Make decisions or solve problems Essay

What are heuristics? How do they help us make decisions or solve problems? How do they hinder decision making and problem solving? What does the study of heuristics tell us about how our mind works? Elvira Gubayeva In psychology, the term â€Å"heuristics† is used to describe cognitive shortcuts that our mind takes in order to save time and effort while solving problems and making decisions. Although this rule of thumb technique does not guarantee the solution, it is highly likely to solve the problem. These congnitive shortcuts differ from algorithms as algorithms will definitely solve the problem, although they would consume more time in the process. Thus, heuristics are shortcuts that eliminate the need to consider unlikely possibilities or irrelevant states to reach the final solution. From that perspective, heuristics are useful in making decisions or solving problems. One of the most important heuristic methods was explored by Newell & Simon. They called this method the means-ends analysis. This method implies that the problem solver will note the difference between the current state of the problem and the goal state, the solution. He would then create a subgoal to reduce the difference between the two states. A path, or an operator, would be selected to reach the subgoal. Egan & Greeno(1974) used the Tower of Hanoi problem to investigate this heuristic method. They found that subjects with prior experience with the problem who used the means-ends analysis solved more difficult versions of the problem faster than subjects who did not make appropriate subgoals. Subjects who changed their strategy to means-ends analysis produced better results than those who did not. Overall heuristics are useful in solving problems and making decisions as they reduce the complexity of different solutions that are possible. They do yield good results when they are used in the appropriate context. However, heuristics can also hinder decision making and problem solving. For example, Anzai & Simon(1979) found that many subjects used domain dependent strategies while solving the tower of Hanoi problem. This hindered their process to the solution as they avoided certain states in the puzzle that they believed would not help them, rather than move towards a definite goal/ subgoal state. Subjects were more interested in the goal state and focused on reaching that rather than reaching the subgoal state first. As Thomas(1974) found, this could actually hinder process. Thomas used the missionaries-cannibals puzzle and adapted J. R. R. Tolkien’s hobbits and orcs to replace missionaries and cannibals. To reach the solution quicker, subjects had to move away from the goal state. However, not many were willing to do that. This distraction to reach the goal state caused the subjects to take longer solving the problem. If the subjects found themselves moving away from the goal state, they typically thought they reached a back alley and backtracked. As a result, subjects took longer to solve the problem as they were using the domain dependent heuristic and avoided moving away from the goal. Another heuristic which could hinder correct decision making and problem solving is the availability heuristic. We use data that we can remember better or that which had a bigger impact on us rather than complete data. Thus subjects can make judgements based on what is easier remembered than an unbiased judgement. One availability heuristic that is commonly used is the media bias. The media presents such a great number of fatal accidents that most think that death is more likely to be caused by an accident rather than diabetes. This is not the case, yet because an accident is easier to remember and had a greater impact on the mind most would consider the statement above to be true.

