Saturday, August 31, 2019

Bhopal Ethics Essay

The Bhopal gas leak was a terrible tragedy in which thousands of helpless civilians were killed and hundreds of thousands were injured as they slept. Determining who was at fault and, consequently, who should compensate the victims and clean up the site are questions that have plagued the affected parties, my Rotman classmates and the world at large for over 25 years. The analysis to follow, in attempting to present the roles and responsibilities of each major player, will demonstrate the incredible difficulty involved in assigning conclusive responsibility for the tragedy. This will be followed by my personal reflections on the incident in which I present an additional culprit to those discussed in class. Union Carbide Corporation (US): In seeking to assign responsibility for the incident, there are two clear opportunities to point the finger at Union Carbide Corporation. Firstly, pressure from the corporate office to stop losses backed Union Carbide India into a corner that led to the cost-cutting proposal that ultimately produced the disaster. If, as Milton Friedman said, the social responsibility of a business is to increase profits, then Union Carbide Corporation is under a purely fiduciary, and not a moral or ethical, responsibility to the company’s shareholders and their decision to approve the cost-cutting plan seems appropriate. Friedman’s view, however, is far from universally accepted. Many believe that corporations’ responsibilities to their shareholders, employees, customers and communities extend past fiduciary and enter the realms of ethics and CSR. These people will lay blame for the incident at Union Carbide Corporation for putting profits before people. A second criticism often leveled at Union Carbide Corporation is the fact that their inspectors had visited the Bhopal plant a year before the incident and noted sixty-one safety issues. A grand total of zero of these recommendations had been implemented by the time of the incident. While responsibility for implementation certainly rests with Union Carbide India, the parent company cannot escape blameless as they bear responsibility for following up and ensuring their plants are meeting their own safety guidance. This negligence led to disaster. Union Carbide India Limited: The Indian subsidiary of Union Carbide’s level of responsibility for the Bhopal tragedy is also difficult to determine. It clearly bears responsibility for non-functioning safety and emergency equipment that greatly exacerbated the scope of the tragedy. It is simply unacceptable that the cooling unit had been disabled for over one year. Union Carbide India also failed its responsibilities by hiring under-qualified and illiterate employees, and then failing to train them appropriately. These employees did not understand the dangers and worked in a world where minor leaks were commonplace and corroded instruments could not be trusted. As well, the subsidiary surely deserves blame for not correcting any of the safety violations identified before the incident. Defendants of the Indian subsidiary, however, will remind their critics that cutting these corners were required to keep their plant open and preserve their jobs and important pesticides. Without pressure from their US parent to eliminate losses, they argue, such drastic measures would not have been necessary. Here again we see how easily complications arise when attempting to assign responsibility for ethical lapses. Government of India: The government of India was the strongest proponent in bringing a Union Carbide plant to Bhopal as the prospect of jobs and much needed pesticides led to an offer Union Carbide could not refuse: cheap labour, tax breaks, few workplace safety restrictions and a guaranteed market for 100% of their output. The Government of India, in addition to economic growth, also bears responsibility for the safety and well-being of its citizens; here, they failed to live up to their full mandate. Firstly, the decision to favour economic growth over safety was questionable ethically and ended up costing them dearly. Secondly, the Government neglected the densely-populated shanty town that had grown up near the plant on land deeded from local officials. Its residents were the first and main victims of the poisonous gas. Still, many will argue that a cost-benefit analysis made creating jobs and accessible pesticide for a poor and hungry region the proper priority. While many were ultimately harmed by the leak, how many more had benefitted from the poverty-alleviating jobs and hunger-alleviating crops? Here again we find valid points and counter-points, leaving us no closer to assigning conclusive blame and responsibility for the tragedy. Dow Chemical: While Dow certainly protected itself in the purchase agreement from a legal standpoint, there are those that suggest the proper ethical action is for Dow to assume responsibility for any outstanding clean up and compensation. While this may innately feel like the right thing to do, the counterpoint that Dow had nothing to do with the incident and should not be punished after paying fair market value for Union Carbide is also valid. Personal Reflection: Analyzing the conduct of the major parties has not produced any conclusive allocation of responsibility. It is clear that each party deserves significant blame but no party deserves total blame. There is, however, an overlooked culprit that I believe deserves the bulk of the blame: the expectations market that has hijacked the decision making of US corporations(1). Ever-increasing emphasis on the expectations market (stock prices) instead of the real market (products/services, relationships with customers and communities) has left businesses making short-term, profit-chasing decisions at the expense of their reputation, ethics and long-term viability. Approving cost cuts that jeopardized safety in Bhopal is just one of all too many such instances. This juxtaposition of ethics vs. eeting financial expectations, however, is fatally flawed – there are many examples where ethical decisions produce long term financial success (Tylenol and Maple Leaf Foods recalls, for example). Queens University took the ethical route vis a vis the Radler donation and the class poll revealed that only a very small percentage of us had heard of that incident. I believe that if Queens had ta ken the easier, unethical decision and never offered to return the donation, this story would have been much more widely publicized and Queens would have suffered in the long run. Moreover, there is no shortage of examples where short-term unethical decisions destroy companies and make them miss their projections forever! (Enron, Bre-X, Nortel, etc – sadly this is a very long list indeed). In short, I disagree with Friedman and lay the bulk of Bhopal blame at the financial system in which Union Carbide operated. Fear of getting hammered by the expectations market led to corporate’s threat to close the Bhopal plant which set off the chain reaction that ultimately ended in tragedy. Fear of incurring further losses after the tragedy than focused Union Carbide’s efforts on avoiding liability, rather than taking the ethical high-ground and assuming fair responsibility for compensation and clean up. Corporate promotion of hypernorms such as integrity, compassion and responsibility will ultimately benefit all stakeholders and provide corporations with the enduring financial rewards that accrue to those that are respected and well-liked by the real market (ie. onsumers and communities, not analysts and speculators). We need to usher in a new era where businesses chase solid reputations and community longevity instead of quarterly earnings expectations. The default corporate reaction to adversity must shift towards upholding these hypernorms, rather than hiding behind lawyers and waiting until the blame has been transferred elsewhere. Realizing that employing the ethical strategy does not compromise, but actually enhances long term financial viability is a cruc ial first step.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Research Project Essay

