My Obstacles and Outcomes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My Obstacles and Outcomes - Essay Example The problem was that we needed to know what to do with children who are not bilingual and cannot understand the Korean language. I was an English teacher. My job was to lead the children through different activities and preach to them in English. This was a very frustrating experience since I had never preached before. There was also the problem of age differences. I had to handle children as young as 4-5 years of age as well as children who were in the 5th or 6th grade. I was used to smaller groups of children and these were larger. The first day was a nightmare. Firstly, I was not used to delivering a 25-minute sermon. Secondly, I could not get their attention. Thirdly, the preaching level was not up to par to their level of understanding. After brainstorming, matters improved. I came up with strategies. I created a PowerPoint presentation. I also searched for funny simple images that related to the bible story. For example, in telling the story of the blind man I found a picture o f a blind person. I used a strategy of questioning with storyboards and I also found short video clips from YouTube that related to the bible stories. Every child had a chance to answer and as a reward, I provided candy for answering the questions correctly. The final outcome was superb. The children paid attention to the bible study, during arts and crafts, and during their eating periods. The aim of the project was to have them get to know Christ. I was able to do this by creating a visual effect to catch their attention, providing different questions to match all ages, and rewarding them. In conclusion, the project was a challenge. The summer bible camp was an experience that increased my knowledge of teaching. These experiences made me think of new ideas. I am now a Sunday school teacher for 3rd and 4th graders at a new church. I am now able to handle international students more readily. I love teaching and getting to know the children. I hope to encounter other tasks to overcom e and gain knowledge from it, as a member of the Teach For America Corporation.

Performance appraisal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Performance appraisal - Research Paper Example Performance Appraisals should be able to minimize the gap between the evaluation that an employee receives on a particular performance and the actual results the individual has achieved. However, this is seldom achieved. Studies have been conducted on the efficacy of performance appraisal as social and the emotional factors or the cognitive process on performance appraisal has been assessed. While it is vehemently believed that performance appraisal can have positive implications and help improve organizational effectiveness, these studies suggest that organizations have not been able to achieve the intended objectives in conducting performance appraisal. This paper reviews the perceived benefits of performance appraisal and the constraints that have hindered the development of an effective performance appraisal system. Literature Review Performance Appraisal has been defined as the "formal evaluation of an employee's job performance in order to determine the degree to which the empl oyee is performing effectively" (Griffin & Ebert, 2002 cited by Schraeder, Becton & Portis, 2007). Performance management is about improving performance but is often forgotten (Hendry et al, 2006). Aligning with corporate objectives and goals The PA system should be strategically aligned with corporate objectives and goals to achieve the intended results. This requires careful thinking and serious planning as the administrative, developmental, and strategic needs have to be integrated (Caruth & Humphreys, 2008). Therefore, an effective PA system should reflect formalization, job relatedness, standards and measurements, validity, reliability, open communication, trained appraisers, ease of use, employee accessibility to results, review procedures, and appeal procedures. Through written employee handbook the employees should be made aware of the formal procedures and policies. The appraisal factors should account for success or lack of success in performing a job. These should be well understood and uniformly interpreted by all appraisers. For meaningful appraisal standards should be thoughtfully set so that it ensures integration of information into the overall strategic process of the organization. Benefits of PA Performance appraisals are used to determine employee compensation, merit pay, while also facilitating human resource management functions. PA can also provide information about the effectiveness of the firm’s selection and placement programs, in addition to identifying training needs (Pettijohn et al, 2008). The most important function is to provide information and direction to employees which would lead to enhanced performance. PA is meant to gather information for personnel decisions such as rewards, promotion, transfers or termination (Kennedy & Dresser, 2001). It is also used as a tool to identify weaknesses which helps identify training and development needs. However, seldom is there focus on personality traits and behavior. According to Schraeder, Becton and Portis (2007) performance appraisals have definite benefits such as enhanced communication, enhanced employee focus by promoting trust; it leads to goal setting and enhanced performance. Facilitating communication reduces employee uncertainty, according to Schraeder et al while inhibiting or hindering communication is an organizational weakness (Caruth & Humphre

