Remarking Public Exams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Remarking Public Exams - Essay Example In recent years, remarking of exam papers has come under acute scrutiny. In 2001-2002, this had been a big issue in the GCSE and A-levels examinations because the grades were very different from expectations and widely fluctuated. Questions like should the students be compensated if there is a legal action, has cropped up many times. This also resulted in some students taking a gap year. Students and parents were both disturbed by this years grading and it had not been easy for anybody. But schools were told that the variations are normal and had to be accepted1. There was an enquiry by the watchdog QCA and the question is not completely answered who and how the remarking should take place. Confusion has created a crisis. In 2001, A-level examinations saw 4,194 candidates had their grades increased by the normal procedure which rather shook the trust in the exam system. In 2002, BBC reported that A-level students can ask for re-marking. "Over 12,000 pupils across Wales have discovered they may have had their A-level papers incorrectly marked after English examination boards admitted they downgraded some results". http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/2268475.stm In 2002, during the crisis of remarking, The Chief Executive of the qualifications and curriculum authority gave exam boards and connected officials to come up with new guidelines as the existing guidelines proved inadequate. In 2003, exam board replaced paper marking with US designed technology to improve the speed and process. In 2005, more than 18,000 A-level and GCSE examination grades were changed after complaining. According to The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority's report, 53,600 of the 6.7 million A and AS-level entries were challenged. Of the six million GCSE, 48,422 enquiries happened and out of them 10.773 were altered. These figures relate to the five main exam boards, AQA, Edexzcel, OCR, WJEC and CCEA2. The revised grades helped many students in their university admissions. Government3 was of the opinion that regional centres of the exam boards would carry out the remaking as usual on priority because the deadline for remarking was almost over on every occasion and a fresh deadline was necessary to be authorised from the QCA. Over the recent years, there were rumours that wrong grades had been awarded and there was widespread unhappiness that lower grades caused problems during university admissions and funding possibilities which will in turn have problems on teaching and accommodation facilities etc. as a lower grade would create a continuous chain reaction, more so, when the student was sure of getting a better grade. The so-called gold standard exam has created unnecessary uncertainty which is rather unfortunate. If the exam results are significantly worse than expectation and are almost beyond belief, it becomes necessary to ask for a remarking instead of nursing a grievance that could become a psychological stumbling block. Teachers are equally mystified not knowing mostly what exactly the Board is looking for. Students are uncertain about re-sits. Some of the students who got upgraded after the review were happy, but the confusion and lack of trust in the system prevailed. Many questions were asked: Is it necessary to move away from standard based assessments Are there better ways of marking so that a remarking is not called for If remarking becomes an absolute necessity, are there better wa

Economic Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Economic Analysis - Essay Example It is expressed as a percentage change in the quantity of a product demanded as a result of a small change in price. In reality, the price elasticity for demand is affected by many other factors other than just the price of commodity. When making calculations, it is normally assumed that all the other factors which could affect PED remain constant. High price elasticity means that the demand for the product is extremely sensitive to changes in commodity price. A zero measure shows that the demand is inelastic and thus will not be affected by changes in pricing. When the value is one, it shows that the demand is perfectly elastic and thus a pricing change will result to an equal change in demand. When the elastic is more than one, it implies that the demand is elastic and when the pricing is changed, it will automatically result in change in the demand from the item as wrong as all the another factors are kept constant. The cross-price elasticity measures the responsiveness of a product demand to changes in price of another commodity. It is measured as a percentage of change observed in the demand for a product as a result of price change of a completely different commodity. It can be used to determine the type of relationship existing between two products (Mankiw 2012). It allows economists to make a distinction between complementary and substitute commodities. Products can be defined as compliments of each other when the calculation of the cross elasticity for demand yields a negative result. When the measure gives a positive value, it is an indication that the products are substitutes of each other. When the calculations yield a zero measure, then there is no relationship between the products (Wetzstein 2013). When a competitor reduces prices of its prices, rival organization will have to consider the calculation of cross-price elasticity of demand in estimating the impact of this price change o n the demand for its products. This in turn makes the

Sallust and the Fall of Rome Essay Example for Free

Sallust and the Fall of Rome Essay Sallust also said â€Å"at home they lived frugally and never betrayed a friend†. This means they were always kind and never betrayed anyone. This was all before money became a factor. Sallust could see that Rome was becoming greedy and started to care only about money and knew Rome was going to collapse. He said â€Å"as soon as wealth came to be a mark of distinction and an easy way to renown, military commands and political power, virtue began to decline†. This was before the actual fall of Rome but it was absolutely correct. Rome began to fall apart over money and never went back. They ended up fighting themselves over money and that allowed others to take over. Sallust also said â€Å"such men, it seems to me, have treated their wealth as a mere plaything: instead of making honorable use of it, they have shamefully misused it on the first wasteful project that occurred to them†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This sums up how the thought of money as a toy and used it on the first thing they saw. This greed made Rome fall. Rome was the greatest empire of its time but all things come to an end. Some things ended with war or disease but Rome fell because of the greed of the people there. Greed never leads to anything good and this is probably the best example of that in history. Sallust was completely right when he predicted the fall of Rome over money but no one listened and that was the end of Rome.

