Friday, August 9, 2019
Current Health Care Situation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Current Health Care Situation - Essay Example This applies to all nations with America not left out of the list. The system of healthcare provision to the American people is a problem, which was replicated over past generations of the American history and requires the attention of the involved parties. The United States healthcare system is broken down and no one has the idea of how to fix it. Although the country is an economic giant and a superpower, the situation in the health sector is wanting. A fortunate portion of the American population has insurance cover mostly from their employment that covers their healthcare related costs (Liberty, 2012). However, most of the American people are not lucky enough to have healthcare coverage and as a result, they tend to suffer as they lack the essential access to the services. It is this situation that created questions such as â€Å"why do we keep using the health care system if it does not work?†â€Å"Do we need a universal health care system to act as a single payer and c over the American people in their attempts to get health care services?†These concerns facilitated the drafting of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) a United States federal statue that was signed into law on March 23, 2010 by President Barrack Obama. The act commonly referred to as Obamacare or the Affordable care Act (ACA) is the most significant overhaul of the regulations of the system of healthcare of the country since the Medicaid passing in 1965.the ACA established minimum standards in the policies of health insurance (Pipes, 2013). The guaranteed issue in the act the denial of coverage to individuals by insurers based on pre-existing conditions. This means all applicants with the same age and in the same geographical location offer the same insurance premium prices. The act mandates every individual without insurance cover that is from the employer, public or Medicaid sponsored to secure a private-insurance cover unless the individual is in financi al constraints or is a member of a religious denomination that is recognized and does believe in insurance covers. Failure to comply makes a person liable to a fine. Health insurance exchanges that will serve as an online marketplace for small businesses and individuals to compare and buy policies should commence operations in every state according to the act. The exchanges will provide subsidies on a sliding scale from the federal government for families and individuals with low-incomes ranging from 100% to 400% of poverty level created by the federal government (Liberty, 2012). The act also expanded the eligibility for Medicaid to individuals and families with incomes going up to 133% of the federal poverty level with the inclusion of a 5% income disregard. The employer mandate subjects employers who do not provide health care insurance to at least 50 employees to a tax penalty if there are provisions of subsidies in health care for full-time employees through tax deductions by th e government. The reforms in the system of Medicare payment aim at promoting efficiency in the delivery system of health care through restructuring reimbursements of Medicare to bundled payments and not fee-to-service (Pipes, 2013). It seeks to provide access to Americans to affordable health insurance of high quality while reducing the ever-growing health care bill of the American
Thursday, August 8, 2019
Strategy Report of Tesco Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words
Strategy Report of Tesco Case Study - Essay Example Although Tesco concentrated on the core growth of the company during the 50s and 60s, apart from organic growth, they also grew through acquisitions. They increased their market share at low cost as they concentrated in opening stores in and around London. The organic growth represents the long-term strategy of the company and also its core strength and vitality. The number of stores grew and they acquired cost leadership but cost leadership comes with disadvantages (Porter, 1979). Very low cost may take loyal customers away and it may also start losing revenues, which is what happened to Tesco. It then changed its strategy to increase its market share – price reduction and centralized buying. Thereafter Tesco concentrated on growth based on four factors. While UK was their core market, they also expanded internationally. Apart from market development, they also focused on product development as they became as strong in non-food products as in food. Besides, they also introduced new retailing services. So their strategy was both market and product development. This is how they penetrated into the market and increased their market share. In their overseas expansion, they adopted a localized approach where they took into account the local culture, local suppliers and ways of working. They also recognized that each individual was different and hence adopted the multi-format strategy. They focused on a few markets which helped them gain competitive advantage and then find the direction for growth and development. During the 1990s Tesco concentrated on national market development through product innovation. They attracted and retained customers through different innovative strategies. To retain loyal customers they introduced loyalty cards; to attract a new segment they started online shopping and thereby created differentiation in their service offerings. It was the same market but with the help of technology they could
Wednesday, August 7, 2019
Placement report Essay Example for Free
