Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Implementing Network and Personnel Security Measures Research Paper

Implementing Network and Personnel Security Measures - Research Paper Example In relation to the present network security manufacturing industry, Cisco and IBM can be considered as the leading corporations which provide safe and steady internet environment within the networks of the different global institutions. Cisco Cisco is generally known as one of the inclusive manufacturers in terms of producing a range of effective network security devices. A few of the major Cisco devices include Cisco Threat Defense Solution, Network Admission Control Appliance and Cisco Secure Access Control System among others (Cisco, 2013). The associated costs of the Cisco network security devices vary in accordance with the functions and network structure of the institutions. In general, the network security devices offered by Cisco are cost effective and can be procured from Cisco distributors, dealers along with other retail stores (Cisco, 2013). IBM The network security devices offered by IBM are highly effective for averting, detecting and eliminating different network relat ed vulnerabilities that emerge while designing and deploying network management applications. The devices offered by the company ensure adequate security of the internal information and prevent the access of unauthorized guest users. A few of the major network security products of IBM include ‘IBM Security Key Lifecycle Manager for z/OS’, ‘IBM Security Access Manager for Enterprise Single Sign-On’ and ‘IBM Security AppScan Enterprise’ among others (IBM, 2013). The IBM internet security devices can be procured from the company’s own distribution networks. The network security products offered by the company are relatively more cost effective than other products offered by the different vendors (IBM, 2013). Functionality of Cisco Devices for Governmental Agency Source: (Cisco, 2013) Functionalities of IBM Network Security Devices for Governmental Agency Source: (IBM, 2013) 3. Maintenance Plan for the Government Agency to Ensure Having the Latest Security Measures The maintenance plan concerning the installation of advanced network security devices is one of the essential steps for the government agency to uphold the security of its vital information. Therefore, the maintenance plan of the network security devices within the government agency would be primarily focused on five major practices. The following are the primary activities of the maintenance plan for the government agency to ensure having the latest security measures: Monitoring performance of the network security devices as per their expected outcomes Ensuring better alignment of network security devices with the primary objectives of the government agency Confirming appropriate development of the network security devices installed within the agency Continuous minimization of the network down-time and, Minimizing IT related costs of the government agency Source: (Torstensson, 2010) a. Risks Associated with not fulfilling the Activities Outlined within the Maintenance Plan The improper or unstructured maintenance plan of the network security devices can generate various types of risks for the government agency. A few of the major risks associated with not fulfilling of activities of maintenance plan include: Increase vulnerability from the access of unauthorized guest users Weaken data protection capabilities of the network security devices Misrepresentation of information Increase in agency’

Monday, October 28, 2019

Poststructuralism Paper Essay Example for Free

Poststructuralism Paper Essay What is post-structuralism? How did come about and who started it? How can it be used as a strategy? It cannot be defined without a reference to Ferdinand de Saussere.   He is considered as the â€Å"creator of the modern theory of structuralism (UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2003, p.1).†Ã‚   He was responsible for what was said to have started the entire post-structuralist movement, A Course in General Linguistics.   He did not actually write it; his students, Charles Bally and Albert Sechehaye simply compiled and edited it for publication (UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2003, p.1). Saussere considers language as a â€Å"system of signs that evolves constantly, in which particular words hold no meaning (UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2003, p.2).† Words do not have definition on their own; they need to be involved in a kind of structure wherein together with other words, they begin to make sense.   Moreover, he believes that every idea or object has a sign (UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2003, p.2.), which in turn, has two other parts.   A sign has a signifier, which refers to what a word originally looks or sounds like, while the signified refers to what is represented.   The connection of the two is unpredictable; it is always fluctuating.   This premise is basically the foundation of what is known as post-structuralism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Post-structuralism actually started in the 1960s in France (James, n.d., p.1).   It is considered both as a critical theory (Henderson and Brown, 1997, p.1), and an interdisciplinary movement (Jones, n.d., p.1) which includes other fields as well like the â€Å"deconstruction of Jacques Derrida, the late criticism of Roland Barthes, and the psychoanalytic revisionism of Jacques Lacan (Henderson and Brown, 1997, p.1)† just to name a few.   Post-structuralism has been discussed alongside postmodernism, but Peters (1999) was quick to differentiate the two: â€Å"Poststructuralism takes as it theoretical object structuralism, whereas postmodernism takes as its theoretical object modernism(p.1). The key word in determining its definition is structure.   Post-structuralism develops a new body of knowledge apart from the pre-established structures.   It claims that the formation of knowledge then may no longer hold now.   There is no such thing as an established truth; what was considered true then, might be dubious now.   Peters (1999) adds, â€Å"Poststructuralism, then, can be interpreted as a specifically philosophical response to the alleged scientific status of structuralism to its status as a mega-paradigm for the social sciences and as a movement which, under the inspiration of Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger, and others, sought to decenter the structures, systematicity and scientific status of structuralism, to critique its underlying metaphysics and to extend it a number of different directions, while at the same time preserving central elements of structuralism’s critique of the humanist subject (p.1).† One of the people famous for their contribution in post-structuralism is Frenchman Michel Foucault.   Although he is considered as a philosopher, his work is not confined to a particular body of knowledge.   Throughout his career, his works covered a range of topics, which included â€Å"sexuality, madness, illness and knowledge (UXL Newsmakers, 2005, p.1).†Ã‚   He is also associated with new historicism, which Henderson and Brown (1997) considers as â€Å"history as a species of narrative with gaps or ruptures between epistemes modes of thought and ways of knowing that characterize a given historical moment (p.1).†    He is not interested with history per se; rather, he is more interested in how events become part of history and what made it possible for them to be part of history.   Needham (1995) writes, â€Å"he believes that human nature, instinct, and other intrinsic underpinnings of mankind are not fixed; humans are conditioned through discourse: how we talk, how we formulate knowledge, and who we look to for knowledge. No universal certainties exist; justice, sexuality, insanity, morality all knowledge is a construction of discourse (p.1).†Ã‚   Overall, Foucault forces us to think out of the box.   For him there is no such thing as truth; the structure which developed our notion of truth should be analyzed. Because there is no one stable structure that holds, all that we know is influx all the time and it is better to focus on how these ideas are formed rather than being preoccupied with the ideas themselves.   Because of his post-structuralist ideals, many feminists are turning to him to further their cause.   His ideals help them challenge what was then regarded as true about women in patriarchal discourses.   One of the women who have been regarded for her feminist efforts is Mary McLeod Bethune.   Unlike Foucault, she is not an intellectual.   Smith (1996) calls her â€Å"essentially an activist (p.1),† and rightfully so. Her works is not even limited to women, though she pushes for their opportunities to.   All her life she has fought for the rights of her fellow African-Americans, and released the literary work My Last Will and Testament which is one of the most influential African-American literature out there.   She dared to push the envelope for her race, and defied the odds to help her race â€Å"maintain racial dignity (Smith, 1996, p.105).†Ã‚   S he made sure African-American girls can also be educated like their fair-skinned counterparts.   She opened a school for girls in 1904, which became the Bethune-Cookman College (Smith, 1996, p.106).   At first glance, she may not seem to be a post-structuralist, but she is.   Instead of conforming to the existing structures available to her race that operate in society, she tried to create new possibilities.   That is a move that is post-structuralist, indeed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Post-structuralism as a strategy is simple; all that needs to be done is to challenge the existing premises by trying to get to the root of the very same premises.   In a post-structuralist sense, the normative condition is taken as such, but not considered stable or fixed.   It is like one of the possible scenarios, not the only one.   In essence, post-structuralism defines the possibility of many other structures, any of which are neither true or false.   From the examples established by Michel Foucault and Mary McLeod Bethune, one must not be satisfied with what is out there.   There should always be a need to ask important questions and look for other solutions.   The status quo is no longer; the possibilities are endless. References Henderson, G. E., Brown, C. (1997). Glossary of Literary Theory. University of Toronto English Library. Jones, R. (n.d). Post-structuralism. Retrieved November 16, 2007, from www.philosopher.org.uk/poststr.htm. Needham, A. (1995). Foucaltphobia-philosopher Michel Foucault. Whole Earth Review, n.v.,1. Peters, M. (1999). Post-structuralism and education. Retrieved November 16, 2007, from www.ffst.hr/ENCYCLOPAEDIA/poststructuralism.htm. Smith, E. M. (1996). Mary McLeod Bethune’s â€Å"Last Will and Testament:† A Legacy for Race Vindication. The Journal of Negro History, 81 (1/4), 105-122. UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography (2003). UXL Newsmakers (2005).

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Stress In The Workplace Essay example -- Workplace Health and Safety

Stress by definition is an interaction between individuals and any source of demand (stressor) within their environment. Employment can be an exciting challenge for many individuals; it can also be a tremendous source of stress. (Long, Bonita C.) Stress in the work place can cause many individuals harm emotionally and physically. Several reasons for the intense amounts of stress are; too many demands from co-workers, supervisors constantly breathing down your back, elevated noise levels in the work place, lack of knowledge for a particular position, co-workers not upholding their responsibility to help with the task at hand, and favoritism. Lack of promotional opportunities at your place of employment, in spite of the fact that you go that extra mile will contribute to stress.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some effects that can result from stress in the work place are; poor job performance, low morale in the office, and insalubrious employees. Reciprocally, elevated stress levels in an organization are associated with increased turnover, absenteeism; sickness, and reduced productivity. At a personal level, work stressors are related to depression, anxiety, general mental distress symptoms, heart disease, ulcers, and chronic pain (Sauter, Hurrell, & Cooper, 1989).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A stressor is the object or event that the individual perceives to be disruptive. Stress results from the perception that the demands exceed one's capacity to cope. (Wiersm...

