Effects of Vitamin C on Chemotherapy Outcome | Claim Review

Effects of Vitamin C on Chemotherapy Outcome | Claim Review Media Claim on ‘Vitamin C’ gives chemotherapy a boost’ The headline ‘Vitamin C’ gives chemotherapy a boost’ suggested by a US scientist was a misleading and inaccurate statement as the study was looking specific at late stage ovarian cancer. From the study, scientists did not find high dosage of vitamin C help with cancer survival nor reducing the risk of cancer (Ma and Chapman et al., 2014). Yet, the study did show that there was a slight chance of reducing minor chemotherapy side effect. Therefore, the study has been oversimplified and misinterprets results and statements which can lead to assumptions from general public misunderstanding this article resulting in toxicity of vitamin C when overdosed. Overdose of vitamin C can lead to other problems and health disease such as indigestion, diarrhea and iron poisoning which only occurs in people who have rare iron overload disorders – hemochromatosis (Zobel, 1976), lack of vitamin C in the diet can also cause scurvy (Naidu,2003). ‘Vitamin C’ gives chemotherapy a boost’ was published in BBC Health website on 9th February 2014, written by Helen Briggs and science editor. Comments were from Dr Jeanne Drisko, lead researcher Qi Chen and Dr Kat Arnet – science communications manager for Cancer Research UK. The claim is based on a study that was carried out by researchers from University of Kansas in the US and world cancer research fund (WCRF) and American Institute for cancer research (AICR). The article itself was published in the peer-reviewed journal, Science Translation Medicine. Cancer is a condition where specific cells in parts of the body grow and reproduce uncontrollably and forming tumours. Cancer cells can invade and destroy surrounding healthy tissue and organs (King and Rotter et al., 1992). Cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the body through the lymphatic system or bloodstream (Mendelsohn, 2008). Many factors have been identified which can increase risk of cancer such as tobacco use, dietary intake, certain infections, environmental radiation, lack of physical exercise, obesity and genetics which potentially can damage genes and causes mutation in cells (Kushi and Byers et al., 2006). Many researchers have found that there are over 200 different types of cancer cells (Schram and Ng, 2012). However, according to Jemal and Bray et al., 2011, many cancers can be prevented by living healthier life styles, one of the factors is reducing excess smoking which can preclude the risk of getting lungs cancer, plus eating plenty of fresh vegetable and fruits, and reducing the intake of meat and carbohydrates can prevent other health factors such as obesity. Ovarian cancer is where cancer cells are found in ovaries. However, the exact causes of cancer still remain unknown (Hunn and Rodriguez, 2012). Women who have had menopause and have not had any children would have a higher chance of developing ovarian cancer (Vo and Carney, 2007). However, ovarian cancer can affect all ages. There are three types of ovarian cancer – epithelial ovarian cancer; germ cell tumours and stromal tumours (Bandera and Era, 2005). The best and effective treatment for ovarian cancer are the combination of surgery and chemotherapy, all treatments are depending on the stages of cancer (Ehrlich and Teitelbaum et al., 2007). Vitamin C also known as ascorbic acid acts as an antioxidant; an oxidative stress; an enzyme cofactor for the biosynthesis, also most importantly vitamin C acts an electron donor for enzymes (Vobecky and Shapcott et al., 1975). Acting as an antioxidant prevents free radicals during oxidation reaction to form chain reactions in cells which can damage or kill cells. Instead, antioxidant interacts with those chain reactions by removing free radicals and inhibits other oxidation reactions in the cells, protecting against lip peroxidation, reducing nitrates and stimulating the immune system (Bender, 1993). Vitamin C has also shown to inhibit formation of carcinogens and protects DNA from mutagenic attack and most vitamin C is found in critic fruits (Combs, 2012). Furthermore, Ma and Chapman et al., 2014 stated that the study was looking if vitamin C could potentially