Genetics and breast cancer Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Genetics and breast cancer - Research Paper Example Treatment plans have modified from time to time with the aim to conserve as much as normal breast tissue and reduce the recurrence rates. Different strategies have evolved ranging from modified radical mastectomy to radiation to hormonal and chemotherapy. Having a varied prognosis depending on the histo pathological appearance as well as the grading, staging and receptor status of the breast carcinoma. Early diagnosis and treatment yields better results, while late diagnosis and treatment results in widespread disease. Breast cancer one of the most common and ancient carcinoma in female occurring most commonly in postmenopausal woman and in individuals with BRCA mutation. The screening, diagnosis and treatment are rapidly changing areas with more and more advances in the diagnostic tests and resulting specific therapies depending on the histo-pathological and bio-markers. From diagnosis to treatment it needs a multidisciplinary approach with physicians, radiologists, oncologists, histo-pathologists on board. This article focuses on the etiological factors, genetic mutation, diagnosis, treatment plans and prognostic factors. . Breast cancers being more common in women but can also occur in men and have a poor prognosis as in men there is always delay in diagnosis as opposed to women. Unlike other carcinomas it can be picked up early as it presents with a lump in the breast, for the same reason it has also been documented as an ancient disease as unlike other carcinomas it could become visible and c ould be picked up as a lump in breast. If we look at the above risk factors, most of them can be explained by the fact that excessive exposure to sex hormones can lead to breast cancers. Early onset of menses and late menopause, both of these cases leads to over exposure to sex hormones (same can be explained with obesity). One of the studies being carried out concluded that

The Mental Health Act Social Work Essay

The Mental Health Act Social Work Essay Introduction: We are living in an ageing society where majority of population live longer and the age of the people over 60 is more than the children under the age of 16 years in United Kingdom. Most of the older people need care. As Bracht (1978) noted, Social works uniqueness come from its persistent focus on the physical, social-psychological and environmental health needs of clients (p 13) 1.1 Explain how principles of support are applied to ensure that the individuals are cared in health care settings. All staff have a responsibility to ensure good standards of care are maintained and organisations need to have internal systems to monitor social care governance arrangements.   Communicate in an honest, open, positive and friendly manner that is appropriate to the Patients/clients need. Ensure you have consent for everything you do with the patient/client. Provide person-centred care and respect the persons individuality and dignity. Protect patients/clients from infection, accidents, injuries and breaches of confidentiality.   Carry out basic observations safely and effectively.   Record and report your findings accurately in the appropriate place. Use your interactions with patients/clients as an opportunity to promote health. Know and respect your role and the roles of others in the health care team.   Accept accountability for your actions and behaviour. Be open to learning new knowledge and skills and to developing your role safely.   All patients should expect the same standard of care, whoever delivers it. The level of supervision provided must be appropriate to the situation and take into account the complexity of the task, the competence of the support worker, the needs of the patient and the setting in which the care is being given. 1.2 What are the procedures for protecting clients, patients and colleagues from harm? Many health care settings are now part of national and international initiatives to promote workplace health. The Health promoting Hospitals Network of the World Health Organization, for instance, recognizes the importance of workplaces as settings for promoting the health of service users and service providers. A big part of looking after others clients you care for, the people who live with, visit and accompany them and the colleagues you work with and looking after your workplace. People cannot remain healthy in unhealthy and unsafe environment. As individuals, all health professionals have a duty to protect patients. All health care professionals are personally accountable for their actions and must be able to explain and justify their decisions. While the scope of their practice varies they all have a duty to safeguard and promote the interests of their patients and clients. Health care professionals must act quickly to protect patients, clients and colleagues from risk of harm especially if either their own or another health care workers conduct, health or performance may place patients or clients at risk. There are many things we can do that will help to make workplace safer and healthier we for instance: Make sure keep working environment clean and tidy, using organizations cleaning guidelines. Keep equipment and furnishings safely stored when not in use and remove trailing electric cables from floors. Report damaged equipment, floor coverings and lights immediately. Look for signs that clients, staff and others, including yourself, may be in danger of harm or abuse or have been harmed or abused. This would include recognizing and dealing with early signs of violent or aggressive behavior. Always follow organizations waste disposal stream policies, particularly with sharps. Clean away spillages immediately, using approved procedures and personal protective equipment if necessary guidelines.   Work with patients/clients in a way that respects their dignity, privacy, confidentiality and rights. Keep equipment and furnishings safely stored when not in use and remove trailing electric cables from floors. 1.3 What are the benefits of following person centered approach with users of health social care services. There is only one way and that is the person centered way it is a journey worth taking. Sally, member of the Transforming Adult Social (Care service user reference group) Recent survey shows that around  £2.7 billion could be saved each year by providing person-centered support for people with long-term conditions. Our society is based on the belief that everyone has a contribution to make and has the right to control their own lives. This value drives our society and will also drive the way in which we provide social care. Services should be person-centered, seamless and proactive. They should support independence, not dependence and allow everyone to enjoy a good quality of life, including the ability to contribute fully to our communities. They should treat people with respect and dignity and support them in overcoming barriers to inclusion. They should be tailored to the religious, cultural and ethnic needs of individuals. They should focus on positive outcomes and well-being, and work proactively to include the most disadvantaged groups. We want to ensure that everyone, particularly people in the most excluded groups in our society, benefits fr om improvements in services. The trend towards a person-centred approach can be found in the work of Carl Rogers (1958) and his approaches to client-centred psychotherapy (Brooker, 2004) initially developed to support people with learning difficulties. Person-centred planning has since influenced work across the range of social care services. Person-centered planning is for learning how people want to live, to learn what is important to them in everyday life and to discover how they might want to live in the future. However, a plan is not an outcome. The only reason to do the planning is to help people move toward the life that they want and person-centered planning is only the first part of the process. In order for people to have real choice and control over their life and services, the people who support them will want to consider the following questions: à ¢-  What is important to the person, so that services and supports are built around what matters to them as anindividual instead of people being labelled according to a condition, an impairment or a stereotype. à ¢-  How, when and where the person wants support or services delivered -rather than a standard one size fits all approach. 