Tobacco Use - 1025 Words

Materials and Instrument Instrument The instrument for this study will contain ten guiding questions to help focus on research question: In what way does S/R protect against tobacco use. The researcher will construct the questions in line with the SLT’s proposed pathways of learning as discussed in Miller (2011). The first five questions will be based on SLT’s proposed pathways: observational learning, vicarious learning, social cognitive process, self-efficacy, and agency. These questions will be reviewed by my research Chair, and afterwards by experts in the field of TU. However, the questions will be to help concept saturation and coding rather than dictate/restrict the content, flow or order of interview. The first question will be a†¦show more content†¦After data collection, database will be created to store, and retrieve the interview transcript (Carson, et al., 2001; NCU, n.d, IRB). Also, a locked safe will be prepared to store the hardware materials used in the study (Carson, et al., 2001; NCU, n.d, IRB). Finally, there will be the interview protocol, the summary of the process of interview (Carson, et al., 2001; NCU, n.d, IRB). Study Procedure Before the commencement of this study, the researcher will seek the approval of Northcentral University’s Institutional Review Board to conduct the study. After the approval, sampling process will begin. Quota non-probability purposive sampling technique (Trochim et al., 2016) will be used for this study. The purposive sampling is more appropriate for the qualitative case study than random sampling (Carson et al., 2001). Researcher will recruit participants who have experienced the social phenomenon she will investigate, the negative influence of S/R on tobacco. Personalization will be employed in recruiting participants. Fan and Yan (2010) suggested personalization during research procedure could double the rate of response. Puckett et al. (2015) used mail, telephone and web based methods for their survey on tobacco smoking, and recorded less than 50% response rate. I will contact the leadership of a protestant/evangelical church for permission to interview five of the memb ers for the study. I will also personally contact some prospective participants whomShow MoreRelatedEffects of Tobacco Use1283 Words   |  5 PagesTobacco use harms everything. Numerous factors of tobacco use play into the destruction of a human health and body. Sadly, 19 percent of all adults in the United States use tobacco on a daily basis. Countless numbers of people currently in use of tobacco products attempt to quit their use of tobacco, but many fall short of their goal due to the addictive nicotine within cigarettes. This nonstop use of tobacco has been the result of more than 440,000 deaths per year of smokers with an estimated 49Read MoreThe Epidemic Of Tobacco Use Essay1273 Words   |  6 Pages Introduction: Worldwide, tobacco-use continues to be one of the leading causes of preventable death and has been estimated to kill more than five million people annually1. Lately, the epidemic of tobacco-use has shifted from developed to developing countries2. It is estimated that by 2030 almost 10 million people will die from tobacco-use per year, with 70% of these deaths occurring in developing countries. India accounts for one-sixth of the tobacco-related illnesses worldwide and is estimatedRead MoreUse of Tobacco Products at the University798 Words   |  4 PagesEvery year around half million people die from smoking tobacco or exposure to secondhand smoke (CDC). Tobacco use is an epidemic that cannot be stopped right away; however, many countries in the world are aware of this problem and have created new regulations that will prevent and reduce the number of smokers, hopefully in time. New polices have been implemented in schools, universities, indoor and outdoor places. Now, smoke-free or tobacco- free laws are posted in almost all colleges around theRead MoreOvercoming the Challenge of Tobacco Use2896 Words   |  12 PagesIntroduction Today one of our biggest challenges as public health professionals is tobacco use which is a leading cause of deaths that be prevented with public health campaign intervention programs. According to the American Lung Association (2010), 6.4 million current child smokers will die a premature death from a smoking-related disease. The campaign is working to give teenagers information on understanding the health risks associated with smoking and long-term health risk when they become adultsRead MoreThe Use of Tobacco Related Products936 Words   |  4 PagesThe use of tobacco related products has over time become a global world epidemic. Day in and out, people die from tobacco related causes. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), currently 12% of all deaths among adults aged 30 years and over were attributed to tobacco. Again in 2004, about 5 million adults aged 30 years and over died from tobacco related to direct tobacco use (smoking and smokeless) around the globe, th at is one death approximately every six seconds. Tobacco causes manyRead MoreHealth Promotion : Tobacco Use1698 Words   |  7 PagesHealth Promotion: Tobacco Use Smoking tobacco and tobacco related illnesses has become the leading cause of preventable illness and premature death in the United States and around the world (Goldenberg, Danovitch, IsHak, 2014). This directed my decision on choosing tobacco use as a topic from the Healthy People 2020 list for this promoting health assignment. In order to support my promotion and inform the reader on this subject matter I have selected an article to analyze: â€Å"Quality of Life andRead MoreHow Tobacco Use Teaching Methods1280 Words   |  6 PagesTobacco Use Teaching Methods Introduction Choosing the correct teaching method is important to help the learner retain and learn information in an effective and efficient way. Tobacco use is a health related topic that needs further education and intervention from a nurse. Group discussion and demonstration, and return demonstration are two teaching methods of interest to me, which I believe will be beneficial to use when educating a small group of five people about this health-related topicRead MoreSocial Context and Tobacco use1239 Words   |  5 Pageslives, including the usage and non-usage of tobacco (Poland et al, 2006). An individual’s social context includes the following: race, gender, resources, education, income, neighborhood, employment, occupation and many more aspects of their environment (Hints). Tobacco use and social context go hand and hand as one affects the other since there is high relevance between the two (Poland et al, 2006). In order to see the broader dilemma of tobacco use, society mus t incorporate and examine the largerRead MoreBanning The Advertising Of Tobacco Use906 Words   |  4 Pagesthe positives and negatives related to countries banning the advertising of tobacco use, the complexities of the argument, finished with my own perspective. This is a highly argumentative debate that countries of the free world have argued for several decades. I’ll start by explaining the dangers of smoking tobacco. According to the Center of Disease Control (CDC) in the United States of America, tobacco use contributes cancers of and not limited to: mouth, esophagus, throat, and lungsRead MoreTobacco Use And Smoking Related Illness1659 Words   |  7 PagesMore than 480,000 people smoke every day and over 16 million people suffer from smoking related illnesses. For every dead smoker, at least thirty people live with a smoking related illness. Worldwide, tobacco use causes nearly six million deaths per year, and current trends show that tobacco use will cause more than eight million deaths annually by the year 2030. On average, smokers dies ten years earlier than nonsmokers and if smoking continue at the current rate among U.S. youth, 5.6 million of

