Medical negligence litigation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Medical negligence litigation - Case Study Example (Garfield, 3) In assessing the patient's sufficiency to understand, the court considers whether the patient believes it and is capable of "weighing it in the balance to arrive at choice" as stated in the case of Re C (Adult: Refusal of Treatment)] [2002] All ER 449. Since the scenario involves Charles, a minor, it is important to discuss consent to treatment in relation to minors. Minors under the age of 18 are divided into three categories for the purpose of deciding their capacity. This is guided under section 8 of the Family Law Reform Act 1969. (Garfield, 7) In the scenario involving Charles, a young boy who initially injured himself falling from a climbing frame at the local park, Charles is subjected to multiple medical treatments. His parents believe they may not have been completely necessary based on the advice of a nurse. Each decision by Dr. Green will be discussed as well as the likeliness of a successful claim against Dr. Green in the tort of negligence. Lord Winfield suggests that: "Negligence as a tort is a breach of a legal duty to take care, which results in damage undesired by the defendant to the plaintiff". (Rogers, 134) Not every act of carelessness which causes harm leads to legal liability and compensation for the claimant. The following elements must be established: (i) legal duty to take care; (ii) breach of that duty; (iii) damage resulting from that breach caused injury complained of which would have otherwise been avoided (as long as it is not too remote). (Garfield, 10) Initially, the issue of owing a duty of care arises in the case of Donoghue v Stevenson [1932], where Lord Atkin established the 'neighbour' principle, which states that: "you must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your neighbour". (Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562, at 580) A doctor owes a general duty of care to his patients; however, the extent of the duty owed (standard of c are) is determined by the actual position held by the doctor within the unit in which he practices. (Rogers, 248) The first question to be decided upon is the type and level of duty owed by a doctor. Firstly, doctors are judged by their specialty, for example a neurologist would be expected to show the skills of a neurologist and not that of a neurosurgeon. (Garfield, 10) Second, they are judged by grade and not by seniority. Third, doctors are judged by only what they "ought to know but also by what they actually know". (Garfield, 10) For example, if a registrar does in fact have specialist knowledge but fails to use it, he or she may be liable where other registrars only have average knowledge. (Garfield, 10) Based on the facts, Dr. Green works in the Casualty Department at Wellington Hospital, which is where Charles was brought in immediately after his fall. Dr. Green's initial action of giving a sedative to Charles and sending him for an X-ray of his right knee (as this is where Charles had indicated the pain was focused), seems to fulfill the standard of care owed by a doctor to his patient. Since Dr. Green was the apparent doctor on duty, he would seemingly owe a relatively high standard of care to any of the patients which are brought in to the Casualty Depa

Parenting Skills Essay Example for Free

Parenting Skills Essay Review Questions 1. What are the differences between being a biological parent, an adoptive parent, and a foster parent? A biological parent are your real blood parents, an adoptive parent is your parent till you’re 18, and a foster home basically is somewhere to stay and home family till you get adopted not really a permanent situation. 2. What financial needs are parents obligated to provide and which are optional? Up to the age of 18 (unless they move out before) Then clothes, school, food, place to live ,utility bills etc, some kids have activities which would be provided by giving pocket money, educational toys and books, toiletries. Christmas presents are optional but cover fun toys etc after 18 I would hope she will have a job and can contribute towards bills etc. 3. What other needs might a child have that a parent is expected to provide? Toys for them to play with, love, support, food and a safe place to grow up in. 4. What are the qualities of a nurturing parent? A nurturing parent would never give up on their child and go throw everything with them. Would do anything for them even in the worst situation. Critical Thinking Questions 1. What qualities make a person a good parent? A bad parent? A good parent would be there for their child and do whats best for them. A bad parent wouldn’t show any love or care. 2. Which parental responsibilities do you think would be the most challenging? Why? I think letting go over your child and letting them go off on their own, because you will think they’re not safe or okay without you. 3. Which parental responsibilities do you think would be the most interesting to you? Why? I guess getting them their first pet. I love animals and when I do have kids one day I would love to teach them how to take care of the pet. 4. What are some things that people can do to prepare for parenthood? Nothing, because you wont know what to expect until it happens.

Bangladesh and Vietnam: Factors of Inflation

Bangladesh and Vietnam: Factors of Inflation Question 2(a) Discuss and analysis the factors of inflation in your selected countries Bangladesh and Vietnam are our selected countries. Inflation is a continuous increase in the general price level of goods and services in the economy. Inflation has three types which are creeping inflation, mild inflation and hyperinflation Bangladesh Inflation in Bangladesh has a lot of factors. There are wages in the major employment, increase in the supply of money, oil price, low production and higher price of imported commodities. Based on the factor for increase in wage rate in the major employment, wages in Bangladesh has been increasing for more than the last two decades due to both strong or moderately strong labor union. Due to political, social and cultural tradition and for a humanitarian reason, the Government cannot make a distinction between productive, unproductive, and moderately productive sector in their attempt to increase the wages. Wages increase without any production increase, easily transferred to higher cost of production and higher prices of consumer goods, allowing for sustained inflation. Under the assumption of little or no improvement of workers’ productivity growth, wage inflation at such high level is an indication of cost escalation over time. Money supply is an important determinat of inflation. Production in agriculture and fisheries sectors in Bangladesh is still subject to the whims of nature to a notable extent. Therefore supply of money in Bangladesh is increasing every year in order to get it. It has been claimed that one of the main causes of the high food inflation throughout the FY05 was poor harvest of aus, aman and wheat crops.6. The yearly production of these three crops went down by 18.12, 14.76 and 22.11 percent respectively in FY05 over the FY04.7. An instance of price hike due to this fall of production is that the price of aman rice rose within the range of BDT 16 to 19 in FY05 from the range of BDT 14 to 16 in FY04. This excessive rise in the total supply of money may contribute to the cause of high inflationary pressure in Bangladesh. Oil price is a factor of inflation in countries include international. Oil is a fundamental input of production, it constitutes a significant portion of production cost in every sector of the economy. Although there are some recent adjustments in the administered price of energy products, much of the increased cost of imported fuel has not been passed on to end users, especially on diesel and kerosene. Iraq has the second largest oil field. Oil production in Iraq has been cut by 5,00,000 barrels per day since the U.S. invasion in Iraq for more than three years. Crude and refined oil is used in all sphere of life including manufacturing and production of consumption and material goods. Once increased oil prices, it have increased the cost of production world-wide. The firms and suppliers have no other choices except to raise the price of goods and materials. Therefore it has caused a cost-push inflation. In Bangladesh the output growth rate is always lower than the population growth rate. This low productions is not only for reason of human resources, weather is also included. As an example, the production of wheat in Bangladesh has declined drastically over the years. Further, except for the Boro, the areas of rice cultivation have declined in recent years. The production of pulses and oilseeds has also declined significantly. Erratic weather in Bangladesh had caused crop failures. Therefore Bangladesh often faced with problem of food shortages. As the net domestic production of food is not sufficient to meet demand such as oil, supply gap of cereals and food items, Bangladesh forced to import these from external markets. Therefore the greater percentage of increase in the populaion has brought about a scarcity of goods. As a result, excess demand occurs that contributes to rise in prices. Bangladesh has to import huge capital goods, necessary consumer goods and even huge quantity of food grain. The most of the essential food items are imported like sugar, rice, wheat, onion and edible oil and also included machineries, intermediate goods and raw materials used in production. Huge import will increase the price of import. The inflation in foreign countries causes a rise in prices in Bangladesh through the importation of commodities from those countries. When the relationships between import price index and non-food inflation in urban and rural are insignificant, the former is found to have economically as well as statistically highly significant association with the categories of food inflation. In a short word, the reasons for increase in import price are twofold which is exchange rate depreciation and increase in international commodity prices. Vietnam Inflation in Vietnam has also a lot of factors. There are excessive service spending and bias allocation in the market, supply and demand mismatch, governement’s increased wages policy, boom of foreign direct investment (FDI) and unbalance money used for economic development and society. The monetary factor is excessive service spending and bias allocation in the market. Inflation can be caused if government doesn’t plan and manage amount of money circulation which include in society and commodity. As an example if government allocates too much money to society like education loan, there will caused a loss of money to contribute to eonomy. Excess cash will happen if the number of commodity production is sustaining and has not increased. It will increase consumer purchasing pressure and leads to hyperinflation. In Vietnam supply and demand mismatch is a problem or cause of inflation pressure in the country. The evident is the signs of overheating the economy such as severe electricity shortage and congested roads and ports, a tight labor market with skilled and semi-skilled labor supply falling far behind demand and a sharp widening of trade and current account deficit. But even year to year core inflation which excludes food and fuel is stimated to have increased by 18% as Benedict Bingham, senior representative of International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted. Because of the output gap in Vietnam willn’t overcome easily, so he dominant effects of demand effects will persist to the next years. Within this context is important to underline, that persistent excess liquidity in the domestic markets can stoke inflationary expectations over time. In Vietnam, government has been provided an increased wages policy. Analysis of the movements of nominal wage rate inflation generally gives an idea about the labor cost scenario. In Vietnam, government encourages workers’ salary income can be increased if their performance is improved. Due to increase in salary income, workers have higher chance to spend more on consumption. Demand excess supply. If promotion of distributors and manufactures is helding, it will stimulate the market to increase buying power and creates leverage for a result of demand exceeds supply. After that inflation will happen. Booming of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Vietnam will have a high rate due to Vietnam often do FDI projects that can pull up their investors’ population. As an evidence, there were more than 16,300 active FDI projects in Vietnam that have collectively pulled in a total of $238 billion. These investors came from 100 countries and territories, and many of them are some of the world’s leading multinational corporations. In 2013, FDI inflow exceeded $22 billion, an increase of more than 35% from 2012. The figures indicate that Vietnam has become a destination of choice for foreign investors Vietnam often do FDI projects that can pull up their investors’ population. Therefore high influx of foreign exchange will often happens into the economy. It will increase money supply and if too high influx of foreign exchange, it will be a reason of inflation. Demand will also rise due to influx of foreign exchange. When a rise in demand cannot meet same level by import wil l push up the price of product until inflation. In Vietnam, unbalance money used for economic development and society will always be conducted. Because of wars against French-American in the past, government need to spend enormous money to restore the economy. Therefore money which used for economic development such as subsidiares to help suppliers is less and make a situation of demand exceed supply. The product prices will increase and It leads to the inflation. Therefore the government didn’t use monetary effectively means don’t lead consumers to a way nof controling the production and consumption of the society. Then, national budget will be reduced due to the lack of income or money. Government always lived beyond its means they must use government funds either from local or foreign country to compensate for the expenses. In conclusion, Bangladesh and Vietnam are easily face the situation of inflation based on those factors above. Who Should Own Indigenous Lands? Who Should Own Indigenous Lands? Christopher Wood F469950 Evaluate the claim that the governance of indigenous lands is best left to local communities. Due to the expansion of globalisation, concerns over the management of resources has grown from local issues to worldwide issues on how people should engage with the sustainable development and administration of global resource systems or commons. Common resources can be overseen and governed by a mixture of institutional arrangements that can be generally represented as governmental, private or communal. This essay will look at the merits of both private ownership of resources as endorsed by Ronald Coase and common property regimes often employed by communities, a solution advocated by the economist Elinor Ostrom, whilst using further evidence of these two competing ideas, by examining the plight of the indigenous group of people known as the Dongria Khondh in their battle against the powerful private multinational company Vedanta. One of the issues that arise with common resources, is the question of ownership and who has the right to manage and divide these resources, especially as the marketplace expands and the resources of the planet begin to be depleted (Shipman, 2015, p.119).   Ronald Coase investigated this problem of exhaustible resources and suggests a solution to protect resources by arguing that ownership of the commons by assigning property rights would by its action promote a positive outcome. The assignment of exclusive property rights and the potential for bargaining results in behaviour that is changed or altered to account for the negative impact our choices have on others, regardless of which party is initially assigned property rights. Private ownership and the resulting economic benefit for both parties encourages an equitable solution to rights, ensuring resources are used in a way that prevents overuse and preserves sustainability (Shipman, 2015, p125). A clear example of Coases ar guments can be seen by comparing a public communal space surrounding a residential area to that of the grounds surrounding a private residence where the owners have to pay a service charge to maintain the grounds. Public areas tend to be unkempt and abused, private grounds are generally better kept and preserved, this action suggests that individual ownership and financial incentive motivate an innate positive outcome (Shipman, 2015, p.130). Further evidence of the positive outcome of using property rights can be seen in the real-life case study of the collaboration between the Vietnamese government and the World Bank. The Land Administration Project, assigned land rights to citizens, enabling them to grow crops and feed their families, along with having the extra benefits of allowing family members to gain access to education and the owners to leverage this land to get finance, so they could expand and increase their wealth, this, in, turn, would encourage growth within the family unit, regionally and then nationally (The Open University, 2016a). However, assigning property rights doesnt always have a positive outcome, especially when the rights of the smaller landowners clash with the development of large real estate projects. In this case, the same Vietnamese government decided to seize inherited land from citizens, leading to violence and arrests. Free market economic policies of larger private concerns dominating the individual citizens claims and rights to land (The Open University, 2016b). An alternative to managing common resources can be found in the theories of  prominent economist Elinor Ostrom. Ostrom suggests that many issues surrounding  rights, ownership and depletion of resources, are better-taken care of by  cooperation, assigning rights to collectives and not individuals (Shipman, 2015, p.133). This is especially useful when dealing with resources such as the fish rich waters off Alanya in Turkey. Here the Fisherman became aware that unregulated fishing would lead to permanently exhausting stocks of fish. Using principles such as: Rules are well matched to local needs and conditions. Individuals affected by these rules can usually participate in modifying them. A system for self-monitoring members behaviour has been established. A graduated system of sanctions (against rule-breakers) is available. The fishermen devised a plan following these guidelines that provided a flexible arrangement for the community to gain rights and access to fishing stocks, whilst gathering approval from the government in the form of the Aquatic Resources Act, which recognised the communities right to administer their own rules. (Open University, 2016c) Despite this success, Ostrom recognises accomplishing a positive result in the management of common resource pools tends to have more success in smaller communities. Globalisation has presented problems concerning resources that need the varying parties to agree on a specified agency and a set of actions, which on this larger scale may prove to be difficult (The Open University, 2016d). A clear example highlighting the potential problems involving power imbalances between private commercial companies and local communities can be seen by examining the plight of the indigenous people Dongria Khondh and their battle with the mining company Vedanta. The dispute centred around the land surrounding the Lanjigarth region and holy mountain of Niyamgiri. This land held great spiritual importance and familial ties to the Dongria Khondh, being rich in biodiversity and holding a prime place within the local community. On the other hand, the mountain was also known to be rich in the mineral Bauxite, a valuable resource to a company such a Vedanta (Bhagwat, Jones and Mohan, 2015, p.150). Because of the inherent power imbalance between the two competing actors, it was necessary for outside agencies to become involved, to aid mediating in the dispute. These expert groups consisted of namely the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) along with the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MO EF), these two groups visited the area and gathered information from Vedanta and representatives of the local communities (Bhagwat, Jones and Mohan, 2015, p.151). Prior to this Vedanta had established mining facilities, assuming terra nullius or no mans land assuming that this land belonged to no one, the invisible cultural significance to the indigenous people wasnt recognised (Bhagwat, Jones and Mohan, 2015, p.151). Conflicts between homogeneous cultures and private entities are fraught with difficulties, especially in jurisprudential precedents. This issue of jurisprudence concerning governance presents complex problems, despite formal international rights as set out by the UN, there is very little political will to enforce them. Consequently, access to valuable resources where there isnt clear governance, can leave the productive potential of such lands greatly underused and can be a barrier to economic progress, whilst confusion reigns for the indigenous peoples perceived inher ent right to keep resources that are vital for their survival. Using the examples above it is clear to see that governance of common resources can have different outcomes depending on the scale and complexity of the situation. Personal and local situations can be governed quite simply by cooperation and economic incentives based on private property rights. On the other hand interactions between governmental institutions, international private companies and local communities has proven to be difficult. The most important lesson to draw attention to, is that advocating a particular course of action for solving problems relating to the governance of common resources may work in some settings but fail in others. Further, policies also have to be adaptable to recognise the informal cultural setting and arrangements of those who depend on these diverse ecosystems. Cooperation between individuals, communities and governments along with flexible arrangements between the different actors is vital to ensure equitable access to common resources. Word Count: 1201 References Bhangwat, S. Jones, N. and Mohan, G. (2015) Indigenous lands and territories: mapping the commons, in Drake, DH. Morris, A. Shipman, A. and Wheeler, K.(ed.) Investigating The Social World 2, Milton Keynes, The Open University. Shipman, A. (2015) Putting a price on common resources, in Drake, DH. Morris, A. Shipman, A. and Wheeler, K.(ed.) Investigating The Social World 2, Milton Keynes, The Open University. The Open University   (2016a). 5: Vietnam: Securing the Future through the Formalization of Land-Use Rights [Video] DD103 Investigating the social world. Available at: https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=842096section=5 (Accessed: 2/17/2017) The Open University   (2016b). 5.3: Violence Erupts in Vietnam over Land Seizure [Video] DD103 Investigating the social world. Available at: https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=842096section=5.3 (Accessed: 2/17/2017) The Open University   (2016c). 6.1: Fisheries in Alanya   DD103 Investigating the social world. Available at: https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=842096section=6.1 (Accessed: 2/17/2017) The Open University   (2016d). 6.3: Ostrom: Could this Approach be Scaled up to Global Problems?   [Video] DD103 Investigating the social world. Available at: https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=842096section=6.3 (Accessed: 2/17/2017)

