Impact Of The Latest Advances In Technology On Recruitment And Selection

ABSTRACT In the face of a new era of downsizing, garnering of qualified workforce remains a key organizational goal. A commonly held view among the human resource managers is that the human resources are the most important assets of an organization and that they offer the only non-imitative competitive edge. As the point of entry, the process of recruitment and selection of employees plays a crucial role in enhancing the success and survival of the organization in the extremely competitive and turbulent business environment. This paper explores on how the latest advances in technology have impacted on the process of recruitment and selection of employees. Different aspects of the use of new technology will be examined including internet based recruitment, telephone and video conferencing, computer based testing and IVR or Automated telephone interviewing. This will include an overview of the potential advantages as well as challenges arising with the use of each wave of technology. INTRODUCTION In the face of a new era of downsizing, garnering of qualified workforce remains a key organizational goal (Bauer 2004). As the point of entry, the process of recruitment and selection of employees plays a crucial role in enhancing the success and survival of the organization in the extremely competitive and turbulent business environment. Traditionally, the recruitment and selection process relied on fairly low-tech methods such as employee referrals and newspaper ads, in locating and attracting qualified candidates (Lievens, et.al 2002). Successful job seeking included frequenting the local job center (Lievens, et.al 2002). This has however changed over the past few decades as a result of advances in technology. The recruitment process, just like all other business functions, has become increasingly tied to technology (Lievens, et.al 2002). The common practice of mailing applications and waiting to be called for an interview via a phone call has been trumped by technological advances which have eased communication. Technological advances such as internet-based recruitment and candidate assessment, computer-based testing, Interactive Voice Response (IVR), telephone and video-based interviews among other information technologies are now increasingly being used in recruiting and selecting qualified candidates (Chapman & Webster 2003). In this paper, we examine how the latest advances in technology have impacted on the process of recruitment and selection of employees. The following sections will explore on these technological advances, in particular, how they are impacting on recruitment and selection process. This will include an overview of the potential advantages as well as challenges arising with the use of each wave of technology. We begin by exploring on internet based recruitment, which involves recruitment via the web.a. INTERNET BASED RECRUITMENTThe most popular ways through which advances in technology have significantly impacted on recruitment and selection is through the internet. Organizations are increasingly making use of the internet technology, particularly the World Wide Web, as a platform for testing and recruiting potential candidates (Baron & Austin, 2000). Social networking websites, software and online job boards has helped in linking applicants to hiring professionals with focus on knowled ge, skills and abilities (Baron & Austin, 2000). Social networking sites such as LinkedIn, CareerBuilder, monster.com and universe.jobs hold millions of jobs and resumes in their databases (Neil 2003). These professional networking sites play a significant role in the process of recruitment and selection. LinkedIn, for example, is used as a business-oriented social networking site whereby applicants are linked with the employers. LinkedIn is widely used globally as a professional network service and has currently 90 million users (Neil 2003). It is currently valued at over $2.51 billion USD and operates in more than 200 countries (Neil 2003). Advances in technology have indeed shaped the process of recruitment and selection. Online ads are now the lead recruitment methods employed by employers. Recruitment and selection via the web has enabled the employers to build a ‘talent pool’ of qualified candidates and lessen their reliance on conventional print media (Thompson et al., 2008). This has led to significant cost savings as employers lessen their reliance on recruitment agencies (Thompson et al., 2008). In this regard, Harris & Dewar (2000) noted a significant reduction on the cost per-hire from $ 3,295 (for the conventional recruitment methods) to $377 (for internet based recruitment). There are many benefits arising with the use of internet based recruitment method as well challenges that it present to the organizations. It should be noted that internet based recruitment is not without its shortcomings, but the cons must be weighed against the pros in order to determine if this recruitment method is supported. BENEFITS OF INTERNET BASED RECRUITMENT The internet provides efficiency in the administration and scoring of test as the content can be easily modified and answers captured in electronic form (Van Hoye & Lievens 2007). It also enables routine checking of errors, automatic scoring of tests and provides instant feedback to the applicants (Van Hoye & Lievens 2007). This administrative ease enables recruiters to save on costs and time giving them a competitive hedge in the tight labour market. It also provides for increased flexibility for both the employer and applicants in the administration of tests and performance of work in varied geographical locations (Van Hoye & Lievens 2007). Moreover, the widespread of information in a globalized market widens access to a diverse geographical labour pool (Lievens & Harris 2003). Additionally, there is a greater transparency in the selection process as candidates are selected based on their skills, experience and competence (Lievens & Harris 200 3). CHALLENGES TO INTERNET BASED RECRUITMENT While it is apparent that online recruitment help cut on recruitment costs, increase efficiency and transparency in the selection process; there are some potentially major drawbacks. Due to the high number of applicants, screening and checking the authenticity and mapping of skills may be a time consuming exercise (Lievens & Harris 2003). The large number of indistinguishable resumes from the various applicants coupled with inadequate software and procedures may lead to poor results in the selection of the ideal candidate (Lievens & Harris 2003). This problem can largely be attributed to the existing methods for parsing resumes which is dependent on software that truncates and exclude the totality of content (Lievens & Harris 2003). Also, failure by the industry software to produce optimum candidate and position convergence may result in correspondingly low retention rates of the new employees hence costing client companies thousands of dollars (Lievens & Harris 2003). Despite having automated assistance, managing the workload remains a daunting task for HR managers. While software has reduced on the number of resumes from the applicants, that would otherwise be manually reviewed, it has not been successful in narrowing candidate resume pools to the ideal qualified applicants (Harris & Dewar 2000).It should be noted that most of the software employed in the process of recruitment and selection generally uses rudimentary lexical and semantic algorithms (Harris & Dewar 2000). These algorithms tend to generate a large candidate pool with most candidates insufficiently suitable for effective use (Harris & Dewar 2000). This is because the industry software lacks the ideal filtering capabilities necessary for the proper parsing of resume. Crucial data that could help in identifying the ideal candidate and position convergence is therefore lost. Without sufficient data, there is not enough variance that could be used in distinguishing among candidate and position suitability (Harris & Dewar 2000). This next section will explore on interactive voice response (IVR) which is also known as automated telephone interviewing. The method is also gaining popularity and is increasingly being used by firms in recruiting and selecting new hires. b. AUTOMATED TELEPHONE INTERVIEWING/INTERACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE (IVR) The use of interactive voice response (IVR) which also referred to as automated telephone interviewing is one of the newest ways to recruiting and selecting new hires (Thompson et.al 2008). IVR technology allows for human interaction with the computer via a telephone keypad or through the use of voice recognition (Thompson et.al 2008). This wave of technology is increasingly gaining popularity in the recruitment and selection of employees due to its many advantages. ADVANTAGES OF THE IVR IVR is an easily accessible technology. Take for example the United States where 95% of the households own phones (Thompson et.al 2008). With IVR, applicants can initiate the interview at any time. The applicants or potential employees can initiate an interview by simply making a phone call to a toll-free phone number and be automatically interviewed without any intervention from the operator (Thompson et.al 2008). IVR or rather automated telephone interviewing can help in eliminating interview biases (Thompson al 2008). It is highly cost effective in screening the candidate pool. DISADVANTAGES OF USING IVR While IVR is increasingly being used by many businesses to cut on the costs and give a better experience, it is not without its shortcomings. One of the greatest challenges to using IVR systems in recruitment and selection of employees is that the users find it hard to follow telephone menus and lengthy instructions (Thompson et.al 2008). Also, IVR screening is considered lower in terms of treatment and openness as well as in reconsideration opportunities than the conventional face to face interviewing (Thompson al 2008)..c. TELECONFERENCING AND VIDEO CONFERENCINGThere is also the use of telephone and video conferencing. Teleconferencing involves setting up of a conference telephone call between the selection committee and potential candidates (Gilliland 1993). Job interviews by teleconferencing are common where the applicant and the selection committee are located in geographically sparse regions. Video conferencing, on the other hand, involves the combination of both the audio and video transmissions, hence allowing for communication to take place by a way of an audio visual link (AVL) (Gilliland 1993). With video confer encing, both the applicant and selection committee members are able to share their views and at the same time see each other on the screen. BENEFITS OF VIDEO CONFERENCING Despite reducing