Leadership And Management Skills Portfolio Free Essays

string(114) " it was difficult for consensus to be achieved among the group members on the goals and performance expectations\." Introduction This reflective work focuses on assessing my personal weaknesses in different areas. It starts by a self –assessment of my personal development needs.The next section looks at the difficulties I experienced on various issues. We will write a custom essay sample on Leadership And Management Skills Portfolio or any similar topic only for you Order Now Finally, the action plans for self-development in the various areas are suggested. Portfolio Section 1 Planning and personal management skills Using a paper exercise, I assessed my planning and personal management skills to determine areas of development. Concerning planning, I scored 13, which is a relatively low score. This indicates an area for development because my score was less than 24, which was the score I had to attain to show that I did not further development. I knew this was a weakness and a concern for me prior to starting my postgraduate studies while working full time. On the time management dimension, I scored 15 and this demonstrated a need for further development. I should have a score of above 24 to demonstrate that this area did not require further development. The issue of time management was a concern for me because of starting my postgraduate studies and working full time. I have had challenges in the past characterized by attempting to do too much at work and not managing my time effectively. The low scores on both planning and time management reveal that I have challenges with task prioritization. An action plan for self-development in these areas is presented later under task prioritization. Learning style Honey and Mumford designed a Learning Styles Questionnaire that is used in assessing the learning styles of individuals, and these are categorised into activists, theorists, pragmatists, and reflectors (Jarvis, 2005). When I completed this questionnaire, the results showed that I have a strong preference for the activist learning style and a moderate preference for the pragmatist learning style. As an activist, I enjoy novel experiences, I am active and depend on intuitive decision making and I have an aversion to structure (Jarvis, 2005). I learn best from learning activities that provide new problems and experiences, role playing and working together with others in group tasks and opportunities for dealing with challenging tasks. In addition, I prefer tasks with high visibility including presentations, leading discussions, and chairing meetings.However, I learn less when I have to listen to lectures, think, write or read on my own, or absorb and understand a lot of data. Further more, my learning is impaired when I have to follow precise instructions without any form of flexibility. As a pragmatist, I prefer risk-taking, group work and application and testing of concepts (Jarvis, 2005). I learn best when there is a clear association between the learning topic and actual issues in life. Learning activities should be structured around demonstrating techniques for accomplishing tasks with clear, realistic advantages. Furthermore, I prefer to be provided with opportunities for trying out and practicing techniques with feedback or coaching from a reliable expert. Similarly, I need examples or models that I can emulate, and I should be taught techniques that are presently applicable to my work context. I also prefer being offered with opportunities for immediately applying any new knowledge that I have learnt. As a pragmatist, l learn less when the learning activities are not associated with an immediate need, lack clear guidelines, and when there are obstacles to implementation of acquired knowledge. Such obstacles can be personal, managerial, organisational or poli tical in nature. These learning styles have an important influence on the learning activities undertaken in the action plan for developing different skills as demonstrated later. Assessment of how I work In a paper exercise, I assessed the way I work and the results revealed that I procrastinate when faced with tasks that I do not really like, I spend a lot of time attempting to perfect things, and I am unable to find things and notes whenever I require them. This is an indication that I have poor prioritization skills, and this will be addressed through an action plan on task prioritization that is explained later. Personality index I assessed my personality index using an online exercise, and the results demonstrated that I possess various traits. First, I demonstrate low assertiveness as I do not need to be in constant control, and I have a higher orientation toward teamwork than tasks. Second, I am an extreme extrovert because I need to discuss issues in detail with other people. Third, I am extremely impatient as I find it challenging to concentrate on repetitive tasks, and I have a high sense of urgency. Finally, I am highly detailed because I want to acquire knowledge and become an expert. These traits of my personality affect how learning activities will be structured in the action plan to improve learning. Portfolio Section 2 Group leadership In the first week of my course work, I was leader of my group. I did not know my fellow colleagues very well as we had just started on the course. Therefore, stepping up and being a leader of people I did not know was tough considering that I am not a manager or leader at work. I had to lead the group in the preparation of a group presentation on a case study of someone else’s leadership skills and present with them. I needed to take control and set the direction for the team more rapidly, and a lot of time was wasted as I did not know what was expected of me as a leader. For instance, a group or team leader is required to set the goal of the group and establish performance expectations (Morgeson, DeRue Karam, 2010). This was a challenging undertaking as I decided to choose an informal approach to this activity where the group members actively facilitated the process of setting goals and determining how the members would be held responsible in relation to the performance expe ctations. This approach resulted in wastage of time because it was difficult for consensus to be achieved among the group members on the goals and performance expectations. You read "Leadership And Management Skills Portfolio" in category "Essay examples" Similarly, I had challenges in structuring and planning the group in terms of developing a shared understanding among the group members on the best approach for coordinating action and working together to achieve the established goals (Morgeson et al., 2010). I faced difficulties in determining how the activities would be performed, the individual’s responsible for specific tasks, and when the group activities would be done. On the issue of when the group activities would be performed, it was challenging to achieve consensus because the group members had conflicting schedules that interfered with choosing an appropriate time for the group meeting to determine the progress of the tasks. Although I faced various challenges during the initial process of forming group, I eventually embodied the role of the group leader. However, I did not always allow everyone to have input. It is suggested that soliciting and using continuing feedback from the group members is vital for achievin g the group objectives (Morgeson et al., 2010). By failing to allow the group members to offer their input into the group presentation, I ended up not including their diverse and useful perspectives on the group activity. Coaching session I acted as a coach on how to reactively write. There are specific skills required of coaches including social competence, emotional competence, listening, questioning, framing and contributing (Maltbia, Marsick Ghosh, 2014). Social competence is associated with establishing relationships with individuals being coached by increasing a supportive and a safe environment that is characterized by freedom in expression thoughts, mutual respect, and trusted partnership (Goleman, 2006). However, I lacked in this competency as I did not allow the individuals I was coaching to freely express their opinions on reactive writing. Rather than encouraging engagement with my peers, I monopolized the coaching process. Emotional competence is associated with having self-awareness of one’s emotions and those of other people to ensure that the coaching relationship is experienced as productive, flexible, and open (Maltbia et al., 2014). I had a difficult time managing my own emotions when coachi ng others as I got angry whenever any person I was coaching did not understand what I was communicating to him or her. Furthermore, I did not recognize the effects of my actions on the emotions of the people I was coaching. For instance, some of the people I was coaching were visibly frustrated during the coaching process but I did not take time to address these issues. Listening involves understanding the meaning of what the person under coaching is saying with regard to achieving desired outcomes (Maltbia et al., 2014). When I started the coaching session, I did not ask the person I was coaching the specific outcomes they desired from this activity. It is suggested that a hierarchy should not exist in the relationship between the coach and the people being coached (O’Broin Palmer, 2009). By failing to include the objectives of the people being coached into this relationship, their agenda failed to take precedence in the coaching process. As a coaching skill, questioning entails inquiry for revealing the information necessary with the highest benefit to the client (Maltbia et al., 2014). I was lacking in this competence as I rarely asked the person I was coaching questions related to the coaching process. I took on the role of an active coach and required the people I was coaching to assume a passive role in this process.Framing is characterized by expanding the world views of the people being coached through an examination of whether learning is rooted in experience (Maltbia et al., 2014). This skill requires the coach to establish whether the coaching process has had a positive effect on learning in terms of addressing the initial challenge or problem that influenced this activity to be undertaken. During the coaching sessions, I did not frame the coaching process to establish if the people I was coaching had benefited from this activity. Finally, contributing entails effective communication during the coaching sess ion as a mechanism for achieving balance between the support and challenge required for facilitating growth and learning (Maltbia et al., 2014). As initially mentioned, I monopolized conversations, and this prevented the people I was coaching from effectively contributing to the coaching process. Moreover, I failed to offer adequate challenges to promote learning in relation to reactive writing. Role playing as a manager in an appraisal Performance appraisal is an important process as it is utilised in assessing recent performance and addressing future opportunities and objectives (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, 2014).). When conducting a performance appraisal, employees have to be provided with sufficient notice of the expected performance standards and timely and regular feedback about their performance (Heslin VandeWalle, 2011). During my role play as a manager in an appraisal, I did not offer timely and regular feedback on individual performance toward the achievement of expected performance standards. It is also suggested that employees should have an input in the appraisal process and be provided with opportunities for challenging it if they view it as being unfair (Heslin VandeWalle, 2011). Conversely, during the appraisal, I did not allow the individuals with opportunities for presenting their views and opinions in relation to assessment of their performance. In this regard, I failed t o consider the voice of these individuals that would have provided a deeper understanding of the performance achieved. Acting as a consultant I took up the role of as a consultant in a team of two individuals to pitch to a client our ideas for their people strategy of their new business. According to the Institute of Management Consultants (2014), consultants need competencies to deliver consulting services. Some of these competencies are balanced judgment, awareness of the organisational context and external environment, and listening (de Caluwe Reitsma, 2010). Balanced judgment entails a comparison of potential courses of action and evaluating available information and using relevant criteria, which leads to realistic decisions (de Caluwe Reitsma, 2010). In the role of consultants, my colleague and I only focused on a single course of action for the organisation in relation to the people strategy for the new business. Consequently, when the clients asked us any alternative courses of actions that might be undertaken, we were unable to provide satisfactory responses because we were unprepared. Furthermore, external envi ronment awareness is related to being adequately informed about issues in the business environment that have influences on strategies and utilising such knowledge for the benefit of the organisation (de Caluwe Reitsma, 2010). In our case, we considered legal, economic and technological factors that affect an organisation’s people strategy. However, we failed to consider trends influencing human resources in the organisation and political issues. Thus, the clients were dissatisfied as the people strategy we developed did not take into consideration all the factors in the business environment that have impacts on the organisation’s human resources management strategy. Listening skills are important in management consultancy as they provide the client with the space for expressing their opinions, focusing on their reactions, responding suitably and posing further questions (de Caluwe Reitsma, 2010). Regarding this, my colleague and I did not focus on the clients’ reactions. We were focused on pitching our strategy and thus we were unable to capture nonverbal signals that would have communicated to us whether the clients were in agreement with the arguments we had made in the people strategy that the organisation had to adopt. Regarding organisational context, management consultants are expected to understand how an organisation operates and considering these issues when developing an action (de Caluwe Reitsma, 2010). We strived to develop a people strategy that reflected the organisation’s current practices related to management of human resources. However, the information related to this issue was not easily available. Therefore, w e ended up pitching a people strategy that we considered as non-existing in the organisation. We later discovered that some aspects of the people strategy were already present in the organisation, which means that we had not provided a more effective solution to the clients. Task prioritisation I had two finance classes but missed the first one but then I attended the second class. It was only after attending the second class that I realised that I should have attended the first one. The content covered in the second class was only a continuation of the issues addressed in the first class. Therefore, by failing to attend the first class, I missed out on the necessary context for understanding the topics covered in the second class. This negatively interfered with my learning. Upon reflection, I learned that I did not attend the first class because I did not prioritise the things that I had to do. I have to deal with conflicting demands of working full time and pursuing my postgraduate education (Armstrong, 2012). In this regard, I missed the first finance class because I was attending a meeting at work where I was presenting an important report to senior management. Negotiating as a Client My colleague and I assumed the role of a client negotiating with a software vendor on delivery times and price. As clients, we argued and debated with the software vendor on the relevant issues. For instance, there was prolonged argument and debate on the delivery times because we were considering small insignificant factors on this issue. The outcome was that the arguments related to the main issue of delivery times were largely neglected. Indeed, it is suggested that it is important to have awareness of any insignificant arguments that might derail the negotiation process (Pinet Sander, 2013). In our case, we concentrated on being right rather than winning the arguments associated with the price and delivery times. The negotiation process deviated from the agenda established prior to the meeting with the software vendor. Consequently, a lot of time was wasted on these arguments and compromises were achieved after a protracted process. Portfolio Section 3 This section presents an action plan for developing my postgraduate, management and leadership skills further. The action plan covers skills required for group leadership, management consultant, appraisal manager, coaching, negotiation, and task prioritization as presented below. Action plan for group leadership skills Objective To improve my skills in leading and managing groups in completion, of course, related tasks Tasks Read and brainstorm with my peers on available literature including books, reputable online articles and journal articles about team leadership. I will focus on literature that looks at leadership functions on the different phases of teams namely the transition and action stages. The transition stage is a time when a group or team focuses on activities associated with the team’s structures, planning tasks, and assessing the performance of the team in terms of the whether the team has the ability of achieving its objectives (Marks, Mathieu Zaccaro, 2001). The specific leadership skills that I will learn about for this phase include defining the mission of the team, goals, and performance standards, structuring responsibilities and roles in the team, and promoting feedback processes (Morgeson et al., 2010). The action stage is where the team or group members are focused on tasks that directly contribute to goal achievement (Marks et al., 2001). In this phase, I will learn relev ant leadership skills including creating a positive climate in the group, encouraging autonomous actions by members, resource acquisition for the group, problem solving, involvement in the group’s work, and monitoring the group(Morgeson et al., 2010). Discuss with managers and leaders in my workplace about effective approaches for leading and managing groups or teams Evaluation After acquisition of the necessary leadership skills, I will apply to future group assignments in my course work. I will evaluate the acquired group leadership skills by asking my peers to rate my performance as a leader. I will design a checklist where the group members will provide their responses about my overall leadership skills and areas that require improvement. Review date The reading of literature, applying the relevant knowledge to actual practice, and evaluating leadership skills will be reviewed on a regular basis whenever there is a group assignment. Action plan for coaching skills Objective To become a very effective coach Tasks Read books, journal articles, and online publications on the coaching process and the required skills and competencies for this activity followed by a brainstorming exercise with my colleagues. Participate in training in coaching provided by my organisations to equip with necessary skills. Ask a senior manager in my workplace to act as my coach to enable me to understand this process from a practical perspective and model it. Evaluation The knowledge acquired from literature, training, and on-the-practice will be utilised in coaching my peers in coursework on different topics. The performance data that will be collected to establish the level of my effectiveness as a coach will be obtained from interviewing the individual that I will be coaching. Review date Ongoing throughout my course work. Action plan for management consultant skills Objective To enhance my skills as a management consultant Tasks Read available literature on management consultancy and look at case studies on the process of management consultation. After reading alone, I will brainstorm these issues with my study group. Discuss with management consultants within and outside my organisation to learn the criteria for success. Evaluation Evaluation will be based on establishing the extent to which the client is able to achieve desired outcomes in relation to the consultation services I will offer them. This will be achieved by using a questionnaire to ask the clients whether I demonstrate the skills of a management consultant. Review date Ongoing based on management consultancy projects. Action plan for managerial skills in appraisals Objective To improve my skills in conducting performance appraisals Tasks Read widely and brainstorm on skills for performance appraisals. Role playing with my peers on posing the right questions to the individual under appraisal. Discuss with senior managers in my workplace about successfully performing performance appraisals. Evaluation The assessment of my skills in this area will be based on determining to which I successfully complete a performance appraisal. This will involve asking individuals involved in the appraisal process to rate my performance using a checklist. Review date This activity will be completed on a monthly basis. Action plan for negotiation skills Objective To improve my negotiation skills as a client Tasks Reading widely and brainstorming with colleagues on negotiation skills for clients to understand negotiation skills, negotiation phases, and sources of conflict in negotiation process. Engage in role play to assist in clarification of responsibilities and roles in working in a negotiating team. Evaluation Evaluation will involve collecting evidence indicating whether I applied competencies and skills required in negotiating as a client. This will be achieved by interviewing the other parties to the negotiation process to determine the level of my skills in negotiating as a client. Review date This will be completed by February 2015. Action plan for task prioritization Objective To enhance my skills in prioritizing both work and education tasks. Tasks Listing all the tasks that I have to perform on a daily basis in my work and college and categorising them based on their impacts on my work and educational pursuits. Using a personal calendar to plan my tasks. Using a checklist to determine completion of tasks on daily basis. Evaluation Performance in task prioritisation will be evaluated by assessing the extent to which I complete all the tasks required in my workplace and at college. Review date This activity will be completed on a daily basis. Conclusion This reflective work has identified areas that require further development in improving my managerial and leadership skills. Based on this reflective work, it is evident that I lack skills in different areas including leadership, task prioritization, effective coaching, managerial skills in performance appraisal and management consultancy. Therefore, these skills have to be improved to ensure that I am effective as manager and leader. Therefore, action plans for improving the different skills have been presented. It is expected that implementation of the action plans will equip with skills that are applicable to my workplace and educational setting. References Armstrong, M. (2012) Armstrong’s handbook of management and leadership: developing effective people skills for better leadership and management. PA: Kogan Page. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (2014). Performance appraisal. [Online]Available from: http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/factsheets/performance-appraisal.aspx (Accessed: 15 Dec. 14). De Caluwe, L., Reitsma, E. (2010) `Competencies of management consultants: a research study of senior management consultants’, In Buono, A., Jamieson, D (Eds), Consultation for organisational change, pp. 15-40. NC: Information age publishing. Goleman, D. (2006) Social Intelligence: the new science of human relationship. NY: Banam books. Heslin, P., Vandewalle, D. (2011) `Performance appraisal procedural justice: the role of a manager’s implicit person theory’. Journal of Management, vol.37, no.6, pp.1694-1718. Institute of Management Consultants (2014) The management consultancy competency framework. [Online] Available from: http://www.imcusa.org/?page=CONSULTINGCOMPETENCY (Accessed: 15 Dec. 14). Jarvis, M. (2005) The psychology of effective learning and teaching. UK: Nelson Thornes Ltd. Maltbia, T., Marsick, V., Ghosh, R. (2014) `Executive and organisational coaching: a review of insights drawn from literature for inform HRD practices’. Advances in Developing Human Resources, vol.16, no.2, pp.161-83. Marks, C., Mathieu, J., Zaccaro, S. (2001) `A temporally based framework and taxonomy of team processes’, Academy of Management Review, vol.26, pp. 356-76. Morgeson, F., DeRue, S., Karam, E. (2010) `Leadership in teams: a functional approach to understanding leadership structures and processes’. Journal of Management, vol.36, no.1, pp.5-39. O’Broin, A., Palmer, S. (2009) `Co-creating an optimal coaching alliance: a cognitive behavioural coaching perspective’. International Coaching Psychology Review, vol.4, no.2, pp.184-94. Pinet, A., Sander, P. (2013) The only negotiation book you’ll ever need. Littlefield Street, MA: Adams Media. How to cite Leadership And Management Skills Portfolio, Essay examples

