The case of John du point Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The case of John du point - Essay Example Upon arrival at Schultz’s residence, he found Schultz training at the wrestling facilities that du Pont had set up in his estate. Schultz greeted his boss from where du Pont returned by asking him whether he had any problem with him. After this brief exchange, it is reported that du Pont pointed his 44-caliber revolver towards Schultz and shot him thrice, once at the arm and twice at his chest. This resulted in the instant death of David Schultz. A key witness to this act was Schultz wife, Nancy Schultz, who rushed out of the house upon hearing the first gun shot and upon arrival at the scene, she saw du Pont trigger his last shot at the already lying Schultz. It is also reported that du Pont also pointed the gun at her as well as at his bodyguard, Patrick Goodale after the shoot-out (Fersch, 2005, p. 151). After John du Pont had completed the act, he retreated to his large mansion where he spent the next 48 hours in an attempt to avoid being caught by the police. Inside his mansion, he had access to his large gun collection and other armories that he had acquired over his powerful years. The two-day standoff at his â€Å"Foxcatcher Farm† ended after he was lured outside by the police in order to make amends to the houses heating system which had tactically been switched off by the police. John du Pont was finally apprehended on 28 January, 1996, and his case opened in order to pave a way for investigations and subsequent trial. The case implicating John du Pont to the murder of David Schultz started on 9 February, 1996 after the trial court ordered a competency examination of the appellant. The competency examination was completed on 9 September 1996 concluding that John du Pont was incompetent to proceed with the trial. This resulted in John du Pont being remanded to the Norristown State Hospital where he underwent treatment. John du Pont was found to be competent for procession to trial in December, 1996, and thus his trial

Difference Between Leadership and Management Essay Example for Free

Difference Between Leadership and Management Essay The difference between leadership and management is an interesting and often, misunderstood difference in sport and in society as well. First the definition of each of these terms needs to be examined and analyzed before the difference can be determined. According to www.dictionary .com, the definition of a manager is someone that has control or direction of something (institution.) Dictionary.com gives this definition for a leader: is a person that leads; lead is defined as going before to show the way; conduct or escort. From the definitions, there is a similarity but a big difference as well. In a sports setting, the manager’s mission is to establish a mission and have his workers/employees make the vision come to life the best they can while spending the least amount of money. The way this is operated and conducted is vital to the success of the sports program/organization and is dependent on the manager. For the most part, according to our module lecture, managers, â€Å"define,† some organizations by their â€Å"short-term† and â€Å"long-term† planning. Management is not only responsible for making sure everything they need done is taken care of, they are also liable for the continued success and growth of their organization. Managers are accountable for so much of the success, operation and mishaps that occur with an organization. Overall, management is an occupation. Leadership is a trait that every manager has to obtain, but leadership is also still a trait. Like our lecture explains, leadership is a behavioral process. It is something that has to be developed and is actually only visible in select figures in the sports industry.

Free Process Essays - How to Prepare Kool-Aid :: Expository Process Essays

How to Prepare Kool-Aid It has been said that Kool-Aid makes the world go 'round. Let it be advised, however, that without the proper tools and directions, the great American beverage is nothing more than an envelope of unsweetened powder. There are five simple steps to create this candy-tasting concoction. Picking the proper packet of flavoring is the first step in making Kool-Aid. Check the grocer's shelf for a wide variety, ranging from Mountain Berry Punch to Tropical Blue Hawaiian. If it is a difficult decision for you, knock yourself out and buy two. The packets usually run under 65 cents. After choosing the flavor that best suits your taste buds, the second step is making sure that your kitchen houses some necessary equipment for making the Kool-Aid. Find a two-quart pitcher. Plastic is nice, but glass pitchers allow the liquid to shine through and add festive coloration to any refrigerator shelf. Next, find a long-handled wooden spoon, a one-cup measuring cup, a water faucet that spouts drinkable water, usable white sugar, and an ice cube tray full of ice. Then, you are ready to mix. Third, grab the left edge of the Kool-Aid packet between your thumb and index finger. With your other hand, begin peeling the upper-left corner until the entire top of the envelope is removed. Next, dump the contents of the envelope into the pitcher. Notice how the powder floats before settling on the bottom of the pitcher. Then, take the measuring cup and scoop two cups of sugar into the pitcher as well. At this point, adding the water is a crucial step. Place the pitcher under the water faucet and slowly turn on the cold water. If the water is turned on too quickly, powder will fly all over when the initial gusts of water hit. After the pitcher is filled within two inches of the top, turn the water off and get prepared to stir. With the wooden spoon submersed three-quarters of the way in the liquid, vigorously stir in a clockwise motion until all of the powder is dissolved.

