Babies Killing Babies :: essays research papers

BABIES KILLING BABIES National Institute of Mental Health: Thinking About Violence in Our Schools Office of The Surgeon General: Youth Violence Two teenagers entered a high school in Colorado and opened fire on their classmates. The young gunmen end their lives, but not before taking the lives of fifteen students, and injuring twenty, finalizing the tragedy. In recent years we have experienced a rampage of violence in our schools. Researchers have yet to pinpoint the answer to this plague of violent disorders. The National Institute of Mental Health, and The Office of the Surgeon General have focused their research to the areas of stages of violence development, prevention and intervention, and methods of identifying the most effective treatments. Studies by the Office of the Surgeon General have concluded that there are two paths for the materialization of youth violence. One is identified at an early age of puberty, the other in the adolescent stage. The research shows that if there is violence demonstrated in the early childhood stage of a child, the degree of violence in the child rises, as the child grows older, concluding in severe violent behavior. The group that is said to be in the early-onset group, or before puberty, is said to have a greater and more serious number of violence incidents during the adolescent years. This also leads to a determining factor for violent behavior during their adulthood, (see research by Stattin and Magnusson, 1996; and Tolan and Gorman-Smith, 1998). Research has shown that violence offenses committed by young men, between the ages of sixteen or seventeen, can be traced back to their puberty stage (D’Unger et al., 1998; Elliot et al., 1996; Huzinga et al., 1995; Nagin and Tremblay , 1999; Patterson and Yoerger, 1997; Stattin and Magnusson, 1996). This is proof that the majority of offenders began their violent behavior during the younger years. However, the study also shows that those who began in the puberty stage did not commit the most serious and persistent acts of violence; moreover, by those who’s violent behavior began during adolescence. The study also concludes that there is very little support to the claims that youth violence can be easily identified at an early age. We can see an example of this in the violent shootings that took place in Jonesboro, Arkansas; where two boys, ages eleven and thirteen years old, opened fire during a false fire alarm, killing four girls and one teacher.

Nurse Role, Management of Obesity

The role of nurses in the management of Obesity The case study provided regarding diet and weight management has led me to explore the role of a nurse specifically during the management of obesity. The investigation aims to determine how a nurse can intervene and control obesity. The research generally looks at the role of the nurse in managing a patient that is clinically classed as obese. Obesity is calculated using BMI measurements (appendix 1). Limitations to this investigation from a personal perspective are that I haven’t yet practised as a nurse so I can’t use reflection on my own practise as a learning tool.Taking this into consideration I have sourced my information with the use of secondary research methods, thus meaning the summary and synthesis of existing research already available to me via published articles, books and other relevant resources. As you will see as you read on the value of knowledge and evidence to professional practise is critical. The mai n reason why you need to base your professional practice on the best available evidence is explained by Aveyard and Sharp (2009, p6), â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ t enables us to deliver the best possible patient/client care rather than out of date practice’’. Aveyard and Sharp (2009, p7) goes on to say that â€Å"evidence based practice is practice that is supported by clear reasoning, taking into account the patient or clients preferences using your own judgement†. This description is backed up by Sackett et al (1996, p71-72) who described EBP as, â€Å"the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patient/clients†.Gray (1997,p9) emphasized a focus on patient values describing EBP as , â€Å"an approach to decision making in which the clinician uses the best evidence available in consultation with the patient, to decide upon the option which suits the patient best. The NMC code of Condu ct (2008) foregrounds the importance of evidence based practice in professional development and requires that all nurses should be accomplished in practicing evidence based care.After reading various journal articles and books on EBP I have discovered that it is about integrating individual clinical expertise, for example your own proficiency and expertise, along with the best external evidence and also taking in mind the best interests for the patient. It is of high importance to use current best evidence, according to Greenhalgh and Donald (2000) without current