Development of Oil and Gas Industry UK

Question: Describe about the Development of Oil and Gas Industry for UK. Answer: Introduction In this particular assignment, critical analysis as well as the possible implication of the Oil and Gas retail industry of the United Kingdom is briefly discussed. The effects of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) are also mentioned in this assignment in a cohesive manner (Opec.org, 2016). It is necessary to mention that, as per the standard rules as well as legislations of OPEC, 14 countries are able to export the oil and gas in the context global exportation. OPEC is mainly responsible for managing and maintaining the demand and supply as well as the prices of the oil and petroleum products in the global market. On the other hand, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is the standard organization who is responsible for helping the government of the nations along with the relevant policies (Oecd.org, 2016). In this assignment, the effect of the economic growth on the refining industries is also included for enhancing the study. Moreover, PESTEL Analysis as well as SWOT Analysis is also included in this assignment for analyzing the environmental situation of the oil and gas retail industry of United Kingdom. Additionally, the responsibilities of the OPEC as well as non-OPEC are briefly discussed in this particular assignment. Overview of the Oil and Gas Retail Industry of United Kingdom (UK) The oil and gas retail industry of United Kingdom is one of the most highly business organization that handle all t he relevant deals for supplying oil and gas in all over United Kingdom (UK). It is necessary to mention that, as commented by (Griffin and Teece, 2016), UK Oil and Gas industry already had invested more than 15 billion pound in producing oil and gas for improving the production rate from the last year. Figure 1: UK Oil and Gas Industry revenues (Source: Yusuf et al., 2013, pp-512) As it is identified from the above chart the fluctuations of the revenues, which are considered in the past years are decreasing in amount. Apart from that, the below mentioned graphical representation is able to provide information regarding the import and export of crude oil in context of the oil and gas of United Kingdom (UK). Figure 2: Crude Oil price import/export of UK (Source: Naifar and Al Dohaiman, 2013, pp-431) Environmental Analysis of the Oil and Gas Retail Industry of United Kingdom (UK) It is observed that the number of petrol fueling stations has decreased from the 37500 to 9000 in 40 years (from 1970 to 2011). That is almost 75% of the stations have closed in this time period. According to Saadet al., (2014), if the number of the closures of fueling stations are considered then it can said that the number or the rate of the closure has been decreased in the last 5 years. Mainly the independent and private, and company owned fuel stations are closed in this time. Whereas the petrol fueling stations that are owned by the hypermarkets are growing and are selling higher volume of the fuels and making higher rate of profit. The difference between the businesses is clearly visible by their market shares. As stated by Ulusoy et al., (2012), the hypermarkets have the market share of 39% in the total sold fuel volumes and the dealer or company owned fueling stations. It has been identified that same trend is continuing on the company or privately owned fueling station that may increase the revenue. The reason behind this will be the capital constraints, competition, and business at a single site. Therefore, the pressure may cause further closures of the private fueling stations. The closure in the privately owned fueling station results in reduction of onsite storage capacity. More over it also causes reduction in number of available station in the reasonable driving time and the fragmentation of the supply chain. Warren (2014) stated that the demand of fuel in UK is mainly driven by the higher demand rate fuel from transport sector; therefore the total demand has increased from 61% to 70% due to the demand from this sector. In the total demand the road transport consumes the majority of the total petroleum products. In the last few decades the demand a well as the price of the petroleum products has increased significantly. The price of the petroleum products is almost doubled in the last two decades in UK. The increase in the price depends on two factors, the price of the crude oil and the refining cost of the crude oil. Therefore it can be said that the closure of the refineries of crude oil will promote the price hike of the petroleum product in UK. PESTEL Analysis The autonomy related to the energy is a goal with the highest priority for each nation which wants to be free from a political shakedown or blackmailing. Different nations or international organizations like OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries), which has more than 42.8% of world oil production, controls the business and distribution of petroleum products. Other significant producers of oil and of other related products are, Countries of European Union, China, United States of America, Russia, Canada and Brazil. As stated by Ahmad, et al. (2016), the countries of Middle East are the highest producers of the crude oil, and then the each and every political conflict or instability can disturb the production and transport of the crude oil. All this reasons can cause hike in the prices of the crude oil that is imported by UK. Economic factors The different economic factors like the influences of supply and demand on the oil price, economic stability or the situations at global and regional stage, the international currency exchange rate, and price per barrel of crude oil. In UK the 10 % of the total oil demand is utilized by the petrochemical industry. Other industries like the iron, steel, mining, auto vehicle; animal husbandry utilizes the remaining part of the total imported oil. Social- Most of the social culture around the world considers the oil industry as a necessity for welfare and the development of the country or the society. But there are some social cultures too that considers the oil industry as the reason for the pollution of environment. These types of societies are located in the developed countries that do not need any high rate of development. As a developed country the UK has also the social culture that thinks that, the oil and gas industry is the source of the pollution in the environment. Technological factors- Technologies that impact the oil industry from outside can also impact whole oil industry of UK. These technologies are utilized for the development of related or substitutable items. The substitutable items can impact the importance of oil by reducing the consumption of the oil and gas products. Environment factors- For the oil and gas industry the environmental factors are the geographical position, rock structure, climate and etc. of the mines. This is important for the oil companies since this can affect the production of the oil and consequently the revenue of the company. Legal factors- The legal factors are the laws, local authorities, and different international law related communities. This can affect the expiration, exploitation and the refining prcess of the crude oil. SWOT Analysis According to Yap and Nixon, (2015), SWOT analysis of the Oil and refinery industry can show the aspect of future references for the industry Strengths Downstream operations of the energy chains that are integrated in nature Presence of high capability engineering structure for production Weaknesses Non renewable nature of the oil and refinery by products Volatile market situations that adversely affect the operations and profit Opportunities Discovery of suitable technology for achieving the greater and efficient operating profile Establishing hydrocracker for improving the diesel of the refinery and yielding jet fuels Threats Increasing capital costs and losses in the refining sectors Environmental and Legal issues that decreases the revenue generation Role of Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) According to Loutia et al. (2016), OPEC is the major oil and petroleum price and supply determining factor of the world. It has a significant role in shaping and altering the industries structure for oil refineries. The principle motive of the organization is to maintain a price for the oil, petrol and the different byproducts of it to an optimum level. The OPEC is responsible for the flexible price of the petrol and oils. It provides and insight of the vision of OPEC for marinating the stable situations of the refining market. However, Ghassan and AlHajhoj, (2016), have pointed out that the actions of the OPEC would go in vain and the market of the oil and refinery would not be stable in future. The global prices of the oil and its products have been stubbornly being in fluctuating position due to the lack of improvement of the oil industry. It has resulted in the rise of the prices of the products and improper supply lack of the oil. Limited supply of the oil and distorted oil expo rtation. OPEC would play a vital role in forming a stable situation in the future market of the oil and petrol. The organization is unable to meet the market demand of the oil and petrol in the near future. Role of the non Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Nations The non OECD countries manage the oil consumption in the countries of second world and they alter and manage the oil consumption. According to Artuc, et al. (2015), economic growth of the non OECD nations have a consolidate effect on the oil prices and consumption of the world. The profitability of the economy of these non-OECD countries is responsible for the amount of the import and export of the oil and petrol from the countries. The increase in the usage of the oil shows that the economic conditions are favorable for increasing the consumption of the resources. Ceccobelli et al. (2012) described that the fact by pointing out the relation of the growth of economic conditions and the consumption of the oil from the world. The prices of the oil in the present scenario and the expected price are influenced by the demand of the oil. The organization has form alliance with the oil supplying companies for meeting the growing need of the power resource in the economic sector. On the other hand (Wang, et al.2014), have confronted the population growth of those companies for the increasing demand of the economic development. The economic development has caused the increased demand for the oil and power supply. Effects of Climate Changing Policy on the Oil and Gas Retail Industry of United Kingdom (UK) In todays world the climate change is a burning issue and is discussed in all over the world. This policy is about the impact on the climate of the whole world due to the carbon emission by the use of the oil and gas. This impact helped in the shaping different problems for the climate like the creation of ozone hole in the ozone layer. Loutia et al. (2016) have pointed out that this impact forces different kind of restrictions on the oil refining industry. Therefore this policy acts as the blockage in the development of the oil and gas refining industry of UK. Therefore it is advised to develop the policy while promoting the utilization of the oil and gas. Changes due to the Fossil Reserves in context of the Oil and Gas Retail Industry of United Kingdom (UK) According to Artuc, et al. (2015), the reserves are the resources of oil and gas which has been converted into the permanent storage by using the latest technology and economic strength. But as the resources are limited therefore it is impossible to increase the capacity of the reserves. The reserves can be constructed by drilling and freckling the oil resources. These reserves are helpful for the growth of the oil and gas industry in UK. Conclusion The influence of the OPEC, non-OECD countries and the climate change policy are the factors that have huge impact in the oil and gas refinery industry of UK. The OPEC is the primary reason which affects the prices of crude oil and gas in the whole world. As it is shown in the discussions above the increased control of OPEC on the exploration of mines, extraction of crude oil leads to the hike of price of petroleum and petroleum products. Moreover, the emission of CO2 by the utilization of the oil to produce power also affected the growth of oil and gas industry. Therefore it is advised to use the substitutable petroleum product to maintain the growth of the oil and gas industries. Reference List Ahmad, W.N.K.W., Rezaei, J., de Brito, M.P. and Tavasszy, L.A.(2016). The influence of external factors on supply chain sustainability goals of the oil and gas industry.Resources Policy,49, pp.302-314. Artuc, E., Docquier, F., zden, . and Parsons, C.(2015). A global assessment of human capital mobility: the role of non-OECD destinations.World Development,65, pp.6-26. Ceccobelli, M., Gitto, S. and Mancuso, P.(2012). ICT capital and labour productivity growth: A non-parametric analysis of 14 OECD countries.Telecommunications Policy,36(4), pp.282-292. Ghassan, H.B. and AlHajhoj, H.R.(2016). Long run dynamic volatilities between OPEC and non-OPEC crude oil prices.Applied Energy,169, pp.384-394. Griffin, J.M. and Teece, D.J.(2016).OPEC behaviour and world oil prices. Routledge. Loutia, A., Mellios, C. and Andriosopoulos, K. (2016). Do OPEC announcements influence oil prices?.Energy Policy,90, pp.262-272. Naifar, N. and Al Dohaiman, M.S. (2013). Nonlinear analysis among crude oil prices, stock markets' return and macroeconomic variables.International Review of Economics Finance,27, pp.416-431. Oecd.org (2016).OECD.org-OECD.[online]Available at: https://www.oecd.org/ [Accessed 15 Jul. 2016]. Opec.org (2016).OPEC:Home. [online] Available at: https://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/ [Accessed 15 Jul. 2016]. Saad, S., Mohamed Udin, Z. and Hasnan, N.(2014). Dynamic Supply Chain Capabilities: A Case Study in Oil and Gas Industry.International Journal of Supply Chain Management,3(2). Ulusoy, T., Keskin, M., Shirvani, A., Deviren, B., Kantar, E. and Dnmez, C..(2012). Complexity of major UK companies between 2006 and 2010: Hierarchical structure method approach.Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications,391(21), pp.5121-5131. Wang, W., Cheng, W., Duan, J., Gong, J., Hu, B. and Angeli, P.(2014). Effect of dispersed holdup on drop size distribution in oilwater dispersions: Experimental observations and population balance modeling.Chemical Engineering Science,105, pp.22-31. Warren, P.(2014). A review of demand-side management policy in the UK.Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews,29, pp.941-951. Yap, H.Y. and Nixon, J.D. (2015). A multi-criteria analysis of options for energy recovery from municipal solid waste in India and the UK.Waste Management,46, pp.265-277. Yusuf, Y.Y., Gunasekaran, A., Musa, A., El-Berishy, N.M., Abubakar, T. and Ambursa, H.M.(2013). The UK oil and gas supply chains: An empirical analysis of adoption of sustainable measures and performance outcomes.International Journal of Production Economics,146(2), pp.501-514.