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Four Types Of Financial Statements Essay

Financial Statements come in four basic types; income statement, retained earnings, the statement of cash flow and the balance sheet. These statements are used both internally and externally to calculate the profitability and liabilities of a company. The financial statements of a company are the window for managers, investors, and creditors into the stability of a company. The details of a financial statement differ from the type of the statement and are used by different entities to determine if they want to invest in the company, lend to the company or by managers to determine if the company is operating and the needed level to continue growing. The income statement is a snapshot for a defined time that lists revenues and expenses to equal the net income of the company. Revenues are broken down into sales and other sales. Expenses are items such as cost of goods sold, selling marketing administrative costs, and total income tax. The income statement reports on the success or failure of the company’s operations by reporting its revenues and expenses. If the company’s revenues exceed its expenses, it will report net income; otherwise it will report a net loss (Kimmel & Kieso, 2009). The income statement reports of the company’s operations are profitable or not. The income statements reports how successful the company is at generating a profit at sales. Retained earnings statements are statements of shareholders in dividends and earnings paid to owners. This statement shows the earnings kept by the owners to ensure future growth. High-growth companies generally do not pay dividends and reinvest into the company. This statement shows amounts and cause of change during a period in time. The beginning of the statement shows retained earnings and adds net income and deductions for dividends. The balance sheet is the third type of financial statement that show claims  to assets over a certain period of time. The balance sheet brakes down the short -term and long- term assets of the company. The balance sheets groups similar assets with similar liabilities. Current assets are listed first, long-term investments nets and fixed assets, along with intangible assets like patents. Current liabilities payable in less than a year such as notes payable, accounts payable, salaries payable, unearned revenue, and interest payable are listed first. These are followed by mortgage notes due in more than one year and other notes due in more than a year. Last listed are stockholders equities such as common stock, and retained earnings. Companies list assets in order for which they expect to convert to cash (Kimmel & Kieso, 2009). The last type of basic financial statement is the statement of cash flow. This statement discloses cash receipts and cash payments made to the company for a specific period of time. The statement of cash flow reports the operating, investing, and financial activities of the company. This statement will answer questions such as where did the money come from, how as the money used, and what was the change that happened? Negative numbers are reflected with brackets (). Additionally, these statements report the net increase or decrease in cash during a period in time and the amount of cash at the end of said time. Many entities use financial statement, both inside, and outside the company. Managers can use the balance sheet to determine if the cash on hand is sufficient for immediate cash needs. They can also use these statements to look at the relationship between debts and stockholders’ equity to determine if the company has satisfactory proportion of debt and common stock financing (Kimmel & Kieso, 2009). Creditors can use the financial statements to determine the likely hood of being repaid. The statements will tell the creditors if there are sufficient assets to sell to repay a debt. Using ratio analysis, revenues- expenses= net income, the creditor can measure the success of a company for a given period. Long- term investors and creditors look at the solvency of a company; that is the measurement of long- term survival of the company. Investors use financial statements to determine if they should invest in the company or cash out the stocks they hold, because  of losses in the c ompany. Publicly traded companies must release annual reports, including financial statements, manager’s discussion and analysis, notes to the financial statements and an independent auditors report. Investors use all of these items to ensure they are making a sound investment. References Kimmel, P. D., Weygandt, J. J., & Kieso, D. E. (2009). Financial accounting: Tools for business decision making (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

What Can We Learn from Luke About Jesus’ Attitudes to Women?

What can we learn from Luke about Jesus’ attitudes to women? In order to discuss what we can learn from Luke about Jesus’ attitudes to women we must first understand a little about Luke himself. According to Charpentier E (1981:81) Luke had been seen as the, ‘beloved physician’, which is also cited in Hayes, M A. and Gearon L (1998:145) whom further state that Luke travelled with Paul from Troas to Philippi in Greece, Paul, (Col 4:14) expressly calls him, ‘the beloved physician’. He was in fact Paul’s medical adviser. Luke’s acts were written in c AD 80.The status of women in Palestine during the time of Jesus was very decidedly that of inferiors. The women is, ‘in all things inferior to the man,’ as stated by first century historian Flavius Josephus (as cited by Jesus central. com). Historically and traditionally, Jewish men did not speak in public to women even to their own wives. However, Jesus never treated women in the expected ways of his culture at all. He talked with them, he taught them and he also expected and trusted them to be able to proclaim the Good News.Jesus therefore acted and spoke as if women and men were equal before Gods eyes. According to churchofgoddfw, Luke’s gospel portrays Jesus as the one, ‘†¦who fully accepted women. Regardless of their social or marital status. ’ It seems that Luke give’s greater prominence to women throughout his Gospel. It is obvious that Mary plays a central role in Luke’s Infancy narrative according to Hayes, M A. and Gearon L. Mary’s role in history was to be an extraordinary one. God chose her to be mother of Jesus Christ. ‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said. (Luke 1:34-38) Though Mary knew she was facing shame and humiliation, in faith, she willingly submitted herself to God’s will. Mary acted in great courage and faith. Jesu s therefore honoured his mother throughout his life and also at his crucifixion. Mary was actually at the foot of the cross where Jesus compassionately let her know that she would be cared for after his death and resurrection. At the same time Jesus rejected the notion of woman’s role within Luke (8:19-21), ‘Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd.Someone told him. ‘Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you. ’ He replied, ‘My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice. ’ Here it seems Jesus refutes the notion of gender-restricted roles (women have their place). However, here it also seems that Jesus is saying that they do not have favoured status because of their family or gender relationships, rather a relationship with Him is attentiveness and regards for Gods’ Word, according to Gods word to women. org.Through reading Luke’s Gospel, Jesus’ honour and respect was not solely reserved for his mother ‘Mary’. It was extended in fact to all women, which is unexpected as mentioned earlier. Moreover, women became disciples and followers of Jesus (Luke 8:1) Mary Magdalane, Joanna, Susanna and several others journeyed with Jesus on his travels and are also present at his crucifixion; whilst the disciples flee; at his burial and at the tomb on Easter Day according to Hayes and Gearon. They become the first preachers of the Easter message (Lk 24: 1-13).It therefore seems that Luke makes a point that women are the first to come to Easter faith according to Hayes and Gearon and the first to proclaim it. According to Judaic Law, ‘women were not allowed to bear legal witness,’ as cited by Jesuscentral. com. However, the fore mentioned bared witness of the risen Jesus Christ to his disciples. Luke highlights here also that Jesus revealed himself in one o f his key roles according to Jesuscentral. com, ‘as Messiah, to a woman. ’ The Life Light Home Study Course also highlights that Luke emphasizes, ‘the fact that it was women that were the first resurrection evangelists. The fact that it was ‘they’ that returned from the tomb and told the eleven. Does this therefore imply the possibility of a much greater participation of women in the era of the Church? Luke goes on further to highlight how Jesus allowed women to touch him, even women who were considered as ‘unclean’! According to Luke (8:40-56), Jesus touched a dead women, the daughter of a synagogue ruler, and brought her back to life, within the same verse Jesus allowed a women who had been leeding for 12 years to touch his cloak in order that she may be healed. Further to this Jesus allowed a prostitute to touch and wash his feet while dining with disapproving Pharisee (Lk 7:3) In addition to this Luke also has the story of Martha and Mary were Jesus taught that women were just as responsible for, ‘growing in grace and knowledge as men,’ when it came to being one of his followers as cited by Grace Communion International. Therefore, Luke highlights that Jesus expected women as well as men to learn from him.Jesus saw woman as a full-fledged human being, which is indicated here as Mary sat down and listened learning theology, rather than assisting her sister within the kitchen preparing a meal for Jesus. Luke identifies Jesus regard for woman again as he after all taught Mary, when such behaviour was a violation of the established theology. Jesus thus affirmed a women’s right to be a disciple and not to be concerned solely with domestic affairs. Further to this, is another fascinating account according to Luke (13:10-13) when Jesus heals a disabled women on the Sabbath day in the synagogue. he showed his regard for her by calling her a ‘daughter of Abraham’. Jesus was not only faced with the wrath of the Jewish leaders by healing this woman on the Sabbath. This highlights again Jesus regard for women, as he healed someone whom may have been shunned because she was a women and also she was disabled, plus to do so on the Sabbath. In the Acts women are full members of the Church. Luke specifically records that both women and men were baptized (Acts 8:12; 16:15)It seems that more than twice in His parables Jesus used an illustration with a women to illustrate the faith and resolve they were to have: The persistent widow who troubled the judge (Lk 18:2-8) and also the women searching for the lost coin, in which Jesus states, ‘In the same way, I tell you, the angles of God rejoice over one sinner who repents. ’ (Lk 15:8-10). Jesus’s attitudes towards women seem never to have been negative, rather always a positive attitude, which as stated previously is in dramatic contrast to his predecessors and the culture to which he was born into.Concluding that from the evidence cited previously, Jesus as indicated by Luke, promoted the dignity and equality of women in the midst of a very male-dominated society, according to Hayes and Gearon, ‘†¦scholars have concluded that women played a significant role in Lucan communities. ’ Jesuscentral. com takes this one step further as to state that, ‘Jesus was a feminist, and a very radical one. ’ Jesus was therefore a friend of women, promoting the dignity and equality of women which is clear throughout Luke’s Gospel.It seems the prominence of women throughout Luke’s Gospel suggests equality. Indeed theologytoday identifies that the attitude of Luke’s Gospel towards women is, ‘†¦ not so much a totally revolutionary picture of their discipleship as it is an appreciation of their inner resources and ability to centre themselves to receive and act upon the word of God in truth. ’ Word Count = 1354 References Charpenter, E (19 81) How to Read the New Testament. London: SCM Hayes, M A. and Gearon L (1998) Contemporary Catholic Theology: a Reader.Herefordshire: Gracewing Richards, C (2002) Introducing Catholic Theology. Suffolk: Kevin Mayhew The Bible Societies (1976) Good News Bible. London: Collins http://www. churchofgoddfw. com/women/w_leadership. shtml [accessed 22. 05. 12] http://www. gci. org/jesus/women [accessed 28. 04. 12] http://www. godswordtowomen. org/jesus. htm [accessed 19. 05. 12] http://www. jesuscentral. com/ji/life-of-jesus-modern/jesus-feminist. php [accessed 28. 04. 12] http://theologytoday. ptsem. edu/jul1986/v43-2-article4. htm [accessed 22. 05. 12]