Developed in Rome Essay Example for Free

Developed in Rome Essay In the time of the Renaissance, the arts became the primary preoccupation of the people. This is because of the pervading atmosphere of humanism, which promotes the accomplishments of the individual in a gamut of areas. The Renaissance as an era is divided into two parts: the early Renaissance which occurred in Florence and the high Renaissance that developed in Rome. How are these two phases different in terms of artistic styles? How are they alike? In the spirit of humanism that it advances, the art pieces reminiscent of the early Renaissance tried to put into canvass a very realistic depiction of the human form. Everything from proportion to color was considered to achieve the desired effect of realism. According to Noble, â€Å"artists developed new techniques to give paintings a more three-dimensional, life-like quality, and commonly studied human and animal anatomy in efforts to better understand their subjects (6). † These artists enjoyed the patronage of the wealthy, but they were not granted complete artistic freedom. Even though humanism was at its peak, the theme of the arts still leaned towards religion (Noble 6). The artists could only manifest freedom in terms of style and technique. The artistic pioneers of that time included Giotto di Bondone, Massacio, Lorenzo Ghiberti and Donatello. Giotto was the first important artist; it was his study of nature that rendered realistic facial expressions in his paintings (Noble 6), which served as the benchmark for the periods realistic techniques. Massacio is known for his Bible-inspired work, The Tribute Money. Ghiberti was the leading name in architecture; he designed and sculpted bronze doors, which was embellished with scenes from the Bible, for the Baptistry (Noble 6). In terms of sculpture, Donatello was the most important artist. He was responsible for David, â€Å"the first freestanding nude figure sculpted since the Roman era (Noble 6). † â€Å"If the early Renaissance artists paved the way for new techniques and styles in creating arts, it was the High Renaissance artists who mastered these said techniques (Noble 7),† bringing the creation of art to new heights. There might have been an improvement in method, but the subject matter remains the same. The arts of the High Renaissance was still controlled by the Church. However, the works of Leonardo began to manifest a strong leaning toward extreme humanism, which marked the beginning of change (Noble 7). In the High Renaissance, there were three dominant artists: Leonardo da Vinci, Michaelangelo Buonarroti and Raphael. Da Vincis works include the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper and Lady with an Ermine (â€Å"Artcyclopedia† 1). Michaelangelo, on the other hand, is famous for the artwork in the Sistine Chapel (â€Å"Artcyclopedia† 2). Raphael were responsible for such paintings as Saint George and the Dragon, and The Small Cowper Madonna (â€Å"Artcyclopedia† 3). In conclusion, the early Renaissance and High Renaissance only differed in two points: first, they occurred in different locations; second, while the early Renaissance artists created the techniques, the High Renaissance artists perfected them. Moreover, the two phases shared a similarity: the theme of religion despite the humanistic atmosphere. Works Cited Artcyclopedia. 2007. 17 Dec. 2007 http://www. artcyclopedia. com/history/high-renaissance. html. Noble, Matt. Sparknote on Italian Renaissance (1330-1550). 2006. SparkNotes LLC. 17 Dec. 2007 http://www. sparknotes. com/history/european/renaissance1/.

Causes of Parturition in Cattle

Causes of Parturition in Cattle 1.0 Introduction Parturition in cattle is known to be a complicated physiological process, where the onset is generally accepted to be initiated by the fetus (Thorburn et al., 1977; Thorburn, 1979). In normal circumstances, this complicated process involving several hormonal interactions and should conclude without any human interference, leaving a healthy cow with a vigorous calf. However, in reality a large proportion of calving require assistance to varying degrees that may result in a stillborn calf (Meijering, 1984). Domestication and breeding programmes in the dairy industry select for cows that produce calves that are relatively larger when compared to their dams; a regular occurrence in cattle compared to most other mammals (McClintock, 2004). As dystocia is highly related to the pelvic area (Price and Wiltbank, 1978), being able to measure the pelvic dimensions is beneficial. The process of measuring the internal and external capacity and diameter of the pelvis is known as pelvimetry (Studdert et al., 2011). This is elucidated in studies which reveal that there is value in using external pelvimetry as a predictor for the internal pelvic measurements (Murray et al., 2002), while others show that withers height and heart girth were the best predictors of internal pelvic sizes (Kolkman et al., 2012; Coopman et al., 2003). Hence, it would be easier if the farmer had an alternate method to measure internal pelvic dimensions, such as predicting those dimensions through measurements of external morphometry which could be done directly using measuring tape. Therefore, the ability to accurately determine the possibility of dystocia will allow early and appropriate intervention, which then decreases the morbidity and mortality of t he dam and fetus, improving animal welfare and reducing economic losses (Linden et al., 2009). There is a need for information regarding associations between internal pelvic measurements and external morphometry, which may have value in determining dams with larger pelvic opening that increases calving ease (Bellows et al., 1971). Currently, no research has been done to study the association between the intrapelvic measurements and the external morphometric measurements in Friesian cross cattle in Malaysia. Hence, the objective of this study was to determine the relationship between intrapelvic area, morphometric measurements, age, body weight and body condition score in Friesian cross cattle which could be of value in determining dams with larger pelvic openings and thereby reducing the risk of dystocia. It is hypothesized that there is an association between the intrapelvic measurements and external morphometry in Friesian cross cattle.       