Adolescent is an important stage of life for establishing health

Adolescent is an important stage of life for establishing health INTRODUCTION Adolescent are not monsters, they are just people trying to learn how to make it among the adults in the world, who are probably not so sure themselves. India is the second most popular country with total population of 1081million comprising nearly 30% of the total population, among which adolescents (10-18years) form a population of 22.5% (WHO, 2001 census). Adolescent is an important stage of life for establishing health behaviour, attitudes and life style. It is a period characterised by rapid physical growth, sexual, psychological, sexual and physiological growth. Health behaviour is one indicator of health of younger people that may serve both as a measure of health over time as well a target for health policy and pregnancy and prone to risk behaviour like aggression, victimization, depression, suicidal ideation, substance abuse and sexual behaviour (Grabber,2004). Researchers have revealed that a woman sexual development starts as early as 13 years, but her physique is not well developed to bear strains during pregnancy there is relatively high risk for the teenage mothers between 15-18years of age (Discovery academy, 2010) Adolescents are considered to be healthy since mortality in this age group is relatively low. Infact, the adolescent girls can do have a range of health problems like anaemia, increasing premarital sex, prostitution, reproductive tract infections, school drop out, poor nutrition, early child bearing and reproductive complications.etc (WHO, 2006). Today all over the world, teenage pregnancy is, emerging as a serious problem, approximately 15 million pregnancies occur every year among young women aged 15-19 years. They are more common in the developing country like India. Though 50% of girls get married by 18 years, 19% of total fertility rate (15-19 years) is adolescent pregnancy, 27% of them have unmet need of contraception, and 4.7% of them were using modern method of contraception (WHO,2006). Teenage pregnancy is defined as getting pregnant below 18 years. Young adolescents (12-14 years old) are more likely to have unplanned sexual intercourse and are more likely to be concerned in to sex. Most teenagers do not plan to get pregnant, but many do. Often teenagers do not receive timely prenatal care and they have a higher risk of pregnancy like high blood pressure and its complication, premature birth and low birth weight (Health Orates, 2008). Early marriage and early pregnancy are accepted cultural norms of our society. The outcome of teenage pregnancy is affected due to illiteracy, poor socio economic condition, inadequate prenatal care. Most of the adolescent girls dont have adequate knowledge about puberty, teenage pregnancy and other reproductive health. Negative perception which they gather from other sources often contributes to STDs and HIV infections (Chahande, 2002). High rate of mortality and morbidity has always been associated with pregnancy and child birth in pubertal and adolescent girls, and also a dramatic rise in the number of pregnancy, abortions, and sexually transmitted diseases. Thus it is increasingly recognized that good reproductive health really begins in adolescents. Reproductive health is influenced by many factors such as education, nutrition, sexual roles, sexual status, cultural practices and socio economic development (K.Park, 2009). A cross sectional observational study was conducted on prevalence of child marriage before 18 years of age among the young adult women in India. Data from National Family Health Survey-3 were limited to the sample of Indian women aged 20 years. The results showed that 44.5% of women aged 20 years were married before 18 years, 22.6% of women were married before the age of 16 years and 2.6% women of were married before the age of 13 years (Raja, Saggurti N, 2008) A cross sectional study on Reproductive pattern, perinatal mortality, and sex preference was conducted in rural Tamil nadu in India. In this study 30 village areas were randomly selected and served by health sub centres. The participants were 1321 adolescent women. The Result showed that 41% of the subjects (535) were primiparous, 7 subjects (0.5%) were grand multiparous. The, the neonatal mortality rate was 35.3/1000, the perinatal mortality rate was 42.0/1000 and the stillbirth rate was 13.5/1000 births (Birgitte Bruun Nielsen, 2000). NEED FOR THE STUDY Globally teenage pregnancy accounts for 16 million in the age group of 15-19years, in which 10% is teenage pregnancy, one -third is abortion, 14% of them miscarry and 52% will bear children. In developing countries accounts for 95% of teenage pregnancies, the highest teen birth rates has been recorded in Mississippi, with of 68.4%, Mexico with 64%, Texas with 63%, the lowest rates are recorded in countries with in northeast 18.7%, Vermont with 20,8% (WHO,2009). In India 42.9% girls are in age group of 15-17 years and 14% girls in age group of 17-19 years and 3/10 girls get pregnant before 20 years, 1/6 girls are born to teen mothers and 47% of Indian women aged 20-24 married before legal age of 18, and 56% are in rural areas. The total fertility rate was 6.2-6.7 (WHO, 2000). The recent studies revealed that teenagers become sexually active in early puberty and they face challenges of onset of menstruation compared to urban areas. 40% of teen girls aged 15-19 years had sex at least once and prefer the rhythm method of birth control. The incidence of teenage pregnancy was 63% and prevalence rate was 28 and 32 per 1000 in rural and urban areas of Tamilnadu. In Coimbatore, 15.2% of adolescent girls and 0.7% of adolescent boys are getting married early (WHO, 2005). A report by save the children found that, annually thirteen million children are born to women under age of 20 years in world wide. More than 90 of these births occur to women living in developing countries. The higher rate of teenage pregnancy in the world with 143/ 1000 girls in age group of 15-19 years is in sub-Saharans Africa and the Fertility rate in south Asia range from 71to 119 birth/1000 women aged between 15-19 years (Health and demographic survey, 2010). A descriptive and comparative study on knowledge, attitude and behaviour related to sex among teenage girls between nursing and non nursing college students was conducted in Taiwan. A total of 792 students were recruited from one nursing school compared to non nursing students. The nursing students had more knowledge on sex related issues. They also found that the close an intimate relationship was, the more liberal sexual activities tended to be. The participant was prone to accept premarital sex, and cared less about the virginity of future spouses, 60% students perceived that having a child before marriage was unacceptable, about 23% of participants had intercourse experience, while only 30% girls surveyed to have used contraception every time they had sexual intercourse. 11 students reported being pregnancy, but none chose to take their pregnancy to term. The finding of this study showed that nursing education may have a positive influence on the sexual knowledge, attitude and be haviour with regard to participating in safer sex among teenage girls (Tseng YH, 2009). The investigator while conducting health awareness programme, found that most of the adolescent girls got married at the age of 13 years, and they had poor hygiene, and low birth weight babies. The girls were not aware about puberty teenage pregnancy and other aspects of reproductive health. So the investigator felt the need to create awareness about teenage pregnancy. This study will help to assess the knowledge and attitude of adolescent girls towards selected aspects of reproductive health and prevent the complications. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM A Study To Assess The Effectiveness Of Structured Teaching Programme On Knowledge And Attitude Of Adolescent Girls On Teenage Pregnancy At Thottipalayam, Coimbatore. OBJECTIVES: To assess the knowledge and attitude of adolescent girls on teenage pregnancy. To administer structured teaching programme on teenage pregnancy among adolescent girls. To reassess the knowledge and attitude of adolescent girls on teenage pregnancy. To associate the findings with the selected demographic variables OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS Effectiveness: It refers to the extent to which the structured teaching programme on teenage pregnancy has achieved the desired effect in improving the knowledge and change in attitude of adolescent girls. Structured teaching programme It refers to systematically planned teaching programme, designed to provide information on teenage pregnancy to adolescent girls. Knowledge It refers to the information gained by adolescent girls on teenage pregnancy. Attitude It refers to the expressed belief and feeling of adolescent girls on teenage pregnancy. Teenage pregnancy It is defined as teenaged or under aged girl usually in the age group between 13-18 years getting pregnant. Adolescent girls It refers to both married and unmarried adolescent girls in age group between 13-18 years. ASSUMPTIONS Adolescent girls will have lack of knowledge on teenage pregnancy. Adolescent girls need education regarding teenage pregnancy. Structured teaching programme on teenage pregnancy will help the adolescents to improve their knowledge and will help them to develop a positive attitude. Knowledge and attitude have strong influence on adaptation of healthy behaviour. HYPOTHESIS There is a significant difference between pre test and post test scores on knowledge and attitude of adolescent girls on teenage pregnancy after structured teaching programme. LIMITATIONS: The study is limited to Adolescent girls who are willing to participate. Adolescent girls who are available at the time of data collection. Adolescent girls who have attained menarche Adolescent girls at the age between 13-18 years. PROJECTED OUTCOMES This study will help the adolescent girls to get adequate knowledge and gain awareness on teenage pregnancy. It will help the adolescent girls to share information with colleagues and surrounding people. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK A conceptual framework deals with abstraction, which is assembled by nature of their relevance to a common theme. It is a global idea about the concept in relation to a specific discipline . It describes the mental image of a phenomenon and integrate them into a meaningful configuration. Its a visual diagram by which the researcher explains the specific area of interest (Christenson J. Paula, 2000). One of the important purposes of conceptual framework is to communicate clearly the interrelationship of various concepts . It guides an investigator to know what data needs to be collected and gives direction to the entire research process (Kertinger K.N,1999). This study was aimed at assess the effectiveness of structured teaching programme on knowledge and attitude of adolescent girls on teenage pregnancy. The investigator adopted Penders Health Promotion Model (1984). The study seeks to increase an individuals level of wellbeing . The model focuses on aspects of individuals cognitive perceptual factors , perceived health status, health promoting services and perceived benefits of health promotion. The model also identified factors that influence health promotion activities. In this modified mode, the community nurse interacts to assess the level of knowledge and attitude on teenage pregnancy among adolescent girls who are influenced by the demographic variables. This model focuses on the following areas: Cognitive perceptual factors Perceived health status Health promoting services Perceived benefits of health promotion Barrier to health promoting behaviour 1. Cognitive perceptual factors The investigator assessed the knowledge and attitude of teenage pregnancy among adolescent girls by using structured questionnaire and rating scale. 2. Perceived health status The adolescent boys have adequate knowledge and positive attitude regarding teenage pregnancy or the adolescent girls have inadequate knowledge and negative attitude regarding teenage pregnancy. 3. Health promoting services Structured teaching programme of teenage pregnancy is given as health promoting service to the adolescent girls irrespective of their knowledge and attitude. 4. Perceived benefits of health promotion Health promoting behaviour is the desired behavioural outcome and is the end point of Health promotion model. In this study the health promoting behaviour developed by structured teaching program will result in improved health and better quality of life among adolescent girls. 5. Barrier to health promoting behaviour In this study if the adolescent girls have inadequate knowledge and negative attitude on teenage pregnancy, reassessment of adolescent girls knowledge and attitude was done. But it is not included in this study. force, 37.5% indicated it was with consent 57% have mentioned it was with out their knowledge (Lakshman Dissanagalee, 2008) A cross sectional study on youth risk behaviour surveillance was conducted in the United States. Health risk behaviour contributed to be the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among youth and an adult, which is often, are established during childhood period and extends to adulthood. These problems were interrelated and preventable. The youth risk behaviours surveillance system monitors 6 categories of priority health risk behaviour among youth and young adults. They are intentional injuries, violence, tobacco use, alcohol and drug use, sexual behaviour, physical inactivity and prevalence of obesity and asthma. A 20 local survey was conducted by CDC (centre of disease control) and state and local school based YRBS education in 42 states. It was found that among those who drinking alcohol of which 34.2% were currently sexually active and 38.9% did not used condom (Eaton,DK,2010). A cross sectional study was conducted on the characteristic of pregnancy among teenage girls at Nagpur in India. The participants were 462 postnatal women, less than 20 years old for a period of 1 month from 1st October 1999 to 30th June, 2000 at government hospital in experimental group . The control group included 500 primiparous women at the age group between 20-29 years at government hospital during the same period. The data was collected using the interview technique. The results showed that 97.8% were at the age group of 18-19 years and in the control group were at the age group of 20-22 years, 65.3% women and 62.6% women belonged to Hindu religion from the experimental and control group respectively, 8.6% women and 7.0% women were illiterate from the experimental and control group respectively, 53.2% women and 75.2% women were house wives from the experimental and control group respectively .In the experimental group the womens age at marriage was 16.7 years and in the control group it was 18.65 years (A.R Jadhao, 2007) A cross sectional observational study was conducted to assess the prevalence of child marriage on young adult women between 13- 20 years of age in India. Data from National Family Health Survey-3 were limited to the sample of Indian women aged 20 years (no=22). The results showed that 44.5% of women aged 20 years were married before 18 years, 22.6% of women were married before the age of 16 years and 2.6% of were married before age of 13 years (Raja, Saggurti N, 2008) A cross sectional study on health profile of pregnant adolescents among selected tribal populations was conducted at Rajasthan in India. The study participants included adolescent girls in 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy who were selected randomly from 15 tribal villages of Udaipur district. A total of 54 adolescent girls aged (13-19) years were included in present study of which 59% were found to be primigravidas, 30% were pregnant for 2nd time, 2 girls were pregnant for 3rd time. Majority were illiterate. A large number was found to be suffering from moderate to severe anaemia(n=42) weighing very less than 42 kg , 2 of the pregnant girls were associated to be suffering from pellagra, and 1/3 of the girls had vitamin A deficiency (Sharma V, 1999). A case control study was conducted to examine the socio cultural determinants of pregnancy among adolescents in Nepal .This study was selected to compare the education, economic status, family support system and freedom towards conception among teenagers and higher age group women. The study participants were adolescent girls (13-19) years and the older women (20-29 years) .The results showed that 70%adolescent pregnant women were compared with 70% of primigravida women. Teenage pregnant women who were less educated, had poor economic background were more likely to have