best evidence, â€Å"practise risks becoming rapidly out of date, to the detriment of the patients†. Ultimately EBP is the formalization of the care process that the best clinicians have practiced for generations.The contribution of EBP to clinical practice is the delivery of high quality, cost effective and quality care (Aveyard and Sharp, 2009). Challenges surrounding EBP are a nurses experience, for example new n urses may be a little anxious of their new surroundings and unable to utilize all their newly learnt skills. According to Ferguson and Day (2007), â€Å"access to evidence in nursing practice is often challenging due to time constraints, difficulties in interpreting the disparate research reports on particular issues, or lack of up-to-date print-based resources or Internet connections on nursing units†.The main tool applied during my research process was Library Gateway which can be accessed via Shu space. Library Gateway enables you to access a large number of information resources and search tools. The main resource I used is Library Search, which can find results from books, full text journals and many other sources, and return them in one integrated list. The other Gateway tools include Subject Guides, help pages for referencing, the Video, Images and Audio guide and a list of subject databases.Textbooks provide good background information and offer an excellent starting point for more in-depth research, the information provided is not normally rapidly changing and it must be remembered that it may be out of date. Journal articles contain current information and research. They provide detailed reports of the methodology and results of laboratory research, case series reports, clinical trials, program evaluation, and other kinds of research studies. Journal articles focus on finding solutions to specific health care problems. The Internet is not always the best place to look for professional-level information.While it can be easily searched and you get a lot of what you find in full-text, the quality of the health care information found can be questionable. It is important to look at trusted authorities online, however the internet can be useful for looking into a patient’s perspective, for example a patient may explain their worries and experiences in an online chat forum which is always an interesting insight. The tables that follow details the databases used and the search criteria applied. Each database offers a different value of evidence. It is important to consider the following factors when looking t text documents regardless whether it a book, journal, article or online†¦.. Who wrote it, why it was written and when it was produced (SHU 2012). Once you have found a source that is deemed suitable it is then important to consider if the study was original, was the design of the study sensible, has systematic bias been avoided or minimised, was assessment ‘blind’, were preliminary statistical questions addressed (Greenhalgh, 2010). After summing up these points the methodological quality will have been accurately assessed and providing no flaws or faults are found it can be deemed accurate and reliable information.Table 1. Databases used; Database| Details| SHU Library Search| SHU Library Search searches for academic journal and newspaper articles, books,videos, maps and much more from a single sea rch bar. It searches the SHU library catalogue, full text journals and other linked databases. It is limited to content subscribed to by SHU. | Internurse| Internurse is the online archive of peer reviewed nursing articles published by MA healthcare Ltd. It draws together articles from 13 high quality journals. | Table 2. Search Strategy;Database| Keywords| Rationale| Criteria| No. of results| Search terms used in Library Search and Internurse| Nurs* AND manag* AND obes*| The word nurse/nurses/nursing and manage/managing/management and obese/obesity| 2008 to 2012English languageNo country specified. Type of publication: Peer reviewed journals and books | 32| You can search as far back as 2004 using Inter-nurse. For the chosen subject area I decided to concentrate my research more specifically on more recent research as I found I was bombarded with information when I looked as far back as 2004.This has allowed me to look at more recent publications which I feel is highly important in a profession where health care routines are often being changed and improved. Once I had narrowed down the search I was able to pick journals, articles and books which I felt where most appropriate by reading the abstract to get a more in depth overview of what would be best for my topic. Obesity can lead to the onset of several complications, which with the intervention of nurses could be prevented, these complications are highlighted in appendix 2.Maggi Banning (2005) states that there is an ever increasing need for the evolvement of a nursing role as an obesity nurse specialist. She claims the nursing profession needs to step up and prepare for obesity management. The