Potiphars Wife: Josephs First Love :: Art Essays Visual

Potiphar's Wife: Joseph's First Love Potiphar’s wife as seen through the eyes of Guido Reni comes to life with her soft looking skin and tender face as she stares longingly up at Joseph. Then her figure falls back into the painting as her pale flesh tones coupled with swirling velvet garments around her body create a surreal setting. She is at once real and unreal. Her features are relaxed, but her intentions are aggressive. Potiphar’s wife embodies the mystery Reni saw in women, capable of being at once threatening and innocent. Joseph, like Reni, is both opposed to Potiphar’s wife and at the same time his eyes linger on her face in an expression of unspoken desire. When she first asks Joseph to lie with her Joseph doesn’t drawback because he thinks Potiphar’s wife is ugly to look upon, or has had her sexuality tainted by another man. Instead it is Joseph’s fear of Potiphar’s wrath that holds Joseph back. He claims that Potiphar â€Å"...neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?(Genesis39:9).† However, just as Joseph’s figure lingers in shadow in Reni’s painting, so too do Joseph’s true feelings remain cloaked behind his words and actions. â€Å"...as she spake to Joseph day by day...to lie by her...it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within(Gen esis39:10-11).† If Joseph is capable of running a prosperous plantation in his master’s absence, and has shown the ability to turn the disadvantage of being a slave into a better life as chief overseer, why does he foolishly fall into Potiphar’s wife’s trap? The answer is that he knows full well that entering into his master’s home will result in another encounter with Potiphar’s wife, and another offer to lie in her bed. His excuse is that he has business to conduct, but as the overseer of the master’s homestead there is no shortage of men below him that he could send to do business up at the master’s house. Instead Joseph repeatedly returns to Potiphar’s wife, denying her advances, but at the same time aroused by her flirtations. In their final rendezvous Potiphar’s wife reaches out for Joseph’s garments and snags them in her hand.

The Brink of War :: history

The Brink of War In 1914, there were many things that placed Europe at the brink if war. Nationalism, militarism, imperialism, social darwinism, and Jingoes where five of the main forces that were pushing Europe to the brink of war. Another main force was the development of Alliance systems. These ideas and systems threatened the balance of power which could then cause a major war to break out. In Europe at the time, there were many ideas which were causing friction. Nationalism, which was the desire for a country was causing friction because people in old empires sought to be free. The leaders of these people would not be happy and a war would definitely break out. If they became free they would also need to take land from someone else and this again may cause a war and usually did. Another idea which was contributing to the shifts of power in Europe was Militarism. This was when a country believed its power was reflected in its army. They believed that war was the right thing to do and that all countries needed to be ready for war. If a country felt they had a lot of power they would, no doubt, try to conquer a weaker neighbor or just any other country. Imperialism which was the countries want to build an empire was another reason. For a country to become an empire they would have to colonize and conquer other territories. This would easily start wars and it's not that hard to figure out why. A good example of this is Italy. They wanted to become an empire so they attacked a country which they thought was weaker then them(Abyssinia). This caused a war which in the end was won by Abyssinia. Another cause was the idea of social darwinism. This meant the survival of the fittest. The best would win and the weaker would parish. The stronger country would attack weaker countries and in the end the weaker would usually lose. This caused a lot of tension just like militarism. The last of the ideas, was the idea of jingoes. These were people who lived for war. All they wanted was to go to war. Jingoes where very aggresive talkers and they caused a lot of friction between many countries. These ideas where some of the main reasons Europe was pushed to the brink of war.