accidental pregnancy due to love marriages (Sharma AK, 2002). A study was conducted to compare the risk of teen-age pregnancy in a rural community under 20 years old, in the state Maharastra in India. The study sample included 5994 deliveries in the rural health district area of Sirur. Adolescent pregnancies amounted to 598 deliveries. The perinatal mortality rate was (238) under 18 years old was 67.2%/ 100 live births. The neonatal mortality rate was 67.4.Statistically significant differences were found in the rate of low birth weight infants, stillbirths, and late neonatal deaths among the babies delivered by the women aged less than 18 years compared to other women. The perinatal mortality rate was 7-16 times greater than associated risk factors, except anaemia. The neonatal mortality rate was 2.5-18 times greater than associated risk factors, except anaemia and oedema. Late neonatal mortality rate was 2.2 times higher among infants with mothers of under 18 years old (Pratinidhi A, 2000) A population based case control study was conducted in Turkey to determine the degree of socio economic status as a risk factor for first birth at age 19 or younger in married women. The study group comprised of all married and pregnant women aged 15-19 yrs (adolescent pregnancies) attending primary care centres (144 subjects) and married women between 20 and 29 years, experiencing their first pregnancy (adult pregnancies) who were determined as the control group (144 subjects). A questionnaire was completed for each subject during face-to-face interviews. Analysis showed that adolescent pregnancy was more frequent in women from families with a low socioeconomic status, exposure to violence within the family prior to marriage, and among which families partially opposed or unopposed to adolescent marriage. Lower education level, lack of social security, living in a houses in which the number of persons per room was over 1, unemployed women and sisters with a history of adolescent preg nancy were also the contributing reasons ( Birsen gokce,2001). `A cross sectional study was done on social consequences and health problems among teenage pregnancy in rural Kathmandu valley in India. The study sample comprises of (15-19 years old) 180 subjects. This study was done for a duration of six month period among teenagers (10-19 years). The result showed that the preterm delivery was 50%, the prevalence of anaemia was 56.66% in teenage pregnancy and the haemoglobin level (less than 7.9 gm) was 55.67%. . It was concluded that the contributory factors for teenage pregnancy were low socio economic condition, less awareness of family life education and early marriage (Kafle PP, 2010) A retrospective study was done to determine the incidence and complication of teenage pregnancy at Chonburi, Thailand. In the experimental group the participants were primigravida women between the age group of 13-20 years(2,490) at chonburi hospital from 1st January 2000-31st December 2009.In the control group they were between the age group of 20-25 years (3,909) during the same period. The findings of the study showed that the experimental group had a lower gestational age during delivery than the control group(20% vs. 13.9%),the experimental group had more inadequate antenatal care than the control group (19% vs. 12.5%),anaemia was a significant between experimental and control group (17% vs. 1%), low birth weight infant mortality rate in experimental group was higher than the control group (Watcharaseranee N, 2006). A nested case control community based study to compare the risk associated with pregnancy and its outcome among primigravida adolescent and adult pregnant women was conducted at Delhi in India. The participant consisted of 64 adolescent and 175 adult primigravida in a cohort of 343 antenatal women. The result showed that the mean age of conception in adolescent and adult was 18.46 and 21.69 years. Complications were more common among adolescents like abnormal presentation and prolonged labour. Pregnancy wastage was 17.5% and 3.5% among adolescents and adult respectively (AK Sharma, 2002). A retrospective study was conducted on comparison of obstetric outcomes of pregnancy in older women and teenagers at Sangali in India. The participants are girls aged  Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤19 years were compared with older women (19-35 years) in the same hospital. The study group 386 participants were compared with 3,326 pregnancies of older women. The Results showed that teenage mothers were three times more at risk of developing anaemia (2.83%), hypertension problem in pregnancy (2.2%) and low birth weight babies (1.8%),pre term babies (2.97%) and 50% less likely to have normal weight babies (0.5%). They also found that cultural practices, poor socio economic condition, lack of awareness of risk and low literacy rate are the main contributory factors (S. H. Mahavarkar, 2008). `A qualitative study was conducted on abstinence to assess the effectiveness of counseling training of health care providers among high-risk teenagers in the United States. Clinicians are enquired about adolescent pregnancy, HIV and STD prevention, which included abstinence by interview technique. The systematic content analysis was used to examine the effectiveness of counseling technique in different situations. The results showed that providing comprehensive counseling, and abstinence as a choice for teenagers, to reduce pregnancy among teenagers (Harper CC, 2010) SECTION B: Studies related to knowledge and attitude of teenage pregnancy A retrospective study was conducted to identify the level of knowledge, behaviour and education needs of school adolescents on Sexual and reproductive health in northern Nigeria. The participants were 989 adolescents from 24 secondary schools. The result showed that 72% of females had experienced menstruation, 14% of females were sexually active, 15% of females knew about the ovulation cycle, 44% of females knew pregnancy could result from first coitus and 56% of females knew about contraception, and 84% gave an opinion that adolescents should be given sexual education . It concluded that there is a need for education for secondary school adolescent (Adekun LA, 2009) A study was conducted on, knowledge, attitude and sexual behaviour of school adolescent girls in Transkei. A self-administered questionnaire was given to 1025 females from 21 secondary schools. Among the participants 75% of them were unmarried. The results showed that 74.6% had already been sexually experience, while 21% did not. Both sexually experienced girls and sexually inexperienced girls were living with their parents. It was concluded that sexual development and onset of menarche were the possible risk factors for initiation of sexual activity among school adolescent girls, as one third of sexually experienced adolescent girls been pregnant . It was also found that the contraceptive use was low among adolescent girls (Buga GA, 1999) A study was conducted to assess the attitude of teenagers towards sexual behavior among teenagers in U.K. The participants were 1500 teenagers aged between 13-18 years. A questionnaire was given to them. The result showed that, twenty per cent of 13 years old teenagers reported that they had sexual intercourse with a partner, 78% of them reported some form of sexual contact with a partner, 23% of female subjects had experienced sexual intercourse, 38% of male subjects had experienced sexual intercourse, 10% of teens indicated they would be denied to use condom and 37% were concerned about seeing clumsy when using a condom. 