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

A Brief History of the Selfie

A Brief History of the Selfie Selfie is the slang term for self portrait, a photograph you take of yourself, usually taken using a mirror or with a camera held at arms length. The act of taking and sharing selfies has become widely popular due to digital cameras, the internet, the ubiquity of social media platforms like Facebook and, of course, because of peoples endless fascination with their own image. The word selfie was even chosen as the Word of the Year in 2013 by the Oxford English Dictionary, which has the following entry for the word: a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website. History of the Self Portrait So who took the first selfie? In discussing the invention of the first selfie, we have to first pay homage to the film camera and the early history of photography as photography self portraits were taking place long before the invention of Facebook and smartphones. One example is American photographer Robert Cornelius, who took a self portrait daguerreotype (first practical process of photography) of himself in 1839. The image is also considered one of the earliest photographs of a person. In 1914, 13-year-old Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna took a self portrait using a Kodak Brownie box camera (invented in in 1900) and sent the photograph to a friend with the following note, I took this picture of myself looking at the mirror. It was very hard as my hands were trembling. Nikolaevna appears to have been the first teenager to take a selfie. So Who Invented the Selfie?   Australia has laid claim to inventing the modern day selfie. In September 2001, a group of Australians created a website and uploaded the first digital self portraits onto the internet. On 13 September 2002, the first recorded published use of the term selfie to describe a self portrait photograph occurred on the Australian internet forum (ABC Online). The anonymous poster wrote the following along with posting a selfie of himself: Um, drunk at a mates 21st, I tripped over and landed lip first (with front teeth coming a very close second) on a set of steps. I had a hole about 1cm long right through my bottom lip. And sorry about the focus, it was a selfie. A Hollywood cameraman named Lester Wisbrod claims he is first person to take celebrity selfies, (a self-taken photo of himself and a celebrity) and has been doing so since 1981. Medical authorities have begun to associate the taking of too many selfies as a potentially unhealthy sign of mental health issues. Take the case of 19-year-old Danny Bowman, who attempted suicide after failing to take what he considered the perfect selfie. Bowman was spending most of his waking hours taking hundreds of selfies everyday, losing weight and dropping out of school in the process. Becoming obsessed with taking selfies is often a sign of body dysmorphic disorder, an anxiety disorder about personal appearance. Danny Bowman was diagnosed with this condition.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Why Juveniles Should Be Tried in Adults Court

Why Juveniles Should Be Tried in Adults Court â€Å"Under state laws, juvenile offenders do not commit crime† and whenever such young people make an offence, it is considered as a delinquent act (Weijers and Duff 12). However, if any person over the age of 18 years commits the same crime, it is considered an offence that is tried in the adult’s court. In case a juvenile commits any crime, the court only hears the case and then makes a decision that is good for the child.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Why Juveniles Should Be Tried in Adults’ Court? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This means that the particular child is rehabilitated and not punished (Shoemaker and Wolfe 11). Because of this, many people have debated whether juveniles should be held responsible for their actions and be punished rather than being rehabilitated. This paper will discuss reasons as to why juveniles should be tried in adults’ court. In a society where all members are familiar with all rules, justice should apply to all. To punish one community member in a certain way and give another individual of the same society an alternative punishment for the same crime is not fair (Weijers and Duff 24). As such, juveniles who commit any serious crime should be dealt with in the same manner as a mature person who commits a similar crime. One major reason why juveniles should be tried in the adults’ court is for purpose of justice. Any society should have an organized system of administering justice so that community members can continue enjoying democracy. In order to claim that justice has been administered in the society all individuals in the same society should be judged equally. As such, it is right to argue that there is no justice if some people are punished while others are left scot free for a similar crime (Weijers and Duff 34). If a juvenile get away with a certain crime like rape, there is no justice to the victim or relative s. It is only fair that all rules apply to all members as along everyone knows the rules. Secondly, juveniles should be tried in adults’ court to reduce and minimize crime in the society. Young people aged below 18 years already understand that if they commit a crime they will get a less severe punishment or get away with the crime (Stevens). Because of this, juveniles are more willing to commit crime (Shoemaker and Wolfe 17). To reduce crime rates, all community members regardless of age should be punished in a similar manner for any crime committed. This way, juveniles will be cautious and reluctant to commit crime hence reducing crime and promoting social change.Advertising Looking for essay on criminal law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thirdly, law should protect victims. Research has shown that the rate at which juveniles commit murder and rape has skyrocketed in past few years (Stevens). When a juveni le commits a crime such as murder, the effects are overwhelming in the society and the impact of such a crime is the same compared to a similar crime committed by an adult. Once a crime like rape or murder happens, the damage is irreversible. Thus, if a juvenile is the offender in such a case, there should be no excuse and he should be treated as a criminal. The punishment should be severe to protect victim’s rights. In conclusion, juveniles should be tried in adults’ court because the juvenile court is founded on false grounds whose objective is to protect young people from facing consequences of their actions. By refusing to try juveniles in adults’ court, the law fails to deter crime in the society. This is because juveniles also do commit serious crimes whose effects are overwhelming in the society. By punishing juveniles justice is achieved, victims are protected, and crime rate is reduced. Shoe maker, Donald, and Timothy Wolfe. Juvenile Justice. A referen ce Handbook. Carlifornia: ABC-CLIO, 2005. Print. Stevens, Alex. A Review of Good Practices in Preventing Juvenile Crime in the  European Union. 2006.Web. https://eucpn.org/ Weijers, Ido, and Antony Duff. Punishing Juveniles: Principles and Critique. Oxford: Hart, 2006. Print.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Nicaragua Geography, History, Climate Facts

Nicaragua Geography, History, Climate Facts Population: 5,891,199 (July 2010 estimate)Capital: ManaguaBordering Countries: Costa Rica and HondurasLand Area: 50,336 square miles (130,370 sq km)Coastline: 565 miles (910 km)Highest Point: Mogoton at 7,998 feet (2,438 m) Nicaragua is a country located in Central America to the south of Honduras and to the north of Costa Rica. It is the largest country by area in Central America and its capital and largest city is Managua. One-quarter of the countrys population lives in the city. Like many other countries in Central America, Nicaragua is known for its high levels of biodiversity and unique ecosystems. History of Nicaragua Nicaraguas name comes from its native peoples that lived there in the late 1400s and early 1500s. Their chief was named Nicarao. Europeans did not arrive in Nicaragua until 1524 when Hernandez de Cordoba founded Spanish settlements there. In 1821, Nicaragua gained its independence from Spain. Following its independence, Nicaragua underwent frequent civil wars as rival political groups struggled for power. In 1909, the United States intervened in the country after hostilities grew between Conservatives and Liberals due to plans to build a trans-isthmian canal. From 1912 to 1933, the U.S. had troops in the country to prevent hostile actions towards Americans working on the canal there. In 1933, U.S. troops left Nicaragua and Nation Guard Commander Anastasio Somoza Garcia became president in 1936. He attempted to keep strong ties with the U.S. and his two sons succeeded him in office. In 1979, there was an uprising by the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) and the Somoza familys time in office ended. Shortly thereafter, the FSLN formed a dictatorship under leader Daniel Ortega. The actions of Ortega and his dictatorship ended friendly relations with the U.S. and in 1981, the U.S. suspended all foreign aid to Nicaragua. In 1985, an embargo was also placed on trade between the two countries. In 1990 due to pressure from within and outside of Nicaragua, Ortegas regime agreed to hold elections in February of that year. Violeta Barrios de Chamorro won the election. During Chamorros time in office, Nicaragua moved toward creating a more democratic government, stabilizing the economy and improving human rights issues that had occurred during Ortegas time in office. In 1996, there was another election and the former mayor of Managua, Arnoldo Aleman won the presidency. Alemans presidency, however, had severe issues with corruption and in 2001, Nicaragua again held presidential elections. This time, Enrique Bolanos won the presidency and his campaign pledged to improve the economy, build jobs and end government corruption. Despite these goals,  however, subsequent Nicaraguan elections have been marred with corruption and in 2006 Daniel Ortega ​Saavdra, an FSLN candidate, was elected. Government of Nicaragua Today Nicaraguas government is considered a republic. It has an executive branch made up of a chief of state and a head of government, both of which are filled by the president and a legislative branch comprised of a unicameral National Assembly. Nicaraguas judicial branch consists of a Supreme Court. Nicaragua is divided into 15 departments and two autonomous regions for local administration. Economics and Land Use in Nicaragua Nicaragua is considered the poorest country in Central America and as such, it has very high unemployment and poverty. Its economy is based mainly on agriculture and industry, with its top industrial products being food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear,  and wood. Nicaraguas main crops are coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton, rice, corn, tobacco, sesame, soya, and beans. Beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy products, shrimp,  and lobster are also large industries in Nicaragua.​ Geography, Climate,  and Biodiversity of Nicaragua Nicaragua is a large country located in Central America between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Its terrain is mostly coastal plains that eventually rise up to interior mountains. On the Pacific side of the country, there is a narrow coastal plain that is dotted with volcanoes. The climate of Nicaragua is considered tropical in its lowlands with cool temperatures at its higher elevations. Nicaraguas capital, Managua, has warm temperatures year-round that hover around 88ËšF (31ËšC). Nicaragua is known for its biodiversity because rainforest covers 7,722 square miles (20,000 sq km) of the countrys Caribbean lowlands. As such, Nicaragua is home to large cats like the jaguar and cougar, as well as primates, insects and a plethora of different plants. More Facts About Nicaragua Nicaraguas life expectancy is 71.5 years Nicaraguas Independence Day is September 15 Spanish is the official language of Nicaragua but English and other native languages are also spoken Sources: Central Intelligence Agency. CIA - The World Factbook - Nicaragua.  https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/nu.htmlInfoplease.com. (n.d.). Nicaragua: History, Geography, Government, and Culture- Infoplease.com.  infoplease.com/ipa/A0107839.htmlUnited States Department of State. Nicaragua.  state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1850.htmWikipedia.com.  Ã‚  Nicaragua - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia.  Ã‚  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicaragua.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