2.0 Literature Review 2.1 Dystocia Dystocia, defined as delayed or difficult parturition (Mushtaq, 2016), is usually classified into two main causes which are direct factors and indirect factors (Meijering, 1984). The former usually being anatomical and physiological factors such as malpresentation of the calf in the birth canal and uterine torsion in the dam. The latter is related to phenotypic effects that are related to the calf such as calf birth weight, multiple calvings and perinatal mortality, as well as, phenotypic effects associated with the cow such as cow pelvic area, cow body weight at calving, cow body condition score, gestation length and calving assistance. Indirect factors also include non-genetic factors such as cow age, parity of cow, calf sex, nutrition and other disorders, while genetic factors involve cow, bull and calf breeds (Zaborski et al., 2009). The most common cause of dystocia is a physical incompatibility between the size of the foetus and maternal pelvic size, also known as feto-pelvic i ncompatibility. The pelvic size of the dam is mainly influenced by the stage of maturity of the cow. As a result, a smaller size of the pelvis contributes to the higher incidence of dystocia in heifers (Haskell and Barrier, 2014) and vice versa where dams with larger pelvic openings experience less calving difficulty (Barrier et al., 2013). 2.2 Breed Comparisons Several studies have shown that there are significant differences in pelvic dimensions between breeds of beef and dairy cattle (Ramin et al., 1995; Laster 1974; Meijering and Pastma, 1984; McElhenney et al., 1985). There are also differences between herds within breeds, purebreds and crossbreeds, and small breeds and large breeds. The pelvic height and pelvic width increase greatly with advancing age, which shows that the pelvic area is larger in mature cows in comparison to heifers. The mean pelvic heights in beef and dairy heifers can vary from 13.5 cm to 19.3 cm, the pelvic width from 12.6 cm to 18 cm, and the mean pelvic area from 170 cm2 to 290 cm2. 2.3 Impact of Dystocia on Dam The occurrence of dystocia has shown to have an adverse effect on the reproductive performance of dairy cows, where the first oestrus, days open and the calving interval were significantly longer (Gaafar et al., 2010). Fertility is further impaired as a result of dystocia as it causes a reduction in conception rate and an increase in the number of services per conception (Lopez de Maturana et al., 2007). Total milk yield also tends to be lower in cows that have experienced dystocia at calving compared to those that calved normally (Berry et al., 2007). Furthermore, there is a significant increase in the mortality rate of cows experiencing dystocia in comparison to those that calved without assistance and the number is highest in cows that require serious intervention during parturition (Dematawewa and Berger, 1997). 2.4 Impact of Dystocia on Calf Majority of stillbirths were reported to be a direct result of dystocia (Meyer et al., 2000; Lombard et al., 2007). During parturition, there are several dramatic physiological changes that can have adverse effects on the foetal oxygen concentration (Lombard and Garry, 2013). The foetus can experience neonatal asphyxia during the calving process due to hypoxia, decreased blood flow as a result of occlusions of the placenta, or ischaemia. Hypoxia can progress to anoxia, which can be prolonged with instances of dystocia resulting in foetal death (Bluel et al., 2008). The calf can also have hypercapnia, which can cause respiratory acidosis. However, during dystocia the respiratory acidosis will be pronounced and in addition to this, the hypoxia can lead to anaerobic metabolism within the body that results in metabolic acidosis. The acidotic condition of the foetus can negatively affect the central nervous system resulting in lowered vigour, depression and decreased physical activity, wh ich is referred to as weak calf syndrome or dummy calf syndrome (Ravary-Plumioà «n, 2009). The dystocic calves were slower to express most of the neonatal behaviours, particularly those that lead up to reaching the udder, and usually lay recumbent (Barrier et al., 2012). This results in the failure of transfer of passive immunity as the calf is unable to absorb an adequate quantity of colostrum (Johnson et al., 2007; Weaver et al., 2000). This has been linked with an increase in calf morbidity and mortality and a reduction in the calf growth rate (Robison et al., 1988; Donovan et al., 1998). 