Advantages And Disadvantages In Cross Culture Communication Cultural Studies Essay

Advantages And Disadvantages In Cross Culture Communication Cultural Studies Essay Managing across culture. Its impact on people and business. Summary about Various levels of culture. Topic compared on Cross culture communication and Quality management a cross culture outlook. This topic include communications between different cultures and quality of work depending on cross culture and findings of some advantages and disadvantages in cross culture communication and few bias in impact of culture in quality management Introduction: Culture is nothing but the values and beliefs. Its an action of information assign by group of people. In somehow culture matters a lot for many people in different cultures and community. Its a communication of group .Its also a cultivated behaviour of religion. Communication includes a groups, information, belief, principles and reasons. Sum of learned persons conduct of a number of people that considered generally a tradition of that individual and are communicate from generation to generation. Culture is ethnology must be handled carefully. Modern era it is much often used word. Its like group of people in same community and also people from different community performing activity. Every People in this world have their own values and beliefs which resembles their cultural activities. Main problems is that the use of the word as a cross culture- is very wider sense. There is wider difference between notions to nations culture, their nations activities in such a way that individual from different nations hard to understand and also its takes lots of time adopt and also there is a chance to that person may not adjust to culture of different country which causes CULTURS SHOCK. It is easy to talk about culture, but real problem comes when its faced. To find out problems of a particular group of different culture one person must know the dos and donts particular culture. Every cultural groups act differently, thinks differently. There is no standard rule that different culture group have identical features there may have some features but all the way. Knowing culture among groups person must adopt other group culture. It, Stills, calls for decision when handling with different groups. Findings: There are two different to topic like Cross cultural communication and impact of cross culture in quality management. Each topic has their own definitions Says Cross Culture Communication is the communication between two sects or more in order to exchange their views ideas emotions feelings etc Cross Culture shows a big emphasis on quality management on the business organisations Here are the some of the findings of cross culture communication Cultural Knowledge Assembling different cultures Worldwide involvement Inter Culture awareness Education system Cultural Knowledge: Before giving international assignment, it is best known ones cultural activities and good to know the cultural differences among the existing country and home country. If the bias exist, one must give conclusion how much extent the person can adopt changes. There are few accepts which are common where people can easily accept (like greeting), and some other accepts May gets some adjust (like problem solving). To find the solution of cultural knowledge is no easy task it some so much of time to solve. Its better to provide continuous theory classes, Video classes in order adopt cross culture activities Assembling different cultures: Gathering different culture in one place so that they can exchange views, ideas, thought so that it makes them to adjust with each other that help the cross culture people mingle. There may be some disturbance of thought because of cross culture behaviour but that are to come extent only. The data that collected from congregate may helpful for further assistance World Involvement: In past 20th century they are some organisation who are not much concentrated in culture activity because they are more concern with inner- country development. In modern era every business forms has changed a lot they are more concern diversifying there business that directly impact on the behaviour and activity of a perticular of a country. In order to sustain the business they must aware Cultural activities of the country. So that they can make good profit in the organisation Inter Culture awareness: Every culture more to say every religion has its own coustom of doing thing. As culture is group of religions performing the similar activity of their own away. In that sense one group may have domination and other may not. Domination religion has power of judgement that was followed by other too.So knowing of cultural activity of a purticular or all in whole it will be easy to act like a intar cultural person. That make the person or a group to adjust and it is one of the best way to avoid cultural shock Education system: World is divided based on geographysical sector. Every country individually has more cultural reasons. So if our education system teach about culture behaviuours of different country that makes easy to an individual to adjut with cultural behaviours Impact of Quality Management by Cross Culture Behaviours: There are different studies done bye the researchers know what activity in the organisation impacting more on the quality management. They said developing countries industrial sector not developed when that compaired to developed countries. All the difference formed on various aspect in that one of the specific one is Culture Bias. Lots of argument made on Culture activities. Some conculded that behaviour and cultural aspect of a perticular individual is going to effect TQM (Total quality Managemet) of an organisation. Below are the some of the findings of Demostic Business and cultural impact on it Demostic Business Operation International Operation Effects on TQM Ad hoc Culture Demostic Business Operation: Every organisation has to own individual operation who are concentrated on particular set of people. Here cultural behaviour does find much impact on business. As the business is viewing on group of people. Here the individualism can act a major picture. Individual decision can be admitted as the business is concerntated on particular group. In this point of view quality management will be apporiate International Operations: If the Demostic business wants to diverse. The major research will comes to picture is cultural behaviour of foregin country. All the levels of business will be carried on foregin country where there is limited scope of foregin managerial fuction to carry. Basing on cultural behaviour on foregin people function must me made so that organisation is going to have good