The Functionality of Google as a Corporation in China

The Google Corporation has been enjoying extreme benefits for many years in China, owing to the Country’s large population and popularity. This Google case study has seen many human right activists crying out because of the foul play by the government, which had set up regulations that would limit the functionality of Google as a corporation in China.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on The Functionality of Google as a Corporation in China specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The government of China wanted all the companies, which deal with Information transfer to abide by the set rules without deviating. The main reason for the government’s cyber space control was that Google threatened to pull out its services from China. Google claimed that the Chinese government launched the cyber attacks in order to preview emails of the human rights activists with the purpose of ensuring its safety and enforcing more security. The main aim of the Chinese government was to filter out some internet content posted by Google, for maintaining strong possession of power and ensure that there were no threats from the outside world. This was a way of ensuring secrecy to the state policies. Google was the main target although the cyber space control affected other corporations like Yahoo and Adobe. When Google launched its search engine in 2006, it agreed to abide by the Chinese government’s terms and conditions to censor â€Å"Google.cn†. By doing so, Google facilitated the increase of the cyber space attack by allowing the rule that supports agonizing of human rights by the government. Google clients in China claimed that the corporation overturned its policy of â€Å"Don’t be Evil†, when it went to China and agreed on a censorship in 2006. Most of Google clients in China were stressful since Google prepared to leave china in protest of the attacks, while it initially a greed to initiate itself on the Censorship without involving the client. Initially Google was not concern about violation of clients’ rights by the government because of its business-establishment goals, but eventually after the attack, the situation affects the users. Google executives Larry Page and Sergey Bin had a difficult decision to make, whether to leave China or change their terms with the Chinese government, a process that would have seen them being fined. By breaking the contract bearing the terms of service that leads to internal security risks, the matter would then require legal solutions. The necessary rampage would include breaking Chinas network supply that monitors and limits information. This was the only right action as a fight for human rights of expressions. On the other hand, Google’s rival, Baidu, was spying on their progress for their hypocritical financial success. Market research companies reported that Google failed to capture the global mar ket with an estimate of 15-30 percent of the users compared to Baidu’s 70 percent.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Google aimed at stabilizing itself with a long-term strategy that would see them gain back their clients’ trust and have a higher market penetration after their revenue loss in China. Google would therefore still have a chance of coming back to the Chinese market and strategize their policies, which will make its clients feel appreciated (U.S. Department of State, 1). The best thing would be to use a strategy that would help Google avoid similar scenarios as what led to their doom in China. They should ensure that they follow up their policies, rules and regulations to avoid conflicts with other states when marketing their products and services globally. Google should make sure that other countries which do business with China, like US are not following in the steps for a new cyber space attack. Work Cited U.S. Department of State, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, â€Å"Background Note: China,† 2010. Web. https://www.state.gov/u-s-relations-with-china/ This assessment on The Functionality of Google as a Corporation in China was written and submitted by user Aniya Dudley to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Soul Surfer Essays

Soul Surfer Essays Soul Surfer Essay Soul Surfer Essay Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board by Bethany Hamilton. Bethany Hamilton was born into a family of avid surfers. She has felt a unique and passionate love  for the sport of surfing ever since she first got on board when she was a toddler. Bethany had always dreamed of becoming a professional surfer since she first started competing when she was only seven years old. She had everything going for her, wonderful friends, a great sponsor, and a loving and supportive family behind her. Then one day, something tragic happened. It was Halloween morning in 2003. Bethany was surfing with her best friend Alana and the waves werent very big. As Bethany lay on her board, soaking up the beautiful Hawaiian sun, she let her arm dangle in the water. All of a sudden she felt a tug and before she knew it, the water around her was red and a shark had her arm. Bethany and the people close to her were afraid that her surfing career was over. Soul Surfer is an autobiography about Bethany Hamilton. In the book, you get to read about Bethanys life before, during, and after her tragic attack. It is a story of bravery, faith, and love that a thirteen-year- old girl experienced when her life was changed forever. I think Bethany told her story extremely well in this book, and it really made me feel close to her. Bethany writes about her true love for surfing and he struggle to become the best she could be. Soul Surfer is a book that will catch your attention from the very first page. It makes you realize that you should never give up. Bethany is now one of the top surfers competing, and she only has one arm. She still has her friends, sponsor, and of course her family and she has let nothing stop her. I think that Soul Surfer is a truly wonderful and exciting story, and I would recommend it to any of my friends. Although this book is a good choice for anybody, I think that girls about 12-16 would enjoy Soul Surfer the most. Bethanys story has really helped many people open their eyes and see what you can accomplish when you try hard. I think this is an excellent book and if you want to read a book that is inspiring but not sappy, Soul Surfer could just be the book for you. One thing I love is that she talks about her faith throughout the book, but I found it to be totally non-judgmental or preachy. She just explained why it was so important to her, and stressed that she wouldn’t push her faith on anyone else, that it’s a personal decision. You’ve gotta respect a teenager who is willing to do that! I don’t really have too much to say about this book except I thought it was a pretty inspiring read. She seems like a really cool kid (who’s now 21, so not a kid anymore! ) with a great head on her shoulders and a great heart. I would be really interested to read a book she wrote now, now that it’s been eight years since the attack happened. It would be really intriguing to see how her perspective has or hasn’t changed since she was 13 years old (I can only imagine it would be even more positive! ). That was one complaint I read from others online, that the book wasn’t in-depth enough, and while I can understand the fact that they wanted more, not every story like this one needs to be that deep. Besides, she was 14 or 15 when she wrote it.