the in-person meetings, video teleconferencing as well offer the advantages of face to face communication (Gilliland 1993). There is also significant cost reduction for both the applicant and the employer as there is no need of travelling and associated costs of lodging and meals (Gilliland 1993). There is also the added environmental benefit as a reduction in traveling implies a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (Gilliland 1993). Further, upon placement this technology allows for the continued collaboration with the team members from remote locations (Gilliland 1993). CHALLENGES OF VIDEO CONFERENCING Similar to other technological innovations, video conferencing is not without its shortcomings. There might be a difference in time zones when conferencing in remote geographical locations (Gilliland 1993). Also, some of the human ways to communicating may not translate well with video conferencing (Gilliland 1993). For example, eye contact may not be easily delivered through a webcam, unlike in the conventional face-to-face interviewing where one can easily make eye contact and judge whether the interviewee is paying due attention. Last but not least, we explore on how computer based testing has impacted on recruitment and selection process.d. COMPUTER BASED TESTINGThe use of computer based interviews has increased in the recent years with a wide range of organizations utilizing computer-based online tests for selection purposes (Aptitude/psychometric tests) (Chapman & Webster, 2003). There are several reasons for increased reliance on psychometric tests in the recruitment and selection of employees. Key among these is the increased regulation and legislation, and loss of confidence in academic qualifications (Chapman & Webster, 2003). INCREASED REGULATION AND LEGISLATION Reliance on test use in the selection process has been used as a defensive strategy to regulation and legislation (Chapman & Webster, 2003). Tests are seen as objective indicators of how the skills of potential candidates align with the job description (Chapman & Webster, 2003). These competency tests promote fairness and equal access to opportunities available. LOSS OF CONFIDENCE IN ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS There is a growing body of evidence for a loss of confidence with the formal academic qualifications. This is largely attributed to bad governance and corrupt institutions that may award degrees or certificates to incompetent individuals. As such, competency based tests are increasingly being used in screening the candidate pool and in identifying candidates with skills that align with the â€Å"competency profile† for the job in question (Chapman & Webster, 2003). Computer based testing facilitates the selection process by quickly pinpointing the candidates ability more accurately (Chapman & Webster, 2003). Take for example the BULATS online test, a robust business English language test, which is widely used in helping organizations make timely decisions in the recruitment process (Chapman & Webster, 2003). This online test provides a fast and more accurate method of pinpointing the candidates’ ability and suitability to work by using adaptive testing techniques (Chapman & Webster, 2003). CONCLUSION Clearly, we have identified a number of benefits to using technology for purposes of recruiting and selecting job applicants. A quick recap of some of the benefits include increased efficiency in the administration and scoring of tests, increased flexibility, greater transparency, reduction in biases, widened access to a diverse geographical pool of potential candidates, and cost reduction among others. There are however challenges arising with the use of technological advances in recruitment and selection process. For example, the exercise may be time consuming as a large number of applicants need to be screened. Other shortcomings include poor results due to inadequate software and procedures, and difficulties in filtering of potential candidates, among others. Nonetheless, the latest advances in technology have significantly impacted on recruitment and selection process. As pointed out by Kay (2000), the power of the Web and e-technology has changed the way recruitment and selections of employees occur. Technological advancements and the ubiquity of the internet (especially with social networking) have become powerful additions to the process of recruitment and selection. However, these should not be considered as the only solutions to finding the ideal candidate. While changes are still underway, it is clear that advances in technology have dramatically impacted on the recruitment and selection process. REFERENCES Bauer, et.al, 2004. â€Å"Applicant reactions to different selection technology: face-to-face, interactive voice response and computer-assisted telephone screening interviews†, International Journal of selection and assessment, Portland State University: Blackwell publishing ltd. Baron, H., & J. Austin, 2000. Measuring ability via the Internet: Opportunities and issues. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, New Orleans, LA. Chapman, D.S., & J. Webster, 2003. â€Å"The use of technologies in recruiting, screening and selection processes for job candidates†, International journal of selection and assessment, Vol.11 (2), pp. 113-120 Gilliland, S.W, 1993. â€Å"The perceived fairness of selection systems: an organizational justice perspective†, Academy of management review, 18, pp.694-734 Harris, M., and K. Dewar, 2000. Understanding and using web-based recruiting and screening tools: key criteria, current trends and future directions. Workshop presented at annual meeting of the society for industrial and organizational psychology, San Diego, CA. Kay, A. S., 2000. â€Å"Recruiters embrace the Internet.† Informationweek: pp.72-80. Lievens, F., K. Van Dam and N. Anderson, 2002. â€Å"Recent Trends and Challenges in Personnel Selection†. Personnel Review, 31 (5-6), 580-601 Lievens, F., & M.M. Harris, 2003. â€Å"Research on Internet Recruiting and Testing: Current Status and Future Directions†. In: C.L. Cooper & I.T. Robertson (Eds.) International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Chicester: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. vol. 16., pp. 131-165. Neil, A., 2003. â€Å"Applicant and recruiter reactions to new technology in selection: a critical review and agenda for future research†, International journal of selection and assessment, Vol. 11 (2) Thompson, L. F., P.W. Braddy, and K.L. Wuensch, 2008. E-Recruitment and the Benefits of Organizational Web Appeal. Computers in Human Behavior, 24 (5), 2384-2398. Tourangeau, R., D.M. Steiger & D.Wilson, 2002. â€Å"Self-administered questions by telephone: evaluating interactive voice response†, public opinion quarerly, 6, pp.265-278 Van Hoye, G. and F. Lievens, 2007. â€Å"Investigating Web-Based Recruitment Sources: Employee Testimonials versus Word-of-Mouse†. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 15 (4), 372-382.

Students Attitudes Toward English Education Essay

Chapter 1This survey is aimed to depict pupils ‘ attitudes toward English in simple schools, Students ‘ attitudes contributes in finding the consequence of their acquisition procedure. English larning procedure will be successful if the instructor knows the pupils ‘ attitudes so the instructor can construct on pupils ‘ positive feeling and counteract pupils ‘ negative feeling ( Moon, 2000 ) . Attitudes, which can be positive or negative, is the respond to stimulus from one ‘s societal environment ( Aiken, 1991 ) . Positive attitudes will do pupils ‘ ! eaming better than the negative or less positive attitudes of the pupils. English has become a popular topic at this clip, particularly for pupils in the novice degree. Nowadays, many simple schools are programming English as their local content topic. It seems that involvement in learning of English of simple school pupils has been turning in recent old ages. English is a new topic for element9ry schools in Indonesia. Based on the author ‘s experienccln learning English at the 4th class of an simple school, some pupils have positive attitudes in larning English and the remainder do non. Since this is the first clip for simple pupils to larn English, it is of import to cognize the pupils ‘ perceptual experiences toward 2 English as a new topic at the beginning of their survey. For kids, success in their acquisition is fundamentally influenced by their first perceptual experience towards the learning acquisition procedure itself. Reilly, V and S. Ward ( 1997 ) said that if kids ‘s first experience of English is enjoyable, they will hold positive attitudes toward English for the remainder of their lives. Therefore it is of import to look into the immature scholars ‘ attitudes toward English because we have to guarantee that their first experienoe in larning English is gratifying so ( hat they have positive attitudes towards English linguistic communication in the hereafter. English as a local content topic in simple schools has been officially taught since 1994. Based on the Decree of the Minister of Culture and Education No. 060/U! 1993 ( as stated by Kasihani, 2000 ) , English can be taught to the 4th class pupils. However, about all of the public schools in Indonesia started to present English from the first class. The ground is the pupils will get English better if English is learned from an early age. Therefore, it is of import to do the instruction English interesting for pupils because there are still few research workers focused on this job. However, learning English for simple pupils should be different from learning junior or senior high school pupils because the alone features of immature scholars. English topic as a portion of Muatan Lokal ( MULOK ) is an elected topic in elementarychool. The intents of learning English in simple school are to do the pupils able to understand by and large used English words, to comrnuriiate in simple English, and to wish English so that they Will 3 feel encouraged in larning English farther in SLTP. Furthermore, they are besides expected to hold positive attitudes toward English so that they will hold a motive to get the hang English in order to be able to pass on with English speech production people ( Kurikulum MULOK SD DKI Jakarta, 1995 ) . In decision, the ultimate end of the instruction of English is to do pupils able to pass on in English. Since Indonesian kids – particularly in the parts outside Jakarta – started school at the age of 6 or 7 old ages, they have been expected to get the hang more than one languages ; regional linguistic communication and Indonesian linguistic communication. Both linguistic communications are used for communicating in learning learning procedure. Sometimes the instructors do non recognize that this status can be one of the