Employee Training & Career Development Paper Essay

Every business today wants to hire, motivate and train the most qualified employees. Every company wants to utilize these employees and place them in departments that are best suited for them and the company’s needs. This seems like an impossible goal however, this is goal is what many Human Resources departments do on an everyday basis. Human Resources provide this connection to assist in employee development to utilize each employee’s talent. Human Resources put forth the effort to increase employee improvements by providing training and development opportunities for employees to look for promotions within the organization. Job shadowing involves an employee following another employee while performing their job to see what the job is all about.† Job shadowing gives personnel chances to see first-hand the genuine job duties involved and the skill that is needed to perform the job themselves. (Wise Geek, 2011). Job shadowing works well as an in-house strategy to h elp distribute knowledge more largely in a company which, in turn, helps avoid job silos from starting and helps employees increase their expertise and skills to make their work experience more profound and pleasant. Job satisfaction plays an extremely significant role in workforce retention. (Wise Geek, 2011). Job switching is comparable to job shadowing and just like shadowing it prepares the workforce of tomorrow. It allows employees learn about different job opportunities within an agency, and it is most beneficial for offering extra job skills for employees who want to increase their knowledge through added training opportunities. It also assists in generating job back-up sources for essential positions within the company. Employees who want to learn about other jobs within the company or a different department basically switch jobs for a certain amount of time to learn more about distinctive jobs and how those different jobs intermingle to achieve company goals. (Wise Geek, 2011). Monitoring employees is another way to assist in employee development. Managers observe how an employee is progressing in their day to day tasks. This gives the manager an idea about how well the employee is progressing. Monitoring can help managers decide on what trainings are most  useful. It assists the managers to gain a relationship with the employee while giving on going feedback. It shows an employee that the manager cares about the success of the employee. If a manager did not monitor and give feedback it will then show a lack of interest and the employee will inherit that type of attitude as well. (Wohner, 2011). Many companies face the task of employee development with developing greater confidence, creativity, solutions-finding, and problem solving abilities amongst their employees. Companies need employees at all levels to be more adequate, ingenious, imaginative and independent. This attitude allows employees to perform at higher tactical level, which makes their company more industrious and aggressive. Employee’s efforts will create bigger results. It’s what all companies make every effort to succ eed. (Levine, 2011). For many companies these methods above would assist in helping a company be competitive and successful. However, these methods will not assist an employee to gain courage, maintain a belief in the company and these methods will not help in the maturity of the employee. This is where a company needs to focus on the personality of the employee and not the skills that the job requires. Every employee has a different personality, if a company y can recognize that then they can build up the confidence in their employees. For myself, managers who tell me that they believe I can do it really does not motivate me, they sound more like my mother. If a manger praises my work after I finish a project, then I become more motived to do the best I can. It is all about identifying different personalities. (Levine, 2011). Companies need to deliver learning and experiences that their employees would like for their own individual interest, progress and satisfaction. Performance and proficiency are reliant on the employee’s attitude and emotional maturity. Companies can help their employees to accomplish what they want on a personal level, and this offers a stage for trust, ’emotional contracting’ with the organization, and following skills, processing, knowledge growth pertinent to managing higher responsibilities, and teams. (About.com, 2011). The company that I work for has a program they offer every January call the Fellows Program. This is a program that is offered to college student who are in the junior or senior year. This program allows the student to see opportunities that Olympus is offering. College students can apply for a job within the company, however there is a catch. A college  student must take a job for two years. Within those years they are assigned a department for 6 months. After those 6 months the college student is moved to another department and this is the process for two years. By performing this program, Olympus is grooming their future employees. Most of these college students start to gain relationships and they become comfortable after working with us for two years. Most of the Fellows will stay with the company. This program is successful for the student who did not have to look for a job after graduating, and the company gains an employee that they molded to become successful. In my own career development, I was told early on that if people want to help or give suggestions to me then take it. I tried to act like a sponge and soak up all the information that I possibly could, and I still do to this day. If I am struggling with a project and an employee wants to assist me I allow it. I watch how they perform and I ask questions. I find that this way of learning is where I become most successful. You can tell me how to perform a task all you want however, if you take the time to show me, I will then pick up the knowledge of the task in half the time. Whenever I am offered training I make sure I sign up for it. Sometimes it has been difficult to receive constructive feedback however through time I have learned to deal with it. In 5 years I would like to see myself out of the corporation I work for. I really like working for small companies, these bigger corporations tend to treat employees like numbers. When I worked for a smaller company I knew who had kids, who was still in school, who just got married, it was a personal experience. The corporation I work for looks at employees as numbers, not people. References About.com. (2011). ..Training, Development, and Education for Employees. Retrieved from http://humanresources.about.com/od/training/Training_Development_and_Education_for_Employees.htm Levine, L. (2011). Strengthen Your Business by Developing Your Employees. All Business. Retrieved from http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/employee-development/1240-1.html Wise Geek. (2011). What is Job Shadowing?. Retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-job-shadowing.htm Wohner, N. (2011). How to Monitor Employee Performance. eHow. Retrieved from

Whatever Happens Happens for the Best

Whatever Happens, Happens for the Best Once upon a time there was an old man called Bob, who lived alone in a village. He would go about his business alone, even in his old age. He was a nice, friendly man who was liked by all the people in the village. Bob had only one son and he moved to a school far away from the village. Many people in the village always felt sorry for Bob, they knew he must be lonely. The villagers would always ask Bob if his son would ever return. To all of them, Bob would always say, â€Å"Whatever happens, happens for the good. One day, the old man’s son returned to the village. The entire village was very happy for Bob, and a lot of villagers came over to congratulate him. Like always, the old man was polite. He thanked all of them for coming over and said, â€Å"Whatever happens, happens for the good. † A few days had passed, when one day, Bob’s son fell off a horse’s back and broke his leg. Once again the entire village came ov er to Bob’s house to visit his son. And once again the old man thanked them for their care and said, â€Å"Whatever happens, happens for the good. Some of the villagers were surprised to hear this and wondered what good could there possibly be in a broken leg. A few days later, a small army of the local king came to the village and made all the young healthy men join the army. When they came to Bob’s house they found his son with a broken leg. So they left him behind. Once again, all the villagers came to the old man’s house to congratulate him for his good luck. And like always, the old man thanked them for their care and said, â€Å"Whatever happens, happens for the good.

Every Child Must Be Trained for the Future (Article with Examples)

Every child must be educated and equipped with the skills that will let him thrive in the economy of the future, said Education Minister Heng Swee Keat. While Singapore has built an education system admired for its high student achievement rates and top-notch teaching force, it must now align its system to cope with the fast pace of globalisation, technological change and innovation. The world economy will become even more complex and jobs do not have clearly defined boundaries, Mr Heng told an audience of 200 participants at the Singapore Conference here on Wednesday. Elaborating, he said that the line between manufacturing and services has blurred. And both are also overlaid with the digital economy, he added, noting for example that IT giant Apple sells ‘an experience, not just a product'. On how technology is changing swiftly, he noted how the Human Genome Project, started in 1990, took 13 years and nearly US$4 billion to complete. But last month, a private company in California announced a machine that will map an entire genome for US$1,000 (S$1,250) in one day. A more complex economy means a greater variety of different jobs will exist, requiring a wide range of skills. Said Mr Heng: ‘Hence, to prepare our students for the future, it is critical for us to have some notions of the variety and demands of the jobs of the future. The education system can then tailor the right skill sets for each individual. ‘Not all the jobs will require academic degrees. Indeed, in many areas, practical, hands-on skills are valued. ‘ He added that aligning education to industry needs as Singapore does with its universities, Institute of Technical Education and polytechnics will continue to be critical. But in whatever area, deep skills, high standards and strong motivation will be needed. ‘ A strong focus on science, technology, engineering and maths in education should be preserved, he said. Mr Heng also touched on the diversification of the school system over the last few years, explaining the need to create multiple pathways for students to excel. But this does not mean everyone gets to do the course of his choice, as the programmes are compe titive to ensure standards, he added. It is also critical to equip students with the basic knowledge and motivation to be lifelong and adaptable learners and have other 21st century skills such as information and communication know-how, critical and inventive thinking, and civil literacy and cross-cultural skills. Ultimately though, he said, the best policies alone are not enough. Ministry officials and school leaders must be clear about the principles and there must be ‘fidelity of implementation'. All parts of the education system must support the policy implementation, including the teachers, parents and even the physical facilities of a school. Educators will remain key to the structure. ‘No system of education can be better than its teachers,' he said. During his visit here over the past week, American officials have heaped praises on the Singapore education system and during the panel discussion following his speech, similar responses flowed. Panellist Linda Darling-Hammond, a Stanford University professor in education, said the US could learn from Singapore's teacher recruitment and development process. Praising the Singapore Government's policy of paying teachers ‘top dollar', she noted that by comparison, the US paid its teachers ‘much, much less than other college graduates'. The deep cuts in education spending in the US, she warned, would leave the country behind while other countries like Singapore forged ahead with their investments in education. Co-panellist Joanne Weiss, chief of staff to US Education Secretary Arne Duncan and who visited Singapore schools last year, said she was impressed by the ‘culture of continuous improvement' in education. ‘Singapore policymakers go out, identify the best practices and bring it back and adapt them to the context of the country. They then replicate them across the schools in the country. ‘

