Quality Management In Health Care Research Paper

Quality Management In Health Care - Research Paper Example The growing predominance of chronic illness and the search for less costly delivery settings, post-acute and long-term mental and physical health care services are increasingly important. ( Huq & Martin, 2005) Expenditures for nursing homes and home health care have grown as a percentage of NHE from 8% or $48.9 billion in 1988, to 13.2% or $171.5 billion in 2000. Medication is one of the most important tools for the healthcare and psychological field in the United States used to help treat people with mental health problems and psychological abnormalities. (Carson, K. D., Carson, Roe, C. W., Birkenmeie & Phillips, J. C., 1999). During the past decade, mental health researchers and professionals have seen a rise in the number of prescriptions being given to mental health patients in the United States, especially to children. Keeping that in mind, it has been tried to find if overmedicate these mental health patients in the U.S? Nursing homes are the principal institutions for long-term care delivery to patients with mental health issues. In 2000, there were 17 thousand federally qualified nursing homes in the United States. Medicaid is the primary payer for nursing home services, accounting for 68% of nursing home patients in 1999. Medicare covers only a small percentage of nursing home services, accounting for 9% of patients in 1999. (Grol, R., 2001) In contrast to hospitals, two-thirds of all of the nursing homes are under private, for-profit ownership. Hospitals and inpatient care have long been a central feature of the U.S. health care services industry. (Huq, Z., & Martin, T., 2005) With the development of antibiotics and improved surgical techniques and anesthesia in the mid-20th century, the hospital became the hub for the practice of medicine, earning its designation as â€Å"the physician's workshop.†

The Determinacy of Existence Essay Example for Free

The Determinacy of Existence Essay In Steven Spielberg’s Artificial Intelligence: AI, the same question seems to have haunted its main character, David. As a part of the genre of science fiction, the film itself has a highly fictional character however given the developments within the fields of science and technology in the past few years along with the current threats that global warming poses to our environment and to the human race itself, it is not difficult to fathom that such an event will exist in the future. Artificial Intelligence is set within a period wherein the ocean levels have risen to the extent that it has drowned some of the cities in the world. Despite of this, the human race continues to persevere to the extent that it has been able to create human like robots. Human like here refers to the possession of the appearance, form, and function of a human being. In the film, David stands as a substitute to Henry and Monica Swinton’s son Martin who was considered terminally ill. Martin, however was healed and was sent back to live with his family. As soon as Martin started to live with his family, he resented David and the robot child was forced to be evicted from his home. In this process, David learns the tale of Pinocchio and associates the tale with his quest to find his real mother as well as his quest to turn into a â€Å"real† boy. Although, the film itself might be seen to question the relationship of human beings to technology wherein technological developments may be considered as their offsprings, as I see it the film also question life and existence itself. It might be too farfetched to contrast myself to the character David for the obvious reason that I have empirical evidence that I am not an android however as I see it, it is possible to strike a comparison between David’s quest for his mother [and hence for life itself since the mother stands as the source of life] as well as my quest for meaning. In the journal entry that I chose above, I was placed in a position where I questioned my existence and my identity itself. I have given this some thought in the following days that I have been haunted with these questions. The way I see it, all human beings are partially determined by their past [e. g. the manner in which they were socialized as well as the genetic traits that they have acquired from their family] however at the same time their existence and identity is also determined by their actions in the present. In a way, one might state that each individual is haunted by the ever occurring present since each action and each decision affects ourselves while at the same time placing a permanent mark in who we are. David, in the film Artificial Intelligence, was partially determined by his background [his existence as an artificial intelligence] however despite of this he chose to cling to the tale of Pinocchio and made it his own thereby enabling him to receive the love of human mother at the end of the film. As I see it, if we are to see David’s mother as a symbol for Eve [and hence life itself] and if we are to see ourselves as a David, each continually pursuing his dreams and aspirations, it is possible for us to receive the love of life. As I see it, it is by taking hold of one’s decisions and in a sense of one’s life that one is freed from the initial determinacy of existence. In this sense, although initially one might state that we were initially determined by our nature and the way that we were nurtured it is also possible for us to be freed from this by taking hold of one’s life and being accountable from one’s actions. The way I see it, this was the reason why David was granted the human life in the film Artificial Intelligence.