Placement report Essay N.V. Elmar (Naamloze Vennootschap Electriciteit-Maatschappij Aruba) is in charge of providing electricity in Aruba. Formerly, the company’s name is N.V. ELECTRA founded by Mr. John G. Eman in 1950. After his death, his wife Mrs. F. van der Biest-Eman took over his place and continued the company’s operation. In November 9, 1950, N.V. ELECTRA discusses with Parliament the dealings of providing electricity in Aruba at the public’s interest. Under this discourse, the company had experienced several issues. ELECTRA then becomes a government property after the approving the proposal. Within the proposal, the company specifies itself to be under the control of OGEM N.V. located at the city of Rotterdam, Holland. Its first operation in November 15, 1950, N.V. Elmar has the capacity of 3000 KW with three diesel engines and eventually increased in 1958 buying a power station with a capacity of 15,000 KW. However, in 1982, OGEM experienced bankruptcy and decided to sell its shares of N.V. Elmar to Utilities Aruba N.V. owned by the government. Now, the company proudly states of its financial stability and management under the limits of concession (elmar.aw, 2004). Now, Elmar has a number of 163 employees and approximately 33,000 consumers on the island of Aruba. Island of Aruba            Serviced by the N.V. Elmar, Aruba is a Carribean island 24 km west coast of Venezuela. Of the three Dutch Islands, Aruba is the smallest having an area of 194 km2 with eight regions, namely, Noord / Tanki Leendert, Oranjestad (West), Oranjestad (East), Paradera, Santa Cruz, Savaneta, Sint Nicolas (North) and Sint Nicolas (South). The official language used is Dutch, particularly in education, mass media and civil service. Another language, is Papiamento, second to English as the main language in the island. The population also speaks of Spanish, a prevalent language in upper grades of primary schools (Elmar, 2006). Role in the Company            Because I hold a position in the Human Resources Department, most of my concerns are on employee benefits, recruitment and other employee related issue. Six months in N.V. Elmar has undoubtedly reached my capacity as an employee in the Human Resources Department. Two of their projects for employees, health and wellness program and monetary rewards will be discussed as the main concept of this report. Methodology Research Design            Elmar, like any other company, has major concerns on their employees. To address, this, the company initiated a corporate Health and Wellness program. In this program, the awareness of employees on health related issues and quality of life are substantially relayed. The company has outlined the procedures by giving employees education and promotion on health programs, and orientation and coordination of health assistance. Primarily, it is important to know what the general health status in the island is. Some of the researches made convey of obesity as the primary contributor to life-limiting illnesses in Aruba. The reasons for a high rate in the island are the decreased deprivation of food and a sedentary lifestyle. Aruba is a developed country and in most studies, countries in this state have high incidences of obesity especially on families with lower household income. Often, the quality of food is overlooked wherein buying foods high in calorie and fat is rampant. In a survey conducted in 1991-1992, 67% of the Aruba population is overweight. Moreover, this finding affects both sexes. Next study was conducted in 1995 to 1996 showing the nutritional state of first up to fifth grade overweight. Approximately, 13.4 to 14% of the first graders are overweight and 26.1 to 29.4% of the fifth graders experience obesity. A more recent study in 2004 by Dr. Richard Visser stated that of the 367 children studied, 133 were obese, the number of underweight children is 18, and the remaining 216 were healthy. Significantly, Visser found out that one factor of the growing population concerning obesity in oner population is the unawareness and disregard as a public concern. Hence, attention such treatment and proper education about being obese is insufficient.            Monetary and Non-Monetary rewards are essential for performance improvement of employees. Though we may see that vision, mission, and goals would be enough motivating entities in employee performance, still, these direct costs will provide a meaningful and prosperous stay in the company. In the monetary rewards, as the name implies, more of salary additions are being worked upon while the non-monetary rewards focus on recognizing the employee capability on work and other areas. Elmar Company has an incentives and rewards system, wherein it compensates, reinforces, and encourage enhancement of employee duties. In these types, providing incentives and rewards may focus on team or individual distribution. Moreover, the essentiality of these programs for employee performance, will direct work efforts in advantage to the mission, vision and goals of the company. Incentives and rewards are given to teams, organizations, or individuals in the company that exceed the company’s expectations. Procedures            Elmar company has outlined its goals and objectives in preparing the health and wellness programs. In this way, the company will properly monitor how the program is advancing towards the organization’s benefits. The company’s concern for its employees marks the unity of the two in a system of social relations. Upon noting the principles held by the company in this program, the statement now implies that there is the importance for maintenance, prevention, and promotion of health status of employees.            The vision of the company in pursuing this project is to develop an advanced and efficient program for the health and wellness of the company. Conceptual perceptions about this vision are: Corporate health and wellness means work with the employees of Elmar. Corporate health and wellness underlines the positive dimensions of health. Corporate health and wellness has to involve different groups, organizations and institutions.            