quality business# Effects on TQM: There are various difference of cultural activities carried out from one country to the another because of diversification. And every cultural behaviour impact on total quality management. Every country has there own ways of implemenations of TQM. Home country business we can well come individualism but when its come to global business individualism will not be considered if its is done so that effect the quality management vice versa Ad hoc Culture: If the organisaton carrying out there operation for a specific purpose and selected a set of religious people say like Haleem makers they select group of people of there own religion and market the product here culturally concentrating groups so obsicouly quality management will be high Conclusion: Your Way, My Way, Our Way. Individual Group Cultural behaviour, Different Group Cultural behaviours the both are two different boats having their own character. Many researcher conducted great research on Cultural aspect that are effecting to organisational business. Each have their own disadvantages say like Individual group individualism impacts more. Desecion made by one dominative group which as to follow by others. Even though judgement may not like by the others but they have to follow. Inorder avoid this inter cultural communication must be nessary. If we takes different view thats helps for better desecion making that effect organisational profit. When come to group culture every culture is superior than the others. They are some people who not intrested to adopt the different cultural behaviours that people are good loss to the organisation. Human are such a creatures where cultural and relegious behaviour impact a lot because they are social animals they have to obey the rules and regulations of purticular. Their society made rules such like that where thay can adjust and have a happy living. Organisation has to form the managerial function such a way that they dont disturbe individual cultural and group culture as well Every Culture in the world made by values and traditions. Values may concern with Individual values or group values. In this business world pesonal and group values palying a vital role. If the orgatiation protecting the values all the groups and people that result very huge profit to the organisation. Human Resource are the major factor of production to an organisation. So the organisation has to protect the Values, Culture, traditions etc of human resource that result optium resultVice Versa

Content Analysis of Web-based Norovirus Education Materials

Content Analysis of Web-based Norovirus Education Materials Content Analysis of Web-based Norovirus Education Materials Targeting Consumers Who Prepare and Handle Food: An Assessment of Alignment and Readability Hillary Evansa Morgan Gettya Cortney M. Leonea Michael Finneyb Angela Frasera* aDepartment of Food, Nutrition, and Packaging Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA bDepartment of Mathematical Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA ABSTRACT word count Huma noroviruses sicken 19-21 million people in the U.S. each year, suggesting the need for education. The World Wide Web is a readily accessible source of information about how to prevent a norovirus infection but at present the accuracy and readability of materials targeting consumers is unknown. The aim of our study was to evaluate the alignment and readability of web-based norovirus education materials targeting consumers using CDC guidelines and Microsoft Word readability formulas. Our search yielded 60 artifacts. Most did not address duration of handwashing (83%), use of hand sanitizers (83%), type of drying devices (92%), or avoidance of bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods (97%). Less than half (n=29) recommended minimizing contact with sick persons. Two-thirds of the artifacts (n=40) also did not mention the recommended concentration of sodium hypochlorite (bleach) solution to be used to disinfect surfaces contaminated with Noroviruses. The mean Flesch Reading Ease scor e was 47.75 (score of >70 is easy to read), and the mean Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level was 10.36 so documents were written at a 10th grade level. The alignment and readability of web-based educational materials about Noroviruses must be improved as knowledge is a prerequisite to application of behaviors that can prevent one from becoming infected with Noroviruses. Key words: Huma noroviruses, content analysis, consumer education, food safety, readability Content Analysis of Web-based Norovirus Education Materials Targeting Consumers who Prepare and Handle Food: An Assessment of Alignment and Readability INTRODUCTION Worldwide, noroviruses are the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis. In the U.S., an estimated 21 million individuals (1 in 14) are sickened each year by this group of viruses resulting in $777 million in healthcare costs (Hall et al., 2013). Most reported outbreaks are attributed to person-to-person contact (69%) followed by the consumption of contaminated food (23%) making noroviruses the most common cause of foodborne disease (58% of cases) in the U.S. ((Hall, Wikswo, Pringle, Gould, Parashar, 2014; Scallan et al, 2011). Results from a nationally representative survey of 1051 U.S. adults revealed that consumers are not aware of noroviruses and have limited knowledge about how to prevent an infection. Forty-seven percent of respondents reported awareness of noroviruses, and 85% had heard of the terms cruise ship virus, the stomach bug, or the stomach flu, which are commonly used to describe norovirusess (Cates, Kosa, Brophy, Hall, Fraser, 2015). Less than one-third (341) correctly answered 50% or more of the 22 true-and-false questions, suggesting consumers have limited knowledge on how to prevent a norovirus infection. These findings support the need to provide consumers with accurate and complete information about noroviruses as knowledge is a prerequisite to implementation of a behavior (DiClemente et al., 1989; Fisher Fisher, 1992). The World Wide Web (hereafter referred to as the Web) is one way to reach consumers with information about how to prevent a norovirus infection. Eighty-seven percent (87%) of U.S. adults use the internet, and of those, 72 percent use the Web to seek health information (Pew Research Center, 2014). While the internet has accelerated the speed and spread of information, it also has a downside allowing the dissemination and diffusion of information without checks and balances, peer review, and/or fact checking. Three studies that evaluated health information available online reported a lack of quality information characterized by accuracy of content and/or appropriate