Leadership in Organisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leadership in Organisation - Essay Example There is a growing presence of women in almost all aspects of employment, and particularly in top management positions, in recent years. The contribution of women, in executive level in organizational success over the years, is unprecedented, thus indicating their strong leadership skills and professionalism at the workplace. There is also a change in their social expectations, and their advocacy by various groups, to ensure equal opportunities at the workplace has further ensured honing of such skills. It is on account of these reasons, that the performance of women managers and leaders, that the case for a strong ethical leadership, irrespective of the gender, has gained momentum. Furthermore, the rise in complexity and composition of the global markets has expanded the scope of businesses as never before, thus leading to more pressure on the top level management to perform and excel in their respective fields. Such external factors have led to retention and promotion of skilled wo men in managerial positions, across all levels in the organizational hierarchy. Such an increase in female corporate leaders in recent times can be attributed to the changing dynamics of the industry, as well as the change in conventional definitions and practices of the concept of leadership in general. Contrary to the conventional definition of the concept, leadership in the post-industrialized era refers to the ability of individuals to motivate, empower and engage the employees and subordinates, and team members as well as empathize with them. (Hammer & Champy, 1994; Senge, 1994). Research suggests that there is still a vast difference between the leadership and management styles followed by male and female leaders. It is on account of this reason that the proverbial ‘glass ceiling’ still exists in terms of appointment of women in top management positions particularly in fields such as finance and technology. According to Schein (2001) the ‘think manager, think male’ approach to appointing individuals in top leadership positions, ex ists in various countries across the globe, despite the change in socio-cultural environment, and the advancement of policies advocating equal opportunities to women. It has also been observed that in the developed

Plot Summary Catch Me If You Can Essay Example for Free

Plot Summary Catch Me If You Can Essay In 1963, teen-aged Frank Abagnale (Leonardo DiCaprio) lives New Rochelle, New York with his father Frank Abagnale, Sr. (Christopher Walken), and French mother Paula (Nathalie Baye). When Frank Sr. is denied a business loan at Chase Manhattan Bank due to unspecified difficulties with the IRS, the family is forced to move from their large home to a small apartment. Paula carries on an affair with Jack (James Brolin), a friend of her husband. Meanwhile, Frank poses as a substitute teacher in his French class. Franks parents file for divorce, and Frank runs away. When he runs out of money, he begins to rely on confidence scams to get by. Soon, Franks cons grow bolder and he even impersonates an airline pilot. He forges Pan Am payroll checks and succeeds in stealing over $2. 8 million. Meanwhile, Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks), an FBI bank fraud agent, begins to track down Frank. Carl and Frank meet in a hotel, where Frank convinces Carl his name is Barry Allen of the Secret Service. Frank leaves, Carl angrily realizing his mistake just as it is too late. Later, at Christmas, Carl is still working when Frank calls him, attempting to apologize for duping Carl. Carl rejects his apology and tells him he will soon be caught, but laughs when he realizes Frank actually called him because he has no one else to talk to. Frank hangs up, and Carl continues to investigate, suddenly realizing (thanks to a waiter) that the name Barry Allen is from the Flash comic books and that Frank is just a teenager. Frank, meanwhile, has not only changed to becoming a doctor and a lawyer, but has fallen in love with Brenda (Amy Adams), to whom he eventually admits the truth about himself and asks her to run away with him. Carl tracks him to his engagement party where Frank has left Brenda, asking her to meet him two days later so they can elope. Frank sees her waiting for him two days later, but also sees agents in disguise. He realizes he has been set up and escapes on a flight to Europe. Seven months later, Carl shows his boss that Frank has been forging checks all over western Europe and asks permission to go to Europe to look for him. When his boss says no, Carl brings Franks checks to printing professionals who deem that the checks were printed in France. Carl remembers from an interview with Franks mother that she was born in Montrichard, France. He goes there and finds Frank, and tells him that the French police will kill him if he does not go with Carl quietly. Frank assumes he is lying at first, but Carl promises Frank he would never lie to him, and Carl takes him outside, where the French police escort him to prison. The scene then flashes forward to a plane returning Frank home from prison, where Carl informs him that his father has died. Consumed with grief, Frank escapes from the plane and goes back to his old house, where he finds his mother with the man she left his father for, as well as a girl who Frank realizes is his half-sister. Frank gives himself up and is sentenced to 12 years in prison, getting visits from time to time from Carl. When Frank points out how one of the checks Carl is carrying as evidence is fake, Carl convinces the FBI to offer Frank a deal by which he can live out the remainder of his sentence working for the bank fraud department of the FBI, which Frank accepts. While working at the FBI, Frank misses the thrill of the chase and even attempts to fly as an airline pilot again. He is cornered by Carl, who insists that Frank will return to the FBI job since no one is chasing him. On the following Monday, Carl is nervous that Frank has not yet appeared at work. However, Frank does show up and they discuss their next case. The ending credits reveal that Frank has been happily married for 26 years, has three sons, lives in the Midwest, is still good friends with Carl, has caught some of the worlds most elusive money forgers, and earns millions of dollars each year because of his work creating unforgeable checks.

The History of Ivory Trade Essay -- World History

The History of Ivory Trade Ivory’s appeal to the upper-classes as a symbol of affluence and its timeless style has lured people to the tusks since as far back as the ancient Egyptians around the year 3000BC. Since the Egyptians, every civilization with a significant upper class population has sought ivory and been willing to pay a premium price for it. The most expensive and most sought after was the ivory of East Africa where it was agreed that the ivory was, without a doubt, the best in the world. For a long time Asian ivory was used, because it was much easier to obtain, though the ivory was harder to shape, more likely to break, and less attractive. The Asian ivory came from tusks of elephants that were largely different from African elephants. For starters, they had a smaller build and differently shaped tusks. The African elephants had an average tusk size of about sixty pounds to the Asian elephant’s forty. The African elephants lived in the tropical jungles of Africa’s east coast, while the Asian elephant lived in a far different environment. As it happened, it was the African elephant that man desired but had a difficult time getting to Africa. Believing that the danger of a trip to Africa outweighed the potential profits of the voyage merchants and consumers settled for the lower quality ivory. With the advancement in sailing technology and the guarantee of turning a large profit ambitious traders ventured to East Africa to establish the ivory trade. In exchange for ivory, these merchants offered cloth, guns, tools, and other goods, but none matching the value placed on ivory in the varied cultures. With the ivory secured merchants turned to several different markets around the world to unload their ... ...ers Relating to Africa This resource was very helpful in providing facts and putting into perspective the magnitude of the ivory trade. Sheriff, Abdul. Slaves, Spices & Ivory in Zanzibar. London: James Currey Publishers, 1987. This book enabled me to understand the context and history of the ivory trade. Alpers, Edward. Ivory and Slaves. Los Angeles: University of California press, 1975. This book explained the basic history of the ivory trade. Bartleby Online. Bartleby Online: complete history of the world. 2 October 2002 http://www.bartleby.com/67/1528.html This source provides a very basic and concise overview of the ivory trade. All Africa. August 2002. History of Trade Between Addis, Arabia And the Horn of Africa. 1 October 2002 http://allafrica.com/stories/200208050830.html. This source provides a history of the eastern ivory trade.

Indigo Airlines

While the other airlines in the industry purchased rivals, flew different models of planes and tried to offer costly services, Indigo stuck to single model planes with a reputation of being a no frills airline. Indigo has stuck to operating the world’s largest selling single-aisle aircraft, the Airbus A320. This has helped the airlines to not just survive the economic slump in the industry but infact to post profits year-on-year end. Capacity utilization of IndiGo airlines fleet The utilization rate of IndiGo is around 16hours a day which is infact one of the highest in the industry. Thus even without using too many airplanes, the airlines can provide its ferrying service to a larger number of people. On an average its passenger loads have been around 90%. High seating Capacity of aircrafts Indigo operates a fleet of 62 aircraft and has been expanding its fleet rapidly. Even though the number of aircrafts are lesser than some other airlines, it offers higher seating capacity as most of its aircrafts are 180 seaters rather than the standard 60 – 70 seater aircrafts of most airlines. Indigo’s fleet is approximately 6. 5% of India’s combined fleet but it serves a market share 27%. Young fleet of aircrafts One of the strengths of Indigo Airlines is its fuel efficient young fleet of aircrafts as compared to other airlines. A young fleet of aircrafts has ensured increased service levels, high operational efficiency and low maintenance costs. Indigo recently bought 100 new A-320 jets from Airbus. Such volume purchases have helped Indigo in cutting its cost by availing volume discounts. Superior technology The consistent use of superior technology has helped Indigo achieve its USP of on-time performance. By making use of technologies such as ACARS Aircraft Communications Addressing And Reporting System), an automatic message is triggered from the aircraft to control centre and the departure time recorded immediately. Similarly during landing, this technology sends of an automatic message to the control centre which immediately records its arrival time. This has helped the airlines monitor and maintain strict on-time schedules. Excellence in operations Indigo has be en able to sign favorable contracts with engine, airframe and other critical component manufacturers securing warranty claims against defects. This has enabled indigo to minimize technical snags and enjoy superior operational efficiency. Owing to this Indigo has also been able to bring down its maintenance costs. Superior customer service One of the greatest strengths of Indigo airlines is the superior service it offers to its customers. The airline has the highest 95. 3 per cent on-time performance record and the lowest number of complaints per passenger. It offers unique services such as step-less stairs (walking ramp), web check-in, booking capability on handheld devices and automated real-time flight status on handheld devices. Human resources Another strength that Indigo airlines enjoys is its excellent management of human resources. It has a single central training program which gives training to its employees on functional skills, soft skills as well as leadership qualities. With a very robust system of internal promotions and flexibility in horizontal movement across the company, the airlines has seen zero or almost negligible attrition rate over the past server years. Tie-up with hotels Major hotels like Sarovar hotels etc have tied up with Indigo Airlines in order to provide a packaged service to customers. This type of bundling of services has created a value addition to customers who wish to sync their travel times and accommodation timings in order to receive the best deals at reasonable costs. This has in-turn increased the customer base for both the airline as well as the hotels. Superior brand image Good advertising and marketing strategies have increased Indigo’s brand recall and have helped in creating a superior brand image. With very high operational excellence, cost control, great experience, lowest cancellations Indigo enjoys a superior reputation amongst its customers, difficult for the competitors to replicate. Its unique advertising and marketing efforts have also helped in this regard. Weaknesses Easily Imitable Since Indigo has not concentrated too much on providing a differentiated experience with no-frills and on-time being their central theme, this is imitable by other players in the industry and thus a possible threat to its position as a cost leader. Limited number of International Routes Indigo Airlines operates on a limited number of international routes. This restricts the options and choices for international travelers. Only about 14% of its total fleet flies international. This is very low compared to its rivals and the general industry standard for airlines. International routes is an untapped segment where Indigo has not ventured too much into yet. Restricted Services In an attempt to operate as a low-cost airline, Indigo does not operate in many routes where the profit margins are below their set standard. This in turn in-conveniences many passengers. Also, the no-frills element of their services leads to other passenger inconveniences such as cramped seats, lower comfort during travel, non-refundable flights and higher charges of excess baggage.