Wealth As Determinant Of Health Health And Social Care Essay

There is a phenomenon in the United States that illustrates how wealth is a cardinal determiner of wellness. Wealth affords those who attain it, certain societal benefits which include entree to high quality instruction, employment, lodging, child care, recreational chances, nutrition, quality medical attention, and safer and cleaner vicinities. In 1985, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS ) constructed the Secretary ‘s Task Force Report on Black and Minority Health. The study was more typical than old studies, comparing four minority groups in the United States every bit good as the White population. In add-on, A it utilised aA statisticalA presentation of A † inordinate deceases † instead than the usual decease rates. This attack emphasized the fact that lives that were lost would non hold been lost had minority decease rates been the same as for the White population. These differences were subsequently coined as wellness disparities. As a conse quence of the forceful nature of this study and the demand forA integrating of wellness promotion/disease bar schemes into these populations, the Office of Minority Health was established within HHS. Since the origin of the Office of Minority Health research has shown that disparities exist in the population on the footing of both wellness position and wellness attention bringing. These disparities are the consequence of assorted variables. The lexicon of Public Health defines wellness disparities as â€Å" differing degrees of wellness indexs like life anticipation, baby and perinatal mortality rates, that are observed among sections of a population, discernable in the size of the wellness spread between the highest and lowest section of the population, that frequently correlate with economic indexs, educational degree, employment and lodging conditions. † There are differing theoriesA orA premises usedA to explicate why wellness disparities plague certain populations. What both of these theories lack is the causalA mechanism by whichA the disparities occur. The historical context of attending to wellness disparities began with W.E.B. Du Bois. The being of wellness disparities in America was foremost documented in 1906 by W.E.B. Du Bois. Fueled by the averment that Negroes were an inferior race, Du Bois used nose count and disease informations from the late 1800s to document widespread disparities in bosom disease, infant deceases, maternal deceases, TB, and pox. Based on these observations, Du Bois asserted that such wellness disparities had nil to make with lower status and were strongly associated with multiple factors such as poorness, deficiency of instruction, and societal factors. A The taking wellness disparities include: entree to care, quality of wellness or wellness position, cardiovascular disease, malignant neoplastic disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, asthma, infant mortality, and mental wellness. Quality of attention in peculiar, has shown to hold significant spreads among populations. As it relates to disparities in quality of attention, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality â€Å" Quality wellness attention means making the right thing, at the right clip, in the right manner, for the right people-and holding the best possible consequences. † ( Q ) Quality wellness attention is effectual, safe, seasonably, patient centered, just, and efficient. In 1999, Congress commissioned the Institute of Medicine ( IOM ) to look into wellness and wellness attention among racial/ethnic minorities. The consequences of the survey conducted, entitled Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care, demonstrated that minorities had p oorer wellness and were systematically acquiring lower-quality attention even when factors such as insurance position and income were n't involved ( Smeadley, Stith, & A ; Nelson 2003 ) . Despite paces towards extinguishing disparities, they still persist. Health attention disparities in quality of attention are found among several mark populations. These populations include: racial and cultural minorities, those of a certain socioeconomic position, occupants of rural countries, low-income groups, adult females, kids, the aged, and individuals with disablements. An copiousness of grounds demonstrates that as a consequence of several factors, a huge bulk of people in these mark population groups do non have high quality wellness attention. Perceived supplier favoritism has both direct and indirect effects on wellness attention use and wellness position. Surveies such as those conducted by Van Houtven et Al. and Blanchard and Lurie found that persons who perceived supplier favoritism significantly delayed wellness attention use ( 10, 15 ) . The biopsychosocial theoretical account explains how stereotyping or bias can bring on emphasis in those who experience it and as a consequence have a negative impact on wellness position. Patient-pro vider miscommunication has several branchings such as medical mistakes, deficient medical attention, and even decease. This type of miscommunication is the consequence of cultural and linguistic communication barriers. Bettering lingual and cultural competence can be accomplished by increasing the proportion of underrepresented clinicians in wellness systems and in medical instruction. Technology lacks in health care seem to besides bring on lacks in quality of attention provided to many of persons in the mark population. Suppliers in rural and destitute countries are holding troubles because they lack the wellness information engineering that their opposite numbers have in the urban and more flush countries. Differential entree to care can take to disparities in quality of wellness attention. Deriving entree to wellness attention is so an of import requirement to obtaining quality wellness attention. Minorities and low-income groups are less likely to hold wellness insurance and are more likely to hold public insurance. Payment rates for Medicaid are significantly lower than for Medicare, hence, minorities having Medicaid or that are uninsured receive attention in different scenes than in private insured or Medicare patient. Evidence suggests that entree to a regular and usual beginning of attention can greatly cut down wellness disparities. Transportation barriers, distance to clinics, or a deficiency of cognition about supplier locations have besides threatened entree to care. In 2003, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, as directed by the Healthcare Research and Quality Act of 1999, presented Congress with the first one-year National Healthcare Disparities Report and the National Healthcare Quality Report. Among the many findings as it relates to healthcare and healthcare quality disparities, the studies found that inequality in quality exists. Key findings in the 2009 National Healthcare Quality Report found that attempts to cut down disparities have had an impact, nevertheless, disparities still exist. In the study, it was found an estimated cost $ 65-130 billion can be attributed to premature decease and lower wellness position among uninsured people. The study besides focuses on several scientifically supported nucleus quality measures that autumn into two classs, either process steps or result steps. When compared to White persons: Blacks received worse attention for 50 % and better attention for 15 % of nucleus steps ; Asians received wo rse attention for 30 % and better attention for 40 % of nucleus steps ; American Indians and Alaska Natives ( AI/ANs ) received worse attention for 45 % and better attention for 25 % of nucleus steps ; Hispanics received worse attention for 70 % and better attention for 20 % of nucleus steps. ( Q ) Associating to income disparities, hapless people received worse attention than high-income people for 75 % and better attention for 5 % of nucleus steps. ( Q ) When comparing the spread in disparities with findings from old old ages, 66 % of nucleus steps have non improved for Blacks, Asians, and Hispanics ; ensuing in a dead or increased spread. For inkinesss in peculiar, the spread seems to somewhat be shuting with an betterment in approximately 20 % of the disparities steps. For AI/ANs there is an betterment of approximately 40 % of disparities steps. However, when reexamining these findings, one may ask whether or non utilization patterns among these groups were taken into consideration besides. Extinguishing or cut downing healthcare disparities will necessitate statute law and action. Health policies and enterprises are made on three degrees of authorities, federal, province, and community-based. An illustration of a large-scale federal-level policy is REACH 2010. Reach 2010 is the CDC ‘s attempt to extinguish racial and cultural disparities. The CDC has awarded grants to 40 community-based alliances countrywide to implement a community-based plans and culturally-appropriate intercessions in the riddance of disparities. An illustration of a state-level policy is the Colorado Turning Point Initiative ( CTPI ) . The CTPI has set up informations aggregation plans to supply a standardised comparing of wellness indexs by race and ethnicity. Systems have besides been created to work towards its intended end of wellness disparities riddance. Such as the development of a province Office of Health Disparities and an betterment in linguistic communication aid for those who lac ks English proficiency. An illustration of a community-based disparities enterprise is the Florida Community-Based Participatory Research ( CBPR ) Initiative in Reducing and Eliminating Health Disparities. This inaugural supports disease intercession research in disparities utilizing community-based participatory research which is conducted by communities and research workers. There