Employee Appraisals Essay -- business, employee appraisals

Employee appraisals are a key component to a company’s long-term success. The appraisals should be objective, rational, and accurate (Sims, 1987). Without effective appraisals, the employee is not aware of how they are performing and a company is not getting the very best out their investment, the employee. In addition to appraisals, the employee should be afforded development feedback and opportunities. The appraisal allows the employee to understand what areas they are excelling in and what areas they need to work on and improve. Discussing with the employee the developmental opportunities will allow the employee to see the possibility for career advancement if they achieve the goals set out in the appraisal. The appraisal is also a time when the employee can openly voice their concerns and aspirations pertaining to their job. The employee can also get clarification as to what is expected of them and what it will take in the way of performance and goal fulfillm ent to advance in their career. Employees are well aware of the fact that appraisals for the basis for promotions and salary increases (Purwanti, 2011). The end result of both the employee appraisal and the opportunity feedback and opportunity is to allow the company to avoid employee turnover. Turnover is not only costly to the company but it can affect the overall performance of those employee left at the company when a unhappy employee either leaves by their own decision, or one that the company has to let go. The appraisal should be a structured approach and be consistent from employee to employee thereby not showing any type of favoritism. The expectations of the appraisal need to be addressed up front. Next the manager needs to let the employee sa... ...ted Minshew, K. (2012, July 31). 6 tips for better performance reviews. INC Magazine, Retrieved from http://www.inc.com/kathryn-minshew/best-practices-for-performance-reviews.html Purwanti, Y., Pasaribu, N., & Lumbantobing, P. (2011). Harmonization Process Between Individual Performance Appraisal and Business Unit Performance Appraisal Without Decreasing Employee Engagement. Proceedings Of The European Conference On Intellectual Capital, 577-581. Sims, J. P., Gioia, D. A., & Longenecker, C. O. (1987). Behind the Mask: The Politics of Employee Appraisal. Academy Of Management Executive (08963789), 1(3), 183-193. doi:10.5465/AME.1987.4275731 Swiercz, P. M., Bryan, N. B., Eagle, B. W., Bizzotto, V., & Renn, R. W. (2012). Predicting Employee Attitudes and Performance from Perceptions of Performance Appraisal Fairness. Business Renaissance Quarterly, 7(1), 25-46.

Online Requisition Essay

Introduction In the world of business, Information system is such where data are collected, classified and put into process interpreting the result thereon in order to provide an integrated series of information for further communicating and analyzing. In a progressively more spirited worldwide atmosphere, Information System plays the role as enabler and facilitator, which endows with tactical values to the officialdom and considerable step up to the excellence of administration. An Information System is a particular type of work system that uses information technology to detain, put on the air, store, retrieve, manipulate or display information. Information system enables companies to react, respond, cater, store, retrieve, disseminate, and control their new valuable asset that is information. In the years to come, a good information system within a company will be no longer an option; it will become a compulsory in determining success. Upgrading the computer information system is not an option in this technology-driven era; it is a requirement. Companies that use an up-to-date information system to gather, assimilate, and evaluate internal as well as external information are gaining competitive advantage over other firms. Management is quicker to cater to customer’s needs and complaints. With the growth of communication networks, there are almost no barriers between the firm’s management, employees, customers and suppliers. Networked computing systems have made new modes of work possible. Conceptual Framework of the Study Products and information Xammp MySQL The customers will input their information and serarch for products Xammp is the software used in this study. MySQL is the database used in this study. Online requisition material for gilmore computer solutions cabanatuan campus INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT Figure 1.1 shows the customers will be able to search for products and services faster and easier. Figure 1.1 the Proposed Systemfor the Company Verification Statement of the Problem The proponents aim to present the general problem and specific problems 1. What are the advantages of the website in a business? 