be a cancer treatment and the study was mainly looking into women who are in their late stage ovarian cancer. BBC’s report on this study was miscellaneous as there were some bias comments towards the study, but BBC did include some accurate quotes from the study such as the sample size only 22 patients were participated which showed that the study was not reliable as the sample size was too small to prove whether vitamin C helped to kill cancer cells or increase survival rate (Park, 2013). Moreover, the title ‘Vitamin C’ gives chemotherapy a boost’ was misleading as the study found no supportive evidences that vitamin C can prevent cancer, only can inhibit some mechanisms and reduce the risk of cancer development (Ma and Chapman et al., 2014). However, the study did show that vitamin C may reduce side effects from treatment for women, yet, the sample s ize was too small which was unable to support the outcome. However, the expert from the study quoted that in order to find out if high-dose vitamin C has an effect on cancer cells, further studies and large clinical trials are needed to ensure safety and effectiveness (Ma and Chapman et al., 2014). Additionally, BBC may have been over analysed the press release from the University itself, as it claimed that ‘Researchers establish benefits of high-dose vitamin C for ovarian cancer patients’. This statement was supported via Park, 1985‘s research which stated that ‘vitamin c is involved in the mechanism of action of the intracellular oxidation state changes which is an identification of genes or protein synthesis.’. This suggested that vitamin C has the ability to regulate specific cellular phenotypes which potentially could improve the efficacy of cancer therapies. Nevertheless, the report stated that the vitamin C treatment worked along with standard chemotherapy drugs which slow down tumour growth in mouse studies, not human. Therefore, the benefits of high-dose vitamin C for cancer cells cannot be taken into account due to the fact that human and mouse have different types of genes and intracellular mechanism (Park, 1985). As a result, there ar e not any beneficial effects on human, but there are beneficial effects on mouse. In addition, within the small group of patients that were tested on, they have found fewer side-effects when vitamin C was given out along with the chemotherapy. According to WCRF and AICR‘s report on diet and ovarian cancers, it showed that vitamin C has no effect on ovarian cancer which do not decrease nor increase the risk of cancer. However, according to Part 2 evidence and judgements and Part three Recommendations chapter twelve- public health goals and personal recommendations from WCRF and AICR, it suggested that the population should consumption an average of non-starchy vegetables and of fruits to be at least 600g (21 oz) daily. This is because there are evidences that diets high in vegetable and fruits could protect against oesophagus cancer not ovarian cancer (Mikirova and Casciari et al., 2012). According to BBC, the researcher’s injected vitamin C into human ovarian cancer cells as well as mice in the laboratory conditions. BBC stated that ‘researchers found ovarian cancer cells were to be sensitive to vitamin C treatment, but normal cells were unharmed (De Laurenzi and Melino et al., 1995). High dosage of vitamin C could prevent cancer was originally suggested by chemist and double Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling in 1970s in which the clinical trial was abandoned due to failed to replicate the expected results to the theory behind vitamin C and cancer (Cameron and Pauling, 1979). The method used in the study was by injecting vitamin C straight into the bloodstream as it is safer, can be effective, low-cost (Head, 1998). The rate at which human body excrete vitamin C through oral ingestion is a lot faster than by injection through bloodstream (Cameron and Pauling, 1979). Furthermore, patients were not completely blind tested as most of them knew what they were given vitamin C and placebo, therefore, many physiological effects have been taken into account toward the analysis of results. In conclusion, due to lack of supportive evidences, vitamin C has no significant back story in supporting the evidence of beneficial effect on ovarian