Foraging and Nutritional Ecology of Primates in SE Asia Essay

There are foods of various kinds that fit the foraging and nutritional needs of primates in SE Asia, these primates in question use the foods to extract carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, fats and minerals. We look at the impact of the environment on these primates for there foraging and nutritional needs. We also observe systematics, their distribution, their genetics, their anatomy, their physiology, their ecology and conservation. Some of these primates, to observe and study are wood antelope and fossarial leaf rat. Availability of the plant species and their evolutionary history comes in and also cell theory is also looked at, fossil history is also looked at to some extent, and the whole work becomes interesting (Balee, 1998, 25) The foraging needs as well as the nutritional needs of primates are much varied due to the special needs of that particular primate. In most cases they need food to provide them with energy for growth, reproduction, movement and even at rest (the basal metabolic rate). Once the food is ingested it travels inside the body of the organism or in this case the primate and once assimilated into the blood stream it passes through a process called respiration and the energy needed for the body is obtained, Normally, when the primates are still as infants, energy is really needed for their growth and development and as they mature their energy requirement tend to increase and thus the need for more food (Balee, 1998, p. 68) As for the wood antelope and the fossarial leaf rat they normally have a special kind of bacteria in their guts, which helps to digest cellulose. This is because all the types of food the rely on have cellulose as one of the components and since other components are digestible, cellulose is not digestible and so the work of this special kind of bacteria comes in. The wood antelope feeds on the grasses, shrubs and bushes, which contain cellulose, and the fossarial leaf rat feeds mostly, if not exclusively on leaves of certain trees, bushes and shrubs and so they also contain cellulose. So this particular bacteria plays a very important role in the lives of these primates (Govbson, et el, 1998, p. 100) The extraction of carbohydrates, vitamins, fats, proteins and minerals normally occur through some other body metabolisms, which also play a very important role in the growth and energy requirements of these primates. The extracts are also used in the bone formation, in this case proteins are used for this purpose and the minerals and vitamins are used for important functions in the bodies of the organisms (Leyh, 2007,p. 150) In any ecological systems there is competition among organisms for space mates and food. All these things that they compete for depend in one or another with the energy available. For instance, if an organism is to get an adequate space for himself, the organism has to fight for it and unless he is strong enough, it cannot be easy for him to get it. It is more of the survival for the fittest and death for the unfit. Only the fittest is this case can survive. When it comes to competition for mates this one also depends with the idea of having enough energy for mating with as many mates as possible for the male, and having enough energy of bearing the pregnancy and being able to deliver in the case of the female. It is also another case of survival for the fittest Another thing that these primates, especially of the same species must have enough and adequate food for them, those who are capable of getting food survive, while those who do not get die. This is also another good example of survival for the fittest and death for the unfit. Charles Darwin first put this forward in his theory of evolution of species (Kenzey, 1997,p. 15) Migration of the primates in question is one important area to look at. For an organism to migrate like in this case the wood antelope must ensure that they have eaten enough food because of the long distance, which may be required to be covered. Migration normally occurs due to climatic changes, which may lead to scarcity of food, mates and poor or harsh environmental condition as such the organism is forced to migrate and look for a more favorable place to start life a fresh. (Balee, 1998,p. 250) In this case, migration does not make it possible for the primates to start eating different foods, what happens is that they go at a place with similar foods and nutritional needs which suits them. If this idea of starting to eat different foods could be true then it would have been brought through evolution. The primates in question would have evolved a natural mechanism of adapting to different forages and nutritional needs; and it is the only known ways for the different mechanism to have been possible. This idea of evolution is very important in many ways, the first and most important case is this of the availability of the plant species, which provide food for the primates. Another is the cell theory, which gives room for the availability of certain organelles necessary for the type of environmental or ecological situations in which these primates in question find themselves (Caro, 1998,p. 341) These primates have therefore adapted certain special ways through which they use to survive in their environments. One important thing is that they have sight. This importance of sight comes handy to see their food or forages. And also being able to spot their enemies. The adaptation is evolutionary connected; and the nutritive values of the forages of these primates go together with evolution. The influence of forages availability on the primates in question, on their sociality and reproduction is another crucial factor to consider. The fact that these forages are available within the environment of these primates shows that, they are influenced a great deal on their sociality and reproduction. In the first place the population of rats tend to be higher than that of antelopes, because of some factors, which we can consider, for one the rats are smaller in size and thus can occupy a smaller space with just a very large population of them. And secondly their evolutionary mechanism