2. Does the website give accurate information about the company? 3. What are the possible problems that the website will encounter in the future in terms of: 4.1 record duplication 4.2 accessibility of the information 4.3 transaction Objective of the Study The reasons for this company to have a website are pretty obvious. Whether they sell products that appeal to a large audience or products that are hard to find, if those products can be delivered quickly to homes or other businesses, online availability is a great way to increase sales. These websites may either maintain their own shopping cart software or use a third party e-commerce service. If a business provides a service or products confined to a small, local market, they can advertise on the web very economically. At the same time, they can offer a great deal of helpful information about their company, products, services that might not be possible with more conventional types of advertising due to higher costs. Significance of the Study To the Customers: it will give the customers an idea where to buy computer parts and where to repair their computer. To the researchers: it will benefit us through applying what we have learned in this project. To the company: it will benefit the company in the way that the company will e introduced to other places, be more popular and it will ring them more customers. Scope and Delimitation The study focuses on the advantage of using Operational information system in a company. The study will be conducted in Gilmore Computer solutions, Cabanatuan City * Survey on the customers * Interviews on the employee and the manager Definition of Terms Information System – Information System is a combination of people, hardware, software, communication devices, network and data resources that processes (can be storing, retrieving, transforming information) data and information for a specific purpose. System – A system is a procedure, process, method or course of action designed to achieve a specific result. Data – Factual information, especially information organized for analysis or used to reason or make decisions. Officialdom – one who holds an office or position or an administrator, especially one who acts in a subordinate capacity for an institution such as a business. Retrieve – The act of bringing back a data. Disseminate – â€Å"scatter† or to â€Å"spread.† Its main usage is probably â€Å"to disseminate information.† Website – A set of interconnected webpage, usually including a homepage, generally located on the same server, and prepared and maintained as a collection of information by a person, group, or organization. Internet – a vast computer network linking smaller computer networks worldwide Workforce multiplier – make the work faster and more efficient. Shopping cart software – Typically, a shopping cart is the interface between a company’s web site and its deeper infrastructure, allowing consumers to select merchandise, review what they have selected; make necessary modifications or additions; and purchase the merchandise. Maintain – To keep the system working properly. Advertising – is the nonperson communication of information usually paid for and usually persuasive in nature about products, devices or ideas by identified sponsors through the various media. The Proposal Gilmore computer solutions Cabanatuan City offers different kinds of services on computers. The store also sells high quality computers and parts of computers. Making a website for the store will make it more popular in many different areas. A website where customers can look and order for the store’s available products that they need for their computer.

