Internal Control System

The two primary goals of an internal control system are to safeguard assets and manage resources. This action by the organization, reasonably ensure that their specific goals and objectives will be met within compliance. This system consist of policies, measures and procedures designed to assist management with protecting the organization against waste, preventing and detecting fraud, inconsistencies, inadequacy, ineffectiveness, reliable and accurate accounting, evaluating performance and protecting both its tangible and intangible resources. It helps to minimize risks and they are an integral part of an organization’s financial and business policies. Internal controls are simply just good business practices. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was enacted on July 30, 2002. The bill was introduced and passed as a result of the then recent corporate accounting scandals by companies such as Enron, Tyco and Worldcomm, just to name a few. These very public scandals rocked the nation; since, they cost investors billions of dollars and challenged the faith that people once had in the America’s stock markets. This new Act helped to rebuild faith in a once loosely regulated system and repair some of the damage done by such greed and deceit. Some argue that the bill has reduced America's international competitive edge against overseas financial service providers (Wikipedia); but the bill was put in place to protect investors, shareholders and the general public alike by improving the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures made pursuant to the securities laws (SOX-online. com). The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or PCAOB, is the agency created to oversee the accounting firms that act as auditors for corporate companies. The consequences for non-compliance are fines, imprisonment, or both. If a company announces deficiencies in its internal controls, the stock of that organization would most likely fall due to the public knowledge and experience with this type of thing before the Sarbanes- Oxley bill was introduced. Investors’ assurance in the safety of their stock will be negatively impacted. The negative impact can cause panic by investors, resulting in the selling of that investors’ share of stock. But if the company has a strong positive reputation and releases this information voluntarily then the company may save face and retain some of their shareholders trust and some shareholders may remain loyal by staying positive. One limitation of the internal control system is employing a staff large enough to accommodate the many segregated duties of one that is well organized and thought out. The mishandling of finances, under-protection of assets, human error, human deceit, illegal dealings, erroneous information, the size of the business, staff carelessness, poor judgment or lack of knowledge, collusion by staff, overrides by management for personal gain or other motives and controls failing to capture or flag odd transactions, are all limitations in an organization’s control system (Financial Accountability Handbook, Jan. 2010). Controls that are applicable for larger companies, are not applicable in small businesses. For example, a fewer number people perform the accounting practices in small companies since they do not have the resources or the staff to accommodate segregated duties. These persons may have dual responsibility of operation and custody. The isolation of duties may be missing or severely limited. Below is a more detail description of some of these limitations. 1. Judgment: The effectiveness of controls will be limited by decisions made with human judgment under pressure to conduct business based on certain information or a lack there of. . Breakdowns: Even well designed internal controls can break down. Employees sometimes misunderstand instructions or simply make mistakes. Errors may also result from new technology and the complexity of computerized information systems. 3. Management Override: High level personnel may override prescribed policies and procedures for personal gain or advantage; thus, should not be confused with management intervention, which justifies management act ions to depart from prescribed policies and procedures for legitimate purposes. Collusion: Control systems can be circumvented by employee collusion. Individuals acting collectively can alter financial data or other management information in a manner that cannot be identified by control systems. The internal control system is designed differently within every company depending on its own needs. This allows an organization to put in place ethnical methods and procedures that best suit its practices. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act being implemented reassures stockholders and the public that they can possibly, safely invest again with a less likelihood that similar future occurrences of corporate scandals will occur. There is no sure way to have a air-tight internal control system but if a company stays vigilant about staying within compliance, tying up loophole when discovered and prosecuting when necessary; the problem of mishandled finances may slowly become a thing of the past. Internal Control Principles: . The first internal control principal is an applied establishment of responsibility by one individual. 2. The next principal is the segregation of duties where different individuals have a specific duty. 3. The following principle is the physical, mechanical, and electronic controls. This is where there are individuals, machines and computers working together. 4. The last internal control principal is independent internal verification that employs different departments to specific responsibilities.

A Raisin in the Sun Book Review Essay

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry is a truly exquisite piece of literature that has influenced readers, young and old, for generations. It gives us a very realistic view of racial tension, as well as the socioeconomic struggles, African Americans faced during the late 1940s-50s. In this play we meet the Youngers, a lower-class, diverse-minded, African American family simply trying to survive in 1950s South Chicago. Together they face economic hardship, racial discrimination, and the constant struggle to keep a fragile family together as each member searches for their version of the â€Å"American Dream†. Hansberry did an excellent job in creating the Younger family to represent lower class African American families in the 1950s. The Youngers live in a rundown, two-bedroom apartment. The family consists of Mama, Walter, Ruth, Travis, and Beneatha. The economic aspect of the play is centered around the insurance check Mama will be getting for her late husband, the author uses this to create a foundation for the Youngers story; the money elicits conflict between the characters as each has their own idea on what to do with money that does not even belong to them. A major motif in this play is racism, the author allows for a bit of foreshadowing in the beginning of the play with the bombing of another African American family in Clybourne Park, a mainly white community and the area where Mama eventually buys the new family house. Hansberry uses Walter to tie these two themes together. After losing all of the money Mama gave him to invest in his business and to save for Beneatha’s college fund, he then goes to get more money by selling back Mama’s new house: he can either overcome the racism and be the man his mother always knew he could be, or he can take the money for another chance to pursue his dreams but at the same time he would essentially be selling his soul to the devil. Walter must choose to either satiate his thirst for wealth or maintain the pride of his race. Finally, Hansberry acknowledges the importance of family unity during  these times. Ruth and Mama are the two main characters attempting to hold everything together. Hansberry made these characters strong and full of hope, despite their situation in life. Created any other way and we would probably see the family fall apart as the story began to unfold. Money and racism are also huge tests on the strength of this family as they struggle through the hardships of poverty and realize the shortcomings of some of the family members. All in all, A Raisin in the Sun is a very well written book. It is written in such a way that really puts you in the cramped, living conditions with the Youngers and helps readers to understand what it meant to be a poor African American family in the 1950s. Hansberry did a great job in creating solid characters which help to develop the story smoothly and realistically. It was a play I thoroughly enjoyed reading and would readily suggest to anyone looking for a good read.

Postnatal Depression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Postnatal Depression - Essay Example Single parentism or inadequate social support increases the burden to be borne by mothers in terms of their own health as well as monetary risks. Such a condition automatically causes mothers to show lesser positive, sensitive and responsiveness towards their babies. They develop more negative emotions and in worst cases thoughts of harming the children also persist. To conclude mothers with financial problems and lack of social security show greater tendency to develop PPD indicating that PPD is not a mental illness. The maternal mood is assessed using Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)-- the higher scaling indicating PPD as maximum and less scaling indicating minimum range. Women with PPD exhibit inconsistent child caring attitudes resulting in poor coping strategies (Murray and Cooper 1997). PPD women less likely respond to the sickness or necessities of the infant, or persuade the child with eating habits, less interest in breast feeding/healthy feeding or sleeping habits of their infants. This care less attitude with less sensitive and less positive interactions act as potential impedance in building a strong mutual emotional bond between the parents and the infant coupled with poor infant health and slowed physical growth like low birth weight. According to Murray (1992) PPD itself influences all dimensions of the mother's life. It is known to affect mother's physical functioning, physical role, mental health, emotional role, social functioning, vitality, and also her general health. To conclude the PPD mothers are not fully equipped in providing justice to parenthood of a new born. Under such circumstances fathers have a vital role to play where h is presence probably buffering the situation tries to compensates the mother-infant relationship strained by PPD, establishing a joyful and affectionate bond with secured child-father attachment. However much studies and investigation in knowing about father-infant relationship is much under due. Effects of PPD on infants The intensity of PPD depends on its severity and duration. The recent psychiatric studies have revealed that young children are sensitive to their parent's affection and their parental attachment depends on their past intimacy. Hence apart from the genetics, personal interaction between the parent-child, play a major role in the psychological outcome of the child where infants at their young age adapt and respond well to their parents behaviors and interactions. Tests conducted have shown that boy babies are more sensitive to PPD impacts in comparison with girl babies and this vulnerability continues with time. According to Rutter (1989) the impact of PPD on infants could be i) It could shed direct deleterious effects on the child ii) indirect impact through interpersonal behavior in general and in parenting in particular iii) Through social adversity associated with psychiatric

Standardisation Of 0.02moldm-3 Potassium Permanganate Solution Using Lab Report

Standardisation Of 0.02moldm-3 Potassium Permanganate Solution Using Ferrous Ammonium Sulphate (Ammonium Iron (Ii) Sulphate) - Lab Report Example In this experiment, a base (Iron Ammonium Sulphate – FeSO4.(NH4)2SO4.6H2O Mr=392g/mole) will be added to 0.02moldm-3 Potassium Permanganate Solution. In this experiment Manganese reacts with Iron through a redox process by which electrons are transferred from one to the other. In this experiment, Mn goes from a +7 state (MN+7) to a +2 state (Mn+2) – i.e. each Mn+7 picks up 5 electrons – Mn is reduced. Fe goes from +2 (Fe+2) to +3 (Fe+3) i.e. each Fe+2 loses 1 electron – Fe is oxidized As a result the mole ratio in the reaction is Mn: Fe – 1:5 The point at which the reactants will have completely neutralized each other is the equivalence point. In this experiment, this will be determined by noting the color change of the reactants. Mn+7 are purple. When Fe2+ is added, redox reaction starts making the purple color to disappear due to formation of Mn2+ which is colorless. In the process, the Fe2+ is converted to Fe3+. This happens only when Fe2+ is present. When Fe2+ is used up (at endpoint) the solution will have a permanent pink tinge and this is the point where there is no further addition of permanganate.