cancer even though from the study some beneficial effects did show on mice. Furthermore, the clinical trial was tested unfairly as participants knew about the comparison test with placebo, which might have had effected the results, in which the results are not accurate and reliable as the sample size was consisting of 22 participants. Nevertheless, the study did find moderate result from patients who have taken parts in the vitamin C trials; as a result, vitamin C might reduce the side effects of chemotherapy. References Bandera and Era, C. A. 2005. Advances in the understanding of risk factors for ovarian cancer. The Journal of reproductive medicine, 50 (6), pp. 399406. Bender, D. A. 1993. An introduction to nutrition and metabolism. London: UCL Press. Cameron, E. and Pauling, L. 1979. Cancer and vitamin C. Combs, G. F. 2012. The vitamins. Amsterdam: Elsevier/Academic Press. De Laurenzi, V., Melino, G., Savini, I., Annicchiarico-Petruzzelli, M., Finazzi-Agro, A. and Avigliano, L. 1995. Cell death by oxidative stress and ascorbic acid regeneration in human neuroectodermal cell lines. European Journal of Cancer, 31 (4), pp. 463466. Ehrlich, P. F., Teitelbaum, D. H., Hirschl, R. B. and Rescorla, F. 2007. Excision of large cystic ovarian tumors: combining minimal invasive surgery techniques and cancer surgery—the best of both worlds. Journal of pediatric surgery, 42 (5), pp. 890893. Head, K. 1998. Ascorbic acid in the prevention and treatment of cancer. Alternative medicine review: a journal of clinical therapeutic, 3 (3), pp. 174186. Hunn, J. and Rodriguez, G. C. 2012. Ovarian cancer: etiology, risk factors, and epidemiology. Clinical obstetrics and gynecology, 55 (1), pp. 323. Jemal, A., Bray, F., Center, M. M., Ferlay, J., Ward, E. and Forman, D. 2011. Global cancer statistics. CA: a cancer journal for clinicians, 61 (2), pp. 6990. King, R. A., Rotter, J. I. and Motulsky, A. G. 1992. The Genetic basis of common diseases. New York: Oxford University Press. Kushi, L. H., Byers, T., Doyle, C., B, Era, E. V., Mccullough, M., Gansler, T., Andrews, K. S. and Thun, M. J. 2006. American Cancer Society Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical Activity for cancer prevention: reducing the risk of cancer with healthy food choices and physical activity. CA: a cancer journal for clinicians, 56 (5), pp. 254281. Ma, Y., Chapman, J., Levine, M., Polireddy, K., Drisko, J. and Chen, Q. 2014. High-Dose Parenteral Ascorbate Enhanced Chemosensitivity of Ovarian Cancer and Reduced Toxicity of Chemotherapy. Science translational medicine, 6 (222), pp. 2221822218. Mendelsohn, J. 2008. The molecular basis of cancer. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders/Elsevier. Mikirova, N., Casciari, J., Rogers, A., Taylor, P. and Others. 2012. Effect of high-dose intravenous vitamin C on inflammation in cancer patients. J Transl Med, 10 p. 189. Naidu, K. A. 2003. Vitamin C in human health and disease is still a mystery? An overview. Nutrition Journal, 2 (1), p. 7. Park, C. H. 1985. Biological nature of the effect of ascorbic acids on the growth of human leukemic cells. Cancer research, 45 (8), pp. 39693973. Park, S. 2013. The effects of high concentrations of vitamin C on cancer cells. Nutrients, 5 (9), pp. 34963505. Schram, F. R. and Ng, P. K. 2012. What is Cancer?. Journal of Crustacean Biology, 32 (4), pp. 665672. Vo, C. and Carney, M. E. 2007. Ovarian cancer hormonal and environmental risk effect. Obstetrics and gynecology clinics of North America, 34 (4), pp. 687700. Vobecky, J., Vobecky, J., Shapcott, D., Cloutier, D., Lafond, R. and Blanchard, R. 1975. Vitamins C and E in spontaneous abortion. International journal for vitamin and nutrition research. Internationale Zeitschrift fur Vitamin-und Ernahrungsforschung. Journal international de vitaminologie et de nutrition, 46 (3), pp. 291296. WCRF- AICR Diet and Cancer Report. 2014. [online] Available at: http://www.dietandcancerreport.org/cancer_resource_center/downloads/chapters/chapter_12.pdf [Accessed: 10 Mar 2014]. Zobel, M. 1976. Toxicological Evaluation of Some Food Additives Including Anticaking Agents, Antimicrobials, Antioxidants, Emulsifiers and Thickening Agents. Who Food Additives Series, No. 5. 520 Seiten. Geneva 1974. Preis: Sw. fr. 23,—. Food/Nahrung, 20 (6), pp. 681682.

