Monday, December 30, 2019

The Machiavellian Approach to Management Essay - 973 Words

The Machiavellian Approach to Management Whether you love him/her or hate him/her everybody has one†¦a boss. Most people have their own opinions as to what kind of boss it is that they would like to work for. Most would probably agree that the worst kind of boss is a new boss. This is more than likely due to people’s extraordinary fear of change and the unknown. Whatever the reason, the employee always has the option to leave their position and seek work elsewhere. The same can not be said for subjects of states, who by no action of their own, were to be ruled by a new prince. Just as varied as the ways in which one â€Å"inherits† a new boss, likewise new principalities have an abundance of ways of being acquired. Niccolo†¦show more content†¦Adding fuel to an already explosive situation, by making changes to company policy should be avoided at all costs. However, as Machiavelli suggests that a boss â€Å"by birth [has] less need to harm his[/her]† employees, thus putting some of th e fears towards the new boss to rest (8). When a principality is acquired through an acquisition of a non-hostile nature, it is the prince who may have fears. The prince of a â€Å"mixed principality† faces more difficulties than those of a hereditary principality. Machiavelli suggests that these â€Å"difficulties derive from one natural problem inherent in all new principalities: men gladly change their masters, thinking to better themselves† (8). Additionally, the new prince is, out of necessity, going to offend his new subjects by bringing in â€Å"his soldiers and [causing] other countless injuries that are involved in his new conquest† (8). These same problems will face the management of a newly acquired business. Those employees that are retained will automatically look to better their current position by less than honest means. Those â€Å"left over† from the old regime may be inclined to steal from the company out of fear that they may soon be replaced. Thus, endangering the alread y financially unstable situation that an acquisition puts a company in. Therefore, measures must be taken to ensure that the state/company not be lost due to an uprising by theShow MoreRelatedMachiavellian Prince Analysis1688 Words   |  7 Pageswould find Machiavelli’s concept of a prince to be a leader void of these qualities. Socrates would be critical of a Machiavellian prince’s character and actions for failing to meet his morally absolute standard of goodness, and of the Machiavellian prince’s notion of wisdom for conflicting with his own. Socrates would not be supportive of the political system formed under a Machiavellian prince, the perpetuation of which inherently clashes with his stringent moral absolutism and ideals of devotion toRead MoreRelevance Of Personality And Psychopathy1057 Words   |  5 Pagesthus) derives from an ethical typology of organisational morality. The creation of a four square matrix from the Machiavellian â€Å"ethic† of means and ends identify four distinct ethical organisational styles; Machiavellian and criminal on one hand, and Kantian and â€Å"ethicall† on the other. In the Machiavellian matrix, the four types occupy the different sections of the diagram †¢ Machiavellian characterised by an extreme pragmatism, with the moral valence of the actions taken managerially are judged byRead MoreArgument Favor Of Establishing A Positive Culture1408 Words   |  6 Pagescontrolling is a fundamental function of management. Manipulation is not solely bound to a Machiavellian style of leadership. If a manager gives an inspirational speech in order to motivate and invigorate their staff, they are being manipulative. The sole idea that if an employee will get fired and therefore cease to receive a paycheck if they do not complete the assigned work adequately is manipulative. Being manipulative is only negative in the confines of a Machiavellian leadership style, but creatingRead MoreHuman Dynamics-Motivation, Attitude, Perception Assignment1359 Words   |  6 Pagesin that precise domain where she made the change. It seems impossible, but that is precisely how life works. She happily narrated this incident to our family last month. It shows how positive attitude makes all the difference. Few steps that the management could have taken to change attitude of Mrs Kumar are: * Active Participation-Senior manager if would have encouraged Mrs kumar to actively discuss her ideas, suggestions and views about important issues related to organization, she would haveRead More Fighting the War on Terrorism Essay1247 Words   |  5 Pagesfield is to accuse them of possessing Machiavellian morals. Until recently, todays political arena has been consumed by such illusive and controversial topics as human rights and the environment. Thus, it is easy to see why being referred to as a disciple of the austere Machiavellian principle could result in the untimely death of a political career. However, as of September 11th, the times have changed and so should the mindset with which politicians approach such elusive topics. This tragedyRead More Changing Interpretations of The Prince and Niccolo Machiavelli2638 Words   |  11 Pagesthe supreme confidence, bordering on arrogance, that pervades The Patriot.† (Anton, 5/27/96) Dick Morris, in his The New Prince, displays his own political ideologies and talks about his experience in the Clinton White House for examples of Machiavellian behavior. â€Å"Morris’s book is all about Bill Clinton, and not incidentally about himself.† (Emery, 7/26/99) Despite his high political standing, he is not qualified to become Machiavelli’s torchbearer in the twenty-first century. â€Å"The book doesRead MoreWhat I Learned About Myself By Prentice Hall Self- Assessment1675 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"having heated discussions with them† only leads to further â€Å"heated discussions†. As a Type ‘B’ I realized that the best way to get your point across to a Type ‘A’ is by producing great results in your duties, this shows them that your â€Å"lackadaisical† approach was not in vain. Good introductory paragraph Values and Attitude Insights In viewing my values, I scored the highest for values related to salvation and helping others with my lowest ranking scores being pride in accomplishments and recognitionRead MoreTo Be Loved or Feared as a Leader? Essay1710 Words   |  7 Pagesrecognizes the opposite polarity of the two emotions and maintains that since it is difficult to combine both in one person, it is better to be feared as a leader than to be loved (Machiavelli, 2003, p.53). Today, about five hundred years later, the Machiavellian concept of a feared leader is still quite rigorously followed by leaders in fields including business. The issue that crops up here is the overemphasis on soft emotions like love in almost every facet of life as opposed to the use of fear whenRead MoreTo be loved or feared as a leader?1706 Words   |  7 Pagesrecognizes the opposite polarity of the two emotions and maintains that since it is difficult to combine both in one person, it is better to be feared as a leader than to be loved (Machiavelli, 2003, p.53). Today, about five hundred years later, the Machiavellian concept of a feared leader is still quite rigorously followed by leaders in fields including business. The issue that crops up here is the overemphasis on soft emotions like love in almost every facet of life as opposed to the use of fear whenRead MoreHow Organizational Size and Structure Influences Control1375 Words   |  6 Pageswhile also being continually influenced by stakeholder requirements (Inzerilli, Rosen, 1983). Organizational size and structure have relatively simplistic effects on control and culture when a strict, hierarchical approach to defining organizational structures is undertaken. This approach to organizational structures, while very adept at managing communication and clear lines of authority, these structures lack the agility and responsiveness of being able to respond quickly to global uncertainty and

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Hiv And South East Asia - 2106 Words

The most HIV-affected region in the world is sub-Saharan Africa, which had an estimated 68 percent of all cases and 66 percent of all deaths in the year 2010. South and South East Asia is the second most affected region, containing an estimated 12 percent of all people living with HIV in 2010 and about 2.4 million of these are in India. As of 2009 in the UK there were approximately 86,500 cases and 516 deaths. As of 2008 in Canada there were approximately 65,000 and 53 deaths. Prevalence is the lowest in Central and Western Europe at 0.2 percent, North Africa and Middle East at 0.1 percent, and East Asia at 0.1 percent. Today the world’s population is approximately 7.2 billion, 319 million of which is the population of the US. HIV/AIDS†¦show more content†¦This RNA genome is bound to nucleocapsid proteins as well as the enzymes needed for the development of the virion. These are enclosed by a cone-shaped capsid. A matrix that is composed of another protein surrounds the capsid, which is in turn, surrounded by the viral envelope that is composed of two phospholipid layers derived from the host human cell membrane when a newly formed virus budded from the cell. There are proteins embedded in this envelope that stick out through the surface of the virus membrane and allow the virus to connect and fuse with target cells in order to begin infecting those cells. These embedded proteins are glycoprotein complexes that consist of a cap called gp120, and a stem called gp41which anchors the complex in the envelope. HIV primarily targets components of the human immune system that express the CD4 protein as a surface receptor, such as CD4+ T cells, which are mature T helper cells that express the protein on their surface, macrophages, and dendritic cells. HIV gains entry into these cells through interaction of the virion’s gp120 protein with the CD4 receptor molecule on the target and also, secondarily, with chemokine co-receptors, including CCR5 and CXCR4. Macrophagetropic, or M-tropic, strains of HIV-1 are also called R5 viruses because they use the chemokine co-receptor CCR5 for entry. T cell, or T-tropic, strains are also called X4

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Women of Kievan Rus Free Essays

The women of Kievan Rus were in a much different setting and social structure than their western counterparts. With the arrival of Christianity in Kievan Rus can new changes to family relations and positions of women in society and the household. The church divided women into two groups, the â€Å"good† and the â€Å"evil† women. We will write a custom essay sample on Women of Kievan Rus or any similar topic only for you Order Now The determination of who fell into what group was determined on how they compared to the norms of behavior of saints. With women divided into two groups the church focused more on the conduct of â€Å"evil† women. The church handed down instructions on the conduct of women. The core of these instructions was based on the submissiveness of women to god and their husbands. They urged women to stay silent and be socially dependent. But women’s lives were not totally controlled and they were not treated sub-humanly. As seen in the treaty between Novgorod and Gotland slave women had rights and were defended against harm. The example it gives is the denial to rape or harm slave women. Their social roles were protected and offenders would have to stand trial and pay a heavy fine. Their counterparts, free women were also protected and held interesting privileges. Women were well protected from anything stemming from simple insults to rape. They also had a choice in their marriage partner and if they were forced into a marriage then the parents would have to pay a hefty fine. There were documents unearthed, which showed that Novgorod women lent money and owned land. Women in Novgorod and Kievan Rus were a unique sect of society with both freedoms and restrictions. How to cite Women of Kievan Rus, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Comparison of Child Prodigy W.a Mozart and Michael Jackson free essay sample