1.4 What are the ethical dilemmas and conflict that a care worker may face when providing care, support and protection. Ethics play a central role in the clinical decision making of all healthcare practitioners; however dilemmas can arise with practitioner morality and ultimately professional judgment being central to the correct management. As healthcare professionals there is a duty of care to increase the quality of life of those who present for treatment and above all else to cause no harm.The social worker can also provide emotional support and clarification to the patient and family as things unfold. Many times, the social worker acts as the voice of the patient and family, explaining to the consultants what their wishes are and advocating for them to be respected (Rothman, 1998). Healthcare practitioners must always place the welfare of the patient before all other considerations (College of Optometrists MembersHandbook, 2007) Example of possible dilemmas includes being asked to prescribe the contraceptive pill to under 16s without parental consent. (Health and social care Book 2 Level -2) 2.1 Explain the implementation of policies, legislation, regulations and codes of practice that are relevant to own work in health social care. UK government had made numerous policies, legislation and regulation in order to protect everyone in health and social care setting including employers, employees, service users and their families as well. Care Standards Act (2000): Ensures all care provision meets with the National Minimum Standards. Sets standards for the level of care given to individuals requiring social care. Requires that all staff have a thorough police check before they begin working with children and adults and that a list is kept of individuals who are unsuitable to work with children or vulnerable adults. Children Act (1989) Made major changes to childcare practice; Introduced concept of significant harm. Introduced concept of parental responsibilities rather than rights. Made wishes and interests of the child paramount. Children Act (2004) Introduces Childrens Commissioner, Local Safeguarding Children Boards and provides legal basis for Every Child Matters. Disability Discrimination Act (2005) First came into force in 1995 and was amended in 2005. Requires the providers of public transport to reduce the amount of discrimination towards People with disabilities on their buses and trains. Requires public facilities and buildings to be made accessible to those who have disabilities. Requires employers to make reasonable adjustments to allow an individual with a disability to gain employment. Data Protection Act (1998) Data Protection Amendment Act (2003)Access to Medical Records (1988): Provide for the protection of individuals personal data with regard to processing and safe storage. The Acts cover: Storage of confidential information Protection of paper-based information Protection of information stored on computer Accurate and appropriate record keeping. Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) Aims to ensure the working environment is safe and free from hazards. Employers and employees should share responsibilities for: Assessing risks before carrying out tasks Checking equipment for faults before use Using appropriate personal protective clothing Handling hazardous/contaminated waste correctly Disposing of sharp implements appropriately. Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1999) Explain to managers and employers what measures they must take to keep staff safe. The main focus of the regulations is risk assessment. The regulations explain how to conduct a risk assessment and what the assessment should contain. Mental Health Act (2007) Updates the Mental Health Act 1983. The main changes are: 16 and 17 year olds can accept or refuse admission to hospital and this decision cannot be overridden by a parent. Patients who are detained in hospital under a section of the Act are entitled to an independent advocate who will speak for them at a review to decide on their future. Under Supervised Community Treatment Orders, patients who are discharged will be visited at home by a mental health professional to ensure that they take their medication. There are many more policies and legislations which are relevant and need to be understand in health and care such as; Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations (1995), Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (1998), Manual Handling Regulations (1992), Mental Capacity Act (2005), Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (1995) (RIDDOR). 2.2 Explain how local policies and procedures can be developed in accordance with national and policy requirements. Several stages are involved in shaping care policies, and nurses can play an important role in all of these. When trying to disentangle policies, it makes sense to look at the roles of the different organisations that develop them. Things that seem to be a matter of local decision-making, for example, what type of incontinence aids to use, can be determined by policies at a regional or national level. These might cover how suppliers or equipment should be chosen (for example, through tendering processes), or set budget or resource levels. In turn, national policies might be shaped by international policies: for example, a trade embargo might preclude the purchase of equipment from suppliers a certain country. One type of continence pad may be more comfortable for patients, more absorbent or more secure, but if it is too expensive, or made in a country that does not trade with the UK, it will not be used at local level. National policies have a major impact on the resourcing of health-care services but, increasingly, they also set performance indicators and evaluation criteria. For example, if one criterion for evaluation is that every patient should have a named nurse, then this will affect how you organise work, or at least the way you welcome a patient into your unit. Similarly, if a set of performance indicators set by national government focuses on measuring throughput of patients, you may find yourself under pressure to discharge people from your care more quickly than otherwise. The first type of policy-making process has the advantage of transparency everyone knows what the process and outcomes are. It can, however, be very slow to respond to changing circumstances. If every change has to be discussed and debated by the full committee, and then formally communicated across the organisation (perhaps with opportunities for people to give their responses before the policy is finally adopted), it can take a long time for things to change. The second type of policy-making process is more flexible, and arguably more responsive to change, but its informality can mean people in the organisation are not clear about what policies are, or how they were developed. It can sometimes be difficult to have an open debate if there is no process for doing this, and it is difficult for people to be updated on policy change with no clear dissemination mechanisms. 