Baking Cakes in Kigali and The Adoration of Jenna Fox Essay -- Compara

Authors Gaile Parkin and Mary Pearson focus their novels, Baking Cakes in Kigali and The Adoration of Jenna Fox, on the significance of family. In both novels, love and family are key elements: in Baking Cakes in Kigali, the main character, Angel, loses both her daughter and her son, while those around Angel are stepping up and protecting their families; in The Adoration of Jenna Fox, Jenna’s family members show their love for Jenna by breaking the law to save her life. Both novels demonstrate that family is important to all people; family can support and protect a person or even give someone courage to move on after her family is gone. In Baking Cakes in Kigali, Angel loses her daughter, Vinas, and the loss of her daughter leaves an empty hole in her heart; however, it is this hole in Angel’s heart that allows Angel to make room for someone else in her life, but in order to include someone new in her life, Angel must first acknowledge the real reason behind her daughter’s death so that she may accept it and move on. Angel was lying to herself about her daughter’s death: [Her] daughter wanted to die. She took those pills to suicide herself. (Perkin 247) Although losing her only daughter is challenging for Angel, she finally feels relief when she comes to terms with reality and exposes the truth about Vinas’s death, and by finally admitting to the reality of her daughter’s death, Angel is able to have a clearer mind and progress in life and help Leocadie, who has no mother to be with her for her wedding. By embracing the truth about Vinas’s death, Angel finds the courage to say, â€Å"Leocadie, it is not true that you have no family, because I’m going to be your mother for this wedding† (148). Thinking of Vinas gives Angel enough... ...talian villa and wine† (189) to help her only daughter, Claire, and therefore, Jenna. Both Lily and Claire are admirable mothers, who would run to the ends of the earth for their daughters; these two mothers illustrate just how deeply a mother can love her daughter and how a mother does all in her power to protect her children. Gaile Perkin’s Baking Cakes in Kigali and Mary Pearson’s The Adoration of Jenna Fox demonstrate how family can protect, support, and encourage an individual. Family is a principle aspect of a person’s life, and a loving brother or mother or father can greatly impact a person’s life. A family can encourage someone to help others or even save another’s life. It is evident, therefore, that family is a crucial element for human life; the world would be miserable if there were no loving families to care for each other and support each other.

Food as Sign and Code :: Wendy Leeds-Hurwitz Semiotics Essays

Food as Sign and Code What do you think of when you see or smell your favorite food? On one hand the sight or smell of that food might trigger hunger, or even a memory of the last time you shared that meal with a loved one. The point is, the smell or sight of our favorite food would trigger a different thought or feeling in each of us. This is an example of Semiotics. Semiotics is defined as "anything that can stand for something else." Roland Barthes was one of Europe's most renowned theorists of semiology. Barthes believed that in order to generate a complete sign, there were two parts that have to work together. These two parts are known as the signifier and the signified. A good example of this is your favorite food you thought of earlier, it would act as a signifier, and the thought that came to your head when thinking of this food would act as the signified. Together they create a sign. This is just a simple example of a complete sign. In her book Semiotics and Communication: Signs, Codes, Cultures, Wendy Leeds-Hurwitz describes the wide use of food as signs, and also as social codes. The reason foods are so useful as signs and social codes is because they are separable, easily adaptive to new environments, and it is not difficult to cook, or eat for that matter. Food is a major part of our daily lives, Not only for survival, but it plays a substantial social role in our lives. We will look deeper into the semiotics of food, how food is used as identity markers, and also the role that foods play in social change in our lives. First let us start with the semiotics of food. Food as Semiotics Food is very accessible. Therefore, it has been one of the top choices used in explaining semiotic theory. An important contributor to the semiotics of food is Mary Douglas. She applied her assumptions of semiotics of food as a social code. Douglas and her assistant generated a hierarchical description of the events when people take food. This description is listed below. 1. Food Event-- it is the most general; it refers to an occasion when food is taken, without prejudice as to whether it constitutes a meal or not. 2. Structured Events-- this refers to social occasions that have been thoroughly organized.

