Jominy End Essay Example for Free

Jominy End Essay To determine the hardenability of plain carbon steel. Theory Hardenability is the ability of a steel to be hardened and form martensite during quenching. Hardenability indicates the depth of hardness which is obtained from quenching process, and it is very important to the components of machine especially tool steel. One of the methods to determine the hardenability of steels is Jominy End-Quench Test. Hardening usually involves quenching where the steel is heated to austenite phase and fast cooling in the quench medium such as water, oil, salt solution, or air to produce microstructure of martensite. The martensite gives hard and brittle properties of steel. Usually, for heavy steel components, the hardness decreases at the core of component because the microstructure formed is ferrite and pearlite. While at the surface of the component have higher hardness. The difference of the hardness between the core and surface can be explained by Continuous Cooling Transformation or CCT diagram of the steel. If the cooling rate of steel does not cross the transformation curve of the diagram, then the hardness on the whole steel can be obtained. CCT diagrams allow prediction of the final microstructure of the steel taking into account the continuous nature of the process during cooling of austenite. Other than that, CCT diagrams take into consideration continuous cooling during quenching; the cooling curve assumes a constant cooling rate. As we can see from the diagram, martensite form at the temperature below than 200? C, it mean that the specimen with faster cooling rate will able to form more martensite and higher hardness. Continuous Cooling Transformation diagram | | The above diagram show the time-temperature isothermal transformation diagram for the plain carbon steel Apparatus Specimen of plain carbon steel, furnace, Jominy End-Quench Unit, and Vickers Harness Tester. Experimental Procedure (a) Heat the specimen to temperature of 850Â °C and soak at that temperature for 20 minutes. After that, its remain almost constant while the distance increase. In our experiment, there are some test errors where we are having small rise in our reading of the hardenability value which suppose decrease continuously. This is due to the uneven surface of the tested specimen or cause by the unbalanced cooling rate throughout the specimen. (b) Gives your opinion on the correlation between cooling rate of specimen and the graph obtained. The cooling rate at the end of the plain carbon steel are much higher compare to the. Thus, in the graph it shows the highest hardness at the early stage and then slowly decreases when approaching to the core of the steel. We also can say that, at the end of the steel has the highest hardness which cause by the high content of martensite. However, the content of the martensite and hardness will drop when approaching to the centre of the steel. We can conclude that the cooling rate decreases from the end-quench to the centre of the steel, resulting in decreasing of the hardness.

El estudio de proyectos

El estudio de proyectos 1 EL ESTUDIO DE PROYECTOS 1.1 Preparacià ³n y evaluacià ³n de proyectos Un proyecto es la bà ºsqueda de una solucià ³n inteligente al planteamiento de un problema tendiente a resolver, entre tantos, una necesidad humana. El proyecto surge como respuesta a una idea que busca la solucià ³n de un problema o la manera de aprovechar una oportunidad de negocios. Al preparar y evaluar un proyecto se pretende encontrar la mejor solucià ³n al â€Å"problema econà ³mico† que se ha planteado, y asà ­ conseguir que se disponga de antecedentes y la informacià ³n necesaria para asignar racionalmente los recursos escasos a la alternativa de solucià ³n mà ¡s eficiente y viable frente a una necesidad humana percibida. La Pre-inversià ³n consta de dos etapas. La primera etapa es la Preparacià ³n del proyecto, es decir, se determina magnitud de la inversià ³n, los costos y beneficios. La segunda etapa es la Evaluacià ³n del proyecto, en otras palabras, se mide la rentabilidad de la inversià ³n. Las causas del fracaso o del à ©xito pueden ser: * Cambios tecnolà ³gicos * Cambios en el contexto polà ­tico: cambios de gobierno o variaciones econà ³micas. * Cambios en las relaciones comerciales internacionales * Inestabilidad de la naturaleza * Entorno institucional * Normativa legal 1.2 La toma de decisiones asociadas con un proyecto No existe una concepcià ³n rà ­gida definida en tà ©rminos de establecer mecanismos precisos en la toma de decisiones asociadas con un proyecto. No obstante, resulta obvio seà ±alar que la adopcià ³n de decisiones exige disponer de un sinnà ºmero de antecedentes que permitan que esta se efectà ºe inteligentemente. Lo fundamental en la toma de decisiones es que à ©stas se encuentran cimentadas en antecedentes bà ¡sicos concretos que hagan que se adopten concienzudamente y con el mà ¡s pleno conocimiento de las distintas variables que entran en juego. Evaluacià ³n de proyectos consisten entonces, en un conjunto de antecedentes justificatorios, mediante los cuales se establecen las ventajas y desventajas que tiene la asignacià ³n de recursos para una idea o un objetivo determinado. 1.3 Tipologà ­a de los proyectos: Uno de los primeros problemas que se observan al evaluar un proyecto es la gran diversidad de tipos de proyectos que se pueden encontrar, dependiendo tanto del objetivo de estudio, como de la finalidad de la inversià ³n. Segà ºn el objetivo o finalidad del estudio, de acuerdo con lo que se espera medir con la evaluacià ³n, es posible identificar 3 tipos de proyectos que obligan a conocer 3 formas de obtener los flujos de caja para lograr el resultado deseado: 1. Estudios para medir la rentabilidad del proyecto, es decir, del total de la inversià ³n, independientemente de dà ³nde provengan los fondos. 2. Estudios para medir la rentabilidad de los recursos propios invertidos en el proyecto. 3. Estudios para medir la capacidad del propio proyecto para enfrentar los compromisos de pago asumidos en un eventual endeudamiento para su realizacià ³n. Para el evaluador de proyectos es necesario y fundamental diferenciar entre la rentabilidad del proyecto y la rentabilidad del inversionista. La rentabilidad del proyecto es la que busca medir la rentabilidad del negocio independientemente de quien lo haga, mientras que la rentabilidad del inversionista es la que busca medir la rentabilidad de los recursos propios del inversionista en la eventualidad de que se lleve a cabo el proyecto. Segà ºn la finalidad o el objeto de la inversià ³n, es decir, del objetivo de la asignacià ³n de recursos es posible distinguir entre: a) Proyectos que buscan crear nuevos negocios: en este caso, la evaluacià ³n se concentrarà ¡ en determinar todos los costos y beneficios asociados directamente con la inversià ³n. b) Proyectos que buscan evaluar un cambio, mejora o modernizacià ³n de empresas ya existentes: solo considerarà ¡ aquellos que son relevantes para la decisià ³n que se deberà ¡ tomar. a. Un proyecto de modernizacià ³n puede incluir: i. Externalidad ii. Internalizacià ³n iii. Reemplazo iv. Ampliacià ³n v. Abandono 1.4 La evaluacià ³n de proyectos Si se encarga la evaluacià ³n de un mismo proyecto a dos especialistas diferentes, seguramente ambos resultados serà ¡n distintos por el hecho de que la evaluacià ³n se basa en estimaciones de lo que se espera sean en el futuro los beneficios y costos que se asocian a un proyecto. La evaluacià ³n de proyectos pretende medir objetivamente ciertas magnitudes cuantitativas resultantes del estudio del proyecto, y dan origen a operaciones matemà ¡ticas que permiten diferentes coeficientes de evaluacià ³n. Lo realmente decisivo es poder plantear premisas y supuestos và ¡lidos que hayan sido sometidos a convalidacià ³n a travà ©s de distintos mecanismos y tà ©cnicas de comprobacià ³n. Por otra parte la clara definicià ³n de cuà ¡l es el objetivo que se persigue con la evaluacià ³n constituye un elemento clave para tener en cuenta en la correcta seleccià ³n del criterio evaluativo. Un proyecto puede tener diferentes apreciaciones desde el punto de vista privado y el social. Cualquiera que sea el marco en el que el proyecto està © inserto, siempre serà ¡ posible medir los costos de las distintas alternativas de asignacià ³n de recursos a travà ©s de un criterio econà ³mico que permita, en definitiva, conocer las ventajas y desventajas cualitativas y cuantitativas que implica la asignacià ³n de los recursos escasos a un determinado proyecto de inversià ³n. 2 EL PROCESO DE PREPARACIÓN Y EVALUACIÓN DE PROYECTOS El Estudio del proyecto pretende contestar el interrogante de si es o no conveniente realizar una determinada inversià ³n. El estudio de viabilidad debe simular con el mà ¡ximo de precisià ³n lo que sucederà ­a con el proyecto si este fuera implementado. 2.1 Alcances del estudio de proyectos En tà ©rminos generales, son varios los estudios particulares que deben realizarse para evaluar un proyecto: los de viabilidad comercial, tà ©cnica, legal, organizacional, de impacto ambiental y financiera. Por lo regular, el estudio de una inversià ³n se centra en la viabilidad econà ³mica o financiera, y toma el resto de las variables à ºnicamente como referencia. Estudio de viabilidad comercial: indicara si el mercado es sensible o no al bien producido u ofrecido por el proyecto y la aceptabilidad que tendrà ­a en su consumo o uso, permitiendo determinar la postergacià ³n o rechazo de un proyecto sin tener que asumir los costos que implica un estudio econà ³mico completo. Estudio de viabilidad tà ©cnica: analiza las posibilidades materiales, fà ­sicas o quà ­micas de producir el bien o servicio que desea generarse con el proyecto. Estudio de viabilidad legal: asegurar la existencia o ausencia de restricciones de carà ¡cter legal que impedirà ­an el funcionamiento del proyecto. Estudio de viabilidad organizacional: su objetivo es definir si existen condiciones mà ­nimas necesarias para garantizar la viabilidad de la implementacià ³n, tanto estructural como lo funcional. Estudio de viabilidad financiera: determina su aprobacià ³n o rechazo, mire la rentabilidad que retorna la inversià ³n, medido con base monetaria. Estudio de viabilidad del impacto ambiental: encontrar las normas impuestas en materia de regulacià ³n ambiental para impedir futuros impactos negativos derivados de una eventual compensacià ³n del daà ±o causado por una inversià ³n. 2.2 El estudio de proyecto como proceso cà ­clico El proceso de un proyecto reconoce 4 grandes etapas: idea, preinversià ³n, inversià ³n y operacià ³n. Idea: puede enfrentarse sistemà ¡ticamente bajo una modalidad de gerencia de beneficios, es decir, donde la organizacià ³n està ¡ estructurada operacionalmente bajo un esquema de bà ºsqueda permanente de nuevas ideas de proyectos. Preinversià ³n: se realizan los 3 estudios de viabilidad Perfil: se elabora a partir tanto de la informacià ³n existente, como del juicio comà ºn y de la opinià ³n que da la experiencia. En el estudio del perfil se busca determinar si existe alguna razà ³n que justifique el abandono de una idea antes de que se destinen recursos. Prefactibilidad: profundiza en la investigacià ³n, y se basa en informacià ³n de fuentes secundarias para definir las variables principales referidas al mercado, a las alternativas tà ©cnicas de produccià ³n y a la capacidad financiera de los inversionistas, entre otros. Se caracteriza fundamentalmente por descartar soluciones con mayores elementos de juicio. Como resultado de este estudio, sufre la recomendacià ³n de aprobacià ³n, abandono o postergacià ³n. Factibilidad: se elabora sobre la base de antecedentes precisos obtenidos mayoritariamente a travà ©s de fuentes de informacià ³n primarias. Este estudio constituye el paso final de la etapa de preinversià ³n. El estudio de proyectos, cualquiera que sea la profundidad con que se realice, distingue dos grandes etapas: la de formulacià ³n y preparacià ³n, y la de evaluacià ³n. La primera tiene dos objetivos: definir todas las caracterà ­sticas que tengan algà ºn grado de efecto en el flujo de ingresos y egresos monetarios del proyecto y calcular su magnitud. La segunda etapa, busca determinar la rentabilidad de la inversià ³n en el proyecto. En la etapa de evaluacià ³n, es posible distinguir tres sub-etapas: 1. Medicià ³n de la rentabilidad del proyecto 2. Anà ¡lisis de las variables cualitativas 3. Sensibilizacià ³n del proyecto El anà ¡lisis completo de un proyecto requiere de por lo menos la realizacià ³n de cuatro estudios complementarios: de mercado, tà ©cnico, organizacional-administrativo-legal y financiero. 