Finding Scholarly Journal Articles for Research

Finding Scholarly Journal Articles for Research Your professor may tell you that you’re required to use journal articles for your research paper. You read articles all the time in magazines- but you know that’s not the sort of article your professor is looking for. Scholarly articles are reports written by professional people who specialize in specific fields, like Caribbean history, British literature, underwater archaeology, and educational psychology. These reports are often published in hardbound periodical journals, which look much like encyclopedias. You’ll find a section of your library dedicated to journal collections. How to Find a Journal Article There is a difference between finding articles that exist and actually putting your hands on an article that you discover through a search. First, you find articles that exist. Then you figure out how to get access to them. You can find articles that exist by using a search engine. Through a search, you will find names and descriptions of articles out there in the world of academia. There will be special search engines loaded onto your library’s computers that generate article lists, based on your search criteria. If you are at home, you can use Google Scholar to search. To use Google Scholar, enter your topic and the word â€Å"journal† in the search box. (You enter the word journal to avoid getting books.) Example: Enter â€Å"squid beaks† and â€Å"journal† in the Google Scholar box and you will generate a list of journal articles that have something to do with squid beaks from: International Journal of ZoologyJournal of Field Ornithology Antarctic ScienceCanadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic ScienceMarine Mammal Science Once you have identified articles with a search, you may or may not be able to access the actual text online. If you are in a library, you will have better luck at this: you’ll be able to access articles that you can’t access at home because libraries have special access that individuals don’t. To make your life easier, ask a reference librarian for help getting to a full-text journal article online. Once you access the article online, print it out and take it home with you. Make sure you note enough information to cite the article. Finding Articles on the Shelves If the article is not available online, you may find that is published in a bound journal that is located on the shelves of your library (your library will have a list of journals it holds). When this happens, you simply find the right volume on the shelf and go to the correct page. Most researchers like to photocopy the entire article, but you might be happy just taking notes. Be sure to record page numbers and other information you’ll need for citations. Accessing Articles via Interlibrary Loans Your library may hold a number of bound journals, but no library contains every journal published. Libraries buy subscriptions to articles that they think their visitors will be most interested in finding. The good news is that you can request a printed copy of any article through a process called the interlibrary loan. If you discover an article that exists only in printed form, but it’s not in your own library, you’re still OK. A library official will help you by contacting another library and ordering a copy. This process takes a week or so, but it is a lifesaver!

Recovery of economic loss in negligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Recovery of economic loss in negligence - Essay Example ity to make use of the defective products. It is â€Å"habitually awarded in personal injury case ,e.g. for future loss of earnings. It has also been awarded in commercial cases , but there is no clear principle to determine when such losses are recoverable and when it is not.† 5 Pure economic loss, which is negligently caused to a party to a contract by acts or omission of a defendant, cannot give rise to any good cause of action.6 Economic loss in this sense is not recoverable under negligence or strict liability in tort. The claimant suffered only financial injury. Recovery of pure economic loss in negligence is a complex and difficult area of law. ... This principle is based on the necessity to limit the potentially unlimited liability, which can theoretically flow from negligence; otherwise, permitting recovery purely of economic nature will paralyze the judicial system and the society in general. 8 It was anchored on the belief that a single event may lead to any number of claims, which are so uncertain and so indeterminate it would make it intricate and very expensive for people to insure against this claim. The courts have categorized pure economic loss into 4. These are negligent statements, negligent performance of services, relational economic losses, and economic losses caused by defective products or buildings. Negligent statement involves reliance on representation and comments that were negligently given. Negligent Performance refers to failure to take responsible care to execute gratuitous service undertaken. Relational economic loss is a claim based on the injury of one person that may easily impair the financial posi tion of the other. And lastly, Economic losses caused by defective product or building is a claim founded on the belief that a duty of care in torts arises between the builder and the subsequent user.9 QUESTION #2 In the case of Hedley Byrne v Heller [1963] the accountant was adjudged negligent in giving statement which statement was relied upon by Hedley in granting additional order of advertisement to the client Easipower that soon become bankrupt. The Court held the accountant liable for the pure economic loss incurred by Hedley although there was no contractual relationship arising from the negligent statement. It has ruled that a negligent although honest misrepresentation, may give rise to an action for damages for financial loss even if there was no contract between

Service Management Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Service Management Paper - Essay Example The aspect of services marketing involves greater challenge considering the intangible nature of the offering. Efficient service management includes not only handling the regular aspects of the product mix but to also effectively manage the aspects of People, Process and Physical Evidence that are the most critical aspects of service marketing (Jack, 2005, p.177). In order to remain sustainable and profitable in the market it is very essential to create a distinction in these aspects in order to emerge as a formidable player in the market. Business organizations are spending huge amounts of monetary as well as human resources to analyse the gaps in the service delivery and consequently formulate a service mix that seeks to create a favourable distinctive image of the brand in the minds of the target market audience (Ellwood, 2002, p.44-45). The present study would analyse the crucial service marketing aspects of process, people and resource allocation in case of Virgin Trains so as t o have a batter and practical understanding of the importance of these aspects in ensuring profitability and long term sustainability in a service oriented organization in the turbulent and competitive business environment. Service Process Process is a very important part of the service delivery mechanism for any business organization. It signifies the actual manner and the entire back end operations that are in place right from a sales call to the final closure of a deal. Virgin Trains is one of the most popular rail companies in UK offering customers with a service of train travel from one destination to another across UK. The company in association and collaboration with players like Alstom and Bombardier provides excellent rail travel options to link various places across UK in a fast and convenient manner. Led by the legendary Richard Branson, the UK based group draws its competitive edge owning to its excellent service delivery mechanism that offers customers with a volley of services with high quality in the delivery (Virgin Rail Group, n.d.). The service delivery process at Alstom is highly innovative and backed by superior technology that gives fast, reliable and convenient support to the consumers. Innovations in technological aspects include presence of a bi directional mechanism for signalling that enables trains to move in either direction using a single tract without chances of collision. In addition to this the service process also involves use of a Public Performance Measure that is a tool that helps keep control over the timings of the train. This tool helps keep an efficiency level on the arrival time and delay of the trains ensuring that customers arrive at their destination on time. Other technological aspects include presence of a block based joint that helps generate additional safety in the running of trains. The company in 2008 also introduced the Virgin High frequency communication device system that helps in improving the communicatio ns part of the company with regards to transfer of information in a fast and accurate method. The company also has created ease for customers by having an online portal that helps customers to book their tickets from the web directly. Customers have flexible and multiple payment options that help

