Paul will provide evidence to show the difference in performance between family owned business and non-family owned business. The truth is that family owned businesses still remain competitive in the market and their performance is almost similar to the other businesses (Barontini and Caprio, 2005). It is good that they decided to hire an external consultant to research on the Larouche Candy Company. External consultants are able to give an informed decision that is not biased. Luc can provide data on the business performance in the years it has been handed down the generations. This will assist Paul as he compares the data with other competing businesses. The basic research can help Paul solve the problem in the company. This is because research shows that family owned businesses perform when the family member does not hold an executive position (Allouche, 2008). Therefore, one of Luc’s sons can take control over the business, but let another person make decisions about its

Single Cell Protein Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Single Cell Protein - Essay Example Although, there is a global shortage of protein, the shortage is in developing countries which cannot afford this technology. There are several advantages in using microorganisms as a food source. They occupy less room then conventional crops and animals; therefore they can grow on a wide range of cheap or waste products of agriculture and industry. They grow much more rapidly, are more easily modified by genetic engineering and so have relatively high protein content. They are independent of climate and do not occupy the large areas of land. There also are fewer ethical issues associated with there exploitation and no animal rights issues. There are different uses of yeast and fungi; like it can produce dietary supplements known as single cell protein (SCP). Yeast species are efficient in producing large amounts of different types of vitamins and is also used in the commercial production of that vitamin. Other species like yeasts can also be utilized in brewing, which can absorb as well as store vitamins from their food. It is healthy for people to take yeasts as vitamin supplements. Yeast fungi can also produce huge amount of useful stuff such as numerous enzymes, industrial alcohol, glycerol and fat. The yeasts are also helpful in commercial production of these substances. The Single Cell Protein (SCP) is produced by using bacteria, fungi, yeast or algae. SCP, for the time being, is very successful for using alternative cheaper proteins such as Soya bean, and lack of research into value-added products derived from microorganisms. Recent studies show that autolysis is an efficient method of extracting protein from the yeast; the internal cell's enzymes actions can actually cause the breakdown of cell constituents. If yeast is exposed at a very high temperature, it can speed up the process of autolysis. In reality, getting the best result of the finished product (in terms of flavor, quality or yield), totally depends on the solubiliszation of the cell contents in autolysis; it is a vital and indispensable step. In spite of this significant process, there are few common understandings of these biological modifications which happen during autolysis. Furthermore, almost every study on yeast autolysis have only been conducted with only one Saccharomyces cerevisiae know as yeast specie,and no study have been done to know the autolysis reaction of different species. Yeast was treated in laboratory which fermented the production; presently a lot of research is in progress in the department of Chemical & Life Sciences which is also examining other species like Kluyveromyces marxianus (dairy yeast),as it can produce novel yeast extracts. SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data) software is also assisting this procedure and the effect of reaction of the substance that is acted upon by an enzyme or ferment on consequential nutritive value and flavor enhancement is still being investigated. According to the recent research it is been found that yeast which produce protein contains highly nutritional matter (up to 50% dry weight basis). Therefore, controlled conditions during autolysis will result in the activation of yeast proteases which degrade yeast proteins into soluble peptides and amino acids. Another name of SCP is microbial protein or microbial food. Due to the

Globalization ,development and sustainability from education course Annotated Bibliography

Globalization ,development and sustainability from education course - Annotated Bibliography Example The study tends to provide a reason as to why the education system is an important aspect of the society. The study establishes that the education system over time will tend to interconnect the world. As a consequence, globalization will lead to development and sustainability. The world view process will shadow the view of nations and countries as units. The book puts forward that the human population is not living in a way that will ensure sustainability. According to the author, the global inequalities and war are interfering with the development of the globe in the short run and its sustainability in the long run. The study explains that in order to ensure sustainability, the apprehension of the spiritual values is important. In addition, the change in values that are conventional, the change in the prevailing economic structures plus the transformation in the current social arrangements will be crucial in creating a significant impact. The book provides several agents that can be of help in the quest. The creation of an awareness program, the use of the spiritual communities and the Transnational organizations are some of the crucial factors. However, the education institution is the only avenue that makes sure that the entire transitions come to pass. However, the changes that accrue to the globalization process are progressive . The transition begins with a change in the education system, then the change in culture, then the globalization process and later on becomes the sustainability aspect. The author mostly uses secondary data to give a basis to the conclusions therein. The author also creates a sense in the readings through the use of existing challenges that face the earth. The book also tends to create the notion of a therapy through the provision of the solutions form the problems that are ailing the globe. Similarly, the author provides references for his findings in order to support

