Dreams

Dreams and the perspectives they have on individuals in society has led to debate, and even controversy, over that past few centuries. It’s the analysis and interpretation of dreams and how it relates to individual experience that is a central element surrounding this topic. The impact of a dream on an individual along with the influence of dream interpretation can be viewed as having a direct impact on the types of dreams people have. I will address the topic of dream anomalies and what impact dreams have on individuals as I cite literary scholars to affirm my position. There have been many great philosophers with differing opinions on the influence of dreams and whether or not there is a direct correlation between the dream process and the human’s individual thought processing and daily-life experiences. First, I considered the views of a great philosopher named William James as a foundation behind the study of dreams and its effects on individuals. William James has published numerous manuscripts backed by volumes of other philosophical material, research, and documentation. William James is considered one of the most influential people who studied the workings of the human mind, interrelationships among thought, and the consciousness of an individual. James was a naturalist, physician, professor, writer, and psychologist. His studies played a role in other philosophical studies of dream interpretation. One of his published pieces, The Principles of Psychology, had revolutionary impact on society. It was a breakthrough for the sciences of thought. Some of his well-known material was published in the latter part of the 19th century, which will be discussed in detail. The Principles of Psychology was an immense undertaking by James. My focus will look at The Stream of Thought and The Consciousness of Self segments of this work where I will state why I was convinced by his arguments surrounding consciousness and thought-processing. The reason for incorporating William James’s interpretations on streams of thought and consciousness of self is because there is a direct correlation between thought processing and the dream phase of an individual. He begins The Stream of Thought by keying into the essence of human thought. His provocative conclusions surrounding what makes us think is done in very concrete terms. He states that previous psychological texts attempting to dissect human thought are deeply flawed. Consciousness, from our natal day, is of a teeming multiplicity of objects and relations . He relates the thought processes and earlier fallacies surrounding its study with these analogies: We cannot, according to James, simply say, â€Å"it thinks† with the same conclusive logic as â€Å"it rains† or â€Å"it blows. † What we can say, however is that â€Å"thought goes on. † He goes on to discuss why every ‘thought’ or ‘state’ is part of our personal consciousness. This sets the scaffold for why and how William James came to such conclusions regarding consciousness. Prior to this, theories on consciousness lacked sufficient evidence; for previous scholars attempted to state theories without the empowering reality that James was able to express in this chapter. To add further credibility to his presumption, he states that every thought is a part of our personal consciousness and can be altered from individual to individual. Thought, he goes on to say, is in constant change. He provides examples along the way to create reasoning and proof that his methodology is credible. His description of Mr. Shadworth Hodgeson (p. 149) creates very clear evidence that individual consciousness has the ability to change and alter what it thinks and why, almost on a whim. From thought-processing, we segue into the dream experience and how they are directly related to one another in forming, sometimes jarring experiences. First, we must look at the characteristic differences between lucid and non-lucid dreams. A lucid dream, simply stated, is the state of REM sleep when a person is almost awake. The dream continues to evolve but the dreamer is aware—if only for a few seconds—that they are dreaming. Non-lucid dreaming, on the other hand, occurs when an individual is not aware of being in a dream state. The non-lucid dream is the most common form of dream. It is difficult to ascertain when and where the division between lucid dreaming and non-lucid dreaming occurs. In other words, when the dream consciousness ends and where a person is consciously aware of the dream cannot be defined. It’s purely subjective, or set aside for individual interpretation. However, the true experience of the dream can best be interpreted with the following model. The dream model links the waking-self and the dreamer. With this connection, the model also looks at what psychological levels alter self-awareness in the act of dreaming. Research, according to Laberge, has shown that over 80% of lucid dreams are transformations of a non-lucid dream. When we look at many lucid dreamers, the act of coherence or stirring from the dream is, many times, likely to occur during a nightmare or a dream that instills anxiety. The notion of anxiety can be viewed differently from one person to the next. What one person views as uncomfortable will not hold the same gravity on another person’s interpretation. It’s all a matter of personal experience. To state it simply, what brings about fear in one person may not instill that same fear in another person. This, in turn, can lead us back to individual experience. The experience and thought processing is the framework for determining lucid dreams and non-lucid dreams, which can be referenced back to our discussion on the philosopher William James. It’s important that I include a few dream examples to express the anxiety that can be instilled upon the dreamer. One dream environment occurred in a classroom. It was a riot, according to the dreamer. Again, the notion of what institutes a riot can vary from person to person. It’s also important to detail the dream, in order to give merit to the person’s anxiety. This riotous dream had a large barbarian with a heavily scarred face. He was the Goliath in the dream and locked up the dreamer in its steely grip. The dreamer could not free himself. It was at this point that the dreamer realized he was amid a dream; for he recalled other situations in his life. He gave up the struggle and instead offered feelings of love and consolation to this beastly barbarian. Yet, the beast was too ugly to love. He tried to look beyond the physical appearance and scarred features and soon beautiful words of loving acceptance flowed freely and the creature melted into him. The riot soon disappeared and the dreamer woke feeling relieved and calm. There are many other human emotions—embarrassment or delight for instance—that can institute a person into wakefulness. The number of methods used by individuals varies. What’s important to reinforce—although it may seem obvious—is the fact that individuals learn these methods in a conscious, wakeful state. Again, I go back to incorporating some of the philosopher William James’s theories to reinforce my interpretation. James gives us clear real-life scenarios to help define his theory on human conscious thought. For consideration, suppose three people instantaneously say to you: â€Å"Wait! † â€Å"Look! † â€Å"Over here! † Our consciousness is torn to decide which of the three will gain our attention first. He doesn’t deny our consciousness being able to juggle thoughts of the â€Å"wait† â€Å"look† and â€Å"over here. William James reinforces his theory by stating that there is a different ‘feel’ within our conscious thought when we experience something for the first time, versus recognizing something familiar. It could be a tune, an odor, or a familiar photogra ph that resonated memories. Again, James uses specific examples. The new experiences—or unfamiliar experience—can shake our emotions, which can strengthen recall. Also, objects in our field of vision have what James called a â€Å"fringe. † If we try to recall a forgotten name, there will be a gap in our consciousness as we search the recesses of our mind for this name. If someone tries to help us remember and gives us incorrect names, our consciousness will remain ‘at the fringe’ until we hear the name or something stirs us emotionally to recall the name. In effect, it is the overtone, or the fringe of the word or thought that generates energy within the human mind. It gives way to ideas which create the verbal kernel—as James puts it—that keeps the stream of consciousness on the move, always flowing, and always changing. James offers clear, consistent evidence to warrant credibility surrounding the intangible concepts of the stream of thought. In the following chapter, James segues into The Consciousness of Self, and brings the ego and its relationship to consciousness to the table. James builds momentum by stating humankinds’ innate desire for recognition from loved ones, and society in general, plays a part in how human consciousness develops. To bring this point home, James adds impact with this: a man has as many social selves as there are individuals who recognize him and carry as image of him in their mind. James also references a man’s honor in society by stating it has a sole purpose: to best serve our social-selves. This social grace, then, is tied to what James refers to as the self-regard. We weigh our own ‘Me’ as we perceive praise and blame. James speaks of an individual self-regard as vital; for the individual knows him or herself better than anyone else—regardless of how positive or depressing a person views themselves. It’s the emotion of self that James, in turn, speaks of as he builds on his consciousness of self. It’s the sense of personal identity that fosters the ego-thought which remains part of the individual’s stream of consciousness. From here, we look at anomaly recognition. Here, the dreamer trains themselves to understand bizarre dream events as a red-flag to bring oneself back to wakefulness. The dream interpreter uses previous dreams and/or previous life-experiences that they view as bizarre to work as a point where the conscious-self takes over and stirs the dreamer into an alert state. For, when an individual can jar oneself from a potentially nightmarish dream, their emotional consciousness, in turn, will not be affected by the dramatic negative effects of the dream. They, in effect, turn off the dream before it can be viewed in its entirety. Here’s another example of a dream with anomaly recognition: A person is stepping through a field that is colored with fairy-tale animation. There is life everywhere in this wilderness. The overwhelming image, however, are magic mushrooms (psilocybin variation). These mushrooms shoot out from the soil all over the field. Some grow to immense height and girth. The person, then, realizes that this fantasy is too dream-like to be real. Their rationalization offers the anomaly recognition to stir them from their slumber. They are able to insert lucid thoughts that say, â€Å"I must be dreaming. † The dream begins to fade as their conscious-self regains control of the person’s mind set. One more dream example that uses anomaly as a cue to clear oneself from an anxiety- driven dream can be seen in the following situation: A person stands on top of a hill that seems unfamiliar. He looks across the wide-open meadow and envisions the horizon stretching out before him. For some odd reason, the dreamer has no idea of time, or what year it is. He sees the positioning of the sun, which appears to be straight overhead. The sun is intense and bright, which is unusual. The dreamer suddenly realizes that it is autumn and the sun was much lower in the recent past. The dreamer correlates the angle of the sun in relation to the equator. His shadow, due to the angle of the sun in this season should create a shadow that is equal in height to his own. The shadow does not equal his height. So he realizes that this must be a dream. The reason I included this dream was to point out that individual interpretations on dreams can be directly related to human experience and one’s knowledge-base and educational background. Although this was not a frightful dream or one that might instill anxiety, the dreamer—due to his knowledge—ascertained that the lack of proportion in his shadow was enough to constitute an anomaly and thus free him from his dream-consciousness. There is heavy criticism surrounding the topic of lucid dreaming, which I will address in detail here. For one, even though, according to research, there is overwhelming positive feedback regarding lucid dreams, I have a difficult time taking this data seriously. Laberge and many other researchers in this field state that lucidity during a nightmare can create a fear-factor within an individual that may have dramatic effects on one’s courage and even self-esteem. I do not see any parallel significance in a person losing self-esteem due to a lucid dream. Other studies went so far as to state that mood can be altered as well. If people are affected, or say they are affected by a dream, then these results are too biased and subjective to be generalized. The attempts at generalizing lucid dreaming can be seen in the following example: One study reviewed moods in college students and the relationship to lucid dreaming. College students, it was reported, stated that if they realized they were dreaming in a nightmare that this lucidity helped them deal with the consequences of the nightmare and feel better in 60% of the cases (Lucid Dreaming Frequency p. 1). I find this rationalization too trite to even be considered in a literary study. Furthermore, they went on to state that those who experienced dying in a dream stated that the experience was insightful, and not regressive. All in all, these elements alone are too biased and opinionated to create any sound reasoning behind the notion of lucid dreaming and its effects on a person’s well-being. In conclusion, I must reiterate that the reasons for dreaming have bewildered philosophers and science enthusiasts for many years. When we look at a normal life span, a person spends close to 25 years of their life asleep. Dreams are an integral component of this. It only makes sense that there is a purpose to our dreaming that is related to personal experience. It can also be seen that dream control, in the sense of ‘turning off’ a dream so-to-speak is available to us in the form of anomalous dream situations. However, when literary criticism attempts to generalize the lucid dream with an individual’s mood, there is great concern for its validity. Dreams are in a genre that is still very blurred in its scientific evidence, and thus flawed when we try to use the dream as a developmental factor in a person’s conscious state of mind. While the discussions surrounding the purpose of dreams are far from over, at least philosophers and scientists have a captivating means into discussing how the brain creates these nightly tales of adventure.

