Blue Stragglers :: essays research papers

Blue Stragglers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Scientists have recently found that odd stars known, as â€Å"blue stragglers† may be the product of collision between two, and possibly more, older stars. This may result in finding out a 50 year-old mystery of the blue stragglers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Even in â€Å"dense† areas stars a typically billions, if not, trillions, of miles apart. But stars may have the occasional chance to collide in global clusters, which are dense groupings of up to a million stars wit tightly packed cores. Some global clusters are among the oldest structures in the universe, about 15 billion years old, all the stars in the clusters are known as red giants that have puffed up to there outermost atmospheres. In these clusters the presence of blue stragglers have baffled astronomers since the 1950’s. Each of these stars less than a billion years old.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Scientist recently realized that the collision of the older stars in the clusters could merge together to form one young one. Because of the stars mass a color determining the age of the star. Red being cool, blue being hot. Heavy stars burning fast, lighter stars undergoing a slow burn.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Blue stragglers appear to be formed by the collision of stars known as main sequence turnoff stars. These are stars that have reached the end of their lives and are about to become red giants. Four of the Five blue stragglers examined were just the mass the astronomers expected had two stars collided. The fifth was so much heavier than expected that Saffer, C. Rex, of Villanova University, suspects that three or more stars collided from it. When astronomers have made a computer model, and one scenario is that a lighter star crashes into a heavier one at 500,000 miles per hour, leaving behind a huge wake. Then buries itself at the core of the larger star, setting up massive shock waves on the star’s surface. The newly formed, combined star can take anywhere from hundered of thousands of years to ten million years to settle down into a new, stable star.

Illinois Capital Punishment System :: essays research papers

Clemency, compassion?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How exactly can I explain the Capital Punishment System here in Illinois? Well to be honest, I would have to go with, total chaos. For you who don’t know what Capital Punishment is, it is the system we use to place criminals who commit very serious crimes on Death Row. Out of the 50 states in our wonderful country, 38 of them have a Capital Punishment System, Illinois being one of them. Recently, while Governor George Ryan was in office, it was decided to halt all executions, making Illinois the first of the 38 states to do so.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Capital Punishment was brought back to Illinois in 1977. From ’77 to ’87 there were a total of 128 prisoners enrolled on death row. In 1990 alone there were 125 murderers waiting to face the ultimate punishment. Out of those people, a total of 12 people have been executed through lethal injection, but 13 prisoners were released from death row as innocent. 7 of the 12 executed were after 1976, 5 were in 1995 alone. Is it just me, or is this a bit confusing? The Government seemed to get a little death hungry during these years. It’s obvious that there are bound to be many other innocent people, sitting in jail cells suffering for a murder that they did not commit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Governor Ryan stepped in office determined to find out what is wrong with this system in Illinois. He came in actually as a firm believer of the death penalty, but seeing that 13 people were found innocent, Governor Ryan became frustrated and decided to take action. After researching how the system works, and becoming aware of the flaws, the former Governor pardoned 4 more prisoners (Aaron Patterson, Madison Hobley, Stanley Howard and Leroy Orange) who confessed under police torture and convicted because of those confessions. â€Å"I believe these men are innocent or I wouldn’t have pardoned them, the system has failed for all four men and it has failed for all the people of this state.† Governor Ryan said at Depaul University. He also believes that there are at least 33 wrongly convicted, and since Capital Punishment was reinstated 93 have been released from custody because they were found innocent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This system in Illinois is obviously full of error and no one can ever seem to be 100% sure of determining who’s guilty and who’s innocent, and if they should die or not.

Nature and Love in the Poetry of Dafydd ap Gwilym :: Poetry

Nature and Love in the Poetry of Dafydd ap Gwilym Essay is 1550 words in length Dafydd ap Gwilym has been acclaimed as the greatest poet of the Welsh language. As Rachel Bromwhich commented, Dafydd’s life "coincided miraculously in both time and place with an unprecedented opportunity to mate the new with the old" (Brom 112). Perhaps "mate" is a more appropriate choice of words here than Rachel intended. As his poetry depicts, Dafydd tried to mate a great many things in his time; the man is immortalized as a ball of raging hormones. A self-proclaimed "Ovid’s man," Dafydd took pleasure in identifying himself with the authoritative source of courtly love, a fresh trend in Wales during his life (Summer 29). Love, specifically courtly love, was among the new themes Dafydd merged with the traditional themes like nature. Even the ancient topic of nature, under Dafydd’s molding, took on new forms. Dafydd personified elements of nature to be his trusted messengers in poems such as "The Seagull." In the "Holly Grove," nature is subtly described a s a fortress or protector of sorts. Variations of these elements of secret, protected, and secluded love mesh with images of nature throughout Dafydd’s poetry. However, nature seems to be much more than a confidant or mere factor in his search for love; Dafydd’s poems such as "Secret Love" suggest that nature is essential in this endeavor. Though Dafydd’s attempts at love are not limited to the natural realm, poems such as "Trouble in a Tavern" make it evident that only in the natural setting is Dafydd a successful lover. Elements in the poetry of courtly love express the need for a love affair to remain secret. The object of a poet’s love in these poems is typically a married woman, or unattainable by some other means. Andreas Capellanus’s The Rules of Courtly Love captures this element of forbidden love by saying, "marriage (was) no real excuse for not loving" (Cap 115-116). As Patrick Ford wisely pointed out, the need to maintain secrecy in a forbidden affair is not a new idea to modern readers. These elements of courtly love do not escape Dafydd’s poetry. His poem "Secret Love," among others, emphasizes the level of secrecy necessary in maintaining a love affair. Dafydd considers himself a learned lover, who found that "The best form of the words that work / Is to speak love in secrecy" (Sec 1-2).