Art History French Revolution Analysis Essay

A very distinct difference between A and B, is that A shows that Napoleon in a different light, as a power hungry and power crazed man and the phrase â€Å"..absolute power corrupts absolutely..† applies very perfectly in this painting. His paintings have evolved from the purpose of propaganda for the revolution and promoting his image as a hard-working and patriotic man to promoting his power, wealth and less than subtle military process in this painting, and it also shows a rather discrete relation to the paintings that the Bourbon Kings may have commissioned to have been painted for them. Painting B was painted in 1804, before Napoleon became corrupted with the power and wealth that comes with his position and interprets his character as a hard-working man, with equality to others. Painting A was created in 1806 two years after painting B, and it confirms the results of his corruption and changed character and perspective. B shows Napoleon with the attributes previously stated, a hard-working and patriotic man. This painting shows that he is hard working by painting him in his study, thus perhaps suggesting that he had a decent and educational upbringing. Another aspect in this painting that shows that he is hard-working is that his right hand is on a stack of papers on the Napoleonic Code that he perhaps just finished writing, showing that he is different from the Bourbon Kings, who could not and would not do any administrations. B shows that Napoleon is patriotic because of many reasons. One, being that his clothing colour is one of the patriotic colours of France (red, white and blue are the patriotic colours of France). Two, being that in the background there is a window overlooking Paris, the rebuilt Notre Dame in particular implying that he is with the people and for the people and of the people. Three, being that his sword hung beside his hip to show that he is always prepared to defend his country against any menaces. Painting A’s style is very different style from painting B. Painting B is rather modest and using rich colours, but has less luxurious texture than painting A gives, whereas painting A uses even more magnificent and rich colours and the texture of his clothing and accessories are even more lavish than painting B. we can see a difference in Napoleons face as well, in this painting, his face looks like it has been caked with white powder, much like the Royals used to do, and his face is also much more expression-less than painting B. B at least shows some degree, although quite small, of emotion. His face portrays a rather serious emotion. The angle of which we view the Napoleon has also changed quite drastically and contradicts one of the Napoleonic Codes that he himself created. In B we are looking at Napoleon on an equal level, showing that although our statuses may not be the same, we are still equal, one of the most important things that the revolution strived to achieve, Egalite (equality). However, in Painting A we are gazing at Napoleon who is sitting above us, on a throne with a range of royal and exquisite items. The change in position clearly indicated the sign of his corruption and the nullification of one of the codes that he created for the people which was that all people shall be treated equally. In this painting we look above to see him, as if he is of a higher class than the people of Paris, above them. His clothing difference is also very dire as well. His clothing in painting B is modest, and thoroughly middle-class while also representing his support in the Revolution by wearing a Revolution colour (red). The texture of the fabric seems to be rather harshly depicted in the painting, which perhaps was meant to show that he did not spend an unnecessary amount of money buying an over-excessive amount of clothing and other various luxuries like the Royals and the upper-class. The fabric of his clothing is painted in a much more overgenerous manner in painting A than painting B. David paints his fabric with sinuous lines and rich colours. The clothing that he wears in this painting shows his corruption, that he has spent the unnecessary and excessive amount of money for such luxuries. Another sign of his corruption shown in his costume is the crown that he wears on his head. Crown, symbolizing royalism. Crown, symbolizing that he fancies himself the King Of France, after all the codes that he has created to distill the peoples fears of a dictator, a dictator was still what they have received. He may not obviously be flaunting that he is in fact dictating, but he is still dictating in a more indistinct fashion. He uses clever manipulations of thoughts and opinions about him by a clever use of marketing strategies, which enhances his image and persona and most importantly his rule.