Understanding the Economic Impact prior to Wells Fargo Foreclosures Essay

Understanding the Economic Impact prior to Wells Fargo Foreclosures - Essay Example As a result of the crisis, many institutions, including those that are not directly involved in lending collapsed while others merged to stabilize amidst the crisisIn 2007, United States was hit by financial crisis, which emanated from a crisis in the subprime real estate loans (commonly called subprime crisis). One of the financial institutions involved in mortgage lending that stood the crisis is Wells Fargo & company, although its rating dropped since 2007, in the light of the financial crisis. In response to the crisis, Wells Fargo & company and other companies increased foreclosure filings by 2008 to the highest record in historical. This paper provides an overview of the subprime lending industry and state the economy in Wisconsin just prior to subprime crisis and the Wells Fargo Foreclosures. Discussion Prior to 1980s, people in Wisconsin, US, had only two choices for obtaining a mortgage. According to Knapp (2010), one could obtain a home loan insured by either the Department of Veteran affairs or by the Federal Housing administration. Borrowers with good credits histories would typically obtain new loans from a bank, saving and loan or any other financial institution. Knapp (2010) elaborates that obtaining mortgage loans became much easier with the deregulation of the lending industries in the beginning of 1980. For instance, the monetary control act and the deregulation of the Depository institutions in 1980 removed the restrictions that imposed a ceiling on the interest rates charged on mortgage loans. One remarkable impact of the deregulation is that it led to the introduction of new mortgage loans, which included ‘adjustable rate mortgages that were particularly favorable to mortgage borrowers who had their credit profiles impaired. However, according to Knapp (2010), these events did not lead to an explosive growth in the mortgage industry until the securitization of mortgage loans in the late 1990s. The securitization option encouraged the majority of the existing mortgage lenders to adopt a new business model which Knapp (2010) refers to as â€Å"originate to distribute† business model. This new model required that the credit risk posed by the mortgages loans was not exclusively to be absorbed by the lending institutions. Rather, it was to be shared with other investors in the world who purchased the Mortgage-backed securities. Knapp (2010) further argues that by 2006, approximately one-fourth of all new mortgage loans in United States were made to subprime borrowers while the other ratio was securitized and sold to investors in the United States and around the world. The increased demand for high-yield mortgage-backed securities among investors, including institutions such as hedge funds institutions and large banks, led the lenders to ratchet up their marketing efforts. They then came up with new products, which were designed specifically for the sector of the mortgage market in order to persuade individuals who were deemed to be of high credit risks to obtain mortgage loans. Among the most popular of these products were the stated-income† and the â€Å"interest-only† mortgages. The stated-income loan required an applicant to simply report his or her annual income during the application process of the loan (Knapp, 2010). The lender depended on the applicant’s self reported income in the determination of the size of loan that one could afford. According to Knapp (2010), many applicants for the Stated-income loans grossly overstated their annual income so that they could purchase a larger home than was economically feasible given their actual incomes. An individual who obtained the Interest-only mortgage loan was required to pay interests on his

Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 5

Research - Essay Example The questionnaire was too long and the length might often influence participants to withdraw from the survey as time is important for everyone. Another flaw associated with the questionnaire was that in answering options, the ‘do not know’ option was not included. This is inappropriate as there might be participants who are unaware of a particular product or service. On the other hand, two good aspect of the questionnaire is that questions were worded very simply; this firstly made it very easy for participants to understand and secondly, the questionnaire encompassed all aspects of the research topic, thereby enabling the researcher to obtain an insight of people’s perceptions about products and services offered by the food chain. Generating idea: The initial step is very crucial as it involves generation of ideologies that are based on SWOT and current market trend analysis. The ideologies take into account various factors such as, return on investment, ROI and widespread distribution cost. (Takeuchi and Nonaka 137-146). During this particular phase, the manager has to ensure that overall new product development process is kept nimble and flexible discretion should be applied over which the activities are to be executed. Screening the idea: In this particular step, the idea is validated. The phase mainly involves elimination of ineffective concepts prior to allocation of resources to them. The individuals responsible for framing the idea should screen the same on the basis of factors such as, benefits associated with the idea that can be provided to the target market, market coverage of the product, expected intensity of competition, sales forecast, feasibility of the product and so on and so forth (Brands, â€Å"8 Step Process Perfects New Product Development†). Concept testing: Concept testing is very different from test marketing. This step involves patent research, designing due diligence

Stockholder management versus stakeholder management Essay

Stockholder management versus stakeholder management - Essay Example Here, stockholders shell out the capital that the managers could use in order to realize specific goals. Friedman supports his arguments by certain important points. First, is that this classical view of stockholder management is in consonance with the free-enterprise system where a corporate executive is an employee of the stockholders and has responsibility â€Å"to conduct the business in accordance with their desires, which generally will be to make as much money as possible while conforming to the basic rules of the society.† (Friedman, p. 52) He stressed that a businessman who supports â€Å"social responsibility† in business is a mere rhetoric since it equates to an unadulterated form of socialism and against the concept of free-enterprise. Another salient point that Friedman elaborated on is that the managers of a corporation are just agents of the owners. â€Å"They are empowered to manage the money advanced by the stockholders, but are bound by their agency r elationship to do so exclusively for the purposes delineated by their stockholder principals.† (p. 66) Friedman’s essay is a treatise that discussed why it would be wrong for a particular managerial team to undertake social responsibility activities for the company since it is against the interest of the stockholders. The author underscored the fact that the company pays its dues to the society by paying taxes and whatever societal ills and deficiencies there are; it is the responsibility of a government. In A Stakeholder Theory of the Modern Corporation, Edward Freeman (1999) criticizes Friedman and his school’s arguments that a corporation must only take into consideration the profit of the stockholders because they own the company. His most important point is that the stockholder is not the only party who has a stake in the company and, hence, placing these other parties’ interest subordinate to

Mandatory Military Service in the United States Research Paper

Mandatory Military Service in the United States - Research Paper Example Conclusion III. References Abstract A mediocre interpretation of the word â€Å"mandatory† will be obligatory or compulsory. The Mandatory Military Service of America carries out compulsory enrollment and induction into its services as part of its functions. With reference to the Legal Dictionary, enrollment is done through conscription also known as â€Å"draft†. However, draft and conscription are two different concepts. Conscription is the compulsory induction of individuals into the armed forces, as compared to draft which is the procedure by which people are conscripted. Men within a certain age group must register with the Selective Service for possible conscription, but this concept was suspended by 1973. According to this said source, conscription typically involves individuals who are deemed fit for military service. At times governments have instituted universal military service in which all men or people of a certain age are conscripted. Some American colonie s employed conscription. During the Revolutionary War, the American government used selective, temporary conscription to fill the ranks of its military. Congress passed the Selective Draft Act (40 Stat. 76). The act created a government office to oversee conscription. It also authorized local draft boards to select eligible individuals for conscription. The following year, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of conscription, noting that Article I of the Constitution gives Congress the power to "raise and support Armies". Presidential authority to conscript individuals into the U.S. armed forces ended in 1973. No individual has been conscripted into the military since then. Inception of the draft The idea that members of a community have a duty to defend it is as old as civilization itself. In a free society like ours, forcing citizens to fight involves conflicting notions of civic duty, individual freedom and equality. Although America has relied on an all-volunteer milit ary for most of its history, it was forced to draft men to fight the civil war and the wars of the 20th century. (Cited from Paul Ruschmann, Mandatory Military Service) George Washington was the first of a number of presidents to propose compulsory military training for all men. â€Å"Every citizen who enjoys the protection of a free government, not only owes a proportion of his property but also some of his personal services for the defense of it, and consequently that the citizens of America†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦should be borne on militia rolls†. Despite his proposal, his advice was overlooked and the all-volunteer militia remained. However, at the time of the civil war, there was enough man power to go to battle. The Confederacy which had a much smaller population than the Union authorized a draft. The next year, lawmakers followed suit. Despite attractive bonus packages, the Military was not attracting enough persons to raise an army strong enough to win the war. With the draft l aws conceived by the Union and the Confederacy, they allowed a man to hire a substitute to fight for him. During that era, that was the most intelligent means of exempting men engaged in essential civilian occupations. The law also exempted a man from serving by paying a $300 commutation fee to the government. Many Northerners complained that the civil was a â€Å"rich man’s war and a poor man’s fight† and anti-draft violence broke out in a number of cities. The worst unrest occurred in New York City, where anti-draft protests