Insect: Mosquitoes

Chapter I Introduction Background of the Study Mosquitoes nowadays are a problem for us humans. Mosquitoes are attracted by skin odors and the carbon dioxide in our breath. With our climate, it is easy for us Filipinos to get attracted by mosquitoes simply because we are sweating a lot. Because of mosquito bites, we can easily get diseases like West Nile Virus, the West Nile virus is contracted when a mosquito bites a human or animal. This virus can cause fever, headache, nausea, vomiting and rash in its early stages and can lead to paralysis. Dengue Fever, a contracted type of mosquito bite mainly during the day.Especially dangerous for children, dengue fever is found primarily in the tropics. It resembles viral flu and can be fatal. Malaria, also found primarily in tropical regions, mosquitoes carrying malaria bite during the night. Symptoms of this disease include fever, chills, headache, malaise and muscle ache. And Yellow Fever, Mostly found in South America and Africa, yellow f ever resembles the symptoms of other diseases carried by mosquitoes. In addition to these flu-like symptoms, yellow fever can also cause backache and jaundice and can be fatal.The menace posted by mosquito bites have surged so much that mosquito control measurements are almost crucial to keep ourselves from contracting serious illnesses like the malaria or the West Nile Virus. Mosquito control is more significant than ever before. Infected mosquitoes are the main culprit behind the spreading of these diseases and avoiding mosquito bites is the only successful way to remain unhurt. Some Mosquitoes that carry the West Nile virus are often active at dawn and dusk, which makes them less likely to be noticed.Mosquito bites can produce allergic reactions. Itchy red bumps, for instance, are considered allergic reactions to the insect's saliva. More severe reactions include blisters, hives, bruises and intense inflammatory reactions. Our problem that we need to solve is the mosquitoes, beca use it carries the Dengue virus, which we Filipinos are aware of. As of this year, many people have died because of dengue. We want that we can help in our own way is to repel mosquito in our skin so we will not get hurt or get a bite from a mosquito. Statement of the ProblemOur main goal is to create a mosquito repellent that is eco-friendly, yet effective in repelling mosquitoes. Also, compete with the standards of the commercialized repellent. The researchers aim to answer these following questions: 1. Are the organic mosquito repellent sticks better than the commercialized repellents? 2. Is using lemongrass and catnip possible in making effective organic mosquito repellent sticks? 3. Which is more effective? Basing on the number of mosquitoes repelled and killed. (Catnip stick, lemongrass stick, or both combined. ) HypothesisThe organic mosquito repellent sticks can be a substitute to a commercialized repellent, because it is more eco-friendly and maybe less harmful to the body especially the lungs. The researchers think that it is possible to make organic mosquito repellent sticks using lemongrass and catnip, since those two agents are known to be effective ingredients in making mosquito repellents. The researchers believe that the coil with both agents is much more effective, because the effects of both agents combine is much better than just one of the catnip or lemongrass. Definition of Terms . Mosquito-repelling incense -Usually shaped into a stick, and typically made from a dried paste of pyrethrum powder. -In the study, this refers to the product that the researchers are trying to create. 2. Lemongrass -A fragrant tropical grass that yields oil that smells lemony. -This refers to the tall grass used in making the repellent sticks. 3. Catnip -A natural mosquito repellent. -One of the main ingredients of our mosquito repellent sticks. 4. Malaria -Caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, which is transmitted via the bites of infected mosquitoes. In this study, this is the disease that is common in poor countries caused by a parasite 5. Dengue Fever -A contracted type of mosquito bite mainly during the day. Especially dangerous for children, is found primarily in the tropics. -In the study, this is the virus that is widely spreading in the Philippines that we want to prevent. 6. Nepetalactone – It  is an organic compound first isolated from the plant catnip. -In the study, it is the main component of catnip that makes mosquitoes be repelled. Significance of the Study The significance of this study aims to help people prevent mosquitoes from staying in homes or schools.The researchers want to help people who get irritated by pesky mosquitoes. The researchers want to help certain people who encounter mosquitoes in their everyday life. 1. General Public a. The masses in general, since everyone needs to be protected from these insects for they are harmful to the body. 2. Campers b. These people like boy scouts and mountaineers like to stay outdoors, such as forests and mountainous areas, where there are a lot of mosquitoes. So the researchers want to help them repel mosquitoes on their camps. 3. Parents c.Parents want to prevent their children from getting bit by mosquitoes making them. Our organic mosquitoes repellent sticks will be a great help to these people 4. The Poor d. These people can’t afford to buy repellents for their homes. This will aid them, because it is easy to make and really affordable even to the poor. Scope and Limitation Our scope of the study is to make effective mosquito repellent sticks, to prevent mosquitoes from invading homes and other places. To lessen the risk of diseases caused by mosquitoes, such as Dengue Fever and Malaria.As a group we can only limit our organic repellent sticks to only prevent mosquitoes, but not to other insects. The researchers only aim to repel mosquitoes, but not to the extent that we would stop their existence. Chapter II Review of related l iterature Mosquito Coil Mosquito coil is mosquito-repelling incense, usually shaped into a spiral, and typically made from a dried paste of pyrethrum powder. The coil is usually held at the center of the spiral, suspending it in the air, or wedged by two pieces of fireproof nettings to allow continuous smoldering.Burning usually begins at the outer end of the spiral and progresses slowly toward the centre of the spiral, producing a mosquito-repellent smoke. A typical mosquito coil can measure around 15 cm in diameter and lasts up to 8 hours. Mosquito coils are widely used in Asia, Africa, and South America. Bad effects Burning mosquito coil (MC) releases various aromatic compounds like benzo pyrenes, benzo-fluoroethane and particulate matters. These chemicals have the potential to produce harmful effects on airways as demonstrated by histopathological changes in the airways of various animal models.It has been estimated that burning one MC over 8 hours produces particulate matter sm oke (as measured as PM2. 5) equivalent to around 100 cigarettes. Particulate matter pollution has been shown to increase airway hyper responsiveness and cause decrements in lung function. Mosquito The mosquitoes are a family of small, midge-like flies: the Culicidae. Although a few species are harmless or even useful to humanity, most are a nuisance because they consume blood from living vertebrates, including humans. The females of many species of mosquitoes are blood eating pests.In feeding on blood, some of them transmit extremely harmful human and livestock diseases, such as malaria. Some authorities argue accordingly that mosquitoes are the most dangerous animals on Earth. Eggs of some mosquitoes float on the water in rafts. Larvae, often called wigglers, have a soft body, a hard head and a breathing tube, or siphon, at the tip of the abdomen. Pupae are shaped like a comma, and are commonly called tumblers. Adults have delicate legs, a long proboscis and one pair of transparent wings Dengue Dengue fever, also known as break bone fever, is an infectious tropical disease caused by the dengue virus.Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash that is similar to measles. In a small proportion of cases the disease develops into the life-threatening dengue hemorrhagic fever, resulting in bleeding, low levels of blood platelets and blood plasma leakage, or into dengue shock syndrome, where dangerously low blood pressure occurs. Dengue is transmitted by several species of mosquito within the genus Aedes, principally A. aegypti. The virus has four different types; infection with one type usually gives lifelong immunity to that type, but only short-term immunity to the others.Subsequent infection with a different type increases the risk of severe complications. As there is no commercially available vaccine, prevention is sought by reducing the habitat and the number of mosquitoes and limiting exposure to bites. Treatment of acute dengue is supportive, using either oral or intravenous rehydration for mild or moderate disease, and intravenous fluids and blood transfusion for more severe cases. The incidence of dengue fever has increased dramatically since the 1960s, with around 50–100 million people infected yearly.Early descriptions of the condition date from 1779, and its viral cause and the transmission were elucidated in the early 20th century. Dengue has become a global problem since the Second World War and is endemic in more than 110 countries. Apart from eliminating the mosquitoes, work is ongoing on a vaccine, as well as medication targeted directly at the virus Catnip Catnip is a perennial herb and member of the Mint family  Labiatae. It is native to Europe ; Asia, however has become naturalised in America ; Canada after being introduced.There are approximately 250 species of Catnip. The active ingredient which causes this is an essential oil called nepetalactone, which can be found in the leaves ; stem of the plant. Other constituents include Acetic Acid, Alpha and beta-nepetalactone, Citral, Nepetalactone, Geraniol, Dipentene, Citronellol, Nerol, Butyric Acid, Valeric Acid and Tannins. Catnip is also known by the following names:  Ã‚   Cataria,  Catmint, Catnep, Catrup, Cat's Heal All,  Cat’s-play, Cat's Wort, Catswort, Catwort, Chi Hsueh Tsao, Field Balm, Garden Nep, Herba Cataria, Herba Catti, Nebada, Nep.Lemongrass Lemongrass herb is a very popular plant found commonly in India and used for medicinal, food and mosquito and insect repellent products. The lemongrass oils are also used in cosmetics, soaps, perfumes, dyes and odorizes along with thousands of other products. There are many different and related types of lemongrass, all belonging to the grass family, Poaceae. East Indian and West Indian lemon grass are popular names for Cymbopogon flexuous and Cymbopogon citratus. Lemon grass is an evergreen, native to Southeast Asia, India, Myanma r, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Australia.Another type of lemongrass also used in insect repellents comes from Malaysia. The thin stems and foliage of lemon grass ranges from blue-green to gold, and the flowers are white, cream, or green. Lemongrass grows to around 8 feet in height in some cases with the majority of species tapering off at 4 feet. Lemon grass grows best in full sun and moist soil and cab be propagated by dividing the root clump into sections. Lemon grass leaves can be dried or frozen but require rehydration before use. Lemon grass is very mild, rating only a one on the hotness scale.It is mostly known as a common staple found in Thai, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Indonesian, and Indian cooking. Lemon grass is used in curry, stir fry, soups, and marinades and it can be sauteed, mixed with soy sauce and spices, and used as a marinade. Lemongrass is particularly popular with seafood due to its distinctive lemony aroma and flavor. Effectiveness In a 2004 study presented at the Ca lifornia State Science Fair, a 25-percent lemon grass solution was tested against a commercial 15-percent Deet spray.The lemon grass brew was 51 percent effective in repelling mosquitoes, compared to an effectiveness of 81 percent for the Deet product. The study concluded that lemon grass showed promise as a partial replacement for Deet-based repellents. In a study conducted in 2010 at Maranatha Christian University, researchers compared lemon grass stem extract to citronella oil. Citronella oil proved more effective at repelling mosquitoes than the highest concentration of the lemon grass extract. Both studies reveal that while lemon grass does repel mosquitoes, it does not work as well as other products.Nepetalactone Nepetalactone is a  terpene  composed of two isoprene units, with a total of ten carbons. Its chemical structure is similar to that of the valepotriates derived from the herb valerian, which is a mild central nervous system sedative (or stimulant to some persons). The molecular formula for nepetalactone is C10H14O2. The first fully characterized methylcyclopentane monoterpenoid. Isolated from the volatile oil of catnip produced by  Nepeta cataria Nepetalactone , its cas register number is 21651-62-7.It also can be called Nepetalactone cis-trans-form ; Cyclopenta(c)pyran-1(4aH)-one, 5,6,7,7a-tetrahydro-4,7-dimethyl-, (4aS,7S,7aR)- ; Cyclopenta(c)pyran-1(4aH)-one, 5,6,7,7a-tetrahydro-4,7-dimethyl-, (4aS-(4aalpha,7alpha,7aalpha))- . It   is an organic compound first isolated from the plant catnip. Chapter III METHODOLOGY This chapter presents the project’s research design, list of materials and their quantities needed for the research, and the laboratory procedures which are the pre-lab procedure, laboratory proper, and post laboratory. Research Design This study made use of an experimental research design.The experimental and control groups were used in this study. This design is illustrated as follows. Table 3. 1 Set-up| Location| Product Used| Quantity of Mosquitoes| Set-up A| Enclosed room| Catnip Incense Stick| 10 mosquitoes| Set-up B| Enclosed room| Lemongrass Incense Stick| 10 mosquitoes| Set-up C| Enclosed room| Catnip and Lemongrass Incense Stick| 10 mosquitoes| Set-up D| Enclosed room| CommercializedIncense Stick| 10 mosquitoes| Subject of the Study -The researchers used mosquitoes as the subject to the experiment. Ten mosquitoes in each container, with a total of forty mosquitoes (Caught with the mosquito trap).Materials Needed: One (1) – Masher Four (4) – Mosquito traps Three (3) – Incense holders Ten (10) – Incense sticks Two (2) – Catnip Two (2) – Lemon Grass Four (4) – Containers of Mosquitoes One (1) – Commercialized repellent Pre-Lab Procedures: Catnip and Lemon Grass were collected by the researchers. The researchers pulverize the Catnip and Lemon Grass to extract the juices from them. The researchers then put the extracted juices into 3 containers. First with only the catnip, Second with only the lemon grass, lastly with both catnip and lemon grass in the container. Laboratory Proper Procedures:The researchers applied the juices of catnip to three incense sticks and was labeled Set-up A, lemongrass extract juice to the other three incense sticks and labeled Set-up B, and both the lemon grass extract and catnip extract juices to the remaining incense sticks and labeled Set-up C. The commercialized repellent was labeled Set-up D. The researchers applied the extract juices thoroughly by hand or by cotton swabs. The researchers then let the incense sticks rest for about 6 to 10 minutes, to let the extract juices be absorbed by the incense sticks. Post Laboratory Procedures:The researchers put the incense sticks in their respective incense holders in order. The researchers then put sample #1 in an enclosed room beside the mosquito trap. The researchers then lit up the incense sticks and released the first batch of mosqu itoes. The researchers closely observe the experiment. The researchers then waited for the incense sticks to disintegrate (15 to 20 minutes). Then the researchers do the same with the sample #2, sample #3, and to the commercialized repellent. The researchers recorded the results based on how many mosquitoes were repelled and killed.Chapter IV Presentation, Interpretation and Analysis of Data This chapter shows the presentation, interpretation and analysis of data gathered after a thorough investigation. Table 4. 1 Mosquitoes that were effectively repelled Experimental| Quantity(number of sticks)| Mosquitoes Repelled| Time Element (minutes)| Catnip| 3| 4 out of 10| 20| Lemongrass| 3| 3 out of 10| 20| Both Combined| 3| 5 out of 10| 20| The table above shows that the Incense stick with the Catnip effectively repelled 4 mosquitoes and the Incense stick with the Lemongrass only killed 3 out of 10 mosquitoes.On the other hand, the Incense stick with the Catnip and the Lemongrass combined showed the best results in this test. This shows that the Catnip and Lemongrass combined will yield better results than the Catnip and Lemon grass alone but the results of this test were unsatisfactory because only half of the mosquitoes tested were repelled effectively. Table 4. 2 Mosquitoes that were effectively killed Experimental| Quantity(number of sticks)| Mosquitoes Repelled| Time Element (minutes)| Catnip| 3| 1 out of 9| 20| Lemon Grass| 3| 1 out of 9| 20|Both Combined| 3| 3 out of 9| 20| The table shows that Catnip and Lemongrass killed only 1 out of 9 mosquitoes but when combined the product repels 3 out of 9 mosquitoes, this proves that the organic incense stick will yield better results if both Catnip and Lemongrass combined, rather than the Catnip and Lemongrass alone because it only kills 1 out of 9 mosquitoes as shown on the table. Table 4. 3 Mosquitoes that are killed by the commercialized product Experimental| Quantity(number of coils)| Mosquitoes Repelled| Time Ele ment (minutes)| Baygon| 1| 9 out of 10| 20|This table shows that the Baygon coil effectively killed 9 out of 10 mosquitoes. This proves that our incense stick with Lemongrass, Catnip or both can’t compete with a better, well known commercialized product like that of the Baygon. Baygon uses stronger chemicals unlike that of our incense stick, which uses organic plants. Chapter 5 Summary, Conclusion, and Recommendations Summary: The researchers made a mosquito coil that is organic and eco-friendly. The researchers also studied between a commercialized mosquito coil with their own mosquito repellent.The researchers also made mosquito traps for trapping mosquitoes for the researchers experiment. Their product is effective and it produced some positive results. The catnip and lemongrass combined shows the best results, based on how much mosquitoes it repelled and killed, throughout the experiment. Conclusions: Throughout the experiment, the researchers found out that the commercia lized mosquito coil is more effective than our organic mosquito repellent. The researchers found out that it is possible to make a mosquito coil using catnip and lemongrass because the two agents are an effective mosquito repellent.Out of the three mosquito coils we had made, the catnip and lemongrass combined showed the best results basing on our experiment. Recommendations: The researchers recommend the people to use natural and safe mosquito coils that can be home made. The researchers also recommend using stronger plants to use in making mosquito coil. The researchers also recommend adding scented aroma to the coils/sticks so it can be a pleasing feeling for the people who will use it. The researchers also recommend using both Catnip and Lemon Grass for making a mosquito coil because it is effective.References: From Internet: Brian, Dan. How to Make Mosquito Coils. 1999. 2013. ;http://www. ehow. com/how_12031090_make-mosquito-coils. html; NewTechBio, Inc. Lemongrass as an insect repellent. 2007. March 2013. ;http://www. newtechbio. com/articles/Lemongrass-as-an-insect-repellent. htm; Kim, Scott. Nepetalactone Chemistry. 1996. January 2012. ;http://chemistry. about. com/od/factsstructures/ig/Chemical-Structures—N/Nepetalactone. htm > Ombrello, T. (2011). Catnip. Retrieved from Wilson, Julia.Catnip: Everything You Need To Know About Catnip. 2002. 2013. ; http://www. cat-world. com. au/all-about-catnip; American Chemical Society (2001, August 28). Catnip Repels Mosquitoes More Effectively Than DEET. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 14, 2013, from ;http://www. sciencedaily. com ­14; Mosquito coil. (2013, February 26). In  Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15:12, March 14, 2013, from  ;http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title=Mosquito_coil;oldid=540610115; Dengue fever. (2013, March 8). In  Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.Retrieved 15:13, March 14, 2013, from  ;http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title=Dengue_fever;oldid=54273 6735; Mosquito. (2013, March 14). In  Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15:14, March 14, 2013, from  ;http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title=Mosquito;oldid =544115233; jasonf808. (Dec 11, 2008). Mosquito Trap. Retrieved March 14, 2013 from ;http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=guNOeAqVG6Q; Eartheasy. (Apr. 28, 2011). 5 easy to grow mosquito-repelling plants. Retrieved from ;http://eartheasy. com/blog/2011/04/5-easy-to-grow-mosquito-repelling-plants/;Knight, J. (2012). Alderleaf wilderness college: Nature ; wilderness survival school  . Retrieved from ;http://www. wildernesscollege. com/plants-that-repel-mosquitoes. html; Appendices: The mosquito trap that was placed in a corner. The mosquito trap that was put beside the drawer. The mosquito trap that was placed behind the door Materials used in making the lemongrass Extracted juice from lemongrass. incense. Chopped lemongrass for the extraction. Lemongrass coated incense sticks. Dried up product. Setting up the e xperiment. Lighting up of the incense.