Introduction The purpose of this study is to investigate the extent to which the strategies employed by Nandos in the recent recession have been effective. For the topic to be extensively researched, the research proposal has been split in to the following objectives. * Identifying the customer base of Nandos. * Investigating if and how the recession affected Nandos. * Analysing strategies used by Nandos in the recession. An investigation of Nandos’ performance since and during the recession will need to be undertaken. This would need to be compared to its performance prior to the recession in order to investigate the effect of the recession on Nandos. Firstly, the proposal will first carry out an in depth literature review to investigate relevant theories and information related to the research objectives outlined above. Building on the findings of the literature review, the research design and strategies will be formed to investigate each of the above objectives. During the course of this study, ethical and practical issues in relation to the research altogether will also be considered. Nandos founded in 1987 is a casual dining restaurant with a Portuguese theme. It originated from South Africa and is now operating in 30 countries on 5 continents. It specializes in chicken dishes with different souses such as lemon and herb, medium, hot or extra hot Peri-Peri. In some countries, they also offer other flavor options like mango and lime, lemon and herb, or Mediterranean (Nandos 2009, p.4) The restaurant began in 1987 when Robert Brozin and Fernando Duarte bought a restaurant called â€Å"Chickenland† in Rosettenville, Southern Johannesburg. They renamed the restaurant Nandos after Duarte. The restaurant incorporated influences from former Portuguese colonists from Mozambique, many of whom had settled on the south-eastern side of Johannesburg, after their homeland’s independence in 1975. (Nandos 2009, p.4) Nandos is famous for its flame-grilled Peri-Peri chicken which is served either in quarters, halves and wholes. It also serves burgers, pitas, salads, wings and wraps. In some countries, Nandos sells chicken livers, Espetada and the Cataplana. (Nandos 2009, p.2) Nandos also manufactures a range of sauces which are sold in Nandos restaurants and in supermarkets.  These include Peri-Peri sauces, marinades, cooking sauces and a Peri-Peri Essence. (Nandos 2009, p.2) In 1992 Nandos entered the United Kingdom’s restaurant industry with its first restaurant in Ealing, London and now is operating with its several branches around UK. In 2009 Nandos UK was awarded Three Stars in the Best Companies Annual Accreditation Awards becoming the only entrant in the large companies’ category to achieve the three star rating. (Harmer, 2010) Literature Review Customer Base According to Edwards (2010) customer base of an organisation includes all the customers that organisation servers. One of the most important ways to establish a successful business is to build a solid base of customers who stick with the business through thick and thin. A solid customer base becomes the foundation on which a business grows. Business Cycle Business Cycle is defined as a cycle of series of different phases of contraction and expansion of real GDP. A complete business cycle consists of five different phases and every country has to go through each phase in order to achieve its peak. A complete business cycle from peak to peak is shown in the graph below. (Arnold 2008, p.151) . (Arnold 2008, p.151) Phases of The Business Cycle There are five different phases of a business cycle which include the peak, contraction, though, recovery and expansion. (Arnold 2008, p.151) A complete business cycle is measured from peak to peak. Peak – at the peak of the business cycle real GDP is temporary high. (Arnold 2008, p.151) Contraction – this phase represents the decline in the real GDP. This phase is known as the recession phase. (Arnold 2008, p.151) Trough – this phase represents the low point in the real GDP just before the starts to increase back again. (Arnold 2008, p.151) Recovery – this phase represents the phase when the GDP is rising back towards the initial peak. Recovery phase begins from trough and extends up till the initial peak. (Arnold 2008, p.151) Expansion – the expansion phase refers to the increase in real GDP beyond the recovery  point. In this stage the GDP increases the initial peak. (Arnold 2008, p.151) No country can stay in the peak phase for long time even the developed countries. The best any country can do is that they can go straight from contraction phase to expansion phase and skip the trough and recovery phases. Recession According to Wiegand (2009) recession occurs when a country’s gross domestic product (GDP) – the value of all the reported goods and services produced by a country – goes down for two or more consecutive quarters – which means for six months or more. (p.18) The above mentioned definition was considered very simple and standard so on November 26, 2001, the National Bureau of Economic Research gave a different than standard definition of recession. According to the NBER, â€Å"recession is a significant decline in activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months, visible in industrial production, employment, real income and wholesale retail trade.† (Wiegand, 2009) Ordinary recession symptoms are quite depressing. People buy less stuff because they feel less confident about making in the future. Factories make less stuff because people are buying less. It can be harder to get credit. Unemployment rises and stock market falls. Depression A recession when gets out of control turns into a depression resulting in the country’s GDP drops by more than 10%.(Wiegand, 2009) Real life examples of great depression that happened in USA and Finland are: * From 1929 – 1933, the GDP of the United States decreased by 27%. * Form 1937 – 1938, the GDP of United states decreased by 18%. * In 1990s, after the Soviet Union fell apart the GDP of Finland dropped by 11%. The above given examples when compared by the global recession of 2001 in which the GDP decreased by 0.6% give the idea of the critical situation of 1930s. (Wiegand, 2009) Impact of Recession According to King (1997) the recession had two different but related impacts: * The realization that competitive nation require competitive government stimulated experiments to reform government structure and systems. * The failure of many of these experiments to deliver short – term benefits has led many to distrust the traditional processes and rhetoric of governments.  While recession exposed both businesses and governments to new global forces, nosiness responded more flexibly than government. (p.269) Causes of Recession The reasons which cause the GDP to decrease and hence result in recession are classified into two types which are: External Causes of Recession External causes include misusing of those same factors which are used by the government in tackling the recession. Recession is generally caused by the excessive application and misusing of different governmental economic policies like fiscal or monitory policies. On rare occasions, there can be other types of external shocks such as oil embargo of 1973 – 74, but usually the cause of recession that does the real damage is the fiscal or monetary policies. The most prominent example of external cause of recession is the severe monetary control sometimes referred to as â€Å"cold turkey monetarism†. (Klien 2002, p.133) Internal Causes of Recession Internal causes of recession are probably more important than that of external causes of recession. These are the excesses, imbalances and distortion that develop within the structure of the economy itself as the expansion unfolds and cause consumers to cut back on their buying and business executives to cut back on production and employment. For example: an excessive build – up of inventory, an imbalance in price – cost movements that brings on a profit squeeze and excessive demands for credit that drive the rates beyond variable level. (Klien 2002, p.133) Strategies used by Governments to combat Recession The methods used by the federal government to try to pull the economy out of recession are discussed below: Setting Fiscal Policies According to Wiegand (2009) fiscal policies are basically the guidelines the government follows to collect and spend the tax money. Governments in order to tackle recession it can take the following steps: * Cut Taxes – so people and businesses keep more cash for spending on goods and services. * Increase Spending – on government projects to boost employment. * Widen â€Å"safety net† programs – such as unemployment insurance. Adjusting Monetary Policies According to Wiegand (2009) governments can regulate economy by manipulating the supply of money. Governments can use the following measures to control the recession in the economy: * Lower the amount banks have to keep in reserves. * Lower the interest rates on loans. * Buy treasury bonds and loans that private entities made. Strategies used by Businesses to combat Recession According to Vickers (2006) Businesses in order to recession proof its business in case of economic slowdown should follow the strategies give below: * Diversify its business. * Offer extraordinary customer service. * Intensify its marketing activities. * Adopt latest technology. * Stay focused towards long term goals and objectives. * Look for new ways to be innovative. Recession and Chicken/ Burger Bar Market The worldwide recession has affected most markets and the chicken/burger bar market is no exception. Mintel (2010c) shows the chicken and burger bar market was worth  £4.014m. However, in 2008, roughly when the recession came to the fore, this was down to  £3.781m and was estimated to fall further yet. Recession and Nando’s A study conducted in December 2010 based on the opinion of 1,966 people aged 16+, suggests 7% of people falling in the category visit Nandos. Furthermore, for the age group 15-24, this figure rises to 19% (Mintel, 2010a). This would seem to suggest that Nandos appeals more to a younger age group. However, one must take into consideration that the sample of 1,966 may not be a sufficient representation of the UK population. Nandos are inclined to target a young age group; an idea backed up by the â€Å"Spirit of Nando’s† radio campaign aimed at 18-35 year olds (Mintel, 2010b). This point is further backed up by Nandos’ popularity amongst celebrities (Sawyer, 2010). In addition, Mintel (2010a) also suggests that, largely, visitors to  Nandos are inclined to be from the C1 and Urban Prosperity socio-economic groups. Although there was some archival data on the customer base of Nandos, it is not sufficient for the purposes of this research. Building on the data found during the literature review, this study will look more closely in to the customer base of Nandos. Due to lower consumer spending influenced by the recession, Nandos in the UK made a loss of  £23m in only 36 weeks leading up to February 2009. However, directors of Nandos also citied rising ingredient costs as factor (Paskin, 2010). The loss of  £23m over 36 weeks during the recession would seem to suggest that the recession has negatively affected Nandos. The Mintel (2008 and 2010c) reports showed that there was no significant change in Nandos’ market share in the period when recession was in progress. The research design will allow for the reasons behind this loss to be analysed in detail. Nandos’ financial reports will be required to look comprehensively at their financial performance and the driving forces behind any major changes. The effect of the recession on Nandos may well have been reduced due to the brand name being perceived honest and sincere (Opoku et al, 2007). Nandos has continued to expand through the economic downturn, planning ’20 – plus’ openings and David Niven vowing to open up to 200 more within 5 years (Wootton, 2010). Another strategy explored by Nandos was the move towards being eco-friendly, underlined by unveiling the first branded UK restaurant to use its own waste cooking oil as a solitary power source (Wootton, 2009). Another tactic employed by Nandos was to make a commitment to offer healthier options in their menu (Eversham, 2008). Nandos strategy of not taking note of recession and expanding will need to be further looked in to. Their initiative towards their staff and providing healthy options will also be investigated and the effectiveness of it analysed through the research methodology. Also, Nandos made a vow to make no redundancies in the recession which seems to be to keep up staff morale. And, as Moore (2010) suggests, HR methods are a major contributor to business profitability and this is a factor which is gaining more and more weight. This strategy seems to have paid some dividends with the award of three stars in the Best Companies Accreditation Scheme 2010 (Harmer, 2010). Research Methodology Definition Research methodology in research methods refers to the study of specific techniques, tools or procedures applied to achieve research objectives. Research methodology includes types of data, types of study, sources of data, research tools etc. used in order to conduct the research. (Dillman, 2000) Purpose of Research Research Question The research is being conducted to answer the following research questions: * What is the customer base of Nando’s? * If and how the recession affected Nando’s? * What are the strategies used by Nando’s in the recession? In order to answer the research question above the methodology used to carry out the research includes the following: Nature of Study In order to answer the research questions this study will require both exploratory and explanatory strategies at different points. Exploratory strategy is required as there is not enough information available about the research topic in hand as this type of research on Nandos has never been conducted before and is done for the first time. So in order to fulfil the research objectives information about Nandos is needed to be explored to investigate the effect of recession on Nandos and different strategies used by Nandos to tackle recession. (Dawson, 2002) Explanatory strategy is required as the relationship of the research findings must be established and explained in the research. (Dawson, 2002) Research Onion By considering the research objectives and the literature review of the research project a clear structure of the most suitable research