Analyzing World Cultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analyzing World Cultures - Essay Example It also comprises of upholding human rights while ensuring equitability in sharing of natural resources. Culture can be expressed in various forms such as through vernacular, songs, dances, clothes, folktales etc. The analysis of the culture of Indians and Japans can be made by looking into the cultural expressions presented through videos such as India Bollywood movies and Japan Anime videos. Bollywood here represents the Hindi film industry which uses the regional languages in their movies. For the Anime videos it uses cartoons as characters to present the theme of the video. They employ the user of computer-animated anime in various films, videos or movies to present the intended theme. Anime movies try to capture the rich Japanese culture focusing on the attitudes and concerns of people while giving a linkage to the past. This films, video games, music and manga made through use of past traditional artistic features serve as a link to the traditional art. They influence a large percentage of the population since most people generally spend many hours watching televisions and listening to the radio. This is a special phenomenon among the teenagers and retired people. Bollywood movies similarly just like anime videos depict the rich Indian culture. The major themes are usually upholding the traditions of the Indian people and the family values. The young characters who have embraced westernization are depicted going back to their roots which are deep rooted in tradition but somehow modern India. A good example of such depiction is the movie Kuch Kuch Hota Hai of 1998. The storyline is about a well foreign-educated young girl who tries to show here adherence to Indian values by giving up the superficial westernized way of life she was used to. A common feature in Bollywood is the use of songs in the middle of the movies to depict various emotions (Ravinder, 2002). The cultural differences

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Business law - Essay Example (c) the provision, criterion or practice puts or likely to put B at that disadvantage and (d) whereby A cannot justify his actions in pursuit of achieving a legitimate aim (legislation.gov.uk, n.d.). Thus, indirect discrimination can arise out of an employer’s policy applicable to everyone in the organization but happens to put a particular protected characteristic at a disadvantage. Sex is one of the nine protected characteristics under Equality Act. Indirect discrimination described above is a prohibited conduct in relation to the protected characteristics, subject to exceptions. The acts of discrimination as described above are applicable to persons or an individual with a protected characteristic. It also includes perceived discrimination. To cite an example of indirect discrimination in respect of a protected characteristic of sex, it is an indirect discrimination on the grounds of sex to impose a condition on a woman employee having young children to be cared for, to wor k in night shift. However, an employer can justify his policy if he could show that he has acted reasonably during the course of his business as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim which might be a lawful decision. ... Since stock prices would arrive late in the afternoon, requiring an employer not to insist employees to sit late in the afternoons of winter seasons is not justified since it is a legitimate need for the business to get stock prices for which there are no alternatives (ACAS, 2011). It was held in British Airways v Starmer (2005) that the employer erred in requiring a full time woman pilot to work 75 % part time as against her request to work on 50 % of the time to take care of her children since it amounted to act of sec discrimination having the potential to affect a significant portion of women workforce and the employer failed to provide evidence to justify application of provision or practice. (Painter & Holmes, 2012, p. 259) . Qn 2. This is a case of harassment defined in Equality Act 2010 and EU Directive 2000/78 as an unwarranted or undesirable conduct which has the potential of causing threatening, hostile, degrading, and humiliating or offensive environment or has the effect of violating dignity. This can take place in relation to any of the protected characteristics. Sexual orientation is one of them. The definition demonstrates the severity of the problem of harassment at workplace that pollutes the workplace environment. It is a prohibited conduct as per section 26 of the Equality Act as described under sub section 26 (1) (legislation.gov.uk, n.d.). Equality law allows other employees to complain even if the harassment is not directed at them (ACAS, 2011, p. 2). Thus Allan can file a complaint before the Employment Tribunal within six months of date of commission of harassment extended from three months as decided by House of Lords as a result of series of