Super Size Me critique Essay Example for Free

Super Size Me critique Essay â€Å"Everything’s bigger in America the biggest people, America has become the fattest nation in the world nearly 100 million Americans are overweight or obese.† Melvin Spurlock announces in his opening scene of the documentary Super Size Me. (youtube.com) Morgan Spurlock’s documentary focuses on the premise that Americans are addicted to fast food, and this is proven by the excess amount of fast food restaurants present in the US, especially by McDonalds in New York City. His goal was to eat fast food three times a day at McDonald’s for thirty days. And during these thirty days his only rule is that he only drinks and eats food from McDonald’s restaurant. He had to eat everything on the menu at least once. During that time, McDonald’s promoted â€Å"Supersize† your meal for a couple cents. Spurlock would only â€Å"Supersize† his meal if the cashier asked him. Spurlock was curious about what where the effects to the body if one ate McDonalds for thirty days and the recommended three meals a day. His rule was to try everything at least once, ranging from Big Mac’s to yogurt parfaits, salads, and fish filets. Spurlock uses extreme measures in order to make his argument. Eating at a restaurant should not be unhealthy; however, it has become an epidemic in our culture to eat food that is processed, injected with hormones, and cheap which is the main ingredient used at fast food restaurants. Before he took the challenge he was in very good shape, according to three doctors he visited, including a registered dietician. According to the Body Mass Index (BMI), the standard system used by doctors in the US to determine a person’s health, Spurlock ranked as â€Å"normal† and not obese and unhealthy. â€Å"Normal† of course depends on your body and height it is not always what BMI specifies, but nevertheless, it is the common standard. Before the challenge, Spurlock ate the recommended 2500 calories and more than the average (80 grams a day). According to his doctor, his saturated fat is supposed to be less than 25 grams a day. In addition to seeing his doctors he also saw a specialist, an exercise physiologist to be exact and assessed his cardiovascular health only to give him the good news that his heart was in good shape. At only 11% body fat, he is in above average fitness for his age group, but nothing to be alarmed about. More than 60% of Americans do not exercise regularly, only walking 2000 steps a day or an equivalent to a mile a day. However, this is not the average for certain cities, in New York the average New Yorker walks approximately four to five miles a day. As a New Yorker, Morgan walks that average and during his walks he passes three McDonald’s restaurants on his way to work on a regular basis. He resides in Manhattan, New York, in which 83 McDonald’s restaurants also reside. According to Morgan, there are more McDonald’s in that island than anywhere else in the world. Manhattan is an island which is 13 miles long, two miles wide, and 22.4 square miles, there are nearly four McDonald’s restaurants per square mile. (vivavegie.org) That number is extremely high and ranks as the most saturated with fast food in the world. During the documentary, his girlfriend, who is a vegan chef and eats organic and fresh vegetables daily, calls his food genetically modified. She compares McDonald’s food to hockey pucks. His first day began with an Egg McMuffin value meal which includes an egg muffin with ham, hash brown, and a choice of coffee or milk. Morgan discovers that McDonald’s restaurant also delivers for free, only solidifying his argument about fast food, the power of advertising, and convenience in the United States. He walked 1272 steps to the first restaurant from his apartment. In order to walk his average 2000 steps a day challenge he is forced to take a cab in order to stay under the national average. As a side note, this is not the average for other countries both the amount one walks and the type of food that is served in McDonald’s. Morgan talked to tourists from other countries, such as a woman from France to use as his comparison in the documentary on how people view fast food and demonstrate how McDonald’s operates in these countries. While he interviewed the woman from France, she said our small size soft drink is an equivalent to a large soft drink in France, and she added, that she cannot finish the small size soda. â€Å"McDonald’s in the U.S. accounts for 43% of the entire fast food market. They’re everywhere, even in hospitals.† Morgan interviewed a lawyer, Samuel Hersh, who represented two women who were suing McDonald’s, and says in terms of being the big guns McDonald’s is the worst corporation to sue. How can one go after the happy meals, the Playplace areas for parties and children, and the â€Å"family atmosphere.† Their main advertising targets children. They make them avid consumers of fast food. At the end of the thirty days, Spurlock gained 18 pounds, and during that time he suffered from depression. During his three visits to his doctor, he complained about constant headaches, and even mood swings, something he never experienced before in a frequent manner. In addition to these pains, he experienced acute chest palpitations. After the thirty days, Spurlock visited his doctor for the final diagnosis only to find out that he tested for liver failure. The doctor recommended him to stop his project or else he would die. He made the comparison to an alcoholic binge drinking for thirty days. Food should not be equivalent to a person suffering from alcoholism. Food should be considered to be wholesome and healthy, today it is filled with chemicals that hurt our bodies. Other companies that are known for these tactics are tobacco companies they use â€Å"brand implanting† from a young age to make believe that they are â€Å"healthy.† One of the most well-known â€Å"brand-implanting† tactics was to sell gum cigarettes to children from the ice cream man. The theory behind this â€Å"brand-implanting,† is not to realize you are bombarded with advertising that says and implants statements like â€Å"it is cool to smoke,† â€Å"it is sexy to smoke,† and â€Å"you are a man if you smoke†. The theory specifies that when you are a child you will not realize the tobacco companies are targeting you in a capitalist society. The child only sees the gum cigarette that when you inhale it simulates real cigarettes, it is cool and â€Å"adult like†. Of course the parents are burdened with having to pay the price both from a young and mature age. The parents only think it is a â€Å"toy†, but in reality they are being programmed to smoke when they are the legal age. The feelings the young adult will feel when smoking real cigarettes is that experience the warm feeling of getting the toy and being with mom and dad. McDonald’s aggressively advertises this way, and gets kids to buy their food as adults by â€Å"brand implanting† them with a clown (Ronald McDonald), giving them toys in Happy Meals, etc. The most disappointing statistic is that one out of three children born in 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime, and about one out of twenty people today have diabetes, according to Spurlock. (cdc.gov) This documentary demonstrated, in an extreme manner that eating fast food is unhealthy but it also looked at the effects of aggressive advertising. Supersize came out in 2004, and it still resonates in 2013. To the point that the First Lady of the United States of America, Michelle Obama, has taken an approach to decrease diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity among young children in her â€Å"Get Up and Move† campaign. Unhealthy eating is a serious problem and Americans are leading in the polls. We have to recognize that fast food does not equate to healthy eating. We are so caught up in our way of life that we do not make time to eat healthy and exercise, and McDonald’s figured this out with their million dollar advertising accounts. Spurlock’s points were extreme, yet poignant about where we stand in our fight with food, and overall advertising. Works Cited Diabetes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 01 Aug. 2011. Web. 08 Oct. 2013. . Spurlock, Morgan. Super Size Me. YouTube. YouTube, 29 July 2013. Web. 08 Oct. 2013. . Fast Food Facts from the Super Size Me Web Site. Fast Food Facts from the Super Size Me Web Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2013. .

My Feeling as a Filipino Essay Example for Free

My Feeling as a Filipino Essay I am very proud to be a Filipino! From the centuries that passed, a lot of nations have admired the Filipino people, for being industrious, brave, talented, resourceful, these are only a few of the traits that a lot of other people and nations admired the Filipinos for. But although we have been complimented in many fields, none of us or only a handful of us are well known for it. We as a people never stop and think â€Å"what can I do for this country†. There have been notable personalities that have done this but a lot of us have always taken it for granted. One other notable Filipino trait is ingenuity; we have had a lot of inventors that have blossomed in the Philippines, one such inventor that is well known around the world is Agapito Flores, the inventor of the fluorescent light. This invention, should it have been recognized by the government would have been one of the best ways that we could have paid our national debt and would have increased the status of the Philippines as a nation, if it was manufactured here in the Philippines, but the government took it for granted. Another field that we really should have exceeded in is agriculture. A lot of the Asian countries have learned their agricultural knowledge from the Philippines, yet we keep importing these goods from them, one such country is Thailand; they are very proud to say that they learned their agricultural knowledge from the Philippines, one notable goods is the Thai Rice, that specific breed of rice was made in the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Banos, Laguna, yet we are the one importing that specific rice crop from that country to ours. So my question is †¦ Why is it that our government seems to be a reactive kind of government and not a proactive one? Why is it that the Filipino, as a people, seems to practice, what I call the â€Å"I† syndrome? Why is it that we put ourselves on top of everything else rather than a part of a nation? Why is it that other nations and or people recognize what we have and we don’t? Why is it that we turn a blind eye to the problems of our society? Why is it that we are so caught up with what â€Å"I† want and what â€Å"I† need that we fail to see what’s really happening to us as a nation? I AM PROUD TO BE A FILIPINO and I still believe that we can make it as a nation, but I’m afraid that if we don’t change our outlook of ourselves as a people, we will succeed as an individual but fail miserably as a nation.