methodology for the research is developed. Through each layer of Saunder et al. (2007) research onion model the most appropriate research methods, approaches and strategies are adopted for conducting the research in order to answer the research question. The different layers in Saunders et al. (2007) research  onion model are shown in the figure below; all the layers will be individually discussed to explain the reason behind selecting a particular element for this specific research. Saunders et.al (2007) â€Å"Research Onion† Research Philosophy As shown in the figure above the first layer of Saunders et al. (2007) research onion is the research philosophy. Considering the research objectives interpretive approach is selected as the relation between Nando’s and its customer’s is needed to be determined in order to answer the research question. Positivism approach is also considered as the research also required qualitative and statistical data in order to improve the research findings. Research Approach As shown in the figure above the second layer of Saunders et al. (2007) research onion is the research approach. The research design will mainly be deductive as the use of existing literature and information on Nando’s will be required to form a hypothesis which will be extensively investigated through primary research methods. However, due to an apparent lack of specific existing research on some of the topics, an inductive approach will also be taken to help in answering the research objectives. Research Strategies As shown in the figure above the third layer of Saunders et al. (2007) research onion is the research strategies. The research strategies employed in order to collect data for the research included the Survey, interview and Archival research. Data collected specifically for this research which is primary data will be collected through survey and interview while secondary which includes already published data will be collected through archival research. (Bates, 2005) A survey will be conducted; a questionnaire is designed in which direct formal questions will be asked from the customers of Nando’s. The questionnaires will be distributed among the customers of Nando’s according to the principles of random sampling as according to Saunders et al. (2007) a suitable sample from the whole population can  produce the results representing the whole population. The research strategy also includes intercept interviewing in which an individual personal interview of the branch manager will be conducted which will also include direct formal questions. Research Choice As shown in the figure above the fourth layer of Saunders et al. (2007) research onion is the research choice. The research choice for this research is ‘Mixed – Method’ as the research design will aim to collect and analyse both qualitative and quantitative information. This will allow for triangulation and, as Saunders et al. (2009) suggest, triangulation helps improve the credibility of findings, making them more valid. Time Horizon As shown in the figure above the fifth layer of Saunders et al. (2007) research onion is the Time Horizon. Time horizon chosen for this research is ‘Cross – Sectional’ as all the data required to answer the research question will be collected just once and the whole research will take a month to complete. A Gantt chart is given in the appendices outlining the timetable of key activities for the project. The total research work is divided into 10 different tasks where some of the activities overlap as some of their components are inter linked. Research Plan The research design will mainly be deductive as the use of existing literature and information on Nandos will be required to form a hypothesis which will be extensively investigated through primary research methods. However, due to an apparent lack of specific existing research on some of the topics, an inductive approach will also be taken to help in answering the research objectives. Furthermore, this study will require both exploratory and explanatory strategies at different points. The research design will aim to collect and analyse both qualitative and quantitative information. This will allow for triangulation and, as Saunders et al. (2009) suggest, triangulation helps improve the credibility of findings, making them more valid. Phase 1: Archival Research Firstly, mainly existing information on Nandos will be examined in order to investigate whether Nandos had indeed been affected by the recession. This part of the study will be deductive and exploratory. As regards to establishing the customer base of Nandos, credible databases such as Mintel will provide useful information which will help in the formation of the questionnaire and also aid in the sampling imperative information on variables such as demographics and age groups. Furthermore, reports on Mintel such as the ones examined in the literature review, can help in identifying the affect the recession had on visitors. There are reports available which discuss and analyse who visits Nandos, and other such outlets which were briefly explored in the literature review. Some of these reports, which have the same variables, were composed before and after the recession respectively and the differences will be closely examined to determine patterns. Archival research will provide key information in both quantitative and qualitative form which will help develop primary research methods and ultimately answering the objectives. The financial reports will provide quantitative information. The figures before, during and after the recession will be analysed through determining the changes in profitability, for example, to establish if and to what extent the recession affected Nandos. Newspaper articles and the reports on databases such as Mintel will provide qualitative information. However, one must keep in mind that some of the data collected may be out dated and hence possibly not be relevant and bring in to question the validity of findings. The quantitative findings of this phase will be analysed by the use of graphs and other such tools to show trends and patterns. (Researcher’s Contribution) Phase 2: Questionnaire Following the analysis of data collected through the archival research, the next step will involve questionnaire conducted with Nandos’ customers. A questionnaire was chosen as a data collection tool as it can be carried out, in theory in any case, over a large sample in a reasonable amount of time, hence allowing generalisability (Saunders et al., 2009). This method will not only aim to establish Nandos’ customer base but also how, if at all, the recession has affected their attitudes towards Nandos. The questionnaire will be quantitative focused but will also provide opportunity to collect  qualitative data. In constructing the questionnaire, the analysis of the existing information on the customer base of Nandos found through phase 1 will be vital. The questions will be formed dependant on the type of customer base Nandos has; i.e. age group or socio-economic group. The population for this data collection method will be Nando’s customers. As mentioned before, Nandos has over 200 outlets in the UK. Ideally, every Nandos customer that visits every outlet would be part of the sample. However, this is not feasible and getting a sample that will allow generalisability is vital (Saunders et al., 2009). Since there is not a database of specific Nandos customers, the sampling in that regard will have to be probable in the form of random sampling. The customer assistants will be told to offer every customer the chance to fill out the voluntary questionnaire. However, elements of non-probable sampling will also be present as the Nandos outlet that will be targeted for the questionnaire cannot be selected dependant on key variables identified through phase 1 such as outlets with high number of visitors and location among others due to lack of resources. The outlet that will be selected will aim to be the most accurate representation on Nandos. The questionnaire will aim to cover the three types of variables, suggested by Dillman (2000), which are behaviour, opinion and attributes. The idea of offering an incentive to fill out the questionnaire may also be explored, however, this could lead to customer not answering honestly in order to get the incentive and hence hurting the validity of findings. The questionnaire prepared for the research is attached as an appendix. Phase 3: Interview with Manager The next step of the research will be to conduct a series of interview with a commercial manager within Nandos. An intercept interview of an individual was chosen. As discussed in the literature review, Nandos made a commitment to staff to make no redundancies and, in basic terms, to stand by them. As with the questionnaire, the sampling for the interviews will have elements of both probable and non-probable elements. From the store included in the sample for the questionnaire commercial manager will be asked to participate in the voluntary interview. They will be told the purpose of the study and the fact that the study is required for educational purposes. To reduce the  chance of bias within the interview, the interviewee will be offered anonymity (refer to 4.0 for further discussion on ethical issues). The interview will be structured as this will help answer pre prepared questions and will be preferred by the interviewee as it will be quick (Saunders et al., 2009). Some key themes for this interview will partly be derived from the results of the questionnaire. Interview questions can be found in the appendix. This method will provide qualitative data, by using open-ended questions, which will be further analysed. (QSR International, 2010). Practical and Ethical Issues In every stage of this research, there will be practical and ethical issues to bear in mind, as is the case with most research studies (Saunders et al., 2009). The major practical issues relating to data collection are access and response rate. The sample for the questionnaire will look to select outlet that have a high volume of customers to increase the chances of a high response rate. As regards to data collection, all participants will be informed that participation is voluntary and all data collected will be used in compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998. Saunders et al. (2009) state that budget and time constraints prevent surveying a whole population and the sampling will look to overcome these constraints by selecting a sample which balances budget and time while giving a credible response. Another ethical issue was in relation to the interview with the mangers of Nandos’ outlet. Participants will be required to fill out a brief consent form, outlining the voluntary participation and ensuring anonymity where necessary. A brief consent form is given in the appendices.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Teaching science to children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Teaching science to children - Essay Example As such, it is important that students are taught how to view the world with a scientifically accurate eye, which is why the implementation of science projects in a school’s curriculum is important for the expansion of a student’s knowledge. Different learning tools created in the way of lesson plans have been designed to help students understand some of the natural phenomena around them. These lessons involved the understanding of the spread of bacteria and germs, as well as the fermentation of yeast and its uses in food production and in other industry businesses. The students were able to observe and experiment first-hand how many of these processes are undergone. The results of these experiments not only benefitted the knowledge of the students by allowing them to witness scientific phenomena, but it also allows us to grasp the best ways that students can be taught these methods. 1. Introduction: Science teaches an understanding of the world around us by stimulating a child’s prediction and analysis of natural phenomena. Teaching science involves conducting methods of Investigation to encourage creative thought and to demonstrate how science can have an immense impact on our future and to achieve advanced medical biotechnology, genetic engineering food production and safety, agricultural biotechnology, and treatment of environmental waste. Teaching science also aims to improve children’s verbal and writing skills to become more scientifically literate (N.A. 2009). Effective teaching style requires the adaptation of successful principles and methods by teachers that were used as an assistant for efficient delivery to take place. Prior to setting up teaching methods, the children’s background knowledge and environment should be considered. Teachers should be aware that students have different learning abilities, and as such different learning techniques should be used during lessons to match their different abilities. A less on plan can then be designed. These plans state the specific learning goals of each lesson for teachers to follow in a form that can be carried out in several ways: whole class discussions, explaining, experimentation, demonstration, group work, and assessment of pupils’ work. It also helps learners to achieve deep understanding of the material and to become fascinated and keen to acquire more knowledge about scientific phenomena (Fredericks 2005). The science curriculum is a statement about the selected elements of science for teaching from a wide range of possibilities. National curriculum requires that teaching that includes scientific investigation is required to be delivered through contexts obtained from life processes and living things, â€Å"which involves the statement that micro-organisms are living organisms that are often too small to be seen, and that they may be beneficial [in the breakdown of waste or in making bread] or harmful [in causing disease or in causi ng food to go mouldy] (Stubbs 1999).† Bringing science into school projects was a task that needed to be able to be carried out in schools. The aim of teaching science in schools is to give an overview of the microbial world and to develop children’s skills and knowledge to better understand the micro-organisms subject of science and how it can be modelled in industrial processes. The aim of teaching science expands to raise students’ awareness of the fundamental uses of micro-organisms and their irregular nature, which

