Employee relations and engagement Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Employee relations and engagement - Assignment Example The company has incorporated and added new forms of amusement in order to attract the new generation of visitors to the park. The company is seen to employ about 250 people and amongst them 200 are members of the union and have collective bargaining rights. The company management and the union sit down for negotiations each year and decide on the demand that they approve upon from both sides of the table. The following page discusses the negotiation process between the management and employee of the organization on different lines and issues. The objective of with which we went into the management in this negotiation is to ensure that the demands of the employees in the form of increase in salary should not be accepted. We found that the union will place a demand for increase in the no. of holidays. This cannot be allowed. On the part of the demands to be placed by our part as management, we would like to place the condition of retrenchment of some of the employees. We would also place the point that we will indulge in the career development or the skill training of the employees of the organization (Mehta, 2009). We think it to be necessary on our side to negotiate and try to establish the above points as because our company has been finding it difficult to make profit since the last six years. An amusement park has opened in the 10 mile radius of our company in the past 6 years and has taken a share of the market and the visitors. This has resulted in the fact that our company has been able to just breakeven in the las t 4 years and made a loss for the first time in the last year. Due to the increased competition and loss of market share it has become necessary for our company to introduce new entertainment machinery which is called the wow factor. To maintain the market share and profitability it is required that our company should invest in new technology, games and training facilities for the

Magnificent play Essay Example for Free

Magnificent play Essay Language is extremely powerful in The Crucible. Millers words are used effectively and do not include anything unnecessary to convey the idea. For instance, She thinks to dance with me on my wifes grave. And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a whores vengeance and you must see it, I set myself entirely in your hands. This quote consists of simple speech and tells a straightforward message. Proctor knows his mistake and regrets it, but he also knows he must reveal it to the court in order to stop the trials. Another example of a powerful quote is A person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between. This quote is very effective in a way Danforth is telling everyone their fate. He is saying those against the court are evil and will suffer the consequences for it, presumably death. he tells everyone in favour of the witch trials that they are victorious and have nothing to worry about if they carry on as they are doing. The theme of this play I believe is a very interesting one. In my opinion The Crucible is about rising over adversity, standing for the truth even to the death. there are many examples in the play to support my opinion. John in the beginning wanted to keep distant from the trials, he didnt want to have a part whether good or bad, but when Elizabeth was arrested he was forced to take part. Throughout the trial, he stood for the truth. He confessed to his affair and was forgiven for his sin. He died a hero learning what truth really meant through his sufferings and struggles. there is also a great deal of hysteria in this play. The villages people were easily manipulated by Abigails lies and came to quick poorly judged conclusions, which lead to killing a great many innocent people. Act 3 is very strong most of the main things are revealed such as the courts verdict, who is right and who is wrong, who will win and who will die. It is an extremely gripping part of the play, telling how Proctor was so close to victory (through his confession and Mary Warren) yet he still defeated by the envy of Abigail, or rather the loyalty of Elizabeth and the fearful Mary warren. He knows he will die but he also knows he has a chance of stopping this fate yet because of his decency Proctor decides he would rather face death than bring trouble upon his friends and everlasting shame upon his family. I also noticed that in act 3 the three main sides are shown clearly. The power hungry stand together, those full of jealousy, greed, hate and lust join and those who are willing to sacrifice themselves for the truth unite. The people in this play may have had different motives for accusing other people, and practically sentencing them to death, but the outcome of all accusations was more or less the same. Innocent people died and there was more than one person to lay the blame on. In almost every conflict, there is someone or some people to hold responsible. In this case, it was Abigail for her manipulative nature, the Putnams for their greed, Mary Warren for being weak-willed and Rev. Parris for craving power. It makes one wonder how such a diminutive act of young girls could lead to such destruction of a community. How could innocent people be sentenced to death simply because some girls were playing and dancing? This is the power of religion and the annihilation it can cause if people refuse to tolerate any other explanation and follow it blindly. The Crucible is a magnificent play, superbly written conveying one simple message. It is better stand for the truth and sacrifice yourself than to live with a lie. It reminds us that man is not perfect, and that we can make mistakes. However, even with these mistakes, we can cleanse ourselves and purify ourselves by making what is wrong right.