Determinants of Bank Profitability in Nigeria

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1. 0BACKGROUND INFORMATION TO THE STUDY The study of profits is important not only because of the information it provides about the health of the economy in any given year, but also because profits are a key determinant of growth and employment in the medium-term. Changes in profitability are an important contributor to economic progress via the influence profits have on the investment and savings decisions of companies. This is because a rise in profits improves the cash flow position of companies and offers greater flexibility in the source of finance for corporate investment (i. . through retained earnings). Easier access to finance facilitates greater investment which boosts productivity, productive capacity, competitiveness and employment. The existence, growth and survival of a business organization mostly depend upon the profit which an organization is able to earn. It is true that when Profitability increases the value of shareholders may increase to considerable extent. The term profitability refers to the ability of the business organization to maintain its profit year after year.The profitability of the organization will definitely contribute to the economic development of the nation by way of providing additional employment and tax revenue to government exchequer. Moreover, it will contribute the income of the investors by having a higher dividend and thereby improve the standard of living of the people. In order for a business entity (whether public or privately owned) to continue to prosper, there is need for its earnings to be relatively stable for its expansion and growth over time.In addition to its level of earnings, its external environment must also be carefully understood and reliably anticipated (Burns and Mitchell, 1946). Earnings and business environments are so serious issues that a business must study and understand in order to face its opportunities and threats with vigor and determination. Where for instance, the business does not recognize the effects of changes in external environment which may necessitate changes in business earnings, it may suffer some losses consequently.This perhaps explains why there has been continuing search by modern businesses to improve their methods of production necessary to cut down costs, and to develop new attributes or products, which may have wider appeal and satisfaction to their customers. On the other hand, the environmental and cyclical conditions are usually volatile and Dynamic (Sabo, 2003). This underscores the need for business firms to be able to reliably conduct forecast not only for their future demands or sales for their goods and services but also other variables that affect them directly such as their personnel and future profits.The volatility of the changes in the variables from the external environment in specific ways to the immediate factory level and to the remote industry and task environments can sometimes be very significant. Th ese calls for managers’ ability to appreciate and apply formal forecasting techniques to assist their banks achieve this veritable task. The determinants of profitability are empirically well explored although the definition of profitability varies among studies.Disregarding the profitability measures, most of the banking studies have noticed that the capital ratio, loan-loss provisions and expense control are important drivers of high profitability. In this study, the drivers that would be considered are in two categories namely endogenous (internal) and exogenous (external) drivers or factors of Profitability. Internal drivers of bank performance or profitability can be defined as factors that are influenced by a bank’s management decisions. Such management effects will definitely affect the operating results of banks.Although a quality management leads to a good bank performance, it is difficult, if not impossible, to assess management quality directly. In fact, it is implicitly assumed that such a quality will be reflected in the operating performance. As such, it is not uncommon to examine a bank’s performance in terms of those financial variables found in financial statements, such as the balance sheet and income statement (Krakah and Ameyaw, 2010). External determinants of bank profitability are factors that are beyond the control of a bank‘s management. They represent events outside the influence of the bank.However, the management can anticipate changes in the external environment and try to position the institution to take advantage of anticipated developments. The two major components of the external determinants are macroeconomic factors and financial structure factors (Krakah and Ameyaw, 2010). In summary, it appears previous empirical research has suggested a possible connection between bank profitability and various internal and external determinants like Bank Assets, Loan-Loss Provisions, Total Deposit and Inflation, but is far from definitive as ifferent authors have made use of the inclusion and exclusion of different variables in their studies. Hence, our study will try to shed more light on this controversial issue by reviewing more empirical literatures on opposing sides of the topic and finally drawing conclusions from our findings from the mode of data analysis we intend to carry out. 1. 1STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM The Federal Government of Nigeria and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have perennially sought permanent measures that would enhance the profitability and stability of banks operating in the Nigerian banking industry.Unfortunately, they have never completely succeeded in achieving this feat. For instance, from 1987 – 1991 financial sector reforms (intended to enhance competition in the sector, mobilize savings and lead to a more efficient allocation of resources) were implemented, encompassing elements of liberalization (such as the decontrolling of interest rate s) and measures to enhance prudential regulation and tackle bank distress (Oluranti, 1991).Also, between 1990 and 2004, bank regulators increased the minimum share capital requirement for banks operating in Nigeria five times, namely in 1991, 1997, 2000, 2001 and 2004 (Aburime and Uche, 2006). However, these measures were unsuccessful in curtailing the spate of bank distress and failures in the1990s and beyond (Oluranti, 1991; Beck et al. , 2005 and Brownbridge, 2005). Currently, a set of banking sector reforms have also been introduced to ensure inter alia a strong and reliable banking sector (Okagbue and Aliko, 2005).Unfortunately, if the historical antecedents of financial sector reforms in Nigeria are anything to go by, the current reforms may also not help to improve bank profitability and stability in Nigeria. Another major factor, which has often not been given appropriate attention, is the issue of strategic planning through forecasting and prediction of future performance i ndices of commercial banks (deposit money banks). To achieve this task, a bank must recognize and anticipate the important Variable affecting its profit determination.The works of Stevens (1999), Blyther (2000) and Naceur (2003) established the inability of the business firms to adequately anticipate and forecast several operating variables in them as a very critical factor in explaining their non-performance. They argued that it is dangerous for a firm to fail to anticipate its cash flow sales, profits and production under whatever situation it finds itself. Given the efforts stated above banks need to appreciate the role of other indicators in enhancing the profitability or performance for that matter.Indeed examining the determinants of corporate profits in the banking sector in Nigeria is crucial, if these banks are going to remain competitive, efficient, and viable taking into cognizance the challenges that befall competition in the industry. 1. 