Factors Affecting Child Development Essay Example for Free

Factors Affecting Child Development Essay What is prenatal care? Prenatal care is the health care you get while you are pregnant. Take care of yourself and your baby by: †¢Getting early prenatal care. If you know youre pregnant, or think you might be, call your doctor to schedule a visit. †¢Getting regular prenatal care. Your doctor will schedule you for many checkups over the course of your pregnancy. Dont miss any — they are all important. †¢Following your doctors advice. Return to top Why do I need prenatal care? Return to top I am thinking about getting pregnant. How can I take care of myself? You should start taking care of yourself before you start trying to get pregnant. This is called preconception health. It means knowing how health conditions and risk factors could affect you or your unborn baby if you become pregnant. For example, some foods, habits, and medicines can harm your baby — even before he or she is conceived. Some health problems also can affect pregnancy. Talk to your doctor before pregnancy to learn what you can do to prepare your body. Women should prepare for pregnancy before becoming sexually active. Ideally, women should give themselves at least 3 months to prepare before getting pregnant. The five most important things you can do before becoming pregnant are: 1.Take 400 to 800 micrograms (400 to 800 mcg or 0.4 to 0.8 mg) of folic acid every day for at least 3 months before getting pregnant to lower your risk of some birth defects of the brain and spine. You can get folic acid from some foods. But its hard to get all the folic acid you need from foods alone. Taking a vitamin with folic acid is the best and easiest way to be sure youre getting enough. 2.Stop smoking and drinking alcohol. Ask your doctor for help. 3.If you have a medical condition, be sure it is under control. Some conditions include asthma, diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, obesity, thyroid disease, or epilepsy. Be sure your vaccinations are up to date. 4.Talk to your doctor about any over-the-counter and prescription medicines you are using. These include dietary or herbal supplements. Some medicines are not safe during pregnancy. At the same time, stopping medicines you need also can be harmful. 5.Avoid contact with toxic substances or materials at work and at home that could be harmful. Stay away from chemicals and cat or rodent feces. Return to top Im pregnant. What should I do — or not do — to take care of myself and my unborn baby? Follow these dos and don’ts to take care of yourself and the precious life growing inside you: Health care dos and don’ts †¢Get early and regular prenatal care. Whether this is your first pregnancy or third, health care is extremely important. Your doctor will check to make sure you and the baby are healthy at each visit. If there are any problems, early action will help you and the baby. †¢Take a multivitamin or prenatal vitamin with 400 to 800 micrograms (400 to 800 mcg or 0.4 to 0.8 mg) of folic acid every day. Folic acid is most important in the early stages of pregnancy, but you should continue taking folic acid throughout pregnancy. †¢Ask your doctor before stopping any medicines or starting any new medicines. Some medicines are not safe during pregnancy. Keep in mind that even over-the-counter medicines and herbal products may cause side effects or other problems. But not using medicines you need could also be harmful. †¢Avoid x-rays. If you must have dental work or diagnostic tests, tell your dentist or doctor that you are pregnant so that extra care can be taken. †¢Get a flu shot. Pregnant women can get very sick from the flu and may need hospital care. Food dos and don’ts †¢Eat a variety of healthy foods. Choose fruits, vegetables, whole grains, calcium-rich foods, and foods low in saturated fat. Also, make sure to drink plenty of fluids, especially water. †¢Get all the nutrients you need each day, including iron. Getting enough iron prevents you from getting anemia, which is linked to preterm birth and low birth weight. Eating a variety of healthy foods will help you get the nutrients your baby needs. But ask your doctor if you need to take a daily prenatal vitamin or iron supplement to be sure you are getting enough. †¢Protect yourself and your baby from food-borne illnesses, including toxoplasmosis (TOK-soh-plaz-MOH-suhss) and listeria (lih-STEER-ee-uh). Wash fruits and vegetables before eating. Don’t eat uncooked or undercooked meats or fish. Always handle, clean, cook, eat, and store foods properly. †¢Don’t eat fish with lots of mercury, including swordfish, king mackerel, shark, and tilefish. Lifestyle dos and don’ts †¢Gain a healthy amount of weight. Your doctor can tell you how much weight gain you should aim for during pregnancy. †¢Don’t smoke, drink alcohol, or use drugs. These can cause long-term harm or death to your baby. Ask your doctor for help quitting. †¢Unless your doctor tells you not to, try to get at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week. It’s best to spread out your workouts throughout the week. If you worked out regularly before pregnancy, you can keep up your activity level as long as your health doesn’t change and you talk to your doctor about your activity level throughout your pregnancy. Learn more about how to have a fit pregnancy. †¢Don’t take very hot baths or use hot tubs or saunas. †¢Get plenty of sleep and find ways to control stress. †¢Get informed. Read books, watch videos, go to a childbirth class, and talk with moms you know. †¢Ask your doctor about childbirth education classes for you and your partner. Classes can help you prepare for the birth of your baby. Environmental dos and don’ts †¢Stay away from chemicals like insecticides, solvents (like some cleaners or paint thinners), lead, mercury, and paint (including paint fumes). Not all products have pregnancy warnings on their labels. If youre unsure if a product is safe, ask your doctor before using it. Talk to your doctor if you are worried that chemicals used in your workplace might be harmful. †¢If you have a cat, ask your doctor about toxoplasmosis. This infection is caused by a parasite sometimes found in cat feces. If not treated toxoplasmosis can cause birth defects. You can lower your risk of by avoiding cat litter and wearing gloves when gardening. †¢Avoid contact with rodents, including pet rodents, and with their urine, droppings, or nesting material. Rodents can carry a virus that can be harmful or even deadly to your unborn baby. †¢Take steps to avoid illness, such as washing hands frequently. †¢Stay away from secondhand smoke. Check out our more detailed tips on Pregnancy dos and donts (PDF, 176 KB). Return to top I dont want to get pregnant right now. But should I still take folic acid every day? Yes! Birth defects of the brain and spine happen in the very early stages of pregnancy, often before a woman knows she is pregnant. By the time she finds out she is pregnant, it might be too late to prevent those birth defects. Also, half of all pregnancies in the United States are not planned. For these reasons, all women who are able to get pregnant need 400 to 800 mcg of folic acid every day. [Return to Top] How often should I see my doctor during pregnancy? Your doctor will give you a schedule of all the doctors visits you should have while pregnant. Most experts suggest you see your doctor: †¢About once each month for weeks 4 through 28 †¢Twice a month for weeks 28 through 36 †¢Weekly for weeks 36 to birth If you are older than 35 or your pregnancy is high risk, youll probably see your doctor more often. [Return to Top] What happens during prenatal visits? During the first prenatal visit, you can expect your doctor to: †¢Ask about your health history including diseases, operations, or prior pregnancies †¢Ask about your familys health history †¢Do a complete physical exam, including a pelvic exam and Pap test †¢Take your blood and urine for lab work †¢Check your blood pressure, height, and weight †¢Calculate your due date †¢Answer your questions At the first visit, you should ask questions and discuss any issues related to your pregnancy. Find out all you can about how to stay healthy. Later prenatal visits will probably be shorter. Your doctor will check on your health and make sure the baby is growing as expected. Most prenatal visits will include: †¢Checking your blood pressure †¢Measuring your weight gain †¢Measuring your abdomen to check your baby’s growth (once you begin to show) †¢Checking the babys heart rate While youre pregnant, you also will have some routine tests. Some tests are suggested for all women, such as blood work to check for anemia, your blood type, HIV, and other factors. Other tests might be offered based on your age, personal or family health history, your ethnic background, or the results of routine tests you have had. Visit the pregnancy section of our website for more details on prenatal care and tests. Return to top I am in my late 30s and I want to get pregnant. Should I do anything special? As you age, you have an increasing chance of having a baby born with a birth defect. Yet most women in their late 30s and early 40s have healthy babies. See your doctor regularly before you even start trying to get pregnant. She will be able to help you prepare your body for pregnancy. She will also be able to tell you about how age can affect pregnancy. During your pregnancy, seeing your doctor regularly is very important. Because of your age, your doctor will probably suggest some extra tests to check on your babys health. More and more women are waiting until they are in their 30s and 40s to have children. While many women of this age have no problems getting pregnant, fertility does decline with age. Women over 40 who dont get pregnant after six months of trying should see their doctors for a fertility evaluation. Experts define infertility as the inability to become pregnant after trying for one year. If a woman keeps having miscarriages, it’s also called infertility. If you think you or your partner may be infertile, talk to your doctor. Doctors are able to help many infertile couples go on to have healthy babies. Return to top Where can I go to get free or reduced-cost prenatal care? Women in every state can get help to pay for medical care during their pregnancies. This prenatal care can help you have a healthy baby. Every state in the United States has a program to help. Programs give medical care, information, advice, and other services important for a healthy pregnancy. To find out about the program in your state: †¢Call 800-311-BABY (800-311-2229). This toll-free telephone number will connect you to the Health Department in your area code. †¢For information in Spanish, call 800-504-7081. †¢Contact your local Health Department.

Sensing Project :: Papers

Sensing Project Project brief A new greenhouse is being developed for gardeners who are concerned about overheating plants in their current greenhouses. The new greenhouse has been built with opening windows but occasionally the windows of the greenhouse slips fully open and allow all of the trapped heat in the greenhouse to escape quickly. This is a major concern for serious gardeners. The test is to develop a sensing circuit that will sense whether the windows are fully open, so a gardener can be alerted of the problem. Introduction ============ To begin we must know what a sensor is. A sensor is an electrical component, which produces a signal in response to alteration in its surroundings, this maybe an alteration in a physical variable or by movement of objects. The sensor planned for the sensing circuit ensuring the windows are not fully open is a rotary potentiometer. A rotary potentiometer is a component, which has three terminals. When the angle of rotation is changed on the component's arm then the potential difference (often called voltage) is also changed. Once the voltage reaches a specific point a separate circuit could activate an alarm showing that the window has slipped and is fully opened. The potential difference is the difference between potential energy between two separate points. Alternatively a different sensing circuit could be used. A circuit with a thermistor (a component sensing change in temperature) could be used. In normal situations when the window would be fully closed the temperature in the greenhouse would be high so the output voltage from this circuit would be low. However if the windows were to slip open fully then the temperature inside the greenhouse would decrease so the output voltage would increase. The circuit could be linked to an alarm of some type so as when the voltage increases past a certain point when the window is fully open, the alarm rings alerting the gardener to shut the windows again. A circuit containing a LDR (light dependant resistor) could also be

How Did Geography Affect Where Colonists Settled

Beginning in 1607, when ambitious English colonists settled in Jamestown, and continuing until the last of the thirteen colonies was established; geography was a substantial factor in the development of colonial America. The crops that essentially saved the colonists lives, such as tobacco, rice, and indigo, wouldn’t have grown without a certain type and amount of soil to grow properly. Also, the Appalachian Mountains and the dense forests provided a barrier for the colonists, preventing them from going too far west right away, and causing the colonies to form in the arrangement they did.Finally, the population was the most dense in middle colonies, such as New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania partly because of the mild landscape and fertile soil. Early in the 1600’s, John Rolfe and his wife Pocahontas discovered tobacco. It was soon heavily sought after in Europe, and quickly became a cash crop for Virginia. After establishing the tobacco industry in Virgin ia, many of the other colonies soon followed suit. Unfortunately, tobacco quickly drains the nutrients of the soil that it is planted on.Without the plentiful and fertile soil that these settlers were using, it would have been very difficult for the colonists to survive much longer. Tobacco wasn’t the only crop that the colonists discovered early on, however. In South Carolina, many rice and indigo plantations began to emerge. In order for rice to grow, it needs to be planted in a swamp, or some other sort of low-watered area. The swamps of South Carolina were a perfect place to grow rice, and was considered a rich man’s crop because of the labor it took to harvest and grow it.Without certain soil and growing conditions, it would have been very difficult for the colonists to sustain themselves in the early years of America. The natural landscape of what is now known as the United States also was a big part of how the original thirteen colonies developed. The Appalachia n Mountains stretch from Maine all the way to Georgia. This mountain range prevented the first colonists from going too far west. This, in turn, made it so that the population were more dense, and there was a higher concentration of people. The dense forests of the eastern seaboard disallowed for large cities to be created right away.This geological factor forced colonists to spread out within the perimeters of the Appalachian Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, without being too close together. Both of these factors could be overlooked easily enough, but did have a reasonable impact of the development of colonial America. Finally, the geography of the middle colonies, such as New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania played a big role on the development and population of this area. In the sixteen and seventeen hundreds, the above colonies were the most populated of the thirteen establishments.There was plentiful and fertile soil, in which tobacco was heavily grown. The Susqueh anna River also flowed through this region, opening the possibility of fur trade. Other minor rivers that were found in the middle colonies were gentle, which provided for easy transportation and fishing. The land in the middle colonies was broad and expansive, making it easy for even the middle class residents to create an enjoyable and profitable lifestyle. In conclusion, there were many factors that contributed to the development of the colonial America, but geography was clearly a sizable influence.If the geography of America wasn’t the way it was, the colonists who settled here may have not survived as well as they did. By the time the tobacco industry was established, and small cities began to rise, American came to realize that not only were they surviving, but they were thriving. This realization had to do with more than the fact that they had separated themselves according to religion, or put aside the issue of the Native Americans. There is no question that the lay of the land had a substantial impact on the development of not only colonial, but also current America.

