Comparative Paper Play School and Hi-5 Essay

Despite all the modern excitements that Network 9’s Hi-5 presents, the traditional and ABC’s Play School offers more for early learners. These two children shows are compared in the features of form, purpose, audience and social context. Hi-5 is contemporary and fast paced reflecting the modern culture whereas Play School maintains a sense of simplicity and the traditional elements which still fulfil the 21st century child. The importance of Hi-5 is to entertain whereas Play School educates effectively. The purpose of the opening credits is to draw out the wanted moods of the audience. Apparently, each calming episode of Play School begins with its symbolic, cheerful tune introducing the familiar characters. The opening animation is set in softer tones which attract an open gender audience with characters inviting them to, â€Å"come inside.† This sets up a comforting atmosphere where the children feel valued and safe, allowing learning to take place. Through the opening credits, Play School displays traditional, simple values which emphasize and develop their main purpose of education. Hi-5 is very much concerned with image, consumerism and technology, and as seen in the opening credits, it immediately reinforces the main purpose of entertainment. The vibrant colours which are almost glowing and the coloured patterns, female titled the audience into a state of joy, somewhat reproducing the scene at a disco. The opening credits heavily feature their Hi-5 logo, which in turn is a devious form of product placement. Overall, both shows’ opening credits are shown in a uniquely way. Play School is presented in a calm and a peaceful playful way, whereas, Hi-5 is shown in an upbeat and over exaggerated enjoyable, fun way. Whereas Hi-5’s priority is to create excitement and sell the product through setting and music, Play School’s aim is to provide education in an enjoyable way and helping the children’s intell igence and development. Play School is filmed in a studio resembling a house, in a safe, comfortable and calming surrounding encouraging learning. The realistic setting is provided with familiar, recognizable features such as house lights and colourful curtains. Many aspects of learning are taught through well-known songs sung in the traditional, common style to the simple supplement of a piano. The natural lighting adds to this sense of reality, and a controlled colour frame creates a calm, familiar mood for the audience. Hi-5 too, is shot in a studio, however, it is filmed with the presence of a live audience emphasising a concert setting, reinforcing its main purpose of entertainment. The vibrant lights blink like a performance, and the setting is spare with no familiar objects. This reflects modern popular culture, celebrity obsession and playful fun. Yet, while unfamiliar, Hi-5 is still very exciting, inspiring the children’s imagination forcing them to use their imagination. This creates a happy atmosphere emphasising an exciting and energetic mood reinforcing the main purpose of entertainment. Therefore, both television shows have different and similar ways to engage the audience and their emotions. The structure of these two shows is controlled by the film techniques and technology. Hi-5 relies on flashing disco, coloured effects and cameras, whereas, Play School relies on a more naive approach. The constant, linear panning and minimal editing present in Play School reinforces the slow, calming mood. The viewer’s point of view is enhanced through the use of camera angles and a balanced full range of shots. This reinforces closeness and a connection between viewer and presenter. The minimal use of technology in Play School is non-threatening; everyday objects are used to make craft which breaks down social barriers and encourages imagination. The toys used are familiar and old-fashioned, encouraging a sense of tradition. Hi-5 however uses modern filming techniques with multiple cameras and fast, complex editing. The camera angles and differing points of view are unusual adding to the excitement and overexcited emotions. Combined into Hi-5 is animation, using props and graphics which appeal to a slightly older audience who live in a technological world. The props used, increase the party image preventing children from using their imagination. The main purpose is to entertain, whereas the purpose of Play School is to educate. So therefore, the features used in both programmes differ in order to meet the intended purposes. Through the use of soothing and calm tones, Play School enables their viewers to feel safe, while engaging them in learning. Through repetition, questions, instructions, alliteration and rhyme, the presenters repeat that learning is easy and fun. The combination of languages like in the simple song, â€Å"Bravo Bravisimo,† and the inclusion of sign language, Play School highlights social acceptance and multiculturalism creating a stronger bond between the viewer and th e presenters, reinforcing the purpose of education. The light, good humour is also combined to fulfil their secondary purpose of entertainment. Hi-5 uses the sophisticated and complex humour of jokes and parodies. Through giggling for instance, an exaggerated and happy tone is created as the presenters attempt to reflect a child’s intelligence. This is further reinforced through the regular use of everyday language creating an overly friendly environment, whereas, the exaggerated body language reinforces entertainment and excitement. Through developing forms, purposes, audiences and social context Hi-5 and Play School contrast hugely. It is clear that the purpose of Play School is to educate whereas entertainment is the main purpose of Hi-5. Through aiming the intended emotions at their audience, both these programs achieve their intended purpose and social context.

My Favorite Car Essay

On March 20th 2013, I woke up and directly drove to the Leith Honda dealership to fix my car. While it was being fixed, I noticed an Infiniti dealership. I walked there to browse some cars, just to kill time. As soon as set foot onto the dealership I found the most breath – taking and luxurious sports car. I took a peek inside the window and was astounded. Sometimes they say you can fall in love at first sight, here I found my first love the Infiniti G37 IPL. According to Twitchell objects that you own forms your identity. Meanwhile, Rosenbaum denies objects identifying who you really are. What do you think; do objects really have that kind of power to reflect people’s images? For me, the Infiniti G37 IPL is the perfect fit for my identity. The Infiniti Performance Line represents the pinnacle of the Infiniti innovation and craftsmanship. Luxury and performance are amplified the IPL G Coupe: the exclusive IPL – tuned engine and suspension augment the driving experience while aggressive styling and aerodynamics visually express the elemental strength contained within. The Infiniti G37 IPL defines my character based on its luxurious style, performance, strength, technology, safety and rejuvenating features. First, I would like to begin with the styling of The Infiniti IPL G Coupe’s style defines me in many different aspects. The Car is uniquely sculpted from and rear fascias, side sills, and rear spoiler enhance the aerodynamics of the IPL G Coupe and visually express inspired performance. Zero – lift front and rear dynamics allow the tires to grip the pavement, providing you with more confidence at higher speeds. I am type of person who really cares about style. I tend to be athletic and picky when it comes to cars. The most important detail in a car is the style because it shows other people what type of person I might be. The seating of the IPL G Coupe is sculpted, deep – bolstered seats with unique red stitching embrace the driver and front passenger in soft, sumptuous leather, as luxurious as it is stunning. The seating connects the driver to the handling of the machine with standard 12 – way power driver adjustments with memory functions that adjust the moment you start the car. The beauty of the wheels in this car is just unbelievable. They are lightweight, aluminum – alloy 19 inch wheels channel the power of the IPL G Coupe into momentum that strokes emotion. The split 7 – spoke wheels are clad in summer performance tires for unrelenting grip and finished in a graphite color for a look that radiates aggression. Next I would like to give specific details about the astonishing technology innovated into this breath – taking vehicle. The 11 – speaker Infiniti studio on Wheels by Bose was designed to help music retain its richly – authentic sound. Infiniti engineers created the first manufacturer system that delivers the music’s power from the front, with sound washing through the cabin from front to back, as in a live performance. The system is enhanced by 10 – inch subwoofers that the vehicle’s front doors were literally designed around and a unique Driver’s Audio Stage setting that optimizes the balance of sound to focus solely on the driver. Also, it has a rearview monitor when engaging in reverse mode your vehicle information system displays images from a discreetly – mounted color camera on the rear of the vehicle. Colored guidelines help give you and accurate sense of how close you are to objects behind, and they adjust as you turn, to show your path. As an added measure, the Rear Sonar System emits a beeping tone and displays an icon on the Rearview monitor display when an obstacle appears near the rear bumper. The technology inserted in this vehicle is amazing. It is a dream coming true for any young intelligent man driving one. Last but not least, I would love to talk about the performance and safety about this car. The power output of this vehicle is impressive. It is 3. 7 – liter 24 – valve V6 engine, the IPL G Coupe has been tined to produce more torque and an additional 18 horsepower. IPL enhancements intensify the feel of acceleration, delivering a more exhilarating driving experience. Advanced high – flow dual air intakes help the engine breathe more freely, reducing air resistance and improving output. Low – friction coated pistons reduce resistance, while Variable Valve Event and lift intake technology boosts performance while improving emissions and fuel efficiency. With all the interesting details about the performance of this vehicle, you might think it is unsafe to be in one of the fastest on the road, but it has safety precautions built into it to prevent any danger to all passengers. It contains advanced braking, which is the 4 – wheel anti – lock braking system, which helps apply the maximum brake force you need in order to prevent a collision. It also has an impact protection that consists of an advanced air bag system which adjusts their inflation rate depending on the crash. Basically, you have safety precautions for other safety systems. This car and I share many characteristics together. It defines who I am in many different ways. The moment I drove it, I fell in love with the start engine and exhaust sound. At first I really didn’t think objects really define who you really are, but after that incident it made me realize that objects can reflect what type of person you are. Driving this Infiniti made me see the truth of how performance, luxury, style, safety, and technology can really differentiate from other rides. Driving an Infiniti G37 IPL would give you a better status, and make you luxurious, sporty, and classy.