Health Supplements: An analysis

Health Supplements: An analysis CHAPTER 1 The prevalence used of health supplements especially multivitamins and minerals in many developed counteries are widened eventhough their effectiveness is unclearly determined (Rock , 2007). Based on the data collected by National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2000, 52 percent of US adults reported taking a dietary supplement in the past month and 35 percent is reported on regular use of a multivitamin-multimineral product. Marketing data from Nutrition Business Journal of year 1997 till 2001 show a dramatic increase in supplement sales and estimated total approximately $ 18.8 billion in 2003. In Malaysia, according to the data published by Icon Health Publication from R D Committee at INSTEAD, the latent demand for vitamin and dietary supplement has growing increasing from year to year. Since the use of health supplements continues to expand in future, thus investigating of preliminary reason behind this trend is important. Supplement consumption usually occurs in the context of achieving or maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Several studies have been suggested that individuals might tend to use health supplements in order to compensate for unhealthy behaviours (Hilliam, 1996; Kirk et al., 1999; Radimer et al., 2000). One of the important reason that contribute to the increased use of health supplement is widely availability of these agents, in part because of the minimal regulatory requirements for safety and efficacy compared with regulatory requirements for drugs. Despite the fact that health supplements are not classified as drugs by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act allows manufacturers to make claims intended to attract public opinion regarding the benefits on the use of these supplement products. Under DSHEA, product labels cannot claim to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease but it only claims to support the structure and function of the body.  [1]  Basically, consumption of health supplements can also be categorized as one of the type of c omplementary or alternative medicine (CAM). 1.2 Significance of the study Anecdotally, there is an increasing use of health supplements among Malaysian. However, relatively little is known about the patterns of use of health supplements among them. Therefore, there is a need for continued research in order to provide more knowledge related to the benefit of supplement use. To our knowledge, only one study conducted by International Medical University, has focused specifically on the usage and opinion among health sciences students on the dietary supplements. Eventhough usage of health supplement is prevalent but there are only a few published reports (Mazlan, 1990; Safiah, 2002). In parallel with the implementation of National Plan of Action for Nutrition II of Malaysia (NPANM), there is a need for continued research in order to investigate the use, attitudes and knowledge of health supplements among urban adults in Klang Valley which still represents the area with the highest prevalence of health supplements user in Malaysia. 1.3 Objectives The purpose of this study was to assess the use of health supplements among Malaysians urban adults . This study not only focused on herbal supplements but it also include functional foods, nutrient and botanical products available in the market. Besides, we like to determine whether attitudes are better predictor of adults intentions to use health supplements than are subjective norms. Last but not least is to assess knowledge concerning the safety of health supplements among urban adults. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Health supplement 2.1.1 Definition of health supplement Health supplement is a term that also commonly known as dietary supplement, nutraceutical supplement or nutritional supplement. Eventhough this term has been used interchangeably, but the meaning of them is still same. In early 1990s, a nutraceutical term was coined by Dr. Stephen DeFelice and it was defined concisely as any substance either food or a part of food. It has a wider range from specific diet, isolated nutrients, processed foods, dietary supplements to genetically modified foods and also include herbal products. It was intended to be use to provides health benefits to the end user (Barnett et al., 1996). Before year 1994, the health supplement was subjected to the same regulatory requirement as other food. However, in October 1994, the President Clinton was assigned a new act under FDA regulations that known as Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. According to the DSHEA, dietary supplement is defined as a product that intended to be taken orally in order to supple ment the diet in which it contains a dietary ingredient. The dietary ingredients in these products may include vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, and substances such as enzymes, organ tissues, glandulars and metabolites. It can also be extracts or concentrates, and may be found in many forms such as tablets, capsules, softgels, gelcaps, liquids or powders (U.S Food and Drug Administration, 1995). Whatever dosage form it is, this dietary ingredient is not considered as a drug. In case of a drug, it was subjected to undergo some procedures in order to be clinically proven safe to be used. However, dietary supplement was treated reverse to this way since that it was considered safe until proven unsafe. In addition, dietary ingredient could be used in dietary supplement without a need to get approval from FDA as food additive and generally recognised as safe (GRAS) ingredients (Susan Onel, 2005). Due to the minimal regulatory requirements of safety and its efficacy, therefore the health supplement become more widely available and this contributed to increase of its used (Bardia et al., 2007). However, in case of a new dietary ingredient present in the product then the manufacturers of dietary supplement must have to provide FDA with evidence by submission of the products safety data of at least 75 days prior to its release to the public. This dietary ingredient was considered as a new ones if it was not marketed in U.S before October 15, 1994 (Cohen, 2000). 2.1.2 Definition of health supplement user Generally, health supplement users are those healthy people who are seeking for supplements as a one of several alternatives for improving health (Sheldon Pelletier, 2003). In U.S, it has been estimated that approximately half of their adult population considered as users of health supplements (Robson et al., 2008 ; Radimer et al., 2004). A study done by Knudsen et al. in year 1997 to 1998 at two Danish cities was defined a health supplement user as a person who consumed at least one type of supplements within a period of time of the survey. Basically, Knudsen and his colleagues determined those supplement users based on their frequency intake. Result indicated that from 2758 of supplement users about 27 percent of them took more than one health supplement per day and twelve percent took three or more per day (Knudsen et al., 2002). In the present study persons who consumed any health supplement at least once in a year has been considered as dietary or health supplement users. In this study, they defined health supplement users into three groups which are daily user, weekly user and seldom user. The daily users are those who reported use of any health supplement once a day or more for the past 12 months whereas weekly users are those who reported use once a week or more but must be less than once a day for the past 12 months and seldom users are those people who reported use once a year or more but less than once a week for the past 12 months (Imai et al., 2006). 