Stefan’s Diaries: Bloodlust Chapter 28

Remember the time we broke Mothers crystal bowl? And I was so worried about how she would react that I cried?† I asked. â€Å"Yes, and then Father decided I was to blame and whipped me and called me wicked,† Damon said dully. â€Å"I tried to make your life easier, little brother. But Im done. This time, I want you to get exactly what you deserve.† â€Å"What do you want me to say, Damon?† I asked angrily, so loudly the two guards looked up in surprise. Damon paused, his eyes at half-mast. â€Å"Ill tell you exactly what I want you to say right before I kill you.† I rolled my eyes in angry frustration. â€Å"I thought you were the one who wanted to die. And now youre going to kill me?† Damon chuckled. â€Å"You know, now that I think about it, being a beast from hell might not be so bad. In fact, I think its a role I could take to, immensely. Perhaps it wasnt my newfound state I despised. It wasyou. But if youre gone–â€Å" â€Å"If Im gone youll be in Patrick Gallaghers freak show forever,† I interrupted. â€Å"But admit it, brother. Dont you think Patrick Gallaghers freak show is more fun than hell? And once I get some strength, I think I can plan an escape quite easily.† â€Å"And then Im sure youll get caught, just as you did the first time,† I said in disgust. I leaned my head back against the cage bars. The fight was one short hour away, and I hadnt given up on trying to engage Damon, to spark any possible thread of connection between us. But no matter what Id say, hed taunt me or ignore me. It was impossible to know just how long wed been trapped. Since I had become a vampire, time had taken on a different quality. Seconds and minutes no longer mattered. I found being imprisoned gave time back its importance, because every second brought us closer to our battle. As I waited, I played out in my mind the various scenarios the fight could take. I pictured Damon snapping my neck, roaring triumphantly for the crowd. I saw myself succumbing to anger, accidentally stealing life from my brother–again. But what would happen if we both refused to fight? Could we take on the entire audience together? Could we somehow engineer an escape? Yes, Gallaghers minions had vervain and stakes, but we had Power. If only I had Callie on my side My heart panged painfully at the thought of Callies betrayal. The image of her flame-red hair and gleaming eyes floated to my mind constantly, inflaming my anger–and hurt–over and over. I curled my fists. If only Id listened to Lexi. If only I hadnt let a human in. My only goal for the battle was that, if I should die, I would die with my eyes closed, instead of searching the crowd for her face. â€Å"Lets go, boys!† Gallagher called out, pushing open the door as if he were rousing two children for a bright and early hike. He wore a black waistcoat and a brand-new gold watch that glinted in the weak sunlight. He snapped his fingers, and instantly the guards jumped to their feet, bustling to put on the makeshift uniform of a vampire handler: gloves, boots, and vervain-soaked garlands. The door of the cage flew open, and guards roughly yanked us out, tightened muzzles around our fangs, and shackled our hands behind our backs. We were blindfolded, then marched out of the attic and into the back of a black iron wagon. The wagon took off, bumpily heading down to the lake. When we arrived at the tent, we were marched in opposite directions. â€Å"Boo!† â€Å"Freak!† I heard the sideshow acts hiss as I was marched through the backstage area. I tightened my jaw. I wondered if Lexi wondered where I was, if she thought I was already dead. Though I was still blindfolded, I knew every inch of this tent. To the left was the tattooed woman, and to the right was Caroline, the bearded lady. The floor dipped down, and I knew I was in the arena. I felt something grab my arm. â€Å"Ive told a lot of people about what a crafty one you are. But dont try too hard for my benefit, Mr. Salvatore. My money is on your brother,† Jasper whispered gleefully. Finally, the blindfold was removed from my eyes. The tent was lit up like it was midday, and all the stands were crammed with people. At the center of the ring, Gallagher had set up a betting pool, where people frantically waved bills in the air. Organ music filled the tent, and the air smelled like candied apples and rum punch. And then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw her. Callie was weaving through the stands, and behind her was Buck, carrying a tin box. Her hair was plaited with vervain stems, and her face was pale. Shed obviously been dispatched to collect bets in the stand. She was certainly her fathers daughter, and she fulfilled her duties well. She did not look at me once. I tore my gaze away from her and forced it over to Damon on the opposite side of the ring. Damon had always been a good fighter, and his recent bouts had only strengthened him. If Damon wanted to kill me, he would. Moreover, I would let him. I owed him that much. Jasper struck the starting bell, and the crowd hushed. Gallagher stood up from his post in the betting pit and boomed: â€Å"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to another fine evening of sport made possible by yours truly, Patrick Gallagher. Only days ago, we brought you the first-ever fight between a vampire and a mountain lion. Tonight, we bring you the first-ever fight between two vampires, including the winner of that previous match. And not only that,† he said, dropping his voice and causing the crowd to hush and lean forward, â€Å"these two monsters are brothers. They came from the same womb, and now one of them will be heading straight to hell.† A rock hit me in the back of the head, and I whirled around. Vervain was everywhere, causing the sea of faces to blend together in a nightmarish collage of eyes, noses, and open mouths. â€Å"Brother, I'm sorry for anything I've done. Please. If we die, let's not die in anger. We're all we have,† I whispered, clenching my jaw and trying, one last time, to reach Damon. Damon looked up for a split second and jerked his head, but his expression was unreadable. In the center of the ring, Gallagher was still commanding the audiences attention. â€Å"The book will be open for another five minutes for final bets. But!–† He raised his hand in the air, attempting to silence the crowd. The noise in the tent dulled, if only slightly. â€Å"Stay after the show, when well be selling the losers blood. Even a dead vampires blood has healing powers. Cures all ailments. Even ones in the bedroom.† Gallagher winked showily. The crowd catcalled and cheered. I stiffened, wondering whether the crowd thought this was all an act: that we were down-on-our-luck actors and that the blood Gallagher sold after the show would be some type of cherry cordial. Did anyone know that all the blood would be real, that the fallen loser in the center of the ring wouldnt be standing up and heading home once the tent was emptied? Callie knew. Callie knew, and she had decided that this would be my fate. I again clenched my jaw, ready to fight, ready to give the audience the show it was looking for. Suddenly, I found myself being led around the ring by Jasper, giving the audience one final chance to scrutinize my strength before raising their stakes. I could hear snatches of conversation from all sides of the tent: That one's got an inch on the other. I'm swapping sides. How'd your old lady like one of those for your anniversary? I wonder how they'd do against a real lion. A man dressed in clerical robes stood next to Gallagher, raising his frocked arms to quiet the crowd. I recognized him as the snake charmer from the sideshow. â€Å"May all good light shine upon this fight and return the losers soul to the cleansing fires of hell!† he yelled, causing the tent to erupt in a cacophony of noise. A whistle blew, and the fight was on. Damon circled toward me, his stance low to the ground, like when we were kids and practiced boxing. I imitated his stance. â€Å"Blood!† one drunken man yelled, practically hanging over the railing of the ring. â€Å"Blood! Blood! Blood!† The entire tent seemed to be cheering. Damon and I continued to circle each other. â€Å"Let's not do this,† I said.†Let's refuse. What can they do?† â€Å"We're beyond that, brother,† Damon said.†The two of us can't survive in the same world.† Anger seeped into my limbs from the center of my being. Why couldnt we? And why couldnt Damon forgive me? I no longer thought he was haunted by the memory of Katherine. Instead, I believed he was haunted byme. Not who I was, but who he thought I was–a monster who killed without fear or awareness of consequence. How dare he not even recognize the lengths Id gone to to try to make him happy, to try to save him? I swung, connecting with Damons cheek. Blood spurted under his eye, and the crowd roared. Damon wound up and swung back, hitting me on my shoulder and knocking me down to the ground. â€Å"Why did you do that?† Damon hissed, baring his teeth to the delight of the crowd. â€Å"Because you wanted it,† I hissed back, baring my own teeth, then flipped him over into a headlock. He freed himself quickly and returned to his corner. We stood at opposite sides of the ring, staring at each other, both confused, angry, alone. â€Å"Fight!† the crowd roared again. Gallagher glared at us, unsure what to do. He snapped his fingers, and Jasper and Buck ran toward us with stakes, determined to force us to fight each other. They prodded us until our bodies were only inches apart and both of our fists were raised, when a huge, echoing, booming crack that sounded like the sky splitting in two echoed from above. A cold wind whipped around us, causing a cloud of sawdust and debris to rise at our feet. I smelled smoke. â€Å"Fire!† a panicked voice yelled. I looked around wildly. Part of the tent was on fire, and people were running in all directions. â€Å"Comeon!† I felt hands shoving my shoulders. Callie. My eyes opened wide in surprise. â€Å"Go, go, go!† Callie yelled, pushing me. She held an axe in her hand, and slowly I began piecing together what had happened. Had she actually cut down the supports of the tent structure, then set the fire? â€Å"Move!† Callie pushed me one more time. She was surprisingly strong for a human, and after a few seconds of stupidly standing and blinking in place, I grabbed Damon by the wrist, and we ran, past the tents, away from the river, faster and faster, heading toward my home.