suits them to be many in number than the antelopes. These antelopes consume more food and therefore are naturally fewer in number. Therefore food is a limiting factor in the population of these primates in question (Campbell, 1995,p. 120) Therefore in studying the population of these primates in question the factor of availability of forages is very important in deed. It determines the reproductive tendencies and also their presence in a given environment. Their daily habits are also affected. Their natural anatomy and physiology evolve according to available forages. This factor should always be put into consideration when dealing with systematics of these primates, if one is to be on the safe side (Caro, 1998,p. 350) Apart from the availability of forages for the nutritional needs of these primates one must also consider a depth the evolutionary tendencies. These primates have body structures suitably adapted for their functions. For instance, they have legs, which help them to run, from their enemies or rather predators, and also these legs help them to reach their foods in good time. (Caro, 1998,p. 50) The nature of their energy requirements is such that they function up to the time when they are required to rest, this is where the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) comes in. The bodies of these primates function such that they must relax or have a rest. This is usually at right. It is common at night. As rest remains necessary and so is the regulation of the available food. The leaves are given time and room to grow and mature again. When the food becomes abundant, these primates tend to increase their population, which leads to a very high competition for food, and so there are those who die in the process especially when food becomes scarce (Campbell, 1995,p120) The food available to these primates is also connected to their evolutionary tendencies. One will find that always there will be certain kind of trees shrubs or bushes where certain primates are found. In this case, some species of trees, which tend to produce leaves in plenty, will found where certain primates are found. This is important because it contributes to the importance of the food chain. As such certain animals will also be found there in plenty especially in this case, those animals which feed on wood antelopes like the lions, cheetahs and leopards will always be found in these environments. The case is the same with those who feed on fossarial leaf rats. (Gouldey, 2007, 200) As such the foraging and nutritional ecology of primate in South East Asia recently important and complex as it looks. The fossils found in some places always have evolutionary connections with some primates . The fossarial leaf rats have some bearing of connectivity with the domesticated rats and some animals of lower form. As for the wood antelopes they show some similarities with some animals of both lower form and higher form. The analyzed cases are very important as they contribute a lot of information to those who study the fossils; and the whole field of study becomes interesting. This clearly shows that the evolutionary connection of fossils and the organisms in question is true and reliable. The primates then must have evolved in a special way, where they have teeth for chewing their food or forages; their elementary canals are also highly specialized in performing their functions. Mammologists should come up with better methods of studying the organisms in question, since there is a lot to show and inform those who are interested. In the case of the organelles of the cells, when the energy requirement is high the cell tend to have a lot of mitochondria, which help in the respiration process. But all this is not important if the food is not available. Therefore the special way through which these primates have evolved with time to be where they are and eat what they eat shows a very interesting field of study(Caro, 1998,p. 400) As we consider more about these organisms, more information on theories should be properly compared and observed in the practicals so that the scientists or rather the mammologists should always compare with accurate and reliable information. The mammologists have always shown that the foraging and nutritional ecology of primates is an important field of study. As it provides us with some vital information concerning human beings, since human beings are also primates. Therefore the whole of these primates in question when properly studied, we tend to get some useful tips about us human beings (Balee, 1998,p. 650_. The nutritional needs of these primates may be varied with that of human beings, but they all belong in the same Kingdom and Phylum, as they have a lot of similarities than differences. These similarities are due to evolution. All the same, they play a very important role in the foraging habits of these primates, which are exclusively found in South East Asia. In this case it is important to note that energy and food are both important; one cannot be there without the other, in other words food is energy, and energy is food. The food chain of the primates in question in South East Asia goes on and these primates become healthy and thrive. Their habits are maintained and the value of food remains crucial. Finally, the foraging and nutritional ecology of primates in South East Asia is notably very interesting; therefore a lot of money should be invested in the continuous research in this spectacular part of the world. . Bibliography Balee, W (1998), Advance in Historical Ecology; Columbia University Press. New York Campbell, B (1995); Human Ecology; The Story of our place in Nature form Pre history to the present.Adline de Gruyter New York. Caro, T, (1998); Behavioral Ecology and conservation Biology; Oxford University Press; New York. Gouldey, M & Mahar, I (2007) Floods of fortune; Ecology and Economy along the Amazon Columbia University. New York. Govbson, S, et el (1998); Ecology; Oxford University Press. New York Kinzey, G. W (1997); New World Primates Ecology, Education and Behavior. Aldine de Gryter. New York. Leyh Jr, G (2007); Tropical Forest Ecology. A view from Basso Colorado Island. Oxford University Press. New York.