are several possible policy options for work outing the job of wellness attention disparities in quality of attention. As many persons in the mark populations are uninsured or underinsured, entree to wellness insurance by manner of policies such as the Healthcare Reform may hold a great impact on wellness disparities. For minorities and other mark groups, Healthcare Reform will take down costs for households, provide greater and more low-cost insurance picks, increase entree to care, advance primary attention, and command chronic disease. Another possible option is the Institute of Medicine ‘s Model of entree to wellness Services. A last possible policy option is acceptance of Health Information Technology ( HIT ) by manner of policies such as the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health ( HITECH ) ACT. The preferable policy option for work outing the job of wellness attention disparities in quality of attention is wide acceptance of HIT. This option should particularly be implemented in destitute and rural countries. The policy ‘s standard should include: acceptance of wellness IT, quality wellness services provided, an impact on wellness disparities, coverage of quality informations, and political feasibleness. The degree of engineering is sufficient to implement this policy option. Presently, there are several types of wellness IT technologies, which includes: electronic wellness records ( EHRs ) , E-health, electronic medical records ( EMRs ) , and computerized supplier order entry ( CPOE ) . Barriers to acceptance may show themselves in the signifier of: cost/lack of capital to put among suppliers, inability to incorporate the HIT with current systems, offline clip, lost of productiveness or income during passage, preparation, and hardware/software ascents. By implementing the HIT acceptance policy the spreads in quality of attention created by wellness disparities can be decreased. Broad acceptance of HIT will greatly even out the industry for all suppliers. Those suppliers in rural or destitute countries, such as Community Health Centers ( CHCs ) , in peculiar will hold the greatest impact on wellness disparities. â€Å" Given that CHCs sever about 14 per centum of the state ‘s uninsured people, 11 per centum of Medicaid enrollees, and 10 per centum of minorities, puting in spread outing CHC ‘s wellness IT capacity seems a valuable scheme to farther cut down wellness disparities for a significant figure of financially vulnerable patients † ( Shields 2007 ) . An of import characteristic of Health IT such as EHRs is the clinical supplier support interface that several systems contain. This characteristic provides recommendations on diagnostic and screening trials. â€Å" This Fosters just intervention for diverse pop ulations by extinguishing any possible racial or cultural prejudice form the wellness attention supplier that might impact clinical judgement † ( Custodio 2009 ) . The system will to boot help in the decrease of medicine mistakes and inauspicious drug effects with its medicine faculty. This faculty can urge dose, interaction information of several drugs, and generic options. The interoperability of wellness IT technologies such as EHRs will greatly increase functionality and as a consequence, the quality of attention provided. As many in the mark populations may be uninsured, lack the cognition of available resources, may populate far from a individual entity supplier, are hesitating to seek medical attention until something is incorrect, and miss a medical place, they tend to use hospital exigency suites more frequently than needed for medical attention. Health It such as EHRs will let suppliers from assorted clinics or infirmaries, entree a patient ‘s medical records, which will assist to cut down duplicate of services and medical mistakes. EHRs to boot, let for easier coverage of quality informations and public presentation monitoring. The information provided from the coverage will ease enterprises with a end of quality improvements. â€Å" An electronic wellness record that includes certification of demographics, including race and ethnicity, hazard facto appraisals, and preventative and chronic disease direction determination support, enables the clinician to pull off more efficaciously the complex wellness attention demands of our vulnerable populations † ( Custodio 2009 ) . Health IT is a valuable tool in the attempt of battling wellness disparities. The political feasibleness associated with the wide acceptance of wellness IT involves several involvement groups or stakeholders. Government bureaus such as the Commission to End Healthcare Disparities ( The Commission ) have taken an active function in this issue and will interest in the result of this policy alteration. The Commission is a federal undertaking force focuses on quality, physician leading, and systems as a agency to extinguishing disparities. Community organisations besides play a critical function in the issue as they are the 1s that have direct contact with those in the mark population. This policy alteration will let them to come in the community and be a liason between suppliers and the mark population. The mark population groups have the most at interest when it comes to the policy alteration seeing that they are the 1 ‘s straight affected by the disparities. Healthcare suppliers or health care organisations besides have a interest in the policy alteration since they will be buying the systems needed to implement the alteration. Employers and concerns such as insurance or wellness IT software/hardware companies will besides hold a interest in this policy alteration with both perchance benefiting from the alteration. The stakeholders in support of the policy alteration include: authorities bureaus, community organisations, mark population, and the HIT software/hardware companies. The group that would perchance oppose the alteration is the health care providers/healthcare organisations. Countrywide several little doctor groups that service the rural or impoverished countries have been loath to follow HIT. Hospitals have besides been hesitant in their acceptance because of the associated barriers. This policy would be supported by Democrats. Recently the two such policies aimed at HIT execution, the HITECH Act and the Healthcare Reform, have been passed under a democratic disposal. Economically, the execution of HIT comes with a brawny monetary value ticket. The Congressional Budget Office ( CBO ) conducted a survey sing EHRs execution and associated cost. The CBO found that the cost of execution for primary practician offices ranged between $ 25,000-50,000 per doctor. ( perot ) Additionally, one-year operating, licensing, and care costs ranged between $ 3,000-9,000 per doctor. Execution costs for infirmaries averaged $ 14,500 per bed with one-year operating costs of $ 2,700 per bed. ( Perot ) The HITECH Act was enacted as portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 with an purpose of exciting the acceptance of wellness IT and the meaningful usage of HER systems. In the act, the authorities allocated $ 19 billion to set towards the execution of EHRs countrywide. The authorities will supply Medicare or Medicaid reimbursements and $ 44,000 discount as inducements to follow EHRs between 2011-2015. After 2015 any wellness attention organisations t hat have failed to follow a system and pattern their meaningful usage will confront punishments. As portion of the Healthcare Reform, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, contains several commissariats for acceptance of HIT and betterment in entree to care for the uninsured and underinsured. The overall jutting cost of the Healthcare Reform is $ 940 billion for the first decennary. The gross to implement the recommended policy alteration will come from revenue enhancements and supplier capital. Equally long as the policy is implemented right, the benefits of the policy alteration will be every bit accessible among the mark population. Harmonizing to the HITECH Act, by 2015, all health care suppliers are expected to implement wellness IT. In order to guarantee successful execution a mechanism should be used to supervise whether disparities increase with the wide acceptance of EHRs or other wellness IT. Fraud nevertheless, may happen in the signifier of a security breach of the HIT system. â€Å" Internal breaches of security continue to be the primary security concern identified by health care IM/IT executives † ( book ) . There is besides the potency for gross misdirection or waste of ARRA financess. In order to implement this policy efficaciously, a strategic execution program must be in topographic point. Collaboration among most if non all stakeholders must take topographic point, peculiarly between suppliers, authorities, and community-based organisations. Diversity and competency within the health care system and its work force must be improved. A quality-based reimbursement system for authorities operated insurances should be in topographic point. A undertaking force should be created in order to promote suppliers in rural countries to follow EHRs and other HIT. Health disparities should be included in the quality steps reported by suppliers to CMS in order to be eligible for meaningful usage inducement payments. State degree schemes should include: preparing or updating the province route map for HIT acceptance, set uping a province leading office, and set up chances for wellness IT preparation and instruction. Federal-level schemes occur in an ongoing three phase attempt. Stage one begins in 2011 and dressed ores on electronically entering wellness information in coded format. Stages 2 and 3 will be occur between 2013-2015 and expands on aims and steps, concentrating chiefly on the interoperability of HIT and it ‘s associate betterments in public wellness.