effects of cancer Essay -- essays research papers

Cancer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this paper I’m going to enlighten the reader on the struggles and hardships that people have living and maintaining with cancer. The stress that cancer causes is enough to change the emotional balance of ones environment. Physical pain is a factor that causes a person with cancer to do not want their life to continue. Some more factors that people deal with while assessing cancer are emotional pain, treatment, expenses, and just learning to how to cope with cancer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cancer is a sickness that interferes with a person’s life and changes their daily schedule and also effect’s his or her families regular activities. Cancer strikes one out of every three people, almost every family will hear that dreaded word in a personal way. â€Å"Pain is one of the most commonly feared symptoms of cancer † said David Matachar, MD, director of the Duke University Center for Clinical Health Policy Research and senior author of the paper. This section of the paper gives readers a personal experience with a person who has cancer. To understand the physical and emotional pain of cancer I interviewed a close friend of mine and asked her to explain the emotional and physical pains of having cancer. She started off saying that â€Å"once she found out that she had cancer so many thoughts rushed threw her head.† She wondered first is she would loose her hair or not. Then by having cancer would people treat her a certain way just because she has cancer when they found out. Would she be able to continue her everyday activities. Could she one day have children and in fact pass it on unto them. She thought that she was going to die as is if she was on a time clock. Secondly she felt that she would be on her own without help, without someone she could depend on. The physical pains she endured was the sickness she felt after chemotherapy and radiation. The soreness she felt after surgery from being cut open and sown back together. Feeling of tiredness during the day was a pain for her when she knew that there was things still to be done. Pain from the daily exercise workouts she had been instructed to do. To maintain a certain level of healthiness. Certain times of the day were her body wanted to shut down but she forced it to carry on. The taking of so many pills a day caused her to be drowsy and restless. She saidâ€Å" she knew ... ...t by non-specialty providers. Pain management by oncologists was slightly more effective, but still managed the pain of only 55% of patients. By the Cancer Weekly editors from staff and other reports.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The struggles and hardships that people endure while living with cancer could stress someone out to where they could forget about their self-worth. In my opinion physical pain and emotional pain are two of the biggest factors when trying to cope with having cancer. As far as physical pain goes your body becomes so weak at times to where your almost helpless. Emotional pain could eat a person up on the inside to where they would think negative all the time, make it to were they wouldn’t want help or push themselves away from those family member that are trying to help them. The self-drive one should have would be erased and could lead to other medical problems. Once a person looses the will power to take charge and go out there on there own to make things right or better it makes it hard for them to and maintain cancer and it’s many obstacles. It also blocks their ability to intake knowledge to prevent or maintain themselves throughout the process.

Hennes and Mauritz (H&M) Strategy Essay

Question 1 Hennes and Mauritz (H&M) is a fast-fashion global leader in the fashion industry. Hence, to have a holistic sustainable development point of view, we will examine and address the Marco-environment by looking at PESTEL analysis framework. The competitive forces within the fashion industry will also be revealed throughout the Porter Five Forces Model. PESTEL ANALYSISCase EvidencePositive (Opportunities)NeutralNegative (Threats) POLITICAL factors:Critical observation faced from the public on H&M’s overseas suppliers’ welfare and working conditions.The company is under critical observation on their supplier’s welfare and working conditions that has raised issue on upholding its branding (Yildiz, 2014,pg 580)This endangered H&M reputation as high-profile global leader in the fast-fashion industry. If the workers/suppliers are underpaid or given poor working conditions by such well known company, public will start to criticize on the company’s image. Hence, H&M would face strong political pressure from the concerned media, labor rights and health campaigners which will adversely affect their operation margins. ECONOMIC factors: H&M is concerned with the increased of Cotton and production cost in Asia Lower profit margin of the company due to increased of costs in Asia. (Johnson et al., 2014, pg 575)This implies that they would need to fork out more money to get the same quality and/or lesser quantity of raw materials in their production. H&M faced inflation in 2011The business of H&M is facing more competitors due to the poor economic downturn and has affected how the customer spent (Johnson et al., 2014, pg 575)As economic is not doing well, customer who is more prone to price sensitive would purchase them and boost the company’s revenue. Since economic is bad, there is a tenancy that customers will not spend so much on apparel. Hence, they will choose to minimize their spending on changing their fashion apparel so frequently and would affect the profit margin. SOCIOCULTURAL factors: Customers are more cost consciousCustomers are looking for more low-priced and fashionable apparel in the fast-fashion industry.