Problem in the United States

Smuggling has been a problem in the United States for many years. The continuous breaching of our borders may one day allow the smuggling of something that could cause massive destruction and death to our country. It is easy to see how the smuggling of something as innocuous as a specific flower or bush can be a problem when it infiltrates the native environment and kills off many different species. But smuggling is not limited to this. There is also the continuous smuggling of drugs and people into this country that causes many problems. Although many people who are smuggled into the United States do so to work or to be with their family, there is a large percentage of them that are forced into prostitution or some other form of slavery. This paper will look at these specific cases of smuggling and determine what, if anything can be done about it. Smuggling is done for many reasons. Generally when something is smuggled, it is smuggled over an international border and it is smuggled for many reasons; either to avoid paying taxes, because the item is illegal, or, in the case of people, because they are not supposed to be there. As an example of this, it is estimated that millions of dollars worth of cigarettes are smuggled every year. These cigarettes are not necessarily smuggled into the United States from another country, but from other states, in which the taxes are low. A carton of cigarettes may be as cheap as $20 in a state like Virginia, and in states like New York, where the cigarette taxes are very high, making the total cost of a carton $75 can lead to a profit for the smuggler of about $40 per carton. The smuggling of cigarettes from one state to another is fairly simple. There are not any customs officials to pass through, and if the smuggler gets pulled over, it is very unlikely that the police officer would search his or her trunk, where the cartons may be. But getting over international borders is usually more difficult, and the smugglers have evolved certain strategies for not getting caught. One way smugglers pass over the border is with the use of small, private planes. The smuggler can fly into the country undetected, allowing whatever he is smuggling into the country. They are also small boats smugglers can use to get themselves from a specific country to the United States. These boats are known as â€Å"go-fast† boats and can be used to smuggle anything from drugs to people. And one way to smuggle that we are seeing more and more are the use of tunnels. A smuggler may hire someone to dig tunnels underground, allowing nearly anything to be passed from one country to the next without having to go through customs. More daring smugglers, however, will hide whatever it is that they are smuggling and attempt to get through customs this way. They may hide it on their bodies or under their clothes, inside themselves, in their cars, or in the bodies of animals that may be traveling with them. Like the more clandestine ways, this way of smuggling is rampant, as evidenced by the massive amount of smugglers caught each year while trying to go through customs. Smuggling has consequences for everyone. Of course, the smugglers, assuming they do not get caught, make out better than anyone. Usually the practice of smuggling is very lucrative. The profits from illegal drugs and cigarettes and the trafficking of humans provide smugglers with billions of dollars every year. As long as the profit margin is high, there will always be people illegally smuggling. The â€Å"war on drugs† must be concerned with the smuggling problem. But the question of how to win the war on drugs is an interesting one. If by winning the drug war it is meant the eradication of all drugs, then the United States has surely lost. There are still people, usually those directly involved with the drug war, that still think we should keep fighting the war as we always have been. But there has been now over a trillion dollars spent on the war on drugs and drugs today are more potent and making larger profits than ever. The people benefiting most from the war on drugs are the smugglers and the drug dealers themselves. The fact remains that all throughout human history, intoxicants have been used in one degree or another, so why would we think people today are any different? By this definition of the war on drugs the United States, on all counts, has lost. There is another way to win the war on drugs and that is to turn it into a war on smugglers and drug dealers. People are going to always be looking for ways to alter their consciousness. Everyone does it; whether you work out, or take heroin, the point is to feel better. Drugs are not going away. Drugs like marijuana and meth, which can be produced by anyone, will always be with us. By regulating drugs, and making the tax on them universal, the drug dealers and the smugglers would be put out of business. We cannot change how people feel, or what they want to do. All we can do is deter them from doing it. So the question becomes, what is the best way to deter them? We could threaten them with jail, but this obviously does not work, as nearly 80 percent of people in jail are there in some way for drugs. So we could decriminalize and regulate the drugs, putting gangs, dealers and smugglers out of business and using the profits from the sale of the drugs to educate people about their effects. This form of deterrence would be more much more humane and effective than how the war has been fought thus far.

Anne Frank Summary Essay Example

Anne Frank Summary Essay Example Anne Frank Summary Paper Anne Frank Summary Paper Anne Frank was born in Frankfurt, Germany, to a Jewish family, on June 12, 1929. Her father, Otto Frank, was a businessman. Anne and her older sister Margot grew up surrounded by loving parents and relatives, and received a good education. One day, Nazi police sent a call-up notice for Anne’s father and for her sister, Margot for their transportation to a concentration camp. They flee to their hiding place, the Secret Annex the following day. Another family, the Van Daans with their son Peter, arrive and later, take in another person, Mr. Dussel. Anne writes about a day in the Annex, describing many of the activities and personalities of the people in the Secret Annex. Anne is so affected by the tension that at times she goes to bed crying. She wants to live a normal life. She needs fresh air, and wishes that the darkness and cruelty of the war would go away so that they can go back to a regular life. Anne hears on the radio that they will be making a collection of diaries and letters after the war, and she wants to publish her diary. She continues writing in her diary and revises it to hopefully get it published after the war. Anne celebrates her fifteenth birthday in the Annex. She wishes she could look at nature more often, and not through a dirty window. Many cities have fallen to the allies, and the mood is positive. Anne’s diary ends on August 4, 1944, for on that day, the Secret Annex was raided and the Frank family was taken away to German and Dutch concentration camps.