National Obesity Forum provides an ‘Obesity Care Pathway Toolkit’. It strengthens the need for the use of EBP by claiming weight management should ‘†¦. be based on best evidence, where ever possible’. It also states the following, â€Å"It is essential that services be developed in c onsultation with the users and people who will be delivering them, working together as a multi-disciplinary group.Training on weight management control, healthy eating and increasing physical activity to health professionals is necessary to ensure consistent, accurate and up to date messages are given to patients at all times. Currently, very few NHS weight management services are monitored or audited, this will be a must in the future and needs to be built in at the planning stage. The feedback will result in improved services to patients. † Changes in eating habits and activity levels are thought to lie at the heart of obesity (Wadden et al, 2002).As a nurse will get to see their patients everyday it is the ideal opportunity for them to advise patients on healthy eating and provide encouragement for increased levels of activity. Drummond (2002) identified that communication between the nurse and patient is important as some patients may be self conscious or body-conscious. F or example certain terms should be avoided such as ‘sport’ or ‘exercise’ which may have negative associations for patients, a higher level of activity and ‘avoiding sedentary pursuits should be emphasised’.Body weight is considered a sensitive issue for most people so it is vital that healthcare professionals handle the subject of weight loss with sensitivity. Crogan (2006) emphasized that it is important that nurses establish an open approach to communication when addressing issues relating to obesity. I feel a multi-component intervention would be the best way for nurses to manage obesity. It should include behaviour change strategies to increase peoples physical activity levels or to decrease inactivity levels, improve eating behaviour and the quality of the persons diet and aim to reduce energy intake.According to (Sheehan and Yin, 2006) nurses constitute a political force in health policy, because they are situated in a wide range of setti ngs. This is backed up by Bennett 2007 who states, ‘Nurses in the primary care setting are uniquely placed to support patients to make the necessary changes’. Nurses need to have an understanding of the patients multiple needs and to collaborate with other members of the health team to discuss personalized holistic care issues.Chrystalleni and Christiana (2010) have recognised that â€Å"the aetiology of obesity is multi-factorial, and dietary factors that relate or are responsible for the development of obesity are complex and still not understood†. As they define development of obesity to not be understood I feel this is a large limitation and therefore requires constant comparison of current techniques used in managing obesity along with any current evidence that has arisen through trustworthy practice research. In conclusion, the role of a nurse in managing an obese patient should involve discussing the weight issues and the severity on the patient’s h ealth.As supported by Green et al (2000) this will enable the nurse to gain insight into the magnitude of the problem and to negotiate realistic goals in terms of weight loss and to support and provide dietary advice which is acceptable for the individual. Nurses should consider each patient holistically and use appropriate language in order to encourage and not offend. As encouraged by the national obesity forum patient selection should be active rather than passive, with opportunistic screening rather than reliance exclusively on self-referral.The nurse should discuss ways in which a negative energy balance is achievable. References AVEYARD, Helen and SHARP, Pam (2009). A beginners guide to evidence based practice in health and social care,. Open University Press, McGraw-Hill. BENNET D (2007). Nurses at the cutting edge of obesity. Practise Nursing. 18,9,454-458. CHRYSTALLENI, Lazarou, CHRISTIANA, Kouta (2010). The role of nurses in the prevention and management of obesity. [onlin e]. 19 (10) 641-647. Journal from British Journal of Nursing last accessed 12th November 2012 at http://www. internurse. om CROGAN E (2006). A bio-behavioural approach to obesity. Practise nursing. 17, 9, 439-442. DRUMMOND S (2002). The management of obesity. Nursing Standard. 16(48), 47-52. GRAY J. A. M (1977). Evidence-based Healthcare. Churchill Livingstone, Newyork, USA. GREENHALGH, T & DONALD,A (2000). Evidence based health care work book: Understanding research for individual and group learning. London, BMJ Books. Last accessed 16th November 2012. GREENHALGH, Trisha (2010). How to read a paper: the basics of evidence based medicine. [online]. London, BMJ Books.Book from Library Gateway last accessed 12thNovember 2012 at: http://library. shu. ac. uk FERGUSON, Linda & RENE, Day (2007)Challenges for new nurses in evidence-based practice. [online]. Journal of Nursing Management. 