Globalisation Of Marketing Design and Innovation Dissertation

Globalisation Of Marketing Design and Innovation - Dissertation Example According to Doyle, innovation, as a marketing strategy, has several times proved to be the key factor to reward success to many businesses. It is also considered to be the path of attaining higher growth in terms of sales, market shares, and others. However, innovation can be referred to as the development of a newly designed product, marketing channels, and marketing concepts. Thus, innovation in marketing can be stated as one of the crucial elements to achieve an efficient competitive advantage and growth. This statement can be well-observed in the case of television industry where analysts claim to witness an extraordinary chain of innovations which brought about changes in shape, color, size and other features of the genre. For instance, Lachenbruch stated that in its performance from 1953 to 1956 the television industry reached its maturity similar to radio and phonograph industries. It was the period when almost every household in America had a television set in their living r oom and thus sales of television begun to fall. By that period, a new version of television was introduced to the market, i.e. color TVs. This innovation again took the industry to its growth.   These kinds of evidence can be witnessed in almost every stage of the industry, especially in terms of style and technology. This shall be evidently identified in the further discussion.  The introduction of television can be identified in the early 1920s when television was presented in two broad paths.

Parking at uncg Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Parking at uncg - Essay Example This has meant that students have to pay substantially high charges (up to 2$ for the first hour then 1$/hour, and all day 7$) if at all they are very lucky to find an available parking space (The University of North Carolina at Greensboro 1-2). The result of this dire situation has been the incessant lateness to classes as students struggle to find empty spaces to park their vehicles. Even as the university strives to achieve its growth and expansion objectives, I strongly believe that the expansion of parking spaces should go in tandem with the overall growth of the university (Ison& Rye 23-29). There is a need for a new thinking on how people get into and out of the university. According to a survey conducted on commuting students and staff, it was found that about 80% of people now drive alone into the university. The fact that the university allows any person to purchase a permit and secure a parking slot in the university parking facilities means that there is stiff competition among freshmen, on-campus students and individuals residing near the campus. The lack of parking has affected student participation in extra-curricular activities. Nevertheless, the problem of parking has no effect on the performance of student in class. For example, a recent study have shown that lack of parking space has been causes the cancellation memberships to recreational clubs. The problem of parking spaces in campus can be attributed to the conduct of parking officials. Student do blame parking officials for mismanaging parking slot for students. As personal testimony, my experience with these officials has demonstrated to me that the officials are completely unprofessional and incapable of addressing the problem with uttermost care and diligence. My finding has shown that the parking officials are not supervised by anyone. Indeed, they have engaged in

Emergency Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Emergency Management - Assignment Example It is essential for National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to develop a strategic partnership with other stakeholders and implement proactive approaches to emergency management (National Emergency Management Association, 2011). Emergency managers should coordinate with other Federal agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services and National Weather Service in disaster preparedness. I have noticed that safeguarding the critical infrastructures like the highways, buildings, and seaports is not enough since Emergency Management efforts should focus on hazard identification, and land use planning (Virginia Department of Emergency Management, 2007). I have understood that emergency managers should save and protect lives in case of disasters, mitigate damage on physical property and environment, coordinate communications through incident command system (ICS) and provide essential services to the victims (National Emergency Management Association, 2011). I have also lear ned that Emergency Operations Center should involve members from different skills background such as fire services, search and rescue operations, transportation, medical services, and relief support and information technology in order to coordinate the communications and operations. My respondents suggested several skills that Emergency Managers that are critical. For instance, some mentioned that emergency managers should have specialized skills in disaster identification and assessment. I acknowledge that is a critical skill in modern emergency management since prior hazard identification, mitigation and preparedness will be capable of reducing the impact and damage to property and loss of lives. I believe that the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina and Gulf Coast oil spills would be minimal if the emergency management departments had foreseen the disasters.