Dynamic Nature Of Tourism And Hospitality Industry

Dynamic Nature Of Tourism And Hospitality Industry Tourism is a combination of services, activities and companies that provides you traveling experience with transportation, accommodation, food, entertainment, activity facilities and other hospitality services (Mathieson and Wall, 1982). Hospitality is how well the community accepts you and their attitude towards you which make you feel safe and welcome. It is the interaction between the host and the guest associated with protection, etiquettes and respect. The extent to which the community shows hospitality varies with the culture and subculture of different societies (Lankford S.V, 1994). Tourism and hospitality is claimed to be the worlds largest industry by World Tourism Organization (WTO) with turnover of $3 trillion dollars. Sri Lanka is famous for its tourism, mainly because of its beautiful islands beaches, old heritage and worlds best resorts in mountains. Tourist comes from all over the world for facilitating themselves and for this purpose the main tourism organization working is Sri Lanka Tourist Development Authority. This Organization is working in developing Sri Lanka to be the Asias most preferable tourist destination. It uses its products creatively while promising effective and efficient use of resources. They are working hard to identify unique services, formulating as well as implementing new strategies for tourism development. Structure This assignment is divided into five different sections from section A to section E. Section A would discuss the brief introduction about tourism/hospitality and the tourism organization selected, section B would define the different services and product offering offered by tourism organizations in order to promote growth, section C would discuss about the global demand issues that drive the constant need for updating tourism services. Whereas section D will focus on innovative strategies and activities followed by tourism organization to satisfy these changes in demand. Section E would discuss the services provided by SLTDA. B) Different Product/Services by Tourism Organizations: The basic services that the every tourist expects to receive are: Accommodation: Varies according to your packages from motels, private small hotels, 5 stars hotels and resorts. Food Facilities: Tourist experience depends a lot on the food quality he is available to as most often people travel for exploring the beautiful locations and for enjoying the different kind of food of that country. Time and Money: Tourism Development depends a lot on the access and ease the tourist gets after enjoying his vacations and for that it is important that he does not faces such issues relating to time and money specially. Accommodation, Tours, Sight-seeing, Cruises, Car rentals, Best Air fare rates, Transportation, Tour Guides, Entertainment are some of the basic facilities provided to you by tourism organizations depending about your package. Whether you want to have a luxurious vacation with all the facilities at its best or a simple economical holiday, this tourism organization has packages according to your budgets and demands (David Weaver, 2005). Tourism organization has to work on constant basis for developing there product portfolio in order to maintain their demand and to stimulate growth because once you have plan to go on a vacation, at first you select the best possible place depending on your affordability and after you have shortlisted two to three places you start listing them according to their product/services offering. The best tourism package offered with all the preferable facilities and the one which is within your range as well (David Weaver, 2005) B.1) Different Value Added Facilities Provided By Tourism Organization: Bucket shop: Bucket shops are retail outlets which offer discount rates in airfares in commission with tourism organizations. Charter airlines: These airlines facilitate the movement of tourists on packages tours or seat-only package. They offer low cost transportation services to holiday destinations, for this the customer however has to make compromises by traveling at inconvenient hours or by providing just elementary services. Computerized Reservation System (CRS): Access to airfares, schedules, packages, availability of seats and reservation beforehand become possible by this system. C) Global Demand Issues in Tourism C.1) Background Diversification is important in tourism. It refers the addition of new product to the already developed products portfolio; it is a process by which new products are added to the product portfolio of a tourism business or destination in order to avoid over-dependence on a few, often highly competitive, products. Tourism has changed in the last 30 years with the rise of the jet aircraft; it has now emerged as a global phenomenon. It is today one of the most important global industry. 593 million tourist travelled abroad in the year 1996 while in 2003, 694 million tourists travelled worldwide (Long, P. T, 2000) Before it was difficult to analyze the accurate data but after the development of Tourism Satellite Account(TSAs) it became easier as TSAs informs you about the accurate, reliable and comparable data which is collected by individual nation. However it was also came in notice that economic crisis like Gulf War, effect of 9/11, oil crisis in 1970s effect tourism and tourism organization economically as it is a global risk for tourists to travel in such conditions (Stephen J Page, 2005). C.2) Consumer and the changing world The economical as well as geo-political situation demands for new strategies day by day. Variation in technology, demographics, political and world scenario changes the outlook of world as well as of customer. There are two perspectives in this new demand factor. Demand is influenced by factors such as traveling motivation and the ability to travel and on the other hand we have behavioral changes like destination preferences, ease at traveling, quality of experience but all these demands vary upon the intention of traveling. The person who has been traveling a lot and is experienced will adjust to the surrounding even if it is not according to his demands (Martin Lohman, 2004) The other influencing factors in the tourism demand are divided into different categories for better understanding that is economy, politics, crisis and threats, demographic change and technology and all these factors are inter linked with each other. These factors have impact as holiday demand is driven by the need, motivation and realization depending on the economical situation of the individual and freedom to travel. External factor has an impact by effecting the ability to travel that is freedom, money, time, physical ability) while consumer behavior does not depend on any single factor but is actually the reaction caused by the external factors and is also backed by the internal factors such as motivation, strong desire (Martin Lohman, 2004). Moreover there are several emerging factors having its impact on the demand and creating this dynamic nature of tourism which is known to all however bringing an overnight change is not possible, similarly these trends will also not change the world tourism. C.3) Demographic Changes: Although it was a constant process but in recent years it is showing changes more often now and is considered to be the most important in the European countries. These demographic trends have an impact on tourism plan of countries. Previous researches has shown that people in European countries doesnt change their traveling pattern due to their increasing age or retirement but it is now observed that the generation when will reach the age of 60s would not follow the same pattern. The senior citizen today are more active and enjoy all these tourism activities but the senior lot in next 15 years will be dull and less active comparatively. Similarly the declining rate in number of children is also showing some changes but this rate is really slow to bring in notice therefore one does not expect tourism organizations to change or re-orient their strategies (Lohmann and Denielsson, 2001). C.4) Standardization vs. Unique Offering: Technology is changing, with this new era of changing trend it is expected that the customers will demand for high quality product offering and will thrive for change but it is also stated that a little bit of standardization is a must for tourism product portfolio. But too much standardization will be a bigger risk for organizations because there will be no variety offering matching to the rapid demand of exclusivity. The customer today wants both quality and uniqueness. This means that the industry has a new challenge because it has to maintain a balance between standardization and exclusivity (Lohman, 2004) Moreover considering the ongoing demand it is not necessary that the tourism product offered is good or not similarly whether the product is considered good by the consumer is also not important, the important thing is that it should be considerably in the list of priority high lightened by the tourist and should be considered the best in the specific list. Same goes for the tourism organization which include travel agencies, operators, hotel management and transportation in-charge by offering convinces and guidelines to help the consumers (Lohman, 2004). Currently there is no major changes to be predicted but that doesnt mean that we take it as a smooth path because one cannot predict future and it is always expected to show unexpected event for example any political change, any natural disaster, epidemic disease, war) therefore it is necessary and also possible that the tourism organizations prepare for the changing trend which can be identified by keeping a close eye on current situation. Demand is high but that will not make you able to sell anything to experienced tourists (Taylor, 2001). All these above global issues make it necessary for the tourism and hospitality organization to constantly develop their products to meet the constant demand. D) Strategies and Different Activities Employed By Tourism Organizations: Strategic planning consists of several steps. The first step is to formalize a proper organization which controls all the necessary details. Then a vision must be developed about how you actually want to shape out everything followed by other details including infrastructure and investment issues. D.1) Competition: As time is changing the world is also in constant demand of change which is resulting in competition among different countries thriving for economic growth, development better than the other country. Similarly the world tourism is also emerging day by day and countries are trying to benefit themselves by developing their country into a proper tourist spot in return generating huge revenue (Fainstein Gladstone, 1999). This will also benefit the country in prospering as developing the country will make the government work on infrastructure and surrounding quality along with that it will help making the relation stronger of the host country with the other countries whose tourists are welcomed with immense hospitality. Moreover for handling tourism more employment is needed which is good for the localities and it is also noticed that those countries which are not developing themselves for betterment and tourism may left behind in such a competitive environment where every other nation i s fighting for a standalone position in the planet (Fainstein Gladstone, 1999). Not just internationally it is expected among the cities as well within the same countries to work for their own betterment competing with the other city of the same nation. Every city mayor should work for the development of its own city which may eventually result making the city a place for tourism destination (Holcomb, 1999) D.2) Strategies Development: Countries that strive to be competitive must develop a long term strategy and start working on it because without a plan you cannot achieve your goal. Its a long term process because developing a country in a preferable tourism destination and above all developing the sense of hospitality among the local community is not an easy job. Therefore for achieving this difficult task you need to first develop a strategy which is a set of policies intended to achieve your goal and mission (Getz, 1997). D.3) Innovation: Further more once the mission is achieved one must not take it for granted and should work to improve it day by day as tourism industry can never settle on one standardize procedure, it must keep brining innovation depending on the current trend and demands on its consumer (Van den Berg et al, 1995). D.4) 3 As of Tourism: There are 3 As of tourism which must be kept in mind all the time because it has the core importance Access: Transportation must be provided to the tourist easily so that they can easily access their desirable tourist spots. Attraction: Tourists must find variety of attractive places to visit and explore. They must have different choices to make so that they can enjoy their trip completely instead of sitting at home even on vacations. Amenities: The facilities available to the tourist on the particular location or destination they plan to visit. However the most important A in this category is the second one Attraction as tourism is all about exploring and visiting different locations (Dieke and Karamustafa, 2000). D.5) Events: People are getting involved into different kinds of events and therefore chose holiday destination considering the upcoming possible event, so that they can enjoy their holiday break completely. Therefore the event business is also a profitable business these days. It is also noticed that sometime events make the tourist visit a specific location for example Dubai festivals or fashion shows make people visit Dubai, which often doesnt hold a desire for exploring Dubai but those events (Getz, 2004). This helps a lot in off seasons when tourism is at a low level encouraging the tourists to visit helping the tourism organization in maintain their profits. Besides that it also help in developing an image of the host country in a favorable position making the country as a favorite holiday destination for people from all over the world. (Mossberg, 2000) As events are important part of tourism, one should work for its marketing in a proper way. Promotions through blogs, brochures, press release are some common way for marketing the events. Different marketing channels should be adopted for promoting the events so that everyone comes to know about it and it should be done giving enough time to the travelers so that they can plan a trip conveniently. D.6) Culture and Roots: The host country should emphasize on its culture greatly because the tourist find it attractive as it gives them something different to explore. Ancient heritage, monuments is of keen interest for the tourists and in this way one can make its own culture known to the people worldwide as well (Mossberg, 2000). E) Sri Lankan Tourist Development Authority: E.1) Tourism In Sri Lanka: Sri Lankas main business comes from its tourism. It has ancient heritage, beaches, beautiful mountains, lush green resorts making it a perfect spot for holidays. Tourists comes from every part of the world to visit Sri Lanka as it has a really good tourism development organizations working for the betterment of industry and bringing diversification in there product offering. Visa policy for Sri Lanka is comparatively easy to get. Usually they give a tourist visa for 30 days but it can also get extended. Your visa can extend up to three months by paying some amount and it can further increase for three months giving extension fees along with additional Rs.10,000 however extension more than this depends upon the concerned authority ((Sri Lanka Development Tourist Authority Online) E.2) Different Exclusive Offering By SLTDA: Sri Lankan Tourist Development Authority offers different exclusive services in order to satisfy their customers and confirming a great experience depending on their affordability Heritage: Sri Lanka is rich in ancient heritage. It has preserved Asian monuments which are an attraction for people all around from the world especially for tourists who are fond of ancient culture and tradition specially visits Sri Lanka for enjoying these cultural, belief and traditional way of living that is held in reserve in the roots of Sri Lanka. UNESCO world heritage, Adams Peak are some of the must visit in Sri Lanka.(Sri Lanka Tourism Guide) SPA and Ayuerveda Treatment: They just not revive your mind and body but also try to sooth your soul by providing you with the most popular method AYUERVEDA for relaxing your body and mind and healing spiritual and physical problems by herbal treatments, various relaxing bath and body massages along with physical exercises such as yoga, aerobics and particular diets which help one feel relaxing and completely enjoying this lavishness of life which you usually do not cherish in your daily routine (Sri Lanka Tourism Guide). Shopping Destinations: Apart from beautiful and lavish shopping malls in Colombo and other larger cities, one can also enjoy traditional villager shopping in small villages and handcraft material from local vendor on a very cheap price, while brass work of Sri Lanka is also very famous due to its finesse. Another purchase f Sri Lanka are its silverware that is also given as a souvenir at times but the most famous of all are the widest variety of stone found in Sri Lanka because of which Sri Lanka is considered among the largest gem producer country therefore you can also facilitate yourself by getting yourself these stones on your visit (Sri Lanka Tourism Guide). Adventures Sports: Sri Lanka offers the chances of indulging in all kinds of sports specially adventures involving waters as it has more than 100 beaches which facilitate you to go for water skiing, water surfing, scuba diving, boating, Speed boating. Moreover these sports are run under the supervision of professionals and when you are thorough professionals you can also try killer fall, head chopper and drop. Apart from water adventure one can also enjoy wildlife, forest exploration, mountain climbing for being able to witness the worlds most beautiful scenery ahead. Beautiful waterfalls are also one of the desirable scenes to watch in Sri Lanka. Safari which happens to be the national park of Sri Lanka has variety of animals including different kinds of mammals, elephant, hog, porcupine, ant eater and variety of monkeys as well. Islands have different kinds of reptile (snakes, crocodiles as well) making it dangerous to wander carelessly as it is said that out of all these hundreds of reptile kinds 5 of snake found are deadly.(Sri Lanka Tourism Guide) Festivals: Sri Lanka is a city of on going entertainment and therefore every season you will witness some kind of celebration going on. Cultural festivals, Harvest festivals or some regional ceremonies are always taking place. All these are the exclusive offering which is given by the Sri Lankan tourism organization to its tourists depending on their affordability level. Apart from those basic facilities like accommodation, transport, breakfast benefits are usually included in the tourism package. CONCLUSION: In the end it is concluded that tourism organization faces extreme global issues and if they want to be ahead of others they must constantly bring innovation intro their product portfolio. Strategies should be made and tourism organizations must follow them step by step. REFRENCES: David Weaver. 2005. The Ecotourism concept and tourism conservation symbiosis. Journal of sustainable tourism 13 (4): 376-389. Fainstein, S.S. and Gladstone, D. (1999) Evaluating urban tourism, in D.R. Judd and S.S. Fainstein (eds) The Tourist City, New Haven: Yale University Press. Getz, D. (1997). Event Management Event Tourism. Cognizant Communication Corporation Lankford, S. V. (1994). Attitudes and perceptions toward tourism andrural regional development. Journal of Travel Research, 31(3), 35-43. Lohmann, Martin (2004): The 31st Reiseanalyse RA 2001. Tourism; Vol. 49, NÂ ° 1 / 2001; pp 65 67, Zagreb. Lohmann, M. Danielsson, J. (2001): Predicting Travel Patterns of Senior Citizens: How the Past May Provide a Key to the Future. Journ.of vacation marketing, Vol. 7, NÂ ° 4, pp. 357 366 Long, P. T (1990). Rural resident tourismperceptions and attitudes by community level of tourism. Journal of TravelResearch, 28(3), 3-9. Mathieson and Wall, 1982, Tourism; economic, physical and social impacts, Longman House groups in tourism centers. Journal of Travel Research, 21 (3), 8-12. Morrison(1998). Convention and visitor bureaus in the USA: a profile of bureaus: bureau executives and budgets. Journal of Travel and Tourism marketing, 7, 1-19. Mossberg, L. (Ed) (2000). Evaluation of Events: Scandinavian Experiences. The United States of America: Cognizant Communication Corporation.

Alexander The Great Essay -- essays research papers

Alexander the Great is, arguably, the most famous secular figure in history. His magnetism in life was rivaled only by his magnetism in death, and the story of his career has evoked vastly different interpretations in his age and ours. Young romantic hero or megalomaniac villain? Alexander III of Macedon conquered all who stood before him, but usually in order to free the lower class. He did more to spread the Hellenistic culture than anyone before or after him. My credibility comes from much studying of his lifestyle, and analysis of many contradicting biographies. With this speech, I hope to display to you most of his feats and battles, as well as the vast quantity of folklore that surrounds his life. Alexander, was born on or around July 20, 356 BCE, in Pella. The exact date may have been created after the fact to match the date of the burning of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. His parents were Philip II of Macedon and Olympias, who descended from Gods according to myth. At 13, Aristotle was hired to tutor Alexander. Under Aristotle, Alexander learned philosophy, ethics, politics, and healing. The two later became estranged, due to their difference of opinion on the status of foreginers; Aristotle saw them as barbarians, while Alexander sought to merge Macedonians and foreigners. Tale of Bucephalus: At 14 Alexander surprised all including his father by mounting an untamable horse named Bucephalus. Alexander would later name a city after the site where his horse died in battle. 340 BC: Philip II traveled to Byzantium to battle rebels, leaving 16yr old Alexander in charge as Prince Regent. While away, the Maedi, a north Macedonia tribe, revolted. Alexander traveled there, put down the revolt, captured the city and renamed it Alexandropolis. At the age of 19, Philip II was assassinated. Alexander was a boy king. Cities like Athens and Thebes had pledged allegiance to Philip II, but were not sure if they wanted to do the same for a 19 year old boy. On top of that, barbarians to the north threatened to invade. Alexander drove the barbarians north of the Danube, then focused on Thebes. He marched to the city, and offered them one final chance to obey him. They refused, and he went on to march into the city and kill nearly everyone. Athens later decided to align with Alexander. 334 BC: Alexander travels to Asia Minor. He begins freeing ... ... they took the long way home, with random stops for Alexander to either conquer or debate Indian philosophers. At one of these stops, a fierce tribe, the Malli, wounded him in the ribcage severely. In 324 B.C.E., Alexander furthered his mission to assimilate Macedonian and Persian cultures when he arranged thousands of marriages between the Greek soldiers and Persian women in Susa. Alexander himself took a second wife, Stateira, one of Darius' daughters. The next year, Alexander traveled with his men to Babylon despite numerous threatening omens. The omens were so frequent and ominous that Alexander feared that he had fallen out of favor with the gods. He died of a fever on June 10, 323 BC. Though Alexander died suddenly, and at the age of 33, he left behind a tremendous legacy. Alexander spread the Hellenistic culture far and wide, providing the backbone for culture in the western hemisphere as we know it today. He paved the way for Christianity as well. From the fulfillment of the Gordian knot legend, to the dignified way he conquered countries, Alexander the Great ensured his place in history as one of, if not the greatest ruler of all time.