design and usability (Berland et al., 2001; Scullard, Peacock, Davies, 2010; Irwin et al., 2011). Moreover, a systematic review of medical information further supported the above-mentioned authors conclusions that there is a lack of high-quality sites on the Web that offer complete and accurate information on various heal th topics (Eysenbach, Powell, Kuss, Sa, 2002). One problem with inaccurate or misleading health information being so accessible on the Web is that the user of this information might implement recommendations that have no effect on preventing the targeted disease or condition or even worse one might implement recommendations that cause harm (Ilic, 2010). In addition to providing accurate and complete information, it is also important to determine if recommendations, or changes that might become recommendations in the near future, are relevant and practical under real-world conditions. Another problem is the readability of the text. If the text is not easy to read its usability is greatly diminished. To illustrate how wide ranging this problem could be one needs to simply read the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), released in 2006 by the U.S. Department of Education. The authors report that 30 million adults struggle with basic reading tasks, which represents nearly 10% of the U.S. population (Kutner, Greenburg, Jin, Paulsen, 2006). Within the context of health information, Kessels (2003) pointed out that 40-80% of information provided to patients by health professionals is forgotten immediately not only because terminology is too difficult to understand but often too much information is presented at one time leading to poor recall. One conclusion is that when text is too difficult to read, the reader could become frustrated hence they stop reading, hence the purpose of the materials is not achieved improving knowledge. Using the results of a readability formula is also recommended by experts to guide the development of written work as it is recommended to write documents for U.S. adults at the 7th grade level and documents about health, medicine, or safety at the 5th grade level (DuBay, 2004). As an assessment tool, one of the several dozen readability formulas are useful and convenient but must be employed with caution. These formulas determine the grade level demand of specific written information based on an analysis of sentence structure and word length. But, readability does not necessarily guarantee comprehension, which is the degree to which one understands what they have read (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010). Assessing comprehension is a much more complex task, which is why readability is more commonly used as a general indicator of how easy a document is to read. Therefore, we assert that if consumer education materials are aligned with evidence-based guidance documents and are easy to read, the reader is more likely to engage in behaviors known to prevent Noroviruses. Thus, the aim of our study was to evaluate the alignment and readability of Noroviruses consumer education materials available on the Web using evidence-based guidance documents and Microsoft Word readability formulas. Two research questions guided our study: 1) Are noroviruses materials targeting consumers who handle food aligned with the three prevention strategies for noroviruses recommended in CDC guidance documents? and 2) Are materials written at the recommended grade level for health-related documents (5th grade level)? Our study findings can be used to inform the revision or creation of consumer education materials that focus on preventing a norovirus infection. METHODS To be included in the sample, eligible educational materials (referred to as artifacts hereafter) were published between January 1, 2011 and May 23, 2013 and: 1) target adult consumers, 2) pertain to preparing food in the home, and 3) be available via Advanced Search of Google.com. The start date of our search was chosen because in January 2011, Scallan et al. (2011) reported that Noroviruses causes 58% of foodborne disease in the U.S. We excluded artifacts directed toward children and those formatted as blogs, news articles, theses, dissertations, research articles, Wikipedia entries, question/answer sites, forums, and continuing education training materials. We conducted a Google.com Advanced Search using the following search string: Norovirus AND food handling AND food preparation. Food-related terms were chosen as we assumed this would narrow our findings to artifacts that address preventing Norovirus infections related to food preparation in the home. Artifacts were sorted by re levance, and two team members screened each artifact based on inclusion criteria. All eligible artifacts were downloaded as Portable Document Format (PDF) files or HyperText Markup Language (HTML) files. A coding manual comprised of 71 items divided into four topic areas was created. The topic areas included: 1) identifying information, 2) format (including readability statistics), 3) content (including food safety hazards), and 4) prevention strategies. The items in Table 1 assess three prevention strategies outlined in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for preventing and managing a norovirus infection: 1) hand hygiene, 2) exclusion and isolation of sick individuals, and 3) environmental sanitation (Hall et al., 2011). While these guidelines were designed for use in health care and not home settings, at the time of the analysis we believed and continue to believe they were the best source of evidence-based information to prevent norovirus infections. A corresponding SurveyMonkey ® (Survey Monkey Inc., Paolo Alto, CA) instrument served as the coding sheet. Four trained coders independently conducted a pilot-test of the coding manual. Inconsistencies or ambiguities found in the manual during piloting were corrected before analysis began. Two trained coders then independently reviewed each artifact. Responses were entered into the SurveyMonkey ® instrument. All responses were exported to an Excel spreadsheet. A third coder reconciled disagreements between coders. Based on alignment, each artifact was assigned a total score, and sub-scores across the three disease management guidance documents were assessed: hand hygiene, isolation and exclusion of sick persons, and environmental sanitation. The maximum possible quality scores for each topic area were 7, 2, and 5, respectively. Response frequencies as well as mean scores, standard deviations, and ranges were calculated using SAS 9.3 (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC). To assess readability, we used two formulas Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level both available in Microsoft Word. Flesch