How to Conjugate the German Verb Trinken (to Drink)

How to Conjugate the German Verb Trinken (to Drink) The verb trinken is a strong (irregular) verb meaning to drink. It is a very handy verb to know for traveling to German-speaking countries, or even just singing German drinking songs. As an irregular verb, you cant predict how it is conjugated by a strict rule. You will need to study and memorize its forms. Note that its German principal parts follow the same i/a/u pattern of English (drink/drank/drunk). This is the ablaut Class 3a i - a - u pattern. It is shared with other strong verbs  including binden (tie), dringen  (press), finden (find) and singen (sing). Principal Parts: trinken trank getrunkenImperative (Commands): (du) Trink! | (ihr) Trinkt! | Trinken Sie! Trinken -   Present Tense -  Prsens Deutsch English Singular Present Tense ich trinke I drinkI am drinking du trinkst you drinkyou are drinking er trinkt sie trinkt es trinkt he drinkshe is drinkingshe drinksshe is drinkingit drinksit is drinking Plural Present Tense wir trinken we drinkwe are drinking ihr trinkt you (guys) drinkyou (guys) are drinking sie trinken they drinkthey are drinking Sie trinken you drinkyou are drinking Examples: Er trinkt kein Bier. He doesnt drink beer.Ich trinke lieber Wein. I prefer to drink wine. Trinken -  Simple Past Tense -  Imperfekt Deutsch English Singular Simple Past Tense ich trank I drank du trankst you drank er tranksie trankes trank he drankshe drankit drank Plural Simple Past Tense wir tranken we drank ihr trankt you (guys) drank sie tranken they drank Sie tranken you drank Trinken -  Compound Past Tense (Present Perfect) -  Perfekt Deutsch English Singular Compound Past Tense ich habe getrunken I have drunkI drank du hast getrunken you have drunkyou drank er hat getrunken sie hat getrunken es hat getrunken he has drunkhe drankshe has drunkshe drankit has drunkit drank Plural Compound Past Tense wir haben getrunken we have drunkwe drank ihr habt getrunken you (guys) have drunkyou drank sie haben getrunken they have drunkthey drank Sie haben getrunken you have drunkyou drank Trinken -  Past Perfect Tense -  Plusquamperfekt Deutsch English Singular Past Perfect Tense ich hatte getrunken I had drunk du hattest getrunken you had drunk er hatte getrunkensie hatte getrunkenes hatte getrunken he had drunkshe had drunkit had drunk Plural Past Perfect Tense wir hatten getrunken we had drunk ihr hattet getrunken you (guys) had drunk sie hatten getrunken they had drunk Sie hatten getrunken you had drunk Example Using Trinken Accusative:  Was will  er  trinken?  What does he want to drink? Uses of the Root for Nouns Knowing the different tenses of trinken, you can recognize how it is used in nouns for beverages. Getrnke: beverages or drinksdas Getrnk beverage, drinkder Getrnkemarkt: beverage shop. Here you buy beverages such as beer, cola, or mineral water by the case. Supermarkets now usually have a similar department.

Obama Vetoes Bill Cutting Former Presidents Pension, Allowances

Obama Vetoes Bill Cutting Former Presidents' Pension, Allowances On July 22, 2016, President Obama vetoed the Presidential Allowance Modernization Act, which would have cut the pensions and allowances paid to former presidents. In his veto message to Congress, Obama said the bill â€Å"would impose onerous and unreasonable burdens on the offices of former presidents.† In an accompanying press release, the White House added that the President had vetoed the bill because it would have â€Å"immediately terminate salaries and all benefits to staffers carrying out the official duties of former presidents leaving no time or mechanism for them to transition to another payroll.† In addition, said the White House, the bill would have made it harder for the Secret Service to protect former presidents and would â€Å"immediately terminate leases, and remove furniture from offices of former presidents working to fulfilling their continued public service responsibilities.† The White House added that the President was willing to work with Congress in resolving his issues with the bill. â€Å"If Congress provides these technical fixes, the president would sign the bill,† said the White House. The White House noted that the President had vetoed the bill only after consulting with the four other surviving former presidents and that the veto was â€Å"responsive to concerns they raised to us.† Had it not been vetoed, the Presidential Allowance Modernization Act would have: Cut Pensions and Allowances for Former Presidents While not specifically aimed at Bill Clinton, who has made $104.9 million to â€Å"pay the bills† from speaking fees alone, the bill would have cut the pensions and allowances of former presidents. Under the current Former Presidents Act, former presidents receive an annual pension equal to the salaries of Cabinet Secretaries. Under the Presidential Allowance Modernization Act, the pensions of all former and future former presidents would have been capped at a maximum of $200,000 and the current link between presidential pensions and the annual salaries of Cabinet Secretary would have been removed. Replaced Other Benefits with a Single Allowance The bill would have also removed other benefits currently given to former presidents, including those for travel, staff, and office expenses. Instead, former presidents would have been given an additional $200,000 allowance to be used he or she determined. In other words, under Chaffetz’s bill, former presidents would have gotten an annual pension and allowance totaling no more than $400,000 - the same as the current presidential salary. However, under another provision of the bill, the pensions and allowances paid to former presidents could have been reduced further or even eliminated completely by Congress. Under Rep. Chaffetz’s bill, for every dollar former presidents earn in excess of that $400,000, their government-provided annual allowance would have been reduced by $1. In addition, former presidents who went on to hold any elected position in the federal government or the District of Columbia would have received no pension or allowance while holding that office. For example, under Chaffetz’s dollar-for-dollar penalty plan, former President Clinton, who made almost $10 million from speaking fees and book royalties in 2014, would have received no pension or allowances at all. But Presidential Widows Would Have Seen a Raise The bill would have increased the allowance paid to the surviving spouses of deceased former presidents from $20,000 to $100,000 a year. Currently, the only surviving spouse of a former president is Nancy Reagan, who received $7,000 in benefits in 2014, according to the Congressional Research Service. How Much Have Former Presidents Been Getting? According to an April 2014 Congressional Research Service report, the four surviving former presidents received a government pension and allowance benefits in 2014 totaling: Jimmy Carter - $470,000George H.W. Bush $837,000Bill Clinton $950,000George W. Bush $1,287,000 Rep. Chaffetz and other supporters of the Presidential Allowance Modernization Act argued that modern former presidents are highly unlikely to be strapped for cash, an opinion supported by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). â€Å"No current former President has claimed publicly to have significant financial concerns,† stated the CRS report. But, that has not always the case. Prior to the enactment of the Former Presidents Act in 1958, former presidents received no federal pension or other financial assistance at all, and some did suffer the â€Å"hard times.† â€Å"Some former Presidents- like Herbert Hoover and Andrew Jackson - returned to wealthy post-presidential lives,† stated the CRS. â€Å"Other former Presidents - including Ulysses S. Grant and Harry S. Truman - struggled financially.† Former President Truman, for example, said that just responding to his mail and requests for speeches cost him more than $30,000 a year. Current Status of the Bill The Presidential Allowance Modernization Act was passed by the House of Representatives on January 11, 2016, and by the Senate on June 21, 2016. The bill, as passed by the House and Senate, was vetoed by President Obama on July 22, 2016. On December 5, 2016, the bill, along with President Obama’s accompanying veto message, was referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. After deliberation, the committee decided against attempting to override the president’s veto.