23% of males and 9% of females said they would be willing to have sexual intercourse without use of a condom. (Queenmary, 2010) A cross sectional study was conducted on knowledge, attitude and behavior of adolescent girls towards STIs/HIV, safer sex and sexual education in South Delhi, India. A self-administered questionnaire was given to 251 adolescent girls. The results indicated that more than one- third of students had less knowledge about the symptoms of STIs other than HIV/AIDS. The attitude scale showed 30% of subjects considered that HIV/AIDS could be cured, 49% of subjects felt that condoms should not be available to youth, 41% were confused about whether the contraceptive pill could protect against HIV infection/AIDS and 32% of subjects said that it should be taken only by married women (Alexandra McManus, 2008). A cross sectional study was conducted on objective and perceived knowledge of oral contraceptive methods among adolescent mothers in Brazil. The participants are 278 teenage mothers (15-19 years) admitted in 4 maternity hospitals. The result showed that 98% adolescent mothers had low objective and perceived knowledge of oral contraceptive and multipara was the only indicator of increased objective and perceived knowledge on oral contraceptive. It is concluded that there is a need for a more interactive approach with adolescents concerning their level of objective and pregnancy and its consequences (Souse, 2009). SECTIONC: Studies related to structured teaching programme on teenage pregnancy A randomized control study on the cost effectiveness of motivational intervention to reduce rapid repeated child bearing in high risk adolescent mothers was conducted in America. The participants were recruited from 5 urban clinics, 235 pregnant teenagers aged 18 years or younger who were at 24 or more weeks of gestation at recruitment were followed up for 27 months. Participants were randomly assigned to usual care (n=68) or 1 of 2 home based intervention conducted by community outreach workers and computed assisted motivational intervention was conducted. A single component motivational intervention was conducted quarterly .The result showed that CAMI (computer assisted motivational intervention) significantly reduces repeated births (0.47, 95%) than single component motivational intervention (Barnet B, 2010). An individual/ cluster randomized controlled trails to assess the effectiveness of primary prevention intervention on unwanted pregnancy among adolescents was conducted at Calbar in Nigeria. This study is to evaluate intervention that aimed to increase knowledge, change the attitude relating to risk of unintended pregnancy, promote delay in initiation of sexual intercourse and encourage consistent use of birth control methods to reduce unwanted pregnancy in adolescents aged 10-19 years. The participants were 95,662 adolescents (10-19 years) were included .The result showed that multiple intervention (education and contraception) lowered rate of unwanted pregnancy among adolescents and the evidence shows the effects of interventions on secondary complications (Oringaneje C, 2009). A community based support study on effectiveness of teaching on early parenting approach with in a community based support services for adolescent mothers was conducted in Canada. The participants were pregnancy or parenting teen mothers between ages of 13-19 years. The intervention group received a brief support intervention and direct teaching of keys to care giving programme. In order to control for the lack of a visit, the comparison group received brief social support. The result shows that the participants in the intervention group showed a significantly greater difference than control group. This finding was likely due to the fact that only one participant scored as being at risk for depression and she was allocated to the intervention group (Jane E.Drummond, 2008). A prospective study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of youth development programme in reducing teenage pregnancy, substance abuse and other outcomes in England. The participants were 2724 young people aged between 13-15 years are at risk of teenage pregnancy, substance misuse, or school exclusion or to be vulnerable and the study design was a Prospective matched comparison study. The intervention was Intensive, multi component youth development programme including sex and drugs education versus standard youth provision. The result showed that Young women in intervention group more commonly reported pregnancy than the comparison group (16% v 6%), early heterosexual experience (58% v 33%) than did those in the comparison group and the expectation of teenage parenthood is (34% v 24%) than the control group (Wiggins M,2007). A study was conducted on reducing Adolescent Pregnancy among unmarried adolescents through School and Community-Based Education in South Carolina. Intervention messages were targeted   at parents, teachers, ministers and representatives of churches,  community leaders, and children enrolled in the public school  system. The messages emphasized the development of decision-making  and communication skills; self-esteem enhancement; understanding  human reproductive anatomy, physiology, and contraception. The  estimated rate of pregnancy abortions for females   aged between 14 to 17 years in the country western portion has declined  remarkably since the intervention began, and the changes were  statistically significant when compared with three socio demographically  similar countries and also with the eastern portion of the country (Murray L, 1999) . A study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of teenage pregnancy prevention programme among adolescent girls in U.K. The participants were 100 adolescent girls taken for the study . The result showed that four of these five programmes directly or indirectly provided access to contraceptive services reducing the proportion of adolescents who initiated sexual activity by as much as 15 percentages. The programs were most successful when they targeted younger adolescents. Three of these four programs significantly increased the rates of contraceptive use by as much as 22 percentage among participants ,provided access to contraceptive services and targeted adolescents who were younger and those who were not yet sexually experienced. These two programmes significantly decrease the proportion of adolescent pregnancy. It was concluded that there was a delay on sexual initiation, more training should be given in negotiation skills and decision-making, and teach on sexuality and contrace ption (Forrest JD, 2004). A cr

Essay --

Muhammad was a revolutionary he broke many customary ways and beliefs. Muhammad’s revolution affected all aspects of life. His peace ended disputes of families, tribes and nations but most importantly with all human nature. To Muhammad religion was a comprehensive concept. It was also a set of dogmas and doctrines alone with rituals and ceremonies. Religion was a way of life for Muhammad. He came raise mankind to a higher place of peace and progress. Before the rise of Islam Arabia was a desert wasteland who’s once great trading cities have fallen on hard times. Arabia is the last of inhabited lands towards the south, and it is the only country, which produces frankincense, myrrh, cassia, cinnamon, and laudanum. (1) The population was divided into rival tribes and clans that worshiped local gods. In the uninhabitable desert zones a wide variety of Bedouin cultures had developed over the centuries based on camel and goat herding. Towns and agriculture flourished on a limited scale. Over the peninsula the camel nomads, organized in clans were dominant. Although urban Islam had been pressured by writers of the Muslim civilization, the Bedouin world, in which the religion came, shaped the career of its prophet, his teachings, and the spread of new beliefs. Mecca and Medina were large extensions of the tribal culture of the camel nomads. Their populations were linked to kingship by Bedouin peoples. Bedouin herders occupied most of the habitable portions of Arabia. Farmers and town dwellers carved out small communities in the western and southern parts of the peninsula. Foreign invasion in the inroads of Bedouins people had all but destroyed the civilization before the birth of Muhammad. Mecca, located in the mountainous regions along ... ... In both his revelations and personal behavior Muhammad joined his followers to be kind and generous to the people including slaves. He forbad the rich to exploit the poor through unrealistic rents or rates on interests for loans. In his last sermon he states, â€Å"Remember, one day you will appear before ALLAH and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not astray from the path of righteousness after I am gone†. (3) The prophet’s teachings and the revelations of the Koran soon were incorporated into an extensive body of law. This regulated most aspects of the lives of the Muslim faithful. They lived in a manor that would prepare them for the last judgment which in Islam would determine there fate in eternity a strong but compassionate god with a strict but socially minded body of law set impressive standards for the social interaction between adherence of the new faith.