Windshield Survey Essay

This windshield survey is a simple observation of a community. It involves collection of data to help define the community, the trend within the community, stability of the community and changes that may define the health of the community. Many dimensions of the community can be observed from a car drive observing the community life, and environment. Common characteristics to be noted are the people walking the street, gathering places in the community, quality of houses, community life rhythm, and geographic boundaries (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012, p. 409-410). Community is defined widely by (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012). According to the World Health Organization (WHO) community is a group of people, living in a specific geographical area. They may share a common culture, norms and values. Members of the community gain their social and personal identity by sharing their common beliefs, norms and values which has been developed by the community (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012, p. 397). Co mmunity health is the meeting of the community collective needs by identification of the community problems, managing the behaviors in the community and between the larger society and community (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012, p. 401). The community partnerships helps to bring about the changes necessary to fulfill the vision of Healthy People 2020. A foundation is provided by Healthy People 2020 for national health promotion and disease prevention. It is necessary to have community partnerships in order for the lay community members to have vested interest in the community success to improve the community health Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012, p 402). Community as client is the community as the nurse client. The community is only the client when the focus of the nurse is on the common or collective good of the community instead of the health of one individual (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012, p. 398). The community chosen for this windshield survey is the city I currently reside in, Virginia Beach. It is located in the state of Virginia and a part of the Hampton roads. Hampton Roads consist of seven cities which are Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Suffolk and Portsmouth. In my city of Virginia B each I live in the Ocean Front Community. We have a large military community related to the Naval Base Oceana Naval Air Weapon station. Virginia Beach is 249.02 square miles and the persons per square miles are 1,758.9. The population estimate in 2013 is  48,479. Persons under 5 years of age is 6.7%. The percentage of Persons under 18 years of age is 23.1%. Persons 65 years of age or older is 11.8%. Female percentage is 50.9%. The percentage of Whites alone is 68.9%, Blacks are 20.0%, Alaska native and American Indian 0.5%, Asians 6.6%, Native Hawaiian and other pacific Islander is 0.2%, persons with two or more races is 3.9% and Hispanics are 7.5%. Persons residing in the same home greater than a year is 82.2% of the population. High school graduates or person with a higher education makes up 93.6%. The veteran population for 2009-2013 is 61,100. The median value of homes are $267,600 with 2.62 persons per household. The median household income is $65,219. Persons living below the poverty level is 7.9% (United States Cens us Bureau. n.d.). Virginia Beach is located alongside the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Chesapeake Bay to the north. The average elevation of the city is 12 feet ( VB GeoFacts and Information, n.d.). VB GeoFacts and Information. (n.d.). The homes in the community are mostly two story homes colonial style, or brick and aluminum side homes and one story homes. Homes in the community are well kept with manicured lawns. There are some condominiums and apartments in the area. There is no signs of abandoned buildings in the areas observed for the windshield survey. Virginia Beach is known for its tourism especially in the summer months. Not many pedestrians were noted walking along the street in the community during the current winter month. Joggers were noted early morning and evenings in the ocean front area of the community. Public transportation available in the city of Virginia Beach are buses and taxi cabs. There is no light rail system or train system that provides transportation. There are numerous attractions such as the aquarium, the botanical garden, the boardwalk, ocean breeze Water Park. The re are many open body of water around in the community for fishing besides the Atlantic Ocean. There are two malls located in the community Pembroke mall and Lynnhaven Mall. Many restaurants are available with a healthy choices. Only five fast food restaurants were noted on an 8 mile drive. There was 3 ABC stores noted selling liquor, and 2 Totally Wine stores noted. There are two super Walmart stores, one regular Walmart, and a Walmart Neighborhood. Food Lion and Farm Fresh are the other main grocery stores. Farm fresh provides a fresh salad bar daily. There are many Consumer Value Stores (CVS) with 24 hours pharmacy available. Patient First is chain of urgent care facilities  available within the community. They are open 7 days a week until 10pm. Sentara is the name of the group of hospitals in the community. There is Sentara Princess Anne Hospital and Sentara Virginia Beach General. There are many doctor offices, dentist office and other medical specialties available in the community. The schools average rating is 6 out of 10. Virginia Beach schools have many academic programs such as the Global studies & World language, health sciences Academy, Legal Studies, Technology, Visual & Performing Arts, International Baccalaureate program and mathematics & Science for high school students. Middle school children has advance academic programs available such as the middle years International Baccalaureate program (About Us, n.d). The community provides parks and recreation centers. There are numerous trails for outdoor hiking, sporting leagues for children and adults and fitness and wellness. There are a number of religions noted in the community catholic, united Methodist, southern Baptist and Jewish. Healthy People 2020 Health Indicators The Healthy people 2020 health indicator chosen for this community is the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. Per Healthy People 2020 there is an estimated 19 million new sexually transmitted disease cases each year in the United States (Healthypeople.gov, n.d). Hampton roads area has a higher average of sexually transmitted disease, this eastern region had the highest rates in the state for gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia. State statistics showed in the region there were 2,620 girls’ ages 3 to 19 diagnosed with chlamydia comparing to 528 boys in the same age range. A study completed showed the rate of STD was much higher among blacks girls compared with 20 among the white race and Hispanic girls. The CDC has a difficult time comparing the statistics to Virginia reported figures because the health care providers are not required to report Herpes, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and trichomoniasis to the local health department. This causes the state numbers to be less than reality. Another barrier that prevents the actual numbers is many people infected with STDs may not exhibit symptoms. Meaning STD is transmitted from one person to the other without realizing transmission of the disease. There is an estimate of 70 to 80 percent of girls with chlamydia with no symptoms. Untreated these STDs causes infertility. HPV is another infection that often does not manifest  symptoms. Virginia has a new law in place requiring sixth grade girls to receive HPV vaccines unless they opt out (Simpson, 2008). Virginia Beach Department of Public of Health clinic provides free, confidential education, counseling and testing for HIV. They provide Nurses and health counselors at their Virginia Beach clinic for clients found to be HIV positive. The clinic operates on a walk in basis for testing. They offer services for the patients to contact other sexual partners that may need testing and treatment (Clinic, n.d.). Virginia Beach does not have a large immigration population with many ethnicities. There are however many resources available to address different cultures within our community. Yearly the city has a Latin festival and reggae festival. I do not encounter many people of differe nt cultures from Latin countries or Caribbean countries in the community. It is mostly whites or blacks, there is very minimal encounters with other races. It can present a problem in the community if there should be a rise in a specific ethnicities from a different parts of the world such as Africa, or Asia. Nurses and other health care providers would definitely need conferences on cultural diversity. The most I have been exposed to diversity is while working as charge nurse for a correctional facility for the Common Wealth of Virginia. Immigration and Customs Enforcement held many immigrants there for a period of time at correctional facility. Aspects of the community that can affect residents’ health were not visible to myself from a windshield point of view. Virginia Beach government website gave more insight on the aspects that affect residents in the community. Three aspects listed are teenage pregnancies, low birth weight babies and child abuse. In conclusion Virginia Beach is a wonderful community. It is not congested, we have large areas that still trees, wild animals and fishing areas. It is a family oriented community in my opinion with many resources within the community to meet the needs of individuals. Crime is at minimal, the people in the community are genuinely polite, and there are many programs in the community provided by the city or YMCA promoting health and wellness. Reference About Us. (n.d.). Retrieved February 8, 2015, from http://www.vbschools.com/root/aboutus.asp CIty of Virginia Beach Community Indicators. (2011, September 1). Retrieved February 8, 2015, from

Special education (special needs students in regular classes) Essay

Special education (special needs students in regular classes) - Essay Example However, I feel Timmy really wants to succeed, and as teachers we will be able to help him do this. This website offers a nice look into the different signs of ADD/ADHD, which is good for any teacher, as they should be able to pick up and monitor these signs. It also lists a bunch of creative strategies in dealing with children with ADD/ADHD. This site offers many different links, which all offer tons of information about the different teaching methods that have been used. All off these methods have been found to be highly effective, and are of great use to us as teachers. Another great and helpful site that was written from a parent's perspective. It offers ten key points to remember when teaching children with ADHD, and I think they are all important to Timmy's success. I feel that working with Timmy will be an joyous experience for us all, however trying it may be on our patience. I think that is the first important thing to remember. Next, I often find that if Timmy feel he needs to be the center of attention, I make him that, and ask him a question or have him help me with an activity. This really seems to help. I also feel that incorporating the different elements of my research, we can continue to build an effective plan for Timmy. I feel that it is also important to make sure Timmy keeps a notebook, so he can keep track of everything he is supposed to do.