The Effect Of Contingent Music To Premature Infants Essay

The Effect Of Contingent Music To Premature Infants - Essay Example Those with health complications are subjected to painful and stressful medical procedures necessary for survival. Both the complications and the interventions are highly correlated with increased impairment in neurological development (Creasey, Jarvis, Myers, Markowitz, & Kerkering, 1993; Karmel, Gardner, & Magnano, 1991). The long-term neurological implications of premature birth are problematic, but fortunately the brain continues to develop throughout life and some damaged neurological networks can be overcome by nurturing and carefully structured learning opportunities (Benes, 1994). To this point, research with premature infants in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) has primarily focused on medical procedures for survival and on nurturing techniques such as reducing environmental stimuli, non-nutritive sucking, and touch (Dieter & Emory, 1997). During medical treatment, the infant is often physically restrained by equipment. Additionally, treatments and nourishment are often scheduled with regard to health priorities, rather than with regard to the infant's desire for food or attention. The detrimental implications of lack of opportunity to experience normal post-birth cause/effect relationships at this stage of development have recently been lamented (Dieter & Emory, 1997). The infant's sucking ability is a critical behavior for both survival and neurological development. Sucking is the first rhythmic behavior in which the infant engages, and it is theorized to contribute to neurological development by facilitating internally regulated rhythms (Goff, 1985). Time spent in non-nutritive sucking has been observed in third trimester fetuses. Unfortunately, medical and environmental constraints often inhibit non-nutritive sucking... To this point, research with premature infants in the newborn intensive care unit has primarily focused on medical procedures for survival and on nurturing techniques such as reducing environmental stimuli, nonnutritive sucking, and touch. During medical treatment, the infant is often physically restrained by equipment. Additionally, treatments and nourishment are often scheduled with regard to health priorities, rather than with regard to the infant's desire for food or attention. The detrimental implications of the lack of opportunity to experience normal post-birth cause/effect relationships at this stage of development have recently been lamented. The infant's sucking ability is a critical behavior for both survival and neurological development. Sucking is the first rhythmic behavior in which the infant engages, and it is theorized to contribute to neurological development by facilitating internally regulated rhythms. Time spent in non-nutritive sucking has been observed in third -trimester fetuses. Unfortunately, medical and environmental constraints often inhibit non-nutritive sucking opportunities, as very premature infants are undergoing the third trimester of what would have been "fatal" development in the NICU. When non-nutritive sucking opportunities are encouraged in the NICU, development of the premature infant is enhanced. The coordinated suck-swallow-breathe response, which develops in the 34th week of gestation, is a precursor to nutritive sucking ability and nipple feeding.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Theories of Adolescence Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Theories of Adolescence - Assignment Example In addition to these developments, individuals going through the process of adolescence often experience a number of physical and sexual maturation changes. The adolescence stage of human development generally starts at puberty before eventually ending at the age of between 18 and 21 years. One of the main theories of adolescence is Erik Erikson’s psycho-social theory of personalitydevelopment. The core concept that is seen to be presented by Erikson’s theory is that the most essential characteristic of adolescence in humans is the undergoing of an identity crisis and the subsequent acquisition of an ego identity. Erikson argues that during the adolescent stage of development, individuals must establish a sense of personal identity in addition t avoiding the dangers seen to be posed by identify confusion and role diffusion (Ratele& Duncan, 2003). In my personal experience, I support the postulations made by Erikson’s psycho-social theory of personality developmentas they match my own personal experiences while I was undergoing through this stage of development. During my adolescent years, I underwent an identity crisis as I was easily impressionable and often tried to copy the behavior and characteristics of the â€Å"cool† kids in school and some of the characters in my favorite TV show. Although it took some considerable time, I was eventually able to develop my own unique identity. Another key theory of Adolescence is Roger Barker’s Somatopsychological theory of adolescence (GuerreroandChaÃŒ vez, 2009). According to Barker, during adolescence changes affecting an individual’s endocrinology, physique and body dimensions experienced at a significantly accelerated rate as compared to the rate at which they were experienced during the individual’s preadolescent years. As a result of these change, a number of corresponding psychological situations

A study on business development and strategy of Starbucks in China Essay

A study on business development and strategy of Starbucks in China - Essay Example China has been one of the rapidly growing economies in the world with high growth opportunities. Since 1979, China has opened up the economy gradually to foreign business (UN, 2009). In December 2001, China became formally a member of World Trade Organization (WTO), which provided further incentives for increased integration with the world economy. The first Starbucks shop was opened in 1999 in Beijing and now it has 190 shops all over the mainland China. Initially, China was mainly a tea consuming nation with only very small coffee market while now reports show that the coffee consumers are rapidly growing (Starbucks, 2008). According to the latest reports, Starbucks has decided to setup China as its largest market outside North America and is now in the process of careful planning for that(The Wall street Journal,2010). In spite of the reports showing the company facing competitive pressures in several other countries, the success of the company in Chinese market deserves special m ention(ICMR,2009).In this context an analysis on the key success factors of Starbucks in Chin market, its main challenges and opportunities has important policy implications. The various external factors influencing the performance of an organization are evaluated through external analysis. Both the positive and negative trends influencing a company’s performance are evaluated through this process. The positive trends are opportunities to a company and the negative trends are the threats faced by the company. This analysis is very relevant for assessing a company’s present situation so that the company can develop new strategies or change existing strategies by making use of the opportunities and threats to the company (Coulter, 2005). This according to Coulter (2005), there are both specific environment, which influence directly the company’s strategic decision and general

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Global Beauty Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Global Beauty Economy - Essay Example The essay "Global Beauty Economy" talks about the model of productive, reproductive and virtual economies at work in the global beauty industry in general and in the Quine Anos more specifically and how these economies are "intertwined" and how the participants make use of these economies as both consumers and producers.The reproductive services included; financial support, beauty creams, hairdressing, and clothing. For instance, Quine Anera’s sisters and cousins donated their best clothes, god fathers took care of the financial arrangements and well-wishers provided room or venue for the event. In case a needed service is not within the reach of well-wishers and family members, the event organizers have to seek for commercial reproduction services that family members of the Quine Anera have to pay or compensate later and this defines the virtual economy. According to the author, virtual economy is the exchange of virtual services for real money of physical products. For insta nce, Quine Anera had to pay for a beauty advice which is a virtual service. Participants in the productive economy serve as consumers to those in the reproductive economy. For instance, Parents who are in the production economy, tend to buy the services of those in the beauticians who are reproductive part of the economy. The chain between the productive and reproductive economy gives rise to virtual economy. Beauty experts and other service rendering individuals commercialize their roles into money earning-profession.

Choose from the book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Choose from the book - Essay Example The collapse of the banks reduced bank loans leading to less expenditure than initial. The crash of the stock markets reduced the spending capability of individuals through fear of further economic woes. Unemployment and job losses led to a reduction of the purchasing power. Purchasing power is defined as the ability of the society to purchase goods and services. Increased purchases indicate the power of the society and improved welfare while reduced purchases indicate an ailing economy that needs intervention and support. The reduction of purchasing power of the economy at the time was an indication of the reduction of income earning and creation in the country. The situation was made worse with the inability of the banks to offer loans that could improve the purchasing power. The failure to offer loans to the citizens also indicated the situation of the banks in terms of financial strengths. Later, several banks collapsed and with the collapse came massive losses to the citizens th rough loss of savings and investments. The situation was so dire that banks' lost public confidence leading to the creation of the FDIC to offer support and security for individual savings. With such massive issues, the financial sector of the country was in shambles leading to the failure of the whole economy called the great depression. In addition, American economic policy changes as a result of the ailing economy. The government created the Smooth-Hawley Tariff to protect the American companies. The policy charged high tax for imports reducing the amount of trade between America and the rest of the world. The Smooth-Hawley Tariff protected the country production companies from competition. However, the mode of protection led to the isolation of the country because International Corporation could not venture into the country due to the expensive nature of business operations. Drought was an indirect facilitator of the economic problems witnessed in the country. The serious drough t occurred in the Mississippi valley, in 1930, leading to the sale of farm lands in order to remain afloat (Foner 90). While not affecting the economy directly, it helped in the shaping of the economic perspective of the country, to create a financial problem in the area. The drought did not have a massive influence on the economy but helped facilitate the already worse economy to decline. The role of Franklin Roosevelt in economy improvement After the depression witnessed the country struggled to recover from the failure with minimal success until the election of Franklin Roosevelt. Roosevelt enacted several Legislations through congress in a bid to help industrial and economic recovery. The creation of the National Recovery Administration was to foster operation between the government, business and labor in order to achieve success. During the first hundred days of his tenure, he instigated changes in the political leadership to solve the banking crisis with the main focus of the change to restore and not offer drastic change in the economy. The job losses and unemployment witnessed after the great depression had affected the lives of the citizens (Foner 121). In order to assist, the president instigated relief programs to support provision of basic needs to families and also help in spurring the economy. The relief programs helped to reduce starving of the citizens

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Global Beauty Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Global Beauty Economy - Essay Example The essay "Global Beauty Economy" talks about the model of productive, reproductive and virtual economies at work in the global beauty industry in general and in the Quine Anos more specifically and how these economies are "intertwined" and how the participants make use of these economies as both consumers and producers.The reproductive services included; financial support, beauty creams, hairdressing, and clothing. For instance, Quine Anera’s sisters and cousins donated their best clothes, god fathers took care of the financial arrangements and well-wishers provided room or venue for the event. In case a needed service is not within the reach of well-wishers and family members, the event organizers have to seek for commercial reproduction services that family members of the Quine Anera have to pay or compensate later and this defines the virtual economy. According to the author, virtual economy is the exchange of virtual services for real money of physical products. For insta nce, Quine Anera had to pay for a beauty advice which is a virtual service. Participants in the productive economy serve as consumers to those in the reproductive economy. For instance, Parents who are in the production economy, tend to buy the services of those in the beauticians who are reproductive part of the economy. The chain between the productive and reproductive economy gives rise to virtual economy. Beauty experts and other service rendering individuals commercialize their roles into money earning-profession.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

The Scientific Study of Ecology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Scientific Study of Ecology - Essay Example By addressing and discussing these three specific issues, not only will we be able to gain valuable information on these particular matters but on the subject of ecology as a whole. This is what will be dissertated in the following. In ecology terms, the carrying capacity of a population refers to the supportable population of an organism, and this is taking into consideration the vital factors such as food, habitat, water, and so on. There is strict mathematics involved with the carrying capacity issue, and depending on the particular situation, the impact of famine, for instance, could be quite moderate or extreme. In terms of what the possibilities are for the continued growth of a population once it has approached its carrying capacity, this really depends on the particular population being discussed, but it is very important either way here to understand that â€Å"Algorithms for estimating the carrying capacity of areas provide wildlife managers with important information for understanding and managing populations†¦The energy-based carrying capacity of an area varies with the energy required by a wildlife population and the energy available in foods in the area.† (29). In response to the issue of what process would be necessary in order to allow a population to be established and thrive in an ecological community, basically, there are several different factors that need to be taken into consideration here. In all reality, the most classical explanation is that all species are able to coexist, as long as they are â€Å"sufficiently different in their ‘niches’, the particular habitats or conditions in which they thrive or in the resources they exploit, and have corresponding weaknesses in other areas, so that no one species is able to out-compete the others.† (67).  

