Interpersonal and Transferable Skills Essay Example for Free

Interpersonal and Transferable Skills Essay Youre probably familiar with the phrase ‘what gets measured gets done. Defining and measuring effectiveness – especially the performance of workers – is a critical part of your job as a manager. The question is: How do you define the skills, behaviors, and attitudes that workers need to perform their roles effectively? How do you know theyre qualified for the job? In other words, how do you know what to measure? Some people think formal education is a reliable measure. Others believe more in on-the-job training, and years of experience. Still others might argue that personal characteristics hold the key to effective work behavior. All of these are important, but none seems sufficient to describe an ideal set of behaviors and traits needed for any particular role. Nor do they guarantee that individuals will perform to the standards and levels required by the organization. A more complete way of approaching this is to link individual performance to the goals of the business. To do this, many companies use ‘competencies. These are the integrated knowledge, skills, judgment, and attributes that people need to perform a job effectively. By having a defined set of competencies for each role in your business, it shows workers the kind of behaviors the organization values, and which it requires to help achieve its objectives. Not only can your team members work more effectively and achieve their potential, but there are many business benefits to be had from linking personal performance with corporate goals and values. Defining which competencies are necessary for success in your organization can help you do the following: †¢ Ensure that your people demonstrate sufficient expertise. †¢ Recruit and select new staff more effectively. †¢ Evaluate performance more effectively. †¢ Identify skill and competency gaps more efficiently. †¢ Provide more customized training and professional development. †¢ Plan sufficiently for succession. †¢ Make change management processes work more efficiently. How can you define the set of practices needed for effective performance? You can do this by adding a competency framework to your talent management program. By collecting and combining competency information, you can create a standardized approach to performance thats clear and accessible to everyone in the company. The framework outlines specifically what people need to do to be effective in their roles, and it clearly establishes how their roles relate to organizational goals and success. This article outlines the steps you need to take to develop a competency framework in your organization. Design Principles of a Competency Framework A competency framework defines the knowledge, skills, and attributes needed for people within an organization. Each individual role will have its own set of competencies needed to perform the job effectively. To develop this framework, you need to have an in-depth understanding of the roles within your business. To do this, you can take a few different approaches: †¢ Use a pre-set list of common, standard competencies, and then customize it to the specific needs of your organization. †¢ Use outside consultants to develop the framework for you. †¢ Create a general organizational framework, and use it as the basis for other frameworks as needed. Developing a competency framework can take considerable effort. To make sure the framework is actually used as needed, its important to make it relevant to the people wholl be using it – and so they can take ownership of it. The following three principles are critical when designing a competency framework: 1. Involve the people doing the work – These frameworks should not be developed solely by HR people, who dont always know what each job actually involves. Nor should they be left to managers, who dont always understand exactly what each member of their staff does every day. To understand a role fully, you have to go to the source – the person doing the job – as well as getting a variety of other inputs into what makes someone successful in that job. 2. Communicate – People tend to get nervous about performance issues. Let them know why youre developing the framework, how it will be created, and how youll use it. The more you communicate in advance, the easier your implementation will be. 3. Use relevant competencies – Ensure that the competencies you include apply to all roles covered by the framework. If you include irrelevant competencies, people will probably have a hard time relating to the framework in general. For example, if you created a framework to cover the whole organization, then financial management would not be included unless every worker had to demonstrate that skill. However, a framework covering management roles would almost certainly involve the financial management competency. Developing the Framework There are four main steps in the competency framework development process. Each steps has key actions that will encourage people to accept and use the final product. Step One: Prepare †¢ Define the purpose – Before you start analyzing jobs, and figuring out what each role needs for success, make sure you look at the purpose for creating the framework. How you plan to use it will impact whom you involve in preparing it, and how you determine its scope. For example, a framework for filling a job vacancy will be very specific, whereas a framework for evaluating compensation will need to cover a wide range of roles. †¢ Create a competency framework team – Include people from all areas of your business that will use the framework. Where possible, aim to represent the diversity of your organization. Its also important to think about long-term needs, so that you can keep the framework updated and relevant. Step Two: Collect Information This is the main part of the framework. Generally, the better the data you collect, the more accurate your framework will be. For this reason, its a good idea to consider which techniques youll use to collect information about the roles, and the work involved in each one. You may want to use the following: †¢ Observe – Watch people while theyre performing their roles. This is especially useful for jobs that involve hands-on labor that you can physically observe. †¢ Interview people – Talk to every person individually, choose a sample of people to interview, or conduct a group interview. You may also want to interview the supervisor of the job youre assessing. This helps you learn what a wide variety of people believe is needed for the roles success. †¢ Create a questionnaire – A survey is an efficient way to gather data. Spend time making sure you ask the right questions, and consider the issues of reliability and validity. If you prefer, there are standardized job analysis