Origens Allegorical Interpretation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Origens Allegorical Interpretation - Essay Example In this paper I will look into the history of Allegorical interpretation. Moreover I will precisely study why Origen chose to interpret allegorically, what were the factors that influenced him to do so, the times and circumstances when he studied the holy words and also whether his approach was successful or not. Origen was born to a Christian family in Alexandria in either year 185 or 186. His father was believed to be a prosperous and prominent man, who gave his son with schooling that was equally Hellenistic as well as Christian and was based on the learning of the standard literary works of olden Greece and the Holy Bible. Hence he grew up as together as a learned Greek and a committed Christian. This combat education definitely caused somewhat of an inside stress in Origen as he sought to settle his pledge to Christian belief and the Bible with the Hellenistic viewpoint he was educated. From the outlook of Hellenism, Christianity was slightly more than an additional barbarous false notion and the Bible represented a substandard set of texts that were not worth stern thought from the viewpoint of Greek visual standards2. Origen was not the initial one to face this anxiety, and he was proficient to find out from preceding Jewish and Christian whereabouts with Hellenism, mainly Platonic philosophy, in his individual effort to confirm the Bible and its ideas in the framework of the Greek intellectual surroundings. Undeniably, as a student at the school in Alexandria, it is probable that some of his instructors were from Clement of Alexandria, and was also well known for his challenge to communicate Christian teaching to Greek philosophical reflection5. Out of Origen's many works two are valued most in the history of the initial church and Christian thinking. "On First Principles" is a structured and methodical version of Origen's theological and truth-seeking arrangement relating to God, foundation, the different Logos of God, Jesus Christ and salvation. The second one that is "Against Celsus" is a comprehensive remorseful justification of Christian belief written in opposition to the analysis of the Roman thinker Celsus. In this book Origen tries to reveal the supremacy of the teaching and insight of the Bible over against that of the famous Greek philosophy. Allegory Before I proceed to explain the history behind Origen's allegorical interpretation, I would like to mention the formal definition for the term allegory as given by scholars. The word "allegory," is a derivative from the Greek language, from the word "alla," which refers to "other," and another term "agoreuo," which means "to declare." It initially referred to a form of dialogue that Cicero put forward as a 'incessant flow of similes.' Allegory is a style of communication in which one thing is explained by another 5. Allegory varies from the parable, as it is a more organized appearance of the diverse features of the thought that it demonstrates, and also in its contents which are apprehensive with the explanation of hypothetical truths rather than realistic exhortation. The History Of Allegorical Interpretation Allegorism was not a new concept at all. Infact it was well-known in

Work experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Work experience - Essay Example When working in this division, I had contact with multiple shipment vendors and worked to develop quality relationships with drivers and their related dispatchers. Invoicing was often a job requirement in the warehousing division. Sales and marketing dealt with identifying target markets for delivery of business-to-business promotional literature. In this business area, job responsibilities included heavy focus on relationship marketing to ensure that vendors within the supply chain remained responsive to our business’ needs. Monitoring strategic alliances for improving costs was often a business responsibility. In similar regard, customer service functions in the steel company included fielding calls from multiple clients and demanded proficiency in materials resource planning software. At the leadership level, accounting job responsibilities included calculating current and future net profit by reviewing balance sheets and income statements and recording revenue receipts. I earned considerable experience in the rules governing sales tax and income tax at the business level. Accounting gave me the ability to assess the financial health of a business through financial

PERFORMANCE AND CULTURE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

PERFORMANCE AND CULTURE - Essay Example Brecht invented and introduced the use of alienation effects in the theatre and plays. He is among the pioneer artist to develop a form of drama that has been called epic theatre in which ideas and didactic lessons are supposed to be more important and attention catching as compared with the other features and elements of the play (Frederic, 1992). Bertolt Brecht used his invented technique in many plays to attain his aim to encouraging people to think about the end, lesson and message rather focusing upon the emotions and characters. The following essay aim to discuss the way Brecht changed the traditional style in which the plays were written and staged. In this regard, the essay describes the efforts of Brecht in innovating new technique and style for the theatre and its use in his dramas. It has been unveiled that in the beginning Brecht was not completely successful to practice the alienation technique for gaining the desired results however; as his work grew mature he proved th e significance of the technique in form of several successful epic plays (Frederic, 1992). Bertolt Brecht and modernist theatre – Alienation technique and epic plays Bertolt Brecht held the firm belief that the actors should always strive to produce alienation effects in the drama in order to discard the traditional style of persuading the audiences with their characters in the play. Rather putting the audience into a trance the actors should go into the trace their selves so that they can present natural and lively performance in front of the audience. He believes that the way of speaking and the movements of the artists must be convincing and effective enough that audience can feel the real message behind the play rather getting lost in the fabrication of dialogues delivery. His dramas are considered as most importance and original work pieces in the European drama and he has widely recognized as most influential and prominent European materialist writer of the 20th century (Weber, 1984). The theatre practice of the twentieth century was heavily influenced and developed from the contributions of Brecht to the theatrical production and dramaturgy. He spent several decades in experimenting and developing the theory and practice of his epic theatre and devoted lot of time and efforts to bring something new and useful in the process of play making. He was inspired from the ideas of early theorists Erwin Piscator and Vrevolod Mayerhold regarding the use of theatre for as platform for the propagation of the political ideas. He believes that drama and theatre are medium for the transmission of ideas and thoughts and the audience should not stop thinking when the drama ends but the drama should be meaningful enough that the audience could initiate the thinking process during and after watching the drama (Willett, 1977). Brecht wants to support re-functioning of theatre in to a social use rather becoming a source of entertainment. His concentrated efforts and research work around the topic have resulted in the evolution and popularity of Brechtian theories and techniques that were widely uses in the theatre and cinematic practice. In the early days of his career in theatre and play making Brecht was more interested in doing experiments with dada and expressionism. However, as he proceeds with his work he attained maturity and new ideas and within few years he succeeded to develop a unique style of

Analysis on musical scoring by Hans Zimmer Essay

Analysis on musical scoring by Hans Zimmer - Essay Example This "Analysis on musical scoring by Hans Zimmer" essay describes artistic heritage of Hans Zimmer. The main ideal which Zimmer uses in his music is the combination of electronic and orchestral music. The influences of partnering with Myers, as well as his background in playing the keyboards has led to the scoring alternatives for his music and has led into the combined focus. Zimmer believes that the use of acoustics is one which is irreplaceable because of the mood it creates. There is an understanding that the electronic sounds and arrangements are able to create a different mood and set of elements that are easily combined with the music. The main concept which Zimmer keeps in mind before scoring the music is when and where to use the specific instrumentation as well as how this will reflect the story line and mood that comes from the music. Keeping these in mind first then allows Zimmer to move into scoring with the right alternatives and arrangements while creating a specific a pproach to finding the right mood before beginning the process of scoring. The first step which is taken with the process of creating a score is based on collaboration with the film producers. Stills, shots and the plot line are sent for consideration to the work of the music artist, specifically so it creates an understanding of what the characters are about and the mood which needs to be created in specific sections. If it is a work where music is used for specific characters, then the shots are from the make-up and the specific plot line which follows the characters. However, if there are suggestions to add music at a certain point in the plot line, then this is broken down between the composer and those working on the set. The earlier collaboration between the two is able to create an understanding of what is needed for the music scoring while beginning the process of producing the right tone with the overall score (Zimmer, 2009: 1). After this original step, there is an approac h to creating a nature of the sounds that are being introduced. Zimmer uses the process of taking the sounds and adding them into a script, specifically by

Business Research Methods Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Research Methods - Term Paper Example From the paper the most obvious weakness of the questionnaire is the lack to give a brief description of the purpose of the research, there is need to include a brief description to the respondents on what the research is aimed at finding out. The other problem with the questionnaire is that the questions are not logically set, there is a need to set the questions in a logical manner and opt to mix them up. This is achieved by grouping questions that tend to get some information together and arranging the questions from simple questions to the more complex question. The format of the questions in the questionnaire is mixed up and does not follow this rule. The other crucial information missing from this questionnaire is the information on confidentiality, there is need to add a note on the extent to which ethical issues on confidentiality will be observed, this will ensure that the respondents don't give biased information as a result of fear of exposure of information. Therefore there is a need to give a statement that tells the respondent about the level of confidentiality. Descriptions on where to return the complete questionnaire are also missing, there is need to clearly explain where to return the form and also advice the respondent to completely fill out all the questions because a questionnaire that is not fully filled is always discarded. The other drawback with the questionnaire is that there are two questions in one question, this is evident from the use of the word "and" in the questions, a research question in a questionnaire should not contain two question and thi9s is avoided by not using and in the question, this is evident from question 15 and 7, the problem with the two questions is that the respondent is not sure which question to answer and this leads to biases in responses given.  Ã‚  

Demand In Health Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Demand In Health Care - Essay Example the health care facilities are scarce, with limited hospitals and doctors. Most of the rural areas are deprived of proper medical treatments. In these developing (and under developed) countries most of the population belongs to the rural areas. The availability of proper medical facilities is scarce (Pear & Lowry, 2012). In addition to this, low standard medical facilities are available at significantly high prices. The demand for the proper medical treatment becomes low in rural areas because of lack of affordability and access to the up to the mark medical goods or services. Therefore, people in developing countries, particularly in the rural areas demand health care services. On the contrary, in developed countries most of the people are provided with the facilities of health care insurance at reasonable prices, which can make the access to proper medical facilities easier (McConnell, Campbell, Brue & Stanley, 1990), therefore people in developed countries like Canada, U.S and Europe take great care of their health. This again reflects the law of demand. The example illustrates the fact that there are different categories of health care facilities, some of them are those, which cannot be avoided for example in case of a car accident the emergency treatment cannot be avoided. The demand for the medical treatment in such situations is considered inelastic, no matter at what price the medical treatment is available. On the other hand, some medication for the purpose of headache can be avoided if the prices of medical facilities are high. Therefore, the demand for medical facilities, which are needed in case of emergency are inelastic i.e. with the change in price the demand of medical facilities may have insignificant impact. On the same logic (but with a different scenario), the demand for minor medication is highly elastic i.e. the demand reduces with the increase in price. On the contrary, the demand increases with