2.5 Economic Impacts In a United Kingdom dairy herd, the total cost of a slightly difficult calving was estimated to be roughly  £110, while a more serious difficult calving can range from  £350 to  £400. This takes into account the labour and veterinary costs, including the cost of caesarean deliveries, the mortality of dams and calves and the culled cows, the losses incurred due to a decreased milk production and poor reproductive performance (McGuirk et al., 2007). In Australian Friesian Holstein herds, the cost of dystocia for a herd can go up to $5100 per year, where 30% of the losses is due to reduced fertility, 20% due to culling or dam death, veterinary costs were about 10% and labour costs were 20%. The cost of dystocia in primiparous cows was about $48.49, while it was $19.15 in mature cows. The overall losses associated with calving difficulties in the Australian dairy industry can be estimated to be in excess of $44 million annually (McClintook, 2004). In a study by Dematewewa Berger ( 1997), the estimated costs of dystocia were $0.00, $50.45, $96.48, $159.82 and $379.61 for dystocia scores 1 to 5 (1 representing no problem to 5 representing extreme difficulty). which showed that losses incurred increase as the difficulty of calving increases. 2.6 Pelvimetry Internal pelvimetry involves the measurement of the pelvic height and the pelvic width, which allows the pelvic area to be determined (Rice and Wiltbank, 1972; Bellows et al., 1971; Morrison et al., 1986; Johnson et al., 1988). The internal dimensions are measured using a sliding calliper device that is referred to as a Rice pelvimeter. Other instruments have also been developed such as the Krautmann-Litton Bovine pelvic meter and the EquiBov Bovine pelvimeter (Deutscher, 1987). The external pelvimetry is mostly done in correlation to the internal pelvic dimensions where the measurements are taken on the external body of the animal; for example, the pin width, hook width, rump length and hook to pin length (Bellows et al., 1971; Johnson et al., 1988; Coopman et al., 2003). Pelvimetry is a relatively simple and reliable method to determine pelvic parameters of cows with the basis that the larger the pelvic area, the lower the calving difficulty. However, a farmer would require the ser vices of a veterinarian with the skills and knowledge to peform this technique, which would increase costs to the farm (Kolkman et al., 2012). 2.7 Welfare The measurement of internal pelvic parameters is invasive and carries a risk of trauma to the rectal mucosa. It has been recommended to administer epidural anaesthesia which allows the cow to stand normally without arching her back or attempting to strain. However, the administration of the epidural anaesthesia requires specialised veterinary training (Murray et al., 2002). Despite the risk for injury, if the internal pelvimetry is done properly and gently with the use of adequate quantities of lubrication, damage to the rectal mucosa can be prevented (Hiew and Constable, 2015). 3.0 Materials and Methods Data was collected from 50 Friesian cross dairy cattle (23 from Ladang 16, Taman Pertanian Universiti (TPU), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and 27 others from two dairy cattle farms in Bangi, Selangor and Lenggeng, Negeri Sembilan that were part of the Ladang Angkat Programme) within a period of 2 weeks using convenience sampling. All of the cows were between 2-14 years of age and weighed between 200-750 kg. The ages of the cows at TPU were taken from recrodsm, whereas the ages of the other cattle were determined using dentition (Lawrence et al., 2001). This study was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), with the reference number: UPM/IACUC/FYP.2016/FPV.71 The external morphometry that was measured was the thoracic circumference, abdominal circumference, hook width and pin width. Thoracic circumference (Figure 1) was determined using a measuring tape (tailor fibreglass measuring tape) placed immediately caudal to the scapula and forelimbs. The abdominal circumference (Figure 2) was determined by placing the same tape tape cranial to the hind limbs, tuber coxae and udder, and was measured in centimetres (West, 1997) (Figure 3). The hook width (Figure 4) was measured using the linear distance between the most lateral surfaces of the wings of the ileum or tuber coxae. The pin width (Figure 5) is the linear distance between the most lateral surfaces of the tuber ischium (Singh et al., 1984) (Figure 6). These distances were measured in centimetres using straight rulers and a tape measure whereby one straight metal ruler was placed vertically at the lateral aspect of the tuber coxarum or tuber ischium and the other straight metal ruler was p laced vertically at the lateral aspect of the opposite tuberosity with the measuring tape stretched tautly between the two rulers (Craig, 1941). The body condition score was measured using a 5-point scoring method with quarter-point increments from an established scoring system from Elanco Animal Health (1997). The body weight was determined by measuring the thoracic circumference using a calibrated heart girth tape[MH1], in kilograms. Figure 3: External morphometry; a. Thoracic circumference, b. Abdominal circumference (Elanco Animal Health, 1997) Figure 4: Measuring the distance between the tuber coxae Figure 5: measuring the distance between the tuber ischii Figure 6: External morphometry; a. The distance between tuber coxae, b. The distance between tuber ischii (Elanco Animal Health, 1997) The internal pelvimetry was measured using a Rice pelvimeter (Lane Manufacturing Inc., Colorado, U.S.A.) (Figure 3) that provides measurements in centimetres with a gradient of 0.25 cm. Faeces were manually evacuated from the rectum and the pelvimeter was well lubricated using an aqueous based lubricant (BOVIVET Gel granulate). The closed pelvimeter was gently and slowly introduced