Reading Ease scores range from 0-100, with a lower score indicating that a document is more difficult to read than one with a higher score. A score of 70 or above is classified as easy and is written at the grade school level. A score of 60 to 70 is standard and is written at the high school level. A score of 60 or below is difficult. The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level uses mean sentence and word length to determine grade level between grades 3 and 12 (DAlessandro, Kingsley, Johnson-West, 2001). RESULTS Our Google Advanced Search yielded 826 results. After opening and viewing the first 292 results (sorted by relevance) the following was displayed on the results listing screen: In order to show you the most relevant results, we have omitted some entries very similar to the 292 already displayed. If you like, you can repeat the search with the omitted results included. We repeated the search and determined all results were duplicates of those already viewed. These 292 results were screened using our three eligibility criteria and yielded 74 artifacts which were then downloaded. After a second screening, 14 artifacts were removed due to page unavailability, duplicity, or wrong target audience. A total of 60 artifacts were included and analyzed. Research Question 1: Alignment with Prevention Strategies The total mean score across all three prevention strategies was low 5.2 of 14 points suggesting artifacts were not aligned with CDC guidance documents (Table 2). All (N=60; 100%) artifacts mentioned at least one of the seven components of hand hygiene we assessed but the mean sub-score for hand hygiene was low, 2.3 of 7 points (SD=0.77). Most artifacts (83%) did not address length of handwashing, type of drying devices (92%), avoidance of bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods (97%), or use of hand sanitizers (83%). One artifact stated that hand sanitizers were an acceptable alternative to hand washing. Of the artifacts that mentioned exclusion and isolation of sick individuals (78%), the mean score was 1.2 of 2. In nearly all artifacts (72%) sick individuals were discouraged from preparing food for others, but 48% recommended minimizing contact with sick persons. Less than half (48%) addressed at least one aspect of environmental sanitation with the mean quality score 1.7 of 5. Research Question 2: Readability The mean Flesch Reading Ease for our sample was 47.6, indicating artifacts were difficult to read as the score is th grade) for health-related materials (DAlessandro, Kingsley, Johnson-West, 2001). DISCUSSION Knowledge is an underlying construct in many health behavior models necessary for one to take informed action, such as implementing strategies to prevent a norovirus infection. So it is reasonable to assert that if one does not have accurate and complete information about these strategies, then one cannot engage in necessary behaviors, defeating the purpose of consumer education. In addition to providing accurate and complete information, the information must also be practical and presented in a manner that is easy to read to increase the likelihood that the recommendations will be implemented. For these reasons, we analyzed consumer-targeted materials available on the Web to determine if existing materials need to be revised or new materials created as we believe consumer education is critical to preventing norovirus infections. In our analysis, we found information was omitted and/or inconsistent with the CDC guidelines. For example, many artifacts did not address length of hand washing, use of hand sanitizers, type of drying devices, and avoidance of bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods. While many discouraged preparing food, less than half recommended minimize contact with sick persons. Furthermore, disinfection was frequently mentioned but the recommended concentration of sodium hypochlorite (bleach) solution to be used to disinfect surfaces contaminated with noroviruses was not. And, none addressed the clean up of vomit and fecal matter. It is through the proper implementation of the three prevention strategies (hand hygiene, exclusion and isolation of sick individuals, and environmental sanitation) that we begin to reduce the burden of illness attributed to noroviruses. One obvious reason for the incompleteness and/or omission of information is the creators of materials in our sample might not have known about the CDC prevention guidelines. The guidelines were published in March 2011 in Morbidity Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) which is in the public domain, but MMWR might not be a known or commonly used source of information for those who author consumer education materials. As a result, information to guide development of materials came from other sources, for which the evidence base might be unknown or possibly incorrect. To illustrate, it is well known that an effective hand wash can disrupt transmission of noroviruses with effective hand wash defined as applying hand soap to hands then using friction (rubbing hands together) for a sufficient time (Michaels et al., 2002). While a scrub time of 10-20 seconds is commonly recommended as sufficient by the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA, 2013; Hall et al., 2011), three laboratory s tudies report longer wash times are needed to remove microorganisms (Ojajà ¤rvi, 1980; Fuls et al., 2008; Jensen, Danyluk, Harris, and Schaffner, 2015). To further complicate matters, some experts question the evidence base for scrubbing hands for 10-20 seconds suggesting an even shorter time (Bloomfield et al, FILL IN). These various positions on length of a handwash illustrates the importance of creating (and subsequently using) evidence-based guidelines to inform development of consumer education materials as recommendations cannot be based on one or two published studies. In health care, clinicians commonly use clinical evidence-based practice guidelines, recommendations systematically developed by panels of experts who have access to the available evidence and an understanding of the clinical problem and research methods as these clinicians, just like food safety educators, might not have the expertise to consider the quality of the evidence. Thus, evidence-based guidelines such as those prepared by the CDC should underpin consumer education efforts about preventing norovirus infections. However, these guidelines should be routinely reviewed and updated as even within the CDC guidelines there are gaps in information as the present evidence base to inform norovirus prevention strategies is incomplete. When educators are faced with incomplete information they might use whatever information is available, even if it is not grounded