questionnaires you can buy, rather than attempting to create your own. †¢ Analyze the work – Which behaviors are used to perform the jobs covered by the framework? You may want to consider the following: †¢ Business plans, strategies, and objectives. †¢ Organizational principles. †¢ Job descriptions. †¢ Regulatory or other compliance issues. †¢ Predictions for the future of the organization or industry. †¢ Customer and supplier requirements. Job analysis that includes a variety of techniques and considerations will give you the most comprehensive and accurate results. If you create a framework for the entire organization, make sure you use a sample of roles from across the company. This will help you capture the widest range of competencies that are still relevant to the whole business. †¢ As you gather information about each role, record what you learn in separate behavioral statements. For example, if you learn that Paul from accounting is involved in bookkeeping, you might break that down into these behavioral statements: handles petty cash, maintains floats, pays vendors according to policy, and analyzes cash books each month. You might find that other roles also have similar tasks – and therefore bookkeeping will be a competency within that framework. †¢ When you move on to Step Three, youll be organizing the information into larger competencies, so it helps if you can analyze and group your raw data effectively. Step Three: Build the Framework This stage involves grouping all of the behaviors and skill sets into competencies. Follow these steps to help you with this task: †¢ Group the statements – Ask your team members to read through the behavior statements, and group them into piles. The goal is to have three or four piles at first – for instance, manual skills, decision-making and judgment skills, and interpersonal skills. †¢ Create subgroups – Break down each of the larger piles into subcategories of related behaviors. Typically, there will be three or four subgroupings for each larger category. This provides the basic structure of the competency framework. †¢ Refine the subgroups – For each of the larger categories, define the subgroups even further. Ask yourself why and how the behaviors relate, or dont relate, to one another, and revise your groupings as necessary. †¢ Indentify and name the competencies – Ask your team to identify a specific competency to represent each of the smaller subgroups of behaviors. Then they can also name the larger category. †¢ Heres an example of groupings and subgroupings for general management competencies: †¢ Supervising and leading teams. †¢ Provide ongoing direction and support to staff. †¢ Take initiative to provide direction. †¢ Communicate direction to staff. †¢ Monitor performance of staff. †¢ Motivate staff. †¢ Develop succession plan. †¢ Ensure that company standards are met. †¢ Recruiting and staffing. †¢ Prepare job descriptions and role specifications. †¢ Participate in selection interviews. †¢ Identify individuals training needs. †¢ Implement disciplinary and grievance procedures. †¢ Ensure that legal obligations are met. †¢ Develop staff contracts. †¢ Develop salary scales and compensation packages. †¢ Develop personnel management procedures. †¢ Make sure staff resources meet organizational needs. †¢ Training and development. †¢ Deliver training to junior staff. †¢ Deliver training to senior staff. †¢ Identify training needs. †¢ Support personal development. †¢ Develop training materials and methodology. †¢ Managing projects/programs †¢ Prepare detailed operational plans. †¢ Manage financial and human resources. †¢ Monitor overall performance against objectives. †¢ Write reports, project proposals, and amendments. †¢ Understand external funding environment. †¢ Develop project/program strategy. You may need to add levels for each competency. This is particularly useful when using the framework for compensation or performance reviews. To do so, take each competency, and divide the related behaviors into measurement scales according to complexity, responsibility, scope, or other relevant criteria. These levels may already exist if you have job grading in place. †¢ Validate and revise the competencies as necessary – For each item, ask these questions: †¢ Is this behavior demonstrated by people who perform the work most effectively? In other words, are people who dont demonstrate this behavior ineffective in the role? †¢ Is this behavior relevant and necessary for effective work performance? These questions are often asked in the form of a survey. Its important to look for consensus among the people doing the job, as well as areas where theres little agreement. Also, look for possible issues with language, or the way the competencies are described, and refine those as well. Step Four: Implement As you roll out the finalized competency framework, remember the principle of communication that we mentioned earlier. To help get buy-in from members of staff at all levels of the organization, its important to explain to them why the framework was developed, and how youd like it to be used. Discuss how it will be updated, and which procedures youve put in place to accommodate changes. Here are some tips for implementing the framework: †¢ Link to business objectives – Make connections between individual competencies and organizational goals and values as much as possible. †¢ Reward the competencies – Check that your policies and practices support and reward the competencies identified. †¢ Provide coaching and training – Make sure theres adequate coaching and training available. People need to know that their efforts will be supported. †¢ Keep it simple – Make the framework as simple as possible. You want the document to be used, not filed away and forgotten. †¢ Communicate – Most importantly, treat the implementation as you would any other change initiative. The more open and honest you are throughout the process, the better the end result – and the better the chances of the project achieving your objectives. [pic] Key Points Creating a competency framework is an effective method to assess, maintain, and monitor the knowledge, skills, and attributes of people in your organization. The framework allows you to measure current competency levels to make sure your staff members have the expertise needed to add value to the business. It also helps managers make informed decisions about talent recruitment, retention, and succession strategies. And, by identifying the specific behaviors and skills needed for each role, it enables you to budget and plan for the training and development your company really needs. The process of creating a competency framework is long and complex. To ensure a successful outcome, involve people actually doing carrying out the roles to evaluate real jobs, and describe real behaviors.