(Johnson et al., 2014, pg 576)When customer is more price sensitive, they would most likely to patron from H&M since is cheap. This increases revenue of the company. Customer’s preferences on fashion trend changes.Customers have a wide range of garment to choose from and they tend to attract to new fashion trend easily. (Johnson et al., 2014, pg 576) Fashion trend is unpredictable in nature and offers a wide range of garments for customer to choose from. Moreover, it can be based on seasonal. Thus, it is difficult to manage customer expectations and H&M may not be the solely apparel shop that customers want to patron. Hence, revenue will be affected. TECHNOLOGICAL factors: H&M established strong social media presence internationally.H&M communicate with their customers through a wide range of social media platform. Eg: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Chinese social networks. (Johnson et al., 2014, pg 579)With a well established social media platform, customers will be more expose to H&M brand. This allows customers to keep coming back and increase the revenue.It is a good method of advertising the company’s branding. However, it allows competitors to imitate easily. Eg: the design of the H&M apparel could be easily copied and resell it by their competitors at a much affordable price and affect the revenue. ECOLOGICAL factors: H&M has adopted â€Å"Going Green† business idea with the use of natural materials in their apparel. H&M came up with a Conscious Collection concept of using sustainable materials. (Johnson et al., 2014, pg 580)This creates a positive brand image of H&M and recognition from the public of being ECO- friendly leading to increases the company’s profitability. Cost of using  natural materials is high and may result in rising of manufacturing cost leading to reduce the profit margins. LEGAL factors: Free trading among suppliers and manufacturers due to the international trade liberalized.The pact increases the number of supplier that allows H&M to work with them at a much lower price. (Johnson et al., 2014, pg 576)It allows H&M to source their suppliers easily at a lower cost. In return, save some operational costs and improve its revenue. Summary Based on the PESTEL Analysis, the external environment of H&M is hostile as there are more threats than opportunities. This is mainly due to the high unpredictable of Socio-Culture factor where customer’s trend preferences and expectations on apparel are difficult to gauge and manage. Furthermore, Economic factor further intensifies the competition as it tends to control customer’s willingness to spend. Porter’s Five Forces Model Threat of new entrants (High) This is due to the low capital required for entrepreneurs to establish an independent retail which can be easily done through other channels. (Johnson et al., 2014, pg 576) For instance, blogshops, Qoo10 or Taobao to sell apparel. Power of Buyers (High) The power of buyer is high as there is an overabundance of retailers in the market. For instance, Zara, Gap and Uniqlo. (Johnson et al., 2014, pg 576) This implied that customers have a wide variety of stores to shop around for bargainable apparel at the best prices. This leads the buyers to switch from one brand to another effortlessly. Power of Suppliers (Low) The power of supplier is low as H&M has 140 in-house designers who come up with their own designs. (Johnson et al., 2014, pg 577) This implied that they have greater buying power when negotiating with suppliers as they are heavily dependent on H&M for manufacturing their designs. Intensity of Rivalry (High) This is mainly due to slow growth rate margin of 3.7% in the year of 2007-2011. (Johnson et al., 2014, pg 576) It increases the competition intensiveness when Zara and Uniqlo are expanding aggressively. This endangered H&M profit in 2011 and loss of $599 revenue is recorded in year 2011 (Johnson et al., 2014, pg 577) Threat of Substitute Products (Low) The threat of substitute products is low as apparel is a basic necessity for us. Summary Based on the Porter’s Five Factors Model, H&M is portrayed as the most unattractive industry as there are more high results achieved. However, they may continue to stay in the fashion industry as they are able to provide low cost value to their cost conscious customers. Question 2a In this section, we will be identifying and examining the strategic capabilities of how H&M’s resources and competencies are contributed in sustaining its competitive advantage in its long-terms survival. Strategic Capability Resources: What H&M has:Competences: What H&M do wellCase Evidence OutletsPhysicalAbility to open stores at attractive location Leasing of stores allow H&M to establish a winning business location easily as they are able to shift and adapt quickly to the changing demand patterns in the fast-fashion industry. This creates more traffic flow of customer and in return increase business revenues since the stores are opened in hotspot shopping area. Through leasing of space, it allows H&M to shift their business locations easily to meet the changing demands patterns in the predominant market. (Johnson et al., 2014, pg579) H&M always opened their stores at the prime locations such as shopping centre or in city. (Johnson et al., 2014, pg579) Well-build integrated IT infrastructure Ability to integrated all functions at all organization level Information on stock taking is disseminated efficiently and effectively among the suppliers and the retailers. For example: Integrated Communication Technology (ICT) system. This increases the company‘s efficiency and productivity to respond to customer needs in a fast-fashion market.H&M had the most updated and developed IT system to support their stock taking process. It aids to provide information efficiently and effectively between the stores and their production team. (Johnson et al., 2014, pg579) Well-established Brand Image Ability to create brand awareness Most of H&M adverting campaigns make use of top-notch celebrities. H&M has a brand value of $16.5 mil and was ranked 21st in 2011 as the top most valuable global brand in the Interbrand. (Johnson et al., 2014, pg579) Healthy Financial Position(Eg: Balance sheet, income statement) FinancialStrong conservative Fund Management (high liquidity