sport Essays - Health, Personal Life, Food And Drink, Nutrition

I cannot say I identify with my family on any health issue. We aren?t terribly susceptible to any one disease, and health habits vary with each person. Age, however, does affect my attitude to health. Young adults are still subject to peer pressure, are free to make their own choices, and are healthy enough to disregard healthy habits. The topic of healthy eating arises because it is a major part of health that young adults do not have the right to ignore. If young people don?t regularly examine themselves for signs of cancer, it?s because cancer is statistically rare for their age group. If they don?t frequently check their cholesterol levels, it?s because they know from previous checkups that high cholesterol levels are unlikely in their young age. But if they don?t manage their diets well, there is no good reason. Eating healthy foods, eating a proper amount of food, and avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol are just as important now as ever, but we do not acknowledge this in our lifestyles. Young adults need to know that their diets now will affect their health later, and they need to provide themselves with healthy eating. As a young adult I see several reasons why healthy eating is not an apparently important topic. Personal responsibility is a new concept at this point in life; if we are used to snacking on junk food and eating healthy meals when they are served, we are not automatically trained to make healthy meals ourselves. With lives full of school and work, it is easy to prioritize economic needs over health. To make matters worse, we feel healthy and energetic, so health and healthy eating never beg for our attention. Compared to the elderly, who take the time to eat vitamins, buy healthy food, and meet regularly with a doctor, the young can seem quite reckless and irresponsible. Another reason for a lack of emphasis on proper eating is peer pressure, whether this promotes donuts, energy drinks, or alcohol. Although I don?t experience this problem personally, I see how dangerous it can be when we have more school friends than work acquaintances. Alcohol can be very tempting when we reach the legal age, because it is to some a symbol of independence. Peer pressure can bring the young adult culture together in a negative way. If we take cues from our fellow students, they imply that fast food and other unhealthy products are acceptable. To worsen the problem is the media, although it may not directly target young adults more than any other age group. Movies reinforce stereotypical images of young adults focused on anything but healthy eating, and advertisements promote junk food, fast food, and caffeine. Mostly, this negligence affects me, too. Eating can be equated with the search for any form of pre-packaged and processed food, and I have not considered any nutritional value, or considered taking vitamin supplements. I realize healthy diets need to be addressed, and will attempt this in the near future, although feeling somewhat victimized by unhealthy eating may hinder my efforts. Part of the problem is that procrastination is so easy. From this disregard for health comes statistical evidence, showing that we do not consider our health or diet enough. Writer Lorraine Heller reveals from one poll, ?75 percent of respondents aged over 55 considered themselves to be healthy eaters, compared to 47 percent of those aged 18 to 34.? That means that out of every four people, one of them will become a healthy eater around his forties. You don?t have to be forty to realize healthy eating will improve your lifespan, yet younger adults put the issue aside for as long as possible. An article entitled ?Smoking, obesity, poor eating highest among young adults? reveals from another survey taken in 2000, ?More than one-third of white men and women ages 18 to 24 smoked, the highest rate among all the groups covered.? A general explanation assumes everyone who wants to smoke starts when they turn eighteen, and then some quit later, but should this be taken for granted? Even when a person at the age of ten decides he will become a smoker, he is not destined to start smoking as soon as

Education in the 1800s essays

Education in the 1800s essays Education had an emphasis on many different aspects during the time prior to the Civil War. There was a certain irony that set the mode of this time making things that were said irrelevant to the actions that were taken. The paradoxes of education in Pre civil war America, are evidenced in subject matter, gender, class and race, as well as purpose. American education developed from European intellectual traditions and institutions transplanted to the new world and modified by contact among different colonial groups and between new settlers and indigenous peoples. The English majority had the most influence on education. In New England, also including the 13 colonies, the English language, laws, and customs had become the complete basis in colonial educational practice. (Cremin313). Education for Americans had been a problem ever since its beginning. Many people agreed with James Madison that All people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives. Many people felt that school was good and necessary, but were concerned about the cost. (Wright, Fowler 187). English Protestantism became the leading aspect for colonial education aspirations. Piety combined with devotion to vocation became the aim of education for the individual, and social perfectionism combined with an aggressive evangelism became the aim of education for the community. (Cremin 313-314). The necessity of being able to read the bible was one of the great motivations for schooling among protestant people. The key to salvation, Protestants believed, was to be found in the individuals reading of the scriptures, and in order to do this, everyone had to have enough knowledge to read the bible. (Wright 133-134) Family, above all, was the most important institution in both socialization and education. Families of the new world had a great organization in relationships in education and scriptural readings. Fathers ...

Drucker - New Organizations Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Drucker - New Organizations - Article Example ill be a chief guiding force for the functioning and growth of the organization and information built up does not mean that organization needs a large data-processing capability. The new ways of information system generated through the application of computers will reduce the man power requirement. The raw data available through various means will be used to generate the information but the process itself will require knowledge. Knowledge is always a specialized discipline and that is why organization will need more and more specialists to convert available information into knowledge. Thus, knowledge-based organizations will, overtime, replace all command-and-control kind of business establishments. To convey his points about information based organization, Drucker has put forward the example of British Civil Administration, which was run in India during the period of eighteenth century through World War II without any need of middle management cadre. The whole of the India was governed by merely 1000 officers heading a district administration. It was totally a flat organization structure. The officer used to report directly to the provincial political secretary. Their being total nine provinces each political secretary had at least 100 administrative officers under him to manage the show. The officer used to send a detailed report to the secretary for all the assigned tasks, the achievements and discrepancies and the detailing about the opportunities and emerging threats in the ensuing period. Political secretary would also response with full comments for necessary guidance. Peter points out about the effectiveness of such system as an organization. What is noteworthy is that information based organizations look for simple and clear objectives. At times, there are a few common objectives for all that leads to actions and those objectives are carried out by specialists. Thus, information-based business is structured around goals and clearly defines expectations

The issue of nursing shortage Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The issue of nursing shortage - Coursework Example Many of these aging nurses are moving to primary care setting. As a result, the healthcare institutions are in dire need for more nurses, especially those who give specialized care to the patients. The number of complaints from nurses that they are working for long hours is an indication of the escalating problem of nursing shortage (Balogh-Robinson, L., 2012). In order to supplement for positions for those who have left the service, the existing nurses are working for long hours. Some healthcare sectors have set up incentives to motivate the nurses to work for extra hours. This is an indication that the demand for their services is increasing in order to cover for the shortage. In order to address this shortage, the government should embark on a process of employing new nurses. There are very many nurses that are remains unemployed in the society. Therefore, for the government to close this gap and avoid putting too much pressure on the current nurses, it should employ new nurses and expand the training institutions for nurses in order to ensure that the nurses being released to the market meet the set requirements (Chapman & Utica College,