Schizophrenia is a devastating psychiatric disorder that affects -?1% of the population worldwide (Scores 2009). It is characterized by so-called positive symptoms- including delusions and hallucinations-negative symptoms-including blunted emotions and social isolation-and cognitive deficits-including impairments in attention and working memory (Scores 2009). It is a mental illness, believed to be the results of multiple factors both genetic and environmental. Affecting over 2 million people in the US alone, it has become a major clinical and public health concern worldwide.However, it has been referred to as a hidden epidemic. The repose of this paper is to define schizophrenia, inform about the symptoms, risk factors, and treatment for schizophrenia. My research Is qualitative, based on examples of different types of Schizophrenia and to explain It is psychological disorder which can afflict a person throughout their lifetime due to it is like all other mental illness, there is no known cure. Keywords: Defining Schizophrenia, Symptoms, Risk Factors, and Treatment Salisbury, Austria, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a master of music. We will write a custom essay sample on Comparison of Child Prodigy W.a Mozart and Michael Jackson or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Mozart was a child prodigy, and was able to play the piano, violin, and organ by age six but composing his own music at five (Wright, 2004). His father, Leopold Mozart, sacrificed his own career as a respected composer and theorist so he could concentrate on fostering his prodigy sons talents. He taught Mozart the violin, piano and musical theory, all of which Mozart excelled at. At the age of four, Mozart was writing piano concertos and he completed his first opera, when he was eleven.Mozart spent most of his childhood touring Europe with his sister and he got his first Job at the age thirteen for the Archbishop of Salisbury. He worked here for twelve years until the archbishop dismissed him. Mozart moved to Vienna, the musical capital of the world at the time. He had been successful there as a child prodigy but as an adult had difficulty in finding work. Let was in Vienna that Mozart met Haydn, who took Mozart under his wing and nurtured Mozart talents like a second father. To make a living, Mozart wrote operas which were becoming very popular. Musical ideas sprang from Mozart mind. His only task in composing was actually writing the music down on paper. Around this time he fell in love with a woman called Alyssa Weber. He asked her to marry him but she declined and so he married her sister Constance instead. For their wedding, Mozart wrote his great C-minor composition. Mozart had more success as a composer when he visited Prague. He was commissioned to write several operas and he enjoyed a successful career.Mozart was convinced while he Nas writing Requiem commissioned by an unnamed stranger that it was his own requiem and he was right. He raced to finish it but in the end only completed a few movements and a sketchy outline of the rest of the piece. He died probably from poor health when he was Just thirty five years old. The Requiem was completed by one of Mozart pupils, Summary. Mozart was apolitical. He was very classical. He appreciated Bach and had a large output: 49 symphonies and 18 operas. References Milliner, T. Weinberg, D. (1998). Feeling Depressed or Anxious. Comparison of Child Prodigy W.a Mozart and Michael Jackson free essay sample Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Tamekia Rhodes, Shorter University Professionals Study Abstract Schizophrenia is a devastating psychiatric disorder that affects ~1% of the population worldwide (Corves 2009). It is characterized by so-called ‘positive symptoms’–including delusions and hallucinations–‘negative symptoms’–including blunted emotions and social isolation–and cognitive deficits–including impairments in attention and working memory (Corves 2009). It is a mental illness, believed to be the results of multiple factors both genetic and environmental.Affecting over 2 million people in the US alone, it has become a major clinical and public health concern worldwide. However, it has been referred to as a hidden epidemic. The purpose of this paper is to define schizophrenia, inform about the symptoms, risk factors, and treatment for schizophrenia. My research is qualitative, based on examples of different types of Schizophrenia and to explain it is psychological disorder which can afflict a person throughout their lifetime due to it is like all other mental illness, there is no known cure. We will write a custom essay sample on Comparison of Child Prodigy W.a Mozart and Michael Jackson or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Keywords: Defining Schizophrenia, Symptoms, Risk Factors, and TreatmentComparison of Child Prodigy W. A Mozart and Michael Jackson Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in 1756. From the very beginning of his life in Salzburg, Austria, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a master of music. Mozart was a child prodigy, and was able to play the piano, violin, and organ by age six but composing his own music at five (Wright, 2004). His father, Leopold Mozart, sacrificed his own career as a respected composer and theorist so he could concentrate on fostering his prodigy sons talents. He taught Mozart the violin, piano and musical theory, all of which Mozart excelled at.At the age of four, Mozart was writing piano concertos and he completed his first opera, when he was eleven. Mozart spent most of his childhood touring Europe with his sister and he got his first job at the age thirteen for the Archbishop of Salzburg. He worked here for twelve years until the archbishop dismissed him. Mozart moved to Vienna, the musical capital of the world at the time. He had been successful there as a child prodigy but as an adult had difficulty in finding work. It was in Vienna that Mozart met Haydn, who took Mozart under his wing and nurtured Mozart talents like a second father.To make a living, Mozart wrote operas which were becoming very popular. Musical ideas sprang from Mozarts mind. His only task in composing was actually writing the music down on paper. Around this time he fell in love with a woman called Aloysia Weber. He asked her to marry him but she declined and so he married her sister Constanze instead. For their wedding, Mozart wrote his great C-minor composition. Mozart had more success as a composer when he visited Prague. He was commissioned to write several operas and he enjoyed a successful career.Mozart was convinced while he was writing Requiem commissioned by an unnamed stranger that it was his own requiem and he was right. He raced to finish it but in the end only completed a few movements and a sketchy outline of the rest of the piece. He died probably from poor health when he was just thirty five years old. The Requiem was completed by one of Mozarts pupils, Sussmayr. Mozart was apolitical. He was very classical. He appreciated Bach and had a large output: 49 symphonies and 18 operas.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Roe Decomposition Essays - Financial Ratios,

Roe Decomposition Du pont decomposition of ROE LA Gear's ROE has decreased over the last three years from 49.45% in 1988 to 15.22% in 1990. Profitability (NI/Sales) has also fallen dramatically from 9.8 % in 1988 to 3.47% in 1990. Asset turnover has increased from 1.69 to 2.48, because while sales have quadrupled, total assets have only increased by about 2.7 times. Profitability The gross profit margin has dropped from 42.29% in 1988 to 34.41% in 1990. LA Gear's operating profit margin has decreased from 18.52% to 7.75%. This is due to a dramatic increase in operating expenses. The decreasing net profit margins (9.85% to 3.47%) is due to lower gross profit margins and expenses. Net profit margin, gross profit margin and operating profit margin are all below industry standards. Asset turnover La Gear's total asset turnover has increased from 1.69 to 2.48 due to the fact that sales has increased at a faster rate than inventory levels have. Inventory turnover has also increased from 1.94 to 3.68 although it is still below industry standards. Slow inventory turnover may be due to out of date inventory. Average collection period decreased from 1988 to 1989 but then went up slightly in 1990 Leverage LA Gear has not been able to improve its ROE even thought it improved its asset efficiency, its profitability and leverage have decreased. Assets to equity have decreased from 1988 but is still above the average. This increase in debt has led to an increase of inventory. Times interest earned has dropped from 10.10 to 3.77, which is way below industry standards. Liquidity LA Gear's short-term liquidity (current ratio) has increased but is still below standards. This is due to an increase in current assets such as inventory and receivables. Recommendations for Improvement LA Gear might be able to increase inventory turnover by relaxing credit terms and accepting a higher collection period. Getting rid of old merchandise could also help bring the inventory turnover up to industry standards. Cutting operating expenses would increase their profit margins. Bibliography junj Business

Monday, November 25, 2019

Biography of Meyer Lansky

Biography of Meyer Lansky Meyer Lansky was a powerful member of the mafia during the early to mid-1900s. He was involved with both the Jewish mafia and the Italian mafia and is sometimes referred to as the â€Å"Mob’s Accountant.† Meyer Lansky’s Personal Life Meyer Lansky was born Meyer Suchowljansky in Grodno, Russia (now Belarus) on July 4, 1902. The son of Jewish parents, his family immigrated to the United States in 1911 after suffering at the hands of pogroms (anti-Jewish mobs). They settled in New York City’s Lower East Side and by 1918 Lansky was running a youth gang with another Jewish teen who would also become a prominent member of the mafia: Bugsy Siegel. Known as the Bugs-Meyer Gang, their activities began with theft before expanding to include gambling and bootlegging. In 1929 Lansky married a Jewish woman named Ana Citron who was a friend of Bugsy Siegel’s girlfriend, Esta Krakower. When their first child, Buddy, was born they discovered that he suffered from cerebral palsy. Ana blamed her husband for Buddy’s condition, worrying that God was punishing the family for Lansky’s criminal activities. Though they went on to have another son and a daughter, eventually the couple divorced in 1947. Not long afterward Ana was placed in a mental hospital. The Mob’s Accountant Eventually, Lansky and Siegel became involved with Italian gangster Charles â€Å"Lucky† Luciano. Luciano was behind the formation of a national crime syndicate and allegedly decided to murder Sicilian crime boss Joe â€Å"The Boss† Masseria on the advice of Lanksy.  Masseria was gunned down in 1931 by four hitmen, one of whom was Bugsy Siegel. As Lanksy’s influence grew he became one of the mafia’s major bankers, earning him the nickname of â€Å"The Mob’s Accountant.† He managed mafia funds, financed major endeavors and bribed authority figures and key individuals. He also channeled a natural talent for numbers and business into developing profitable gambling operations in Florida and New Orleans. He was known for running fair gambling houses where players did not have to worry about rigged games. When Lansky’s gambling empire expanded to Cuba he came to an agreement with the Cuban leader Fulgencio Batista. In exchange for monetary kickbacks, Batista agreed to give Lansky and his associates control of Havana’s racetracks and casinos.   He later became interested in the promising location of Las Vegas, Nevada. He helped Bugsy Siegel convince the mob to finance The Pink Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas – a gambling venture that would ultimately lead to Siegel’s death and pave the way for the Las Vegas we know today. World War II During World War II, Lansky reportedly used his mafia connections to break up Nazi rallies in New York. He made it a point to discover where rallies were taking place and would then use mafia muscle to disrupt the rallies. As the war continued, Lansky became involved with anti-Nazi activities sanctioned by the US Government. After trying to enlist in the US Army but being rejected due to his age, he was recruited by the Navy to take part in an initiative that pit organized crime leaders against Axis spies.  Called â€Å"Operation Underworld,† the program sought the aid of the Italian mafia that controlled the waterfront.  Lansky was asked to speak with his friend Lucky Luciano who by this point was in prison but still controlled the Italian mafia. As a result of Lanskys involvement, the mafia provided security along the docks in New York Harbor where ships were being built. This period in Lansky’s life is portrayed in the novel â€Å"The Devil Himself† by author Eric Dezenhall. Lansky’s Later Years As Lansky’s influence in the mafia grew so did his wealth. By the 1960s, his empire included shady dealings with gambling, narcotics smuggling and pornography in addition to legitimate holdings in hotels, golf courses, and other business ventures. Lansky’s worth was widely believed to be in the millions by this time, a rumor that no doubt led to his being brought up on charges of income tax evasion in 1970. He fled to Israel in the hopes that the Law of Return would prevent the US from trying him. However, though the Law of Return allows any Jew to settle in Israel it does not apply to those with a criminal past. As a result, Lansky was deported to the US and brought to trial. He was acquitted in 1974 and resumed a quiet life in Miami Beach, Florida. Though Lansky is often thought of as a mafia man of considerable wealth, biographer Robert Lacey dismisses such ideas as â€Å"sheer fantasy.† To the contrary, Lacey believes that Lansky’s investments didn’t see him into his retirement years, which is why his family didn’t inherit millions when he died of lung cancer on January 15, 1983. Meyer Lansky’s Character in Boardwalk Empire In addition to Arnold Rothstein and Lucky Luciano, the HBO series â€Å"Boardwalk Empire† features Meyer Lansky as a recurring character. Lansky is played by actor Anatol Yusef and first appears Season 1 Episode 7. References: Lacey, Robert. Little Man: Meyer Lansky the Gangster Life. Random House: New York, 1993.History.com (Meyer Lanksy article on History.com is no longer available.)Time.comBio.com