into the rectum in a closed position by the hand, with the arm of the investigator protected using a disposable rectal sleeve (KRUTEX super sensitive disposable examination gloves) The pelvic height (Figure 4) was measured by opening the device within the pelvic canal and recording the distance between the dorsal aspect of the pubic symphysis on the floor of the pelvis and the ventral aspect of the sacral vertebrae. The pelvimeter was then closed and rotated 90 ° to measure the pelvic width, (Figure 5) which is defined as the horizontal distance at the widest point between the left and right ileal shafts at right angle to where the height was measured (Bellows et al., 1971). One limitation of the Rice pelvimeter is that it has a maximum reading of 20 cm, but in this study none of the cows had pelvic measurements that exceeded 20 cm. The intrapelvic area was calculated as the area of a rectangle by multiplying the pelvic width and the pelvic height (Gaines et al., 1993; Ramin et al., 1995; Green et al., 1988). The intrapelvic area can also be measured as an ellipse with the equation PA = PH ÃÆ'- PW ÃÆ'- à Ã¢â€š ¬/4 (David, 1960). Despite the higher degree of accuracy offered by the ellipsoidal equation, the rectangle equation was used for calculation because the ellipsoidal equation offered no advantage of predicting the risk of dystocia and did not differ when ranking pelvic size (Rice and Wiltbank, 1972). All measurements taken were measured three times consecutively by the same person and the resulting mean values were used for analyses. Data was placed on a data capture sheet for each farm, and transferred to an Excel spread sheet (Microsoft Office Excel, 2016). The data was then analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 22. Data was expressed as mean  ± standard deviation. Shapiro-Wilk test was used as a numerical means of assessing normality, and the output of a normal Q-Q plot was used to determine this graphically. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to examine the relationship of age categories (2 3 years, 3 4 years, 4 5 years, 5 6 years and > 6 years) on the external morphometry and internal pelvic measurements. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (r) was used to determine the association between internal pelvic dimensions and external morphometry, age, body weight and body condition score. Regression analysis was performed to determine the ability of external morphometry, age, body weight and body condition score to predict internal pelvic dimensions. The data collected were used to develop multiple regression equations that estimate the inner pelvic sizes from the external measurements. 4.0 Results The descriptive statistics for age, body weight, body condition score, external morphometry and internal pelvic measurements for the 50 Friesian cross cows are given in Table 1. Table 1: Age, body condition score, body weight, external morphometry and internal pelvic measurements for 50 Friesian cross cattle. Trait Minimum Maximum Mean S.E. S.D. Median Age (months) 24.00 165.00 60.16 4.17 29.16 54.00 Body condition score (1-5) 2.50 4.00 3.21 0.05 0.36 3.25 Body weight (kg) 277.3 722.7 456.9 14.0 98.7 437.8 Thoracic circumference (cm) 151.5 206.2 177.0 1.8 12.4 175.9 Abdominal circumference (cm) 152.0 227.8 189.2 2.2 15.8 189.4 Distance between tuber coxae (cm) 38.3 57.2 47.5 0.6 4.4 47.7 Distance between tuber ischae (cm) 20.0 45.6 31.5 0.8 5.7 31.8 Pelvic height (cm) 12.42 19.50 16.64 0.22 1.59 17.13 Pelvic width (cm) 11.67 19.08 15.64 0.24 1.69 15.50 Pelvic area (cm2) 158.31 398.86 263.28 7.21 51.02 262.43 There was no significant difference between the mean pelvic area of the cows sampled and the minimum pelvic size of Friesian-Holsteins that was determined to have a low incidence of dystocia, where cows which had pelvic sizes greater than the determined value of   260 cm2 would have a reduced risk of dystocia (Hoffman et al., 1996). The mean pelvic size of the sampled cows was 3.28 cm2 larger than the determined value of 260 cm2. In this sample, 24 cows out of the 50 (48%) had pelvic areas below 260 cm2, with the smallest pelvic area being 158.31 cm2. 4.1 Analysis of variance (ANOVA) The analysis of variance showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the age and: thoracic circumference (P = 0.008), abdominal circumference (P = 0.046), distance between tuber coxae (P = 0.046) and distance between tuber ischii (P = 0.009). However, there was no difference when it came to pelvic height, pelvic width and pelvic area (P > 0.05) amongst the age categories. The post-hoc comparisons using the Tukey HSD test gave indications that the means for thoracic circumference was lower for the age categories 2    3 years (170.1  ± 10.7 cm, P = 0.021), 3 4 years (172.4  ± 12.4 cm, P = 0.017) compared to the category > 6 years (189.4  ± 12.9 cm). There was a significant difference (P = 0.034) for abdominal circumference when comparing age category 4 5 years (180  ± 13.3 cm) to > 6 years (201.6  ± 15.3 cm). 