The Mayas and the Incas.

The Mayas and the Incas are two Indian civilizations that inhabited South America and left a significant mark on the culture and history of these places. They both have legends that link their arrival to immigration from the East; however it is more likely that the immigration occurred from the north. Though these two cultures had some similarities one of these was not language as they had several differences in their native tongues. However, regardless of the differences legends have claimed a community of origin between these two civilizations, in the remote past.The Inca civilization has a reign of less than 200 years in comparison to the Maya civilization and has its base in the area that is now Peru. They flourished in the highlands of the Andes and their reign is estimated as being from AD 1438 – 1534. They also extended into the areas that are now Ecuador and Chile. There are links that show that this civilization was derived from a warlike tribe that moved into the val ley at Cuzco. Their reign was estimated to span from the Maule River to the Quito.In contrast, the Maya civilization emerged in BC 1000 and lasted more than a thousand years in the Yucatan area of Mexico into Guatemala, Belize and Honduras. They were responsible for the creation of many cities in their time such as Tikal and Uxual. They also had a wide span however their system of governance varied greatly and there was no emperor but rather several powerful heads in each city. There was also no capital as each city ruled itself.In terms of religious practices both civilizations practiced sacrificing of animals and at times of humans as well.   They also both worshipped several Gods. The Incas believed in a creator and many sky gods. They called gold the â€Å"sweat of the sun† and viewed it as precious only in materials used for ceremonial items. They focused on rituals that they believed led to healing and increasing harvest. In a trait similar to the Mayas, in times of c alamity they believed in the sacrifice of humans.These times included earthquakes and drought. The Inca also had a similar religion to the Inca. They also believed in several nature Gods and in the use of sacrifice to appease the Gods. The thought that the feeding of blood to the Gods would also appease and satisfy the Gods so that their  children would be healthy and their crops would be good. Religion was important in daily life and this is evident from the information that has been attained from pottery, the walls of buildings and murals.Inca architecture was ornate. The capital city was Cuzco and this was the richest city in the Americas at that time. The temples were decorated with gold plates. There were many royal estates and palaces that were for the nobility and were constantly maintained by the builders and artisans. The Mayas had elaborate buildings as well but were more advanced in their use of material.They used concrete in their construction and built pyramids as mon uments to Gods and leaders. Some of these pyramids were as tall as 200 feet. They also had a distinctive style of construction. The pyramids that they built the tops were flat unlike those in Egyptian architecture. This meant that their leaders were able to climb and sit atop the pyramids.There were mainly three staples in the Inca diet. These were corn, potato and a seed called quinua. They were advanced in thinking and grew a surplus of food for times of war and drought. The quinua was the seed that was used to produce flour and cereal.Corn was used in religious ceremonies and to make a drink called Chicha. The Maya diet was also largely reliant on agriculture. They cultivated corn, beans, sweet potatoes, squash and yucca. Corn was the main staple in their diet. They also sourced meat from the hunting of deer, monkey, duck and wild turkey. The product that was limited in consumption to the nobles was chocolate and was referred to as the drink of the Gods.The Incas had rulers that enforced a strong work ethic in them. Though they had leisure time this time was focused more on religious festivals. Many festivals would take place that were to honour leaders, Gods and to help with a good harvest. The Maya, in contrast, actually had a lot more activities. They had a game called â€Å"pok-ol-pok† that used a rubber ball.This game is very similar to what we know today as soccer. As in soccer the hands were not used to touch the ball and the ball had to be hit though a ring. This game could be very competitive and sometimes the losing team would lose their life. They also had trumpets made from conch shells and drums that they used to play music. Some other instruments included the turtle shell rattles and the pottery flutes. They loved to dance and play music and would honour the rulers and Gods by doing these activities.Both societies were classed societies. The Maya had at the bottom of the ladder the slaves. This was followed by the peasants, artisans, no bility, priests and the leaders at the top. There was no supreme leader. The farmers raised crops and worked hard as they did not use animals to prepare fields. Craftsmen made murals, pottery, jewellery and many other items.They also had piercing and tattoos like today but viewed beauty differently. The Inca had a similar class but with labourers below and an Emperor at the top. Farmers also worked hard and grew crops but also reared animals. The llamas were used for transport and the alpacas for their wool. The Inca painted their faces and also had piercings. They in addition had the ear of boys pierced in a manhood ceremony and a gold disc placed in the hole. When the boy grew older this disc was replaced with larger and larger discs. This was considered to be a sign of beauty.The culture of the Maya was very developed. They possessed a written language and books. They also had experts in the fields of mathematics and astronomy. As already mentioned, their architecture was excepti onal and they constructed palaces and pyramids with great skill. The writings of the Maya are perhaps on of the first writings of the Americas. They utilized pictures and symbols to represent words and thoughts.These symbols can be known as glyphs and have been found in books and walls. Their books were folded like a fan and were called codices. Their number system was advanced and they based it on the number 20 unlike our present system that uses 10. The Maya could subtract and add. It has also been seen that they were able to plot the movement of the sun, moon and Venus. They performed calculations on the orbit of Venus that have been found to be very accurate today. Their calendar is the most accurate one from the ancient world. They based their year on a 365 day system over one thousand years ago.The Inca culture was not as advanced and they did not have any written language. They did have the foresight to have verbal historians in their society that ensured that their history w as passed along through the generations. The form of mathematics that was practiced was also not very developed. They used a quipus to keep track of numbers. This consisted of coloured strings and knots tied. The quipu rememberers were able to translate the knots and keep track of amounts.The method by which the quipu was used is not known today. Although not  very advanced like the Maya in many aspects the Inca were also skilled in terms of architecture. The material they used was stone and not concrete however they were skilled enough to be able to fit the stones perfectly without the use of mortar. They also had the insight to build a lot of roads as much as 10,000 miles in addition to many temples, palaces and bridges. Their bridges were great structures that were made using a rope suspension method and they were advanced in terms of irrigation.The Inca and the Maya civilizations both have a lot of similarities and differences. The similarities in their religious beliefs are e vident on further inspection. These may be due to the fact that they most probably have in their lineages common ancestors or roots. The belief in sacrifices as well as the similarities in some of their Gods points clearly to this. The importance that the societies have placed on religion is also evident in their cultures.One factor that can account for the advanced development of the Maya civilization is the fact that they were an old civilization. This civilization had a lot of time to develop. The time period that they existed for was over a thousand years giving them a lot of time to develop, grow, explore and investigate the world around them and ways to improve their life. This information could then be passed along through the generations and built on and further developed with each successive generation.The Inca civilization, however, is one that was very young in age. They were around for only a period of about 200 years. This means that they were not able to advance to the degree of the Maya civilization within that timeframe. There achievements are in fact great for the limited time that they were in their prime. Their language given time, I am certain would have developed into a written language as well.Location of the civilizations can also account for differences in their diet and daily life. Though in the southern continent of the Americas the types of crops planted and reared would have varied from area to area and this would affect the type of food that was consumed by the population.The governance system of the civilizations may also account for some of the differences. The Mayas were not dependent on the governance of an Emperor and were able to function as independent cities while the Inca had  a supreme Emperor. This may indeed have held back the development of the Inca as they were dependent on the genius of one individual whereas the Maya were led by several leaders in many cities.  These reasons may account for the differences and s imilarities in the Inca and Maya civilizations. These civilizations had many similarities and many differences but were both in their own way and in their own time great in terms of their achievements and development.ReferencesStrohl, M. and S. Schneck. Mayas, Aztecs, Incas: Cooperative Learning Activities. New York: Scholastic Professional Books, 1994.Baquedano, E. Eyewitness Books: Aztec, Inca, and Maya. New York: Alfred A. Knopf,1993.Mesoamerican Civilizations: Mayas and Incas. 24th April, 2007Bleeker, S and Sasaki, K. The Maya: Indians of Central America. Published: Morrow, 1961.

Free Essays on I Need One

In the time of William Shakespeare there was a strong belief in the existence of the supernatural. Thus, the supernatural is a recurring aspect in many of Mr. Shakespeare ¹s plays. In two such plays, Hamlet and Macbeth, the supernatural is an integral part of the structure of the plot. It provides a catalyst for action, an insight into character, and augments the impact of many key scenes. The supernatural appears to the audience in many varied forms. In Hamlet there appears perhaps the most notable of the supernatural forms, the ghost. However, in Macbeth, not only does a ghost appear but a floating dagger, witches, and prophetic apparitions make appearances. The role of the supernatural is very important in Hamlet and Macbeth. A ghost, appearing in the form of Hamlet ¹s father, makes several appearances in the play. It first appears to the watchmen, Marcellus and Bernardo, along with Horatio near the guardsmens' post. The ghost says nothing to them and is perceived with fear and apprehension,  ³It harrows me with fear and wonder ². It is not until the appearance of Hamlet that the ghost speaks, and only then after Horatio has expressed his fears about Hamlet following it,  ³What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord, or to the dreadful summit of the cliff ². The conversation between the ghost and Hamlet serves as a catalyst for Hamlet ¹s later actions and provides insight into Hamlet ¹s character. The information the ghost reveals incites Hamlet into action against a situation he was already uncomfortable with, and now even more so. Hamlet is not quick to believe the ghost,  ³The spirit that I have seen may be a devil... and perhaps out of my weakness and my melancholy..abuses me to damn me ², and thus an aspect of Hamlet ¹s character is revealed. Hamlet, having no suspicion of the ghost after the production by the players, encounters the ghost next in h... Free Essays on I Need One Free Essays on I Need One In the time of William Shakespeare there was a strong belief in the existence of the supernatural. Thus, the supernatural is a recurring aspect in many of Mr. Shakespeare ¹s plays. In two such plays, Hamlet and Macbeth, the supernatural is an integral part of the structure of the plot. It provides a catalyst for action, an insight into character, and augments the impact of many key scenes. The supernatural appears to the audience in many varied forms. In Hamlet there appears perhaps the most notable of the supernatural forms, the ghost. However, in Macbeth, not only does a ghost appear but a floating dagger, witches, and prophetic apparitions make appearances. The role of the supernatural is very important in Hamlet and Macbeth. A ghost, appearing in the form of Hamlet ¹s father, makes several appearances in the play. It first appears to the watchmen, Marcellus and Bernardo, along with Horatio near the guardsmens' post. The ghost says nothing to them and is perceived with fear and apprehension,  ³It harrows me with fear and wonder ². It is not until the appearance of Hamlet that the ghost speaks, and only then after Horatio has expressed his fears about Hamlet following it,  ³What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord, or to the dreadful summit of the cliff ². The conversation between the ghost and Hamlet serves as a catalyst for Hamlet ¹s later actions and provides insight into Hamlet ¹s character. The information the ghost reveals incites Hamlet into action against a situation he was already uncomfortable with, and now even more so. Hamlet is not quick to believe the ghost,  ³The spirit that I have seen may be a devil... and perhaps out of my weakness and my melancholy..abuses me to damn me ², and thus an aspect of Hamlet ¹s character is revealed. Hamlet, having no suspicion of the ghost after the production by the players, encounters the ghost next in h...