2.1.3 Types of health supplements With the increased in health awareness regarding the use of health supplements, the public is flooded by numerous health supplement products which are frequently advertised through the various media. Thus, there are many types of health supplements that have been practically used by the supplement user. 2.1.3.1 Vitamin Vitamin is a group of complex organic compounds that present in small amounts in natural foodstuffs which are play an essential role for the body to regulate normal metabolism and lack of which in the diet causes deficiency diseases (McDowell, 2000). Since vitamin can be found in daily food consumption thus for a normal healthy people intake of vitamin supplement is unnecessary. This is because overconsumption of certain vitamin such as vitamin A may lead to reversible Acute hypervitaminosis that occur after ingestion of more than or equal to 500,000 IU (over 100 times the RDA) by adults (Bendich Langseth, 1989). According to the survey done among 129 doctors working at hospitals in Kota Bharu, the results showed that the health supplements commonly used were multivitamins and minerals (92.3 percent) whereas prevalence used of vitamin C is 26.9 percent (Rohana Zulkifli, 2007). The types and usage patterns of health supplements used as shown in Table 2.1 Table 2.1 : Types and used patterns of health supplements among doctors Rank Supplement/s Regular users Sporadic users Total (%) 1 MVT plus minerals 14 1 15 (17.9) 2 Vitamin Bco 12 3 15 (17.9) 3 Vitamin C 10 1 11 (13.1) 4 Garlic 7 0 7 (8.3) 5 MVT only 5 1 6 (7.1) 6 Traditional 4 1 5 (6.0) 7 Lecithin 4 0 4 (4.8) 8 Prenatal vitamins 3 0 3 (3.6) 9 Vitamin E 3 0 3 (3.6) 10 Fish oil 2 1 3 (3.6) 11 Ginseng 2 1 3 (3.6) 12 Iron/Folic acid 2 0 2 (2.4) 13 Bee Pollen 1 1 2 (2.4) 14 Others 5 0 5 (6.0) TOTAL 74 10 84 (100.0) Source : Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine 2007, Vol. 7(1):60-63 2.1.3.2 Mineral Minerals are nonorganic substances found in all body tissues and fluids such as bones, teeth, brain, liver, muscle, blood and nerve cells. They are required in modest amounts for the maintenance of structural integrity of essential molecules and development of optimal physiological function (Lukaski, 1995). Since minerals cannot be synthesized by the body therefore they must be consumed through a healthy diet. Based on the data from the NILS-LSA done in Japan, about 55 percent of males and 61 percent of females were consumed some type of health supplements and revealed that calcium was the most popular mineral consumed by both sexes ( Imai et al., 2006). In addition the study done by Chandra and his colleagues were investigated the respondents regarding to their reasons for consuming mineral supplements and their knowledge on mineral supplements. Thus, the finding of this study revealed that the most prevelent reason for consuming mineral supplements is to feel better and their lev el of knowledge on types and benefits of mineral supplements is moderate (Chandra, Miller and Willis, 2005). 2.1.3.4 Herb and other botanicals There are many different herbal and botanical supplements available on the market. Thus, approximately one third of U.S adults reported using botanical supplements (Harris Polls, 1998). In addition, in year 1999 the Chemical Market Reporter revealed that the botanical and herbal market generated approximately $3.9 billion in sales (Anonymous, 1999). A survey shown that about 57.3 percent of adults favourably used herbs in order to treat a specific illnesses (Bardia et al., 2007). According to the survey done by Newberry et al. in 2001 found that 71 of 132 respondents reported they took NVNM health supplements in order to promote good health, prevent disease and to enhance immune system. Most commonly reported used of these NVNM are includes Echinacea, ginseng, St Johns Wort, gingko biloba, ephedra, saw palmetto, chamomile and garlic. From 71 respondents who reported taken NVNM to promote good health about 77.5 percent claimed them to be effective. In addition, 50 respondents reported taken NVNM such as chamomile, gingko biloba, kava kava and St Johns wort in order to relieve depression and anxiety. Fortunately, survey indicated that 43 of 50 respondents perceived them to be effective (Newberry et al., 2001). 2.1.3.5 Amino acid Our cell is made up from different kind of the building blocks of proteins. This body protein that is called amino acid. Some of the amino acid is been synthesized within the body is called an non-essential amino acid whereas other half cannot be synthesized and must be absorbed and preformed from the gastro-intestinal tracts. This is called essential amino acid which is can be obtained from the food and amino acid supplements. A survey done among college student revealed that 17 out of 272 college students took the putative ergogenic which is commonly considered as amino acid sub-category. The prevalent reason claimed by college students regarding the used of these supplements is to enhance their athletic performance (Newberry et al., 2001). 2.3 Pattern of health supplements used From NHANES surveys discovered that the most common pattern of supplement use among US population appeared to be the use of single product which is 55 percent. Whereas 66 percent of supplement users took more than one product and only 13 percent took five or more (Sandler et al., 2001). A survey of 21 923 adults residing in the metropolitan boroughs of Bolton and Wigan, UK revealed 35.4 percent took at least one dietary supplement, 72.2 percent were taking one product whereas 27.8 percent taking two or more products. About 12.6 percent reported eating at least five portions of fruits and vegetables per day and 43.5 percent eating at least one portion of oil-rich fish per week. The use of health supplements was positively correlated with the pattern of eating at least five portions of fruits and vegetables per day (adjusted OR 1.41). Correspondingly, consumption of fish-oil supplements was higher among those eating one portion or more of oil-rich fish per week (adjusted OR 1.50) (Harr ison et al., 2004). Besides, a result of the survey also indicated that among women who were reported as regular supplement user, the most usually reported health supplements used were calcium with 60.3 percent user and 20.3 percent for glucosamine. In contrast, most commonly reported health supplements used by men were vitamin C (37.4 percent) and garlic (18.9 percent) (Robson et al., 2008). 