Questioning Techniques Essay

A number of researches conducted recently within the local setting on teaching skills of teachers show that there is a decline of the quality of classroom teaching of many teachers. The prime reason for this decline, as concluded by many researchers, lies in the problems of the training they receive at pre-service training institutions. For example; Lim, Cock, Lock et.al. (2009) state that though there is a practical element of pre-service teacher training, it does not provide enough knowledge and skills for the teachers to handle the challenges they encounter in the classroom brought by globalization and the development of modern technology. Because it is the National Colleges of Education that produce the pre-training to majority of teachers their syllabi were analyzed to understand that heavy theoretical knowledge given through the syllabi deprives the prospective teachers of opportunity of having enough practical teaching experience during their on campus training. On the other h and, no specific attention is paid on developing important teaching skills even though some practical teaching opportunities are given to them. Karaseva (2013) also highlights the importance of giving teachers assistance in getting their problems solved in relation to particular teaching skills of which they show weaknesses in. Among those important teaching skills, questioning techniques are one of the skills to which less attention is paid during pre- service teacher education. Cotton (1989) says that virtually no attention is paid on developing questioning techniques of teachers during their pre-service training period. Further, Aggarwal (2013) highlights the importance of questioning techniques because psychologically and philosophically asked questions help teachers achieving lesson objectives to expected level. Therefore, this research broadly aims at developing the questioning techniques of prospective teachers using a widely recognized technique and evaluating the efficacy of the used technique in developing teaching skills  of prospective teachers. Objectives of the Study; To review the theoretical background of questioning techniques in teaching. To investigate the development of questioning techniques of prospective teachers through the current programme of instruction. To find out innovative techniques that can be used in improving questioning techniques. Methodology/Design; Theoretical background of questioning techniques was reviewed through literature and a check list was used to determine the current states of questioning techniques employed by prospective teachers in their lessons. It was further expected to use the checklist to determine how far the existing methodology of instruction is capable of developing questioning techniques. The check list focused broadly on general aspects of questioning such as tone and accuracy of questions and specific skills such as eliciting, probing and Socratic questions. Lessons were videotaped for further analysis and at the same time descriptive field notes were kept by the researcher for recording and analyzing the questioning techniques employed by prospective teachers. Peer group members too observed the lessons and used an observation schedule to record and comment on the questioning techniques used by their colleagues. An available convenience sample of 30 prospective teachers of English was selected for the research and two lessons of each member were observed using the check list. From the 30 teachers observed, 12 were selected to conduct lessons in the classroom for the peer group. Half the peer group acted as students while the rest was observing the lesson using the observation schedule. Therefore, the data gathering instruments of the research include a checklist, field notes, an observation schedule, videotaping and lesson plans prepared by prospective teachers. Results/Findings; When the theories related to questioning techniques were analyzed it was understood that Bloom’s Taxonomy provides proper guidance for teachers in selecting, grading and using questions to develop the cognitive domain of students(Bloom et.al. cited in Huitt, 2011). Doff, (1988); Alexis,( 2009); and Hyman, (1982) add the importance of wait time to classification of  questions according to Bloom’s Taxonomy. They prove that longer wait time encourages critical thinking. When literature is further analyzed it was understood that probing questions are very important for the subject taught by prospective teachers, i.e. English language as probing questions demand authentic language production (Stepien, 2012). With the light of the theories related to questioning techniques, results of check lists were analyzed with comparisons to the field notes of observed lessons. The results of check list show that prospective teachers use tone appropriately in asking questions which is further verified by the field notes. Though high marks were noticed for the accuracy of questions in the checklist field notes and observation schedules record inaccurate questions especially in complex structures such as, â€Å"Can you tell me what is this colour?† There were five sections of the check list out of which probing questions recorded the least marks for a greater majority of the prospective teachers. This was further noticed in field notes and observation schedules because only a few such questions had been recorded. Teachers seemed to be happy with the received questions or directly corrected the inappropriate answers without attempting to probe into the answer. When research conducted to develop teaching skills were studied it was found out that â€Å"Micro Teaching† has provided effective results in international setting in developing skills such as class control and classroom management Conclusions; Prospective teachers should be encouraged to preplan their questions whenever possible to increase the accuracy of them because inaccurate questions lead to misconceptualization. New strategies must be employed to give more training to prospective teachers to develop aspects such as wait time, using probing questions because the existing method has not been able to develop those aspects of questioning. â€Å"Micro Teaching† is suggested to be used in developing questioning techniques since it has been successful in many other situations in developing several other teaching skills such as class control and classroom management. Reference; 1. Aggarwal, J. C. 2013. Essentials of Educational Technology. Innovations in Teaching – Learning. Dlhi, Vikas Publishing house Pvt. Ltd. 2. Alexis, 2009. A Questioning Strategy, Power of Wait Time/Think Time. Retrieved from http://schoolvisitexperts.com/?p=563 on 10.02.2014. 3. Asking Questions to Improve Listening. The Teaching Center. Washington University.(2009)Retrieved fromhttp://teachingcenter.wustl.edu/strategies/Pages/asking-questions.aspx on 12.02.2014 4. Beare, K. (N.D.) Speaking Skills – Asking Questions. About.com English as 2nd Language. (Retrieved on 13.02.2014) 5. Cotton, K. 1989. Classroom Questioning. School Improvement Research Series. NorthwestRegionalEducationalLaboratory.http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/3/cu5. html. 6. Doff,A. 1988. Teach English: A Training Course for Teachers. Trainer’s Hand Book. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. 7. Fries-Geither, J. 2008; Why Ask Questions? The Ohio State University. Ohio 8. Hyman, 1982. Teaching Methods. Questioning in the Classroom. How to Ask Questions. Retrieved from,http:/ /www.teaching.iub.edu/finder/wrapper.php%3Finc_id%3Ds2_1_lect_04_quest.shtml on 14.02.2014 9. Innovations and Initiatives in Teacher Education in Asia and the Pacific Region. (1990).(Vol-II).Bangkok, UNESCO Principal Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific 10. Marzano, R. Pickering, D. and Pollock, J. 2001. Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. 11. Professional Development among Academic Staff at Selected Malaysian Public Universities: Preliminary Findings of the Impact of the Basic Teaching Methodology Courses, International Journal of Business and Social Science 2(3) 2011.p.125 12. Research Scholar. An Experimental Study to Find Out the Effectiveness of Some Micro Teaching Skills in Teaching Geography at the Secondary Level. West Bengal, Rabindra Bharati University. 13. Rowe, M.B. (n.d.) Wait Time: Slowing Down May Be A Way of Speeding Up. Journal of T eacher Education. 1986; 37; 43 Retrieved from, http://jte.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/37/1/43 on 13.02.2014 14. Shomoossi, N(2004),.The effect of teacher’s questioning behavior on EFL classroom interaction: A classroom research study, The Reading Matrix, 4 pp. 96–104 15. Yang, C.C.R. (2010)Teacher questions in second language classrooms: An investigation of three case studies, Asian EFL Journal, 12 (1) (2010), pp. 181–201 Declaration Form for Corresponding Author Title of the abstract: Asking Questions the Right way; an analysis of the questioning techniques employed by prospective teachers. (Current state of an ongoing action research to develop the questioning techniques of prospective teachers) Name of authors: R.M.D. Rohan Address of institution where the work was carried out: Pasdunrata National College of Education Kalutara Name of the supervisor: Prof. Manjula Vithanapathirana I declare that the above abstract reports the results of original research work and that the work reported in the abstract has not been published or presented elsewhere. Name & Signature of the Corresponding Author: R.M.D. Rohan Address: Pasdunrata National College of Education – Kalutara Date: Supervisor’s signature:

Evidence For Prescribing Fluoride Varnishes Health And Social Care Essay

Dental cavities is one of the most common disease processes across all populations throughout the universe and a cardinal factor in dental hurting and tooth loss. Caries is a procedure that can happen on any tooth surface in the oral cavity where alveolar consonant plaque is able to develop over clip. Bing a biofilm, plaque contains many different microorganisms that work together and are continually active. Some of these bacteriums are able to ferment soluble saccharides to bring forth acids, ensuing in a bead in sourness below pH 5 and hence doing demineralization of the enamel surface. Acid is neutralized by spit and the demineralization procedure halted, as the pH rises, mineral may be regained and remineralisation can happen. If the cumulative consequence of these procedures is a net loss in mineral, a carious lesion will be observed. The carious procedure is hence natural and can non be prevented nevertheless with suited intercession, the patterned advance into a seeable lesion can be avoided1. The bar of cavities is considered more cost-efficient than intervention and is hence considered a priority2. Fluoride varnishes since the 1960 ‘s have been clinically utilized for this reason17,18. Application of concentrated fluoride varnishes to tooth surfaces consequences in the formation of Ca fluoride. As the sourness of the environment additions, a greater sum of enamel disintegration occurs and hence an copiousness of ionic Ca allows for a considerable sum of Ca fluoride formation. Significant precipitation of spherical globules of Ca fluoride in dental plaque and unaccessible countries is of great benefit leting for important remineralisation due to the high concentration of free ionic Ca available3. Fluoride besides has a direct consequence on bacterial metamorphosis ( see appendix 4, table 1 for details16 ) .MethodOf the three surveies reviewed, one was carried out in Sweden4, one in Florida5 and one in San Francisco6. In these trials,1375 participants were studied ru ning from ?1.8 to 16 old ages old and followed for periods between 9 months and 3 old ages. Each survey had a specific purposes, one focused on a school based fluoride varnish programme and the patterned advance and incidence of approximal cavities from high, medium and low socio-economic backgrounds4. Another concerned the efficaciousness of fluoride varnish in add-on to reding in the bar of early childhood caries6, whilst the concluding survey evaluated the consequence of fluoride varnish on enamel cavities patterned advance in the primary dentition5. The chief features of each survey and their consequences are displayed in Appendices 14, 25 and 36. Randomization was used to delegate participants into each of the groups in all tests and one study6 outlined the allotment technique used. Two surveies were individual blind4,5 where the tooth doctor was incognizant of the group allotments and one was conducted as a dual blind trial6. All surveies used Duraphat ( 5 % Sodium Fluoride 22,600 F-ppm ) with two studies5,6 using varnish to all tooth surfaces and the 3rd study4 using varnish merely to approximal surfaces from the distal surface of the eyetooths to the mesial surface of the 2nd grinders. Two surveies stated the sum of fluoride varnish to be used ; 0.1ml per arch6 and ?0.3ml in total4. Examination techniques differed amongst the three selected surveies. One conducted a ocular scrutiny three times6, another conducted four overall bitewing radiogram at baseline and after the trial4. The 3rd conducted both radiographic bitewings and a ocular scrutiny besides at baseline and following the test, explicitly discoursing the method6. All experiments experienced a loss of participants to some grade. Weintraub et al.6 concluded 67 % of participants enrolled at baseline saw the survey through, the test conducted by Autio-Gold et al.5 retained 81 % of initial participants. In the concluding experiment by Sk & A ; ouml ; ld et al.4, 89 % of topics completed the test. Ultimately, all surveies agreed fluoride varnish is of significance in forestalling caries4,5,6 and may be effectual in change by reversaling cavity and crevice enamel lesions5. Findingss were assessed in footings of statistical significance and all three4,5,6 gave P values. Differences in measuring lesions clinically can be seen. Sk & A ; ouml ; l et al.4 used a self-devised numbered marking system to find cavities incidence and patterned advance of carious lesions. Weintraub et al.6 used the NIDCR diagnostic standards for dental caries7 for the appraisal of cavitated, decayed and filled surfaces on primary dentitions and auxiliary criteria8 to name pre-cavitated lesions. Finally Autio-gold et al.5 utilised a marking system9 which differentiates between active and inactive enamel carious lesions.DiscussionAlthough all surveies statistically support the usage of fluoride varnish in the bar of cavities, the methodological analysis of each demand to be considered before any decisions c an be drawn. Double blind randomized control tests are considered the ‘gold criterion ‘ in footings of survey design10 and minimise prejudice. In all of these tests, the tooth doctors were incognizant of patient allocated groups nevertheless in two4,5, the participants were cognizant. This could hold led to bias in those surveies as cognizing they were portion of a test with regular follow up periods, patients may hold been more self-aware with respect to their unwritten wellness and hence take more preventive steps compared to groups with fewer visits. Overall this consequence may give the feeling that a more frequent application of varnish reduces cavities incidence. Sample size demands to be taken into history as a larger cohort will give a more accurate representation of the population, doing Sk & A ; ouml ; l et al.4 the most representative of the three tests. Gender was reasonably every bit distributed in both varnish and hazard groups. This is of significance as it has been shown that females are by and large more compliant than males11 and therefore are more likely to brush on a regular basis, maintaining to the survey design. Bias in this illustration is hence reduced as females are every bit distributed across all groups. Weintraub6 and Autio-Gold5 did non advert gender distribution and hence lend themselves to this prejudice. When sing the clip period in which tests are conducted, a greater clip graduated table allows for a more comprehensive result. Potential side effects of fluoride varnish are more likely to go evident and its anti cavities consequence can be reviewed for any possible alterations as there may be a critical period for which it has consequence. Again, Sk & A ; ouml ; l et al.4 conducted the longest test at 3 old ages and hence in footings of clip period, have the most accurate consequences for effects of fluoride and its side effects, of which they found none. Weintraub et al.6 besides used a sensible clip period and would demo any side-effects or critical periods for fluoride applications, merely one kid in the group having fluoride four times a twelvemonth developed an ulcer on their cheek which had resolved at the following followup. There is no grounds to back up unwritten ulcerations as a consequence of fluoride varnish application. The test conducted Autio-Gold5 was over a shorter period and hence compared to Weintraub6 and Sk & A ; ouml ; l4, can non be as conclusive in critical periods of application and side effects. Follow up periods are of relevancy as changing frequences of application can be assessed for effectivity. Sk & A ; ouml ; l et al.4 utilised the greatest figure of groups with the most differing frequences to set up the most effectual intervals. The method in which fluoride varnish was applied varied and one specific survey, Autio-Gold5, failed to stipulate whether application on all tooth surfaces at the 2nd follow up occurred, as at the baseline. Besides the sum of fluoride varnish applied is non stated as in the two other studies4,6. Therefore the survey can potentially be classified as inconsistent and cogency of the consequences questionable. Application of the varnish was conducted in similar ways across all three tests nevertheless Weintraub et al.6 used ?66 % of the fluoride varnish than Sk & A ; ouml ; l et al.4 and it must be considered that a higher dose of fluoride may hold a greater preventive consequence. The locations in which the surveies took topographic point differ. Sk & A ; ouml ; l et al.4 conducted their probe in Sweden where H2O is fluoridated. Socio-economic position is associated with unwritten health12 and in this survey, the low hazard group had a high socio-economic position. The extra factor nevertheless, is that the location of this group is besides in an country of H2O fluoridization ten times higher than that of the medium or low hazard groups. It has been shown that fluoridization reduces cavities incidence13 intending these participants technically received an increased dose and therefore may hold influenced the consequences to demo a decreased effectivity of fluoride varnish. In the other two studies5,6 this variable was controlled and Weintraub et al.6 ensured participants resided in the country for at least 2 old ages. Age of participants is of importance as striplings in the Sk & A ; ouml ; l et al.4 survey are responsible for their ain unwritten hygiene and it has been shown that 25 % of 14-year-olds do non on a regular basis brush their teeth14,15. Consequences can hence be influenced in this test. If ?25 % participants did non brush on a regular basis, theoretically it would do increased cavities incidence in these people compared to the other 75 % of the cohort and finally give the feeling fluoride varnish has a lesser consequence than in world. Autio-Gold5 and Weintraub6 used primary5 and pre-school6 kids where parents and defenders are more likely to conform to the survey design and better the cogency of the consequences. Consequences were based on the findings of the testers therefore their determinations are important. Autio-Gold5 and Weintraub6 both calibrated testers nevertheless Sk & A ; ouml ; l et al.4 did non advert any dependability apart from re-examining radiogram after 2 months, the consequences of which, are non published. There is hence a possibility of inaccuracy in cavities diagnosing at each follow up, which would give either a greater or lesser perceived fluoride consequence depending on tester tolerance. Caries diagnosing methods vary, ideally a radiographic and ocular scrutiny should be conducted as white topographic point lesions and early cavities can non be seen radiographically, the attack taken by Autio-Gold et al.5. Weintraub et al.6 used merely ocular scrutinies and hence, although improbable, potentially leting for non-cavitated lesions to be missed. Sk & A ; ouml ; l et al.4 took merely radiographs nevertheless this was appropriate as approximal cavities can be merely be s een in this manner. Deviations in protocol can be seen in two surveies. In Sk & A ; ouml ; l et Al. ‘s4 test, all groups received an extra application of fluoride every one-year visit including the control group. Realistically the control group hence received intercession and perchance affected the consequences. Weintraub et al.6 experienced a more terrible divergence. For 10 months, participants received a placebo varnish alternatively of the active merchandise and merely one kid received all four planned applications. Besides 21 applications could non be confirmed as active and were assumed placebo. This may hold given the feeling of a greater good consequence of fluoride varnish if the placebo was active. Any long term positive or negative effects can therefore non be concluded with every bit much assurance as the other two trials4,5 as there was a interruption in the application of active merchandise. A Cochrane systematic review19 determined that on norm, fluoride varnish reduced cavities in the deciduous teething by 33 % and by 46 % in the lasting teething.DecisionIn decision, holding considered the grounds base for the usage of fluoride varnish and evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of all mentioned surveies and their restrictions, fluoride varnish is an effectual method in commanding cavities incidence and patterned advance.RecommendationsFluoride varnish should be indicated in all kids and striplings. Adults with a high cavities hazard should besides be considered, such as those with particular demands, dry mouth or active carious lesions. Children and striplings should have application biannually and grownups with carious lesions or particular demands should hold varnish applied between two and four times yearly. No common or serious inauspicious effects have been reported in any surveies. As a safeguard fluoride varnish is contraindicated in terrible asthmatics, ulc erative gingivitis and stomatitis. Besides allergy to seal components is an obvious contraindication.MentionsKidd EAM. Introduction. In: Kidd EAM editor. Necessities of Dental Caries. 3rd erectile dysfunction. New York: Oxford University Press Inc. ; 2005. p. 2-19. Burt BA. Prevention policies in the visible radiation of the changed distribution of dental cavities. Acta Odontologica Scandinavia 1998 ; 56:179-86. Fejerskov O, Kidd EAM. Chemical interactions between the tooth and unwritten fluids. In: 10 Cate JM, Larsen MJ, Pearce EIF, Ferjerskov O, editors. Dental cavities: the disease and its clinical direction. Oxford: Blackwell Munksgaard ; 2003. p. 49-69. Sk & A ; ouml ; ld UM, Petersson LG, Lith A, Birkhed D. Effect of school-based fluoride varnish programmes on approximal cavities in striplings from different cavities risk countries. Caries Res. 2005 ; 39:273-9. Autio-Gold JT, Courts F. Assessing the consequence of fluoride varnish on early enamel carious lesions in the primary teething. JADA. 2001 Sept ; 132:1247-1253. Weintraub JA, Ramos-Gomez F, Shain JS, Hoover CI, Featherstone JDB, Gansky SA. Fluoride varnish efficaciousness in forestalling early childhood cavities. J Dent Res. 2006 Feb ; 85 ( 2 ) :172-6. USDHHS, PHS, NIH, NIDR. Oral wellness studies of the National Institute of Dental Research: diagnostic standards and processs. NIH Publication No 91-2870. Bethesda, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, NIH: 1991. Drury TF, Horowitz AM, Ismail AI, Maertens MP, Rozier RG, Selwitz RH. Diagnosing and describing early childhood cavities for research intents. J Public Health Dent 1999 ; 59:192-7. Nyvad B, Fejerskov O. Assessing the phase of cavities lesion activity on the footing of clinical and microbiological scrutiny. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 1997 ; 25:69-75. Concato J, N Shah, RI Horwitz. Randomized, controlled tests, experimental surveies, and the hierarchy of research designs. N Engl J Med. 2000 ; 342:1887-92. Kuczynski L, Kochanska G, Radke-Yarrow M, Girnius-Brown O. A developmental reading of immature kids ‘s disobedience. Developmental Psychology. 1987 ; 23,799. Bolin AK, Bolin A, Jansson L, Calltorp J. Children ‘s dental wellness in Europe. Sociodemographic factors associated with dental cavities in groups of 5 and 12-year-old kids from eight EU-countries. Swed Dent J 1997 ; 21:25-40. Brunelle JA, Carlos JP. Recent trends in dental cavities in U.S. kids and the consequence of H2O fluoridization. J Dent Res.1990 Feb ; 69 ( Particular Issue ) :723-7 Klock B, Emilson CG, Lind SO, Gustavsdotter M, Olhede-Westerlund AM. Prediction of cavities activity in kids with today ‘s low cavities incidence. Community Dental Oral Epidemiol. 1989 ; 17:285-8. Koivusilta L, Honkala S, Honkala E, Rimpel & A ; auml ; A. Toothbrushing as portion of the striplings lifestyle predicts education degree. J Dent Res. 2003 ; 82:361-6. Marsh PD. Effect of fluorides on bacterial metamorphosis. In: Bowen WH, editor. Relative efficaciousness of Na fluoride and Na monofluorophosphatae as anti-caries agents in detrifices. London: Royal Society of Medicine Press Limited ; 1995. Bawden JW. Fluoride varnish: a utile new tool for public wellness dental medicine. J Public Health Dent. 1998 ; 58:266-9. Beltran-Aguilar ED, Goldstein JW, Lockwood SA. Fluoride varnishes: a reappraisal of their clinical usage, cariostatic mechanism, efficaciousness and safety. J Am Dent Assoc. 2000 ; 131:589-96. Marinho VCC, Higgins JPT, Logan S, Sheiham A. Fluoride varnishes for forestalling dental cavities in kids and striplings. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2002 ; 3: CD002279.Appendix 1Sk & A ; ouml ; ld 20054: Methods Randomised control test, individual blind to dentist. 11 % bead out after 3 old ages. Reasons for bead out include traveling off from country and non go toing all Sessionss. Overall 96 losingss. Participants 758 participants analysed at 3 old ages ( concluding scrutiny ) Average age at get downing: 13 old ages Exposure to other fluoride: H2O, toothpaste, varnish at annually check-up Year survey began: 1998 Location: Sverige Interventions Fluoride varnish Duraphat ( 22,600 ppm F- ) ( 3 groups ) vs. control group: Group 1: F- varnish 2x yearly at 6 month intervals Group 2: F- varnish 3x yearly within one hebdomad Group 3: F- varnish 8x yearly with 1 month intervals Control group: No intercession Teeth cleaned with toothbrush without toothpaste and interproximally cleaned utilizing dental floss Applied ?0.3ml with syringe on all approximal surfaces from distal of eyetooth to mesial of 2nd grinder. Results Prevented fraction in per centum in the different cavities risk countries and all countries together ( Table 3 ) 4 Areas Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 All countries 57 % 47 % 76 % Low hazard 20 % 68 % 50 % Medium hazard 66 % 31 % 83 % High hazard 69 % 54 % 82 % Notes Participants randomised ( n=854 ) All groups including control exposed to fluoride at one-year cheque up Figures and tabular arraies demoing consequences from Sk & A ; ouml ; ld et al.4Appendix 2Autio-Gold 20015: Methods Randomised control test, individual blind to dentist. 19 % bead out rate after 9 months. Due to backdown of school programme, traveling from country, refusal to go on and six topics necessitating renewing intervention instantly after survey began. Overall 35 losingss. Participants 148 participants analysed at 9 months ( concluding scrutiny ) Average age at get downing: 3 to 5 old ages Exposure to other fluoride: H2O Year survey began: Not stated Location: Florida, USA Interventions Fluoride varnish Duraphat ( 22,600 ppm F- ) Varnish group: 2x over 9 months, one time at baseline and one time after 4 months Control group: No intercession In dental clinic, dried dentition with tight air and applied varnish with little coppice to all tooth surfaces. In school dentitions dried with unfertile cotton sponges and varnish applied to all tooth surfaces with coppice. Result Change in carious activity between varnish and control group Group No alteration ( i.e. still active ) Inactive lesions ( i.e. no longer active ) Varnish 8.2 % 81.2 % Control 36.9 % 37.8 % Notes Participants randomised ( n=183 ) Does non province whether or non varnish was applied to all surfaces during the 2nd visit in varnish group. Besides how much varnish applied in both visits. Figures and tabular arraies demoing consequences from Autio-Gold et al.5:Appendix 3Weintraub 20066: Methods Randomised controlled dual blind test. 33 % bead out rate after 2 old ages. 51 discontinued from survey due to cavities. Participants 202 participants analysed at 2 old ages ( concluding scrutiny ) Average age at get downing: 1.8 old ages Exposure to other fluoride: H2O Year survey began: 2002 Location: San Francisco, USA Interventions Fluoride varnish Duraphat ( 22,600 ppm F- ) Group 1: F- varnish 4x over 2 old ages ( baseline, 6, 12 and 18 months ) Group 2: F- varnish 2x over 2 old ages ( baseline and 12 months ) Control group: Parental guidance All groups received parental guidance. 0.1ml applied per arch. Dried with gauze and varnish brushed onto all surfaces of all dentitions. For control group, teeth dried and gauze folded dry surface brushed onto dentitions and therefore health professionals unaware of groups. Results Cavities activity across the three groups: No cavities Cavities Group 1 67 3 Group 2 59 10 Control 48 15 Notes Participants randomised utilizing computing machine generated random assignment ( n=384 ) . 75 % kids intended to have two applications merely received one ; 15 % received two. 49 % kids intended to have four applications merely received two. One kid received four applications. For five hebdomads, 21 varnish applications could non be confirmed as active – assumed placebo. Figures and tabular arraies demoing consequences from Weintraub et al.6:

The eNotes Blog Just How Many Books Are There Googles Massive Project to Count ThemALL

Just How Many Books Are There Googles Massive Project to Count ThemALL Books to the ceiling, books to the sky, / My piles of books are a mile high. / How I love them! / How I need them! / Ill have a long beard by the time I read them.   ~Arnold Lobel Have you ever wondered just how many books are actually out there?   Well, thanks to Googles researchers, now we know: 128,854,790.   (A number, of course, which will continually change.) Googles Herculean effort is aimed at cataloging and indexing all existing books. The goal is to ultimately have every piece of literature in the world digitized and searchable. The project had some prickly problems with which to contend from the beginning, starting with what actually counts as a book.   You can read more about how they arrived at what counts here. Despite the altruism on many levels of Googles meta-project, there are some concerns about having a private company being in charge of all the worlds data.   But their work will accomplish what governments and/or non-profit entities have not been able to achieve:   the free dissemination of data to the masses, one of the biggest changes of access to knowledge since the printing press.

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Advance Directives

These are health care decisions made by a person on what he/she would like to be done to in case he/ she becomes incompetent at some time in future.   Decision making on health care issues is not easy and people are advised to seek advice from so many medical professionals in order to make the right kind of decision.   It is not only a persons doctor who should give directions on what to do then conclusions made from there, more information can be obtained from other health care professionals to help the person make satisfactory decisions on what he/she wants (Monagle and Thomasma 2004: 141). Advanced directives are made when one is mentally competent and are made on different forms as will be discussed.   Different patients suffer different illnesses or diseases and there are various cases of emergency.   Most cases that do occur are those of cardiac problems, respiratory and life sustaining problems.    Advance directives indicate what a person would like to be done to in case he/she can no longer make his/her own decisions (Monagle and Thomasma 2004: 141). A person is also allowed to assign this decision making role to a physician he/she trusts and knows his/her health status, therefore can make appropriate decisions.   Advanced directives as have been indicated, apply in different sections of healthy care.   Different health care departments have to abide by the advanced directives of the patients.   Almost all health care departments receive these advanced directives on what a patient would like to be done to.   An example is the emergency department that deals with resuscitation of patients with heart problems, respiratory problems among others (Bledsoe et al, 2008: 156). The paramedics in this department in most cases do not have the time to read and analyse the advanced directives written by the patient and the advanced directive may not even be available at the time of emergency.   They are always fighting to save the life of the patient at the time of emergency as their protocols dictate, giving them a hard time in consideration to advance directives documentation as well as information retrieval about the advanced directives. They therefore have problems with the advance directive system and forms.   Some countries or hospitals have developed different forms of advanced directives that suit the emergency department as well as other medical departments (Bledsoe et al, 2008: 157).   This will be discussed later.   The different forms of legal advanced directives are not known to so many people and so they do not know which one to use when in need of an advanced directive. Every adult in a mentally competent state is allowed to make a decision and write an advance directive.   It does not mean that if one does not have an advance directive then the person will not be treated or offered health care services, this is an optional measure just meant to give people a decent death or health care service of choice.   It is not only the people with terminal cases that write advanced directives.   Normal people who feel that accidents can occur to them and may need specific medical treatment write advanced directives indicating what they want and what they do not want when such a situation occurs (Cotts 2006: 5). This may be a problem though since the person at the time of decision making, do not know how the accident will occur or how his life will be affected after the accident.   It is only after the accident that the real facts can be revealed to the person.   This always causes problems with the close relatives to the incapacitated person.   Most cases of advance directive are on those with terminal illnesses who know that their life will not be good after some period of time and therefore make decisions on their life when they are fully competent (Cotts 2006: 5). People always make decisions not to be put into any life sustaining machines, not to be resuscitated or allow themselves to be treated so that there lives can be sustained.   An advance directive is just a guideline to a doctor on what the patient wants to be done to in cases of incapability.   An example of an advance directive is the Do Not Resuscitate, which dictates that a doctor should not resuscitate a patient in case of heart failure, or respiratory problem that makes the person not able to breath (Atkinson 2006: 46). There are different types of advanced directives.   These are anatomical donation, a living will and a health care surrogate designation.   There is a different form in case of emergency medical care.   If someone does not want any resuscitation in case of respiratory or cardiac rest, then a form of advanced directive known as the DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) is used.   All these types have specific areas of use (Atkinson 2006: 46).