2.3 Evaluate the impact of policy, legislation, regulation and codes of practice on organizational policy and practice. Every organization has some policies and producers that promotes equal opportunities and reinforce the codes of practice of specific professional bodies. Organizational policies are the mechanism by which legislation is delivered and implemented. Policies in organizations are includes: Health and safety Harm Minimization Risk Assessment Equal Opportunities Confidentiality Bullying and Harassment Conflict of Interests Since 2000, health and social care services have become strictly regulated and then it became essential for all settings to have a professional code of practice.Organizations have to follow government policies strictly. The code of practice for everyone working within the social care sector includes information on protecting the rights, and promoting the interests, of individuals who are receiving the care and their careers. Policies, legislation and regulation enable the organizations to perform their role efficiently and professionally. 3.1 Explain the theories that underpin health social care practice Social Care Theory for Practice is a major component in Social Care. Professionals role can often be a powerful one. As a care worker you are potentially able to exercise a relatively high degree of control in a situation. French and Raven (1959) identified five types of power: Reward Power based upon the perceived ability to guarantee positive consequences Coercive Power based upon the perceived ability to ensure negative consequences Legitimate Power based upon the perception that someone has the right to expect certainbehaviors (sometimes called position power) Referent Power based upon the desire of subordinates to be like leaders they believe have desirable characteristics Expert Power based upon the perception that a leader has expert knowledge the Subordinates dont have (sometimes called information power). Motivation Theory: According to Stefanle Haffmann(2006), Motivation is a psychological process and it can be explained as willingness of individuals to do something for satisfies a need. When a worker motivated about his job/work employer can get more efficiency. (Robbin and Coulter, 2002) said that, in everyday life, people ask themselves the question why they do something or why not. A need is a psychological or physiological deficiency, which makes the attainment of specific outcomes attractive. Maslows Hierarchy of Needs: Abraham Maslow (1908 1970) along with Frederick Herzberg (1923) introduced the Neo-Human Relations School in the 1950s, which focused on the psychological needs of employees. Physiological; hunger, thirst, etc. Safety and Security Belongingness and Love Esteem Cognitive; understanding, knowledge Aesthetic; order, beauty Self-Actualization; fulfillment and realization of potential Self-transcendence; connection with something beyond the ego or to help others fulfill their potential Maslow put forward a theory that there are five levels of human needs which employees need to have fulfilled at work. Maslow Hierarchy of Needs Taylor Theory: Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856 1917) put forward the idea that workers are motivated mainly by pay. His Theory of Scientific Management argued the following: Workers do not naturally enjoy work and so need close supervision and control. Therefore managers should break down production into a series of small tasks. Workers should then be given appropriate training and tools so they can work as efficiently as possible on one set task. Workers are then paid according to the number of items they produce in a set period of time- piece-rate pay. As a result workers are encouraged to work hard and maximise their productivity. 3.2 Scrutinize how social processes impact on users of health social care services. Marginalization and social exclusion describe the process whereby individuals or groups are pushed to fringes and edges of mainstream activity, where minority groups are excluded from the available to the majority of people. The effect of marginalization is to disadvantage many people and sideline any social, economic and moral concerns for their wellbeing. It is likely that if a group of people experience discrimination and social exclusion, they are also experience health inequalities. Since the Black Report of 1980, it has been acknowledged that those from the lowest social grouping experience the poorest heath in society. Iike in UK inequalities in heath is still persisting. The statistics are stark: For example: Young Black men are six times more likely to be sectioned under the Mental Health Act for compulsory treatment than their white counterparts. Gay and bisexual men are seven times more likely to attempt suicide compared with the general population. GPs often do not accept Gypsies or Travellers on their lists or refuse treatment after first visits. 24% of deaf or hearing impaired people miss appointments, and 19% miss more than five appointments because of poor communication (such as not being able to hear their name being called). Take-up of breast screening is just 26% in women with a learning disability compared with over 70% for other women. Children in the lowest social class are five times more likely to die from an accident than those in the top class. Someone in social class five is four times more likely to experience a stroke than someone in class one. Infant mortality rates are highest among the lowest social groups. Under the age of 65, men are 3.5 times more likely to die of coronary heart disease than women. Women experience more accidents in the home or garden, while men experience more accident in the workplace or while doing sports. Suicide is twice as common in men as in women. The poorest people in England are over ten times more likely to die in their fifties than richer people. Obesity and smoking, two of the leading causes of preventable death, are more common in lower socio-economic groups. Over recent years, we have become increasingly aware of our responsibilities in regard to issues such as equality, diversity and human rights. Like other public sector services, the NHS is under a legal and moral obligation to provide services to all people, regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, religious or cultural belief. From a public health perspective, the key concern is the extent to which people who are socially excluded or disadvantaged as a result of their ethnicity, sexual orientation or religious belief etc. all too often experience the poorest health and poorest experience of healthcare services. 3.3 Evaluate the effectiveness of inter-professional working. According to Barrettet et al, (2005) Quality of service depends on how effectively different professionals work together. Schein (1972) believes that education of health professionals should be mixed in order for professionals to obtain new blends of knowledge and skills. Recently Government stressed the need of inter-professional working which making a difference that our health system must move from one in which a multitude of participants, work alone focusing primarily on managing illness, to one in which they work collaboratively to deliver  quality effective care to clients. Professionals working in collaboration provide care which is designed to meet the needs of clients .When a person seeks hospital care; they will interact with more than one healthcare  professional. The number of professionals involved and the importance of their ability to work collaboratively increases with the complexity of the clients needs. New initiatives to improve management of diseases such as asthma and diabetes invariably points to the need for a more  collaborative approach (Iah and Richards, 1998) 4.1 Explain own role, responsibilities, accountabilities and duties in the context of working with those within and outside the health social care workplace Health service providers are accountable to both the criminal and civil courts to ensure that their activities conform to legal requirements. In addition, employees are accountable to their employer to follow their contract of duty. Registered