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Four forces of Evolution & Speciation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Four forces of Evolution & Speciation - Essay Example The ones focused on are; Species, Population, the four forces of evolution, the variation within and between populations, isolating mechanisms and speciation. Microevolution: This describes the significant changes that occur in a species over time, to give it traits or groups of traits classifying it differently from its original species, for example, as a sub-species, a variety or a race (Maiti & Maiti 252). Macroevolution: This describes the significant changes in a species over time that makes it into a totally different species. An example is the evolution of earlier tetrapods into mammals. The results of this process are cumulative that is, the species form after an evolution for over millions of years (Maiti & Maiti 254). Gene flow: This is the transfer of gene alleles from one population to the other. Populations are different from species. A population is defined as the number of a specific species of an organism, found in a specific geographic region. A species is a population of organisms defined by their ability to interbreed naturally among themselves, and produce offspring that can also interbreed. The transfer of alleles, therefore, causes changes in the genetic make-up of the population, hence their traits (Maiti & Maiti 256). There are other issues that take part in the evolution, but differently. One of such factors is the isolation mechanisms. Species have similar genes and a common ancestry, yet still, there are those of similar genes and a common ancestry, but are unable to reproduce. This is explained by the isolation mechanisms. Isolation mechanisms are functional, structural, and behavioral characteristics that prevent species from reproducing. Isolation mechanisms, therefore, play a role in maintaining particular species and creating new ones. The development of a new species from an evolutionary process is known as speciation that is influenced by all the above evolutionary

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

High school Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

High school - Research Paper Example There are various phases in a person’s development and growth which are more memorable than others. For some, high school life is the most endearing due to the new relationships and experiences that occur at the opportune time. As adolescents explore the world and develop strong bonds with friends and teachers, it is recognized that level and depth of relationships differ according to formal or informal structures (Chapter 4: School and Classroom Environment). With regard to student-teacher relationships, some students have formal relationships with teachers, and some of them have informal relationships with teachers. Formal relationships between students and teachers exist when communication patterns and lines of authority are clearly established and enforced. As defined, formal structures observe â€Å"sets of rules and regulations that define the relationships between people and tasks, and determine the distribution of power† (Capra 104). In formal relationships, there are evident boundaries and communication is made on a professional manner. The manner of speaking, words chosen, topics of conversation are formally structured and focus mainly on academic performance and progress of the student. Likewise, even the way professors dress or be addressed by title affects the way students apparently perceive relationships as strictly formal (Sebastian and Bristow).

Monday, November 18, 2019

The future of Nuclear Medicine Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The future of Nuclear Medicine - Research Paper Example Nuclear medicine provides Pico molar understanding and exclusive tracer specialty in the in-vivo learning of human pathophysiology for example intake of glucose, somatostatin expression and tissue perfusion. (Peter, 2002, 630) In contrast to anatomic imaging technology nuclear medicine has made great strides in the expansion of new radio-pharmaceuticals but has made little progress in imaging devices. One can define a Nuclear medicine technologist as an expert health care professional, who plays a fundamental part in the field of nuclear medicine or molecular imaging department and find ways to diagnose and treat illnesses. (Peter, 2002, 638) A nuclear medicine technologist works together with doctors, patients, nuclear pharmacists, computer experts, nurses and a number of other health care personnel. In some cases they may keep a direct contact with the patient; where they arrange, standardize and administer radiopharmaceuticals to the patient; they may also carry out different types of imaging procedures with the patient; for example, they may control imaging, lab and computer instrumentation; and looks after radiation protection of the surroundings. Technical progress in technologies such as ultrasound and multidetector CT are remarkable. Harmonic imaging of native tissue (without added contrast) with ultrasound is an example of this. Harmonic imaging detects the second harmonic of the transmitted ultrasound pulse rather than imaging the fundamental frequency. Harmonic imaging provides better contrast than fundamental imaging. Harmonic imaging has been applied to the heart to enhance delineation of lesions and perfusion. Strauss (2007) compared harmonic ECHO (with added echo contrast) to myocardial perfusion imaging with 99mTc–sestamibi at rest and pharmacological stress. In addition to ultrasound improvements in multidetector X-ray-computed tomography has made CT angiography a standard practice and enhanced the

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Social Learning Theory And Tv Children And Young People Essay