Essay on The Awakening -- Chopin Awakening Essays

Criticism of The Awakening      Ã‚   Reading through all of the different criticism of Kate Chopin’s The Awakening has brought about ideas and revelations that I had never considered during my initial reading of the novel.   When I first read the text, I viewed it as a great work of art to be revered.   However, as I read through all of the passages, I began to examine Chopin’s work more critically and to see the weaknesses and strengths of her novel.   Reading through others' interpretations of her novel has also brought forth new concepts to look at again.   In "An American Madame Bovary," Cyrille Arnavon argues that â€Å"there seems to be insufficient justification for Edna’s ‘romantic’ suicide, and this is the main weakness of this fine novel† (185).   Throughout the book, Edna is portrayed as a strong woman emerging from sleep and making her mark on the world.   She starts earning her own money and moves out of her husband’s home into a home of her own.   She shows an inner desire to be her own independent self. In "The Ending of the Novel," George Spangler suggests that a prima...

Community College Essay

Community college is made up of an atmosphere of many di? erent categories. We have your tradi? onal, untradi? onal, veterans, and single parents. Some are there to transfer and some to get an associate’s degree while one of the biggest reasons is because they simply cannot a? ord the university price. â€Å"John Holt† (Three Kinds of Discipline) is very compliable with the categories in a community college. You need a great deal of discipline to succeed here reality sets in and if you are not disciplined then you will fail out and waste a lot of money. You  will always make mistakes while being here but learning from those mistakes is what will make you a be*er student. While you a*end you will create a lot of friendships and several kinds of them. â€Å"Judith Viorst† (Friends, Good Friends, and Such Good Friends) you will have your convenience friends, your historical friends, opposite sex friends, and in? mate friends. Your tradi? onal students are the students that a*end college right a/er they get out of high school or are under the age of 25. untradi? onal students are your students that are above the age of 25 and are a*ending college to move up in their job or just wan? ng a career the  needs a type of degree so they go to school. Veterans are a*ending the school to become a higher rank in the military or because they are searching for a new career a/er they 3nish there term. There are also single parents that work a full ? me who a*end the school at night while there kids are at a babysi*ers house or with a friend they go to be promoted in their job the job sends them to get a degree or they could be a young parent who needs to get credits so that they can get a good job to provide for their family. To be disciplined at college could poten? ally be the most important aspect to be a successful student. The reality sets in and students quickly realize they need to discipline themselves to study, do homework, and write essays. Discipline of a superior force is another way students can succeed as well. This may help because fear of disappoin? ng an instructor or a parent. A lot of friends will be made as you a*end college you will have di? erent groups of friends as well. You will have your convenience friends who you see as you are wai? ng in between classes and small talk about li*le things some of them you get along with and talk every day and others you’ll talk with once a week and possibly never even get their name. You  have your historical friends who you have grown up with since elementary school and can talk about anything with these are the friends you hand out with out of school with you go out to par? es with, watch spor? ng events and 7at out just hang out with. You meet some friends that are the opposite sex as you these are the ones who you may try a li*le too hard to impress or you might get along great with them great you may even become in? mate friends which is being in a rela? onship with them you could even possibly marry them. These are the categories that make up the atmosphere of community college and the kinds of students that make it up.