Background And Pathophysiology Of Schizophrenia Psychology Essay

Background And Pathophysiology Of Schizophrenia Psychology Essay Schizophrenia is a severe chronic psychotic disorder associated with the brain and is characterised by symptoms classified into three major categories; positive, negative and cognitive symptoms. Positive symptoms include hallucinations, delusions and thought disorder. Negative symptoms consist of social withdrawal and flattening of emotional responses. In addition to this, deficits in cognitive function such as attention and memory are also often present in schizophrenic patients together with anxiety and depression. (Rang, 2007); (Lewis J A Lieberman 2000) Studies have shown several neurotransmitter systems such as serotonin, glutamate and dopamine to be involved in processes leading to the expression of the symptoms experienced in schizophrenia. Among these, the dopamine theory has received the most attention and it will be the focal point of this research. Serotonin, an essential neurotransmitter, has its place in explaining schizophrenia by trying to explain the elements of the disorder which were initially unexplained. This consisted of the negative symptoms and the actions of antipsychotics. Its role was recognised in the 1950s when it was discovered how similar serotonin was to LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide). LSD causes psychotic symptoms as it competes with serotonin and occupies its receptor sites. Atypical antipsychotics as well as blocking dopamine receptors, also act as 5-HT receptor antagonists. This hypothesis was confirmed when typical antipsychotics were combined with a 5-HT2 antagonist such as ritanserin. This resulted in relief of negative symptoms and extrapyramidal side effects. (Sadock, 2000) Glutamate has also been implicated in schizophrenia. This hypothesis is derived from evidence using PCP, a glutamate NMDA receptor antagonist. Administration produces psychotic symptoms and cognitive dysfunction in healthy subjects (Krystal et al. 1994) and negative cognitive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. (Lahti et al. 1995) Phencyclidine, ketamine and dizocilpine, also glutamate NMDA receptor antagonists, provide psychotic symptoms in humans. Studies have also shown that there is reduction in glutamate receptor density and glutamate concentration in post-mortem brains of schizophrenic patients. (Rang 2007) The most common theory relating to schizophrenia is the dopamine one. The first formulation of the dopamine hypothesis suggests that excess mesolimbic dopamine is the reason for the positive symptoms. The evidence that this idea was based on included amphetamine abuse which increased synaptic dopamine leading to delusions (Laruelle et al. 1996) and that all antipsychotic drugs block dopamine D2 receptors. As this theory implied excess dopamine is responsible for positive symptoms, what is responsible for the negative and cognitive symptoms? Well, research has shown that negative and cognitive symptoms are the result of deficient dopamine in the pre fontal cortex due to D1 receptor dysfunction (K. L. Davis et al. 1991) There have been operational definitions of schizophrenia developed in an attempt the reliability of the diagnosis; The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) and The American Psychiatric Associations Diagnostic and Statistical method (DSM-IV-TR) and both contain lists of criteria but also insist that symptoms must have persisted for 6 months. PICTURE Schizophrenia usually presents itself in late adolescence or in early adult life (Kirkbride et al. 2006) with males having an earlier onset than females. In the UK, the mean age of first admission is about 22 years for men and 27 years for women. (Castle R M Murray 1991)Females also tend to have fewer negative symptoms and a better outcome than males. According to leading experts in this disorder, they have found that it is caused my many factors. One major factor is genetics, and schizophrenia occurs in 10% of people who have parents, brother or sister (first degree relatives) with the disorder. People who have grandparents, cousins or aunts and uncles (second degree relatives) also develop this disorder a lot more than the general public. (Kendler et al. 1993) Most importantly, the risk is at its greatest for a person who has a twin with schizophrenia. (Irving Gottesman 1991) PICTURE Several genes are related with the risk of schizophrenia but previously it was believed there is no particular gene that is responsible for the disease itself. Studies have shown that people with schizophrenia also have many rare gene mutations which involve many genes and disrupt the development of the brain. However in recent times, new research has shown there may be several susceptible genes. One such gene is DISC1 which could be linked to the development and treatment of schizophrenia. DISC1 plays a key role in the growth of individual neurons. Mutated Disrupted in Schizophrenia (DISC1) gene is seen to disrupt the growth and development of cells in the brain. When DISC1 levels were reduced in mice, cells in the brain failed to divide and the mice developed symptoms that mimicked schizophrenia in humans. (REFERENCE IMPORTANT ONE) Other than genes, environmental factors are probably important in the development of schizophrenia. These include exposure to infections, immunocompromised, stress and being in contact with toxic chemicals during childhood may slightly alter brain development. (Marcel ET AL REFERENCE 1999) Chlorpromazine was the first drug discovered to have antipsychotic properties, followed by haloperidol which was widely prescribed. This is an example of typical first generation medications and produced D2 receptor blockade. By 1980, second generation atypical drugs were out, most notably clozapine which was seen to be more potent in treating chronic patients. These had the benefits of also reducing negative symptoms and extreme side effects. Pharmaceutical companies in the 1990s started to take advantage of clozapine and develop drugs without its side effects and olanzapine is another popular atypical drug. In 2005, there was a study done known as the CATIE study, in the USA, comparing the effectiveness of antipsychotic drugs in clinical settings. It was seen that there were high rates of discontinuation; 64-82% over 18 months, due to patients not being able to tolerate side effects. Lack of efficacy was also found for all antipsychotic drugs in the study, although olanzapine was most effective (terms of discontinuation rates) than other drugs in the study. Despite this, olanzapine was associated with greater weight gain and increase glycosylated haemoglobin, cholesterol and triglycerides. These changes could have serious implications such as development of metabolic syndrome. (Jeffrey A. Lieberman et al. 2005) So why use or develop Chinese herb extracts as a therapeutic tool for schizophrenia? Although antipsychotic medication is still the foundation for the treatment in schizophrenia, it still leaves some people with unbearable side effects and distressing symptoms. The most common side effects are Parkinsonism, dystonia and akathisia and are most common with haloperidol and fluphenazine. (Schillevoort et al. 2001) (Levinson et al. 1990) Dystonic spasms affect the neck muscles tongue and face, and occur within a few days of treatment and are frequent at high doses. Akathisia is the restless leg syndrome and is characterised by great urges to move and difficulty in sitting still. Anti-cholinergic drugs can relieve these symptoms; they should not be given routinely as they also cause side effects such as blurred vision, constipation, dry mouth and euphoria. It is also important to remember that not all patients will get side effects from taking antipsychotics. Another long term side effect is tardive dyskinesia which is slow irregular movements particularly in the regions of the mouth, lips and protrusion of the tongue. Approximately 5% of the patients on antipsychotic medication developing this each year, but there is evidence that the incidence may be declining with increasing use of atypical antipsychotics. (Tarsy Baldessarini 2006) Due to the side effects, herbal medicines are commonly used for psychiatric purposes in both the developed and developing countries. (Walter Rey 1999) Studies have shown that some Chinese herbal medicines are effective for psychosis and that if used in conjunction with western medication, they enhance antipsychotic efficacy and reduce adverse effects. Another important aspect is that, Chinese herbs may be more accessible, acceptable and cheaper than drugs already available. Chinese herbal medication includes plants, fungi, resins, animal and mineral substances which are given within a formula which typically consist of 4 to 12 herbs. Administration is in the form of decoctions, pills, powders, tablets, phials and as standardized plant extracts. Chinese herbal medication has been known to treat schizophrenia for over 2000 years; although the methods used in Traditional Chinese medicine to diagnose and treat schizophrenia differs from that used in western medicine. In western medicine, it is usually diagnosed by criteria such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) or the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) but in Traditional Chinese Medication, its diagnosed by the Chinese Classification of Mental Disorder (CCMD). Figure shows the difference between diagnosing and treating Schizophrenia using traditional and Chinese herbal medication Traditional Chinese medicine differentiates schizophrenia into syndromes which determine the course of treatment. Therefore if two people are to be diagnosed with schizophrenia could have different clinical features (syndromes) therefore will require different medications. Each syndrome has a specific herbal formulation, but patients typically have mixed clinical features therefore they require precise formulations made by adding or substituting herbs. (Rathbone et al. 2007) Hype or hope? Is there really a benefit of using Chinese herbs as a therapeutic tool of schizophrenia? There have been several clinical trials done using Chinese herbal medication in the treatment of schizophrenia. One of the earlier studies was done using Dang gui cheng qi tang as the herbal medication given to the treatment group without the addition of the antipsychotic chlorpromazine which the control group received. The setting was in a hospital and participants were divided into groups randomly. It was reported that no participants left the groups early and the result showed that the global state outcome not improved /worse favoured the control group receiving chlorpromazine. (Rathbone et al. 2007) These results should be treated with caution given design limitations such as it being only conducted for 20 days, but nevertheless do not support that herbal medication should be used by itself for the treatment of schizophrenia. Further research and trials have been done which has incorporated using herbal medication together with an antipsychotic versus an antipsychotic alone. In 1997, Chinese herbal medications Dang gui cheng qi tang or xiao plus an antipsychotic was given to a treatment group compared to just the antipsychotic given to the control group. The allocation was randomized, lasted for 12 weeks and included hospital as well as community setting. The result showed that the treatment group scored significantly lower for the outcome of global state not improved/worse than the control group. (Rathbone et al. 2007) Global data score from the Clinical Global Impression scale (a rating scale measuring severity of symptoms, treatment response and efficacy of treatment) also favoured treatment groups that took the herbal medication plus antipsychotic. Ginkgo biloba was used with an antipsychotic for the treatment group in 1996 (Rathbone et al. 2007) and Shui zhi and Da huang were used with chlorpromazine. There were side effects associated with taking antipsychotics and taking herbal medications with antipsychotics showed that extra pyramidal side effects still arose. Constipation was however lower in the treatment group. (Rathbone et al. 2007) In 2001, Zhang et al did a study giving a treatment group Ginkgo biloba with haloperidol with the control group only receiving the latter. When compared, the study showed there was no difference between treatment group and control group when comparing negative symptoms and also when looking at Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale scores. However, the scale of positive symptoms did marginally favour the treatment group. (Rathbone et al. 2007) For all studies done in the past, we have to be aware that application of Chinese herbal medication is based on syndrome differentiation with failure of applying this differentiation resulting in ineffective or harmful treatment. There is no concrete evidence that when given alone, Chinese herbal medications offer benefits which are equal or even greater than antipsychotic drugs. When the herbal drugs are used with antipsychotics, they may offer improvement in symptoms but as there is still limited evidence in regards to Chinese herbs and traditional Chinese medication, this approach must still be considered new and more investigation is needed. Stepholidine is an active ingredient of the Chinese herb Stephania intermedia Lo, and belongs to an alkaloid group tetra-hydroberberine. (S. X. Xu et al. 1989) Initial research had shown that Stepholidine decreased blood pressure without exerting any adverse effects on the heart as well as exhibiting analgesia and any sedating effects on the central nervous system. Recent studies have shown stepholidine to be a pioneering drug in the treatment of schizophrenia because it is a dopamine D1 receptor agonist and a D2 receptor antagonist. Due to the pathogenesis of this disease suggests the dysfunction of D1 receptors in the medial prefrontal cortex, which is accompanied by hyperactivity of D2 receptors in subcortical regions such as ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the nucleus accumbens (NAc), when developing a antipsychotic drug should possess dual agonistic and antagonistic actions on the receptor. Stepholidine and its analogues tick these two important boxes. Stepholidine acts through D1 receptors to increase adenylyl cyclase activity and subsequent signalling pathways regulated by adenylyl cyclase might be responsible for the physiological responses, including rotational behaviour and changes in the firing activity of the neurons induced by Stepholidine. By contrast, Stepholidine inhibits both D2 auto-receptor mediated feedback inhibition of dopamine containing neurons and D2 receptor mediated effects on target non dopamine containing neurons. (Guo-Zhang Jin et al. 2002) There are several symptoms related to schizophrenia and insomnia is one of the most common. This could be partly related to the over-activity of the dopaminergic system. There has been a study done to show whether stepholidine modulates sleep behaviours. This was done in mice and the sleep-wake profiles were observed. From this study it has been concluded that stepholidine significantly increased the amount of NREM sleep and prolonged the duration of NREM sleep episodes, with reduction in the amount of wakefulness. Stepholidine had no effect on either the amount of REM sleep. Because it maintains NREM sleep in mice, it is suggested that it has the potential to be also used in the treatment of insomnia. (Qiu et al. 2009) Figure 1 shows the dual action of Stepholidine. Dopamine (DA)-containing neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) project to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). The schizophrenia hypothesis suggests that D1 receptor dysfunction in the mPFC leads to the negative symptoms of schizophrenia and the D2 receptor hyperactivity in the sub-cortex nuclei leads to the positive symptoms of this disorder [1-4]. The D1 receptor agonist effect of SPD in the mPFC is suggested to ameliorate the negative symptoms of schizophrenia, whereas the D2 receptor antagonist effect of SPD that predominates in the sub-cortex would improve the positive symptoms The Stanley Medical Research Institute (SMRI) awarded a grant of Canadian $330,000 to Dr. Shitji Kapur and Dr. David Mamo in 2006 to study L-Stepholidine. The work they would do would be built up from previous knowledge of the drug already known. They conducted preclinical studies in rats and it showed to be a very promising compound. The goal then was to give it to humans and measure its D2 binding in an attempt at showing it indeed is a D2 drug in vivo using PET, and also estimate its expected therapeutic dose for future clinical studies. Having had several correspondences Dr Mamo, he has informed me that the main company in China had stopped the production of Stepholidine and for ensuring that the compound is pure without any contaminants and to assure the local regulatory authority the research was a safe study, they decided not to use stepholidine from China. Dr Kapur and Dr Mamo then collaborated with a chemist to synthesize stepholidine in a lab. Synthesis was fine, but the pr oblem was that they couldnt scale up the production to gram scale. A chemist had told him with further work, production was possible, but the SMRI was not willing to wait for this. The funding had to be given up but not for the reason that the drug wasnt showing promise. Another drawback in stepholidine is its bioavailability. Drugs given orally, acting on the central nervous system, should have good bioavailability and good blood brain barrier penetration. In rat based assays, it was seen that stepholidine, when administered orally, was poorly available to systemic circulation but could cross the blood brain barrier easily, resulting in good entry into the brain. Stepholidine was also found to have good permeability of the membrane that was not affected by efflux transporters such as P-gp or MRP2. Stepholidine which was absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract was also rapidly eliminated by glucuronidation of phenolic hydroxyl group, and less by sulphation, methylation, demethylation and /or N-oxidation. This poor bioavailability achieved by stepholidine could be due to the extensive pre systemic metabolism. A way to overcome this would be to develop pro-drugs, which would be chemically modified versions of stepholidine which will undergo enzymatic or chemical transformation for the active drug to be released. Example of this might be to modify the hydroxyl groups of stepholidine. (Sun et al. 2009) Due to its poor bioavailability, there has been significant development in recently towards the modification of stepholidine by development of series of derivatives. One derivative that has improved bioavailability while maintain the pharmacological properties of stepholidine, is bi-acetylated l-stepholidine. In recent times, although there has been an increase in material prosperity and growing success of traditional western medication, there has been an overall increase in psychotic disorders especially schizophrenia. Psychiatric patients not only want their symptoms to disappear, they also want to continue to lead a normal life without all their troubles. Psychiatric patients have better resources for the treatment now than ever before, but due to frequent disappointments in western medication especially due to its side effects; there has been increased growth of alternative and complementary methods in the treatment of patients. Sometimes patients also seek help from spell breakers, exorcists and herbalists. In recent times, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) approximately 80% of people in the world have relied on herbs in satisfying their medical care needs, and developed countries such as Germany, Italy and even the USA have shown a dramatic increase in herbal medicine consumption. Stepholidine had led the way in recent drug discovery with it being both a D1 receptor agonist and D2 receptor antagonist activity. This is a unique pharmacological characteristic of DH-THPBs (dihydro) and will be vital in the future when developing new antipsychotic drugs. More so, another DH-THPB, 12-chloroscoulerine has been found to have more potent dual action than stepholidine. In this project, I will analyse research done with stepholidine in regards to it being a therapeutic tool in the treatment of schizophrenia. Word count 2,992