Becoming Mexican American Essay Example for Free

Becoming Mexican American Essay Becoming Mexican American: A study into the cultural developments of Mexican immigrants to the United States The purpose of this paper is to review and discuss the inviting work of George Sanchez, Becoming Mexican American: Ethnicity, Culture and Identity in Chicano Los Angeles, 1900-1945. While reviewing this work of Sanchez, the essay will make use of an article written by Grace Pena Delgado relating to the immigration issues of the United States in the early twentieth century. Delgado`s article, ‘_At Exclusion’s Southern Gate: Changing Categories of Race and Class among Chinese Froterizos_’ discusses the Chinese immigrants in northern Mexico. To provide the reader with accurate and concise information the original works of the two authors will be used extensively, as the purpose of the essay is to criticize these works. The essay will also make use of a number of internet web-sites for general information on the Mexican and American historiesof the early twentieth century. A detailed list of books and resources used in writing this paper will be provided at the end, in the form of a bibliography. In conclusion, the essay’s purpose is to provide detailed and concise criticism of George Sanchez’s book, Becoming Mexican American, while supporting the criticism with Grace Delgado’s article. Ceren Keskin 207138579 BIBLIOGRAPHY Sanchez, George. Becoming Mexican American: Ethnicity, Culture and Identity in Chicano Los Angeles, 1900-1945. Oxford University Press, 1995. Delgado, Grace Pena. â€Å"At Exclusion’s Southern Gate: Changing Categories of Race and Class among Chinese Froterizos_†__. _In the Continental Crossroads, 183-200. Duke University Press, 2004.