Monday, October 14, 2019

Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome in Military Personnel Essay Example for Free

Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome in Military Personnel Essay Post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSS) is defined as a psychological disorder which arises from life-threatening experiences; affecting the physical or emotional state of the individual. Examples of these experiences are motor accidents; natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and the like; man-made tragedies such as plane crash and hijacking; abusive experiences in childhood; traumatic personal experience such as rape or torture; and violent military associated events. The symptoms associated with this disorder include those homologous to anxiety attacks or depression. The patient will also experience sleeping problems, emotional numbness, psychological catatonia, lack of affection for other people and even aggressiveness. One outstanding symptom of PTSS patients is avoidance of specific places and situations that is associated to the primary cause of the disorder. Since these will trigger memories related to their traumatic experience, it is of utmost importance for them to avoid any contact and encounter with these scenarios. Also, the patient usually has recurrent flashbacks or hallucinations of this particular, damaging event (University of Virginia Health System, 2007). Post traumatic stress syndrome can be observed in a varied class of individuals: regardless of sex, age, culture or economic status. In short, PTSS can be observed in any kind of character, given enough dose of traumatic experience. In the United States, the percentage of the population affected by PTSS is estimated to be between 1% to 12%. It was estimated that around 7. 7 million Americans are suffering from PTSS and that 30% of individuals who were in war-stricken areas will suffer from PTSS (University of Virginia Health System, 2007). In specific classes in society, PTSS is observed to occur at 0. 2% in post partum women, 18% in fire fighters, 34% in adults involved in vehicular accidents, 48% in female rape victims and 67% in prisoners of war. (Lange, 2000) In this paper, the impact of this phenomenon will be studied on military personnel: the factors contributing to the advent of the disorder, the statistics of military personnel with PTSS, the medical intervention and treatment used for PTSS and the effectiveness of the treatment used by the military to cure PTSS. History of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome in the US Military: Various Wars through the Years Post Traumatic Syndrome in military personnel was correlated with a number of pre-military, military and post-military factors. These three pertain to the background of the soldier before joining the military, the activities one engaged in as a military personnel and one’s life after military service. For pre-military risk factors, some of these were emotional instability, age of entry into the military, past child abuse, minority status, socioeconomic status, substance abuse and years of education. For military risk factors, these were degree of atrocities witnessed or participated in of a soldier, combat exposure, captivity, injury in combat and danger threatening the soldier’s life. Post-military risk factors, on the other hand, include time of discharge from the military, substance abuse, available social support and socioeconomic status (Bremmer, 2005). Post traumatic stress syndrome was first observed in war veterans who were assigned in the war against Vietnam during the 1980’s. This was the first time the scientific and psychological community acknowledge this disorder. Since PTSS was not yet known to the world, it was initially called battle fatigue and shell shock (University of Virginia Health System, 2007). In this war, it was estimated by the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Survey (NVVRS) that 15. 2% of male veterans and 8. 1% of female veterans; 479,000 out of 3,140,000 and 610 out of 7,200, respectively; were diagnosed with PTSS during a two year study in 1986. In terms of delinquency observed in these Vietnam War veterans, almost half of male soldiers who were diagnosed with PTSS were arrested or jailed at least once after their diagnosis. The percentage of those who were convicted was estimated to be at 11. 5%. In 2004, there were around 161,000 veterans who are still receiving PTSS disability compensation from the government. But even before this decade, military men and women had already suffered from war-related disorders. In World War II, it was estimated by the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder that in every 20 deployed military, there was one individual who suffered PTSS-related symptoms such as irritability, nightmares and flashbacks. The actual number of PTSS affected soldiers was estimated to be at 25,000 based on the number indicated by the Department of Veterans Affairs back in 2004. These soldiers were still receiving PTSS disability compensation from the department during this time. A prisoner of World War II’s (POW) tendency to developed PTSS was also investigated by various studies long after the war was over. According to Speed, 50% of those who were involved in WW II developed PTSS a year after the war and 29% still developed PTSS even after 40 years (Speed, 1989). Meanwhile, in terms of recovery, Klusnik determined that among the 188 POW who suffered PTSS, only 36 of them had recovered from the disorder (Klusnik, 1986). If the war between Korea and the United States will be considered, the approximate percentage of soldiers who suffered PTSS is around 30%, according to an independent study by a Korean researcher. The Persian Gulf War back in 1991 is also noteworthy to mention. This war was also an avenue for soldiers to suffer post traumatic stress syndrome. In 1999, a study conducted by Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology found out that among the 697,000 soldiers deployed to this war, there was an increasing number of soldiers who were suffering from the disorder. Initially, the rate of PTSS development for men and women were 3% and 8%, respectively. But after 18 to 24 months of returning to the United States of America, the rate increased from 7% to 16%. In the recent years, wars launched against Iraq and Afghanistan were enough reasons for the government to revive studies focusing on PTSS and its impact on the soldiers deployed to this heavily-bombarded countries. In Afghanistan, it was showed that 18% of the 45,880 soldiers deployed to this country suffered some kind of psychological disorder (PD), while the number of PTSS cases reached 188. In Iraq, from the 155,000 US soldiers in this country, 20% were diagnosed with PD and 1,641 were with PTSS. Women personnel who were affected with this disorder was from 8%-10% (Epstein Miller, 2005). When these data are combined, 46. 4% of soldiers sent to Iraq and Afghanistan suffered PTSS in 2007, totalling to 40,000 cases in a five-year period. The distribution of the cases is as follows: for the Air Force-2,476; Army-28,365; Navy-2,884; and Marines-5,641 (Morgan, 2008). Treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome from the Military A special division of the US government is devoted to treating PTSS patients, and this is the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Through the years, since the late 1970’s, VA had developed programs that continuously monitor and improve the state of soldiers once they return to their home country after being deployed in a war-stricken zone. There are three approaches that the department uses in order to achieve this goal: one, through outpatient approach; two, through varying length inpatient stay; and three, through residential care. These ways vary in the length of stay of the PTSS cases in the medical facility. Some of the treatments given to the cases were group counselling, educational support and psychological assessment of the soldiers. It was determined that there was no statistically significant difference between the length of stay of a PTSS patient in the facility. Since the duration of the soldiers in the treatment facility is equated to monetary costs, it was recommended that treatment not be prolonged, since the same results will be achieved with shorter treatment duration (Broschat, 1998). Another form of treatment for this disorder came from the military itself. In the core’s training program, each soldier is taught how to recognize post traumatic stress syndromes among themselves and among their comrades. This program is called the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (PTSD/MTBI) Chain Teaching Program, with the main objective of putting the knowledge and power in the soldiers themselves in order to take care of one another (U. S. Army Medical Department, 2007). Summary and Conclusion Since time immemoria, post traumatic stress syndrome was observed to plague war combatants since World War II. In every conflict that the United States government engaged in, there was the inevitable rise of PTSS cases documented. From The Persian Gulf War, to the Korean War, to the latest invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, soldiers continuously suffered from this disorder in an increasing fashion. Post traumatic syndrome is a serious problem faced, not only by military personnel, but also by the government. With an increasing number of PTSS cases through the years in every war launched by the government, there is also an increase in the corresponding amount of budget to be used for the treatment and rehabilitation of the soldiers. With this, it is imperative that this disorder be given enough attention and support from those in authority. Soldiers are the backbone of the country’s security. Without them, invasion by foreign and local enemies is likely to happen. But defence without psychologically sound soldiers will not be possible. Therefore, for a land to be secured and safe from any threat, the well-being of soldiers must be valued, thus, post traumatic syndrome must be answered with utmost urgency.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Ethics of Research Trials in Developing Countries