Marketing management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing management - Essay Example Effective segmenting, targeting and positioning are the key to successfully gaining customers by forming a good perception of the product in the mind of the customer. This report aims to develop appropriate segmentation and targeting strategies for â€Å"Natura† range of herbal beauty care products being launched by Janelle Inc., a US based company operating in the cosmetics and beauty care product industry. The report will also outline the positioning objective of the new product line and design a positioning strategy, which will aid the achievement of the set objectives. Lastly, the different marketing mix strategies which needs to be deployed as the product progress in the product life cycle will also be discussed along with an outline of key competitive strategies which the product will be using in competing in the long run. Janelle Inc. is a medium scale business operation incorporated in 1992, to cater to the US beauty care market. The company markets under two main brands – Janelle and Cleo, which is aimed at two different market segments. Janelle products are targeting the younger consumer base aged 18- 35 and mainly consisting of cosmetic items and few skin care products while the Cleo which is a more exclusive and upmarket product offered at the 35 + market segment, includes an extensive skin and hair care range along with cosmetics. In a recent market survey, the company realised that there is a substantial market interest in natural beauty care products, mainly in the 30+ age category. Based on this information, Janelle has decided to launch a new Herbal Beauty care product line. The company has formed an alliance with a reputed and well-established Herbal beauty care manufacturer in India, which manufactures for an exclusive cosmetic brand in the UK market. The new product line will be branded â€Å"Natura†

National Bank Essay Example for Free

National Bank Essay A research program is very important essential for acquiring experience through learning and spreading the scope of Knowledge. I have done my research program in National Bank Limited, Foreign Exchange Branch. This research report is aimed at providing a comprehensive picture to the areas of Foreign Exchange operation of National Bank Limited. The report has been divided into twelve parts. These are- Introduction, Brief History of Banking Sector of Bangladesh, Corporate review of NBL, Foreign Exchange, Documents Used in Foreign Exchange Business, Letter of Credit (L/C), Import, Export, Foreign Remittance, Findings and Analysis, References. National Bank Limited is one of the largest commercial Bank of Bangladesh. The main objective of the Bank is to provide all of banking services at the doorsteps of the people. The Bank also participates in various social and development programs and takes part in implementation of various policies and promises made by the Government. National Bank Limited plays a pioneering role in handling foreign trade and foreign exchange transactions. With wide network of branches at home and a large number of correspondent banks worldwide, it is handling the largest volume of export-import business including homebound remittances. For this reason, Foreign Exchange of the Bank is very much essential. But now a day’s banking sector of Bangladesh is suffering the disease of default culture which is the consequence or result of bad performance of most banks. There are three types of modes of foreign exchange market, which are- Export Financing, Import Financing and Foreign Remittance. Foreign Exchange Branch does these foreign exchange activities vastly. In this report, I mention the overall operating procedure of foreign exchange transaction of National Bank Limited. I also mention the findings of my report and describe the recommendation to overcome the limitation. I have taken all the reasonable care to ensure the accuracy and quality to make the report standard. And I believe that it has included all the necessary information to be relevant. INTRODUCTIOIN ORIGIN OF THE REPORT As a mandatory part the BBA Program, all the students of the faculty of  Business Studies, Premier University, Chittagong have to undergo a three month long research program with an objective of gaining practical knowledge about current business world. After this research program each and every students have to submit a research report mentioning their activities during the research program. I’ve started my research at the National Bank Limited, Foreign Exchange Branch. At the end of the research program I am submitting my research report focusing on the contribution of Foreign Exchange operation to the overall performance of bank especially on profitability perspective under the supervision of Tasnim Uddin Chowdhury, Lecturer, Department of Finance, in Premier University, Chittagong. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The general objective of the study is to gather practical knowledge regarding banking system and operation. The research gives us a chance to relate the four year long theoretical learning of BBA Program with the reserch experience. This consists the following: To get an overall idea about the Foreign exchange Business of National Bank Limited. To apply theoretical knowledge in the practical field. To describe the organizational structure, management, background, functions and objectives of the bank and its contribution to the national economy. To achieve overall understanding of National Bank Limited. To analyze the financing systems of the bank to find out any contributing field. To examine the profitability and productivity of the bank. To acquire knowledge about the everyday banking operation of National Bank Limited. To evaluate the effect of world recession on foreign exchange income of NBL, Foreign Exchange Branch. To understand the real management situation and try to recommend for improving existing problems. SCOPE OF THE STUDY This study provides those scopes of knowing are the following: History and performance of National Bank Limited. Terms used in foreign exchange operations Foreign exchange operations of National Bank Limited Literature review. Total concept of Foreign Exchange Operation. METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY The report is prepared on the basic of foreign Exchange of National Bank Limited. To conduct the overall study, at first I explored the sources of Primary and Secondary information and data. Different files of the department and statement prepared by FED helped me to prepare this report. To present numerical data, I used the Annual Report of 2008 and monthly statement of January to October 2009 of National Bank Limited, Foreign Exchange Branch. For preparing this report I have used some graphical representation to find out different types of analytical and interpretation. SOURCES OF DATA As mentioned earlier, mainly primary and secondary data has been used. Sometimes the customers gave some important information regarding the services of the Bank: PRIMARY DATA Official records of National Bank Limited (NBL).. Expert opinion. SECONDARY DATA Monthly Statement of NBL. Annual Report of NBL. Official Files. Selected books. Other manual information. Websites. Various publications on the Bangladesh Bank. Newspaper reports in this concern. DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION Both quantitative and qualitative analysis will be performed on the findings. The quantitative analysis will be done on the trend of export- import, growth pattern of export-import, pre and post facilities provided for easing the export-import operations. Qualitative analyses will be based on the macroeconomic variables and foreign exchange policy provided by Bangladesh bank, the central bank of Bangladesh. Different statistical tools will be used for the analysis of the findings. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY To provide current information and to make the report read-worthy, support from various sources is essential. In spite of having my wholehearted effort, I could not collect some information required at the time of the study. So this study is not free from the following limitation: Due to unavailability of latest annual report (Annual report 2009), I have to prepare the report on the basis of annual report 2008. As a result, analysis, presentation of data may not show the existing position/present condition of National Bank Limited. For the whole research I had only 90 days, out of which I get 61 days because of late commencement of research program, which were totally insufficient. So I faced time shortage extremely. Lack of previous experience to prepare this type of report and it is totally new to me as an intern. Foreign exchange division follows Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits (UCPDC), but within this short period, I was totally stunned to understand. Learning all the banking functions within just two months was really difficult. Sometimes the officers of National Bank Limited were very busy. For this reason the personal did not co-operate me. National Bank Limited did not give me any kind of monetary support for this research program Most of the working days in NBL, I have to work in cash department to help in IPO subscription collection, so I get limited time work in other departments to have practical knowledge Another limitation of  this report is Bank’s policy of not disclosing some data and information for obvious reason, which could be very much helpful. BRIEF HITORY OF BANKING SECTOR OF BD EVOLUTION OF THE WORD ‘BANK’ The word bank originated from Italian word â€Å"Banca†. Banca means long tool. In ancient time Italian Jews merchant used to do business of lending money by sitting on the tools. It is assumed that the word â€Å"bank† derived from the word Banca. To meet the expense of war of 1171 one type credit certificate was launched in Italy at an interest rate of 5% it was called as Monte in Italian language and Bank in German language then German language was widely used in Italy. As a result the word Bank gradually changed to the word Banca from which the word Bank originated. THE EMERGENCE OF MODERN BANKING The linguistics and etymologists suggests an interesting story about banking origins. Both the old French word â€Å"Banque† and the Italian word Banca were used centuries ago to mean a bench or moneychangers table. This describes quite well what historians have observed concerning the first bankers, who lived more than 2000 years ago. They were money changers, situated usually at table or in a small shop in the commercial district, aiding travelers who came to town by exchanging foreign coins for local money or discounting commercial notes for a fee in order to supply merchants with working capital. The first bankers probably used their own capital to fund their activities, but it was not long before the idea of attracting deposit and securing temporary loans from wealthy customers became a source of bank funding. Loans were then made to merchant’s shippers and landowners at rates of interests