Offshore Outsourcing in Service Sector Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Offshore Outsourcing in Service Sector - Essay Example This essay stresses that  firms face complex decisions as they outsource reorganize the value chains as offshore outsource some activities. The firms consider the cost reduction, standardisation of product quality, human capital and risks involved in reorganizing their value chains. The reorganization of value chains have tended to retain the knowledge oriented skills in the industrialised nations while the lower value added functions are transferred to developing or less advanced countries. Certain industries demonstrate ‘path dependent’ tendencies towards concentration of the processes and people in certain localities of the advanced countries such as the Silicon Valley in California.As the paper highlights  the geographical concentration is driven by the access to talented software engineers and programmers. The proximity to large pool of sophisticated users also driven the locality concentration of such firms. The firms have realised the economic gains of geograp hically separating the programming functions to lower cost countries overseas while the introduction of networked computer terminals have added more impetus for relocation of the routine functions.  Offshoring software development in Ukraine is driven by the culture of research and availability of highly talented personnel due to reliance of IT technologies. The increased competitiveness has forced firms to reengineer in order to seek new knowledge and arbitrage costs.

Role of Genetics in Myopia

Role of Genetics in Myopia Myopia, also known as short-sightedness, is a refractive error defined as an optical condition where parallel light rays entering the eye are focussed before the retina, resulting in a blurred image. Optical correction of this refractive error can be done with spectacles, contact lenses and surgical procedures such as photorefractive keratectomy. People with myopia are usually classified into two groups, low to moderate myopia (0.00D to -6.00D) or high/pathological myopia (greater than -6.00D). High myopia is also known as pathological myopia because it is often associated with sight threatening ocular conditions such as retinal detachment, macular degeneration, and glaucoma (Fredrick, 2002). Also systemic findings of many genetic syndromes such as Marfan and Stickler syndromes have myopia as consistent feature (Terri et al., 2004). Throughout the world myopia is a common cause for visual disability particularly in underdeveloped countries where the health care is poor or even non-existent. Myopia currently affects over 1.5 billion worldwide and this  is expected to increase to approximately 2.5 billion by the year 2020 (Dirani et al., 2006a). Prevalence varies between countries and ethnicities, reaching as high as 9 out of 10 people affected in some Asian populations such as Singapore and China (Chow et al., 1990; Wong et al., 2000). Epidemiological studies show that the prevalence of myopia is increasing and this is becoming a significant public health problem (Fredrick, 2002; Paluru et al., 2003; Saw et al., 1996). As well as needing resources for optical correction of myopia, the associated increased risk of vision loss has further economic and social implications for the population. Therefore extensive research is being carried out to understand the mechanisms and factors underlying myopia development in aim to reduce the incidence of myopia. An emmetropic eye is one that has zero or negligible refractive error. Most babies are born hypermetropic (long-sighted) and emmetropisation is the process by which the eye goes through changes to reach emmetropia, this occurs within the first 5-8 years of life (Fredrick, 2002). The simple reason for the increasing prevalence of myopia may be due to changes in environment, especially modernisation of the underdeveloped world which is partly due to improved education infrastructure and the technological/internet revolution. This means people are now using their eyes for near tasks such as computing much more than before. Therefore this near visual experience may have some influence in the emmetropisation process, resulting in the eyes becoming myopic instead of emmetropic. However there are many studies, such as twin and family history studies that have also found a strong positive correlation between genetics and myopia (Hammond et al., 2001). Other studies have mapped particular gen es that influence the onset of myopia or predispose an individual to becoming myopic. It seems there is some interaction between environment and genetics and how they influence the onset and progression of myopia but the relative contribution of each is not fully understood (Saw et al., 1996). Identifying potential myopia disease genes will help us understand the pathophysiological mechanisms behind myopia development. The potential for this in the future would be the ability to identify individuals at risk from myopia and help develop preventative therapies (Tang et al., 2008). This dissertation will aim to explore the role of genetics in myopia and review the current genes that have been identified to be associated with myopia. There are multiple ways to help identify genes associated with myopia, and researchers often employ a combination of techniques to further validate their findings. Genes are identified using genetic markers and genetic mapping techniques, these are explained further below. Genetic markers A genetic marker is a gene or DNA sequence with a known location on a chromosome. It is usually described as a variation, which may be due to mutation or alteration in the genomic loci. This variation is what helps researchers identify genes associated with a particular trait like myopia. Genetic markers can be short DNA sequences, such as single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), or long sequences such as microsatellites. SNPs are polymorphic markers that are variations in the DNA sequence occurring when a single nucleotide in the genome differs between two members of the same species (Warthmann et al., 2007). For example people with myopia will have a common SNP compared to those without. Microsatellites are short sections of DNA made up of repeating units containing 10-60 base pairs. Although microsatellites may have different or unknown repeating units, the repeating unit within the microsatellite is relatively constant (Dorland, 2007). The number of repeating units varies between individuals in a species i.e. they vary in length and these differences in DNA can be detected via capillary gel electrophoresis (Tang et al., 2008). Microsatellites have a high level of polymorphism that makes them another useful tool to help identify genetic markers. Genetic maps are made up of many microsatellites with known positions; this allows genes to be located relative to the microsatellites. Genetic mapping The aim of genetic mapping is to assign DNA fragments to chromosomes, which eventually accumulates to a complete genetic map for a condition. There are two methods for genetic mapping; linkage analysis and association study (Tang et al., 2008). Each method has its own advantages that help overcome different situations. Linkage analysis Linkage analysis is based on the link between loci (locations of genes). If two loci are inherited together on the same chromosome then they are said to be linked. Meiosis results in genes being recombined from parent chromosomes into a new combination in the offspring and this crossing over of DNA can cause alleles previously on the same chromosome to be separated. Therefore if two loci are closer together, the possibility of them being inherited together is greater i.e. there is a reduced chance of alleles being separated and therefore the offspring is more likely to inherit parental traits. Linkage studies aim to uncover genetic markers that are linked to disease genes with the potential to identify other genes as possible disease gene candidates (Terri et al., 2004). Association studies (FIND BOOK REF) An association study is another route to help identify susceptibility genes when studying a multifactorial disease like myopia. Association studies are different from linkage studies in that a common allele is associated with the disease where as linkage study allows different alleles to be associated with the disease in different families (Cordell et al., 2005). There are two separate approaches that an association study can take, it can either be population-based or family based. The main aim is to compare DNA samples from affected individuals against non-affected individuals similar to case-control studies. If the findings show a common allele in the affected individuals that is not found in the controls then it can be assumed that this allele is positively associated with a specific disease (Zhang et al., 2010). Population-based association studies take a sample of people from the population and compares genetic markers between affected individuals (cases) and unaffected individuals (controls). The two groups must be unrelated (no blood relation) although the human