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An interpretive study of the failure of SMEs in the kingdom of the Saudi Arabia - Essay Example Findings indicate that that main problems impacting growth and success of SMEs in the KSA are regulatory difficulties, credit and funding options, human capital, marketing and operational factors. Human capital (resource management), regulatory constraints and credit/funding options appear to be the main factors impacting SME success and growth in the KSA. Data released by the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry reveals that approximately 96% of Saudi businesses employ below 100 workers (Hertog, 2010). According to the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 95% of commercially registered businesses in the KSA are owned by SMEs and 71% of industrial businesses are SMEs (Hertog, 2010). Moreover, Hertog (2010) reports that SMEs account for 28% of the KSA’s overall economic activities. 7 The latest figures release demonstrate that as of 2008, there were over 700,000 SMEs actively in business in the SDI primarily owned by a sole proprietor. A further breakdown demonstrated that 47% of the KSA’s SMEs were attached to commercial and hotel industries; 27% were attached to construction; 12% were engaged in social services; and 8% were involved in â€Å"sundry other sectors† (Hertog, 2010, p. 17). Be that as it may, SMEs in the KSA only contribute to about 10% of the employment rate in the KSA and only contribute 14% of the entire production in industries and 8% â€Å"of the value of industrial goods exported† (Hertog, 2010, p.19). 7 Despite the growing interests in SMEs in the KSA, all indications are that SMEs have faced significant challenges in moving forward successfully and economically. SMEs in the KSA are said to have difficulties in terms of funding and credit; the function in a business climat that is decidedly â€Å"unfriendly†; they face regulatory challenges; and they operate â€Å"without the availability of basic statistics and data needed to ensure sound business decisions† (Bundagji, 2005, p. 1). It is

Treatment of Unipolar Depression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Treatment of Unipolar Depression - Essay Example Overall, 5-HTP appeared to be slightly better tolerated than fluvoxamine, although the results did not reach the level of statistical significance. What personal interests and/or short or long term goals lie behind this - not strictly required for a proposal but it is usually helpful to think this through as it can help you focus [one paragraph] What aspect(s) of theory / knowledge is/are behind this What are the gaps in the research or what parallels are there in adjacent fields (ie a short literature review to set up the purpose and question) - 5-HTP has also been compared in a few studies with conventional tricyclic antidepressants (chloripramine and imipramine) - the most effective drugs for treating depression until the development of the SSRIs. The studies found 5-HTP to be at least as effective as these drugs in treating severe depression, while displaying fewer side effects. In severe cases, 5-HTP dosages as high as 1200 mg daily were used What objectives, steps, sub-questions, angles of inquiry or sections of your paper would you break your question or inquiry aim into - CCDANCTR-Studies was searched (carried out on 12/1/2005) using the following search stategy (Diagnosis = Depress* or Dysthymi* and Intervention = tryptophan or 5-htp or 5-hydroxtryptophan or Hydroxytryptophan and Intervention = Placebo). Reference lists, book chapters and conference proceedings were checked. Experts and triallists were contacted for unpublished studies Section B -Study design and method / methodology What type of study would help with your question and focus Please bold underline to identify It is OK to use "other" and briefly explain - but otherwise no explanation required here. You should read up on these if you don't know what they are, but we assume you know what the one you pick is) survey1 experiment evaluation trial case study reflective self-study academic paper2 other - please identify take advice Why / how will this design work with your question and focus - Trials were included if they were randomized, included patients with unipolar depression or dysthymia, compared preparations of 5-HTP or tryptophan with placebo, and included clinical outcomes assessed by scales assessing depressive symptoms take advice If you intend to use a particular methodology, briefly explain how it works and why you want to use it. - Eg - reflective self study, controlled trial, grounded theory, ethnography. This must be appropriate for the way you have worded your research question / inquiry. Please note that it is not essential that you have this for an undergraduate project. For an academic

Gender identity and sexual orientation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gender identity and sexual orientation - Essay Example My sexual and gender identities are straight and I have never experienced any alternative orientation. This could be because of my social background in which the alternative orientations were condemned and I believed them to be immoral. I seemingly conformed to the social values that condemned the alternative orientations, though I do not discriminate against them. My developed social knowledge does not however support the strict social environments that condemn other social orientations because psychological support is necessary for emotional stability.Effects of racial micro-aggression depend on the form. Many forms exists, based on examples that Yearwood (2013) offers. Such racial micro-aggressions such as underrepresentation of a race do not have negative effects on an individual, as long as no direct discrimination is directed against the individual or the involved minority race. Other racial micro-aggressions such as being ignored or being dismissed are however likely to cause psychological harm to a target. I have however not experienced any form of racial micro-aggression and long-term existence of members of my race in the locality could explain this. Certain micro-aggressions, such as disproportionate representation of race are easier to deal with because they are too passive and not direct to an individual and does not identify intention of the source. Some forms that are direct and associate with discrimination, such as dismissal because of race, are however difficult to deal with.

An interpretive study of the failure of SMEs in the kingdom of the Essay

An interpretive study of the failure of SMEs in the kingdom of the Saudi Arabia - Essay Example Findings indicate that that main problems impacting growth and success of SMEs in the KSA are regulatory difficulties, credit and funding options, human capital, marketing and operational factors. Human capital (resource management), regulatory constraints and credit/funding options appear to be the main factors impacting SME success and growth in the KSA. Data released by the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry reveals that approximately 96% of Saudi businesses employ below 100 workers (Hertog, 2010). According to the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 95% of commercially registered businesses in the KSA are owned by SMEs and 71% of industrial businesses are SMEs (Hertog, 2010). Moreover, Hertog (2010) reports that SMEs account for 28% of the KSA’s overall economic activities. 7 The latest figures release demonstrate that as of 2008, there were over 700,000 SMEs actively in business in the SDI primarily owned by a sole proprietor. A further breakdown demonstrated that 47% of the KSA’s SMEs were attached to commercial and hotel industries; 27% were attached to construction; 12% were engaged in social services; and 8% were involved in â€Å"sundry other sectors† (Hertog, 2010, p. 17). Be that as it may, SMEs in the KSA only contribute to about 10% of the employment rate in the KSA and only contribute 14% of the entire production in industries and 8% â€Å"of the value of industrial goods exported† (Hertog, 2010, p.19). 7 Despite the growing interests in SMEs in the KSA, all indications are that SMEs have faced significant challenges in moving forward successfully and economically. SMEs in the KSA are said to have difficulties in terms of funding and credit; the function in a business climat that is decidedly â€Å"unfriendly†; they face regulatory challenges; and they operate â€Å"without the availability of basic statistics and data needed to ensure sound business decisions† (Bundagji, 2005, p. 1). It is

Gender identity and sexual orientation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gender identity and sexual orientation - Essay Example My sexual and gender identities are straight and I have never experienced any alternative orientation. This could be because of my social background in which the alternative orientations were condemned and I believed them to be immoral. I seemingly conformed to the social values that condemned the alternative orientations, though I do not discriminate against them. My developed social knowledge does not however support the strict social environments that condemn other social orientations because psychological support is necessary for emotional stability.Effects of racial micro-aggression depend on the form. Many forms exists, based on examples that Yearwood (2013) offers. Such racial micro-aggressions such as underrepresentation of a race do not have negative effects on an individual, as long as no direct discrimination is directed against the individual or the involved minority race. Other racial micro-aggressions such as being ignored or being dismissed are however likely to cause psychological harm to a target. I have however not experienced any form of racial micro-aggression and long-term existence of members of my race in the locality could explain this. Certain micro-aggressions, such as disproportionate representation of race are easier to deal with because they are too passive and not direct to an individual and does not identify intention of the source. Some forms that are direct and associate with discrimination, such as dismissal because of race, are however difficult to deal with.

Roles and Responsibilities of a Teachers Essay Example for Free

Roles and Responsibilities of a Teachers Essay Roles ,Responsibilities, boundaries and Relationship of teachers with other professional. * Roles and Responsibilities of a teachers in life long sector. In my view ,followings should be the roles and responsibilities of a teacher of numeracy /math, Physics, and ICT at adults level. 1. One of the responsibilities of someone who is thinking about going into teaching in the lifelong learning sector would be to gain the skills, which are required for the subject , in which he/she intend to teach and make sure that the/she have relevant literacy, numeracy and ICT skills and preferably the qualifications. 2. A teacher must make communication in easy and simple words so that all the learners can understand easily. He should communicate by lowering his own level at the level of the learners. A teacher should be very clear and concise in his ideas .Words and language with dual meanings or ambiguous language should not be used. He/she should be Generous with advice and guidance. Teachers should adjust their teaching style to meet individual needs of students. 3. A teacher should enter into the classroom with full preparation and in depth knowledge of the subject .He/she should plan the sessions and prepare the teaching materials with great care. It should be the responsibility of a teacher to make sure that all handouts, lesson plans, presentations and any other writing is always spellchecked as any spelling mistakes will reflect on the learners. He/she should use the modern technology in preparation of this material. It should be attractive, creative and inspiring. 4. Sometimes, the behaviour of learners demonstrates that something is not going right. Therefore, I think ,I as a teacher must pay attention to any suspicious sings that could bother the learners. As teacher must be my responsibility to find out what is going on with the learners in the classroom 5. A teacher should be inspiring , patient and must not preach. 6. A teacher should attend and contribute team meetings, section meetings, tutor and area team meetings where applicable. 7. A teacher should work closely with colleagues in developing and improving the current curriculum offer for programs of teaching. 8. A teacher partake in marketing and recruitment activities including open evenings, school tasters and visits, student profiling for publications, interview, induction, awards evenings, result day and enrolment. 9. A teacher should identify students weaknesses and should be able to plan a strategy to assist them with it. 10. A teacher should encourage students to discuss the chosen topic/method not only with the teacher but also amongst themselves . Teachers should create effective and stimulating opportunities for learning through high quality teaching that enables the development and progression of all learners 11. A teacher should assess various learning styles within the group and identify the methods by which various learners can understand better. And method should be easy and updated. 12. A teacher must try to make sure that all students have equal rights and safe learning environment where they are able to build a trusting and honest relationship. Teachers should value all of their learners individually and equally .A teacher should be professional yet sympathetic to the learner’s needs. Teachers should give students an environment to learn on their own without putting them in a box and sayingyou belong here because of your age, etc. 13. A teacher should be friendly with the learners, but he/she must remember that the learners should not be his/her friends. 14. The teacher needs to show respect toward the students so the students also respect the teacher 15. A teacher should complete attendance records and maintain the records of learners progress e.g. interviews, tutorials, assessments. 16. A teacher must not give false advice but a constructive and accurate one. 17. A facilitator must be organiser, analyst, administrator, media designer, tutor, team player, communicator, assessor, group leader and presenter. 18. A teacher should actively participate in continuous professional development appropriate for the development of programs and career of a teacher as a member of college staff. 19. And most of all, the perfect teacher, is the teacher that doesnt think himself/herself perfect. * Boundaries of the teachers in life long sector.