low as 6 percent per annum to as high as 48 percent a month for the riskiest ventures. Most of the early bank was Greek in origin. The banking industry gradually spread outward from the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome into northern and western Europe. The early bank in Europe was places for safe keeping of valuable items (such as gold and  silver bullion) as people came to fear loss of their asset due to war, theft, or expropriation by government. When colonies were established in North and South America, old world banking practice were transferred . DEVELOPMENT OF BANKING IN BANGLADESH Since early British rule, the history of banking in Bangladesh territory shows that the traditional trade-networks developed before the banks invaded rural areas. And the banking services have slowly flourished in Bangladesh territory. Even today, in many places, moneylenders provide credit services. Small shopkeepers and businessman use informal credit at high interest rate. Traditional mahjong’s money lending business gradually declined due to expansion of bank and the micro credit programs of NGOs, cooperative banks and government agencies. PUBLIC SECTOR BANKS During the liberation war in 1971, the economic, political, and social system including the banking system was severally damaged. At that time, all big and medium financial institutions except two small banks had their head office in the West Pakistan. The non-beagle owners and managers of the financial establishments that operated in East Pakistan had abandoned them. After independence in 1971, the new government had to take over management and ownership of all such institutions. The banks Nationalization Order 1972 was issued to nationalize banks and financial institutions (except those incorporated abroad) in order to control chaos in the field of ownership, party bureaucracy, the intelligentsia, and pressure group. By several orders the government of Peoples Republic of Bangladesh created- Six nationalized commercial banks (NCBs): 1. Sonali Bank 2. Agrani Bank 3. Janata Bank 4. Rupali Bank 5. Pubali Bank 6. Uttra Bank One industrial bank (BSB) One agricultural bank (BKB) One industrial development financial institution (BSRS) The bank and financial institutions which originated during the Pakistan period and were merged, and renamed and functioning after independence of Bangladesh. In the year 1983, the government allowed private sector to participate in the banking business. The Publi Bank and the Uttara Bank were denationalized in 1985, due to non profitability. This action reduced the number of NCBs to four. Such restructuring of public sector banks was in order to play their role in industry, agriculture, export, self –employment etc. PRIVATE COMMERCIAL BANKS Taking advantage of the liberalization policy of the government regarding participation of private sector in the banking business, a number of private banks were established in –and –after 1983. With the emergence of private banks in Bangladesh, a competitive situation in the sector has been created. Now there are 48 commercial banks in Bangladesh which are enlisted with Bangladesh Bank, among them four (4) are NCBs, five (5) are specialized banks, twenty nine (29) are private commercial banks and ten (10) are foreign commercial banks. The emergence of private banks has added a new dimension to the banking system in Bangladesh. The private commercial banks show a steady growth in terms of number of branches, deposit and advances. CORPORATE REVIEW OF NATIONAL BANK History of National Bank Limited National Bank Limited has its prosperous past, glorious present, prospective future and under processing projects and activities. Established as the first private sector Bank fully owned by Bangladeshi entrepreneurs, NBL has been flourishing as the largest private sector bank with the passage of time after facing many stress and strain. The member of the board of directors is creative businessman and international economist. For rendering all modern  services, NBL, as a financial institution automated all it’s branches with computer network in accordance with the competitive commercial demand of time. Moreover, considering it’s forth- coming future the infrastructure of the Bank has been much more to NBL. Keeping the target in mind NBL has taken preparation branches by the wear 2000-2001. The emergence of National Bank Limited in the private sector is an important event in the banking area of Bangladesh. When the national was in the grip of severe recession, Govt. too k the farsighted decision to allow in the private sector to revive the economy of the country. Several dynamic entrepreneurs came forward for establishing a bank with a motto to revitalize the economy of the country. National Bank Limited was born as the first hundred percent Bangladesh owned Bank in the private sector. From the very inception it is the firm determination of National Bank Limited to play a vital role in the national economy. We are determined to bring back the long forgotten taste of banking services and flavors. We want to serve each one promptly and with a sense of dedication and dignity. The President of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Justice Ahsanuddin Chowdhury inaugurated the bank formally on March 28, 1983 but the first branch at 48, Dilkusha Commercial Area, Dhaka started functioning on March 23, 1983. The 2nd Branch was opened on 11th May 1983 at Khatungonj, Chittagong. Today we have total 103 Branches all over Bangladesh. A representative office was established in Yangon, Myanmar in October, 1996 by our bank and obtained permission from t he government of Bangladesh to handle border trade with Myanmar .opportunities is being explored for further business avenues there. Now NBL is on line to establish trade and communication with the prime international banking companies of the world. As a result NBL will be able to build a strong root in international banking horizon .Bank has been drawing arrangement with well conversant money transfer service agency â€Å"Western union†. It has full time arrangement for speedy transfer of money all over the world. Banking is not only a profit – oriented commercial institution but it has a public bas and social commitment admitting this true NBL is going on with its diversified banking activities NBL introduced monthly Savings Scheme, special Deposit Scheme, and Consumers. Credit Scheme and savings Insurance scheme etc. To combine the people of lower and middle income group. A team of highly qualified and experiment professional headed by the managing Director of the  bank who has vast banking experience operates bank and at the top three is an efficient Board of Directors for making policies. Vision of National Bank Limited Establishing as a top grade efficient bank through best application of modern information technology and business activities, offering high standard client services and Proper coordination of foreign trade business in the core of their vision. Mission of national bank Limited With a view to achieving commercial objective of the bank, their sincere and all out efforts stay put unabated. Respected client and shareholders are attracted to us for our transparency, accountability, social communities, and high quality of clientele services. Objective of national Bank Limited Bring modern banking facilities to the doorsteps of general public through diversification of services, thereby arousing saving propensity among the people. Foreign a cordial, deep rooted and farm banker customer relationship by dispensing prompt and improved clientele services. Taking part in the development of the national economy through productive development of the banks resources as well as patronizing different social activities. Connecting clients to modern banking practices by the best application of improved information technology, so that they get encouraged to continue and feel proud of banking with NBL. Responding to the need of the time by participating in the syndicated large loan financing with like-minded banks of the country, thereby expanding the area of investment Elevating the image of the bank at home and abroad by sustained expansion of its activities. Strategies of National Bank Limited To manage and operate the bank in the most efficient manner to enhance financial performance and to control cost of fund. To strive for customer satisfaction through quality control and delivery of timely services. To identify customer credit and other banking needs and monitor their perception towards our performance in meeting those and update requirement. To review and update policies procedures and practices to enhance the ability to extend better services to customer. To train and develop all employs and provide them adequate resources so that customer needs can responsibility addressed. To promote organizational effectiveness by openly communicating company plans, policies, practices and procedures to all employers in a timely fashion To cultivate a working environment that fosters positive motivation for improved performance To diversify portfolio both in the retail and whole sale market. To increase direct contact with customer in order o cultivate a closer relationship Busin ess Goal To patronize, sponsor and encouraged games and sports, entertainment and other socio-economic activities alongside providing the best services to the client. The Future thrust Full duplex on-line Banking Introducing more innovative products and services Opening new branches Expansion of business network at home and abroad SMS Banking Introduction of new liability / Asset products Corporate Culture Employees of NBL share certain common values, which helps to create a NBL culture. The client comes first Search for professional excellence Openness to new ideas new methods to encourage creativity Quick decision making Flexibility and prompt response A sense of professional ethics Growth and Development of NBL The NBL carries out all traditional functions, which a commercial bank performs such as mobilization of the deposit, investment of funds, financing export and import business, trade and commerce and industry. The banking sector in the country faced different problems thought the year. Even through the board and management never stopped its effort to maximize wealth, which is reflected by 143.97percent profit growth in 2007, highest ever in the last 15 years. The bank earned the 676.45 core revenue in 2007 as interest, income from investment and commission exchange earning, which who Tk. 530:69 corer in the provision year. As a result the total operating profit rode to Tk. 221.51 corer in 2007 from Tk.114.68 corer in the previous year. Branches of NBL NBL, which was started at Dilkusha Branch on March 23rd, 1983, was the first major commercial Bank. In Bangladesh operating throughout the country as well as the age of the bank is only 25 years .During this period it has established total 112 branches over the country and made smooth network inside the country as well as thought the world. The number of branches as well as territory wise is mentioned in the table.