Consumer' Income Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Consumer' Income - Coursework Example When the price of the orange is $30, consumers are willing and able to buy 30,000 oranges. As the price of the orange decrease to $10 the quantity demanded increases to 60,000 oranges which are due to the fact that more consumers will be willing to buy that orange. For a linear curve decrease in price is directly proportional to increase in quantity demanded. 7. List the determinants of demand. (6 total)   The determinants of demand curve are as follows: a) The consumer’s income b) The price of related goods c) Advertisement d) Consumer price expectation e) Number of consumers in the market f) Taste and preference of consumers 8. Next to each determinant in your list give a real world example of it.   Along a demand curve the factors, other than price of the good, are held constant. When these factors change the demand curve shifts either outwards or inwards which means that either more or less is demanded at a certain price. An explanation of these factors is given below: 1- The consumer’s income: the effect that income has on the amount of a product that consumers are willing and able to buy depends on the type of good. For most goods, there is positive (direct) relationship between a consumer’s income and the amount of the good that one is willing to buy (Campbell R. McConnell, 2007). The demand for a product will shift outward when the consumer’s income rises. We call these types of goods as normal goods. For example, the demand for branded clothes increases with the income level. However; for some goods the relationship is opposite between income and your demand for a product. These goods are called inferior goods. There demand decreases as income increases. For example, income level increase will cut the demand for second hand cars. 2- The price of related goods: A common example could be of bagels and cream cheese. We call these types of goods complements. If the price of a bagel goes up, the law of demand tells us that on e will buy fewer bagels. Moreover, as use of cream cheese is complimentary to bagels, the demand for cream cheese will also fall. When two goods are complementary, there is an inverse relationship between the price of one good and the demand for the other good. On the other hand, some goods are considered to be substitutes for one another. This means that they can be used as an alternate to each other. Either of them would be deferred for the other. For example, Coke and Pepsi are used as substitutes for each other. If price of Coke increase, the demand for Pepsi will increase and if the price of Coke decreases the demand of Pepsi will decrease. This portrays a positive relationship between the price of one good and the demand for the other good. 3- The tastes and preference of consumers: It is a less tangible item that can have a big impact on demand. There are certain things that can change one’s taste or preferences which ultimately causes people to buy more or less of a p roduct. For instance, a person may have a higher demand for an umbrella on a rainy day than on a sunny day. Another example of it would be endorsements by celebrities. If a celebrity endorses a new product, this may increase the demand for a product. This will change the preference of a consumer and will result in an increase in demand. On the other hand, if a new health study comes out indicating that meat is bad for your health, this may decrease the demand

How has geopolitics changed the end of WWII Essay

How has geopolitics changed the end of WWII - Essay Example 24, 1960). In 1904 H.J.Mackinder developed his ‘Heartland theory’ presenting the world divided in ‘World Island’ comprising Europe, Asia and Africa, peripheral island groups of Americas, Australia, Japan and the British isles, and the ‘Heartland’ laying at the center of ‘World Island’ from the Volga to the Yangtze and from the Himalayas to the Arctic. Regardless the large scale character of this theory, its belonging to the postulates of geographic determinism is undutiful. Since then, despite many differences mainly in the relative percentage of the geographical factor, a great number of authors from German, British and American schools, more or less, could be associated with geographical determinism. Even Kjellen, besides his political-philosophical concept of nation and state, favored the most restricted meaning of the term of ‘geopolitics’ – â€Å"Geopolitics is the study of the state as a geographic organism or pheno menon in space; that is land, territory, or, most pregnantly, as country [Reich].†(/Kjellen, Der Staat als Lebensform, p.46, 1917/ Kristoff, The origins and evolution of geopolitics, p. 25, 1960). Kjellen’s formulations have been used to a certain degree in Germany, by K. Househofer, who claimed: â€Å"...geopolitics shall and must become the geographic conscience of the state.†(/ Houshofer, K., et al. Bausteine zur Geopolitic, p.27, 1928/ Kristoff, The origins and evolution of geopolitics, p. 21, 1960). Drawn along by Kjellen’s comprehension of autarky as good and necessary (Kristoff, L.K.D., The origins and evolution of geopolitics, p. 26, 1960) and developed by the apologists of geographical determinism, the concept of ‘natural boundary’ and the akin in spirit one - of ‘harmonic state’, were largely used in Nazi Germany as well as in the rest of the world, as a milestone in determination of the

George Orwell's 1984 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

George Orwell's 1984 - Essay Example The ideology followed by the government is Ingsoc, or English Socialism, and represents what the socialist revolution has evolved into in the English speaking state of Oceania. The single party government is totalitarian and has a carefully constructed structure to perpetuate its rule. This structure is founded on basic principles of restricting freedom of thought, surveillance of population, perpetual war, and obliteration of history and facts. Strictly enforced class difference is also part of the government’s philosophy of a way to stay in power. Restriction on independent thinking is enforced by creating a new language called Newspeak, devoid of any words or phrases even remotely linked to freedom or independent thought. Everyone in the state is expected to learn and adopt Newspeak and the party’s rationale is that, over time, all vocabulary relating to freedom would be removed from the language and, therefore, thought could be controlled. The party believes that since all crimes and negativity originate initially from a thought, people in the state can be controlled by controlling thought itself1. Another dimension of thought control is the concept of Doublethink. Doublethink allows the government to construct realities by introducing lies which could be told blatantly, believing them to be true. This is done by manipulating distortion of belief where contradictory meanings of words and situations are accepted. The government, depending on its needs, could change the context and use alternate meanings to suit itself at any time. Changing these contexts and creating justifications to lies is done through obliterating or changing history itself. Any references in history which are contrary to desired contexts are removed and, as a consequence, a lie is taken as reality. In Orwell’s words, this was â€Å"controlled insanity† through which the government controlled

Service Blueprint Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Service Blueprint - Essay Example However, an analysis of the imaging center scheduling and reporting process at THAMH indicates that the imaging center is inadequately utilized. The inefficiency of the imaging center is largely due to the scheduling and reporting system that is currently employed. The Current Process Blueprint (Appendix A) shows areas where there is a significant opportunity for the management team to improve the current service quality as well as increase customer satisfaction. A centralized scheduling process in conjunction with voice recognition software (RadWhere) is capable of increasing the efficiency of the imaging center scheduling and reporting process systems. The Proposed Service Blueprint (Appendix B) of the imaging center scheduling and reporting process system, implements these elements to increase the efficiency and reliability of the imaging center process. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the efficiency of the services provided by the radiology imaging center at the Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital (THAMH) through an examination of the Current Service Blueprint (Appendix A) that depicts the current service process. It will identify areas of inefficiency that could be streamlined to improve the capabilities and quality of the imaging services offered to the patients at THAMH. ... History and Background of THAMH The Arlington Memorial Hospital was founded in 1958 to meet the growing community requirements of the residents of Arlington, Texas and was based on a community effort with the objective of providing "high-quality healthcare" to the residents of Arlington (50th Anniversary, 2008). Nearly four decades later Arlington Memorial Hospital merged as a part of Texas Health Resources (THR). THR was established in 1997 through the combination of Fort Worth-based Harris Methodist Health System with Dallas-based Presbyterian Healthcare Resources. Subsequently, in 1997, Arlington Memorial Hospital joined THR, which serves the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, and is the nation's third largest hospital systems market, behind only New York and Los Angeles (Roberson, 2008). As of Jan 1, 2009 'Texas Health' will precede the name of the 12 hospitals in the North Texas market and THR will spend in excess of $20 million updating signs and logos (Roberson, 2008). This will firmly identify the link between the high quality hospitals, such as Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital (THAMH), and THR, the largest hospital system in North Texas. In its current form THAMH consists of a 417-bed-acute care, full service hospital that essentially provides services to residents of Arlington and the surrounding communities. The healthcare services provided by THAMH includes comprehensive cardiac care, an electrophysiology lab, women's services, orthopedics, gastro-enterology, an advanced imaging center, extensive rehabilitation services, emergency services, health maintenance, disease prevention classes, support groups, and community services. (Texas Health

Why Organisations Should Spend Time Gathering Secondary Data Prior to Coursework

Why Organisations Should Spend Time Gathering Secondary Data Prior to Undertaking Primary Research - Coursework Example An organization may carry out primary research in which researchers gather facts about the prevailing situation through observation, surveys, and behavioral data and through experimentation. Most organizations initially gather secondary data before undertaking the primary research. Secondary data are data about the subject at hand that may be already into existence somewhere within the reach of the organization, having being collected by the organization or another body and therefore the information may be useful partly or wholly in handling the problem at hand. Reasons Why Organizations Spend Time Gathering Secondary Data The information that already exists somewhere may help the researching organization in expanding its knowledge regarding the problem to be solved. The company may use such report to find out what others have done in a particular field of study. The secondary data may also help an organization it its preparation for primary research, by helping in identifying the to ols and materials that need to be used in order to make the future research successful. The secondary materials may also help an organization to understanding the progress that other researchers have made. This help in avoiding certain research problems in order to use the available resources effectively. The company may also use the secondary data to identify the needed resources for the research work to be successful. It helps in setting realistic period for the research work that the organization intends to undertake, and to assemble a team of researchers for different roles in the research process. Advantages of Using Secondary Data Data collected externally may be more objective since no one within the organization may have influenced the outcome of the data. This is usually useful when the data needed to solve the current problem does not exist anywhere in the organization, it may be appropriate to obtain the data that may have been collected by other pioneer organizations in the same industry. This helps the researchers to identify areas of focus to solve the problem effortlessly. Using data that was collected by other organizations in solving related problem is part of the learning process that is useful when handling many research problems for the first time. This helps in avoiding some obvious mistakes that may lead to wastage of resources and time in the earlier researches (Kotler et al, 2009) The organization may find relevant data that touches similar problems that the company is seeking to solve. In marketing, it is common knowledge that all products goes through the product life cycle and all organizations goes through the same learning curves. It is therefore a reality that the problem that any organization may be dealing with at present may have been faced by another organization in the past. When data is acquired from other organization, it may influence the learning process much faster for smaller organization, whose resources are constraine d. It is cheaper to obtain in different forms of research findings as needed by the organization for solving a specific problem at hand. The process of obtaining materials that already exist to be used in solving a related marketing problem is shorter. The processes of obtaining such existing data may at time cost the organization almost nothing or only a small cost may be involved. This is useful when there is need to save on the cost and time availability. Secondary data is readily available in variety. Today the world is today experiencing information explosion, and therefore every type of information that may be needed by