2RESEARCH QUESTIONS The motivati on behind this study stems from the fact that in the past decade or so, a lot of tremendeous changes has been witnessed in the Nigerian banking industry thereby leading to a number of reforms that has seen players in the banking industry transform from one level to another.Hence, this study will sought to answer the following research questions: 1. Is there a long run and short run relationship between bank profitability and its determinants? 2. To  what  extent  are  discrepancies  in  First Bank’s  profitability  due  to  variations in endogenous factors  Ã‚  under  Ã‚  the  Ã‚  control  Ã‚  of  Ã‚  bank  Ã‚  management as well as exogeneous factors under the control of the macroeconomy? 3. Given previous empirical studies on this topic, can it be deduced that First of Nigeria actually makes sustainable profits in the last three decades? . 3OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The sole objective of this study is to provide a framework to investigate the f actors or indicators intrinsic in the bank’s asset structure that had impacted on their profitability, and performance for that matter, and make policy recommendation that could be used by bank managers in their policy decisions in the future. Specifically the study seeks to achieve the following Objectives: 1. Examine  the  profitability  of  First  Bank Nigeria Plc during  the  last  three  decades. 2.Study  Ã‚  the  Ã‚  key  Ã‚  endogenous or company-level  value  Ã‚  drivers  Ã‚  of  Ã‚  performance  Ã‚  or profitability  Ã‚  of  Ã‚  the commercial  bank  in  Nigeria using FBN Plc 3. Study  Ã‚  the  Ã‚  key  Ã‚  exogenous  or macroeconomicvalue  Ã‚  drivers  Ã‚  of  Ã‚  performanceor profitability  Ã‚  of  Ã‚  the commercial  bank  in  Nigeria using FBN Plc 4. To find out if any long-run or short-run relationship exists between Profitability variables and its determinants using FBN Plc. 5. Make  policyà ‚  recommendations  regarding  the  key  drivers  of  profitability  at First Bank of Nigeria as well as other commercial  banks  in the country based on  the empirical  findings. 1. 4SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDYGiven the relation between the well-being of the banking sector and the growth of the economy (Rajan and Zingales, 1998; Levine, 1998), knowledge of the underlying factors that influence the financial sector's profitability is therefore essential not only for the managers of the banks, but also for numerous stakeholders such as the central banks, bankers associations, governments, and other financial authorities. Knowledge of these factors would be useful in helping the regulatory authorities and bank managers formulate future policies aimed at improving the profitability of the Nigerian banking sector.Furthermore, at the present time, the type of analysis to be employed in this study is completely missing in the literature concerning profitability in the banking sector in Nigeria. 1. 5SCOPE OF THE STUDY Even though there is an existence of numerous empirical studies on the determinants of corporate profitability in the banking sector almost none exists regarding banks case studies in Nigeria, with one exception though in a study by Krakah and Ameyaw (2010) who found a significant correlations between Bank’s Financial Statement and Macroeconomic variables with Profitability given case studies of two banks in Ghana.However, since their study relied more on a cross-sectional approaches from two different banks, this study collects a broad array of profitability determinant indicators, specifically, using data solely from First Bank of Nigeria from 1980 to 2010, we will be examining different measures and linkages of endogenous and exogenous variables like total  assets, interest  income, total  overhead expenses, money  supply, annual  inflation  rate and Return on Assets (ROA).Furthermore, since the determinants of profitability are a complex and multi-faceted concept, as such no single measure will capture all aspects of the internal and external determinants in the Financial Statements of First Bank to be used in this study. 1. 6PLAN OF THE STUDY For the purpose of simplification and clarification, this study will be drafted in the following manner: Chapter one will begin with a brief introduction on the topic of our study assessing a few opinions on what some authors have to say relating to the topic of our study.This chapter continues by analyzing some of the problems in the Nigerian economy as it relates to the banking industry as a catalyst for economic growth, then followed by the research questions. The statement of objectives to the study follows afterwards then the significance of the study comes next. An historical overview detailing various facets of developments in the Nigerian banking industry from pre-independence to date is also examined in this chapter. This chapter will be co ncluded by giving the scope of study.Chapter two of this study, which is the Literature Review and Theoretical Framework, will begin with a brief introduction of what the chapter aims to achieve and how it will be structured. This will be followed by stating various theoretical frameworks to be used in the study. Furthermore, an empirical review of related literatures on the determinants of banking industry profitability as seen by different authors who have written widely on the topic published their findings on this issue would be discussed.This chapter continues by reviewing the Nigerian banking industry performance over the year with a comparative analysis of all the major banks making up the industry. This will be achieved through the use of charts and graphs. Finally, this chapter will be rounded-off by the historical existence of First Bank of Nigeria Plc as well as the corporate profile of the bank. Chapter three, which is the research methodology chapter of this study, will also begin with a brief introduction to the chapter.This will be followed by the method of data collection section as well as method of data analysis section where we will explain the various methods of analysis like Multiple Correlation Matrix, Cointegration Regression Model as well as the Error Correction Mechanism of time series econometric analysis intended to analyze our data is explained. Also in this chapter, we shall state the various regression models to be estimated for this study as well as an explanation of the justification of the variables to be included in the model.This chapter will also explain the how the data gotten for this study will be formatted in Ratio forms to suit need of our intentions for this study. In addition, the statement of hypothesis and assumptions behind our model will be stated in this chapter and the various reasons behind the sampling procedure of arriving at FBN Plc for this study will be explained. Finally, this chapter will be concluded by explaining ‘A Priori’ Expectations of each variable within the model and the yardsticks in econometric measurement to be used in acceptance or rejection of the various hypothesis stated for this study.Chapter four, which is the data Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation chapter, will be introduced stating what should be expected as the chapter moves from section to section. Here, the data used for this study will be presented in a tabular format then followed by the analysis and estimation of the explicit model already stated in chapter three of this study. Finally, this chapter is concluded by interpreting the models estimated via different methods of econometric analysis.Chapter five is the Summary, Policy Recommendations and Conclusion chapter of this study. This chapter, like the previous ones before it also begins with an introduction of what to expect, this is followed by a summary of our study thus far. Hence, policy recommendations would be made under a dif ferent section and finally, the conclusions of our finding on the study as it relates to the analysis made in chapter four of the study would be highlighted in this study.