Agencias para trabajar en cruceros y sueldos de empleos

Agencias para trabajar en cruceros y sueldos de empleos Los cruceros que inician sus viajes en un puerto de Estados Unidos  son una gran fuente de empleo de todo tipo de profesiones y trabajos. Unas 20 millones de personas se embarcan cada aà ±o en este tipo de cruceros para disfrutar sus vacaciones y para servirles las navieras recurren a trabajadores (tripulantes)  de todo tipo de nacionalidades. Agencias para trabajar en cruceros de EE.UU. Entre las principales empresas de cruceros que inician o finalizan sus viajes en  un puerto de Estados Unidos destacan, entre otros, Carnival Cruises Line, Celebrity Cruises, Cunard Line, Disney Cruise Line, Holland America Line, MSC Cruises USA, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises. Para conseguir un trabajo en un crucero en ocasiones es posible contactar directamente con la empresa pero frecuentemente delegan el trabajo de seleccionar empleados a agencias con las que trabajan y que pueden estar ubicadas en Estados Unidos o en otros paà ­ses. Las siguientes agencias no cobran dinero a la persona que busca trabajo a cambio de informacià ³n, de entrevistarlo o de embarcarlo. Su negocio est en escoger buenos trabajadores y la empresa de crucero les paga por ello. Por otro lado, algunas pueden brindar cursos para adquirir conocimientos para el trabajo o para mejorar el idioma inglà ©s. Por su ubicacià ³n destacan las siguientes agencias: Argentina: Cauw International Group: Infocauwing.comCrew Cruise: crewcruisegmail.comGlobal Recruitment Agency: holaglobalrecruitment.com.arInternational Ship Management Agency: 54-11-43-43-4410 Colombia: Ibercoll S.AS. 571-2350023The Seven Seas Group Costa Rica: The Seven Seas Group Espaà ±a: MobicacrewSovren Crew. 34-971-677-375The Seven Seas Group Estados Unidos: The Apollo GroupCTI Recruitment and Placement Agency. 1-954-568-5900. Infocti-usa.com Guatemala: Guatemala Seamans Service Agency: 502-7948- 2016. crewmember.gt.lorinissaggmail.com Honduras: Honduras Seamans Office Srl Mà ©xico: Mexicrew: applymexicrew.comPersohotel International. 988-892-4474. infoempleocruceros.com.mx Panam: Panama Marine Services. 507-393-9281 Perà º: CRC Cruise Recruiting Consulting. (51-1) 521-1672. Informescrc-peru.com Tipos de empleos en cruceros Pueden encontrarse las siguientes categorà ­as de empleos en los cruceros: Oficiales, como capitn y ayudantes. Es muy comà ºn que todos los oficiales de un barco sean de la misma nacionalidad.   Personal encargado del mantenimiento y buen funcionamiento del barco, son lo que se conoce en inglà ©s como deck and engine room jobs. Las profesiones dentro de esta categorà ­a son muy variadas y requieren distinto tipo de conocimiento, por ejemplo: Mantenimiento (jefe y subordinados), jefe de seguridad, ingeniero jefe y subordinados, electricista, plomero (fontanero), etc. Empleados en labores de diversià ³n, comprende actividades tan dispares como instructores de natacià ³n y gimnasio, trabajadores de casino, guà ­as turà ­sticos, mà ºsicos, disc jockeys, anfitriones y artistas. En esta categorà ­a es muy comà ºn que se requiera tener como idioma materno el inglà ©s o hablarlo a nivel casi nativo. Trabajos relacionados con servicios, incluye desde personal de cocina y comedores a limpiadores de camarotes y empleados de las tiendas. Personal para el cuidado de los turistas, incluye desde mà ©dicos y enfermeras a peluqueras, masajistas y manicuristas, etc. Como regla general, en todos los cruceros el alojamiento y la comida es gratis para todos los miembros de la tripulacià ³n. Finalmente, los contratos suelen ser de unos seis meses, aunque frecuentemente se prorrogan. Sueldos medio de empleos en un crucero Los cruceros que salen o acaban su viaje en un puerto de EE.UU. suelen brindar a sus trabajadores salarios similares, segà ºn datos de, entre otros, Glassdoor e Indeed, son los siguientes: Oficiales: son  puestos de mayor responsabilidad y mejor pagados. Los salarios varà ­an segà ºn la posicià ³n y experiencia. Capitn: entre $6,000 y $10,000 al mesAyudantes del capitn: Entre $5,000 y $7,000 al mesPrimer oficial: Entre $4,000 y $5,000 al mes Profesionales encargados del mantenimiento y buen funcionamiento del barco.  Ejemplos de salarios medios: Oficial de seguridad: de $2,500 a $3,500Handyman  (mantenimiento). Entre $1,800 y $2,500 al mesAyudantes del handyman,  lo que se conoce en inglà ©s como able seaman y hacen labores bsicas de limpieza y reparacià ³n. Entre $1,500 y $1,800.Ingeniero jefe: Entre $5,500 y $8,500Electricista jefe: entre $3,000 y $4,000 al mesElectricista: Entre $2,000 y $2,400 al mesPlomero (fontanero): entre $1,600 y $2,400 Otros tripulantes Un buen nà ºmero de tripulantes contratados en un crucero trabajan en la cocina. Las posiciones son muy variadas, asà ­ como el conocimiento de inglà ©s que se exige y el nivel de experiencia. Los sueldos tambià ©n son muy diferentes. Algunos ejemplos: Chef: como mà ­nimo, $4,000 al mesSous Chef Ejecutivo: a partir de $3,800 al mesSous Chef: entre $3,400 y $5,800 al mes1er cocinero: aproximadamente $2,000  al mes2do cocinero: entre $1,600 y $2,200 al mes3er cocinero: a partir de los $1,400 al mes. Esta posicià ³n y las anteriores requieren un excelente conocimiento del idioma inglà ©sPersonal bsico de cocina: entre $900 y $1,200Personal de limpieza (dishwasher), entre $500 y $600 al mes. Estas dos à ºltimas posiciones pueden ser desempeà ±adas por personas con conocimiento muy bsico del inglà ©s. No se requiere experiencia.Personal de comedores, bares y cafeterà ­as que no tienen un buen conocimiento del inglà ©s o carecen de experiencia como apoyo a camareros,  preparacià ³n de snacks, etc. El sueldo se fija por contrato  suele ir entre los $350 a los $500 a la semana.Gerente de tiendas: a partir de $2,200 al mesVendedor en tienda: a partir de $1,400 al mes Tripulantes con salario y propinas (tips) Trabajan con los clientes y tienen un buen conocimiento verbal del inglà ©s. Tambià ©n es frecuente que para desempeà ±ar este tipo de empleo se pida experiencia en el puesto de trabajo o estudios que lo califiquen. Ejemplos promedio de salarios de propinas, que varà ­an grandemente segà ºn el tipo de barco y recorrido: Mesero/a de barra de bar (Bar Waiter): entre $1,000 y $2,500 al mesAsistente de mesero de comedor (Busboy): entre $1,500 y $3,000 al mesBarman: entre $1,500 y $3,000 al mesMesero/a (camarero) de comedor: $2,500 a $4,000 al mes Como regla general puede decirse que los salarios son superiores al salario mà ­nimo en Estados Unidos. Documentacià ³n para trabajar en un crucero Para trabajar en un crucero que inicia, acaba o viaje tocando un puerto de Estados Unidos es necesario tener un documento que autorice a trabajar. Los trabajadores extranjeros que no tienen una green card pueden solicitar una visa. Puede ser de dos tipos: la D, para miembros de un barco que toca EE.UU. y necesitan trabajar para el funcionamiento del mismo y la C1/D cuando el trabajador necesita ingresar a EE.UU. para embarcar en el crucero en el que va a trabajar. Finalmente, cabe destacar que los trabajadores en cruceros que son estadounidenses o tienen una tarjeta de residencia permanente pagan impuestos en EE.UU. Sin embargo, los extranjeros con visa C1/D no tienen que pagar impuestos en Estados Unidos, si bien hay excepciones en funcià ³n de acuerdos internacionales. Puntos Clave: Cà ³mo conseguir trabajo en un crucero y salarios medios  ¿Cà ³mo conseguir trabajo en un crucero que sale de un puerto de EE.UU.?: contactando directamente con la empresa (en algunos casos) o con una agencia que trabaja con dichas empresas. ¿Quà © no debe hacerse?: no debe pagarse a ninguna agencia por folletos, libros, entrevistas o por embarcar. ¿Es necesario hablar inglà ©s?: sà ­, pero el nivel que se exige depende del tipo de trabajo que se realiza. ¿Cul es el salario medio?: Hay grandes diferencias segà ºn el trabajo que se desempeà ±a. En general, incluso en los peor pagados el sueldo es superior al salario mà ­nimo en EE.UU. Adems, est incluido alojamiento y manutencià ³n y en muchos casos uniforme e incluso lavanderà ­a. ¿Quà © visa se necesita?: Si el crucero solo toca un puerto de EE.UU. es suficiente la visa D. Por el contrario, si es necesario viajar a EE.UU. para embarcarse en el barco en el que se va a trabajar es necesaria la visa C1/D. ¿Se pagan impuestos en EE.UU. si se tiene una visa C1/D?: como re gla general, no se pagan impuestos, salvo acuerdo internacional entre EE.UU. y el paà ­s de origen del trabajador. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.