Ethical Perspectives Essay

The two ethical dilemmas presented in the simulation involved possible sexual harassment in the workplace and the reporting of inaccurate scientific data. Using a five-step method referred to as the Baird Decision Model, one made the most ethical decision based on four different perspectives. The perspectives, referred to as the Rights and Responsibilities, Results, Relationship, and Reputation Lenses, required one to take into account various aspects when determining the best decision to make for each dilemma. In the case of the Mysterious Roses, the ethical issue presented in the simulation was how the Director of Sales could ensure an employee could talk about possible sexual harassment from a coworker while the Director of Sales treated all employees fairly in the investigation (University of Phoenix, 2013). To address the issue, one used the five-step process, being attentive, intelligent, reasonable, responsible, and reflective (University of Phoenix, 2013). Using the Rights an d Responsibilities Lens, one attended to the context by reading all emails, carefully considering all information presented (University of Phoenix, 2013). Next one explored the values in tension to determine a proper statement of the issue (University of Phoenix, 2013). After stating the issue, one determined who were the stakeholders involved. Next the Director of Sales identified his or her duties owed to the stakeholder and determined the degree, low, medium or high, of the impact the decision would have on each stakeholder (University of Phoenix, 2013). In the next step, the Director of Sales acted with courage and chose what he or she believed to be the best option to resolve the issue (University of Phoenix, 2013). The final step was reflecting on his or her decision (University of Phoenix, 2013). However, when using the Results Lens, after attending to the context, properly stating the issue, and determining the stakeholders involved, one identified the ethical desires of each stakeholder (University of Phoenix, 2013). Next, the Director of Sales chose the best option combining his or her stakeholder impact analysis with his or her knowledge of what will satisfy each stakeholder’s ethical desires (University of Phoenix, 2013). Last, one reflected on his or her decision (University of Phoenix, 2013). The Rights and Responsibilities perspective leaned toward rationality, influencing the Director of Sales’ decision to inform Gayle the Director of Sales can keep personal matters confidential, but may have to report the problem if it is work-related. The Director of Sales also encouraged Gayle to review the Company Handbook before meeting with him or her. The decision allowed the employee to maintain responsibility for her own actions while the Director of Sales fulfilled his or her duties (University of Phoenix, 2013). The Results perspective leaned toward sensibility, influencing the decision to inform Gayle the Director of Sales cannot guarantee confidentiality until the employee tells the Director of Sales what the issue is. The decision encouraged the employee to talk about the situation so the Director of Sales can assist the employee (University of Phoenix, 2013). In the case of Cold Feet, the ethical issue was how to resolve a false report while preserving the integrit y of G-BioSport (University of Phoenix, 2013). Using the five-step process from the Relationship Lens perspective, one attended to the context by reading the emails, carefully considering the information presented, as well as determined the stakeholders involved (University of Phoenix, 2013). Next the Senior Scientist recognized the basic liberties, the right to notice, the right to voice, and the right to have contracts honored, of the members of the community (University of Phoenix, 2013). After recognizing the basic liberties, the Senior Scientist determined which two stakeholders were the most and the least advantaged, combined this knowledge with the identified basic liberties, and chose the best option for resolving the issue (University of Phoenix, 2013). The final step involved reflecting on one’s decision (University of Phoenix, 2013). When using the Reputation Lens perspective, after the Senior Scientist determined the stakeholders, he or she defined his or her own role according to his or her ethical values (University of Phoenix, 2013). Next the Senior Scientist acted with courage, choosing the most ethical option and in the final step, reflected on his or her decision (University of Phoenix, 2013). The Relationship Lens perspective leaned toward rationality, influencing the Senior Scientist to inform Doctor Waters the Senior Scientist will begin an in-house investigation without mentioning the â€Å"whistleblower† (University of Phoenix, 2013). The decision based on fairness, allowed the Senior Scientist to follow the letter of policy by confronting his or her colleague and informing the Chief Legal Officer of the situation (University of Phoenix, 2013). The Reputation Lens perspective leaned toward sensibility, influencing the Senior Scientist to inform Doctor Waters of the concerns without mentioning the â€Å"whistleblower† and informing the General Counsel of possible misconduct if Doctor Waters did not admit or explain the problems (University of Phoenix, 2013). In this decision, the Senior Scientist gave his or her colleague the benefit of the doubt and may have to work with the Chief Legal Officer to determine an appropriate method of resolving the issue (University of Phoenix, 2013). The concept of not tolerating sexual harassment in the workplace relates to my workplace because a certain assistant manager briefly dated a line cook. After the line cook ended the relationship, the assistant manager continually commanded the line cook to perform extra duties and reprimanded the line cook for any mistakes made either by the line cook or any other employee as well as insisted the line cook resume dating the assistant manag er. The line cook informed the general manager of the situation and requested a transfer to another store. The general manager honored the line cook’s request and disciplined the assistant manager. Although the relationship was consensual between the line cook and assistant manager, after the line cook decided to end the relationship, and the assistant manager continued to pursue the line cook, a sexual harassment issue ensued. Ethical decisions made in the workplace can be difficult for one to make, but the four perspectives or lenses, Rights and Responsibilities, Results, Relationship, and Reputation, along with the Baird Decision Model can make choosing the best action easier. The goal to making the most ethical decision for a dilemma is to minimize any negative effects on any of the stakeholders involved while being attentive, intelligent, reasonable, responsible, and reflective. Depending on which perspective one uses, one will lean toward either rationality, such as wit h the Rights and Responsibilities as well as the Relationship Lens, or toward sensibility, such as with the Results and Reputation Lens. . References University of Phoenix. (2013). ETHICS GAME: The Mysterious Roses and Cold Feet [Assessment]. Retrieved from the University of Phoenix, ETH316-Ethics and Social Responsibility course website.