Political Elite Revised Essay

Do you want to belong to the elite? Or do you sometimes feel that, in a way, you belong to the elite? Without its political meaning, the elite simply refer to a group that possesses superior qualities than the rest. It is the â€Å"cream of the crop†. In one way or another, some of us may have already experienced belonging to the elite, such as when we became part of an important club in school or belonged to the top of the class. In the book Concept and Issues in Comparative Politics, Frank Wilson explained that when applied to politics, the term elite acquires a negative connotation to mean a â€Å"small group who conspire to monopolize power and use it for their benefit†. However, without this political meaning, term elite refers to those who are active in political processes. Thus, Wilson stresses that not only the politicians belong to the elite, but also the opinion leaders and influence wielders and the senior civil servants. While politicians seek and hold elective or appointed government positions, influential figures participate in the process by shaping the ideas and preferences of others. This makes the media and business group as parts of the political elite. Bureaucrats or senior civil servants are also one of the components of the elite because they are involved in the policy- and decision-making processes in the government. Can a person enter the circle of the elite by moving his or her way up in the bureaucracy? Yes, if the person’s career achievements merit him or her to be recruited into the elite. Basically Wilson suggests two ways of recruitment to the elite: by achievement and by ascription. Recruitment by achievement does not only refer to technical skills, but also pertains to interpersonal, leadership or money-making skills. This is in stark contrast with the ascriptive mode of recruitment wherein a person automatically becomes a member of the elite because he or she was â€Å"born with silver spoon in the mouth,† so to speak. Also, Wilson points out that recruitment by achievement is characteristic of developed political systems, while recruitment by ascription is more common in traditional societies. However, it is not uncommon to find elites by birth who also developed the necessary skills to lead by achievement. For example, George W. Bush did not become the US President simply because he is the son of George H. W. Bush; but his first-hand observation of his father’s former job, the Bush’s network of influence, and the name recall surely helped in his campaign. Wilson also classifies elites into open and closed elites. The US is considered as one of the most open political recruitment processes because of the system of primary elections. One does not have to be a dedicated party worker to get nominated and eventually elected. According to Wilson, it also explains why movie stars could become elected officials, as well. Most democratic societies have open elites hence outsiders have multiple opportunities to enter the elite circle; but there are also democratic societies which require aspiring politicians to serve apprenticeships in local or party politics. This is to prevent just anybody, especially those who are only famous, to get elected without any political experience.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the other hand, closed elites are characteristic of authoritarian regimes wherein membership to the elite is controlled. In practice, however, there are also democratic regimes which also have closed elites, in a sense that ruling elites may hinder other members of the society from obtaining enough political leverage to become one of the political elite. For instance, I want to get in the elite circle because I have sufficient background, knowledge and skills to become a leader, but the circle is controlled and very elitist (snobbish). Do I have other options if I do not get recruited through achievement? Yes, by ascription such as by marrying a member of the elite, as Wilson stresses, or stage a revolt or a coup d’etat to overthrow the ruling elite.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nevertheless, violent successions of the elites usually happen when there is no predictability or long-established rules in the change of leadership. In most advanced political systems, there are approved procedures in the transition and legitimation of leadership that would render the blood spill unnecessary. However, even if Wilson contends that unpredictable successions are common to authoritarian regimes and third world countries, he also cites examples to the contrary. He takes particular exception to the Party politics in China which has proven that orderly manner of succession is possible, even in an authoritarian system. To add to this example are a number of â€Å"illiberal democracies† in Asia wherein rulers could maintain their hold in power, yet such undemocratic rule were long accepted by the people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wilson also adds that there are other ways to make the elite’s hold on power legitimate such as tradition, charismatic appeal, accepted rational processes, and more importantly, capability of the political elite to deliver its promises to the people. The capability to perform to improve the welfare of the people could be a more powerful factor for legitimacy than election, and thus could make people’s obedience possible even if the rule is considered undemocratic. However, whether in democratic or authoritarian regimes, any elite that would exercise coercive force to command obedience from the people is bound to fail – and that is when we observe violent or tense transitions of political power.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Still, there is always a certain elite or a small group that would be most directly involved in the political processes. Even erstwhile socialist regimes which claimed to promote equality among the people have been ruled by elites, and have in fact used their position to perpetuate themselves in power. The widely-held notion of democracy is that of a representative democracy. As such, it has been a nagging controversy in the studies of elite that even the most democratic systems are not truly democratic because political leadership is in the hands of a representative elite that would never mirror the general citizenry. Wilson has provided enough empirical evidence that those who usually get recruited into the elite are from the middle and upper classes, educated, from dominant societal groups, and male. Even if the elite would recruit from the ranks of the masses, those who would enter the elite would soon acquire the certain values and perspectives that are characteristic of the elite. Thus they get absorbed into the system – and could not possibly reform the system. As such radicals view that only by changing the system itself, say, by supplanting a genuinely socialist one, that political elitism would end. The above proposition is grounded on the assumption that elitism is bad, as Wilson has scrutinized effectively. Breaking down this assumption brings us to the sub-assumptions that firstly, political elites always rules in its own best interests; and that   secondly, the best political representation of a particular group is made by people who are from that group. Wilson debunks these assumptions for lack of sufficient empirical evidence. In the first instance, political elites ruling only on their interests can always be checked in democratic societies. In democratic systems wherein the succession of political power is determined by elections, the ruling elites would have to bend to the wishes of important portions of the population because they would ultimately need their support come election time. Of course, it is also possible that the political elite sincerely care for the people; that is why we now have welfare states and taxation systems that really hurt the rich and benefit the poor. The argument that one can best represent the interests the group where he or she comes from, at all times, may not always hold true since as Wilson explained in the text, new entrants to the elite may change their values by virtue of their position thus may render them useless in advancing his original group or class. A very concrete example would be the socialist Russian revolution which catapulted the working class into power, which in the long run only became a self-seeking and self-defensive class of its own.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus Wilson argues that a pluralist democracy, wherein various interests are articulated and political competition prevents domination of political power of a single set of elites, holds the answer to the controversy that bedevils the political elite. As such, the rule of the elites, per se, is not bad – as long as it is in the context of a working pluralist democracy.