2.3 Estudio tà ©cnico del proyecto Tiene como objeto proveer informacià ³n para cuantificar el monto de las inversiones y de los costos de operacià ³n pertinentes a esta à ¡rea. Una de sus conclusiones de este estudio es que se deberà ¡ definir la funcià ³n de produccià ³n que optimice el empleo de los recursos disponibles en la produccià ³n del bien o servicio del proyecto. Con este estudio se determinaran los requerimientos de equipos de fà ¡brica para la operacià ³n y el monto de la inversià ³n correspondiente. La descripcià ³n del proceso productivo posibilitarà ¡ conocer las materias primas y los insumos restantes que este demandarà ¡. La definicià ³n del tamaà ±o del proyecto es fundamental para la determinacià ³n de las inversiones y los costos que se derivan del estudio tà ©cnico. Las interrelaciones entre decisiones de carà ¡cter tà ©cnico se complican al tener que combinarse con decisiones derivadas de los restantes estudios particulares del proyecto. 2.4 El estudio de mercado Muchos costos de operacià ³n pueden preverse simulando la situacià ³n futura y especificando las polà ­ticas y los procedimientos que se utilizaran como estrategia comercial. Decisiones como el precio de introduccià ³n, las inversiones para fortalecer una imagen, el acondicionamiento de los locales de venta en funcià ³n de los requerimientos observados en el estudio de los clientes potenciales y las polà ­ticas de crà ©dito recomendadas por el mismo estudio, pueden constituirse en variables pertinentes para el resultado de la evaluacià ³n. Metodolà ³gicamente se deben estudiar 4 aspectos: a) El consumidor y las demandas del mercado y del proyecto, actuales y proyectadas. El anà ¡lisis del consumidor tiene por objeto caracterizar a los consumidores actuales y potenciales, identificando sus preferencias, hà ¡bitos de consumo, motivaciones, etc., para obtener un perfil sobre el cual pueda basarse la estrategia comercial. El anà ¡lisis de la demanda cuantifica el volumen de bienes o servicios que el consumidor podrà ­a adquirir de la produccià ³n del proyecto. b) La competencia y las ofertas del mercado y del proyecto, actuales y proyectadas. El estudio de la competencia es fundamental ya que la estrategia que se defina para el proyecto puede ser indiferente a esta. Es preciso conocer las estrategias que sigue la competencia para aprovechar sus ventajas y evitar sus desventajas. c) La comercializacià ³n del producto o servicio generado por el proyecto Deben tomarse decisiones sobre polà ­ticas de ventas y de crà ©dito, intereses, precio, canales de distribucià ³n, marca, estrategia publicitaria, inversiones en creacià ³n de la imagen, etc. d) Proveedores y la disponibilidad y el precio de los insumos, actuales y proyectados. Se debe determinar la disponibilidad de insumos y el precio que debe pagarse para su abastecimiento. 2.5 El estudio organizacional-administrativo-legal Para cada proyecto es posible definir la estructura organizativa que mà ¡s se adapte a los requerimientos de su posterior operacià ³n. Conocer esta estructura es fundamental para definir las necesidades de personal calificado para la gestià ³n y por tanto, estimar con mayor precisià ³n los costos indirectos de la mano de obra ejecutiva. La decisià ³n de desarrollar internamente actividades que pudieran subcontratarse influye directamente en los costos por la mayor cantidad de personal que pudiera necesitarse, la mayor inversià ³n en oficinas y equipamiento y el mayor costo en materiales y otros insumos. Los aspectos legales pueden restringir la localizacià ³n y obligar a mayores costos de transporte, o bien pueden otorgar franquicias para incentivar el desarrollo de determinadas zonas geogrà ¡ficas donde el beneficio que obtendrà ­a el proyecto superarà ­a los mayores costos de transporte. Uno de los efectos mà ¡s directos de los factores legales y reglamentarios se refiere a los aspectos tributarios. 2.6 El estudio financiero Sus objetivos son: ordenar y sistematizar la informacià ³n de carà ¡cter monetario que proporcionan las etapas anteriores, elaborar los cuadros analà ­ticos y datos adicionales para la evaluacià ³n del proyecto y evaluar los antecedentes para determinar la rentabilidad. La sistematizacià ³n de la informacià ³n financiera consiste en identificar y ordenar todos los à ­tems de inversiones, costos e ingresos que puedan deducirse de los estudios previos. Los ingresos de operacià ³n se deducen de la informacià ³n de precios y demanda proyectada, calculados en el estudio de mercado, de las condiciones de venta, de las estimaciones de venta de residuos y del cà ¡lculo de ingresos por venta de equipos cuyo reemplazo esta previsto durante el periodo de evaluacià ³n del proyecto, segà ºn antecedentes que pudieran derivarse de los estudios tà ©cnicos, organizacional y de mercado. Los costos de operacià ³n se calculan con la informacià ³n de prà ¡cticamente todos los estudios anteriores. La evaluacià ³n del proyecto se realiza sobre la estimacià ³n del flujo de caja de los costos y beneficios. El resultado de la evolucià ³n se mide por medio de distintos criterios que, mà ¡s que operativos, son complementarios entre sà ­. 2.7 El estudio del impacto ambiental Se sugiere introducir en la evaluacià ³n de proyectos las normas ISO 14,000 las cuales consisten en una serie de procedimientos asociados con dar a los consumidores una mejora ambiental continua de los productos y servicios que proporcionara la inversià ³n, asociada con los menores costos futuro de una eventual reparacià ³n de los daà ±os causados sobre el medio ambiente. La gestià ³n del impacto ambiental se tiende a la bà ºsqueda de un proceso continuo de mejoramiento ambiental de toda la cadena de produccià ³n. El estudio de impacto ambiental como parte de la evaluacià ³n econà ³mica de un proyecto no ha sido lo suficientemente tratado, aunque se observan avances sustanciales en el à ºltimo tiempo. Una tipologà ­a de estudios de impacto ambiental permite identificar tres tipos: 1. Cualitativos: identifica, analizan y explican los impactos positivos y negativos que podrà ­a causar al ambiente la implementacià ³n del proyecto. 2. Cualitativo numà ©ricos: relaciona factores de ponderacià ³n en escala de valores numà ©ricos a las variables ambientales. 3. Cuantitativos: determinan tanto los costos asociados con las medidas de mitigacià ³n total o parcial como los daà ±os evitados, incluyendo ambos efectos dentro de los flujos de caja proyectados. Existen distintos mà ©todos que permiten incorporar el factor monetario al efecto ambiental: a) Mà ©todo de valoracià ³n contingente: busca determinar la disposicià ³n a pagar de las personas por los beneficios que se espera produzca el proyecto. b) Mà ©todo del costo evitado: considera que el costo asociado con una externalidad debe ser asumido por el proyecto que la ocasiona, para lo cual incorpora dentro de los costos el gasto de subsanar el daà ±o causado o, dentro de los beneficios, el costo que la inversià ³n evitarà ­a al resto de la comunidad. c) Mà ©todo de los precios hedà ³nicos: busca determinar todos los atributos de un bien que podrà ­a explicar el precio que las personas està ¡n dispuestas a pagar por el. Alcance del estudio: El estudio deberà ­a incluir todos los peligros, riesgos e impactos asociados con las personas, el medio ambiente, la comunidad del entorno y los bienes fà ­sicos donde se inserta el proyecto. 3 ESTRUCTURA ECONÓMICA DEL MERCADO El mercado està ¡ conformado por la totalidad de los compradores y vendedores potenciales del producto o servicio que se vaya a elaborar segà ºn el proyecto. La investigacià ³n de mercado entrega informacià ³n histà ³rica y actual tanto del comportamiento de los consumidores, proveedores, competidores, como de los canales de distribucià ³n para la comercializacià ³n del producto del proyecto. 3.1 Estructura de mercado El ambiente competitivo en que se desenvolverà ¡ el proyecto puede adquirir una de las siguientes formas generales: 1. Competencia perfecta: se caracteriza porque en el mercado de un determinado producto existen muchos compradores y vendedores que no pueden influir en el precio; el producto es idà ©ntico y homogà ©neo; existe movilidad perfecta de los recursos; no hay barreras de entrada o salida y los agentes econà ³micos està ¡n perfectamente informados de las condiciones del mercado. 2. Monopolio: un solo proveedor vende un producto para el que no hay sustitutos perfectos, y las dificultades para ingresar a esa industria son grandes. 3. Competencia monopà ³lica: existen numerosos vendedores de un producto diferenciado y, en el largo plazo, no hay dificultades para entrar o salid de la industria. 4. Oligopolio: hay pocos vendedores de un producto homogà ©neo o diferenciado y el ingreso o salida de la industria es posible pero con dificultades. 4 EL ESTUDIO DE MERCADO El concepto de estudio de mercado se identifica con la definicià ³n del precio al que los consumidores està ¡n dispuestos a comprar, como a la demanda. Los objetivos particulares del estudio de mercado serà ¡n ratificar la posibilidad real de colocar el producto o servicio que elaborarà ­a el proyecto en el mercado, conocer los canales de comercializacià ³n que usan o podrà ­an usarse en la comercializacià ³n de ellos, determinar la magnitud de la demanda que podrà ­a esperarse y conocer la composicià ³n, las caracterà ­sticas y la ubicacià ³n de los potenciales consumidores. 