Unexpected Halide Transfer: Aluminium and the Lanthanoids

Unexpected Halide Transfer: Aluminium and the Lanthanoids Unexpected Halide Transfer: Complex Reorganisation Between Aluminium and the Lanthanoids. Glen B. Deacon, David J. Evans and Peter C. Junk.* This submission was created using the RSC Communication Template (DO NOT DELETE THIS TEXT) (LINE INCLUDED FOR SPACING ONLY DO NOT DELETE THIS TEXT) [Pr(MeCN)9][AlCl4]3.MeCN undergoes reorganisation upon the addition of an ether. In the case of recrystallisation from tetrahydrofuran, the ionic nature is lost, whereas the addition of crown ether gives reorganisation, whilst maintaining ionic character. Isolation of homoleptic ionic trivalent lanthanoid complexes, under non aqueous conditions, has been investigated using nitrogen based ligand systems 1-5. The interest surrounding these homoleptic complexes is attributed to their potential catalytic properties 3,5. Under non aqueous conditions, the use of highly labile ligands, such as solvent molecules, presents the possibility of exposing the metal centre, hence providing a site for catalysis and thus can be considered to be ‘near naked 3. Complexes involving Ln3+ ions, that can be considered ‘near naked’ have to date been restricted to complexes such as [Ln(MeCN)n]3+ , with anions such as AsF6 and AlCl4 3-5. With this in mind, we have investigated the ability to access homoleptic ‘near naked’ Ln3+ complexes with tetrahydrofuran (thf) ligands. Currently, no such complexes have been reported for the smaller trivalent species unlike the larger divalent species, for which there is precedent viz. [Sm(thf)7][BPh4]2 6. Exploitation of the coordination abilities of crown ether has been investigated with the isolation of [ScCl2(18-crown-6)][FeCl4]. Via Sc n.m.r it has been shown that [ScCl(thf)(18-crown-6)][FeCl4]2 and then subsequently [Sc(thf)2(18-crown-6)][FeCl4]3 can be synthesised even though it has not been structurally characterised. With this in mind it should therefore be possible to isolate similar adducts in MeCN. Results and Discussion Homoleptic acetonitrile Ln3+ complexes can be obtained via two pathways viz equations 1 and 2 3. It was our intention to extend this chemistry to involve homoleptic Ln3+ complexes with ether ligands in place of MeCN. In reactions analogous to equations 1 and 2 with thf in place of MeCN, we found to our surprise [LnCl3(thf)2]n (Ln = Pr, Nd) was the sole Ln complex isolatable. This suggests that the complex is formed by a concerted process whereby AlCl4 binds to Ln3+ releasing AlCl3, allowing binding of another AlCl4 and so on until complete halide transfer to Ln3+ occurs yielding LnCl3(thf)n (equations 3, 4). Similarly, addition of 18-crown-6 to [Pr(MeCN)9][AlCl4]3 resulted in reorganisation to [(PrCl(à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­Ã¢â‚¬â€œCl)(18-crown-6))2][AlCl4]2.2(MeCN) (1) † . Isolation of 1 illustrates there is an equilibrium in solution involving [Pr(MeCN)9][AlCl4]3.(MeCN). Conductivity measurements show a 1:3 electrolyte 7.This is in contrast to that previously reported for the Sm complex by Hu and supported by Bà ¼nzli for which a 1:2 is electrolyte is reported 4,8. We believe that the complex [Ln(MeCN)9][AlCl4]3.(MeCN) undergoes rearrangement in solution ranging from a 1:3 down to a 1:2 electrolyte (equation 5). This change in coordination environment of the lanthanoid metal establishes the pathway to halide transfer involving a transient species related to that shown in Figure 1. Structural motifs similar to this have been observed for several lanthanoid complexes including [Sm(ÃŽÂ ®6-C6Me6)(AlCl4)3] .toluene 9,10. The reaction is completed by the substitution of MeCN by the crown ether and cleavage of the bridging Al–Cl bonds in a similar fashion to that observed for reactions involving thf. Complex 1 has a nine coordinate Pr centre that is bound to all six oxygens of the crown ether. The Pr is also bound to one terminal and a bridging chloride, and dimerises through an inversion centre. There is a distinct change in bond lengths between the terminal (Pr-Clter 2.715(2)Ã…) and bridging chlorides (Pr-Clbr 2.839(2) and 2.858(2)Ã…) as would be expected with similar changes identified in [PrCl(à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­-Cl)(tetraethyleneglycol)]2 11. The distances for Pr-Ocrown range from 2.572(4) 2.590(7)Ã…, following the same trends in the related cation [(DyCl(à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­Ã¢â‚¬â€œCl)(dibenzo18-crown-6))2][(DyCl3(à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­Ã¢â‚¬â€œCl)(MeCN))2] 12, albeit with a lengthening of Ln-O in line with increased ionic radius between Dy and Pr. The crown ethers adopt a saddle type morphology with the metal residing in almost the centre of the cavity made by the O1, O3, O4, O6 (0.601Ã…) plane and the O2, O5 (0.491Ã…) plane. The crown ether collapses to accommodate the smaller size of the Pr3+ which is evident in the planes derived by the oxygen atoms of the crown. The angle between plane 1 (O1, O2, O5, O6) and plane 2 (O2, O3, O4, O5) is 125.71o showing this slight closure to ensure that the oxygen atoms are all bound. This closure of the crown ether is observed for all the Ln3+ 18-crown-6 complexes in which the angle closes from 129.74o in complex [LaCl3(18-crown-6)] 13 through to 68.95o in [Lu(CH2(SiCH3))2(18-crown-6)][(CH2(SiCH3))B(C6H5)3].C2H4Cl2 14 owing to the reduction in size of the ionic radius of the Ln centre. Notes and references All reactions were carried out under dry nitrogen using dry box and standard Schlenk techniques. Solvents were dried by distillation from sodium wire/benzophenone (thf) or CaH/P2O5 (MeCN). IR and far IR data were obtained as described previously 15. Metal analyses were carried out by complexiometric EDTA titration with the addition of 5% sulphosalicylic acid to mask Al 16. Anhydrous AlCl3, LnCl3, and 18-crown-6 were supplied by Sigma Aldrich. AlCl3 was freshly sublimed prior to use. Conductivity measurements were carried out on a Crison Conductimeter 522 (serial no; 3807), using a locally manufactured air-sensitive cell. The complex [Pr(MeCN)9] [AlCl4]3 was made using previous published methods 3 and conductivity measurements were carried out as mentioned above (367.97 S cm2 mol-1 1.097 x 10-3 mol dm-3, MeCN). 1: Method A: [Pr(MeCN)9][AlCl4]3. MeCN (0.20g, 0.19 mmol) and 18-crown-6 (0.20g, 0.57 mmol), was dissolved in MeCN (30 ml). The solution was stirred and heated to near boiling to assist dissolution. The resulting green solution was then filtered and reduced in-vacuo. The solution was then cooled at -30oC yielding small green crystals. (0.21 g (81%)). m.p. 170oC(dec), C28H54Al2Cl12N2O12Pr2; calcd. Pr 10.27; found Pr 10.68%. I.r absorption (Nujol): cm-1. Unit cell collection confirms the same product as via method A. Method B: A mixture of PrCl3 (0.10 g, 0.40 mmol), AlCl3 (0.16 g, 1.20 mmol) and 18-crown-6 (0.29g, 0.83 mmol), was dissolved in MeCN (30 ml). The solution was stirred and heated to near boiling to assist dissolution. The resulting green solution was then filtered and reduced in-vacuo. The solution was then cooled at -30oC yielding small green crystals. (0.44 g (87%)). m.p. 170oC(dec), C28H54Al2Cl12N2O12Pr2; calcd. Pr 10.27; found Pr 10.42% I.r absorption (Nujol): 2291w, 2253s, 1644w, 1353s, 1291s, 1248s, 1082s, 1034s, 966s, 925w, 878w, 837s, 802w cm-1. 