Research Literature Review Breast Cancer in USA Essay

Introduction Breast cancer continues to be an important focus of attention for medical professionals, policy-makers and general public in the US. The high incidence of the disease and its devastating, in many cases, fatal, outcomes rivet the attention of the professional public. Studies identified for this literature review are for the most part practically oriented, in the sense that they deal with topics that are of primary importance in detecting, treating, and preventing breast cancer. Thus, two sources deal with the programs aimed at women education in the US concerning breast cancer, and two others cover the research into environmental causes of breast cancer. The problem of treatment options for breast cancer is also considered. Education Programs In the US where the population is extremely diverse, creation of special education programs targeting various population groups in accordance with their status is of special importance. Armando Valdez, Kakoli Banerjee, Lynn Ackerson, and Maria Fernandez in their article â€Å"Multimedia breast cancer education intervention for low-income Latinas† outline a special program aimed at the segment of women including Latino women. The problem with detection and early treatment of cancer among Latino women is connected to the fact that Latina women’s screening rate is considerably lower the required government standards and the rate for other ethnic groups. The researchers arrive at the conclusion that, given the availability of subsidized mammograms for poor Latina women, the main deterrent for improvement in the screening rate is lack of knowledge about cancer risks and treatment options. Complicated level of education materials prepared for the target group by the American Cancer Society was identified as an important factor blocking the access of Latina women to adequate information as materials presented often required a superior level of reading skills and the materials were not prepared in Spanish. The paper reports â€Å"the results of a multimedia breast cancer education intervention, tailored to the needs of low-education, low-income Latinas, and attempt to document specific changes in women’s knowledge, attitudes and intentions toward mammography screening† (Valdez et al., 2002). Using the Breast Cancer Multimedia Kiosk including instructional videos exposing the target group to the dangers of breast cancer, the authors were able to conclude that interactive multimedia technologies are an effective tool in raising awareness of cancer risks among low-income women. Although the women had some prior knowledge of cancer (â€Å"the majority of baseline study participants (over 80%) knew age and family history as risk factors†), the post-exposure assessment revealed a significant increase in knowledge after the program. Krystal Ngoc-Thy Luong and Jenny K. Yi in â€Å"Apartment-Based Breast Cancer Education Program for Low Income Vietnamese American Women† evaluate a similar program targeting a different ethnic group. As in the case with Latina women, breast cancer is the leading cause of death in this subgroup. Although Asian/Pacific Islander American, or APIA, women have a lower incidence rate of breast cancer (102.0 per 100,000 versus 140.8 per 100,000 for White American women), exposure to Western lifestyle tends to push these rates up. In addition, APIA women tend to be younger when diagnosed with breast cancer than other categories. The study aimed â€Å"to develop, implement, and evaluate the effect of an apartment-based breast cancer educational program for the hard to reach low income Vietnamese women† (Luong, Yi, 2005). The program was designed to be based on apartment visits as it provided a convenient way to reach women, covering neighbourhoods with high concentration of Vietnamese families in Houston. The intervention was carried out by two educators who delivered 20 educational sessions over the period of 3 months that provided the Vietnamese women with information concerning screening, recommendations and referrals to screening. Women were supplied with promotional materials including printed educational information and videos. Measurement of the knowledge levels through telephone surveys concerning breast cancer issues demonstrated that they were â€Å"significantly higher in the intervention group after receiving education about breast cancer when compared to women in the control group† (Luong, Yi, 2005). The researchers drew the conclusion that an apartment-based program has many advantages as compared to other ones because it addresses women in comfortable home settings, giving them a chance to relax and open up more to the conversation with the educator. Environmental Hazards and Breast Cancer Another important direction of research concerns the impact of pollutants and other environmental factors on incidence of breast cancer in women. Thus, Peggy Reynolds, Susan E. Hurley, Robert B. Gunier, Sauda Yerabati, Thu Quach, and Andrew Hertz in â€Å"Residential Proximity to Agricultural Pesticide Use and Incidence of Breast Cancer in California, 1988-1997† evaluate the connection between the facts that California is the most important agricultural state and also demonstrates the highest breast cancer rates in the US. The purpose of the study was formulated as desire to find out â€Å"whether California breast cancer rates were elevated in areas with recent high agricultural pesticide use† (Reynolds et al., 2005). The research was based on the assessment of 176,302 invasive breast cancer cases including â€Å"70,968,598 person-years of observation† (Reynolds et al., 