factors that hinder the pupils from geting English or, worst of all, make all the linguistic communications they have already learned jumbled. However, the chief aim of acquisition and instruction of English to immature scholars is non to be able to pass on in English. Kasbollah as stated by Nurrofiah ( 2002 ) suggests that the end of learning English to the simple school pupils is centered on edifice positive attitudes toward English. Furthermore, positive attitudes are related to success in 2nd linguistic communication acquisition ( Gardner, 1 895 & gt ; . That ‘s why the pupil ‘s attitude is one of the of import factors, which influence the success of pupils ‘ acquisition. Elementary pupils, as stated by Kasihani ( 2000 ) , are immature scholars with their ain features, which are biological, cognitive, affective, personal, and societal features. Fourth grade pupils, kidsaˆ?aˆ?4 age 8 to 10 old ages old, hold several features, such as, holding their ain positions of the universe every bit good as what they like and dislike making and able to do their ain determinations about what they want to larn ( Scott and Ythreberg stated by Santoso, 1990 ) . In short, immature scholars have already brought their ain positions and attitudes to the schoolroom which will impact their farther acquisition. Although there are merely few research workers that focused on attitudes, the author thinks that it is of import to detect pupils ‘ attitudes. Research findings stated that the most influencing pupils ‘ attitudes toward English were the learning stuffs used by the instructor and the background of larning as their motive. Based on the statements above, the author will oniy focal point on the pupils ‘ attitudes toward English. The pupils ‘ attitudes that the author wants to look into are the responses of English simple pupils in larning English as their foreign linguistic communication and what the simple pupils think about their English categories. The ground of this range of the survey is that pupils already have positions and attitudes toward a topic in larning English, as stated by Moon ( 2000 ) that kids do non come to their English lessons like clean sheet of paper † . Social environment in which pupils grow up and the people around them are one of the factors which give the influence in organizing the pupils ‘ attitudes. Therefore, it is of import to detect how are pupils of simple school ‘s attitudes in larning English and how they give their responses to English instruction in the I 5 schoolroom. It is indispensable to retrieve that success in larning English depends on the manner in ‘which early linguistic communication acquisition programmed. 1,2 Problems Designations An English instructor should take into consideration the pupils ‘ attitudes. It is by and large known that many simple schools in Indonesia start learning English to their pupils from the first class, so, normally, attitude has become an of import factor in the educational field. Based on that, the author identifies the jobs as follow: 1. What are the pupils ‘ attitudes toward English at the 4th class of simple school? 2. What factor can act upon the pupils ‘ attitudes? 3. Make the pupils ‘ attitudes influence the English acquisition procedure in the schoolroom? In this survey, the chief research inquiry is â€Å" what are the pupils ‘ attitudes toward English topic at the 4th class of simple school? † 1.3 Purpose and Beilefit of The Study The intent of the survey is to happen out the attitudes in larning English of pupils at 4th class of simple school. The benefit of the survey is that it is expected to be an input for English instructors to cognize the factors that influence the pupils ‘ attitudes in two 6 larning English at 4th class of simple school. As we know that attitude is one of the of import factors which influence success in 2nd linguistic communication acquisition, it is a necessity for an English instructor to cognize their pupils ‘ attitudes so the English acquisition procedure will be successful. 1.4 Scope of The Study The range of this survey is the attitudes of simple school pupils ‘ toward English. In this survey, the author will discourse about immature scholars and foreign linguistic communication, attitudes, and the nature of chiklren ‘s linguistic communication acquisition. 1.5 Method of The Study This survey employed a study attack which used descriptive method to analyze the pupils ‘ attitudes in larning English at the 4th class of simple school. The instruments were questionnaires, interview, and observation.Chapter IILITERATURE REVIEWIL1.Theoritical DescriptionIn the theoretical description, there are three facets discussed: ( 1 ) Young Learners and Foreign Language Learning, ( 2 ) Attitude, and ( 3 ) The Nature of Children ‘s Language Learning.1. Young Learners and Foreign Language LearningMost kids start formal instruction at the age of six. They attend simple school between the ages of 6 – 14. Recent surveies in SLTP 2 Tarakan ( Santoso, 2003 ) shows that pupils in first class of Junior high School consisting of 46 respondents or 97.9 % have already learnt English since they were in simple school. Furthermore, some of them, 65.9 % , said that larning English since simple school gave them positive influence. Met ( in Nurrofiah, 2002 ) asserts that immature kids learn languages more rapidly and more expeditiously than older kids or grownups. Young kids besides have more capableness than grownups in the comprehension and repeat accomplishments. ( Brewster, 2002 ) . Furthermore, Anderson and Carol ( 1988 ) argued that when the procedure of linguistic communication acquisition started early, the continuance of the procedure itself is longer so that the pupils can make more pattern and hence hold more experience which lead to the command of the ianuage. Therefore, kids will acquire more .t 8 advantages than grownups in the early acquisition of English. As stated by Kasihani ( 2000 ) , simple pupils are immature scholars who like making things, playing games, and singing vocals. Chomsky, as quoted by Coltrane ( 2004 ) argued that one of the manner of kids linguistic communication acquisition is by copying the sounds and forms which they hear around them and have positive support. But it does n't, intend that kids ‘s head is like a space slates which can be filled merely by copying linguistic communication they hear in the environment because kids are born with particular ability to detect for themselves the underlying regulations of a linguistic communication system. He besides said that kids between 5 until 10 old ages old are still geting the constructions of their first linguistic communication. For kids younger than 5, many facets of their first linguistic communication have non yet to the full developed. So while older scholars have the foundation of a to the full developed foremost linguistic communication when they begin geting a new linguistic communication, younger English linguistic communication scholars are working two things at the same cl ip: the full development of their native linguistic communication and the acquisition of English. There are some factors that influence pupils attitudes. Moon ( 2000 ) argued that younger kids tend to be influenced by their feelings for their instructor, the general acquisition ambiance in the schoolroom, the methods used by the instructor, and their parents ‘ sentiment. This means that kids who are larning a foreign linguistic communication tend to be influenced by the elements of their linguistic communication, which they are I I analyzing along with the foreign 1. In decision, the instruction and larning procedure in the schoolroom should be planned so that the influencing elements that can harm the acquisition of the foreign linguistic communication be reduced every bit low as possible.2. AttitudesAttitude is an of import construct that helps people to understand their societal word. Based on Gordon ‘s statement ( 2002 ) an attitude refers to a individual inclination to systematically react to assorted facets of people, situatiop. , or objects. An attitude could be inferred from a individual ‘s statement about their beliefs and feelings and from people ‘s from what they say, what they do, and how they react. Baron and Byrne ( 1987 ) as stated by Gagne and Medsker ( 1996 ) showed these three facets as the ABC theoretical account A for affect, B for behaviour, and C for knowledge. These three constituents are primary or which are the cause of the others. He besides stated that these three constituents are extremely interconnected and believed that all may be useflully employed in attitude development. The same sentiment was stated from Forsyth, Don ( hypertext transfer protocol: //www.alleydog.com ) . He defined an attitude can act upon the behaviour because attitude is an affectional feeling about wishing or disliking toward an object. He besides said that an attitude is non a feeling, knowledge, or a signifier of behaviour. It combined all three constituents in an â€Å" incorporate affect – knowledge – behaviour system † . foot means that attitude are made of three constituents that all influence each 9 10 other. If one constituent alterations, it will act upon the full attitude construction. In add-on, each constituent non merely has an influence on the attitude construction as a whole, but besides on each other constituent. While Luthans, Fred ( 2001 ) argued that attitudes can be divided into three basic constituents emotional, informational, and behavioural. The emotional constituents involve the individual ‘s feeling or affect — positive, impersonal, or negative – about an object. Emotion will be given specific attending as a type of intelligence. The informational constituents consist of the beliefs and information the person has about the object. It makes no difference whether or non this information is through empirical observation existent or correct. The behavior constituent consists of a individual ‘s inclinations to act in a peculiar manner toward an object. Oskamp, Stuart ( 1991 ) describe Tn Componential View point of attitude, there are 1 ) a cognitive constituent, dwelling of the thoughts and beliefs which the attitude holder has about the attitude object, 2 ) an affectional ( emotional ) constituent which refers to the feelings and emotions one has toward the object, 3 ) a behavior constituent, dwelling of one ‘s action tendencies toward the object. Aiiother reseather, Morrel and Lederman ( 1998 ) as stated by Sa'di Irnad defined the attitude object as an digesting positive or negative feeling toward schdol. Moon ( 2000 ) concludes that there are two factors that influences, pupils ‘ attitudes ; they are in school inf uences and out-school influences. The in- school influences are larning procedure, school civilizations, method, stuffs, and instructor. And the out-of-school