15(1), 107-113. Last accessed 15th November at: http://onlinelibrary. wiley. com. lcproxy. shu. ac. uk/ doi/10. 1111/j. 1365-2934. 2006. 00638. x/full JOLLEY, Jeremy (2010). Introduction to evidence based practice for nurses. Harlow. Pearson Education. MAGGI, Banning. The management of obesity: the role of the specialist nurse. online]. 14 [3]140. Journal from British Journal of Nursing last accessed 12th November 2012 at http://www. internurse. com Nursing & Midwifery Council (2008). The code: standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives. Nursing & Midwifery Council. London. SACKETT, D. L. , et al. (1996). Evidence based medicine: what it is and what it isn't. British Medical Journal, 312[7023],71-72. Sheffield Hallam University (2012). Evaluation: Why evaluate. [online] Last accessed November 2012 at http://infoskills. shu. ac. k/skills/evaluation. html SHEEHAN NC, YIN L (2006). Childhood obesity: nursing policy implications. J Pediatr Nurs 21(4): 308-10, Last accessed November 2012 at http://www. who. int World Health Organisation (2005). Obesity and Overwei ght: Factsheet. [online] Last accessed 12th November 2012 at http://www. who. int/en Appendix 1. (WHO 1995) BMI (kg/m2) Category of Obesity 18. 5–24. 9 Normal weight 25. 0–29. 9 Grade I obesity 30. 0–39. 9 Grade II obesity ;40. 0 Grade III obesity

Benefits of video games Essay

Video games today are most commonly viewed as a way for students of high schools and colleges to slack off and procrastinate on homework and studies. What most people are not aware of though, is the social benefits that video gaming has on individuals. Video games can have positive effects on a gamers social life when it comes to teamwork, helping people, multitasking, and communicating efficiently. Educational Benefits for Students A recent study from the Education Development Center and the U.S. Congress-supported Ready To Learn (RTL) Initiative found that a curriculum that involved digital media such as video games could improve early literacy skills when coupled with strong parental and teacher involvement. Interestingly, the study focused on young children, and 4- and 5-year-olds who participated showed increases in letter recognition, sounds association with letters, and understanding basic concepts about stories and print. The key for this study was having high-quality educational titles, along with parents and teachers who were equally invested in the subject matter. That way kids could discuss and examine the concepts that they were exposed to in the games. Also interesting is the value that video games are proven to have even for very young players. A study by the Education Department Center further found that low-income children are â€Å"better prepared for success in kindergarten when their preschool teachers incorporate educational video and games from the Ready to Learn Initiative. † Older children such as teens and tweens can benefit from gameplay as well. Even traditional games teach kids basic everyday skills, according to Ian Bogost, associate professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology and founder of software maker Persuasive Games. â€Å"Look at ‘World of Warcraft’: You’ve got 11-year-olds who are learning to delegate responsibility, promote teamwork and steer groups of people toward a common goal. † Games that are designed to help teach are having an impact on college-age pupils as well. Following a recent 3D virtual simulation of a US/Canadian border crossing, wherein students assumed the role of guards, Loyalist College in Ontario reported that the number of successful test scores increased from 56 percent to 95 percent. Improved Multitasking Other carefully-designed studies have also shown that action video games can improve several aspects of brain activity, including multitasking. According to studies by Daphne Bavelier, a professor of brain and cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester, video gamers show real-world improvements on tests of attention, accuracy, vision and multitasking after playing certain titles. â€Å"If you think about it, the attentional and working memory demands of video games can be much greater than other tasks,† says Michael Stroud, a professor of psychology at Merrimack College. â€Å"Consider Pac-Man as an example. In Pac-Man, you must navigate your character through a spatial layout while monitoring the separate paths of four additional objects (the ghosts), while keeping the overall goal of clearing the small pellets in memory, as well as keeping track of the remaining large pellets. † â€Å"Think about how this may apply to skills such as driving,† he continues. â€Å"When you drive your car, you are faced with a constantly changing environment in the road, not to mention several other distractions that compete for attention that reside in the car. At the same time, you are attempting to navigate through the environment to reach a goal. † Social Benefits Games with broad appeal that