27Al nmr: 104 ppm(AlCl4) † X-ray data for complex 1 was collected on a Nonius Kappa CCD, MoKà ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡ radiation,à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¬ = 0.71073 Ã…, T = 123(2)K. The structure was solved and refined using the programs SHELXS-97 17 and SHELXL-97 18 respectively. The program X-Seed 19 was used as an interface to the SHELX programs, and to prepare the figures. 1: [(Pr(Cl2)(C12H24O6))2][AlCl4]2.2(C2H3N): C28H54Al2Cl12N2O12Pr2, M = 1371.91, green prismatic, 0.40 à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ´ 0.40 à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ´ 0.30 mm, monoclinic, space group P21/n (No. 14), a = 12.377(3), b = 15.356(3), c = 14.387(3) Ã…,à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢ = 107.97(3) °, V = 2601.0(9) Ã…3, Z = 2, Dc = 1.752 g/cm3, F000 = 1360, Nonius Kappa CCD, MoKà ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡ radiation,à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¬ = 0.71073 Ã…, T = 123(2)K, 2à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ±max = 56.6 º, 20600 reflections collected, 6215 unique (Rint = 0.0864). Final GooF = 1.022, R1 = 0.0478, wR2 = 0.1052, R indices based on 4182 reflections with I >2sigma(I) (refinement on F2), 263 parameters, 0 restraints. Lp and absorption corrections applied,à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­ = 2.551 mm-1. Fig. 2 The structure of the cation [{PrCl(à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­-Cl)(18C6)}2]2+. Hydrogen atoms omitted for clarity. Thermal ellipsoids shown at 35%. Coordination environment of the atom Pr(1) with applicable bond lengths (Ã…) and angles(o). Symmetry transformations used to generate equivalent atoms: -x+1,-y+1,-z+1. Pr(1) O(1), O(2), O(3), O(4), O(5), O(6), Cl(1), Cl(2), Cl(2), 2.572(4), 2.579(4), 2.574(3), 2.590(4), 2.588(4), 2.587(6), 2.715(2), 2.839(2), 2.858(2). Cl(1)-Pr(1)-Cl(2), Cl(2), 144.30(4), 143.18(4), Cl(2) Pr Cl(2),72.52(4). Fig.1 Proposed cation structure observed prior to ether coordination and subsequent cleavage of Al– Cl bonds. 1Evans, W. J.; Rabe, G. W.; Ziller, J. W. Inorg. Chem 1994, 33, 3072-3078. 2Willey, G. R.; Aris, D. R.; Errington, W. Inorg. Chim. Acta 2001, 318, 97-102. 3Deacon, G. B.; Gortler, B.; Junk, P. C.; Lork, E.; Mews, R.; Petersen, J.; Zemva, B. J. Chem. Soc.-Dalton Trans 1998, 3887-3891. 4Hu, J.-Y.; Shen, Q.; Jin, Z.-S. Chinese.Sci.Bull 1990, 35, 1090. 5Shen, Q.; Hu, J.-Y.; Jin, Z.-S.; Sun, J. Zhongguo Xitu Xuebao (J. Chinese Rare Earth Society) 1990, 8, 359. 6Evans, W. J.; Johnston, M. A.; Greci, M. A.; Gummersheimer, T. S.; Ziller, J. W. Polyhedron 2003, 22, 119-126. 7Geary, W. J. J. Coord. Chem. 1971, 7, 81. 8Bunzli, J.-C. G.; Milicic-Tang, A. Inorg. Chim. Acta 1996, 252, 221-228. 9Cotton, F. A.; Schwotzer, W. Organometallics 1987, 6, 1275. 10Cotton, F. A.; Schwotzer, W. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1986, 108, 4657. 11Rodgers, R. D.; Henry, R. F. Acta Cryst. Sect. C 1992, 48, 1099. 12Rodgers, R. D.; Rollins, A. N.; Etzenhouser, R. D.; Voss, E. J.; Bauer, C. B. Inorg. Chem 1993, 32, 3451. 13Crisci, G.; Meyer, G. Z. Anorg. Allg. Chem. 1994, 620, 1023-1027. 14Arndt, S.; Spaniol, T. P.; Okauda, J. Chem. Commun. 2002, 896. 15Deacon, G. B.; Feng, T.; Junk, P. C.; Skelton, B. W.; Sobolev, A. N.; White, A. H. Aust. J. Chem. 1998, 51, 75-89. 16Schwarzenbach, G.; Flaschka, H. A. Complexometric titrations; 2nd English ; ed.; Methuen: London,, 1969. 17Sheldrick, G. M. Acta Crystallogr., Sect. A 1990, 46, 467. 18Sheldrick, G. M. Shelx97; A program for crystal structure refinement; release 97-2 ed.: Germany, 1997. 19Barbour, L. J. Supramol. Chem 2001, 1, 189. 1

The High Cost of Nuclear Weapons Essay examples -- Nuclear Weapons Ess

Throughout the entirety of the twentieth century, the most disputed topic of discussion has perhaps been that of nuclear weapons. Some people argue these weapons of mass destruction are vital to the survival of order and decency in the world, while others contend that nuclear weapons will bring an end to civilization as we now know it. Regardless of both of these arguments, there are two things that just about nobody can deny – nuclear weapons are extremely expensive and enormously destructive. The first thing to know about nuclear weapons is exactly how much money they have cost the United States? Since the first government supported work on nuclear weapons began in 1940, the United States has spent approximately $4 trillion on its nuclear arsenal as of 1995. This figure is roughly 3 times what the United States spent on World War II. It should also be mentioned that with overhead costs required to develop, produce, deploy, operate, support, and control these weapons, the total would come to approximately an extra $500 billion to $1 trillion dollars once all known costs are documented. Since the conclusion of World War II in 1945, nuclear weapons have been held accountable for the consumption of one quarter to one third of the United States’ military budget. Currently, the figures are a bit more gentle on the United States’ annual budget but still astronomical in its own right. Annually, the United States spends at least $33 billion on nuclear weapons and weapon-related activities, which is equivalent to about 13 percent of all military spending. Of this $33 billion, $8 billion is spent annually on nuclear waste management, environmental remediation, weapons dismantling, and disposition activities. The majo... ...o referred to as an â€Å"enhanced radiation weapon.† This bomb is in the 1 to 10 kiloton range minus the outer casing of uranium. The neutron bomb emits a spray of neutrons that is lethal for a distance of a few hundred meters. Unlike x-rays discharged from conventional nuclear bombs, the neutrons penetrate a considerable thickness as in steel and concrete (RC p. 56-64). These particular bombs are designed for battlefield use, not cities. The blast this bomb produces is equivalent to about half of a regular nuclear blast, yet still potent. Bibliography - Clough, Richard. The Dawn of Nuclear Development. Albuquerque: Academia - El Norte, 1994. - Tompkins, Harry. Effects and Costs of the Nuclear Research Project. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996. - Voss, Milton. The Aftermath of a Nuclear Blast. Boston: Houghton, 1993.