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Trading System Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Trading System - Research Paper Example Similarly the fund would not wait for the market to bottom out before taking a decision on going long and that it would go long once market moves down somewhere between the peak and the bottom. Either strategies would imply that the fund is not looking for excessive and speculative gains; nevertheless it does maintain inherent profit booking targets. The trading system explained below is based on trading rules that were tested for profits results based on this risk philosophy. Financial theory, taught in finance textbooks the globe over, normally exposes a student of finance to the concepts like the efficient market hypothesis and the economically rational individual. Bubbles and crashes seem to defy these two seminal concepts with an awkwardness equivalent to the awkwardness one would attach to those things on earth that defy gravity. Nevertheless such extreme stock market movements are a reality. Bubbles make investing decisions arduous as stock prices tend to deviate by substantial margins from their fundamental valuations. Investors relying on past company results and technical analysis are equally defeated in such situations as is the EMH.In fact, investors always act on the basis that they have an applicable construct to explain stock price movements and tend to input all available information collected under such constructs in their investment decisions (Poole 2000). Finance research has also held varying opinions on this issue. For instance, Bierm ann (1995) supports the idea that market prices are determined from backward looking investors than by those that indulge in predictions of all sorts. Others have, for example elaborated on the use of price to earnings ratios to determine excess market valuations. Some technical work has set to rest in a convincing manner the phenomenon of bubbles and bursts. For instance, Graham (1973) describes in details why markets fluctuate and how to deal with the violent fluctuations .Graham discusses five basic points to read into cross sectional view of market bubbles. Most of these points concern factors like growth and earnings and their impact on price movements and price levels. Graham (1973), in fact, provides a much better viewpoint on gauging market bubbles through an adaptive expectations model.The Efficient Markets Hypothesis (EMH) states that current prices always 'fully reflect' available information, so that the only reason prices change between time t and time t+1 is the arriva l of new information. The EMH requires that only two necessary conditions be met. First, the market must be aware of all available information .The type of information available is determined by the strength of the EMH being tested. In a Weak Form EMH, current prices entirely reflect all that can be known from the study of historical prices and trading volumes. If the Weak Form is valid, technical analysis becomes ineffective. Any information contained in past prices has been analyzed and acted on by the market, so that shares are neither under-valued nor over-valued. In a Semi- Strong EMH, current prices efficiently adjust to information that is publicly available. If this form of the hypothesis holds true,

