Benefit of Smoking

Smoking lowers risk of knee-replacement surgery While smokers might go broke buying a pack of cigarettes, they can at least save money by avoiding knee-replacement surgery. Surprising results from a new study have revealed that men who smoke had less risk of undergoing total joint replacement surgery than those who never smoked. The study, from the University of Adelaide in Australia, appears in the July issue of the journal Arthritis amp; Rheumatism. What could be the connection? Knee-replacement surgery was more common among joggers and the obese smokers rarely jog and they are less likely to be morbidly obese. After controlling for age, weight and exercise, the researchers were at a loss to explain the apparent, albeit slight protective effects of smoking for osteoporosis. It could be that the nicotine in tobacco helps prevent cartilage and joint deterioration. 2. Smoking lowers risk of Parkinsons disease Numerous studies have identified the uncanny inverse relationship between smoking and Parkinsons disease. Long-term smokers are somehow protected against Parkinsons and its not because smokers die of other things earlier. The most recent, well-conducted study was published in a March 2010 issue of the journal Neurology. Far from determining a cause for the protective effect, these researchers found that the number of years spent smoking, more so than the number of cigarettes smoked daily, mattered more for a stronger protective effect. Harvard researchers were among the first to provide convincing evidence that smokers were less likely to develop Parkinsons. In a study published in Neurology in March 2007, these researchers found the protective effect wanes after smokers quit. And they concluded in their special scientific way that they didnt have a clue as to why. 3. Smoking lowers risk of obesity Smoking — and, in particular, the nicotine in tobacco smoke — is an appetite suppressant. This has been known for centuries, dating back to indigenous cultures in America in the pre-Columbus era. Tobacco companies caught on by the 1920s and began targeting women with the lure that smoking would make them thinner. A study published in the July 2011 issue of the journal Physiology amp; Behavior, in fact is one of many stating that the inevitable weight gain upon quitting smoking is a major barrier in getting people to stop, second only to addiction. The relationship between smoking and weight control is complex: Nicotine itself acts as both a stimulant and appetite suppressant; and the act of smoking triggers behavior modification that prompts smokers to snack less. Smoking also might make food less tasty for some smokers, further curbing appetite. As an appetite suppressant, nicotine appears to act on a part of the brain called the hypothalamus, at least in mice, as revealed in a study by Yale researchers published in the June 10, 2011 issue of the journal Science. No respectable doctor would recommend smoking for weight control, given the toxic baggage accompanying cigarettes. This recent Yale study, however, does offer an inkling of hope for a safe diet drug to help obese people control their appetites. 4. Smoking lowers risk of death after some heart attacks Compared with non-smokers, smokers who have had heart attacks seem to have lower mortality rates and more favorable responses to two kinds of therapy to remove plaque from their arteries: fibrinolytic therapy, which is basically medication; and angioplasty, which removes the plaque by inserting balloons or stents into the arteries. Theres a catch, though. The reason why smokers have heart attacks is that smoke scars the arteries, allowing fat and plaque to build up in the first place. So, one theory as to why smokers do better than non-smokers after such therapies is that they are younger, experiencing their first heart attack approximately 10 years before the non-smoker. A study published in an August 2005 issue of the American Heart Journal, however, states that age alone is not enough to fully explain the survival differences and that the smokers paradox is alive and well. No alternative theories have been put forth since. 5. Smoking helps the heart drug clopidogrel work better Clopidogrel is a drug used to inhibit blood clots for those patients suffering from coronary artery disease and other circulatory diseases leading to strokes and heart attacks. Smoking seems to help clopidogrel do its job better. A study by Korean researchers in the October 2010 issue of the journal Thrombosis Research builds upon work by Harvard researchers published in 2009 that demonstrates the benefit of smoking at least 10 cigarettes a day. It seems that something in cigarette smoke activates certain proteins called cytochromes, which convert clopidogrel into a more active state. Again, no respectable doctor is encouraging patients to start smoking to get the most out of clopidogrel. But this and the other four benefits of smoking reveal how tobacco — perhaps not unlike other potentially toxic plants — might contain certain chemicals of real therapeutic value. 6. Smoking Relieves Stress This is the most common thing you hear from smokers about the benefits of smoking. This is because cigarettes create a myriad of conditions that help the body deal with anxiety, stress, and depression. 7. Smoking Relaxes Your Breathing The way you breathe when you smoke helps your body relax and calm down. For people who have panic attacks or stress problems, Doctors recommend patients practice a sort of breathing called relaxation breathing. Among other things, it involves taking a deep breath into the lungs and holding it in for a second or two before exhaling. This is exactly like the act of smoking. This kind of breathing slows your heart rate and relieves tension in your muscles, especially your neck and upper back, which tense up in stressful situations. 8. Outside Smoke Breaks Calm You Down If you go outside for smoke breaks, this simple act can really help you deal with your stress. Say if you’re in a fight with your spouse or close to the deadline on a major project for work, leaving the house or office to step outside for a smoke break helps you deal with the stress. * You get a break from your stressor * You get into the open and fresh air * You leave the stressful environment * You have time to think about your problems from an objective point of view   * The nature and sky outside helps your mind calm down and relax 9. Nicotine is an Anxiety and Depression Medication The nicotine in cigarettes is also a major factor of stress relief. Nicotine is a chemical which mildly and temporarily stops the feelings of anxiety and depression. After an inhale of cigarette smoke, the nicotine reacts in your brain chemistry within seven seconds. Nicotine makes the brain feel better, and stops the chain reaction anxiety and depression can have within the brain. It is no surprise that 1/3 of nicotine addicts claim to have depression or anxiety problems. Cigarettes are a great form of self medication.