Patients with Life-Altering Illnesses Essay -- Nursing, Health Care

Communicating with someone who has a life-altering illness is not an easy task. A person needs to have compassion, patience, and listening skills. I have seen firsthand how a caring healthcare provider and having an attitude of optimism can prolong a person’s life. Illness can be characterized as acute, chronic, and life-altering (Tamparo). Acute is when a patient experiences severe symptoms for a short amount of time. Acute illnesses are not life-altering unless they are not treated. If left untreated, it may then lead into a chronic illness. A chronic illness is when the symptoms go on for a long period of time. Some examples are: arthritis, multiple sclerosis, emphysema, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Chronic illnesses may then progress to a life-threatening illness. Some examples are: HIV/AIDS, cancer, heart disease and diabetes. This stage is when death is inevitable. More than forty-five percent of Americans are living with a chronic illness which affects their daily activities (Consortium). It not only affects the patient but family members as well. A few of the healthcare problems that are common with a life-altering illness are stress, trust issues with the healthcare system and family, depression, and end of life decision making. Having a good support system is so important to these patients so, keeping the communication open between the physician and patient will help tremendously. It will relieve some of the frustration that accompanies the illness. Some of the biggest obstacles patients with a life-altering illness deal with are: (1) The stigma of the disease (2) Lack of adequate family support (3) The impact of the disease on themselves and their family (4) Lack of adequate resources (Rober... ...ongress Briefed on the Self Management of Chronic Illness." (2011): 1-5. Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA). 2011. Web. 17 June 2011. Farber, MD, Neil J., Susan Y. Urban, MD, Virginia U. Collier, MD, Joan Weiner, PHD, Ronald G. Polite, Elizabeth B. Davis, PHD, and E. Gill Boyer â€Å"The Good News About Giving Bad News to Patients.† Dec. 2002. Groopman, Jerome E. The Anatomy of Hope: How People Prevail in the Face of Illness. New York: Random House, 2004. Print. Kowalczyk, Liz, ed. "Learning the Patient's View." 20 Mar. 2006. Web. 17 June 2011. Roberts, Cleora S., Cindy Severinsen, Chuck Kuehn, Drew Straker, and C. Joy Fritz. "Obstacles to Effective Case Management with AIDS Patients The Clinician's Perspective." Web. 17 June 2011. Tamparo, C., and W. Lindh. Therapeutic Communication for Healthcare. Clifton Park: Delmar Cenage Learning, 2007. Print.

Immorality In Television :: essays research papers

Vulgarity in TelevisionIn the early years of television people where much more sensitive to what was said and took offense to any form of obscene language. Even in the movies it was unacceptable. However, for many the standard for the use of vulgar language has expanded. In many shows on television vulgar words are used way to often. In many cases unnecessarily. These words do not bother me in the least. However, there are many parents with young children who are offended by this. This would not such a big deal if only the shows that carried these vulgarities would be shown later at night, as they where for many years. Also, most of the programs are not correctly rated to warn of there content.Besides using the basics of the swear words some programs take it to a different level. Instead of using the words themselves they use a form of slang in order to get around the censors. Although these words are not the same as the ones commonly used, they do share the same meaning. By having these programs use these words they are encouraging the children to use a new language that there parents do not understand. And because the parents do not understand the words the children then think it is all right to use profanity.Profanity in television is not so much a problem as it is an annoyance. It makes television more interesting to watch and can occasionally make a situation more humorous, but I do not enjoy it when a five-year-old calls their parents a-- holes to there face.Rating SystemRecently introduced to all the television shows is the new rating system. This system was implemented to warn about the kind of shows on television. The system tells whether the show is to mature for young children. However, does the system still have flaws? Although it does give an idea as to what the show contains, it does not tell as to the extent to which it is. An example would be the television show "Strangers with Candy." This program is extremely crude with little humor. Normally I enjoy crude humor, but this show is gross. It contains vulgarity, drug use, and sexually references. And to top it off the show is at 10:00. Shows like this should not be viewed any time. My point of bringing this up is to show how lose the system is.