The Purpose of Shoes Essay -- purpose essays

Shoes are not only worn to protect the human feet. They are also worn because they add the final touch to the style you are trying to create. The history of shoes is very long and nobody really knows when the first shoes were created but we do know that they were originally made to warm the feet. Now, there are many different types and each kind helps you function a different way. The shoe is also made up of many parts and every kind of shoe has different parts then other types. Year by year, shoes have been improving and becoming more and more popular. Now, we have all the equipment and all the materials we need to make the shoe better than ever. The very first pair of shoes was created many years ago. Its purpose was to protect the feet from rocks and debris and also to provide warmth. It was created in a very simple form. People used to make shoes by wrapping their feet in dried grasses, straws, cowhide and leathers. Later on, pieces were developed from an oval piece of leather which was bound by a piece of strong leather strings. This may have looked like one of today’s sandal...

Iowa- An American Portrait :: essays research papers

â€Å"Iowa- An American Portrait†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The film â€Å"Iowa- An American Portrait† was narrated by Tom Brokaw. It described the land, people, education, work, religion, and family life of Iowa. One of the main topics of the film was the general view of Iowa- the Farm State. Iowa has more than two- hundred- thousand farms; ninety- eight percent of Iowa’s total land is used for production; with ninety percent of total land being used for the production of food. Reverence for the great land and rich soil of Iowa began with the Native Americans. Many years later, European immigrants settled the land of Iowa. They first settled near the Mississippi River and spread through out Iowa in the short time span of forty years. They soon began farming the land and found that one family could make a good living on eighty acres. Work was a necessity to Iowans. It gave meaning and pride to life, and farming was a business that could be passed on from generation to generation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Corn soon became the crop of choice to Iowa farmers. They found that it was more resistant to disease than the other crops they were growing, such as barley, oats, wheat, and apples. With this newfound â€Å"wonder crop†, Iowans found that farming had become the ideal way of life. Working on the farm involved all of the members of the family, which brought them together and made them stronger through hardships and great opportunities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Draft horses used for plowing later became a luxury and farming soon lost its fun and joyful qualities. It was a time of greater hardship than ever before, but the freedom Iowa farmers had to work, worship, live, and play in their own way made it worth the despairing times.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Towns of all sizes began growing throughout Iowa. With them came churches, schools, businesses, and co-ops. The various institutions and businesses of the towns were flourishing. The children of Iowa were attending school regularly and doing well. The literacy rate of Iowa soon became the highest in the nation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Farms weren’t the only means of earning a living in Iowa. Saw and lumber mills were abundant along the upper Mississippi River, but the lumber supply being harvested was exhausted quickly, putting the mills out of business. Iowa- An American Portrait :: essays research papers â€Å"Iowa- An American Portrait†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The film â€Å"Iowa- An American Portrait† was narrated by Tom Brokaw. It described the land, people, education, work, religion, and family life of Iowa. One of the main topics of the film was the general view of Iowa- the Farm State. Iowa has more than two- hundred- thousand farms; ninety- eight percent of Iowa’s total land is used for production; with ninety percent of total land being used for the production of food. Reverence for the great land and rich soil of Iowa began with the Native Americans. Many years later, European immigrants settled the land of Iowa. They first settled near the Mississippi River and spread through out Iowa in the short time span of forty years. They soon began farming the land and found that one family could make a good living on eighty acres. Work was a necessity to Iowans. It gave meaning and pride to life, and farming was a business that could be passed on from generation to generation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Corn soon became the crop of choice to Iowa farmers. They found that it was more resistant to disease than the other crops they were growing, such as barley, oats, wheat, and apples. With this newfound â€Å"wonder crop†, Iowans found that farming had become the ideal way of life. Working on the farm involved all of the members of the family, which brought them together and made them stronger through hardships and great opportunities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Draft horses used for plowing later became a luxury and farming soon lost its fun and joyful qualities. It was a time of greater hardship than ever before, but the freedom Iowa farmers had to work, worship, live, and play in their own way made it worth the despairing times.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Towns of all sizes began growing throughout Iowa. With them came churches, schools, businesses, and co-ops. The various institutions and businesses of the towns were flourishing. The children of Iowa were attending school regularly and doing well. The literacy rate of Iowa soon became the highest in the nation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Farms weren’t the only means of earning a living in Iowa. Saw and lumber mills were abundant along the upper Mississippi River, but the lumber supply being harvested was exhausted quickly, putting the mills out of business.