practitioners are also accountable to regulatory bodies in terms of standards of practice and patient care (RCN et al., 2006). The law imposes a duty of care on practitioners, whether they are HCAs, APs, students, registered nurses, doctors or others, when it is reasonably foreseeable that they might cause harm to patients through their actions or their failure to act (Cox, 2010). HCAs, APs and students all have a duty of care and therefore a legal liability with regard to the patient. They must ensure that they perform competently. They must also inform another when they are unable to perform competently. This applies whether they are performing straightforward tasks such as bathing patients or undertaking complex surgery. In each instance there is an opportunity for harm to occur. Once a duty of care applies, the key question to ask is: what standard of care is expected of practitioners performing particular tasks or roles? In order for anyone to be accountable they must: Have the ability to perform the task. Accept the responsibility for doing the task. Have the authority to perform the task within their job description, and the policies and protocols of the organisation. Registered nurses have a duty of care and a legal liability with regard to the patient. If they have delegated a task they must ensure that the task has been appropriately delegated. This means that: The task is necessary and delegation is in the patients best interest. The support worker understands the task and how it is to be performed. The support worker has the skills and abilities to perform the task competently. The support worker accepts the responsibility to perform the task Competently. Employers have responsibilities too, and as HCAs and APs develop and extend their roles the employer must ensure that their staff are trained and supervised properly until they can demonstrate competence in their new roles (Cox, 2010). Employers accept vicarious liability for their employees. This means that provided that the employee is working within their sphere of competence and in connection with their employment, the employer is also accountable for their actions. Delegation of duties is summarised in this statement from NHS Wales (NLIAH, 2010) Delegation is the process by which you (the delegator) allocate clinical or non-clinical treatment or care to a competent person (the delegatee). You will remain responsible for the overall management of the service user, and accountable for your decision to delegate. You will not be accountable for the decisions and actions of the delegatee. Delegation must always be in the best interest of the patient and not performed simply in an effort to save time or money. The support worker must have been suitably trained to perform the task. The support worker should always keep full records of training given, including dates. There should be written evidence of competence assessment, preferably against recognised standards such as National Occupational Standards. There should be clear guidelines and protocols in place so that the support worker is not required to make a clinical judgement that they are not competent to make. The role should be within the support workers job description. The team and any support staff need to be informed that the task has been delegated (e.g. a receptionist in a GP surgery or ward clerk in a hospital setting). The person who delegates the task must ensure that an appropriate level of supervision is available and that the support worker has the opportunity for mentorship. The level of supervision and feedback provided must be appropriate to the task being delegated. This will be based on the recorded knowledge and competence of the support worker, the needs of the patient/client, the service setting and the tasks assigned (RCN et al., 2006). Ongoing development to ensure that competency is maintained is essential. The whole process must be assessed for the degree of risk. 4.2 Evaluate own contributions to the development and implementation of health and social care organizational policy. You will need to know and understand: Codes of practice and conduct, and standards and guidance relevant to your setting and own and the roles, responsibilities, accountability and duties of others when developing, implementing and reviewing care plans Current local, national and European legislation and organisational requirements, procedures and practices for: data protection health and safety risk assessment and management employment practices protecting individuals from danger, harm and abuse your responsibility for keeping yourself, individuals and others safe making and dealing with complaints and whistle blowing multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working working in integrated ways to promote the individuals well-being the planning and provision of services developing, implementing and reviewing care plans How to access, evaluate and influence organisational and workplace policies, procedures and systems for developing, implementing and reviewing care plans How to access and record information, decisions and judgements for care plans How different philosophies, principles, priorities and codes of practice can affect inter-agency and partnership working when developing, implementing and reviewing care plans Knowledge of the physical, emotional and health conditions of the individuals for whom you are developing, implementing and reviewing care plans and how to use this information to make informed decisions for the content of the care plans The factors to take account of when evaluating whether your organisation has the resources (human, physical and financial) to provide the services and facilities Methods of supporting staff to work with individuals, key people and others to deliver, implement and evaluate care plans The stages, procedures, paperwork and people involved in developing, implementing and reviewing care plans The use of evidence, fact and knowledge based opinions in records and reports and why it is important to differentiate between these and make clear the source of evidence Legal and organisational requirements on equality, diversity, discrimination, rights, confidentiality and sharing of information when developing, implementing and reviewing care plans Knowledge and practice that underpin the holistic person-centred approach which enable you to work in ways that: place the individuals preferences and best interests at the centre of everything you do provide active support for the individuals recognise the uniqueness of individuals and their circumstances empower individuals to take responsibility (as far as they are able and within any restrictions placed upon them), and make and communicate their own decisions about their lives, actions and risks (when developing, implementing and reviewing care plans) How to manage ethical dilemmas and conflicts for individuals, those who use services and staff/colleagues when developing, implementing and reviewing care plans Contribute to, participate in and run meetings and discussions to agree revisions to care plans, taking account of any benefits and risks Ensure that review meetings are arranged and run in ways which promote the full participation of individuals and key people Collate review information and revise care plans within agreed timescales Ensure that individuals and key people understand the revisions that have been made to the care plans and the implications of these for the health and care services that individuals receive Complete, and support individuals to complete, any necessary paperwork when the final plan has been agreed Ensure that the plan is stored and able to be accessed within confidentiality agreements and according to legal, organisational and any service requirements 4.3 Make recommendations to develop own contributions to meeting good practice requirements. Protect the rights and promote the interests of service users. Strive to establish and maintain the trust and confidence of service users. Promote the independence of service users while  protecting them as far as possible from danger or harm. Respect the rights of service users whilst seeking to ensure that their behaviour does not harm themselves or other people. Uphold public trust and