4.2 Pearsons Product-Moment Correlation Table 2 illustrates the correlations between the external morphometry and internal pelvic dimensions, using Pearsons Product-Moment Correlation. This reveals that the external morphometric parameters of thoracic circumference, abdominal circumference, distance between tuber coxae, and distance between tuber ischii have a moderately, positive correlation with the internal pelvic measurements of pelvic height, pelvic width and pelvic area that were statistically significant (P = 0.01). Age in months had a weak and positive correlation with pelvic height (r = 0.35) and pelvic area (r = 0.29) at the level of P = 0.05. However, there was no correlation between age and pelvic width (r = 0.25, P = 0.86). Table 2: Correlations between the external morphometry and internal pelvic parameters. Traits Pelvic Height Pelvic Width Pelvic Area Thoracic circumference 0.50** 0.53** 0.48** Abdominal circumference 0.60** 0.52** 0.52** Distance between tuber coxae 0.46** 0.49** 0.43** Distance between tuber ischae 0.47** 0.54** 0.50** ** Correlation coefficient (r) is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed) Body weight (kg) showed a moderate positive correlation with pelvic height (r = 0.40), pelvic width (r = 0.50) and pelvic area (r = 0.44) at a level of P = 0.01. Body weight also displayed a very strong positive correlation with: thoracic circumference (r = 0.99), abdominal circumference (r = 0.76), distance between tuber coxae (r = 0.77) and the distance between tuber ischae (r = 0.73) at a level of P = 0.01. There were no correlations between the intrapelvic height (r = 0.11, P = 0.55), intrapelvic width (r = -0.10, P = 0.47) and intrapelvic area (r = -0.08, P = 0.60)and the body condition score (-0.104 . There were positive correlations between age in months and thoracic circumference, abdominal circumference, distance between the tuber coxae and distance between tuber ischii, all of which are significant at the level of P = 0.01 (Table 3). There is also a significant correlation between age in months and the body weight (r = 0.58, P Table 3: Correlations between the age (months) and external morphometry in 50 Friesian cross cattle. Age (months) with Correlation P-value Thoracic circumference 0.56 Abdominal circumference 0.48 Distance between tuber coxae 0.45 Distance between tuber ischae 0.63 The correlations between the external morphometry measurements are given in Table 4. There is significant, strong and positive correlation between each of the external morphometric measurements that were taken, where P Table 4 Correlations between the external morphometry of 50 Friesian cross cattle. Traits Thoracic circumference Abdominal circumference Distance between tuber coxae Thoracic circumference Abdominal circumference 0.76** Distance between tuber coxae 0.78** 0.72** Distance between tuber ischae 0.72** 0.64** 0.77** ** Correlation coefficient (r) is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed) 4.3 Regression analysis Several models were developed using linear and multiple regression analyses, which can be used to predict internal pelvic parameters using the external morphometric measurements that are given in Table 5. The best predictors for pelvic height would be body weight and the external parameters of thoracic circumference and abdominal circumference, where these parameters explain 58% of the variability of pelvic height. For pelvic width, the ideal predictor would be the distance between the tuber ischii which explains 29% of the variability of the pelvic width. Body weight, thoracic circumference and the distance between tuber ischii were the best predictors for pelvic area where they explain 40% of the variability of the pelvic area. Table 5 Models to predict inner pelvic sizes from easily accessible external morphometry Y Model R2 S.E. Pelvic Height Y = -50.57 0.06 ÃÆ'- BW + 0.47 ÃÆ'- Th + 0.05 ÃÆ'- Abd 0.58 1.13 Y = -48.90 0.05 ÃÆ'- BW + 0.52 ÃÆ'- Th 0.40 1.25 Y = 5.13 + 0.06 ÃÆ'- Abd 0.37 1.38 Pelvic Width Y = 6.74 + 0.19 ÃÆ'- TcTc 0.24 1.49 Y = 10.61 + 0.16 ÃÆ'- TiTi 0.29 1.45 Pelvic Area Y = -1549.01 1.54 ÃÆ'- BW + 14.22 ÃÆ'- Th 0.33 42.51 Y = 1585.33 1.56 ÃÆ'- BW + 13.22 ÃÆ'- Th + 1.17 ÃÆ'- Abd 0.39 41.15

The Glass Ceiling Phenomenon :: Business Management Studies

The Glass Ceiling Phenomenon ‘The Glass Ceiling’ is a barrier to prevent women rising to the highest positions in an organization as a result of informal exclusionary practices (cited in Giddens 2002, pg, 552). These practices include sexual harassment, sexual discrimination and pregnancy discrimination. Explanations for the ‘glass ceiling’ phenomena derive from the stereotype of women into traditional roles. Many men still carry the attitude despite living in this modern day and age that women are not capable of higher managerial roles and that their place rightfully belongs at home along with the house-hold chores. There is also the point that many corporate firms think twice before employing women for the top position, in terms of their level of commitment, for it is inevitable that every woman will want to have a child at some point in their life. However maternity leave is viewed upon as an expense in terms of money and the valuable time that is wasted in order to fill the vacant position. The organisational structure is another barrier that women have to contend with for it is evident that most firms are male dominated and huddle together when it comes to after work social activities, thus leaving the woman to feel as an out cast. An article published in The Guardian 25/09/2002 backs ‘The Glass Ceiling’ phenomena as it shows that women are still not making it to the top of their professions, despite thirty years of equal opportunities policies in the public and voluntary sectors. While there may be some women higher up in management it can be argued that these are just ‘token’ positions so that the corporate management cannot be accused of discrimination. Those few who are successful in making it are then dealt the blow of being paid substantially less

Language Acquisition and Corrective Feedback :: Education, foreign languages