Eragon The Movie vs. Eragon The Novel Essay

People have different views in life. Some would opt to wallow with the beauty of words and the power of the imagination, while others would opt for movies and witness the wonders of visual effects. Some of the stories made turn out to be inspirations for many, while others become a driving force for people to go on and continue with life. One of the most interesting stories in Literature is Eragon. Due to the story and the lessons that both children and adults would learn, the novel was adapted as a movie into the big screen. However, I believe that the novel version of Eragon is still better than the movie version. THE STORY The story revolves around a young boy, named Eragon, who grew up in a small farm in Carvahall together with his uncle and cousin. During one of his hunting trips in the mountains, he found a big blue stone. The stone attracted him greatly, and Eragon thought that if sold in the city, the stone would be enough to suffice for their winter needs. Unknown to Eragon, the blue stone was actually a dragon egg, ready to hatch. Since care for dragons was prohibited by the king, Eragon had no choice but to secretly raise the poor animal, naming her Saphira. Eventually, they were haunted down by the king’s men and had no choice but to flee the village. Eragon’s uncle, Garrow, died due to his injuries, making him furious and hungry for revenge. Eragon’s journey towards survival with Saphira led to more secrets. In the course of their adventures, Brom proposed that he would do whatever it takes to help Eragon. The symbol in Eragon’s hand shows that he is indeed one of the dragon riders, like how Brom used to be. Towards the course of the journey, he was transformed from an ordinary teenager to a sword-fighting rider knowledgeable in magic and the ways of Dragon Riders. Eragon meets more people and encounters more life-threatening situations towards the course of the journey, which allows him to learn more about himself. His quest for revenge allowed him to learn more about himself, and how his search for answers would lead him to protect a whole Empire. SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES Books always have their own identity as compared to the film adaptations. This may be attributed to the fact that readers are given the opportunity to view the novel in their own way, and see things according to what their imagination has to offer. The book and film version of Eragon had the same dilemma. Both media had the opportunity to share with people the wonders that Eragon’s life had to offer, and at the same time bring them to a world unknown to many. However, the 2 media used also had their own differences. The film version was intricately made in such a way that the viewers would become curious of what the story has to offer. The special effects used in the film version would definitely come as an impressive work of art. The descriptions set in the book, such as Saphira’s appearance were perfectly executed in the film. One who has read the book with agree with me, especially in the details set for the other locations in the film. The language used in both versions were also similar with each other. The book on the other hand, made us of too many words. Some of the dialogues and scenes were cut in the film version, somehow giving the viewers a different impression of how the story would go. Take for example Eragon’s journey. Some of the places were deleted, and even Eragon’s reactions towards Katrina were deleted in the film version. In this manner, the plot of the story was somewhat changed deviating from the original context of the novel. PERSONAL ANALYSIS The film version of Eragon was something to be considered. Those who have read the novel would have different impressions about the adaptation, especially when some of the important scenes and dialogues have been deleted. Although the aim of the producers was to fit the whole book in one film, this should have been done using a different approach. In the same manner, I also admire how the visual effects were executed. Saphira was one of the wonders of the whole story, and this was very well presented in the film adaptation. Arya herself was a wonder to marvel at. As the book would have it, she was a beautiful elf, and was supposed to look mysterious at some point in the story. This was done perfectly, and I believe the actress who played her should also be given credit. Unfortunately, the film and the book had so many differences. The film version would look as if it was another story formed from the original novel, and not an adaptation. Although both had considered to keep the plot as the center of the film, the choice of words made the story difficult to absorb. Both readers and viewers would have difficulty in trying to keep in tune with the story because of the many names and places it included. For someone who has seen both media, disappointment would not come as a surprise. However, for those who have not read the book, the film adaptation is impressive, especially with how Saphira was manipulated. Works Cited Eragon. Dir. Stefan Fanmeier. Perf. Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Sienna Guillory, Edward Speleers, and Rachel Weisz. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 20 March 2007. Paolini, Christopher. Eragon. Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2003. â€Å"Eragon. † 2006. Eragon the Movie. 22 January 2009 . â€Å"Eragon. † The Internet Movie Database. 22 January 2009 . â€Å"Eragon. † Book Browse. 22 Janury 2009 . â€Å"Eragon (Inheritance, Book I). † 2003. Kids Turn Central. 22 January 2009 . â€Å"Eragon DVD Review. † 22 January 2009 .

Personality Theories Essay

Psychosocial theory brings in the understanding and appreciation with people who have to fulfill a requirement when they collaborate. Each person who is involved in fulfilling a requirement in the work place should fulfill the requirements before advancing. This means that in the workplace there are many people who come from different age group brackets. In the analysis of Erickson, there are eight stages that a human has to pass. For example the needs for each age brackets differ from the other age bracket. There may result a conflict in the work place when a young man encounters an older person. In most cases, the people who are between the 20-40 years tend to have different needs when compared to older community. Hence, the issue of psychosocial theory revolves in understanding of one’s ego and appreciating it. Hence, in a work place where different age sets are working together there many result problems. Each age set should understand what the other age set views accomplishment of the assignment and giving a neutral view in which it completely reduces the chances of conflict. Basic requirements such as respect, recognition and appreciation ensure that the social environment is compatible between the age different workers. Humanistic theory brings in the understandings of Maslow in accomplishing a task. This means that a person has a right in employing own behavior rather than attempting to accept reinforces or environmental stimuli. Hence, the major principle is facilitating personal development. Humanistic theory has been expounded by Maslow and Carl Rogers and is easily applied in a workplace environment. In a work place a worker is supposed to be firstly be satisfied before doing something else. This means that there are stages which may be referred to as needs that are supposed to be fulfilled in hierarchical manner in way of each importance. When the needs are fulfilled, the workers are to extend are motivated in which it results in them fulfilling there responsibilities. If a job satisfies and fulfills the needs that a person what ensures that the person is motivated in the work place. Increasing the amount of salary or wages in relevance to the prevailing economy ensures that the person is at pace with the economy which means that the basic needs are available which results in the person filling being loved and is encourage automatically to fulfill the requirements that the person is supposed to fulfill.

Freedom in a Montessori Environment

Explain in your own words the following: A. FREEDOM IN A PREPARED ENVIRONMENT B. THE SENSITIVE PERIODS C. NORMALISATION D. ABSORBENT MIND A) FREEDOM IN A PREPARED ENVIRONMENT All over the world in constitutions of countries freedom is enshrined. This freedom applies not only to the adult but also to the child. For it is in freedom that a child reveals himself. Therefore a directress in a prepared environment must have the opportunity to observe the child in a free and open environment. Also the child’s inner guide must be allowed to direct the child’s growth.Thus a child will be aided to grow through independence and must be allowed growth through his inn guide. This is because a child uses his environment to grow. A child must therefore be aided in his development through activities that will encourage independence such as self-help skills like wearing shoes buttoning sweeping and other activities that will make him independent. All materials should be given the correc t sizes; materials should be kept orderly; furniture should be child sized. The child must be aided in developing his will by by ensuring coordination and ensuring activities are towards a given end.The child must be given constructive work. Maria Montessori has described a classroom as a room in which all children move about intelligently voluntarily and without being unruly or loud. It is important to note that in allowing freedom, any destructive acts of the child must be limited. All other good and useful manifestations must be observed by the directress. There are however limits to freedom within the prepared environment; they are: Respect for the environment: The child has freedom but must treat the environment with care and respect.He must be courteous and treat all with respect and care. Respect for Himself: It is not enough to treat other with courtesy; he must also respect himself and use the materials respectfully without destroying. Respect for Others: The child is free to carry out activities as long as he is not interfering on the rights of other children in the classroom. Progress at his own rate and development: Each child is allowed to develop at his own rate and pace. No competitions are allowed in the environment. The Montessori environment also allows freedom in many aspects.Freedom of movement as they are allowed to move around the classroom as well as outside the classroom. Thus a Montessori classroom is not divided within work periods. A child is also allowed freedom of choice to choose their own activities in the classroom as this enables concentration and helps develop good working habits. Freedom of speech is also allowed as children speak to each other and initiate activities as a team or individually. Because they are not forced; they naturally develop the tendency to help thy neighbour.Children are expected to observe the rules of basic courtesy; which involves not interrupting other people. Freedom to grow and to construct his own mental capabilities. All materials are with a focus to helping the child build his inner self. Freedom to love and be loved is important as a child must be loved exceptionally and respected for just being himself. An example of Deji a three and a half year old who accidentally defecates on his body. Immediately other children start complaining about the smell and proceed to laugh at the child. The teacher who was also horrified was disgusted and showed this to Deji.The child sat still ashamed of himself. A well trained directress should correct Deji and clean him up and also discourage other children from making fun of him. It is important that love is shown in such circumstances while correcting the boy lovingly. Thus if such an occurrence occurs in future other children will learn to assist and show loving support. Freedom from danger is also important as a child has a right to be protected away from danger. Freedom from competition and pressure is discouraged as a child is free from artificially induced competition reward and punishments.The inner motivation of the child stimulates him to work to the best of his ability and the satisfaction is the reward. He is thus allowed to grow at his own rate and development. In conclusion freedom allow a child grow by removing obstacles which can impede his normal development. The freeing of a child consists in removing as far as possible these obstacles that will deter true development in a child. Thus to objectively achieve these demands objectively a close attention must be on the part of the adult. (B) THE SENSTITIVE PERIODThe sensitive period is a delicate and transitory period helping the child with the purpose of formation. This urge helps him to focus his attention on certain aspects of his environment with such congruency that he excludes other things. As a result of the meeting of minds between this inner urge and this activities; the child completes it and feels excited and stronger. This inner urge can be likened to an intrinsic weaving of the thread of life. The importance of the sensitive period abound as they help in later years to assist in the development of concentration and intellectual powers.Sensitive periods in language have been identified; a child who without prior formal lessons, without conscious effort learns to pronounce the language he hears perfectly. It has been identified that the sensitive period for language has already begun in the child before he can walk and talk. By four months through the watchful eyes of a child he starts making vague sounds. As he progresses the baby will begin got make real sounds. This mysterious urge starts in the soul; its intensity lights up a flame and is turned outward as a light.Under this influence the sounds separate though the child cannot understand the language. As the child interacts more with the environment he listens voluntarily to the spoken language. It had been defined as divine command which the child imitates and do es not know why. A child who is starved of been exposed to the sensitivity of language can lead to having a difficult time learning the structure of his language. An example in Nigeria is where parents refuse their children to learn the local language and speak only english to the child.As the child grows older learning to communicate in their mother tongue becomes a challenge as the child cannot relate to others in his immediate environment. Amazing is also the sensitivity to Order as it reveals itself in the second year of life. The child at this stage displays a possesive passion in the order of things. For example Deji a 3 years old has a pack of balls bought for him in a basket by his mum. Family friends come to the house and one of the younger children removes the pack of balls from the basket. Deji starts screaming as he trys to put all balls back in the basket.He quietened down after he put back all the balls without any interfeence from the guest. It is very necessary for t he child to have order in his environment as he is constructing himself from the elements of the environment. A baby can be helped by an adult through following a general rhythm. Dont forget to add advantages Another sensitivity which occurs in the second year is the senstivity to small objects. Children are drawn to small objects alas miniature scientists. However the adult must be patient,observant and not shout when a child pick up objects.Freedom is also critical to enable a child explore their environment. The adverse effects of sensitivity to small objects will be lack of observational skills passiveness and lack of comparative judgement. Sensitivity to cordination of movement occurs from 21/2 years. This is the period A Child loves to explore the environment by jumping and running. They engage in activity that will cordinate their movement. Constuctive work that will promote good cordination of body movement eg pouring from one jug to another is important. The adverse effect will be lack of good cordination.Children between two to five love to play with their mates. They also want to do things adults and develop social skills. At this time they pick up manners and behaviours from adults. The advers effects are that children remain dependent passice and lonely. Sensitivity through learning through the five senses. Children take interest in sound shape texture. At this time the children are given activities which impress and stimulate the senses refinimg their functions. This period is important especially in adult life especially in some vocations C) NORMALISATION Normalisation has been described as the single most important result of a teachers work. This is when the teacher has helped the child to attain a normal developmental stage where they focus for long periods of time. At this stage they are satisfied and proud of their work. Normalization occurs during the first phase of development at ages 0-6 years. Peter is a three year old pupil and a new st udent at ABC School. Peter is unable to concentrate on a particular task and lacks interest in activities.After careful monitoring and patience by an adult in a prepared environment; Peter transforms and shows keen interest in activities. Children who are young or new to the prepared environment are said to be in the first stage of development. These children are not ready for the freedom and like peter in the example above are invited to work with a teacher keeping an eye on the child. These children increase their level of concentration and take pride in their accomplishment As the child progresses; the child experiences freedom and now have the confidence to move and complete activities.Children at this stage benefit from frequent and different presentations. The role of the teacher s to observe the child keenly to ensure they are receiving the assistance needed for the transformation. By the time Peter in our example above is five or six years, the child is able to focus on one activity; work in teams; teach younger children and work independently without disturbing the work of others. This journey has taken years for the child to become normalized and as such the teacher must patiently and without giving up enjoy the journey towards independence and normalization.In a growing child there is physical energy; especially the muscular energy of intelligence and will and also the mental energy of intelligence and will. These two streams work in unison to make a child complete. A normalized chid develops the following characteristics; a love for order in which a child expresses a love for the environment and a desire to preserve the environment. Also the love of work which in a prepared environment means any activity which the child becomes engrossed in and consumes his personality.A child grows to like work naturally and finds joy in completing his work. Another characteristic is profound spontaneous concentration which has been called attention to life or a w onder of growth. It is the Childs intelligence that is concentrating here and constructing itself through an exchange with its immediate environment. Following closely is an attachment to reality as a normalized Childs mind constructs itself through contact with the environment which is the foundation of the world as taken in by a child through the five senses and later is built on by reason and imagination.When a child works on this intelligence is thereafter raised to the order of intelligence. Obedience: A normalized child is obedient as the child grows through various works undergone and undergoes the development of will. Independence and initiative is what happens to a normalized child. Spontaneous self-discipline is also a feature of Montessori school children. This discipline enables the children to work for long periods in the absence of the directress. Joy also radiates on the children’s faces because they are deeply satisfied.