in science, or and simply ignore omit details (Kardes et al., 2008; Sanbonmatsu, Kardes, Herr, 1992; Simmons Lynch, 1991). One clear example of this centers around vomit and fecal matter clean up, which none of the reviewed materials addressed. To disrupt the transmission of noroviruses, vomitus and feces must be properly cleaned up. But, how far out one needs to disinfect an area to eliminate noroviruses is unknown as the evidence to support a geographic radius is inconclusive. The only published evidence we have suggests that vomit can be deposited up to 25 feet from its point source but these findings are based on one epidemiological stud y and not a well-designed laboratory-controlled study (Booth, 2014). Moreover, even when the evidence base is good, sometimes information that is presented is not complete. Case in point, many materials recommended using sodium hypochlorite (bleach) solutions to treat surfaces, which is correct, but most did not state a concentration of the disinfection solution. Norovirus is a hardy pathogen that resists most disinfection strategies and persists in the environment for long periods, possibly weeks (give citation) illustrating the importance of using a chlorine solution at the proper concentration (Doultree, Druce, Birch, Marshall, 1999; Gulati, Allwood, Hedberg, Goyal, 2001; Jimenez Chiang 2006; Belliot, Lavaux, Souihel, Agnello, Pothier, 2008). One explanation for this lack of detail could be that some authors presented motivational messages, which tend to be briefer than procedural messages. While motivation is important, alone it is not sufficient because one can be motivated to enact a behavior but do it wrong which is why consumers must have accurate as well as complete information. It is important to note that we did not evaluate the messaging approach as this was beyond the scope of this study but an analysis of messaging approach should be considered in future analyses of materials. Another potential problem is that in the absence of consumer-targeted prevention strategies, government regulations are often used as a proxy. This appears to be a sensible approach as the presumption is that most regulations are grounded in science. However, one must exercise caution as regulations might not always based on the most current evidence given the often lengthy adoption process. Take for example the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers as an alternative for hand washing, which the U.S. Food Code prohibits, and which most artifacts in our sample did not mention. In 2002 the CDC released Guidelines for Hand Hygiene in Healthcare but in May 2003 the FDA prepared a written response, clearly stating the CDC guidelines could not be applied to foodservice establishments (FDA, 2003). The underlying logic was that (1) pathogens commonly transmitted by hands in health-care settings differ from those transmitted in foodservice settings; (2) the use of alcohol-based hand rubs in pla ce of hand-washing has not been shown to reduce important foodborne pathogens on food worker hands; and (3) the types and levels of soil on the hands of health care workers differ from that on the hands of foodservice and retail food handlers. Another concern was that while alcohol-based hand sanitizers have been demonstrated to be effective for many pathogens, their efficacy has not been consistently demonstrated for norovirus. It is unclear how much published evidence has been used to support these recommendations as much has been learned about hand hygiene in the last 20 years. In reality, information suggests that some hand sanitizer formulations may be somewhat effective while others are not. Obviously, this situation is complex, and in the interest of providing a clear message, it may be unclear whether to include recommendations regarding alcohol-based hand sanitizers or to rely on government regulations. The conservative approach would be to omit the recommendation; whereas, some authors may decide to provide the knowledge under the impression that recommending some hand cleaning behavior is better than no recommendation. Some guidelines might be viewed by educators as impractical or unnecessary to implement in a home setting. An example of this is not handling food when sick, which was mentioned but minimizing contact with sick persons was addressed less frequently. This is a significant oversight as many people do not realize that noroviruses are transferred via the fecal-oral route (i.e., associated with contacting persons, contaminated surfaces, and food) (CATES ARTICLE). In a regulated food facility, workers cannot work while ill to minimize sickening others as well as contaminating surfaces and food. This recommendation might not be possible in a home setting as one probably cannot isolate themselves from others in the household as well as they might be the primary food preparer. This illustrates why it is important to analyze not only the accuracy and completeness of information but also its practicality. Along with lack of alignment, the artifacts in our sample were also not easy to read written at a high school grade level and not at the 5th grade level as suggested. Our study findings are consistent with a study conducted by Badarudeen and Sanjeev (2010) who concluded that in a health-care setting patient education materials were often too difficult to read and could not be comprehended by a substantial portion of the adult U.S. population. Therefore, even when information is accurate, if a reader cannot understand it, they cannot act on it. Educational materials are only as beneficial as the knowledge gained as a result of being able to read them. Limitations Due to the ever changing nature of the Web, artifacts sampled during the study could change as time progresses so new materials that might be better aligned with CDC guidance documents and that are easy to read might be available. Likewise, knowledge evolves: in late 2014, the CDC published on their website five messages to help consumers prevent a norovirus infections: 1) practice proper hand hygiene; 2) take care in the kitchen; 3) do not prepare food while infected; 4) clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces; and 5) wash laundry thoroughly (CDC, 2015). However, coding and analysis had already been completed so kitchen and laundry practices were not assessed, demonstrating the challenge of evaluating web-based health messages. Further, to analyze the readability of the artifacts in our sample, we used two readability formulas available through Microsoft Word. This method is widely used, but also not comprehensive, as it only considers factors such as word and sentence length so d oes not take into consideration comprehension. Future research should also be done to