Diels alder reaction Essay

Result: For the Diels-Alder reaction: Maleic acid is 0.002 mol 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene is 0.002 mol The theoretical yield is 0.36g Cycloaddition product is 0.358g (maybe it was not completely dry when I weighted.) The % yield of Diels-Alder reaction is 99.4% For the hydrolysis: The theoretical yield of hydrolysis is 0.396g The experimental product yield is 0.28g (some solid left on the filter paper and some for the melting point measurement.) The % yield of hydrolysis is 70.7% The cycloaddition of a conjugated diene and a dienophile, which is drove by forming new ÏÆ'-bonds from Ï€-electrons of the diene and dienophile, which are energetically more stable than the Ï€-bonds. During the Diels-Alder reaction, the temperature should be kept between 60-70 â„Æ'. Because the boiling point of the butadiene is low and do not let it vaporize. After cycloaddition, pour the reaction mixture into 50 ml water under room temperature, the product would precipitate because of the low temperature. The acid added for the hydrolysis part is very important because acids have been used to accelerate the rate of the intra-molecular Diels-Alder reaction. The PEG 200 used in this experiment as the solvent for maleic anhydride is  make the experiments more green, which is less harmful and more environmental friendly. The melting point measurement is helping us to determine what we get basically. Compare with the IR spectra I got, the peak at 1792.62 cm-1 in the first spectra express the C=O bonds of the initial cycloaddition product, and the peak at 1697.14 cm-1 in the second IR spectra shows the C=O bonds of carboxylic acid ( RCOOH) of the final product.

Analysis of Ford Motor Company’s Essay

Ford Motor Company (FMC) manufactures and sells vehicles worldwide. The company has two business segments that include automotive segment and financial services. Ford carries out operations in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Hence, the company has to ensure that its operations are working effectively to meet its organizational objectives. The company also has to ensure that its operations management strategies are adequate to provide maximum benefits to the company. Domestic car manufacturers are facing intense competition from foreign vehicle manufacturers such as Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mercedes Benz, BMW and Audi just to name a few. There is thus the need to manage operations so as to improve efficiency, reduce costs and in the process achieve competitive advantage. Heizer and Render (2011), noted that operations management is a transformation process that occurs in companies producing goods and also in service organizations. Transformation process involves daily activities that focus on creating value for the organization. Operation processes are determined in terms of effectiveness (whether the process is able to attain company objectives) and efficiency (is the process using resources adequately). According to Davis and Heineke (2005), different types of transformation could be physical as in manufacturing, location as in transportation, storage as in warehousing, health care which is physiological, and informational which is telecommunication. Ford has numerous activities involving several areas that can lead to cost saving and translate into increased profitability for the company. By effectively implementing and executing operations management strategies, the company is able to deliver value to customers and generate more revenues and profits. Ford employs a wide range of operations strategies and one of these is product strategies. Product strategies employed by Ford includes having many vehicle platforms, brands, and models. As a result of their product strategy, the company is able to produce vehicles that are tailored to different customer requirements. The company’s manufacturing processes and product development carried out in one target region is different fro m another region (Kassab, 2011). Another strategy used by Ford is product pricing whereby its products are priced relatively low thus ensuring that as many people as possible can afford its products. Through this strategy the company is able to attract and retain customers which in turn lead to  increased sales. Ford has a wide range of product offering and is thus able to attract large number of customers. The wide range of products offered by the company allows it to maintain a balanced revenue stream Its product strategy is also an effective method in increasing market share as its numerous brands and models is able to attract a large number of diverse customers. Ford has shifted its product strategy towards new vehicle segments and this has proved to be profitable for the company (Automotives, 2011). Ford uses numerous production or manufacturing strategies that aims at promoting efficiency and effectiveness. Ford focuses on reducing time and material waste in production, increasing quality and reducing cycle times. All these strategies contribute to cost reduction by the company. In order for an organization to sustain growth in such a competitive market, it must be able to eliminate processes that waste resources, improve on product quality and achieve customer satisfaction. These factors enhance the company’s competitive advantage and its ability to remain in business. Ford previously utilized a total quality management (TQM) production strategy, however the company is currently shifting towards a six sigma approach. TQM was introduced in the company in the 1980’s to improve product quality resulting from intense competition from foreign manufacturers. TQM emphasizes on processes driven by quality and aim at achieving customer satisfaction. Implementing total quality management meant that processes within the company had to be adhered to strictly and continuously improved in order to meet customer satisfaction. TQM philosophy looks at developing a corporate culture that is customer focused, empowers employees and seeks continuous improvement. By focusing on the customer, Ford was able to provide value customers with product value and quality that ensured customer satisfaction. This in turn translated into revenue for the company due to repeat sales and first time customers. Essential components of effectively implementing TQM include a commitment from all stakeholders and a change in work culture. Managers at Ford demonstrate such commitment to quality by clearly initiating strategies and policies that aim at promoting quality enhancing activities. Ford’s workers at all levels are informed on steps that should be followed in order to achieve improved quality (Dahlgaard & Dahlgaard-Park, 2006). Total quality management reduces wastage in the production process and eliminates defects. The reductions in defects and  wastages assist in lowering production costs which can subsequently l ead to an increase in contribution margin. Lower costs can also facilitate the company’s lower pricing strategy to attract customers and gain competitive advantage. By implementing total quality management Ford was able to reduce amount of waste from production process and also improve on efficiency thus improving performance (Dahlgaard & Dahlgaard-Park, 2006). Ford has shifted towards a