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Why do consumers like to engage in conspicuous consumption What are Essay - 1

Why do consumers like to engage in conspicuous consumption What are the marketing implications - Essay Example This research paper examines why consumers buy some goods for conspicuous consumption at prices which are normally higher. The papers will examine the concepts that try to explain this behaviour, and examine other factors. The paper will also explain the goods which qualify to be termed as conspicuous consumption. Market implication of in accordance to the 7Ps in relation to this phenomenon will also be analysed and a conclusion drawn after the analysis. Veblen (1899) provided an explanation of conspicuous consumption behaviour in his prominent concept of â€Å"the leisure class†. He notes that in order for people to show their wealth or power their have to put it into evidence, since self esteem can only be rewarded through evidence. Thus, one way of an individual showing off his wealth is through conspicuous consumption. Using Veblen, conspicuous good can be defined as a product whose consumption can be viewed by all in the market economy. In this context â€Å"Veblen effect† will refer to conspicuous consumption, which is seen as an action of consciously displaying and consuming a product that is bought at a higher price that its marginal cost. Some literature has tried to give answers to the first question. It is assumed that a person’s value is directly enhanced by purchasing higher priced products. (Nagel, 2002) unfortunately, this approach does not explain why individuals will prefer premium pricing. To (Trigg, 2001) explains that people prefer conspicuous goods because of monopolistic goods. However, other scholars are in view that individuals use conspicuous consumption as means of evaluating their social status in the society. (Nagel, 2002) This agrees fully with Veblen’s concept. Yet again, it is not easy to generalize the â€Å"Veblen effect† in this competitive market. The second question that regards what product can be termed as conspicuous can only be answered by trying to examine the characteristics

Monday, August 26, 2019

MY MAJOR (Architecture) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

MY MAJOR (Architecture) - Essay Example responds in some measure to some external or prevailing cultural climates when making their designs, hence overtime it has emerged that architecture is a cultural artifact reflecting the nature of that culture.(Fawcett, 1998) Over the years since Vitruvius writing at the time of the founding of the Roman Empire, Ii has been recognized that an appreciation of the role of architecture is essential to the understanding of the art of architecture itself. Vitruvius in his time identified that there are three basic important components of architecture as firmitas, utilitas and venustas. These three words were later described by Sir Henry Wooton in the seventeenth century to mean firmness, commodity and delight respectively (MacDonald, 1994) Commodity is in the Vitruvian qualities referred to the practical functioning of the building structure. It means the practical functioning of the building will require that the spaces provided for in the structure is actually of use and serves the purpose for which the building was built. Firmness is the most basic quality. It encompasses the buildings ability to preserve a high physical integrity and survive in the world as a physical object. The part of the building involved mostly in firmness is its structure, without structure there is no building and hence no commodity. The final quality is delight, this simply referrers to the beauty of the structure including the beauty of the external environment and the interior design. In order to appreciate fully the qualities of the work of the architecture, the observer or critique should at least know something on its structural makeup. (MacDonald, 1994) The architect as a person should be well conversant with the various disciplines of life; he or she should be well equipped with the numerous branches and the varied kinds of learning, for it is through his or her judgments that all the works of art is put to test (Morgan, 2014). This knowledge then becomes the ‘child’ of

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Catheter Related Blood Stream Infection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Catheter Related Blood Stream Infection - Essay Example Guidelines for the prevention of (CRBSIs) have been formulated by CDC. These are targeted at the intensive care personnel who are involved in the insertion of these catheters and post insertion management and care of these catheters, particularly the nursing staff. It is proposed that in addition to the existing guidelines, this study will provide ample evidence for the use of PICCs in ICU setting to reduce the rate of CRBSI. Almost 12 years back, the use of PICCs was highly favored for cost and safety considerations by a study (Ng et al, 1997). The advantages of PICCs include ease of bedside placement, placement even by non-physicians and a relatively lower risk of complications. Complications of PICCs were studied in 351 patients and were identified to be infection related, phlebitis, vein thrombosis, PICC occlusion, broken or leaking catheter or dislodgement of the catheter (Walshe et al, 2002). However, even the authors concluded that because of their convenience and easily managed complications they should be continued to use. 200 prospective studies were analyzed systematically and it was determined that PICCs used in inpatients (2.1/ 1000 catheter days) had a slightly lower rate of CRBSIs than standard non cuffed and non medicated CVC s placed in subclavian or internal jugular vein(2.7 BSIs /1000 catheter days)(Maki, Kluger, & Crinch, 2006). Whereas, Safdar and Maki (2005) found that CRBSI with PI CCs was higher than some of the other CVCs. Thus, more studies are warranted to compare CRBSI rates of PICCs and CICCs and establish a lower rate of infection of PICCs. Study Design and Population The study utilized a central-line database retrospectively, one year prior to and 3 years after the introduction of hemodynamic monitoring with PICCs in a closed, medical-surgical, 20-bed intensive care unit and a 10-bed intermediate care unit of a tertiary-care academic medical institution. CRBSI rates were compared for a 12-month control period and a 36-month intervention period with open-ended PICCs. Thus, it was a retrospective analysis of an interventional study (Patel et al, 2007). 2,474 central vascular catheters were inserted in 1788 critically ill patients (21,919 catheter-days). ). A total of 6210 CICC catheter-days and 15,709 PICC catheter-days were analyzed (Patel et al, 2007). The primary outcome variable was the rate of CRBSI and this was defined as "isolation of the same organism (defined by species and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern) from the colonized catheter (>15 colony-forming units) and one or more peripheral blood cultures within 48 hours in a patient with no alternative source of bacteremia" (CDC, 2002). Since, the primary outcome measure was clearly defined, changes in the values were analyzed statistically and reliability was ensured. However, the blinding status so far as the group allocator or the body who assessed the results is not clear. What indicated the use of PICCs in most of the patients while some still had CICCs in the later years of the study is also not clear. Was