2.4 Prevalence use of health supplements Comparison studies between NHANES 1999-2000 and previous NHANES survey which used same methodology suggested that supplement use has increased (Radimer et al., 2004). A previous study has indicated that most of the supplements have been used in order to promote general health, treat or prevent symptomatic conditions and chronic ailments (Bardia et al., 2007). In 2003 Satia-Abouta et al. study had found that supplements tend to be taken by the people that have been diagnosed with certain medical conditions than others and commented that, although some people take supplements based on efficacy but many do not. A survey result was indicated that supplement use was common among Whites, women, persons with age of 50 years and older and college educated with degree or more (Sheldon Pelletier, 2003 ; Shi et al., 2005). 2.4.1 Sociodemographic In research article by Block and Subar (1990) based on 1987 National Health Interview Survey, they investigate about the used of vitamin and mineral supplements in relation to demographics and amounts of nutrients consumed. This NHIS is a national probability survey among US population. It is the first national studies to address specifically supplement use among Hispanic population. The sample consisted of 22,080 adults of all races aged 18-99 years. A result of the survey revealed that user of vitamin and mineral supplements were slightly more women than were men of the same age and race. Survey shows that among white women within the age ranges 55-64 years, their daily usage are 39.9 percent and 38.4 percent among age ranges 65-74 years. However, among age 75 years and more it is slightly declined (34.9 percent). This indicated that usage pattern tended to increase with age which happened similarly within other sex-age categories. Based on sex-race categories, non-Hispanic whites women show the highest rates of use compared with all other races and Hispanic women show rate intermediate between those of whites and blacks (Blocks Subar, 1990 ; Jasti, Siega-Riz Bentley, 2003). Demographic data regarding income, education, and occupation show that strong socioeconomic influences upon whether individuals take supplements. From the study done by Jong et.al in 2002 revealed that the consumption behaviour towards variety of foods and supplements were associated with demographic and lifestyle characteristics. Result showed that participants in the middle and high education groups were more likely to use supplements containing Echinacea or multivitamin and minerals than individuals with lower education groups. Shi et.al in year 2005 also indicated that the intake of vitamin either in the form of tablets or capsules was significantly common among women and highly educated subjects. 2.4.4 Cultural Factors A study done by Williams et al. in 1996 indicated that cultural factor also influence in supplement use behavior. Based on ethnographic study of iron and folic acid supplementation among women of reproductive age in developing counteries, they found that cultural factors is plays role in supplement use behaviors (Williams et al., 1996). In addition to demographic determinants of supplement use, understanding of cultural factors also considered as crucial for the success of efforts to encourage supplement use in vulnerable population groups (Jasti, Siega-Riz Bentley, 2003). 2.5 Attitude and Behaviour Toward Supplementation Supplement users have been characterized as tend to be healthy people by having a positive attitude towards their health (Dickinson, 2002). In a study done on two-group design of 113 adults in the U.S, the researchers found that participants who have been diagnosed with health problems and experienced on negative effects of their illness showed likeliness to change their attitude towards supplements (McDonald Nicholson, 2006). However, in a study done by Junko Ishihara and his colleagues revealed something interesting about users attitude toward supplementation. Female supplement users who have been influenced by urban lifestyle showed negative lifestyle factors such as frequent eating out and stressful life which later contributed to moderate drinking among them. Those users might be aware of their unhealthy behaviour, hence they intentionally seek to compensate for it with health supplements (Ishihara et al., 2003). Generally, consumers considered health supplements as a safe product to be taken. However, they might not be aware about a few adverse event that have been reported regarding the unsafe use of these natural products (Ashar Rowland-Seymour, 2008 ; Palmer et al., 2003). Researchers have indicated that overdoses of Vitamin E consumption may result a prolonged bleeding time due to its effect on intrinsic coagulation pathway (McDonald Nicholson, 2006 ; Marsh Coombes, 2006). 2.5.1 Consumer dietary knowledge Knowledge regarding health supplements also influence the usage of supplements among the consumer. Based on health care professional surveyed revealed that supplement use are varied by profession with the highest frequency among nurses (88 percent), physician assistants and nurse practitioners (84 percent) and lowest among trainees (72 percent) and pharmacists (66 percent) (Jasti et al., 2003). This result indicated that health care professionals personal habit may affected whether they will recommend a use of health supplement or not (Frank et al., 2000). Futher indication of the supplement use is strongly associated with increased knowledge about nutrition and health (Dickinson, 2002). From the survey done on 4501 female physicians who participating in the Women Physicians Health Study revealed that half of them took a multivitamin-mineral supplement and most of them are those at high risk of getting disease. For example, those who susceptible in getting heart disease tend to consume antioxidant and those with a history of osteoporosis were nearly three times more likely to consume calcium supplement then those with no history of osteoporosis (Dickinson, 2002 ; Frank, Bendich Denniston, 2000). A study done by Gardiner and her colleagues between September, 2004 and May, 2005 found that nurses were more preferably to use a multivitamin than other professionals whereas students were more likely to use calcium (Gardiner et al., 2006). Basically, the types of health supplements used by HCP in such no differences compare to those used by the general public (Millen et al., 1987 ; Patterson et al., 1999).This result is consistent with previous surveys of HCPs which indicate a positive correlation between higher use, greater knowledge and increased communications with patients about benefit regarding the use of health supplement (Corbin Shapiro, 2002 ; Lindquist, Tracy Savik, 2003 ; Tracy et al., 2005). In case of ordinary users, their knowledge about health supplement also influence the usage of the product. A study done by Peters and his colleagues found that supplements user are those people who seek for self-educated approach by consulting a medical doctor and gathering infor mation from credible media sources such as the Internet (Peters et al., 2003). 