Subsequently, the company has marked the strategic and operational objectives for this program. Strategic objectives cover the expected results upon reinforcement of the program while the operational objective sees how the actual procedure must perform on the employees. The following are the strategic objectives: To reduce medical costs and disability costs: many companies have found that they can significantly reduce the cost of employee health care benefits by proactively promoting health, safety and wellness. To reduce absenteeism: numerous studies have found that employee wellness programs can significantly reduce employee absenteeism. To enhance productivity: many studies have linked health risks with reduced employee productivity and have found that healthier workers are more productive. To improve general health and well being. (Corporate Health and Wellness Program, 2006: 12) While these are the operational objectives: Structure and develop corporate health and wellness programs and activities according to priorities established. These programs c.q. activities are directed to the individual employee, Elmar as an organization and the community of Aruba. Establish and reinforce collaborative relations with organizations in the community, government, and NGO’s, related to the development of specific projects in corporate health and wellness. Generate an employee data bank related to the risk factors in health and wellness that can be used to generate assistance, prevention and education programs. Develop educational activities for the employees that can reinforce the actions of promotion in corporate health and wellness. (Corporate Health and Wellness Program, 2006: 12).            To start the program, first, the company must identify which are the employee needs prior to implementing operational objectives. In order to have an appropriate amount of data, the company will have to conduct as survey amongst its employees, invite an organization that will manage the physical examination among employees and facilitate education about eating healthy.            The monetary and non-monetary programs will take effect on employee’s performance level. Generally, it enhances the performance to satisfy or exceed the objectives. Examples of Monetary incentives are: Performance awards – monetary incentives that reward employees upon performance that exceeds the expectation of the company. Observation of giving this award is through formal performance ratings of record on the appraisal period. Special act or service awards – one-time awards like lump sum for employees that had done a specific task from performance. Judgment in this kind of award comes from the first line supervisors. Quality Step increases – gives employees faster than normal progression by facilitating stepped rates and a permanent increase in basic pay. Time Off awards – granting employees leave without charging their annual leave. Gain Sharing – a system, wherein both the company and the employee gain improved productivity. In this system, the company measures the productivity of employees, which in turn gives additional income to the company, then, the employees and involved organization will benefit through associated earnings of the company.            Non-monetary incentives may be tangible or incentives that have more bases on rewards like trophies, medals, certificates, and plaques. Moreover, this kind of incentive may take an intangible position, for example, if an employee has exceeded the expectation of the company, the organization may include training opportunities and assignment of employees to a more meaningful, challenging, and prestigious kind of work. Even though these incentives may not have much value directly on budget, some studies have shown that this becomes more important as motivating factors for employee performance. The Report SWOT Analysis            SWOT (which stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) is a type of management observation on the overall performance of an organization. This method is often used on businesses because results can be easily transformed in other business philosophy like Porter’s five forces. Generally, the SWOT analysis has effect on overall evaluation when one factor has a cited defect or disadvantage. The strengths and weaknesses are the internal factors while the external factors are the opportunities and threats (marketingteacher.com, 2007). Strengths The strengths of the health and wellness program are in aspects of giving educational awareness to employees considering health problems, disease prevention, and health status. Hence, employee performance may increase. Moreover, productivity may increase because of reduced absenteeism, medical insurance policies, and cost effective strategies. The strengths of monetary and non-monetary incentives take effect on employee and company relationship. Employees regard much of their work because of these rewards, which in turn will not only increase productivity but also enhance the quality of products and services as well. In addition, if properly examined, is the preservation and maintenance of employees with exceptional skills and abilities. Weaknesses Apparently, the weaknesses of health and wellness programs are the appropriate participation of employees particularly in health awareness programs. The individual may listen to these lectures but do not apply them in real life. One weakness of incentives is on the monetary rewards. Generally, monetary rewards have the â€Å"amounts†in order to make employee performance more successful and productive. However, some employees may look at incentive as the central mark of their performance rather than cling on the vision and mission of the