Six Sigma approach which aims to sustain company’s ability to manufacture quality products. The Society of Manufacturing Engineers magazine in 2011 noted that Ford’s reputation as a company that offers quality products was being tarnished as a result of a number of setbacks including recalls affecting several models and delays in introducing new ones to market. Customer surveys showed that customer satisfaction and quality of Ford cars had reduced and was behind competition thus the need for the company to shift to a new approach in order to improve on quality concerns. Six Sigma is more structured and profit oriented compared to total quality management. Ford shifted to this new approach in an attempt to improve on its processes and increase cost savings. The company also aims at establishing a consistent approach that can be used to solve quality related problems by improving organizational learning. Smith, (2003) in his article, â€Å"Six Sigma at Ford Revisited† noted that Ford saved $1.0 billion from elimination of waste 5 years after implementing Six Sigma and that internal customer satisfaction survey showed that customer satisfaction increased by 5%. This provides ample evidence that the company’s strategy has been effective in lowering costs and that customer satisfaction regarding the company’s products was heading in the right direction. One of the strategies being utilized in Ford’s production process is a â€Å"Global Product Development System† whereby the company has established a single template for designing, engineering and manufacturing its vehicles worldwide. One of Ford’s global product development systems is aimed at enabling the company to develop vehicles faster, improve its competitive ability and provide profitable growth. The system aligns the company’s technology and global product plans and car programs on characteristics that differentiate Ford vehicles in the market. The global product strategy establishes a standard that all Ford vehicles should conform to which leads to consistency in Ford products and also improves on brand recognition since products will have attributes that  differentiate Ford products from its competitors (Kassab, 2011). Since Ford manufacturing points are located across different regions, the global product strategy enables various production regions to produce products that have similar attributes. According to Kassab (2011), every time production centers are reinventing production processes the company losses time that could be utilized in developing new vehicles. Therefore one Ford global product development system is used in the production process to reduce time wastage and ensure consistency in production. Another strategy used in the Ford production process i s JIT in an effort to improve on the time it takes to produce a product. Ford decided to adopt this strategy due to inadequacies in material handling and inbound logistics. Using a just in time system enables the company to connect with suppliers and also assists in reducing production lead times and enhances the company’s capability to manage inventory, cost of transportation and storage costs. Just in time system involves delivering required production component when they are needed in the production process. In relation to logistics, Ford has established different solutions to ensure that supply and distribution is achieved. Ford has numerous â€Å"Order Dispatch Centers† where products are transported to and from the company (Penske, 2013). Order centers assist the company in centralizing its logistics network and reducing inventory levels. The company has uniform procedures, carrier requirements and technologies that streamlines supply, improve on performance and accountability (Penske, 2013). Ford utilizes logistics management technologies maintains and tracks information on delivery status and schedules applicable to routing. Through these technologies, the company is able to monitor its supply chain and ensure that all operations aspects of production are functioning appropriately. Ford also has in place capacity strategies where the company practices efficien t use of facilities and expansion facilities projects when required. By increasing capacity the company is able to increase output and generate more revenue. The company also has in places processes and systems to ensure efficient use of facilities. These processes involve being highly automated and strategically placing production points to ensure maximum achievement of efficiency. Ford has work design strategies whereby the company practices job enrichment and institutes motivation systems. Ford has a competency center that assists employees in planning their career,  enrolling in training and development programs, and assisting employees on how to balance professional and personal lifestyles (Hines et al, 2004). The company aims at developing an individual who in turn improves on overall organizational capability. By developing its employees, Ford is able to maintain high levels of motivation and morale which eventually leads to improved productivity. The American Psychological Association (2003) in an article â€Å"Occupational Stress and Employee Control† noted that Ford Motor Company has shifted virtually all of its manufacturing operations to a team-based approach in which employees have far greater control over their work. Instead of simply follow directions from supervisors, employees can talk directly to suppliers about parts quality, research better ways to run equipment, and take independent action to eliminate product defects. A pilot program, which began at Ford’s Romeo, Michigan engine plant in the early 1990s, raised productivity and quality along with job satisfaction so successfully that Ford expanded the approach, giving virtually all employees targets and allowing them to find ways to reach them. Ford encourages a self-management environment to boost and maintain employee morale. Employees are involved in problem solving groups and have a say on operational matters related to their jobs. Employees also participate in decision making processes within the organization. As a result of increased employee motivation, employees perform their job activities well which subsequently leads to increased productivity. By maintaining high motivation levels the company is able to retain high performing employees which benefit the organization in the long term. As a multinational company, a comprehensive location strategy is critical to a successful operations management execution. Ford has presence in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa where the company is involved in the production and sale of Ford vehicles. These markets are strategically targeted in an attempt to increase company growth. By having a global presence the company is able to penetrate into new markets and increase market share in the global arena. Ford is a well-known brand globally and its name recognition has assisted the company to penetrate new markets. An international presence assists the company in terms of product development, differentiation and distribution as vehicles are developed to meet customer requirements in specific regions and reduce distribution costs to various geographic regions. Operations management at  Ford Motor is influenced by