Ethics of Research Trials in Developing Countries Zoheb Rafique INTRODUCTION: Asia is the most diverse continent in the world in terms of culture, religion, population size, finance, education, health care, academic research, general population skills, and governmental drug regulations. Each Asian country has its own unique qualities when it comes to attracting industry sponsored clinical trials. Factors that influence selecting location of a study site for a sponsored trial are mainly population size, infrastructure, education levels, quality of health care, cost and drug regulatory platform. Some Asian countries such as Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore have among the longest life-expectancy, lowest infant mortality and highest per capita income worldwide, while others are in the lower end of such rankings. Several, notably China and India, are amid rapid economic development, as the Asian economy is more-or-less becoming the global axis, with the economies of US and Europe slowing. Asia has a population of 3.8 billion, at least ten times more than North Americ a or Europe. As the world’s most populous continent, Asia has by no means reached full capacity in contributing with subjects in testing new medical products in collaboration with the international pharmaceutical industry. This trend will certainly direct more sponsored clinical trials to Asia, but not necessarily benefit all Asian countries. Engaged in 18.1 % of all protocols globally Asia is involved in more sponsored trials than any other region. India, Korea and Taiwan standout as the most active locations for multi-national trials in Asia. When ranking is for cities Seoul is the most active Asia city, followed by Taipei, Hong Kong, Singapore and New Delhi. The globalization process of sponsored clinical trials has provided an opportunity for Asia to attract international companies to the region and also seemingly encourages development of local life-science industries (1). In this paper, I will discuss the responsibilities of researcher/funder when the research trial is conducted in developing countries and especially in our country Pakistan and I will also talk on ethical justifications of doing research trials in Pakistan and other poor and developing countries. DISCUSSION: Resource poor countries require a lot of attention from the medical research establishment in order to sustain the quest for treatments and remedies for diseases and other health-threatening conditions. However, the collaboration between rich countries and well-endowed agencies, on one-hand, and economically constrained research communities, on the other, requires a careful assessment of responsibilities and options for researchers and research subjects alike. Major players in international research also include big pharmaceutical companies who seek people living in developing countries as subjects. Safety and standard of care for human volunteers are also major issues. â€Å"I had not been exploring Big Pharma of third world ‘volunteers’ as cheap guinea pigs, observes writer John le Carre (2001). â€Å"Their role, though they may not ever know this, is to test drugs, not yet approved for testing in the US, which they themselves will never be able to afford even if the tests turn out reasonably safe† (le Carre, 2001). In the US, it costs on average $ 10,000 per patient to conduct a clinical trial, in Russia $ 3,000, and in the poorest parts of the world, much less. This is one of the strong reasons why clinical trials are now a Third World growth industry. In the end, the drugs under trial are for western markets. In its May 2000 edition, Center Watch, a newsletter for the burgeoning clinical trials business, published an exuberant article under the title Latin American Fever in which it said the continent ‘may offer a unique opportunity to reach much larger numbers of study subjects’. Eli Lilly tested 590 patients, in 1994, across Africa, the Middle East and Central and Eastern Europe. In 2001, the company expected to run tests in those regions on 7,309 patients. It is not only the human subjects who are at risk. In the rush to market, poorly constructed, weakly monitored trials are releasing untried and untested drugs for con sumption (le Carre, 2001). The Contemporary practice of biomedical research on a global scale has given rise to evolving forms of exploitation. Standards of justice and equality tend to be put in question in the face of research practices that often put heavy burdens on poor people and poor communities in poor countries. There is a need to remain vigilant in the prior review of these activities and the monitoring of their implementation in order to ensure that biomedical research is conducted in accordance with universally acceptable standards. One of the most important requirements for the conduct of research in developing countries is emphasized in the WHO-Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences’ Guidelines for Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects: to guarantee that those communities where these new drugs have been tested will be given affordable access to the newly developed and approved drugs. Otherwise, one might rightly argue that people in d eveloping countries have yet again been exploited by Western researchers without benefiting from the positive results their risk-taking has yielded (Del Rio, Kamarulzaman, and Schuklenk, n.d.). Ruth Macklin observes that it is not just individuals who can lose out when big drug companies carry out their tests. When industrialized countries do research in a developing country, the developing country can’t afford the products of that research. The researcher’s pullout and the successful products then become available in the Western industrialized countries and the population in the countries where the research was done get nothing. So that’s truly a question of justice, and we’re beginning to see a movement to rectify that injustice (2000). The wide disparities in resources that are available for biomedical research in developed and developing countries give rise to ethically relevant issues of research prioritization and collaboration. The international re search community has to accelerate the shift to an environment where researchers from developing countries are recognized as full and equal partners in biomedical studies; where the technologies of developed and developing countries are integrated and made widely available; and where the benefits of biomedical research for participant communities can be ensured (2). In resource-poor countries like Pakistan and majority of developing countries, the two primary means of protecting participants-IRB review and Informed Consent may be inadequate. IRBs in developing countries may lack training, experience, and resources. IRBs in the United States are unlikely to be familiar with conditions in the host country. Informed Consent may be problematic in a country where people are poorly educated and lack health literacy, and where physicians in clinical practice usually do not tell patients their diagnosis, admit uncertainty, or obtain consent. Participants may not accept Western models of dis ease. Furthermore, participants might hear rumors and other misinformation about a research study. In several highly publicized cases, researchers from developed countries have been harshly criticized for allegedly conducting inappropriately risk studies in resource poor counties without adequate consent. The other problem is health priority and it would be an imprudent use of limited health care resources in a developing country to conduct human-participants research that does not address a health or public health priority in the host country. Because of scarce resources and logistical constraints, medical interventions that are standard in developed countries may not be available or feasible in resource poor countries where the trial is conducted. This creates an ethical tension between providing a benefit to research participants and obtaining generalizable scientific knowledge. According to the ethical obligation to minimize harm to participants, researchers should provide inter ventions that are known to be effective and feasible to prevent or treat the condition addressed in the clinical trial. Because participants in a research study help researchers, sponsors, and society at large, they should receive some benefit in return as a matter of reciprocity. Advocates contend that researchers and sponsors must avoid taking unfair advantage of participants and their communities by providing those who bear the risks of research appropriate benefits, in addition to the long-term benefit of generalizable knowledge. Researchers and Sponsors need to consider whether the study intervention will be available in the host country if it is shown to be effective and safe. Some ethics expert point out that providing reasonable access to study interventions after a trial may be an inadequate reciprocation for participation in research. First, it is too limited and weak an obligation. If the study is something other than a pivotal clinical trial (for example, an epidemiologi cal study), no additional benefits will be required. Even if the study is a clinical trial, it might be a negative study. Second, other benefits might be more useful to participants or their communities than the trial drug. For example, they might benefit more from better primary care or better education for host country health care workers. Third, the appropriate target group for benefits may be all persons in the community where the study is carried out, not just trial participants. Providing benefits only to trial participants will widen health disparities in the resource-poor host country and therefore raise concerns about causing injustice. Thus, providing benefits to the host country should be done in a way that ameliorates rather than worsens health disparities. For these reasons, some writers argue that researchers and sponsors from the developed world should provide fair benefits to the research participants and their communities in reciprocity for what they contribute to the research. Researchers could provide benefits to research participants in a number of ways, such as by providing health education or some basic health services; training local health care workers, researchers, and IRBs; donating equipment at the end of the study; and giving local investigators a key in analyzing data and writing papers. Such contributions ensure that the community where the research is carried out will receive benefits in reciprocity for participating in the research. By building infrastructure, researchers can help provide sustainable improvements that will help to narrow health disparities between rich and poor nations (3). Pakistan is also among the poor and one of developing country and the health care conditions here are same as any South Asian or African country. We will apply the same ethical and moral rules when we talk about research here in Pakistan. Ethical requirements for clinical research do not end when individuals either sign the consent form or are enrolled in research or refuse enrollment. Individuals must continue to be treated with respect from the time they are approached even if they refuse enrollment throughout their participation and even after their participation ends. Respecting potential and enrolled subjects entails at least 5 different activities. First, since substantial information will be collected about enrolled subjects, their privacy must be respected by managing the information in accordance with confidentiali ty rules. Second, respect includes permitting subjects to change their mind, to decide that the research does not match their interests, and to withdraw without penalty. Third, in the course of clinical research new information about the effect of the intervention may be gained. Respect requires that enrolled subjects be provided with this new information. Fourth, the welfare of subjects should be carefully monitored throughout their research participation. If subjects experience adverse reactions, untoward events, or changes in clinical status, they should be provided with appropriate treatment and, when necessary, removed from the study. Finally, to recognize subject’s contribution to clinical research, there should be some mechanism to inform them of what was learned from the research (4). CONCLUSION: The basic disclosure requirement for satisfying the informed consent provision in U.S. research regulations focus on information needed by a potential participant to decide whether or not to participate in a study. Of the eight basic disclosure requirements, one focuses on potential benefits: a description of any benefits to the subject or to others which may reasonably be expected from the research. Traditionally, such a disclosure has been required to ensure that potential participants understand whether there is any possibility that the intervention itself might benefit them while they are enrolled in the study. There is, however, no specific mention of any post-trial benefits. If any case, those who may participate in studies should be informed of the potential benefits, if any, that they might receive by doing so. Because this information is relevant to participants’ decisions to participate in the research, ethics review committees should require investigators to make th ese disclosures (5). In the end I will conclude by saying that research participants should know each and every thing regarding their participation in the research trial or rejecting it, and it is their right to know all risks and benefits while participating in the research trials and this should be applicable to all countries around the world including all developing countries and also our country Pakistan. REFERENCES: 1. Johan PE Karlberg. Development of Sponsored Clinical Trials in Asia. Clinical Trial Magnifier. 2008; Vol. 1:5: 77-100. 2. Leonardo D. de Castro Et Al. Bioethics in the Asia-Pacific Region: Issues and Concerns. 2003; 1-108. 3. LO B. Clinical Research in Resource-Poor Countries. Ethical issues in Clinical Research: A practical Guide. 2008; Ch.22:194-210. 4. Ezekiel J. Emanuel Et Al. What Makes Clinical Research Ethical? JAMA. 2000; 283(20): 2701-2711. 5. Ch 3; Voluntary Informed Consent. National Bioethics Advisory Commission. 35-53.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

An Analysis of Yeats The Second Coming Essay -- Yeats Second Coming E

An Analysis of Yeats' The Second Coming Yeats' poem "The Second Coming," written in 1919 and published in 1921 in his collection of poems Michael Robartes and the Dancer, taps into the concept of the gyre and depicts the approach of a new world order. The gyre is one of Yeats' favorite motifs, the idea that history occurs in cycles, specifically cycles "twenty centuries" in length (Yeats, "The Second Coming" ln. 19). In this poem, Yeats predicts that the Christian era will soon give way apocalyptically to an era ruled by a godlike desert beast with the body of a lion and the head of a man (ln. 14). Critics have argued about the exact meaning of this image, but a close reading of the poem, combined with some simple genetic work, shows that Yeats saw the new order as a reign of terror haunted by war. "The Second Coming," in its entirety, is an astounding encapsulation of Yeats' idea of the gyre and his fears about the future of mankind; it is expertly woven with threads of prophetic literary reference and impressive poetic t echniques. To begin, the gyre, a spiral or repeated circling motion, is a symbol and a concept that Yeats used repeatedly in his poetry and prose, and the poetics of "The Second Coming" illustrate the idea of the gyre. The repeated words in the poem enforce the idea of "spiral images" (Drake 131); words and phrases, such as "surely" and "is at hand" in lines 9 and 10, "turning" in line 1, "is loosed" in lines 4 and 5, and the very title, "Second Coming" in lines 10 and 11, are repeated, creating an onomatopoeic effect suggesting the repetitive movement of the gyre (Bornstein 203). Similarly, repetitious or paired images give the same effect, as Yeats seems to cycle through his "falcon" ("The Second Coming... ...tin's, 1966. Drake, Nicholas. The Poetry of W. B. Yeats. London: Penguin, 1991. Ellmann, Richard. The Identity of Yeats. New York: Oxford, 1954. ---. Yeats: the Man and the Masks. New York: Macmillan, 1948. Jeffares, A. Norman. A Commentary on the Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats. Stanford: Stanford U., 1968. ---. W. B. Yeats. New York: Humanities, 1971. Purdy, Dwight H. Biblical Echo and Allusion in the Poetry of W. B. Yeats: Poetics and the Art of God. Lewisburg: Bucknell U., 1994. Stock, A. G. W. B. Yeats: His Poetry and Thought. London: Cambridge, 1961. Yeats, William Butler. Michael Robartes and the Dancer Manuscript Materials. Eds. Thomas Parkinson and Anne Brannen. Ithaca: Cornell, 1994. ---. "The Second Coming." Norton Anthology of English Literature. Eds. M. H. Abrams, et al. 6th ed. Vol. 2. New York: Norton, 1993. 1880-81.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Characters in Animal Farm Essay