population does share common ancestry and so it can be argued that the wider population is just an extended family (Tang et al., 2008; Cordell et al., 2005). Small genetic differences can be detected for complex traits using population-based studies and this can produce powerful results but there may be a confounding effect due to population stratification. Therefore a careful selection of cases and controls is required for a good quality association study. Family-based association studies involve nuclear families consisting of affected offspring and their parents. It is presumed that the non-transmitted alleles from the parents act as internal controls and the transmitted alleles act as the cases. This means family-based studies eliminate any mismatching between cases and controls, therefore avoiding any chance association due to population stratification (Tang et al., 2008). GENETIC INFLUENCE ON MYOPIA Many studies have been conducted to help identify the exact role of genetics in myopia onset and progression. As myopia seems to be multifactorial, twin and family studies are performed to help differentiate between the genetic influence and other factors such as an environmental influence. Twin studies There are two types of twin pairs; monozygotic and dizygotic. Identical twins are known as monozygotic i.e. they originated from the same fertilised ovum, where as dyzgotic twins originate from two separately fertilised eggs therefore their DNA is not identical. In 2001 a classic twin study was performed by Hammond et al. using 226 monozygotic and 280 dizygotic twin pairs from the UK, all female and aged between 49 and 19 years old. The study looked at heritability values of refractive error and found a much higher correlation in monozygotic twins compared to dizygotic twins; this can be seen in fig 1. This suggests there is a strong genetic influence when inheriting refractive error since monozygotic twins have identical DNA and dyzogitc twins only share up to half their DNA. However heritability is population specific, and if this study was repeated for another population sample with a different gene pool or environment then similar results may not be seen (Hammond et al., 2001). A more recent study carried out by Dirani et al. in 2006 was composed of 345 monozygotic and 267 dizygotic twin pairs aged between 18 and 88 years old. Twins were recruited from Australia both male and female. Again the study found similar results to above; a significantly higher correlation was found in the monozygotic than the dzygotic twin pairs. The study found that the high heritability can explained by additive and dominant genetic effects which suggests there are multiple genes involved in the aetiology of myopia (Dirani et al., 2006b). Many other twin studies have also reported on the importance of genetic factors in myopia (Teikari et al., 1980; Hu, D., 1981; Miller, E. M., 1995; Dirani et al., 2008). This leads one to conclude that genetics plays an important role in myopia development. However twin studies do rely on a common assumption that all twins share a similar environment (Dirani et al., 2006a). This way the studies performed can assume all results are are relative with no significant environmental discrepency i.e. there is no confounding effect as long as the assumption holds true. Although twin studies show good evidence of genetics influencing myopia, some argue they do not apply to the singleton population as twin studies rely on contestable assumptions (Hammond et al., 2001; Morgan et al., 2005). An alternative approach to studying the genetic influence is to conduct a familial study. Familial studies Familial studies concentrate on the heritability value of a condition being passed on from parents to their offspring. If there is a family history of particular condition then there is a greater probability that the children will inherit the same condition. For myopia, there is a higher risk of the children developing the condition if one or both parents have myopia compared to children without myopic parents (Zadnik et al., 1994). A study surveying 2888 children in China and Hong Kong found the prevalence of myopia to be 7.3% if neither parent was myopic, 26.2% if one parent was myopic and 45% if both parents were myopic, reinforcing the view of a strong genetic influence in myopia (Yap et al., 1993). Although this seems like a genetic predisposition to myopia, there is a possible confounding effect since family members not only share common genes but also share a similar environment (Morgan et al., 2005; Sperduto et al., 1996). Therefore when comparing families careful selection should be made to ensure a large difference in environmental circumstances does not exist between the families. If there is a difference in the environment then this should be factored into the results. Familial studies suggest that a gene-environment interaction exists but this conclusion must be used with an open-mind since parental myopia history can denote a genetic marker, a common lifestyle, or both (Saw at al., 2001; Young et al., 2007). Mendelian inheritance The classic Mendelian inheritance model has laws that state the inheritance of traits is linked to single genes on chromosomes in the nucleus. There are four modes of Mendelian inheritance; autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, X-linked dominant and X-linked recessive (Book ReF). There are genetic differences between forms of high myopia and low myopia (Olmedo et al., 1992; Pintado et al., 1992). Some studies have found a Mendelian inheritance pattern for myopia, particularly for dominantly inherited simple high myopia (Guggenheim et al., 2000). Young et al. found an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance identifying two loci for high myopia (Young et al., 1998a; Young et al., 1998b). A recent family-based study consisting of 162 Chinese nuclear families found an association and linkage between the myocilin gene (MYOC) polymorphisms and high myopia (Tang et al., 2007). Many other genetic linkage studies dealing with familial high myopia have also identified myopia loci with an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance (Naiglin et al., 2002; Paluru et al., 2003; Paluru et al., 2005; Zhang et al., 2005; Nallasamy et al., 2007). However, similar studies have also found that myopia is likely to be influenced by multiple genes (Hammond et al., 2004; Wojciechowski et al., 2006) and other factors like environment (Morgan et al., 2005). This concept of a multifactorial disorder suggests that myopia does not conform to a single-gene Mendelian inheritance model (Ashton, 1985; Klein et al., 2005; Young et al., 2007). Therefore Mendelian inheritance patterns may only apply to simple high myopia i.e. low myopia and some forms of high myopia are comlex traits that do not conform to a Mendelian inheritance model. Complex trait myopia Myopia can be expressed as part of a syndrome, rarely as a monogenic form (typically high myopia) or most commonly as a complex disorder (Tang et al., 2008). A complex trait results from the interaction of multiple factors, each of which has a relatively small effect. Family studies show that myopia is more prevalent with a positive family history but it is not a single-gene defect and there may be an environmental influence. This multi-factorial inheritance suggests that the disorder is only expressed if a critical number of genes are inherited independently, and accompanied with an environmental influence i.e. near-work (Saw et al., 1996; Young et al., 2007). Many low myopia loci have also been mapped using linkage analysis (Hammond et al., 2004; Wojciechowski et al., 2006; Klein et al., 2007). However, the genes influencing myopia onset and progression are still not fully understood and research has continued to help identify potential candidate genes that may have a critical role in myopia development. Susceptibility genes Many genes are involved in eye development processes such as emmetropisation, and some of these have been suggested as candidate genes that make an individual more susceptible to develop myopia. PAX6 The PAX6 gene is part of the Pax family that are transcriptional regulators and have an important role in the developing eye. Mutations in the PAX6 gene have been implicated for the development of serious ocular conditions such as aniridia and congenital cataracts (Glaser et al., 1994; Hever et al., 2006). Varying the dosage of PAX6 gene in transgenic mice has been proved to influence eye size (Schedl et al., 1996). Therefore it is thought that polymorphisms in the PAX6 gene may be associated with developing a refractive error in humans. Hammond et al. (2004) carried out a genomewide scan of 221 dyzygotic twins and found 5 SNPs with strong linkage to the PAX6 gene but no associtaion, suggesting that PAX6 may influence myopia development. Another study perfomed by Simpson et al. (2007) used 25 tag SNPs, which covered the PAX6 gene, and found no association between PAX6 and refractive error. However, more recent studies have suggested there is an association between the PAX6 gene and high myopia (Tsai et al., 2008; Han et al., 2009). It seems an association