status) Profit margin of H&M among the competitors is recorded the highest at 19.04% as compared to (Zara) 18.53%, (Gap) 13.52% and (Uniqlo) 16.52% respectively. This indicates that H&M is more profitable and is in better control of its cost as compared to the rest. Solvency ratio of H&M is reported at the highest of 73.28% as compared to (Zara) 64.99%, (Gap) 57.75% and (Uniqlo) 32.29% respectively. This indicates that H&M has more ability to service its long term and interest debts. Similarly, they are less risky to fall into bankruptcy situation as compared to the rest since they are more cash wise. (Investopedia, 2014) Gearing ratio of H&M is reported at the lowest of 3.01% as compared to (Zara) 12.02%, (Gap) 21.89% and (Uniqlo) 10.55% respectively. This represents that H&M debt level is at 3.01% of its equity which is use for it’s continue  operation. This means debts are easily recovered from their creditors and is unlikely to face bankruptcy in economic downturn due to conservative financial management. (Accounting Tools, 2014)Figures are extracted from the comparative financial data. (Johnson et al., 2014, pg 578) Designers,HumanAbility of Executing Marketing strategy Prestigious designers were hired in strengthening their brand value and image which leads to attract more business and increase in profitability. Ability to keep up with latest fashion trend Regular research was conducted to predict the latest trend that suit customer preferences. This aid in retaining customer’s loyalty leading to more profitability. Famous designers like Stella McCartney, Viktor & Rolf, Madonna are used as their marketing strategy to relate to  brand value and image of H&M. (Johnson et al., 2014, pg 579) They work with customers to find out their preferences and trend through focus group discussion, surveys and having the White Room to find out the new trends, materials and colours. As mentioned in the preceding analysis above, we can conclude that H&M has adopted a cost leadership business strategy. Mainly because of the core business model, â€Å"high fashion/ low cost†. Similarly, manufacturing are being outsourced to low labor cost countries in Asia, Far East and Africa. This let H&M to remain economic of scale that meets needs of the customer who is more prone to price sensitive. Hence, we would recommend H&M to continue to adopt the cost leadership business strategy. This is because by keeping their cost low, they attract more price-sensitive customers and bring up their profit margin further. With this strategy, it enables H&M to grow further by entering into the new markets and products/service opportunities by incorporating the four core competencies of the ability to create brand awareness, ability to integrate all functions at all organization level with the use of IT system, a strong conservative fund management and the ability to enhance the employee’s performance which is implied by the Ansoff product/market growth matrix diagram as shown below. With that said, H&M could look into new markets area by looking at other modes of channels to increase their revenue. This can be done by setting up online platform such as website or mobile apps which leverage on their strong IT system. The advantage is lowering operation cost and improves revenue. However, the down side of setting up online platform is that competitors are able to produce the same designs at a lower price. Next,  H&M could look into acquisition of potential and worthy brand (be it local or overseas market) as mean to achieve expansion growth. H&M strong financial position permits this move. Moreover, H&M could leverage on its expertise on logistics and brand value to new acquisition to improve its business and revenue. The advantage is to achieve synergies between brands in form of spill-over effect and open up new market and products at the same time. The disadvantage would be the risk of the investment but that can be alleviated through careful market research. Similarly, H&M could work closely with their suppliers to achieve low production cost. This enables them to produce good quality of apparel at the best price by leveraging on its ability of their employee’s performance. This strengthens the relationship, resulting in cost savings and improve profit margin. The disadvantage is political risk would arise if the suppliers working condition and wages are not met up to the expectation of the public. However, it can mitigate by reducing the pressure on company image through social media to uphold its brand value. Also, H&M might look at other materials asides from cotton to achieve Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR). This leverages on improving the brand image as they are seen to be ECO-friendly. However, the price will be high due to materials cost is expensive and resulted in loss of revenue. This might not have great impact in the future sustainability if customer is prone to be environment conscious and don’t mind paying more for that comfortability. Alternatively, H&M could expand their strategy by offering new product and services such as fashionable maternity wears and undergarments for men. This helps to increase another streams of revenue for the company as more customers are targeted. Hence, H&M shall remain in the textile industry as they are able to leverage on their core competencies to out-win their competitors with the above mentioned recommendations. References Accounting Tools. (2014). Gering Ratio. Retrieved Aug 29, 2014, from http://www.accountingtools.com/gearing-ratio Investopedia. (2014). Solvency Ratio. Retrieved Aug 29, 2014, from http://www.investopedia.com/video/play/solvency-ratio/ Johnson et al., G. (2014). H&M in fast fashion: continued success? In G. Johnson, R. Whittington, K. Scholes, D. Angwin, & P. Regner, Exploring Strategy Text and Cases Tenth Edition. Pearson Education Limited. Yildiz, P. R. (2014). H&M in fast fashion: Continued Success? In Gerry, R. Whittington, K. Scholes, D. Angwin, & P. Regner, Exploring Strategy Text and Cases Tenth Edition (p. 575 -582). Pearson Education Limited.