Psy 600

1 Running head: PEER REVIEWED ARTICLE SUMMARY Peer reviewed article summaries PSYCH/600 Developmental Psychology March, 11, 2013 2 Running head: PEER REVIEWED ARTICLE SUMMARY Peer review article summaries Many peer reviewed articles were interesting to me; however the three that really stood out in mind is socioeconomic status and child development, Psychology and Aging: The first 20 years, and Child development. These journals stood out I taught about how it could relate to my live and adolescents at my job.Psychology and aging: The first 20 years speaks about how the aging process through the years of life has change and a few traits are still actively the same as the years went by. One characteristic that remains the same is representation of the broad spectrum of research on the development and aging. Another further type of diversity in Psychology and aging that was mention is the geographical diversity of the how the authors reviewers. Another history of the psychology and agin g process has strived to be broadly inclusive with respect to specific domains of adult development and aging process.Theoretical orientation is applied thrust of the work methodology. Early issues spoke about the basic aspects of cognition, perception, and memory. Socioeconomic status and child development talked about the differences of high and low in families. Through this article it speaks on how children from low-SES families are more likely to experience some form of growth dysfunction. It also shared how children from low –SES families were born prematurely and with some sort of birth defects. 3 Running head: PEER REVIEWED ARTICLE SUMMARYCognitive and academic attainment relationship between SES and low families’ studies has shown that children who come from poverty and low parental education are associated with lower levels of school achievement and IQ later in childhood. As for the highest SES group was shown 25 points higher than the mean of the lowest SES g roup. The link between SES and children’s social and emotional well-being is not always consistent as to cognitive attainment. There is substantial evidence that low- SES children more often manifest symptoms.Another peer reviewed article is socioeconomic status and child development, this topic remains to be interesting it speaks on child development and how children well-being is represents in three domains. Cognitive the intellectual and academic competence and how the child learning behaviors develop as they grow into an adult. Socioemotional development speaks about the social and emotional well-being is not as consistent as the cognitive attainment. The low-SES children more manifest symptoms of psychiatric disturbance and social functioning.The strength of the relationship between SES and mental disorders varies by type of disorders and race. In summary these three articles all share the information and studies that I found relatively interesting. 4 Running head: PEER REVIEWED ARTICLE SUMMARY References: Bradley, R. , & Corwyn, R. F. (2002). Socioeconomic status and child development. , (), Rose, T. Z. , Haley, W. E. , & Blanchard-Fields, F. (2006). Psychology and Aging: The first 20 years. , (), Bradley, R. H. , & Corwyn, R. (2002). Socioeconomic Status and child development. , (), .