Social Learning Theory And Tv Children And Young People Essay Children spend over 1,500 hours watching television in the course of a year; this amount of time spent in front of the television is significant when compared to the amount of hours a child spends in school, which is on average about 900 hours (Herr, 2007). Television impacts the lives of children in todays society with violence being the main message in the majority of shows. TV has become an ongoing controversial issue in which many researchers since the 1950s have conducted research studies. This paper will discuss Banduras social cognitive theory and research conducted within the last ten years in order to gain a better understanding of the effects of TV violence and children. Keywords: TV, violence, Bandura, social learning theory Introduction In todays ever evolving world of technology, television is at the top. While technology develops advancements and evolution, TV has maintained its popular presence. Postman (1985) states that television is our cultures way of knowing about itself and goes on to discuss how TV stages the world becomes the model for how the world is properly to be staged (p. 92). When the picture doesnt reflect reality, this is where issues arise. A child being brought up in this type of reality and never knowing life without a television makes them vulnerable to the negative effects of television. A childs cognitive development not being fully matured enough to understand violent messages that the media portrays becomes another issue that arises. Palmer, Hockett, and Dean (1983), found that for many children who watch TV programs geared for adults are not fully equipped emotionally or cognitively enough. Also it is to be noted that many of these children watch these types of program without adult supervision (p. 290). Difficulty to react emotionally to these types of TV messages is a lack of cognitive development (Potter, 2008, p. TV Violence 458). Potter (2008) further notes that until a child has developed certain knowledge structures, they will lack certain perspectives of how to view the world around them (p. 61). Television broadcasts many meaningful messages such as violence that not only entertains our children but has a huge impact on their lives. TVs popularity on violent programs has become an issue that many researchers have conducted research on since the 1950s. Gerbner states that being brought up around a violent culture develops aggressiveness, as well as, insecurity, anger, mistrust and desensitization in many (Stossel, 1997, p. 91). Many researchers attest that violent television viewing contributes to antisocial behaviors as well as other variable factors. Ongoing debates go on of whether long or short term effects of TV viewing occur, and children are the main focal group that needs special protection from the negative effects of violence on TV (Potter, 2008, p. 62). The TV generations of children are bleak bunch when compared to earlier generations of children who seemed to be more outgoing and playful (McLuhan Fiore, 1967, p. 126). Researchers today state that children who spend more time in front of the television are at a higher level of risk for developing antisocial effects. Just about every household in the United States has at least one television if not more, and with that said many children are being exposed to violent images and programs at a very young age. Flavell and Ross (1981) state that 4 to 6 year olds have little reflective understanding of their moral knowledge and have an intuitive moral competence that they answer questions about moral rules and in how they excuse their transgressions and react to the transgressions of others. (p. 288) The social learning theory was developed by Albert Bandura in 1977 and states that everyday individuals observe the actions of others in ways of being rewarded, ignored, or punished (p. 46). This theory is most relevant theory in criminology. Social learning can take place at age; however, research has shown that social learning is most important during childhood years. With this has come the influential debate on the effects of children and TV violence. Banduras most famous research was based on his Bobo doll experiment that demonstrated social learning theory in that children are more likely to be violent towards a life size doll after watching an adult be violent to the doll on TV. Theory Relevance Banduras social learning theory emphasizes the importance as well as the modeling behaviors, attitudes and emotional reactions of others. Bandura (1977) further notes that Learning would be exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous, if people had to rely solely on the effects of their own action to inform them what to do. Fortunately, most human behaviors is learned by observation through modeling; from observing others individuals tend to form ideas of how new behaviors are performed (p.22). Social learning theory further explains behavioral patterns as having been learned through operant conditioning and observation. Social learning theory extends its details by examining human behaviors through interactions within cognitive, behavioral and environmental influences. Components of social learning theory are: Attention Retention Motor Reproduction Motivation The reason why I chose to discuss social learning theory is mainly because of my own research I conducted a few years ago. The results were comparable to many of the other research studies conducted. Further I chose to discuss the social learning theory because I find it fascinating how this ties into criminal justice and may be a factor in why criminals commit crime. It is possible that criminals who commit crime were exposed to negative activities and never were taught right from wrong, leading many of these offenders to commit crime. It is up to the policy-makers to limit the amount of exposure of violence in the media from young children. It has been notes that violence contributes to 61% of TV programs that children view. Children arent the only ones affected by TV violence, adults are exposed to the same amount of violence as well and most arent even aware of it. In most recent technology, parents can restrict certain television shows from their children, and most recent laws now state that television rates must be present to rate the material being shown (e.g. amount of sexual content or violence). It is up to the government to put restrictions on certain types of shows in order to help restrict young views such as children from watching, which in tale can lead these children into an increased life of crime, thinking it is ok do what they see on TV. It is also up to the government to reduce the amount of violence portrayed on TV. Research Support The following will discuss previous studies conducted on television violence and its impact on children. Gerbners research called The Cultural Indicators Project has been noted to be one of the most widely referenced content analysis dealing with TV violence. In 1976, Gerbner and Gross conducted research with the use of a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health. Their research entailed television programming and its concepts of social reality through a violent profile; which is a set of indicators along with the aspects of the TV world and the concepts of reality that are developed by viewers. In 1995, the Cultural Indicators Project had viewed over 25 years worth of TV programs, their observations consisted of over 3000 programs and 35,000 types of characters from thematic to action heroes (Signorielli, Gerbner, Morgan, 1995). Gerbners study focused mainly on physical, obvious violence, which was the most consistent within the data measuring TV violence (Signorielli, et al., 1995). Other types of research conducted were from the Berkeley Media Studies Group, which focused on new stations that showed real life violence on TV. The Berkeley Media Studies Group focused their research on TV news stations and how they structure the public and policy issue on violence in children (Dorfman, Woodruff, Chavez, Wallack, 1997). Here, researchers conducted over 214 hours worth of local news media in California. The media collected in this study was 1,791 stories related to children, violence, or both. It is to be noted that the research study was done around Halloween in hopes of having a higher rate of news related stories involving children and violence, as well as, any story involving anyone younger than 24 involved in a gang. The results of this study showed that the most frequent topic discussed on the news was in fact violence related (Dorfman, et al., p. 1312); with over 55% of the news stories shown were about children involved in violent acts and about 68% of the violence shown on the news worried children (p. 1314). In todays society, children dont know what it is like to not have a television or TV violence for that matter. Almost every household in the United States 99% has at least one TV in their household, whereas majority owns two or more (Herr, 2007). Bandura (2006) further states that more than half of households in the United States have three or more TVs (as cited in Potter, 2008, p. 5). The Kaiser Family Foundation (2010) conducted a study that found children ranging from ages 8 to 18 watch about 4  ½ hours of TV every day. It is also to be noted that this research found that 71% of these children had TVs in their bedrooms. With high saturation of TV programs, it is evident that there is also high presence of violent programming being watched by these young children. Further, Signorielli (2003) conducted analysis based on a 13 week television program that builds off of research from the Cultural Indicators Project. The results showed no change in level of violence from spring 1993 to fall 2001, where six of the television programs had violence (p. 53). In her study, Signorielli also found that the same amount of violence was being shown but within fewer characters in the TV programs. Therefore, violence on TV in the past 30 years has been found in 60% of TV programs, which breaks down to 4.5 acts per program (p. 54). Glascock (2008) also conducted analysis on children and TV violence, however Glascocks study was based on aggressive behavior (e.g. verbal, physical, and indirect acts of aggressiveness) and TV programs. With 6,599 aggressive acts analyzed, he found that TV programs air approximately 68 acts of aggression every hour (p. 274). Wilson, Smith, Potter, Kunkel, Linz, Colvin, and Donnerstein (2002) conducted a study on the nature as well as the extent of violence on television that mainly targeted children 12 years and younger (p. 5). Their results found that TV programs that targets children had more overall content of violence than non-children related TV shows (p. 29). Further, the results displayed over  ¾ of violent scenes in children shows had some type of humor, whereas  ¼ had aggression displayed in a humorous context (p. 22). With the results of this research Wilson, Colvin, and Smith (2002) wanted to further their research to offenders committing violence. With that said, they discovered that many of the violent offenders (89%) were adults, and children accounted for 4 to 7% based on age. When combined with the 2,500 hours of violent TV programs involved in this study, they discovered that younger offenders view TV violence once every hour and a half, were as adults are engaged 5 times an hour (p. 45). So the research result show that younger offender have a higher chance of being seen as attractive, having less punishment and are more involved in violence that have fewer end result to the victim (p. 53). Christakis and Zimmerman (2007) conducted a five-year observational, longitudinal study that discovered preschoolers; especially boys who view violence on TV do develop subsequent aggressive behavior (p. 996). Huesmann, Moise-Titus, Podolski, and Eron (2003) conducted a 15 year longitudinal study that found high significance in both young boys and girls in relations to aggressive behavior after watch violent TV programs. (p. 203). They note that child ranging in ages from 6 to 9 who watch violent programs on TV that displayed aggressive same-sex characters, and had perceptions of TV violence being real had higher rates of aggression as adults (p. 215). In 1960, a man named Leonard Eron surveyed every eight year old in Columbus County, New York. He stated I want to measure child-rearing practices as they relates to aggression. The parents asked such questions as: Had they read Dr. Spock? How often did their child watch TV? What was their childs favorite show? The results of this survey showed that the more aggressive children watched higher amounts of violent TV programs. However, did watching TV make these children more aggressive or were aggressive children watching violent TV programs? The U.S. Surgeon General formed a committee on TV and social behavior and asked Eron to survey the Columbia County children from 1960 (The Education Digest, October 1994). In 1971, Eron found about 500 of the now 19 year olds from the original sample of 875 children. The Correlation between viewing violence at age 8 and how aggressive the individual was at age 19 was higher than the correlation between watching violence at age 8 and behaving aggressively at age 8. Further, Eron once again was asked to further conduct his study in 1981, using 400 of the subjects being studied again, along with 80 of their offsprings (The Education Digest, October 1994). 30 year old men who had been the most aggressive when they were 8 had more arrests for drunk driving and violent crime and were more abusive to their spouses. Of the 600 subjects whose criminal records were reviewed; those who watched violent TV programs when they were 8 had been arrested more often for violent crimes and self reported fights when consuming alcohol. (The Education Digest, October 1994). In 1973, Tannis McBeth Williams studied children in a Canadian town before and after the town got TV; the results found that creativity dropped and that within two years after the town received the arrival of TV the rates of hitting, shoving, and biting among first and second graders had increased by 160%. Further studies discovered, 10 to 15 years after the TV was introduced, murder rates doubled (Newsweek, December, 1995). Bandura (1960) conducted a study on preschoolers and let them watch TV footage of a man hitting a bobo or clown doll. Afterwards, the children who saw the violent footage were more likely to mimic the same motions the adult did to the doll. Further studies have shown that these child also spontaneously would act out towards a man dressed as a clown as well, indicating that TV violence might spill easily into the real world. In another twist, a group of children saw a similar piece of footage of a man hitting a doll but being spanked for the actions. The children who watched this footage were less likely to attack the doll themselves (Newsweek, December, 1995). Discussion Current and past research has shown that many of the children who view violent content on TV at a young age do grow up to be violent. Banduras research with the Bobo doll clearly shows the effects of violence on children. In a study covering from 1982 to 1992, researchers found that for every 10 prime-time male characters who commit violence, 11 were victims. For every 10 female offenders, there were 17 female victims and for every 10 women of color given power, 22 were victimized (Newsweek, December 1995). Research also shows that 10% of violence comes from what we learn as children. Numerous years of research on this subject has proven that the more violence children are brought up around the more they think it is ok. It is also to be noted that this type of research establishes causation, which can determine cause and effect between variable. Not all research on this violence and children are accurate, not all children grow up to be violent offenders either. This is where most of the research becomes weak. There is no evidence or other factors that are tested to prove that TV violence is in fact the only contributor to offenders committing violent acts of crime. Much of these studies have been controlled type studies, and with this, controlled studies can be artificial, or done in a lab type setting which tends to eliminate real life effects on this type of study. It also should be noted that much of the research conducted on this subject have been done in previous years where exposure to TV violence was mild compared to current TV programs. Also, studies conducted in past years had fewer channels to choose from limiting the amount of available violent content. Studies suggest a high correlation between exposure to TV violence and violent behavior. Results of studies should be used to educate the public, parents, children, and programmers. Further, making suggestions on what can be utilized from parents, and criminologist may also help understand better the correlation between the two. Awareness on TV violence needs to be utilized in order to see who is at higher risks of violence. With the use of TV ratings on shows, parents are able to decide what shows there children are allowed to watch and in return reduce the amount of violence young children watch, reducing the effects of young children committing crime. Summary and Conclusions In todays society not many individuals can say they can pass the day without engaging in some sort of use of the television; whether it is used for entertainment or background noise. Signorielli (2006) notes that the television is the most all-encompassing mass medium in the United States and with this Postman (1992) stresses the need for American culture to change its concepts on reality expressed through TV (p. 19). Banduras (1986) social learning theory discussed that individuals are not driven by the inner forces nor are automatically shaped and controlled by external stimuli. However, he further states that human functioning is utilized in a way of modeling a triadic reciprocality, where behavior, personal and cognitive factors as well as environment interact with one another and are the determinates of one another (p. 18). Limitations of the studies discussed throughout this paper have demonstrated both past and present research and has been noted that it is impossible to control the factors such as environment, cognitive, and personal factors. With limitations within the data sets it is to be known that any analysis used from this data can be flawed. Further research needs to include factors such as social class, family communications and issues, parental monitoring, aggression within the family, viewing habits of television from both parents and children and many more. Recommendations for Further Study As television, programming, and audience evolves, research that is conducted also needs to evolve, as well as the types of questions being asked. For example, content analysis cannot focus mainly on certain prime-time TV shows on cable, for there are many more different types and channels on satellite, digital video recording (DVR) as well as live streaming off the internet, which have all changed the individuals viewing habits. With the popularity of news programs and reality shows Glascock (2008) states these types of programs need to be added to the analysis as well. Music television, advertising, public broadcast and even sports have been forgotten as well within this research. It is also to be noted that very little attention has been put on violent vs. nonviolent content on TV. Another factor that is an important variable for this research is how nonviolent programs affect and assist in better understand modeling behaviors in children. Much of Banduras evidence from his social learning theory is highly supported those individuals who view and enjoy TV more than others tend to like or relate to certain characters. Therefore, when these individuals see their character that they relate to act out with use of violence, that individual becomes excepting to that type of violence, leading them to have higher risks of committing crimes themselves. Research studies from the year 2000 to the present need to be investigated and address future research with questions such as: What types of progress and/or new conclusions can be used to identify certain effects that impact children who view violence on television? Has any new understandings or developments emerged within the last ten years that relate to TV violence and aggressive behavior in children and adults? However, many media effects researchers have began to look into studies on prevention and interventions. These types of studies use the social learning approach used in TV violence research and are examining process of comprehension, interpretation, and evaluating types of aggressive acts. Murray (2008) suggests that further researcher needs to involve neurological correlations of viewing TV violence (p. 1223). Many researchers are beginning to worry about addictions and dependency on TV. Researchers such as Anderson, Berkowitz, Donnerstein, Huesmann, Johnson, Linz, Malamuth, Wartella (2003) suggest that more parental monitoring as well as better guidance need to be put in place. Walma van der Molen (2004) go further to discuss the important of families, schools, and children doctors in helping to promote awareness on TV violence and its effects to children, more so on topics of real life violence and its effects (p. 1771). It is to be noted that no one kid is immune to the effects of TV violence, many children who are exposed to violent TV at a young age are at higher risk of committing crimes as young adults as well as adults. Further evidence has shown that any child from any family, city or any other type of background has the risk of learning and behaving more aggressively when exposed to violence on TV. Conclusions Almost everything on television can now be categorized as reality yet all of it is seen as entertainment. With the television making its presence in homes long ago, it has since moved its way into where we work, our schools, on our phones and even in our cars. Leading more of todays children demanding more time spent watching it. Much of the research in this paper supports the notion that constant viewing of violence on TV leads to more acceptance aggression and violent behaviors. Banduras social learning theory further discusses that if individuals have a strong link to a certain character and the character receives rewards, punishments or uses violence, the individual is more likely to act like the character and display the same type of behavior (Nabi Clark, 2008, p. 407). Research has shown time and time again that the lack of punishments and remorse that is displayed leads to a false reality and decreased sensitivity; leading more children to think it is ok to be aggressive and commit crimes and with no guidance from parents children will grow up to think this type of behavior is ok, which will lead many of children to grow up and end up in jail (Caputo, 1993; American Association of Pediatrics Committee on Communications, 1995; Signorielli, Gerbner, Morgan, 1995; Federman, 1996-1998; Peters Blumberg, 2002; Wilson, Colvin Smith, 2002; Potter, 2008; Richmond Wilson, 2008). Decrease sensitivity is desensitization. Many children model and react the same way they see things on TV, leading many children to grow up being insensitive, lazy, and having a lack of concern in emotional situations and these types of attitudes are seen in many of the criminals today. Desensitization can range differently for many individuals, however, the results are the both negative; for an individual will have a decreased amount of emotional reactions from the violent views or will have no regards to the consequences of violent acts they commit. 5,958 young children ages 10 to 24 were murdered in 2006 from gunfire, this is on average a total of 16 children being murdered every day (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). These murder rates are higher than children deaths due to cancer, AIDS/HIV, asthma, influenza, and pneumonia combined (Childrens Defense Fund, 2004, as cited by AAFP.org, 2010). With no proof leading to the reasons why children use guns and kill can only lead to possibilities that violence on TV is in fact a key factor. With many young children in todays society growing up having more antisocial behaviors leads many to believe that the majority of these children will in fact grow up and become criminals or will commit more crimes as a young adult. When paired with the amount of time children are exposed to violence on TV it is easy to see the correlation linked to antisocial behaviors which leads many individuals to commit crime.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Essay from Things They Carried- Spin Assignment :: essays research papers