2.5.2 Lifestyle As one of the developed countries, Malaysians were experienced a nutritional and lifestyle transition due to urbanization, industrialization and globalization. Thus, these rapid alarming trends have lead to the prevalence case of obesity among Malaysians. A study done by National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS III) in 2006 was revealed that 14 percents of the adults were obese with the BMI is more than 30 kg/m2. Therefore, this will increased the consumption intake of certain health supplement product that common use in weight loss management program such as Bitter orange (Ashar Rowland-Seymour, 2008). In the NHANES 1999-2000, data indicated that those with higher body mass index and current smokers shown as a less likelihood of reporting use of health supplements (Dwyer, Garceau Evans, 2001 ; Rock et al., 1997). Nonsmokers were more likely to take supplements than were current smokers (Lyle et al., 1998 ; Patterson et al., 1998 ; Subar Block, 1990). Supplement use also associated with healthy lifestyle, which was similar to the earlier-reported tendency for smoking. For BMI, there was a significant linear decrease of dietary supplement users for higher BMI groups in both sexes (Lyle et al., 1998 ; Newman et al., 1998 ; Subar Block, 1990). Regarding exercise, there was a significant linear increase in those groups who exercise more frequently. Prior studies had reported alcohol consumption in health supplement users as either having no association or as showing more users among moderate drinkers. Women who drank moderately (once a month to 6 times a week) were most likely to be users (Ishihara et al., 2003). Study done on a population-based sample of urban Japanese revealed that subjects who experienced more daily stressors (95% CI) are at more higher level of the consumption of vitamin supplements and vitamin enriched drinks compare to those with fewer daily stressors. OR from this study indicated that intake of vitamin supplements by healthy lifestyles subjects was related with acts to solve problems whereas in subjects with unhealthy lifestyle, reason of intake was associated with daily stressors (Shi et al., 2005). CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 3.1 Study design This was a descriptive and cross sectional study Sample size was determined by using a statistical method 3.2 Participants By using a multistage random strategy,400 subjects aged between 20 to 69 years were selected from large population of adults in Klang Valley. Klang Valley is urban areas that consists of Gombak, Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam and Klang areas. The ethnicity of the participants were unlimited to specific ethnic group only. Participants were identified at area clinics, shopping complex and park. 3.3 Questionnaires A questionnaires was designed to collect information among urban adults regarding their use of health supplements and their attitudes and knowledge toward supplementation of these popular substances. This validated questionnaire was developed from other previous survey and some based on literature review, but we take into account health supplements commonly used in the local setting. This survey questions consisted of four sections. The first section consisted of general demographics information such as gender, race and education. In addition, the participants also will be assessed on their current health status. The second section assessed on the usage of health supplement among those subjects. This part going to find out who took supplements and which ones they took, thus participants will be asked Do you usually take any of these supplements? then subsequent to previous question can be asked. Some products were listed in the questionnaire were the most popular health supplement p roducts in the Malaysia. For completeness, they could add any other health supplement to the list. In the analysis, health supplements were classified into few separate categories such as vitamins, minerals, herbal and other supplements. Question on how they find out about their supplement and how much their are taking each day also possible to be asked. The third session focused on attitudes of participants toward health supplements and the fourth section examined their perception of knowledge concerning the safety of these products. In this questionnaire, the participants will read the questions and statements that have been asked, most of which provided with a true/ false/ dont know or yes/ no/ dont know answer. This questionnaire are provided in the Appendix. 3.4 Statistical Analysis All statistical analyses were conducted by using SPSS version 17 for Window XP. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, means, standard deviations (SD), percentage were used to describe all the variables. One-way ANOVA was used to determine differences in continuous variables such as gender, age, education and income. Adjusted odd ratios (OR) of each preditors were calculated using multiple logistic regression in order to examine the effects of demographic and lifestyle on use or non-use of health supplements. Multiple logistic regression analysis also been used to identify the independent contribution of attitudes and knowledge toward the probability of use of health supplements. Futhermore, chi-square test also was used in order to find the correlation between qualitative variables at the 5% significance level. A p-value which less than 0.05 represents a significant difference. 3.5 Ethical approval Ethical approval for this survey was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee of Research Management Institute, Universiti Teknologi MARA.

Patient Visit Summary Report Essays -- Patient Interview Report

Confidentiality Disclaimer - This essay uses patient initials only. No identifying features are included within this essay. Patient: BA Patient’s age: 63 years old 1. Medical conditions (active) : After taking the patient’s medical history, I found out that the patient experiences several active medical conditions. She was diagnosed having rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes type II, sleep problem, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. She got rheumatoid arthritis when she was 49 years old, and has been having this for 14 years. She will feel the pain at places involving joints like the hands, knees and hips. She also feels the pain in the area around her head and neck, which contributes to headache. This is actually a condition where our immune system which is supposed to fight infection, attacks the cells lining our joints, causing them to be swollen, stiff and painful, and in process, damaging the joint, the cartilage and our nearby bone1. The sharp pain she feels usually radiates from her heels to her hands. Walking is really painful for her due to the inflammation of the joints. This condition is worsened during hot weather and if she feels stress, where it triggers pain most. Not only that, she feels exhausted and tired easily after doing any activities and thus, she tends to sleep a lot due to this illness. The patient also has a condition called fibromyalgia, which is a disorder that causes muscle pain and an extreme feeling of tiredness (fatigue)2. Patients will experience chronic fatigue syndrome and achy muscles, and this is treated with anti-inflammatory medications. Fibromyalgia affects her lifting ability, which limits movement and activities such as shopping. According to the patient, this bothers her ... ...guide/penicillin-allergy-topic-overview 9. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. What is COPD? [Internet]. United States : U.S. Department of Health & Human Services; 2013 [updated July 31]. Available from : http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/copd/ 10. World Health Organization Europe. The Solid Facts (Second Edition). Denmark : World Health Organization; 2003. 11. Cleveland Clinic. Occupational and physical therapy for arthritis [Internet]. Ohio : Cleveland Clinic; 2012 [updated September 17]. Available from : http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/arthritis/hic_occupational_and_physical_therapy_for_arthritis.aspx 12. MedlinePlus. Type 2 diabetes – self care [Internet]. United States : National Institutes of Health; 2013 [updated October 31]. Available from : http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000328.htm

Rate of Evaporation- Research Paper

Internal Assessment: Rate of Evaporation Ann George Mr. Frias/4th Period Wheeler High School Research Question How will changing the molar mass of alcohol affect the rate of evaporation, represented by the change in temperature over time, measured using a temperature probe? Research/Abstract Alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxyl functional group, OH, is bound to a carbon atom. Its carbon center should be saturated; it should have single bonds to three other atoms. The different types of alcohols are determined by the kinds of CH2 groups while the number of CH2 groups there are tells you the volume of the alcohol.The acyclic alcohols are the most basic and one of the most important groups of alcohol. The general formula of acyclic alcohols is: CnH2n+1OH. There are different types of acyclic alcohols. The most commonly used form of acyclic alcohol is ethanol which is a clear, volatile, flammable liquid that boils at 78. 4?. It is used as an industrial solvent, car fuel, and as raw materials in the chemical industry. Ethanol is widely used as a solvent for human contact or consumption, including perfumes, flavorings, colorings, and medicines. Another type of acyclic acid is methanol, and it is also the simplest sort of alcohol.It is a clear liquid that resembles ethanol is odor and properties, but it has a slightly lower boiling point of 64. 7?. Methanol is mainly used as a solvent, antifreeze, raw materials, fuel, or as a denaturant for ethanol. Unlike ethanol, methanol is extremely toxic since one sip of methanol can cause permanent blindness. Two other kinds of acyclic acid are propan-2-ol and butan-1-ol. Just like ethanol, these two types of alcohols can be produced by the fermentation process. Propan-2-ol is a colorless, flammable chemical compound with a strong odor.It is the simplest kind of secondary alcohol which occurs when an alcohol carbons is attached to two other carbons. Butan-1-ol is a primary alcohol with a four carbon structure. Bu tan-1-ol is part of the group of â€Å"fusel alcohols† which has more than two carbon atoms and is soluble in water. It is used as an artificial flavoring that is present in many types of food and beverages such as butter, cream, ice cream, and candy. Pentan-1-ol is a 5 carbon atom. It is a colorless liquid with an unpleasant aroma. This alcohol can be prepared by the fractional distillation of fusel oil.Some uses for pentan-1-ol include being used as a solvent for coating CDs and DVDs, and it is also used as a replacement for gasoline. Each of these acyclic alcohols has a general formula as follows: ethanol is C2H5OH, methanol is CH3OH, propan-2-ol is C3H7OH, butan-1-ol is C4H9OH, and pentan-1-ol is C5H11OH. Evaporation is a type of vaporization that occurs only on the surface of a liquid. For molecules of a liquid to evaporate, they must be located near the surface, be moving in the proper direction, and have sufficient kinetic energy to overcome the liquid phase intermolec ular forces.Since the kinetic energy of a molecule is proportional to its temperature, evaporation occurs more quickly at higher temperatures. As the faster moving molecules escape, the remaining molecules have a lower average kinetic energy, so the temperature of the liquid decreases. Also, evaporation tends to occur more quickly on liquids with higher vapor pressure. Alcohol evaporates faster than water because water has extensive hydrogen bonding between its molecules which results in its high boiling point whereas in alcohol, amount of hydrogen bonding is smaller as compared to water.This makes the boiling point of alcohol less than water. A major factor that tells the rate of evaporation is the intermolecular forces between the molecules. The stronger the forces’ keeping the molecules in a liquid state, the more energy needs to escape. Other factors that affect the rate of evaporation include the concentration in the air since air that has a high concentration of the sub stance will evaporate more slowly. Surface also plays an important part in the evaporation process because substances with a larger surface area will evaporate faster, as there are more surface molecules that are able to escape.Denser objects take longer to evaporate as well. The pressure of an object also effects evaporation since evaporation happens faster if there is less exertion on the surface keeping the molecules from launching themselves. The formula to determine the evaporation rate of a substance is as follows. Change in Temperature Change in Time Rate of Evaporation= In measuring the evaporation rate of a liquid, a temperature probe is most commonly used to calculate the decrease in temperature. If the evaporation rate occurs quickly, the temperature will also decrease quickly.Hypothesis For determine the rate of evaporation of a substance, the change in temperature is divided by the change in time. Among the five previously mentioned alcohols, methanol, ethanol, propan-2 -ol, butan-1-ol, and pentan-1-ol, the rate of evaporation for the methanol will be faster. Methanol will evaporate more quickly because its intermolecular forces are the smallest since it has the lowest relative molecular mass. This shows that the molecules in methanol can easily evaporate.The butan-1-ol will evaporate the slowest because it has the highest molecular mass of all the alcohols given, so it therefore has the greatest intermolecular force of attraction. If the molecules’ properties are the same, then the intermolecular forces of attraction are proportional to the relative molecular mass. So as the molar mass increases, the rate of evaporation decreases. Materials/Safety * Safety goggles * 4 beakers, each one with a number from 1-4 * Methanol, ethanol, butan-1-ol, propan-2-ol poured into separate beakers * Pentan-1-ol * Xplorer GLX Pasco PasPort PS-2002 * Temperature probeProcedure For this lab we were to find the rate of evaporation for the five types of alcohols mentioned from above. First we put on our safety goggles to protect our eyes from the aforementioned alcohols since they could cause irritation in our eyes. Next we set up our Xplorer GLX PasPort PS-2002 to graph. After that, we dipped the tip of our temperature probe into the first beaker of alcohol until the graph flat lined. Once that occurred, we removed the temperature probe from the alcohol and held it above the beaker until the graph on the Xplorer GLX Pasco PasPort PS-2002 started to decline, ndicating that the liquid was cooling off since it was evaporating. This process was repeated for the remaining alcohols. Finally, the temperature change of the alcohols was divided by the time it took for the temperature change, so we could calculate the rate of evaporation for the alcohols to figure out the identity of the alcohols. Data Table/Observations | Change in Temperature| Change in Time| Rate of Evaporation| Type of Alcohol| Liquid 1| 7. 