Enabling Learning and Assessment Essay

1. The purposes of assessment Assessment is the process of evaluating an individual’s learning. It involves generating and collecting evidence of a learner’s attainment of knowledge and skills and judging that evidence against defined standards. Tummons suggested that: ‘With assessment we can: * Find out if learning has taken place; * Diagnose learners needs; * Provide public acknowledgment and certification of learning * Allow processes of selection to be carried out; * Provide way to evaluate learning programmes; * Motivate and encourage learners.’ Tummons (2009:5) Written justification of assessment methods I have chosen to do Holding and aiming in the prone position, I would do this by getting the SUT in the tramline formation. This is where they will number off in pairs, so all the No.1’s on one side of the room whilst all the No.2’s are on the other side of the room. I will get the No.1’s to conduct the drill when I give the word of command. The No.1’s will be ensuring they adopt the prone position correctly, going through the 9 key point check list and taking aim on the target. Whilst this is happening the No.2’s will be observing throughout looking for any mistakes. Once the No.1’s have completed the drill I will go down the line asking the No.2’s if they observed any mistakes. By doing this I am getting the SUT to give out peer assessment on the progress of his/hers drill on the weapon system as this can develop and motivate student. The student will also have their own self assessment; this is where the students are assessing their own progress  throughout the lesson. These methods encourage the SUT to make decisions about what has been learnt so far, and to reflect on aspects for further development. Once the No.1’s have completed the drill, the same process will happen with the No.2’s and the No.1’s looking and observing for any mistakes. Whilst all this is going on I will be looking for any mistakes as I watch from one end of the tramline formation, this is called tutor assessment and can help give feedback to the student to guide them on their strength and areas of development. This is also known as formative assessment so it can provide for me a continuous source of information about the students’ progress, improvement and problems encountered in the learning process, so I together we can develop their confidence and competence on the weapon system. 2. Practical assessment a) Aim The aim of a practical assessment in a classroom environment is to ensure that when handling a weapon system that the necessary measures and safety precaution is carried out correctly and sufficiently. It is my aim to make sure that the SUT carry out the drills correctly, if however people are struggling to adapt to the new drills then it’s up to me the instructor to change my approach to the individual learning style. b) Reason for selecting practical learning assessment We use practical assessment in the army especially when teaching a particular subject like Skill at Arms to help us as a teacher to confirm that the SUT have understood the correct handling of the weapon. It’s not only a confirmation for the teacher but a confirmation for the individual that he/she has took on board the new skill and knowledge they have been taught in the lesson. During the lesson, when I have demonstrated a new drill, the SUT are required to imitate the drill whilst I explain and demonstrate it, taking it step by step. Once I am happy that the SUT have grasped the new drill, a confirmation is done to ensure that the SUT understands the new  weapon drill. This will be done when I give the word of command and the SUT carrying out the drill without any help or guidance as I watch and observes for any mistakes that the SUT may do. In order for the SUT to use blank or live ammunition on exercise or on the ranges, they are required to pass a Weapon Handling Test (WHT) which is a critical practical assessment as it is part of their summative test and needs to be done twice a year. I will give a number of instructions which the SUT must complete correctly and confidently in order to pass. There is no time limit and they are allowed one mistake on each stage of the test. This assessment is to show that he/she has the knowledge and skill to handle the weapon with blank or live ammunition with confidence. For assessment of practical activities, the potential barriers should be considered and reasonable adjustments developed that meet the needs of the individual learner. Many of the adjustments for a practical assessment are similar to those of a written assessment. We must however be aware of the learners/individual learning styles as this will vary across each lesson we teach. If we look at Fleming understanding of learning styles which he used the terminology of VARK, he stated that people can be grouped into four styles of learning: * Visual – Seeing. * Aural – Listening and talking. * Read/Write – Reading and writing. * Kinaesthetic – Doing. (Gravells 2012:40) The SUT will come under one or more of these learning styles and as I have seen it in the past whilst teaching, I have to adapt as a teacher to accommodate to their preferred learning style which means I have to plan and break down my lesson to ensure all SUT get the full benefit of what is being taught to them. Sue Crowley of the IFL stated: Often new teachers teach as they were taught, then perhaps as they would like  to have been taught, and finally they realise different ways and a wider spectrum of teaching and learning approaches are needed and available. (Gravells 2012:40) A statement in which I agree upon as my thought process was similar but when teaching SUT it’s taught me to adapt my teaching skills to benefit the individuals so they can get the best outcome during the lesson. c) Conduct of the practical assessment The SUT will be assessed throughout the lesson and this can be done in many ways as it is classroom based, this will be an informal assessment. As the SUT reacts to the word of command for example; ‘For inspection port arms’ they are to carry out the necessary drill in which I will observe for mistakes. Observation is a good way to assess the skills, knowledge and attitudes of the SUT. When observing, it enables me to see how well the SUT are doing, letting them make mistakes as long as it is safe, especially when dealing with a weapon so they can learn from their own mistakes. Once the drill is complete I can ask each individual if they made any mistakes and give them self assessment, otherwise I can give negative or positive feedback to the SUT. Observation is good within our training establishment as it assess the SUT competence, skills and attitudes when dealing with a weapon and the observation can follow on with a question to check the knowledge and understanding. SUT training can be assessed in two other ways and they are called peer assessment and self assessment. For the instructor to see this happen, the students will pair up and work as a team. Whilst one SUT does the drill on the weapon whilst the other partner watches for mistakes, this is called peer assessment, but at the same time SUT who is carrying out the drill can self assess as he/she goes along. If the student was to carry out the Load, Ready, Unload drill, their partner can look in for any mistakes and as the instructor asks the observer from each team if there were any mistakes, this can be useful to develop and motivate the SUT. Peer assessments can be affective as SUT feedback is given skilfully, but other students may think more about what their peers have said than about what the instructor have said. 3. Question assessment a) Aim The aim of a question assessment is for the instructor to see if the SUT can demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the subject being taught to them. It also helps when asking a question to the SUT that they have to think about their answer. b) Conduct of a Question assessment During each lesson throughout the army, as an instructor we will always ask the SUT questions of the particular topic that we have been learning about before moving on to the next topic or next stage of the lesson. This is formal or informal assessment and is used to assess cognitive ability which can be used whenever the instructor wants to assess the knowledge and understanding of SUT. When giving a lesson on Skill at Arms, ‘Different combat position.’ The instructor will always give an explanation of why we do it and when to incorporate the positions for example, on the ranges or when we are on operational tour, followed by a demonstration. As the instructor has given the explanation and demonstration, we will go through the demonstration again whilst the SUT imitate you as you take them through step by step. Whilst doing this process we normally ask the SUT questions on the next stage of the movement, pausing for a second and then state the name of the learner who can answer. This way, all SUT is thinking about the answer as soon as you have posed the question, and is ready to speak if their name is asked. This assessment not only help the instructor to confirm that the individual or group know the answer but helps their peers to understand it as well. We also do oral written assessment, as this is part  of the minimum core, for example before I start the lesson I would ask the SUT to take out their note books and pens. I will ask them a number of questions in which they will write their answers in their note books which will be marked before the lesson take place. If for some reason some of the SUT get a few questions wrong I will ensure that I make a plan in the evening to go through the questions or drill in which they got incorrect so that they are at the same stage as all the other SUT. Asking questions to the SUT and for them responding in giving the answers back to the instructor is self assessment and peers assessment so that the SUT know what areas they are good at and what areas they need to work on. However it’s good for the tutor assessment to understand how the SUT progress is going by conducting these assessments. C)  Advantages| Disadvantages| Problems can be solved| SUT don’t know the answer| Question being answered| SUT can be put on the spot| Understanding people’s views and opinions| | Gives people a voice| | 4. Reflecting on how feedback has informed your learners’ progress and achievement Feedback is a vital part of the learners’ training at the army foundation college as it informs the SUT on their progress and achievement. To make sure it is effective it is important that we develop rapport, mutual respect and trust between the instructor and the SUT. During a Skill at Arms lesson it is important to give effective feedback as this informs the SUT on how well they are doing or on what areas they might need to work on. I try to give out the best feedback as I can to the SUT or the individual as I know this will help reassure, boost confidence, encourage, motivate and develop their knowledge, skills. It can help the SUT to maximize their potential and professional development at different stages of training, raise their awareness of strengths and areas for improvement, and identify actions to be  taken to improve their performance. 5. Reflecting on how feedback from others has informed your own professional practice On the 1st November 2012, I conducted a lesson on pain relief (Morphine) which was observed by an assessor. I felt that the lesson was well structured, planned and I got the key learning points across to the SUT. Once the lesson ended I sat down with my assessor and was given feedback on my lesson. The written feedback said this: The session had a clear and important content to communicate. This was achieved and checked by the test. A stronger introduction would set the scene and provide guidance to learners of what they had to do during the lesson. Focus on the test/know the purpose of the test. The conclusion could tell learners what to do with the test papers and how this will be an aide memoire. Test was very well created, covering all key learning and checking recall, understanding and application. It could be improved with clear guidance i.e. working individually without referring to their notes. As this was ‘assessment for learning’ as well as ‘assessment of learning’ learners could work individually, with a partner and finally as a whole group to get the answers/self assessment and check learning. You could get feedback on results from the test by asking those who got 100% to stand up – an energiser, positive motivation and a simple measure for you. This feedback has opened my eyes a lot clearer as I was more channelled to delivering a simple but constructed lesson. Just by delivering a stronger introduction can make the learner motivated to learn, which I didn’t realise until someone made it aware to me. It was a good motivation and energiser to hear from the assessor that the test paper was well created which gave me that sense of pride. However when it came to handing out the test paper, giving the SUT a certain amount of time to do it in and once they had completed it they would mark their own paper as I went along with the answers. Just from what the assessor has written in the feedback it can give  the learner self assessment and check their learning, so in future I will take more time on how I construct the test and how to mark it as this will give me a feedback on the progress of the SUT. 6. Reference List: * http://www.open.ac.uk/inclusiveteaching/pages/inclusive-teaching/barriers-to-learning.php Date accessed 8.11.12 * Tummons J – (2009) Assessing learning in the lifelong learning sector. Exeter: Learning Matters * Gravells A (2012) Preparing to teach in the lifelong learning sector. London: Learning Matters * www.faculty.londondeanery.ac.uk

Central African Republic Essay