influences are peer groups, parents, local young person civilization, and media. In add-on to the information above, Sa'di imad ( 2001 ) from Yarmouk University found that most primary schools in Jordan had lack appropriate acquisition environment. It is caused by the schoolroom which are crowded, no comfy children's-size place, non adequate infinite for drama at break clip, excessively many place plants and really short interruption which do non let kids clip to eat. From this state of affairs, the survey begiii. In general, the consequence of this survey indicated that kids in Jordanian Primary schools ‘ attitudes toward school were negative. From the above survey, it is really clear that kids ‘ attitudes are really of import and can impact their educational public presentation. Beside that, the bad school environment truly affects pupils ‘ attitudes toward the school itself, which will give negative influence to their attitudes toward larning From all the definition, there are several sentiments about the facets of attitude. The line can be drawn as in the tabular array below: 11Table 2.1No BeginningsOpinion1. Gagne and Medsker ( 1996 ) Divide an attitude into three facets. There are cognitive, affectional, and connation 2. Forsyth Don ( 2006 ) Attitude is an â€Å" incorporate affect-cognition-behavior system 3. Fred Luthans Divide attitude into three constituents. ‘There are ( 2001 ) emotional, informational, and behavioural 4. Oskamp Stuart Divide attitude into three componential points of ( 1991 ) position. There are cognitive constituent, affectional constituent, and behavior constituent R 12 It can be seen from the tabular array above that this survey employed cognitive, affectional, and connation as constituents of attitude because these footings convey broader significances. We can reason that attitude is the positive or negative feelings people have in respond to the state of affairss they are involved in. The more positive the attitude they have towards a certain circumstance, the easier their credence to the circumstance will be.3. The Nature of Chikiren ‘s Language LearningTeaching English to immature scholars is really ambitious because at this degree they are larning how to manage with their school life, larning to go literate and go oning to develop constructs. As kids grow older, their concentration are span additions ( Brewster, 1991 ) . It can be hard to make the sort of assortment needed to maintain their attending. We all know that kids are different from grownups so we need to cognize these differences in order to admit and to measure to optimie the acquisition experience for immature scholars. The survey will concern about immature scholars, which are at 4th class of simple school, it is between eight to ten old ages old. Many research workers agree that kids have a inclination to utilize a linguistic communication. There are common features in larning first linguistic communication and larning 2nd linguistic communication. However recent surveies stated that imitation, repeat, and formulaic address are the first scheme to be used when immature kids larning a foreign linguistic communication ( Tough, 1991 ) . ; 1 – _____________________ ; 0 ]I13 Based on Anderson and Carol ( 1998 ) , kids whose ages are eight to ten old ages old are really easy to accept new state of affairss and new people. It is assumed that they will be eager and interested in larning something different, in this instance different linguistic communication from their native 1. Yani ( 2003 ) in his diary Pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris Aktif, Kreatif, Efektif, dan Menyenangkan ( PAKEM ) in simple school, provinces that each kids has different features so they will necessitate different ways of acquisition. Children are different from grownups in their hope, their ideas, and their behaviour. Their features are besides different with the features of SLTP pupils or SMU pupils. Therefore, instructors should change the instruction and larning procedure in category so that they can suit these different features. Vygotksy, supported by Scoot and Ytrebereg ( as stated by Saritoso, 2004 ) said that larning procedure for immature scholars should be concentrated on the scholars features, Scott and Ytreberg sure that immature scholars are larning by making. Whereas Kahn ( hypertext transfer protocol: //puinas.jpl.nasa.gov ) explained that kids at this age can understand regulations and can follow, they like group activities and jaunts, takes inaugural and areself motivated, going an independent scholar, a perfectionist who will pattern the same thing over and over once more, avoid the opposite sex and, the 1as one, they can sit still and listen 20 – 30 proceedingss. Harmonizing to Mustafa ( 2002 ) , immature scholars have some features, they are: kids learn of course, they know a batch about 14 literacy before come ining school, all kids can larn, kids learn best when acquisition is meaningful, interesting, functional, and they can do their ain picks, kids learn best when they are in a non – competitory environment by speaking and making things in a societal context. Therefore, the procedure of teaci'ing and larning in the category besides should be designed in such a manner to ease these features,11.2. Conceptual ModelFrom the treatment above, it can reason that there are many factors that influence pupils ‘ attitudes toward English. Since this is the first clip for pupils larning English, it is of import to cognize what the pupils ‘ attitude toward English because positive attitudes will do pupils ‘ acquisition better. It has been discussed earlier that this survey employed the footings cognitive, affectional, and connation as constituents of attitude. The constituents of the attitudes itself are besides related to each other. Cognitive, affectional, and connation are the dimension to be used in mensurating the pupils ‘ attitudes toward English. in cognitive, there are backgrounds of larning English, stuff used by the instructor, and material presentation. In Affective, there are the pupils experiencing about their instructor, schoolmates, and the method i13 larning Englisk And in Connation there is inclination for making something. When pupils have the background of larning English, the personal sentiment about the topic, the instructor and the schoolmates, they 15 will finally larn the topics based on those old sentiment and judgement. This point of position will be the footing of developing the instrument of this survey as seen on the tabular array below: Table 2.2 Dimension Index 1. Cognitive Idea Opinion . Beliefs aˆ? Backgroimd of larning English Aim aˆ? Material aˆ? Material Presentation 2. Affective. Feeling. Assurance aˆ? Teacher aˆ? Classmate aˆ? Method 3. Connation aˆ? Action aˆ? Behavior aˆ? Tendency for making somethingChapter IIIMethodologyThis Chapter describes the methodological analysis used in carry oning the survey. Detailss on methodological analysis of the survey covering ; the attack waterless method used in the survey, the participants of the survey, clip and topographic point of the survey, the instruments of the survey, and the processs in roll uping and analysing the information. 111.1 The Approach and Method used in The Survey This is a descriptive quantitative survey in the signifier of small-scale study. The research worker did study in order to portray the bing status of the pupils ‘ attitudes toward English at the 4th class of simple school. As citied in Nunan ( 1993 ) , studies are the most normally used descriptive method in educational research, and may change in range from large-scale governmental probes through to small-scale surveies carried out by a individual research worker. In add-on, â€Å" the aimed of study is to gauge every bit exactly as possible the nature bing conditions, or the property of a population † ( p. 140 ) . The attack which used is descriptive analytical because the features ofthe survey is to explicate about the pupils ‘ thoughts or sentiments toward pupils ‘ background of larning English, intent, stuff, method of material presentation ; pupils ‘ experiencing toward their English instructor, schoolmates, and method used by the instructor and pupils action or inclination 17 schoolmates, and method used by the instructor ; and pupils action or inclination in making something. The study informations are collected through questionnaires or interviews, or a combination of questionnaires and interview ( Nunan, 1993 ) . In this survey, the research worker used a questionnaire, interview, and observation to roll up the information. The chief ground underlying the research worker used descriptive study was the research worker was more interested in happening out pupils ‘ attitudes toward English at the 4th class of simple school that was reflected on their reaction to the stuffs presented and the methods employed by the instructor. 111.2. The Participants of The Study The participants of the survey were 40 pupils of the 4th class of simple school in SDN Percontohan 02 pagi Cipinang Cempedak, East Jakarta. Their ages were between 9-11 old ages old. They live in common lodging. Most of their parents ‘ occupations were PNS or civil retainers, instructors, employees in private companies, homemakers, and business communities. Merely some pupils joined English classs outside the school. And the mean of the English mark of all the pupils in this category is 7.111.3 Time and Place of The StudyThe survey was conducted from January 2005-beginning with the preliminary survey. The informations were gathered from December 2005 to February 18 The topographic point of this survey was in SDN Percontohan Cipinang Cempedak 02 Pagi. This school is a theoretical account simple authorities school in Jatinegara territory because it has a batch of accomplishments. The survey conducted in this school because English is taught at that place. In add-on, this school is = considered as a school with good quality. So the author can compare the consequence of the survey with other school of lower quality. In decision a theoretical account simple school is expected to hold pupils with positive attitudes toward English because an ability trial was given to them when they foremost enrolled the school.ffl.4 The Instruthents of the StudyIn this survey, the research worker used questionnaire and interview as the instruments to roll up the information. 