Vent settings for the non-intensivist Thesis Proposal

Vent settings for the non-intensivist - Thesis Proposal Example Before using different modes and variables of a ventilator, the participant should assess the condition of the patient and their need too. To do so, student/resident needs to use the interpretation of Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) analysis to calculate the pH and oxygen and carbon dioxide pressure in arterial blood. This interpretation is a crucial skill and is necessarily essential for critically ill patients. Thus, the information shows the patient’s ventilation control. Furthermore, arterial blood gas measurements and airway defiance and static concession of the respiratory system computation give bases to the subsequent ventilator changes. The rationale behind teaching students/resident about the ventilation setting is Oxygenation and pH and pressure and volume. The former tells about the supervising the oxygen level and pH of the patients in order to maintain the metabolic function and healthy tissues. As the pH is echo of a patient’s bicarbonate and carbon dioxide, it aids in regulation oxygen and carbon dioxide level. On the other hand, the latter aspect assists the patients in breathing without granting their respiratory muscles to shrivel or cardiac preload to dwindle

Saturday, August 24, 2019

ISMG Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

ISMG - Essay Example We would ask our customers and employees to leave suggestions and comments in our suggestion boxes placed inside the cafà © and also on our websites in order to encourage an open line communication. With coming suggestions and comments we would be able to know our lacking and immediately start working to improve our services. We here in Broadway Cafe use e-business strategy to be in touch with our customers and also to attract new consumers. As we are working with online business services we keep our customers update with new offers. We will give opportunity to our customers to create an online account to give them opportunity to keep in touch with us. Our registered customers will get periodic offers and discount through email. We will use social media for promotions and customer attractions. There could be three easy ways for our customer to keep in touch with us easily. E-business strategies being very cheap advertising solution will help Broadway Cafe to attract customers and grow sales and providing encouragements for customers to visit the cafe. The advertisement will contain promotional discount coupons for encouraging more purchases which will also increase sales. Cafà © Broadway could take advantage by effectiveness metrics. Our website will get our name out to the general public, promoting special deals and offers, etc. With the use of effectiveness metric, we will be able to get feedback from our customers and to see how much consumers are satisfied with Broadway Cafe. We will use tracking options on our website to track the amount and number of time visitors spends on our website. We would use online ordering process to communicate the requirements to our partners and suppliers. Online website also give us an opportunity to setup an online ordering system for customers for online ordering. We can use email for communication with our partners and suppliers. Online communication is the easiest way for us to reach our

Friday, August 23, 2019

Slapstick Comedy and Silent Films Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Slapstick Comedy and Silent Films - Essay Example Besides, enactment, the films also displayed certain captions which informed the audience about the theme of the film. The speedy actions enhanced the humor in the film. The actors who portrayed various characters were mostly shabbily or unconventionally dressed. Their funny attire supplemented by their clown like actions aroused laughter among the audiences. Thus the slapstick comedies consisted of absurd situations and vigorous actions, which had a comic tone and were performed by those actors who were highly energetic and good stuntmen. We find a detailed account on the comparative study of slapstick comedy and Commedia dell'arte in the book of David Madden, namely, -Harlequin's stick, Charlie's cane: a comparative study of commedia dell'arte and silent slapstick comedy. In his book, he gives the discrimination between the two art forms. Commedia dell'arte was performed directly in front of the audience, whereas the slapstick comedy was presented in an indirect form that is it was projected on the screen. The commedia plays were mostly for three hours whereas slapstick comedies were comparatively briefer. In commedia the actors were donned in masks and there was continuous verbal dexterity, slapstick noise, music and color, while the silent movies were devoid of sound and color as the films were Black and White. The commedia was not video graphed whereas the slapstick was video graphed and projected on the screen. (Harlequin's Stick, Charlie's Cane - David Madden, 1968) Actors like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd were considered the milestones in the world of silent cinema. Their powerful performances spell bounded... The researcher of this essay focuses mostly on presenting and discussing the slapstick comedies, that is a device in which, the characters have exaggerated and speedy physical activities backed up by accurate timing. They do this mainly to make people understand what kind of character they are portraying in that film. More emphasis is given on speed of actions and facial expressions. For example, the researcher states that in slapstick comedies we find scenes like a person slipping on the peel of banana skin, somebody hitting a person with frying pan, a person hitting his head against a suddenly opened door, etc. The central character enacts certain scene, which seems to be normal initially but suddenly the situation becomes chaotic, with all the characters running helter-skelter creating confusion. And it is during this time that the actor has to show presence of mind and has to take some action, which will make the audience laugh and also he has to do something brilliant to come ou t of that chaotic situation. The actor performs all sorts of actions like leaping, running, tumbling down etc. And for all these purposes he uses props like buckets, shovel, ladder, sea-saw, sticks, roller skates etc., which generates comedy. The researcher then presents a study on the silent films actors of early 20th century, such as Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, who were considered the milestones in the world of silent cinema and used the slapstick comedy in their films in a creative way that made their art memorable.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

College Education Essay Example for Free

College Education Essay It’s important to get a college education not only to be successful in the future but also to think for yourself and gain freedom through education, we can accomplish this by being educated liberally. Like Cronon, I think â€Å"a liberal education is about gaining the power and wisdom, the generosity and the freedom to connect† (Cronon; paragraph 18) to the real world. Finding a purpose to attend college should go beyond college itself, you should be motivated to learn something you have a passion for and will actually use and apply it to the world. †Truly educated people love learning, but they love wisdom more† (Cronon para 15). When learning you are just recycling information that the educators teach you just like Freire’s â€Å"banking system† but wisdom is what you incorporate to the â€Å"real world† and it is what is most valued than just being educated and not apply what you learned with other things. In my opinion liberal thinkers or people who are liberally educated want to be able to progress in life and not just do what they are told to do. They want to be able to think for themselves and come up with their own ideas. Liberal educated people want to â€Å"leave the world a better place than they had found it† (Cronon para 17). It takes wisdom and education to leave the world a better place than how it was before because it’s not an easy thing to do in a life time. Liberalists want to progress no just to benefit them but to benefit everyone else as well and I think they can accomplish this by using their wisdom and their college education. The way I see the banking system is that the educators are selfish because they only teach to their own convenience and they don’t let the receivers think for themselves. The receivers then don’t make any progress in life due to the fact that they are so used to just following the rules that are given to them by the educators. Liberal education is not like that. â€Å"Liberally educated people understand they belong to a community-and help that community flourish by making the success of others possible† (Cronon para 18). Liberalists want to succeed and want to see others succeed as well. â€Å"Liberal education must be that the freedom of the individual is possible only in a free community† (Cronon para18). When having the freedom you can think for yourself and not have others think for you like in a banking system and I personally think as well as Cronon explains that the only possible way to be gain freedom is by being liberally educated that way you learn to think for yourself and be able to be part of a free community. What is the whole point of going to college and get an education and when you graduate you will have no idea how to apply it or connect it to the real world. â€Å"Being an educated person means being able to see connections that allow one to make sense of the world and act within it in creative ways† (Cronon para 19). What’s the whole point of paying so much money for a college education if at the end you won’t know how to apply what you learned in college in the real world? If you don’t know how to apply things learned in college to the real world then you won’t be successful in the future and you practically gained no power or wisdom throughout your whole college education. Being educated can help you succeed in life and in the future if you know how to apply everything you learned in college to the real world once you graduate and help you and others succeed in your community and the real world. By being liberal educated can help you not only succeed in life but it can also help you gain freedom.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Youth subcultures: Phil Cohen