Online Privacy Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Online Privacy - Coursework Example Most people using the social websites fear that their personal information can be retrieved by cookie companies that monitor how one uses the internet. Another issue concerning online privacy is for those who use clouds to store their personal and business data and fear intrusion of the cloud by hackers and above all through cyber security. Therefore, online privacy is fundamental due even to the introduction of e-commerce where billions of dollars are transacted every day. Furthermore, it is upon every individual to make sure all passwords are secure and always log off from websites, emails, social media accounts before closing the browser to maintain efficient online privacy (Independent.co.uk, 2014). On the contrary, companies like Google and Facebook have access to personal information and data. Google is renowned globally and is the most used search engines on the internet. Google collects all available private information and conveniently places it at a researcher’s fingertips. This information is in the form of address, telephone numbers, pictures, and all history of work. On the other hand, Facebook is another popular website used by people to obtain private information. Intruders and researchers can obtain information pertaining the pictures uploaded and posted, family/friends information and even the place of work. These companies get personal information and data when people create accounts with them because it is mandatory to fill in all data pertaining to an individual, group or corporations. Furthermore, Google accounts such as Gmail get access to personal information through the phishing of private data (Baxter, 2013). The Snowden’s case has led to the emergence of many things revolving online privacy. This is because he worked for the United States of America government in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA) but he leaked surveillance intelligence data and

How does 'Services Response Logistics' differ from 'Logistics Essay

How does 'Services Response Logistics' differ from 'Logistics - Essay Example Now I will explain the concern of the services response logistics. Main concern of the SRL is management of the service capacity. Service capacity is the number of consumers for each day the company’s service system is intended to hand out (Hertz et al, 2003). When demand goes above to the capacity, company has to turn away consumers or employ personnel all these steps are taken to increase capacity of company.Managing service capacity comprises the capacity utilization.   Capacity utilization used to level demand strategy, because the capacity turns out to be steady in spite of demand. When demand goes above than capacity, line up management strategy arrangement with surplus customers (Rogers et al, 1999).In the situation when demand is higher than capacity, at this time capacity management used for (Bowersox, 2005):   Ã‚  Ã‚   Hiring part-Time Employees  Ã‚  Ã‚   Utilizing consumers- those are hidden employees  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Making use of innovative technology  Ã‚     Ã‚   Cross-Training & giving out employees  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Utilizing employee setting up strategies  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Utilizing demand management actionsIn the situation when available service capacity exceeds demand, Capacity Management is used for exercising demand management practices and discovering other uses for service capacity. Logistics is only concerned to the forward and backward running and storage of supplies, services and associated information (Hertz et al, 2003). But SRL is used for the management of distribution channels engage customary methods and latest channels that slot in fresh internet technologies.

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Philosophy - Essay Example I would ask journalists to interview me. I would begin organizing a protest movement. We would begin to apply pressure on the decision-makers. If no results were forthcoming, I would take more drastic, and perhaps illegal, action. I would blockade government buildings. I would try to shut down the government through peaceful means as protestors recently tried to do in Wisconsin. I would help lead the students on a strike march to Sacramento. Throughout this whole process I would feel justified to take these actions because I would see the government's policies as illegitimate and undemocratic. The only response to those kind of policies is to protest and cause maximum disruption. Part 2 Socrates makes a number of very intelligent points to Euthyphro. In my situation, I have said that the policies of the government are not just. This injustice is what motivates me to take actions against the government. I have a definition of justice in this context which would be something like this: in a financial crisis, the burden of cuts should be shared somewhat equally across society; it is unfair to pass all of the costs on to students who have very little money to begin with. I understand that not everyone would agree with this idea.

Health Education and Technology Essay Example for Free

Health Education and Technology Essay According to Bastable, â€Å"Technology has had such an impact on workforce training that it has given birth to a new industry and a new set of buzz words that define an Information Age approach to staff education. † (2007, p. 548) Thus, the inclusion of technology early on, as in its integration to education, has been deemed necessary. However, due to the evolution of technology, curriculum design and implementation in the field of health education will undergo a series of changes and modifications. These various changes will be determined based on the outcomes of technological evolution, the perceived potential of technology to change the landscape of health education in the future, and the educational theories, principles, approaches, etc. developed by respected members of the academic institution through research studies. According to Iwasiw, Goldenberg, and Andusyszyn, â€Å"Curricuralists should gather data about technology and informatics for health care and education, as well as expected developments† (2008, p. 13) Based on pertinent information gathered by academicians, the focal point and foundations of curriculum design are expected to change. Apart from the traditional contents of the curriculum, the scope of curriculum design should be broadened in order to include the â€Å"e-health paradigm of heath care† (Iwasiw, Goldenberg, Andrusyszyn, 2008, p. 113), literacy in information technology, health education across disciplines, and health education in the changing world. In addition, due to the impact and contributions of technology to the field of health, allowing the course nursing informatics to become compulsory will help in opening up opportunities for the improvement of curriculum design through the undeviating inclusion of technology and informatics. When we think about it, making nursing informatics compulsory makes the course an important learning area or aspect of health education. Consequently, much needed attention will be diverted to the improvement of the course by making course objectives, contents, instructional processes, and so on, up-to-date. Thus, the quality of health education, due to its appropriateness with current technology, will also improve. Just as curriculum design changes due to the evolution of technology, the implementation of the curriculum during instruction is also expected to change. As Bradshaw and Lowenstein (2006) have discussed, the delivery of the curriculum as influenced not only by traditional concepts in education but also by technology â€Å"require organized and planned educational experiences that are guided to promote lifelong learning as well as individually motivational and experiential learning activities that involve a variety of experiential teaching methods† (p. 272). Due to the inclusion of technology in the curriculum, the process of instruction will become more complex such that the assessment of the students and the selection of instructional tools, methods, and approaches are not merely based on student interests, learning capacities, learning content, etc. but also on the kinds of technology that fits the curriculum content. (Bradshaw Lowenstein, 2006) In terms of the instruction, the instructional process is facilitated by the use of technology. However, when it comes to learning content, the integration of technological concepts become necessary. In addition, the scope of learning content also varies from time to time since available technological tools and devices intended to facilitate heath education and health care processes change over time. For these reasons, diversity and variation should be accepted and acknowledged by academic institutions since the curriculum design and the implementation of the curriculum shall change along with the evolution of technology along the way.