may exist but due to the lack of evidence further investigation is required to fully understand the potential influence of the PAX6 gene in myopia development. TGIF The transforming growth ÃŽ ²-induced factor (TGIF) gene functions as a transcriptional repressor. Mutations in TGIF have been identfied in patients with holoprosencephaly; a common congenital forebrain development defect (Satoh et al., 2008). Young et al. (1998) identified MYP2 locus on chromosome 18p11.31 to be associated with autosomal dominant high myopia. The TGIF gene has been mapped to be located within the MYP2 interval and therefore is considered as a candidate gene for MYP2-associated high myopia. However, studies investigating the relationship between TGIF and high myopia have not found any association (Scavello et al., 2004; Hasumi et al., 2006; Wang et al., 2009) Although experimental science has found a strong expression of TGIF in mice during early stages of retinal development (Satoh et al., 2008), the exact role of TGIF in neural development is not fully understood. Further research is required to determine the underlying mechanisms and influence of TGIF in developmental processes. HGF The hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has been found to be strongly linked to determining the eye size in mice i.e. causing myopia (Zhou et al., 1999). HGF has also been closely associated with biological mechanisms influencing axial myopia such as critical scleral remolding proteinases (Hamasuna et al., 1999; Gong et al., 2003). This makes HGF a potential candidate gene for myopia. A recent family-based study found a positive association between a HGF gene polymorphism and high myopia in the Han Chinese population (Han et al.,2006). However, another study by Wang et al. (2009) found little association between HGF and myopia. It seems many candidate genes have been suggested to be associated with myopia, particularly with high myopia loci, but none of them have been proven to be clearly involved (Scavello et al., 2004; Young, T. L., 2004; Wang et al., 2009). Environmental Influence Normally in humans the eyes develop from neonatal hypermetropia to emmetropia in the early years of life (Fredrick, 2002). However, this same process in animal models can be disrupted by environmental factors. Experimental animal studies have shown that if an image is not allowed to be focussed on the retina, either by suturing eyelids or placing diffusers over the eye, then myopia will develop (Wallman et al., 1978; Raviola et al., 1985; Siegwart et al., 1998). In human infants naturally occuring diseases, such as congenital cataracts and periocular haemangiomas, cause similar vision deprivation. In eyes that are left untreated, axial elongation and myopia develops (Hoyt et al., 1981; Fredrick, 2002), however not all these patients develop myopia (Young et al., 2007). Therefore the emmetropisation process may be sensitive to envronmental factors but it is not solely influenced by them. Myopia prevalence is increasing and becoming a more significant public health problem (Saw et al., 1996; Fredrick, 2002; Paluru et al., 2003). The use-abuse theory suggests that near work causes myopia, therefore people that are highly educated are more like to be myopic than others (Saw et al., 1996). However educational attainment is related to intellect which is strongly influenced by genes, therefore the use-abuse theory should not be solely considered as an environmental factor (Dirani et al., 2008b). Differences in myopia prevalence between the old and new generations also suggest that myopia is more likely to be influenced by environmental changes, such as increased near work like surfing the internet, rather than genetic changes. However, even in these modern times with a high incidence of myopia, there are individuals that do not develop myopia. This supports the theory of influential interaction between genetics and environment factors i.e. some individuals are genetically predisposed that makes them more susceptible to develop myopia due to environmental risk factors, such as near work (Lyhne et al., 2001). Gene-environment interaction In this theory it is assumed that myopia results from both genetic and environmental factors. This means that in the parental generation, those that have myopia genes may not develop myopia due to lack of exposure to environmental risk factors and those that have no myopia genes but are exposed to the environmental risk may become myopic. Therefore this makes it very difficult to study the potential impact of this theory, particularly where there are large changes in the environment and prevalence of myopia between old and new generations (Morgan et al., 2005). Saw et al. (2001) found that although a gene-environment interaction may exist for myopia, the association between near work and myopia is different for children with no, one or two myopic parents. The study found that children can be classified as high or low-risk depending on if parental myopia exists e.g. those with two myopic parents and high environmental exposure have a significatntly higher chance of developing myopia compared to those on the opposite scale. However, it is not known whether family history is a factor due mainly to inheritance or to common lifestyle, nor is it known how inheritance might interact with nearwork (Goss, 2000). In 2001 Lyhne et al. performed a study to investigate the genetic and environmental impact on myopia. The study found a strong heritability value for myopia but no significant environmental impact. Other studies have also explored the complex gene-environment theory but have not found any conclusive results (Zadnik et al., 1994; Saw et al., 2001). Many studies looking at the potential interaction between genes and environment use a classic quantitative method to analyse their results. This method does not take into account the potential influence of gene-environment interactions. Therefore to get a true quantitative estimation of interaction the model needs to include a very large population sample with reliable information on early life environmental encounters, such as study habits (Lyhne et al., 2001). However, the environment may have a significant influence, especially when you compare the increasing prevalence of myopia with the modern world where there is better educational, increasing computer usage and mobile phones etc. The gene-environment interaction theory needs to be investigated further to help understand the relative influence of individual factors and how they work together. DISCUSSION It is generally accepted that myopia is a complex disease and its increasing prevalence is becoming a more significant public health problem; there is the social impact of visual disability and economic impact of treatment costs. This has instigated many research projects to help identify underlying mechanisms influencing myopia onset and progression. Current mapping techniques include linkage-analysis and association studies Credibility of  Mapping Techniques Each has its own advantages and researchers tend to use a combination of mapping techniques to help identify myopia loci and study potential disease genes. Many myopia loci have been identified and candidate genes have been suggested, but no specific genes have been identified to cause myopia. Results from family studies and twin studies have suggested there is a strong genetic influence in myopia development. However, the genes involved in complex or multi-factorial diseases are difficult to identify and their influence may be affected by unrelated genes and environment (Young, 2004). Therefore when selecting samples for studies care needs to be taken to ensure any discrepancies are kept to a minimum and taken into account when interpreting results. Other factors such as environment have also been implicated in the development of myopia, especially when looking at results from animal studies. The main environmental risk factor is considered to be increasing near work but there are possibly other environmental aspects to also consider such as personality, social and cultural factors. Understanding each factor in association to myopia will help further understand the environmental influence and the extent of interaction between genes and environment. This gives rise to the gene-environment theory which is very difficult to study. This is because myopia is a complex disease where several different influential factors may need to be taken into consideration when performing a study. Again much more investigative research is required to understand and add substance to this theory. In 2003 the 13-year Human Genome Project was completed and identified approximately all the genes in the human DNA. Currently analysis of the data is continuing through many research projects. Further advancements in genetic research and technology will definitely benefit the human population and hopefully ongoing research will eventually give us a much better insight into the underlying mechanisms of myopia development. This will in turn help determine the relative influence between genetics and environment, and eventually help develop better therapies to manage myopia.