Nursing Theory Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Nursing Theory - Article Example There are various classifications of nursing theories which include meta theory, grand, middle range and practice theories. These theories are descriptive, explanatory, predictive or prescriptive. Metatheory brings about the identification of specific phenomena through abstract concepts. Grand theory gives provision of a theoretical construction under which the main concepts and principles of the discipline can be recognized. Middle range theory is more precise. It examines a particular situation with a limited variable numbers (George, 2010). Nursing theories are useful in assessing patients’ conditions, identifying the patients’ needs, demonstrating an effective communication and interaction with the patient. The nursing practice theory provides the basis for nursing practice. Practice theory explores a particular situation in nursing and identifies clear goals and details of ways of achieving the goals (Masters, 2012). In this essay, focus is intently on the nursing caring theory which is fundamental and fits my nursing practice. The caring theory basically comprises of two vital constructive backgrounds of emotional response, and mutual and mutual interdependence. In this case, the ethics of care leads to the rejection of reasoning and judgements that are dispassionate and partial, that are dominant with the paradigms and models of bioethics (Parker, 2005). To be precise and more specific, we are going to select the Swanson Caring Theory. This is a middle-range theory, and as described earlier this theory is precise, examines a particular situation (in this case it is about caring), with somewhat limited variables (unchealthcare.org). The Swanson theory developed from the Carolina Care Model, at the University of North Carolina Hospitals. They designed the model so as to aid in the actualization of caring theory, support practices that uphold patient satisfaction, and bring a transformation in cultural norms. This is precisely what will enable the dealing the nursing issue of caring that is a concern in my nursing practice. I suppose that the model and the theory are specifically vital for scrutinizing the issue at hand. Furthermore, evaluation has suggested that this approach to care delivery boosts the hospital experiences of patients and families and smoothes the progress of the desired outcome (unchealthcare.org). With the current practice setting, the theory presents itself as the guide to an ideal caring practise in comparison the current situation in care delivery. The Swanson theory may possibly be remarkable in accelerating the progress towards the ideal in caring. The structure offers an articulate explanation of the relations between caring processes and the patient’s well-being (unchealthcare.org). The sub dimensions of every process at a deeper level, offer proposals for what can be done to create the correlation connecting theory and practice to be comprehensible and valuable to clinicians. Caring th eory suggests that nurses showing they care about patients is as imperative to patient well-being as caring for them via clinical means e.g. prevention of infections and administration of medications. The implementation of this model would be an approach to actualization of caring theory across a health care firm through systematic incorporation of interventions linking nursing actions, caring processes, and expectations (unchealthcare.org). Overview of key demographic data, health issues and diagnoses within the populations The region where we offer our nursing services is cosmopolitan. They are people from different cultural and racial backgrounds. They are from different dialects, hold different

The Restructuring Sony Corporation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

The Restructuring Sony Corporation - Case Study Example Another reason was to adjust the corporation to market changes. The 2001 restructuring is an example of a restructuring that was done to adjust to new market realities. 3. The restructuring efforts at Sony were realized to make the company more flexible and adaptive. As a conglomerate, the different types of businesses needed their own autonomy. The restructures at Sony decentralized the decision-making process. The unified dispersed management model was very effective at creating greater autonomy. 4. At Sony due to the segmentation of businesses and the decentralized nature of the operation, there was a lot of cultural diversity. Each business unit had its own corporate culture. The managers operated each business unit in an independent manner to a certain degree.  5. I believe that the dominant business culture at Sony is innovation. The reason for innovation and research and development is so important for Sony is because the company has so many different types of products and services.

Thomas Paine on Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Thomas Paine on Religion - Essay Example His ideas about religion and its impact on social institutions and citizens, Thomas Paine expressed in the book The Age of Reason. The core of his teaching is deism and personal religion: â€Å"My own mind is my own church† (Paine 13). Thomas was born in Thetford on January 29, 1737. His parents lived in the small house on White Hart Street. A photograph of this cottage exists, but the building was torn down in the 1880's. In its place there stands a pretty garden and a fountain. The house had four or five rooms, one of which on the street level was used by Joseph as a shop. His father, Joseph Paine was a commonplace person (Kaye 72). He is described as placid and pious, industrious and poor (Kaye 74). In religious belief and practice he was a Quaker. He lived ten years in France, from 1792 to 1802, took part in the French Revolution and met thousands of Frenchmen, yet he never learned enough French to make a speech in that language, or to say anything at all except the few sentences that were needed in ordering food and commenting on the weather (Great Theosophists: Thomas Paine n.d.). In 1750, he was taken from school to be taught the trade of staymaking. It was a handicraft that required a fairly long apprenticeship. One had to learn the qualities of various fabrics, such as silk, linen and calico. Cutting the cloth was an operation that called for skill, for each pair of stays was an individual product. Tape measurements of the customer were made in the first place, and a pattern was laid out (Kaye 23). After nearly five years in his father's shop Tom Paine ran away. In 1756, he went away again and joined the privateer King of Prussia, commanded by a Captain Mendez. Paine would never say anything about it, but his attitude in respect to this particular exploit is not at all remarkable. He was as reticent about it as about everything that concerned his personal life. On March 26, 1771, he married Elizabeth Ollive. He was then thirty-four and she was ten years younger (Kaye 24). During 1770s, Paine played an active role in the political life of England: he joined officers in Parliament and published his first political article The Case of the Officers of Excise. In 1774, Paine came to America and devoted himself to the revolutionary cause. The most important fact is that Paine was the first author who wrote for the whole American public. During the first six months after its publication about one hundred thousand copies of Common Sense were sold (Larkin 29). His religious ideas and vision of an ideal society Paine expressed in the Agee of Reason. This work consists of three parts appeared in 1794, 1795 and 1807. The first part of the book was written when he was in good health, and without the aid of a Bible; it was meant to shock men into thinking, but compared to the second part it is a model of restraint. It was dedicated to "my Fellow Citizens of the United States," though he was evidently dubious of their enthusiasm for it" (Paine 45). Paine never overlooks an opportunity to humble aristocratic arrogance. He called men to practice the moral virtues, and the belief of one God Larkin 29). Excepting the violent Fundamentalists, no religious person would today be inflamed by reading it. It is ludicrous to suppose that a man of Paine's intense temperament would indulge in flippancy on the brink of eternity (Great Theosophists: Thomas Paine n.d.). The ink had barely dried on his work when the long-expected happened;