The over worked and malnourished animals over throw the humans in charge and took power; only to find that the obligation of freedom maybe more dangerous. Out of all the animals, however, one is sure to stand out. That animal is Boxer, the farm’s hardest and strongest worker. George Orwell’s novel, Animal Farm, is an allegory that reflects events leading up to the Russian Revolution of 1917, and then on into the Stalinist Era in the Soviet Union. Through a depiction of Boxer, George Orwell allows the reader to make a discernment of the Russian proletariat’s loyalty and hardworking skills, by presenting him as an allegiant, reputable, diligent worker. From the beginning to the end, Boxer remains a diligent worker despite the abundance of toil. After the Rebellion, â€Å"Boxer [seems] more like three horses than one; [and] there [are] days when the entire work of the farm seems to rest on his mighty shoulders.† (46) Therefore, Boxer is precisely the hardest worker on the farm for the reason that he agrees to do the majority of the labor on the farm. In comparison to Mollie and Moses, who depart from the farm without doing any work, Boxer agrees to do additional tasks. Furthermore, after Boxer’s severe depravity, â€Å"Boxer [refuses] to take even a day off work, and [makes] it a point of honor not to let it be seen that he [is] in pain.† (114) Thus, Boxer is an eager worker for the reason that he never renounces his job. On the contrary, Mollie â€Å"[is] late for work every morning and [excuses] herself by saying that she [has] overslept.† This proves that Boxer loves to work. When the going gets bad he sees working as the solution. Boxer is truly the farm’s hero because of his hard work. In addition to his resolution to work harder, Boxer demonstrates fidelity. After Snowball’s expulsion, Boxer is worried about the farm, but he is not smart enough to figure things out on his own. Rather than thinking for himself, Boxer forces himself to believe others. Boxer tries to think things  over for himself, but all he can come up with is, â€Å"If Comrade Napoleon says it, it must be right,† and he takes up a new personal motto: â€Å"I will work harder.† (70) For this reason, Boxer illustrates allegiance for coinciding with authority. Furthermore, when Napoleon begins executing other animals, Boxer can only say, â€Å"I would not have believed that such things could happen on our farm. It must be due to some fault in ourselves. The solution, as I see it, is to work harder.† (94) Therefore, Boxer is devoted considering that he always falls back on his personal motto: Napoleon is always right. Boxer is loyal to the farm animals and allegiance is w hat makes a worker a good worker. Throughout the most troublesome times on Animal Farm, Boxer is praised by the animals. As time goes on, the animals are much inspired by Boxer’s work ethic than by Squealer’s clever speeches. â€Å"With his tremendous muscles [Boxer] always [pulls] them through. Boxer [is] the admiration of everybody.† (46) Hence, Boxer is admired by the other animals for the reason that he is an inspiration for them. Unlike the pigs who are considered the most intelligent, it is Boxer, who commands the animals simply because of his work ethic. Moreover, during the winter, little progress is made; the animals can not feel so impelled about it as they felt before. However Boxer never loses heart, â€Å"the other animals [find] more inspiration in Boxer’s strength and his never-failing cry of ‘I will work harder!’† (85) Ultimately, Boxer is honored by the other animals as a result of the animals being propelled by Boxer. In comparison to Squealer’s adroit speeches, the other animals find more inspiration in Boxer. This clearly identifies that Boxer’s role and personality is highly respected by the animals. These are just some of the examples that prove why Boxer is am allegiant, reputable, diligent worker. These three traits are what make Boxer unique. Unfortunately, his loyalty makes him easy to manipulate. Boxer is a very important character and without him Animal Farm would not exist. Boxer is the one who gives everyone hope and a reason to work harder. For these reasons Boxer is the farm’s hero and is one of the most beloved characters in Animal Farm.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Autobiography of a Simple Girl…Yeah Right.

[ Alicia V. ] February 1st 2013 Autobiography How does one start an autobiography? I tried reading some other works and some would start off with â€Å"Hello my name is†¦ † or â€Å"I grew up in a blah blah blah†. Nothing seemed very inspirational so I guess I'll just start with my name. Alicia. It's just a simple name. I was born on a Friday. My mother was born and raised in Puerto Rico until she was 25, she moved to NYC the late 80s. My dad was born and raised in the Dominican Republic until he was 22; he too decided to move to NYC in the70s.They met at some warehouse in the late 80s and around '89 they started living with each other. Then in January '91, I decided to be free from the comfortable womb. I figured it was time to explore the world. So of course with my Puerto Rican and Dominican parents the only language in the house is Spanish. My dad worked at a school as a janitor and my mother was a babysitter with 14 kids in our small apartment in the Bronx. Th at till this day, we still live in that small Bronx apartment that is now an official daycare. I was my mom's one and only and she worked so hard so I could get whatever was best for me.She would buy fabric and by the end of the week, I would have a new dress ready to show off to the world. She would match whatever outfit I was wearing with my shoelaces, if I happen to be wearing sneakers. I was her doll. I was her baby. Until I was 5, my dad would take me to the barbershop and get my boyish haircut, basically and small little fro. I don't what in the world was going through my parents mind but I looked like a boy if I didn't wear a dress until I was 5. This isn't even a joke. When I was four I looked like 6 year old, so anyone who would walk past would say, â€Å"Wow, that little boy of yours is so adorable†.And then my mother would say, â€Å"She's a girl†. My mother told me that they would just walked away out of embarrassment. I think around the fifth or sixth time someone has said that my mom decided that it wasn't a good idea that I kept getting the boyish haircut. Back to my father, my father thought of me as his prized possession. Since I am the only child that he helped raise with. You see my father hasn't been so innocent in his life. He went around in his youth and well I'm his fourth child from his fourth woman. It’s the biggest stereotype of most male Dominicans; I still chuckle about it.I have an older brother named Charlie. Second oldest is Melisa and then the third oldest is Angie, and then there's me, just in case you forgot. Also since I am the youngest, I'm his baby. But there has been tension in my family due to my father's actions. So siblings. Yeah, I love them to death but like I kind of explained before†¦ tension. My brother Charlie, the oldest, the boy or I should say man. The one who carries the name has done some bad things and sadly had to pay the price. In my freshman year of High school, my brother was se nt to prison for manslaughter.I personally do not know if he really did it but they gave him fifteen years. Around that time I entered my â€Å"Goth† phase, but I don't believe I have left that phase. All through high school I was angry and depressed. But I never took my frustration to my parents, which I should have but I fear that they would be so disappointed, so that kind of steered me away from rebellion. It's weird I know, but I was a strange person growing up. My sister Melisa, the one I wish I got to understand better must secretly hate me. She has two kids, they are sweet but I don’t see them as much.My sister Angie, I grew up with her for a bit. I love her, but she was a misunderstood teen and made some funky decisions that made some explosive arguments between our dad and her. She was considered the black sheep of the family. I love her to death but now I don’t see her. She had three kids, and I became an aunt when I was seven because of my sister. No w my sister is ten years older than me, so she was a teen mom and my father hated that. Luckily he was nice to his grandchildren except for one. Now no more of this or this will turn into a chapter book. High school was absolutely boring.I entered a predominantly black and Hispanic high school, even though they were all for diversity you would see that in my school. I was an honor student. I didn’t get bothered or bullied because everyone thought I did voodoo because they were so ignorant. I was a Goth not a witch even though I befriended a witch. She caused the trouble. But that did rid the bullies and even the gangsters away. They were just friendly to me. I kept a camera around and I would record my friends doing stunts and jokes. I would edit it and then in the end we would have a few laughs.That’s when I realized that I loved painting too. I spent more time in the art room then my other classes, and yes I got really good grades. High school, now thinking about it, went by really fast. College! Now that was the best times of my life. I went to a school far away from home. I wanted to be away from my overprotected parents. I wanted to be free and learn how to cook for myself and do my own laundry whenever I wanted to. I was able to paint and experience new things that my parents will never know. The college I went to was out of a fantasy book.Filled with haunted stories and farms to no end. The best parts would be the friends that I made, all the art classes I took and the lake. It was something I wasn’t used to. I lived in a city for eighteen years and living in that place rural with closest city an hour away. So it was a huge culture shock, but I made the greatest friends a girl could ever make. I was there for three years, I have found love and I have found so much knowledge. I grew up when I was there. Sadly I couldn’t afford it, so I took a break from school and withdrew from that school.Seven months I wasn’t in schoo l. Looking for a job, failed miserably. So here I am typing this down. I’ve been helping my mother with the 7 or so children in the daycare. To entertain myself I created arts and craft for toddlers. I taught my 2 year old how to write. Right then and there I realized that I wanted to be a teacher, again. I’ve always wanted to be that but I always kept that to myself. I am back in school. Soon I will be the art teacher that I want to be. But for now, stay in this new school, enjoy the city and just be me.