assess materials using the CDC Clear Communication Index, which is a set of 20 items that can be used to develop as well as assess public communication products (CDC, 2014a). The 20 items in the Index build on and expand plain language techniques described in the Federal Plain Language Guidance documents (Plain Language Action and Information Network, 2011). CONCLUSION At present, there still is a need to revise and possibly create materials that are accurate, complete, practical, and easy to read. Consumer education, if approached properly, could help reduce the burden of illness attributed to noroviruses, the number one cause of acute gastroenteritis and foodborne disease. To be effective, consumer-targeted materials must be aligned with evidence-based guidelines that carefully assess the practicality and necessity of the recommendations in a home environment. While government regulations are sometimes used as a proxy for recommendations to be applied in a home setting, one must use caution in doing so as the regulatory provisions might not be grounded in the most current science or might be impractical under home conditions. Most importantly, evidence-based guidelines also need to be periodically as the evidence base to inform practices continues to grow. Finally, the readability of the materials must be evaluated and REFERENCE THE CDC CLEAR COM MUNICATION INDEX. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work was funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, Building Capacity to Control Viral Foodborne Disease: A Translational, Multidisciplinary Approach, Grant No. 2011-68003-30395. REFERENCES Abad, F. X., Pintà ³, R. M., Bosch, A.(1994). Survival of enteric viruses on environmental fomites. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 60(10), p. 3704-3710. 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GYM PAPER :: essays research papers

Why I signed up for aerobics fitness and what it has done for me.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I decided to sign up for aerobics/fitness because I thought it would do more for me physically and mentally than normal gym would. Personally I believe that normal gym is boring and if you’re not good at some sports like me it can be difficult to concentrate or even really care about gym class. When I took gym I personally didn’t care or really try hard. Now to this day it makes me disappointed, I wish I would have tried harder in what we were doing or what sport we’d be playing but I always felt no interest or left out. I liked some of the sports don’t get me wrong†¦ for example I really enjoyed and tried when we would play Soccer, Basketball, and volleyball. Yet then again I didn’t favor too much Baseball, track, and swimming. I always felt uncomfortable in normal gym to. I was never really comfortable with the people whom I was in class with. But this year everything, my thoughts and ideas about a diff erent kind of gym changed. I singed up for aerobics fitness because I thought it would help me in what I wanted to accomplish. I didn’t want to play sports I wanted to build my muscles. This year singing up for aerobics fitness was one of the best ideas I ever had. I can really say that I enjoyed this class more than most others. Aerobics fitness has helped me physically. I can run with out getting winded right away and I can lift weight I never thought I could lift. I can already tell a difference in my body. My legs are stronger and more muscular along with my arms. I am more active at home. I lost weight thanks to the class. Aerobics fitness has changed me in a couple ways. It though me to try harder in what I do. It thought me to set more goals for my self and beat them. I liked my classmates this year, which I think, helped me with being comfortable with the class. In this class I really enjoyed swimming. The game days are alright but I really like the way we rotate from weight lifting on the benches and on the different machines to the videos, the videos help a lot because after there done some times the next day you can feel it in your legs and arms.

Media Violence - Cartoon Violence and Violent Children :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Cartoon Violence and Violent Children With the recent increase in violent crimes committed by children, adults have been looking for answers to what causes children to commit these acts. Researchers have performed formal studies, and other approaches have been taken to answer the question. Their ideas and perceptions have strayed far and wide, looking for a suitable answer; one such answer of the many they have uncovered is television, but especially television geared towards children: cartoons and animation. In recent years, animation has taken a more openly violent twist during the same time period that the unique and varied forms of Japanese animation have come to America; both have raised many parents' eyebrows as articles and media coverage portray both, but especially Japanese animation, in a harsh and unfair light, depicting all series and movies as violent and only fit for mature audiences. The adults' perception of animation varies greatly from the children's perception, as many factors, such as media depictions , personal opinions, and even the standards of cultures, come into play on the decision of what is suitable for younger viewers. While it is not the first medium ever to reproduce violence for entertainment, television has certainly been the most notorious. However, television stations "do not air violence because they want to. They air it because that is what sells. The blame is upon ourselves for the large volume of violence, since they are merely responding to what we want" (Kim). This love for violence has filtered into nearly every television show aired currently. Virtually every television station airs shows, either live action or animated, that involve the characters fighting, arguing, or just acting in a malevolent way towards something or somebody else. The news always carries stories of what crimes have been committed during the day, daytime talk shows and soap operas often involve fighting and conflict, and even children's television is starting to take a more serious, mature twist in its presentations. Shows such as the live action series Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers have been called into que stion because of the numerous fight scenes and injuries that they depict; however, Power Rangers is one show that does provide a message to children at the end, informing them that the fighting is not real and that they should not imitate the Power Rangers. Despite this warning, children do imitate their heroes, hoping to emulate them and be able to stand as strong and powerful as they do.