Consumer experience and Luxury Branding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Consumer experience and Luxury Branding - Essay Example   There are various ways in which the consumers experience fashion retail on a global scale. These experiences can either be seen or felt. The first experience is psychological or emotional. Saprikis, Chouliara, and Broekhuizen (2010, p.2) observed that an individual’s purchasing choices are influenced by four major psychological factors, including perception, motivation, learning, beliefs, and attitude. Liu and Forsythe (2010, p.83) illustrate that the intention of the customer to shop is positively linked with the attitude towards purchasing, and affects their decision-making and purchasing behavior. Khitoliya (2014, p.18) argue that perceived usefulness, convenience, and perceived enjoyment are the dominant factors that affect consumer perceptions about a brand. Cao, Xu, and Douma add that enjoyment in intrinsic motivation. When a customer enjoys a product, it impacts positively on the sales of that particular brand. It is equally important to note that when the employees are motivated and satisfied with their job, it translates into a good feeling to the customer since they are able to interact well with the staff and get quality products that make them be satisfied. Schmitt claims that products and services that emerge from the brand’s real soul connect psychologically to the consumers. As a result, it generates emotionally positive experience from the customers. Zara uses emotional client experience of increased self-confidence, self-esteem, and happiness to meet the customer preferences.

Architectural Criticism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Architectural Criticism - Essay Example Conventionally, each structural designer would wish to demonstrate considerable styles of modernity in his or her work (Roper 13). This explains why modern buildings convey aspects of contemporary art and delusional creativity. Practically, ideologies motivating advancement in architecture result from dynamics within the consumer market. Public and private consumers need real estate assets with unique aesthetic value. In this regard, we will appraise a current architectural development within the public platform, and understand the depth and breadth of objective concerns underlying such developments. The London Olympic Stadium In the recent past, London 2012 Olympic Stadium featured as one of the most controversial architectural design in the world. The 80,000 capacity stadium is located in Stratford’s Olympic park, in England. Its sole purpose of construction was to host final track and field events for the concluded 2012 Olympic Games. It is famous for hosting numerous elite political and social personalities during the opening ceremonies, including the iconic sky fall of James Bond. This stadium was designed by Sir Robert McAlpine in 2007. McAlpine was previously known for playing a supportive role in designing the spectacular Wembley Stadium in England (Lewis 28). After completion of all design prospects, construction commenced in November 2008 and ended in February 2011. Upon completion, the stadium’s design capacity was estimated at 80,000, with 25,000 permanent seats and 55,000 temporary ones. Apart from the sitting space, the facility also housed numerous changing rooms, parking garages and toilets for participating athletes and spectators. Architectural Facts about the Stadium On completion, Olympic Stadium was identified as one of the most spectacular public structures in the world. Such credit results from the fact that the stadium has unique architectural designs, with significant touch of fantasy and modernity. All the 55,000 temporar y seats are located on the top tier, which is detachable from the main part of the stadium. After completion of the games, the top tier was removed leaving only 25,000 seats on the lower decks (Roper 16). The aspect of including a dismountable upper deck was meant to address the issue of rigidity or permanence of the structure after Olympics. It was possible that Stratford would not get another foreseeable opportunity to host major sporting events like the 2012 summer games. With respect to this premise, designers would dismantle the structure into a small stadium with a conventional capacity for local events. Above the removable tier was a cable-supported roof made of glass. According to the design specifications, transparency of the roof would eliminate the need of artificial illumination during daytime events. Both the upper tier and the roof were supported by lightweight steel frames and low-carbon concrete (Bullivant 01). Actually, concrete used contained approximately 40% less carbon compared to normal concrete. This technical specification was meant to enhance implementation of green energy principles in sporting events. Use of low-carbon concrete is in line with England’s goals of promoting use of renewable energy sources. Despite its role in addressing green energy objectives, low-carbon concrete offers less structural strength compared to normal concrete. In addition, lightweight steel frames used for support the roof compromised further on structural