Performance management is key to achieving sustained competitive Essay

Performance management is key to achieving sustained competitive advantage - Essay Example advantage (Amit & Schoemaker, 1993; Barney, 1991; Schoenecker & Cooper, 1998). Human capital is more mobile than other intangible resources (Teece, Pisano, & Shuen, 1997). Therefore, it may seem an unlikely source of sustained competitive advantage. Hence the organization must search for the means and ways to retain them to achieve completive advantage. Competitive advantage is gained only when the organization selects or develops these resources and structures work tasks and the reward system in ways that motivate the team to perform well and thereby contribute to organizational effectiveness (Guzzo & Shea, 1992). Some organizations reward employees financially when they demonstrate an ability to acquire and master new knowledge (Jenkins & Gupta, 1985; Gerhart, 2000; Lawler, ch-10).Also some studies like, Jackson & Schuler, 2002 considers that organizational structures for rewards improve organizational performance and proves competitive advantage rather than team effectiveness and selection and training. But according to Dobbins, Cardy, Facteau, & Miller, 1993 opinion, system factors are the only constraining influences that restrict individual ability and motivation, and result in lowered performance. Performance management involves enabling people to perform their work to the best of their ability, meeting and perhaps exceeding targets and standards, and hence the PM system involves the following components.1. The focus is on an individual's work.2. There are expectations or standards of performance.3. There are usually two sessions between the employee and the evaluator: one to establish the standards and another to review performance. 4. The evaluator is usually the person who has line management authority over the one evaluated. 5. The evaluation session usually results in some written conclusion--some paper trail regarding the performance of the person reviewed. Corporate Performance Management (CPM) has become a widely adopted strategy execution in the current day corporate scenario with systematic and integrated improvements in the management processes to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. At the core of CPM is A metrics-based strategic planning and execution framework that helps align strategic plans with resource allocation and strategic initiatives Strategic goal alignment through enhanced communication and focusing processes / resources towards organization objectives A structured information based review mechanism that provides the feedback loop and connects strategic planning to operational performance measures Eg: Infosys is a best example to observe the competitive advantage of the company that has achieved through the adoption of CPM approach. Performance management and improvement is observed as Cycle to adopt in the process with certain steps. The practice of Infosys CPM is observed through the following steps of PM cycle. 1. Performance planning: Here

Take-Home Exam Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Take-Home Exam - Term Paper Example Scenes in movies or films are the activities that take place at a single location through a given amount time (Tomaric, 2012). Scenes are small films within a film, which make up the whole, when they are merged, through editing, to come up with one complete film. Scenes have some distinct qualities that characterize them to the extent that they are given unique names. This is because these characteristics can be reproduced, on other films, to bring about the same effect that they were designed to elicit. Establishing a shot in filmmaking is the process of making a long footage whose objective is to provide an overview of the scene that follows this shot. A wide shot in a film is also referred to as a long shot, and it shows the entire feature of interest in the frame. The shot includes an entire object that is captured including the surrounding environment that relates to the feature. A medium shot in filming is a shot that is taken when the camera is positioned at a medium distance away from the feature of interest (Tomaric, 2012). The distance that defines a medium shot is not clearly established because it creates confusion between a close up shot and a medium shot. A medium close up shot can be defined as a picture frame that includes, for example, the photo of a person from the below the waist and above the knees. A close up shot is a photo that includes the image of a person from the chest up or even the face only. An extreme close up shot is tightly taken A photo that only shows a specific detail about a feature. This can be a close up of the ears or the eyes. An over the shoulder shot is a shot of a feature taken from the perspective or camera angle of an over the shoulder view of another person or object. A 2-shot is a shot taken to include two features in one single shot. A point of view shot is more of a short scene describing the subject feature’s view at an object which taken by placing the camera angle between the subjects view and his/her reaction to the object (Tomaric, 2012). Question #2 A film budget is the money used to cater for expenses that are incurred in the filming making process. A film budget includes an above the line budgetary allocation that covers the key players, in the production of a movie for example, producers, directors, actors and writers. All other fund allocations are referred to as below the line. The film I would like to make addresses the prevailing social problems in society. The film would be produced in a way that it would be appealing and intriguing to the intended audience. I would seek to address the issue of drug abuse in society especially by the young generation. In doing this, I would seek the services of a script writer whose is familiar and conversant with the theme of this film. Ideas for this film can be got from persons who have had prior experience with drug abuse involving the youth. Film making has three basic steps that are involved in the process. These are the pre-prod uction stage, the production stage and the post production stage (Cleve, 2012). The pre-production stage involves the careful planning and designing of the film. A production company is created along with a production office. Pre-visualization of the film is done, and a storyboard of the film is established with guidance of concept artists and illustrators. A production budget is also drawn up during the pre-production which helps determine and plan for film expenditures. Films with