Tobacco tax

Tobacco tax: good for health, government finances Tobacco use kills over 5 million people each year and is the largest single preventable cause of premature death. l Tobacco is very costly to society through high costs to treat tobacco-induced disease or through loss of productivity as a result of the premature deaths. But governments have a tool to combat the costs of tobacco use † tobacco taxation.Higher tobacco prices decrease consumption and encourage people to quit Increasing the price of tobacco products Is the single most effective way to reduce consumption-2 Ralslng prices discourages uptake of tobacco se by young people and motivates people to quit tobacco use, while raising government revenues. 3 Numerous studies in high income countries have shown that a 10% increase in cigarette price decreases consumption by about 4%. 4 Available data indicate that consumption in low and middle income countries is even more responsive to price.For example, the estimated decreases w ould be about 5. 5% in China, 5. 2% in Mexico and 5. 4% in South Africa. 5,6,7 For tobacco products other than manufactured cigarettes, studies are comparatively rare, although similar effects have been found. 8 Price (SA rand) Packs 100 25 Real Cigarette prices (2008 base) Packs sold per capita 15 10 5 20 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2009 Year Inflation-adjusted cigarette prices and cigarette consumption, South Africa, 1980-2009 Higher tobacco prices save lives Decreasing consumption would translate into lives saved.The World Bank has estimated that tax increases to raise the price of cigarettes by 10% would: 00 Cut the number of smokers in the world by 42 million † 38 million of them in low to middle income countries; 00 Save 10 million lives † 9 million of them in low to middle income countries. 9 PHOTO: WBB Trust WWW. NCDALLIANCE. ORG How many lives could tobacco tax increases save? Recent economic analyses for countries with large numbers of smokers found that: in China: in Russia: Increasing tax from 40% to 68% of the retail price would: Increasing tax from 37% to 70% Increasing tax from 33% to 70% OOGenerate IJS$16. billion a year in additional tax revenue OOGenerate IJS$6. 5 billion a year in OOGenerate IJS$4. 9 billion a year in OOHelp 54. 6 million smokers to quit OOHelp 10 million smokers to quit OOHelp 5. 4 million smokers to quit oosave 13. 7 million lives12 OOSave 3. 5 million lives OOSave 1. 3 million lives14 Tobacco and poverty Those living on lower incomes are more likely to smoke, and policy makers are sometimes concerned that increasing tobacco tax will penalise people who are already living in reduced circumstances.But it is important to note that poorer smokers are also the most price sensitive † in other words, they are the most likely to quit or reduce their consumption of tobacco when taxes are increased. This has been confirmed in multiple studies. For example, when tobacco excise was increased in South Africa over s everal years in the mid to late 1990s, the largest reductions in smoking prevalence were seen among young people and low-income earners. When smokers quit, their families benefit in two ways: through improved health and through improved finances † money previously spent on tobacco products can be spent on food, education and other necessities. If policy makers are concerned about the economic impact of tobacco tax increases on low-income smokers who do not reduce their consumption, they can invest part of the added tobacco tax revenue in social spending. 13 In addition to savings to the public sector, business can also benefit from a healthier workforce, with lower absenteeism and fewer losses of skilled workers through early retirement due to illness or early death.A cost-benefit analysis in the I-JK showed that a 5% tobacco tax increase over the rate of inflation would increase government tax revenues by over IJS$814 million a year and result in wider economic benefits of ov er $440 million per year in the first five years of the policy. 18 Tobacco use is the one risk factor common to the main groups of NCDs. Accelerated implementation of the FCTC is an essential way to tackle NCDs and save lives. 1 World Health Organization (2009) WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic 2008.Geneva: World Health Organization. 2 World Health Organization (2004) Building blocks for tobacco control: a handbook. Geneva: World Health Organization. 3 Jha P Chaloupka F. (1999) Curbing the epidemic: governments and the economics of tobacco control. Washington, DC: World Bank. 4 World Health Organization (2010) WHO technical manual on tobacco tax administration. Geneva: World Health Organization. 5 Hu T-w, Mao Z, Shi J, Chen W (2008) Tobacco taxation and its potential impact in China.Paris: International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. Tobacco tax increases benefit the economy Governments benefit directly from tobacco tax increases. Increased revenue can pay for tobacco control interventions, combating infectious isease or other priority national programmes. Countries with efficient tax systems have benefitted from substantial tax increases.

Subordination of People to Systems and Organisations in the 21st Essay

Subordination of People to Systems and Organisations in the 21st Century - Essay Example Morgan further illustrated his views by studying eight organisational metaphors: Machines: Organisations can be perceived to be logical enterprises, which are created to accomplish predetermined objectives in a competent manner through the linear aspects of cause and effect. Organisms: Organisations can be viewed as being living organisms that aim to transform in such a manner that they are capable of surviving or remaining relevant in a changing environment. Brains: Organisations can be viewed as being a type of brain that is flexible, inventive, and resilient. Here, the facility for intelligence is presumed to be distributed all through the enterprise, thus allowing the entire system to self-organise and develop along with the rising challenges. Cultures: Organisations can be said to be mini-societies that have their own rituals, values, beliefs and ideologies. They can also be defined as continuing procedures of reality construction that permit people to see and appreciate particu lar actions, events, comments, objects, and situations in distinct ways. For example, most restaurants have â€Å"back of the house† as well as â€Å"front of the house† operations (Morgan, 2006). Workers at the front are usually hired to portray a certain appearance as well as personality. The employees serving in the back might not have similar dress codes as those in the front because the culture there is totally different. Political Systems: Organisations can be perceived to be structures of political activity, with outlines of conflict, competing interests, and power. Psychic Prisons: Organisations can be viewed as being systems that get caught up in their own objectives in which mind traps, obsessions, strong emotions, narcissism, anxiety, illusions of control, and defence mechanisms are at the centre of attention. Flux and Transformation: Organisations are perceived as being representations of the lengthy processes of change. Instruments of Domination: Organisat ions are perceived to be systems that take advantage of the natural environment, their workers, and the worldwide economy to accomplish their own objectives (Robertson, Wang and Trivisvavet, 2007) Managers usually oversee functions in all organisations. A manager is a person who organises, plans, controls and leads the activities as well as the employees of an organisation in an efficient way that leads to the organisation realising its objectives. Management specifically concerns the managers of a business as well as their responsibilities in that organisation. Many people believe that managers are made, not born; while others feel that managerial skills form an intrinsic quality that cannot be taught. It has been suggested that the reality is a combination of both opinions (Morgan, 2006). A manager has to have an intrinsic potential before the talent can be fine tuned into being a useful skill. The basic underlying skills are not enough to make a person become a good manager. The inborn skill to be manager has to be developed in the right environment and given

Mao and Dynastic History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mao and Dynastic History - Essay Example At an early age, Mao liked to read popular historical books concerning political turmoil and unconventional military heroes. He liked the artistic works of Kang Yuwei, a nationalist reformer in China, and admired the earlier political generations of Chinese history. Indeed, China's last dynasty started to succumb the moment Moa founded the Chinese Communist Party in 1921. Thirteen years later, the political party had a membership of more than eighty thousand individuals. Chiang Kai-shek, a commander of the Nationalist Army, ordered his army to pursue members of the Chinese Communist Party. Although faced with challenges and mistrust, Mao’s party formed an alliance with the Nationalists against the Japanese government during the Second World War. Later on, the Nationalists fled to Taiwan during a civil war that the communists won under Mao’s leadership. Surely, there exist considerable similarities between Mao’s rule and former emperors who ruled in China. For exa mple, Mao established policies that allowed its government to redistribute some lands to peasant farmers. Mao provided a gateway to democracy and realization of human rights by providing college students with the freedom to carry out counter-revolutionaries. Similarly, the former emperors such as Liu Bang established friendly policies that lowered taxation rates and provided people with more freedom. However, Mao had a different leadership model that set in a motion of â€Å"Great Leap Forward† that aimed at safeguarding the industrial, agricultural, and construction sectors.

Community Health Project Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Community Health Project - Coursework Example With this concern, the community of Minneapolis MN can be determined as one of the largest cities in the United States with more than 387,000 citizens situated in the banks of the Mississippi river. The demographic description of Minneapolis signifies its increasing population which has been considered as one of the most populated areas among the 906 cities in the state of Minnesota. The average household income of Minneapolis can be estimated as USD 46,075 in the year of 2010. In the similar context, the median age has been estimated as 31.4 years old young people involving white, black and Hispanics within Minneapolis ethnic/racial groups (Cubit Planning, Inc., 2012). Windshield Survey The windshield survey of any community involves the collection of subjective data in a personal observation about any population or community. With this regards, the surveyors implement his/her good judgments in data collection process. In the context of conducting windshield survey for Minneapolis c ommunity, the assessment will be comprised with the comprehensive study of significant informational areas where the population or community resides. ... ding to systematic plans The general condition of the housing in the community were mostly traditional and hence require regular maintenance Open Space The space location within the community can be considered in a proper way of using open space among each building The open spaces are constructed noticeably in safe and attractive forms in Minneapolis community Common Areas The common areas for hangout in Minneapolis are the banks of Mississippi and Stone Arch Bridge The families, schools and college students spend their weekends in various attractive hangout areas within the community as well Transportation The transportation facility in Minneapolis consists of bus services, personal vehicles along with car rental facilities Moreover, the inhabitants use their motorbikes and bicycles as an efficient source of transportation Social Service Centers The community is surrounded with more than 25 healthcare institutions, both government and private as well Various healthcare facilities to cure different health issues are rendered to the locales A sufficient number of recreation centers along with special treatment centers and medical institutions are also present within the community Stores The resident shops in Minneapolis are mostly situated in the major streets of the community The shoppers of the community use personal as well as commercial vehicles during shopping The shops mostly serve with fresh food items including, groceries, fruits along with other necessities Street Scene The street environment of the community is significantly efficient due to a proper arrangement of shops and other business complexes There are no stray dogs and cats or â€Å"watchdogs† found on the street of Minneapolis community Condition of the Area The community can be considered as well-kept