Social Structure of Bangladesh

Social Structure of Bangladesh Introduction Bangladesh  officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a country in South Asia. The name Bangladesh means â€Å"Country of Bengal† in the official Bengali language. The borders of present-day Bangladesh were established with the partition of Bengal and India in 1947, when the region became the eastern wing of the newly-formed Pakistan. However, it was separated from the western wing by 1,600 kilometres (1,000  mi) across India.Political and linguistic discrimination as well as economic neglect led to popular agitations against West Pakistan, which led to the war for independence in 1971 and the establishment of Bangladesh, with the help of India. In 2000, Bangladesh was estimated to be one of the ten most highly populated countries with an estimated population of just under 130 million. Nowadays it scored above 140 Million. This makes the population density of about 875 people per sq km (2,267 people per sq mi) higher than other countries.Almost 90 percent of this population lives in the rural areas and 80 percent of our population are still depends on agriculture for a livelihood. With the successful lowering of total fertility and growth rates over the past few years, the crude birth rate stands at 22. 4 per 1000 persons, with a total fertility rate 3. 0 per women. The rural birth rate was estimated to be 36. 3 birth per 1000 persons according to the 1985 census. On the other hand, the crude death rate stands at 8. 2 per 1000 persons with the rural death rate found to be 12. 9 per 1000 persons. Also the child death rate is 70 per 1000 live births in the rural areas.Most of the population is young with about 60 percent under the age of 25, with only about 3 percent over the age of 65 (life expectancy is 61 years). Twenty percent of the population was deemed to be urban in 1998, making Bangladesh's population predominantly rural. |National symbols of Bangladesh | |Anthem |Amar Shonar Bangla | |Animal |Royal Bengal Tiger | |Bird |Oriental Magpie Robin | |Fish |Hilsa | |Flower |White Water Lily | |Fruit |Jackfruit | Sport |Kabadi | Although urbanization is proceeding rapidly, agriculture employs about two-thirds of the labor force and accounts for 35 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), remains Bangladesh's primary sector. Bangladesh has predominantly remained rural and agrarian. Since more than 50 percent of the population, which has increased, depends on agriculture for sustenance and employment; peasant economy is the main mode of production in Bangladesh. The village is the peasant’s world and to understand the village community one must study the peasantry and their relationship with the nation at large.Being a citizen of this country, one simply cannot ignore the prevalent poverty and unemployment in the rural sector and the consequential rise in the number of unemployment in the urban areas as well. Villages play a very important role for Bangladesh. Without these villages economic development of this country is not possible. This paper will clearly indicate the rural life, society and social class, culture, education, occupation, religion, economic and political institutions, beliefs, and the way of living in Bangladesh. Social Composition The Main and Basic stratification between the rich landlords and the poor farmers.Here the class system is based on money and prestige, which is highly flexible. None has the fixed class here. All can have mobility to any direction if he or she manages to get that. Those who have enough Land they are more respected. Beside this Rural people of Bangladesh are stratified by other reasons related to their religion- Society in village is not strictly stratified; rather, it is open, fluid, and diffused, without a solid social organization and social structure. Social class distinctions are mostly functional and there is considerable mobility among classes.Even the structure of the Hindu caste system in B angladesh is relatively loose because most Hindus belonged to the lower castes. Ostensibly, egalitarian principles of Islam were the basis of social organization. Unlike in other regions of South Asia, the Hindu caste- based social system had a very limited effect on Bangladeshi Muslim social culture. Fairly permeable classes based on wealth and political influence existed both in the cities and in the villages. Traditional Muslim class distinctions had little importance in Bangladesh.The proscription against marriage between individuals of high-born and low-born families, once an indicator of the social gap between the two groups, had long ago disappeared; most matrimonial alliances were based on wealth and power and not on the ties of family distinction, and the same condition belongs to the village. Although Hindu society is formally stratified into caste categories, caste did not figure prominently in the Bangladeshi Hindu community. About 75 percent of the Hindus in Bangladesh belonged to the lower castes, notably namasudras (lesser cultivators), and the remainder belonged primarily to outcaste or untouchable groups.Some members of higher castes belonged to the middle or professional class, but there was no Hindu upper class. With the increasing participation of the Hindus in nontraditional professional mobility, the castes were able to interact in wider political and socioeconomic arenas, which caused some erosion of caste consciousness. Although there is no mobility between Hindu castes, caste distinctions did not play as important a role in Bangladesh as in they did in the Hindu-dominated Indian state of West Bengal.Bangladeshi Hindus seemed to have become part of the mainstream culture without surrendering their religious and cultural distinctions. Culture Language and Literature More than 95 percent of the people of Bangladesh speak Bengali which is one of the earliest modem languages of the subcontinent. It originates from the eastern Prakrit group of the Indo- Aryan family of languages. Early Bengali, in its lyrical form, originated in the 7th century. Its mediaeval period underlined a steady upsurge of poesy having strong devotional and romantic overtones.Since the early decades of this century, modem Bengali literature swept into the mainstream of world culture through the works of such geniuses as Michael Madhusudan Dutt, Rabindranath Tagore and the rebel poet Kazi Nazrul Islam while poet Jasimuddin's austere lyrical anecdotes depicting rural life with its joys and sorrows, romance and patrol kept alive the link with the toiling masses. With this heritage to draw inspiration from, contemporary Bengali literature of Bangladesh has been throbbing with the creative impulses of a new generation of poets, novelists, playwrights and essayists.Many of their works have earned fame beyond the frontiers of the country. Music [pic] The rich tradition of music of Bangladesh can be divided into three distinct categories -classical, fol k and modern. The tradition of classical music, whether vocal or instrumental, is rooted in the ancient history of this subcontinent. It has been cultivated with great patience and passion by devoted musicians over the centuries. Internationally known sarod players Ustad Alauddiri Khan and Ustad Ayet Ali Khan hail from the soil of this country. Folk music, nurtured through the ages by village bards. s the most popular and timeless form of music in Bangladesh. Rich in devotional mysticism and love ores, folk music exudes authentic flavor and charm of the soil. The most well- known forms are bhatia1i, baul, marfati, murshidi, bhaoaiya