Importance of Staffing in Organizations Essay -- Business Management S

Importance of Staffing in Organizations Staffing has been an important aspect in all types of organizations’ development. More and more companies have noticed a good staffing plan could increase productivity and reduce operation costs in terms of lower turnover rate and transition costs. Good staffing could be able to minimize cost in order to maximize profit, because it could assist the company to stay more competitive within the industry. According to the definition by Dr. Green, â€Å"staff is the process of identifying work requirements within an organization; determining the number of people and the skills necessary to do the work; and recruiting, selecting and promoting the qualified candidates. It is the selection process of screening and hiring new employees, which includes functions like resume reviewing, interview, drug testing, assessment testing, and background check† (Green, 2003). Different companies have different strategies in how to select their candidates. Depending on the size, geographic and industry etc, so that their strategies could be very different. Therefore, one specific staffing plan might work for one company, but it might not work for another. â€Å"In staffing an organization or an organizational unit, it is important to consider its developmental stage-embryonic, high growth, mature, or aging-in order to align staffing decisions with business strategy† (Cascio, p.268). In the 21st century, due to the reason that new technologies have been invented and improved. That had lead to many organizations change its behavior in terms of the way they deal with customers, suppliers, business partners and employees. Without a careful selection, organizations often hire people that do not fit the job or it is just not the type of work the employee wants to do. There are people who could not keep up with the technology trend working in a place where new technologies always come into place. There are people who could not deal with other people, or with no patient working as a teller in the bank, or going into the teaching field. There are so many different examples in today’s world where people apply for jobs that they co uld not be successful, or in many cases that organizations hire people who do not have the qualifications for the job. Organizations have encountered some problems that associated with which method to use in the selectio... ...ng Decisions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 83(4), 634-644. Van der Zee, K.I., Bakker, A.B. & Bakker, P. (2002). Why are Structured Interviews so Rarely Used in Personnel Selection? Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(1), 176-184. Brket, M.D., & Motowidlo, S.J. (2002). Effects of Procedure and Outcome Accountability on Interview Validity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(1), 185-191. Roth, P.L., & Bobko, P. (2000). College Grade Point Average as a Personnel Selection Device: Ethnic Group Differences and Potential Adverse Impact. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85(3), 399-406. Gardner, R. (1998). How well do you really know whom you hire? The CPA Journal, 68(3), 62-65. Brown, B., & Campion, M.A. (1994). Biodata phenomenology; Recrutiers’ perceptions and use of biographical information in resume screening. Journal of Applied Psychology, 79, 897-908. Roth, P.L., BeVier, C.A., Switzer, F.S., & Schippmann, J.S. (1996). Meta-analyzing the relationship between grades and job performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 81, 548-556. Roth, P.L., & Clarke, R.L. (1998). Meta-analyzing the relationship between grades and salary. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 53, 386-400.

Integrating oral communication skills

The article I chose deals about the lack of practice in speaking skill in language teaching, and although it refers to Chinese schools, I found it relevant because the situations it refers to are very similar to the ones we face in most of the schools in our country. Since a very powerful motivation to learn a second language is to be able to converse with speakers of that language, speaking seems to be the most important skill to be developed.Although, it is also a huge challenge if we take into count on the one hand, the different micro-skills that learners need to manage, which vary from pronunciation of unfamiliar words to the appropriate use of formal and informal expressions. Furthermore, the very limited chances that students have to speak English outside the classroom make things harder for them. INTEGRATING ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS. Having a more integrated approach ensuring enough practice in oral communication by including speaking into reading and writing lessons, would be an appropriate option, which would hopefully offer important benefits.Student's acquisition of English could be improved by taking advantage of some interesting topics for reading and writing, which would provide a chance to discuss and test their language. In order to reach this goal, teachers are expected to go beyond the traditional courses and integrate different skills during their lessons. READING TO SPEAK. The activities presented here can helps students notice the difference between what they want to say and what they can really say, and maybe make them focus their attention on meaning first and on form later, and can be used both for intensive ND extensive reading classes. Reading to act. This in an activity in which students act out a story they have Just read, being encouraged to make as many changes as they want to the plot and dialogues, and it is organized as follows: Divide the class into small groups and assign each one a director to organize rehearsals. Students scan the story focusing on how to express it through their acting. They have a first rehearsal relying only on their memories. They scan the story again, searching for some variations and take some notes that an be used for the second rehearsal.A contest is held to determine who offered the best performance. An acting project helps to achieve four-skill integration and makes the reading task much more interesting. 2. – Reading to debate. Students are required to select an article containing a controversial issue which they can discuss about. The activity is organized as follows: Students are formed by pairs and agree on which position they will take. They scan the text without taking notes and debate about it, using quotes to support their arguments.They scan the text again, searching for useful expressions and ideas to support their position. Note taking is allowed so later they can participate in the debate by small groups or as a whole class, being encouraged to personaliz e their comments. This activity can improve student's understanding of the issue and helps them to defend their point of view about it. 3. – Reading to interview. This activity is a lot more flexible and can include texts of different genres and it is organized as follows: Students scan the text to get all the ideas they can.They form pairs with the roles of interviewer and interviewee. The first one has to ask questions related which can be answered using facts from the reading. They check the text again looking for further questions which can be noted down this time. They switch roles or find new partners if they want to and perform the interview again. A competition is held to decide on the pair who best represented the text. This activity provides students with an opportunity to orally express what they got from a text.