1? | -18. 5| -. 384| Methanol| Liquid 2| 2. 9? | -51| -. 059| Propan-2-ol| Liquid 3| 1. 1? | -64| -. 712| Butan-1-ol| Liquid 4| 5. 9? | -65| -. 0908| Ethanol| Liquid 5 (mystery)| 2. 4? | -34. 5| -. 0696| Pentan-1-ol| Figure 1: This figure represents the data that was collected throughout the experiment. For each of the five liquids, we determined the change in temperature, the change in time, the rate of evaporation, and finally using all the data that we has gathered we determined the type of alcohol that the liquids were. When we received the different beakers with different types of alcohols, the alcohols all looked same since they are all colorless liquids.We found the change in temperature was the part of the graph from when the graph flat lined at the top to when the line went down and just starts to come up. This part of the graph is the temperature change because when the temperature line begins to decrease, it indicates that the liquid is evaporating. We knew that the liquid was evaporating since when evaporat ion occurs, the molecules change into a gaseous state therefore absorbing heat. When the molecules absorb the heat, it cools down the surrounding environments temperature.Evaporation was complete when we noticed the temperature start to increase again on the graph. The temperature increase indicated that the area from where the liquid had evaporated was starting to get back to the room’s temperature. We also found the time it took for the temperature to change so that we could figure out the evaporation rate for each of the liquids. Results/Analysis The results of the experiment are as follows. Liquid 1 had an evaporation rate of -. 384, liquid 2 had an evaporation rate of -. 059, liquid 3 had an vaporation rate of -. 0172, liquid 4 had an evaporation rate of -. 0908, and liquid 5 had an evaporation rate of -. 0696. Once we determined the evaporation rate, we used that to figure out the identity of each type of liquid. The higher the evaporation rate was, the lower the molecu lar mass was for each of the alcohols. There were instances throughout the experiment were possible errors could have occurred. One such instance is when we took the temperature probes out of the liquids, so that the liquid would evaporate.If we took out more liquid on one of the liquids then it would have taken longer for that liquid to evaporate than the others. Also if we waved the temperature probe in the air, then the liquid might have evaporated faster than it was supposed to. Another factor that affects the evaporation rate is if fresh air is moving over the substance all the time, then the concentration of the substance in the air is less likely to go up with time, thus encouraging faster evaporation. ConclusionsOur conclusions were right because as seen from our results, as the molar mass decreased the rate of evaporation for the substance increased. This is because more energy escapes if the forces that are keeping the molecules together in a liquid state are stronger. Thi s also represents that the evaporation rate of a liquid is inversely proportional to the molecular masses of the substances. Even though this does not full represent the relationship between the evaporation rate and the number of carbon chains that are in the alcohols, it supports the fact that they are inversely proportional.

The eNotes Blog 7 Texts That Will Make You the Family Intellectual This HolidaySeason

7 Texts That Will Make You the Family Intellectual This HolidaySeason Ah, the holidays: that season of cheer, giving, and proving to your relatives that you do, in fact, have your life together. One of the joys of the season is proving yourself smarter than the rest of your family, but how can you cement your position as the family intellectual? Simple: read some of the classics. Here’s a mixture of short stories, essays, plays, poetry, and literature that span from satire to tragedy. Best of all, you can find all of these and more on Owl Eyes. With these under your belt, you’re set to claim your place as the smartest of your siblings and cousins. Drop a quote into conversation at your leisure and wait for a flare of recognition in the eye of the nearest English major (or, possibly, a spark of alarm on the face of someone more plebeian). Whether you come away from the holidays with a reputation for a superior knowledge of literature or as the eccentric cousin, you’ve won. The Prince, Machiavelli This is the classic work on ways to acquire and maintain power. A fascinating treatise on cunning unchecked by moral scruples- Machiavelli’s means of manipulation are perhaps not ideal for, say, getting out of washing the dishes after dinner, but now you can sit patiently during Aunt Judy’s well-meaning monologue about how you should live your life while silently pondering your plans for world domination. â€Å"Since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved.† Use it when: Great Aunt Lynn asks, for the fifth time that weekend, why you’re single. Watch the look of alarm on your cousin’s face as he overhears. Smile innocently, offer him a cookie, and watch him wonder if it’s safe to eat. â€Å"A Modest Proposal,† Jonathan Swift In this classic example of satire, which was published during Ireland’s food shortage in 1729, Swift argued that eating babies was the perfect solution. It might not be a good idea to bring this one up to your cousins with children. â€Å"A most delicious nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee, or a ragoust.† Use it when: Someone discusses meal prep. Slice one of Swift’s most famous lines in half and serve with a dark note of irony, disquieting your relatives for a reason they can’t quite place. â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,† T.S. Eliot A melancholy monologue, Eliot’s poem explores the inner life of a deeply self-conscious man. Notable for its immersive sensory details and striking metaphors, the poem also contains lines guaranteed both to inspire and confuse relatives. â€Å"There will be time, there will be time To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet; There will be time to murder and create, And time for all the works and days of hands That lift and drop a question on your plate.