A Case Study Audit Report of Veterans Affairs Association

A Case Study Audit Report of Veterans Affairs Association Introduction The Veterans Affairs (VA) is subject to the Government Security Policy (GSP) and must ensure compliance with the GSP and operational standards. The VA is responsible for the conduct of an audit to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of its security program. At the request of the VA, we conducted an audit of security to provide management of the VA with an objective assessment of it security program. Overall, we found that the VA met the requirements of the Government Security Policy (GSP) with respect to compliance, efficiency, and effectiveness. The audit provides an overview of the main security measures we observed. We also identified areas for improvement. The department of Veterans Affairs Investigation A Case Study Audit Report Generally, the VA has put in place a security program which complies with the GSP and operational standards. The roles and responsibilities of Security Management, Personnel Security, Physical Security, Information Technology Security as well as Contracting Management Security and Contingency Measures Security are clearly defined in the Security Management Structure. The Departmental security officer (DSO) carries out his duties by coordinating, controlling and updating the security program on a regular basis. The VA has implemented adequate mechanisms to ensure the protection of sensitive information and assets. The sensitive information and assets are classified, designated, declassified or disposed of, in compliance with the standards. Emergency and recovery plans are periodically developed, documented and revised, in compliance with the requirements. Public Works and Secure Impact (PWSI) is currently responsible for security screening services which are conducted in compliance with the Security Policy and the Personnel Security Standards. Even though the original agreement between the two parties for this service is no longer valid. Moreover, certain roles and responsibilities between the two parties are not clearly established and defined in the agreement. Presently, the VA determines the security level related to the position requirements and requests the appropriate personnel screening. The PWSI acts as the administrative security officer by granting the level of security requested by the VA. About the Audit The Veterans Affairs (VA) is responsible for protecting sensitive data such as financial, medical, and personal Veteran and employee information under their authority. The information must be classified and designated considering the provisions for adequate exceptions of the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. The data appropriate to information technologies must be classified and specifically designated per their confidentiality, integrity, availability and value. Information and sensitive data must be protected per minimal standards, and related risk and threat assessment. The VA is responsible for the implementation of the Security Policy within its institution and must conduct an internal audit on their compliance with the policy and their efficiency in implementing it at least every year. This audit is conducted within the framework of Treasury Board Secretariats requirements in this respect. Objectives The objectives of the audit are to ensure the compliance of all sensitive information and goods with the Government Security Policy (GSP) and with the operational standards and the efficiency and effectiveness of the Security Program of the VA. More specifically, the objectives focused on: Security organization, Security Management, Physical Security and Personnel Security. Scope of the Audit The audit covers the following: Security Organization: the structure of security management at the VA for the overall security program. Security Management: the security program, the security education and training programs, the classification and designation of sensitive data, the measures of protection for sensitive information, the breaches and violations of security and other security-related incidents, the protection measures taken for external communications. Physical Security: the location and layout of installations, the identification and the application of protection measures in the installations, the examination and control of physical security measures. Personnel Security: the personnel security investigations, the authorization, refusal and revocation of security levels, the measures required at employees termination of employment. Security and management of emergency cases: necessary actions are taken to protect sensitive information and assets and employees during all types of emergencies. Security and management of contracting: security measurements are included with other requirements in contracts involving access to sensitive information. Approach and Methodology The audit methodologies are comprised of interviews, data gathering, information and report analyses, the study of files and the observation of practices. Findings and Management Responses Security Organization Objective: To verify whether there is in place a security management structure meeting the Agencys requirements for the overall security program, specifically management security, physical security and personnel security. VA has implemented a security management structure which meets the overall security program needs of the Agency. The security responsibilities are clearly defined, established and assigned to personnel whose positions include security responsibilities defined in the position description. Secure Impact, a tenant in the same building as VA, is responsible for the development and implementation of the physical security. For personnel security screening VA depends on the services of PW. Area of Improvement The audit has found that the agreement between the VA and PW for the delivery of personnel security screening services has expired. Furthermore, certain roles and responsibilities of PW as related to the security of the VA personnel were not clearly established in the expired agreement. Management Response The VA recognizes the importance of maintaining valid agreements with its service providers, especially when dealing with security issues. The VA also appreciates the necessity of having clear roles and responsibilities defined in the agreement and understood by all parties. After being apprised of the above situation, the VA contacted PW to begin negotiation on a new agreement, which would clearly state roles and responsibilities of all parties. The VA will also ensure that this agreement is revised periodically and that it is extended, based on operational requirements. Security Management Objective: To verify whether a good security program is an integral part of the VAs overall program and meets the GSP requirements and operational standards. The VA currently has a good security program in place which complies with the requirements of the GSP and operating standards. The responsibilities assigned to security personnel are fully carried out. Guides and procedures have been developed which are used as guidelines for those in charge of security. Area of improvement Develop a security policy