My Counseling Theory Paper Essay

Running head:Finding Meaning Finding Meaning in Life Sandy Patty Made Up University Abstract What is to be said about life and circumstances? There are many different theories and perspectives about it, but my concern is when someone feels they have to be subject to their circumstance. Further in this paper I will discuss my personal counseling theory and how I believe that not one person has to be ruled by a certain circumstance and that they are not by any means validated by one person because they have the opportunity to discover meaning in their life for themselves and discover an array of opportunities in life. Finding Meaning in Life Introduction My story is not something new or one that has never been told before, but it is unique to me and bears significant value due to the way that it shaped and formed me into the person I am today and the reason for me pursuing a career in counseling. I come from a mixed, biracial, and very religious family. The women in my family all seem to have gone through significant and grave hardships and/or traumatic experiences. My grandmother was sold as a sex slave when she was 3 years old because her Mother was dirt poor and needed money to sustain her drug/alcohol addiction. At an early age my grandmother was forced into prostitution as a way of life and a means to sustain herself. She then later met my grandfather who was a minister in a local religious church and they married. My mother was born into a very religious environment, strict dress codes, no jewelry, makeup, pants, they were forcefully instructed that they were the lesser of men, and they were to always obey their husband regardless of the issue or circumstance. During my Mother’s adolescent years she was a victim of child molest and the perpetrator was an important figure in the church. When my Mother attempted to tell my grandmother what had happened, she was severely physically punished and accused of lying. Since then, she never once told a soul as it continued to occur. She had become a pin-cushion for a â€Å"religious leader† within the church. Later on in life, my Mother met my father who was a young youth pastor in town and they married. My father was also a very religious man and held strongly to his beliefs. My parents struggled financially and experienced many hardships due to church and family. I believe my parents were somewhat forced in marriage at such an early age due to their religious setting and they were not prepared at all for what faced them ahead. My mother had children by age 19 and her life changed dramatically. My one and only older sibling was born and he became the closest thing to a mentor that I had. I too, grew up in a very religious and strict home environment. We were taught that there was only one way to live and it was according to the Bible and the rules taught in Church, anything else was unacceptable and reprimanded. My father was always a very hard worker and was hardly home due to working so many jobs in order to provide for the family. When he was home, I remember him and my mother arguing constantly due to issues with his family interfering with their marriage and finances. From an early age, I remember my mother crying and coming to me to talk about what was bothering her or issues with my father. I would just listen and offer advice as best as an 8 yr. old could and I remember thinking to myself, â€Å"Is this normal, am I supposed to be doing this?It felt strange and hard to not be biased in a situation involving my family, but I learned at a very young age things a child should not know or experience. I definitely had to grow up quick and learned to figure things out on my own. My older brother pretty much raised me and was the only person I could confide in or talk to. My family was not very affectionate, but rather very cold and distant and always brought everything back to a religious setting. I have always been told I was very mature for my age and I attribute this to my childhood or lack thereof and being forced to play an adult role due to circumstance. I do not write this story for pity, but rather because I believe it played a significant role in me pursuing counseling as a career path. It feels so natural for me when I’m talking to people because it was something I can always remember doing. From such an early age, I have always been engaged with older people and hearing about issues from failed relationships to traumatic/crisis situations. I strongly believe that this is one of the reasons I am not a very judgmental person because I feel I have experienced so much that I know what it is like to go through many different situations and not so pleasant circumstances. Core Theoretical Principles My counseling theory is that even though human beings have the need for approval or longing of someone else to bring substantial meaning in their life, they are not by any means validated by any one person or situation because you focus on the present and future and make the most of your circumstance. I experienced that in my childhood every time I saw my mother and father arguing and later I would hear from her what exactly happened between them. I remember thinking to myself that why would someone stay in an abusive situation or at least not stand up for themselves. I concluded that she needed to be validated by the relationship and for her to leave the relationship or stand up for herself would mean to defy her husband, church, and God. The Existential theory really brought insight into my life because it helped me understand what I always knew and from what I had experienced at an early age. In essence Existentialism states that we are not victims of circumstance because, to a large extent, we are what we choose to be (Corey, 2009, pg. 133). It is about recognizing certain tragedies experienced in life, but also embracing and understanding the positive opportunities that lie ahead, and to also comprehend the fact that we are human and what it means to be just that. It is a difficult concept to grasp at first because society teaches us that it is about building relationships and finding someone to validate who you are as a person, but existentialism is about understanding and facing the fact that we are essentially alone and facing that anxiety. It is in this theory that we tend to discover just who we are as a person and are able to discover more about ourselves and make sense of our existence. According to Carl Rogers, his experience taught him that if one is able to get to the core of an individual, one finds a trustworthy, positive center. He believed that people are trustworthy, resourceful, capable of self-understanding and self-direction, able to make constructive changes, and able to live effective and productive lives. In this theory, I believe that