Potential renewable energy sources for kuwait

Potential renewable energy sources for kuwait RENEWABLE ENERGY Potential Renewable Energy Sources for Kuwait Kuwaits solution to providing enforcement to the current grid capacity and reliability is by exploring the various available options of renewable energy. Some of the major renewable forms of energy being utilized all over the world include solar, geothermal, wind and hydro energy. Based on the countrys climatic conditions, the potential sources of energy available for Kuwait are as follows. Solar Energy A key source of energy that Kuwait could utilize is solar energy. Solar energy involves converting the freely available and abundant sunlight to electrical power. The country experiences high temperatures and very sunny days between June and September (Salam Mazrooei, 2007). Kuwait can therefore comfortably sustain solar power production throughout the summer. Solar as a form of energy can be looked at from two angles: thermal-where solar energy is used for heating and photovoltaic (PV) which involves solar energy being used for power production. The first form of energy involves converting the heat from the sun into electricity, which is used in homes for water heating and desalination. Utilization in this way would result in much saving in terms of expenditure on energy. This form of energy can be used to cater for all household energy needs. It can also be used in street lighting as well as in industries for food production. It requires little cost to set up and maintain a solar energy system in your house. Apart from this being a cheaper option, it is environmental friendly in that it does not emit any harmful gases. The second option of utilizing sunlight, photovoltaic, would require more complex system put in place. This option is in fact under consideration by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to be implemented in Kuwait. Plans are underway to invest $3.6 billion in Kuwait alone to achieve photovoltaic energy in the country (Alnaser 2008). Using solar energy is expected to reduce the contribution of Kuwait to the worlds emission of Carbon Monoxide which currently stands at about 0.2% (Alnaser, 2008). Alnaser (2008) has further argued that globally, there has been an average increase of 40% in terms of the volumes of energy produced from solar. There is still more room for improvement because the amount of energy produced in a single day is enough to sustain life for years. Solar as a source of energy has a major shortcoming in that it is susceptible to interruption and thus not stable (ABB, 2011). The supply may be low during the cloudy and rainy days. The power produced may thus not be efficient and reliable for critical uses such as in production industries. Advances in technology should however be able to solve this problem in future. A more complex system that is able to store the solar energy and giving the user the control of the units being consumed is being explored. ABB (2011) has explained how lithium-ion batteries can be integrated with solar energy to provide back up during low production periods. Previous attempts by the Kuwait government to embark on solar energy project were thwarted by sand storm and the prevailing large amount of dust on potential tapping areas. The government has at times appeared not to be too enthusiastic to the idea as it â€Å"fails to give financial incentives to those willing to pursue such projects.† (Hashem, 2011). There is a renewed effort by the countrys government to invest in exploring the solar energy options. Recently, the countrys Chamber of Commerce and Industry, (KCCI), revealed a government-lead project that would cost $120bn. The project is to be implemented within the next five years. It involves the government embracing solar energy as part of its development plans. (Hashem, 2011). The government has also shown interests by partnering with other countries governments to implement solar projects all over the country. Fortune CT from UK and Toyota T Suchu Corporation from Japan are some of the international companies actively participating in implantation of solar energy in different regions in Kuwait. Solar energy has little effect on the environments as not gases are emitted. The costs of acquiring a solar system are also cheaper compared to geothermal and hydro. Maintaining the system costs almost nothing as no fuel is used. Wind Energy Wind energy involves utilizing the strength of wind to move large treadmills which in turn rotate to produce power. Just like solar energy, this form of energy is renewable and has little harm to the environment. Already, countries like Brazil are utilizing this form of energy ABB (2011). Brazil utilizes the offshore wind to generated energy which is then transmitted in the normal power lines for hundreds of kilometers. Countries with similar weather patterns including North African and other Middle East countries are in the process of implementing wind power use. It is projected that in years to come, wind energy will be used to produce about 12% the global energy and in the process a significant alternative energy source in the coming years (Alnaser, 2008). Kuwaits wind speed is above the 1400 per hour threshold which is considered as the minimum wind speed that can sustain economically viable wind production. Salam Mazrooei (2007) have noted that in recent years, Kuwait has been experiencing increasing wind speeds. There has been an increase of wind speeds of up to 0.21 ms-1 between 1999 and 2004. The country could look at the positive side of this effect. Windmills could be set up at strategic places to help trap the wind energy and convert it to electrical energy. Alnaser (2008) has projected that Kuwait would be generating a significant amount of wind and solar energy by the year 2015. For Kuwait to achieve this form of energy, a complex system made up of several wind turbines will have to be put in place at strategic areas. An ideal area would be on the sea shore to capitalize on the sea breeze common in such places. The acquisition of these turbines as well as setting up the plants will cost quite a lot. The government has to therefore provide some funding or offer incentive to private investor who may be willing to undertake the venture. Wind plans have also been known to have a negative effect on the wildlife in the surrounding area especially the birds. The construction sites of wind power plants require an area that is free from wind obstruction. With buildings built across the country, finding such a place may be a bit hard. Economically sustainable production of wind power requires that there be windy conditions throughout which might not always be the case. Geothermal energy Geothermal energy involves utilizing the heat on the ground to yield energy. Kuwait has the potential of creating geothermal energy that is yet to be fully exploited. Plans are underway to increase this option of energy generation. The Kuwait government has given a go ahead to contractor to construct a water plant, Al-Zour North power plant that is expected to produce about 4,800 megawatts of power (Izzak, 2010). The government is also planning to increase production in existing plants by replacing old systems with more efficient ones. Izzak, (2010) has explained that the government of Kuwait intends to replace about 18 percent of the transformers currently being used with more efficient ones. Other Countries in the Middle East have also been toying with the idea of geothermal energy. In UAE for example, Masdar, a pro environment conservation company has been carrying tests on how to implement a geothermal project in Abu Dhabi since 2009. The implementation was expected to start immediately after the testing. A major set buck to geothermal energy is that the process is a bit expensive to implement as compared to implementing solar energy. This is because geothermal electricity generation depends on water; yet this water has to be gotten through desalination of seawater, which is a costly process. Initial set up of the plant is also costly. Another problem is that Kuwait is quite hot. Achieving the geothermal energy requires some form of cooling. This cooling is quite impossible to achieve without emitting harmful gases to the environment. The depths at which the hot rocks are located vary from place to place. Geologists have to do thorough study to establish such facts and also to evaluate whether such a project is economically feasible in Kuwait. Once a geothermal plant is up and running, maintenance and running costs are relatively low. Hydroelectricity Hydroelectric power productions involve large volumes of high pressure water being used to turn large turbines to produce energy. Kuwait experiences a low amount of rainfall with the average being about 115 mm (Salam Mazrooei, 2007). The country is generally dry with few rivers. For the country to sustain an economical level of hydroelectric energy production, it must utilize other sources: primarily seawater. For this to happen, a fuel consuming process of salination has to be carried out which might be expensive to undertake. Just like the other aforementioned options, Hydro plant set up requires a lot of resources to set up. Such a project would therefore require substantive funding from either the government or private sector. This form of energy would require building of dams. This would result in interfering with the wildlife existing in the rivers as well as the surrounding area. Bio Fuel Another potential source of renewable energy is bio fuel. This is a kind of fuel that is obtained from biomass. The energy produced can be used for heating and lighting in the rural areas. It can be also used for cooking at both rural and urban setting. Bio Fuel energy offers the only alternative to fossil fuel as a renewable carbon based source of fuel that exist is significant quantity (Klass, 2004). Klass, (2004) has argued that the levels of natural gas would not be sufficient to sustain the demand during the beginning of the 21st century. Such a situation would force the world to look elsewhere for their energy supply. This could require the stakeholders in the sector to shift to unexploited biomass as the alternative source of energy. Kuwait can position herself for such an eventuality by investing in the relevant biomass conversion technologies. The country could, for instance, invest in power plants which use wood energy which is burned to generate steam. This steam is in turn channeled to turbines to produce energy. To sustain this way of energy production, there requires a sufficient supply of biomass. Breeding plants that produce high amount of biomass can achieve this. Klass, (2004) has identified particular plant species that can achieve help achive this. Such plants include the unique herbaceous biomass plants and other hybrid flora, which he refers to as ‘energy plants. Klass, (2004) has explained a way of ensuring a constant supply of biomass for biofuel. This is by ensuring that a new growth of biomass will readily come up in place of the biomass collected for energy production. Bio fuel use has an additional advantage in that it has does not pollute the environment and displaces the use of fuel. When used in conjunction with coal or wood, bio fuel reduces the amount of harmful gasses released to the environment. Bio fuel use could also reduce the rate at which fossil fuel is being depleted from earth. Ethanol fuel Closely related to bio fuel is use of ethanol. This ethanol as gotten from plants such as sugarcane, wheat and corn and can be used for fueling vehicles. Setting up plants for ethanol harvesting is relatively cheap. However, getting a constant supply of ethanol producing plants would require a considerable resource allocation. The process of production of energy is also quit costly, as it requires fuel. The fuel used in producing ethanol may also result in production of gases, which may pollute the environment. Conclusion The potential is there for Kuwait to explore other option of energy production. The underlying factor in all these options is some sort of funding for research as well as initial set up. The government of Kuwait can do this either directly or by offering financial incentive. Exhaustive cost-benefit analysis is also necessary to establish the viability of each option. Any option that Kuwait takes would an important enforcement to the current grid capacity which is dominated by natural gas and oil.