Office administration SBA Essay

Statement of Topic To determine the duties and responsibilities of the Administrative Assistant at The Cable Department. OBJECTIVES The objectives of this project are: To investigate the duties and responsibilities of the administrative assistant To determine the importance of the Administrative Assistant to the organization. Functions of the Cable Department At The Cable Department, the functions of an Administrative Assistant areto make and cancel appointments on behalf of an executive and to greet the customer or potential business person in the most polite way. Abbott Village, West Farm, St Kitts. 17 October, 2012 Ms Judith Hewlet The Administrative Assistant, The Cable Department, Church Street, Basseterre. Dear Ms Hewlet, I am a fifth form student of the Verchilds High school. In an effort to complete my School Based Assessment, I am writing this letter seeking permission to conduct an interview with you and also to do some observations of the Administrative Assistant. I would like to find out the duties of the secretary and how his or her work benefits the business. I hope that you would grant me permission to have this interview. I would be extremely grateful as this would make it easier for me to complete my Office  Administration School Based Assessment Project. Thanks in advance for your cooperation. Yours sincerely, †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Tashaun Greene Methodology The instrument that the researcher used to gather the informationwas an interview. The researcher interviewed the Administrative Assistant on the 21st of October,2013 and recorded responses during the discussion. This instrument is used by asking an Ms.Hewlet in that specific business place questions whether face to face or over the telephonewhich is relevant to the business to gather information. This instrument was chosen over others because more questions can be asked and the researcher may get a better understanding of the data. In addition, the interviewer can answer questions that were not clearly understood by the respondent, this way is much more effective and faster in terms of getting the data. Five important questions 1. What equipment do you use to complete your work? 2. What are the duties in the business? 3. What are the documents used in the business? 4. What are the legislations that govern the business? 5. Are there any health and safety rules? Schedule of Activity Date Activity Comments 13/9/12 The guidelines for the SBA was handed to the researcher from the teacher The teacher explained everything that should or should not be done in the SBA 14/9/12 The researcher started research on the first six tasks of the project A past student corrected the project and put a few changes 19/9/12 I spoke with the secretary to seek her permission about the interview The secretary was pleased to answer and said yes 23/9/12 The SBA was sent back to the researcher in an e-mail The teacher corrected the project 14/12/12 The researcher was on job attachment to get further information about the project It was a success and all the information required was collect 21/12/12 The interview was conducted It was successful 8/1/13 The teacher gathered with students to ask about the job experience The students responded well, it benefited most of them 21/1/13 The SBA was sent to the teacher Teacher made some adjustments to the SBA 22/2/13 The SBA was sent back to the researcher to be corrected The researcher sent back the correction to the teacher Rules and Regulations LEGISLATION One legislation that governs the work place that the researcher had to be aware of is confidentiality, this simply means that whatever information is in the business place it should stay there and shouldn’t be discuss among your peers, relatives or friends etc. The information should stay private. However, the researcher became aware of this legislation by the members on  staff. HEALTH AND SAFETY One health and safety practice while carrying out this research project based on the workplace is the sign which reads â€Å"wet floor†. This sign prevents people from getting hurt by letting them know that danger can be ahead of them. STAFF RULE One staff rule which the researcher had to comply with while carrying out the project is that there should be no use of cell phones while working. This is so because it may be a distraction or it may develop conflict between the customers and the staff member. Report The objectives of the project are to investigate the duties and responsibilities of the secretary and to determine the importance of the Administrative Assistant are to maintain good working conditions and to use the basic software applications. BUSINESS FORM DATE NAME OF DOCUMENT PURPOSE OF DOCUMENT 19/12/12 Internet User Agreement The purpose of this document is to ensure that the customers agree to get the internet service and they will do whatever is required to get the service. 