4.1 El mercado del proyecto Al estudiar el mercado de u proyecto es preciso reconocer los agentes que, con su actuacià ³n, tendrà ¡n algà ºn grado de influencia sobre las decisiones que se tomarà ¡n al definir su estrategia comercial. En este sentido son cinco los submercados que se reconocerà ¡n al realizar un estudio de factibilidad: proveedor, competidor, distribuidor, consumidor y externo. Mercado Proveedor: Deberà ¡n estudiarse todas las alternativas de obtencià ³n de materias primas, asà ­ como sus costos, condiciones de compra, sustitutos, durabilidad, necesidad de infraestructura especial para bodegaje, oportunidad y demoras en la recepcià ³n, disponibilidad, seguridad en recepcià ³n, etc. Es necesario conocer las proyecciones a futuro. Mercado Competidor: Se debe tener en cuenta que cuando la materia prima es escasa o los medios de transporte son escasos la competencia por ellos serà ¡ prioritaria. El mercado competidor directo son las empresas que elaboran y venden productos similares a los del proyecto. Es imprescindible conocer la estrategia comercial que à ©stas desarrollen para enfrentar la mejor manera su competencia en el mercado consumidor. El mercado distribuidor: es el que requiere un menor nà ºmero de variables pero no es menos importante. La disponibilidad de un sistema que garantice la entrega oportuna de los productos al consumidor es sumamente importante. Uno de los factores mà ¡s importantes son los costos de distribucià ³n y son los que determinan el precio al que llegarà ¡ el producto al consumidor y por lo tanto la demanda que deberà ¡ enfrentar el proyecto. El mercado consumidor: es probablemente el que mà ¡s tiempo requiere para su estudio. La complejidad del consumidor hace que se tornen imprescindibles varios estudios especà ­ficos sobre à ©l, ya que asà ­ podrà ¡n definirse diversos efectos sobre la composicià ³n del flujo de caja del proyecto. Se deben definir los hà ¡bitos y motivaciones de compra para definir tanto al consumidor real como al potencial. Mercado externo: recurrir a fuentes externas de abastecimiento de materias primas obliga a consideraciones y estudios especiales que se diferencian del abastecimiento en el mercado local. Ninguno de estos mercados puede analizarse exclusivamente sobre la base de lo ya existente. Siempre podrà ¡ haber proveedores que la competencia directa no haya tenido en cuenta o competidores potenciales que hoy no lo son, o nuevos sistemas de distribucià ³n no utilizados, e incluso mercados consumidores no cubiertos hasta el momento. 4.2 Objetivos del estudio de mercado Para fines de la preparacià ³n del proyecto, el estudio de cada una de las variables que se seà ±alaron en el apartado anterior, va dirigido principalmente a la recopilacià ³n de informacià ³n de carà ¡cter econà ³mico que repercuta en la composicià ³n del flujo de cada del proyecto. El objetivo del estudio del mercado como la reunià ³n de antecedentes para determinar su influencia en el flujo de caja, cada actividad del mismo deberà ¡ justificarse por proveer informacià ³n para calcular algà ºn à ­tem de inversià ³n, de costos de operacià ³n o de ingreso. Al existir opciones entre las cuales elegir, el estudio de mercado tambià ©n deberà ¡ analizar el entorno en el cual se mueve cada uno de los mercados para definir la estrategia comercial mà ¡s adecuada a la realidad en donde deberà ¡ situarse el proyecto una vez implementado. 4.3 Etapas del estudio de mercado Se definen 3 etapas: 1. Anà ¡lisis Histà ³rico: pretende lograr dos objetivos especà ­ficos: reunir informacià ³n de carà ¡cter estadà ­stico que pueda servir y evaluar el resultado de algunas decisiones tomadas por otros agentes del mercado, para identificar los efectos positivos o negativos que se lograron. 2. Anà ¡lisis de la situacià ³n vigente: es importante, porque es la base de cualquier prediccià ³n. Sin embargo, su importancia relativa es baja, ya que difà ­cilmente permitirà ¡ usar la informacià ³n para algo mà ¡s que eso. Esto se debe a que, por ser permanente la evolucià ³n del mercado puede tener cambios situacionales cuando el proyecto se està © implementando. 3. Anà ¡lisis de la situacià ³n proyectada: este es el que realmente tiene interà ©s el preparador y evaluador del proyecto. Los otros dos anà ¡lisis permiten proyectar una situacià ³n suponiendo el mantenimiento de un orden de cosas que con la sola implementacià ³n del proyecto se deberà ¡ modificar. Esto obliga a que en la situacià ³n proyectada se diferencie la situacià ³n futura sin el proyector y luego con la participacià ³n de à ©l, para concluir con la nueva definicià ³n del mercado. 6 ESTIMACIÓN DE COSTOS La estimacià ³n de los costos futuros constituye uno de los principales aspectos centrales del trabajo del evaluador, tanto por la importancia de ellos en la determinacià ³n de la rentabilidad del proyecto, como por la variedad de elementos sujetos a valorizacià ³n como desembolsos del proyecto. 6.6 Elementos relevantes de costos Aunque es posible, en tà ©rminos genà ©ricos, clasificar ciertos à ­tems de costos como relevantes, solo el examen exhaustivo de aquellos que influyen en el proyecto posibilitarà ¡ catalogarlos correctamente. Para identificar las diferencias inherentes a las alternativas, es recomendable que previamente se establezcan las funciones de costos de cada una de ellas. De su comparacià ³n resultarà ¡ la eliminacià ³n para efectos del estudio, de los costos inaplicables. Si hubiera que dirigir el estudio de las diferencias de costos, los siguientes deberà ­an considerarse como prioritarios: * Variaciones en los està ¡ndares de materia prima * Tasa de salario y requerimientos de personal para la operacià ³n directa * Necesidades de supervisià ³n e inspeccià ³n * Combustible y energà ­a * Volumen de produccià ³n y precio de venta * Desperdicio o mermas * Valor de adquisicià ³n * Valor residual del equipo en cada aà ±o de su vida à ºtil restante * Impuestos y seguros * Mantenimiento y reparaciones Es necesario insistir sobre el costo de oportunidad externo a las alternativas que pudiera repercutir de manera diferente en cada una de ellas. Todos los costos deben considerarse en tà ©rminos reales para lo cual debe incorporarse el factor tiempo. 6.11 Costos Contables Aunque en la preparacià ³n del proyecto deben considerase los costos efectivos y no los contables, estos à ºltimos son importantes para determinar la magnitud de los impuestos a las utilidades. Como el fisco no puede ir revisando el grado de deterioro de cada activo del paà ­s, define una pà ©rdida de valor promedio anual para activos similares, que denomina depreciacià ³n. La depreciacià ³n no constituye un egreso de caja pero es posible restarlo de los ingresos para reducir la utilidad y con ellos los impuestos. El preparador del proyecto debe velar por recoger en detalle la normativa legar que condicionarà ¡ la estimacià ³n de los tributos. El termino depreciacià ³n se utiliza para referirse a la pà ©rdida contable de valor de activos fijos. El mismo concepto referido a un activo intangible o nominal se denomina amortizacià ³n del activo intangible. La utilidad negativa, en el anà ¡lisis incremental, no significa necesariamente pà ©rdida, sino reduccià ³n de utilidad. Por eso, en el anà ¡lisis incremental, en vez de asociar cero impuestos a una utilidad negativa, se considerarà ¡ un ahorro de costo equivalente a ese porcentaje. Un proyecto de mejora que reduzca los costos de la empresa deberà ¡ considerar que el aumento, menos que proporcional, en las utilidades està ¡ asociado con un aumento en el impuesto que debe pagar. El costo de una deuda tambià ©n es deducible de impuestos y tiene un impacto tributario positivo que debe incluirse en el flujo de caja cuando se busca medir la rentabilidad de los recursos propios invertidos en un proyecto. Para calcular el impacto tributario de una deuda, se debe descomponer el monto total del servicio de la deuda en dos partes: Amortizacià ³n: corresponde a una devolucià ³n del prà ©stamo, y por tanto, no constituye un costo, ni està ¡ afecta a impuestos. Intereses: es un gasto financiero de similar comportamiento al arrendamiento de cualquier activo y està ¡ afecta a impuestos. 7 ANTECEDENTES ECONÓMICOS DEL ESTUDIO TÉCNICO Las diferencias de cada proyecto en su ingenierà ­a hacen muy complejo generalizar un procedimiento de anà ¡lisis que sea à ºtil a todos ellos. Sin embargo, es posible desarrollar un sistema de ordenacià ³n, clasificacià ³n y presentacià ³n de la informacià ³n econà ³mica derivada del estudio tà ©cnico. 7.1 Alcances del estudio de Ingenierà ­a El estudio de ingenierà ­a del proyecto debe llegar a determinar la funcià ³n de produccià ³n à ³ptima para la utilizacià ³n eficiente y eficaz de los recursos disponibles para la produccià ³n del bien o servicio deseado. De la seleccià ³n del proceso productivo à ³ptimo se derivarà ¡n las necesidades de equipo y maquinaria; de la determinacià ³n de su disposicià ³n en planta (layout) y del estudio de los requerimientos del personal que los operen, asà ­ como de su movilidad, podrà ­an definirse las necesidades de espacio y obras fà ­sicas. El cà ¡lculo de los costos de operacià ³n de mano de obra, insumos diversos, reparaciones, mantenimiento y otros se obtendrà ¡ directamente del estudio del proceso productivo seleccionado. 7.2 Proceso de Produccià ³n El proceso de produccià ³n se define como la forma en que una serie de insumos se transforman en productos mediante la participacià ³n de una determinada tecnologà ­a. Los distintos tipos de procesos productivos pueden clasificarse en funcià ³n de su flujo productivo: a) En serie: cuando ciertos productos, cuyo diseà ±o bà ¡sico es relativamente estable en el tiempo, y que està ¡n destinados a un gran mercado, permiten su produccià ³n para existencias. b) Por pedido: la produccià ³n sigue secuencias diferentes, que hacen necesaria su flexibilizacià ³n, a travà ©s de mano de obra y equipos suficientemente maleables para adaptarse a las caracterà ­sticas del pedido. c) Por proyecto: corresponde a un producto complejo de carà ¡cter à ºnico que, con tareas bien definidas en tà ©rminos de recursos y plazos, da origen, normalmente, a un estudio de factibilidad completo. 7.3 Efectos econà ³micos de la ingenierà ­a Las necesidades de inversià ³n en obra fà ­sica se determinan principalmente en funcià ³n de la distribucià ³n de los equipos productivos en el espacio fà ­sico (layout). Serà ¡ preciso considerar posibles ampliaciones futuras. La distribucià ³n en planta debe evitar los flujos innecesarios de materiales, productos en proceso o terminados, personal, etc. Los cà ¡lculos de requerimientos de obra fà ­sica para la planta, mas los estudios de và ­as de acceso, circulacià ³n, bodegas, estacionamientos, à ¡reas verdes, ampliaciones proyectadas y otros, serà ¡n algunos de los factores determinantes en la definicià ³n del tamaà ±o y las caracterà ­sticas del terreno. La relacià ³n entre costos de operacià ³n e inversià ³n serà ¡ mayor cuanto menos intensiva en capital sea la tecnologà ­a. En muchos casos, el estudio tà ©cnico debe proporcionar informacià ³n financiera relativa a ingresos de operacià ³n; es el caso de los equipos y las maquinarias que se deben reemplazar y que al ser dados de baja permiten su venta. En otros casos, los ingresos se generan por la renta de subproductos, como el desecho derivado de la elaboracià ³n de envases de hojalata, que se vende como chatarra. 7.4 Economà ­as de escala Para medir la capacidad para competir debe estimarse el costo fabril de los distintos niveles de capacidad de produccià ³n. Para ello, se debe definir los componentes mà ¡s relevantes del costo: consumo de materias primas y materiales, utilizacià ³n de mano de obra, mantenimiento y gastos fabriles en general. El costo fabril ya definido debe compararse con la capacidad de produccià ³n y el monto de la inversià ³n, a esta relacià ³n se le denomina â€Å"masa crà ­tica tà ©cnica†. Al relacionar el costo unitario de operacià ³n (P) con la capacidad de la planta (C), dado un nà ºmero de unidades de producto pro unidad de tiempo, resulta una expresià ³n de la siguiente forma: P2P1=C2C1-a Donde a es el factor de volumen. Costo unitario de operacià ³n frente a la capacidad Al relacional el costo en equipos por unidad de capacidad (Q), tenemos Q2Q1=C2C1-b Costo distribuido de los equipos por unidad de capacidad Al relacionar la capacidad (C) con la inversià ³n total (I) tenemos: I2I1=C2C1f Donde f es el factor de volumen Costo de adquisicià ³n asoc