Darfur is an area in Sudan which lies in the western part of Sudan and boarders Libya, the Central African Republic and Chad. It has an approximate residence of six million people who are among the poorest people in Africa and only rely on nomadic herding and subsistence farming. Genocide in Darfur has taken place only ten years after the genocide in Rwanda which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. In Darfur, thousands of people have been killed and almost double the amount has been displaced from their home areas. Many of the people have become refugees in their homeland and are currently living in a network of internally displaced people (IDP) camps which completely rely on the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations help for their most basic needs for living. Others have fled to the neighboring countries such as Chad which has also been affected by the Darfur genocide. Others who are still in the villages are under constant threat of bombing, murder, rape, raids and torture and their only help for safety is from undermanned and underfunded African Union (AU) peacekeeping force whose personnel compared to the situation on the ground. However, this force which is referred to as the ‘AMIS’ force larks civilian protection and has no adequate means to stop the violence. Due to its anemic capacity, the only thing which it now does is to monitor and give reports on ceasefire violations. The current crisis which are experienced in Darfur are as a result of neglect of people by the government and the entire world, cases of drought which has persisted for many years, oppression of the residents and the poor by the government and the affluent people and conflicts between the people and tribes in the northern in Sudan. The Sudanese Liberation Army/ Movement (SLAM) and Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) are the two main rebel groups in Sudan. These groups represent the agrarian farmers who most of them are non Arabs African Muslims from different tribes. They mounted a challenge and pressure to the Sudan’s president Omar al-Bashir whose response was very brutal. The government increased arms and support to the militias and the local tribes known as the Janjaweed for the main purpose of seeking to defeat the rebel movement. Entire villages have been wiped, food and water supplies have been destroyed and livestock killed by the government supported groups. No part of the entire Darfur civilian population has not experienced the murder, rapes and torture by the government armed groups. The government military has painted their attack aircrafts white, the same color which the United Nations humanitarian aircraft which a violation of the international humanitarian law. This move by the government is to confuse the villagers so that when they approach the villages, the people will confuse them for the United Nations aircraft which have come for their help but in the real sense their mission is to kill and bomb them. The current humanitarian situation on the ground in Darfur is constantly deteriorating to worrying levels. There has been increased attacks which has increased the number of IDPs and refugees. Visitors of the camps who includes the Save Darfur Coalition have reported worrying and dire conditions the people undergo and its a pity they have survived under the conditions for such a long time and there seems to be no hope of remarkable improvement. The only help which seems to be forth coming is from the United Nations and the non-governmental humanitarian relief agencies who have introduced some refugee camps and provided several thousands of of aid workers who despite the relief agencies support work under logistical and difficult conditions due to constant harassment the Sudanese government and the red tape. These humanitarian operations and their workers are increasingly being targeted by the fragmenting rebel movement elements and the government. Their vehicles are being robbed and hijacked constantly, the aid workers are intimidated and assaulted when performing their duties and their offices are being looted and broken into making their work more harder. In the wake of 2007, reports from the United Nations showed that more that 80,000 Darfurians joined the already over populated IDP camps due to the continuing violence. The humanitarian bodies and United Nations as a result of the government harassments and the worsening security problems have given warning of their growing inability to support and sustain their operations. They say that any interruption of the flow of the humanitarian aid is likely to cause more deaths than the ones already experienced and per month death rates could raise up to 100,000 in case the humanitarian support system collapses. Civilians in Darfur have suffered deliberate and indiscriminate attacks violating their human rights such as rapes, pillage and torture. The government of Sudan has continued to protect the people accused of violation of human rights. In the cases of Ahmad Harum and Ali Kushayb who were arrested and charged with 51 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity such as murder, prosecutions, torture, rape and forcible displacements in 2003 and 2004, the government has refused to hand over the two suspects but instead they have given one of them a prominent post in the public positions and the other was promoted to the state as the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs. This responsibility was towards the well being of the very victims of the crimes he was alleged to have committed and is currently the key liaison to the United Nations-African Union peace keeping force who are in charge of the victims protection. He was also appointed in late 2007 to a committee in charge of hearing complaints on human rights abuse in Sudan and Ali Kushayb was released from the Sudanese in October 2007 for lack of evidence. (Draklich &Wagner p167). Sexual violence against women and the girl child have been featured mostly in the government and militia attacks with the main aim of terrorizing the population and gain control over them and their displacement mission. The worrying issue is that even after the displacement, the militia groups have set their camps near the IDP camps and therefore continued to sexually harass the women. (Human Rights Watch, p 5-7) Rape and many forms of sexual violence have remained endemic and have threatened the safety of women and girl children reflecting the current dynamics of law and order breakdown. Women and girls are not ready to admit their sexual abuse by the militia for fear of social stigmatization and have no trust that the government will take any action. Most of the authorities refuse to acknowledge the problem which is experienced by women and instead, they accuse the victims of giving false information to the international social aid workers of their fate for the purpose of political gains. Some of the local Sudanese authorities have even gone a step ahead to stifle the humanitarian agencies who are working on the issue and due to this, agencies which are running women’s health clinics in the largest IDP camps are constantly subjected to harassment and obstruction by government officials and decline to publicize their duties. As the conflicts increases, so do the sexual perpetrators who now include the military, militia, rebels, police and criminal gangs who attack civilians in IDPs, towns and rural areas near the military bases and areas under rebel control. On February 2008, the government groups performed ground and air attacks in the towns of Sirba, Silea and Abu Suruj. This led to more than 1000 deaths, property destruction, massive displacement and several cases of women and girls rape cases and sexual assaults by the government officials. In 2006, sexual violences cases were reported during the government and militia attacks in Abu Sakin regions where women and girls were abducted, brutally raped and forced to walk back to the camps while naked and to date, the military has declined to give information of the suspects. Other rape cases reported by the human rights officers during government attacks were in Deribat, Kabkabiya, Zamzam IDP camp, Kalma IDP camp in South Darfur among others. (Human Rights Council , p. 26-30).