factors such as competition. Competition plays a part in determining how a company does business. Ford therefore has to plan its operations to ensure it is able to gain competitive advantage and maximize revenues. Ford faces domestic and international competition from General Motors, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda and Nissan. In today’s environment, a car company does not have a great future unless they have a plan for increasing their sales globally. If an auto company is not a global automaker, it is not doing the job that it should. Ford therefore has to position itself to ensure that its operations are efficient, effective and are able to differentiate company products on a global scale. Another factor influencing operations management is customer requirements since this impact whether a company is profitable or not. Ford should ensure that its operations meet customer requirements in terms of quality, design, prices and spe ed of distribution. Success factors The first success factor in determining Ford’s successful achievement of its business objectives regarding its operations management strategies is financial. Operations management strategies employed in the company aim at ensuring efficient use of resources and reducing cost in the process. The main tools utilized by Ford to achieve success include Six Sigma, just in time inventory management, location and distribution strategies. Ford has successfully utilized the strategies to achieve its cost reduction strategy and this is evidenced by $1.0 billion cost saving after implementing Six Sigma. A just in time system contributes to the success by reducing costs incurred in transporting and storing raw materials and work in process inventory. The company’s distribution strategies include the use of order centers that improve on efficiency by reducing cost incurred in transporting final products to dealerships. Ford Media (2011) stated that the company’s sales increas ed by 19% in 2010 to $1.935 million compared to the previous year which is the largest increase of any full-line automaker. This achievement is indicative of the success of the operations management strategies implemented by the company. Another success factor in relation to operations management strategies in the organization is the social condition that exists within the company. Ford has different motivation methods that ensure that employees are highly motivated in their professional duties.  This is achieved by training and developing employees and also by ensuring that employees have control over their job activities. The American Psychological Association (2003) noted that increased employee control in job activities is an effective strategy in reducing occupational stress. Ford Motor position and market share in the industry provides measurable evidence on whether the company strategies have been successful. The company recorded mixed fortunes in its target market. Whereas the company increased market share in 2011 to 16.5% compared to 16,4% in 2010 and 15.3% in 2009, market share in Europe decreased to 8.3% compared to 8.4% in 2010 and 9.1% in 2009 (Sustainability Report, 2011/2012). This shows that the co mpany’s strategies were successful in its domestic market but unsuccessful in the European market. Despite these unflattering results, the company still maintains a strong international presence in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa. For 2012, Ford’s total U.S. market share was down 1.2 percentage points to 15.3%, while Ford’s U.S. retail share of the retail industry declined seven tenths of a percentage point. The declines largely came from the discontinuation of the Crown Victoria and Ranger, capacity constraints, and reduced availability associated with our Fusion and Escape changeovers. In Europe, market share declined 0.4 percentage points to 7.9% (Sustainability Report, 2012/2013). Quality is important to Ford in improving customer satisfaction and overall company performance. According to the 2012/2013 Sustainability Report, the results are mixed. In the U.S. first time buyers increased 0.5 percentage points to 10.6% in 2012 while customer loyalty decreased 0.9 percentage points to 47.7% in 2012. In Europe, first time buyers decreased 2.0 percentage points to 7% in 2012 while customer loyalty increased 1.0 percentage points to 52% in 2012. Ford has decentralized its operations to ensure that the company manufactures products that meet customer requirements by producing high quality vehicles. Ford Motor Company’s mission is one team, one plan and one goal. The mission is for the company to work together as a lean global enterprise measured by customer, employees, investor, supplier, dealer and union satisfaction. The company’s mission statement influenced its operations management strategies since the company’s one team and implemented strategies aim at achieving lean production where wastes are eliminated to reduce cost. The strategies also aim at improving customer satisfaction by providing quality products.  Ford strives to be a lean global enterprise by implementing strategies such as Six Sigma to achieve its objectives. The ultimate goal of all strategies implemented in the company is to increase profitable growth through increased customer and employee satisfaction and by reducing costs. References American Psychological Association. (2003). Occupational Stress and Employee Control. Retrieved On September 15, 2013 from http://www.Apa.Org/Research/Action/Control.Aspx Automotives Insight. (2011). New Product Strategy Pays Off For Ford. Retrieved On September 28, 2013 from http://www.Autosinsight.Com/File/96519/New-Product-Strategy-Pays-Off-For-Ford.Html Dahlgaard, J. J., & Dahlgaard-Park, S. M. (2006) Lean production, six sigma quality, TQM and company culture. The TQM Magazine, 18 (3), 263 – 281. Retrieved from EBSCO Host Database on September 21, 2013. Davis, M.M., & Heineke, J. (2005). Operations Management: Integrating Manufacturing and Services. (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw – Hill Irwin. Ford Media. (2011). Ford’s 2010 Sales Up 19 Percent – Largest Increase of Any Full Line Automaker: Foundation Set for Growth In 2011. Retrieved On September 28, 2013 from https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2011/01/04/ford_s-2010-sales-up-19-percent–largest-increase-of-any-full-li.html Heizer, J. & Render, B. (2001). Operations Management (10th ed.).Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Hines, P., Holweg, M., & Rich, N. (2004). Learning to evolve: A review of contemporary lean thinking. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 24 (10), 994 – 1011. Retrieved from EBSCO Host Database on September 29, 2013. Kassab, C.R. (2011). Speedy Delivery – Global Product Development System Defines Ford. Ford Magazine. Ford Motors. Retrieved On September 28, 2013 from http:// corporate.ford.com/innovation/innovation-detail/fs-global-vehicle-product-development Penske. (2013). Ford Motor Company. Six Sigma Initiatives streamline operations. Retrieved On October 5, 2013 from http://www.penskelogistics.com/casestudies/ford2.html Smith, K. (2003). Six Sigma At Ford Revisited. Quality Digest, 23 (6), 28-32. Retrieved from EBSCO Host Database on October 2, 2013. Society of Manufacturing Engineers.