despite circumstance, a person is able to â€Å"bounce back† and still be able to live a healthy and high functioning life. I would incorporate what Car Rogers expressed as the three main attributes needed to foster change, Congruence, Unconditional Positive Regard, and Accurate Empathic Understanding. For me, it has always been very important for me to deal with someone on a personal level, never forgetting that we are all humans and not above anyone else. I honestly believe that when you treat someone with respect regardless of age, gender, race, etc. then trust and respect is created and that is the number one element in any counseling relationship. Gestalt is another form of holistic psychology theory and one that I would strongly employ because I am a firm believer in perception and the meaning-making process. Gestalt therapy suggests that the objective is to enable the client to become more fully and creatively alive and to become free from the blocks and unfinished business that may diminish satisfaction, fulfillment, and growth, and to experiment with new ways of being (Corey, 2009, pg. 204). It looks at the bigger picture as a whole not just one part of the whole because I believe in order to truly understand someone you need to perhaps dissect pieces, but only in order to understand the whole. Anticipated Settings I currently am employed at a Child & Family Advocacy Center that helps victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and elder abuse. I have always been interested in the helping profession and because of my childhood and the many different experiences and circumstances I encountered, I have always known I wanted to work in this specific area in order to attempt to make a change and help people who fall victims of such a terrible circumstance. As a future counselor I would like to remain relatively in the same field of helping victims of a crime, which include sexual assault, child molest, and domestic violence. I have seen and experienced all of this personally whether with family or friends and I have a passion and urge to help make a difference. I believe that life is definitely not fair, people are played the cards they are dealt, but also that a person is not validated by their past circumstances or anyone and it is up to them to find meaning in their life and discover who they are and want to become. Techniques I believe that it is necessary to provide adequate education and training to all the community because there are many people who unaware of the laws that can protect them from crimes and they are also unaware of the many various options they have to change their situation. I would employ an ongoing community education program offering free training to local offices, schools, day cares, etc. , just to spread the word of the different community resources available to help the people. In working closely with and advocacy center, I would incorporate a domestic violence group that is not biased and one that actually helpful to people and does not enable them. Unfortunately, services in this area are limited to the same service providers and people are left with limited options. Too many times, clients have approached me with disappointment in therapist they have encountered and they are turned off by the idea of counseling because of several negative experiences. I am very passionate about this type of work specifically because of my past and I would like to genuinely be able to help people in these types of situations and therefore, would in the future, like to offer counseling services specifically to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and/or child abuse. I would not be biased, and because of my past I understand what it is like to live in that type of situation and I also understand leaving is not always the easiest decision a person can make because there are many factors to consider. People in these types of situations are very unique in the fact that they have learned to survive on their own and know what they need to do or to say the right thing in order to survive. This is not a situation where one counseling theory covers all clients, so I would tailor each to the specific person because I understand their situation is unique and requires a technique to match. Also, I believe that it is vital to establish a healthy relationship with the client in order for them to trust you and open up to you. I would incorporate many of the Rogerian techniques regarding the genuine relationship with the client, trusting environment. Victims of any of these types of crime have been through some of the most horrendous situations and they have learned to adapt to the perpetrators needs and threats. If a counselor walks into a session with an â€Å"all knowing† authoritative attitude it will discourage the victim from speaking the truth and the counselor will have lost, which may have been the only opportunity, to help the victim possible change their circumstance. I would enter into the counselor/client relationship giving respect and trust on my part and genuinely attempting to get to know the client and their unique situation. I would also involve the client every step of the way because it is this same client that returns to their situation at home and not me so I would always need to have their best interest and safety in mind. The clients would not just be another file on my desk, but rather a person who’s life can be altered by perhaps just one meeting in counseling so what better change to reach out and try and help someone. It is with this that I would definitely incorporate many of the existential techniques in helping clients find meaning in their life by exploring their different life situations. Limitations A very common limitation that I experience already in the line of work I do now is the fact that even though I am passionate about this field, the actuality of it is that I cannot change a person, they have to decide for themselves when that change is appropriate. Many times I have seen counselors burnout in this field because they feel they are not making any significant change due to many victims returning to the same abusive relationship or circumstance. So in theory, all of these techniques and theories are wonderful, but in reality they are dependent on the client. Summary Life is simple, it’s just not easy. People have to play the cards they are dealt. Life is not fair by any means and we could use this as an excuse to wallow in pity or use it to motivate us to overcome and conquer our situation. We are not validated by any one circumstance or person, we can choose to discover for ourselves who we are and who we wish to become. My personal counseling theory is just that, very personal because it was unknowingly developed over time due mostly through what I have experienced in life.