Mind Body Problem Essay

Why is the mind/body problem within Philosophy of Mind and Consciousness studies indeed a problem? Well the mind body problem is a metaphysical issue about the relationship between what is mental and what is physical. (â€Å"mind-body problem,† 2009). I believe that this issue is and will continue to be a problem until there is enough evidence to fully prove one theory or disprove all but one of these theories from being true. At this point in time I feel that the monistic approach of physicalism best sums up the mind body relationship as it states that everything supervenes on, or is necessitated by, the physical(Stoljar, 2009). To put it in simpler terms relevant to the mind body problem the mind is a physical part of the body. I feel this way as it currently has the most supporting evidence. The other main view on the mind body problem is dualism and its theory of interactionism which holds that mind and body, though separate and distinct substances, causally interact. (â€Å"interactionism,† 2009). It isn’t the numerous theories that cause this mind body problem to be such a problem though it’s the evidence supporting these theories that makes this a highly debated topic as depending on your viewpoint the evidence could support multiple theories at once. This makes deciding what can be classed as evidence for and against different theory’s very difficult. The term materialism, sometimes called central-state materialism, asserts that states of the mind are identical to states of the human brain(â€Å"materialism,† 2009). Scientific testing has shown that when people are asked to picture doing certain tasks mentally that specific areas of the brain are stimulated. They tested this on numerous people and found that in all of the subjects the mental stimulation caused certain areas of the brain to become active. Two years ago Adrian Owen published an article in Science in which he used fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to examine the brain function of a young woman in an apparent vegetative state. During the study she was asked to either imagine herself playing tennis or to imagine herself walking through her house. These two distinct thoughts created distinct patterns of activation on the fMRI The terms ‘physicalism’ and ‘materialism’ are interchangeable. But the two terms have very different histories(Egnor, 2006). t is this such research that points in the direction of solving this mind body problem and emerging with one clear truth as to how the mind and body coexist. The term ‘materialism’ is very old, but the word ‘physicalism’ was introduced into philosophy only in the 1930s by Otto Neurath (1931) and Rudolf Carnap (1932)(Stoljar, 2009). People argue that this new termanology has helped to more clearly define the concept as materalism refered to matter which is still a relativly indefinable substance whereas physicalism refers to the physical which is a very clearly defined substance. The idea of physicalism is that everything exists in the physical sense even feelings and thoughts have a physical root according to this theory. So when the previously mentioned study using a fMRI to scan the brain as people are thinking gives evidence of thoughts occurring as similar brain states among a large group of people including people in a â€Å"vegatative state† gives hope that this proplem could be resolved quicker than previously expected. Dualism proposes this idea of interactionism in which the mind and body are separate yet they causally interact was first proposed by Rene Descartes who could not satisfactorily explain how the interaction takes place, apart from the speculation that it occurs in the pineal gland(â€Å"interactionism,† 2009). This of couse was later proven to be false as the true function of the pineal gland was discovered but the theory still remains that the mind and body are separate. One of the examples given for this theory is that if you where to touch a flame your body would tell your mind that it was in pain then your mind would tell your body to move your hand and therefore your mind and body are causally linked. But in real life if you put your hand in to a flame accidentally your body wouldn’t wait for your mind to register what had happened an then tell you to remove your hand that’s why humans have developed reflexes which happen at a spinal level the signal never reaches the brain or mind to be acted upon. This does serve to help both arguments though as a dualist would arue that this proves that the body and mind are separate but a monist would argue that the mind although physical encompasses a small part of the brain and isnt involved in every decision that you make for example breathing and your heart beat which proves that this example of dualism at work is flawed and suppports both arguments. This is why without hard evidence there will always be a mind body problem. The identity theory of mind holds that states and processes of the mind are identical to states and processes of the brain. â€Å"Identity Theory,† 2009). The montreal procedure developed by Dr. Wilder Penfield in the 1940’s in which the patient was given a local anaesthetic so they would remain conscious during the operation. Penfield then removed the skull cap to expose the brain tissue. As he probed the brain, the patient could describe his feelings. This technique also allowed Dr. Penfield to create maps of the sensory and motor sections of the brain, showing their connections to the various limbs and organs of the body. This technique is quoted extensivly to back up monistic theories that the mind and brain are one due to the ability of Dr. Penfield to accuratly map areas of the brain to specific regions such as speech, sensory and sight(â€Å"Dr. Wilder Penfield,† 2006). But a dualist would argue that although the states and process are identical and that different regions are responsible for different areas of the body it does not prove by any stretch of the term that the brain and mind are one. It mearly states that they are doing the same thing at the same time which could just as easily be an argument for parallelism. This I believe is one of the reasons why this mind body problem will always be a problem, as there are so many inter-linking theories that without difinitive proof of one theory being true there will always be a problem. As you can se from this paper there are many different theories and all have some form of evidence to back up their claim of being the correct theory. But at the same time the evidence given for one theory in most cases can also be used as evidence for another theory all depending on how you look at it. Which I one of the reasons that the mind body problem is a problem. As evidence is given to support one claim but if you shift your viewpoint that same piece of factual evidence then becomes evidence for a different theory. Now the evidence dosent change but the viewpoint does and this is what causes one of the problems. The other issue is the ammount of theories there are and that new theories are constantly being made. Take the case of physicalism for example physicalism is a relative new theory based on an old theory yet they are basically the same. So you can see that this stream new theories are being produced and the ability of multiple different theories to share evidence to back up their claim all depending on what view point you have on a topic is what I think makes the mind body problem such a problem. This problem will continue to be debated until someone can prove without a shadow of a doubt that their theory is true which will take a while.

Charles Henry Turner, Pioneer Animal Behaviorist

Charles Henry Turner, Pioneer Animal Behaviorist Zoologist and educator Charles Henry Turner (February 3, 1867- February 14, 1923) is known for his work with insects and numerous animal behavioral experiments. Turner was the first to demonstrate that insects can hear and learn. He was also the first to demonstrate that honey bees have color vision and distinguish patterns. Fast Facts: Charles Henry Turner Born: February 3, 1867 in Cincinnati, OhioDied: February 14, 1923 in Chicago, IllinoisParents: Thomas and Addie Campbell TurnerSpouses: Leontine Troy (m. 1887-1895) and Lillian Porter (m. 1907-1923)Children: Henry Owen, Darwin Romanes, and Louisa Mae (with Troy)Education: Turner was the first African American to receive a graduate degree from the University of Cincinnati (M.S. in biology), and to earn a Ph.D. in zoology from the University of ChicagoPublished Works: The Homing of Ants: An Experimental Study of Ant Behavior (1907), Experiments on Color Vision of the Honey Bee (1910)Key Accomplishments: First to discover that bees see in color and recognize patterns. Early Years Charles Henry Turner was born in  1867 to Thomas Turner and Addie Campbell Turner in Cincinnati, Ohio. His father worked as a custodian in a church and his mother was a nurse. The couple were avid readers, who owned hundreds of books and encouraged their son to learn and discover more about the world around him. As a young boy, Turner was fascinated by insects and was curious about their behaviors. After graduating as class valedictorian from Gaines High School, he enrolled in the University of Cincinnati in 1886. Turner married Leontine Troy in 1887. The couple had three children during the marriage: Henry, Darwin, and Louisa Mae. While at the University of Cincinnati, Turner majored in biology and went on to earn his B.S. (1891) and M.S. (1892) degrees. In doing so, he became the first African American to earn a graduate degree from the University of Cincinnati. Career and Accomplishments An educator at heart, Turner gained employment at several schools and an assistantship at the University of Cincinnati. His ultimate desire was to head an African American institution of higher learning. After reportedly contacting Booker T. Washington of the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute about potential teaching opportunities, Turner landed a position as a professor at Clark College in Atlanta, Georgia. He also served as chair of the Department of Science and Agriculture at the college from 1893 to 1905. During his time in Atlanta, his wife, Leontine, passed away (1895). Turner continued to pursue education and earned a Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Chicago in 1907. He became the universitys first African American recipient of such an advanced degree. That same year, he married Lillian Porter and taught biology and chemistry at Haines Normal and Industrial Institute in Atlanta. The couple later moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after Turner acquired a position at Sumner High School, where he continued to teach African American students from 1908 to 1922. Groundbreaking Research Charles Henry Turner is most noted for his groundbreaking research in animal behavior. He is reported to have published more than 70 papers in scientific journals, including the Journal of Comparative Neurology and Psychology, American Naturalist, Journal of Animal Behaviour, and Science. Despite his impressive degrees and numerous published works, he was denied employment at major universities.   Turners research focused on the behaviors of various animals, including birds, ants, cockroaches, honeybees, wasps, and moths. One of his most notable research discoveries focused on the navigation of ants and was the subject of his doctoral dissertation, entitled The Homing of Ants: An Experimental Study of Ant Behavior, published in the Journal of Comparative Neurology and Psychology. Turner designed controlled experiments and mazes for testing the navigational abilities of ants. His experiments demonstrated that ants find their way by learning about their environment. He also identified a specific type of behavior in some ant species that later became known as Turners circling, as was referred to by French scientist Victor Cornetz. This circling behavior was observed when the ants returned to their nest. His later experiments with honey bees contributed to the better understanding of invertebrate animal behavior. These studies established that bees see in color and recognize patterns. His two papers on these studies, Experiments on Color Vision of the Honey Bee and Experiments on Pattern-Vision of the Honey Bee, appeared in Biological Bulletin in 1910 and 1911 respectively. Unfortunately, Turners contributions to the study of honey bee behavior were not cited by his contemporaries, such as Austrian zoologist Karl von Frisch, who published works concerning honey bee communication several years later. Turner conducted many other experiments and published papers that elucidated insect phenomenon such as hearing in moths, insects that play dead, and learning in cockroaches. Additionally, he published studies on bird and crustacean brain anatomy and is credited with discovering a new species of invertebrate.   Death and Legacy Throughout his life, Charles Henry Turner was an advocate for civil rights and argued that racism could be conquered through education. He published papers on the subject in 1897 and 1902. Turner retired from Summer High School in 1922 due to failing health. He moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he lived with his son Darwin until his death on February 14, 1923. Charles Henry Turner made lasting contributions to the fields of zoology and animal behavior. His experimental designs, observational methods, and investigations of vertebrate and invertebrate learning elucidated new ways of studying animal life. Sources Abramson, Charles I. Charles Henry Turner: Contributions of a Forgotten African-American to Honey Bee Research. Charles Henry Turner, Oklahoma State University, psychology.okstate.edu/museum/turner/turnerbio.html.DNLee. Charles Henry Turner, Animal Behavior Scientist. Scientific American Blog Network, 13 Feb. 2012, blogs.scientificamerican.com/urban-scientist/charles-henry-turner-animal-behavior-scientist/.  Turner, C. H. The Homing of Ants: An Experimental Study of Ant Behavior. Journal of Comparative Neurology and Psychology, vol. 17, no. 5, 1907, pp. 367–434., doi:10.1002/cne.920170502.  Turner, Charles Henry. Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography, Encyclopedia.com, www.encyclopedia.com/science/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/turner-charles-henry.  Vincze, Judit. Turner, Charles H. (1867–1923) JRank Articles, encyclopedia.jrank.org/articles/pages/4485/Turner-Charles-H-1867-1923.html.