Good Night Motel Case

When making his decision, McGregor should consider seriously the negative consequences that his business will experience if he refuses Alward’s offer to fill the motel for the two weekend nights in October, at half the room rate. If McGregor refuses, during that weekend his motel will be at his usual capacity of less than quarter full. With the church group there, paying half the rate, it will be as if the motel were half-full! In addition, if he refuses, McGregor’s reputation in the community will suffer, and he will also lose all future business from Alward’s group and other church groups, at regular price.Consequently, Justin McGregor should accept Alward’s offer but under the following two conditions: one, guest service will be limited so that McGregor can lower his costs; two, this is a special one-time deal that will never happen again for Alward or anyone else. The quantitative factors involved dictate that McGregor should accept Alward’s off er for accommodations for his church group, at half the room rate, for Friday and Saturday, October 26 and 27.According to the facts of the case, pre-2008, from October 16 to May 14, the motel was rarely more than a quarter full at any time while post-2008, the motel’s occupancy rates fell 7 to 15 percent year round. In other words, if McGregor refuses Alward’s offer, during that weekend, the motel will be at its usual capacity of less than quarter full. However, with the church group there, paying half the rate, it will be as if the motel were half-full! Half-full is better than less than a quarter full, so logic dictates that McGregor must accept Alward’s offer.There will be more guests occupying all rooms at half the rate than if there were regular guests paying the regular price and filling fewer than a quarter of the motel’s rooms. However, this fact means that service costs and maintenance cost will be higher with Alward’s group than with reg ular customers. In other words, with the motel being at full capacity, McGregor’s maintenance and cleaning staff will be a lot busier than usual, servicing a motel at full capacity.Paying for the maintenance and cleaning of all rooms at the motel will further decrease the amount of money that McGregor will make from Alward’s group. In other words, in strict quantitative terms, Alward’s offer is a bad idea for McGregor. However, in the small resort community where the motel is located, quantitative factors are not everything. McGregor will suffer all sorts of negative consequences from church groups and other members of the community if he refuses Alward’s offer. Therefore, the prudent thing to do is to accept Alward’s offer with two conditions. The opportunity costIn fact, McGregor should accept Alward’s offer but under the following two conditions: one, guest service will be limited so that McGregor can lower his costs; two, this is a speci al one-time deal that will never happen again for Alward or anyone else. Considering that McGregor and his wife run the motel, which is their source of livelihood, these two conditions are reasonable. In addition, McGregor should make sure to ask Alward to impress upon his church group that the fact they are paying half the regular motel price means that the church group will receive half the regular service!This means that the church group guests must be clean and tidy, and they must not depend on the motel’s maintenance people. In theory, none of this should be a problem, especially with a group of church people, who are supposed to be kind, understanding, cooperative, and so on. In any case, the fact that the church group will stay for only two days means that they most likely won’t make huge messes, so McGregor will not have to pay his cleaning crew to repair. In addition, the church group guests will probably spend most of their time during the day at the church a nd go to the motel mostly to sleep.All these facts are only fair to McGregor, whose livelihood depends on that motel, at a time of a weak national economy. Being â€Å"a good man† (p. 3), Alward must surely understand all these facts. As a result, if I were McGregor, I would respectfully explain all these facts to Alward, appeal to his sense of fairness, and ask for his cooperation. The qualitative factors that McGregor should consider have to do with Grand Bend, which is a small resort community. Refusing to accommodate a church group would bring negative publicity to the Good Night Motel.As a result, McGregor will lose all future business (at regular prices) from Alward’s church group and most likely from other church groups, too. In fact, besides being a good man, Alward is â€Å"well respected in the community† (p. 3). This fact means that McGregor should do all he can to develop a good working relationship with Alward, who will bring more church groups in t he future. If Alward asks for the half-price rate again in the future, McGregor will be in a much better position to refuse.The community people will not be as critical then (in the future, if Alward asks for the half-price deal again) as if they will be if McGregor refuses Alward’s first request. In other words, the resort community is too small for McGregor to decide solely based on the numbers. Reputation is very important in such communities, especially when church people are concerned. They tend to travel and spread the news about which businesses are customer-centered and which are money-centered, to put the matter simply.In general, when making a decision, managers need to consider the opportunity cost, which according to our textbook â€Å"is the sacrifice of the best alternative for a given action. An (accounting) expense is a cost incurred to generate a revenue† (p. 24). Since this is a small town, and the church group will stay for only two days, the opportu nity cost will bring more customers for the future. In addition, managers must consider the marginal cost, which according to our textbook â€Å"is the cost of producing one more unit† (p.28).In terms of cleaning the pool, it will not have an effect since most of the time people will spend in the church, and the only time they will spend in the Good Night Motel is night time only for sleeping purposes. As a result, the only additional cost to accommodate the guess is the cleaning service of the rooms. In addition, McGregor must consider his fixed cost, which is a cost that does not change with an increase or decrease in the amount of goods or services produced.In the final analysis, the fact that Alward is a good man who enjoys the community’s respect and the fact that he works with churches (a central institution in small communities) mean that McGregor can’t afford to refuse to work with Alward. Even if McGregor breaks even, he should still accommodate the chu rch group. If he doesn’t accommodate it, he will suffer all sorts of negative consequences: loss of future business from church groups at regular price, bad publicity in a small resort community, and so on. In other words, the big picture (quantitative factors) is more important in this case. Good Night Motel Case When making his decision, McGregor should consider seriously the negative consequences that his business will experience if he refuses Alward’s offer to fill the motel for the two weekend nights in October, at half the room rate. If McGregor refuses, during that weekend his motel will be at his usual capacity of less than quarter full. With the church group there, paying half the rate, it will be as if the motel were half-full! In addition, if he refuses, McGregor’s reputation in the community will suffer, and he will also lose all future business from Alward’s group and other church groups, at regular price.Consequently, Justin McGregor should accept Alward’s offer but under the following two conditions: one, guest service will be limited so that McGregor can lower his costs; two, this is a special one-time deal that will never happen again for Alward or anyone else. The quantitative factors involved dictate that McGregor should accept Alward’s off er for accommodations for his church group, at half the room rate, for Friday and Saturday, October 26 and 27.According to the facts of the case, pre-2008, from October 16 to May 14, the motel was rarely more than a quarter full at any time while post-2008, the motel’s occupancy rates fell 7 to 15 percent year round. In other words, if McGregor refuses Alward’s offer, during that weekend, the motel will be at its usual capacity of less than quarter full. However, with the church group there, paying half the rate, it will be as if the motel were half-full! Half-full is better than less than a quarter full, so logic dictates that McGregor must accept Alward’s offer.There will be more guests occupying all rooms at half the rate than if there were regular guests paying the regular price and filling fewer than a quarter of the motel’s rooms. However, this fact means that service costs and maintenance cost will be higher with Alward’s group than with reg ular customers. In other words, with the motel being at full capacity, McGregor’s maintenance and cleaning staff will be a lot busier than usual, servicing a motel at full capacity.Paying for the maintenance and cleaning of all rooms at the motel will further decrease the amount of money that McGregor will make from Alward’s group. In other words, in strict quantitative terms, Alward’s offer is a bad idea for McGregor. However, in the small resort community where the motel is located, quantitative factors are not everything. McGregor will suffer all sorts of negative consequences from church groups and other members of the community if he refuses Alward’s offer. Therefore, the prudent thing to do is to accept Alward’s offer with two conditions. The opportunity costIn fact, McGregor should accept Alward’s offer but under the following two conditions: one, guest service will be limited so that McGregor can lower his costs; two, this is a speci al one-time deal that will never happen again for Alward or anyone else. Considering that McGregor and his wife run the motel, which is their source of livelihood, these two conditions are reasonable. In addition, McGregor should make sure to ask Alward to impress upon his church group that the fact they are paying half the regular motel price means that the church group will receive half the regular service!This means that the church group guests must be clean and tidy, and they must not depend on the motel’s maintenance people. In theory, none of this should be a problem, especially with a group of church people, who are supposed to be kind, understanding, cooperative, and so on. In any case, the fact that the church group will stay for only two days means that they most likely won’t make huge messes, so McGregor will not have to pay his cleaning crew to repair. In addition, the church group guests will probably spend most of their time during the day at the church a nd go to the motel mostly to sleep.All these facts are only fair to McGregor, whose livelihood depends on that motel, at a time of a weak national economy. Being â€Å"a good man† (p. 3), Alward must surely understand all these facts. As a result, if I were McGregor, I would respectfully explain all these facts to Alward, appeal to his sense of fairness, and ask for his cooperation. The qualitative factors that McGregor should consider have to do with Grand Bend, which is a small resort community. Refusing to accommodate a church group would bring negative publicity to the Good Night Motel.As a result, McGregor will lose all future business (at regular prices) from Alward’s church group and most likely from other church groups, too. In fact, besides being a good man, Alward is â€Å"well respected in the community† (p. 3). This fact means that McGregor should do all he can to develop a good working relationship with Alward, who will bring more church groups in t he future. If Alward asks for the half-price rate again in the future, McGregor will be in a much better position to refuse.The community people will not be as critical then (in the future, if Alward asks for the half-price deal again) as if they will be if McGregor refuses Alward’s first request. In other words, the resort community is too small for McGregor to decide solely based on the numbers. Reputation is very important in such communities, especially when church people are concerned. They tend to travel and spread the news about which businesses are customer-centered and which are money-centered, to put the matter simply.In general, when making a decision, managers need to consider the opportunity cost, which according to our textbook â€Å"is the sacrifice of the best alternative for a given action. An (accounting) expense is a cost incurred to generate a revenue† (p. 24). Since this is a small town, and the church group will stay for only two days, the opportu nity cost will bring more customers for the future. In addition, managers must consider the marginal cost, which according to our textbook â€Å"is the cost of producing one more unit† (p.28).In terms of cleaning the pool, it will not have an effect since most of the time people will spend in the church, and the only time they will spend in the Good Night Motel is night time only for sleeping purposes. As a result, the only additional cost to accommodate the guess is the cleaning service of the rooms. In addition, McGregor must consider his fixed cost, which is a cost that does not change with an increase or decrease in the amount of goods or services produced.In the final analysis, the fact that Alward is a good man who enjoys the community’s respect and the fact that he works with churches (a central institution in small communities) mean that McGregor can’t afford to refuse to work with Alward. Even if McGregor breaks even, he should still accommodate the chu rch group. If he doesn’t accommodate it, he will suffer all sorts of negative consequences: loss of future business from church groups at regular price, bad publicity in a small resort community, and so on. In other words, the big picture (quantitative factors) is more important in this case. Addendum (Computations) 30 rooms 25% occupancy 8 rooms at $80$640 The rest 22 room at $40 per room22 rooms at $ 40$880 Total Revenue$1520 Additional cleaning Expense ( student Help)2 days 10 hour at $10/hour $200.00 Cleaning and laundry supply $12,070.00 Maintenance supply and expense $11,890.00 Utility including Internet $74,850.00 Total Variable cost per year $98,810.00 Per day $270.71 For two days $541.42 $541.42 Total additional variable cost $741.42 The revenue from the church guests is $880, and additional variable costs associated with accommodations is an extra $741.42.