Criminal Activity in the Turkish/Greek/Italian Economy and Government E

Criminal Activity in the Turkish/Greek/Italian Economy and Government Efforts to Combat It Terrorism once was a threat associated primarily with the Middle East, and was not an issue for Americans and citizens of other well developed, seemingly safe nations. This faà »ze was shattered on September 11, 2001 when New York City, USA was viciously attacked. Terrorism skyrocketed to the forefront of every newspaper and magazine throughout the world; suddenly, terrorism was a reality for those who had thought they were untouchable. Interestingly, terrorists are associated with more crimes than just their bombings, bio-weapons, and intimidation. For example, Afghanistan, while under Taliban control, produced 70 % of the world's illicit opium. The revenues from this illegal drug sale allowed the Taliban to support and protect Osama bin Laden and the al Qaeda organization[i]. The same is true for many other terrorist organizations throughout the world: Pablo Escobar was one of the most feared men in the world as the leader of the Medellin cocaine cartel in Colombia. He actual ly used the drug money to run for congress in Colombia and promote his political agenda[ii]. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Drug Intelligence Brief in September of 2002, drug trafficking is the most profitable sources of funding for terrorist groups. Many countries participate in the drug trade, not by direct production of the substances, but as gateway routes from production site, to place of sale. Greece is an example of this. Although cannabis is the only illicit drug produced in Greece, and even then in small amounts, Greek authorities report that the use of drugs such as heroin is increasing.? Because of its European Uni... ...web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document?_m=de0e4e616baa3edeb0ff76f3c3c09e83... [xx] Turkish parliament set to debate high-profile corruption report, retrieved from the World Wide Web 14 December 2003 from http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document?_m=de0e4e616baa3edeb0ff76f3c3c09e83... [xxi] Bin Laden?s right hand man ?instructed? Istanbul bombers, retrieved from the World Wide Web 14 December 2003 from http://pda.ananova.net/news/story/sm_843556.html?menu=news [xxii] HR violations and globalization: human trafficking, retrieved from the World Wide Web 14 December 2003 from http://web.lexis-nexis.com/uiniverse/document?_m=1db322a792b6aee2e9c24afdd475ef5a... [xxiii] HR violations and globalization: human trafficking, retrieved from the World Wide Web 14 December 2003 from http://web.lexis-nexis.com/uiniverse/document?_m=1db322a792b6aee2e9c24afdd475ef5a... Criminal Activity in the Turkish/Greek/Italian Economy and Government E Criminal Activity in the Turkish/Greek/Italian Economy and Government Efforts to Combat It Terrorism once was a threat associated primarily with the Middle East, and was not an issue for Americans and citizens of other well developed, seemingly safe nations. This faà »ze was shattered on September 11, 2001 when New York City, USA was viciously attacked. Terrorism skyrocketed to the forefront of every newspaper and magazine throughout the world; suddenly, terrorism was a reality for those who had thought they were untouchable. Interestingly, terrorists are associated with more crimes than just their bombings, bio-weapons, and intimidation. For example, Afghanistan, while under Taliban control, produced 70 % of the world's illicit opium. The revenues from this illegal drug sale allowed the Taliban to support and protect Osama bin Laden and the al Qaeda organization[i]. The same is true for many other terrorist organizations throughout the world: Pablo Escobar was one of the most feared men in the world as the leader of the Medellin cocaine cartel in Colombia. He actual ly used the drug money to run for congress in Colombia and promote his political agenda[ii]. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Drug Intelligence Brief in September of 2002, drug trafficking is the most profitable sources of funding for terrorist groups. Many countries participate in the drug trade, not by direct production of the substances, but as gateway routes from production site, to place of sale. Greece is an example of this. Although cannabis is the only illicit drug produced in Greece, and even then in small amounts, Greek authorities report that the use of drugs such as heroin is increasing.? Because of its European Uni... ...web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document?_m=de0e4e616baa3edeb0ff76f3c3c09e83... [xx] Turkish parliament set to debate high-profile corruption report, retrieved from the World Wide Web 14 December 2003 from http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document?_m=de0e4e616baa3edeb0ff76f3c3c09e83... [xxi] Bin Laden?s right hand man ?instructed? Istanbul bombers, retrieved from the World Wide Web 14 December 2003 from http://pda.ananova.net/news/story/sm_843556.html?menu=news [xxii] HR violations and globalization: human trafficking, retrieved from the World Wide Web 14 December 2003 from http://web.lexis-nexis.com/uiniverse/document?_m=1db322a792b6aee2e9c24afdd475ef5a... [xxiii] HR violations and globalization: human trafficking, retrieved from the World Wide Web 14 December 2003 from http://web.lexis-nexis.com/uiniverse/document?_m=1db322a792b6aee2e9c24afdd475ef5a...