School play – “Heroin Lies”

Drugs and the use of drugs is a common problem with young people in society. The two productions I will be comparing in this essay both run on the theme of drugs. Our play performed in class is called â€Å"Heroin Lies† and this will be compared to â€Å"Junk† a book and then tv programme also running on the theme of drugs. â€Å"Heroin Lies† the play was written by Wayne Denfhy in 1991, compared to â€Å"Junk† written by Melvin Burgess in 1996, and as research I read the original book as I felt it would help me to compare to â€Å"Heroin Lies†. In our performance of â€Å"Heroin Lies† I play the part of ‘David' who is the father of heroin addict Vicky. I had to take up the role as a strict father who wanted his family to be strong and was very dissapointed in his daughter Vicky when she admitted to taking the drugs, however he shares a mutual respect with his other child Jason, who also featured in out perfomance. I watched and read some shows and books to try and find different aspects of fatherhood to make my perfomance spot on, I also made diagrams of my character and would write different aspects of their life around the diagram to try and get to know the part I would be taking up and thei characteristics. To help me in my work I looked for information in many different places, such as the library where I would read books on heroin so that I would feel knowledgeble to the work we were studying. I also went onto the internet and watched tv programmes where I would be able to watch a performance by an actor playing a Dad that could enhance my performance as I would try and learn the way the actors I watched would move and talk etc. In addition to this I would also watch the actions of my own dad to see if any of his characteristics would help me when rehearsing for the part of David. To help me with undertand â€Å"Junk† I read the book as research for more background information on the story and characters. â€Å"Heroin Lies† is basically a story of a normal family getting pulled apart and ruined down to the daughter ‘Vicky' taking heroin. The four main parts are David (Father, played by myself), Jean (Mother), Jason (Son, brother of Vicky) and Vicky (Daughter and heroin addict). As the plot continues throughout the play, Vicky ends up dying at the end,this saddening the auidience and most notably the three remaining members of the family. The play targets drugs and young people just givig into them, â€Å"Teenage pressures†¦ that the excuse eh?† (David, scene 15). Throughout the play, family arguments, monologues all add to the theme of drugs as they are mainly arguments about how Vicky has let the family down. Another key theme is the one of giving in, as thats how Vicky takes the heroin in the first place as she gives into her friend Mandy. â€Å"Junk† is alike to â€Å"Heroin lies† in many ways, its also a story of drug abuse and young people giving in and getting addicted to heroin. Its set in Bristol in the 1980's. Its a story of young lovers Tar and Gemma both running away from home to live together but end up with drug users who get the two of them into drugs such as heroin. Tar is very different to Vicky and Gemma as his parents dont really care that he has left and wouldnt care to find out he does drugs, whereas Vicky and Gemma both has protective paresnts that are devasted to find out that their daughters do drugs, although Gemma's dont really ever find out. Again like â€Å"Heroin lies† Gemma starts drugs down to peer pressure and giving into friends, â€Å"I got something in here that might change your mind† – Tar says to Gemma as he waits to give her a cigarette. Our performance is set in the present day, compared to â€Å"Junk† which was set in the 80's. I feel that the 20 year gap between the two productions is hard to tell as drugs have been, and always will be a danger to society and in both we can feel the dangers of heroin taking and the affect its having on characters such as Gemma, Tar and Vicky. Some characters are alkie to one another on both plays, in â€Å"Heroin Lies† Vicky is alike to the part of Gemma from â€Å"Junk†, I think this is because they are around the same age, they both gave in to taking heroin and they are both from working class families who are bitterly dissapointed in them becoming drug addicts. Also its evident that in both plays the father roles played by David in â€Å"Heroin Lies† and the father in â€Å"Junk† are alike as they both command the relationships with their wives and they are both feeling that they are in control of the situations regarding Vicky's drug problem, and Gemma running away from home, although really neither of them have any control in the matter whatsoever â€Å"He asked you to stay out all night with him!† (Gemma's father to Gemma when she tells of how she wated to stay out with Tar). Many of the viewers may be able to relate to the parts of Vicky, Gemma, Tar, Jason David, Jean etc, as they too may have been in a similiar situaion. This shows how effective a play can be with this sort of relevance and social histroical content. The members of our performance are all young and we cn relate to the arguments with the parents, therefore making it a lot easier to act as we can relate to real life issues. This may be alike to the actors and actresses in the tv programme of â€Å"Junk† as they were around the same age as the people in my group and myself. The theme of drugs and heroin usage is a strong theme to use as a stimulas in our performance and the original of the book and play. In our play we used many theartre skills to master the script we were given. We have used real life issues from our own lives to use in the performance as we feel that it would give us a better understanding of the words we were saying, this meaning better acting, giving off a better performance to the audience. I used research from the internet as did other member of the group. Mainly used for the work on our characterisations. We have used props and we have rehearsed our stage direrctions to perfection so that it symblises real family life yet letting the audience see all of the characters and their emotions clearly. Also we used monlogues and hot seating where people would ask us questions and we would answer in character, this helped us and the fellow memebers of the group understand each character with a better undertsanding. In conclusion comapring my groups peformance of â€Å"Heroin Lies† and the book â€Å"Junk† I feel that they share many similarities and few and far between differeces. The main themes and characters were alike in both productions, even the storylines had its similairites! I have learnt a lot from this whole experience, I learnt not only about heroin and the usage and affect it can have on families, but I learnt how to put that into a performance. Its been a great experience overall, and I have enjoyed working on this project a lot! Also out of it I have read two very interesting different pieces of work, that have left an everlasting impression on me.

The Curious Case of Whet

The Curious Case of Whet The Curious Case of â€Å"Whet† The Curious Case of â€Å"Whet† By Maeve Maddox Here’s a question from Caro that cites a usage for whet that I’ve never heard: I have recently seen several people using the word â€Å"whet† in place of the word â€Å"wet†.   (In one case, I asked a friend if shed meant to say â€Å"wet† but she said it can also be used as a dirtier form for â€Å"wanton† I can only wonder what the friend understands by wanton. Both whet and wet have been in the language since Ango-Saxon times. whet: OE hwettan to sharpen† Even back then the word could have the figurative sense of â€Å"to encourage.† wet: OE wà ¦t moist, liquid, OE wà ¦tan to be wet. OE wà ¦ter, â€Å"water.† When I taught young girls in England, I often heard one of them say that So-and-So was â€Å"wet.† It meant that the unfortunate girl under discussion was â€Å"socially ineffectual† or, as they may be saying now, â€Å"wimpy.† I don’t often hear the word wanton in ordinary conversation. It can mean â€Å"lascivious† as in â€Å"that wanton hussy.† Youre more likely to hear someone refer to â€Å"wanton cruelty.† In the latter example the meaning is â€Å"merciless, unfeeling, inhuman†: Leaving those dogs tied up in the backyard when they moved was wanton cruelty. The earliest meaning of wanton was similar to the French expression mal à ©levà ©, â€Å"badly brought up.† Wanton was a word to use when referring to unruly or unsocialized children as Shakespeare does in Lear: As flies to wanton boys are we to the Gods. They kill us for their sport. Wanton was originally a two-part word: wan-towen. OE wan meant â€Å"wanting or lacking.† OE togen was the past participle of teon, â€Å"to train, to discipline.† The wanton child was lacking in discipline. Expressions with â€Å"whet† in the sense of â€Å"encourage† or â€Å"stimulate† whet one’s appetite: stimulate one’s desire to eat whet one’s whistle: clear one’s throat by taking a drink whet one’s anger: increase feelings of anger Expressions with â€Å"wet† wet one’s whistle: take a drink wet-nurse (1620): a woman hired to nurse another’s infant wet dream (1851): nocturnal emission wet blanket (1879): a person who brings down the spirits of others, (the way a wet blanket may be used to smother a fire). to be all wet (1923): to be in the wrong wetback (1924): illegal Mexican immigrant (wet because of wading the Rio Grande). Bottomline: Using whet as a â€Å"dirtier form of wanton† is totally bizarre. (But then, not being au courant with the latest slang, I may be all wet.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Regarding Re:50 Diminutive Suffixes (and a Cute Little Prefix)Oppose and Opposed To