The effect of background noise on free recall

The effect of background noise on free recall The effect of background noise upon free recall of visually presented words was investigated. A total of 60 participants were recruited for this psychological study. The experimental groups were the speech condition (N=20) and the whale sound condition (N=20) whereas the silent condition (N=20) accounted for the control condition. Participants were randomly assigned to each group. The speech, whale sound and silence accounted for the three levels of independent variable whereas the subjective free recall accounted for the dependent variable. This study formed two hypotheses. Hypothesis one proposed that more words will be recalled in the control condition than in the experimental conditions and hypothesis 2 proposed that fewer words will be recalled in the speech condition than both the whale sound and silent condition. The present investigation employed a between groups design. One way ANOVA showed that participants in the control condition (M = 12.85 SD = 2.97) significantly recall ed more words than the whale sound experimental (M= 9.05 SD =2.13) and the speech conditions (M= 9.65 SD= 3.49) (p= Key words: working memory, free recall, silence, whale sound, speech Investigation into background noise and participants free recall performance Background noise has been established to be among the most notable forms of interference in the in offices and educational settings causing stress and discomfort for workers and learners and affecting performance (Hugh Jones 2001). Background noise from aircraft, road traffic, and trains have all been shown to impair learning (Enmarker, Boman, Hygge 2006; Hygge, 2003; Wible, Nicol, Kraus, 2004 in McNeil). The working memory model proposed by Salame and Baddeley (1990) constitutes of the visuo-spatial system and phonological system, however, the memory system that is concerned with verbal visual and auditory presentation is the phonological store. The phonological store, together with the process of articulatory rehearsal constitutes what is unknown as the phonological loop (Gisselgard, Petersson, Baddeley Ingvar, 2003). Prominent psychologists have investigated the phenomenon of background noise and its interference with the working memory processes and recall impairment. For example, Salame Baddeley (1982 in Gisselgard, Petersson, Baddeley Ingvar, 2003) argued of the irrelevant speech effect which refers to a reduction in the immediate recall of lists of presented items when irrelevant auditory material is presented together with the items to be memorized (Gisselgard et al, 2003). Salame and Baddeley argued that irrelevant sound effect interferes with the temporary storage of verbal material within a phonological input store of limited capacity (Gisselgard, 2003). Jones (2004) also argues that auditory verbal stimuli have direct access to phonological system whereas visual verbal has indirect access whereas the visual verbal stimuli endeavour a process of sub vocalization before passing through the articulatory suppression system. (Jones, Macken Nicholls (2004: the phonological store of working memory). Other psychologists argue that the irrelevant speech will interfere with the representations of list items if and only they are being held within the phonological store. However, during the rehearsal process (articulatory suppression), the irrelevant sound effect may be abolished (Gisselgard, Petersson, Baddeley Ingvar, 2003), therefore not impairing word recall. Beaman Jones (1998) acknowledge that one of the earliest explanations produced for the irrelevant sound effect was the acoustic primary memory masking hypothesis (Colle Welsh, 1976) which postulates that irrelevant auditory stimuli have the action of masking phonologically recoded visual stimuli in an acoustic primary memory store. According to this approach, the items lose their distinctiveness by being masked, making their retrieval difficult (Beaman Jones, 1998). Banbury, Macken, Trenblay Jones (2001), on the contrary, argue that as the memory task and irrelevant speech are presented in different sensory modalities, the effect cannot be attributed to some kind of interference (or masking) at sensory level as suggested by Colle and Welsh( 1976). Instead they argue that this disruption must be attributable to: A confluence of processing from the ear and the eye at some level beyond the sensory organs; this can be explained as a breakdown in attentional selectivity. Despite the intent of the person to concentrate on the memory task, the irrelevant sound intrudes therefore impairing recall. (Banbury, Macken, Trenblay Jones, 2001) Banbury, Macken, Trenblay Jones (2001) suggest that interference results from the similarity of events represented in memory, a phenomenon known as phonological similarity. One subtype proposes that the disruption is based on a conflict of content between what is seen and what is heard. This may be through similarity (phonological similarity) in the identity of the irrelevant sound to the items being rehearsed (Salame Baddely 1982 in Banbury, Macken, Trenblay Jones 2001) through shared temporal cues or through degree of overlap of modality-independent features in the irrelevant speech with the items in the visually presented to-be-recalled list (Neath, 2000 in Banbury, Macken, Trenblay Jones 2001). The phonological similarity is particularly relevant in this study as a back ground speech by Martin Luther King, in English will be employed and administered in the background. It is worthy of acknowledgement that irrelevant sound hypothesis has been predominately investigated for serial recall (Lecompte, 1994 Beaman Jones, 1998). The irrelevant speech effect has been found to effect and disrupt the learning of list of words in a sequential order and Salame and Baddeley (1990) did establish that background noise was disruptive. However, free recall has also found to be affected by the irrelevant sound (Beaman Jones 1998). In light of this, the present study will investigate the irrelevant sound hypothesis through assessing free recall of subjects. Moreover, Studies (Beaman Jones, 1998 have shown that the irrelevant sound effect does equally effect serial or free recall, without distinction. For example, in testing the free recall and the irrelevant speech effect, Lecompte (1994) study found that a) irrelevant speech inhibited free recall more than white noise. In addition Lecompte (1994) had found an effect on irrelevant sound on free recall in four cond itions (Lecompte, 1994). This is also supported and acknowledged by Beaman Jones (1998). The present study will be employing whale sound as one of the independent variables although animal sound with relation to memory recall impairment have been investigated by Neath Surprenant (2000) (the nature of remembering) In other studies, the irrelevant speech effect was not found in free recall (Salame Baddeley, 1990 in Lecompte, 1994). Although there is substantial research which has found that noise disrupts learning, there is however some other investigations which established that background noise had a facilitative effect on learning as oppose to a detrimental effect dependent upon the level and frequency of the noise and subjective ratings of levels for interference (Hughes Jones, 2001). It is noteworthy that although Salame and Baddeley (1989) used Japanese speech in the background which accounted for the irrelevant speech the present study will use English Martin Luther King speech. Use of English narrative as an independent variable has also been investigated. For example, Jones, Miles and Page (1990 in Jones, Madden Miles, 1992) performed an investigation in which forward, reversed (English narrative) and Welsh (narrative) irrelevant speech were contrasted. Each produced a large and almost identical effect on the recall of consonant strings. In another study (in Jones, Madden Miles, 1992) irrelevant Italian and English produced a similar degree of impairment (Morris, Jones Quayle., 1989 in ibid) the psychologists argue that the phonological similarity effect isnt the cause of poorer recall as Salame and Baddeley (1989 in Jones, Madden Miles, 1992) have argued. The aforementioned mentioned study by Jones et al (1990) demonstrates that background speech which is similar to the language of the listener will be equally disruptive when compared to other languages such as Welsh. Oswald et al (2000 in Hughes Jones, 2001: the intrusiveness of sound) tested participants comprehension of sentences of meaningful speech, meaningless speech and in quiet. They found that performance was worse in both speech conditions relative to quiet, but most noticeably, meaningful speech was more disruptive than meaningless speech. This study therefore supports Salame and Baddeley (1990) similar phonological effect hypothesis with relation to interference and disruption, which will also form one of the hypothesis for the present study. Amidst the scope of studies already performed in the domains of irrelevant sound effect and its effect upon the phonological working memory, this present study too, aims to investigate whether or not the background speech and whale sound will impair recall for words presented visually. Method Participants A total of 60 participants were recruited for this psychological research. Each of the eight investigators for this study recruited eight participants. The control or silent condition comprised of 20 participants, the whale sound condition comprised on 20 participants and the Martin Luther King speech condition comprised of 20 participants. All these participants were randomly assigned to each of the eight investigators. All of the participants were over 18 and no other demographic variable such as specific age group or gender was considered in this present study. The participants were either related or associated with the investigators. Design variables A between subjects experiment design was employed. Participants were randomly allocated to each group. This study used one independent variable with three levels of background noise which were silent, speech, and whale sound. The silent condition was the control condition whereas the speech and whale sound were the experimental conditions. The dependent variable is the number of words correctly recalled by the groups. The noise level of the speech and whale sound was 66 -70 decibels. The present study employed the free recall methodology. Hypotheses Recall of words will be higher for the silent (control) condition than the whale sound and speech sound (experimental) conditions. This accounts for hypothesis 1. The recall of words will be lower in the speech sound condition compared to both the whale and silent conditions to investigate the phonological similarity effect and its effect of interference with information processing and recall. This therefore accounts for hypothesis 2. Stimuli and materials Martin Luther King speech (experimental condition 1); Whale sound (experimental condition2); Silence (Control condition); 20 words were selected from the Toronto Word Pool with neutral but similar levels of concreteness and imaginability. The lower level of imaginability and concreteness ranged from 1 to 3 and high ranged from 5 to 9 but the words selected were at level 4.font was Ariel size 12. The format of the words was a visual presentation of in a list form. Procedure Participants were briefed and informed consent was obtained prior to commencement of experimentation. In the silent (control) condition the participants were presented with the words. Participants learned the words for 3 minutes. Participants were then given a further 3 minutes to recall the words followed by debrief. In experimental (1) whale sound and experimental (2) speech conditions participants were presented with words and were allowed 3 minutes to learn the words accompanied with either background whale sound or speech. A further 3 minutes were given for the written free recall of words followed by debrief. In the brief the participants were informed of the whale and speech background noise, neither any approach to learn the words was mentioned. Other background interferences and auditory disruptions, other than the intended noise were kept to a minimum. Results The effect of background sound (silent, speech, whale sound) on recall of words was examined using one-way subjects ANOVA. It was expected that participants in the silent condition would recall more words than the participants in the speech and whale sound condition. The mean scores revealed that more words were recalled in the silent condition (12.85 SD = 2.97). There was almost equal number of words recalled in the whale sound (M= 9.05 SD=2.13) and the speech condition (M=9.65 SD=3.49). There was significant difference between the recall scores of the control and experimental conditions F (2, 57) = 9.748, p0.05). Participants in the speech condition recalled significantly less than the silent condition (Mean difference = -3.2 p=0.05). Therefore this experiment supports the hypothes1 and therefore the null hypothesis will be rejected. Lower recall in the speech condition compared to the silent but similar levels of recall compared to the whale sound condition partially supports hypo thesis 2. Condition Recall N Mean Standard Deviation Silent 20 12.85 2.97 Whale 20 9.05 2.13 Speech 20 9.65 3.49 Total 60 10.51 3.33 Table 1 shows the mean score for each group together with their standard deviations. The silent condition recalled the most number of words and the whale and speech conditions scoring the similar number of words. Sound Sound Mean Difference Sig. Alpha 0.05 Silent Whale 3.80 0.00 speech 3.20 0.00 whale Silent -3.8 0.00 Speech -.60 0.79 speech Silent -.32 0.03 whale .6 0.79 Table 2 Multiple comparisons showing the scores of each group, inclusive of mean difference and their significance. There is a significantly larger difference between Silent compared to whale and speech conditions. There is a significant difference between whale and silent condition but not with speech condition. There is a significant difference between speech and silent but not with the whale condition. This test supports hypothesis 1 expected the recall for words in the control condition to be higher than the experimental thus supporting the experimental hypothesis and rejecting the null hypothesis. However, there is not a significant difference between the speech and whale noise condition therefore as fewer words were recalled in the speech condition compared to the silent condition and assessing that there is not a significance recall difference when compared to the whale noise condition only partially supports hypothesis 2. Recall Sum of Squares Df Mean Square F Sig. ÃŽÂ ·p2 Between Groups 166.933 2 83.46 9.74 0.000 0.25 Within Groups 488.050 57 8.56 Total 654.983 59 Table 3 is showing the between and within groups mean scores and shows that the differences between the groups is significant (p= Discussion This present study attempted to investigate the effect of background sound on recall for words. The investigation manifested that overall the recall for the control (silent) condition was higher than the experimental (whale sound and speech) conditions. Therefore is supportive of the hypothesis 1 of this study and of the irrelevant sound hypothesis, and therefore rejecting the null hypothesis. The minor partial eta square effect is also noteworthy showing that the independent variables did not greatly affect the participants recall of words. In relation to the phonological similarity effect due to the administration of English words and English speech, it was found that articulatory suppression in the speech condition did not abolish the phonological similarity effect as well as the irrelevant speech effect which are known to impair the processing and retrieval of visually presented words. This is evident through lower production of words in the Speech condition. Therefore this study has supported the phonological similarity effect and its impairing effects upon processing visually similar verbal information. This investigation has shown that the practice of rehearsal or articulatory suppression did not abolish the both the phonological similarity effect and the irrelevant sound effect. The abolishment the phonological similarity hypothesis through articulatory suppression is well documented by Gisselgard, Petersson, Baddeley Ingvar (2003). The findings of these results can therefore be extended to the wider world where people are reading verbal information and listening to verbal auditory concurrently, albeit individual differences can also be taken into consideration. It was acknowledged that hypothesis 2 was partially supported because even though significantly fewer words were recalled in the speech condition than the silent condition but the difference is not statistically significant when compared to the whale sound condition. This finding is therefore also interesting as animal whale noise had equal level of disruption than human verbal speech. Despite the interesting findings, this study however, does have some limitations. This present study didnt take into consideration other individual variables such as age, gender. Considering these variables could yield further complimentary or contradictory results which could be subjected to empirical analysis. In a study performed by Ellermeier Zimmer (1997) individual difference was found with relation to susceptibility to the irrelevant speech effect. One study demonstrated that males and females perform differently in the presence of music when undertaking different tasks and exercises (Miller Schyb, 1989). In future studies, demographic variables and specific sample can be considered to ensure more reliable and valid results. Moreover, this present study did not take vocal or instrumental music as an independent measure and variable, although these variables may also be critical. Therefore, in future studies the inclusion of music condition and how background music facilitate s and impairs learning can also be considered. Hillard and Tolin (1975), for example, showed that if the background music was well-known to the subject, they performed better on the given task than when unknown music was present. The domains of familiarity and unfamiliarity of music can therefore, also be explored. Moreover, in another study, the psychoacoustics found that music that contained speech had significant detrimental effects on the participants ability to perform tasks (Martin, Wogalter Forlano, 1988). Extensive studies can be performed in light of all of the aforementioned variables.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Causes and Treatment Strategies

Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Causes and Treatment Strategies Pathology Acute myeloid leukemia is a disease that primarily afflicts adults. The likelihood of being diagnosed with AML increases with age; the median age of diagnosis is 65 with very few cases reported in those under the age of 40 [4]. Several risk factors have been associated with increased incidence of AML including: Li-Fraumeni disease, Klinefelter’s syndrome, radiation exposure, chemotherapy, and chemicals (benzene, herbicides, etc) (See supplementary figure S.1) [4]. However, the initiation of AML is a multistep process and can be the result many different genetic aberrations [4][5]. Therefore, the aforementioned risk factors do not account for all cases of AML [4]. Acute myelogenous leukemia is the result of oncogene-driven accumulation of immature myeloblasts within the bone marrow [5]. Myeloblasts are progenitor cells, which will ultimately give rise to neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, and mast cells (collectively known as the granulocytes) [6]. In AML, the genes that govern proper differentiation of myeloblasts into one of the aforementioned cell types are mutated. This prevents differentiation and leads to a buildup of myeloblasts within the marrow [5]. The clinical consequences of myeloblast buildup are marrow failure leading to low white-blood cell count, low red-blood cell count, and insufficient levels of clotting factors [5]. Therefore, clinical symptoms are depressed immune function, anemia, and continued hemorrhaging. The molecular pathogenesis of AML (and all cancers) begins with the acquisition of genetic abnormalities. There are two models that describe how these acquisitions arise. The conventional model of cancer cell initiation proposes that the cell gradually acquires certain mutations to genes involved in mitotic signaling (KRAS or APC) and tumor suppression (P53), thereby allowing the cell to divide uncontrollably [7]. However, Recent work by Stephens et al. [8] showed that multiple mutations can be induced in a â€Å"one off† event by the random shattering and re-ligation of one or more chromosomes [8]. They termed this event â€Å"Chromothripsis† [8]. Chromothripsis results in massive translocations and changes to copy number state, but is distinct from the conventional model of cancer cell initiation by the presence of large-scale inter-chromosomal rearrangements [8]. Thus, the chromothripsis model differs from its conventional counterpart in the time taken for the cell t o reach malignancy and the scale to which the genome is altered. Chromothripsis is observed in a portion of AML cases; Rausch et al. [9] found nearly half of the AML cohort showed chromosomal rearrangements consistent with chromothripsis [9]. This shows that, accumulation of the necessary mutations that drive AML may occur by more than one mechanism. By either mechanism of AML initiation, myeloblasts lose the ability to differentiate. The molecular pathogenesis commonly shows two frequent chromosomal aberrations – a translocation between chromosome 8 and 21, and an inversion of chromosome 16 [5]. These changes affect two genes crucial for myeloid differentiation (CBF1ÃŽ ± and CBF1ÃŽ ²) [5]. The effect of the inversion and translocation results in a gene chimera, which is translated into a protein that interferes with proper CBF1ÃŽ ± and CBF1ÃŽ ² function [5]. However, these specific chromosomal alterations are not observed in every case of AML. DNA-damage inducing agents like radiation or certain chemicals, may cause aberrations to chromosome 5 and 7, which has also been implicated in the initiation of AML [5]. This shows that there are several factors involved in proper myeloid differentiation and that interference to any of them may result in AML. Visual differentiation of healthy myeloblasts from leukemic myeloblasts can be challenging. Myeloblasts should contain 3 5 nucleoli, which are full of uncondensed chromatin [6]. Some leukemic myeloblasts may show more than 3 – 5 nucleoli [5]. Also, they do not normally contain granules, however, leukemic myeloblasts may have granules, which can serve as a potential marker for diagnosis [5]. It is important to stress that these morphological changes may not appear in all cases of AML. Therefore, prognosis is confirmed by the presence of greater than 20% myeloblasts in bone marrow biopsy [5]. Treatment There are different avenues for treating AML. Treatment may include supportive care (in advanced cases), chemotherapy, and stem cell transplantation. However, chemotherapy is the most common and effective method of treatment [3]. When medicinal chemists began isolating antibiotics produced from bacteria in search of potential leads for drug design, Aurelio Di Marco and his research team discovered a new species of bacteria, Streptomyces peucetius, within a soil sample they obtained from an area near Bari, Italy [10][11]. This new strain of bacteria was produced a compound that was efficacious as a chemotherapeutic agent against many tumors; the compound was later named daunorubicin and is now considered a key intervention administered to patients with AML [12]. Daunorubicin and doxorubicin are part of the class of antibiotics collectively known as the anthracyclines. Anthracyclines can cause cytotoxicity by different mechanisms depending on their intracellular concentration. As reviewed by Gerwitz [13], in vitro studies show there are several possible mechanisms for the anti-tumor effects of these agents including: Inhibition of DNA synthesis, free radical generation leading to either DNA damage or lipid peroxidation, inhibition of DNA topoisomerase resulting in helix super-coiling, DNA alkylation, and DNA cross-linking [13]. The induction of apoptosis was also mentioned as a mechanism of cytotoxicity, but it is likely that apoptosis is a byproduct of the aforementioned cellular stresses, rather than a direct consequence of anthracycline exposure [13]. It is important to note that these mechanisms were observed in vitro, and that in vitro conditions allow for exposure at concentrations that may greatly exceed in vivo concentrations [13]. Pharmacodynamics Although, daunorubicin and doxorubicin are thought to cause cytotoxicity by several different processes, their ability to bind to DNA and prevent DNA replication or transcription is considered to be the primary means of anti-tumor activity in vivo [13][14]. This is because replication is inhibited at anthracycline concentrations that can be reached in vivo following a standard dosage [13]. The two anthracyclines appear to intercalate preferentially to regions of DNA with select base-pair composition, specifically, regions with CGATCG sequences [14]. Rabanni, Finn, Ausio [15] suggest that intercalation stabilizes hydrogen bonds between the two strands of DNA [15]. This means that the energy required to separate the strands is higher, and cannot be achieved by DNA helicase [15]. Thus, strand separation is inhibited, preventing DNA replication and tumor cell proliferation. For both compounds, the chromophore portion (DCBA in fig. 1) of the molecule intercalates between complementary guanine-cytosine (GC)  base pairs on each side of the DNA double-helix (fig. 2). The compound is stabilized in this position by hydrogen bonds on either side of the molecule. The â€Å"D† side of the molecule is held in position with aid from a solvent atom (believed to be ionic sodium), which forms hydrogen bonds between oxygen 4 and 5 to  nitrogen 7 of guanine12 (fig. 2) [14]. The â€Å"A† side of either drug is coordinated by hydrogen bonds from oxygen 9 to nitrogens 2 and 3 of guanine 2 (fig. 2) [14]. As previously mentioned, all of these interactions occur between both daunorubicin/doxorubicin and C/G DNA sequences. However, the added hydroxyl group on C14 of doxorubicin creates an extra association. The hydroxyl appears to shift solvent molecules such that indirect interactions between itself and the phosphate backbone of DNA are created (fig. 3) [14 ]. This added interaction might explain the slightly higher in vitro affinity constant between doxorubicin-DNA (Ka = 1.610-5) as compared to daunorubicin-DNA (Ka = 1.210-5) (in vitro Ka determination performed at 37 °C in 10% fetal calf serum) [17]. Doxorubicin is more potent than daunorubicin. In the case of anthracycline induced inhibition of DNA strand separation, the potency and efficacy are directly related. The increased binding affinity of doxorubicin means that it will associate with DNA and prevent DNA separation at a lower concentration (See supplementary fig.S2). Therefore, pharmacological factors aside, it will be more potent and will prevent tumor cell proliferation at lower concentrations. Synthesis Doxorubicin is a semi-synthetic analog of daunorubicin. The daunorubicin producing bacteria, Streptomyces peucetius, was mutated to the doxorubicin producing subspecies Streptomyces peucetius subsp. caesius [18]. This mutated strain was found to carry an oxidizing cytochrome P450 isoform capable of hydroxylating the C14 of daunorubicin [19]. The gene that encodes this P450 is called doxA [19]. Although, this gene is crucial for doxorubicin production, its presence does not guarantee collectable quantities of doxorubicin (See supplemental figure S.2) [20]. Enzymes, such as dnrH and dnrX, may further oxidize or reduce the newly formed doxorubicin into other metabolites that do not have antitumor abilities [18]. Therefore, in order to make doxorubicin production sustainable, the down regulation of such genes is required to increase doxorubicin yield. Pharmacokinetics Despite their similar molecular structure, daunorubicin and doxorubicin have distinct pharmacokinetic properties. This section will begin by contrasting the differences in elimination, metabolism, and distribution. Bioavailability will not be contrasted because both of these agents are administered intravenously. The section will then conclude with a description of tissue distribution, intracellular distribution, and toxicity. Administration As already mentioned, both anthracyclines are administered via intravenous injection [21][22]. They should not be injected subcutaneously or intramuscularly due to the significant risk of tissue death at and near the injection site [23]. The exact dosage schedule for both daunorubicin and doxorubicin is dependent on several different factors including: age, health, pre-exisiting heart conditions, and renal functioning, therefore exact dosages vary among different patient populations. In terms of daunorubicin, dosage ranges between 30 and 45 mg/m2, whereas doxorubicin dosages range between 40 and 75 mg/m2 during the initial course of treatment [24][25]. Elimination Both compounds are eliminated from the plasma via urinary and biliary mechanisms [23]. However, a much greater proportion of a daunorubicin dose is excreted through the kidneys (14-23%) as compared to doxorubicin (5%), while a larger proportion of doxorubicin was reported to be excreted through the bowels (50%) compared to daunorubicin (40%) [23]. Daunorubicin and doxorubicin are considered to be high clearance drugs. They have a similar clearance value of 1-2 L/Kgà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã… ¸h [26]. The elimination of either drug, along with their metabolites, follows a triphasic decline in plasma concentration [23]. After a 60ml/m2 infusion of daunorubicin/doxorubicin, the plasma concentration/time graph shows that both drugs are eliminated with a similar rate (fig.3) [26]. However the Medsafe ® [23] datasheet for daunorubicin/doxorubicin reports that the plasma T1/2 for the first phase averages 45min daunorubicin and 12min doxorubicin, while the second phase is 18.5hrs daunorubicin, 3.3hrs doxorubicin. Metabolism The primary metabolites of daunorubicin and doxorubicin are daunorubicinol and doxorubicinol respectively. Because of their similar structures, the metabolism of either compound occurs in a likewise fashion. The enzyme most implicated in metabolism is NADPH (nicotinamide-adenine-dinucleotide-phosphate) dependent cytochrome P450 reductase [27]. This enzyme reduces the ketone at C13 to an alcohol to produce daunorubicinol and doxorubicinol [28]. These two products are believed to retain their cytotoxicity and are cleared from the plasma at a similar rate [28][29]. Another common metabolite for either compound is generated via reduction of the glycosidic bond by gycosidases. Glycosidic reduction results in removal of the amino-sugar that is bonded to C7 [28]. This reaction eliminates the anti-tumor capabilities of either compound [28]. Following removal of the amino-sugar, the remaining aglycone is demethylated and then undergoes phase II metabolism (sulfonation or glucuronidation) [23]. Phase II metabolism by sulfonation or glucuronidation increases plasma clearance and enhances elimination. Two other metabolites are listed in literature, 7-deoxydoxorubincolone and 7-deoxydoxorubinone, however the enzyme or enzymes that facilitate these reactions were not noted [30]. Two other enzymes metabolize both daunorubicin and doxorubicin under aerobic conditions, xanthine dehydrogenase and xanthine oxidase, and produce reduced semiquinones and oxygen radicals [31]. These radicals could provide added efficacy to the drug therapy. It has been suggested that advanced stage cancer cells exhibit high oxidative stress and that it may be advantageous to exploit this finding to preferentially and specifically attack and destroy them [30]. Under anaerobic conditions, xanthine dehydrogenase metabolizes doxorubicin to 7- deoxydoxorubicin aglycone, which has been found to be efficacious in the reduction of the drug’s toxicity [31]. Volume of Distribution Daunorubicin and doxorubicin localize in the tissues. The Vd for daunorubicin is 39.2 L/Kg, while the Vd for doxorubicin is 24.6 L/Kg [26]. This indicates that both compounds have high tissue distribution [26]. Although the addition of a hydroxyl group at C14 markedly reduces doxorubicin’s ability to distribute into the tissues (relative to daunorubicin), doxorubicin remains within leukemic cells for a longer duration than daunorubicin (fig. 5) [26]. Upon administration, daunorubicin accumulates within leukemic cells more rapidly than does doxorubicin (fig 5). This is likely because of the increased polar surface area brought on by the added hydroxyl group of doxorubicin, which hinders its ability to cross membranes. However, the added hydroxyl group provides increased binding affinity to DNA [17]. Therefore, it will not leave the cell as rapidly because it will remain bound to DNA [26]. Toxicity The clinical use of doxorubicin and daunorubicin may be limited by their similar inherent toxicity. It goes without saying that chemotherapeutics should not be administered to women who are lactating or pregnant due to significant health complications that can be incurred by the infant or fetus, respectively, therefore these drugs should not be considered in these populations [33]. The use of these agents in a long-term manner is cautioned due to their ability to cause cardiotoxicity [29]. Under aerobic conditions, the semiquinone radical that may be produced during metabolism undergoes redox cycling [27]. Accumulation of reaction oxygen species soon occurs and can cause cytotoxicity [27]. This is believed to account for tissue death in cardiac cells, and is one of the major implications of using the anthracycline class of anti-tumors agents [27]. The cardiotoxicity itself includes effects such as functional damage to mitochrondrial DNA, interference of cytochrome c oxidase, and dysf unctional lipid peroxidation [13]. Personalised Cancer Treatment: Known Markers in Treatment Personalised Cancer Treatment: Known Markers in Treatment Personalised cancer treatment – known markers and what they mean for treatment Contents (Jump to) Known markers and what they mean for treatment Overview Drug target markers Diagnostic and prognostic markers Meta description Keywords Copyscape Known markers and what they mean for treatment Overview Personalised, targeted and hormonal treatments all depend on genetic mutations that can be identified in cancer cells to be effective. These mutations are sometimes referred to as â€Å"markers†. The markers can manifest through over-expression, lack of expression or mutated expression of specific proteins. Some markers can be targeted using specific treatments whereas some can act as measurements for disease diagnosis, prognosis and treatment response. Drug target markers The genes listed below have all been associated in cancer, the majority of which can also be treated. (*) – Targetable genes and proteins that can also be measured to determine treatment response, cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Diagnostic and prognostic markers The following markers are all related to diagnosis, prognosis and treatment progress. Meta description Cancer markers can help with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and can give access to targeted therapies. Keywords Cancer markers, genetic markers, diagnostic markers, drug target markers Copyscape Checked Sep 2014 CIGNPOST: KNOWN MARKERS AND WHAT THEY MEAN FOR TREATMENT © Cignpost Ltd 2014PAGE | 1 [EB1]If these are genes not proteins then they should be in italics Psychology Christianity: Five Views | Eric L. Johnson Psychology Christianity: Five Views | Eric L. Johnson Review of â€Å"Psychology Christianity- Five Views† by Eric L. Johnson. Title: Psychology Christianity Five Views Author: Eric L. Johnson Publisher: InterVarsity Press. (U.S.A.) 2000 Price:  £14.37 ISBN: 978-0-8308-2848-7 Introduction: In this book review, I intend to cover the following outcomes: evaluate psychological theories against biblical teaching, discuss the contribution psychology has to make to Christian counselling, assess the compatibility of psychology (research and psychotherapy) with Christian counselling and critical examination of psychological theories. About the editor Eric L. Johnson is a teacher, editor, author and director. He attended Toronto Baptist Seminary and proceeded on to Calvin College before going on to Michigan State University where he bagged his PhD. He is an academic psychologist and initially lectured for nine years at the Northwestern College in Minnesota teaching Christian worldview, psychology and theology. Johnson wrote â€Å"Foundations for Soul Care: A Christian Psychology Proposal† and contributed several articles for the Baker Encylopedia of Psychology and Counselling. He argued for the necessity of theology in counselling and psychological research. He is with the Journal of Psychology and Theology as an associate editor. Johnson edited a special issue of the Journal of Psychology and Christianity, entitled â€Å"Psychology within the Christian Tradition† in 1998. He made contributions in two books: â€Å"Christianity and Psychology: Four Views† and â€Å"God under Fire: Modern Scholarship Reinvents God† in addition to editing this book that I am reviewing. Johnson is currently the director of the Society for Christian Psychology and the Lawrence and Charlotte Hoover Professor of Pastoral Care at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. About the Book Psychology and Christianity: Five Views, is divided into seven chapters and has three hundred and nineteen pages. It is a review and expansion of the first edition titled â€Å"Psychology and Christianity: Four Views†. This book essentially lends to give a precise understanding of human nature and this is an issue that has refused to go. In page 104, we see that Adams argues that the Bible is sufficient to understand human nature and there is nothing psychology can offer but there are opposing arguments. Freud cited in Chapman (2007:41) argues that religion is an illusion. However, Crabb cited in Lutzer (1998:72) argues that we can spoil the Egyptians; take the best of both Christianity and Psychology for our use and become more effective as long as they are not in conflict with the Bible because the Bible will always be superior. The Wesleyan Quadrilateral advocates that four factors (Scripture, Tradition, Experience and Reason) must be considered when reaching decisions. In view of all this on-going debates, Johnson tries in this book to advance the argument for a relationship between Psychology and Christianity, and address the issue of helping Christians to understand and grasp the nettle of psychology. In this edition, there is a fifth view which has been added to the first edition of four views. This fifth view is contributed by John H. Coe and Todd W. Hall and it is titled â€Å"A Transformational Psychology view†. The other four view contributors were still involved in this edition but with revised contributions. The authors put forward five different views of how Psychology and Christianity can be integrated. They are David G. Myers who deals with the levels of explanation; an integration view by Stanton L. Jones, biblical counselling view by David A. Powlison and Christian psychology by Robert C. Roberts co-authored by P.J. Watson. Johnson wrote the opening chapter discussing the history of Christian psychology and also the closing chapter which talks about gaining understanding through the five views put forward by the various authors. The authors gave very good account of themselves in their respective views. Every chapter is concise, well laid out and the thought flow pattern is quite consistent and credible. Content of the book Johnson sandwiches the five views in between two chapters that he authored. He started in this first chapter by looking at the history of Christians in Psychology. In this chapter, Johnson looks at a generic background of psychology but with special reference to how psychology is viewed today. He argues (page 10) that science is a gift from God and that the scientific revolution was initiated by mostly Christians. Some Christians have unreservedly incorporated modern psychology while others like (Bobgan Bobgan 1987) have out-rightly rejected it and called it â€Å"psychoheresy†. Johnson explained in this chapter about the neutrality of this book and that it is rather a picture of the views of the majority of Christians. The second chapter was by David Myers and it deal with levels of explanation. This chapter delves into the subject of human characteristics. This view recognises that Christian theology and Psychology are different and should be treated so but that both should combine well. Myers argues (page 49) that both vary especially in the methodology of research and so each should free to explore as they deem fit. He further argues (page 72-74) that scientific data has enabled him along with some other Christian thinkers to shift from their view of seeing homosexuality as a sin, to understanding the biological explanation of prenatal influences to brain differences especially also considering the fact that the Bible did not have much coverage on the subject matter. Stanton Jones wrote the third chapter which is on the integration view. He shares the same view as Myers; that both Christian theology and Psychology have something to contribute to each other and consequently should be integrated; an aspect that is contrary to Myers view that they should be separated. Christianity is God’s word and psychology is God’s work. Jones argues (page 101) that God’s sovereignty prevails over every facet of human life and that Christian psychologists should benefit from that. However, Jones also shares a common view as Myers with regards to the fact that the Bible does not address some issues adequately (page 101). Jones shares a personal testimony of the tension points that he struggled with in-between Christianity and Psychology. (103-104). Jones became more confused as he desired to be faithful to the Bible, yet, he could not argue with the result that he was actually learning a lot about human nature in Psychology and so through excl usion, he found himself blending both Psychology and Christian theology. The fourth chapter deals with Christian psychology and was co-authored by Roberts and Watson. They argue that understanding God which is revelation (general and special) should be the starting point for the development of psychological theories. These authors (page 155-156) argue that Christian sermons (using Jesus’ sermon on the Mount as an example) are aimed at helping people to live well; dealing with character and transformation of persons and that psychology also deals with how to live, and changing a person’s character with the aim of living well. They identify terminology as the only difference between both. They argue (page 157) that sermon conceptualises psychology. John Coe and Todd Hall co-authored this fifth chapter which deals with the transformational view. They set out, not to develop or defend a model but to shed light on their argument, (page 200) that psychology and Christianity are closely related and that psychology is only an expression of faith and love. This view is the view that has just been added in this edition making it five views. They argue (page 200) in favour of the process and methodology of psychology as a process to new ways of transforming people. This approach looks into the psychologist’s transformation (emotional and spiritual). David Powlison authored the sixth chapter which discusses a Biblical counselling view. He started with a very bold statement â€Å"Christian faith is a psychology†. Also that â€Å"Christian ministry is a therapy† These statements summarises his view. Powlison argues (page 245) that the Scriptures talks about thoughts and intentions of the heart. He further argues that God through the scriptures reveals how human beings should achieve their potentials and a clear change process of attaining such too. Powlison assumes a very new approach in his view; the approach is to delve into the meanings of the word â€Å"psychology† in the very context in which it is used. He argues (page 248) that obviously the meaning is relative. In a bid to drive home his argument, he develops sub themes; Psych 1 – 6. Psych 1 looks at how you work,; Psych 2 looks at the detailed knowledge of human functioning; Pych 3 looks at the competing theories of human personality; Psych 4 de als with the practical application to psychotherapy; Psych 5 looks at a system of professional and institutional arrangements and Psych 6 deals with a mass of ethos. Powlison was really keen on ensuring that his readers have a very clear understanding of his view and goes a step further with a case study as he argues (page 262) that looking at cases is the best way to understand psychological views including biblical counselling. Eric Johnson authored the seventh and closing chapter where he made reference to similar books that has multiple views on the same subject. According to him, this book helps to highlight the point that a group of people, and specifically Christians in this instance, have the same belief but varied perspectives even within the same belief. Johnson (page 293) uses Proverbs 12:15 to affirm that a wise man will be humbled, by that awareness of what he does not know. No one has absolute knowledge except God. He argues that because we are finite creatures, we are limited in terms of views but God is the omniscient observer. He further argues that the more views we are open to, the better our understanding will be, and he encourages his readers especially Christians to dialogue, engage, critique and integrate the strengths of these views as it will enhance their understanding and scope in other to develop their own â€Å"postformal synthesis† (page 309). There is something I found very fascinating about this book. I found out that each chapter have contributing responses from the perspective of the other authors highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the particular view in light of their own view. My thought. I think that the writing style is easy to read and understand. The chapters are logically laid out and concise and the literary genre is prose. The subsequent contributions from diverse perspectives to each chapter are not common and made it all seem like a conference, answering most questions that readers could have raised. I am the pastor of my local church; I encourage members through prayers, teaching, preaching and pastoral care, based on the Scriptures. I have found myself at crossroads in some contemporary issues which are similar to the observations of Myers and Jones, where they have found the Bible silent on some issues and inadequately addressing some other issues. This is one of my reasons of studying Counselling, and a book like this has opened me up to differing views highlighting both strengths and weaknesses of those views. This review has been an eye opener for me. CONCLUSION In conclusion, I consider the book well-structured as Johnson sets the stage with the historical background and after taking the five views, he borders the book at the end, encouraging scholars to critically and constructively engage to progress the work. Finally, I observe that Johnson claims (page 10) that the book is neutral and that the views represent the collective views of a majority of Christians. This is a very good claim but it would have been very good if he had gone a step further to substantiate his claim with data. However, overall, I consider this book to be of immense value to any Christian psychologists irrespective of their chosen model; it will open them up to differing views even within the Christian community of Psychotherapists. . I identify with Stanton Jones who authored the Integrative view and I will recommend this book to anyone who is seeking a clearer understanding of the integrative model of counselling. References: Chapman, C.N. (2007). Freud, Religion, and Anxiety. USA: Lulu.com. Page 41 Lutzer, E.W. (1998) Pastor to Pastor: Tackling the Problems of Ministry. USA: Kregel Publications. Page 72 Peter Emordi Psychology of Christian Counselling COU2001 1