Corrective feedback has been in the focus of research in SLA during the last years and has become an important part in learners’ language acquisition. Ellis (1994) referred to feedback as â€Å"the information given to learners which they can use to revise their interlanguage.† He also distinguishes two different kinds of feedback, positive and negative feedback; positive feedback has to do with the information that indicates that a hypothesis is incorrect. Ellis also mentioned some other forms of feedback such as direct or correction, indirect or the request for conformation, on-record which supplies ‘direct negative evidence’, and off-record which supplies ‘indirect negative feedback’; the negative evidence or feedback has to do with information about ungrammaticality. If corrective feedback is sufficiently salient to enable learners to notice the gap between their interlanguage forms and target language forms, the resulting cognitive comparison may trigger a destabilization and restructuring of the target language grammar (Ellis, 1994). Chaudron (1988) has pointed out that corrective feedback incorporates different layers of meaning. Chaudron consider the treatment of error is simply â€Å"any teacher behavior following an error that minimally attempts to inform the learner the fact of error† and finally â€Å"there is â€Å"the true† correction which succeeds in modifying the learner’s interlanguage so that the error is eliminated from further production†. In the view of Chaudroncited in El Tatawy (2002) the information learners get from corrective feedback allows them to â€Å"confirm, disconfirm, and possibly modify the hypothetical, transitional rules of their developing grammars.† Lightbown and Spada (1999) cited in El Tatawy (2002) define corrective feedback as: â€Å"Any indication to the learners that their use of the target language is incorrect.† Schachter (1991) cited in El Tatawy (2001) stated that the feedback can be explicit, that is grammatical explanation or overt error correction, or implicit. Implicit correction can be done using the following techniques â€Å"confirmation checks, repetitions, recasts, clarification requests, silence, and even facial expressions that express confusion.† (Schachter (1991) cited in El Tatawy (2001)) Tedick and Gortari (1998) summarize different types of corrective feedback: 1. Explicit correction. When the teacher provides direct corrective feedback to the learner after s/he has made any mistake S: [...] the coyote, the bison and the gr...grane. (phonological error) T: And the crane. We say crane. 2. Recast. The teacher indirectly provides corrective feedback to the learners, but tries to reformulate the utterance. S: You is a very good teacher. (grammatical error) T: You are a good teacher. Good. 3. Clarification request. The teacher uses some phrases such as "Excuse me?

Assignment Work Within A Legal And Efficical Time Frame Essay

1. Why is it important for a worker in the Community Services Industry to follow their job description? Because we have a duty of care to our clients and following our job description is the way we can give our clients the best way to provide a profession standard of service. And keeping in line with the polices kept in place by the organisation. 2. Define the term policy. A policy are rules set out that need to be followed. 3. Define the term procedure. A procedure is a step by step way of how a organisation achieves its desire goal. Why do Community Services Industry workers need to work within agency policy and procedures? Provide three (3) reasons. Ensure they do they do their job properly So No unnecessary harm is caused to the client To provide a proper duty of care to the client 4. Give five examples of areas that should be covered in a policy/procedure manual. Occupational health and safety Duty of care Communication Mandatory Reporting (child abuse) Case management procedure 5. Define the term legislation. Legislation are laws which have been enforced by the state or federal government. 6. Define the term statutory requirements? An act that requires you to do something or not do something is a statutory requirement. 7. Define the term regulatory requirements? Regulatory requirements are rules that tell you how a service should be run. 8. List three pieces of legislation impacting on the Community Services Industry and state the purpose of each. Legislation has the word ‘Act’ in the title. 9. When gathering personal information from a client, what do you need to tell them? Task B Case Study Read the following case study: You are a family and community worker employed by a community-based organisation that is located in a public housing estate. You have been working with the following family for a number of months. Julie has four children, aged 2-10 years old, and lives in a public housing estate in ‘Springvale’. You became involved with Julie’s family when she moved to the estate, having left Bill, the father of her children, due to experiencing domestic violence. Julie was granted public housing due to her single parent status, and she is receiving Parenting Payment (Single) from Centrelink. She was referred to your service, regarding her issues of isolation and parenting difficulties with her elder children. The focus of your intervention has been supporting Julie in her parenting role, linking her with community resources and developing budgeting skills. Julie has never been notified to the state child protection services for suspected abuse of her children. During recent visits, you are becoming increasingly concerned about Julie’s lifestyle. Arriving at Julie’s place in the morning, the flat  is very chaotic, the older kids are