21/12/12 The Cable Form The purpose of this form is for the customers to fill out to clarify whether  they want to reconnect, disconnect, upgrade or downgrade their service. Cancelation Form The purpose of this form to cancel the entire cable service. OFFICE EQUIPMENT DATE EQUIPMENT PURPOSE OF EQUIPMENT SUITABILITY FOR TASKS 27/12/12 Photo Copying Machine The purpose of this equipment is to copy the customer’s ID and any other document that is there for proof It is suitable to clarify whether the person is who they say they are 28/12/12 Cash Register The purpose of this equipment is for the customers to pay their bill in which they owe or to make certain transactions It is suitable because this is the main thing that the customers come into the business to do and it will be benefiting the business because they will be getting money 30/12/12 Printer The purpose of this equipment is to keep a hard copy of the important information or information relevant to the business It is suitable to print stuff so there would be a hard copy so they will be sent out to consumers, for example letters Bibliography Person listed: 21 December 2012, Basseterre, Labour Secretariat Administrative Assistant Publication List S Finisterre, L Payne & J Reid (2004) Longman Office Administration for CXC Appendix Five important questions 1. What is the equipment used in the business? 2. What are the duties of the business? 3. What are the documents used in the business? 4. What are the documents used for in the business? 5. What are the legislations that govern the business? 6. Are there healthy and safety rules? 7. Is the business a successful one? 8. What are the benefits of the business? 9. Are there any staff rules?

The Ultimate ACT Math Prep Guide Strategies, Topics, and Tips

The Ultimate ACT Math Prep Guide Strategies, Topics, and Tips SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips We at PrepScholar believe in providing you with the highest quality ACT study material. We've put together a detailed, entirely free guide for your ACT math prep right here.This is the best, most comprehensive guide to the ACT Math section available anywhere.To make this article, we brought all of our top ACT Math guides together in one place. The path to mastering the ACT is challenging, but if you're dedicated to doing your best on the test and are ready to commit your time and energy to improving your score, using our guides can help you reach your greatest potential! This ultimate guide to ACT Math will start by comparing the ACTand SAT Math sections so that any of you still on the fence about which test to take can make the best decision for you. Next, we'll go through the format of theACTMath section, point you toward the bestfree ACT Mathtests and practice problems, and dive into more generalACTtips you'll need to know for the test. Finally, we'll go over the individual math topics bound to appear on test day. It's a good idea to read each guide we've linked roughly in order- at least the first time you go through this collection. Afterward, you can come back to any of the guides you need to review to give yourself a refresher. Now that we've covered the basics, let's dive in! If you'd rather skip around, here are quick links to the main sections of this article: ACT Math vs SAT Math High-Level ACT Math Section Overview Free ACT Tests and ACT Math Practice Problems ACT Math Tips and Tools ACT Math Topic Guides Strategies for Multiple Types of ACT Math Problems Individual ACT Math Topic Guides ACT Math vs SAT Math For those of you who aren't sure whether the SAT or ACT is right for you, we've broken down what each test looks like, how their sections differ, and which one better suits the type of math student you are. ACT vs. SAT: 11 Key Differences to Help You Pick the Right Test What are the main differences between the ACT and SAT? How different (or similar) are their Math sections?We'll show you how each test differs in terms of structure, style, and content- as well as what this means for you. Is the ACT Easier Than the SAT? Everyone seems to have an opinion on whether the ACT or SAT is easier, but differentpeople will find that different testssuit them best. So which is easier: ACT or SAT Math? In this guide, we help you determine which exam will be easier for you based on your own strengths and weaknesses. High-Level ACT Math Section Overview Now that you've (presumably) decided to choose the ACT Math section, let's talk big picture. These guides will lay the foundation for your ACT studies to give you an idea of how the ACT Math section works as a whole and how you can master it. What’s Actually Tested on ACT Math Section? Concepts, Subjects, and Skills The first step to understanding how to master the ACT Math section is to learnexactly what you'll be tested on. This guide takes you through all of the major math topics tested on the ACT so that you can know what and how to study for this section. How You Can Take Advantage of ACT Math Question Order Because the ACT is a standardized test, you can use its structure to predict what your own ACT will look like. In this guide, we explain how the ACT Math section is arranged and teach you how to use this information to your advantage during your studies and on test day. How to Get 36 on ACT Math: 8 Strategies by a Perfect Scorer For those of you who are already doing well on ACT Math and want to aim for perfection, this is the guide for you. Written by a perfect scorer, our article gives youexpert advice and tips to helpyou take your ACT Math score to the top. Free ACT Tests and ACT Math Practice Problems Mastering the ACT, especially the Math section,requires you to arm yourself with tons of content knowledge and take the time to practice with real