Suicide and Adolescent Psychology

Adolescent Psychology is a difficult specialty within the field. Many of the normal phases of adolescent development look like pathologies, and perhaps would be classified as such if the patients were adults. Thus, it is difficult, even for a trained professional, to tell the difference between a true pathology, and a â€Å"normal† mood or personality pattern associated with adolescent development.An area where this deficiency can lead to grave circumstances is the realm of adolescent depression and suicide. Although true suicidal tendencies can be difficult to spot in adolescent behavior, timely identification and proper treatment are important goals of Adolescent psychologists. Although causal theories differ, the treatment of teen suicide attempts and depression is fairly consistent across adolescent theorists.Typical symptomology of suicidal tendencies in adults has several features. (Symptoms†¦2007) The underlying psychological cause of such ideations is usually depr ession. (Symptoms†¦2007) Symptoms of depression include sleeping pattern disruptions, feelings of low self-worth, loss of interest in pleasurable activities and lack of energy.(Symptoms†¦2007) One of the key indicators that a depressed adult is contemplating suicide is self-report. (Symptoms†¦2007) Often, adults are not treated for suicidal depression until after they had made an attempt on their own life. (Symptoms†¦2007)   Treatment for long-term depression in adults typically consists of medication and extensive therapy. (Symptoms†¦2007)They type and length of therapy is contingent on many factors. (Symptoms†¦2007) These include the specialty of the therapist, the diagnosed underlying condition, and the severity of the depressive state. Similarly, the medical regime for adults with suicidal depression varies as a function of the underlying psychological cause for the depression. (Symptoms†¦2007)Typical depressive mood disorders are treated wit h anti-depressants, while personality or perception disorders, which can lead to a secondary depressive condition, are better treated with medication targeted to the underlying disorder. (Symptoms†¦2007)As complicated as the diagnosis and treatment of suicidal depression is in adults, it is even more so in the adolescent population. (Teen Suicide†¦2005)   Suicide is the third-most common cause of death among individuals between the ages of fifteen and twenty-four. (Teen Suicide†¦2005)  There are large gender differences in accounting for teen suicide, but they are explained more by the methods used, than any particular predilection toward the act. (Teen Suicide†¦2005)   83% of adolescent suicides are males, whereas females make more attempts at suicide.(Teen Suicide†¦2005)   The discrepancy can be explained by the fact that males are far more likely to use a gun in their attempts, while the method of choice for females is pills. (Teen Suicide†¦2 005)   Of the two, the chances for success are much higher among those who use a gun. (Teen Suicide†¦2005)  According to the National institute of Mental health, successful suicides among adolescents number about 8 in 100,000. (Teen Suicide†¦2005)     Attempts at suicide are estimated to be much higher. (Teen Suicide†¦2005)The National Youth Violence Prevention Resource center found that about one in five teens think about suicide, one in six have actually planned for it, and one in twelve had attempted suicide in the past year(Teen Suicide†¦2005)   . As is the case with adults, most (about 90%) of adolescent suicide victims have an underlying mental disorder. (Teen Suicide†¦2005)One moder theory of suicide in adolescence is espoused by Dr. David Elkind. He posits that there is a gap between physical and psychological development, which causes stress in the adolescent. (Elkind, 1998) Dr. Elkind theorizes that teenagers, who are often treated as adu lts at home and in schools, are not as complete in their psychological development as they are in their physical development.(Elkind, 1998) This results, opines Dr. Elkind in a stressful dissonance that can lead to suicidal ideation. (Elkind, 1998)   Additionally, exposing an adolescent to adult-type stressors, such as deadlines, appointments and specific goal-driven activities can cause stress. (Elkind, 1998)   This stress can lead to depression and suicide. (Elkind, 1998)On the other side of the coin, Dr. Elkind believes that over scheduling a young child may leave him or her bored when the structure surrounding the child disappears in their teen years. (Elkind, 1998) This subsequent lack of direction can also lead to depression. (Elkind, 1998)This theory suggests a preventative viewpoint on teen suicide. (Elkind, 1998)   Once an adolescent articulates a desire for suicide, or makes the attempt, Dr. Elkind recommends the standard psychological treatment, and medication, if w arranted. (Elkind, 1998)A more environmental viewpoint is espoused by Dr. Bronfenbrenner. (Paquette & Ryan, n.d.)   He views human development as an interaction between individuals and a system of bioecological systems. (Paquette & Ryan, n.d.) He views any psychopathology, including teen depression or suicide as a dysfunction whose development is engendered by deficiencies in the mesosystem (immediate social surroundings) of the individual.(Paquette & Ryan, n.d.) This approach to development does not lend itself particularly well to the treatment phase of suicide in adolescents, rather, it offers a socially-constructed theory for the phenomenon. (Paquette & Ryan, n.d.)Preventative â€Å"treatment† in this paradigm would consist of fostering a healthy, positive mesosystem around the individual, so that they might develop in a psychologically healthy manner. Again, one is forced to conclude that an already-depressed or suicidal teen would be best served by therapy and possibl e pharmaceutical remedies. (Paquette & Ryan, n.d.)A more cognitive approach to adolescent behavior is espoused by Dr. Robert Selman. (Selman’s†¦2002) His theories, which are derived from those of Piaget, rely on modeling and other cognitive methods to explain behavior. (Selman’s†¦2002)As such, he would explain the phenomenon of adolescent suicide as a response to a social context where such behavior is observed to have a positive outcome. (Selman’s†¦2002) Rarely would the cues be direct, but cultural stimuli such as music, television, and movies could inadvertently (or blatantly) glamorize the practice of suicide, and compel an adolescent, especially one who already suffers from depression or some other psychological ailment to attempt suicide. (Selman’s†¦2002)  Of these theories, the one whose suggested treatment appears to be most effective is Selman’s. Cognitive therapy has been found to decrease repeated suicide attempts b y 50%. (Asher, 2005) While this particular study focused on adults, there is little reason to think that the results would be demonstrably different with adolescents.(Asher, 2005) Interestingly, the same cannot be said of pharmaceutical treatment options. (DeNoon, 2002) It has been shown that teens who take antidepressants actually have an increased rate of suicide than those who do not. (DeNoon, 2002) Recent evidence suggests, however, that the same studies prove that the conclusion drawn from the data was erroneous, as the scientists failed to control for other variables such as severity of the depression, and other factors.(DeNoon, 2002)   Despite these conflicting findings, or perhaps because of them, a therapist should be cautious about â€Å"throwing drugs at the problem† and dismissing a patient with a prescription. (DeNoon, 2002)   In addition to the pitfalls of possible adverse effects of the drugs themselves, this kind of treatment is far more vulnerable to nega tive outcomes hinged on misdiagnosis.(DeNoon, 2002)   If a closely monitored patient is found to have another type of disorder, to which depression is merely a secondary characteristic, that therapist can make the appropriate pharmacological and therapeutic revisions. (DeNoon, 2002)   If, on the other hand, an underlying condition is missed, and the patient dismissed with antidepressants, the results could be tragic. (DeNoon, 2002)Owing to the nature of serotonin-stimulating drugs, which most antidepressants are, an effect of a non-depressed person taking this medication is the onset of severe depression. (DeNoon, 2002)   This would result in the therapist causing the very symptoms he or she is attempting to relieve. (DeNoon, 2002)The main commonality of all of these perspectives is the need to monitor closely the disposition of the patient. The only way to differentiate true depression from a phasic anomaly of normal adolescent development is to observe the behavior and respo nses over a long period of time.For example, behavior that might be characterized as bipolar, buts of high energy and enthusiasm contrasted with lethargy and depression may be the normal reaction to hormone development in an adolescent. Without context, it is almost impossible to tell the difference Thus, the best preventative measure would be to treat any suicidal ideation as a serious symptom and have a therapist interact for a long period with the adolescent. ReferencesAsher, J. (2005). â€Å"Cognitive Therapy Reduces Repeat Suicide Attempts by 50 Percent.† Retrieved October 28th, 2008 from The National Institutes of Health (NIH) website: http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/aug2005/nimh-02a.htm  DeNoon, D. (2002) â€Å"Teen Suicide, Antidepressant Link Questioned.† Retrieved October 28th, 2008 from WebMD website:http://www.webmd.com/depression/news/20041215/teen-suicide-antidepressant-link-questionedElkind, D. (1998) All Grown Up and No Place To Go. Peresus Publishing, Cam bridge, MA. Pp. 1-290.Paquette, D. & Ryan, J. (n.d.) â€Å"Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory.† Retrieved October 28th, 2008 from National-Louis University website:http://pt3.nl.edu/paquetteryanwebquest.pdfâ€Å"Selman's Five Stages of Perspective Taking,† (2002) Retrieved October 28th, 2008 from Everything-2 website:http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1275038â€Å"Symptoms of Depression†. (2007) retrieved October 28th, 2008 from Psychology 24Ãâ€"7 website:http://www.psychiatry24x7.com/bgdisplay.jhtml?itemname=depression_symptomsâ€Å"Teen Suicide Statistics.† (2005) retrieved October 28th, 2008 from Teen Depression website: http://www.teendepression.org/articles1.html