Youth subcultures: Phil Cohen A critical evaluation of the work of Phil Cohen in relation to our understanding of youth subcultures According to Cohen (1972), the redevelopment of Londons working-class neighbourhoods which favoured social elites or the gentry resulted in the marginalization of working class residents, loss of community and deterioration of collective power in the East End. Thus, there was a breakdown of socio-cultural interaction and dynamics that led to the development of youth subcultures. The objective of this paper is to examine Cohens perspective on the impact of rapid development in London to development in the 1950s which prompted the subcultures. These subcultures became a critical channel for socialization and political action but also created distance with mainstream society that led to conflict and alienation (Fiske et al, 2009). Cohens (1972) perspectives, which were based on his examinations of the impact of Londons 1950s redevelopment highlights how public policies can have such a profound effect on individual and social order and perception. Today, many cities, not only London are dealing with an influx of migration which has significantly increased intercultural interactions. Though these trends have the potential to enrich society, there is also the challenge of having to deal with increased conflict and greater competition which often threatens already marginalized populations the most. In the 1950s, the city managers of London launched a rapid development project designed to revitalize the capital which still was not able to recover from the damages of the Second World War. This urban renewal project was designed to attract new residents as well as revitalize key areas of the city for trade and commerce. Many of the areas that were targeted for redevelopments were already resided in by working-class families who were then moved to what Cohen describes as fringe neighbourhoods. The areas were settled into by migrants who redesigned the areas according to their individual cultural and social backgrounds. This created a divide between neighbourhoods: the new development was for the social elite, young professionals and affluent immigrants and the suburbs which housed the relocated residents were typically known to be run-down and underdeveloped areas. As the discrepancy of quality of life became apparent to authorities, the city planning authorities sought mitigate th e situation by launching the development of high-rise housing projects specifically for working-class families. City administrators also endeavoured to attract back original residents through encouraging participation in new industries and trade and commerce channels. However, Cohen believes that the effort further marginalized these populations and increased the social and economic challenges of urban life. Cohen also gives particular attention to what he calls the collapse of matrilocal residence, a term which he uses to refer to the tendency of nuclear family extensions to reside in close proximity to each other. This further limits the capacity of families and individuals to sustain social ties and support systems which in turn is associated with the breakdown of shared values, mores and standards of conduct. Cohen also believes that the redevelopment created unprecedented economic and social stress among the working class. He points out that post-World War II, many family enterprises, traditionally the backbone of local trade and industries, were facing severe competition from industries and at the same time, labour and experts were being channelled to these industries from traditional family enterprises. There was even a campaign for the lat ter: it was deemed nationalistic to support the growth on these large-scale private industries that suffered from the war. At the same time, there was also an effort to promote the modernization project as a national development agenda, to reposition the country as the leader of trade and commerce in Europe. The publicity is said to have severely hampered labour supply among community industries creating the notion of labour aristocracy. The population that was most affected by these trends were new entrants to the labour market. The transition between the working environment of their parents and the working conditions brought on by the redevelopment were significant according to Cohen because they required not only the accommodation of new labour conditional but also a new social, economic and political order in very short period of time. To cope with the stress of these developments, according to Cohen, these populations created subculture groups to have a sense of identity and social reference. From this perspective, Cohen characterizes subcultures symbolic structures, not actually representing the individuals who make up the groups, representing a lifestyle or social perspective that does not fully conform to mainstream society. Identification of these subcultures can be made through a set of social subsystems which include their manner of dress, the music that is associated with them, the language or lexicon use d, and the rituals and customs that are coupled with membership or identity. According to a report developed by the World Bank (2009), the typical stress of community living are multiplies in urban settings because of the intensification of competition for resources, spaces and opportunities. At the same time, Rothwell (2003) points out that in time of stress, individuals need greater social reinforcement to be able to have a sense of security and belongingness. In the case illustrated by Cohen (1972) of Londons redevelopment in the 1950s, he suggests that the economic, social and political challenges that the working class of the era had to deal with contributed to the increase of urban stress and the breakdown of traditional support systems which in turn created the platform for the development of subcultures. Similarly, Majhanovich (2002) points out that the development of subordinate organizations is an indication that there are populations feel under-represented or unrecognized without necessarily becoming a functional organization. Thus, their organizat ion is a means of collecting power for representation or just recognition. This also supports Cohens (1972) assertion that subcultures are symbolic organizations, where membership is often individually defined and association can be only conceptual. Cohens definition of subcultures can be challenging but studying the examples that he provides is a great resource in understanding his perspective. Some of the challenges in his definition lie in his characterization of the phenomenon as symbolical rather than a collective of individuals. Another area of difficulty is the mechanism how youth membership in subcultures actually delays adulthood. Based on Cohens perspective, there is a suggestion is that there is almost a combative relationship between subcultures and mainstream society. This can be particularly apparent in view of his characterizations of subcultures as having Mohawks or being active in counter-culture movements. New research is more liberal, if not democratic, in its view of subcultures, noting that any group that creates an association with a particular mode of life or belief system that does not fully conform to social precepts can be considered as a subculture (Neuliep, 2006). However, this should be seen in the c ontext of contemporary society were diversity is more widely recognized and is being lobbied for in all sectors and levels of society. Though Cohens paper is supposedly limited to 1950s working class London, he makes significant extensions from this population to include lower and middle class families. Essentially, Cohens main distinction is between what he considers the elite and what he considers as ordinary people. It seems that Cohen is grouping them together primarily because they did not have ready access to the areas that were eyed for redevelopment which implies that the population criteria used by Cohen was not based on socio-economic level but rather a geographic one. This raises some concern regarding the demographic and psychographic homogeneity of these groups. In turn, this may have an implication on the conclusions made by Cohen on the social and psychological impact of the redevelopment project. However, this may not have an impact on his theories regarding the development of subcultures but will challenge the rationale he proposes for their initiation which he generally attributed to socio-economic stress. In parallel studies developed by contemporary researchers such as Rothwell (2003) and Neuliep (2006) regarding the development of sub-cultural ethnic groups, they point out that motivations are more socio-politically oriented. Analysis of the Cohen texts also shows some deficiency in the evidence that he provides for his arguments. These are not to the degree that one questions the authenticity of his assertions but some of his more emotive ideas could benefit from statistics or corollary studies to support the assertion that the 1950s redevelopment in London is a primary reason for the rise in subcultures that developed in subsequent years. However, it should also be recognized that since the text is already dated and thus, contemporary readers may not be able to readily relate holistically to the social conditions and context that are being discussed. Both Majhanovich (2002) and Fiske and associates (2009) point out that these generational divides can have a significant impact on how conditions are perceived and ultimately, how relationships and correlations are going to be recognized. It is also this rationale that Cohen (1972) believes is the reason why some subcultures were constructed and perceived t o be anti-establishment or to be non-conformist. It can also be one of the reasons why the subcultures are being associated with youth cultural and political movements: young members of a society, when thrust into social independence, have to navigate to orientation inculcated to them by authorities whose experience is based on an antecedent social context and may develop a sense of incongruity. At the same time, because younger populations may have less social investments and responsibilities, there is greater freedom for self-expression and in developing subcultures. Moreover, because growth and development are future-oriented and create social stress, younger members of a society who have yet to establish themselves are more vulnerable to its impact. According to Essess and associates (2001), perceptions of competition, identity and social roles are often issues that become critical to an individuals self valuation and thus, the need for affirmative social memberships. Cohen (1972) acknowledges the rationale for city planners for the redevelopment initiative but points out that they were remiss in mitigating its negative impacts. Worse, the efforts to reverse the resulting problems only increased the problems by the displaced working class families. Essentially, planners were not able to consider how the new social conditions can impact relationships, associations and identification of affected populations. Thus, these groups were not only further marginalized but were not equipped with access to traditional social groups to communicate their co ncerns or to lobby for action. In the article developed by Mueller (2005), peripheral populations are often sacrificed in the name of growth and development, however without the extension of the benefits of growth and development to these populations, quality of life cannot be raised. At the same time, the growth of disparities in social, economic and political status can be a source of conflict can then impede long-term growth and development goals. Cohens (1972) analysis of the impact of redevelopment of London in the 1950s marks a greater awareness of the impact of public policies to social, economic and political dynamics that will prevail. Though the motives behind the redevelopment undoubtedly was motivated by the desire to improve the quality of life of all citizenry, Cohens makes a valid point in citing that he efforts contributed to the urban stress that working class families were already dealing with. However, the research would have definitely benefitted from more extensive empirical evidence or the corroboration of parallel studies on the development of subcultures. In conclusion, Cohens paper provides critical insights on the impact of urban redevelopment to various populations, the changes in stress that can occur, and the responsibility of planners in ensuring that programs benefit the public as a whole and not just a few. In todays context of ever-increasing cultural and socially diversity, subcultures will likel y grow. In the context of its publication, there is no doubt that Cohen provided critical insights into the issue of not only youth culture and politics but also urban, growth and development concerns as well. The challenge now is not so much to control these developments but to be able to recognize such trends as a part of the growing diversity of modern societies and how to utilize them support growth and development. References: Cohen, P. (1972). Subcultural conflict working class community in Gelder, K., (Ed) 2nd edition (2005) The subcultures reader, London: Routledge. Cox, B. and Ephross, P.H (1998). Ethnicity and Social Work Practice. New York: Oxford University Press. Esses, V., J. Dovidio, L. Jackson and T. Armstrong (2001). The Immigration Dilemma: The Role of Perceived Group Competition, Ethnic Prejudice and National Identity. Journal of Social Issues 57, 3: 389-412 Fiske, A. P., Thomsen, L. and Thein, S. M. (2009). Differently embodying different relationships. European Journal of Social Psychology, Volume 39: 1294-1297 Majhanovich, S. (2002). Conflicting visions, competing expectations: Control and de-skilling of educationa perspective from Ontario. McGill Journal of Education, April. Retrieved March 22, 2010 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3965/is_200204/ai_n9030852 Mueller, A. (2005). Whats Wrong With Economic Growth? Mises Daily, August 10. Retrieved March 22, 2010, from http://mises.org/story/1877 Neuliep, J. W. (2006). Intercultural Communication: A Contextual Approach, 3rd edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Rothwell, J. D. (2003). In the Company of Others: An Introduction to Communication. London: McGraw-Hill Humanities World Bank (2009). Poverty, Growth, and Inequality. PovertyNet. Retrieved March 22, 2010, from http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTPOVERTY/EXTPGI/0,,contentMDK:20263370~menuPK:342777~pagePK:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:342771,00.html Analysis of Modernism: Norman Cantor and Fredrich Nietzsche Analysis of Modernism: Norman Cantor and Fredrich Nietzsche Enemerio Galvan Introduction: In this essay, an analysis of what is modern, is an inquiry to a broad movement which birthed many Avant Garde styles; and put -ism in Modernism beginning with Impressionism movement, French/ German Expressionism, Fauvism, Surrealism, and Abstract Expressionism to name few. Every movement questioned what is art, and what is Avant Garde, and as Butler suggests, what is going on? (p14). This cauldron of contemporaneousness overflowed into the early 20th century and beyond. Modernism Background: Modernism is an all-encompassing term of any art movements since the late 19th century that forever changed the history of the arts through the 20th century. The changes came about from philosophical views, propaganda, and criticism; widely influencing, more specifically, artists. In the late 19th century, a cultural revolution, and revolt to traditional École des Beaux Arts, in Paris France, where Henri Matisse would hold professorship position. The academy of formal arts had been negating art and artist in the late 1860s. The French Royal Academy, and the bourgeois class rejected art and artists subjectively because their style (pure abstraction) it was non-conforming to formalist conventions and hierarchy of realism. The schools system and hierarchy of categorizing placed historical paintings at the top, and oil paint as the medium of choice, but pure abstract painting was not acceptable at the academy. It was Gustave Courbet, in 1884, who did not accept rejection. Gustave Courbet (1819-1877), and Edouard Manet (1832-83) who paved the way for Modern art. However, this rejection birthed what Charles Baudelaire called, Avant Garde.   Initially, with an exhibit known as the Salon des Refusà ©s of 1863. Norman Cantor (1929-2004) In its earliest tendencies, modernist art began the reductive process of Realism to Abstraction otherwise considered a cultural revolution and rise in consciousness pre-modernism are:   Reformation, Enlightenment, and Romanticism (M1_Session 3).   Cantor is responsible for establishing and defining the characteristics of Modernism: Being anti historicist; taking a microcosmic view of things; self-referential; prefers to depict, or explore the non-ideal; embraces the aesthetic of fragmentation; recognizes the randomness found in the world; strongly functionalist and concerned with techne; recognizes the interactive nature of things; Elitist; new openness toward sexuality; fearlessly considers the issues of mass culture; tends towards moral relativism; embraces the very Nietzschean nation that humanity is most authentic when engaged in the arts; pessimistic vitality, and lastly Modernism is opening to pluralism, and multicultural influences. (M1_Session 6). Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900): was a German philologist, poet, cultural critic and philosopher, and Latin and Greek scholar whose profound influence impacted Western philosophy, and its modern history. Nietzsche, had a difficult time growing up, and was frequently plagued with family and health problems. In 1864, he attended the University of Bonn where he met his friend Ritschl, and later, Nietzsche followed him to Leipzig University. It was in Leipzig where his views of religion would never be the same (Nietzche vii). With his rearing, and health issues (of madness) and new perspective on religion was foreshadowing to his world view, and some of his greatest philosophical polemics on Western Culture such as reason, and truth, morality Nihilism and Apollonian and Dionysian; he was after all considered a mad man. The first movement of the twentieth century, is Fauvism and it intention was to project a subjective epiphanic and important experience (Butler p15). Meaning this is the new and now in art. In the early twentieth century was a period philosophers like Kant, Marx and Nietzsche, and the psychology Sigmund Freud where contributing influences which propagated an emergence of genres within the modern umbrella. In Christopher Butlers book, Modernism: A Very Short Introduction, clearly suggests, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and we shall see, epiphanic ways of coming to the truthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Butler p 15). In this statement Butler, affirms the subjectivity pertaining to consciousness, in that art too is subject to, its influences of criticism and philosophical ideals based on truth. Later, in the 20th century is the French Fauvist, Henri Matisse (1869-1954) is best known for pure expressive color and exaggerated forms to express emotion, emotive brushstroke cemented Matisse as Avant Garde artist in the early 20th century. In his painting Luxe, Calme et Voluptà ©, 19041.This painting is a departure from Neo Impressionism that sets the stage for the Fauves movement as coined by Louis Vauxcelles. Per Dempsey, with its bright palette and subjective, emancipated use of colour, it creates an atmosphere and decorative surface (66). Meaning that by subjective Matisses colors and style is self -referential according to Cantor characteristics of Modernism, and is further reductive of humanism and more Apollonian way of life, the presumptive mask of calmness. Another example of Apollonian system is his painting, Joy of Life (Bonheur de vivre: Joie de vivre),1905-06.2 The scene depicts the figure in a leisurely and gestural quality, engaged in exhibitionist sensuality; a new embrace of sexuality. The color palette is pure and complementary, mostly middle value. Next, Matisses European counterparts, the German Expressionists are Die Brà ¼cke (1905) and Der Blaue Reiter (1911). The German Expressionist where inspired and heavily influenced, by their native compatriot Friedrich Nietzsche, whose Nihilism, and the Apollonian and Dionysian philosophies characterized a darker view on humanism, truth, and the mask of the personae. Nietzsche believed that was modernity was lacking spirituality, and its all and empty faà §ade, and materialistic (immoral) and heretic, and his method was philosophizing with a hammer metaphorically to reveal the emptiness, and lack of humanistic substance (Delevati). Bold colors, dark lines, and angular lines was another reductive method of realism.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Is Sugar Addiction a Substance Use Disorder?