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Position Description: Analyst Programmer – C# . Net Purpose of Position: To design, develop, deliver and support Images in Space systems and services. To work with all areas of the Images in Space business to design and deliver future systems and services. The role requires the delivery of industry leading solutions that are reliable, scaleable and easy to use. This position operates in a multi-tasking environment and will involve support of clients (Internal and External) via phone, email and in person.There is the requirement to work with the Senior Development Analyst and/or technical pre-sales staff to perform analysis and establish user requirements, deliver projects to time and budget, and support these systems to company and client specific agreed service levels. This position is also tasked with supporting a development culture based on consistent methodologies and best practices for design, testing, security and hosting. Reports to: Head Developer and Solutions Archit ect Key Accountabilities: Project Assignments: Analyze, design, build and test business / technical solutions to meet both our internal needs and the needs of our users. †¢ Provide . NET, SQL Server and general development skills and experience to the Software Development team. †¢ Maintain and support existing applications. †¢ Conduct relevant â€Å"Requirements Analysis† to develop an accurate understanding of system requirements, in order to design the best solution within project, business and technical constraints. †¢ Accurately estimate the time and investment required to implement solutions. †¢ Analyse the mpact of any programmed changes to existing systems, and implement changes so as to minimise disruption to production environments. †¢ Create functional software from technical designs and system requirements documentation. †¢ Test software against specifications. †¢ Create and maintain systems documentation. †¢ Share knowl edge and experience relevant to the project with team members. Personal Work Practice and Productivity †¢ Accept responsibility and ownership for agreed personal/project objectives, timelines and deadlines. †¢ Manage assigned work to ensure it is completed on time and to budget. Complete administration tasks within agreed timelines. †¢ Share information and work with other developers / team members. †¢ Actively work in alignment with the vision and values of the company. Quality Management †¢ Support, maintain and improve Images in Space development methodologies, procedures and standards. †¢ Ensure the quality of the final deliverables by establishing and checking technical standards, and by verifying that the products meet or exceed requirements. †¢ To provide quality assurance to colleagues. Systems Support †¢ Proactively identify system modifications and/or enhancements (scalability, performance, ease of use etc). Ensure all systems are fu lly operational in accordance with contracted performance measures and/or Service Level Agreements. Other responsibilities may include any development duties that we reasonably require you to do. These may change from time to time to reflect the changing requirements of your position and our business. Key Performance Criteria: †¢ Delivery of projects against defined milestones and budgets. †¢ Customer satisfaction / absence of complaints. †¢ Speed of solutions (efficiency). †¢ Rework rate (bugs). †¢ Stability and Performance of Production software. Stability and Performance of Development Infrastructure. General Skills: †¢ Ability to analyse and define system requirements. †¢ Systems architecture and design. †¢ Deliver functional software using appropriate web technologies. †¢ Ability to learn new technologies. †¢ Strong communication and inter-personal skills. †¢ Lateral thinking. †¢ Self management. †¢ Provide direct training and support to development staff and end users. Technical Skills: †¢ Microsoft and related technologies – C# / . NET Framework †¢ Web sites & Web services (ASP. NET, MVC) †¢ AJAX programming experience. Experience in Object Relational Mapping Tools ( e. g. : Subsonic, Nettiers, nHibernate) †¢ Microsoft SQL Server †¢ Standards Compliant Design and Markup (HTML / XHTML / XML & CSS) †¢ DOM Scripting (JavaScript, JSON & related frameworks (e. g. : jQuery, YUI/ExtJS ) †¢ Support legacy sites & services (Cold Fusion) †¢ Separation of presentation and content by use of Cascading Style Sheets. †¢ Experience in Fireworks or Photoshop for image creation or manipulation. †¢ Web Service or Service Oriented Architecture experience. †¢ Basic computer & systems hardware knowledge and networking skills.