Does affirmative action advance racial equality Essay

Does affirmative action advance racial equality - Essay Example In order to understand this, Britain’s example of racism can be considered that the groups which suffer the ultimate racial inequality are from minority groups of outside Europe. These minority groups are diversified with respect to their culture, race, living standards and their origination from different parts of the British colonial world due to which they experience many acts of disregard related to racial inequality. In order to make the situation better and to provide the minority with equal treatment it is necessary to take some affirmative actions which can advance racial equality and prevent the people from injustice and cruelty (Mckenna). The reason why affirmative actions are regarded as an effective source of solving the problem of racial inequality in United States of America is that it provides the evolution of civil rights in different parts where there is a racial inequality issue. It can be considered to a great extent that affirmative actions are necessary to be taken in order to curb the problems of racism. This should be done so as to help a qualified person when he loses the opportunities of advancement in his life socially, politically and economically. These actions will help him during the circumstances when he will be put back morally due to his race, gender and his socioeconomic status. Basically, affirmative actions are proposed to be taken as they can correct the effects of discrimination. So, these actions are actually designed to open the doors of equal treatment for every one regardless of the race, gender, color or creed. Furthermore, this will help the minorities in every direction. For instanc e, whether it is related to their field, their rights and the opportunities for which they are looking (Mckenna). Moreover, the reason for applying these actions is the uneven distribution of safety measures and effective institutions of democratic government. Many

SYLVIA LAVIN too much information Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

SYLVIA LAVIN too much information - Essay Example It creates situations whereby most of the artists become uncomfortable because curators use non-art materials to explain art. In fact, most of the artists consider such approaches as anticritical and dictatorial. Lavin agrees that curators are increasingly replacing artists in art exhibitions because of the dominant use of non-art material to explain art (Lavin 2). I agree with the issues Lavin raises in the article because contemporary art lacks a standard principle or ideology. An increasing number of art organizers are claiming ownership of art materials that they present in exhibitions. Contemporary artists have allowed themselves to be used by organizers of art exhibitions. In fact, most of the contemporary artists have little interest in displaying their work. Rather, they are interested in selling their ideas to the highest bidder thus compromising their position in the world of arts. Consequently, contemporary artists have converted organizers into artists. Organizers who manipulate artists and present the works of these artists as their own are currently dominating contemporary art. It is no wonder that organizers are dominating contemporary art

Production Method in Chicken Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Production Method in Chicken Industry - Essay Example In a wider point of view, some people may know utilitarianism as way to contrary Human Rights but utilitarian have answered to most of these questions or at least tried to bring a justification to disavow these ideas.7 "Utilitarianism consists of two doctrines: A theory of what is Right, and a theory of what is Good."8. In the first section of this case study we will try to bring enough justification via utilitarian principles to persuade the consumers that the Supply Chain's position is in the best form of it in the current situation of the Chicken Industry in the United Kingdom. (poultry) being cheaper in our supermarkets today than twenty years ago. The supply chain of the industry consists of four key elements, the breeders, the factory farmers, the abattoirs/packers and the supermarkets. Consumer groups have in recent times been critical of every stage of the supply chain. The RSPCA considers "suffering of broiler chickens as one of the most pressing animal welfare issues in the UK today". Fifty percent of chickens entering the food chain are also known to carry campylobacter; a cause of food poisoning. Supermarkets have been criticised for using chicken in marketing promotions such as "buy one get one free" that cause farmers substantial loss of income."9 As mentioned before utilitarianism consists of two doctrines. The first one or "What is right" is actually Varieties of "Consequentialism". The first one is "Act Consequentialism" that states that an action is right only if it brings us benefits no matter if is a wrong decision. In our case study, the supply chain decides to sell the products in any way to prevent serious detriment to the whole system in long run no matter if it harms the consumer or cause farmers substantial loss of income. The best decision is the decision that gives the supply chain a benefit or prevents huge detriment. It is not important if a minority hurts or even become sacrificed. Farmers does hurt but they are a minority of the population. Customers hurt too but the supply chain decides to give them some incentive such as bringing the price to 50% via "buy one get one free" policy. This way, the chain and the consumers are happy but the farmers are not. This isn't much fair but it

Comparing the Great Depression to the Great Recession Essay

Comparing the Great Depression to the Great Recession - Essay Example Economists have often compared the two economic bad that have affected people throughout the world. This paper shall provide a comparative discussion on the two economic phenomena and draw parallels and differences on the two. To achieve this, the essay shall provide an outline understanding of the events that lead to the 1930s great depression, and the economic policy responses that were executed to handle the situation, and thereafter provide an understanding of the events that precipitated the 2008-2009 recession and the policy responses. Finally this paper shall provide a discussion of the major points raised by analysis of both phenomena. The exact cause of the market crash that lead to the great depression in the 1930s has been a subject of great debate, in as much as most economists contend that the 1929 New York market crash was just the smokescreen of the great depression; however, the crises are more complicated and multifaceted (Eichengreen et al., 53). The great depression affected every bit of the world economy: manufacturing, agricultural, financial, political and social, and it is deemed the longest crisis with grave consequences. Much like the global financial crisis that occurred in the late 2000s, the United States led the way, and soon spread to the rest of the world. After the First World War, the period in the 1920s was synonymous with a economic boom, and the world economy was enjoying a period of improved growths, and in a similar manner the United States experiencing high growths was being referred to as the roaring twenties. The economic boom created a situation in which stock prices rose in every sector of the United States, and was not only confined to real estate; in fact, Galbraith (16) insists that between May 1924 and December 1925, there was an average of eighty percent rise in stock prices. To maximize their income on investment that were escalating, investors borrowed heavily, but economic theory always predicts

UNIT 4 INDIVIDUAL PROJECT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

UNIT 4 INDIVIDUAL PROJECT - Essay Example The company needs to target an unserved but profitable segment of the market to increase sales and boost image minus the fierce competition. Distribution channels. The company depends largely on department stores to sell its products. Reebok should explore other channels that would effectively promote the increased visibility of its products in the market. Intellectual property rights. The company produces its products through independent manufacturers in third world countries. Despite the enforcement of patent laws, knockoffs proliferate in many international markets which have an adverse affect on Reebok’s revenues. Our passion for winning creates our possibilities. We harness the boundless creative energy of every individual to make the differences that count - to captivate the consumer and create an exceptional global brand and organization. a. [Pros] Reduced production costs and lead time, increased gross margins in the long run and creates new sources of raw materials for footware product lines as well as develop more efficient distribution channels. a. [Pros] Reebok needs to stick to more conservative demand forecasts to effectively control marketing, advertising and other related expenses; minimize production problems, cut costs and generate adequate cash flow for debt servicing. 1. Recommending the implementation of the Market Development Strategy [Alternative 1] to increase brand value and gain a bigger market share, if not a controlling interest in the athletic shoes and sports apparel market. 5. Product lines intended for outdoor activities should also be developed apart from contact sports, with 40% of the subject segment looking for new outdoor activities, among them backpacking/hiking (47%), road biking (38%), camping (30%) and paddle sports (23%). (NPD Group, as cited in Rab, 2004) 1. Revamp of existing marketing platforms and repositioning to new segment must be

Prison and Facilities Offering Rehabilitation Essay Example for Free

Prison and Facilities Offering Rehabilitation Essay Prisoner Rehabilitation is when a criminal offender has been reformed of their criminal behavior. Many correctional facilities offer several different types of rehabilitation programs to the offenders that are housed within the facility; unfortunately with many states seeing budget cuts these types of rehabilitation programs are being cut. With the amount of facilities offering rehabilitation programs are dwindling and the amount of prisoners increasing this could lead to major problems in the future. Prisoner rehabilitation is a way to try and ensure that upon the offenders release that society is safe from the offender’s criminal ways. Some correctional facilities offer rehabilitation programs like drug and alcohol rehab, religion, and anger management and that is just a few (Foster, 2006). First discussed back in the Twentieth Century although it is believed to of been used before than. Rehabilitation has never been the soul reason for the incarceration of a person. Prison official were not able to give a defined and clear method of rehabilitation (Foster, 2006). Scientific penology was a major role in defining and conducting structured thoughts and scientific studies that can be utilized through rehabilitation (Foster, 2006). Rehabilitation programs have an effect on prisoners, prisons, and society in general in different ways. Prison inmates who have these types of programs available it gives them something constructive to do with their time; when you are incarcerated believe it or not but all you have is time to kill. These types of rehabilitation programs can have a positive impact on the inmate’s lives and in turn on society. If an inmate can complete rehabilitation program while incarcerated and change their lifestyle when released it benefits not only the inmate but also helps society. These programs can help offenders by building their self worth so that they can believe they deserve better than a prison life and let them know that there is something more out there other than the prison life. Some say that these types of programs don’t work and in some cases they don’t but in some they  do work and can give an inmate a real chance to survive outside of the prison walls without reverting back to their criminal ways. The major problem that I see with the rehabilitation programs would be the fact that they are being cut and facilities that offer these programs are being closed. I have a very close family friend that is mandated to go through rehabilitation program from the courts yet they are sent to a facility where the rehabilitation program is not even offered due to budget cuts. The budget cuts and closing of facilities are only going to add to the over crowding population of inmates within the corrections facilities. So my recommendation is that these types of programs need to be offered at every prison and should but be affected by budget cuts. Reference: Foster, B. (2006). Corrections: The fundamentals. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