Critical response to ‘Z for Zachariah’ by Robert C. O’Brien Essay

The book I read is ‘Z for Zachariah’ by Robert C. O’Brien. I enjoyed this book because it contained few but excellent characters and is full of mystery and suspense. ‘Z for Zachariah’ is about a sixteen-year-old girl, called Ann Burden who thinks she is the only person to survive a nuclear war. However, as her diary entries progress, you learn of a person in a green suit who is pulling what looks like a trailer covered with the same green material as the suit approaching Ann Burden’s valley. Later in the diary you find out that the person is a man who had been an industrial chemist before the war, working for the Government designing a suit to protect people in the event of a nuclear explosion. His name is Mr Loomis and he is wearing the only one of these suits. When Mr Loomis finally arrives in the valley, he is amazed by the fact that there is water, which appears to be safe but Mr Loomis makes one severe mistake. When he checks the water for the level of radiation with his Geiger counter he in fact checks the clean water in the stream but then goes on to venture further down the valley, where he finds Ann Burden’s home where the polluted Burden Creek is nearby. Once Mr Loomis has seen inside Ann’s house (where Ann has cleverly hidden any clues that could show the visitor that there has been people living there recently) he then proceeds towards Burden Creek in the hope of getting his first bath in probably months. However, not realising that the stream and Creek are not connected and in fact the Creek runs into the valley from over the hill where the pollution is, he jumps right in. Within a very short period of time after Mr Loomis has had his bath he became very ill, as he had been exposed to a lot of radiation. When Mr Loomis becomes sick Ann then realises she will have to help him and that is when she first shows herself. Ann’s diary entries take you through the events that happen when she is and is not in the company of Mr Loomis. My favourite part of the book is the first three diary entries. In these diary entries Mr Loomis has not yet arrived in the valley however Ann has seen smoke from over the hill for three days, which she presumes is from a human made fire because it is in a thin column that it rises. The smoke comes at the same time everyday, in late afternoon. Each afternoon the smoke is nearer to Ann’s home. I like this part of the book the most because in it you find out what it has been like for Ann being alone for so long because her family left her to look for other people and had never returned. It is interesting to read Ann’s thoughts of being excited and scared that she may in fact not be the only person left in the world. It is obvious why Ann would be excited about someone else coming into the valley but maybe not so clear why she would be scared. Ann is scared because after the nuclear explosion some radio stations had still broadcasted, but towards the end of them broadcasting the presenters seemed to be going crazy. Here is a quote from the second diary entry which will explain why Ann is scared â€Å"Suppose a car came over the hill, and I ran out, and whoever was in it got out – suppose he was crazy? Or suppose it was someone mean, or cruel, and brutal? A murderer? What could I do?† After this quote, you realise that Ann is a very sensible and careful person because she decides to move her things to a cave nearby her home and make it look as though no one has lived in her house. That way she can watch whoever is coming into her valley and if they are crazy or mean she can stay in the cave unbeknown to the visitor and wait until they leave. At the end of the third diary entry Ann has still not seen anyone but knows that they are camping at the crossroads and exploring North, South, East, West and when they come into the South they will find Ann’s valley. The most remarkable character in the book I think is Ann Burden. She is careful, mature, kind, helpful, sensible, confused, and strategic/logical. In the following paragraph I will explain why Ann Burden is all of the things I have just said: The reason I think Ann is careful is because when Mr Loomis is first entering the valley she goes to the cave to live there as she does not know if Mr Loomis is ‘safe.’ During the book ‘Z for Zachariah’ you realise that in fact even though Ann is only sixteen she is more mature than Mr Loomis who is quite a bit older than Ann. The proof that shows this, is all of the words I am using to describe her and she also thinks about having children to begin the human-race again. The words kind, helpful and sensible describe Ann well because when Mr Loomis is ill with radiation poisoning she helps him and is kind to him even though he’s a stranger. Also Ann still helps Mr Loomis after he tried to rape her – she gives him half of everything i.e. eggs, milk and chicken and lets him have the comforts of her home while she moves into the cave. It is obvious that Ann is confused, as she does not know why Mr Loomis is being so horrible to her especially when she has done everything she can to be nice to him and to help him. The last words to describe Ann are strategic and logical; I think these words describe Ann well because when she does not want Mr Loomis to find her she thinks about what he can and cannot see e.g. when she builds a fire she thinks about where and how to build it so Mr Loomis can’t see it – she also thinks about what time of the day to light it. The style of ‘Z for Zachariah’ is in diary form. Throughout the book there were not many figures of speech, however, there were a few similes, here is a quote from the book that describes Ann’s dog Faro when he has returned from the dead lands where there is radiation, in it there is a simile â€Å"as thin as a skeleton.