111.4.1. Questionnaire The questionnaire was constructed based on the dimension of the attitude ; there are cognitive, affectional, and connation. The inquiries were about the pupils ‘ cognitive, affectional, and conflation toward English. The indexs are pupils ‘ thoughts or sentiments toward pupils ‘ background of larning English, intent, stuff, method of material presentation ; pupils ‘ experiencing toard their English instructor, schoolmates, and method used by the instructor ; and pupils action or inclination in making something. The uestionnaire was written in Indonesia in order to do the III IillJlHtu1F ; 1 IiL ______________ ; 0 ] 19 letter writers understand what are being asked by utilizing Gutman Type graduated table method. Djaali ( 2000 ) stated that Gutman graduated table is merely used to happen definite reply. The research worker used this type of questionnaire in order to do it easier for the pupils to reply the inquiries because they are non open-ended inquiries. There were merely two optional replies, â€Å" yes † or â€Å" no † . The inquiries consisted of 26 closed inquiries about the pupils ‘ attitudes toward English at the 4th class of simple school. The mark is 1 for positive reply and 0 for negative reply. Table 3.1 shows the dimensions and the indexs of statements categorization in the questionnaire.Table 3.1111.4.2 Interview The interview was conducted outside the category. Because of the limited clip of the survey, the research worker Merely interviews 10 pupils from all pupils. These 10 pupils are chosen based on the consequence of the questionnaire informations that were believed represent the positive, mean, and negative attitudes. it was in the signifier ofDimensionIndexNoEntire1. Cognitive .. Idea aˆ? Opinion aˆ? Beliefs aˆ? Background of larning English aˆ? Purpose aˆ? Material aˆ?_Material_Presentation 1,7 2 1,23 2,5,6 3,4 2 2 3 2 2. Affectional aˆ? Feeling aˆ? Assurance aˆ? Teacher aˆ? Classmate aˆ?Method 9,10,12 8,14 11,15,17,20 3 2 4 3. Conflation. Action aˆ?_Behavior aˆ? Tendency for making something 13,16,18,19 2,24 25,26 8 20 open-ended inquiries consisted of 8 inquiries that recorded on the cassette. Each inquiry represented one index. The interview is done to happen the pupils ‘ feeling and sentiment toward English. Table 3.2 shows the dimensions and the indexs of the statement categorization in the interview. 111.4.3 ObservationTable 3.2DimensionIndexNo 1EntireI. Cognitive O Idea aˆ? Opinion aˆ? Beliefs aˆ? Background of larning English aˆ? Material aˆ? Purpose aˆ? Material Presentation 3, 5 2 4 2 1 1 2. Affectional aˆ? Feeling. Assurance aˆ? Teacher aˆ? Classmate aˆ? Method 6 8 7 1 1 1 3. Connation.Action aˆ? Behavior aˆ? Tendency for making something 9 10 1 1 The research worker observed the state of affairs and the status of the English schoolroom by clicking ( I ) Yes ( Ya ) or No ( Tidak ) based on the activity happened in the schoolroom consists of 40 pupils. In the observations signifiers there are merely the dimensions of connation because in the observation the research worker merely want to ascertained pupils ‘ public presentation that reflected from their action and behaviour in the English category. Table 3.3 shows the dimensions and the indexs of statements categorization in the observation. Dimension Indicator 1 Connation aˆ? Tendency for making aˆ? , Action and Behavior I somethingTable 3.321 111.4.4 Pilot Study Before making the research, the research worker tried out the questionnaire in order to prove the cogency and the dependability of the questionnaire. There was a theoretical account questionnaire which was designed for pilot survey before the existent questionnaire given to the pupils. After the questionnaire had been designed, so it was clip lbr the research worker to attest the questionnaire whether it was valid and dependable to utilize in a following existent questionnaire. The questionnaires were tried out to 10 pupils. L Validity The research worker used Dis-Continuum Score to prove the cogency of the questionnaire. Based on Djaali ( 2000 ) , Dis-Continuum Score trial is used for nonsubjective inquiries with are scored 0 or 1. The research worker used this manner in mensurating cogency in order to cognize whether the statements in the questionnaires were valid or non. The expression of the Dis-Continuum Score is: run batted in ) coefficient correlativity between mark of inquiry figure I with entire figure of mark Eleven = mean of entire figure of mark in inquiry figure I Xt mean of entire respondent ; 1 I. . . . H†¦ ; 0 ] Two 22 St standard divergence of mark entire respondent = entire figure of right reply for inquiry figure I qi = entire figure of incorrect reply for inquiry figure I From the computation above ( see Appendix A.4 ) , the consequence showed that from 30 inquiries, there was four inquiries were non valid. For n =10, the mark for R tabular array is 0,632. l'he mark which was under 0.632 ( see Appendix A.7 for R tabular array ) was non valid. 2. Dependability The research worker used expression of coefficient alpha to prove the dependability of the questionnaire. The expression is as follows coefficient of trial dependability K = inquiry figure Si2 = discrepancies of mark inquiry St2 = discrepancies score entire The consequence of the computation is 0.996 ( see Appendix A.6 ) . Based on the Pearson-product minute tabular array, 0.996 is between230.8 and 1.00 ( see Appendix A.8 ) . it can be concluded that the dependability of the questionnaire is high. 11L5 The Procedures in Collecting and Analyzing The Data I1L5J Research Procedure The research worker did the pilot trial before making the survey in order to cognize whether or non the pupils understood the statements in the questionnaires. Because the research worker merely used 30 pupils from 40 pupils in the questionnaire, the pilot trial was given to 10 pupils who were non given questionnaire. These 10 pupils were mix-ability pupils, consisted of pupils who are cagey, mean, and decelerate scholars based on the informations from their English instructor. The questionnaires were given to 30 pupils and 40 pupils were observed ; and because of the limited clip of the survey the research worker merely interviewed 10 pupils out of 30 pupils or it is peers to 33.3 % that were believed to stand for the positive, negative and mean attitudes. As stated by Burns ( 2000 ) , the sample size of the population besides has to be considered, the larger the sample the better. This does non intend that big sample is sufficient to vouch truth of consequence. The research worker were ascertained pupils ‘ public presentations one time a hebdomad for 3.0 proceedingss harmonizing to their English agenda in that 24 school. The observation was conducted 2 times. Merely one of the two observed pupils ‘ public presentations was examined, it was the public presentation that the research worker assessed as the best 1. 111.5.2 Data Analysis The survey represents a study attack, which normally used descriptive method in order to reply the inquiries introduced in chapter 1. In this method, the informations are gathered through questionnaire, interview, and observation. The information gathered from the questionnaire are quantitative informations, which are analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The qualitative informations are taken from interview and observation. The description of the interview consequence is aimed to enrich the information of the questionnaire consequence, and the description of the observation is used to look into the pupils ‘ attitudes harmonizing to their public presentation or action during the English category. 111.5.2.1 Quantitative Data The quantitative informations are calculated from th consequence of the questionnaires. The respondents ‘ reply was classified harmonizing to emerging classs. Then, the information was quantified into per centum signifier. The qualitative information was utilizing ordinal graduated table ; the mark 1 for positive reply and 0 for negative reply ( see appendix A.4 ) . After that, the frequence analysis was carried out to

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Since both recent and longerterm risks have its impacts on investors, the authors deliver four variables that are concerned with the number of natural risks happening in four time period: Total events in the prior year, total events in the prior 5 years, total events in the prior 10 years, total events in the prior 25 years. Table 3 shows the correlations between FDI/GDP and each of four variables referring to the measures of natural risks. (TABLE 3) It is undoubtedly true that both the counted measure as number of natural hazards and the monetary measure as the estimation of â€Å"dollar value of damages† affect decision makers. While it can be argue that result as the dollar amount of damages may have substantial influence on investors’ decisions, it is obvious that estimating the consequence of natural disasters is complex and not as accurate as â€Å"counts of disasters†. For this  reason, models will mainly focus on counts of disasters. Moreover, the research emphasizes on five types of natural hazards that severely devastate infrastructures, physical capital and labor forces. As such, these five types are earthquakes, floods, volcanoes, landslide and windstorms (include hurricanes). The following two variables which refer to the degree of openness and incentive in trade and investment are Trade and Investment. The former is taken from World Bank’s 2008 World Development Indicators and the latter is provided by Political Risk Services Group, assembled by the IRIS Center at the University of Maryland. Regarding to a country’s reliability for trade and investment, the investment variable is the estimation of three factors: contract viability/risk of exportation, repatriation of profits and delay in payments. These three factors are rank from 0 to 12 and the higher value illustrates the higher risk in investment. The final three variables in the base model are Inflation, Gov. stability and Rule of law. The Inflation variable is the inflation level of each country in a particular year and taken from 2008 World Development Indicators. The other two variables are collected from the International Country Risk Guide, with reflecting the level of stability of government and adhesion to the rule of law. The higher value implies the better environment for investors. Those variables contribute to the base model as this form: FDIit = ÃŽ ±0 + ÃŽ ±1Total events in the prior # yearsit + ÃŽ ±2GDP per capitait + ÃŽ ±3GDP growthit + ÃŽ ±4Tradeit + ÃŽ ±5Investmentit + ÃŽ ±6Inflation + ÃŽ ±7Gov. stabilityit + ÃŽ ±8Rule of lawit + ÃŽ ³i + ÃŽ ³t + ÃŽ µit This research also employs ÃŽ ³i as country fixed effects over time and ÃŽ ³t as year fixed effects for all countries. C. Results and Their Implications The below table indicates the linkage between foreign direct investment and natural disasters by applying the base model. It can be seen from Table 4 that all four natural hazard variables have significantly negative effects on FDI in each of models. Moreover, there is a decline trend in coefficients of disaster variables when measuring in Total events in the prior 1 year to Total events in the prior 25 years, which suggests that relatively recent risks