Spin Assignment Wrestling; a sport for only the top athletes, contenders if you will. We struggle through the hardest of physical, mental and emotional beatings. I could give every detail of every match I have ever wrestled in, from match score, to the people around me, to what I could have done to make it better. You remember everything about the sport. I remember doing the same thing for four years straight before every match. When I was younger my father taught me prayers to recite every night. Before every match I go directly behind the mat, by myself, and say my prayers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I remember knowing what needed to be done to make weight. Making weight is the first struggle of the sport. It’s a challenge to yourself before you can even compete, and not an easy task at that. Rubber suits, water pills, boiler rooms, jump ropes, sweats, all triggers to the memories of those long hours sweating off that last pound just to make weight for the match the next day. At the end of the night, I can recall having to wring out shirts just to take some sweat off of it so that it wouldn’t soak my sports bag. You remember how good ordinary things taste extraordinary after you weigh-in before the match and are allowed to eat again. Every average piece of food you eat tastes like a slice of heaven.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is a time before the match starts that they introduce the line-ups for the respected teams. One team is in weight order on one side of the mat and the other team is on the other side of the mat. They will announce the specific weight and call out each wrestler from the team to meet in the center of the mat and shake hands. This isn’t just a chance to meet; this is a chance to size him up. This doesn’t seem like much, but just by the way this happens you can tell what kind of opponent you are up against. The way he runs out or casually walks out, lets you know how excited or nervous or confident he is, the way he shakes your hand, with a tight grip a casual slap or barely even touches lets you know how he thinks his chances are in the match, and of course the most important aspect of this is the eye contact made.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Understanding The Y2k Bug