Factors Influencing Family Lifestyle

Factors Influencing Family Lifestyle The family issues can always attract public attention, because it is so close to peoples life. As Kephart claimed that the family is one of the older social institutions which could be found in almost all societies (1961:3). This report will argue that the family turned into diversity as a result of the varied demands of individual while the alterations of household could affect society in social services, government policy and social safety. There is no denying that the development of society could also influence the family lifestyle. Initially, this report will look at the history of the family. Secondly, this report will introduce the changing nature of the family and the situation of several types of household( cohabitation, lone-parent families, homosexual families ) that have appeared recently. Specifically, what family means to society will be illustrated-family is not an abstract word, but a basic part for society. Finally, this report will analyse the role of the family has played in society and the impact of changes on British society. 2. History Generally, family is categorized as two basic models: nuclear family and extended family. Nuclear family includes parents and their children while extended family is a family group with a close relationship among the members that includes parents, children and relatives (Oxford , 2005). As Eversley and Bonnerjea (1982:75) said, Victorian family (between 1830 and 1870) has played an important role in the development about the modern family: whatever forms the contemporary family takes, it is usually considered as a deviation from this supposed former norm, in other words, the Victorian family is the earliest ancestor for families of British society. Until the 1980s, it was popular within sociology to talk about the family cycle. Inherent in this notion was the idea that people typically followed a similar family pathway (Allan and Crow, 2001:2). In contemporary society, families have changed from formation and conditions over time. The average household size fell from 2.9 persons per household in 1971 to 2.4 in 2006 (ONS Focus on Families, 2007). Nowadays, there is no typical example of families, such as single-parent families, cohabiting, step-families, and so on (Harding, 1996). Actually, family could provides a wide range of functions which include socialization, social placement, material and emotional security, child rearing and economic cooperation (Morris and Winter, 1978:46 ; Allan and Crow, 2001:19-20). Families determine the outcomes for children, adults, community and society. Such as in the family, parents bring up children, give them encouragement with love and a good relationship between family members could contribute harmonious development on the community and society as well (Cabinet Office Families in Britain, 2008). So that family could be seen as valuable to the society and to individual. 3. Current Situation A recent survey showed that 80 percent of people really think that family is more important to them than their friends in British society (Ipsos MORI Real Trends, 2008). As an institution, family is altering continually. Since 1971, the proportion of all people living in traditional family households of married couples with dependent children has fallen from 52% to 37% in Britain (BBC, 2007). Today, people usually get later marriage, the one possible factor of this situation might be women paying more attention to their career. It is a common phenomenon to live together without marrying. The number of cohabiting couple families increased from 1.4 million to 2.3 million between 1996 and 2006 (ONS Focus on Family, 2007). More and more children are born outside of marriage, especially occurred among cohabiting couples families. A recent survey showed that the rate of births outside marriage has risen from about 10% in 1971 to over 40% in 2006 (ONS Population Trends No.132, 2008). Meanwh ile, married couples also have some problems. According to a statistics, there is a increased number of divorces around 26 thousand in 1950 to over 155 thousand in 2005. Compared with many other developed countries, Britain keep the higher rate in divorce until 2005 (ONS Marriage Stats 2006 (Provisional), 2008). 4. Analyse the Effect The family could be claimed as an economic and social institution (Jagger and Wright, 1999:3). No matter which form the family is, it seems that family could influence the society both in positive and negative aspect whilst be impacted by social environment. 4.1 Major institution in society In order to support the family, people have to hunt for a job. Individual plays essential role in different working areas, such as the large number of workers are employed in the services sector, a minority in industry and a little proportion in agriculture (Oakland , 2006:170). Those people create necessity for public need and make income for their family, thus there is a situation that the family workers fulfill the social demands while create wealth. Meanwhile, the family could be impacted by the external environment. For instance, financial crisis hit British families since 2008. According to research, the conflict between parents occurred frequently due to them worrying about the economic risk, therefore, a number of children suffered a hard period during the financial crisis (Hawthorne et al, 2003). Furthermore, families contribute childrens growth. The new generation is the force of the society continually developing. In order to make sure the better outcome for children, pare nts have to balance childrens state of being fully developed while make the children being a part of family and society by providing love, encouragement and guidance (Bornstein and Bornstein, 2007). 4.2 Cohabitation In contemporary society, public attitudes of sexual relationships have moved forward, thus cohabitation has been accepted by a majority of people (Allan and Crow, 2001:64). Review the recent two decades, the number of people who cohabit has rapidly raised (Oakland , 2006:190). When the divorce were difficult to achieve, people likely choose cohabitation (Kiernan, 2002:3). There are several factors enable adults to cohabit, one of the factors is decreasing the living cost. Men and women live together and share the expenses of daily necessities. Moreover, living together lead to learn more about each other. It is an opportunity to test whether the person suit to the other party (Allan and Crow, 2001:67-68). In turn, there is not any data (no data) shows that cohabitation could be helpful to marriage living, meanwhile, some statistics prove that if some people married after cohabiting, they had higher rate to divorce (Popenoe and Whitehead, ?:2 [reference: should we live together]). Peo ple in cohabitation families maintain the relationship rely on 4.3 Lone-parent families The proportion of children living in lone-parent families in Great Britain more than tripled between 1972 and spring 2006 to 24 per cent(11 _04_07_social_trends) Children living with single parents may be at higher risk of experiencing physical and sexual abuse and neglect than children living with two biological parents. Single parent households are substantially more likely to have incomes below the poverty line. Lower income, the increased stress associated with the sole burden of family responsibilities, and fewer supports are thought to contribute to the risk of single parents maltreating their children. In 1998, 23 percent of children lived in households with a single mother, and 4 percent lived in households with a single father. A strong, positive relationship between the child and the father, whether he resides in the home or not, contributes to the childs development and may lessen the risk of abuse. In addition, studies have found that compared to similar non-neglecting families, neglectful families tend to have more children or greater numbers of people living in the household. Chronically neglecting families often are characteriz ed by a chaotic household with changing constellations of adult and child figures (e.g., a mother and her children who live on and off with various others, such as the mothers mother, the mothers sister, or a boyfriend). (http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/foundation/foundatione.cfm) 4.4 Homosexual families 5. Recommendation As a result of what have mentioned, the government is considered that should establish reasonable policy for different type families. Trying to improve the marriage rate, create employment opportunities for lone parent, pay more attention to the mental health of single-parent children and provide help for them. Ensuring each kind of families getting equal rights include homosexual families. Honestly, family is the fundamental part of the society, making each unit running normally is one possible way to boost the development of society. 6. Conclusion In summary, under several period changing, the family developed into many forms, it all depends on individual needs, so that the changing to the family is an inevitable phenomenon. For the society, its development rely on each familys growing, such as changes to household required a development of services, domestic variety created new demands on government policy, and some of the new type families led to social crisis. Meantime, it could be found that the social environment influenced family lifestyle. Therefore, a interaction between families and society could be discovered. Allan, G. and Crow, G. (2001). Families, households and society. New York: Palgrave. BBC (2007). One-parent families on the rise. Retrieved October 7th,2010 from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6542031.stm Bornstein, L. and Bornstein, M. H. (2007). Parenting styles and child social development. Encyclopedia on early childhood development. Montreal: Centre of excellence for early childhood development. Cabinet Office/The Strategy Unit. (2008). Families in Britain: An Evidence Paper, Department for Children, Schools and Families. Elliot, F. R. (1996). Gender, family and society. London: Macmillan Press Eversley, D. and Bonnerjea, L. (1982). Social change and indicators of diversity. in Rapoport, R. N. , Fogarty, M. P. and Rapoport, R. (1982). Families in Britain.(p.75). London: Routledge Kegan Paul Harding, L. (1996). Family, State Social Policy. London: Macmillan Press Hawthorne, J., Jessop, J., Pryor, J. and Richards, M. (2003). Supporting children through family change: a review of interventions and services for children of divorcing and separating parents. London: Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Ipsos MORI Real Trends (2008) self-completion and online. Base: 2,019 British adults 16+, 9th May 5th June. Jagger, G. and Wright, C. (1999). Changing family values. London: Routledge Jenkins, DRS. , Pereira, I. and Evans, N. ( date unknown ). Families in Britain, The impact of changing family structures and what the public think. London: Ipsos MORI and Policy Exchange. Kephart, W. M. (1961). The family, society, and the individual. Cambridge: The Riberside Press Morris, E. W. and Winter, M. (1978). Housing, family, and society. Canada: John Wiley Sons Oakland, J. (2006). British civilization: an introduction. New York: Routledge Office for National Statistics (2007) Focus on Families: increase in families mainly cohabiting couples. Retrieved October 7th,2010 from:http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/fofam1007.pdf Office for National Statistics (2008) Marriage Stats 2006 (Provisional) cited in Cabinet Office/ The Strategy Unit (2008) Families in Britain: An Evidence Paper, Department for Children, Schools and Families. P26. Office for National Statistics (2007) Population Trends 132. cited in Cabinet Office/ The Strategy Unit (2008) Families in Britain: An Evidence Paper, Department for Children, Schools and Families. P28. Oxford Dictionary of English. (2005). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Rowlingson, K. and Mckay, S. (2002). Lone parent families: gender, class and state. Great Britain: Pearson Education Limited