and gombhira. Some of the greatest exponents of our mystic and devotional songs were Lalan Fakir, Hasan Raja and Abbasuddin Ahmed. Dances Dancing in Bangladesh draws freely from the sub continental classical forms as well as the folk, tribal, ballet and Middle Eastern strains. Of the tribal dances, particularly popular are Manipuri and Santhal.The Bulbul Academy of Fine Arts (BAFA), set up in Dacca in the early fifties, played a pioneering role in the promotion of dances in the country. A number of other cultural organizations have helped in popularizing the art. No cultura1 evening in this country is complete without a dance number. The cinema has also popularized dancing. With the recent creation of the Academy of Performing Arts in Dacca dancing in Bangladesh is expected to gain further impetus. Jatra (Folk Drama) is another vital chapter of Bengali culture. It depicts  mythological episodes  of love and tragedy.Legendary  plays of heroism  are  also popular,  particularly in the rural  areas. In near past jatra was the biggest entertainment means for the rural Bangalees and in that sense for 80% of the population since the same percentage of the population lived in rural Bangladesh. Now-a-days jatra has been placed in the back seat in the entertainment era. Gradually western culture is occupying the place of tradi tional culture like Jatra. Different types of Drama are also popular in this society. Bangladesh Religion [pic] [pic] Islam, the state religion, is the faith of 88 percent of the population, almost all of whom adhere to the Sunni branch.Hindus make up most of the remainder, and the country has small communities of Buddhists, Christians and animists. Bangladesh is one of the largest Muslim countries in the world. Most Bangladeshi Muslims are Sunnis, but there is a small Shia community. Among religious festivals of Muslims Eidul Fitr, Eidul Azha, Eiday Miladunnabi, Muharram etc. are prominent. The contention that Bengali Muslims are all descended from lower-caste Hindus who were converted to Islam is incorrect; a substantial proportion are descendants of the Muslims who reached the subcontinent from elsewhere.Hinduism is professed by about 12 percent of the population. Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja, Kali Puja etc. are Hindu festivals. Hindus in Bangladesh are almost evenly distributed in all regions, with concentrations in Khulna, Jessore, Dinajpur, Faridpur, and Barisal. Biharis, who are not ethnic Bangalees, are Urdu-speaking Muslim refugees from Bihar and other parts of northern India. They numbered about 1 million in 1971 but now had decreased to around 600,000. They once dominated the upper levels of the society. They sided with Pakistan during the 1971 war.Hundreds of thousands of Biharis were repatriated to Pakistan after the war. Tribal race constitutes less than 1 percent of the total population. They live in the Chittagong Hills and in the regions of Mymensingh, Sylhet, and Rajshahi. The majority of the tribal population live in rural areas. They differ in their social organization, marriage customs, birth and death rites, food, and other social customs from the people of the rest of the country. They speak Tibeto-Burman languages. In the mid-1980s, the percentage distribution of tribal population by religion was Hindu 24, Buddhist 44, Christian 13, and o thers 19.Major tribes are the Chakmas, Maghs (or Marmas), Tipras, Murangs, Kukis and Santals. The tribes tend to intermingle and could be distinguished from one another more by differences in their dialect, dress, and customs than by tribal cohesion. Only the Chakmas and Marmas display formal tribal organization. They are of mixed origin but reflect more Bengali influence than any other tribe. Unlike the other tribes, the Chakmas and Marmas generally live in the highland valleys. Most Chakmas are Buddhists, but some practice Hinduism or Animism. Economic InstitutionMany industries in Bangladesh are still primitive by modern standards. Despite continuous domestic and international efforts to improve economic and demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains a developing nation. Jute was once the economic engine of the country. Its share of the world export market peaked in the Second World War and the late 1940s at 80% and even in the early 1970s accounted for 70% of its export earnings. However, polypropylene products began to substitute for jute products worldwide and the jute industry started to decline. Bangladesh grows very significant quantities of rice(chal), tea (Cha) and mustard.More than three quarters of Bangladesh’s export earnings come from the garment industry, which began attracting foreign investors in the 1980s due to cheap labour and low conversion cost. In 2002, the industry exported US$5  billion worth of products. The industry now employs more than 3  million workers, 90% of whom are women. A large part of foreign currency earnings also comes from the remittances sent by expatriates living in other countries. One significant contributor to the development of the economy has been the widespread propagation of microcredit by Muhammad Yunus (awarded the Nobel peace prize in 2006) through the Grameen Bank.By the late 1990s, Grameen Bank had 2. 3  million members, along with 2. 5  million members of other similar organizations. In ord er to enhance economic growth, the government set up several export processing zones to attract foreign investment. These are managed by the Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority. AGRICULTURE [pic] Bangladesh is one of the poorest countries in the world with an annual per capita income of US$160. The agricultural sector provides the principal livelihood of the people in the country and is the main blood vessel of the national economy.According to statistics in 1990-1991, agriculture accounts for 46% of the gross domestic product (GDP) and 59% of total employment. Agricultural productivity (yield per acre) is extremely low though, and Bangladesh continues to be a food-deficit country. The average annual deficit ranges between 1. 5 million and 2. 5 million tons. To achieve self-sustained agricultural growth, several policies have been formulated. Keeping these policies in mind, agricultural management policies have been devised, and interventions have been made. However, these h ave not necessarily yielded the anticipated results.In Bangladesh, the vast majorities of people are landless and work as agricultural laborers (66% of the rural population are landless, agricultural laborers, according to the latest statistics). Although they are the single largest portion of the total population, they are the poorest, most deprived, helpless and neglected. Presently 45% of agricultural laborers have no work at all, and those who do get work have no job security or reliable income; there is no period of employment specified no fixed wage. Most of the time they are poorly paid. They are not registered and do not have any trade union rights, no chance of bargaining.Agricultural laborers in Bangladesh also have no basic human rights. A huge percentage of them are inadequate or no housing, no educational opportunities and no rationing facility. Administrative and social oppression upon the land laborers is a common phenomenon. In addition to these concerns, Bangladesh is now facing various types of socio-economic and political problems. Among these, the most difficult, complicated and probably the most important issue is the agrarian question. One of the fundamental features of the economic backwardness of the agrarian question is very relevant