The US-Mexico Border :: American America History

The US-Mexico Border International borders have always been centers of conflict, and the U.S.-Mexican border is no exception. With the European colonizing the New World, it was a matter of time before the powers collided. The Spanish settled what is today Mexico, while the English settled what is to day the United States. When the two colonial powers did meet what is today the United States' Southwest, it was not England and Spain. Rather the two powers were the United States and Mexico. Both Counties had broken off from their mother countries. The conflict that erupted between the two countries where a direct result of different nation policies. The United States had a policy of westward expansion, while Mexico had a policy of self protection. The Americans never had a written policy of expansion. What they had was the idea of "Manifest Destiny." Manifest Destiny was the belief that the United States had the right to expand westward to the Pacific ocean. On the other hand, Mexico was a new country wanti ng to protect itself from outside powers. Evidence of U.S. expansion is seen with the independence of Texas from Mexico. The strongest evidence of U.S. expansion goals is with the Mexican-American War. From the beginning, the war was conceived as an opportunity for land expansion. Mexico feared the United States expansion goals. During the 16th century, the Spanish began to settle the region. The Spanish had all ready conquered and settled Central Mexico. Now they wanted to expand their land holdings north. The first expedition into the region, that is today the United States Southwest, was with Corando. Corando reported a region rich in resources, soon after people started to settle the region. The driving force behind the settlement was silver in the region. The Spanish settled the region through three major corridors; central, western and eastern. The first settlements were mainly through the central corridor. The Spanish went thorough what is now the modern Mexican state of Chihuahua into the U.S. state of New Mexico. Eventually the Spanish established the city of Santa Fe in 1689. The eastern corridor was through modern day Texas and led to the establishment of San Antonio. The eastern expansion was caused by the French expansion into modern day Louisiana. The Spanish crown wanted a buffer between the French in Louisiana and central Mexico. The last corridor of expansion was in the west, through the sea, which led to the establishment of San Diego in 1769 and Los Angles in 1781.