The Nature of Space in Kafkas The Castle :: Kafka Castle Essays

The Nature of Space in Kafka's The Castle    From the end of the nineteenth century to the outbreak of World War I, great developments in technology and knowledge brought about significant changes in the way man viewed time and space. The necessity of clear train schedules led to the development of World Standard Time and the plurality of private time. In regards to space, with which this paper deals, man moved into other subjective realms beyond the two and three dimensions described by Euclid. In fact, with Einstein's theory of relativity, the number of spaces inherent in life increased beyond calculation to equal the number of moving reference systems of all the matter in the universe. This theory echoes Nietzche's contemporary philosophical theory of perspectivism, where space only consists of points of view and interpretations, not objective facts. Thus, these two doctrines signaled a breakdown of the old notion that there is a single reality, a single, absolute space. Space became subjective and relative, man could not be sure of what it was that actually surrounded him and made up his physical world.    Creative artists, painters and novelists, attempted to deal with this new concept. Attacks were made on traditional notions that there is only one space and that a single point of view is equal to an understanding. Writers, specifically, responded with multiple perspectives depicting different views of the same objects in space in order to demonstrate that the world is always different as it is perceived by various observers at varying times. Man had to come to grips with the fact that with such a plurality of space, he cannot know, understand, or even see the physical world completely.    Thus, it is not surprising that Kafka's final work, The Castle, which emerged out of the pluralism and confusion of this age, deals with this new notion of space, this new relativity of the world surrounding man. While the book can be looked at on a spiritual level, with the castle symbolizing divinity or the ultimate spiritual meaning of man's existence, in regards to space, the castle could also symbolize the actual literal, physical world. Through the nature of K. and his quest, the different ways the Castle is perceived by K. from various viewpoints along his quest, and the inability of anyone to know the true nature of the castle officials, Kafka

The Leonis Adobe :: essays research papers

The Leonis Adobe   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Leonis Adobe was built in stages; however, who and when the original portion of it was built is still under research. At first, there appears to have been a simple adobe farmhouse with whitewashed walls. This original portion of the house is believed to date back to 1844, and if this is so it is almost certain that Leonis did not build it. In any event, about 1880 he extensively enlarged and remodeled the house into the gracious Monterey style mansion you see today, and he and Espirtu moved into it and made it their home.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The building of this project was not an easy one. A great deal of research and studying along with skillful work went to the restoration of this mansion. But there is one or two exceptions. For instance, the present living room was originally two rooms, a parlor and living room, separated by a wall just to the right of the front door. The wall was removed around 1925 and has not bee replaced in order to provide a large room for group meetings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Leonis enlarged and remodeled the house, he sheathed the outside front of the house, and paneled the interior living room walls with wood. He walled-in the rear and northeast side porches, both upstairs and downstairs, to add more rooms. He added the Victorian fretwork balcony along the front of the house, and other enhancing details and features. The bright colors that highlight the house were discovered under many layers of paint, and presumably were the ones Leonis used. The paint used to repaint the house was carefully matched to achieve the exact feeling the Leonis Adobe brings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The present living room, the family portraits hang on the wall where they used to hang, but the mirror originally hung where the dining room door now is. This door was cut through in the 1920’s. Before that, as in many of the California houses, one walked along the porch to reach the dining room.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both the kitchen and the dining room are board and batten construction added during Leonis’ remodeling. The adobe dirt floors were discovered under modern wood flooring that has been removed. The fireplace in the dining room and stove in the kitchen provided the only heat in the house. The stove, while not original to the house, carries a date of 1875.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Out side, at the northwest corner of the house, a large Mexican â€Å"beehive oven† with a shed over it for protection from the rain, was used to bake bread.

The Effects of Internet Addiction to Lifestyle and Dietary Behavior

Nutrition Research and Practice (Nutr Res Pract) 2010;4(1):51-57 DOI: 10. 4162/nrp. 2010. 4. 1. 51 The effects of Internet addiction on the lifestyle and dietary behavior of Korean adolescents Yeonsoo Kim *, Jin Young Park *, Sung Byuk Kim , In-Kyung Jung , Yun Sook Lim and Jung-Hyun Kim 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 4 § School of Human Ecology, Nutrition and Dietetics Program, Louisiana Tech University, LA 71272 USA Graduate school of Education, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 156-756, Korea 3 Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs, Seoul 110-793, Korea 4 Department of Home Economics Education, Chung-Ang University, Heukseok-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul 156-756, Korea 5 Department of Food and Nutrition, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Korea Abstract We performed this study to examine lifestyle patterns and dietary behavior based on the level of Internet addiction of Korean adolescents. Data were collected from 853 Korean junior high school students. The level of Internet addiction was determined based on the Korean Internet addiction self-scale short form for youth, and students were classified as high-risk Internet users, potential-risk Internet users, and no risk Internet users. The associations between the students’ levels of Internet addiction and lifestyle patterns and dietary behavior were analyzed using a chi-square test. Irregular bedtimes and the use of alcohol and tobacco were higher in high-risk Internet users than no risk Internet users. Moreover, in high-risk Internet users, irregular dietary behavior due to the loss of appetite, a high frequency of skipping meals, and snacking might cause imbalances in nutritional intake. Diet quality in high-risk Internet users was also worse than in potential-risk Internet users and no risk Internet users. We demonstrated in this study that high-risk Internet users have inappropriate dietary behavior and poor diet quality, which could result in stunted growth and development. Therefore, nutrition education targeting high-risk Internet users should be conducted to ensure proper growth and development. Key Words: Internet addiction, dietary behavior, diet quality, adolescents Introduction8) The Internet has become an important tool for social interaction, information, and entertainment [1]. However, as the Internet has moved into homes, schools, Internet cafes, and businesses, the prevalence of Internet addiction has been increasing rapidly. Internet addiction is characterized as poorly controlled Internet use, and can lead to impulse-control disorders [2]. Recently, Internet addiction, especially among adolescents, has been recognized as an important social issue in various countries because of the high prevalence of depression, aggressive behavior, psychiatric symptoms, and interpersonal problems associated with this addiction [3,4]. The incidence of Internet addiction in adolescents was estimated to be approximately 11% in China [2], 8% in Greece [5], and 18. 4% in Korea [1]. Adolescents are more vulnerable to Internet addiction than adults, and the social performance, psychology, and lifestyle habits of Internet addicts can be affected by this addiction [6]. Numerous cross-sectional studies have shown that Internet addiction has an adverse effect on several lifestyle-related factors in adolescents; it can result in irregular dietary habits, extended periods of time spent on the Internet [7], physical inactivity, short duration of sleep [2], and increased use of alcohol and tobacco [2,8,9]. Some studies have reported that the change in lifestylerelated factors caused by heavy Internet use could have an adverse impact on the growth and development of Internet addicts [2,7]. Nutritional status also plays a crucial role in growth and development during adolescence. Several studies have shown that malnutrition or unbalanced nutritional intake can reduce weight gain and decrease leg length in adolescents [9,10]. Optimal nutrition is therefore important for adolescents to grow and develop properly. Moreover, once dietary habits are formed during childhood, they tend to be carried on throughout adulthood, thus teaching adolescents to develop healthy eating habits is of critical importance [11]. Numerous studies have showed associations between Internet addiction and mental health problems, such as depression and psychiatric symptoms, among adolescents. However, information on the effects of Internet addiction on the dietary behavior of * Yeonsoo Kim and Jin Young Park are Co-first authors.  § Corresponding Author: Jung-Hyun Kim, Tel. 82-2-820-5278, Fax. 82-2-817-7304, Email. [email  protected] ac. kr Received: November 17, 2009, Revised: February 16, 2010, Accepted: February 16, 2010 ? 2010 The Korean Nutrition Society and the Korean Society of Community Nutrition This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons. rg/licenses/by-nc/3. 0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. 