Microbiology †New Disease

Microbiology – New Disease Microbiology – New Disease Once at the location/site of infection where it is considered as the locus of activity of the infectious agent, the first step would entail separating people showing symptomatic and symptomatic signs of the infection. The next step would be to collecting stool samples for later laboratory analysis. In a bid to establish a possible connection point between the new suspect microbes and the disease this will ordinarily entail the microorganisms will be indentifies under a microscope identified using direct examination methods, for instance, microscopy and gram staining in order to identify some of the displayed morphological features. This would also entail the isolation of causative agents. An understanding of the types of media available and their use will increase the chances of isolating a causative agent (Shimeld Rodgers 475).Direct examination using the light microscope would be done to identify organism features using the stained components. This would entail using the most appr opriate magnification resolutions for direct microscopy. Differential staining would also be done using gram staining techniques. The difference between gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria is in the permeability of the cell wall to these complexes on treatment with mixtures of acetone and alcohol solvents (Ryan, Ray Sherris 232).The basic mechanism of establishing the mode of transmission of the identified microorganism in the new hosts will involve employing inoculation procedures in which the microorganism will be introduced into a test organism, essentially described as ex-situ arrangement where is grown out of the normal host. First, the microorganisms would be cultured using nutrient media, selective media, and indicator media. Nutrient media are essentially meant to satisfy growth of the microorganism in order to allow easy isolation and propagation (Ryan, Ray Sherris 236). Selective media are essentially used for the identification of pathogenic organisms. On the other hand, indicator media are meant to demonstrate the biochemical functions of the specific pathogens under study (Ryan, Ray Sherris 237). The organisms would then be inoculated in the chosen culture media. After inoculation, the media needs to be incubated to allow growth under the right temperatures depending on whether it is an aerobic or anaerobic process. Once growth is detected in any medium, the process of identification begins. Identification involves the use of methods to obtain pure cultures from single colonies, followed by tests to characterize and identify the isolate (Ryan, Ray Sherris 238). Identifying the causative agent would then involve the pursuance of cultural characteristics, biochemical characteristics, toxin production and pathogenicity, antigenic structure, and genomic structures in order to identify the transmission mechanisms to new hosts.In addition, this would entail a consideration of the respective host resistance factors, microbial mechanisms of patho genicity, and pathological mechanisms seen in the new host (Shimeld Rodgers 23). First in host resistance, this will entail consideration of the innate and adaptive resistance factors. Secondly, microbial pathogenicity mechanisms would entail consideration of the respective routes of entry, adherence and invasion mechanisms, toxins production, avoidance of host defence mechanisms, and dissemination to a new host (Shimeld Rodgers 23). Thirdly, pathological mechanisms on the host would entail studying cellular damage, display of hypersensitivity reactions in the host and host susceptibility factors (Shimeld Rodgers 23).

Act of Kindness

Realistic is a story on an act of kindness I did for this girl I didnt know to well. One day as I was walking home from my old school I saw this girl, she looked like a complete nerd someone I wouldnt normally talk to. She was walking home looking really sad, kind of like she had no one to talk to. I walked over to her and introduced myself and she also told me who she was; she said her name is Baby. She was carrying books in her hands and It looked heavy I asked her If I could help. She nodded and told me I was more then welcome. I walked her home that day. I asked ere If she would like to hang out sometime to call me and gave her my number, a few weeks later we were best friends. Months down the road she found out she was pregnant, this took me by surprise since I didnt even know she was dating anyone. The guy who got her pregnant walked out and hardly never came around. I could tell by the look on Babys face that she was pretty scared. I told her no mater what Ill always be there for her If she ever needed anything.The hardest part for her was to tell her parents she was pregnant. Her parents are the strict ones, that go to church every Sunday and doesnt allow their aught to have a boyfriend or anything. So trying to explain to her parents that she had got a boyfriend and had sexual intercourse with him behind there backs was going to be a tough situation. She didnt tell anyone for three months that she was pregnant,but it got down to where she had to say something since she was starting to show.Baby asked me if I could be there with her when she teller her parents on Thursday; I told her I could and that id be there Thursday at four oclock. Thursday came and I went to her house and as soon as she answered the door she started freaking out with panic. I told her to calm down everything will be fine and that if she wants me to tell her parents I would. She appreciated it and told me to tell her parents for her. As we started walking closer to her parents I told them that Baby had something she wanted to tell them.Her parents started getting worried and asked what this was about. I then told her parents that she was scared to tell them about hows she pregnant. Eve never seen anyones face look so furious in my entire life, They asked me to leave so they could talk as a family. Later that next week Babys parents called me and asked me to come over for dinner and talk with them about mouthing. I agreed and told them old be there shortly. As I rushed to get dressed all I could think about was what they wanted to talk to me about, I began to get nervous. As I arrived and walked to the door my stomach dropped and then I knocked on the door. Babys parents answered the door and we sat down to eat. After we got done eating Abyss mom started to tell me how when I met Baby, baby wasnt In the best state of mind. I told them how already knew and how I talked her out of a bunch of things before and they thanked me. They both thanked me for being such a great friend to Baby, and to this day I help take care of Babys daughter. Act of Kindness By austerities carrying books in her hands and it looked heavy I asked her if I could help.She her if she would like to hang out sometime to call me and gave her my number, a few face that she was pretty scared. I told her no mater what ill always be there for her if something. I agreed and told them id be there shortly. As I rushed to get dressed all I As I arrived and walked to the door my stomach dropped and then I knocked on the eating Babys mom started to tell me how when I met Baby, baby wasnt in the best state of mind.

Management accounting Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management accounting - Research Paper Example $120 + $6.50 = $126.50 * 500 = $63,250 (Total cost) Total sales for purchased hard drives = 500 * $154.00 = $77,000 Total profit generated from purchased hard drives = $77,000 - $63,250 = $13,750 If Malibu Systems Inc. concentrates on the ZEON hard drives market, it could make an annual profit of ($13,750 + $216,125) $229,875. By producing manufacture memory chips, Malibu Systems Inc. can sell up to 3,500 memory chips per year at a price of $65.00. Annual sales - $227,500. Production costs – $62.25 * 3,500 = $217,875 Profit generated from production and sales of memory chips – ($227,500 – $217,875) = $9,625 Production of memory chips for Malibu Systems Inc. is not a brilliant idea to invest in because it gives lower profit margins than production of Zeon hard drives. Part 2: Contribution Margin per Unit for; Purchased ZEON hard drives Contribution The formula for determining contribution is the sale price minus variable costs (Eisen 2007, 35). Selling price for e ach ZEON hard drive that has been purchased $154.00 per hard drive The variable cost incurred $0.85 per hard drive Contribution margin ($154 – $0.85) = $153.15 Manufactured ZEON hard drives Contribution Selling price for

How art has influenced fashion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

How art has influenced fashion - Essay Example Artists have actively participated in providing pattern and color concepts for textiles, thus physically influencing fashion through directly active design. As well, the links between consumerism, the media, and art has provided rich resources for editorial fashion. The links between art and fashion have become a symbiotic relationship in which each aspect is influential on the other. Art and fashion have had a relationship since the time of the Renaissance when renowned artists such as Bellini, Pollaiuolo, and Pisanello became actively involved in design through painting fashions, creating textiles, and designing embroidery. Pisanello, an artist for the Italian courts, was responsible for painting portraits of the aristocracy that portrayed them in the latest armor and fashions in order to suggest modernity. Princes could be portrayed as militarily significant in strategic warfare and from the perspective of current and innovative fashion, social status was represented (Mackrell 5). Through imagery, people of status could allow the public to create an impression of power, competence, social class, intelligence, and beauty as seen through the artists eye, which included the design of the garments that were portrayed. Fashion has been a tool for providing a context for modernity since that time, those of status and power denoting the course of that status and power through visual cues from the editorial of fashion. According to Polhemus and Proctor, the differences between fashion and anti-fashion exist within the modern, and the fixed and unmoving. The example that they use is the coronation gown of Queen Elizabeth II from 1953 in comparison to the Dior ’tulip line’ dress from the same year. The gown of the queen was painfully traditional, suggesting continuance and the stability of the status quo. It is anti-fashion as it shows no relevancy to change or growth. Fashion, on the other hand, represents discontinuity and the elusive reach for moderni ty, always stretching towards the next season of growth, both a symbol of the present and of the change of seasons. Had Queen Elizabeth worn the tulip gown, she would have been telling her people that a new era had begun, rather than assuring them that the old era was still in place. Fashion is about communication just as the medium of art is about communication. What the elite wear communicates their social position in the greater context. In continuing with the fashion story of the British Monarchy, Princess Diana, despite her many flaws, used fashion as a way to communicate her own position on the meaning of her role in the monarchy. Her connection with modern fashion communicated to the public that she was well aware of life from a modern point of view. While her charity and public service provided further context for her representational position, her relationship to modern, tasteful, and sometimes daring fashion allowed her to state that she recognized the current state of the world and believed in the importance of her role for change. Barnard states that â€Å"her image (was) of an upwardly mobile, modern, non-traditional young woman with an interest in changing and improving things, through her charity and humanitarian work† (19). Because of its role as an elite form of clothing, fashion, as defined as being symbolic of change and growth within society, is directly associated with the elite of a culture. Defining fashion is under the prerogative of

The constructivist philosophy in the modern pedagogy Essay

The constructivist philosophy in the modern pedagogy - Essay Example Application Summary The following essay is focused on the constructivist philosophy and its significance in terms of contemporary education. The essay will review the constructivist philosophy and its complementary technology that has become popular in the modern pedagogy. The constructivist curriculum exemplifies futuristic and flexible technology tools. Web 2.0 tools strengthen the constructivist curriculum by providing it the most efficient technology tools to address cognitive needs of analyzing, interpretation and inquiry. This third wave is still undergoing a change, which may bring about more possibilities and more accomplishments in the field of education. This metacognitive philosophy will be utilized as an instrument of change for constructing a constructivist technology centered system. In order to provide an analysis of constructivist academic activities and make an evaluation of effective teaching technologies, statistics and research must be perused. This project will provide an analysis and evaluation through the author’s wiki page and power point presentation. The effectiveness of ineffectiveness of the constructivist educational activities can be shown through both modern means of technology. The author predicts a successful analysis of constructivist pedagogy. The evaluation of the analysis of constructivist pedagogy will be based on the author’s analysis. Hopefully, the evaluation will be successful, but the possibility of ineffectiveness will be considered.

Identifying Characteristics of Gifted Children Essay

Identifying Characteristics of Gifted Children - Essay Example There has been a debate regarding nurturing and dealing with gifted children with normal children, and one can observe mix responses of experts and nonprofessionals. Still, experts believe that it is very imperative that parents identify particular characteristics in their gifted children, as their ignorance or avoidance may result in adverse outcomes, and in other words, it is very important that gifted children should receive proper guidance or path to utilize their skills, an absence of a platform may result in inappropriate usage. Analysis has indicated that gifted children usually have the ability to carry out any creative task like a professional artist, for instance, they can create paintings at the age of eight without any professional training. There have been few instances of gifted children reading professionally at the age of three or four. Particularly, experts believe, â€Å"Gifted children interpret life differently from others† (Distin, pp. 22-23). In this rega rd, it is essential that parents and teachers play a significant role in identifying different perceptions and skills of gifted children, and at the same time, they appreciate their different skills and perspectives (Distin, pp. 22-23). ... l that is very uncommon in gifted children, there is a possibility that the same child will be doing something exceptional at home or somewhere else, and here, one requires efforts of parents and teachers to identify their skills and extraordinary talent. In addition, a majority of studies have recognized higher retaining power of gifted children that is one of the major reasons for their exceptional achievements on academic, as well as non-academic levels. On one hand, gifted children have a higher IQ level; on the other hand, experts and psychologists have always found gifted children to be highly sensitive, and thus, parents and teachers should stay ready to expect adult behavior at one time and a little crying child at the next minute. In this regard, one can go for dealing with gifted children along with normal children; however, once again it will be a tiring experience and will require a huge amount of efforts. Moreover, gifted children’s needs would not be in any diffe rent from that of normal children; however, case studies have identified a few problems and issues with the gifted children. For instance, gifted children will need a higher amount of care and consideration in terms of their emotional development (Distin, pp. 157). In addition, most of the gifted children show impatient characteristics, as they are always full of ideas. However, they expect same abilities from others and when they do not get similar responses; it results in impatience and irresistible behaviors at times that can be troublesome. Another important thing to consider while dealing with gifted children is their resistance against directions.