have more significant influence than long term risks on investors’ decisions. The next two variables, which are GDP per capita and GDP growth, are positive as expected and significant. However, although both Trade and Investment variables have positive effects on FDI, only Trade is significant. The Inflation variable is negative and significant in all four models. Only Gov. stability variable has unexpected side and both Gov. stability and Rule of law are not significant in all models. The authors also employ the empirical tests to find out different effects of five particular types of disasters. The result is presented in Table 5. The outcome demonstrates that all other non-disaster variables have the same reaction and all damage variables are negative in side. However, Windstorms is significant in all three cases, Volcanoes is significant in two cases while Landslides, Earthquake and Floods are significant in only one case. Hence, there is evidence to support the view that each type of hazards has its effects on FDI, the clearest evidence is found on Windstorms. Regardless the inaccurate in estimation of dollar value of damages, the research generates the final test by using the base model with â€Å"dollar value of damages† in place of â€Å"counts of disasters†. The result is displayed in Table 6. Similarly with the above case, all non-disaster variables have the same result as the base model case. Though disaster variables are negative and significant in all case, they do not decline from recent to older events. A draw conclusion may be policy makers equally focus on relative recent and longer-term risks or maybe there is error in data. D. Conclusion To sum up briefly, there are four important conclusions. First and foremost, natural disasters have significant and negative effect on foreign direct  investment. Second, there are some evidences to support the view that decisions of foreign investors are deeper affected by relative recent events in comparing to longer-term events. Third, different types of natural hazards are considered to have different impacts on foreign direct investment, the most severe impact is found on windstorms. Finally, regardless the intricacy and inaccuracy in monetary measuring the value of damages, the model which focuses on dollar value of damages also addresses the same result with the base model: natural disasters discourage foreign direct investment.

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Security Planning and Assessment High School - Essay Example Geographical location may become important if the firm is situated in an area that is subject to political or social upheaval. Corporations with offshore facilities must constantly reevaluate and reassess their security requirements and vulnerabilities. Retail and wholesale outlets may take on additional threats if they sell or store materials that may be useful in the manufacture of explosives or weapons of terror. As the cost of goods changes over time, items that were once considered unattractive may take on new value. Dealing with these constantly changing environments requires a program that regularly reassesses security based on the current economic, political, and social climate. This paper will examine the myriad political, social, and economic forces and how they impact the management, planning, and assessment of security for private firms, and the methods that form the most appropriate response for these situations. Americans that are employed overseas for US corporations may become particularly at risk as the political climate changes or the social structure breaks down into lawlessness. Journalists may be kidnapped and held for either political ransom or financial ransom. Terrorists may kidnap high profile executives with the belief that they could be used as a bargaining chip to gain the release of terrorists held in the US or other foreign prisons. In assessing the threat level the political climate of the country should be considered. Questions need to be asked such as; does the country tolerate terrorism and terrorist groups Have these groups threatened the US or US interests If there is a cause for concern, the best assessment tool is intelligence. Geopolitical regions that are at a high risk of terrorist activity that is unfriendly to the US will often have a pattern of previous terrorist acts. If there been any changes in US policy that may initiate a terrorist kidnapping, then this wi ll heighten the risk of future activity. High level and visible personnel working overseas are usually the ones that are most at risk. Countering a personnel threat begins with thorough planning. One of the most critical actions that the person can take is to keep a low profile and remain as anonymous as possible. In addition, "be cautious of local officials in many regions, minimise your profile in order to minimise your risk" (The Cavell Group, n.d., p.1). Living and working locations should be gated with a guard at the entrance, and have video and audio monitoring capability. Routes and routines should be kept private and unpredictable. Personnel should be closely guarded by trained professionals, preferably from the region. If traveling in a private car, plans and escape routes should be planned ahead of time. Planning should also include contingency plans for the worst-case scenario. Family, staff, and colleagues should be trained in the proper response to any type of attack. It should be remembered that in the case of a kidnapping for ransom on foreign soil, the local government might not be helpful. The legal , cultural, and political disparities among nations, as well as the constraints on intelligence and expertise, "all point to the fact the prospects for effective action at the state level are not promising" (James & Goldstaub, 1988, p.75-76). Individuals and corporations operating on foreign soil

Activation of inflammasome Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Activation of inflammasome - Dissertation Example There is a connection between deficiencies in the molecular underpinnings of the adaptive immune system and vulnerability to infections that this report will explore. This study will investigate the most immediate pathogenic effects resulting from this disorder using cells infected with S.typhimurium and L.Monocytogenes to demonstrate vulnerability to infections. Homozygous mutants suffered the highest mortality rates. Assays were conducted to determine the molecular cofactors most involved during the acute disease state by examining the process of inflammasome formation. Mutations along several stages of the process elucidate the cofactors involved. Ataxia Telangiectasia alters the formation of the inflammasomes complex based on caspase recruitment, and is characterized by deficiencies in interleukins as opposed to tumor necrosis factors. The identification of cofactor levels corresponding with the autosomal recessive genotype could potentially support the development of enhanced sc reening or diagnostic techniques with an ultimate goal of corrective therapy. INTRODUCTION The Immune system offers protection to the body from internal and external threats. Mammalian Immune system is classified into innate and adaptive immunity. Adaptive immune system appeared later in the evolutionary time line and it is more specific than the innate immunity. Through feature called immunological memory, adaptive immune system evokes a quick immune response upon subsequent exposure to similar pathogenic stimuli. These responses are typically dependent on T-cells, which involve not only the removal of active pathogens; but also the elimination by cell-death (Apoptosis). Innate immune system has no immunological memory. This analysis depends upon the genetic basis underlying failure in the immune system due to molecular changes. Innate immunity is the body’s first line of defense. Innate immune recognition and responsiveness to biological danger is mediated by germ-line enco ded innate immune receptors called pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). PRRs recognize conserved motifs on pathogens called Pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) or endogenous molecules called Damage Associated Molecular Patterns (DAMPs) that are released by stressed of dead cells6. PRRs are classified into trans-membrane receptors: Toll like receptors (TLRs) and C-type lectin receptors (CLRs), the cytoplamic families of PRRs: Nucleotide-binding oligomerization (NOD)-like receptor (NLRs), RIG-I like receptors (RLRs) and cytoplasmic DNA receptors (CDRs)6. Cytoplasmic DNA Receptors (CDRs) consist a diverse and growing number of receptors that recognize DNA in the cytoplasm. Members of this family include DAI, IFI16, LRRFIP15. TLRs are type-I trans-membrane proteins composed of an ectodomain domain rich in leucine-rich repeats that play a role in the recognition of PAMPs, trans-membrane region and cytosolic Toll-IL-1 receptor (TIR) domain which are involved in the activation of downstream signaling pathways. 10 and 12 TLRs have been identified in human and mouse, respectively. TLRs are localized at the cell surface and endosomal compartments where they recognize a broad range of bacterial, viral, fungal, protozoan PAMPs such as lipoproteins (recognized by TLR1, TLR2, and TLR6), double-stranded (dsRNA) (by TLR3), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (by TLR4), flagellin (by TLR5), single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) (by TLR7 and TLR8), and DNA (by TLR9)1. NLRs consists of a large family of receptors that recognize broad spectrum of PAMPs and DAMPs in the cytoplasm8. Till now 34 murine and 23 human NLR genes have been identified. Plants contain NLR orthologues as R genes. Plants lacking adaptive immune s

Dream Deferred Essay Example for Free