52 The effect of Internet addiction on dietary behavior adolescents is limited. Therefore, in this study, we examined the dietary behavior of Korean adolescents according to their level of Internet addiction. income per month, and the education level of the parents. A lifestyle habit questionnaire assessed the regularity of bedtime, sleep disturbance, and the use of alcohol and tobacco. Dietary behaviors and diet quality The dietary behavior questionnaire assessed recent changes in meal size, appetite, eating speed, frequency and reasons for skipping meals, and the frequency, type, and reasons for snacking. Diet quality was assessed by a 10-item mini-dietary assessment index. The mini-dietary assessment index was used to assess overall dietary quality based on the 2005 Dietary Guidelines and Food Tower for Koreans [13]. This index includes four food groups that should be consumed, four food groups that limited amounts of should be consumed, and two items regarding varied and regular diet. Responses to food items of which sufficient amounts should be consumed were reported using a 5-point Likert scale where 1=seldom, 3=sometimes, and 5=always. Responses to food items of which limited quantities should be consumed were also reported using a 5-point Likert scale where 1=always, 3=sometimes, and 5=seldom. The maximum possible score for diet quality is 50. In this study, diet quality was defined as â€Å"good† if the total score was greater than or equal to 30 [14]. Statistical analyses All analyses were performed with a significance level of ? =0. 05 using the SPSS software package version 12. (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL, USA). Relationships between levels of Internet addiction and socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle patterns, and dietary behavior were analyzed using the chi-square test. The relationship between dietary quality and level of Internet addiction based on the self-scale rating system were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Duncan’s mul tiple range test for multiple comparisons. Subjects and Methods Subjects This cross-sectional study included 1,000 adolescents from grades 7 through 9 living in Seoul, Korea. Of 1,000 participants, 800 students were recruited from eight junior high schools. The remaining 200 subjects were recruited from the Korean Youth Counseling Institute (KYCI), where they had been diagnosed and were being treated as Internet addicts. The study was conducted from October 2008 to November 2008. The Institutional Review Board of Chung-Ang University (Seoul, Korea) deemed this study exempt from the requirement for informed consent. Of the 1,000 surveys administered and collected, 147 were excluded due to incomplete responses and difficulty in assessing the level of Internet addiction, thus a total of 853 samples were analyzed in this study. Korean Internet addiction test (KS scale) Internet addiction was evaluated using the Korean version of the Internet addiction self-scale short form (KS scale) for youth, which was developed by the Korea Agency for Digital Opportunity and Promotion [12]. In brief, the KS scale for adolescents is a 20-item self-report questionnaire, consisting of six core components: disturbance of daily routines, self-esteem, withdrawal, virtual interpersonal relationship, deviant behavior, and tolerance. Response to each question is on 4-point Likert scale where 1 corresponds to â€Å"not at all†, 2 corresponds to â€Å"sometimes†, 3 corresponds to â€Å"frequently†, and 4 corresponds to â€Å"always†. The level of Internet addiction was categorized as either high-risk, potential-risk, or no risk based on the total score and the score for the three components of disturbance of daily routines, withdrawal, and tolerance. Subjects were classified as high-risk Internet users if their total score was the same or greater than 52, and/or if the score for disturbance of daily routine, withdrawal, and tolerance was greater than 16, 10, and 12, respectively. Subjects were classified as potential-risk Internet users if their total score was greater than or equal to 48 and less than 52 and/or if their score for disturbance of daily routine, withdrawal, and tolerance was greater than 14, 9, and 11, respectively. Subjects were classified as no risk Internet users if their total score was less than 48. Subject characteristics and lifestyle patterns The following socio-demographic characteristics of subjects were used in this analysis: age at the time of recruitment, family Results General characteristics of subjects The general characteristics of the participants and the relationships between the level of Internet addiction and general characteristics are provided in Table 1. Subjects were between the ages of 13 and 15 years with a mean age of 14. 0 years. More boys were high-risk Internet users than girls (31. 4% vs. 14. 0%), and more girls were no risk Internet users than boys (74. 7% vs. 58. 9%). Younger adolescents were significantly more likely to be highrisk Internet users than older adolescents (P < 0. 001). Household monthly income was significantly related to the level of Internet addiction; adolescents from households with a low monthly income (< 1,000 K won and 1,000 K-1,999 K won) were more likely to be high-risk Internet users (57. 5% and 31. 7%, respectively) Yeonsoo Kim et al. Table 1. Subject characteristics based on level of Internet addiction High risk (n=186) Gender Boys Girls Age (years) 13 14 15 Monthly income (Korean Won)2) < 1,000K 1,000K-1,999K 2,000K-2,999K 3,000K-3,999K ? 4,000K 53 Potential risk (n=90) 37 (9. 7) 53 (11. 3) 15 (7. 0) 46 (14. 5) 29 (9. 0) 3 (7. 5) 15 (12. 5) 25 (15. 8) 14 (7. 7) 28 (10. ) 28 (9. 7) 37 (10. 5) 17 (15. 2) 1 (4. 8) 41 (10. 4) 31 (10. 1) 9 (17. 3) 3 (13. 1) No risk (n=577) 225 (58. 9) 352 (74. 7) 126 (59. 2) 213 (67. 2) 238 (73. 7) 14 (35. 0) 67 (55. 8) 98 (62. 0) 139 (76. 4) 205 (74. 3) 183 (63. 1) 254 (72. 2) 78 (69. 6) 8 (30. 1) 261 (66. 2) 220 (71. 9) 36 (69. 2) 9 (39. 1) Total (n=853) 382 (100. 0) 471 (100. 0) 213 (100. 0) 317 (100. 0) 323 (100. 0) 40 (100. 0) 120 (100. 0) 158 (100. 0) 182 (100. 0) 276 (100. 0) 290 (100. 0) 352 (100. 0) 112 (100. 0) 21 (100. 0) 394 (100. 0) 306 (100. 0) 52 (100. 0) 23 (100. 0) P-value < 0. 001 120 (31. 4)1) 66 (14. 0) 72 (33. 8) 58 (18. 3) 56 (17. ) 23 (57. 5) 38 (31. 7) 35 (22. 2) 29 (15. 9) 43 (15. 6) 79 (27. 2) 61 (17. 3) 17 (15. 2) 12 (57. 1) 92 (22. 4) 55 (18. 0) 7 (13. 5) 11 (47. 8) < 0. 001 < 0. 001 Father’s education High school graduate & under College graduate Graduate school graduate Others Mother’s education High school graduate & under College graduate Graduate school graduate Others 1) < 0. 001 0. 008 N (%) 2) 1,250 Korean won = 1US dollar Table 2. KS-scale scores based on the level of Internet addiction Components Disturbance of daily routine Self-esteem Withdrawal Virtual interpersonal relationship Deviant behavior Tolerance Total 1) 2) Maximum score 24 4 16 12 8 16 80 High risk (n=186) 14. 97  ± 3. 21 1)a2) a a Potential risk (n=90) 13. 90  ± 3. 25 1. 69  ± 0. 84 4. 56  ± 1. 89 3. 93  ± 1. 46 8. 76  ± 2. 64 5. 22  ± 2. 21 b b c No risk (n=577) 9. 32  ± 2. 21 1. 32  ± 0. 61 5. 49  ± 1. 50 3. 78  ± 1. 41 2. 87  ± 1. 07 5. 90  ± 2. 04 c c Total (n=853) 11. 04  ± 3. 59 1. 60  ± 0. 85 6. 88  ± 2. 82 4. 62  ± 2. 58 3. 48  ± 1. 55 7. 23  ± 3. 07 34. 90  ± 11. 48 2. 41  ± 0. 94 7. 23  ± 2. 54 10. 56  ± 2. 59 5. 16  ± 1. 53 b c c c c a a a a b b b b 10. 61  ± 2. 97 50. 95  ± 8. 41 41. 06  ± 5. 29 28. 69  ± 6. 36 Mean  ± S. D Values with different superscript letters within a row are significantly different after Duncan’s multiple range test (P < 0. 05). than adolescents from households with a higher monthly income. Adolescents from households with high monthly incomes (3,000K-3,999K won and ? 4,000K won) were more likely to be no risk Internet users (76. 4% and 74. 3%, respectively). Parents’ educational status also affected the level of Internet addiction. High-risk Internet users had parents whose highest level of education was high school graduation or less (27. 2% in father and 22. 4% in mother, respectively). In contrast, a high proportion of no risk Internet users had parents who were college graduates (72. 2% in father and 71. 9% in mother, respectively). KS-scale score The total KS-scale score and the scores of the six components of the KS-scale are presented in Table 2. High-risk Internet users had significantly higher total KS-scale scores and scores for the six main components than potential-risk Internet users and no risk Internet users (P < 0. 05). Lifestyle patterns Lifestyle patterns, including bedtime, sleep disturbance, alcohol use, and tobacco use according to the level of Internet addiction are shown in Table 3. No risk Internet users had regular bedtime patterns (10. 4% always had a regular bedtime and 41. 8% often had a regular bedtime) while high-risk Internet users complained of irregular bedtime patterns (13. 6% reported often irregular bedtimes and 11. 4% reported always irregular bedtimes). Both high- and potential-risk Internet users suffered from sleep disturbances (81. 1% and 76. 7%, respectively). Similarly, 66% of 54 The effect of Internet addiction on dietary behavior Table 5. Snacking patterns based on the level of Internet addiction P-value Skipping breakfast 20 (10. 9)1) 15 (16. ) 49 (26. 6) 60 (10. 4) 95 (11. 2) < 0. 001 Yes No Skipping Lunch Yes No Skipping Dinner Yes No Oversleep No appetite Indigestion Snacking before a meal Weight loss Saving money Lack of time Habit Others ? 3 times/day Table 3. Lifestyle patterns based on the level of Internet addiction High risk (n=186) Bedtime Always regular Often regular 25 (27. 8) 241 (41. 8) 315 (37. 0) 30 (33. 3) 229 (39. 7) 328 (38. 5) 14 (15. 6) 6 (6. 7) 32 (5. 5) 15 (2. 6) 71 (8. 3) 42 (4. 9) Potential risk (n=90) No risk (n=577) Total (n=853) High risk (n=186) Potential risk (n=90) No risk (n=577) Total (n=853) P-value 0. 683 88 (47. 3) 1) 43 (48. 3) 228 (40. 1) 359 (42. 6) 46 (51. 7) 340 (59. 9) 484 (57. 4) 0. 177 6 (6. 8) 34 (6. 0) 56 (6. 7) 0. 049 98 (52. 7) 16 (8. 6) Neither regular or 69 (37. 5) irregular Often irregular Always irregular Sleep disturbance Yes No Alcohol use Yes No Tobacco use Yes No 1) 25 (13. 6) 21 (11. 4) 170 (91. 4) 82 (93. 2) 531 (94. 0) 783 (93. 3) 38 (20. 4) 15 (17. 1) 80 (14. 1) 133 (17. 0) 150 (81. 1) 69 (76. 7) 278 (48. 3) 497 (58. 4) < 0. 001 35 (18. 9) 21 (23. 3) 298 (51. 7) 354 (41. 6) 148 (79. 6) 73 (82. 9) 486 (85. 9) 707 (82. 8) 49 (28. 3) 34 (19. 7) 6 (3. ) 8 (4. 6) 10 (5. 6) 2 (2. 9) 25 (14. 5) 18 (10. 4) 18 (10. 4) 29 (15. 8) 51 (27. 7) 86 (55. 5) 4 (2. 6) 21 (13. 5) 22 (26. 2) 112 (21. 3) 183 (23. 4) 20 (23. 8) 122 (23. 2) 176 (22. 5) 6 (7. 1) 5 (6. 0) 8 (9. 5) 0 (0. 0) 6 (7. 1) 7 (8. 3) 13 (14. 4) 29 (5. 5) 21 (4. 0) 38 (7. 2) 2 (0. 4) 40 (7. 6) 44 (8. 4) 55 (9. 7) 41 (5. 2) 34 (4. 3) 56 (7. 2) 7 (0. 9) 64 (8. 2) 69 (8. 8) 97 (11. 5) 0. 004 0. 026 R easons for meal skipping 123 (66. 5) 58 (64. 4) 252 (43. 7) 433 (50. 8) < 0. 001 62 (33. 5) 97 (52. 4) 88 (47. 6) 32 (35. 6) 325 (56. 3) 419 (49. 2) 28 (31. 1) 90 (15. 6) 215 (25. 2) < 0. 01 62 (68. 9) 897 (84. 4) 637 (74. 8) N (%) Table 4. Recent changes in dietary habits based on the level of Internet addiction High risk (n=186) Changes in meal size Increased Decreased No change Changes in appetite Worse Bad No change Better Do not know Fast Average Slow Irregular 1) 10 (11. 9) 118 (22. 4) 153 (19. 5) Potential risk (n=90) No risk (n=577) Total (n=853) P-value Frequency of snacking 1-2/day 104 (56. 5) 65 (72. 2) 396 (69. 8) 565 (67. 2) 12 (13. 3) 116 (20. 5) 179 (21. 3) 50 (60. 2) 239 (47. 2) 375 (50. 4) 4 (4. 8) 8 (9. 6) 38 (7. 5) 46 (6. 2) 73 (14. 4) 102 (13. 7) 0. 245 4 (29. 0)1) 29 (32. 2) 164 (28. 6) 247 (29. 1) 62 (33. 3) 70 (37. 6) 25 (13. 4) 30 (16. 1) 72 (38. 7) 17 (9. 1) 42 (22. 