are easy to grasp can additionally help many families play together, and better bridge the gap between generations. Consider a title like hip-wiggling simulation Just Dance, which can have young kids dancing alongside their grandparents. There are also many games that have positive social messages that encourage families to be a force for good. In a series of experiments published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, researchers found that participants who had just played a â€Å"pro-social† game in which characters must work together to help each other out as compared to those who had just played a â€Å"neutral† game (e. g. Tetris) were more likely to engage in helpful behaviors. Examples included assisting in a situation involving an abusive boyfriend, picking up a box of pencils or even volunteering to participate in more research. So-called â€Å"serious games,† specifically designed to teach and inform, are also having an impact on the world. Titles like the United Nations’ Food Force teach kids about real-life issues, humanitarianism and the practical challenges facing governments and private organizations today. In the game, children must complete six different missions that reflect the real-life obstacles faced by the World Food Programme in its emergency responses. Other games, like Nourish Interactive’s online Chef Solus and the Food Pyramid Adventure, teach kids about the benefits of healthy eating habits, while still more highlight pressing geopolitical and social issues, e. g. the Global Conflicts series. Upsides can even extend into the physical world. Consider Facebook game Ecotopia. In summer 2011, players of the popular social game met a challenge from its creators and planted 25,000 trees in the game world in 25 days, leading the game’s developer to plant 25,000 trees in real life. Career Benefits Future career choices for today’s tots will no doubt be influenced by technology in a way that is difficult for many parents to imagine too. Skills learned and honed playing home console and video games, as well as mobile gaming apps, will undoubtedly be very valuable to students in the workforce of 2025. As mentioned earlier, the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) has proclaimed that kids need more, not less, video game play. They argue that video games hold the potential to help address one of America’s most pressing problems – preparing students for an increasingly competitive global market. â€Å"The success of complex video games demonstrates that games can teach higher-order thinking skills such as strategic thinking, interpretative analysis, problem solving, plan formulation and execution, and adaptation to rapid change,† the Federation announced in a 2010 report. â€Å"These are the skills U. S. employers increasingly seek in workers and new workforce entrants. † Games are increasingly being used to educate and instruct workers around the globe by governments, trade bodies and the world’s largest corporations as well. From Cisco Systems’ The Cisco Mind Share Game, which facilitates network certification, to the US Department of Justice’s Incident Commander, in which emergency responders practice coordinating disaster relief efforts, the number of practical examples continues to grow. In fact, a recent study by the Entertainment Software Association found that 70 percent of major domestic employers have utilized interactive software and games for training purposes, and nearly eight out of 10 plan on doing so by 2013. Going forward, in addition to polishing your resume and interview skills, who knows? You may even want to brush up on your button-mashing abilities. Encouraging Cooperation and Teamwork Many games today also emphasize the cooperative aspects of game play, in which two or more players need to work together in order to reach a common goal. For instance, games like Lego Star Wars or Kirby’s Epic Yarn are enhanced by having players cooperate to solve in-game puzzles. Massively multiplayer games such as LEGO Universe and Lord of the Rings Online further offer added depth, atmosphere and enjoyment by allowing players to band together and work as a team in order to complete certain quests or defeat especially tricky opponents. Game industry analysts such as DFC Intelligence actually predict that video game revenue will reach nearly $70 billion by 2015, thanks in large part to these online, cooperative, subscription-based games that can be played together. Small wonder top titles like Star Wars: The Old Republic and Titan (the next MMO from Blizzard, the company that created World of Warcraft) continue to resonate so strongly with millions worldwide. Even the way that games are made can encourage teamwork. At Washburn University in Kansas, students study the game development process as a way to build teamwork and collaborative skills. â€Å"It taught me to work in a group,† said Washburn student Adam Bideau of the program in a recent interview with the Washburn Review. â€Å"Video games are not created by just one