As the Millennial sun rose over human civilization, in the independent republic of Kiribati, a group of some thirty low lying coral islands in the Pacific Ocean that straddle the equator and the International Date Line, the reality of the Y2K bug became apparent. This long awaited sunrise marks the dawn of the year 2000. Kiribati's 81,000 Micronesians observed nothing different about this dawn, they only received TV in 1989. (y2ksupply.com) However, those who live in a world that relies on satellites, air, rail and ground transportation, manufacturing plants, electricity, heat, telephones, or TV, experienced a true millennial shift, or not. We finally saw the extent of the networked and interdependent processes we had created. At the stroke of midnight, the new millenium closed the greatest challenge to modern society we have responded to yet. We didn†t experience this event, as chaos or social transformation. I am describing the year 2000 problem, known as Y2K (K signifying 1000). Nicknamed at first â€Å"The Millennial Bug,† increasing sensitivity even escalated the nickname to â€Å"The Millennial Bomb.† The problem begins as a simple technical error. Large mainframe computers more than ten years old were not programmed to handle a four digit year. Sitting here now, safely in the year 2000, it seems incomprehensible that computer programmers and microchip designers didn't plan for it. Programmers did whatever was required to get a product up and working; no one even thought about standards. This computer bug has been predicted to impact the world anywhere from a minor problem to the end of a civilization. Whichever view you took on the subject it is clear that this bug had a definite impact on the economy. Whichever view anyone took on this issue, didn†t really matter because the point is that everyone thought about it and dealt with the issue in his or her own way. In order to understand the Y2K bug we must first understand what it is. For many years electronic storage was very expensive. In the early days of computing a Megabyte or a million bytes of information could have cost up to $100,000 to store electronically. This same amount of information storage can now cost around ten cents. (Barr) Many programs that are date sensitive will react to this bug in a negative way. A good example of a problem that could occur due to the bug would be that of banking software. In that case one of the software†s functions would be to bill all of its customers with outstanding loans. This program works by sending the bill progressively every month until the loan is paid off. If the computer were to think that it was the year 1900 then none of these loans would have even been made yet and the computer would become unstable or cease to function. Much of this software can be repaired or replaced with new versions, however, some of it is not as easily replaced. A great deal of the code that is causing worry at the moment is actually imbedded in automated machinery. This code can†t be repaired, except by replacing the machinery itself. This code is in many of the machines that run companies, public utilities, and are even in our homes in such appliances as VCRs. This calculation problem explains why the computer system at Marks & Spencer department store in London destroyed tons of food during the process of doing a long-term forecast. The computer read 2002 as 1902. Instead of four more years of shelf life, the computer calculated that this food was ninety-six years old. It ordered it thrown out. A similar problem happened recently in the U.S. at the warehouse of a freeze-dried food manufacturer. In September 1998, Datamation magazine estimated that, on average, about 7% of all electronics are date sensitive and In November 1998, PCWeek, another leading trade journal, put the number at 5%. (Gibbons) The main emphasis seems to systems with many chips all working on real time clocks such as manufacturing plants. These systems were estimated at up to 30% not compliant with the Y2K problem. Companies with these systems have had trouble being ready for Y2K because in order to prepare for the problem the affected chips have to be isolated and repaired. In a system with thousands of these chips and little documentation on each one, this is an almost impossible chore. Replacing entire systems can cost millions of dollars and many companies can†t afford the cost of the repair. Billions of dollars were spent preparing for this event and much more will be spent in recovery. Most companies have been addressing the problem for the past few years. Very rarely do we get the chance to watch the entire industry lifecycle, from introduction in the early 90†³s and the decline and death of the industry in the early months of 2000. The entire industry has opened up just to deal with this problem. In the US most mission critical equipment was tested before 1999 and was either compliant or repaired. The systems that caused most concern were things like power grids, telephone networks, and air and land traffic controllers. These systems were of such great concern because some of these computers systems and networks have existed since the late 1950†³s. The fact was that no one could afford to entirely replace these systems, they had to be upgraded to be compliant. What was the impact on Government, Industry, and Small Business? There are several impacts to Government, Industry, and Small Business. Dates that can impact the leap year algorithms, boolean dates, fiscal year dates, calendar dates, and ASCII code dates. There are separate ramifications to the new dates. For the Government, the dates have a major impact across the board. Every Government agency, from Federal to City, will be impacted. The Federal Government uses computers on a daily basis and without them, the Federal Government is not able to operate. Some specific examples are in the Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, and the Department of Justice. The Department of Commerce utilizes computers to run the National Oceanic Atmospheric Association (NOAA) systems that are used to chase Hurricanes. The problem is that several of the computers are used to log different data and use date/time stamping with that data. This data is later analyzed to try and map hurricanes for the future. If the Y2K issues are not resolved, important data will be lost. The Department of Defense also uses computers to a very large extent. This is especially true for the DOD large complex machinery used to defend the country. There are very few parts of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines that do not use computers. Computers are the backbone to DOD and without them, there is a real fear that our armed forces would not be able to defend this country. (Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense) The Department of Justice has an even worse problem. They are charged with keeping track of criminals and federal indictments across the country. Because of the complexity of the laws, if the computers used to keep track of indictments and criminal records are not Y2K compliant, then the Justice system could have criminals cleared of any wrong doing because of a simple date issue. It is well known that if the date or address were wrong on an indictment or a search warrant, anything found because of the indictment or warrant could not be used in court. (Cohen) The Government agency that has had the most influence on the whole Y2K issue was the Internal Revenue Service. Basically the IRS has the greatest concern because they are charged with the duty of collecting revenue from the taxpayers in order to run the country. The theory is that the IRS, through Congress, could influence or scare business, banks, and individuals into awareness. (Chandrasekaran) This awareness translated into the hundred billion or so expenditures that banks, businesses, and individuals spent on being Y2K compliant. Industry had the same basic problems that the Government had. They rely on computers in almost every aspect of the business. From robotic assembly lines to employee payroll, all of industry relies on the computer to run its day to day operation. (Gwynne) The problem that both industry and Government have is that there was no contingency to the Y2K issue. Both industry and Government have several backup systems. The problem with small business is that they rely on the computer to do many of the tasks that employees used to do. In small business, people were employed to handle payroll, marketing, office management, files, record keeping, and profit/loss ledgers. These people were replaced with the advent of the computer. Now any small business could operate without minimal employees. The office manager could now handle payroll, marketing, files, records, and ledgers right on the computer. The computer became the key piece of equipment for the small business. Without the computer, small businesses could not stay in operation. Most small businesses have become dependent on the computer to replace employees. Without a computer, small businesses would need to hire additional personnel and return to paper and pencil to operate. An example may be Nations Bank; it may have its primary mainframe computer, for all its checking accounts, in one central place. There is a hot backup (a hot backup is a main frame computer that records the same exact information that the mainframe computer is recording, but it does not handle any transactions, just records the information) that is located in a different part of the country, say Colorado. In this way, if a major disaster were to devastate California, the hot backup would come on line take over the responsibility of the mainframe. (McMahon) In this way, vital information would not be lost. This was all thought out years before Y2K. Y2K would impact both mainframes (the primary and the backup) and all the data would be corrupted. What did Government, Industry, and Small Business do to combat the Y2K Issues? For both Government and Industry, it was not be a problem to combat Y2K. Both areas, through consulting agencies and internal working groups, developed a series of plans to combat the Y2K issue. The standard procedure is to first do an inventory and assessment on the agency. After the assessment is made, a renovation plan is developed to renovate the different systems. After renovation, a validation phase, where the renovation is tested using the different Y2K dates to ensure that no problems were encountered. The implementation phase is to implement the system into action, and begin watching the system during the actual crossover dates. The cost to perform all of the plans and phases are high. On most major DOD systems, the cost ranges from $100,000 to over $5 Million. For industry, their costs are about the same. It does not matter if the agency does it internally or hires consultants to perform the work. The consumer and/or taxpayer absorb the high costs in industry and/or Government caused by the expenditure on solving Y2K issues. Industry passed the costs to the consumer by increasing its price on the product. The Government modified the budget to get the necessary funds to ensure Y2K compliance. The real problem lies with small business. The plans and phases that were developed by industry and Government must also be accomplished by small business. The problem is that small business does not have the money to expend on the Y2K issue. Small businesses do not have the overhead or capital to afford to test its systems and ensure that Y2K problems do not exist in its machine. This is where the actual computer industry comes into the scene. Since most small businesses do not rely on consultants and do not have a computer expert on the payroll, then small businesses must rely on the software companies to ensure that the computer is Y2K compliant. Marketers quickly recognized the fact that many small businesses would be forced to purchase new hardware, software, and peripherals. Marketers were not afraid to sell replacement equipment that was not affected by this bug. Consultants profited on the fact that many individuals and small businesses were very ignorant on the issue at hand and how many individuals had little to no knowledge of what was occurring in the machine that they were using. Many of these machines could have been upgraded with a small BIOS chip that would allow the machine to function with the new date format. Application software that is used with Windows 98 may not be compliant, making the system non-compliant. Microsoft could not be held responsible for other software packages built by other software companies. In addition, most software companies will not support older versions of its software. An example is that Microsoft does not support Windows version 3.1. This is based on the availability of newer versions of Windows being available to the consumer. So where does this leave the small business? There is Federal and Local assistance available to help small business ensure that the Y2K issue is resolved prior to the actual dates. If the small business did not recognize that it has a problem, then it could not work to fix the Y2K issue in time. By combining their resources and working with the local support, a network of consultants could work together to fix the problem before the actual Y2K dates came. Here it is April 3, 2000, and the lights are on, there†s plenty of water, and the stock market is at a record high. There is widespread suspicion that the Y2K computer bug was no more than the media overreacting and getting people excited for nothing, and Y2K was a big dud. There may be some validity to this theory, but I think the fact is that the problem was reduced by our efforts in making all computers Y2K compliant. Some people believe that disruptions may still occur in coming days as government and industry resume full operations following the minor problems that either were overlooked or were unanticipated. I think the investment in Y2K upgrades, which totaled an estimated $100 billion just in the United States, kept the most important computer systems running. The most serious malfunction so far was when the Defense Department computers temporarily failed to communicate with a reconnaissance satellite. Officials did not acknowledge the breakdown to the media until seven hours after it was discovered, in order not to cause people to panic about one relatively minor Y2K related computer failure. Considering the seriousness with which not only the Pentagon but also almost all other companies took to the possibility of a Y2K malfunction, I doubt that it could have amounted from hype alone. Part of the Y2K panic, of course, came from the fear that computers would do bazaar things such as transfer all our money from our accounts into someone else†s account, or traffic lights would make errors and cause terrible accidents. I agree that that is hype that amounted from the media twisting and predicting the results of Y2K without basing their information on facts.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Free Essays on Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born on June 28, 1712 in Geneva, Switzerland. His mother died shortly after his birth. When Rousseau was 10 his father fled from Geneva to avoid imprisonment for a minor offense, leaving young Jean-Jacques to be raised by an aunt and uncle. Rousseau left Geneva at 16, wandering from place to place, finally moving to Paris in 1742. He earned his living during this period, working as everything from footman to assistant to an ambassador. Rousseau's profound insight can be found in almost every trace of modern philosophy today. Somewhat complicated and ambiguous, Rousseau's general philosophy tried to grasp an emotional and passionate side of man which he felt was left out of most previous philosophical thinking. In his early writing, Rousseau contended that man is essentially good, a "noble savage" when in the "state of nature" (the state of all the other animals, and the condition man was in before the creation of civilization and society), and that good people are made unhappy and corrupted by their experiences in society. He viewed society as "articficial" and "corrupt" and that the furthering of society results in the continuing unhappiness of man. Rousseau's essay, "Discourse on the Arts and Sciences" (1750), argued that the advancement of art and science had not been beneficial to mankind. He proposed that the progress of knowledge had made governments more powerful, and crushed individual liberty. He concluded that material progress had actually undermined the possibility of sincere friendship, replacing it with jealousy, fear and suspicion. One of the primary principles of Rousseau's political philosophy is that politics and morality should not be separated. When a state fails to act in a moral fashion, it ceases to function in the proper manner and ceases to exert genuine authority over the individual. The second important principle is freedom, which the stat... Free Essays on Jean-Jacques Rousseau Free Essays on Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born on June 28, 1712 in Geneva, Switzerland. His mother died shortly after his birth. When Rousseau was 10 his father fled from Geneva to avoid imprisonment for a minor offense, leaving young Jean-Jacques to be raised by an aunt and uncle. Rousseau left Geneva at 16, wandering from place to place, finally moving to Paris in 1742. He earned his living during this period, working as everything from footman to assistant to an ambassador. Rousseau's profound insight can be found in almost every trace of modern philosophy today. Somewhat complicated and ambiguous, Rousseau's general philosophy tried to grasp an emotional and passionate side of man which he felt was left out of most previous philosophical thinking. In his early writing, Rousseau contended that man is essentially good, a "noble savage" when in the "state of nature" (the state of all the other animals, and the condition man was in before the creation of civilization and society), and that good people are made unhappy and corrupted by their experiences in society. He viewed society as "articficial" and "corrupt" and that the furthering of society results in the continuing unhappiness of man. Rousseau's essay, "Discourse on the Arts and Sciences" (1750), argued that the advancement of art and science had not been beneficial to mankind. He proposed that the progress of knowledge had made governments more powerful, and crushed individual liberty. He concluded that material progress had actually undermined the possibility of sincere friendship, replacing it with jealousy, fear and suspicion. One of the primary principles of Rousseau's political philosophy is that politics and morality should not be separated. When a state fails to act in a moral fashion, it ceases to function in the proper manner and ceases to exert genuine authority over the individual. The second important principle is freedom, which the stat...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Budgeting for Your Indie Novel