always rushing off late to school, and the flat is very messy, with unwashed dishes and scraps of food lying around. The younger children seem to always be watching TV and there is evidence of heavy drinking the night before. On your last visit, Julie informed you that Bill was moving in with her and the kids. Despite Bill’s heavy drinking, Julie is very lonely and not coping with the kids well on her own. She plans to keep this a secret from Centrelink and the state public housing department, as she may no longer be eligible for her financial benefits or subsidised housing. While you acknowledge Julie’s feelings of isolation, you are very concerned for the children’s safety if Bill returns to the family home. You decide that you need to discuss some of these recent developments with Julie. You are aware that Bill is very ‘anti-community workers’ and may react very negatively if he is there when you turn up. He has a history of bullying and threatening behaviour with community agencies that have assisted the family in the past. Answer the following questions based on the case study: 1. How would you find out what your roles and responsibilities are as a family worker? 2. In this case study what would be your roles and responsibilities as the worker? 3. Consult the attached Job Description. From the job description state three (3) key responsibilities and discuss how you could apply each of the responsibilities to this family. 4. As the worker, identify and discuss two (2) ethical dilemmas in this case study. You need to state the ethical dilemmas from the learning material and discuss why it could be a dilemma for you as a worker. 5. What principles of ethical decision making would you need to be aware of when dealing with the ethical dilemmas you identified, and why? 6. Identify the factors that contribute to risk of harm of the children in this case study. 7. Identify and discuss your duty of care in relation to each family member? 8. If you were unsure about how to proceed in working with this family, what would you do next? Read the next part of the case study and answer the following questions: In the course of your work with Julie and her family, Julie expresses dissatisfaction about your work with her family. She is adamant that you have a vendetta against Bill, and that you have breached her confidentiality by discussing her situation with other services (such as Centrelink) and is accusing you of acting unprofessionally. 9. Identify Julie’s rights in this situation. 10. Identify the legislation that supports client complaints in this industry. Legislation has the word â€Å"Act† in the title. 11. Discuss how you would deal with Julie’s complaint. Task C Answer the following questions: 1. From the learning material, identify a model for working through issues and dealing with ethical dilemmas. 2. From the learning material, identify the significant ethical guidelines in the Community Services Industry. 3. From the learning material, identify ways that we can ensure client rights are upheld. 4. From the learning material, identify the basic organisational procedures that you will need to follow when managing a complaint. 5. At what point would you consider using an advocate or an advocacy service? 6. Define these terms: Abuse Neglect Risk Job Description Position:Family Support Worker Location:Springvale Community Services (SCS) Classification:Community Services Worker Grade 3 Social and Community Services Employees (State) Award Hours of Duty: Full time position – 38 hrs/week Position Objectives To support community, families and individuals as an advocate, point of referral and/or resource. Within Organisation Compliance with Springvale Community Service’s Code of Conduct, Goals and Objectives, Mission Statement and Policies and Procedures Compliance with all relevant Legislation, Regulations and Awards Compliance with relevant government funding requirements Compliance with individual scope of practice Maintain privacy and confidentiality of information within SCS Promote a positive image of SCS Maintain a commitment to SCS’s Corporate Plan Liaise with community service providers to plan and engage direct service provision Maintain effective communication and interpersonal skills Efficient and effective utilisation of resources as allocated under the level of responsibility for the position Key Responsibilities Provide direct services to families and individuals that encompass, in consultation with the client(s), identification of issues/needs and implementation of a mutually agreed plan of referral and/or resource acquisition. Provide referral of clients to appropriate / specialist services as required At the request of the client, act as an advocate and/or support for clients accessing referral services and other agencies. Work  within relevant legislation, regulations, codes of practice/conduct and organisational policy and procedures. Maintain factual and objective client records acknowledging the provision of the Privacy Act. Provide outreach services, as required Submit monthly operational and statistical report to the Co-ordinator of Springvale Community Services Perform other duties as requested by the Co-ordinator Actively participate in weekly staff meetings Participate in and contribute to the overall Springvale Community Services Strategic Plan Provide a weekly planner at beginning of each week outlining activities relating to the position role to the Co-ordinator Maintain ongoing professional development ensuring up-to-date knowledge of legislation, referral resources and current professional practices Reporting Relationships