person and they require you to work well with others. You have to pool everyone’s talents together in order to produce the required product. † Promoting Exercise All parents know that kids need a healthy combination of physical and mental exercise. Happily, today’s motion-controlled games for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Kinect, Nintendo’s Wii and Wii U, and Sony’s PlayStation Move help kids get both kinds of workouts at the same time. Better yet, people of all ages are finding them a more approachable way to stay physically fit. While many shy away from exercise because they see it as an activity that isn’t enjoyable, organizations like the American Heart Association now cite, and even recommend, video games as a fun and entertaining way to enjoy physical activity. Upsides of active play are considerable too. A study reported in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine of 39 Boston middle-school children who played with six different interactive gaming systems found that the games â€Å"compared favorably with walking on a treadmill at three miles per hour, with four out of the six activities resulting in higher energy expenditure. † Organizations supporting individuals of all ages and interests are additionally using active games to help get people up and moving. Nursing homes, cruise ships and even after-school programs all now employ active video games in some form to help stimulate both the mind and body. The good news: People seem to be enjoying active play more than ever. Healthy diversions such as Wii Fit and Zumba Fitness continue to be some of the most popular and best-selling games year in and out.

How to Help Kids Learn Digraphs in Spelling and Sounds

How to Help Kids Learn Digraphs in Spelling and Sounds Digraphs are two letters that make a third letter sound, when combined, such as ch or sh. Many sight vocabulary words use digraphs, which may provide a springboard for exploring these letter pairs when helping students learn to read new and unfamiliar vocabulary.   When considering a spelling program and how to best help children learn the sounds of the English language, you will need to choose words that help them understand all of the 44 sounds. Part of those 44 sounds include the digraphs. It is also important to distinguish letter digraphs from letter blends, which are letters commonly paired whose individual sounds are created in concert, such as sl, pl, pr, sr, etc.  Often, children with disabilities have difficulty hearing and distinguishing letter blends, but consonant digraphs are easier because even the voiced and unvoiced digraphs (th) are made in the same way, with tongue placement in the same place. Often, students who have problems with identifying and/or hearing digraphs are also struggling with hearing (hard of hearing) or articulating (apraxia) the letter sound.  Students with these difficulties should be referred to audiologists or speech-language pathologists for assessment and/or services. The consonant digraphs are: ch, sh, th, ng (final sound) ph, and wh. Strategies for Teaching Common Words With Digraphs Introducing the Sound Use decodable books with consonant digraphs to introduce the sounds.  Use picture cards (chew, chop, chin, etc.)  to introduce the sounds.Use a double ch letter card with other letter cards to build words.  Have students build the same words with an individual pocket chart. Practicing the Sound Word Sorts:  Put lots of words with paired initial sounds in squares.  Have them cut out the words and paste them under the consonant digraph, i.e. chs include chip and ship, shop and chop.   Sounds Sound: ch as in chew Initial ch sound:  chew, chop, chips, choice, chance, chain, champ, chase, cheer, cheek, cheat, chase, chalk, choose Final ch sound: touch, each, reach, coach, ditch, ouch, beach, teach, ditch, lunch Sound: sh like in shy or rush Initial sh:  shadow, shade, shine, shop, shell, shout, shrub, shut, share, shower Final sh:   push, rush, fresh, wish, wash, fish, dish, trash, ash, rash Sound: the unvoiced th as in this the, then, they, there, their, this, them, these, that, though Sound: the voiced th as in thin thin, think, thick, thank, theft, thumb, tooth, truth, with, width Sound: wh as in why why, where, what, when, while, wheel, white, which, wheat, whistle Final Sound ng as in ring sing, sang, wing, bang, clang, bong, dung, sung, mung, clung, cling Sound:  ph as in phone Phillip, phantom, phonics, phase, phlox

5 Rules About Conjunctive Adverbs