6) 64 (34. 4) 71 (38. 2) 32 (17. 2) 19 (10. 2) 20 (22. 2) 127 (22. 2) 209 (24. 6) 41 (45. 6) 282 (49. 2) 393 (46. 3) 7 (7. 8) 11 (12. 2) 8 (8. 9) 21 (3. 7) 53 (6. 2) 0. 019 None Snack items Confectionery Soda 0. 001 80 (13. 9) 121 (14. 2) 78 (13. 6) 103 (12. 1) 43 (47. 8) 254 (44. 2) 369 (43. 4) 21 (23. 3) 142 (24. 7) 205 (24. 1) 37 (41. 1) 173 (30. 0) 274 (32. 2) 33 (36. 7) 271 (47. 0) 375 (44. 0) 11 (12. 2) 109 (18. 9) 152 (17. 8) 9 (10. 0) 23 (4. 0) 51 (6. 0) 0. 002 Ttokbokki, rameon, fried foods Fast foods Fruits Milk Others Hunger Lack of time for a meal Habit Boredom Social event Others 1) 12 (7. 7) 14 (9. 0) 15 (9. 7) 3 (1. 9) 86 (46. 7) 10 (5. 4) 28 (15. 2) 33 (17. 9) 17 (9. 2) 10 (5. 4) 3 (3. 6) 9 (10. 8) 8 (9. 6) 1 (1. 2) 26 (5. 1) 61 (12. 1) 55 (10. 9) 14 (2. 8) 41 (5. 5) 84 (11. 3) 78 (10. 5) 18 (2. 4) 0. 057 Changes in eating speed Reasons for snacking 46 (51. 1) 319 (55. 6) 451 (53. 2) 1 (1. 1) 22 (24. 4) 14 (15. 6) 5 (5. 6) 2 (2. 2) 30 (5. 2) 41 (4. 8) N (%) 79 (13. 8) 129 (15. 2) 98 (17. 1) 145 (17. 1) 34 (5. 9) 14 (2. 4) 56 (6. 6) 26 (3. 1) igh-risk Internet users and 64% of potential-risk Internet users had used alcohol. Fifty-two percent of high-risk Internet users had used tobacco while only 15. 6% of no risk Internet users had used tobacco. Dietary behavior and diet quality Recent changes in eating habits among adolescents are provided in Table 4. More of high-risk Internet users answered that their dietary habits had been chan ged to have small meal sizes, a poor appetite, and irregular eating speeds than no risk Internet users (P=0. 019, 0. 001, and 0. 002, respectively). High-risk Internet N (%) users had a high prevalence of skipping dinner (Table 5). High-risk Internet users snacked frequently, often snacking more than three times per day (15. 8% vs. 9. 7 % for no risk Internet users). Favorite snacks and reasons for snacking were not significantly different among adolescents based on levels of Internet addiction. Diet quality based on levels of Internet addiction is shown Yeonsoo Kim et al. Table 6. Diet quality based on the level of Internet addiction High risk (n=186) Potential risk (n=90) No risk (n=577) 3. 40  ± 1. 52b Total (n=853) 3. 25  ± 1. 58 1) 55 I eat more than one 2. 72  ± 1. 722)a3) 3. 36  ± 1. 36b serving of milk or dairy products every day. I eat several servings of meat, fish, egg, bean, or tofu every day. I eat vegetables and Kimchi every meal. I eat one serving of fruit or fruit juice every day. I eat three meals a day on a regular basis. I eat a variety of foods every day. I eat fried or stir-fried foods most of the time. I eat fatty meat most of the time. I add table salt or soy sauce to foods most of the time. I eat ice cream, cake, and/or drink soda between meals. Total 1) 2. 86  ± 1. 50a 3. 04  ± 1. 48a 3. 35  ± 1. 41b 3. 21  ± 1. 44 2. 83  ± 1. 63a 2. 91  ± 1. 69a 3. 11  ± 1. 48ab 3. 43  ± 1. 45b 3. 38  ± 1. 49b 3. 45  ± 1. 55b 3. 26  ± 1. 51 3. 32  ± 1. 9 2. 58  ± 1. 56a 2. 98  ± 1. 63b 3. 32  ± 1. 59c 3. 12  ± 1. 62 2. 86  ± 1. 60a 2. 85  ± 1. 57a 2. 98  ± 1. 48a 2. 78  ± 1. 42a 3. 38  ± 1. 45b 3. 35  ± 1. 45b 3. 16  ± 1. 42 3. 18  ± 1. 49 2. 72  ± 1. 50a 3. 26  ± 1. 67a 2. 73  ± 1. 50a 3. 07  ± 1. 59a 3. 28  ± 1. 56b 3. 53  ± 1. 52b 3. 10  ± 1. 58 3. 42  ± 1. 57 2. 80  ± 1. 72a 2. 80  ± 1. 50a 3. 29  ± 1. 54b 3. 13  ± 1. 59 28. 38  ± 6. 34a 30. 22  ± 6. 79b 33. 75  ± 6. 01c 32. 20  ± 6. 57 Diet quality was assessed by using 10-item mini-dietary assessment index developed by Kim [14]. Mean  ± SD 3) Values with different superscript letters within a row are significantly different (P < 0. 5) after Duncan’s multiple range test. 2) in Table 6. The diet quality of high-risk Internet users was significantly lower than that of potential-risk Internet users and no risk Internet users, respectively (P < 0. 05). Discussion In this study, we demonstrated that high-risk Internet users eat smaller meals, have less of an appetite, skip meals, and snack more than their potential-risk and normal-risk Internet user counterparts. Moreover, the diet quality of high-risk Internet users is poorer than that of potential-risk Internet users and no risk Internet users. The frequency of skipping dinner in high-risk Internet users was significantly higher than that in no risk Internet users. This finding is consistent with a study by Kim and Chun that reported a high incidence of meal skipping in Internet addicts [7]. The high frequency of skipping dinner could be related to snacking; more frequent snacking was observed in high-risk Internet users than no risk Internet users. Savige et al. also reported that adolescent heavy snackers skipped dinner more frequently than their non- or light-snacker adolescent counterparts [15]. Moreover, the favorite snacks of our participants were confectionery and fast food, which are nutritionally poor foods with high calories provided by fats and simple sugars but with few other nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Thus high-risk Internet users have improper dietary behaviors that could impact their growth and development. The quality of the diet of high-risk Internet users as measured using a mini-dietary assessment index was poor. The mini-dietary assessment index that we used is a Korean version of the Healthy Eating Index in which scores over 30 indicate a good quality diet. In high-risk Internet users, the average total score was 28. 38, which indicates an â€Å"inappropriate† diet quality. High-risk Internet users had the lowest meal regularity score, reflected by a higher rate of skipping dinner in high-risk Internet users than no risk Internet users. Moreover, high-risk Internet users did not consume enough milk and dairy products, meat and fish, and fruits and vegetables compared with no risk Internet users. Proper intake of milk and dairy products as major sources of calcium during childhood is crucial for achieving optimal peak bone mass and maintaining and repairing bone tissue [16]. In addition, low consumption of fruits and vegetables in high-risk Internet users suggests low intake of vitamins, minerals, and fiber in these individuals. Vitamins and minerals play a crucial role in energy production, maintenance of bone health, adequate immune function, and protection against oxidative stress [17,18]. Several studies have shown that proper fruit and vegetable intake can prevent health problems such as obesity and cardiovascular diseases [19-21]. High-risk Internet users not only consumed too little of the recommended food groups; they consumed more than the recommended daily quantities of fatty foods, fried foods, salt, and foods high in simple sugars. High fat and simple sugar intake increase the chance of being overweight or obese. Obese children and adolescents can have various adverse health outcomes, including diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and metabolic syndrome [22-24]. Furthermore, obese children have a higher risk of cardiovascular mortality when they reach adulthood [22,23]. The diet of high-risk Internet users, though it may meet their energy requirements, is lacking in nutritional value, and may therefore not support the growth spurt during adolescence and may cause nutrition-related health problems. High-risk Internet users drank and smoked more and had a poorer quality diet and higher frequency of meal skipping than no risk Internet users. Results from two cross-sectional studies on Korean high school students [8] and Taiwanese high school students [2] found a strong association between Internet addiction and high use of alcohol and tobacco. Alcohol and tobacco companies use the Internet to promote and advertise their products by using themes and icons of youth popular culture, games and contests, and commercially-sponsored websites and homepages [25]. Therefore, because high-risk Internet users are more likely to be exposed to tobacco and alcohol advertisements, 56 The effect of Internet addiction on dietary behavior 4. Seo M, Kang HS, Yom YH. Internet addiction and interpersonal problems in Korean adolescents. Comput Inform Nurs 2009;27: 226-33. 5. Siomos KE, Dafouli ED, Braimiotis DA, Mouzas OD, Angelopoulos NV. Internet addiction among Greek adolescent students. Cyberpsychol Behav 2008;11:653-7. 6. Ha JH, Kim SY, Bae SC, Bae S, Kim H, Sim M, Lyoo IK, Cho SC. Depression and Internet addiction in adolescents. Psychopa thology 2007;40:424-30. 7. Kim JS, Chun BC. Association of Internet addiction with health promotion lifestyle profile and perceived health status in adolescents. J Prev Med Public Health 2005;38:53-60. 8. Choi K, Son H, Park M, Han J, Kim K, Lee B, Gwak H. Internet overuse and excessive daytime sleepiness in adolescents. Psychiatry Clin Neuosci 2009;63:455-62. 9. Gunnell DJ, Smith GD, Frankel SJ, Kemp M, Peters TJ. Socioeconomic and dietary influences on leg length and trunk length in childhood: a reanalysis of the Carnegie survey of diet and health in prewar Britain (1937-1939). Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 1998;12:96-113. 10. Sachar RK, Singh H, Soni RK, Singh WP, Bhatia RC, Raizada N, Singh B. A cross-sectional study of growth parameters of rural adolescent girls of Punjab. Indian J Matern Child Health 1997;8:21-5. 11. Vadiveloo M, Zhu L, Quatromoni PA. Diet and physical activity patterns of school-aged children. J Am Diet Assoc 2009;109: 145-51. 12. Kim DI, Chung YJ, Lee EA, Kim DM, Cho YM. Development of Internet addiction proneness scale-short form (KS scale). The Korean Jounal of Counseling 2008;9:1703-22. 13. The Korean Nutrition Society. Dietary reference intakes for Koreans. Seoul: KokJin Co. ;2005. 14. Kim WY, Cho MS, Lee HS. Development and validation of mini dietary assessment index for Koreans. The Korean Journal of Nutrition 2003;36:83-92. 15. Savige G, Macfarlane A, Ball K, Worsley A, Crawford D. Snacking behaviors of adolescents and their association with skipping meals. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2007;4:36. 16. Petrie HJ, Stover EA, Horswill CA. Nutritional concerns for the child and adolescent competitior. Nutrition 2004;20:620-31. 17. Wardlaw GM, Hampl JS. Perspectives in Nutrition. New York: McGraw-Hill International Co. ; 2007. p. 295-463. 18. Omenn GS. Micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) as cancerpreventive agents. IARC Sci Publ 1996;139:33-45. 19. Davis EM, Cullen KW, Watson KB, Konarik M, Radcliffe J. A fresh fruit and vegetable program improves high school students’ consumption of fresh produce. J Am Diet Assoc 2009;109:1227-31. 20. Lorson BA, Melgar-Quinonez HR, Taylor CA. Correlates of fruit and vegetable intakes in US children. J Am Diet Assoc 2009; 109:474-8. 21. Miriran P, Noori N, Zavareh MB, Azizi F. Fruit and vegetable consumption and risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Metabolism 2009;58:460-8. 22. Berenson GS, Srinivasan SR, Bao W, Newman WP, Tracy RE, Wattigney WA. Association between multiple cardiovascular risk factors and atherosclerosis in children and young adults. The Bogalusa Heart Study. N Engl J Med 1998;338:1650-6. 