An Evaluation of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator

An Evaluation of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a psychological test that was originally designed in the early 1940s by a mother-daughter team of Isabel Myers and Katherine Briggs. Myers and Briggs developed their test in response to the calamity of World War II, because they believed the war was caused by the countries involved failing to understand each other’s differences (Coe, 1992). The MBTI is designed to measure personality, and the basis for this test comes from the work of personality types as described by Carl Jung’s theory. All the information provided in this evaluation comes from form M of the MBTI. Purpose, Design and Format of the MBTI The purpose of the MBTI is to classify individuals on each of the four levels as identified in Jung’s theory, and then provide them with a description of their personality as a result of their test (Fleenor, 2001). On each of the four levels to identify a person there are two options on each level making a total of eight different possibilities that can be used to describe someone’s personality. Those levels are: Extraversion v. Introversion, Sensing v. Intuition, Thinking v. Feeling, and Judging v. Perceiving. As defined for the MBTI Extraverts enjoy communication with others and thrive off that contact; while Introverts tend to not find any pleasure in their relationships and prefer to be alone. Sensors use their five senses to gather information about a scenario and see the present for what it is; in contrast people scoring high in Intuition like to look toward the future and the possibilities that could exist. Finally, Judgers use the information available and come to a decision quickly; whereas Perceivers tend to be procrastinators and are always waiting for more facts before deciding (Coe, 1992). It is important to note that while the MBTI places test takers in a category of having one trait or the other that people do display characteristics of all eight, but tend to display one aspect on each level more prominently. The degree to which a person varies on a particular attributed is explained upon completion of the test. The questions on the MBTI are also designed in such a way that it is impossible to fall in the exact middle of a particular trait, everyone will vary slightly one direction or another (Fleenor, 2001). This test is designed for the general population ages 14 and older, and there is not a specific group who is not eligible to take the MBTI. This is considered a weakness by many and will be covered later. There are 93 multiple choice items on the MBTI, and the questions are written at a seventh grade reading level to ensure comprehension of the questions (Fleenor, 2001). Each question is designed so that one question is measuring just one type of personality level for simple and accurate scoring. In defining the norms for this test a group of 3009 people were administered the MBTI all were adults from the United States and were 18 years and older. Th e specific demographics of the normative sample are not given, but the sample was lopsided towards females and Caucasians (Fleenor, 2001).

2012 Election Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

2012 Election - Essay Example Based on all of the aforementioned issues and after balancing pros and potential cons related to both candidates, it has been determined that Mitt Romney would be the best leader for the United States. First, in relation to the economy, Barack Obama has a proven track record of failures associated with economic policy and stimulus package development to prevent the company from experiencing a recession. This current president maintains a very large group of economic advisors to provide him information and strategies that will help the macro- and micro-economic environment. It does not appear that this president maintains the academic or experience-based credentials to understand the complex dynamics of economic theory and inter-dependent financial institutions that drive growth and sustainability in the economy. It becomes a cause for concern when an individual who is responsible for dictating economic policy must rely on a basket of knowledge sources to make decisions. Mitt Romney maintains much experience-based knowledge of business and financial investment institutions and therefore can rely on their own tangible knowledge to make effective economic decisions. It is difficult t o trust the economic policy of an individual with no formalized training in advanced economic development or experience working within the investment and financial communities. Barack Obama also does not seem to understand the importance of a crumbling and inefficient infrastructure that supports retail, physical urban sustainability, and how physical infrastructure failures have long-term safety consequences for citizens. Many of the bridges and highways in America, as two examples, have been deemed unsafe by experts in safety management nationwide. In certain urban areas, they are literally falling onto vehicles as they pass underneath overpasses with the rebar exposed and potholes