organization. In addition, not all employees may non-monetary rewards as a moral perspective, because some employees may develop envy among their co-workers if abundantly present in most of the incentive policies. Opportunities A big opportunity for health and wellness program is to widen the controlled areas in health provisions such as insurance policies and discounts on medical services. The company may also generate proper motivation of these programs when medical specialists are very much involved with the program. There should always be continuity with this kind of program because health is a very essential to an individual. In monetary incentives and non-monetary incentives, monitoring units for choosing which of the employees will gain the award should have a regard. In this way, proper evaluation of the programs will provide trust to employees that the awardees deserve. Hence, envy will not have its place in the organization. Threats The health and wellness program should look unto costs prevalently diverse in most health programs like medicines, fees of professionals and other related issues on economic changes in effect to medical facilities. One threat in monetary programs is that there may be possibilities of lost on the best employees if monitoring is not properly achieved. Hence, the probability of giving good services and products may have hindrances. Reflection            As part of this project, I have noticed the essentiality of the company and employee relationship. Seeing how Elmar valued this social interaction, the severity to serve the company is overwhelming yet incomparable to what I have seen on other organizations. Both the company and its employees are very much interested on the productivity and quality of service. Furthermore, I have seen the social impact of the health and wellness project, as it projects how the society has evolved from a simple unit to a larger unit of the company because it affects the employee performance. Monetary and non-monetary incentives are appropriate sources of motivating employees on the vision and mission of the company but proper attention on the monitoring and evaluation of awardees should be considered, as this could affect trust amongst employees. I think these are apparent objectives after the actual placement: Enhance productivity due to reduced absenteeism and proper well-being. Reduced medical costs because of subsequent education of employees on health related issues. Educational activities for employees in areas like Roll in â€Å"Wit Gele Kruis†for yearly check ups and mini health fair. Monetary Rewards has succeeded in increasing productivity. Non-monetary rewards have increased company commitment among employees. Conclusion            Questionnaire results were positive, looking at the overall performance of corporate health and wellness programs. This survey will generally help the family to be aware in eating the right food and proper diet to reduce the medical costs. The mini survey has given positive results and future benefits to most employees. On the other hand, monetary and non-monetary incentives will help in motivating employees of their performance level and commitment to the company. There is also a great probability of preserving and acquiring employees with exceptional talents and skills. Bibliography N.V. Elmar. â€Å"About Us.†2004 29 January 2008 http://www.elmar.aw/info/content/wp_aboutus.jsp SWOT Analysis. 29 January 2008 http://www.marketingteacher.com/Lessons/lesson_swot.htm
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Terrorism In Pakistan Essay Example for Free
Terrorism In Pakistan Essay Pakistan has been facing major and destructive phenomenon due to the terrorist. It had been common since 1999, like bomb blast and suicides attacks. This has great impact on our social and moral life. Many lives are gone away due to the terrorism in Pakistan, This is not only in Pakistan but also spread in all over the countries. Terrorism has a destructive impact on the life of human beings. No doubt our country has been progressed by making power full nuclear weapons. And Pakistan also has a nuclear power like the other countries, but in our countries some agents are making their wrong use by bomb blasting. They target the Holy places and historical building without cares of anyone life. And many human beings loss their life in this type of incidents like bomb blasting. It was commonly found in Pakistan during the late 1999. Every channel and newspaper have the same and common news about bomb blasting and suicide attacks. Terrorism in Pakistan just destroy the economy in Pakistan. Accident of Lal Masjid took place 1999 militants and religious flower lost in this incident. There were many other incidents during last years just because of the terrorist. Suicide attacks are also found in many cities. Nobody cares about his life and ready for death due to the illiteracy in our country. Mostly parents don’t prefer their children to give them education from the starting years, the result is that they lost their interest in studying and never like to go to school for getting education. This spread unemployment among the nation, and when they have not any jobs for the satisfaction and fulfillment of their life they choose the wrong way through which they can earn well. Therefore they do not afraid by taking any risk, even some are going to be ready for suicidal attacks the reason is just money, moreover they have lost their interest to live a perfect and normal life. In the last there are some suggestion about the terrorist. It should be completely finished. Our nation and citizen should be given knowledge about the importance of life. People who are living in the Pakistan should be given maximum chances to get the employment, and most important education should be must and equal for every one.