Green Architecture Design Elements

Green Architecture Design Elements Introduction Since the Industrial Revolution, the world has witnessed incalculable technological achievements, population growth, and corresponding increases in resource use. As we enter a new century, we are recognizing the side effects of our activities: pollution, landfills at capacity, toxic waste, global warming, resource and ozone depletion, and deforestation. These efforts are straining the limits of the Earths carrying capacity  Ã‚  its ability to provide the resources required to sustain life while retaining the capacity to regenerate and remain viable. As the worlds population continues to expand, implementation of resource-efficient measures in all areas of human activity is imperative. The built environment is one clear example of the impact of human activity on resources. Buildings have a significant impact on the environment, accounting for one-sixth of the worlds freshwater withdrawals, one-quarter of its wood harvest, and two-fifths of its material and energy flows. Structures also impact areas beyond their immediate location, affecting the watersheds, air quality, and transportation patterns of communities.[1] That recognition is leading to changes in the way the building industry and building owners approach the design, construction, and operation of structures. With the leadership of diverse groups in the public and private sectors, the building industry is moving toward a new value in its work: that of environmental performance. The industrys growing sustainability ethic is based on the principles of resource efficiency, health, and productivity. Realization of these principles involves an integrated, multidisciplinary approach one in which a building project and its components are viewed on a full life-cycle basis. This cradle-to-cradle approach, known as green or sustainable building, considers a buildings total economic and environmental impact and performance, from material extraction and product manufacture to product transportation building design and construction, operations and maintenance, and building reuse or disposal. Ultimately, adoption of sustainable building practices will lead to a shift in the building industry, with sustainability thoroughly embedded in its practice, products, standards, codes, and regulations. Understanding the specifics of sustainable building and determining effective sustainable practices can be confusing. Local governments and private industry often do not have the resources to perform the necessary research to assemble information on sustainable practices, assuming such information is readily available. This thesis, by its parts, presents a full vision about green architecture, green buildings, and the opportunity to apply this architecture in Lebanon. In Addition, it includes a full conceptual design for a proposed project related to such architecture. PART 1: Green Architecture / Green Buildings 1.1 Definition Sustainable development is the challenge of meeting growing human needs for natural resources, industrial products, energy, food, transportation, shelter, and effective waste management while conserving and protecting environmental quality and the natural resource base essential for future life and development. This concept recognizes that meeting long-term human needs will be impossible unless we also conserve the earths natural physical, chemical, and biological systems.[2] Sustainable development concepts, applied to the design, construction, and operation of buildings, can enhance both the economic well-being and environmental health of communities around the world. The Union Internationale des Architects/American Institute of Architects (UIA/AIA) World Congress of Architects recognized that in its 1993 Declaration of Interdependence, which acknowledges that buildings and the built environment play a major role in the human impact on the natural environment and on the quality of life. If sustainable design principles are incorporated into building projects, benefits can include resource and energy efficiency, healthy buildings and materials, ecologically and socially sensitive land use, transportation efficiency, and strengthened local economies and communities. Embracing sustainability concepts, the goals aim to reduce energy, operation, and maintenance costs; reduce building-related illnesses; increase the productivity and comfort of building occupants; reduce waste and pollution; and increase building and component durability and flexibility.[3] In the developed countries, public and private leaders have realized the economic and environmental benefits of green building practices and are instituting policies, developing building guidelines, and manufacturing products and systems that will achieve sustainable development goals. 1.2 Green buildings history 1.2.1 Historical Buildings According to David Gissen, curator of architecture and design and the National Building Museum in Washington DC, structures such as Londons Crystal Palace and Milans Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II used methods that decreased the impact of the structure on the environment. Systems such as roof ventilators and underground air cooling chambers were used to regulate indoor air temperature.[4] In the early twentieth century, several skyscrapers such as the Flatiron Building and the New York Times Building in New York utilized deep-set windows and the Carson Pirie Scott department store in Chicago had retractable awnings. Both of these techniques were effective in controlling interior temperature while lessoning the buildings impact on the environment.[5] From the 1930s through the 1960s, the forward thinking cooling methods mentioned above gave way to some new building technologies that would change inner-city building construction dramatically. The invention of air conditioning, reflective glass, and structural steel popularized the enclosed glass and steel buildings that litter the American city today. These buildings were able to be heated and cooled with massive HVAC systems that consumed huge amounts of cheap and readily available fossil fuels.[6] The massive consumption of energy required to inhabit these buildings made their viability tenable and entirely dependent upon energy availability and cost. 1.2.2 The Infancy Around the time that the glass box style high rise had become the icon of the American city (circa 1970), a forward thinking group of architects, environmentalists, and ecologists[7] were inspired by the growing environmental movement and the higher fuel costs that were prevalent during the 1970s.[8] The genesis of these two scenarios ultimately resulted in the modern build green movement. The first Earth Day, celebrated in April 1970, gave some credence to this new building concept, but the OPEC oil embargo of 1973 gave the burgeoning environmental movement, and subsequently the green build effort, the kick start it needed. With gas lines stretching for blocks, some Americans began to question the conventional wisdom that we should be so independently reliant upon fossil fuels for our energy.[9] As a result of the oil embargo, amongst other energy concerns, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) formed a Committee on Energy that was broken into two camps. One group looked toward passive, such as reflective roofing materials and environmentally beneficial sitting of buildings, to achieve energy savings, while the other concentrated more on technological solutions, such as the use of triple-glazed windows.'[10] As energy concerns subsided, momentum for green building and the environment, in general, slowed down, but a dedicated core-group of architects continued to push their green building concept forward. A couple of notable buildings constructed during the seventies which utilized concepts of green design are: The Willis Faber and Dumas Headquarters in England, which utilized a grass roof, day-lighted atrium, and mirrored windows; the Gregory Bateson Building in California, which used energy-sensitive photovoltaic (solar cells)[11], under-floor rock store cooling systems, and area climate control devices.[12] Through the late seventies, throughout the eighties, and into the early nineties, much research was commissioned on energy efficient processes. This research resulted in more effective solar panels, prefabricated efficient wall systems, water reclamations systems, modular construction units, and direct usage of light through windows in order to decrease day-time energy consumption.[13] 1.3 Green Organizations 1.4 Green effect on buildings cities 1.4.1 Energy Efficiency Approximately 50 percent of the energy use in buildings is devoted to producing an artificial indoor climate through heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting.[14] A typical buildings energy bill constitutes approximately 25 percent of the buildings total operating costs. Estimates indicate that climate-sensitive design using available technologies could cut heating and cooling energy consumption by 60 percent and lighting energy requirements by at least 50 percent in U.S. buildings.[15] 1.4.2 Water Efficiency Water conservation and efficiency programs have begun to lead to substantial decreases in the use of water within buildings. Water-efficient appliances and fixtures, behavioral changes, and changes in irrigation methods can reduce consumption by up to 30 percent or more.[16] As demand on water increases with urban growth, the economic impact of water conservation and efficiency will increase proportionately. Water efficiency not only can lead to substantial water savings, it also can reduce the requirement for expansion of water treatment facilities. Non-residential water customers account for a small percentage of the total number of water customers, but use approximately 35 percent or more of the total water.[17] 1.4.3 Waste Reduction Green architecture also seeks to reduce waste of energy, water and materials used during construction. For example, in California nearly 60% of the states waste comes from commercial buildings.[18] During the construction phase, one goal should be to reduce the amount of material going to landfills. Well-designed buildings also help reduce the amount of waste generated by the occupants as well, by providing on-site solutions such as compost bins to reduce matter going to landfills. To reduce the impact on wells or water treatment plants, several options exist. Greywater, wastewater from sources such as dishwashing or washing machines, can be used for subsurface irrigation, or if treated, for non-potable purposes, e.g., to flush toilets and wash cars. Rainwater collectors are used for similar purposes. Centralized wastewater treatment systems can be costly and use a lot of energy. An alternative to this process is converting waste and wastewater into fertilizer, which avoids these costs and shows other benefits. By collecting human waste at the source and running it to a semi-centralized biogas plant with other biological waste, liquid fertilizer can be produced. This concept was demonstrated by a settlement in Lubeck Germany in the late 1990s. Practices like these provide soil with organic nutrients and create carbon sinks that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, offsetting greenhouse gas emission. Producing artificial fertilizer is also more costly in energy than this process.[19] 1.4.4 Construction Cost Reduction Application of green building concepts can yield for savings during the construction process. Measures that are relatively easy to implement can result in savings to the contractor in the following areas: Lower energy costs, by monitoring usage, installing energy-efficient lamps and fixtures, and using occupancy sensors to control lighting fixtures; Lower water costs, by monitoring consumption and reusing storm water and/or construction wastewater where possible; Lower site-clearing costs, by minimizing site disruption and movement of earth and installation of artificial systems; Lower landfill dumping fees and associated hauling charges, through reuse and recycling of construction and demolition debris; Lower materials costs, with more careful purchase and reuse of resources and materials; Possible earnings from sales of reusable items removed during building demolition; and Fewer employee health problems resulting from poor indoor air quality. This listing suggests some possible areas for cost savings; the project team can identify other possibilities through a cooperative and integrated team approach. The contractor can also improve relations with the community and building owner by viewing them as part of the team effort to implement environmentally sound construction measures. 1.4.5 Building Operation and Maintenance The green building measures discussed in this manual can lead not only to lower building operating expenses through reduced utility and waste disposal costs, but also to lower on-going building maintenance costs, ranging from salaries to supplies. For example, in many buildings, maintenance staff collects recycled materials on each floor or even at every employees desk and carry the materials down to the basement for hand sorting. Recycling chutes, a viable green alternative, allow direct discarding of materials from any floor in the building to the basement. The chute system, which ideally is installed during initial construction or renovation, can sort materials automatically, saving labor costs by eliminating the need to collect, transport, and sort recyclables. Other savings come in the form of lower waste hauling fees; reduced workers compensation insurance premiums due to lower claims for accidents from sharp glass and cans; reduced elevator maintenance; less frequent cleanin g of spills on carpets and floors; and less need for pest control. Environmentally friendly housekeeping products can also have financial advantages. For example, cleaning products that are purchased as concentrates and use minimal packaging not only promote waste reduction, but also can reduce product usage by 30 to 60 percent with dispensers that more accurately measure and dilute the cleaning products for optimum effectiveness.[20] Building owners need to view the building manager and staff as vital participants in environmentally sound and cost-effective operations. Building managers, charged with the efficient operation and maintenance of multi-million-dollar assets, have experience in all areas of operations and maintenance over the life of a building. Once a building is operational, training of management and maintenance staff including education on effective green building measures such as building energy management systems, new cleaning products, and new building codes and standards can help them to maintain the building in a resource-efficient and economically favorable manner. 1.4.6 Insurance and Liability The past decades conventional office design, construction, and operational practices have decreased the quality of the indoor office environment, resulting in new health concerns and associated economic costs and liability. The introduction of a multitude of new contaminant pollution sources into the workplace, combined with tighter building construction, has intensified air-quality problems. For example, poor indoor air quality can result from such factors as faulty air-conditioning systems, occupant related pollutants, construction materials that emit high levels of volatile organic compounds, and poor maintenance practices. The U.S. EPA ranks indoor air pollution among the top five environmental risks to public health. Unhealthy indoor air is found in up to 30 percent of new and renovated buildings.