Full Analysis of SAT Grammar Rules Which Are Most Important

Full Analysis of SAT Grammar Rules Which Are Most Important SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips When you are planning your study approach for SAT Writing, it’s important to know where your time is best spent. Which grammar rules are really the most important to learn? What can help you make the greatest improvement to your score? Read on to find out exactly how much each grammar rule matters and how you can use this information on the test. What kinds of questions are on SAT Writing? SAT Writing follows an extremely predictable format. There are two Writing sections on the test. (Note: There are always two graded Writing sections, but some tests may have a third one that is experimental and ungraded.) The first Writing section will be between Section 2 and Section 7, and the second will ALWAYS be Section 10. In the first Writing section, you will have three question types. #1: Improving Sentences The first, which accounts for questions 1 – , isImproving Sentences. You will be given a sentence with an underlined portion and 5 answer choices. The first answer choice, A, is always the same as what is given in the original sentence (or Correct As Is). The other answers will re-write the underlined portion of the sentence in various ways. We have written aguide to the best way to approach Improving Sentences Questions. #2: Identifying Sentence Errors The second question type isIdentifying Errors (questions 12 – 29).In this type of question, you will be given a sentence that has four underlined words or phrases labeledA – D. After the sentence you also have the option of E, which is â€Å"No Error†. You have to choose the underlined part of the sentence that has a grammar mistake, or decide that the sentence has no errors and is correct as it is written. #3: Improving Paragraphs The third question type isImproving Paragraphs,which is questions 30 – 35. This section is a little different. You may be asked a grammar question, which oftentimes will look a lot like the Improving Sentences questions. However, you also may be asked questions about style and logic, such as where sentences best fit in the paragraph or what transition to use, and you can also be asked about the author’s rhetorical strategy. This ishow you should attack the Improving Paragraphssection. Section 10 consists of 14 questions which are alwaysImproving Sentences. So to summarize, this is what the breakdown of different question types looks like: But what concepts are tested? And why should you care? Almost as predictable as the question types are the grammar rules that SAT Writing will test you on. SAT Writing heavily favors a few main grammar rules,and lightly touches on a multitude of others. Why should this matter to you? This means that especially if you are aiming for a score in the 500 – 700 range, you shouldfocus your studying on the main grammar rules that are covered. In fact, many of the rules the SAT covers are so infrequently seen that there is a good chance that your testmay not cover them at all. I analyzed almost 700 SAT Writing questions from 14 official SAT tests, and wrote down the grammar concepts tested in each. For most SAT questions, the answer is fairly obvious if you know one main grammar rule. Occasionally, however, more than one rule is tested in the same question. In these circumstances, I counted the question for both grammar rules. And the winners are†¦ The overwhelming winner of the frequency test isverb tense and form.Using the correct form of the verb can mean quite a few different things, including whether or notverbs are used consistently throughout the sentence, knowing when to use gerunds and avoiding them when they are unnecessary, when to use the infinitive, when to use certain tenses, and when past participles are appropriate. These concepts make up over a whopping20% of the questionsin the Improving Sentences and Identifying Errors sections of the test. Not far behind in second place are questions dealing withcorrect use of pronouns.These questions make up12.5% of the questionsin Improving Sentences and Identifying Errors. These concepts include missing and ambiguous antecedents, pronoun case, and making sure that pronouns match their antecedents in number. We have a three-way tie for third place.Subject-Verb Agreement, Run-ons and Fragments,andParallel Structureeach weigh in at around9.5% of the questions asked. If you master these five concepts, you will have all the information you need toover 60% of the questions on SAT Writing. The full breakdown Here is the analysis of the most commonly-tested grammar concepts on SAT Writing, along with brief explanations of what each grammar rule means. #1: Correct Verb Tense and Form: 20.5% Verbs tenses are used consistently and correctly throughout the sentence Gerunds are only used when necessary Infinitives are used correctly Tenses of verbs are formed correctly Past participles are not confused with past tense Wordiness with gerunds To master this section, see our guide onhow verbs are used on SAT Writing. #2: Correct Pronouns and Antecedents: 12.5% Missing and ambiguous antecedents Correct use of singular and plural pronouns Pronoun case Pronoun-antecedent agreement â€Å"He or she† vs. â€Å"they† See our guides onpronoun caseandpronoun agreementto master these concepts. #3: Subject-Verb Agreement: 9.5% Matching singular subjects with singular verbs and plural subjects with plural verbs Sentences with verbs before subjects Sentences with non-essential clauses or prepositional phrases between subject and verb See thisguide to subject-verb agreement. #3: Parallel Structure: 9.5% Items in a list are phrased the same way Phrases connected by a conjunctionhave the same structure See ourguide to parallel structure on SAT Writingfor more on this topic. #3: Fragments and Run-ons: 9.5% Joining independent clauses incorrectly Missing subject and/or verb Recognizing non-essential or dependent clause vs. independent clause Correct use of semicolons and commas This guide breaks downhow to recognize and fix run-ons and fragments on SAT Writing. #6: Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers: 7% Descriptive phrases must be next to the word they describe See theguide to modifiers here. #7: Idioms, Preposition use, and Diction: 6% Knowing which preposition is idiomatically correct in a phrase Recognizing commonly-confused words This guide will teach youall about idioms on the SAT Writing, and here is a guide to diction and word choice. #8: Faulty Comparisons: 4% Comparing two unlike things See theguide to faulty comparisonshere. #10: Logical conjunction use: 3% Using conjunctions correctly according to their meaning: e.g., â€Å"but† for contrast, â€Å"and† for similarity, etc. See more about conjunctions in ourcomplete parts of speech guide. #10: Word pairs: 3% Properly completed word pairs, e.g.either†¦or, neither†¦nor, not only†¦but also, between†¦and, just as†¦so #10: Adjective vs. Adverb: 3% Using adjectives to describe nouns, and adverbs to describe adjectives, verbs, and adverbs See theguide to adjectives and adverbs on SAT Writing here. The above concepts make up 87.5% of the questions on SAT Writing. What about that other 12.5%? In addition to the above, master the following topics if youare aiming for an 800 on SAT Writing.The following concepts each make upless than 2.5% of the questionson SAT Writing, and many of them will not appear on any given test. #: Active or Passive voice: 2.2% Using the active voice when possible to avoid wordiness Passive voice used to correct dangling modifier or in certain constructions #12: Correct relative pronouns: 2% See the guide to relative pronouns formore information #13: Noun agreement: 1.5% Match singular subjects with singular predicate nominatives, and plural subjects with plural predicate nominatives For example: John is a scientist. John and Maria are scientists. #14: Comparative vs. Superlative: 1% Comparative used for comparing two things, superlative used for three or more Correct formation of comparative and superlative #15: Redundancy: 0.8% Repeating the same information twice See theguide to redundancy here #16: Other: 5% These concepts are tested so infrequently that it would be pointless to give them their own category These questions are very unpredictable. They can include: â€Å"noun is because† structure, â€Å"the reason is that†, comma used between subject and verb, general awkwardness, and many more miscellaneous topics How can you use this information? You should use the information above to target your studying. The first step here is to understand what kind of SAT score you are aiming for in order to get into the colleges you are applying to. If you haven’t figured this out yet, take some time to do that first. For Low Scorers If you are currently getting a low score on the SAT Writing, you should use the list above as a checklist to master one grammar concept at a time. Start with Verb Tense and Form, and work your way down. Keep in mind that if you manage to completely master just the first 6 grammar concepts listed above (Verb Tense through Misplaced Modifiers), you will be able to answer close to 70% of the grammar questions on the test correctly. After you have reviewed these concepts, take a practice test. When you correct it, make sure you note what kind of questions you have missed. (Note: If you have The Official SAT Study Guide, you can use their online resource to find answers to the questions, or you can use the appendices in Erica Meltzer’s The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar to check which question types you are missing.) If you are missing questions based on the top 6 topics, go back and focus all of your study time on just those question types before moving on. If you want a mid-range score†¦ If you are aiming for a mid-level score (500 – 650), you should focus your attention on learning the grammar concepts that make up the top 87.5% of the questions and ignore the concepts that make up the trickier 12.5% of the test. If you get 87% of the questions correct on SAT Writing, and get a 7 or above on the essay, most curves will put you score in the 500 – 650 range. Take practice tests to check that you have mastered concepts #1 – 10. If you are able to answers those questions comfortably, move on to the more obscure topics. If you are aiming for a high score†¦ You will need to study all of the concepts listed above. The grammar concepts that appear infrequently, such as noun agreement and relative pronoun use, individually don’t count for much. However, enough mistakes in these areas could quickly add up to give you a lower score than you are aiming for. Once you have a good grasp on all of the concepts, you may want to add a bit of strategy to your game to make the test easier to conquer. You can do this by breaking down the test even further and understanding where you will see each type of question so that you know what to expect. Fortunately, I’ve done that work for you. Not All Question Types are Equal The above percentages correspond to the grammar concepts tested across all three question types on SAT Writing, taken as a whole. However, what if we were to break the test down by question type? Though most of the grammar concepts listed above will appear in all of the question types, there are a few grammar concepts that will only appear in certain question types. Others will heavily appear in a certain type of question. Let’s look at the Improving Sentences questions first. As you can see, there are a few concepts that make up a majority of the questions in Improving Sentences: Correct Verb Tense and Form (including gerund use) Sentence Fragments and Run-ons Parallel Structure Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers Correct Pronoun and Antecedent Use There are also some question types that will almost never appear on the Improving Sentences sections. They include: Adjectives vs. Adverbs Relative Pronoun Errors Noun Agreement Comparative vs. Superlative Now let’s look at Identifying Errors. Again, a few question types make up the majority here: Correct Verb Tense and Form Subject-Verb Agreement Correct Pronoun and Antecedent Use And the question types you will almost never see include: Sentence Fragments and Run-ons Active vs. Passive Redundancy Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers How can you use this information? You can use this knowledge of the test to help anticipate what grammar concepts you will see in each type of question. When you approach an Identifying Errors or Improving Sentences question, always look for the most common grammar mistakes first. For example, when you know that over 70% of the Improving Sentences questions will have one of the top five errors listed above, you will have a much better idea what kind of answers to look for, and it will also help you make more educated guesses. What about the Improving Paragraphs section? This sectiontests the same grammar rules as Improving Sentences. However, this section also tests several rules that don’t really fall into the grammar category. Instead, they are based on style and logic, and being able to understand how words and sentences work together in the context of a paragraph. This section will also occasionally test rhetorical strategy.This means that you may be asked what the purpose of a paragraph or sentence is. Here are the types of questions you will see on this section of the test: Sentence Revision (exactly like Improving Sentences): 33% Sentence insertion or deletion: 22% Using transitions: 15% Rhetorical strategy: % Information or word insertion: 7% Combining sentences: 7% Sentence order: 2% Paragraph division: 2% What does this mean for you? Keep in mind that Improving Paragraphs only make up 6 questions on every test. That means that even if you can’t figure out any of the style, logic, and rhetorical strategy questions, but ace the grammar, you will only be missing about 4 questions on the whole SAT Writing. Students aiming for a high score obviously will not want to write off four whole questions. However, if you are aiming for a lower score, you should use your study time wisely by focusing on the grammar concepts listed above instead of worrying about the extra question types that only appear in the Improving Paragraphs section. What about â€Å"No Error† and correct as is? On the Improving Sentences section, answer A is always the same as what’s given to you in the original sentence – meaning if you choose this, you are saying the sentence is correct as is. In Identifying Errors, answer E means there is no error. How often will you see these? Taken as a whole, you will see these answers about 15% of the time. You are slightly more likely to get a no error answer in Identifying Errors (19%) than in Improving Sentences (12.5%). So if you are completing one of these sections and you don’t have any of these answers, know you’ve gone wrong somewhere! Though somequestions don't containan error, they still test you on the above grammar concepts - byseeing if you can tell when they arebeing used correctly. We havea full article on the No Error answer here. What would the statistically perfect test look like? Now that we know everything about how the test breaks down by each question type and grammar concept, let’s see what a theoretically perfect test would look like. Of course, no real SAT would follow these figures exactly, but it’ll give you a decent idea of what to expect. Use this "Perfect Test" list to help guide your studying. After you take a practice test, take note of what kind of questions you have missed. Compare your notes to this list, and start off tackling your problem areas that appear highest up. Improving Sentences: 25 Questions Total 6 questions on Correct Verb Tense and Form 4 questions on Fragments and Run-ons 3 questions on Parallel Structure 3 questions on Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers 3 questions on Correct Pronouns and Antecedents 1 question on Subject-Verb Agreement 1 question on Logical Conjunctions 1 question on Faulty Comparisons 1 question on Correct Use of Active and Passive 1 question on Word Pairs 1 question on Miscellaneous Topics Identifying Errors: 18 Questions Total 4 questions on Correct Verb Tense and Form 3 questions on Correct Pronouns and Antecedents 3 questions on Subject-Verb Agreement 1 question on Idiom, Preposition Use, and Diction 1 question on Parallel Structure 1 question on Faulty Comparisons 1 question on Word Pairs 1 question on Adjectives vs. Adverbs 1 question on Noun Agreement 1 question on Comparative vs. Superlative 1 question on Miscellaneous Topics Improving Paragraphs: 6 Questions Total 2 questions on Sentence Revision (Improving Sentences) 1 question on Sentence Insertion or Deletion 1 question on Using Transitions 1 question on Rhetorical Strategy 1 question on either Combining Sentences OR Word or Information Insertion You would have about seven questions with the answer â€Å"No Error† or Correct As Is. What’s next? Now you knowexactly what is on SAT Writing.Use the above links to master each topic. All too much for you to handle? Never fear, there aresome schools out there who don’t care about SAT Writing at all! If you are aiming to improve a low grade, see our article onhow to score a 600 on SAT Writing. If you are aiming for an 800, you will need to master all of the above concepts, even the infrequently used ones. See our article on top tips forscoring an 800 on SAT Writing. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Writing and grammar lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Concert Review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Concert Review - Assignment Example The melody of the recital can be described by a short but fast shifting motive. The composer uses about four notes that the shift rapidly from one set to another. At the introduction and throughout the piece the energy and vigor depicted in the melody gives the recital a jovial or celebratory atmosphere and mood. The vigor and strength that is depicted in the piece can be likened to the mood of a carnival or an active musical dance. The harmony of the recital is also varied between an interval and a chord. In the introduction of the piece, the general harmony is an interval sounding at most two notes at a time. In the later stages of the piece, it shifts to a chord but turns back the harmony back to the interval. At the intervals, there is an underlying melody that supports the harmony. In the subsequent groups of chords, the melody is not very clear, and the progression is achieved in the recital. The variation between the interval and chords in the piece creates musical motion in t he presentation. Musically it is expected that where the interval is supported by an underlying melody and thee audience perceives a level of stability, the harmony is referred to as consonance. However, in the case of a turbulent and unstable set of chords, the harmony is referred to as a dissonance. The texture of this presentation can be described as both thick and thin. First, the texture can be described as monophonic. The description of the texture is because the presentation is a solo recital that is not accompanied by any vocals.