Is Sugar Addiction a Substance Use Disorder? An Examination of Sugar Addiction as a Substance Use Disorder Abstract In the last decade, many studies have supported the addictive nature of sugar. In this examination of sugar addiction, we explore the parallels with substance abuse disorder and highlight the effects on the brain and body as well as the psychological and biological risk factors that may make an individual vulnerable to sugar addiction. We theorize that defining sugar addiction as a substance abuse disorder in a future version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) will change policy to improve public health, and minimize the costs of metabolic disorders like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease on the economy. Keywords: sugar addiction, substance use disorder, dopamine, impulsivity, obesity Worldwide obesity rates are rapidly rising. In 2016, an estimated 30% of Americans over the age of 18, and almost 20% of young adults were overweight or obese, as defined by a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016); and they are projected to increase to 80% by 2023 (Wang, Beydoun, Liang, Caballero, & Kumanyika, 2008). Between 29% and 47% of obese individuals meet the criteria for binge eating disorders (BED) (McCuen-Wurst, Ruggieri, & Allison, 2017). However, we suggest in this review of the literature that the food addiction model is a more appropriate mechanism when looking at correlates and causes of the development of eating disorders and metabolic disorders, including insulin resistance, diabetes, and obesity. The DSM-5 criteria for BED is limited in that it focuses largely on behavior, distress and shame caused by the eating disorder, and lacks acknowledgment of the neurobiological vulnerabilities and effects (American Psychiatric Association, 2013a). Alternatively, the food addiction model proposes that food, especially highly palatable, processed foods that are high in sugar, fat and/or salt are addictive (Davis & Carter, 2014), and therefore may be the underlying cause of BED and metabolic disorders, including obesity. For this examination, we mainly focus on the addictive nature of sugar, as the majority of food addiction studies have shown that sugar intake is more addictive than fat or salt, and highlight the numerous biological and psychological parallels to substance (Avena, Bocarsly, Rada, Kim, & Hoebel, 2008; Avena, Rada, & Hoebel, 2008; Davis, Loxton, Levitan, Kaplan, Carter, & Kennedy, 2013; Hoebel, Avena, Bocarsly, & Rada, 2009; Hone-Blanchet & Fecteau, 2014; Ifland, Preuss, Marcus, Rourke, Taylor, Burau, Jacobs, Kadish, & Manso, 2009; Page & Melrose, 2016; Tran & Westbrook, 2017; Wong, Dogra, & Reichelt, 2017). It is well known that addictive drugs activate the dopaminergic reward pathway. The mesocorticolimbic pathway, which includes the ventral tegmental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens (NAc) and the frontal cortex, is especially implicated in the reinforcement of the use of these substances. These areas release high levels of dopamine, which produce a euphoric state, and help form â€Å"liking† motivations and positive associations toward the addictive substances. However, as the drug is repeatedly consumed, tolerance builds in the body, and â€Å"liking† becomes â€Å"wanting,† resulting in reduced pleasure, and physiological dependence that necessitates increased consumption (Reeve, 2015). Food addiction studies have shown that while a variety of foods lead to the release of dopamine, sugar activates the dopaminergic pathway in a way that mirrors addictive substances, and leads to bingeing, tolerance, cravings, dependence, and subsequent withdrawal symptoms when deprived (American Psychiatric Association, 2013b; Avena et al., 2008; Davis & Carter, 2014; Davis et al., 2013). As sugar is over-consumed, tolerance grows and bingeing with increased amounts of sugar are needed to obtain the same pleasurable effect. This is suggested to be due to the down-regulation of dopamine receptors (Avena et al., 2008; Davis, Patte, Levitan, Reid, Tweed, & Curtis, 2007; Hoebel et al., 2009; Ifland et al., 2009, Loxton & Tipman, 2017). Thereafter, â€Å"wanting† or cravings are suggested to be due to the imbalance of hormone signals that results in high anticipation and high sensitivity to sugar when it is consumed. In a study conducted by Lindqvist, Baelemans, and Erlanson-Albertsson (2008), rats that were given a sugar solution showed a 40% increase in ghrelin, the hormone that triggers appetite; in contrast to a significant decrease in leptin and peptide YY, two hunger-suppressing hormones; and a significant down-regulation in mRNA expression of additional hunger-suppressing peptides. This imbalance of appetite hormones and gene expression were hypothesized to have resulted in bingeing and tolerance, as demonstrated by a doubling of the drink consumption compared to control-group rats given water. Lastly, animal studies on sugar addiction have shown that sugar withdrawal mimics opioid withdrawal, and presents with depression and anxiety when deprivation of sugar occurs (Avena et al., 2008; Avena, Rada, & Hoebel, 2008; Hoebel et al., 2009; Hone-Blanchet & Fecteau, 2014; Ifland et al., 2009). The numerous studies in sugar addiction that overlap with the different stages of substance use disorders provide strong biological support for sugar addiction to be classified as a substance use disorder. Further adding to the biological susceptibility of sugar addiction, Davis et al. (2013) found enhanced dopamine transmission was due to six genetic mutations linked to the dopamine reward pathway; and that association between increased dopamine signaling and multilocus genetic profile scores was significantly higher in participants with high reward sensitivity and high risk for food addiction. These neurological changes and genetic vulnerabilities support tolerance and dependence that may result from a frequent flooding of dopamine and a reduction of receptors as seen in substance use disorders. Likewise, psychological traits like impulsivity and poor emotional regulation, have been found in both substance use disorders and sugar addiction. Impulsivity, as it relates to immediate gratification and deficits in behavioral inhibition, was positively correlated with sugar addiction. However, sensation-seeking, as an impulsive personality trait, was negatively associated with sugar addiction, and theorized to be due to the lack of arousal and stimulation from eating food; â€Å"those who are risk seeking and reward-driven might seek out experiences involving greater levels of arousal and stimulation (Pivarunas & Connor, 2015; VanderBroek-Stice, Stojek, Beach, vanDellen, & MacKillop, 2017). Poor emotional regulation and low distress tolerance were also positively associated with sugar addiction, and the consumption of sugar was hypothesized to activate the pleasure center countering the negative emotional state and further reinforcing the reward of sugar intake behavior (Kozak & Fought, 2011; Pivarunas & Connor, 2015). Equally important in the comparison between sugar addiction and substance use disorders are the detrimental effects on the brain and body’s functions, such as cognitive impairment and metabolic disorders. Reversible cognitive impairments in decision-making, motivation, spatial or place-recognition memory were recently identified in studies with rats (Tran & Westbrook, 2017; Wong, Dogra, & Reichelt, 2017). However, in a study conducted by Page and Melrose (2016), high levels of circulating sugar and insulin levels dulled food cues, reducing hypothalamic activity, and negatively affecting neural food processing, which over time increased the risk for insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. A separate study found that the overconsumption of sugar increased levels of free fatty acids, triglycerides and cholesterol in the blood (Lindqvist, Baelemans, & Erlanson-Albertsson, 2008), which are confirmed risk factors for developing in heart disease and strokes in humans (National Institute of Health, 2005; American Heart Association, 2017). The relationship between sugar addiction’s detrimental effects and long-term illness are apparent in the literature, and is analogous to the relationship between substance use and disease. Current treatment options for food or sugar addiction are limited to exercise, which addresses biological pathways; and mindfulness, which emphasizes psychological processes. Exercise serves as a protective treatment against metabolic disorders and food addiction via increases in brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), a neurotransmitter that plays a major role in neuroplasticity, and in the regulation of food intake, physical activity, and glucose metabolism (Codella, Terruzzi, & Luzi, 2017). Whereas, mindfulness addresses the dual process model of health behavior, which states that there are interactive automatic (implicit) and controlled (explicit) psychological processes that result in addictive behavior. Implicit, automatic processes include intentions, approach and avoidance tendencies, and emotions, meanwhile explicit, controlled processes include reflective action (Hagger, Trost, Keech, Chan, & Hamilton, 2017; Tang, Posner, Rothbart, & Volkow, 2015). In 2017, Kakoschke, Kemps, & Tiggemann showed that a two-pronged approach-modification protocol successfully retrained participants to avoid unhealthy food by 1) reducing the approach bias toward unhealthy food, and 2) increasing the approach bias toward healthy food. Another study showed a high approach tendency for healthy food buffered against the stress of hunger and wanting for unhealthy food (Cheval, Audrin, Sarrazin, & Pelletier, 2017). Mindfulness was also found to regulate emotional reactivity to internal and external cues (Fisher, Mead, Lattimore, Malinowski, 2017). Unfortunately, available treatment options have low generalizable, replicable success as they fail to provide a streamlined approach to sugar addiction and/or address neurobiological vulnerabilities and negative effects. Neither sugar nor food addiction is currently defined in the DSM-5. The only consistent measure of food addiction is the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), a survey developed in 2009, and it is used in studies reliably as its questions are based on DSM-IV addiction criteria (Gearhardt, Corbin, Brownell, 2009; Gearhardt, Corbin, Brownell, 2016). As mentioned earlier, food addiction and BED are not reciprocal disorders, therefore acknowledging sugar addiction as a substance use disorder in a future DSM may increase evidence-based research that strongly implicates genetic and brain pathways, which may lead to early prevention, reduced stigmatization and diverse treatment options that address the psychological as well as neurobiological vulnerabilities through medication, and even gene therapy. Further research and government regulation can also limit the pseudo-science funded by sugar and packaged goods companies. For example, in reviewing the literature, two studies were found that denied sugar and its addictive properties (Benton, 2010; Markus, Rogers, Brouns, & Schepers, 2017); they were funded by Coca-Cola and the World Sugar Research Organization. Similar to the studies conducted by the tobacco industry, the information countering sugar addiction can be confusing and deceptive to consumers. Government regulation of the sugar industry, like the tobacco industry can result in a decrease of sugar addiction and its harmful health effects. Lastly, there is also a large benefit to public health and the economic costs in treating sugar addiction like a substance use disorder. The costs to treat diabetes, a disease directly related to increased blood sugar levels and insulin resistance was $245 billion in 2012 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). These costs do not include comorbid diseases like obesity, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. 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