[21] Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) and Building Related Illness (BRI) have become more common in the workplace, increasing building owner and employer costs due to sickness, absenteeism, and increased liability claims. It has been estimated that SBS and BRI cost roughly $60 billion each year in medical expenses and lost worker productivity in the United States.[22] Legal actions related to Sick Building Syndrome and other building-related problems have increased. These actions against building designers, owners, or employers may be initiated by occupants who have short- or long-term problems, ranging from headaches and burning eyes to more serious ailments. Initial economic impact may come in the forms of higher health insurance premiums, increased workers compensation claims, and decreased productivity. Expensive remediation projects and environmental cleanups may follow, and building owners may try to recover losses from the original project contractors and architects through litigation. By ensuring better indoor air quality, building owners, employers, and design professionals can lower their risk of future litigation by building occupants. Professional liability insurance companies have indicated a willingness to offer design professionals lower insurance premiums for higher operating-procedure standards that lead to improved indoor air quality. Some national architectural firms are attempting to rate building products according to the levels of volatile organic compounds they emit after installation, and to educate building owners and managers about healthier product choices. 1.4.7 Occupant Health and Productivity The purpose of a building is not only to provide shelter for its occupants, but also to provide an environment conducive to high performance of all intended occupant activities. Recent studies have shown that buildings with good overall environmental quality, including effective ventilation, natural or proper levels of lighting, indoor air quality, and good acoustics, can increase worker productivity by six to 16 percent.[23] An organizations most significant financial commitment is usually to its employees. Many employers spend at least as much on salary-related expenditures as they do on constructing an entire company building. In many organizations, salaries and associated benefits consume the majority of the annual operating budget.[24] For example; based on the sample calculations in 2, a typical employer could spend $233 per square foot annually for an employee. Building construction costs generally fall below this level, often by 50 percent. In addition, annual employee salary-related expenditures, using the numbers in 2, are approximately 130 times greater than energy costs. A productivity increase of six percent equates to savings to the employer of $14 per square foot eight times the cost of the buildings annual energy bill. Given this information, an employer can decide to maximize the performance and efficiency of personnel resources through assessment of, and improvement to, the indoor environmental quality of its building. The following account of a recent renovation project illustrates this approach. Both building owners and building tenant/employers can benefit in other ways by improving indoor environmental quality. For owners, these improvements can result in higher property values, longer tenant occupancy and lease renewals, reduced insurance and operating costs, reduced liability risks, extended equipment life, and good publicity. For tenants, benefits include reduced absenteeism and better employee morale, reduced insurance and operating costs, reduced liability risks, and community recognition. If the building owner is also the employer, an organization can offset initial construction design and systems costs with the reduction of long-term organizational and operational expenses over the buildings life cycle. 1.4.8 Building Value Green buildings high efficiency and performance can result in higher property values and potentially lower lenders credit risk. Lower operating costs associated with more efficient systems can lead to higher building net income. In addition to increasing a buildings net operating income or value, green building measures may allow building owners to charge higher rents or achieve higher rates of building occupancy, if tenants view green properties as more desirable. Currently, voluntary building rating programs are under development for commercial buildings in the United States. As these programs are introduced into the marketplace and gain the acceptance of building owners and tenants, they could impact the value of properties. Prospective tenants will be able to rate buildings based on such measurable features as natural daylight, better indoor air quality, and lower energy, water, and waste costs. If enough buildings are rated for environmental performance, those that perform better will start to realize market advantages. 1.4.9 Local Economic Development Opportunities Promotion and implementation of green building practices within a community can generate new economic development opportunities. These opportunities can take a variety of forms, including new business development to meet the demand for green products and services; resource-efficiency improvement programs that enable existing businesses to lower operating costs; development of environmentally oriented business districts; and job training related to new green businesses and products. 1.5 Appliance Ways of applying 1.5.1 Appliances 1.5.1.1 Selecting environmentally and economically balanced building materials. Buildings significantly alter the environment. According to Worldwatch Institute1, building construction consumes 40 percent of the raw stone, gravel, and sand used globally each year, and 25 percent of the virgin wood. Buildings also account for 40 percent of the energy and 16 percent of the water used annually worldwide. In the United States, about as much construction and demolition waste is produced as municipal garbage. Finally, unhealthy indoor air is found in 30 percent of new and renovated buildings worldwide. Negative environmental impacts flow from these activities. For example, raw materials extraction can lead to resource depletion and biological diversity losses. Building materials manufacture and transport consumes energy, which generates emissions linked to global warming and acid rain. Landfill problems, such as leaching of heavy metals, may arise from waste generation. All these activities can lead to air and water pollution. Unhealthy indoor air may cause increased morbidity and mortality. Selecting environmentally preferable building materials is one way to improve a buildings environmental performance. To be practical, however, environmental performance must be balanced against economic performance. Even the most environmentally conscious building designer or building materials manufacturer will ultimately want to weigh environmental benefits against economic costs. They want to identify building materials that improve environmental performance with little or no increase in cost. The building community is making decisions today that have environmental and economic consequences. Its decisions are plagued by incomplete and uncertain data as well as the lack of a standardized methodology for evaluating the data. The NIST/EPA team seeks to support these decisions by gathering environmental and economic performance data and by structuring and computerizing the decision-making process. The resulting BEES tool will be publicly available over the Internet. In the mean while, the USGBC has published a list of materials certified from LEED containing several green materials including: flooring, interior construction, paints film, fabrics, draperies, tack surfaces, ceiling systems, lighting, appliances, millwork, furniture and plumping fixtures. 1.6 Education of green architecture Since 1993, UIA released the Declaration of Interdependence for a Sustainable Future suggesting that the architectural profession should seek to achieve ecological sustainability within the limited time that is likely to be available. And its been 14 years after the release of UIA / UNESCO Charter For Architectural Education that registers among educational goals an ecologically balanced and sustainable development of the built environment. Since then, many architecture schools have introduced or upgraded courses on technical aspects of sustainability, like Energy Conscious Design, Sustainable Architecture, Beyond Green or Bioclimatic Architecture and others more. The integration of sustainability in design schools up to now has been reviewed by several surveys. Most of them share two conclusions: first, that not many schools have embraced the subject in a thorough manner, pointing at the low level at which sustainable design concepts have been incorporated into the regular curriculum and noticing that environmental education in architecture has been done on an ad-hoc basis, fragmented and insufficient'[25]; second, that sustainable design requires teaching methods quite different than the long-established ones[26]. Environmental crisis and its foreseeable effects are still a marginal issue in the academic discourse at schools supposedly dealing with the environment, perhaps because crises are not an attractive subject in our feel-good era. As a result, those who will have to tackle the looming crisis in the near future are not adequately prepared. Still, the need to implement sustainable design is widely recognized by the educational community, at least in principle. A telling example is a survey among architectural educators in more than 30 European countries in 2001[27], where nearly 90% of the respondents are voting for a rather dramatic shift from a currently rather low to a high consideration of Sustainable Development in future architectural education. According to the survey, only 19% of those said that this concept is currently receiving a very/quite high level of consideration, and 83% said it should receive a very/quite high level of consideration in architectural education, identifying as an aspect of leading importance the integration of sustainability-issues into all studio design. In spite of such consensus, there is still a long road until sustainable design is firmly rooted in architectural learning. There are a number of reasons for this, within and outside the academic perimeter: 1.6.1 Academic obstacles _____________________ In most schools that show environmental concern, related issues are usually confined in elective classes, detached from design studios. This creates a fringe reputation for sustainability, shunning its principles from the main design projects to the periphery of architectural learning. As a result, no practical experience is gained in how to introduce sustainable qualities in the core design agenda. ______________________ In many cases the emphasis is on quantitative rather than qualitative matters. As a result number crunching eclipses design, and students tend to associate sustainable concerns with numerical performance only, detached from issues like comfort, resources, or societal ethics. In that manner, sustainability-related courses are considered similar to those on technical fields like structural or mechanical design, but not real architecture. ______________________ Sustainable design is a rather recent theme, not very familiar to the old guard that administers schools. Most tutors have had limited or even nonexistent training in their past, and practical experience is even more rare. Consequently, a lack of importance placed on sustainable design by many architectural educators'[28] is no surprise. As a result, it is difficult to introduce obscure, uninteresting or useless new topics to the curriculum, especially in view of the fact that sustainable design challenges the predominantly artistic stance of architecture. ___________________ Sustainable design is a complex architectural approach, encompassing diverse fields of knowledge and requiring multi-discipline teamwork. Therefore its teaching cannot fit with the conventional linear approach where different technical skills are segregated in different departments, with rare opportunities to bring them all together through joint projects in a holistic manner. Furthermore, sustainable architecture is a complex subject that should be covered throughout the curriculum'[29], not just in sporadic projects. ____________________ Furthermore, design projects are frequently detached from earthly reality as if they refer to a space station, hardly interrelated with nature or society. Societal ethics or environmental awareness are not embedded in the agenda, confining training in merely technical skills with major focus on the aesthetic. An architectural student suddenly transported to many of our architecture schools from 1900 Paris would feel right at home.[30] _____________________ Environmental crisis is repeatedly under the limelight of the media but, remarkably, it is seldom included in the academic discourse. There is little systematic awareness of the relationship of building and urban design with vital environmental issues like energy water shortages, air ground pollution, urban heat island ecological footprint, or resources depletion. And certainly such topics are not included in project briefs or ordinary student work. _______________________ Furthermore, there is insufficient supplementary input through technical classes like building physics or environmental technology that could support sustainable design projects. When students do not understand the dynamic linkage between structures, environmental conditions and users, it is not easy to differentiate, say, between building in the landscape and building in interaction with the landscape.[31] 1.6.2 Outside the classroom The introduction of sustainability in architecture schools encounters further difficulties stemming from the outer side of the academic walls: ____________________ Sustainable design has yet to find a clear identity: Is it a building technique, a blend of architecture and engineering that can be applied on any architectural variety just like, say, fire safety or seismic proofing? Is it just one more architectural fashion, perhaps with extra consideration to the environment than the rest, with its own stylistic trademarks like solar collectors, conservatories, or green labels? Or is it a novel design mindset, where nature society, today tomorrow are equal partners in the design framework? _____________________ The sustainable design family includes variations like energy conscious, bioclimatic, solar, ecological, or green, any of which could be applied in a non-sustainable manner. For instance, an energy-saving scheme could employ non-ecological materials; bioclimatic skyscrapers use more resources than low rise, and the sustainability of a huge green mansion with just two occupants is questionable. It is clear that sustainable design in full scale is a complex endeavor that requires a holistic alertness on a broad array of subjects, technical as much as social: Although there is much interest and curiosity about the subject, no one would say its easy to learn or apply in practice.[32] ______________________ The architectural haut couture of our era markets themes rather far from sustainability. As a result prudence and ÃŽÂ ¼ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ µÃƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ½ (metron = Greek for measure) are ostracized from the main architectural values[33]. Given that architecture is always learned by example, many students and many grownups too clone the glamorous paradigms of the grand maitres,