Jacksonian era Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Jacksonian era - Essay Example Worldwide, this time was a fairly peaceful one, taking into account various national movements and smaller wars; however, in 1848 there were mass revolutions of the lower classes in Europe. This key event had global implications which were played out over the next few decades, and vastly changed the nature of history after the Jacksonian era. What historical evidence was used by the author, Robert Remini, to write this book, and was the historical evidence accurate? The historical evidence on which this book is based is a large collection of secondary source material. Remini used a large number of texts in researching for this book – forty-three, to be precise – but it is difficult to ignore the fact that none of these appear to be primary sources. History is a field where interpretation of sources is key, and it is slightly worrying that the author would have only focused his interpretation on other interpretations rather than on any original source material. Any perso nal flaws and biases have been magnified in Remini's analysis of purely secondary sources. That said, the wide range of sources is somewhat reassuring, and without reading all forty-three books, it can only be hoped that his biases allowed him to take an accurate and fairly un-prejudiced view. How did slavery and Indian removal affect the United States during the Jacksonian era? Before Jackson's ascent to the presidency, slavery in the United States had started to come to its end. In 1822 a small group of black slaves revolted, causing the deaths and banishment of at least 72 slaves. Throughout the Jacksonian era, slave-owners â€Å"dreaded† (Remini, 59) the eventual uprising of their slaves, and an 1831 rebellion fuelled these flames. The Nat Turner Rebellion involved the murder of roughly sixty white people, but, Remini argues, had less of an influence on abolition than the example of other countries and states at the same time. The slow emancipation of the slaves caused mu ch cultural discourse, some of it constructive, some of it less so – â€Å"race riots became a regular occurrence in Jacksonian America† (61), even reaching Washington D.C. in 1835. It was feared that the abolition of slavery would shatter the Union, and indeed there was almost civil war over a slavery-related issue in the early 1830s, with threats of secession coming from several states. Ultimately the slavery issue did cause civil war, creating a stronger and more equal United States. Although the book calls it 'Indian removal', a less racist and euphemistic term would be Native American banishment or deportation. Like slavery, the banishment of Native Americans from their homes was a way in which the white leaders of society prioritized their own desires above the needs of others, to the detriment of North American society. Jackson â€Å"demanded† (46) that Native Americans concede their land to him. In 1830, a Removal Act was passed, in which Native American s were guaranteed land in the west, and transportation thereto, if they would give up their land in the east; the Cherokee tribe refused and took the matter to the Supreme Court, arguing that they were not subject to state laws. The ruling, that they were neither subject to state laws nor independent, set a dangerous precedent as Native Americans as â€Å"domestic dependents† (47). Again, like slavery, states and races were divided along fault-lines, with radicals on each side respectively supporting Native American protection or

Tidball's Category of Churches (Discussion) Assignment

Tidball's Category of Churches (Discussion) - Assignment Example Indeed these classifications of church made by Tidball (2008) bears some substance because their existence has confirmed their legitimacy. The main theme of his book is to lay emphasis on the importance of church in mission today as well as ministry today. In the present times, various churches have become endangered due to their dispersed geographical location around the world. Not all cultures are welcoming and may show hostility towards church expansion or ministry work. In any case, the functioning of a ministry is greatly impacted by the culture in which it operates. Culture is an important factor when considering how a ministry operates in a particular environment. The cultural context plays a dominant role because churches operating in different circumstances and settings are characterized by a specific pattern of functionality. This pattern of operation may be distinct in many cases and thus, culturally driven churches are likely to have a different model of working. What Tidball (2008) has tried to communicate is that the cultural context is significant in determining the specific model being followed in a particular church. The endangered church is widely reflected in the Epistle of Jude and 2 Peter. Similarly, references of a despised church and compromised church are present in 1 Peter and John’s letters respectively. Tidball (2008) has explored ministry quite extensively as they are referenced in the New Testament. Tidball (2008) has laos considered the cultural and environmental context in which they operated where they sometimes involved an unwelcoming atmosphere. The main point which Tidball (2008) has tried to explain is that ministry work should be guided by the gospels and the New Testament. The New testament contains a wide range of cultural environments where churches operated during a particular period of time. Hence,

What are the basic task dimensions of work systems such as jobs Essay

What are the basic task dimensions of work systems such as jobs - Essay Example These dimensions are a collaborative work of Timothy Butler, Director of Career Development Programs at Harvard Business School, and James Waldroop of Peregrine Partners. According to them these dimensions are: The research is based on the fact that where there is discretionary task completion, there is less participatory work of designing job elements as the task is determined by his / her subjective standards (Yuen, Hopp, & Iravani). SPIEGELAERE, S. D. (2012). Job Design and Innovative Work Behavior: One Size Does Not Fit All Types of Employees.  Job Design and Innovative Work Behavior: One Size Does Not Fit All Types of Employees,  8(4). Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/2411133/Job_Design_and_Innovative_Work_Behavior_One_Size_Does_Not_Fit_All_Types_of_Employees Yuen, G., Hopp, W. J., & Iravani, S. M. (n.d.). Operation Systems with Discretionary Task Completion.  Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. Retrieved  March  11, 2013, from

Analysis of the operations management activities of zara Essay

Analysis of the operations management activities of zara - Essay Example The organisation that has managed to pull this off is Zara, the Spanish fashion retail chain. Not only has Zara continued to record rising profits in a stagnant market, but is increasing the pace of store openings to almost one per day in the current year. Currently there are 758 Zara stores throughout the world in 58 countries, but by 2009, there are planned to be 4000. (Kane 2005). The company is not just a European phenomenon, but a global force and in many ways could be considered a leader in the retailing revolution that is sweeping the fashion world. Zara is a company within the Inditex holding group also founded by the creator of Zara. Before looking in depth at the successful business model that Zara operates and how it was developed it is worth looking at the overall fashion scene in order to gauge the field and to further show how different Zara is and how it became and remains so successful. Without doubt, there is a fashion revolution underway in the High Street. This revolution underscores a fashion retailing war that can only be described as cut throat and it reflects a huge change in the underlying cause of fashion expectations amongst the shoppers - the huge reduction in cost of high fashion items which has been pioneered by such fashion retailers as H&M of Sweden, Top Shop of the UK and especially Zara of pain. The war has had many casualties which have been mortally wounded amongst them C&A and M&S which catered for the wrong people at the wrong time and ended up with millions in unwanted unsaleable stock. Other companies struggled through the bad patches and are fighting back to remain in the high street realising belatedly that shoppers all over Europe and indeed the rest of the world want to dress like the rich and wealthy and the stars of stage and screen. Fashion retailers are rushing to satisfy this demand and shops like Top Shop, gap, Zara and others are b attling it out to get ahead and stay on top in this cutthroat and swiftly changing business. The market in Britain alone is worth 27 billion pounds and decisions made by company and group managements right down to store managers together with their chosen business models make the companies sink or swim. A BBC report on the subject (BBC News 2003), noted that shoppers had become obsessed with the way that celebrities dressed because those clothes have become so much more accessible in both price and availability. Stores are becoming that much better at including items that celebrities wear and reproducing them very quickly. The same report quotes Top shop director Jane Shepherdson as saying that customers want to be able to buy into the trends that they've seen from the catwalk as soon as possible. Top shop wasn't always able to accommodate this because of its inflexible business plan that operated separate summer and winter collections which often had lead times built into the system of up to 18 months. By observing another rival on the high street scene, Gap, it can be seen that by relying on previous problems were due to a mistaken strategy of targeting the teenage market with its Old Navy stores. The Swedish firm H&M was one of the leaders in changing that by appointing young designers to make high fashion as swiftly and as cheaply as possible, but initially the quality