23. Freedman DS, Dietz WH, Srinivasan SR, Berenson GS. The relation of overweight to cardiovascular risk factors among children and adolescents: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Pediatrics they are more likely to drink and smoke than other Internet users. Furthermore, high frequency of use of tobacco and alcohol can exacerbate diet-related problems, because smoking and drinking are negatively associated with diet quality and dietary behaviors such as meal regularity [26,27]. High-risk Internet users reported more irregular sleep patterns and more episodes of sleep disturbance than no risk Internet users. This is consistent with a previous study of Korean adolescents that showed that Internet addiction was associated with insomnia, apnea, and nightmare [8]. In addition, sleep disturbance could increase the risk of mental health problems as well as substance abuse [6,28,29,30]. Hence, high-risk Internet users are more likely to experience physical and mental health problems. This study has some limitations. First, this study was a cross-sectional study, therefore we could not confirm causal associations between Internet addiction and dietary behavior. Second, the questionnaire was self-reported. It is therefore possible that some of the adolescents may not have admitted to using alcohol and tobacco due to social restrictions, even though this study was anonymous. High-risk Korean adolescent Internet users had improper dietary behavior and a poorer diet quality than their no risk Internet counterparts. To ensure that the growth and development of high-risk Internet users is not adversely impacted, their diets should be supplemented with the nutrients that they are lacking. Interventions to improve both dietary behavior and treat Internet addiction may have synergistic health benefits. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that children should be educated as to what a balanced diet and optimum physical activity routine is to remain healthy and grow. Furthermore, the government should take an active role in designing and evaluating Internet addiction-related health intervention strategies. Given the likely adverse effects of Internet addiction on adolescents’ development because of poor dietary behavior, it is critical to raise awareness about Internet addiction. Close attention should be paid to students at risk of Internet addiction, as well as students at low risk to prevent them from becoming addicted to the Internet. References 1. Tsitsika A, Critselis E, Kormas G, Filippopoulou A, Tounissidou, Freskou A, Spiliopoulou T, Louizou A, Konstantoulaki E, Kafetzis D. Internet use and misuse: a multivariate regression analysis of the predictive factors of Internet use among Greek adolescents. Eur J Pediatr 2009;168:655-65. 2. Lam LT, Peng ZW, Mai JC, Jing J. Factors associated with Internet addiction among adolescents. Cyberpsychol Behav 2009; 12:1-5. 3. Ko CH, Yen JY, Liu SC, Huang CF, Yen CF. The associations between aggressive behaviors and Internet addiction and online activities in adolescents. J Adolesc Health 2009;44:598-605. Yeonsoo Kim et al. 1999;103:1175-82. 24. Kim HM, Park J, Kim HS, Kim DH, Park SH. Obesity and cardiovascular risk factors in Korean children and adolescents aged 10-18 years from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1998 and 2001. Am J Epidemiol 2006;164: 787-93. 25. Levy JA, Strombeck R. Health benefits and risks of the Internet. Journal of Medical Systems 2002;6:495-510. 26. Strine TW, Okoro CA, Chapman DP, Balluz LS, Ford ES, Ajani UA, Mokdad AH. Health-related quality of life and health risk behaviors among smokers. Am J Prev Med 2005;28:182-7. 27. Teufel NI. Alcohol consumption and its effect on the dietary 57 patterns of Hualapai Indian women. Med Anthropol 1994;16:79-97. 28. Roane BM, Taylor DJ. Adolescent insomnia as a risk factor for early adult depression and substance abuse. Sleep 2008;31:1351-6. 29. Yen JY, Ko CH, Yen CF, Wu HY, Yang MJ. The comorbid psychiatric symptoms of Internet addiction: Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, social phobia, and hostility. J Adolesc Health 2007;41:93-8. 30. Yen CF, Ko CH, Yen JY, Chang YP, Cheng CP. Multidimensional discriminative factors for Internet addiction among adolescents regarding gender and age. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2009;63:357-64.

Our Country’s Good †Characters’ Reactions to the Play Essay

The play tells the story of convicts and Royal Marines sent to Australia in the late 1780s as part of the first penal colony there. It follows Second Lieutenant Ralph Clark’s attempts to put on a production of George Farquhar’s comedy play called â€Å"The Recruiting Officer† with a cast of male and female convicts. The play also shows interesting turning points for the convicts and their attitude towards the George Farquhar play, which now will be looked into more detail. When the play is first proposed: Upon arrival in Australia, the Governor-in-Chief Captain Arthur Phillips suggests an activity or a form of education for the convicts during their stay. Second Lieutenant Ralph Clark takes on the idea to perform a play and decides on the comedy â€Å"The Recruiting Officer†. Midshipman Harry Brewer likes the idea, but Captain Watkin Tench laughs at the very idea. Nevertheless, Ralph Clark calls upon the first convict Meg Long who is very old and smelly, and who has no idea that Ralph is talking about making a theatric play; she thinks he means something sexual by the word â€Å"play†. Even still, she tells Ralph Clark that she will do whatever he wants. Moments later, a Robert Sideway shows up and is very intrigued by doing a play and tells a story about when he used to pick pocket outside a theatre in London. He is very enthusiastic with his words â€Å"I beg you, I entreat you, to let me perform on your stage, to let me feel once again the thrill of a play about to begin†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Thereafter, another two female convicts arrive; Dabby Bryant and Mary Brenham. Mary is extremely shy, but has the ability to read unlike Dabby, although Dabby is very enthusiastic about the play. Afterwards, Liz Morden appears. She seems to be a very harsh lady and snatches the book from Ralph and says â€Å"I understand you want me in your play, Lieutenant. Is that it? I’ll look at it and let you know. † These words signal anger and pride, but still a slight interest in being included in the play. The reactions of the Royal Marines are in fact quite different. In Act One, Scene Six they hear about the newfound idea of making a play with the convicts. Major Robbie Ross is the one who is the most against the idea of having a play. He believes the convicts are there to be punished for their crimes, â€Å"You want this vice-ridden vermin to enjoy themselves? † Captain Watkin Tench is on Ross’s side and believes the convicts should do hard labour instead of leisure. The Reverend Johnson agrees that the play is unable to uphold Christian values and therefore decides that the play should not be allowed. He does not believe that the convicts can reform. The only neutral person in this discussion is Lieutenant Will Dawes who does not care if the play is there or not â€Å"Put the play on, don’t put it on, it won’t change the shape of the universe. † Only Ralph Clark and Governor Phillips believe in the idea of redemption and change for the convicts, and thus building up a society amongst them all. Therefore, the Governor allows the play to proceed as Ralph Clark intended. Whilst the play is being rehearsed: Many of the convicts are disappointed in the roles they have received and there is constant confusion of the disappearance of Kable and John Arscott, where some are indicating that they have escaped. The convicts appear to be having misconceptions about acting although they are trying their best to perform. Liz Morden who appeared to be a having a negative attitude towards everything, seems now to have a more formal way of speaking and is very enthusiastic about her lines, but only remembers them because they were read to her and therefore speaks very fast. She also seems to have gained a nicer approach to her inmates â€Å"Thank you, Lucy, I do much appreciate your effort. † Ralph Clark performs a major leading role in teaching the convicts how to read their lines and act it out at the same time. He is still very interested in the play. But Major Ross ruins their rehearsals when he enters and disrupts their play by accusing Ralph for the escape of Arscott and Kable â€Å"Five men have run away and it’s all because of your damned play and your so-called thespists. † After the incident, half of the convicts end up enchained and Ralph Clark is considering shutting down the play, but Governor Phillips explains that he should not. Liz Morden, John Wisehammer, John Arscott and Black Caesar are all in chains, but still continue to rehearse the play. This gives an idea of a newfound passion for the play and a new aim in their lives before they are hanged. In the second rehearsal, some convicts are still in chains and Major Ross does everything he can to disrupt the play. Ralph makes a fool of Ross by telling him to leave â€Å"Major, there is a modesty attached to the process of creation, which must be respected. † This makes Ross even more angered and turns it around on the convicts. He makes fun of the convicts who still try to rehearse passionately. The rehearsal is stopped by the sound of Arscott’s cries. Later on, we see that Wisehammer wants to become a famous writer and he tells Ralph that he has written a new introduction for the play. The convicts are now all very into the play and they rehearse with great passion. Even when all the convicts are not present, they are forced to act to different characters, but they are willing and able. There are also some deeper emotions going on between the convicts and between Ralph and Mary. Ralph gets jealous when Wisehammer kisses Mary during the rehearsals, but Wisehammer feels it is part of the play and it should be taken seriously. Later on in Act Two, Scene Nine, Ralph and Mary are rehearsing together and they grow fond of each other as they act. â€Å"What you please as to that. Will you lodge at my quarters in the meantime? You shall have part of my bed. Silvia. Mary†. Ralph uses the words of the play to indicate his feelings for Mary and they both undress. By the conclusion of the play: In Act Two, Scene Ten, the Royal Marines are discussing the innocence of Liz Morden, and as she will not speak they think she is guilty (of stealing some food). But Governor Phillips reminds her of the play and she then speaks. This directly means she feels an obligation to her friends, and that dying would matter. She now feels she has something to live for and that is the play. Her words have also become more formal and she no longer sounds like a convict â€Å"Your Excellency, I will endeavour to speak Mr Farquhar’s lines with the elegance and clarity their own worth commands. † The play has brought everyone together and everyone has become nicer to everyone. During the backstage before the performance they discuss how to take the bow, which displays confidence in their upcoming performance and everyone is now focused on the play. Even Dabby is â€Å"suddenly transfixed† but she still wants to escape after their first performance which will get Ralph into trouble, so Mary is against it. Everyone pushes everyone to participate and motivates them. Black Caesar has stage fright but is forced to do it by his inmates. Wisehammer recites his new prologue which is surprisingly good which indicates his passion for writing and for the play itself. In conclusion, all the convicts have been convinced by the end of the play and they now feel the magic that the play contains and it had brought them all together, during rehearsals and throughout till the end.