My country is russia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

My country is russia - Essay Example As Paltsev and Reilly (2009) point out, the US and Europe remain wary of energy rich nations like Saudi Arabia and Russia. Weak Institutions Russia ranks 133rd out of 144 countries in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) 2012-2013. According to Aidis and Estrin (2005), the formal institutional environment is the main barrier in developing entrepreneurship in Russia. Corruption is the important factor due to the low income of the governing classes. Business cannot develop when property rights are not fully enforced, and there is no rule of law which provides a conducive environment for entrepreneurship. Adequate finance for private enterprise to flourish, is also lacking. Social Unity 100 billionaires own 30% personal wealth in Russia compared to a global figure of less than 2%. Russia has a dearth in social capital, which is based on trust, values and networks. Putnam and Pollock opine that social capital is â€Å"the capacity for self-organizat ion and collective action in pursuit of some common good† (Menyashev & Polishchuk, p 2). Social capital can lead to economic development in two ways. One is by cutting transaction costs in the private sector and the other by finding a solution to the agency problem between the government and society. Policies Energy Scenario Russia has diversified to find new customers in China, Japan and North America for natural gas. The state-owned Gazprom owns most of the gas reserves and pipelines after the Soviet disintegration. It has also created new pipelines that would bypass the other ex-Soviet republics. It has the eighth largest oil reserves in the world. Production of oil increased from 2000 to 2004 after which there has been a slowdown. On the other hand, the electricity sector has been reorganized, which has attracted foreign players. Russia formed the Gas OPEC or Troika inspite of which, spare capacity has moved beyond the OPEC. When it moved beyond usual production by exploit ing the Arctic and East Siberia, US became oil independent. Moreover, many countries also increased their oil production. When it reduced subsidies, maximized energy efficiency, and upgraded energy infrastructure, it did not offer reform to the sector and the politicized firms could not take advantage of this development. The demand for oil reduced because of factors like energy efficiency measures, Europe bypassing Russia and the breakthrough in energy resources. This has been despite a growth in population of Russia. Weak Institutions Due to excessive bureaucracy, there is a growth in informal networks, which help to mobilize resources. There is intimacy and reciprocity in such networks. The entrepreneurs use only short-term finance which could point to an underdeveloped banking sector with poor collateral laws. The liability ratio is less than one which restricts the scale of enterprise whether as a startup or for the purpose of expansion. Trade credit in the form of loans from o ne firm to another in the supply chain is used and the profit earned is ploughed back into the business. Unclear bureaucratic policies increase the cost to business. According to Transparency International, public officials and civil servants, including the police, are the most corrupt institutions in Russia. In 2012, Russia ranked 101 in the overall quality of infrastructure. Though Russia is one of the most educated countries, the quality of education is declining. Life expectancy is low when compared to countries with similar GDP. The number of

Nobel prize Essay Example for Free

Nobel prize Essay The study of economics is a science. And like all sciences, it is firmly based upon the scientific method. It is important to remember this concept in the paper as it would be discussing implications of a paradigm shift in economics towards new schools of thought and applications of various methodologies. Economics, being a science, through trial and error and the application of the said scientific method, has evolved over the years since its original inception and has even garnered a certain place in the Nobel prize awards. Also, since the original conceptions of the early theories of economics which have been formulated by Smith, Ricardo, and Marshall, economics has come a long way and has integrated many discussions that belonged originally to other related disciplines and fields and employed its use under its own wing. However, as many have pointed out and as is becoming evident especially in todays modern age of financial crisis and market crashes, the science and discipline needs a new paradigm shift with respect to its application, understanding, and even methodological processes. Recently, BusinessWeek has published a story regarding the current failure of economists to not only predict the current financial crisis in the United States and the global economy, but also were not able to solve these issues using existing tools in economics. The disciplined then faces the question of whether or not economics needs a new paradigm shift. The objective of this paper is to explain, through analysis and understanding the basic frameworks of economics and how they work, why economics does not need a paradigm shift. In order to do this, the paper would be approaching the problem by understanding modern microeconomic and macro economic theory. It would also be the objective of this paper to understand the various anomalies on why such recent commentary has been made on the science and what are the probable ways in order to integrate such anomalies into the discipline in modern times. Towards the end of this paper, it is the hope that the reader is convinced that the science does not need a paradigm shift but rather merely needs to integrate such new problems into the current paradigm and framework in approaching the discipline and the problems that it tries to address. From the realm and point of view of microeconomics, there are various essential founding concepts that eventually launch into the more complicated discussions under microeconomics. Recent cutting edge microeconomic studies focus on game theory, simultaneous equilibria methods for consumers and producers, and even quantification of human behavior. In fact, if the paper was to summarize all recent activity under the academic wing and discussion of microeconomics, it would fill volumes and volumes of pages. However, what is important for the reader to realize is that even the most complicated microeconomic theories involving long mathematical equations and difficult matrix solutions are basically captured and can be derived from its founding theories such as utility maximization, the theory of consumer behavior, and understanding of perfect markets. Again, however, many have commented that the basic precepts that revolve around these founding microeconomic theories eventually produce anomalies that might as well create a new paradigm for approaching economic analysis because such founding theories do not actually reflect in the real world. Let us first take for example the discussions of utility maximization. The demand and supply framework which is the basic foundation of economics could be further distilled to understanding utility theory and the way consumers and producers are able to meet in the market by maximizing the levels of their happiness. In utility theory, there is the marginal utility curve which is a locus of points comparing the trade-off advantages and disadvantages between two goods any given set up. The tangency of this utility curve with a budget line of consumers eventually dictate areas which they choose to consume. Basically, standard utility theory in economics has the underlying principle and essential nature of perfect consumer rationality and consumer choice. Recently, however, social scientists, and even economists in some schools of thought, have pointed out that consumers are far from rational and could not conceivably draw a perfect utility curve that becomes the basic foundation for microeconomics. As such anomaly and arguments have pointed out, studies have reflected that consumers in the real world do not reflect perfect rationality because of the inability of human beings to perfectly compute various opportunity cost trade-offs simultaneously considering other variables. Furthermore, critics of utility theory have pointed out that the assumption of all things held constant that is ever so important in constructing basic microeconomic consumer choice is not actually applicable in real world situations. Therefore, as these detractors of modern economic theory point out, there must be a paradigm shift in the discipline.