Art Mediums Collage Making, Charcoal Drawing, Acrylic Painting and Research Paper

Art Mediums Collage Making, Charcoal Drawing, Acrylic Painting and Water Color Painting - Research Paper Example The paper "Art Mediums Collage Making, Charcoal Drawing, Acrylic Painting and Water Color Painting" discovers the Collage Making, Charcoal Drawing, Acrylic Painting and Water Color Painting - four art mediums. Collage making involves a lot of creativity. Pieces can be put together in a number of ways to create two different types of collage; two dimensional collage, and three dimensional collage. When pieces of paper are glued on the canvas or base-board, we get a two dimensional look; this is a 2D collage. Three dimensional look or 3D collage is obtained when broken pieces of wood, glass, stones etc., are glued on a base-board or canvas. As early as 1912, some great artist such as Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, and Juan Gris were already doing some amazing collage art. Just like any other form of art, collage is not difficult once you understand the technique and theme, it only becomes complex or simpler depending on what one as an artist is trying to achieve. Below are some sample collage artwork by some famous contemporary artists of the 20th century. Charcoal is undisputedly one of the oldest art materials so is charcoal drawing. Our ancestors used charcoal to draw on cave walls. Charcoal is very easy to manufacture and thus it is an essential artistic tool. Since it is made from selected woods in little or no oxygen conditions, charcoal as an artistic material is stable over a long period of time. However, charcoal has less color saturation when compared to other artistic materials. which have greater saturation but do not last long (Goldman 71). One major disadvantage of using is its dusting-off tendency. Despite this, charcoal drawing as an artistic medium is superb. The sensitivity and spontaneity of using charcoal as a drawing medium gives charcoal drawing an edge above the other drawing media (Fitzgerald 55-63). With charcoal drawing, very painterly drawings, as if done using a brush can be made. Charcoal drawing is so responsive, direct, and fast and is considered to be a less inhibiting medium. Charcoal drawing can produce both fluid and bold lines with greater host of textures as well as fine gradations for shadings. Several drawing techniques such as gestural drawing, contour drawing, and volume drawing can be used with charcoal. The soft nature of charcoal gives an artist a painterly feel. Charcoal is the only drawing medium which gives an artist the ability to imitate Chinese ink brush painting. This is because it is easy for an artist to imitate the contour lines o a Chinese painting in charcoal. With charcoal drawing, an artist is able to gesture without doing big shapes and getting down into detail. Just as many other drawing media, charcoal strongly responds to grain of the paper it is used on. Acrylic painting This painting medium is one of the newest. It was introduced as recent as 1955. Since its introduction, acrylic paintings have come a long way and now there is a wide-range of paints. Acrylic painting is a paint ing technique that offers both experienced and new artist a very flexible painting method. It is a water-based painting medium. The consistency and the usual texture of acrylic paintings is some-what similar to that of oil-paints. However, acrylics are available in a variety of densities unlike oils. They range from ink-like, very thin consistency that can be used in air brushes to various flow degree. This enables an artist to achieve 3Dlike effects (impasto). This

Ethic issue Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Ethic issue - Research Paper Example thought as being a reformer, a non-government official, first run for office - an operator who was going to come in and get it done," said Pat Fanning, a veteran New Orleans legitimate advisor and no fan of the past two-term pioneer. Prosecutors contended that Nagin who is 57-years old was at the focal point of a kickback plot in where he was issued with checks, money, wire exchanges, personal favors and free go from specialists looking for contracts and great treatment from the city. He is jailed for 20 years , though, Fanning said he was likely to serve 14- to 17-year term. A January 2013 prosecution nitty gritty more than $200,000 in fixes to Nagin and his relatives, professedly gained an excursion in Hawaii; top notch airfare to Jamaica; private plane travel and limousine for New York City; and cell administration. In return, organizations that hacked up for Nagin and his family got above $5 million in Orleans’s contracts, as stated by the January 2013 prosecution. Throughout the two-week trial, prosecutors brought to the stand a string of businesspeople who had officially conceded to paying off Nagin. His defense finished little to test their stories. When Ray Nagin took the stand to defend him, he denied the charges citing that he cannot recall who paid for his trips. Ray Nagin was an opportunist who would use the businessmen who needed contracts from the government for his own personal gains as testified by the business men who turned convicts. â€Å"Every time a contractor critically needed something from Mayor Ray Nagin, he would seize that opportunity to get something in return,† (New York Times Feb. 10). Aristotle accepts that the help of the a lot of people outweigh the benefit of the few. In any case, Aristotle says that this is just the case in compelling circumstances and that the singular ought to be, however, of and dealt with first and in the event that we are to deal with the few, the numerous ought to be dealt with. Which is evident in Ray

Sociology of Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Sociology of Health - Essay Example If both health and illness are viewed from a sociological perspective then it can be said that a body which breaks down should necessarily be repaired. Medical systems are required to systematize work around birth, disease, decay and death. Thus a person who is ill requires immediate programs to restore his health. Medical methods are necessary to organize one individual even when he is comes in this world. Illness and health are directly related to the social norms in this society. Illness is still excessively found in the lower classes of this society. This is because these classes are not provided with adequate health facilities on the right time. This shows the difference between the model of health and illness as the model of health clearly illustrates that one should be given adequate medical treatment faced by the problem of illness. However this is not possible because of the sociological factors which are involved in this concept. These factors include how one individual liv es and what age group does he belong to. It can be concluded that in order to practically apply the model of health it is necessary that all the problems encountered should be solved first. Ans. 3. Examine the key findings of the Black Report Ans. The Black Report was a research taken out in Britain in the 1980s to find out the issues about health and society. It gave an overview about the health social inequalities based on use of occupation as an indicator of social class. It analyzed the records of health of different people who belonged to different classes. All these results were analyzed according to the categories designed by the Registrar. The report concluded the over all issues of health in the UK. It stated that the health of the nation had improved over all but there was a difference of mortality among the classes. The individuals who belonged to the lower class were more vulnerable to diseases than the individuals who belonged to the upper class. It showed that the health standards descended as the class of people was lowered. The report clearly illustrated that all these health problems were related to the social factors such as low income, unemployment and poor living standards. The awareness factor was als o pointed out in the report as many people were not aware of different diseases which were being a cause of their death. The Black Report pointed out the basic factors which affected the overall health standards in the UK and desired a change in the overall system of the UK.4. Explain how the doctor / patient relationship influences the health of the patient Ans. There are contrary views on the doctor patient relationship in this world. Some doctors are of the view that if they get close to their patients then they are not able to properly treat their patients. However on the other hand it can be said that a good doctor patient relationship can lead to the recovery of the patient in an early time. This relationship is of a great influence to the patient's health behavior. Research has been done in order to find about the relationship between a doctor and a patient. A research conducted in Texas adopted the way of