Current Research on Medications used in the Treatment of Schizophrenia Essay Example

Current Research on Medications used in the Treatment of Schizophrenia Essay Example Current Research on Medications used in the Treatment of Schizophrenia Paper Current Research on Medications used in the Treatment of Schizophrenia Paper 1996), and the proportion had increased to 64. 4% by 2000 (Wong et al. , 2005). However, little is known about the process by which these medications are adopted, i. e. , whether there is a simple switch to a new medication or a more complex process of trial and error. Literature Review The history of antipsychotic drug development is closely linked to the dopamine (DA) hypothesis of schizophrenia. This hypothesis postulates that schizophrenia is associated with a disorder in DA neurotransmission based on several observations: 1. Dopamine agonists, such as d-amphetamine, bromocriptine, and l-DOPA can exacerbate symptoms in schizophrenic patients and can produce psychotic symptoms in non-schizophrenic persons. 2. All currently used antipsychotic drugs share the common property of D2 dopamine receptor blockade both in vivo and in vitro. 3. A correlation exists between D2 dopamine blocking potential and clinical antipsychotic efficacy (Creese et al. , 2006). An increase in D2 dopamine receptors in the drug-naive schizophrenic brain has been reported but this finding has not been replicated (Wong et al. , 2005). In contrast, it has been shown that the D2 dopamine receptor and its gene are reported to be normal in schizophrenia and the antipsychotic drugs can only control symptoms and cannot cure the disease. While this hypothesis provided a rationale for the development of new drugs, there are still many unresolved problems. Not all schizophrenic symptoms can be explained by excess of dopamine. The positive symptoms of schizophrenia are related to a hyperdopaminergic state in the mesolimbic and mesocortical areas (Crow, 2005), and the negative symptoms to a hypodopaminergic state in the medial prefrontal cortical area (Merriam et al. , 2000). Therefore, a dopamine blocking agent cannot logically be the most suitable drug to improve both the positive and negative dimensions of schizophrenia. Current Pharmacological Treatment of Schizophrenic Patients Clinical Goals of Treatment Antipsychotic therapy focuses on four primary symptom domains in schizophrenia – positive symptoms, negative symptoms, cognitive impairments, and disturbance of mood and affect (Tandon et al. , 2005). Positive symptoms are prominent during acute exacerbations of illness, and often precipitate hospital admission. Negative symptoms include both primary and secondary components, due to either the illness itself or due to other factors such as depression, environmental deprivation, or parkinsonian side effects of antipsychotic medications (Miller et al. , 2000). Although they rarely precipitate hospitalization, they frequently worsen during acute psychotic episodes, and typically do not fully resolve after the episode. Negative symptoms are moderately associated with functional impairments between acute episodes of illness. Cognitive symptoms include deficits in all four major areas of neuropsychological function – memory, attention, language, and executive function. Although cognitive functions often show significant premorbid impairment, there is evidence that they continue to decline after the onset of illness, especially during acute episodes of illness. These symptoms are largely due to the underlying pathology of schizophrenia, but are also worsened by secondary factors, such as depression or pharmacologic treatment. Cognitive symptoms are highly correlated with lifetime functional impairment in schizophrenic patients (Bilder, 2007). Mood and affective symptoms common in schizophrenia include depression, anxiety, agitation, and behavioral dyscontrol. These symptoms contribute to subjective distress, functional impairment, and hospitalization, and are appropriate targets for pharmacologic intervention. The remarkable heterogeneity of schizophrenia is attributable in part to the relative contributions of each of these domains of pathology to individual cases of the disorder. Furthermore, the quality and severity of each type of symptom varies over the course of illness in the individual patient, creating a unique mosaic of symptoms over time. Antipsychotic treatment has usually been focused on positive symptoms, which respond most dramatically to pharmacologic interventions. Modest symptom improvement in other domains typically follows reduction in psychosis. There are two major reasons to focus more intently on negative, cognitive, and mood symptoms. First, they are highly correlated with patients’ functional status and quality of life. Second, because they are difficult to treat once they occur, it is critical to avoid the progression of these symptoms, which is usually associated with acute episodes of illness. Thus, prevention of acute episodes benefits the patient not only by avoidance of hospital admission, but also by minimization of the functional deterioration associated with progression of negative and cognitive symptoms. General Principles Antipsychotic medications have been the mainstay of the pharmacologic treatment of schizophrenia. AAP drugs show levels of antipsychotic efficacy comparable with the conventional agents, but are somewhat more effective in the treatment of negative, cognitive, and mood symptoms, and they carry a greatly