† Use it when: Anyone mentions the future or how quickly time flies. A brief mention of murder ought to redirect the conversation nicely. Bonus: â€Å"I grow old I grow old I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.† Use it: In response to overenthusiastic third cousins twice-removed who haven’t seen you since you were a baby and are now exclaiming at how much you’ve grown. Oedipus Rex, Sophocles A disquieting story of irony and tragedy, essential to any lover of the classics. Name-drop Sophocles during any conversation to make yourself look impressive. â€Å"Fear? What has a man to do with fear? Chance rules our lives, and the future is all unknown. Best live as we may, from day to day.† Use it when: Giving a toast at dinner. Watch as tears are discreetly patted away with napkins. The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde A masterpiece of satire, Oscar Wilde’s best-known play is a gold mine of sarcasm and absurdity. Pull a random quote out of this book, toss it at your relatives, and watch their faces contort as they try to decide if you’re kidding. â€Å"If I am occasionally a little over-dressed, I make up for it by being always immensely over-educated.† Use it when: You suddenly realize that no one dresses up for family dinners and that, therefore, your formal clothing is a bit overkill. Bonus: â€Å"I hope you have not been leading a double life, pretending to be wicked and being good all the time.† â€Å"Self-Reliance,† Ralph Waldo Emerson A transcendentalist manifesto, â€Å"Self-Reliance† argues in favor of independence and self-sufficiency. Quote it to disprove those tired Millennial stereotypes. â€Å"Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.† Use it when: Arguing philosophy and politics at the dinner table. If those in the know scoff because of the quote’s fame, throw the following suitably-obscure quote at them. Bonus for hipsters: â€Å"Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.† Use it when: You fall on the losing side of an argument. Keep your head held high- they only need to get away from society’s convictions. Additional quote: â€Å"The great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.† Use it when: Grandpa nags you about being on your phone during appetizers and not socializing. Social media is the sweetest form of solitude, after all. The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka Absurd and surreal, The Metamorphosis begins with Gregor Samsa awakening to discover that he has become a giant insect. Mention it and witness the accompanying shudder of revulsion: whether at the ambiguity of the text or the notion of transforming into an insect, you’ll soon find out. â€Å"Could I be less sensitive now?† Use it when: Someone inevitably turns on an episode of Friends while dinner is cooking. Stress the words just like Chander does (â€Å"Could I be less sensitive now?†) and laugh along with everybody as they congratulate you on your impression of him. Catch the eye of someone who knows better and weep internally.

The Diurnal Cycle and How it Affects Daily Temperatures

The Diurnal Cycle and How it Affects Daily Temperatures All things in nature have a diurnal or daily pattern simply because they change throughout the course of a day. In meteorology, the term diurnal most often refers to the change of temperature from the daytime high to the nighttime low. Why Highs Dont Happen at High Noon The process of reaching a daily high (or low) temperature is a gradual one. It begins each morning when the Sun rises and its rays extend toward and strike the Earths surface. Solar radiation directly heats the ground, but because of lands high heat capacity (ability to store heat), the ground doesnt immediately warm. Just as a pot of cold water must first warm before coming to a boil, so must the land absorb a certain amount of heat before its temperature rises. As the grounds temperature warms, it heats a shallow layer of air directly above it by conduction. This thin layer of air, in turn, heats the column of cool air above it. Meanwhile, the Sun continues its trek across the sky. At high noon, when it reaches its peak height and is directly overhead, sunlight is at its most concentrated strength. However, because the ground and air must first store heat before radiating it to surrounding areas, maximum air temperature isnt yet reached. It actually lags this period of maximum solar heating by several hours! Only when the amount of incoming solar radiation equals the amount of outgoing radiation does the daily high temperature occur. The time of day this generally happens depends on a number of things (including geographic location and time of year) but is usually between the hours of 3-5 p.m. local time. After noon, the Sun begins its retreat across the sky. From now until sunset, the intensity of incoming solar radiation continually declines. When more heat energy is being lost to space than is incoming at the surface, a minimum temperature is reached. 30 F of (Temperature) Separation On any given day, the temperature swing from low and high temperature is roughly 20 to 30 F. A number of conditions can widen or lessen this range, such as: Day length. The greater (or shorter) the number of daylight hours, the more (or less) time the Earth is subject to heating. Length of daylight hours is determined by geographic location as well as season.Cloudiness. Clouds are good at both absorbing and giving off longwave radiation, and at reflecting shortwave radiation (sunlight). On cloudy days, the ground is shielded from incoming solar radiation because this energy is reflected back out into space. Less incoming heat means less and a decrease in diurnal temperature variation. On cloudy nights, diurnal range is also decreased, but for opposite reasons heat is trapped near the ground, which allows the days temperatures to remain constant rather than to cool.Elevation. Because mountain areas are located farther from the radiating heat source (the sun-heated surface), they are warmed less and also cool more rapidly after sunset than do valleys.Humidity. Water vapor is good at absorbing and giving off longwave radiation (energy tha ts released from the Earth) as well as absorbing in the near-infrared part of solar radiation, which reduces the amount of daytime energy reaching the surface. Because of this, daily highs are typically lower in humid environments than they are in dry environments. This is the primary reason why desert regions experience some of the most extreme day-to-night temperature fluctuations. Wind speed. Winds cause air at different levels of the atmosphere to mix. This mixing lessens the difference in temperature between warmer and cooler air, thus decreasing the diurnal temperature range. How to See the Diurnal Pulse In addition to feeling the diurnal cycle (which is done easily enough by enjoying a day outside), its also possible to visibly detect it. Watch a global infrared satellite loop closely. Do you notice the curtain of dark to light that rhythmically sweeps across the screen? Thats Earths diurnal pulse! Diurnal temperature isnt just essential to understanding how we meet our high and low air temperatures, its essential to the science of winemaking.