Civil War Essays - Causes Of War, Peace And Conflict Studies

Civil War Essays - Causes Of War, Peace And Conflict Studies Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly united nation state. The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies. Civil wars since the end of World War II have lasted on average just over four years, a dramatic rise from the one-and-a-half year average of the 1900-1944 period. While the rate of emergence of new civil wars has been relatively steady since the mid-19th century, the increasing length of those wars resulted in increasing numbers of wars ongoing at any one time. For example, there were no more than five civil wars underway simultaneously in the first half of the 20th century, while over 20 concurrent civil wars were occurring at the end of the Cold War, before a significant decrease as conflicts strongly associated with the superpower rivalry came to an end. Since 1945, civil wars have resulted in the deaths of over 25 million people, as well as the forced displacement of millions more. Civil wars have further resulted in economic collapse; Burma, Uganda and Angola are examples of nations that were considered to have promising futures before being engulfed in civil wars. Formal classification James Fearon, a scholar of civil wars at Stanford University, defines a civil war as "a violent conflict within a country fought by organized groups that aim to take power at the center or in a region, or to change government policies". The Correlates of War, a dataset widely used by scholars of conflict, classifies civil wars as having over 1000 war-related casualties per year of conflict. This rate is a small fraction of the millions killed in the Second Sudanese Civil War and Cambodian Civil War, for example, but excludes several highly publicized conflicts, such as The Troubles of Northern Ireland and the struggle of the African National Congress in Apartheid-era South Africa. That the Party in revolt against the de jure Government possesses an organized military force, an authority responsible for its acts, acting within a determinate territory and having the means of respecting and ensuring respect for the Convention. That the legal Government is obliged to have recourse to the regular military forces against insurgents organized as military and in possession of a part of the national territory. That the de jure Government has recognized the insurgents as belligerents; or That it has claimed for itself the rights of a belligerent; or That it has accorded the insurgents recognition as belligerents for the purposes only of the present Convention; or That the dispute has been admitted to the agenda of the Security Council or the General Assembly of the United Nations as being a threat to international peace, a breach of the peace, or an act of aggression. That the insurgents have an organization purporting to have the characteristics of a State. That the insurgent civil authority exercises de facto authority over the population within a determinate portion of the national territory. That the armed forces act under the direction of an organized authority and are prepared to observe the ordinary laws of war. That the insurgent civil authority agrees to be bound by the provisions of the Convention. Causes of civil war in the Collier-Hoeffler Model Scholars investigating the cause of civil war are attracted by two opposing theories, greed versus grievance. Roughly stated: are conflicts caused by who people are, whether that be defined in terms of ethnicity, religion or other social affiliation, or do conflicts begin because it is in the economic best interests of individuals and groups to start them? Scholarly analysis supports the conclusion that economic and structural factors are more important than those of identity in predicting occurrences of civil war. A comprehensive studies of civil war was carried out by a team from the World Bank in the early 21st century. The study framework, which came to be called the Collier-Hoeffler Model, examined 78 five-year increments when civil war occurred from 1960 to 1999, as well as 1,167 five-year increments of "no civil war" for comparison, and subjected the data set to regression analysis to see the effect of various factors. The factors that were shown to have

Communications between Group Members Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Communications between Group Members - Essay Example The author of the paper states that solving the problem involves taking on a leadership role, one where the group leader tries to bridge differences between group member principles. By setting a vision for the group, which is a constant reminder of the goals set for discussion, everyone can remember to stay focused and not let individual differences guide decision-making or problem-solving. It is necessary, I have found, or the group to have a solid leader with strong emotional intelligence. Actions to take include role playing, which allows a person in the group to understand the needs and emotions of others by pretending to walk in their proverbial shoes. A leader acts as the moderator for others to ensure discussion stays on topic. Another action is role modeling or setting the example for others by maintaining professionalism and using empathy to show others that they are understood and their suggestions considered. This brings group harmony.

Critically consider the role and value of organisational performance Essay

Critically consider the role and value of organisational performance assessment - Essay Example On the other hand, Robert Anthony also stated that the success of a lot of companies may be attributed not only to â€Å"good strategies† but also to these companies’ â€Å"designed systems and processes that energize their employees to execute those strategies effectively†. Thus, to be a successful organisation, it is not only necessary to have well-thought out goals, plans, targets and strategies but there should be a well-executed system that will enable the organisation to achieve these goals and targets. In turn, an organisation knows when its systems and processes are being executed effectively and efficiently if it has a well-placed performance assessment system to evaluate the performance of the organization after these systems and processes are implemented. There are various ways to assess an organisation’s performance. According to Carter McNamara, â€Å"assessments might be planned, systematic and explicit †¦ or unplanned and implicit. Well-done assessments typically use tools, such as comprehensive questionnaires, SWOT analyses, diagnostic models †¦, etc., along with comparison of results to various "best practices" or industry standards†. The assessments may also cover financial or non-financial control systems. Tools used may also vary, depending on the objectives of the organization in conducting the assessment. These tools may include one or more of the following: the balanced scorecard, benchmarking, business process reengineering, management by objectives, program evaluation and total quality management. Alternatively, the organization may have its own in-house developed performance assessment system. It aids in the decision-making process regarding some (not all) aspects of the organisation such as the effectiveness of specific strategies, whether to merge with another organisation, whether to expand to a new market, to a new product line or to an entirely new business. It addresses