or adapt the TBS security policy to meet the VA requirements. Management Response The VA will review current Government Security Policy and determine how and if it can be adapted to meet VA requirements. Should this not be feasible, the VA will develop its own internal security policy. It should be noted that although the VA has no official internal policy which covers all aspects of security, it does have a policy on electronic mail, which sets out standards for ensuring that established security levels are adhered to and that needed information is preserved. Objective: To verify whether there are good security education and training programs. The VA does not have in place a security education and training program. Area of improvement Provide training to employee with security responsibilities. Management Response The VA is fully supportive in providing training to its employees. Each year, a training plan is submitted by employees and approved by the Chairperson. The VA will ensure that those employees with specific security functions are made aware of and encouraged to take training necessary to meet current and upcoming security requirements. Objective: To verify whether sensitive information is classified and designated in compliance with the GSP and operational standards, and whether the classifications and designations are unclassified or eliminated when the information is no longer, or less of a sensitive nature. The VA has implemented a mechanism to ensure that goods of a sensitive nature are classified and designated in compliance with the GSP and operational standards; the same mechanism is also being used to declassify or dispose of the same goods. Area of improvement No recommended improvement Objective: To verify whether protection measures are applied for sensitive information, as well as for employees, in compliance with the mandatory standards and with a risk management methodology. The VA has implemented mechanisms to ensure the security of sensitive information. A process is in place to declassify sensitive information when it is no longer sensitive. The controls in place ensure authorized to receive such information. Area of improvement No recommended improvement Objective: To verify whether breaches of security, security violations and other security-related incidents that may happen are the subject of an enquiry, that measures are taken to minimize the losses and that the necessary administrative or disciplinary measures are taken if warranted. Breaches of security, security violations and other security-related incidents are reported to Secure Impact. Secure Impact is responsible to take the necessary administrative measures and to ensure follow-up. A mechanism is in place and is used to report security breaches and to prepare reports. Area of improvement No recommended improvement Objective: To verify whether the necessary protection measures are taken for the sensitive information communicated to or from official sources outside the department. The VA follows procedures concerning sensitive information transmitted to official sources outside the department. Area of improvement No recommended improvement Physical Security Objective: To verify whether consideration was given to providing good siting to, as well as adequate retrofit of installations, to reduce or eliminate threats and risks to which the information, and the employees in those installations are exposed. The VA uses the facilities along with other government departments. Secure Impact ensures the physical security, thus reducing or eliminating threats and risks. A physical security committee is established with a representative of the VA. In this regards, the physical security is adequate. Area of improvement No recommended improvement Objective: To verify whether the required physical protection measures are applied in installations, so that sensitive information is well protected. The current physical protection measures ensure that sensitive information is protected. Area of improvement No recommended improvement Objective: To verify whether the physical security measures required are applied in the installations to ensure the protection and security of staff. Implemented physical security measures in the VA facilities ensure employee protection and security. Area of improvement No recommended improvement Objective: To verify whether the physical security measures are periodically reviewed and controlled. Security measures are reviewed and controlled periodically. Area of improvement No recommended improvement Personnel Security Objective: To ensure that the personnel of the VA is subjected to a security check per the Government Security Policy (GSP) and the standard on Personnel Security The audit found that security checks were conducted in compliance with the Government Security Policy (GSP) and the standards on Personnel Security. PW is responsible for the safe storing of personnel records and for the filling in and storing of security investigation forms requests. Area of improvement No recommended improvement Objective: To verify whether the necessary levels of security are authorized, refused and revoked per the GSP and to the personnel security standard, and whether such measures are taken in a just and impartial way. The VA has no record of refusals or revocations of levels of security. The VA recognizes its responsibilities in this matter. Area of improvement No recommended improvement Objective: To verify that the necessary measures are taken to reduce or eliminate any risk for the sensitive information and goods as well as for the departments essential systems at the termination of employment. The audit found that the necessary measures are taken at the termination of employment. Area of improvement No recommended improvement Security and Contracting Management Objective: Ensure that security requirements are included with other requirements in contracts when they involve access to sensitive information. The VA does not have mechanisms in place to check authorization to access facilities by the contracting parties. Area of Improvement Put in place a mechanism to check the authority to access the facilities by the contracting parties. Management response The VA is fully aware of its responsibility to ensure that only those individuals with proper authority are given access to its facilities. In some cases, authority to access VA facilities is given by another department, such as Secure Impact, but the VA is informed in advance. The VA will ensure that in those situations where another department gives access to its facilities, once the individuals show up, their name and authority will be verified with the other department. Conclusion The audit provides an overview of the main security measures observed, as well as, identifies areas for improvement. The audit methodologies are comprised of interviews, data gathering, information and report analyses, the study of files and the observation of practices. Finally, the audit covers security organization, security management, physical security, personnel security, security and management of emergency cases, and security and management of contracting. Reference http://andrei.clubcisco.ro/cursuri/5master/sric-asr/cursuri/Readings/secaudit.pdf