Middle east studies global prespectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Middle east studies global prespectives - Essay Example There are numerous progressive laws that have been devised in regard to education in Lebanon but they are yet to be enforced. These laws have a potential of improving the Lebanese education system and consequently improving the life of the Lebanese (Samira, Achim & Sarhan 64). Also, it can promote respect and understanding among all political and religious groups in Lebanon. Education in Lebanon is compulsory. Compulsory education in the country was adopted as early as 1736 and influenced the adoption of the compulsory education in Ottoman Empire in 1869 (Hamdan 5). The compulsory education was abandon by the Ottoman Empire rulers but was readopted in Lebanon in 1959. In 1971, the Lebanese education system established Education Centre for research and Development (ECRD) (Hamdan 5). ECRD has a responsibility to drafting state schools’ textbooks, setting the curriculums and overseeing the Lebanese education system at large. Lebanon took part in the world conference that adopted World Declaration on Education for All which classifies education as a human right. This made Lebanese education system to set several objectives and means to achieve them. These objectives include broadening the means and scope of basic education, facilitating universal access to learning and promoting equity. ECRD also changed the curriculum to include subjects such as The atre, Arts and IT at the basic education level. The ministry of education and higher education in 2004 published national strategy for education for all. Lebanon education system consists of primary education and intermediate education, secondary education, vocational and technical education, and higher education (Samira, Achim & Sarhan 55). Primary education in Lebanon has been free since 1987. English, Arabic, and French are the instructional medium in the private schools. The duration of Lebanese primary education is 5 years (Hamdan 15). After completion of primary

The constructivist philosophy in the modern pedagogy Essay

The constructivist philosophy in the modern pedagogy - Essay Example Application Summary The following essay is focused on the constructivist philosophy and its significance in terms of contemporary education. The essay will review the constructivist philosophy and its complementary technology that has become popular in the modern pedagogy. The constructivist curriculum exemplifies futuristic and flexible technology tools. Web 2.0 tools strengthen the constructivist curriculum by providing it the most efficient technology tools to address cognitive needs of analyzing, interpretation and inquiry. This third wave is still undergoing a change, which may bring about more possibilities and more accomplishments in the field of education. This metacognitive philosophy will be utilized as an instrument of change for constructing a constructivist technology centered system. In order to provide an analysis of constructivist academic activities and make an evaluation of effective teaching technologies, statistics and research must be perused. This project will provide an analysis and evaluation through the author’s wiki page and power point presentation. The effectiveness of ineffectiveness of the constructivist educational activities can be shown through both modern means of technology. The author predicts a successful analysis of constructivist pedagogy. The evaluation of the analysis of constructivist pedagogy will be based on the author’s analysis. Hopefully, the evaluation will be successful, but the possibility of ineffectiveness will be considered.

Middle east studies global prespectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Middle east studies global prespectives - Essay Example There are numerous progressive laws that have been devised in regard to education in Lebanon but they are yet to be enforced. These laws have a potential of improving the Lebanese education system and consequently improving the life of the Lebanese (Samira, Achim & Sarhan 64). Also, it can promote respect and understanding among all political and religious groups in Lebanon. Education in Lebanon is compulsory. Compulsory education in the country was adopted as early as 1736 and influenced the adoption of the compulsory education in Ottoman Empire in 1869 (Hamdan 5). The compulsory education was abandon by the Ottoman Empire rulers but was readopted in Lebanon in 1959. In 1971, the Lebanese education system established Education Centre for research and Development (ECRD) (Hamdan 5). ECRD has a responsibility to drafting state schools’ textbooks, setting the curriculums and overseeing the Lebanese education system at large. Lebanon took part in the world conference that adopted World Declaration on Education for All which classifies education as a human right. This made Lebanese education system to set several objectives and means to achieve them. These objectives include broadening the means and scope of basic education, facilitating universal access to learning and promoting equity. ECRD also changed the curriculum to include subjects such as The atre, Arts and IT at the basic education level. The ministry of education and higher education in 2004 published national strategy for education for all. Lebanon education system consists of primary education and intermediate education, secondary education, vocational and technical education, and higher education (Samira, Achim & Sarhan 55). Primary education in Lebanon has been free since 1987. English, Arabic, and French are the instructional medium in the private schools. The duration of Lebanese primary education is 5 years (Hamdan 15). After completion of primary

European Union and United Nations Essay Example for Free

European Union and United Nations Essay United Nations and European Union are two organizations which are very influential in the contemporary world. The two institutions play a very great role as far as implementation of rules and policy of different nature are concerned. Each body is charged with specific roles to play in the pursuit of various objectives for the member states. United Nation draws its membership from across the board,almost all countries in the world are members of this organization which was mainly created to promote peace among the nations. European Union on the other hand draws its membership from the heart of Europe,where most of the European nations are represented. The two organizations are charged with the role of implementing policies put forward or agreed upon by the member states. Each body has a mechanism which ensures that these policies and rules are followed by the members. They have powers to compel members to adhere to the laid down rules. United Nation relies on the powers granted by its guiding rules to implement the policies while European union largely depends on the constitution drawn by member states spelling out procedures to be followed by the members as far as implementation of policies is concerned. (Blacksell, M 1978) One of the main differences between the two bodies is the composition,European Union membership is drawn from nations which have a common interest and are pursuing the same goals mostly on economic intergration,whereas United Nation is a conglomeration of states brought together by the purpose of promoting peace in the world. United nation membership is far and wide due to the reason that a country is member of the larger world community. Members have serious conflicting interests making it hard at times to reach a compromise in certain occassions. On the other hand European Union is more of a voluntary organizations where members join as a result of the benefits they are going to derive from such a union (Emadi, B 2002). They are not propelled by other reason such as fear of being labelled uncoperative but rather for the benefit of creating a wider markets and opening up their economies. The European Union is a powerful entity which is rather an economic organization as opposed to United Nation which more of a political institution. The main objective of the European Union was to allow free movements of goods and capital across the borders where for the United Nation it was to prevent another major war in the world or mainly prevent conflict between nations among other things that go along with the maintenance of peace in the world. In such an arrangement members are not bound together by a common goal but rather as mere formality because they would like to be seen as countries which believe in a peaceful coexistence among nations. For those in the European Union it is more than maintenance of peace. They are bound together by the principles of creating a good enviroment for their economic advancement. (Bedjaou, M 1991) (Lister, F 1996) As an international organization,United nation has been facing problems as far as enforcement of the policies and rules is concerned. At times this has resulted to very serious consequences especially when members fail to abide by the rules set by the otganization. One of the main problem that has engulfed this institution is the feeling that some members are not well represented. The inequality as far as power is concerned has been a serious set back when it comes to the implementation of policies in the body. The issue of veto power means that some members are more powerful than others meaning that there exists a power imbalance in this organization. Though this may serve well for the group as the powerful nations will force the others to play by the rules there is a danger of this concept being misused by the powerful nations where they will be forcing others to play to their tune. On the other hand European Union presents a situation where member states operate on an equal ground (Lane, J 2006)As a supranantional government , European Union member countries have transferred some of their powers to this broader authority. This power is shared equally among the member states giving them eacha an opportunity to feel part and parcel of the organization. In such an arrangement it becomes easy to implement policies and rules set by the organization since members will wilingly be ready to comply as they are bound to benefit from such seetings. (Permott, A 2000) Though in both organizations it is possible for the member state to be forced by others to implement decisions made,in the Euopean Union it is rather not necessary to take such an action since most of the polies are reached through consensus building. Therefore most of the members will be in a position to impelement what the member country has passed. In the United Nations force can be used if a member state fails to go by the rules but this does not mean that such measures are always successful. (Joachim, J and Locher, B 2009) Members have at one time or another withdrawn their contribution or their membership from the organization as a registration of their discontement with some of the policies adopted by the organization. The fact that United Nation applies persuasive means to convince member states to comply with the rules and also take part in the implementation of policies place it in a weaker position as far as its operation are concerned. It is at a disadvantaged position since not all the members are willing to play by the rules. The mechanisms available to compel members to abide by the rules are also weak giving too much leeway to the rebel members. The issue of the power imbalance among member states also plays a great role in the impedement being experienced in the matters relating to the policy implementation. (Preston, L and Windsor, D 1997) The facts that European Union members are held together by many factors make it easy for the organization to manage its affairs. All members are bound to benefit in one way or another from the policies being adopted at any time. On the other hand United Nations experience difficulties implementing some of its policies due to the fact that the organization has a wider membership, and again the ideological differences play a major role as far as this is concerned. The feeling by some of the members that they are inadequately represented makes it hard for the organization to employ mechanism which auger well for all the members (Ionescu, G 1974) When it comes to the implementation of international rules and policies United Nation stands a better chance but it’s bogged down by various issues surrounding its composition. The fact that some nations yield more power in terms of veto creates an imbalance making other members feel that they are just used as mere pawns in rubber stamping decisions reached and brought down into their throats by the powerful nations. They feel that they are not part and parcel of some of the policies being adopted. On the other hand the issue of policy ownership in the European Union has played a great role as far as its successful implementation of policies and rules is concerned. Members participate fully in the deliberation and implementation of the policies. (Mckay, D (1996) Reference Permott, A (2000) The New Politics of Financing the UN, Palgrave Macmillan Bedjaou, M (1991) International Law and Prospects, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers Preston, L and Windsor, D (1997) The Rules of the Game in the Global Economy, Springer Publishers Ionescu, G (1974) Between Sovereignty and Intergration, Taylor and Francis Emadi, B (2002) Rethinking International Organization, Routledge Taylor and Francis Blacksell, M (1978) Postwar Europe: A political Geography, West view Press Joachim, J and Locher, B (2009) Transnational Activism in the UN and EU: A Comparative Study, Taylor and Francis Lane, J (2006) Globalization and the Politics, Ashgate Publishing Mckay, D (1996) Rush to Union, Oxford University Press Lister, F (1996) The European Union, The United Nations and the Revival of the Cofederal Governance, Greeenwood Publishing co.