5 Rules About Conjunctive Adverbs 5 Rules About Conjunctive Adverbs 5 Rules About Conjunctive Adverbs By Mark Nichol Many words and phrases are similar in function to the conjunction and, but they’re not exact replacements; they even belong in a different grammatical class adverbs. But because of this similarity, they’re called conjunctive adverbs or adverbial conjunctions. When considering using any of the special adverbs discussed below the simplest and most common among this subclass with or in place of and, keep these rules in mind: 1. â€Å"As Well As† Stands Alone The phrase â€Å"as well as† serves to distance a phrase from a preceding item or list of items: â€Å"Bioethics addresses issues of medical administration, medical economics, industrial medicine, epidemiology, legal medicine, treatment of animals, as well as environmental issues.† Because â€Å"as well as environmental issues† is a separate phrase, the preceding list requires its own conjunction before the final item: â€Å"Bioethics addresses issues of medical administration, medical economics, industrial medicine, epidemiology, legal medicine, and treatment of animals, as well as environmental issues.† 2. Clauses Share Conjunctive Adverbs The presence of a conjunction in a subordinate clause obviates the need for another one in the main clause: â€Å"In addition to managing the application server and the database, the company also tackles Web applications.† When you begin a sentence with a connector, do not introduce another later in the sentence: â€Å"In addition to managing the application server and the database, the company tackles Web applications.† 3. Conjunctions and Conjunctive Adverbs Clash Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, in a sample sentence demonstrating the definition of also, allows the combination â€Å"and also,† as shown in this construction: â€Å"I did check-in procedures when they were first arrested and also checked them for weapons and such before they went into their rooms.† However, I see no point in retaining also and recommend its deletion: â€Å"I did check-in procedures with them when they were first arrested and checked them for weapons and such before they went into their rooms.† 4. Let Etc. Carry Its Own Load A similar redundancy can occurs with etc.; fortunately, few people commit this error in their writing, but in searching for examples online, I found many company names following the â€Å"Widgets and Etc.† model. Etc., an abbreviation of the Latin et cetera (hence the pronunciation), means â€Å"and so on,† and so forth,† â€Å"and the like,† so preceding it with and is redundant. By the way, style guides recommend using one of the English forms in favor of the Latin abbreviation. If you’re going to ignore this sensible advice, at least punctuate the sentence correctly by preceding the abbreviation with a comma: â€Å"Symptoms of alcohol abuse are identical to those of heart failure due to viral infection, high blood pressure, etc.† If etc. occurs mid-sentence, punctuate after it as well: â€Å"Symptoms of alcohol abuse are identical to those of heart failure due to viral infection, high blood pressure, etc., so it is easily misdiagnosed or missed.† 5. Take Care in Placing Too Too can be situated in various places in a sentence, depending on the sentence’s intended meaning: â€Å"Too, I think mediation should be considered.† However, it should not start a sentence: â€Å"I think, too, mediation should be considered first,† in which the placement of too clearly indicates that the writer is expressing an additional thought, is the correct syntactical arrangement. â€Å"I think mediation should be considered, too,† while also correct, is ambiguous: It could mean the same thing, or it could signal agreement with another person’s opinion. â€Å"I, too, think mediation should be considered first† unequivocally communicates the latter meaning. But don’t let the injunction against the adverbial conjunction too at the head of a sentence deter you from beginning one with the pure adverb too: â€Å"Too many cooks spoil the broth.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:English Grammar 101: All You Need to KnowProbable vs. PossibleUsing "zeitgeist" Coherently

Business English Writing Resources

Business English Writing Resources Written communication is especially important at work. Business writing often follows specific expectations. There are a wide range of standard phrases that are expected in business English that are generally not used in everyday English. Examples Please find attached ...We regret to inform you that ...It has come to our attention that ... Another challenge is that business writing follows very specific formulas in structure. Take the resume, ​for instance, the writing style you use, the points you highlight about your career or education, and the overall look and feel can play a very important role in deciding whether you are offered a job or not. There are also a number of documents that are common to business writing. These include office memos, e-mails, and reports. These business writing documents also take on different styles depending on the audience of those who receive the documents. This guide to business writing points you in the direction of the wide variety of resources available on the site. Basic Business Letters These two articles provide an overall framework for writing business letters. They outline specific issues of salutation, structure, letter layout and language use. Finally, there is also a Business Letter Writing Basics - Business