reduced risk of EPS and TD (Meltzer, 1993). Clozapine is unique in its antipsychotic efficacy, effective treating 30% to 50% of patients who do not respond to other medications (Kane et al. , 1998). Because of its associated risk for agranulocytosis, seizures, hypotension diabetes and weight gain, clozapine is not considered a first-line agent, and is reserved for treatment-refractory cases. In treating a schizophrenic patient, two factors – the temporal and dimensional – need to be considered. Temporal factors include emergency, acute, chronic and rehabilitation treatments and dimensional factors include the positive, negative, cognitive and mood target symptoms. Acute Treatment Acute patients generally enter treatment through the emergency room and, if needed, may get admitted into the psychiatric ward of a hospital. The removal of the patient from the stressful environment, if any, is itself positive. In an acute setting, antipsychotic monotherapy is the most useful line of treatment, and AAP drugs are preferred because of the lack of acute EPS. Antipsychotic drugs are used in therapeutic doses and in most instances, use of high doses is not needed. There is no evidence that schizophrenic patients respond to any one specific medication and the response depends on the individual. Intramuscular preparations are sometimes required to treat acute patients; both haloperidol and ziprasidone are available in intramuscular formulation. Occasionally, lorazepam intramuscularly either alone or with haloperidol is administered to decrease agitation (Salzman, 1988). The goal in acute treatment is to prevent harm to self or others by decreasing excitatory symptoms. When to Expect improvement Positive symptoms improve first. Of the positive symptoms, psychomotor excitement improves in a day or two and sometimes in a few hours. Akathisia and dystonia also occurs most often with in the first 48 hours to a week, and patients need to watched carefully during this period. Hallucinations and delusions take about 3 months to improve and, in some instances, may continue unabated. Thought disorders improve gradually. There is variability in how an individual patient responds. Adjunct medications, increase in antipsychotic medication dose, addition of another antipsychotic drug, or changing the antipsychotic agent within a month is unwise. Maintenance Treatment Continuing antipsychotic medication treatment after acute symptoms are controlled reduces the likelihood of a relapse (Davis, 1995). The antipsychotic medication should be continued indefinitely. Depot injections decrease relapse rates better than oral medications and are indicated in certain circumstances. Tardive dyskinesia is a major risk with CAP drugs, occurring in about 5% of the haloperidol treated patients per year. In older patients, in one year 27 % of patients develop tardive dyskinesia (Jeste Caligiuri, 1993). It is the risk of tardive dyskinesia which is partly responsible for the popularity of AAP drugs as the first choice for treatment. Dose of the medication is an unsettled issue. With regard to antidepressant therapy, the dose that helped a person to improve is the same dose used as maintenance dose. With antipsychotic drugs, there is a need to use the minimum amount necessary to prevent relapses. What the minimum dose is, is a clinical decision. The maintenance antipsychotic treatment has to be flexible to suit the individual needs with a positive risk-benefit ratio. Discussion The introduction of chlorpromazine a half century ago clearly revolutionized the treatment of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. Unfortunately, neither this drug nor other typical antipsychotic medications are uniformly or optimally effective in the treatment of individuals with schizophrenia. These agents do not reduce psychotic symptoms in all patients and have limited efficacy against other clinical features of the illness (e. g. , negative symptoms and cognitive deficits). In addition, the different side effects associated with these medications have both contributed to problems with compliance and introduced additional sources of morbidity. The availability of atypical agents, such as clozapine, olanzapine, and risperidone, promised advantages in both efficacy and tolerance but raised very important questions, such as, 1) Which antipsychotic medication used is best for a given profile of symptoms of schizophrenia? and 2) just how much advantage in treatment efficacy, especially for negative symptoms, do the current atypical medications actually provide? Clear answers to these questions have been difficult to obtain from the existing literature because the available studies evaluated only a subset of the medications of interest, used different experimental designs and outcome measures that hinder comparisons across studies, and examined primarily acutely ill subjects, making it difficult to determine whether clinical improvement reflected reductions in not only secondary but also primary negative symptoms. In addition, a number of the comparative studies that have been published were developed and sponsored by the pharmaceutical companies whose medications were being evaluated, raising concerns about potential sources of bias in experimental design or interpretation of outcomes. The study by Papanikolaou and colleagues provides compelling new data that address these important issues. These investigators recruited 157 inpatients who had a diagnosis of chronic schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and