ACTMath practice tests and problems. Here, we give you our picks for the best free onlineACT Mathmaterials to use in your test prep. Complete Official ACT Practice Tests, Free Links If you haven't yet taken a full ACT practice test yet, set aside some time and take one of these free, real ACTtests. This will give you a score as a starting point to work with, and will show you how your Math score fits into the larger picture of your ACT score goals. Complete List of FREE ACT Math Practice Questions In addition to full ACT tests, there are many ACTMath problems available for free online that aren't part of full-length tests. We link to all of them here and give you helpful tips you'll needto master in order to be able to solve them both fast and accurately. The 21 Hardest ACT Math Questions Ever We've compiled the most difficultACTMath problems from the past 10 years and provided answer explanations for each of them. Take a look if you're ready to test yourself against the most difficult problems the ACThas to offer! ACT Math Tips and Tools So far you've learned what the ACT Math section looks like, high-level strategies for improving your scores, and where to find high-quality ACT Math practice problems. Now, we'll look at theskills and tools you'll need to further master the Math section. The 31 CriticalACTMath Formulas You MUST Know One of the most important aspects of the testis knowing your ACT math formulas as well as how to apply them to problems. In this guide, we show you what math formulas you'll absolutely need to know, and what formulas you can get away withnotknowing on test day. How to Actually Use YourACTMath Formulas Now that you know the keyformulas, how do you make use of them on ACT Math? We show you how and when to use math formulas to their greatest effect, and take you through the formulas you'll need to know most for the test. How to Improve Low ACT Math Scores: 9 Tips From a Perfect Scorer If you're consistently scoring in the range of 14-24 on ACT Math but want to hit 26 or higher, this is the guide for you. Here, our resident full scorer gives you the motivation and essential tips needed to easily and effectively raise your Math score. How to Get the Most Out of ACT Math Practice Questions Knowing how to use your practice problems effectively is just about as important as having access to practice problems in the first place. Learn how to best approach ACT Math problems and ultimately improve your score. Guide toACTCalculators: Expert Tips A good (and pre-approved)calculatoron ACTMath isindispensable. Learn which calculators are allowed on the test and get the inside knowledge of which calculators ourACTexperts prefer. How to Guess Strategically on ACTMath When should you guess on an ACT Math question? More importantly, how can you make your best guess possible? Learn how to increase your guessing oddsand give yourself the greatest possibility of getting a Math question right. How to Stop Running Out of Time on ACTMath Running out of time on ACTMath when you practice? This section is fast paced but not impossible. Here, we take you through the steps you'll need to beat the clock and get your best Math score. How You'll Get Stuck in ACT Math Questions, and What to Do About It If you've ever found yourself stymied by a problem, this is the guide for you. We help you quickly identify when you're going down the wrongACTMath path, and how to get yourself out of it. ACTMath Topic Guides Now that you've got a solid grasp of the most important high-levelACTMath strategies, it's time to take a look at each and everymath topic on the test. We've written individual informational andstrategyguides for every ACT Math topic, and provide practice problems with answer explanations for each. Strategies for Multiple Types of ACT Math Problems Many ACTMath problems can be solved in multiple ways, and two strategies in particular can help you solve several kinds of questions. These key strategies give you the power to answer questions on math topics you aren't sure how to solve using the "traditional" way, and help you double-check that you've chosen the correct answer. Plugging in Answers: A Critical ACT Math Strategy Plugging in Numbers: A Critical ACT Math Strategy Instead of solving math problems directly, you can use the structure of the test against itself. These two essential strategies involve putting answer choices back into problems and using numbers to test equations and inequalities. They're especially helpful forcomplex algebra problems- nothing beats working with real numbers instead of variables! Individual ACT Math TopicGuides Now, let's look at each math topic on the ACTby subject. Numbers Integers (basic) Integers (advanced) Fractions, ratios, and proportions Statistics Probability Sequences Algebra Single-variable equations Systems of equations Inequalities Operations Functions Word problems Polynomials Coordinate Geometry Lines and slopes Reflections, translations, and rotations Plane and Solid Geometry Lines and angles Circles Triangles Polygons Solid Geometry Conic sections Trigonometry Advice for Using This Ultimate ACT Math Guide There's a lot of information here, so take your time as you read through it. Similarly, try to balance your studies over a period of several months. The ACTMath section is complicated, and there's a lot of content and problem-solving