for Bangladesh like any other poor country of Asia.If the agrarian question is addressed properly, the path of national economic development can be found. Land, no doubt, constitutes the most significant basis of sociopolitical power and the common factor of production for the overwhelming majority of the people. Today in Bangladesh the land problem remains as the main social problem: it is the main problem affecting the greatest number of people. Ownership of the land, its possession and cultivation, has sociopolitical overtones and economic implications, both simultaneously and mutually reacting around and reinforcing each other.Thus, an approach to locate the problems relating to land and their solution has to be, of necessity, comprehensive, multidimensional and dynamic. As the agricultural sector in Bangladesh has already experienced, these problems, and very recently the path and methods of alternative agriculture, are being talked about. This alternative thinking is often called â€Å"regenerative,† â€Å"sustainable,† â€Å"ecological,† â€Å"organic† or â€Å"natural agriculture,† which are more or less based on the following principles: ? Ensure as much or more productivity as chemical agriculture; ?Do not disturb the natural environment; ? Ensure sustainability; ? Put less dependence on external inputs. Beside Agriculture there are several jobs that are done by rural people of our country now a days. Few jobs are related to Agriculture, These jobs are: ? Rearing Cattle, Goat, Sheep. ? Poultry Business ? Dairy business ? Fishery Related Jobs ? Village Teacher ? Quack Doctor ? Kamar [Black Smith] ? Kumar [Pot Maker] ? Swarnakaar [Gold Smith ] ? Sweeper ? Tanti [Weaver] Political institution [pic]The People’s Republic of Bangladesh is a unitary, independent and sovereign republic comprising three basic organs the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary. The President is the Head of State and is elected by the members of Parliament. The President acts in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister and the supreme command of the Armed Forces rests with him. The executive power of the Republic is exercised by or on the advice of the Prime Minister who commands the support of the majority members of Parliament and is appointed by the President.Other Ministers, State Ministers and Deputy Ministers are appointed by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister nominates the cabinet members from among Parliament members and one-tenths of the total members are from outside of the Parliament. The cabinet is collectively accountable to the Parliament. The Government is unitary in structure and parliamentary in form. Co nclusion Finally we can conclude that Village Life is full of Loving Caring and Belonging. We can find here Peace Happiness chance to meet with our relatives smell and feel our culture and Tradition.That’s why every year thousands of people run for the Village leaving their Urban Life in their Religious Occasions. Living in urban Life but we have to depend on this village people for food and other product which they produce in the fields. Lastly we can say that every people of our country have to visit their Village simultaneously so that the people and their Generation will always attach with the village Life and Village Culture. And If the Young Generation will Plan to Recover or develop our Village Life than We think that Bangladesh will see Prosperity very soon. Read also: Padma Bridge

Compassion International Speech Outline

Bridgette Woodcock Prof. Roche THE 113 Speech 21 February 2013 Compassion International: Child Sponsorship Introduction (Play video) 1 (Provide two statistics) Did you ever think you could change the life story of the weak and vulnerable? Well, you can! Today, I want to share with you the importance of what you can do to change a child’s story. 2 Today, many children are living in poverty and exploitation. Many of those places are within the 26 poorest countries that Compassion International serves. Compassion is well known and used by celebrities and other national foundations. 4 Compassion uses a holistic method of child development 5 An average person can minimize and eliminate the exploitation and poverty through the organization Compassion International. Child sponsorship lifts children out of poverty/exploitation. 1 Fox News. com reported, â€Å"In Brazil’s poorest regions, mothers, many of whom are stuck in the sex trade, often push their own daughter’s i nto the business at age 12 or younger to increase the family’s meager income† (para. ). 2 Compassion Serves in 26 Developing Countries, â€Å"19 were placed in the â€Å"Tier 2 category† (â€Å"governments who don’t fully comply with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA)† (para. 3-4). 3 â€Å"Compassion International takes a long-term strategy by tackling the underlying issues that make child enslavement possible. Prevention through education, care and nurture is how we (Compassion) work to protect all of the 1. 2 million children we (Compassion) serve around the world† (para. ). Is child sponsorship with Compassion real/legitimate? 1 Yes! Compassion is independently audited by several agencies including Charity Navigator 4 star ranking for 11 consecutive years, Chronicle of Philanthropy’s â€Å"Top Rated Charity-#23 on Top 400 list†, Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance, Forbes ranks it as #15 on its Largest Cha rities List, and Non-Profit Times ranks Compassion as #30 on its Top 100 List. 2 Been in Business since 1952. Sponsors may visit their children, write letters, send cards and give extra above the sponsorship, which 100% of donation goes directly to that child and his/her family. Over 87% of $38. 00 sponsorship donation goes to the child & child’s center to provide school fees, books, educational materials, clothing, food, health care, counseling, and activities. Holistic method of child development 1 Child Survival Program (Birth to age 2 and mothers) Begins when a mother is still pregnant, provides nutrition, medical assistance, parental education, and social support for both mothers and caregivers to help them succeed the first few years of the child’s life. 2 Child Sponsorship Program (Age 2-10-new registrations- existing children to age 18) 1 Sponsorship is a unique way for one person to have a life-changing effort on poverty around the world by sponsoring a child in poverty. 3 Complementary Interventions (All ages- operations, flooding, mosquito nets, water) Divided into two areas: Supplemental development activites (medical, nutritional, and educational assistance, AIDS prevention, Malaria prevention) and Program Enhancement Activities (disaster response, water projects, income-generating activities, and infrastructure development). 4 Leadership Development Program (college students) 1 Gives students the opportunity to develop their gifts and become skilled professionals and leaders of influence in their churches, communities, and nations. Conclusion- Partnering with Compassion is Affordable and Makes a Difference! $38. 00 per month per child 2 Extra Donations Optional (Birthdays, Christmas, Family Gift) (no more than $1,000 per year, $2,000 in graduation year). 3 Forms a personal relationship with child 4 Limits child exposure to human slavery and poverty. Works Cited Compassion International. (2012). compassion. com. http://www. compassio n. com/child-development-model. htm Hanlon, Mark. (2011). The new slavery—human trafficking. FoxNews. com. Retrieved February 20, 2013. www. foxnews. com/opinion/2011/09/15/new-slavery-human-trafficking.