Good vs Evil in the Last of the Mohicans Essay

In â€Å"James Fennimore Cooper’s† novel The Last of the Mohicans, the characters Hawkeye and Magua, shows a perfect example of good versus evil. Their chance meeting in the wilderness brings the two men together and ultimately ends in a battle of wills. As in many novels, good sometimes wins over evil. Hawkeye and Magua are alike in many ways. These two men are the main characters in the novel of â€Å"James Fennimore Cooper’s†. Hawkeye and Magua are considered heroes, good scouts, and excellent hunters. They both have special interested in the two sisters, Cora and Alice. They have earned respect from their own tribe. In the novel of The Last of the Mohicans, Hawkeye is the main protagonist. He was adopted by the tribe and lives amongst the Indians. Hawkeye can never look Indian, since he comes from European blood, but he dresses, talks and respect the laws of the tribe. Hawkeye is a good man with lots of qualities. In the other hand, Magua is a Chief in the Huron tribe. Magua’s nature is the complete opposite of those in the Mohicans’s tribe. He is a villain because the pain he suffered from the loss of his family in the hands of the Europeans. Magua dies in the end of the novel by the hand of Chingachgook, the adoptive father of Hawkeye. In conclusion, these two characters represent the good versus evil in the novel The Last of the Mohicans. It shows again the tremendous differences between right and wrong. Hawkeye and Magua, two different characters represent a perfect example of good hero and a deprivable villain.

My First day at sixth-form

I was sixteen and I had to make that same difficult question that everyone had to ask themselves at my age, ‘what am I going to do after I got my results from my GCSEs?' The day before I got my results I decided to go to Westwood ST Thomas sixth-form in stead of college. I have been at Westwood School for three years so I thought it would be easier to go somewhere that I knew and where they knew me. GCSE results day arrived; I took that short five minute walk for the last time of being a school girl. I got the magic envelope and opened it. I needed five C's or above to do the a-levels courses as planned. I took one look at the paper and my excitement turned into disappointment. I only got four C's. After talking to a careers adviser I decided what I should do. I had chosen to under-go a one year business course that would give me enough GCSEs that I needed. I went away that day feeling very low and disheartened that all my efforts didn't payoff. I felt like a year of my life was being taken away from me. 7AM, Monday morning, my alarm was beeping in my ear, Beep, Beep, beep. I rolled over and turned it off. I unwillingly thought ‘the first day of Sixth-form of what will be of a long year'. I was dragging my feet up the steep hill. A walk which was five minutes seemed like an hour. As I approached the school hill my heart was thumping in my chest. I told myself not to be so stupid. I had been at the school for three years but this time I was a student. As I walked through the gates nothing had changed! The old falling apart bike sheds which faced the gates were still there. I could see the three main blocks, where the specialist classes were held. Yep! The same old gloomy school. I got to where my tutor room was and sat down at an empty seat. I slowly one by one studied the people who are already settled in their seats. I didn't recognise anybody. They must be from different schools. I then studied the room, a big white board in the centre of the longest wall and around the other walls are notice boards with nothing on then. Surrounding the tables in the middle of the room are very old computers lined up against the wall. The decoration was an old off-white colour with paint starting to chip off the walls. The appearance and feeling was an old and depressing. I heard a familiar voice outside the room. It was my friend Amy. She walked in to the room and took her seat next to mine. I felt much relived that someone was in the group that I already knew. My new tutor and key teacher for the year, Mr Kendal, walked in to the room and sat down behind his big desk. He introduced himself then made each of us in turn introduce ourselves to the group. I am not the person for speaking in front of a group and felt my self go very red with embarrassment when it got to my turn. He gave us our student planner and the timetable; he went over some things that we were to do that year in the course. The time drove by so quickly. I looked at the clock and it was break time already. I had the chance to meet up with old friends and talk about what we did over the summer. When break time ended we all went back to our tutor rooms. This time I didn't know whether the sun was shinning through a different window, but I was starting to feel a bit more comfortable about the situation the room felt brighter, and a little more inviting. We had the tour of the school which lasted thirty minutes, and then we were allowed to go home. The walk home seemed like the old five minutes walk down the hill. I was feeling emotionally happy and pleased with the first day. (And it wasn't the fact it only lasted half a day). When I got home I told mum all about the day. I couldn't wait till bed time as I was exited about going back again the next day. (Even though it was an whole school assembly to meet the new Head Teacher). As I went to sleep that night I was still very happy, I thought, this year was not going to be as bad after all.