Letter Writing Basics for English learners. Guide to basic style questions and standard phrases used in business English letters. How to Write a Business Letter - This how to provides a quick step by step guide to writing a basic business letter. Specific Business Letters Building on basic business letters, these business letters provide specific examples of letters written for common business writing tasks such as making an inquiry, sales letters, placing an order, etc. They include key phrases commonly found in each of business letter types, as well as an example letter on which to model your own English business correspondence. Letters of AcknowledgementMaking a Sale - Sales LetterPlacing an OrderMaking a ClaimAdjusting a ClaimMaking an inquiryReplying to an inquiryNew Account Terms and ConditionsBasic Business LettersWriting a Cover Letter when Applying for a Job Specific Business Documents There are a number of standard business documents that are used on a daily basis at the office. These documents follow standard outlines. This example provides important structural details, an introduction and example document on which to model your own reports. How to Write a Business Report Job Applications It is extremely important that these key business documents are in order when applying for a job. The cover letter and the resume are key to successfully winning a job offer during the interviewing process. Finding a Job - Writing a Cover LetterExample Cover Letter 1Writing Your Resume

Alcohol Education Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Alcohol Education - Research Proposal Example It will detail how the goal can be measured, the role nurses could play and the aspects that support increasing the educational awareness. Using evidence based research, it will also indicate whether the aspects have been researched before and the outcomes obtained. The paper will also discuss the stakeholders engaged so as to get support for the project, highlight the specific arguments that could be used and the strategies that could be employed. The paper will further make references to change theory, systems theory and organizational theory while outlining the steps to operationalize the project. The outline will indicate specific timelines, needed resources, communication plan and the estimated budget. It will then describe the outcomes that require measurement along the way and those at the end of the project, highlighting their significance and how they would be used to adapt new strategies along the way. Finally, it will be concluded by a description of what the expected outc omes would be. To effectively increase educational awareness of the effects of alcohol among the college age population, there is a need to equip those who will play the role of creating the awareness (WHO, 2012). They include parents, youth workers, teachers, community and religious workers. Through program initiatives, adults can be guided on youth behavioral training, family skills, brief therapy and support. Another critical group is made up of those who sell and serve alcohol, which can be trained on implementing measures to reduce harmful consumption of alcohol by the young people. Peers also bear a significant influence on the young people’s drinking habits and patterns, and specific approaches can be designed to mould their relationship to discourage alcohol consumption (Houghton & Roche, 2001). The way the youth make decisions regarding consumption of alcohol is also greatly influenced by the drinking culture that prevails in their community. The community can be use d to develop the youth’s social and personal skills in a manner which lets them take responsible choices while teaching them not to position themselves or others in the way of harm. Within the colleges, the administrators must educate students on personal and academic effects of excessive alcohol consumption. They should empower their students to be responsible of the decisions they make regarding alcohol and the campus environment. It is upon the college administration to impact upon the students, especially the new ones, the concept of an alcohol-free environment (Midford & McBride, 2001). This can be achieved by showing them that most of their peers already in college do not indulge in alcohol abuse but instead chose safe and healthy decisions. This is a particularly significant step because majority of new students have the tendency to simply fit in the norms they found existing in their new environment. If they are led to incorrectly believe that all students on campus g et drunk regularly, they will most likely pick on the habit and develop it. The students can be assisted to organize and participate in events designed by peer education groups to enhance respect for college policies, state laws and personal responsibility in terms of alcohol consumption. Such events present the youth with opportunities to display healthy ways of life free from use of alcohol illegally and its abuse. If such events are regular