† The structure of ‘Z for Zachariah’ is in chronological order, each event happening in an order that makes sense and makes the story more intense and interesting. During the book, there is not much direct speech as the genre of the book is in diary form so it contains more of the thoughts and feelings of Ann Burden. The themes in the book are effects of modern technology, survival, dominance, bullying, age against youth, optimism/realism, breeding, art v science and religion v atheism. In the following sentences, I will discuss the themes that occur in ‘Z for Zachariah.’ The first theme ‘effects of modern technology’ is the theme that allowed the story to occur because nothing in the book would have happened had there not been a nuclear explosion. The themes of survival, dominance and age against youth are all linked together and are in a way very similar to each other. These three themes are perhaps the strongest and most occurring ones throughout the book, I will explain why: survival of course is going to be a major issue, Ann is the one who thinks about this the most having thought of growing her own crops, so when the supplies run out in the shop she will still have food to survive, and that is just one example. Throughout the book Mr Loomis tries to be the stereotypical ‘Alpha male,’ he wants everything to be done his own way and to be done by him. For example when Ann said she would go into the town with the safe suit to collect books, even though Mr Loomis is still ill he refuses to let her go, perhaps thinking she is incapable or he could have been worried she wouldn’t come back with the safe suit, although I think the first scenario is more likely. The only time Mr Loomis seemed to let Ann do things her way is when he could not do things for himself, however, he never admitted it. ‘Age against youth’ is another strong theme as throughout the book you realise that Mr Loomis even though he is older he is not always wiser and more mature, in fact Ann is definitely the more mature of the two characters. Optimism and realism are two words that can explain Ann and Mr Loomis’ completely different personalities. Ann being the optimist who thinks that the results of an action will always be good and Mr Loomis being the realist he makes decisions based on facts and not on false hope. Throughout the book breeding is a theme, but more with Ann – she thinks towards the future and beginning the human-race again. The theme of art v science is one that occurs throughout the book. As Ann is interested in art and Mr Loomis is interested in science, a few quarrels occur between them. However, ‘quarrels’ is perhaps the wrong word because Mr Loomis always seemed to get his own way. Again, I will use the example of when Ann wanted to use the safe suit to collect some engineering and physics books for Mr Loomis; she also suggested that she get some for herself. Such as poetry. Yet Mr Loomis refused and said, â€Å"You could not go. Understand that. Keep away from the suit. Never touch it.† After Mr Loomis had given Ann his lecture, she could not understand why he had become so angry. It was alright if he wanted something but as soon as Ann wanted something to do with her interests, it was too much of a risk. Religion v atheism is a theme in the book. Ann being the religious one and Mr Loomis the atheist. I don’t think Ann is strongly religious, I just think she finds going to the church and praying a ‘comforting factor.’ Earlier I said Mr Loomis is an atheist. This means that he doesn’t believe that any god or gods exist, therefore he does not understand why Ann would want to go to the church and ‘waste her time’ praying. I enjoyed this book because there were few characters, which allowed you to get to know them better. I also liked the style of the book being in diary form because you didn’t have to read the minute by minute accounts of what is happening in the book you only get to read the exciting and more intense parts which would be written in a diary. The thing that made the book a little boring was the fact that there weren’t many different figures of speech. The length I though was too long, some parts of the book seemed to be dragged out to give it a longer length, for example when Mr Loomis is sick the book got a little boring because in the diary entries you really were only told what Ann had did that day, there wasn’t enough character interaction. One thing that I thought ruined the book was the ending, I thought it was exciting when you were told that there was hope that there could be other people still living and you wanted to keep reading and know if there was anyone else out there, but it just stopped. Taking the entire book into account my opinion is that it is quite good as I think it gives a good insight into what could happen if there is a nuclear explosion – it is realistic.