Global Warming is False Essay -- Environment Climate Change

A Flawed Opinion Whenever someone thinks of CO2, they think of global warming. They are reminded of Al Gore and his stance on global warming and they automatically think it is true. He has a lot of evidence to back up his theory about how global warming exists and that it is the reason animals are going extinct and also why the climate is changing. Well these facts are wrong and there is evidence to prove it. Global warming is not real and the Earth might even be in a cooling period. There so many reasons to blame people for the epidemic of this false global warming. CO2, a naturally produced gas absorbed by oceans and trees could not be the reason, so what could? Well, nothing can, none of man’s efforts to control the climate will ever succeed against the power of Earth’s natural system of warming and cooling itself. Three great reasons to discredit the theory of global warming are the reason CO2 is not a greenhouse gas, the natural climate change of the earth throughout the ages, and liberal based media’s false facts and propaganda. The great thing about CO2 is that it is not a produced greenhouse gas. John Coleman states plainly in his article to the San Diego Chamber of Commerce about the real story about CO2: â€Å"Here is the deal about CO2, carbon dioxide. It is a natural component of our atmosphere. It has been there since time began. It is absorbed and emitted by oceans. It is used by every living plant to trigger photosynthesis. And we humans, we create it. Every time we breathe out, we emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It is not a pollutant. It is not smog. It is a naturally occurring invisible gas† (3). In this quote he distinguishes the difference between smog and CO2. Smog, a blend of both smoke and fog is... ...problems on fraudulent matters and it is up to the intelligent of the Earth to tell them they are wrong. Works Cited Appenzeller, Tim. â€Å"Signs From Earth.† National Geographic. 4 Feb. 2009. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0409/feature1/. "Snopes.com: John Coleman on Global Warming." Snopes.com: Urban Legends Reference Pages. 20 June 2008. 4 Feb. 2009. . â€Å"Global Warming: Not So Fast." World Climate Report. 12 Feb. 2009 . Haley, James. Global Warming. New York: Greenhaven P, Incorporated, 2001. Nizza, Mike. â€Å"Failing to Deliver a Jolt on Global Warming.† 21 Apr 2008. 4 Feb. 2009.

Art and Cultural Study Essay

Art has always been a significant part of any culture and society. Prominent artist are people who make a contribution not only to the world’s cultural heritage, but also make a certain country famous and even a bit special. In my opinion my favorite artist would be Pablo Picasso. Pablo Picasso, known as one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century. I shall say the evolution of a young Pablo Picasso to the experienced genius that had shaped the way we see art today. From his Blue and Rose periods through the birth of Cubism, to the struggles of the experimental thirties. Picasso largely took his subjects from real life, although many of his abstract works look anything but life-like. He was big on portraits, nudes, families and children and scenes from rural life and carnivals. He also featured a lot of still life, including newspapers, vases with flowers, fruit and many instruments, especially the guitar. He inspired a whole movement into Cubism. He revolutionized art in a sense. In the art world he was the first to create works that explored the world a bit differently. With a greater understanding of Picasso and his contribution to art. He started out creating the realistic art that you may be more to consider ‘real art’. Essentially, he mastered it, and then created something entirely new. I just love Pablo’s work because it is very unique and different. He was one of the first people to look at the world and its many creatures in a different way. He didn’t just paint what he wanted to or do anything â€Å"randomly†, but painted life as he truly saw it. Pablo was very charming and he had a lot of passion. Pablo had a new way of doing art that was interesting coupled with his charisma and passion.

Literacy narrative Essay

Audience: Professor and fellow students of the English 102 course Purpose: To explain how I became literate in my lifetime and what contributed to my literacy level today 1,357 Words Benefits of Being a Bookworm Have you ever been asked, â€Å"What is your first language? † Living in such a melting pot of a country, the United States, minorities often get asked this question. Usually when people ask others this question, it is not because they want to know which language you learned to speak first. People ask this question to see which language the one being questioned is more fluent in. Is it possible that your second language might be the one you are more fluent and literate in? The answer to this question is yes. I am a first-generation immigrant to the United States and proud. My first language (to be politically correct) would be Cape Verdean Portuguese Creole. What I want to ask is why is it important to know what my first-language is when I am more literate and fluent in English? If I can compare my languages to my siblings, I would, due to the fact that I was raised with both of them equally during the course of my life. I learned Creole at home with my parents ad family, but I owe my literacy I English to school, and the love I had for reading. Practice makes perfect. A person’s literacy level is completely based on practice. Schools aim to train students to be literate and educated, but those students who practice at home (outside of the regulations of school) are the true scholars. Let’s look at Malcolm X, for example; a man who had formal schooling up until the eighth grade and nothing after that. Yet, even though Malcolm X had less schooling than all of us college students here at UMASS Dartmouth, he is probably, in my opinion, more literate and more educated than most of us. Interesting isn’t it? The reason why Malcolm X was so educated is because he read every day, non-stop, in his jail cell, with no distractions. He kept a dictionary by his side to teach himself any new words he would come across that he was unfamiliar with. What better way is there to familiarize yourself with a language and expand your vocabulary other than reading written works by other people that most likely know things you don’t know and have a different vocabulary than you? By reading you learn new diction, new facts, and cause your brain to grow in knowledge. I can say that aside from school, reading, like Malcolm X, expanded my literacy skills. As I had said before, I am a first generation immigrant; my parents also are first generation immigrants. I never had the luxury of being taught English by my parents, being read to by my parents, or getting help with my homework or anything academic at all except for math, of course, which doesn’t vary between countries that speak different languages. But even with this being said, I had always been at the top of my class in elementary school, done very well in middle school, and done well enough in high school to have the pleasure of being offered the opportunity to be in an Advanced Placement English class. I was a nerd in my early years. I used to enjoy reading very much. I would always ask my father to take me to the library, where I would check out many books and go through them like a bullet. During class time, when the teacher would be finished or took a break and there was nothing else to be done, I loved reading; I looked forward to silent reading time in class. When I had a 100-page book, I would tend to finish it within a day. Longer books such as the Harry Potter series would be finished within a few days. I never had a problem with reading assignments because I would finish them so quickly and understand everything I read. I had an eighth-grade reading level in elementary school while I would watch other students struggle while reading aloud as they stumbled on their words and wouldn’t know how to properly pronounce them. I never understood why it was so easy for me while other students would find it difficult. As a child I read all the Harry Potter books; they were my favorite. I also enjoyed other series such as Curious George, The Babysitter’s Club, and Judy Blume. I also read plenty of other books that I cannot remember because the list was so long. I believe that there is a strong relationship between reading and writing. Someone who is an excellent reader and comprehends what he/she reads should have a big vocabulary and a sense of how real, professional writers perform. Every book, magazine, and newspaper we read or look at is composed of articles and passages written by professional writers. If you have a lot of experience with all this, then you should know what a professional piece of work looks like and sounds like. Therefore, I feel like someone who reads a lot will be a good writer as well. The two things are connected, and it helps to write when you are a skilled reader and vice versa. Books are the perfect model for those who want to become more skilled as writers. After all, that is exactly what Malcolm X did, and he became very skilled. It takes a very skilled writer to produce the best books out there. If one does not know how to read and cannot understand words on a page, then how is it that they can know how to write the words down on their own pages. Similarly, if you are deaf, how can you learn to speak properly? Hearing words and their pronunciation is the model for the deaf to learn how to speak; and if they are missing their model or example, it can be almost impossible to learn naturally, on their own. I feel that reading and writing are the most important elements of school and learning. Books, articles, research papers, whether they are non-fiction or fiction, all serve a very important purpose. Whether you are reading for pleasure to expand your imagination and reduce your stress, reading to attain information on a specific topic or just to expand your knowledge, or reading to practice and become more literate and a better writer, you are never at a loss. Therefore, writing becomes very important because, if it wasn’t for writing, there would be nothing out there for us to read in the first place. Reading is not for the lazy. I used to love reading as a kid and found it so interesting, but as I grew into my teenage years and became more interested in action, reality and drama, I distanced myself from all the reading and became more of an extrovert. The occasional newspaper article or magazine article is still entertaining to me though. Even now, as a college student, you will never find me reading anything unless it is required for me to achieve the grades I desire; never do I read for pleasure. I feel that I achieved a high reading level way back in my middle school days, and that has influenced me to think that the only thing now that can improve my writing is to keep writing. I feel that I have acquired a great deal of knowledge throughout my lifetime and I did a lot of this myself through all my readings. Nobody pushed me to read during my spare time. My parents weren’t very literate in the English language to be role models for me or to help me read or even read to me. All the instructions I have read, all the words I learned how to pronounce, I did it on my own through reading. As a matter of fact, I don’t even remember seeing my father ever read a book, and my mom didn’t start reading until after she went back to school to get her college degree. Literacy is all about exploring the world of words, and pages, reading, and writing. In order for one to achieve great literacy, one will need to push and challenge himself/herself to read more and understand the readings.