General Adaption Syndrome and Post Traumatic Stress

General Adaption Syndrome and Post Traumatic Stress Hans Selye (1907-1982), an Austrian-born physician who emigrated to Canada in 1939, the general adaptation syndrome represents a three-stage reaction to stress. Selye explained his choice of terminology as follows: I call this syndrome general because it is produced only by agents which have a general effect upon large portions of the body. I call it adaptive because it stimulates defenseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. I call it a syndrome because its individual manifestations are coordinated and even partly dependent upon each other. Most of his research is concerned with formulating a code of behavior based on the laws governing the bodys stress resistance in dealing with personal, interpersonal and group problems. General Adaption Syndrome General adaptation syndrome, or GAS, is a term used to describe the bodys short-term and long-term reactions to stress. Stressors in humans include such physical stressors as starvation, being hit by a car, or suffering through severe weather. Additionally, humans can suffer such emotional or mental stressors as the loss of a loved one, the inability to solve a problem, or even having a difficult day at work. This picture is adapted from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQZVfvuzrO3iR1cY8-CqyvWSeJWBG6H_Eh1gcO6ByNVitYOI7PwFd4VvrNc-iowdXYaKqgv4-Rl_fXivWc25SsmyscSu318-UvnHzZjk_rv19hYNnqtbSXJK0CUYqvdBVWuy-tZy47X0/s200/Stress-ZebraStripes.gifThe general adaptation syndrome represents a three-stage reaction to stress. Stage 1: alarm reaction (ar) The first stage of the general adaptation stage, the alarm reaction, is the immediate reaction to a stressor. In the initial phase of stress, We prepare to: battle (fight) or escape (flight) Fight can be determined as to battle or fight with something, and flight can be determined as run away with something or sometimes you in a situation that you cant deal with it. That animal reacts to threats with a general discharge of the sympathetic nervous system, priming the animal for fighting or fleeing. This response was later recognized as the first stage of a general adaptation syndrome that regulates stress responses among vertebrates and other organisms. This is an involuntary physical response to danger which dissipates once we perceive the source of stress is removed. Stage 2: stage of resistance (sr) Stage 2 might also be named the stage of adaptation, instead of the stage of resistance. During this phase, if the stress continues, the body adapts to the stressors it is exposed to. Stage 3: stage of exhaustion (se) At this stage, the stress has continued for some time. The bodys resistance to the stress may gradually be reduced, or may collapse quickly. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an emotional illness that that is classified as an anxiety disorder and usually develops as a result of a terribly frightening, life-threatening, or otherwise highly unsafe experience. PTSD sufferers re-experience the traumatic event or events in some way, tend to avoid places, people, or other things that remind them of the event (avoidance), and are exquisitely sensitive to normal life experiences (hyper arousal). Although this condition has likely existed since human beings have endured trauma, PTSD has only been recognized as a formal diagnosis since 1980. However, it was called by different names as early as the American Civil War, when combat veterans were referred to as suffering from soldiers heart. This picture is adapted from http://home.earthlink.net/~help_for_ptsd/ptsd018001.jpg Overview of the effects of stress on your body This picture is adapted from http://www.s-cool.co.uk/a-level/assets/learn_its/alevel/psychology/stress/what-is-stress/diagram1.jpg The body doesnt distinguish between physical and psychological threats. When youre stressed over a busy schedule, an argument with a friend, a traffic jam, or a mountain of bills, your body reacts just as strongly as if you were facing a life-or-death situation. If you have a lot of responsibilities and worries, your emergency stress response may be on most of the time. The more your bodys stress system is activated, the easier it is to trip and the harder it is to shut off. PTSD is believed to be caused by either physical trauma or psychological trauma, or more frequently a combination of both. Traumatic events that may cause PTSD symptoms to develop include violent assault, kidnapping, and sexual assault, torture, being a hostage, prisoner of war or concentration camp victim, experiencing a disaster, violent automobile accidents or getting a diagnosis of a life-threatening illness. Children or adults may develop PTSD symptoms by experiencing bullying or mobbing. Preliminary research suggests that child abuse may interact with mutations in a stress-related gene to increase the risk of PTSD in adults. Stress can increase certain hormone levels inside the body. They include catecholamine (nor epinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine) and cortisol. Catecholamines are a component of sympathetic nervous system which prepares the body for an emergency. They increase the heart rate, blood pressure and divert more blood to the muscles. Cortisol is a hormone synthesized by the adrenal cortex and it increases the available glucose levels, lipid levels in the blood. In addition cortisol causes a reduction in immunity. These hormones prepare the body to fight or run away in a dangerous life threatening situations. However chronically elevated stress hormones can cause disease. Prolonged elevation of stress hormones can occur in chronic stress situations such as caring for a dependent person with terminal illness or in frequent acute stressors such as getting scolded numerous times by the boss. Direct effect of stress on body C:UsersluluAppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5ZV69X961MC900021513[1].wmf Heart disease and stroke Increased blood sugar and lipid levels may increase the risk of heart diseases and stroke. In addition increased sympathetic over activity due to catecholamine may lead to increased blood pressure. Hypertension or increased blood pressure is another risk factor for heart diseases. Sexual problems In addition, increased stress hormones can cause reduced sexual drive and sexual dysfunction. This will lead to family disharmony and relationship problems. Increased risk of infections Reduced immunity due to increased cortisol levels can lead to various infections. It will cause deterioration of the general wellbeing [3 and 4]. For an example chronic stress can cause impaired wound healing [5]. Depression Prolonged elevation of cortisol is known to cause depression [7]. Therefore chronic stress can indeed cause depression. Gastric ulcers Chronic stress can increase the gastric acid secretion [6]. Increased gastric acid secretion can cause heart burn and gastric ulcers. Indirect effects of stress on body C:UsersluluAppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5YK5A4VMUMC900056994[1].wmf Increased risk behavior Risk behavior such as alcohol consumption, drugs abuse and smoking can increase with stress. In addition some people may tend to overeat due to stress. These behaviors can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Drug abuse Some people with stress tend to abuse prescription drugs such as Ambien, Valium or opiates. These drugs in over dosage can be lethal. In addition people who abuse drugs usually take a mixture of several dangerous drugs. It can precipitate some disastrous drug interactions which can cause death or disability. Summary Stress is the human bodys response to change and adjustment. It can help people to cope with an acute change. However, stress that occurs frequently can cause serious harm to your body. Therapy used for Post Traumatic Stress Patients This picture is adapted from http://www.mindmapart.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/exercises-for-relaxation-destressing-tony-buzan.jpg Today, there are good treatments available for PTSD. When you have PTSD, dealing with the past can be hard. Instead of telling others how you feel, you may keep your feelings bottled up. But talking with a therapist can help you get better. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one type of counseling. It appears to be the most effective type of counseling for PTSD. The VA is providing two forms of cognitive behavioral therapy to Veterans with PTSD: Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy. To learn more about these types of therapy, see our fact sheets listed on the Treatment page. There is also a similar kind of therapy called eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) that is used for PTSD. Medications have also been shown to be effective. A type of drug known as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), which is also used for depression, is effective for PTSD. Types of cognitive behavioral therapy In cognitive therapy, therapist helps patient to understand and change how patient think about they trauma and its aftermath. They goal is to understand how certain thoughts about they trauma because the stress and make they symptoms worse. Types of exposure behavioral therapy In exposure therapy patients goal is to have less fear about they memories. It is based on the idea that people learn to fear thoughts, feelings, and situations that remind them of a past traumatic event. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is another type of therapy for PTSD. Like other kinds of counseling, it can help change how patient react to memories of they trauma. Medication Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a type of antidepressant medicine. These can help people feel less sad and worried. They appear to be helpful, and for some people they are very effective. Other types of treatment Some other kinds of counseling may be helpful in your recovery. However, more evidence is needed to support these types of treatment for PTSD. Group therapy Many people want to talk about their trauma with others who have had similar experiences. In group therapy, people talk with a group of people who also have been through a trauma and who have PTSD. Sharing they stories with others may help people feel more comfortable talking about your trauma. This can help people cope with they symptoms, memories, and other parts of they life. Brief psychodynamic psychotherapy In this type of therapy, people learn ways of dealing with emotional conflicts caused by they trauma. This therapy helps people understand how they past affects the way they feel now. Family therapy Family therapy is a type of counseling that involves patient whole family. A therapist helps patient and them family to communicate, maintain good relationships, and cope with tough emotions. They family can learn more about PTSD and how it is treated. How long does treatment last? CBT treatment for PTSD often lasts for 3 to 6 months. Other types of treatment for PTSD can last longer. If you have other mental health problems as well as PTSD, treatment may last for 1 to 2 years or longer. PART B RESEARCH C:UsersluluAppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5O5C30NJMMC900437563[1].wmf Overview of the companies stress alleviation activities Introduction of company The Coca-Cola Company is the worlds largest beverage company. Along with Coca- Cola, recognized as the worlds most valuable brand, it markets four of the worlds top five soft drink brands. How Coca-Cola Company alleviate stress for their employees This picture is adapted from http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTgrQgE9e-vO46V6phmZATrZPl8gLS77BnEWP8YGBqS5St3Each employee has holidays each year for helping employees to develop they stress. During holiday season, families and businesses can spend wisely on both personal and business gifts. These days, pretty much everyone on holiday gift list is dealing with a degree of stress. These holidays are basic on public holidays and some other holidays, for example Christmas, New Year etc. The coca-cola company often encourages employees to do some physical exercises. Exercise is a good way to deal with stress because it is a healthy way to relieve employee pent-up energy and tension. It also helps employee get in better shape, which makes employee feel better overall. By getting physically active, employee can decrease they levels of anxiety and stress, and elevate they moods. This picture is adapted from http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcToXyrlIqvMo4jjYh3VDfSK4JX6DEEtAIZsgbW2j0dErrSk2e7u0MtLDaI0wgFemale employees were more often likely to choose Yoga-at-Work. Yoga-at-Work is a low-cost and innovative solution for companies wanting to reduce health care expenses, relieve workplace stress and promote employee well-being. The performance of a corporation depends on the performance of its key assets-employees. Healthy employees are more productive and more cost effective. Male employees were more often likely to choose to go gym. E.g. Virgin Active or Discourage. To go to gym are more expensive than Yoga-At-Work but it can help males to get more muscles so when they looks good they will feels good. Numerous studies have shown that people who begin exercise programs, either at home or at work, demonstrate a marked improvement in their ability to concentrate, are able to sleep better, suffer from fewer illnesses, suffer from less pain, and report a much higher quality of life than those who do not exercise. Coca Cola Company has been taking the lead in addressing the epidemic of stress by instituting workplace wellness programs that include a significant stress-reduction component. The most effective of these programs are the ones that integrate physical activity and nutritional programs alongside stress-management training. Businesses that have instituted activity-based workplace wellness programs have enjoyed a $3.00-$5.00 return on every dollar invested in the form of decreased health care costs, decreased absenteeism, increased productivity, decreased employee turnover, and reduced insurance costs. This picture is adapted from http://matznerclinic.com/index.php/services/stress-reductionNutritional Supplements, the lunch support by the Coca Cola company restaurant is been well prepared. There are types of nutritional supplements that can help with stress: those that help to reduce stress and those that help the body better cope with the effects of stress. PART C CREATE Nutritional Supplements There are two types of nutritional supplements that can help with stress: those that help to reduce stress, and those that help the body better cope with the effects of stress. Supplements that help to reduce stress belong to a class of herbs that help the body relax. Herbs such as chamomile, skullcap, valerian, and lavender help to clear a hurried mind and calm intense emotions. People typically drink these herbs as teas. Supplements to help the body better cope with the physical effects of stress are the B-vitamins and zinc. When you are under stress, your need for zinc and the B-vitamins goes up considerably. If you dont have enough of these, your health will suffer, which is why people often become sick when they are under a lot of stress. Taking a B-complex supplement along with zinc will help to protect your body from the negative effects of stress.