Dream Deferred Essay In a dream, a man was walking amidst a seemingly endless desert in the Middle East. At a distance, he saw a patch of land abundant with date nuts olives and a fountain-a mysterious oasis in the middle of the dessert. In his desperation to save his life from hunger and thirst, he walked towards the place. However, he was horrified with what he saw when he came closer. The land was destroyed before his very eyes. At the same time, he heard screams of anguish and death from the place. The man woke up from his nightmare- but could not shake the image out of his memory. It is once said that visionaries were born in dreams, and dreams are born out of visions. But so many dreams are deferred by the sudden awakening, in which awakened to visualize the bareness of facts and trace from the threshold of dreams. In today’s world, many have told about fragilities of society and frailties in life. Would there be enough reasons to find an answer in a society that has been divided by conflicts and the dogma of deceit? Could there be enough rationality to justify conflict of ideas being worsened by war? These questions may be meaningless but in a sense explains the obsessions of a dreaming man. This paper will discuss the typical American dream—of what can be done to visualize orderliness and reach out a dreamed legacy for the Middle East. Partnership for Reform Would qualifying the partnership for reform mean apolitical to the socio-religious-political life of the Middle Eastern people? Could apolitical be defined as maintaining the neutrality to the societal condition and cultural beliefs? How partnership for reform be then achieved without prejudice? The partnership for reform may be determined by recognizing and exposing a public interest—the interest where people enjoy the way of life; a life without fear and misery but peace, harmony and prosperity—that is not vindicated by the plagues of war. At a glimpse of the dailies between the consciousness, the partnership for reform is a day of celebration for the American families for the homecoming of their loved ones serving the Armed Forces; as the US Congress called the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, and as the President held its intrastate policies to foster diplomatic ties in the interstate political-religious affairs in the Middle East. What future can bring by this development may recoil to the governmental reform on fostering diplomatic ties. The Middle East governments has opened its cultural exchange as the rest of the Arab states [to include Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, Palestine and Lebanon] paved its way to a unified democratic processes, and the leaders of these Arab states convened to political and economic planning that resembles with the creation of the European Union. Reflective of the partnership for reform is the unification of the Arab States that brought about subsequent political change. First, when the Islamic fundamentalism was supplanted with a neo-Islamism that isolates the Islamist paganism in Iraq and Afghanistan, in which many members of the Al-Qaeda has renewed their Muslim faith and intensely abhorred the doctrine of Bin Laden who is now in exile somewhere in Africa. Second, the leaders of the Arab States vowed to bring justice to the people of the world by eliminating and disarming themselves with weapons of mass destructions, and prosecute the individuals and government personalities that conspire and condone terrorism. The US-Middle East partnership for reform is jointly envisioned by the people and governments to reach out legacy of peace and world order. One of the first 100-day plans is the institutionalization of welfare and services to revitalize the rehabilitation process on the effects of war. This â€Å"healing of wound† of the war is likewise appealing to the member countries of the United Nations to spur the reform in Middle East by supporting the creation of livelihood projects for displaced families and generate employment opportunities by restructuring the economic base. The program of â€Å"re-education for all† is being established in order to improve the level of literacy and social awareness of people who once denied with the right to education as brought about by war. On the other hand, the democratic processes are being renewed by holding an Islamic Convention that will study the promulgation of Constitutional Assemblies in Islamic States. The constitutional assembly thus far takes into effect the modification and reforming of political-religious rights of Middle Eastern people to restore its cultural heritage and obliterate the stigma of jihad (holy war) with its Judeo-Christian brethren. It is then the partnership for reform harnesses the well-being of the people and rekindles its Islamic faith for the life of the world. Thus, the partnership for reform may be a dreamed legacy in 2012. Conclusion The dream for Middle East may not only be a mock article but everybody’s dream specifically by the progressive minds of the Middle Eastern people, and likewise the typical American dream. It may be said that the plagues of war in the Middle East has its in-depth origin from the socio-religious-political-economic perspective. But what is much been said about is the macabre tales of economic interest patterned by deceit and political overpowering. What

Impacts on Quality of Life Among School Children

Impacts on Quality of Life Among School Children PAVITRA A/P INDRAJOTHY INTRODUCTION It is the truth to say that children are our future and if that is true, more time and energy should be put into the beginning stages of each childs life. The early years of a child’s life are the most important in terms of their general well being, their emotional and social development, and their physical, intellectual and emotional growth. Children develop at different paces and a very high proportion of what they learn takes place in the first five to seven years of life. What happens in the home is extremely important to development in early childhood. There are things that can and should be done to help each child live a life that is productive and beneficial to those that they will interact with in their future. There are many aspects in todays world that make the quality of life of school children better and meaningful. For instance of aspects that can affect quality of life are obesity, bullying, lifestyle, emotional problems, divorce, socio cultural home environment, child abuse, oral health and back pain. First and foremost, there are reports saying that obese children demonstrate more negative self-perceptions, decreased self-worth, increased behavioural problems, lower self-esteem and lower body esteem and perceived cognitive ability. However, because of methodological limitations, definitions of obesity that differ with current recommendations and with non-validated measurements of health related quality of life, it is difficult to generalize the conclusions of these studies (Friedlander et al., 2003). According to research done by Nathan Woon in year 1981, Peninsular Malaysia is a multi-racial country of 12 million people, 41% of whom are less than 14 years of age (Vital Statistics Peninsular Malaysia 1975-Department of Statistics, Malaysia). The population consists of three main ethnic groups: the Malays (53%), the Chinese (35%) and the Indians (11%) (Vital Statistics, Peninsular Malaysia, 1975). Whilst in recent years, there has been an increasing tendency for the various ethnic groups to intermingle and to respect and understand the various cultures and traditions that coexist within the country, in the specific area of child rearing, as with marriages, deep-rooted traditions and customs continue to remain a crucial factor and probably contribute, to some extent, to the pattern and incidence of child abuse in the various races. Bullying has been conceptualized globally as acting in any way that threatens or hurts someone less powerful. Furthermore, bullying also can be distinguished among the different way in which aggressive acts are performed. There are different types of bullying which is physical, verbal, or indirect bullying. Furthermore, distinctions among aggressor’s possible aims can also be made. For instance, bullying physically to hurt the victim or for damage the victim’s relationship with others (Rigby, 2003). Next, parental separation is usually the first major and drastic change in a child’s life. This distressing event drastically alters the family’s future, bringing to a sense of loss due to interference in daily routines as well as absence of daily contact with both parents (Eymann et al., 2009). Lastly, obesity, dental caries and periodontal diseases are among major public health concerns which may affect children’s growth and development. Sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits could lead to poor oral hygiene statuses and increase the tendency to develop periodontitis and obesity at young ages (Anand et al., 2014). DISCUSSION OBESITY Worldwide estimates of childhood obesity are as high as 43 million, and rates continue to increase each year. Childhood obesity is a growing problem in the present era and it causes serious consequences in the later years (Anand et al., 2014). According to Friedlander et al., childhood obesity is a major public health problem with increasing prevalence; approximately 30% of US school-aged children are defined as overweight or at risk for overweight. Anand and Friedlander states that overweight children are more likely to suffer from a range of chronic health problem such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, sleep apnoea and asthma. They also concluded that children who are overweight are more likely to become overweight adults. There was a study conducted by Friedlander et al. among 371 students aged 8-10 years old excluding those who had sleep apnoea or who were born prematurely. Based on BMI categories of the study, 17.5% of the children were overweight, 12.4% were at risk for overweight, 8.1% were underweight, and 62.0% were of normal weight. Moreover, children who are overweight have a 2 to 4 times increased odds of having low scores for physiological health, self-esteem, and physical functioning. Similarly, children who are at risk for being overweight have higher odds of having low physical functioning scores. Furthermore, lower self-esteem also was observed in children who are underweight. Children with higher BMIs are more likely than normal weight children to be perceived by their parents as having feelings of anxiety and depression, of exhibiting aggressive or immature behaviour, as having role limitations in their schoolwork and social activities, and as having low self-esteem. And, their parents also report higher levels of emotional distress and little personal time because of their children’s health or behaviour (Friedlander et al., 2003). As a suggestion, if the child or teenager is overweight, further weight gain can be prevented. Parents can help their children in maintaining their weights in the healthy range. In infancy, breastfeeding and delaying introduction of solid foods may help in preventing obesity. In early childhood, children should be given healthy, low-fat snacks and they should be allowed to take part in moderate-vigorous physical activity every day. Older children can be taught to select healthy, nutritious foods and to develop good exercise habits (Anand et al., 2014). BULLYING Bullying invariably involve an imbalance of power in which the aggressor is more powerful than the victim. Moreover, bullying occurs when there is conflict between people of unequally power (Rigby, 2003). As identified by Rigby in year 2003, four categories of negative health conditions are low psychological well-being, poor social adjustment, psychological distress and physical unwellness. Low psychological well-being includes