Budgeting for Your Indie Novel Budgeting for Your Indie Novel Michael Doane is the author of   "The Crossing"  and book strategist at Writing Inbound. When he’s not writing novels, he’s working with other authors to promote, launch, and sell their books. In this article, he talks about the budget he set for self-publishing his debut novel, "The Crossing" and how he was able to stick to it.  A couple of months ago, Reedsy put together a comprehensive infographic on what it costs to self-publish a book. The infographic breaks down costs associated with the various stages of editing as well as cover design and typesetting. According to the data, a 60,000 word book will cost you an average of $5,260 if you purchase each service individually. That’s a fair amount of money if you’re going into self-publishing for the first time and aren’t generating any revenue from your books yet.While Reedsy has the data on average costs, I’d like to share what authors really care about: a story. My debut novel, The C rossing is just under 60,000 words, so I’m going to judge my own progress up against Reedsy’s $5,260 average.My budgetWhen I got serious about publishing, I set a budget of $3,500 on editing and design services. This was money I had in my PayPal account from helping other authors market their books. That meant I had to find shortcuts and alternatives to cut costs and save myself money. One thing I wasn’t willing to compromise on, however, was quality.This was going to be quite the challenge: save about 50% on professional publishing services and STILL come to market with a quality, professionally designed product that’s been vetted by top-notch editors. I also didn’t want to haggle with professionals by negotiating unnecessary discounts.Spoiler alert: I was able to stay within budget.The steps I took to get my book ready to self-publish1. I started with myself†¦The first thing I did was read my own book. I read it critically and made lots and lots of notes. Then I edited the thing. I cut about 15,000 words from the first draft and added an additional 7,000 words to the manuscript.Then I did it again. I re-read, cut, and re-wrote. It’s not easy. Some may even call it soul-shattering. The thing is†¦ it’s necessary.I made "The Crossing" the best possible product I could make on my own before sharing it with anyone.2. I shared with friends and family†¦I have a funny story about the ending of "The Crossing"†¦It is late, about 1am on a Tuesday night, and I have to get up for work at 5am the next morning. My wife, Emily, is always my first-reader and she is just finishing the first draft of the manuscript. She is so disappointed with the ending that she wakes me up, shaking me. â€Å"Mike, Mike. What the†¦!? This book is SO GOOD, but the ending†¦Ã¢â‚¬ It was so bad, she said, she couldn’t sleep. I love my wife, so I got up and wrote her an acceptable ending. I was up until about 2 am making it work. I brought it back to her and watched her read it. â€Å"This is better,† she said, â€Å"but still not the best it can be.†It took three more tries and two editors to get to the best possible ending - the one that made her cry!All this to say, it’s important to share with family and friends. Most of them will tell you they like it (giving you a slight boost in confidence). The best ones will be totally honest with you and encourage you to make art that’s beautiful and worthwhile. Share your writing with friends. It'll encourage you to make something worthwhile.†@medoane 3. I enlisted a small but dedicated group of beta readers†¦My beta readers are my most important asset. Seriously.I put it out there - on my blog and social media - that I was looking for people to read my book and provide feedback. About 50 people signed up and out of those 50, about 15 gave me good, valuable feedback.I sent my manuscript for "The Crossing" to them no strings attached and, over a few months, scheduled calls and exchanged emails with them to solicit direct feedback. I had a very diverse group, who gave me amazing perspective on my work.Once I was finished with all my calls and emails with my beta readers, I made yet another round of personal edits based on the feedback.4. I hired  an editor for an assessment†¦At this point, I knew there was little more I could do on my own and with the honesty and encouragement of my friends, family, and beta readers. I turned to Reedsy and put out proposals for an editorial assessment.I ended up hiring Rebecca Heyman, who was not the least expensive nor the most expensive of the five editors I’d reached out to.While I don’t want to share exactly what I paid for her services, I’ll say that it was (what I thought at the time) a big chunk of change. I’ll also say that the big chunk of change was totally worth it.Becca delivered an 8-page document detailing the parts of the narrative that worked and - more importantly - the parts of the narrative that didn’t work. We then had a pretty heated conversation via Skype about details and alternatives.The best part of working with Becca is that she brought me back to earth, tore down the hard work I’d already done, and pointed me back to the drawing board.What an editorial assessment does for an author is provide perspective. It gives you insights on your work from an experienced professional. Becca was able to create a comprehensive overview of my manuscript for "The Crossing" and help me refine it to a publishab le work. "What an editorial assessment really gives an author is perspective.† @medoane 5. I went back to the drawing board†¦I didn’t make all the edits Becca suggested (there’s that freedom of self-publishing coming into play), but what I did do was re-read the book with fresh eyes and tended to the problem areas that Becca pointed out. I ended up cutting and adding a lot more. Re-read, re-consider, re-write. That’s what it’s all about.Then I recruited more beta readers and had a few from the original group have another go at it and give me feedback. This time they were giving me pointers on not only the narrative, but also grammar and spelling.6. I hired a  cover designer†¦While my beta readers were busy reading, I went back to Reedsy and put out quotes for a cover designer. I ended up going with Matthew Cobb, who just so happens to be a Reedsy co-founder as well.We spent time going back and forth on different iterations and I was able to have complete control over the final product.7. I hired copyeditor/proofreader†¦Since I used so many other resources, like my beta readers, for copyediting and content development, I put out a final round of proposals on Reedsy for a mix of copyediting and proofreading services. I ended up hiring Rachel Small.Rachel’s profile mentioned that she dealt with YA, coming of age, and travel stories, so I knew I wanted to work with her before I even heard any responses back. I also read Reedsy author  Stacey Dyer’s article about working with Rachel, which seemed like a wonderful, collaborative process. Luckily, Rachel came back with a quote on point with what I expected to pay.At this point "The Crossing" was a pretty solid, final, and publishable narrative. I read through one more time, made most of the edits Rachel suggested, and made some tweaks to the narrative that the beta readers had suggested (such moving around chapters, and adding some overlooked elements).8. I  did my own typesettingWith the average cost of typesetting being $840 (according to R eedsy’s infographic),  this could’ve easily been the expense that took me over budget. However, I used the free Reedsy Book Editor  to do the typesetting for me.  You simply copy and paste your chapters into the tool (or use it to write your book), then hit export and you get a nice print-ready PDF and ebook reader-friendly ePub file.So, what does self-publishing a book really cost?Time! Writing, editing, learning how to publish, working with various editors and beta readers, sharing with friends and family and waiting for a response. Having your work torn down by editors so you can build it back up. Patience and effort. This is the true cost of self-publishing. "Time is the true cost of self-publishing."@medoane From the time my first draft was complete until the time the book was published, everything took about two years. I approached it like a second job and spent hundreds of hours, during nights and weekends, learning how to publish a book. But if you’re up to learning new processes, putting out the upfront investments, and working with a team of skilled professionals, the costs certainly are worth it.Thankfully, I was able to stick to the budget I set for myself. According to my $3500 budget, I spent an average of $145 per month in expenses, and if I did extend past my budget to the average cost based on Reedsy’s infographic, it still would have only been about $219 per month. With my current sales numbers, I’m set to make back these costs within the next few months.What’s next?Here is some  last minute advice for those who are ready to take the same path:Set a budget before anything else.Find an audience early.Promote to friends and family.Engage your beta readers.Hire a professional editor (or two).Get a well-designed cover.Learn as much as you can about the industry.Network with other authors.If you’re a detail-oriented and you want to bypass the publishing industry’s red-tape, then self-publishing is definitely worth the cost. Just know that it’s a long road if you’re going to do it right - and come into it with an entrepreneur’s perspective, because you  need to invest money if you want to create a beautiful product that will earn you money in return.  Good luck!"The Crossing" is available on Amazon in paperback and on Amazon Kindle.  Mention this article to get a 25% discount on your next book marketing plan through Michael Doane on Reedsy.Michael set himself the task to not cut corners, to create a book he would be proud of, but also to stay within his allocated self-publishing budget. And he did! What have been your experiences with taking on the cost of publishing yourself?  Leave y our thoughts, experiences, or any questions for Michael  in the comments below.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Hospitality Practicum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Hospitality Practicum - Essay Example Its promotional tenor focuses in its â€Å"perfect mix of coast and country† making it a premier choice for relaxation (â€Å"Sunshine Coast,† 2010). The Gold Coast, on the other hand is situated in south east Queensland. It is regarded as Queensland’s most popular tourist destination. It has been promoting to the world its â€Å"stunning beaches, sun-kissed locals, exciting theme parks, and sophisticated style† (Queensland Holidays, 2010). Furthermore, its sunny sub-tropical climate and tourist activities have been primary motivations for tourists to visit the city. Accommodations. Leisure-oriented travelers’ preference in accommodation always vary, thus both Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast consistently aimed for greater diversification. Images of various types of accommodation have been tailored to ‘pull’ recreational tourists into their respective places—improving and modernizing their amenities. There are 351 accommodation establishments in Gold Coast (see Table 1), comprising of 31 hotels, 61 motels, 109 serviced apartments, 150 holiday flats, units and houses; whereas, Sunshine Coast has a total of 288 accommodation establishments, consisting of 9 hotels, 46 motels, 127 serviced apartments, 106 holiday flats, units and holiday houses (Tourism Queensland, 2009b, p. 4). As of 2009, Gold Coast outperforms Sunshine Coast in terms of overall accommodation supply and demand, making it much ahead in revenue (See Table 1). However, it should be noted that occupancy levels substantially decreased in the year 2009 due primarily to the swine flu outbreak, economic recession, and the increase of visitors staying with friends and family (Tourism Queensland, 2009b, p. 4). Hence, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast both experienced a decline in accommodation demand and revenue. In Gold Coast, Australian travelers preferred self-contained accommodation during summer holidays, such as

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Effecte of hyperoxia in bovine bronchail epithelial tissue Dissertation