Physical Activity Recommendations for the Elderly

Physical Activity Recommendations for the Elderly Introduction Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (WHO, 1946). There are many factors which have an impact on health and quality of life, including lifestyle choices of each individual. Diets high in fruits and vegetables and participation in regular physical activity are associated with a lower risk for several chronic diseases and conditions (US department of health and human services, 2005). Physical inactivity is very common globally with 31% of adults over 15 years old being insufficiently active. Insufficient physical inactivity results in about 3.2 million deaths per year (WHO, 2008). Elder adults are generally more vulnerable to malnutrition. This is because both lean body mass and basal metabolic rate decrease with increasing age. It has been found that many diseases suffered by the older people are diet- related. Other factors contributing to malnutrition include dietary, psychosocial, physiological and economic changes (DiMaria-Ghalili, R. A., Amella, E., 2005). Global Recommendations on physical activity for 65 years and above according to the WHO Older adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week or do at least 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity. Aerobic activity should be performed in bouts of at least 10 minutes duration. For additional health benefits, older adults should increase their moderate intensity aerobic physical activity to 300 minutes per week, or engage in 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, or an equivalent combination of moderate-and vigorous-intensity activity. Older adults, with poor mobility, should perform physical activity to enhance balance and prevent falls on 3 or more days per week. Muscle-strengthening activities, involving major muscle groups, should be done on 2 or more days a week. When older adults cannot do the recommended amounts of physical activity due to health conditions, they should be as physically active as their abilities and conditions allow. Inactive people should start with small amounts of physical activity and gradually increase duration, frequency and intensity over time. Inactive adults and those with disease limitations will have added health benefits when they become more active. (WHO, 2011) Physical activity and bone loss Exercise plays an important role in building and maintaining bone and muscle strength. Physical activity positively influences most structural components of the musculoskeletal system that are related to functional capabilities and the risk of degenerative diseases. Physical activity also has the potential to postpone or prevent prevalent musculoskeletal disorders, such as mechanical low back pain, neck and shoulder pain, and osteoporosis and related fractures. Exercise can contribute to the rehabilitation of musculoskeletal disorders and recovery from orthopedic surgery. Muscles and bones respond and strengthen when they are stressed. This can be achieved by weight bearing or impact exercises which make the bones denser. Physical activity helps prevent weak bones and falls in the elderly. One-third of people over 65 have a fall each year and the risk of falling increases as age rises. People who have suffered fractures can benefit from special exercises and training (under medical supervision) to improve muscle strength and muscle function for greater mobility and improved quality of life. Balance training and Tai chi have been shown to decrease falls by 47% and reduce the risk of hip fracture by approximately 25%. Physical activity and hypertension Hypertension is defined as the constant pumping of blood through blood vessels with excessive force (WHO, 2011). Hypertension prevalence increases with advancing age and is higher in men than in women until the age of 55 years, but is slightly higher in postmenopausal women (Kannel WB, 2003). According to the 2009 NCD report, 38.1% of Mauritian people aged 65 and older were considered as hypertensive but were not on medications. 45.5% were being treated for hypertension. Hypertension is the major risk factor for stroke, heart failure, and coronary artery disease in older adults, while all of these disorders are important contributors to mortality and functional disability. Primary hypertension is the result of multiple conditions, such as genetic, nutritional, psychosocial, and life style factors. One of the life style factors leading to hypertension is obesity, which is usually related to a sedentary life style and inadequate physical activity. Since most elderly people have an inactive routine, they are at a much higher risk of developing high blood pressure. Therapeutic lifestyle changes, such as reduced dietary sodium intake, weight loss, regular aerobic activity, and moderation of alcohol consumption, have been shown to benefit elderly patients with hypertension. Regular aerobic exercise, consisting of a minimum of 30 min of interval training on a treadmill done three times a week, has been shown to be well tolerated and beneficial (Westhoff TH et al., 2007). The physiological effects of exercise on hypertension are complex and not fully understood. Specific mechanisms have been found to be relevant. An immediate (acute) reduction in BP following exercise has been termed ‘post-exercise hypotension’ and is agreed to be caused by reductions in vascular resistance. (Hamer, 2006). The chronic benefits can be partially explained by a decreased systemic vascular resistance in which the autonomic nervous system and renin-angiotensin system are most likely the underlying regulatory mechanisms (Cornelissen and Fagard, 2005). Another factor contributing to this decrease in vascular resistance is the increase of nitric oxide production (from different sites in the body) causing a vasodilation in response to regular aerobic exercise. Physical exercise and diabetes Diabetes is a chronic disease, which occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. This leads to an increased concentration of glucose in the blood (hyperglycemia). Diabetes is classified in three main categories: Type 1 diabetes (also known as insulin-dependent) Type 2 diabetes (also called non-insulin-dependent) Gestational diabetes 347 million people worldwide have diabetes (Danaei G et al., 2011). The prevalence of diabetes in adults aged 20-74 years was 21.3%: 21.9% in men and 20.6% in women (NCD report, 2009). Physical activity plays an important role in the management of type 2 diabetes, particularly glycemic control (Canadian Diabetes Association Clinical Practice Guidelines Expert Committee, 2003., Zinman B, et al., 2004., Boule NG et al., 2001., Ronnemaa T et al., 1986) and improvements in cardiovascular risk profile such as decreased hyperinsulinemia, increased insulin sensitivity, reduced body fat, decreased blood pressure and better lipid profiles (Lehmann R et al.,1997., Schneider SH et al.,1992). Regular moderate physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness are also associated with reductions in mortality of approximately 45 to 70% in type 2 diabetes populations (Wei M, Gibbons, et al., 2000) Moreover, regular moderate physical activity can decrease glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) to a level associated with reduced risk of diabetic complications (Boule NG et al., 2001) and is therefore favorably delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes in high-risk groups (Knowler WC et al., 2002., Lindstrom AM et al., 2003). The decline in insulin sensitivity with aging is relatively due to a lack of physical activity. It is likely that maintaining better levels of fitness in the older population will lead to less chronic vascular disease and an improved quality of life (ADA, 2004). Physical activity and obesity Obesity is defined as an unhealthy excess accumulation of fat in the body, which increases the risk if medical illness and premature mortality. It is due to an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. Physical activity contributes to the creation of an energy deficit by increasing total energy expenditure, and this can promote weight loss. Aging is associated with a decrease in all major components of total energy expenditure (TEE) including resting metabolic rate (RMR; which accounts for ≈70% of TEE), thermic effect of food (which accounts for ≈10% of TEE), and physical activity (which accounts for ≈20% of TEE). Physical activity decreases with increasing age, and it has been estimated that decreased physical activity accounts for about one-half of the decrease in TEE that occurs with aging (Elia M, Ritz P, Stubbs RJ., 2000). Hormonal changes such as reduced responsiveness to thyroid hormone, decreased secretion of growth hormone, decrease in serum testosterone and resistance to leptin that occur during aging can also enhance the accumulation of fat ( American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2005). Obesity is associated with a number of complications as decreased survival metabolic abnormalities high blood pressure insulin resistance dyslipidemia pulmonary abnormalities arthritis urinary incontinence cataracts cancer Moderate weight loss in conjunction with physical activity improves physical function and health-related quality of life in obese older persons. Physical activity and cardiovascular health A higher rate of cardiovascular events and a higher death rate have been observed in those individuals with low levels of physical fitness (Pate RR et al., 1995., US Public Health Service, Office of the Surgeon General, 1996). Even midlife increases in physical activity, through change in occupation or recreational activities, are associated with a decrease in mortality (Paffenbarger RS et al., 1993). Despite this evidence, however, the vast majority of adults remain effectively inactive. According to AHA, a sedentary lifestyle is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Evidence from many scientific studies shows that regular exercise decreases the chance of having a heart attack or experiencing another cardiac event, such as a stroke, and reduces the possibility of needing a coronary revascularization procedure (bypass surgery or coronary angioplasty). Benefits of regular exercise on cardiovascular risk factors include: Increase in exercise tolerance Reduction in body weight Reduction in blood pressure Reduction in bad (LDL and total) cholesterol Increase in good (HDL) cholesterol Increase in insulin sensitivity In addition, exercise training positively impacts the above risk factors even in patients older than 75 years (American Family Physician, 2005). There is also evidence that exercise training improves the capacity of the blood vessels to dilate in response to exercise or hormones, consistent with better vascular wall function and an improved ability to provide oxygen to the muscles during exercise. As one’s ability to transport and use oxygen improves, regular daily activities can be performed with less fatigue. This is particularly important for patients with cardiovascular disease, whose exercise capacity is typically lower than that of healthy individuals. Patients with newly diagnosed heart disease who participate in an exercise program report a more positive outlook in terms of quality of life, such as more self-confidence, lower stress, and less anxiety. Importantly, researchers have found that for heart attack patients who participated in a formal exercise program, the death rate is reduced by 20% to 25%. This is strong evidence in support of physical activity for patients with heart disease (Circulation, 2003). Physical activity and cancer The International Agency for Research on Cancer estimates that 25% of cancer cases worldwide are caused by obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. These factors may increase cancer risk by several mechanisms such as increased estrogens and testosterone, hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance, increased inflammation, and depressed immune function. Several studies have shown that physical activity and diet changes can alter biomarkers of cancer risk (Journal of Nutrition, 2007). There is strong epidemiologic evidence for reduced risk of some cancers with increasing physical activity. The strongest evidence exists for colorectal and postmenopausal breast cancer, with possible associations for prostate, endometrial, and lung cancer (Friedenreich CM, Orenstein MR., 2002). Types of physical activities There are 4 main types of physical activities namely aerobic, muscle strengthening, bone strengthening, and stretching and balance activities. (Dairy Council of California, 2014) (National heart, blood and lung institute, 2011). Aerobic activities also called cardiovascular exercises help improve the condition of lungs and heart, increase stamina, improve blood circulation and burn body fat. Such activities might include walking, jogging, bicycling, climbing stairs, walking on a treadmill, dancing, swimming or jumping rope. These types of activities help to raise your heart rate and increase your breathing for an extended period of time as well as decrease the blood pressure. Muscle strengthening increases the body metabolism by burning more calories after having stopped exercising. This is achieved by an increase in muscle mass. Muscle-strengthening activities improve the strength, power, and endurance of muscles. Doing pushups and sit-ups, lifting weights, climbing stairs, and digging in the garden are some examples. Strength training helps make bones stronger, improves balance and increases muscle strength. All of this helps prevent osteoporosis and lowers the risk of hip fractures from falls. Strength training has also been shown to lessen arthritis pain. Stretching helps to ease movement, improve flexibility and prevent muscle strain and injury. Stretching also helps to warm up the body and prepare for exercise. Balance activities help you maintain posture and balance to keep from falling. This is particularly important for the elderly who are at risk for bone fractures. Levels of physical activities by intensities Intensity refers to the rate at which the activity is being performed or the magnitude of the effort required to perform an activity or exercise (WHO, 2014). The levels of intensities of physical activities are usually expressed in METs, Metabolic Equivalents. MET is the ratio of a persons working metabolic rate relative to their resting metabolic rate. One MET is defined as the energy cost of sitting quietly and is equivalent to a caloric consumption of 1kcal/kg/hour. It is estimated that compared with sitting quietly, a persons caloric consumption is three to six times higher when being moderately active (3-6 METs) and more than six times higher when being vigorously active (>6 METs). One limitation to this way of measuring exercise intensity is that it does not consider the fact that some people have a higher level of fitness than others. Thus, walking at 3 to 4 miles-per-hour is considered to require 4 METs and to be a moderate-intensity activity, regardless of who is doing the activity whether a young marathon runner or a 90-year-old adult. Light-intensity activities require the least amount of effort, compared to moderate and vigorous activities. Light intensity activity is related to energy expenditure of less than 3 METs. It does not increase the heart rate. Moderate-intensity physical activity raises the heart rate, breathing rate and body temperature. During such type of activity, one can talk but not sing. The caloric consumption is from 3 to 6 METS. Vigorous intensity physical activity causes the greatest amount of oxygen consumption. It burns more than 6 METS. A person cannot utter more than a few words without gasping for breath. Examples of physical activities based on intensity Light Activity less than 3.0 METS* (less than 3.5 calories per minute) Moderate Activity less 3.0-6.0 METS* (3.5 – 7 calories per minute) Vigorous Activity greater than 6.0 METS* (more than 7 calories per minute) Casual Walking Bicycling less than 5 mph Stretching Sitting Light weight training Dancing slowly Leisurely sports (table tennis, playing catch) Floating Boating Fishing Golf—using cart Light yard/house work Occupations requiring extended periods of sitting Brisk walking (3 4.5 mph) Walking uphill Hiking Roller skating at leisurely pace Bicycling 5-9 mph Low impact aerobics Aqua aerobics Light calisthenics Yoga Gymnastics Jumping on a trampoline Weight training Moderate dancing Boxing—punching bag Most aerobic machines (e.g., stair climber, elliptical, stationary bike)—moderate pace Competitive tennis, volleyball, badminton, diving Recreational swimming Canoeing Horseback riding Golf—carrying clubs Housework that involves intense scrubbing/cleaning Shoveling snow Carrying a child weighing more than 50 pounds Occupations that require an extended amount of time standing or walking Race walking (more than 4.5 mph) Jogging/Running Wheeling a wheelchair Mountain climbing Backpacking Fast pace in-line skating Bicycling more than 10 mph High impact aerobics Step aerobics Vigorous calisthenics Karate, judo, tae kwon do, jujitsu Jumping rope, jumping jacks Circuit weight training Vigorous dancing Boxing—sparring Most aerobic machines (e.g., stair climber, elliptical, stationary bike)—vigorous pace Competitive basketball, soccer, football, rugby, kickball, hockey, lacrosse Swimming laps or synchronized swimming Treading water Water jogging Water polo Downhill or cross country skiing Pushing non-motorized lawnmower Occupations that require heavy lifting or rapid movement Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (1999). Promoting physical activity. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.