African-American History Timeline 1930 to 1939

African-American History Timeline 1930 to 1939 Despite enduring the Great Depression and Jim Crow laws, throughout the decade of 1930, African-Americans continued to make great strides in the areas of sports, education, visual artistry and music. 1930 One of the first art galleries to feature African-American art is opened at Howard University. Founded by James V. Herring, the Howard University Gallery of Art is the first of its kind in the United States to have its artistic vision directed by African-Americans.The Black Muslim Movement is established in Detroit by Wallace Fard Muhammad. Within four years, Elijah Muhammad takes control of the religious movement, moving its headquarters to Chicago. 1931 The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) hires Walter White as its executive secretary. With White in this role, the organization develops new strategies for ending racial discrimination.In March, nine African-American young men are accused of raping two white women. Their case begins on April 6 and they are quickly convicted of the crimes. However, the case of the Scottsboro Boys soon receives national attention and will help pave the way for the civil rights movement.Symphony composer William Grant Still becomes the first African-American to have his music performed by a major orchestra. 1932 A 40-year study begins in Tuskegee, Ala. testing the impact of syphilis on 400 African-American men. The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment is established through the U.S. Public Health Service. The men are never told they have the disease nor are they offered any treatment.Thomas Dorsey, known as the father of African-American gospel music. Dorsey writes Take My Hand, Precious Lord.Leon H. Washington publishes Sentinel in Los Angeles.Sculptor Augusta Savage opens the Savage Studio of Arts and Crafts. Based out of New York City, it is considered the largest art center in the United States. 1933 James Weldon Johnson publishes his autobiography, Along This Way. Johnsons autobiography is the first person narrative by an African-American to be reviewed by the New York Times. Historian Carter G. Woodson publishes Mis-education of the Negro. 1934 W.E.B. Du Bois resigns from the NAACP.Zora Neale Hurston publishes her first novel, Jonahs Gourd Vine. 1935 The Southern Tenant Farmers Union is established by the Socialist Party to assist southern sharecroppers to fight for better wages and working conditions.Pianist Count Basie establishes Count Basie and His Orchestra, which will become one of the biggest bands of the Swing Era.The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Norris v. Alabama case that a defendant must have the right to a trial by jury by his/her peers. This ruling overturns the Scottsboro Boys early conviction.Mary McLeod Bethune establishes the National Council of Negro Womencalling more than 20 leaders of national womens organizations together. 1936 Bethune is appointed Director of the Division of Negro Affairs for the National Youth Administration. Bethune is the first African-American woman to receive a presidential appointment and is the highest-ranking African-American official in Theodore Roosevelts administration.Jesse Owens wins four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics. His achievement defies Adolf Hitlers plan to use the Olympics to show the world Aryan Supremacy.The first medical textbook to be written by an African-American is entitled Syphilis and Its Treatment. The author is Dr. William Augustus Hinton.The first African-American federal judge is appointed by Roosevelt. William H. Hastie is appointed to the federal bench in the U.S. Virgin Islands. 1937 The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids signs a collective bargaining agreement with the Pullman Company.Joe Louis wins the heavyweight championship against James J. Braddock.The Negro Dance Group is founded by Katherine Dunham.Zora Neale Hurston publishes the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. 1938 The work of Jacob Lawrence debuts in an exhibition at the Harlem YMCA.Crystal Bird Fauset becomes the first African-American woman elected to a state legislature. She is chosen to serve in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. 1939 Marian Anderson sings at the Lincoln Memorial in front of 75,000 people on Easter Sunday.The Black Actors Guild is founded by Bill Bojangles Robinson.Jane M. Bolin is appointed to the domestic relations court of New York City. This appointment makes her the first African-American woman judge in the United States.

All-Electrical Aircraft Example

All All All-Electrical Aircraft al Affiliation Introduction To begin with, Sharon Weinberger highlights in the prologue in An All-Electric Aircraft? That those weighed down by hiked summer travelling expenses should cheer up and get ready for an exciting and aspiring breakthrough in upcoming aviation charges. This new anticipation is birthed by breaking news that scientist have presented a grand plan of coming up with an airplane that is 100% electric powered and fully equipped with superconducting engines. This is paradoxical. A new invention in aviation would instantaneously hike the aviation charges other than drastically reduce them as this prologue affirms. Weinberger points out the Scientist claims that superconductors are the pre-eminent option when selecting aviation constructing materials since they have been proved to retain 100% energy. According to Martins, on New research on superconductivity, superconductors have been affirmed to retain almost 100% energy since none of the ener gy dispensed with them is lost. This proves that the scientist claims hold water (Martins, 2007). Also, following Weinberg assertion that the grand plan of coming up with an electric airplane cannot be met by the contemporaneous technology based on the grand weight of the available magnets is questionable. Weinberg never considers other factors outside the scope of this assertion and also never points out additional claims to back up the proclaimed assertions. It is unusual to either credit or discredit the contemporary technology based on a single factor, whether real or false. Also, Sharon Weinberger points out that the upcoming aircrafts would be more serene and tranquil for having no in build driving engines. However, this claim contends with Taylor assertion in The Internal-Engine in Theory and Practice that the aviation turbulence and noise could result from other vast causes such as engine friction against other components or even combustion vibrations (Taylor, 1985). Rupa Ha ria highlights in the prologue of Is the Future of Aviation in Electric Aircraft? The chronological breakthroughs in aviation industry tracing them from 1903 Wright Brothers invention. Rupa then suggests the probability of advancement in aviation which may include a rebirth of an electric airplane. This is a systematic approach that is universal, aspiring and more convincing as compared to Weinberger approach. Rupa gives precise, bold standpoints why she feels that the anticipated invention will take over the aviation industry. She quotes that the electric airplanes are environmental friendly since no fuel ignition is involved. She also quotes the serene aura of the aircrafts for having battery driven engines that have drastically low noise rates. Rupa points out that the aviation charges are likely to drop drastically since the new aircrafts will utilize a cheaper fuel compared to the contemporaneous utilized fuel sources. Rupa winds up this article by asserting that embracing the anticipated electric airplanes will banish utilization of petroleum fuel, create an environmental friendly aura and save on fundamental resources such as aviation travel charges and time. It is without doubt that Rupa, through her brief scrutiny on the anticipated innovation in aviation, has presented her standpoint ideas in a logical, witty and concise approach which leaves the reader both intrigued and awakened.ReferencesMartins, B. P. (2007). New research on superconductivity. New York: Nova Science.Taylor, C. F. (1985). The internal-combustion engine in theory and practice. Cambridge, Mass: M.I.T. Press.An All-Electric Aircraft? (Webpage Timeline)wired.com/2007/06/an-all-electric/Is the Future of Aviation in Electric Aircraft? (Webpage Timeline)http://aviationweek.com/blog/future-aviation-electric-aircraft