What are the basic task dimensions of work systems such as jobs Essay

What are the basic task dimensions of work systems such as jobs - Essay Example These dimensions are a collaborative work of Timothy Butler, Director of Career Development Programs at Harvard Business School, and James Waldroop of Peregrine Partners. According to them these dimensions are: The research is based on the fact that where there is discretionary task completion, there is less participatory work of designing job elements as the task is determined by his / her subjective standards (Yuen, Hopp, & Iravani). SPIEGELAERE, S. D. (2012). Job Design and Innovative Work Behavior: One Size Does Not Fit All Types of Employees.  Job Design and Innovative Work Behavior: One Size Does Not Fit All Types of Employees,  8(4). Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/2411133/Job_Design_and_Innovative_Work_Behavior_One_Size_Does_Not_Fit_All_Types_of_Employees Yuen, G., Hopp, W. J., & Iravani, S. M. (n.d.). Operation Systems with Discretionary Task Completion.  Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. Retrieved  March  11, 2013, from

What skills of a leader does she possess Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What skills of a leader does she possess - Essay Example According to Gallo, Mayer is an apt communicator who has a record of moving crowds with her strong oratory skills and presentation prowess. In her speeches, Gallo notes, Mayer tells stories and complements them with pictures. According to Gallo (2012), Mayer dedicates part of her time to employees in the office. Through this method, she would ensure that the employees felt close to the management and therefore more motivated. She makes employees feel the meaning in the work process. Gallo states that the course of the interview proved to him that Mayer was a very committed person to her work as Google vice president. Other sources indicate that Mayer’s commitment to employees surpasses many people. She is known to spend a lot of time travelling worldwide to meet various teams. She is known to trust in team building using a face to face approach. Mayer advocates for simple straight forward approach to solution designs. In this regard, she calls for solutions such as apps to be designed with users in mind. Using this style, Mayer has been accorded great respect by many users who admire her simplicity approach. Marissa Mayer is a person focused on mobile and design and prioritizing of the same. Mayer is known to be committed to this vision and usually reciprocates it in her seminars. By publicly stating her vision and keeping clearly focused on it, through the various referrals she makes to it, Mayer shows great leadership skills on commitment towards what one believes in. she exemplifies how a leader should lead others in focusing on their goals. In her leadership roles at the organizational level, Mayer has been known to allow employees to practice their skills at their best. This is a method that brings many employees associated to her line of command able to perform a lot. She does not believe in putting down a set of guidelines to be followed by the employees but lets the employees’ practice what is expected of them. The noted cases are

Analyse item 1 a newspaper article from The Guardian Essay Example for Free

Analyse item 1 a newspaper article from The Guardian Essay I am writing an assignment which is on media. The two sources I have been given to analyse is a leaflet from The Salvation Army and a newspaper article from The Guardian. Both are based on the subject of homelessness. The problem of homelessness is a very unsettled issue. It is evident in many countries but in the UK it is concentrated in London. The two items are different, as one is an article from a broad sheet newspaper whereas item 2 is a leaflet asking for donation for a charity which helps the homeless. The article on homelessness states many facts on the reasons why homelessness is an issue which is faced by many people today. It is estimated that 419, 400 individuals have been accepted homeless by the local authorities in which many are living in a sub standard condition and are not even included in the statistics. This means that there are many out there who are regarded homeless and are yet not to be found. The main reason that people are homeless is the fact that most of them are rough sleepers who go about during the day and sleep wherever there is a dry place. It is mentioned that the majority are single people. This may have been due to the fact that many of them leave home at a young age and are unable to support themselves financially and resulting in not having kids. It is estimated tat 90% of the homeless population is male. One may think why? The answer to this is due to the fact of excess consumption of alcohol resulting in spending a huge amount of money and leading to bankruptcy and not affording to a good life. People who are dependant on non prescribed drugs are also homeless because they spend most of their income on drugs. It is also stated that those who suffer from multiple social problems are mostly either family problems or are kicked out due to other problems. They suffer mentally as these problems mount up leading them to leave home and run away with no benefits and live on the streets without a fixed home. As homelessness is increasing, government intends to abolish the problem by setting up plans for the future, which may help in development. The newspaper states that in order for this plan to work out successfully, the government proposed many new acts since 1980s Due to public outcry against doss houses many of these houses were closed down, in return new warm hostels were opened; the downside to this improvement was that it was insufficient as by 1989 they were, 5000 fewer beds than there were 10 years ago. By 1990 the government estimated 1000 to 2000 people were sleeping rough in central London. Along the government response to this was the Department of the Environment had launched a three year i 90,000,000 rough sleepers initiative (RSI) in which they funded resettlement workers, temporary cold workers and a permanent accommodation for rough sleepers to move on. Other authorities like the Department of Health launched a homeless mentally ill initiative to provide a more high care hostels for those with mental problems. Because of its success, the initiatives were renewed for a further 3 years in 1993. By 1995, the government reported that the number of rough sleepers in London dropped to around 270 which means it was successful. The problem of homelessness was reported in the newspaper article in the Guardian. Now I will analyse an extract of a leaflet from The Salvation Army which helps to tackle the problem of homelessness. The Salvation Army is an agency, which works on peoples contributions to continue the agencys work on helping homeless people. The Salvation Army is a provider of accommodation for those who are single and homeless all year round. This group has developed a successful programme for helping people to find permanent homes. This means that the Salvation Army is not only working on short-term projects but also on long term projects to ensure safety for the future and help build their lives. An example of a successful help project is Jim. It is stated that Jim was a success because of many peoples generosity which enabled a brighter future for Jim. Home for Jim was not good. He lived on a hill amongst brambles, because of the reason that his life living on the streets was disappointing, and also the reason about the time he got is hopes high of getting a job that was refused, because of the interviewer took one look at his crumpled clothes his hopes of living a good life with a fresh start was shattered and he was left where he started from. But then the Salvation Army stepped in. Once the Army hears a person in need like Jim, they send someone to investigate the matter. After that incident an officer visited him. With a helping hand and a shoulder to cry on Jim was taken to a hostel where he enjoyed a hot bath, a shave and most of all friendship. From then, Jim had been living in the local Salvation Army hostel. Building up his confidence with the dedicated help of the officers he has open up his hope and is determined to find a job and build up his life once again. As this story was successful in Jims case it may mean many other cases which are there must be successful too. With this story as an example the Salvation Army is a charity which is there to lend a sympathetic ear and a comforting arm and most importantly it is there to offer true friendship to those who are lonely and scared. The Salvation Army is not there just to provide a temporary home but also to offer a long-term programme which enables a better future for the unfortunate homeless people. As The Salvation Army is a charity which helps to build long term projects for the homeless, they have to find a way to make people pay attention and one strategy used is the use of emotional language. There are many examples in which emotional language is used but the main ones are: Once in the streets, homeless people become prey to all sorts of illnesses, all potential killers. In fact over 600 people a year on the streets die on the streets. In this sentence the word prey is used. The literal meaning of prey is a victim. This tells the reader that homeless people are victims of cold weather and the use of this word is emotional and used to make a point; it is also supported by a fact 600 making this statement true. Another sentence where the use of language is strong is With your generosity we can give vulnerable people not only a happier Christmas but a brighter future too. The word generosity is used to give an opinion of being helpful or kind. This suggests that with the help of the people outside giving donations it can give vulnerable people a happier Christmas and give a lifelong help of a good future. Another sentence which captures the readers eye is We are the ones to lend a sympathetic ear, the ones with the comforting arm, the ones offering true friendship and support during difficult times. The words comforting, sympathetic are both very emotional. They are used here in order for the reader to be aware of the good nature of The Salvation Army, how at difficult times they can offer friendship and show support to those who are in difficult times. The Salvation Army is there to help people who cant help themselves and those who do not show help to others. The use of emotive words gives an impression of a sad tone to the story about Jim and to the life of homeless people. The two items about homelessness are very unlike as item 1 is an article from a broadsheet newspaper The Guardian whereas item 2 is a information leaflet from The Salvation Army. The newspaper article follows a parliamentary debate which is going to take place on the issue of homelessness. The article begins with a subheading getting to the key point about the size of the problem. It begins with the historical past of homelessness. A lot of statistical information is given; it also states what kind of people is most likely to be found homeless single people, childless couples. It also shows previous parliament records over 8,000 people which tells you that this debate has taken place once before. There are many facts given to show evidence of the controversial issue of homelessness. The newspaper article finally shows what the government has done to overcome homelessness; an example of this is doss houses which were closed down. The leaflet from the Salvation Army begins with an opinion, of how sleeping rough you can dread bad weather. It states a fact about living outside in the cold weather can feel like. Compared to the newspaper article which is not biased about who is to blame for being homeless, the leaflet states a biased opinion on how homeless people are blameless for their situation. It also states what kind of people is likely to be homeless, which is different from the newspaper article. It gives a reason for publishing the leaflet but does not give a lot of statistical information. There is a blend of facts and opinions like over 600 people a year die on the streets which is a fact. It also gives a reason for why they are successful by giving the story about Jim, which was a success. It does not show background information on the issue of homelessness. It ends with a paragraph on requesting help from the readers by donating money. The newspaper article gets to the point on what the article is about with a large heading in bold and capitals HOMELESSNESS which later is followed by sub- headings. It is set out in vertical columns which are not fully justified. It has short paragraphs and sub-headings. The paragraphs give much information in a compact place. In comparison to the leaflet which begins with bold highlighted blocks giving little facts. The paragraphs are set like tabloid newspapers also in vertical columns. There are very short paragraphs and some of them are in Italics; the font of the letters varies in style like Italics with your generosity . It does not give substantial information on the issue. The newspaper articles use of language is formal and direct; it is very informative stating many facts on the issue and the historical background. Like the parliament debate, the sentences are easy to understand and the sentences are balanced with connectives like however, or. It gives a lot of statistical information to show evidence of how homelessness is a very big issue. No emotional language is used. The leaflets use of language is very straightforward and easy to understand. The sentences are very simple. It has information but not in a great amount. There is a case study shown in the story about Jim and how the Salvation Army was a success and this can draw a persons attention. Many financial appeals are requested using emotive words with your generosity and become prey which also catches the readers attention. The leaflet is based on appeal rather than factual information like the newspaper article. The Salvation Armys main motives to ask for donations to help resolve homelessness whereas the newspaper article is informative and has a lot of statistical information in a more formal manner. The article appeals to me as a more informative packed story. It gives more amount of statistical information to prove many facts; the sentence which caught my eye was 90 per cent were male as I did not think that most homeless people were male. It also begins on with what kind of people are most likely to be homeless which can tell the reader how homelessness has begun. The information on how homelessness has increased during the years shows the reader how it has become a more highly regarded issue and is something to think about. It also shows what the government is doing to tackle the problem and how at a yearly basis new initiatives have been introduced. The reader is left to make their own opinion about homelessness whether it is an issue worth thinking about and, make a public stand to it or leave it to the government to sort it out. The leaflet has a more emotional tone for public appeal on donating for a charity which is helping to reduce the problem of homelessness. The Salvation Army is a charity which is based on peoples donation to help the homeless and develop long term projects for a good future. It gives information on what kind of conditions the homeless have to sleep in. it also shows a case study to support their success. It is not as informative as the newspaper article. It has no fixed presentation device unlike the newspaper article which is all set in columns. Towards the end of the leaflet the reader is left to make a choice of feeling sorry for the homeless and donate money or is left untouched by the story about Jim.