2005). Using Poisson regression analyses, the authors were not able to find a consistent link between living close to the areas of pesticide distribution and having breast cancer. The upshot of the study was that breast cancer was hardly driven by pesticide use, but was more closely related to various social factors such as socioeconomic status. Julia Green Brody and Ruthann A. Rudel in â€Å"Environmental pollutants and breast cancer† address a wider ranger of substances that can lead to breast tumors. The proliferation of breast cancer in North America has caused the need to look for more sources of this disease, examining a wider range of factors. The study covers â€Å"chemicals that may be breast carcinogens, promote growth of breast cells and hormonally sensitive tumors, or affect mammary gland development and susceptibility† (Brody, Rudel, 2003). The researchers identify already known breast cancer risk factors including reproductive factors, exposure to pharmaceutical hormones, diet, ionizing radiation, socioeconomic status and posited the need to identify more factors. Thus, the scholars point to the need to further investigate the risk associated with occupational hazards including exposure â€Å"to the mammary carcinogens benzene, PAHs, and certain organic solvents† (Brody, Rudel, 2003). For instance, speaking of organic solvents, one study identified a connection between breast cancer rates in Danish women and their exposure to these substances in the workplace. The research, after examining 7,802 women with cancer diagnosis, registered a 20-66% rise in breast cancer risk for women who have been employed in occupations that envisaged active exposure to organic solvents. Other studies demonstrated increased risk of breast cancer development for women employed in the chemical industry, textile manufacturing, or nuclear power plants. The authors conclude by saying that more research is needed in the area, but the literature available so far clearly indicates that the link exists between cancer rates and environmental factors. Treatment Options Finally, another issue which has been identified to inspire researchers is the availability of treatment options for cancer and choice between various alternatives. Kathleen B. Donaghy in â€Å"Fostering Sound Medical Treatment Decision Making: A Focusing on Treatment Choices for Breast Cancer† explores this problem. Invoking the decision-making theory, the author evaluates the potential for adequate decision-making in patients struck with this shocking diagnosis. Donaghy (2003) believes that hasty decisions concerning treatment options made on insufficient information are often regretted by the patient later on. As common deterrents that prevent responsible decision-making she identifies five key points: 1.) cognitive overload 2.) failure to fully comprehend treatment options 3.) inability or refusal to process information in the presence of a denial defense 4.) hurried presentation of information by the physician 5.) self-imposed time constraints to get decisions made. (Donaghy, 2003) The article identifies the key strategies that can be employed by the physician to help the patient in the choice, such as providing maximal possible information to guide the patient’s decisions, improving communication, framing information in an appropriate format, obtaining informed consent etc. Using the decision theory to define decision-making as a choice between status quo and other alternatives shed light on patient values that can be involved in decisions regarding breast surgery. Conclusion The pervasiveness of breast cancer in the US makes research related to the issue highly topical. Examination of causes including environmental factors can help craft governmental policies that will prevent the spread of the deadly disease. On the other hand, developing policies aimed at early detection and effective treatment can be instrumental in curbing the death rate from breast cancer. In this light, creation of programs specifically tailored to the needs of individual groups can be an effective solution. Finally, research oriented toward helping the patient make the best decision concerning treatment options will be an important prerequisite of effective treatment programs. References Ackerson, L., Banerjee, K., Fernandez, M., & Valdez, A. (2002). A Multimedia Breast Cancer Education Intervention for Low-Income Latinas. Journal of Community Health 27(1), 33+. Retrieved April 14, 2006, from http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5000714747 Brody, J.G., & Rudel, R.A. (2003). Environmental Pollutants and Breast Cancer. Environmental Health Perspectives 111(8), 1007+. http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5002005585 Donaghy, K.B. (2003). Fostering Sound Medical Treatment Decision Making: A Focusing on Treatment Choices for Breast Cancer. Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association 6(4), 6+. Retrieved April 14, 2006, from http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5002578878 Gunier, G.M., Hertz, A., Hurley, S.E., Quach, T., Reynolds, P., et al. (2005). Residential Proximity to Agricultural Pesticide Use and Incidence of Breast Cancer in California, 1988-1997. Environmental Health Perspectives 113(8), 993+. Retrieved April 14, 2006, from http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5010885312 Ngoc-Thy Luong, K., & Yi, J.K. (2005). Apartment-Based Breast Cancer Education Program for Low Income Vietnamese American Women. Journal of Community Health 30(5), 2005, 345+. Retrieved April 14, 2006, from http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5011756419