a history of suboptimal treatment response to adequate duration and doses of one or more typical antipsychotics. The patients were randomly assigned to receive clozapine, olanzapine, risperidone, or haloperidol in a 14-week, double blind trial. Total Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale scores were significantly improved for all three patient groups treated with atypical agents but were unchanged for the haloperidol treated group. This finding would be expected for individuals who were selected for study because 1) they had not responded adequately to previous treatment with typical antipsychotics and 2) they had not failed previously to respond to treatment with atypical agents. When compared with haloperidol treatment (with conservative corrections for the performance of multiple statistical tests), only clozapine and olanzapine demonstrated statistically significant improvement in negative symptoms. In addition, none of the three atypical antipsychotics produced a statistically significant improvement in positive symptoms or general psychopathology compared with haloperidol. In considering the significance of these findings, several aspects of this study are worthy of note. First, the importance of such double-blind direct comparisons of therapeutic agents is rivaled by the difficulties involved in conducting such studies. For example, achieving the optimal dose for each agent can be a major challenge; as noted by the authors, the dose of risperidone was probably too high, presenting one limitation to the study. In addition to the complexity involved and time required to conduct these types of studies, the staged introduction of new medications produces problems in making direct comparisons across medications. In the study by Papanikolaou et al. , the comparison of haloperidol, clozapine, and risperidone was designed and implemented when olanzapine became available commercially. To enhance the relevance of their study to clinical practice, the investigators subsequently added an olanzapine treatment arm. However, the later addition of olanzapine-treated subjects meant that assignment to treatment with olanzapine was not completely random with the other three medications, creating the possibility of a cohort effect. This raises the question of whether subjects who entered the study later, and received olanzapine, were somehow different from the subjects who entered the study earlier, and received the other drugs, in a way that would account for any differential response (or lack thereof) to a given treatment. The authors have thoughtfully addressed this question and provide reasonable arguments for the absence of such a cohort effect, but they acknowledge that the possibility cannot be completely excluded. Second, the study was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), contributions of medications from four pharmaceutical corporations, and supplemental funding for the olanzapine arm (equal to about 18% of the total cost of the project) from Eli Lilly and Company, the manufacturer of olanzapine. This arrangement, a realistic compromise that made possible the direct comparison of four drugs, nonetheless raises concerns about potential bias, given that olanzapine proved to be more effective than other drugs on some measures. However, in contrast to investigations that are initiated and controlled by industry, the authors had complete independence in the design, conduct, analysis, and interpretation of the study. In some ways, this study may represent a model approach for the support of clinical trials; that is, the study was designed and conducted by independent investigators, principally funded by the federal government, and supplemented by contributions from, but without undue influence by, the pharmaceutical industry. Indeed, such government/private collaborations for investigator-initiated research have been encouraged by NIMH. Third, despite achieving statistical significance, the differences in efficacy across the medications examined in this study were, as noted by the authors, modest and their clinical significance limited. Thus, the disappointingly small added value of atypical antipsychotics in this patient population clearly underscores the need for the identification of more effective treatments. In this regard, the study by Leucht et al. (1999) in this months Journal provides an informative lesson. These authors conducted a meta-analysis of amisulpride, an atypical atypical antipsychotic that has been used clinically in France for the past decade. Leucht et al. found that amisulpride was superior to typical antipsychotics in improving global symptoms and negative symptoms in acutely ill patients with schizophrenia and more effective than placebo (but not than typical antipsychotics) in patients with predominantly negative symptoms. However, as in the study by Papanikolaou et al. , the additional improvement provided by amisulpride was relatively small. For example, the mean effect size was 0. 