The Malaysian Tobacco Industry

The Malaysian Tobacco Industry CHAPTER 1 The Malaysian tobacco industry is a copious industry which comprehends leaf production and curing, product manufacturing to product marketing and distribution. Tobacco is the countrys most widely cultivated non-food crop (British American Tobacco Malaysia). Malaysia is not considered as a large tobacco leaf producer by world standards. Neither is a major contributor to the Malaysian economy. However, tobacco farmers are used politically by the tobacco industry. According to a study conducted by Ernst and Young in June 2005 for the Confederation of Malaysian Tobacco Manufacturers, the industry contributes extensively to the countrys economy with more than 190,000 people depending on it for employment in 2003. Tobacco production has increased due to a rise in the demand for tobacco from cigarette manufacturers. (See Table 1.0) 1.1 Impact of Tobacco Use Cigarette demand has long been a crucial issue and has become especially prominent in the wake of the recent colossal settlements between government and cigarette companies ( Huang and Chin, 2006). According to the press statement by the Minister of Health, the Hon Dato Chua Jui Meng on Tobacco Control in Malaysia on 7th November 1996, cigarette smoking is an avoidable addiction which hold responsible for a massive 25% of all deaths in Malaysia. Smoking is a deadly and expensive pastime which is dangerous to both smokers and the second hand smokers (Costa and Mossialos,2006). Studies showed that 30% of cancer deaths and 90% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Malaysia were associated to smoking (The Star). According to World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco is going to be the biggest cause of death in the world if current pattern of smoking continue, with no changes in cessation rates or significant declines in initiation rates by 2020. There are more than one billion smoke rs in the world and 5.4 million people were killed by tobacco use a year. Moreover, smoking is not only destroying the health of the smoker but it is also an economic burden. These include primarily direct or indirect medical costs to the smokers and also productivity losses. Indoor places where smoking is allowed will incur a higher renovation and cleaning costs. The management will have to pay a lot to maintain the cleanliness in the workplaces. Furthermore, it increased the risk of fire and may acquire higher insurance premiums. Since the first report on tobacco by Surgeon General was released in 1964, awareness relative to the negative effects of tobacco use has increased. Smoking cigarettes during pregnancy can cause impromptu miscarriage, underweight babies and premature delivery. Most importantly, it will also cause sudden infant death (SID) syndrome. At the same time, it is also very dangerous for the people who do not smoke but breathing in a smoke-filled room. Second-hand smoke is a major source of indoor air pollution which can damage the health of both the children and adults. There are almost half of the worlds children breathe second-hand smoke today. In recent times, the smokers are increasing from day to day (See Table1.1). Despite of all the negative effects, smokers dont seem to be affected by the side effects. Teenage smoking is a severe problem in Malaysia and according to the World Tobacco Marketfile, the number of youth smokers are increasing (See Table 1.2). The risk of youth commencing tobacco use by socio-demographic, environmental and personal factors is increasing. Family with low socioeconomic status is an example of socio-demographic factor. There are more young people who smoke nowadays because tobacco products are easily accessible and available everywhere. Young people who are lack of parental guidance will be easily influenced by peers. These are the examples of environmental risks factor. While personal risk factors include low self-esteem and the belief that tobacco use provides an advantage which can help them to reduce stress. People who get older should understand the danger of smoking better than the youth . They should be able to experience the side effects if they have been smoking for quite some time. Some people may not be aware of the specific health risks of tobacco use as they are not exposed to the side effects. If the smokers are aware of the dangers of tobacco, most want to quit. 1.2 Governments Regulation towards Cigarette Demand The Malaysian government has done various efforts and implemented regulations restricting people to smoke. Government policy is divided into price and tax measures; and also non-price measures such as Protection from exposure to tobacco smoke; Regulation of contents of tobacco product; Regulation of tobacco product disclosures; Packaging and labelling of tobacco products; Education, communication, training and public awareness; Tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; and Tobacco cessation (Zain, 2007). National Tobacco Control Program is one of the strategies taken to reduce tobacco use. The general objective of this program is to provide comprehensive support and assistance to help smokers quit smoking. The programs include legislative control; health promotion and public advocacy; tobacco tax policy; smoking cessation services; research, monitoring and evaluation; multi-sectoral collaboration and capacity building. In legislative control, under the section on the Prohibition on Tobacco Product Advertisement of Control of Tobacco Product Regulations 2004 restricts printing, publishing or distributing of any tobacco product advertisement. It bans on cigarette advertisement on television and radio. Health warning messages are placed on every cigarette pack to raise peoples awareness. Furthermore, government has legislated smoke-free policy in Malaysia to curb smoking. There is total ban on smoking in government meetings. Places like health and educational facilities, governmental offices, public transport, shopping complex, cinemas and places of worship are smoke-free zone. Besides that, health promotion and advocacy covers campaigns such as Tak Nak Campaign; Healthy Lifestyle Campaign; Kempen Nafas Baru Bermula Ramadhan; World No Tobacco Day and also events by other agencies. On top of that, government also introduce excise duties on imported cigarette and further increase in sales and import tax . Increase tax will reduce the consumption on cigarettes without negative impact on revenue. At the same time, National Smoking Cessation Program was introduced to provide comprehensive support and assistance to help smokers to quit smoking. Under this program, it helps to inform and educate the smokers regarding the advantages of quitting smoking. Government has created a lot of awareness program to help people to quit smoking and the most effective strategy to reduce smoking is raising the price of the cigarettes. So as all these efforts and accumulation of knowledge are done, the demand for cigarettes and smoking should be reducing. 1.3 Problem Statement Tobacco use in Malaysia has escalated over the past years in spite of the numerous health warnings. Despite the various implementations of mass anti-smoking campaigns by the government, smoking is still a popular activity among the people. In the past there is a lot of domino effect of smoking leading to health problems yet it can seem surprising that some people still choose to smoke. Tobacco users still continue with it in pursuance of the risks or the expense because smoking is a habit hard to break for the reason that it contains an addictive drug called nicotine. In addition to that, the effect will be amplified this time around as the price of cigarettes increase simultaneously. Subsequently, the price affects the middle and lower income group of wage earner adversely because smoking is an expensive activity. The rising of cigarettes price will cause them to be overburdened by the rising living cost. People start smoking for a variety of different reasons. Although most of the people is aware that smoking is dangerous and harmful to the people around them but there are still 40-50 new smokers created everyday and the smoking popularity among the youth are increasing. There is about 9 out of 10 smokers start before the age of 18 years old (See Table 1.2). Most of the youth started to smoke as an act of rebellion and also because of peers pressure. The teenagers may not be conscious about the effects but it will become apparent later on in their life. Furthermore, survey has shown that the trend of young female smokers is increasing at such an alarming rate. According to the statistics by Healthy Living, it shows that there are 22% of smoker ages around 18 to 24 years old, 22.8% of smoker ages around 25 to 44 years old, 21% of smoker ages around 45 to 64 years old and 8% of smoker ages above 65 years old. 1.4 Research Question The questions arise in this study is: Will the people above the age of 65 years old decrease the consumption of cigarettes? Will the implementation of the government policy towards the cigarettes reduce the number of smokers in Malaysia 1.5 Objectives of the Study The general objective of this study is to determine the demand for cigarettes. More specific, this study tends to Determine the price and income elasticity towards the demand for cigarettes. Determine the impact of demand for cigarettes on aging population. 1.6 Significance of the Study This research on the aging population is important in the attempt to reduce the overall demand for cigarettes in Malaysia. This study will test the level of awareness of population of Malaysia on the impact of smoking between different age groups. Most of the diseases caused by tobacco use will only be noticeable when the users reach the later stage in life. This study will justify why policy makers should take into consideration people of all age groups when coming up with new policies regarding tobacco use, instead of focusing only on the younger population. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter is to review the existing literature on the demand for cigarette. There is a large volume of published studies describing the price and income elasticity on cigarette consumption. Furthermore, there is also a large and growing body of literature has investigated the effects of taxes and anti-smoking regulations on the demand for cigarettes. So far, there are only a few studies regarding the relationship between aging population and the consumption of cigarette. 2.1 Theoretical Studies of Demand for Cigarettes The law of demand is an important law in microeconomic theory. In theoretical economics, economists develop models to explore economic activity and outcomes. Reliable statements about economic behavior enable the prediction of probable effects of specific actions. The law of demand is an economic law that states that, all other factors being equal, as the price of good increases, demand for the good will decrease. This law summarizes the effect price changes have on consumer behavior. The negative relationship between price and quantity demanded is caused by two reasons. One of the reasons is the income and substitution effects. Income effect means that for a lower price product, a consumer can buy more than they could at the higher price point. Other similar products now seem more expensive compared to the lower priced product is the substitution effect. The second reason is the diminishing marginal utility for the inverse relationship between price and quantity demanded. Consumers get less satisfaction from each additional unit of product they consume over a specified period of time. They will only continue to buy if the price is reduced at each point. By increasing the real price of tobacco, a tax increase has colossal potential to be an effective policy lever to decrease tobacco consumption. The impact of taxes on tobacco consumption depends on the extent to which changes in taxes are reflected in tobacco prices and the responsiveness of consumers to changes in prices. People tend to reduce their consumption on tobacco use as the price increase. The demand functions show that cigarette consumption is related to the price of cigarettes, prices of related goods, income, and individuals tastes. A general conclusion from the precious studies is that tobacco prices and the demand are inversely related. Marshall illustrated the law of demand with both a table and a demand curve by assuming that the period of time is sufficiently short to justify a ceteris paribus assumption. 2.2 Empirical Studies of Demand for Cigarettes Several studies conducted have reported that there is an inverse relationship between the price and cigarette consumption and positive effect of income. Franke (1994) reveals that Granger Causality is significant from price and income to cigarette consumption in the United States. No significant change is observed in the estimated demand elasticity which occurred during the period studied. In order to test a model of the demand for cigarettes in the United States from the period of 1961 to 1990, he uses quarterly data and multiple analyses. The outcome of the study illustrates a positive effect of income and negative effects on price. Likewise, Zheng, Zhu and Li (2008), in a separate study also finds that there is indeed a positive income elasticity but negative cigarette price elasticity based on the best fixed-effects spatial-temporal model. They construct a demand equation to study on the elasticity of per pack cigarette price and per capita disposable income in 2008. This is done by considering the cigarette demand in a spatial panel of 46 states of the United States over a period of 30 years which ranged from 1963 to 1992. They then propose a new spatial panel model and implement a fully Bayesian approach for model parameter inference and prediction of cigarette demand at future time points using the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms. Chaloupka et al. (2002) examines data from documents of the tobacco industry to discover what tobacco companies know of the impact that cigarette prices has on smoking among youth, young adults and also adults. They assess on how this understanding would affect their pricing and price related marketing plans. The tobacco company documents provides velar evidence on the consequence of change in cigarette prices on cigarette smoking habits, relating how tax and other increases in price led to significant decline in smoking, predominantly among the younger people. They conclude that future efforts towards tobacco control which targets to increase prices and limit price related marketing efforts are critical in achieving reductions in tobacco use and public health toll caused by tobacco. This view is supported by Fernà ¡ndez et al. (2004) which shows that between the period of 1965 and 2000, there is indeed an inverse relation between the prices and consumption of cigarette in Spain, wh ich indicates that involvement at the economic level, for instance real increases in price may have an important public health impact in control of tobacco. Correspondingly, Gallus et al. (2006) present a similar study to determine the influence that cigarette prices has on tobacco consumption in Italy. A survey is conducted on 3050 individuals aged 15 and above which suggests that prices had an intermediate to high influence on cigarette consumption in the young. Younger people as well as less educated smokers are more susceptible to an influence of prices. They conclude that cigarette prices have substantial influence on tobacco consumption in the younger people. On the contrary, Raptou et al (2005) argues that cigarette demand is extremely insensitive to changes in price. They employ data collected via questionnaires which was administered by personal-in-home interviews and estimate a two part model of cigarette demand (Cragg, J. G. B Some Statistical Models for Limited Dependent Variables with Application to the Demand for Durable Goods, Econometrica, 39, 5, 1971, pp. 829Y44). They conclude that cigarette price measures would not affect cigarette demand. However, it is discovered that smoking restrictions in workplace areas as well as educational establishments, and also most of the psychosocial variables will affect the demand of cigarette. According to Huang and Yang (2006), current estimates of the income elasticity to cigarette demand have shown a troubling result which is nearly zero or sometimes negative income elasticity. They engage in a four-regime panel model (dynamic fixed effect) which is use to predict the function of cigarette demand within the United States with intentions to investigate the nonlinearity embedded in the cigarette demand structure. They apply a multi-regime model to 47 states using data from 1963 to 1997. They claim that there is a nonlinear relationship between personal income and cigarette consumption. Evidently, as income rises, cigarette has become an inferior good. The results from the four-regime model suggest that income elasticity is negative when per capita income is greater than US$ 8,568 but become is positive though insignificant when income is above US$ 18,196. In the income ranging from US$ 8,568 and US$ 18,196, the income elasticity is significantly negative. There is a nonli near relationship which prevailed for the price elasticity. Furthermore, Martinez, Mejia, and Estable (2008) claims that the demand for cigarettes in Argentina over the long term is influenced by the changes in real average price and real income of the cigarettes in Argentina. They analyse the data based on monthly time-series data between the periods of 1994 to 2004. The results that they obtain show that when the prices are increased at 120%, a maximum of revenues from the cigarettes tax can be attained and also there is a big effect on the reduction of the total consumption of cigarettes within the country. Similarly, Abedian (2000) also states that there is an inverse relationship between the price and consumption of any good which include cigarettes. This negative relationship is further affected by other factors such as income levels and the degree of addiction. He argues that increasing tobacco consumption is a problem faced in a developing country and it could bring harm to the people. He also argues that there are no adverse economic consequences following such policy framework. In 2000, Joni Hersch in his studies states that smoking behavior relates to the changes in price, which is not unlike many other economic commodities. He finds that a higher price would reduce demand for cigarettes in both men and women with regard to smoking participation and cigarette consumption levels, with elasticity ranging from -0.40 to -0.60. In distinction to other studies, he finds that the price elasticity is alike for both men and women. Income also has negative effects on smoking behavior. He also states that excise tax policies can dissuade smoking, but their effects will be largely restricted to the low income segment of the population. This finding suggests that there might be constructive responses by smokers to informational efforts which warn about the dangers of smoking and also the environmental tobacco smoke poses to others, especially when it is a member of ones household. Further observations suggest that increase in taxes also play an essential role in reducing cigarette consumption. Following recent years, there has been a growing amount of literature on higher prices that result from increased tax leading to significant reductions in cigarette smoking. A recent study by Chaloupka et al (2010) which performs to supply empirical evidence on the consequence of the cigarette excise tax structure towards three outcomes which are the government revenue, cigarette prices, and cigarette consumption. A cross-sectional time-series data for 21 European Union (EU) countries is composed from year 1998 to 2007 out of various data resources. The estimates suggest that the greater reliance on the ad valorem excise tax leads to lower average cigarette prices and larger price gaps between premium and low-priced cigarette brands. In addition, these impacts from the tax structure are smaller in more concentrated or less competitive markets. They also propose that a la rger reliance on a specific tax will have a greater impact on cigarette smoking, but the impact lessens with the growth of manufacturers market power. In view of this, Peng and Ross (2009) estimates the Ukraine population in its sensitivity to prices of cigarettes and the cigarettes affordability using the macro level data with the aim to compute the efficiency of cigarette tax policy. They use a monthly time-series data from 1997 to 2006 in Ukraine to estimate the generalized least square (GLS) model with an AR(1) process. The result shows that the cigarette price is not significantly associated with legal domestic sale of cigarette. Higher household income and more active outdoor advertising have positive and significant impact on cigarette sales. There is also a positive relationship between the affordability for cigarette and legal domestic cigarette sales. Increasing the cigarette excise tax by 10% would increase the price of cigarettes by 3%. This shows that cigarette tax policy can be used to regulate cigarette price in Ukraine. The people are found to be relatively insensitive to cigarette prices and cigarette taxes, even t hough of low magnitude, but the effect of cigarettes affordability is significant statistically. Similarly, Lee et al. (2005) concludes that price elasticity of cigarettes is approximated to be less than one, which implies that the tax will have some result in reducing cigarette consumption, although it will also generate further tax revenues. Moreover, Hidayat and Thabrany (2010) study the demand for cigarettes in Indonesia using a myopic addiction model and uses it to analyse the price elasticity of cigarette demand. They use an aggregated panel data structured from three waves of the Indonesian Family Life Survey over the period of 1993 to 2000. They claim that the short run and long run price elasticity of cigarette demand are estimated to be at -0.28 and -0.73 correspondingly. Price increases have a significantly negative impact on cigarette consumption. Increasing cigarette prices via excise taxes can control tobacco use and thus raise government revenue. They then conclude that excise taxes are more likely an efficient tobacco control rather than a key source of government revenue in the long run. Besides that, Lee (2008) conduct a study which analyses the readiness of current smokers to stop the smoking habit or reduce the consumption of cigarettes when experiencing an increase in tax of NT $22 per pack, which is a consequent rise of 44%. Lee uses cross-sectional study on 483 valid questionnaires conducted during a telephone survey from April to July 2004, targeting current smokers aging 15 years and above, around the 23 major cities in Taiwan. The methods that he uses to measure the elasticity in cigarette demand are the Tobit regression model and also the maximum likelihood method, and estimation results shows a price elasticity of -0.29 following the 44% increase in the cigarette price. Interestingly, the most significant response to the increase in price was found among women, smokers with low salary, smokers who are only moderately addicted, and smokers who purchase low priced cigarettes. Lee concludes that the smokers are relatively insensitive to a hike in cigarette pr icing, since the prices of cigarettes are low in Taiwan. Thus, a marginal increase in cigarette tax would consequently reduce cigarette consumption and thus also increase the cigarette tax revenue of the government and the income of cigarette merchants effectively. This result is consistent with the findings of previous studies by Townsend (1996) and Sissoko (2002) which reflects that the price has a major effect on cigarette consumption and consequently diseases caused by smoking, especially in low income groups. Progressive rise in cigarette tax rates offer a powerful contribution to policy for reducing cigarette consumption and generating extra government revenue. Consequently, when Ross and Al-Sadat (2007) evaluate income elasticity and the price on cigarette demand and also the effect of cigarette taxes towards cigarette demand and cigarette tax revenue within Malaysia, they find that income is positively connected to cigarette consumption. A 1% rise in real income boosts cigarette consumption by 1.46%. They use time series regression analysis for 1990 to 2004 applying the error-correction model. The per-capita consumption of domestic and imported cigarettes is calculated using the excise tax and import duties collected by the Malaysian government and the size of the adult population which are aged above 15 years old. The model estimates that a rise in cigarette excise tax from RM 1.60 to RM 2 per pack will effectively reduce cigarette consumption in Malaysia by 3.37%. They conclude that taxation is an effectual means for reducing cigarette consumption and deaths linked to tobacco while bringing up the revenue for the Malaysian government. According to Huang, Yang, and Hwang (2004), future cigarette consumptions will depend entirely on tax share, price and income elasticity of remaining heavy smoker. They use a panel unit root test to calculate the demand for cigarettes over the period of 1961 to 2002 for 42 states including Washington D.C. The cigarette data in this study is obtained from The Tax Burden on Tobacco published by the Tobacco Institute. They find that price and income elasticity are approximately -0.41 and 0.06. Other than that, a decrease in tax elasticity leads to decreasing price elasticity, and smaller tax shares seems to be interconnected to declining tax elasticity. This study shows an interesting implication, whereby cigarette consumption is a normal good to transfer payment recipients and wage earners, which however is an inferior good to the elderly population and stocks owners. In 2002, Hu and Mao examine a policy dilemma in China on public health against the tobacco economy through added cigarette tax. In order to analyse the impact of tobacco consumption and production towards government revenue and also to the entire economy, they use published data from 1980 to 1997. Imposition of cigarette tax increase will have a significant impact in generating extra central government revenue and reducing cigarette consumption. Therefore, increasing additional tax on cigarettes will be beneficial to the Chinese government from both the financial and public health perspective. Levy, Cummings, and Hyland (2000) use a simulation model to evaluate the effects of taxes on the smoking rate and smoking induced deaths. The method they use in their study projects the number of smokers and smoking attributable deaths from a baseline year of 1993. They find that increase in taxes is to reduce the percentage of the total population that smokes. Youth groups experiences greater effects. The effects of a tax hike tends to increase over time as younger individuals who are more responsive to price increase grows older, but federal and state taxes on cigarettes are currently set at a fixed amount per unit. Moreover, the price of cigarettes falls comparative to the purchasing power of the population as wages increase. These effects grow over time and lead to a substantial savings in lives and health care cost. Lanoie and Leclair (1998) investigate the relative ability of two anti-smoking policies which are taxes and regulations, in inducing a decline in cigarette consumption and in providing incentives to quit smoking. Based on a Canadian data over the period of 1980 to 1995, the results show that cigarette demand react to taxes with the elasticity of -0.28, not regulation. This result implies that the policies are both acting in a corresponding fashion to influence the incidence of smoking. In addition to that, Galbraith and Kaiserman (1997) analyses Canadian cigarette taxation and consumption within the period of 1980 and 1994. During that period, there is a large price rise and decline, and a dramatic increase in the consumption of the contraband tobacco products. In their study, they examine the elasticity of legal cigarette sales and total sales which include contraband with respect to the price of legal cigarettes and various other factors. They conclude that price elasticity regarding demand towards cigarettes tends to increase in absolute value over time, making taxation an increasing strong instrument with which to influence smoking behavior. In considering untaxed sales as well, it becomes clear that the sensitivity of total cigarette sales to the taxation instrument is much lower than would otherwise appear, and has fallen obviously. According to Meier and Licari (1997), a rise in federal tax is more successful than increases in state taxes in reducing tobacco use. Cigarette consumption drops when labels with health warnings were added. They use a pooled time-series analysis from the period of 1955 to 1994 with 50 states as units of the study. The effect of excise taxes on cigarette consumption for numerous different models and econometric techniques is asset to analyse the usefulness of state and federal taxes in bringing down the consumption of cigarettes and estimate the effect of government health warnings. Their study also shows how warnings and taxes interact. Tobacco control programs also has some impact towards the consumption of cigarettes as stated by Farrelly, Pechacek and Chaloupka (2003) that increase in tobacco control program expenditures reduce cigarette sales. Additionally, in reviewing the evidence on the effectiveness of comprehensive tobacco control programs, the recent Surgeon Generals Report on Reducing Tobacco Use concludes that comprehensive tobacco control programs work. Although these studies consistently suggest that state tobacco control programs decrease tobacco use, these studies can easily be confounded by changes in excise taxes, cross-border sales, and other factors. Nevertheless, Leu (1984) reveals that anti smoking advertisements in Switzerlands mass media has a significant permanent effect on cigarette consumption. It is a powerful instrument to reduce cigarette consumption. He claims that extended publicity, following the 1964 US Surgeon Generals Report, accompanying various tax increases which preceded by a public vote on an advertising ban for tobacco products, helps reduce consumption permanently by a total of 11%. It is also supported by Keeler et al (1993) who examine the impact of income, taxes, prices, and anti smoking policy on the consumption of cigarettes in California. They use a monthly time-series data throughout 1980 to 1990. He also declares that the effect of the increase in tax in the long run will be to decrease cigarette consumption. Anti-smoking regulations decreases cigarette consumption, and thus, it shows that consumers behave consistently with the model of rational addiction. CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY This chapter is to describe on the methods used in this study and the collection of data. It also explains the procedures used in collecting the data and the measurement of the variables. Thus, it provides a summary of expected result of the study. 3.1 Data types A time series data is used for the empirical analysis in this study. The data is collected annually over the period of 1998 to 2008. The types of data obtained are real price of cigarette, real income per capita, cigarette consumption, and also the aging population. 3.2 Data Source The secondary data is collected from the previous studies by other researchers. Mainly, the sources of data are from Departme