Monday, August 5, 2019
The Importance Of Fuel And Technology Environmental Sciences Essay
The Importance Of Fuel And Technology Environmental Sciences Essay I am researching these topics because it has a lot in common. Fuel energy and technology is a very interesting topic, they are the most useful things by human being, it is used for important things and this will help me know more about the history of fuel and technology, I am a person that likes a lot technology because is different of other things. Without technology, fossil fuels cannot be extracted in an easier way because technology gives details of ground and how fuels companies can extract petroleum from the earth. Fossil fuels provides 66% of the world electrical power and 95% of the world energy demand and we need to have in count that fuel energy and technology is our principal source of transportation. Fossil fuels, coal, oil and natural gas, are a non-renewable source of energy. Formed from plants and animals that lived up to 300 million years ago, fossil fuels are found in deposits beneath the earth. The fuels are burned to release the chemical energy that is stored within this resource. Energy is essential to modern society as we know it. Over 85% of our energy demands are met by the combustion of fossil fuels. Fuel is one of the most used earth product because in the entire world fuel energy is used to make a lot of important things such as vehicles gas, cells, etc. Fuel is any material that can be used to generate energy to produce mechanical work in a controlled manner and the processes used to convert fuel into energy include chemical reactions, such as combustion, and nuclear reactions, such as nuclear fission or nuclear fusion. Fuels are also used in the cells of organisms in a process known as metabolism. Hydrocarbons are by far the most common source of fuel in current u se, but many other substances can be used as well. The most interesting case about fuel energy is how it was create or how human being in the past thousand years has the incredible idea to perform energy source, fuel energy was first starts with wood. It was one of the first fuels used by humans and is still the primary energy source in much of the world. These discover was performed by home erectus near 2 million years ago. A very important thing to say is that without fuel, our technology never will be developed because without that, cars, airplanes and all types of vehicles will not work. Fossil fuels exist long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth. These are made up of plant and animal matter. When plants and animals died, their bodies decomposed and were buried under layers of earth. Millions of years later we have the three forms of fossil fuel: Oil, Natural gas and Coal. The advantages of fossil fuels is that they produces a lot of electricity especially coal, its cheap, transporting coal and gas is easy and power station that run on gas are very efficient and the disadvantages is that burning fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide which result in greenhouse gases that mean global warning alert, burning coal produce more carbon dioxide than gas and oil and it also produces sulphur dioxide that causes acid rain. According to scientists burning fossil fuels produces 20 billion of carbon dioxide every year and the earth natural process can only absorbs 20 billion tons of carbon dioxide and the remaining carbon dioxide goes to the atmosphere and contributes to global warni ng. The oil is found way down in the ground, usually between layers of rock. To get oil out, a well is dug. Digging a well is like putting a straw into a can of pop. The oil is then pumped out of the ground, just like when you suck pop up the straw. Oil is carried in pipelines and large tanker ships. A refinery changes the oil into products like gasoline, jet fuel and diesel fuel. Its also burned in factories and power plants to make electricity Natural gas is made out of methane, which is a simple chemical compound made up of carbon and hydrogen atoms and this gas is highly flammable. Natural gas is found near oil in the ground. Its pumped, just like oil, from wells that tap into the source and send it to large pipelines. Because you cant smell or see natural gas, it is mixed with a chemical to give it a stinky smell like rotten eggs. For thousands of years man has depended on fossil fuels as his primary energy source. Chapter 3Æ’Â Technology Technology is the process by which humans modify nature to meet their needs and wants. Technology means computers and software, aircraft, pesticides, plasma TVs, birth-control pills, and microwave ovens, to name a few. But technology is more than these tangible products. Human being has found the correct way to make life easier and effective. Technology is what the world needs to develop in the faster and easier way, with technology everything can become possible and everyday technology is growing up. The use of the term technology has changed significantly over the last 200 years. Before the 20th century, the term was uncommon in English, and usually referred to the description or study of the useful arts. Technology is meant to be our future of our life. Technology can be most broadly defined as the entities, both material and immaterial, created by the application of mental and physical effort in order to achieve some value. In this usage, technology refers to tools and machines t hat may be used to solve real-world problems. With technology this world will have a better future and we will have a better lifestyle with a healthy and long life because technology is what is changing this world. It is true that technology is also bringing a lot of problems for todays young society because they are getting in their own world using internet, PlayStation etc†¦this is making childhood to be dependent of themselves and they dont do activities like sports going out with friends or interacting with family so this is the mayor problem of technology, people are getting addicted of excessive uses of technology because is more easier so they get lazy. It is the