Development of Heat Resistant Chocolate

Development of Heat Resistant Chocolate PRALINE The term ‘cocoa’ comes from the word ‘cacao’ that is taken directly from Mayan and  Aztec languages. Chocolate has been derived from cocoa beans, present in the centre to the fruit of cocoa tree, Theobroma cacao, which originated from the South American region.(Afoakwa 2010) Chocolate is one of the most popular products throughout the world. The fact that it is solid at room temperature but melts in the mouth, giving a smooth delicate taste, makes it one of the most yearned product. From a more technical point of view, chocolate is a complex food made of solid particles of cocoa powder, sugar and milk powder in a continuous fat phase. The production of chocolate consists of multiple steps among which tempering are one of the most important step. During this the temperature of the chocolate will be varied to get the right crystalline form of the fat. Chocolate pralines are a lot more complex product since they also contain a soft  filling which will interact with the chocolate shell. Migration can happen from the filling to the shell which can result in structural damages like cracking. Another effect can be fat bloom which is a grayish haze on the praline surface. This occurs due to the migration of the liquid fat through the shell to the surface and crystallizing. Cracking and fat bloom are two major issues that lead to reduced shelf life in chocolate  pralines. The main suggestions for crack formation are that cracks form due to moisture or  ethanol migration through the chocolate shell, or due to an unbalanced distribution of  moisture in the filling that causes some parts to shrink and other to expand. (SLETTENGREN 2010) Most of the fat inside chocolate must be cocoa butter. Cocoa butter consists of different triacylglycerols (triglycerides), each of which will solidify at a different temperature and at a different speed in correlation with time. To make it more complicated there are six different ways the crystals can pack together. If the fat is present is not right or if the chocolate has not been crystallized properly, then fat bloom occurs. All fats are made of mixtures of triglycerides i.e. they have three fatty acids attached to a glycerol backbone. In cocoa butter there are three main acids which account for over 95% of those present. Almost 35% is oleic acid (C18:0) and almost 26% is palmitic acid (C16:0). Since the cocoa butter has few main components that it melts rapidly over such a small range of temperature range i.e. between room and mouth temperatures. POSt molecules are palmitic acid (P) in position 1, oleic acid (O) in position 2 and stearic acid in position 3. If the stearic and oleic acids are inverted then this would become PStO, which is quite atypical even though the constituents are similar. The stearic and palmitic acids are saturated acids i.e. the hydrocarbon chain which makes up the fat does not have any double bonds. In unsaturated fats this chain has one or more double bonds, as is the case for oleic acid. About 80% of the cocoa butter has oleic acid as the middle acid. 1% to 2% of cocoa butter has saturated long chain trisaturatedtriglycerides (SSS) where the saturated fat is mainly palmitic or stearic and the melting point is high. From 5% to 20% on the other hand consists of two oleic acids and is mostly fluid at room temperature. When the above two have been combined then fat of the cocoa butter will be partially fluid at room temperature. If the temperature is raised fat will melt according to the proportions of the different types of fat present. The property of to crystallize every time differently is known as polymorphism. As the structure becomes denser and gets lowered in energy, it becomes more stable and harder to melt. Polymorphic forms are solid phases of the same chemical composition that differ among themselves in crystalline structure but yield identical liquid phases. Because of their shape the fat molecules fit together with other molecules like stacking chairs which can be done in two ways i.e. via double chain packing and triple chain packing. There are basically 3 polymorphs (ÃŽ ±,ÃŽ ²,ÃŽ ²Ã¢â‚¬â„¢) each with their own specific properties. The melting range and stability of the polymorphs are in the following range: ÃŽ ±Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. The least stable polymorph will crystallize first and transform to a stable polymorph as a function of time. Cocoa butter has six polymorphs. However the chocolate industry numbered them as I to VI. Forms V and VI are the most stable and are triple chain packing whereas the other forms are double. Form V is good for confectionary products as it is responsible for the hardness with a good snap, glossy appearance and the resistance to bloom. (SLETTENGREN 2010) Mixing different fats (Fat eutectics) It is important that after mixing two or more fats the final product should sets at a suitable rate and has the correct texture and melting properties in the mouth. An unstable structure can form when other fats have been mixed with cocoa butter. Even though the fats are triglycerides it will be like fitting another size of chairs within the stacks. Disruption would be less if only a less amount of other fat is present. The actual hardness can be near to the expected one. When cocoa butter is mixed with vegetable or other fat in equal proportions then the softening effect is largest. The original vegetable fat made by Unilever and many other that are now in the market are known as cocoa butter equivalents. These are like cocoa butters and can be put in any proportion without causing any major softening or hardening effect. Other fats can be used only if almost all the cocoa butter is replaced and these are known as cocoa butter replacers. The vegetable fat should crystallise in the same way as cocoa butter (i.e. using the chair analogy, have the same size and shape chair) so that it can be added to the cocoa butter without causing eutectic effect. Cocoa butter contains palmitic (P), stearic (S) and oleic (O) on a glycerol backbone, with the majority of the molecules being POP, POSt, and StOSt. From nuts or seeds of fruits generally two types of fractionation are used to obtain the easy melting and the hardest melting fraction. In dry fractionation the fat is kept at a more predefined temperature and then by pressing and filtering the liquid part is separated from solid. In solvent fractionation the fat is dissolved in acetone or hexane. After this the higher melting triglycerides are crystallized and filtered out. The StOSt and the increased amounts of POSt are hard to obtain. By altering the proportions of StOSt it is possible to make the chocolate so that it will not melt until the temperature is several degrees higher than the normal cocoa butter, but cannot put behind the feeling of stickiness in the mouth. (SLETTENGREN 2010) Legislation: In June 2000, the European parliament agreed to permit the use of vegetable fat other than cocoa butter in chocolate. This directive came into force on August 2003 and for the first time, harmonised chocolate legislation across all the member states of Europe. A number of restrictions were placed on use of vegetable fat by the EU in terms of where oils should be sourced from, and what processing methods have to apply. To maintain miscibility and compatibility with cocoa butter (as is required by the EU Directive) it is necessary to use vegetable fats which contain a similarly high levels of these triglycerides. This means that a) these triglycerides would often need to be concentrated by fractionating the permitted base oils and b) the resulting fats would be needed to blend together to get an optimum mix of the three triglycerides. Even though the CBEs show equivalence with the cocoa butter at all compositions but they have been restricted to a maximum level of 5% of the total compo sition in EU chocolate.(Geoff Talbot 2008) Development of Heat Resistant Chocolate using high melting fat Chocolate generally melts at 33.8 °C when solid cocoa butter transitions to liquid and the crystals of cocoa butter are in stable form V. The development of heat resistant chocolate would allow it to be enjoyed in tropical and humid climates. Three main methods have been developed to make heat resistant chocolates: enhancement of the microstructure of the materials, addition of a polymer and increasing the melting point of the fat phase. The approach that is used for the development of heat resistant chocolates for this thesis is to incorporate fats with higher melting points. (Stortz and Marangoni 2011) (Stortz and Marangoni 2011) One specific example of this was done by Jeyarani and Reddy (1999) and focused on using mahua (Mahua Latifolia) and kokum (Garcinia indica) fats to increase the melting point of cocoa butter blend. The kernels found in the fruits of mahua trees consist of semi-solid fat. Conversely, kokum kernels contain a hard, brittle fat with a melting point 39-43 C. The oils are fractionated and then blended. After that these fats were evaluated for their ability to increase the melting temperature of and replace the fat phase in chocolate products. Fractionation were used to separate the stearin fraction from kokum and mahua fats because it was reported that addition of fats rich in 2-oleodistearins to cocoa butter can increase the solid fat content (SFC) , increase the melting point and decrease the tempering time of chocolate. The meted successfully produced a fat phase that achieved higher SFCs at elevated temperature than conventional chocolate. However, once the temperature reached 37.5 C the SFC of most of the blended fats was less than 20% indicating that the heat resistance of the chocolate would be lost at temperatures higher than this. Another attempt was done to improve the heat resistance via replacement of some cocoa butter with kokum fat. Kokum fat was refined but not fractionated. It was blended with cocoa butter at different levels. The chocolate had good sensorial properties. However, the heat resistance of the chocolate was not as desired considering the melting temperature is only 34.8C with 5% inclusion of kokum fat. Finally , the chocolate formulas exceeded some countries’ legal limits for inclusion of NCVF.(Stortz and Marangoni 2011) Gel Filling: Hydrocolloids: Hydrocolloids are a heterogeneous group of long chain polymers (polysaccharides and proteins) which are characterised by their property of forming viscous dispersions and/or gels when dispersed in water. Presence of large number of hydroxyl (-OH) groups increases their affinity for binding water molecules which results in hydrophilic compounds. Further, a dispersion is produced which is intermediate between a true solution and a suspension, and the properties exhibited are that of a colloid. Considering these two properties, they are aptly termed as hydrophilic colloids or hydrocolloids. The important reason behind the ample use of hydrocolloids in foods is their ability to modify the rheology of food system. This includes the two basic properties of food system namely, flow behaviour (viscosity) and mechanical solid property (texture). The modification of texture and/or viscosity of food system modify its sensory properties, and thus, hydrocolloids are used as important food additives to perform specific purposes. Hydrocolloids have a wide range of function. These include thickening, gelling, emulsifying, stabilisation, and controlling the crystal growth of ice and sugar through the basic properties for which hydrocolloids find extensive use as thickening and gelling. Hydrocolloids disperse in water to give a thickening or viscosity producing effect. This water thickening property is general for all hydrocolloids and is the primary reason for their overall use. Gel formation is the phenomenon that involves the association or cross linking of the polymer chains to form a three dimensional network that traps or immobilises the water within to form a rigid structure that is resistant to flow. In other words, it becomes visco-elastic showing both the characteristics of a liquid and a solid. The textural properties (e.g. elastic or brittle, long or spreadable, chewy or creamy) of a gel vary widely with the type of hydrocolloid used. The other sensory properties such as opacity, mouth feel and taste also depend on the hydrocolloid employed. (Saha and Bhattacharya 2010) Gels: Gels may be defined as a form of matter intermediate between solid and liquid and show mechanical rigidity. They consist of polymer molecules cross linked to form tangled and interconnected molecular network immersed in a liquid medium, which in food system is water. Food technologists use the word ‘gel’ for high moisture foods that are more or less retain their shape when released from their container. A gel is a visco elastic system with a storage modulus (G) larger than the loss modulus G†. Hydrocolloids form gels by physical association of their polymer chains through hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic association and cat ion mediated cross-linking and differ from synthetic polymer gels, which normally consisted of covalently cross-linked polymer chains. Hence hydrocolloid gels are often referred as â€Å"physical gel† The knowledge of the conditions required for gelling of particular hydrocolloid dispersion, the characteristics of the gel produced and the texture it confers are very important aspects to design a specific food formulation. The formation of gel involves the association of randomly dispersed polymer segments in dispersion in such a way so as to form a three-dimensional network that contains solvent in the interstices. The associated regions known as junction zones are formed by two or more polymer chains. The gelation process is mainly the formation of these junction zones. Hydrocolloid gelation can engage the hierarchy of structures, the most common of which is the aggregations of primary inter chain linkages into â€Å"junction zones†, which forms the basis for the three-dimensional network characteristics of a gel. The physical arrangement of these junction zones within the network can be affected by various parameters like temperature, presence of ions and inherent structure of hydrocolloid. For the gelation of hydrocolloids, the three main mechanisms proposed are ionotropic gelation, cold-set gelation and heat-set gelation. Ionotropic gelation occurs via cross-linking of hydrocolloid chain with ions, typically a cation mediated gelation process of negatively charged polysaccharides. Ionotropic gelation is carried out either by diffusion setting or internal gelation. In cold set gelation, hydrocolloid powders are dissolved in warm/boiling water to form a dispersion which on cooling results in enthalpically-stabilised inter-chain helix to form segments of individual chains leading to a three-dimensional network. Gelatine gel is formed by this mechanism. Gelatin: Gelatin is substantially pure protein food ingredient, obtained by the thermal denaturation of collagen, which are the structural mainstay and most common protein in the animal kingdom. Today gelatine is usually available in granular powder form. Ref: website Gelatin forms a thermo-reversible gels with water, and the gel melting temperature ( Various factors affect the gel formation by hydrocolloids which include concentration of the gelling agent, pH of the medium, molar mass/ degree of polymerisation, temperature, ionic composition and solvent quality. Rheological characteristics of gel involves characterizing a gel n the basis of various parameters like modulus of elasticity, yield stress, shear modulus, storage and loss modulus, complex viscosity , gel strength and compliance. These parameters are usually determined by conducting tests like compression test, dynamic oscillatory rheometry, creep and texture profile analysis, etc by employing instruments like universal texture measuring system, controlled shear rheometer. Addition of sucrose results in an increase of true rupture stress in all these gals. The gel sweetness is related with mechanical properties of gel like gel strength, rupture stress, rupture strain and particularly with the amount of deformation required to break the network and its resistance to deformation. Besides co-solutes like sucrose, concentration of hydrocolloid, shear rate and temperature are also important variables that influence the rheological status of hydrocolloid gels. The blending of different polysaccharides offers an alternative route to the development of new textures. The major interest lies in the development of synergistic mixtures with improved or induced gelation.(Saha and Bhattacharya 2010) References: . Afoakwa, E. (2010). chocolate science technology. Geoff Talbot, H. S. (2008). Cocoa butter equivalents and improvers Their use in chocolate and chocolate-coated confectionery. Focus on Chocolate vol 19 n 3(May/June 2008): 28,29. Saha, D. and S. Bhattacharya (2010). Hydrocolloids as thickening and gelling agents in food: a critical review. Journal of Food Science and Technology-Mysore 47(6): 587-597. SLETTENGREN, K. S. (2010). Crack formation in chocolate pralines. Stortz, T. A. and A. G. Marangoni (2011). Heat resistant chocolate. Trends in Food Science Technology 22(5): 201-214.