Bedside Index for Severity in Acute Pancreatitis (BISAP)

Bedside Index for Severity in Acute Pancreatitis (BISAP) Abstract Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of Bedside Index for Severity in Acute Pancreatitis (BISAP) score for predicting severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) in the early phase. Method The PubMed, Cochrane library and EMBASE databases were searched until May 2014. The strict selection criteria and exclusion criteria were determined, and we applied hierarchic summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) model and bivariate random effects models to assess thediagnosibility of the BISAP score for predicting SAP. We obtained pooled summary statistics for sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and calculated the area under the HSROC curve (AUC). The 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each diagnostic test measure were also calculated. Publication bias was assessed using Deek’s funnel plot asymmetry test. Statistical analyses were performed using the STATA12.0 software. Results The pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR, and DOR were 64.82%, 83.62%, 3.96, 0.42 and 9.41, respectively. The AUC was 0.77 and the HSROC curve for individual studies was generated and analyzed to explore the influence of threshold effects. Conclusion We confirmed that BISAP score is an accurate means to predict SAP in the early phase. Keywords: BISAP, HSROC curve, severe acute pancreatitis, acute pancreatitis Introduction Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an inflammatory condition of the pancreas with a clinical course that varies from mild to severe and characterized by activation of pancreatic enzymes to cause self-digestion of the pancreas 1. Generally, AP is mild, self-limiting, and requires no special treatment and ranges about 80-90% of patients with only minimal or transitional systemic manifestations, but about 20%-30% of patients develop a severe disease that can progress to systemic inflammation and cause pancreatic necrosis, multi-organ failure, and potentially death 1-4. So it is important to have an early, quick, and accurate risk stratification of AP patients, which would permit evidence-based early initiation of intensive care therapy for patients with severe AP (SAP) to prevent adverse outcomes and allow treatment of mild AP (MAP) on the common ward. Early identification of patients with SAP would allow the clinician to consider more aggressive interventions within a time frame that could pre vent possible complications. Currently, there are a variety of score systems developed for the early detection of SAP, such as Ranson’s score 5, acute physiology and chronic health examination (APACHE) II 6, 7 and computed tomography severity index (CTSI) 8. Also there are many inflammation markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and others 9, 10. Several studies show that cytokines play an important role in the cascading inflammatory responses 11 and it may act as mediators of distant organ complications in SAP. So the levels of cytokine in serum may also reflect the degree of the inflammatory response 12. In 2008, Wu et al. 13 proposed a new prognostic scoring system, the bedside index of severity in acute pancreatitis (BISAP), is a simple and accurateà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ method that can predict the clinical severity of AP within 24 h of presentation. BISAP incorporates five parameters: blood urea nitrogen > 25 mg/dL, impaired mental status, systemic inflammatory response syndrome ( SIRS), age > 60 years, and detection of pleural effusion by imaging 14. Unfortunately there has been no systematic or meta-analytic review of cross-sectional studies of this scoring system. The purpose of this study was to aggregate the reported data across the different studies and to assess the ability of the BISAP score to predict SAP. Materials and methods 2.1 Literature search The search was performed on three databases: PubMed, Cochrane library and EMBASE. These databases were searched from the first date available in each database up to May 2014, using the search terms ‘acute pancreatitis’ AND (‘BISAP’ OR ‘bedside index of severity in acute pancreatitis’). Once articles had been collected, bibliographies were then hand-searched for additional references. 2.2 Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria To be included in this meta-analysis, studies must meet the following criteria: (1) studies evaluate the BISAP score for predicting SAP; (2) the subjects were diagnosed with AP; (3) prospective study; (4) the absolute numbers of true positive (TP), false negative (FN), false positive (FP), and true negative (TN) test results were available or derivable from the article; (5) the clinical result of patients was indicated as SAP. Studies were excluded if one of the following existed: (1) the numbers of TP, FN, FP, and TN test results were not derivable from the article; (2) cross-sectional study; (3) non-original articles, such as review, meeting abstract, case report and comment; (4) duplicate of previous publications and data description is not clear. 2.3 Data extraction and quality assessment All data were extracted independently by two authors according to the inclusion criteria listed above. Disagreements were resolved by discussion or solved by consultation of a third reviewer. The following characteristics were collected from each study: the first author, year of publication, source, experiment design, sample size, the reference standard (gold standard), the numbers of TP, FN, FP, and TN and others. The QADAS (Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies) criteria were used to assess the quality of diagnostic accuracy studies included in this meta-analysis 15. Statistical analyses Hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) modeland bivariate random effects model were performed in STATA 12.0 (StataCorp, College Station, TX, USA) software using the program ‘metandi’ to generate pooled accuracy estimates of sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and calculated the area under the HSROC curve (AUC) 16. The HSROC curve for individual studies was generated and analyzed to explore the influence of threshold effects. The 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each diagnostic test measure were also calculated. Publication bias was assessed using Deek’s funnel plot asymmetry test 17. Results 3.1 Eligible Studies The process of selecting studies for the meta-analysis was shown in Fig. 1. There were 32 studies potentially eligible studies identified. Of these, 14 studies were excluded after screening based on abstracts or titles to avoid obvious irrelevance. Finally, 9 studies 14, 18-25 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. The data collected from the related studies was summarized in Table 1. Among these studies, kim et al. 20 reported the results of the meta-analysis with the cutoff values set at 2and 3, respectively. All patients were recruited within 24 h from the time of admission or transfer and used for the calculation of the BISAP scores. All included citations were prospective cohort studies. The absolute numbers of TP, FN, FP, and TN were calculated by sample size and the degree of sensitivity and specific. A summary of the quality of the studies was displayed in table 2. The included studies were not descript the tenth quality indicator (were the index test results interpreted without knowledge of the results of the reference?) and the eleventh quality indicator (were the reference standard results interpreted without knowledge of the results of the index test?) 15. At the same time, there are some studies not described in detail for eliminate and exit objects. 3.2 Meta-analysis The results of the HSROC model were show in Table 3. The pooled sensitivity of BISAP testing for the diagnosis of SAP was 64.82% (95% CI: 54.47%-73.74%), and the specificity was 83.62% (95%CI: 70.03%-91.77%). The pooled DOR was 9.41 (95%CI: 5.38-16.45), the PLR was 3.96 (95%CI: 2.27-6.89), and the NLR was 0.42 (95%CI: 0.34-0.52). The AUC of the HSROC was 0.77 (95%CI: 0.73-0.80) (Fig. 2). The I2 index of heterogeneity was 95% (95% CI, 91%-99%). 3.3 Subgroup Analyses There was a negative correlation between the logits of sensitivity and specificity (Spearman correlation coefficient, 20.09), indicating the present of an importanteffect of the diagnostic threshold (cutoff level) on the performance of BISAP score. The following cutoffs were selected for subgroups analysis (Table 4). Analysis of studies that set the BISAP cutoff point at 2, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR, and DOR were 67.30% (95%CI: 60.53%-73.42%), 78.28% (95%CI: 68.86%-85.46%), 3.10 (95%CI: 2.12-4.52), 0.42 (95%CI: 0.34-0.51) and 7.42 (95%CI: 4.39-12.54), respectively. The AUC of the HSROC was 0.70(95%CI: 0.66-0.74). Analysis of studies that set the BISAP cutoff point at 3, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR, and DOR were 61.18% (95%CI: 41.20%-78.00%), 88.64% (95%CI: 88%-97.18%), 5.39 (95%CI: 1.80-16.12), 0.44 (95%CI: 0.30-0.64), and (95%CI: 4.44-34.03), respectively. The AUC of the HSROC was 0.78 (95%CI: 0.75-0.82). 