Dupage County Needs Assessment

Dupage County needs assessment U OM LTH C A E TUS ENT H A T ESM S S AS ITY N DUPAGE COUNT Y HEALTH DEPARTMENT Everyone, Everywhere, Everyday Community Health Status Assessment DuPage County Health Department 2010 Prepared By Mary Lally, RN, MPH Crystal Reingardt, MPH Peggy Iverson, BS Stacey Hoferka Jensen, MPH, MSIS Elizabeth Barajas, MPH Table of Contents Section 1 Leading Causes of Death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Top Ten Leading Causes of Death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Crude Mortality Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Top Ten Leading Causes of Death by Gender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Top Five Leading Causes of Death by Age Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Years of Potential Life Lost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Demographic and Socioeconomic Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . DuPage County Population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Birth Statistics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Statistics. Mortality Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Immigrant Population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Unemployment. Unemployment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Poverty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Uninsured . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1 1-1 1-2 1-3 1-4 1-5 2-1 2-1 2-7 2-8 2-9 2-1 0 2-11 2-12 2-13 2-13 3-1 3-7 3-8 3-22 3-23 3-24 3-25 3-25 3-28 3-29 4-1 4-1 4-7 4-8 4-12 4-13 4-14 5-1 5-1 5-4 5-7 5-7 5-10 6-1 6-1 6-2 6-3 6-6 Section 2 Section 3 Chronic Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Diseases of the Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cancer. Cancer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stroke. Stroke. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arthritis. Arthritis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Osteoporosis. Osteoporosis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Diabetes. Diabetes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Asthma. Asthma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EndDisease. End-Stage Renal Disease. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Infecti Infectious Diseases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VaccineVaccine-Preventable Diseases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other Infectious Diseases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sexually Transmitted Diseases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HIV/AIDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tuberculosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rabies . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Section 4 Section 5 Maternal and Child Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Infant Deaths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prenatal Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Factors. Risk Factors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Low Birth Weight and Very Low Birth Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adolescent Pregnancies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Activity Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nutrition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Activity. Physical Activity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Obesity. Overweight and Obesity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FORWARD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Section 6 Section 7 Environmental Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Outdoor Air Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Waste. Toxics and Waste. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Communities. Healthy Homes and Healthy Communities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Infrastructure and Surveillance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Foodborne Illness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mental Health Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ment al Disorders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Suicide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alzheimer ’s disease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Substance Abuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alcohol Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tobacco Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Illicit Drug Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Injury and Violence Prevention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Unintentional Unintentional Injuries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accidents. Motor Vehicle Accidents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Falls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drowning. Drowning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deaths. Firearm Related Injuries / Deaths. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Homicide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Child Abuse and Neglect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Domestic Violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1 7-1 7-3 7-4 7-6 7-6 7-8 8-1 8-1 8-3 8-5 8-6 8-7 8-10 8-12 9-1 9-1 9-2 9-3 9-4 9-5 9-6 9-7 9-9 1010-1 1010-1 1010-2 1010-2 1010-4 1010-5 10-5 101010-8 1111-1 11-1 111111-2 1111-4 1111-5 1111-6 1111-6 Section Section 8 Section 9 10 Section 10 Minority Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DuPage County Population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DuPage County Mortality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ethnicity. Cause Specific Deaths by Race and Ethnicity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Top Five Leading Causes of Death by Race and YPLL . . . . . . . . . . . . . Motor Vehicle Accidents, Homicides, and Suicides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maternal and Infant Health Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Infectious Disease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Access to Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Health Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Preven tive Clinical Preventive Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ongoing Sources of Primary Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inadequate Prenatal Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sentinel Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Section 11 Introduction In order to meet State requirements for health department re-certification, Illinois Administrative Code requires that every five years, each Local Health Department must assess the health needs of its community through a systematic process known as the Illinois Project for Local Assessment of Needs (IPLAN). IPLAN is grounded in the core functions of public health and ddresses public health practice standards. One of the required documents of the IPLAN process is a Community Health Status Assessment. The Community Health Status Assessment is intended to answer th e question, â€Å"What is the health status of the residents of DuPage County? † The results of this assessment will provide the IPLAN Steering Committee with an understanding of the community’s health status and ensure that the IPLAN priorities include specific health status issues. The Community Health Status Assessment is developed through the systematic analysis of health status data from primary and secondary sources.The following DuPage County Health Department Community Health Status Assessment is a compilation of data from these sources. The Institute of Medicine defines a community health profile as a set of health, demographic and socioeconomic indicators which are relevant to most communities. It is intended to provide a broad strategic view of the population’s health status, and the factors that influence health in the community. The IPLAN Steering Committee will use this document to identify and support approximately ten health status issues. Method ologyThe DuPage County Health Department has created this Community Health Status Assessment to identify specific health needs as part of the IPLAN process. Our intent is to develop an accurate, comprehensive picture of health status of DuPage County residents. Content areas covered focus on physical, mental and environmental health. This assessment will follow a structure similar to the U. S. Healthy People 2010 (HP 2010) document, providing the most current data available, and indicating how DuPage County compares to the HP 2010 target whenever