techniques to understand if you want to score highly on it. That said, always take to heart that it is possible for you to do well onACTMath. Getting a good Math score requires dedication and discipline, but mastering the section iscompletely doable. And don't forget that taking the time to work through these ACT Math prep guides means you're already on the right track! What’s Next? Want more guidance? Check out our other ACT sectionguides forEnglish, Reading, Science, and Writing. We've also got an ultimate guide to the ACT as a whole! Think you might be procrastinating on your ACT study plan? Then read our guide to learn how you can get your focus back and stop putting off ACT prep. If you're still feeling overwhelmed, consider working with a prep program.OurACTprep programlearns your strengths and weaknesses to tailor your study materials and lessons to the areas you need to focus on most. We also teach you how to balance your time during your studies so that you can get the most out of every hour of prep. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by ACT experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Try it risk-free today:

An Introduction to Dog Intelligence and Emotion

An Introduction to Dog Intelligence and Emotion We feed them, we let them sleep in our beds, we play with them, we even talk to them. And of course, we love them. Any dog-owner will tell you that their pet has a remarkable capacity to understand the world around them. And they’re right. Scientists have figured out great ways to find out exactly what human’s best friend is capable of. The Science of Animal Cognition Over the past several years, one of the biggest advances in our human understanding of doggie cognition has been the use of MRI machines to scan dog brains. MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging, the process of taking an ongoing picture of what parts of the brain are lighting up through what external stimuli. Dogs, as any doggie parent knows, are highly trainable. This trainable nature makes dogs great candidates for MRI machines, unlike non-domesticated wild animals like birds or bears. Ragen McGowan, a scientist at Nestlà © Purina specializing in dog cognition, takes full advantage of a certain type of MRI machine, the fMRI (which stands for functional MRI), to study these animals. These machines detect changes in blood flow and use that to measure brain activity. Through ongoing research, McGowan has found out a lot about animal  cognition and feelings. In a study done in 2015, McGowan found that a human’s presence leads to increased blood flow to a dog’s eyes, ears and paws, which means the dog is excited. McGowan also studied what happens to dogs when they are being petted. We’ve known for some time that for humans, petting a beloved animal can lead to lower rates of stress and anxiety. Well, it turns out the same is true for dogs. When humans pet shelter dogs for 15 minutes or more, the dog’s heart rate decreases and it becomes less anxious overall. Another recent study on dog cognition found that our beloved companion animals can tell the difference in our emotional expressions. In another study done with the fMRI machine, scientists found that not only can dogs tell the difference between happy and sad human faces, they also respond differently to them. As Smart as Children Animal psychologists have clocked dog intelligence at right around that of a two to two-and-a-half-year-old human child. The 2009 study which examined this found that dogs can understand up to 250 words and gestures. Even more surprising, the same study found that dogs can actually count low numbers (up to five) and even do simple math. And have you ever experienced the emotions of your dog while you’re petting another animal or paying attention to something else? Do you imagine they feel something like human jealousy? Well, there’s science to back this up, too. Studies have found that dogs do, in fact, experience jealousy. Not only that, but dogs do their best to figure out how to â€Å"handle† the thing that’s taking their parent’s attention - and if they have to force the attention back on them, they will. Dogs have been studied for their empathy, as well. A 2012 study examined dogs’ behavior towards distressed humans that weren’t their owners. While the study concluded that dogs display an empathy-like behavior, the scientists writing the report decided that it may be better explained as â€Å"emotional contagion† and a history of being rewarded for this type of emotional alertness. Is it empathy? Well, it sure seems like it. Numerous other studies on dog behavior, emotion, and intelligence have found that dogs â€Å"eavesdrop† on human interactions to assess who is mean to their owner and who isn’t and that dogs follow their human’s gaze. These studies may just be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to our learning about dogs. And as for doggie parents? Well, they may know a lot more than the rest of us, just by observing their best canine companions every day. The studies done on dog cognition all illuminate one thing: that humans may know much less about dog brains than we previously thought. As time goes on, more and more scientists are becoming interested in animal research, and with each new study done, we find out more about how our beloved pets think.