3.4 Publication Bias Deeks’ Funnel Plot Asymmetry Test for the overall analysis showed that no significant publication bias was found (P = 0.359, Fig. 3). Discussion Generally, Ranson, APACHE II, and CTSI scoring systems have been used to evaluate the severity of AP 22, 23. However, these techniques all have their inherent strengths and weaknesses. For example, the Ranson’s score 5 is relatively accurate at classifying the severity of AP, but the evaluation cannot be completed until 48 h, which will miss the potential for early treatment and increase mortality. The APACHE II system 6, 7 allows the determination of disease on the first day of admission and is more accurate than Ranson’s score, but complexity is its major drawback. CTSI 26, 27 is calculated based on CT findings of some local complications and cannot reflect the systemic inflammatory response. Recently, the BISAP score has been proposed as an accurate method for early identification of patients at risk for in hospital mortality 13. Several studies showed that BISAP score is a reliable and accurate means for predicting the severity of AP in the early phase 18, 22, 23. B ut these studies are not systematic, so we collect the reported data across the different studies and apply HSROC model and bivariate random effects model to assess the ability of the BISAP score to predict SAP. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR, and DOR were 64.82%, 83.62%, 3.96, 0.42 and 9.41, respectively. The AUC of the HSROC was 0.77. Our meta-analysis indicated that BISAP score is a reliable and accurate means to predict SAP. This meta-analysis assessed the diagnostic performance of BISAP in 1972 individuals from 9 research studies 14, 18-25. The results show that the performance of BISAP to predict the severity of AP has a good specificity, but moderate sensitivity in predicting SAP. In addition, compared with other scoring systems in predicting SAP, BISAP has a higher specificity but a lower sensitivity 21-23, 28. The low sensitivity may be caused by these factors. First, the characteristics of study participants are differences (cultural and geographical differences), such as lifestyle, race, and genetic basis. Second, etiologic distribution may also explain the noted differences. Third, the different definitions of SAP may also be a reason for these variations. The HSROC curve presents a global summary of test performance and shows the tradeoff between sensitivity and specificity. The summary DOR and the AUC of the HSROC were 9.41 and 0.77, respectively.The predictive accuracy of BISAP scoring system was measured by AUC. An AUC of 1.0 represents a perfect test, whereas an AUC of 0.5 represents a test that performs no better than chance 29. The result revealed that the discrimination of disease severity was good in our study, which is similar to other reports. DOR is a single indicator of test accuracy that combines the sensitivity and specificity data into a single number. The DOR of a test is the ratio of the odds of positive test results in the patient with disease relative to the odds of positive test results in the patient without disease. The value of a DOR ranges from 0 to infinity, with higher values indicating better discriminatory test performance (higher accuracy).A DOR of 1.0 indicates that a test does not discriminate between pa tients with the disorder and those without it 30. In the present meta-analysis, we found that the pooled DOR was 9.41, also indicated a high level of overall accuracy. Since the HSROC curve and theDOR are not easy to interpret or use in clinical practice, and likelihood ratios are considered to be more clinically meaningful, we also presented both PLR and NLR as our measures of diagnostic accuracy. Likelihood ratios of > 10 or 31. The PLR and NLR value were 3.96 and 0.42, respectively. This result performed similar to traditional scoring systems in predicting SAP and suggested that the accuracy of still need to improve. But BISAP is relatively simple and had greater accuracy than other scoring systems, making it a promising method of predicting SAP 14, 19, 21, 28. Furthermore,it may be combined in medical decision-making at the extreme of the prediction range, such as enrollment criteria for clinical trials, and as triaging intensive care unit admission 32, 33. We also explored systematically the issue of heterogeneity by use of subgroup analysis. In our analysis, the diagnostic threshold presented an important effect on the performance of BISAP score. The results demonstrated that a BISAP score of 3 had greater accuracy and high predictive value than a score of 2 for predicting SAP. Our meta-analysis had several limitations. First, when the BISAP scoring system converts continuous variables into binary values of equal weight, it fails to capture synergistic or multiplicative effects based on the interactions of interdependent systems 21. Future research could focus on comprehensive reassessment of the pathologic mechanisms of AP with attention to the effects of preexisting risk factors (e.g. age, obesity, genetic) and well-defined end points, identification of accurate biomarkers to assess activity on these pathways, and mathematical models that have strong predictive accuracy. Second, the exclusion of conference abstracts, letters to the editor, and non-English-language studies might have led to publication bias, which was not found in the present review. However, a review of these abstracts and letters suggested that the overall results were similar to the results in the English language studies included. Third, there is a risk for publication bias in which positive results or results with ‘expected’ findings are more likely to be published. We made every possible effort to minimize this type of bias by contacting investigators in the field of BISAP. If editors were more likely to publish manuscripts showing the ‘expected’ results of a good diagnostic performance for BISAP, then our results may be overestimating the real diagnostic performance of BISAP. In conclusion, we confirmed that BISAP score is an accurate means to predict SAP in the early phase. Due to simplicity and easily obtained parameters, BISAP score should gain broad acceptance in routine use not by replacing clinical assessment, but rather by complementing and objectifying it.

Classical Approaches to Teaching English as a Second Language Essay

During the last hundred years, English has become the most important language in the world. In the contemporary age, learning any foreign tongue has become both fashionable and necessary. But is there a perfect method which can be applied to achieve the appropriate level of English? I have been learning English for more than 10 years, but have never realized that there are so many different techniques and approaches to teach English as a second language. While studying, I have noticed that I had experienced some of them at the primary and secondary school. In this essay I would like to present my personal opinions and reflections about the approaches I encountered, the ways they were presented and exploited by my English teachers. First, I want to concentrate on the Grammar-Translation Method. Personally I think that many teachers use this technique while teaching a foreign language, but they do not even realize it. We may contend that it is the most common method, due to the fact that it is considered to be quite easy. I contend there is nothing more complicated than to give students a passage to translate from one language to another. Is it interesting or challenging for the students? I do not think so. I remember I did a lot of translation at school and that was not my favorite activity. Besides, it was hard for us to find any purpose in them. Apart from that, most of my classmates were simply bored. Sometimes it was too difficult and we had to spend many hours to find the meaning of a particular word in a dictionary. Without a doubt, that was not the way I wanted to learn English. Furthermore, translating a literary text was something entirely useless for me. And although we were rarely exposed to such a t ranslation... ... teacher and gave the commands to the class. Our favorite game was â€Å"Simon says†. It was considered to be quite easy because students did not have to repeat the commands but respond physically. Even when somebody made a mistake and showed something in a wrong way, he or she was not discouraged, because for us it was like playing not learning. In the final analysis, I must admit that I did not come across the perfect method to teach English. Every technique has its advantages and disadvantages. It all depends on the teacher; how and what he/she is going to adopt from a particular approach to his/her lesson. One thing I know for sure: we should not force students to learn a language in a way that is the best for us. To sum up I would like to quote a sentence which I found very interesting: â€Å"If the students don’t learn the way you teach, teach them the way they learn†.

A Straightforward Wedding Speech by the Groom -- Wedding Toasts Roasts

A Straightforward Wedding Speech by the Groom I've put a bit of a speech together today, but after the previous speaker put us all to sleep I'll try to make mine a bit more interesting and entertaining. Sorry; only joking. On behalf of my beautiful wife and I, we would like to thank you all for coming along, and sharing this very special day with us. And a huge thank you for the wonderful presents. I would like everybody here, especially my wife, to know how lucky and proud I am to be standing here today speaking to you as her husband. She is beautiful, caring, intelligent. charming and (pause) ... What's that?... I can't read your writing darling! Seriously though, I am overwhelmed at how beautiful she looks, and can't believe how privileged I am that she has become my wife. ...