states of mind that are generally considered unpleasant but not acutely distressing, such as general unhappiness, low self-esteem, and feelings of anger and sadness. Next, poor social adjustment normally includes feeling of loathing toward one’s social environment, evident through expressed dislike for workplace or school, manifest loneliness, segregation and absenteeism. Moreover, psychological distress is considered more serious than the low psychological well-being and poor social adjustment categories and comprises high levels of depression, anxiety and suicidal thinking. Last but not least, physical unwellness can determine by precise signs of physical disorder, evident in medically diagnosed illness. Furthermore, psychosomatic symptoms also can be incorporated in this category. Various strategies or treatment should be considered and give a thought to reduce the chances of a child’s further severe involvement in bullying that can worsen the child’s condition. The approach include helping victimized children to evolve self-protective assertiveness skills and working therapeutically with bullying children to create a greater awareness of the repercussion of their antisocial behaviour (Rigby, 2003). LIFESTYLE Television is still the most widely-viewed screen worldwide. Globally, people are spending more time sitting at work and at home, and there’s mounting evidence that this â€Å"sit time† is a major contributor to the obesity epidemic. Sedentary activities not only TV watching, but also working at desk jobs, using computers, playing video games and driving cars. Increasingly, there’s evidence that watching TV and, especially, watching junk food ads on TV promotes obesity by changing mainly as to what and how much people eat (Anand et al., 2014). Too much television viewing among children has been linked with inadequate study patterns. Inappropriate television-viewing has been linked to erratic sleep/wake schedules and poor sleep quality, violent or aggressive behaviour, substance use, sexual activity resulting in decreased school performance or even school drop-out (Karande Kulkarni, 2005). EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS Conditions which cause emotional problems in children such as chronic neglect, sexual abuse, parents getting divorced or losing a sibling might cause long term distress resulting in academic underachievement. Besides that, children can face severe emotional upheavals during the treatment of chronic health impairments such as asthma, cancer, cerebral palsy, congenital heart disease, diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, hemophilia, rheumatic diseases, or thallasemia, resulting in low self-esteem and loss of motivation to study (Karande Kulkarni, 2005). As recommended by Karande Kulkarni in year 2005, children with emotional problems need counselling sessions with a child psychologist or a child psychiatrist. Depending on the severity, at times, appropriate medications (anxiolytics, antidepressants) may be needed. DIVORCE As emphasizes by Eymann et al. in year 2009, divorce is becoming increasingly common in our society, seriously affecting all parties involved, especially children. There were studies conducted in USA and in Europe and roughly calculated that 30 to 50% of children will suffer the effect from a divorce, almost same rates have been reported in Argentina. Eymann et al. conducted a study at the Hospital Italiano, Argentina. A total of 330 families were invited to take part and only 313 completed the questionnaire; 160 from married family and 153 from divorced family. They defined divorced family (DF) as parents who choose to stay at separate residence regardless of legal marital status while married family (MF) as parents who choose to share residence with their children regardless of legal marital status. The aim of this study was to evaluate psychological quality of life among school aged children of divorced parents by using Child Health Questionnaire – Parent Form 50 (CHQ-PF 50). The results showed that CHQ-PF 50 scores were higher in children of MF than in those of DF for various domains, such as self-esteem, time impact on family, mental health, behaviour, social-emotional functioning and behaviour, and lastly the psychosocial summary score joining all these factors. As proved in the results, boys had poorer psychosocial quality of life than girls. This was explained perhaps by the effects of less daily father-child connection on gender-specific identity traits. Furthermore, it is well known that separated mothers who have legal child custody usually suffer a greater slope in their standard of living. Norton Glick and Duncan et al. have clearly proved the unfavourable economic repercussion of divorce on child well-being. In this study, maternal remarriage didn’t appear to influence quality of life of child. Maternal remarriage could impact children who must readapt to new family basis and dynamics. However, a new partner perhaps could provide additional financial support since parental separation usually involves a fall in family income. Moreover, the new couple may construct an improved marital relationship, hence could minimize the distressing emotional burden on children and making the stepfather as a positive and ideal role model (Eymann et al., 2009). Lastly, in this study, separation by mutual agreement because of higher maternal education or maternal university education level and longer the length of time passed since separation has inclined psychosocial quality of life scores, while scores declined in boys and for each one-year increment of maternal age. Eymann et al. proves that higher maternal educational level could give positive impact on psychosocial quality of life, which may be explained as a consequence of the skills build through education years, allowing better and organized control of the marital problems and crisis and greater agreement on conflict issues (Eymann et al., 2009). CHILD ABUSE A prospective study was made of all cases of child abuse seen at the University Hospital, between July 1978 and June 1980. A total of 19 cases, 16 of physical and 3 of sexual abuse were diagnosed during this period. The relatively high (32%) incidence of child abuse amongst Malay families was quite surprised, as Malay children are generally much loved and pampered. Nathan and Woon suspect that the increasing incidence of child abuse amongst the Malays is probably related to their urban migration in recent years with the resultant breakdown of the extended family system and the need to cope with the pressures of life in an unfamiliar urban setting (Nathan Woon, 1981). The commonest injuries found on admission were bruises and injuries to the face and scalp. The majority of the abusers in our series were parents, the ratio of father to mother being. Both social and personal factors in the life of the abuser seem to contribute to the act of child abuse. Marital disharmony appears to feature prominently amongst the interpersonal problems, while two abusers gave a history of having been abused physically during their early childhood (Nathan Woon, 1981). SOCIOCULTURAL HOME ENVIRONMENT It has been recognized that children from poor socioeconomic status families have higher chances of poor school performance. Malnutrition due to poverty coupled with low education and status of parents adversely affect their cognitive development. Such children also have higher chances of experiencing, right from their pre-school years, parental attitudes which do not motivate them to study and an unsatisfactory home environment which does not encourage learning (witnessing domestic violence, family stressors, and adverse life events). Alleviation of hunger, by providing one balanced meal in school is one of the mechanisms to improve academic achievement in undernourished low-income elementary school children (Karande Kulkarni, 2005). Besides that, many of these disadvantaged children are studying in English medium schools as their parents believe that this would help them progress in life. These children face the added burden of language barrier, namely, they are not conversant in English as they came from non-English speaking families, which leads to poor school performance or even school failure. Parents of children with language barrier should be counselled to educate their children in their own language medium schools or to attend a facility for language stimulation if that is available and affordable (Karande Kulkarni, 2005). ORAL HEALTH In the research carried out by Anand et al. in year 2014, they noticed that poor oral hygiene statuses in children who spent more time watching television, playing video games, as their consumption of soft drinks and fast foods was more and due to lack of adequate exercise. BACK PAIN Musculoskeletal pain is exceedingly common in young adults. A questionnaire survey was carried out by Brattberg in year 1994 among children 8, 11, 13 and 17 years old. The prevalence of back pain and headaches among 1,245 Swedish school children was studied. 29% of the students reported back pain and 48% headache. In all age groups studied, both back pain and headaches were more common among girls than boys. Girls also reported more frequent symptoms than boys (Brattberg, 1994). CONCLUSION Children who are at risk for or who are overweight having odds 2 to 4 times greater for lower health related quality of life scores for physiological health, self esteem and physical functioning. Parents of children who are overweight also were more likely to evidence higher levels of emotional distress because of their children’s health. Being relatively underweight also was associated with lower self-esteem (Friedlander et al., 2003). Ken Rigby in year 2003 concluded that being victimized by peers is notably related to relatively low levels of psychological well-being and social adjustment and lastly to high levels of psychological distress and unfavourable physical health symptoms. Eymann et al. in year 2009 concluded that children’s psychosocial quality of life was affected by divorce. Psychosocial quality of life improved when parents had divorced by mutual agreement, the mother had a university education, when more time had elapsed since separation and was poorer in boys and in children of older mothers. And, quality of life can be improved as more time elapses after the divorce, this is because may be it can be interpreted as a process of accepting the family modification. And lastly, poor oral hygiene was observed in children who spent more time in leisure activities and that lifestyle factors could make an impact on oral hygiene and periodontal health. A need exists for addressing obesity, oral health and nutrition, jointly in health promotion strategies, to improve well-being of children and also to empower good life-style factors (Anand et al., 2014).