possible.Incidence, prevalence and trends are shown when available. Objectives without HP 2010 targets have been included where appropriate based on public health impact. Direct HP 2010 comparisons were not always available. Finding current, comparative data on specific health objectives consistently remains a challenge. Many data sources have been used in an attempt to provide accurate data for analysis. Data reliability must always be con sidered, as in some instances, occurrence of morbidity or mortality may be so low that a valid rate or percent cannot be calculated or, if calculated, would be meaningless.These occurrences are noted throughout the document. Data derived in the Community Health Profile is a compilation of many sources. Frequently when discussing national health statistics or trends, direct HP 2010 text was quoted. The IPLAN Data System was a primary source for Illinois and DuPage County specific indicators, as this system contains a wealth of data on births, mortality and chronic illnesses. Illinois Department of Public Health birth and death files were frequently used as a data source, along with sources from specific DuPage County Health Department service areas.Other data and information sources include Access DuPage, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Psychiatric Association, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, DuPage County Environmental Committee, DuPage County Sheriff’s Office, DuPage Federation on Human Services Reform, Family Shelter Services, Illinois Attorney General, Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Illinois Department of Employment Security, Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois State Board of Education, Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, Kaiser Family Foundation, National Adolescent Health Information Center, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Cancer Institute, National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, National Osteoporosis Foundation, National Safety Council, National Stroke Association, Nationally Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Safe Kids USA, SEER*Stat (Surveillance, Epidemiology an d End Results statistical software), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Suicide Prevention Resource Center, The Alan Guttmacher Institute, The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, U. S Census Bureau, U. S.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U. S. Department of Commerce, U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U. S. Department of Justice, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, and World Health Organization. Section 1: Leading Causes of Death and Mortality in DuPage County A good place to begin our study of the health status of the population is by reviewing the leading causes of death in DuPage County residents. Presenting, ranking, and comparing leading causes of death data is a common method of showing mortality statistics, and is useful for illustrating the relative burden of disease-specific mortality.The DuPage County death data presented in this section were obtai ned from death files provided by the Illinois Department of Public Health. In 2006, there were 5,703 deaths in DuPage County and 102,122 deaths in Illinois (1). Ninety-four percent of DuPage deaths were White, three percent were Asian, and two and one half percent were Black. Three percent of DuPage deaths were Hispanic. Minority Health will be addressed in Section 10 of this Community Health Profile. See Table 1. 1 for a comparison of the 2006 Top Ten Leading Causes of Death in DuPage County and Illinois (2)(3). See Table 1. 2 for the 2004 and 2005 Top Ten Leading Causes of Death in DuPage County (2). Table 1. Top Ten Leading Causes of Death in DuPage County with Illinois Comparison, 2006 DuPage County Rank Cause of Death All Causes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 Illinois Number of Deaths 102,122 27,002 24,052 5,974 4,725 4,401 2,792 1 Number of Deaths 5,703 1,419 1,384 347 260 192 183 158 109 107 93 Percent of Deaths 100. 0 24. 9 24. 3 6. 1 4. 6 3. 4 3. 2 2. 8 1. 9 1. 8 1. 6 Percent of De aths 100. 0 26 24 6 5 4 3 1 Diseases of the Heart Cancer Cerebrovascular Disease Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease Accidents Alzheimer’s Disease Pneumonia Diabetes Mellitus Nephritis and Nephrosis Septicemia 2,794 2,501 2,001 3 2 2 Pneumonia is not in the top ten leading causes of death in Illinois Source: Illinois Department of Public Health (2) (3) 1-1 Table 1. Top Ten Leading Causes of Death, DuPage County, 2004-2005 2004 Percent of 2005 DuPage Total DuPage Deaths Deaths Deaths All Causes 5,444 100. 0 5,761 Diseases of the Heart 1,326 24. 4 1,455 Cancer 1,395 25. 6 1,440 Cerebrovascular Disease 385 7. 1 388 Chronic Lower Respiratory 252 4. 6 274 Disease Accidents 208 3. 8 181 Pneumonia 137 2. 5 177 Alzheimer’s Disease 166 3. 0 179 Nephritis and Nephrosis 116 2. 1 138 Diabetes Mellitus 119 2. 2 116 Septicemia 102 1. 9 89 Source: Illinois Department of Public Health (2) Percent of Total Deaths 100. 0 25. 3 25. 0 6. 7 4. 8 3. 1 3. 1 3. 1 2. 4 2. 0 1. 5 Since 1908, Dise ases of the Heart has been the first or second leading cause of death in the United States (4).Since 1921, Diseases of the Heart has remained the number one cause of death (4). While DuPage County historical mortality data dating back to 1921 is unavailable, one can extrapolate national patterns to County mortality. The increase in 2004 total Cancer can be seen as an anomaly. The transposition between Diseases of the Heart and Cancer in 2004 should be monitored. Crude Mortality Rate Table 1. 3 Crude Mortality Rate, DuPage County and Illinois, 2000-2006 Year DuPage County Illinois 2000 617. 1 855. 8 2001 620. 6 840. 1 2002 616. 1 842. 9 2003 615. 6 829. 2 2004 586. 3 805. 0 2005 618. 0 812. 1 2006 611. 3 795. 8 Source: Illinois Department of Public Health (2) 1-2Crude Mortality Rate in DuPage County and Illinois 2000 – 2006 Rate per 100,000 Population 1,000 800 600 400 200 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Illinois 2005 2006 Year DuPage County Graph 1. 1 Source: Illinois Department o f Public Health (2) As can be seen from Graph 1. 1, between 2000 and 2006 the DuPage County and Illinois mortality rates remained relatively stable. The DuPage County crude death rate ranges from 586 deaths per 100,000 population to 620 deaths per 100,000 population. The Illinois mortality rate is higher and has a greater range than DuPage County. It ranges from 796 deaths per 100,000 population to 843 deaths per 100,000 population (2). Top Ten Leading Causes of Death by Gender Table 1. DuPage County Leading Causes of Death, All Ages by Gender, 2006 Male Female Rank Cause Number Rank Cause 1 Cancer 681 1 Heart Disease 2 Heart Disease 661 2 Cancer 3 Accidents 130 3 Cerebrovascular Disease (CVD) 4 Cerebrovascular Disease 128 4 Chronic Obstructive (CVD) Pulmonary Disease (COPD) 5 Chronic Obstructive 99 5 Alzheimer Pulmonary Disease (COPD) 6 Pneumonitis 81 6 Pneumonitis 7 Diabetes 51 7 Accidents 8 Nephritis 47 8 Nephritis 9 Alzheimer 44 9 Diabetes 10 Septicemia 43 10 Septicemia Source: Illinois Department of Public Health (2) Number 758 703 219 161 139 77 62 60 58 50 1-3 Gender Differences The 2006 top ten leading causes of death are the same for oth males and females, though the ranking of causes varies by gender. The first and second cause of death for males is Cancer, followed by Heart Disease. This order is reversed for females. Accidents (Unintentional Injuries) are the third leading cause of death for males, but the seventh leading cause for women. This category includes motor vehicle accidents and any other unintentional injury death that occurs as a result of a fall, drowning, firearm or other accidental cause. In DuPage County, the number of male Accident deaths is more than twice the number of female Accident deaths, which is attributed primarily to higher numbers of male motor vehicle deaths.This discrepancy between male and female accident deaths is a trend that is also seen nationally (5). CVD and COPD are the fourth and fifth leading causes for males , but the third and fourth causes for women. Alzheimer’s disease is the fifth leading cause for women, but the ninth cause for men. Pneumonitis is the sixth leading cause of death for both males and females. Diabetes was the ninth leading cause of death for females and the seventh in males. Nephritis was the eighth leading cause of death in both females and males and Septicemia was the tenth leading cause of death for both genders. Top Five Leading Causes of Death by Age Groups Table 1. 5 Five Leading Causes of Death by Age Group in DuPage County, 2006 Rank