Pigs Cant Fly Essay -- Childrens Books Literature Essays

Pigs Can't Fly "Why?" Amma said. "Because the sky is so high and pigs can't fly, that's why." --From "Pigs Can't Fly" The "why" and "because" of life is often best captured by children, for they, as the relatively less socialized individuals in society, will often innocently question the social myths we, the adults, always take for granted and as the truth. Hence, adults are usually at a loss as to the "because" when children ask in that "cruelly direct way" why certain things happen, or why certain things are the way they are in society. Many adults simply brush off the children's disturbing questions, either telling the children to leave well alone or replying with an answer that has absolutely no relation to the original question, as Arjie's mother does in "Pigs Can't Fly". However, question though they may, children do not have the ability to comprehend the complex societal boundaries they transgress. Intelligent criticism of what we assume as our social reality must come from adult minds. Very often though, a literary text is able to dexterously blend both the poignancy of childhood and the sha rp perspective of a mature consciousness to better question the social myths we assume to be truth and reality. "Pigs Can't Fly" is such a text, and it achieves its blend of childhood poignancy and adult maturity through the literary devices of narrator and narratee. The narrator in "Pigs Can't Fly" is a young child of seven, and the whole story is related to us through his childish perspective, except for a brief moment when we get a sense of an older Arjie, who tells us that "the remembered innocence of childhood" is now lost to him forever. The narratee, the person whom the author assumes the story is to be told to, is howe... ...s a criticism of the social myths we wrap comfortably around ourselves as reality, my reading requires a narratee who has a certain background in social criticism and who may be interested in reading the story in this way. However, many readings may be derived from "Pigs Can't Fly," and hence I feel it is enough to simply understand that the story is essentially about the alienation and loneliness one feels at not being what society expects, and empathy with such a person, instead of bristling self righteousness will better serve towards peace and tolerance in our societies, than all the wealth or knowledge we can ever garner. Bibliography Chatman, Seymour. "Narration: Narrator and Narratee." Reading Narrative Fiction. Ed. Seymour Chatman. New York: Macmillan, 1993. 130-141. Selvadurai, Shyam. "Pigs Can't Fly." Funny Boy. New York: Vintage, 1995. 1-40.

The Tempest Essay -- essays research papers

Throughout the play The Tempest there is a relationship that pits master and slave in a harmony that benefits both parties. Though it may sound strange, these slaves sometimes have a goal or expectation that they hope to have fulfilled. Although rarely realized by its by its participants, the Master--Slave, Slave--Master relationship is a balance of expectation and fear by the slaves to the master; and a perceived since of power by that of the master over the slaves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The relationship between the slave and master is one of expectation and perceived fear. Expectation in a sense that a slave with a perceived future expectation will tend to work harder and more diligently for their master then a slave that does not have these expectations for hope of reaching their ultimate goal. For instance Ariel is more willing to do Prospero’s bidding for he believes that are some future date he will be set free, and will not longer have to serve as a slave to prospero. For instance in this passage we are confronted with this expectation of freedom: Prospero: †¦What is’t thou canst demand Ariel: My Liberty Prospero: Before the time be out? No more Ariel: I prithee, remember I have done thee worthy service, told thee no lies, made no mistakings, served without grudge or grumbling. Thou did promise to bate me a full year (Act I, Scene II, 245-249) Showing that the slave, Ariel, is willing to do what ever is asked of him in the hope that in due time he will be set free, and to serve no one any longer. However, this expectation is one sided; since, the expectation of freedom I dependent on how prospero perceives the tasks that have been completed and those that are to be done. Thus, Ariel may never be set free if prospero never feels satisfied. On the other hand, if there is no expectation by a slave of future rewards then the future expectation of rewards is removed and the slave feels only oppression from the master, nothing more. For Caliban is a prime example. Caliban is not expecting to be set free or have his land restored to him. So Caliban has an extreme hatred for his master, Prospero, which all he can do is curse the man that made him this way, and hope for his demise. â€Å"All the infections that the sun sucks up from bogs, fens, flats, on Prosper fall, and make him by inchmeal a disease†¦His spirits hear me, a nd yet I needs must curse†(Act... ...ith humane care, and lodged their in mine own cell, till thou did’st seek to violate the honour of my child†(Act I, Scene II, 343-348). Prospero believed that Caliban had this coming to him, and should he had been a vengeful man could have killed him. From these examples we see that Prospero perceives his power over all since he had spared them from horrible existences and given then a taste of the civilized world. Lastly, Prospero believed so deeply that since he was the first noble to set foot on the island that it was his right to claim it as his own. For before him this isle was nothing till he brought his language, education, and culture to it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For there is a delicate balance between the master—slave relationship, and the slave—master relationship. Neither can exist without the other. The master laying claim to all that he can survey, and bringing order to those around him as Prospero did for his ailing people. The slave fearing for life, or an expectation that one-day he shall be free to do as he pleases. For this delicate balance cannot be maintained without the two groups co-existing in a state where one need the other for ultimate survival.