Effecte of hyperoxia in bovine bronchail epithelial tissue - Dissertation Example Important Use of Hyperoxia in Intensive Care Unit Hyperoxic inspired gas is essential for patients with hypoxic respiratory failure which can be caused by oxygen deficient conditions like acute infection, neuromuscular impairment, etc. (Altemeler and Sinclair, 2007) In the context of critical care medicine, hyperoxia can be beneficial in implementing certain critical care strategies like early goal directed therapy (Calzia et al, 2010). Moreover, oxygen pressure field theory suggests that hyperoxia just before deep hypoxic circulatory arrest takes advantage of increased oxygen solubility and reduced oxygen consumption to load tissues with excess oxygen, which can effectively manage acid-base states during acute hypothermia entailed in circulatory arrest (Pearl et al, 2000) However, studies also testify that hyperoxia adversely affects cilial abundance and cause ciliary disorientation which can lead to dangerous conditions like ciliary dyskinesia (MacNaughton et al, 2007; Kay et al, 2 002; Rutman et al, 1993). Also, hyperoxia may impede the pathways of cell signalling (Lee and Choi, 2003) Side Effects of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) on Epithelial Tissue Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) are oxygen containing molecules which are highly reactive. The unpaired valance shell electrons in ROS are responsible for their high reactivity. ROS are often regarded as a key factor behind cardiovascular diseases, ischemic injury, programmed cell death, etc. They can also cause damage to DNA, lipid peroxidation and critical oxidative stress. (Thannickal, 2003; Fuhrman et al 1997) ROS would cause oxidative stress on the epithelial tissue by increasing the levels of total glutathione. Since glutathione is an anti-oxidant, increased levels of ROS will increase its concentration as well. In the case of glutathione depletion, increase of ROS levels is unbridled which would lead to early activation of apoptic signalling. In vivo studies involving human B lymphoma cell line testify such possibilities (Armstrong et al, 2002). Moreover, it has also been testified that pulmonary macrophages stimulate cell proliferation of bovine bronchial epithelial cells in vitro. The process involves mediation in airway epithelial repair, which can probably be explained by a proactive role of glutathione against ROS (Takizawa et al, 1990). Another side effect of ROS is lipid peroxidation which has been studied in details through epithelial cell behaviour in vivo in rats with chronic parenchymal iron overload (Bacon et al, 1983). Hepatic and brain epithelial lipid peroxidation by ROS obtained from certain pesticides have been widely testified by both in vivo and in vitro studies in rats and humans (Bagchi et al, 1995). Besides, Fuhrman and his associates conducted in vitro and ex vivo studies in humans to testify the high extent of low-density-lipoprotein oxidation by ROS through measurement of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and lipid peroxides in epithelial cells (F uhrman et al, 1997). Proteins modification is another major side effect of excess ROS generation that has been studied in vivo. The in vivo study conducted in this context further testified that oxidative protein damage could affect the activities of the DNA repair enzymes in the epithelial cells as well (Wiseman and Halliwell, 1996). Further, in vitro studies have established that generation of ROS target the function of redox-sensitive proteins that act as part of a large sub-membranous

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Test for Effectiveness of Appetite-Reducing Drug Essay

Test for Effectiveness of Appetite-Reducing Drug - Essay Example Describe the four different threats to internal validity [intact groups, extraneous variables, subject loss, and expectancies]. How do these threats apply to the following study? There are four threats to internal validity in experiments. The assignment of intact groups, rather than individuals, compromises the randomness of the sample and therefore skews the results. The presence of extraneous variables confounds the findings and renders them uninterpretable. Subject loss due to any one particular condition more than others renders some subjects unable to continue. Finally expectations held by either the subjects or experimenters, or both, tend to affect their conduct during the experiment which may affect the results. Internal validity is compromised in this experiment. The biggest threat to the experiment’s internal validity is the presence of expectations of the experimenter which may create a bias in the results obtained. In the given situation, the experimenter is not bl ind as to who among the students are given the placebo, the tested drug, and the new experimental drug. While it is mentioned that the experimenter is determined to remain unbiased, this is not enough as psychological bias may be unintended but nevertheless present in the results. External validity does not seem to be an issue here, because the sample chosen was randomly selected and therefore may be assumed to represent the relevant population of KU students. Also, since all groups are given the same examination that covers the contents of the full ten week course, and no other variable had been varied except the test variable (the experimental drug), then chance variables... The objective of the experiment to be designed should determine whether or not the experimental drug is effective in reducing the appetite of the individual ingesting it. Â   The procedure would involve administering the drug to the test group and monitoring the progress in the food consumption (proxied by the relative change in weight of the subjects) Â  of the test group against a control group. Â  In order for the control group to be blind to which group they belonged, they will be given placebos which are known to have no effects on the appetite. The experimental method to be used would be the independent group design, the alternative to the repeated measures design group. Â  Repeated measures design is not applicable to this assignment because for repeated measures, the same subjects repeatedly undergo all the procedures at intervals, and reactions to the test condition are observed when the condition is applied and when it is withdrawn. Â  This will not do because the succ essful administration of the drug would presumably include a weight loss, and repeated treatment (to reduce appetite) may reasonably cause a drop in weight. The loss in weight would be a permanent change to the subject, whether as a result of the treatment or not, and withdrawal of the treatment does not necessarily cause a reversal to pre-treatment conditions. It therefore defies the reason for the alternate application and removal of treatment. Â  Furthermore, it is ethically questionable to withdraw a treatment.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Current Economic Policy Essay Example for Free

Current Economic Policy Essay From 2006 up to the present, the economy of the United State has been performing great in general. Gross Domestic Product increased by significant rate enough to encourage the foreign investors to invest in the country. Furthermore, more jobs have been created for the labor marker creating huge improvement on the welfare of the workers, thus, increasing their income. Around more than 850,000 jobs has been created in the economy from 2006 up to the present. Energy prices, on the other hand, seem to become worse after oil prices in the international market has been increasing sharply for the past years. Because of the said increase in the prices of oil in the market, it negatively affects the non-energy goods and services since oil is one of the major components of production processes in most of the industries in the economy. Inflation also increased as a consequence of the increasing prices of the commodities in the market due to the rising oil prices. Inflation rate, since 2006, stood high enough to impose panic to the consumers and there is a possibility that the latter might just lower down their spending making. Moreover, the housing industry also made the improvement of the GDP sluggishly and this is the side effect of the massive housing spending of the market in 2005 not to mention that the disposable income of the consumers today is not that high enough as compared to 2005. Although there are certain hindrances on the improvement of GDP or economic improvement of the country, still, the economy manages to offset those costs by the benefits derived from the good market condition of the international market which in turn advance the trade balance of our country. In addition to that, increasing job opportunities makes the depletion in the consumption of the consumers to slow down since income of the workers improves as more job were created in the economy. Furthermore, labor productivity helps the private firms to reinvigorate their profitability and sales volume making the government able to charge higher taxes to be used for financing government projects for the economy. Proposed Economic Stabilization Policy One of the possible way by which the US government could further stabilize the growth of the US economy would be through lower down the tax rate that the government has been charging especially for the multinational corporations. Through cutting down the tax rate of the companies in the market, especially those multinational corporations since it could offset the rising salaries of the laborers due to the high demand for laborers in the market. It was identified that because of the high demand for laborers in the market due to the fast-faced growth of the economy for the past years, the bargaining power of the laborers for higher salaries increased imposing threats for a higher operational costs for the private firms. The improvement of the income of every household could helped the economy revitalized the housing market that is why an increase in the salaries of the laborers is badly needed in the market today. So as not to sacrifice the welfare of the private firms which also contributes largely to the sustainable growth of the economy of the past years, the only option of the government is to lower down the taxes that they are charging from these people. In short, it is the government who would shoulder the burden or the costs of improving the housing industry not to mention that there is a great possibility that disposable income of the consumer group might increase due to the increase in their salaries. For sure, the job losses on the part of the government due to the lack of fund to finance government projects after the taxes being collected to large corporation would be offset by the additional job vacancies being created by the private industry every month in the economy. This only points out that even if this kind of policy would slow down the construction of infrastructures for the public or any government services being offered in the economy is very insignificant as compared to those persons or group of person that will benefits from this kind of policy. Policy Target The said proposed policy would only cover multinational and corporation type of companies for these are the business entities that employs the majority of the worker in the market. Moreover, international branches of the said corporation will also be included in the said proposed policy. For multinational company, tax rate would depend on the level of their profitability and sales volume. Whereas, corporations or those companies that only operate on the US market would have a fixed tax rate just to account their financial capabilities and the amount of labor force that they are utilizing for their operation. Current Use of the Policy Well, so far, President George W. Bush actually advocating the importance of tax cuts in order to protect the interest of the producers or private firms in the market for they are the one who drags the economy towards progress as well as the increase in the salaries of the workers in the economy (Seib, 2007). Moreover, the issue regarding this tax rate reduction becomes more interesting to the presidential candidates and serves as part of their platforms in their campaign. The reason behind the popularity of tax cutting to most of the presidential candidate is due to the fact that this issue encompasses not only the private sector but also the consumer and labor group of which the majority are voters for the up coming election. Although politically driven, there is still a basis for the presidential candidates to propose and support such said kind of policy for the economy, and true enough, tax cutting is being viewed as one of the possible solution for the growth of the US economy to become more sustainable. But then again, after considering those benefits than can be derived from implementing this kind of policy, based also from the tax cutting model of President Bush, there is a little possibility that this would not be implemented in the near future alongside with other economic policies of the government. Potential Problems and Issues Although the consumers and the private firms will be well-off from the shouldering of the government of the costs of high oil prices in the market, still, the insufficient amount of available budget for the coming fiscal period would surely made the provision of government project become sluggish. As most of the economists know, government plays a vital role in maintaining equilibrium condition in the economy like the provision of public goods. These are goods that when provided by the private firms would only caused inefficiencies and ineffectiveness on producing such goods, thus, worsening the welfare of the consumer group. Like for instance, the provision of street lights, it is the government’s responsibility to give its citizens with street light for the security of the latter. By cutting the tax being charge to the corporation, there is a big chance of having insufficient funds for street lighting perhaps, or unfinished roads for a couple of months due to lack of funds and so on and so forth. Tax, on the field of public economics, only causes losses on the societal welfare. It only creates gain for the society if it is being used as a correctional tool to put back the economy into its equilibrium state. Like in the case of negative externality emitters in the economy, the are being charged by higher tax that the usual amount in order to force them to cut down their production or to slow down their operation on the optimal level for the society. The only point here is that, tax cutting would just make the budget deficit problem of the government to become worse assuming that the gains from the performance of the economy will not change that significantly for the next couple of fiscal periods. But since the Federal Reserve predicts that the US economy would still expand for the next period, then, tax cutting will not worsen the budget deficit of the government as what is being expected by some of the government officials.