Modern Global Epidemic Of Obesity

Modern Global Epidemic Of Obesity In his Annual report of 2002, the UK Chief Medical Officer has described it as a health time bomb. Overweight and obese children are likely to stay obese into adulthood with increased risk of associated major chronic diseases. Consequently, socioeconomic disparities observed in obesity supplement socioeconomic inequalities in health (Law et al., 2007). Prevention of childhood obesity therefore is critical. In this paper, the author will examine the complex interaction of social, economic, biological and environmental determinants of health that may explain the recent explosion, shifts in demographic trends of this worldwide problem, and briefly explore lifestyle and behavioural factors that may create particular risks. A discussion about causes, complications and treatment options of childhood obesity will follow. The author will review and analyse determinants and health policy initiatives, critically appraise various global, national and local strategies, initiatives and interventions, which aim to prevent obesity in childhood and examine their link to conventional health promotion models and theories. By critically examining the range of interactions and existing initiatives, the author seeks to propose appropriate interventions to tackle the growing challenge of childhood obesity. Key words: childhood obesity, inequalities, policy, strategy, prevention, health promotion DEFINITION Obesity/Adiposity is defined as a condition characterised by excessive body fat. Body fat can either be stored predominantly around the waist or around the hips. Body Mass Index (BMI) is used to measure obesity and defined as: Bodyweight (Kg) (Keys et al., 1972) Height (m) 2 BMI is useful in clinical practice and epidemiologic studies, but has limitations. Freedman et al. (2004) reported that although BMI is a good measure of fat mass in children with high BMIs, it is not a reliable indicator in thinner children. Two international datasets that are widely used to define overweight and obesity in pre-school children are International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) reference and World Health Organisation (WHO) Child Growth Standards (2006). None is superior to the other and both tend to underestimate or overestimate the prevalence when used on the same population (Monasta et al. 2010). Thresholds for obesity in children in UK (and Scotland) are measured by referring to UK National BMI classification system that uses reference curves based on data from several British studies between 1978 and 1990 (Cole et al, 2000). Children are classified as overweight or obese using the 85th and 95th percentiles as cut points. PREVALENCE, trends and costs Obesity has become an epidemic in many parts of the world and surveys over the last decade have documented the rapidly increasing prevalence of obesity and overweight among children along with rising socioeconomic inequalities (Wang and Lobstein, 2006; Lobstein, Baur and Uauy, 2004). The latest WHO report (Mercedes, Monika and Elaine, 2010) based on surveys from 144 countries estimates that globally, 43 million children (including 35 million in developing countries) are overweight and obese and another 92 million are at risk of overweight. This corresponds to a prevalence increase from 4.2% in 1990 to 6.7% in 2010. In England, 2008 figures showed 16.8% of boys aged 2 to 15, and 15.2% of girls were classed as obese, an increase from 11.1% and 12.2% respectively in 1995 (The Health and Social Care Information Centre, 2010). Amongst Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, only USA and Mexico having higher levels of obesity than Scotland and this is expected to get worse even with current intervention practices. Scottish Govt. report (2010) states that in 2008, 15.1% children were obese and 31.7% were overweight. Amidst this doom and gloom scenario are recent reports (Stamatakis, Wardle and Cole, 2010) showing trends in overweight and obesity prevalence have stabilized or reversed in pre-teens and early teenage years in France, Switzerland and Sweden. In the US too, the obesity epidemic may be stabilising (Ogden et al.,2010) but it is too early to know whether the data do reflect a true plateau (Cali and Caprio, 2008). Similarly, in England, trends in overweight and obesity prevalence have levelled off after 2002 (Stamatakis, Wardle and Cole, 2010); however, socioeconomic inequalities have deepened. Healthcare (direct) costs of obesity are only a fraction of overall (indirect) costs to society (McCormick, 2007) which are due to loss of employment, production levels and premature pensions and deaths. Obesity is responsible for 2-8% of total health costs in Europe and other developed countries (WHO, 2007). Direct costs of obesity in Scotland were about  £175 million in 2007/8 and expected to double by 2030. The indirect costs were much higher (about  £457 million) and expected rise to  £0.9 billion- £3 billion by 2030 (Scottish Govt. report, 2010). In England, recent estimate of direct obesity-related costs to NHS is  £4.2 billion and this may double by 2050. Cost to the wider economy is in the region of  £16 billion, and will rise to  £50 billion per year by 2050 if left unchecked (Department of Health (DH) report, 2010). INEQUALITIES Although no clear relationship between socio-economic status (SES) in early life and childhood obesity (but confirmed a strong relationship with increased fatness in adulthood) was reported by Parsons et al.,(1999); a more recent systematic review by Shrewsbury and Wardle (2008) supports the view that overweight and obesity tend to be more prevalent among socio-economically disadvantaged children in developed countries. Similar patterns are shown in data from England (Stamatakis, Wardle and Cole, 2010; Law, 2007) and Scotland (Scottish Govt. report, 2010). However, trends vary within different ethnic populations as highlighted by Wang and Zhang (2006); a review by Caprio et al. (2008) who studied the influence of race, ethnicity and culture on obesity trends concluded higher prevalence in non-Caucasian populations in US. Although earlier reports (Wang, 2001) revealed that the burden of this problem was mainly in wealthier sections of the population in developing nations, recent reports (Lobstein, Baur and Uauy, 2004; Wang and Lobstein, 2006) indicate that prevalence is rising among the urban poor in these countries, possibly due to their exposure to Westernized diets overlapping with a history of undernutrition. The reasons for the differences in prevalence of childhood obesity among population groups are complex, involving race, ethnicity, genetics, physiology, culture, SES including parental education, environment, as well as interactions among these variables (Law et al.,2007; Caprio and Cali, 2008; Townsend and Ridler, 2009). ETIOPATHOGENESIS and COMPLICATIONS Kirk, Penney and McHugh (2010) argue the complexity of the obesogenic environment, which comprises of personal (e.g. diet and physical activity preferences; disability), physiological (e.g. genetics, race and ethnic, psychological, metabolic) and environmental factors (home, school, and community). Other contributory factors are influences in society (e.g., social and peer influences, food advertisements) and availability of and access to optimal health care. Although genetic factors can have an effect on individual predisposition (Wardle et al., 2008), perinatal and maternal factors explain rapidly rising global prevalence rates. Key perinatal factors for childhood obesity (Wojcik and Mayer-Davis (2010), cited in Freemark, 2010) are maternal overweight before, during and after pregnancy, smoking and bottle-feeding. The mothers dietary habits and level of physical activity are also significant. Decreased physical activity levels associated with sedentary recreation (video and computer games), mechanised transportation (less walking), and increasing urbanization (limited opportunity to physical activity) are all associated with increased risk of obesity (Trost et al. 2001; Gordon-Larsen, McMurray and Popkin, 2000). Children with disability are at a greater risk to develop obesity (Reinehr et al.,2010); factors include health concerns and restricted access to physical activity. Epstein et al. (2008) propose that television viewing encourages weight gain not only by decreasing physical activity, but also by increasing energy intake. In addition, television advertising could adversely affect dietary patterns throughout the day (Lewis and Hill, 1998). Psychosocial factors can influence dietary and physical activity behaviours that define energy balance. Children who suffer from neglect and depression are at increased risk for obesity during childhood and later in life (Johnson GJ et al.,2002; Pine DS et al.,2001).In contrast, social support from parents and others increases participation in physical activity of children and adolescents (Sallis, Prochaska, Taylor, 2000). There is evidence that breast milk in infancy may protect against overweight in childhood (Harder et al.,2005) while intake of foods with high glycemic index, sugary soft drinks and fast foods are associated with increased risk and prevalence of childhood obesity (Ludwig et al.,2001; French, 2001); however, long term trials are needed to corroborate this association. Also, eating out (Zoumas-Morse et al.,2001) appears to be an important contributory life style factor. Excessive fat in the diet is believed to cause weight gain (Jequier, 2001); though, this association is not consistently shown in epidemiological studies (Atkin L-M Davies, 2000; Troiano,2000). Lustig (2006) proposes that the relationship between changes in the environment and neuroendocrinology of human energy balance is complex. The author explains that behaviours of increased caloric intake and decreased energy expenditure are secondary to obligate weight gain that is due to associated hyperinsulinemia, leptin antagonism and interference with normal satiety. Childhood obesity is a multisystem disease with potentially serious complications. Several studies suggest that childhood overweight/obesity is associated with increased risk of mortality in adult life (Gunnell,1998; Dietz,1998). Young-Hyman et al. (2001) have documented cardiovascular risk factors along with insulin resistance in children as young as five years old. The rising prevalence of type 2 diabetes in obese children is worrying in view of the vascular complications (heart disease, stroke, limb amputation, kidney failure, blindness) (Ludwig and Ebbeling,2001). These risks appear to be higher in non-Caucasians (Goran, Ball and Cruz,2000). According to Strauss, (2000) adverse psychosocial effects are more severe in white girls. Treatment Effective intervention is essential because obese children are likely to face substantial health risks as they mature (Cali and Caprio, 2008). Further, as healthcare costs of this problem are rising (Wang and Dietz, 2002); intervention is required to prevent morbidity in adulthood while effective tools for primary prevention are developed. Spear et al. (2007) reviewed the evidence about the treatment options in primary care, community, and tertiary care settings and proposed a comprehensive 4-step approach for weight management. Uli, Sundarajan and Cuttler (2008) support a similar strategy. Several reviews of lifestyle (i.e. dietary, physical activity and/or behavioural therapy) interventions for treating childhood obesity (Oude- Luttikhuis et al.,2008; Wilfley et al., 2007) have concluded that family based combined behavioural and lifestyle interventions can produce significant reduction in overweight in children and adolescents. Although Golan and Crow (2004) suggested that targeting exclusively parents for change was superior to targeting only children for change, behavioural approaches involving both parents and children in the framework of a combined lifestyle intervention appear to be more effective (Wilfley et al. 2007; Epstein 1994; Bronwell, Kelman and Stunkard 1983). Moreover, intensive lifestyle intervention (with daily exercise, mandatory caloric restriction, multiple clinic visits and counselling sessions) appears to be more successful (Nemet at al. 2005) than standard lifestyle intervention (Epstein and Wing 1980). There is no consistent evidence to show that decreasing sedentary behaviour by reducing television viewing is effective in weight reduction (Dennison et al. 2004; Gortmaker et al. 1999). However, limiting TV food advertising to children appears to be a useful cost-effective population-based intervention (Magnus et al. 2009). In obese adolescents, treatment with orlistat or sibutramine as adjunct to lifestyle intervention is prescribed sometimes. However, these drugs can have significant side effects and this approach needs close monitoring and follow-up (Freemark, 2007). Morbidly obese adolescents can benefit from sizeable weight loss following bariatric surgery but with potential serious complications (Lawson et al., 2006; Uli et al.,2008). This necessitates close follow-up and dedication to a specialized dietary regimen (Shen, Dugay and Rajaram, 2004) for successful results. Evidence base of school-based interventions: Systematic reviews of random controlled trials (RCT) by Reilly and McDowell (2003) and Bluford, Sherry and Scanlon (2007) did not find sufficient evidence base for interventions to prevent childhood obesity and recommended further research. In contrast, Thomas et al. (2004) put forward a more positive conclusion in their review. Similarly, Flynn et al. (2006) and Doak et al. (2006) reported favourable outcomes in nearly all trials they reviewed. Interestingly, in an analysis of school-based programs, authors from National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), UK (2006) indicated that the evidence does not convincingly support the multidisciplinary whole school approach promoted by UK National Healthy Schools Program. Nonetheless, Connelly, Duaso and Butler (2007) in their review of RCTs have supported a decisive role for obligatory provision of aerobic physical activity in schools coupled with nutritional education and skills training. Finally, Kropski, Keckley and Jensens review (2008) concludes that although evidence is limited, schools play an important role in prevention strategies and directing different techniques at boys and girls may have more impact. HEALTH PROMOTION MODELS RELATED TO PREVENTION OF CHILDHOOD OBESITY Knowledge-Attitude-Behaviour model proposes that as knowledge accumulates, changes in attitude are set off resulting in gradual change in behaviour (Baranowski 1999). The model assumes that a person is logical by instinct. However, evidence shows that generally people in a variety of circumstances do not act logically (Shafir and LeBeouf, 2002). A common application of this model to promote change is providing health and nutritional information within school syllabi. Gaining knowledge may help to set goals and boost self-confidence but has not been shown to cause change in behaviour (Schnoll and Zimmermann, 2001) or to change in physical activity behaviour (Rimal, 2001) except perhaps in specific right people (Wang and Biddle 2001). Besides, there is no evidence that interventions based only on education strategies will change behaviour (Contento et al.,1995). According to Behaviour Learning Theory (BLT), when a specific stimulus elicits a desired behaviour, there is increased likelihood of that behaviour recurring if that behaviour is reinforced (Skinner,1938 as cited in Baranowski et al.,2003). A modern version of BLT, the Behavioural Economics model (Epstein and Salaens,1999) suggests behaviour is the result of benefits and costs where benefits are reinforcers. Obese people find food more reinforcing than others do whereas physical activity has greater reinforcing value among non-obese people. In addition, preference for a specific physical activity declines when the distance to that activity increases which reduces the reinforcing value of that activity (Raynor, Coleman and Epstein, 1998). Thus, obese people are more likely to find behaviours that lead to obesity more reinforcing. Saelens and Epstein (1998) applied the model successfully in obtaining increased physical activity. However, application of reinforcers on controlling behaviour is challenging and can be beyond the ability of many parents. The Health Belief Model explains the utility of health services. It has been widely applied to health-related behaviours (Janz, Champion and Strecher, 2002). The model describes health actions through the interaction of sets of beliefs: perceived susceptibility, perceived seriousness perceived benefits and disadvantages and cues to action. A meta-analysis study by Witte and Allan (2000) of fear-based communications revealed that they could induce behavioural change by affecting individuals perception of threat. However, children and adolescents often tend to perceive themselves as invincible, thus the concept of fear, threat and perceived risk and susceptibility are not useful in this age group. HBM may become more relevant if people perceive obesity as a serious threat waiting to happen to them (Baranowski, 2003). Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) proposes (Bandura 1999) that behaviour is a function of continuous mutual interaction between the environment and the person. The theory assumes that people generally strive for positive outcomes and evade negative ones by changing their behaviours by using self-control. Programs based on SCT have resulted in some changes as reported in a review by Sharma (2006) of school-based interventions for preventing childhood obesity where SCT was the most popular intervention tool. However, the theory lacks predictability for understanding childrens behaviour that is related to food and activityit could be that the concepts are too complex for children (Baranowski, Cullen and Baranowski,1999). Furthermore, children may not be expected to or capable of sufficient self-control over their diet and physical activity. Environmental variables like parenting and availability of food and physical equipment may be more beneficial (Cullen et al.,2003). Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB): To explain the relation between attitudes and behaviour (Ajzen and Fishbein,1975 in Baranowski et al.,2003) proposed TRA and said that people are more prone to perform a specific behaviour when they have the intention to perform it. The theory has many limitations one is that presence or absence of choice can influence behaviour e.g. unable to perform the intention to buy healthy food due to its unavailability in the local store. Ajzen and Madden (1986) modified TRA to TPB, which emphasises that perceived behavioural control influences intention. Goding and Koks review (1996) argued that the efficiency of the theory varies between health-related behaviour categories. TPB model has been applied to childhood obesity prevention programs with results showing both good (Andrews, Silk and Eneli, 2010) and mixed (Fila and Smith, 2006) predictability. The Transtheoretical model (T) proposes that health behaviour change progresses through six stages of change: pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and termination and describes 10 processes that enable this change (Prochaska et al.,1992). The model has been successfully applied in addictive disorders but has limitations when applied in the treatment of eating and weight disorders (Wilson and Schlam, 2004). T has been applied to obesity with studies reporting both good (Sarkin et al., 2001) and poor predictability (Macqueen, Brynes and Frost, 2002 in Wilson and Schlam, 2004). The complex etio-pathogenesis of childhood obesity suggests that Social Ecological (SE) Models may generate creative and lasting solutions (Huang and Glass, 2008). The SE model initiated by Bronfenbrenner (1977) and subsequently developed for understanding obesity by Davison and Birch (2001) and Story et al., (2008) proposes that individuals contribute their cognitions, skills and behaviours, lifestyle, biology and demographics, while surrounded in other circles representing the social, physical and macro-level environments to which they are exposed. Swinburn, Egger and Raza (1999) have described the ANGELO (analysis grid for environments linked to obesity) framework which is an ecological model for understanding environments that are obesogenic. Figure 1. The IOTF model is a SE model and describes societal policies and processes with direct and indirect influences on body weight (Kumanyika et al.,2002) as shown here in Figure 1(above). An ecological approach is also the basis of the Canadian model, Child Health Ecological Surveillance System (CHESS). As illustrated in Appendix 4, it demonstrates a local approach to tackle childhood obesity and has possible global implications (Plotnikoff, 2010). Global, regional and national prevention strategies As part of the response to fight the childhood obesity epidemic, WHO (2004) developed the Global Strategy for Diet, Physical Activity and Health (DPAS) and produced a range of tools to assist Member States and stakeholders to implement DPAS. It emphasised that National plans should have achievable short-term and intermediate goals. A schematic model developed for WHO by Sacks, Swinburn and Lawrence (2009) for implementation and monitoring of DPAS provides the basis for a framework for action and explains how supportive environments, policies and programmes can influence behaviour change in a population and have lasting environmental, social, health and economic benefits. The monitoring and evaluation component provides the foundation for promotion, policy development and action. Figure 2: Implementation framework for the Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health. The model emphasises the need of right mix of upstream (socio-ecological) approaches to shape the economic, social and physical (built and natural) environments, midstream ( lifestyle) approaches to directly influence behaviour (reducing energy intake and increasing physical activity), and downstream (health services) approaches to support health services and clinical interventions (Sacks, Swinburn and Lawrence, 2008 in WHO report, 2009). According to WHO (2009), population-based prevention strategies developed in the context of a social determinants-of-health approach and implemented both at the national level and locally in school and community-based programmes will help to change the social norm by encouraging healthy behaviours. Furthermore, transferring the responsibility of tackling health risks from the individual to decision-makers will help to combat associated socio-economic inequalities. In addition, strategies will need coordinated action by multiple stakeholders and effective leadership for success. Surveillance tools for growth assessment recommended by WHO are Child Growth Standards (WHO Reference, 2007) and the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) (WHO, 2009). Key challenges of population based strategies identified by WHO are increasing globalization of food systems that have created economic and social drivers of obesity through changes in food supply and peoples diets, worsening socioeconomic inequalities and tackling obesity in children with physical and/ or mental disabilities. Other important hurdles are poorly designed urbanisation and achieving cost-effectiveness. In this regard, combined approaches that address multiple determinants can improve efficiency of intervention programmes according to a model-based analysis by OECD and WHO (Sassi 2009 in WHO report 2009). The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (WHO 1986) recommends that global prevention strategies should work at multiple settings (e.g. schools, after-school programmes, homes and communities and clinical settings) and use the correct mix of approaches for a given situation along with concern for country- and community-specific factors, such as availability of resources and/or socioeconomic disparities. It emphasises that such strategies must identify and include at-risk groups, set priorities and realistic targets and engage with all stakeholders in a transparent manner. The public should have access to information on partnerships including potential conflicts of interest. Successful implementation and sustenance of such strategies depends on long-term planning, budgeting and identifying cost-effective interventions such as the ACE-Obesity project (Carter et al., 2009). It is also important to dissociate private sector funding from projects that set direction and techniques of such programs by adopting novel funding strategies. The IOTF (2007) have developed in consultation with WHO a set of (Sydney) principles that define the commercial promotions of foods and beverages to children and guide action on changing marketing practices them. The principles aim to ensure a degree of protection for children against obesogenic foods and beverages. The European Union (EU) Member States have adopted the European Charter on Counteracting Obesity (2006), which defines WHO policies and action areas at the local, regional, national and international levels for all interested parties in government and private sectors (e.g. food manufacturers, advertisers and traders) and also organizations of professionals (providers) and consumers (users). Policy strategies emphasise the need to identify and focus on at-risk population groups, set realistic goals, and use efficiently coordinated multiple settings and approaches. They also stress the need for research into all aspects of treatment and prevention methods and develop creative sustainable funding (WHO Europe, 2007). In UK (England), to encourage individual behavioural change, the strategy Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: A Cross-Government Strategy (DH, 2008) has been developed with emphasis on healthy growth and development of children, promotion of healthier food choices and bringing physical activity into peoples lives by building healthy towns on the EPODE model ( Borys 2006). It also aims to provide personalised advice and support and create incentives to be healthy. Policy drivers include national policy changes (e.g. increased support for monitoring of growth, promotion of breast feeding, bans on unhealthy food advertisements, social marketing campaigns) and changes to the food supply (e.g. development of a healthy food code, front-of-pack labelling, limits on fast-food restaurants near schools and parks, increased supply of fresh fruit and vegetables to stores in deprived areas). Change4Life is the marketing arm of the Governments strategy to stress on prevention through healthier habits from early life (DH, 2009). Other strategies are development of a national physical activity plan in part tied to the 2012 Olympics with the purpose of improving built environments and support more weight management services. The national Government leads the project and provides resources for local authorities, National Health Service (NHS), and community care partnerships. Government agencies and their partners coordinate to raise funds and integrate projects into existing strategies and programmes for cost-effectiveness. Long-term goals include developing a national dialogue on societys response to the epidemic of obesity, provide more support and guidance for PCTs and local authorities and build up skills and capabilities of staff, set aside extra resources and while demonstrating good governance and clear accountability. In Scotland, the Government and Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) have developed a Route Map for decision-makers in government to work with their partners, NHS and businesses to develop and deliver lasting solutions to prevent overweight and obesity (Scottish 2010). The Government has targets to reduce the rate of increase in the proportion of children with unhealthy BMI by 2018 but none yet for obesity or weight management. The aim is to reduce energy consumption, increase physical activity, minimise sedentary behaviour, and create positive health behaviour through early life interventions and building healthier work place environments. Policy drivers to manage obesity include HEAT (health, efficiency, access and access target) which measures achievement rates for intervention programmes, Counterweight which is a second-level program to support people who need management of their weight, and Scottish Enhanced Services that provides childhood obesity services in primary and community care settings. To prevent obesity, the Government has developed several initiatives in a framework Lets Make Scotland More Active which is for promoting increased physical activity. Policies to help build healthier lifestyle are the National Food and Drink Policy Recipe for Success, eight Healthy Weight Communities programmes nation-wide, and Seven Smarter Choices Smarter Places to study travel behaviours of communities and their potential to adopt healthier choices. Take Life On is a national social marketing drive that aims to improve diet and fitness of communities and Beyond the School Gate and Scotlands Healthy Weight Outcomes Framework will provide guidance to help create health-promoting communities. In addition, there are several national programs directed to a Greener, Healthier, Smarter, Safer and Stronger Scotland which are likely to have indirect contribution to tackle overweight and obesity. CONCLUSION: The essay emphasises the rapidly increasing burden of childhood obesity with associated population profile changes and increasing social inequalities. It explains the complex multifaceted and interlinked causal pathways that form the obesogenic environment. The author has described community and school-based obesity intervention and prevention programmes and explored the role of research protocols in gathering evidence for such interventions and their usefulness. Various prevention strategies and interventions (singly and in combination) that are in practice and the settings and conditions in which they may be effective are reviewed and compared. Existing global, regional and national prevention and implementation strategies and their need to tackle upstream influences to fight childhood obesity are explained. The present evidence for effective treatment and prevention of childhood obesity is not consistent. It is very difficult to attain significant weight on a long term basis in spite of strenuous efforts it could be that present prescriptions for diet and exercise are not as effective as they need to be; in addition, the adversities in the environment can overwhelm the beneficial effects of techniques used in current intervention techniques. Further research is required to identify realistic options for treatment and best practice procedures for public health policies that are cost-effective, culturally sensitive, deal with upstream influences and address population inequalities. Although numerous school and community based programs are having an impact, there is a need for evidence to evaluate effective social interventions so that social policies direct healthy lifestyle approaches. From the review of available evidence, the author has learnt that policymakers and professiona