Hotel Repositioning

{draw:frame} University of Derby/Buxton Hospitality Management MA Hotel Renovation A Tool For Repositioning In the Hotel Industry Submission Date: 7th May 2009 Business Analysis and Decision Making Student: Nana Yaa Addo Module Leader: Norman Dindsdale Introduction The hospitality industry has grown phenomenally since 2001 and has been driven by both leisure and business demand (kloppers 2005). The needs of the consumer have now become dynamic rather than static. Consumers today have a strong desire for luxury in every sense of the word be it travel, goods or even a night stay in a hotel, thereby creating a competitive environment among business owners and organisations to come up with innovative ways to increase and also retain their business. Altstiel and Grow (2005 p. 28) similarly states that â€Å"people do not buy things but rather a satisfaction of their wants and needs. Therefore the hospitality industry being a service sector is not an exception as the industry must also meet challenges by formulating and implementing strategies that will meet today’s economic conditions and also satisfy customer needs. This report focuses on how hotel renovation can be used as a tool for repositioning in hotel operations. It will explore the theory behind repositioning and test the theory by looking at some case studies within the industry, it will also try to identify its challenges and successes and see how it could be undertaken in the fu ture. Main body The term repositioning has been used side by side with positioning, branding or new product development and has a wide range of definition, as a result it has no exclusive accepted definition. For example, the work of Hassien and Baum (2002p146) give the following definitions of the term which perceives a greater understanding. (Lovelock,1996;Lewis et al;1995) define the term as the changing of the existing position without referring to its implementation (Hart and Stapleton, 1987; Collin, 1989; Jefkins, 1987; Ries and Trout,1986) define it as an advertising trategy by which the company can change the image of its product and the perception of people about it. Booz, Allen and Hamilton (1982) define the term as one of the six categories of new products in terms of their newness to the company and to the marketplace, as being the process of targeting the existing products to new markets or market segment. In addition the business dictionary also defines it as changing a brands status i n comparison to that of the competing brands. Furthermore Hassien and Baum go on to say that â€Å"an in-depth review of its literature identifies that there is a general agreement in most of these definitions, that repositioning involves a change to the image of a product in the market through changing the perception of the customer†(p. 146) and finally define the term as â€Å"the marketing management process of changing, partially or totally, the perception of the public about a firm through any modification or addition to one or more of its controllable variables (eg. Customer, competition, technology, coporate, etc. ) in order to retain, expand or change its target markets†(p. 147) From the above definitions it is obvious that repositioning involves the modification of a product to make it more appealing in order to attract existing customers or new market segments The Concept Of Repositioning. Due to intensifying global competition, a constantly changing environment, current consumer trends and modern technology, repositioning like any other marketing tool adopts a strategy in order to be successful. For instance Macmillan (2000, p45) states that ‘conditions in the global business environment demands that established firms adopt entrepreneurial strategies’. Johnson and Scholes(2002 p10) have defined strategy as â€Å" the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term which achieves advantage for the organisation through its configuration of resources within a changing environment and to fulfil stakeholder expectations. † Bowie and Butler (2004 p. 06) state the following reasons as to why a company may be forced to reposition; Falling sales (often a symptom of customer dissatisfaction) An opportunity to service an emerging market segment The threat of competing for market share. As a result Jobber in the book of Enew and Waite (2007 p. 165), identifies four basic repositioning strategies and they are listed as follows Image repositioning- This means keeping the product and target market the same but changing the image of the product. Product repositioning –This means that the product has been modified to meet more fully the expectations of the target group. Intangible repositioning-An organisation targets a new market segment with existing products but places the emphasis on a different ,less tangible aspect of the product. Tangible repositioning-In some market sectors there is the need to change both product and target market moving upmarket or downmarket through the introduction of a new range of products often demands a comprehensive repositioning strategy. Similarly a study by Kotler et al 1993 cited in Crompton 2000 pp70-72) offers three strategies that can also be used to achieve repositioning and they are as follows; Real repositiong: which means that an agency changes what it does so that desired community priority needs are met through its offerings Competitive repositioning which means altering stakeholders’ beliefs about what an agency’s competitors do. Psychogical repositioning which means altering stakeholders beliefs about what an agency currently does From the above, it can be deduced that; Repositioning is used to alter perceptions of the consumer It is used by organisations to ensure they exceed the expectations of the consumer in order to retain themselves in the business environment It is used to identify growth and opportunities. It must however be noted that whatever strategy that is employed ,must be realistic, achievable, results focused and must also take into account which strategy best fits the needs of the business as well as that of the consumer. However for the purpose of this report the attention is on renovation as a tool for repositioning in the hotel industry in other words the focus is on the use of renovation to develop or improve existing and new product lines. Renovation Definition According to Hassien and Baum (2001p. 148), renovation may be defined as â€Å"the process of retaining or improving the hotel image by modifying the tangible product, due to a variety of reasons, through any changes in the hotel layout (e. g. Property structure-new extension) and/or any additions or replacement of materials and furniture, fixture and equipment†. It may also be defined as â€Å"a facility for which a substantial amount of the equipment, structure or other components is replaced or modified and which may expand capacity and/improve the process of the facility† (CII 2006, P1) From the above it can be noted that renovation as a process involves a lot of activity which can either be upgrading of the design, decor etc of the property layout or the development of an entirely new product. Types of renovation Renovations may be classed as major or minor depending on the amount of work involved in each type. For instance a renovation that involves the renewal or replacement of all equipment, furnishings and finishes in order to improve or change the image of the physical layout of the hotel may be termed as a major renovation, whiles a renovation that involves the upgrading or replacement of soft goods such as carpets, drapes, beddings etc without changing the physical layout of the property. The property must be in a market not sustaining the desired level of operation There must be an alternate market not being served Change in the market they serve Furthermore Hassien and Baum (2002p. 148) cite these reasons; To keep up with the competition To maintain or increase market share by satisfying current or potential customers To improve the operational efficiency of the hotel that will lead to an increase in both productivity and long term savings in operational expenses To maintain corporate image and standards To upgrade the hotel to a higher category (eg. From 4 to 5) To comply with the new trends and technology in the market The process of renovation while its clear a renovation or brand conversion is intended as an improvement on your investment, managing a long list of decisions will make for a shortfall in revenue without the right plan in place†(sansone et al 2009 p. 20). It must be noted that renovation is constantly an ongoing process in hotels and it employs certain decision making factors to ensure its success. These decisions if undermined can cost hoteliers a great deal of money and if taken seriously can reap re wards in other words renovation can either pose a financial challenge if not planned well or reflect profitability if planned well. There is nothing worse than being in a hotel when these processes are on going, the noise, the uncertainty and the feeling that you are experiencing ‘second best’. The following decisions have been identified through research that renovation undergoes the following processes. Planning In the planning process, elements such as team, budget, timing and marketing are taken into consideration. Team: It has been argued that the very first step when the decision on renovation has been taken is the selection of a team usually comprising experts and project managers. Rowe and Megan1995,Hassien and Baum 2002). These people are usually charged with the responsibility of providing expertise in the accomplishment of budgets, contingencies and scheduling from the start till finish of the project and can be a complete waste of time and money if they are not involved in the renovation project(Sansone et al 2009 ). Budget: This usually involves taking into consideration a realistic amou nt of money that is believed to be enough to finance the project. It is also the most important and critical aspect pertaining to the project. It is usually based on criteria such as the time value of money, wealth maximisation and risk accommodation. Timing: Recognising when to undertake a renovation is also very important in the decision making process. This is because hoteliers must carry out such projects when occupancy is low so that renovation can be carried out with less disruptions and minimise risk in terms of safety Bowe and Megan 1995 ) It is also interesting to note that there aside the above decisions taken during the renovation process, key areas of long term decision making is that of investment. The decision to carry out these important changes must, of course, involve a much more complex set of criteria. The key concept of finance being the first that is reviewed and factored in terms of risk. It is assumed that the objective of any financial investment is to maximise economic benefits. Hence â€Å"projects which pass through the preliminary screening phase become candidates for rigorous financial appraisal to ascertain if they would add value to the firm (Dayananda et al 2002 p. 7). Four investment appraisal techniques namely, ARR(average rate of return, Payback, NPV(Net present value)and IRR(Internal rate of return)are usually considered in the decision making process in large companies with Payback and NPV proving to be the most popular(Lamminmaki et al cited in Guilding 2005 p. 205) To touch briefly on the above; ARR- measures the incremental operating income that will be generated per dollar of investment in other words it measures profitability by comparing the required investment to future annual earnings(Oliver& Amacom 1999p. 11, Dayananda et al 2002 p43) Payback-It attempts to forecast how long it will take for the expected net cash inflows to payback the investment outlays (Glautier and Underdown 2001 p. 448) NPV- The excess of the present value (PV) of cash inflows generated by the project over the amount of the initial investment (Shim&Siegel 2007 p. 209) IRR- It represents the true interest rate earned on an investment over the course of its economic life (Colin Drury 2004 p. 501. For the following the NPV and IRR are used as being the most important in the individual case studies. This does not mean the others would not work, simply these were the most appropriate. Informed assumptions are made within the case studies as only outline information was available from the companies Case study 1 January 18-24, 2004 Crown Plaza Owners of the hotel invested 7 million dollars to renovate the crown plaza in Philadelphia to restore the hotels reputation which owners believed have suffered as a place for corporate meetings and stays as well as well as to target the SMERF market(social, military, educational, religious, fraternal bookings). Hotel owners updated rooms ,with a redone lobby, restaurant, common areas and meeting rooms. The hotel is located on city avenue and is a walking distance from the new target store, that brought with it a host of smaller retailers including chipotle grill, sandwich works and California pizza. â€Å"I’m not sure how it affects business, but guests like to walk to a restaurant which is definitely a convenience for guests†. Calculating IRR IRR=A+(Na/Na-Nb)*(B-A) Where A =Lower DF (10%), B = Higher DF (20%), Na=NPV at 10% Nb= NPV at 20%. Therefore; IRR= 10+ (0. 662/0. 662-1. 02) * (20-10) IRR= 10+ (-O. 2) *(10) IRR=9. 98 Case study 2 The Grand Hyatt (New York) July 15, 2004 To reaffirm the brand as a leader in the multi purpose hotels, the Grand Hyatt under took a 55million dollar renovation project. The project touched every area of the hotel with more emphasis on guest room and meeting spaces. The guest rooms were designed to give them a more international look with desig n elements including a colour palette of golds and taupe with blue accents. Roman shades dug in into the window wells to replace traditional draperies, an all new cabling and wired smoke detection and emergency communication system. Work and play amenities include a 27- inch flat screen T. V, a standard workstation with ergonomic chair, CD- clock radio. Bathrooms were upgraded with porcelain tiles, black granite pedestal sinks, stone flooring and curved shower rods. An entire floor was upgraded into a high tech conference centre targeting financial companies that needed the latest technology as well as privacy to do their business. Therefore calculating the NPV for case study 1 is illustrated below In evaluating both studies it is obvious that the main reasons for undertaking these renovation projects was to: Compete against other hotels Satisfy their customers Increase profitability by attracting customers. The basic rule underlying NPV is that if the present value of the returns exceed the present value of costs then the project should go ahead since it will increase profits. (Atkinson and Miller p. 315). In other words the project should be carried out if the NPV is positive. In case study 1 an initial investment of 7million dollars in year 0 is assumed to give rise to inflows of 2million dollars for each of years 1 to 5 So in this case an NPV of 0. 662 and 1. 02 respectively are both positive figures and hence the project will be profitable. However this same projects could be risky because of it’s IRR. For instance Finnerty(2005 p. 157) is of the view that ifthe IRR exceeds the project’s cost of capital then the projects should be undertaken but in this case an IRR of 9. 98 is less than both the lower and higher discount factors of 10% and 20% respectively and therefore will be in the interest of decision makers to forgo the project. In case study 2 an initial investment of 55million dollars in year 0 is assumed to give rise to inflows of 12million dollars for each of years 1 to 5. In this case an NPV of 9. 52 also indicates a positive figure hence a profitable project. This suggest that higher is better for both NPV and IRR in other words investments with higher rates of return are more profitable than investments with lower rates of return but it can be argued that â€Å"since the economic environment is dynamic the cost of capital can be influenced by such changes,(Watson &Head 2007) rather it will be better if business owners sought to maximise shareholders wealth through considering their investment value in monetary terms rather than focusing so much on it’s immediate return. Moreover both the NPV and IRR have its merits as well as its demerits. Atkinson and Miller(1998 p. 18)give the following merits for the NPV; Gives a clear quantitative result Emphasises the time value of money and makes it superior to methods which do not involve discounting. Involves maximisation of present values of future cash flows thereby maximising shareholder wealth. Despite its merits ,Siddiqui (2005 p. 325,Rashid, Raj & Walters 2008p. 194) of the view tha t ; It is not helpful in comparing two projects with different cash flows It may be misleading in comparing projects of unequal lives It is complicated to estimate the values of cash inflows and outflows over the life of a project. Alternatively, (Capon& Disbury 2004 p. 224) state that the IRR has the following merits; It results in a clear percentage return required on investment since emphasis is placed on liquidity in calculation. It’s the measure of the intensity of capital use and also gives a return for risks Takes into consideration the time value of money and deals with discount cash flows. Several authors strongly oppose and cite reasons as to why the IRR may not be the best financial appraisal. For example ( Dyson 2004, Mclaney& Atrill 2007) give the following reasons It does not maximise shareholders’ wealth There is difficulty in handling projects with unconventional cash flows It gives only an approximate rate of return It can be misleading especially where there are negative net cash flows in subsequent years and when one project has to be opted for in favour of another i. e. mutually exclusive project. Conclusion Hotel renovation is an inevitable process especially if hoteliers wish to secure their positions in the marketplace and also keep up with the constantly changing needs of the consumer. The two investment appraisal methods i. e the NPV and IRR usually used by decision makers Moreover the customer be it a business traveller or holiday maker is the most important element to the hospitality industry, to such a customer, the most important criteria are an appealing image, safety and security, standard of service and most of all value for money. Leaders in the industry must in no uncertain terms ensure that they meet expectations. So regardless of the financial appraisal techniques considered in the decision making process, hotel renovations are a must unless hoteliers are looking to reposition further down the market for instance choosing to go two star(2) or three(3) then they could be justified if they chose not to renovate otherwise they should be aware that they stand the chance of loosing market share if they do not renovate when required. Reccommendations Although investment decisions are carried out in the hope of generating future returns, the most important question hoteliers should be concerned with is whether they will be in business if they compromised their standards and quality of service by not repositioning as a result of lack of funds. The following suggestions have been given to serve as a guide to hoteliers wishing to renovate in the near future. Due to the costly nature of renovation, hoteliers could consider alternative sources of capital such as loans that offer low interest rates and low down payments that are unlikely to change during the period of the loan. Also hoteliers must endeavour to give priority to areas that need immediate attention, they can achieve this by segmenting the market in order to identify the needs of the market that way they are able to know what to accomplish in the shortest possible time without breaking the bank. Again in the present downturn, hoteliers must find ways to cut down on renovation expenses. For example if there is a choice of choosing between minor renovations such as the changing of bedding, drapes, curtains etc to major renovations that deal with heavy equipments, hoteliers will be better off going for minor renovations. Moreover they could also seek advice (in terms of selecting contractors and experts that are willing to offer reasonable rates) from hoteliers that may have undertaken a similar project. In addition, Harris & Joanne (2003) advice that the best time to undertaken renovations should be less busy periods. Executive Summary The concept of repositioning was looked at in terms of two hotels. It looked at the repositioning and renovation concept. It was realised that the main reasons for carrying out these renovations was to satisfy the customer in order to ensure repeat business, differentiate form other competitors to maintain a leading position, open new markets, and also increase profitability. In order to achieve this certain decisions had to be carried out, emphasis was placed on two investment appraisal methods i. e the NPV (Net present value) and IRR (Internal rate of return) since hotel renovation involved a great deal of budgeting. It was realised that regardless of the investment appraisal methods, hotel renovations was inevitable. The conclusion was hoteliers had to renovate if they wanted secure the business in the constantly changing environment and also if they wanted to meet the changing needs of the consumer. It may be that they repositioned by default? Journals Ahmed Hassien, Tom Baum(2002) Hotel repositioning through property renovation. Tourism and hospitality research Vol. 4 p. 144 Beirne, Mike(2004) Crown plaza’s bed time story Brand week Vol. 45 ,pp. 12-12 Brennan, Kate(2001) Lodging hospitality Vol. 57, p. 36 Construction industry institute(2006), ‘definition for renovation’. Available from: http://www. Construction institute . org/ script content/cfm. Assessed [April 1 2009] Crompton, John L. (2009) Strategies for implementing repositioning of leisure services Vol. 14, pp. 87-111 Foong, Keat(2009) Multi- housing news Vol. 44 pp. 14-15 Harris ,Joanne (2003) Motel management Vol. 218 p. 36 Hermann, Daniel (2008) Repositioning for the future. Long term living for the continuing care. Vol 57 p. 3 John W. O’Neill, Anna S. Mattila (2006) Strategic hotel development and positioning: The effects of revenue drivers on profitability. Cornell hotel and restaurant administration quarterly pp. 7; 146 Jonathan C. Nehmer, Donald A. Noveau(2005) Renovate or Reposition know the difference. 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