Japanese Internment Camps Essays -- Japanese-Americans in WWII

World War II was a time of deliberate hate among groups of innocent people who were used as scapegoats. Japanese-Americans were persecuted due to the fact that they looked like citizens of Japan, who had attacked the United States on December 7th, 1941 at the naval base, Pearl Harbor. This hatred toward the group was due to newspapers creating a scare for the American people, as well as the government restricting the rights of Japanese-Americans. The Japanese-Americans were mistreated during World War II for no other reason than being different. These men, women, and children were loathed by the American public for looking like the people of the Japanese army that had attacked the United States. These people were only hated by association, even though many had come to the United States to create a better life for their family. The federal government ruled most of the reasons behind Japanese internment camps. Further than two-thirds of the Japanese who were sentenced to internment camps in the spring of 1942 were in fact United States citizens. The internment camps were the centerpiece for legal confines of minorities. Most camps were exceedingly overcrowded and with deprived living conditions. The conditions included â€Å"tarpaper-covered barracks of simple frame construction without plumbing or cooking facilities of any kind.† Unfortunately, coal was very hard to come by for the internees, so most would only have the blankets that were rationed out to sleep on. As for food, the allotment was about 48 cents per internee. This food was served in a mess hall of about 250 people and by other internees. Leadership positions within the camp were only given to the American-born Japanese, or Nisei. Eventually, the government decided that... ... group of citizens was treated during this time. Unfortunately, this is most likely due to the fact that it exposes the worst of the United States government. This treatment is treated as a blemish in the history of the United States to the United States citizens who learn about it. This is not the case at all for the Japanese-American people who experienced this, as well as the relatives of these people. The management of these people was a cruel and unjust act that was never shown for the harshness that it truly is. In Germany, it was called concentration camps, and it is known around the world as the worst time in history. In the United States, people brush the subject away, not showing any concern. In any other country, the United States would have been horrified, but it happened in our country. Thus, since the country is always right, this cruelty is ignored.

Church History

God is the Divine Author of a set of books, songs, narratives and letters that were written as a way for man to draw nearer to Him through His loving Son Jesus the Christ. God’s Word is an expression of who God is and who His Son is. J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays wrote a book called Grasping God’s Word. Within this book, the authors inspire their readers by giving a detailed reason why we study the Bible. They say, â€Å"The reason we study the Bible is that we want to hear God’s Word to us. They go on to say, â€Å"The Bible was written by numerous human authors, but the divine aspect of it is inseparably and mysteriously interwoven into every verse. The term we use to describe this relationship between the divine role and the human role is inspiration. Inspiration can be defined as the process in which God directed individuals, incorporating their abilities and styles, to produce His message to humankind. †[1] Our Bible is an inspired canon of the 39 received books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament. The combined 66 books of the Old and New Testament form the orthodox belief which was founded upon the inspired moving of God among man and creation. What were the events and movements that were influential in the recognition of the canonical books? Furthermore, what methodology was used by the applicable individuals and councils that deemed these 66 books the inspired Word of God? In her work titled, â€Å"The Establishment of Christian Orthodoxy of the Holy Bible†, Kathy McFarland gives us a very in depth understanding of the foundation of orthodoxy and the establishment of canon. I will begin by reviewing her thought about the foundation of orthodoxy. McFarland states, â€Å"Both Christians and pagans were shocked by the heretical ideas that were developing by the late second-century. Irenaeus, a Christian author who represented the ‘mainstream', non-gnostic Christianity, wrote a book attacking Gnosticism because it denigrated the material world, removing the ability for God's active interest from being expressed, and separated the God of the Old Testament from the God of the New. Tertullian agreed with Irenaeus that the Christian faith originated with Jesus and established a standard which belief could be tested. As Tertullian put it in his Prescription against the heretics, â€Å"It is clear that all doctrine which agrees with the apostolic churches – those moulds and original sources of the faith – must be considered true, as undoubtedly containing what those churches received from the apostles, the apostles from Christ, Christ from God. And all doctrine must be considered false which contradicts the truth of the churches and apostles of Christ and God. â€Å"This apostolic principle became extremely important in later centuries as the orthodox standards of faith were established. Now we have an understanding of the foundation of orthodoxy, I will now delve into McFarland thoughts on the establishment of the canon. â€Å"Christians possessed the writings by the apostles and their disciples that they believed expressed the rule of faith in written form by the time of Irenaeus and Tertullian, Most of the local churches within the Roman world agreed to which writings should be included in the NT canon by the second century; however, this agreement was not formalized until the third council of Carthage in 397. Most scholars believe that the New Testament canon was completed by A.  D. 100, if not earlier. They would read these writings in the practice of their faith as they met, and thought of these writings as equal to the writings the Jewish Scripture. The Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament), was in the Canon as the New Testament began to be added over a period of 400 years. The basis for including a book in Scripture was apparent within the process of declaring the Christian Canon, and required that each addition be prophetic, authoritative, authentic, life-transforming, widely recognized as the Word of God and reliable. Those declared inspired were of two basic categories of both eyewitness accounts of the Messiah (the Gospels), and letters from key witnesses written to various groups of believers (the Epistles). Concentrated effort was made to establish the authoritative collection of inspired books of the Bible into the Canon during the fourth century; however, there had been earlier attempts to list the acceptable books. The Muratorian Canon had listed all the books of the Bible except for 1 John, 1 and 2 Peter, Hebrews and James around A.  D. 180, and the Syriac Version of the Canon lists all of the books except Revelation in the third century. The apocryphal writings were seen as less than inspired by the fourth century, and many of the books previously held in high regard were beginning to disappear, as the formal establishment of Canon began. Both the East and the West Churches established their Canons in the fourth century on the criterion of maintaining a connection to the apostles or their immediate disciples in the collection of writings. Athanasius of Alexandria listed the complete 27 books of the New Testament for the Eastern Church, while Jerome listed just 39 Old Testament books with our present-day 27 New Testament ones for the West Church. The resulting Vulgate Bible, translated by Jerome to Latin, was used throughout the Christian world. The Synods of Carthage confirmed the 27 books of the New Testament of our present day Bibles in 397 and 418. [2] We have taken a look into the thoughts of Kathy McFarland. Now let’s take a journey into the mind of Sam A. Smith, the author of â€Å"Important Truths About the Bible, Part 2: How and Where Did We Get Our Bible? Smith makes the following observations about the canonicity of the books of the Bible: Canonicity refers to a book’s status, as to whether or not it should be regarded as divinely authoritative (inspired) and thus worthy to be included within the canon (the group of writings recognized as the Word of God). Perhaps you have wondered how the early church knew which books should be regarded as part of the Bible, and which ones should be excluded (like Tobit, Judith, Baruch, the Gospel of Thomas)? Many people mistakenly think that some group of church officials at the council of Nicia in A.  D. 325 sat down and voted on which books they thought should be included and that’s how we got our Bible. But that simply isn’t the way it happened. Actually, so far as we can determine, each target group to which a portion of Scripture was addressed immediately recognized it as Scripture on a par with all other Scripture. This is true of both Old Testament and New Testament Scriptures. Note the following examples of how Scripture was immediately recognized as the Word of God by the target audience. Moses’ writings were placed beside the Ark of the Covenant (Deut. 31:24-29). Daniel, a contemporary of Jeremiah, regarded Jeremiah’s prophetic writings as Scripture (Dan. 9:1-2 cf. Jer. 25:11). Peter recognized Paul’s writing as being on a par with the Old Testament Scriptures (2 Pet. 3:14-16). Church councils only stated the churches official recognition on the books that had long since been received, and denied equal status to more recent, spurious documents. In order to understand how we came to have the specific sixty-six books that are in our Bible we need to look at the formation of the Old Testament and New Testament canons individually. The word â€Å"canon† means â€Å"authority,† or â€Å"standard† by which other things are judged. The word â€Å"canon† when used of Scripture refers to the books deemed to be authoritative, i. e. , God’s Word. The Protestant canon contains sixty-six books. The Roman Catholic canon is longer, having added several books in the sixteenth century which were not regarded as canonical by the early church—to which effect Jerome included a notation in his Latin translation. ] Let’s look at the status of the Old Testament and New Testament canons. The question of which books should be included in the Old Testament is fairly simple and was settled before Christ was born. Note the following. 1) Except for the Sadducees, who only accepted the books of Moses, the Jewish people regarded as Scripture the same thirty-nine books as the Protestant church today (though they had them arranged so that some books now split were combined, e. g. , 1 & 2 Samuel). 2) The Old Testament that Jesus used was essentially the same as the one used today. ) The Old Testament apocryphal books accepted by the Roman Catholic Church in the sixteenth century were never accepted as Scripture by Jesus or the Jewish people; nor did the early Church accept them. 4) Early quotations of the apocryphal books by some church fathers (Irenaeus, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria and Cyprian)–none of whom were Old Testament or Hebrew scholars–occurred at a time when the extent of the Old Testament canon was not well understood (especially by non-Jewish r eligious leaders), and some may have mistakenly thought that these books had been an accepted part of the Hebrew canon, when in fact they were not. Concerning the New Testament canon, since the gospels and the letters that were written to the early churches were scattered over the Roman Empire, it took a bit of time for the churches to assess what they had and to weed out common letters from those received as the inspired Word of God. There was very little pressure to do this until suspicious documents began to show up in key doctrinal disputes. Then it became necessary to determine the scope of the New Testament canon. It is extremely important to understand that the early church did not determine which books would become Scripture; they merely endeavored to recognize which books the churches had already received as Scripture, and to exclude spurious documents. Such tests weren’t arbitrary; they were derived from what the church leaders already knew about the character of Scripture from those books of undisputed authenticity. The following are some of the questions the early church used to assess the status of a document in question. 1) Does the writing claim to be inspired, and is its message consistent with other books of undisputed authenticity? 2) Is the author a recognized servant of God (an apostle, prophet, or early church leader)? 3) Are there good reasons to believe the document was written at the time and by the author from whom it purports to have originated? (In other words: Is it authentic? ) 4) Is the document factually correct? 5) Does the document claim to be authoritative (i. e. , the word of the Lord)? 6) Is the document in doctrinal agreement with other accepted books? ) Is there any evidence of fulfilled prophecy in the document? 7) Does the book have a universal character (i. e. , a message that transcends the local culture and milieu)? 8) Is the message of the document sublime (that is, based on what we know about God from other received books, can we conceive of God saying the things contained in the document)? Don’t get the idea that this exact list of questions was checked off for each and every book or document, but generally if a document was challenged; it was challenged on the grounds of one or more of the issues raised by these questions.