current state of humanitys knowledge of how to combine resources to produce desired products, to solve problems, fulfill needs, or satisfies wants. It includes technical methods, skills, processes, techniques, tools and raw materials. Conclusion In the world exist a lot of problems about global warming and this is happening because fuel energy extract, but we can be intelligent and take care of our planet and contributes in saving water, dont destroying our habitat, the world is created for us to live and is our home so it is incredible how humanity is destroying the world without thinking of a world destruction or humanity destruction. Fuel energy and technology is of great importance in the entire world because without this our advanced things like computers, motor vehicles, electronic devices, internet our world will not work as efficient as it is working todays days, everything is easier than the last 100 years. These two resources give a great contribution to the world. Technology gives a better way of communication and fuel a better way of transportation. Resources http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology/ http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology http://technology.blogs.ie.edu/ http://www.kidzworld.com/article/1423-fossil-fuel-energy http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter08.html Home www.google.com www.wikipedia.com
Sunday, August 4, 2019
Essay --
There is compelling evidence that cognitive dysfunction is inherent to Parkinson’s disease (PD) (Aarsland et al. 2003; Aarsland et al. 2007a; Aarsland et al. 2010a). Clinical manifestations of cognitive deterioration in PD range from slight deficits -only demonstrable by means of comprehensive neuropsychological testing - up to dementia (Muslimovic et al. 2005; Aarsland et al. 2009; Foltynie et al. 2004). From the earliest stages of the disease, including drug-naà ¯ve subjects, patients suffering from PD may show cognitive impairment (CI). This can be restricted to a single domain or affects multiple cognitive domains (Muslimovic et al. 2005; Foltynie et al. 2004). Based on recent longitudinal studies, there is some evidence suggesting that, along the evolution of the disease, a subgroup of patients presenting defects on distinct cognitive domains will eventually deteriorate to the point of dementia associated to PD (PDD) (Aarsland et al. 2003; Buter et al. 2008; Hely et al. 2008; Emre et al. 2007). Starting on a similar theoretical approach than those used for MCI in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) -where early cognitive deterioration linearly progress to dementia- (Petersen et al. 2001a; Petersen et al. 2001b) an operative redefinition of the construct of MCI in PD has been proposed to identify and diagnose these initial cognitive deficits as early indicators of PDD (Caviness et al. 2007). Historically, MCI has been considered as the transitional stage between normality to dementia, based on the measurable presence of cognitive dysfunctions in single or multiple cognitive domains without concurring disabilities on activities of daily living (Petersen 2004). MCI in AD usually follows a linear progression from subtle deficits to dementia (... ...mild cognitive impairment to dementia in PD patients is characterized by the addition of cortical-type cognitive deficits atop a prominent and progressive frontal-striatal dysfunction. Besides the search for biomarkers, a usefulness definition and development of diagnostic criteria for PD-MCI, should consider to: (i) delimitate the heterogeneous cognitive deficit of PD and how we can accurately assess it in large sample of PD subjects; (ii) establish with prospective studies whether the prognostic value of the severity and the nature of the cognitive deficits; (iii) find a consensus of the minimum of cognitive tasks and instruments to assess cognition in PD and finally, (iv) delimitate the role played by common PD-related neuropsychiatric features such apathy or visual hallucinations as early markers of dementia in absence of evident neuropsychological impairment.
kathak dance :: essays research papers
Kathak is the classical dance of north indian style that was characterized by rhythmic footwork danced under the weight of more than 100 ankle bells, spectacular spins, and a representation of themes from Persian and Urdu poetry alongside those of Hindu mythology. The word kathak means "to tell a story". It is derived from the dance dramas of ancient India. Kathak arose from the fusion of Hindu and Muslim cultures that took place during the Mughal period. More than any other South Asian dance form, kathak expresses the aesthetic principles of Islamic culture. The origins of the kathak style lies in the traditional unfolding of Hindu myths by Brahmin priests called kathiks, who used mime and gesture for dramatic effect. Gradually, the storytelling became more stylized and developed into a dance form. With the arrival in northern India of the Mughals, kathak was taken into the royal courts and developed into a sophisticated art form; through the patronage of the Mughal rulers, kathak took its current form. The emphasis of the dance moved from the religious to the aesthetics. In cooperation with the aesthetics of Islamic culture, abhinaya which is defined as the use of mime and gesture, became more delicate, with emphasis placed on the performer's ability to express a theme in many different ways. There are two main centers of education called gharanas, which are both named after cities in northern India and which expanded under the patronage of regional princes. The Lucknow gharana developed a style of kathak that is characterized by precise, finely detailed movements and an emphasis on the exposition of thumri, (which is a semiclassical style of love song). The Jaipur gharana required a mastery of complicated pure dance patterns. Nowadays, performers present a blend of kathak based on the styles of both gharanas. A traditional kathak performance features a solo dancer on a stage, surrounded on all sides by the audience.
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