11 in acutely ill patients, indicating 11 percentage points more improvement in Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale total score with amisulpride than with typical antipsychotic medications. In addition to clarifying the clinical efficacy of amisulpride, the findings of Leucht and colleagues are informative regarding the pharmacological basis for the atypicality of antipsychotic medications. Although it shares the clinical properties (e. g. , reduced extrapyramidal symptoms at therapeutic doses) that characterize other atypical agents, amisulpride is unusual in that it lacks the combination of activity at dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2 receptors that has been proposed to account for the efficacy and side effect profile of atypical antipsychotics (1). In contrast, amisulpride is a highly selective antagonist of dopamine D2/D3 receptors. Thus, the superiority of amisulpride in terms of clinical response and reduced extrapyramidal symptoms suggests that activity at the serotonin 5-HT2 receptor is not required for atypicality. As a consequence, these findings may indirectly support the hypothesis of Seeman and Kapur (1996) that fast dissociation from the dopamine D2 receptor accounts for the distinctive features of atypical antipsychotic medications. Conclusion The findings of both studies may further enhance the ability of clinicians to make informed, evidence-based decisions regarding the antipsychotic medication that is most likely to be effective in individual patients. However, the modest differences in clinical efficacy of a given atypical medication relative to typical antipsychotics, and especially in comparison with other atypical antipsychotics, both warrant caution in the face of marketing claims of superiority for a given drug and underscore the continued need for the types of basic research that can contribute to the development of novel and more effective medications for the treatment of schizophrenia. REFERENCES Bilder RM. (2007). Neurocognitive impairment in schizophrenia and how it affects treatment options. Can J Psychiatry; 42: 255-264. Creese I, Burt DR, Snyder SH. (2006). Dopamine receptor binding predicts clinical and pharmacological potencies of antischizophrenic drugs. Science; 192: 481- 83. Crow T. (2005). The two syndrome concept: Origins and current status. Schizophrenia Bull; 11: 471-86. Davis JM (1995). Overview: maintenance therapy in psychiatry: I. Schizophrenia. Am J Psychiatry; 132(12): 1237-45. Denckner S (2001). The need for long-term neuroleptic treatment in schizophrenia. Acta Psychiatric Scand Suppl; 291:29-43 Jeste DV, Caligiuri MP (1993). Tardive dyskinesia. Schizophrenia Bull 1993; 19(2): 303- 315. Kane J, Honigfeld G, Singer J, Meltzer H. (1988). Clozapine for the treatment-resistant Schizophrenic: a double blind comparison with chlorpromazine. Arch Gen Psychiatry; 45: 789-796. Leucht S, Pitschel-Walz G, Abraham D, Kissling W. (1999). Efficacy and extrapyramidal side effects of the new anti psychotics olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, and sertindole compared to conventional anti psychotics and placebo: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Schizophrenia Res; 35:51- 68. Meltzer HY (1993). New drugs for the treatment of schizophrenia. Psychiatry Clinical North Am; 16: 365-385. Merriam AE, Kay SR, Opler LA, Kushner SF, van Praag HM (2000). Neurological signs and the positive-negative dimension in schizophrenia. American Journal of Psychiatry 28: 181-92. Miller DD, Tandon R. (2000). The Biology and Pathophysiology of Negative Symptoms. In: Keefe R, McEvoy J. Eds, Negative Symptom of Schizophrenia. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Press; 163-186. Nasrallah HA Eds. (2005). Contemporary Issues in the Treatment of Schizophrenia. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Press; 109-124. Papanikolaou, Wiesel FA, Stone-Elander S, Halldin C, Nordstrom AL, Hall H, et al. (1990). D2 dopamine receptor in neuroleptic naive schizophrenic patients. Arch Gen Psychiatry; 47: 213-19. Remington, G. , and Chong, S. A. (1999). Conventional versus novel antipsychotics: Changing concepts and clinical implications. Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, 24:431-441. Rosenheck R, Cramer J, Xu W, Thomas J, Henderson W, Frisman L, Fye C, Charney D. (1997). (Department of Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study Group on Clozapine in Refractory Schizophrenia): A comparison of clozapine and haloperidol in hospitalized patients with refractory schizophrenia. N Engl J Med ; 337:809-815 Salzman C. (1988). Use of benzodiazepines to control disruptive behavior in inpatients. J Clinical Psychiatry; 49(suppl): 13-15. Seeman P, Lee T, Chau-Wong M, Wong K. (1996). Antipsychotic drug doses and neuroleptic/dopamine receptors. Nature; 262: 717- 19. Tandon R, Jibson M, Taylor SF, DeQuardo JR. (2005). Conceptual models of the relationship between positive and negative symptoms: Implications for pathophysiology and treatment. Wong DF, Wagner HN Jr, Tune LE, Dannals RF, Pearlson GD, Links JM, et al. (2005). Positron emission tomography reveals elevated D2 dopamine receptors in drug naive schizophrenics. Science; 244: 1558-63 Worrel, J. A. ; Marken, P. A. ; Beckman, S. E. ; and Ruehter, V. L. (2000). Atypical antipsychotic agents: A critical review. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 57:238-255.

Free sample - Tattooing and Perceptions. translation missing

Tattooing and Perceptions. Tattooing and PerceptionsA tattoo can be described as a mark on the skin which is made by putting a rather permanent ink meant for decoration purposes. This is mostly the case with persons, but it is different with animals as their tattoo is meant for identification purposes (Armstrong Fell, 2000). As far as perception of tattooing is concerned, I can say it is influenced by the environment we are staying in. This has something to do with people close to us, cultural background and the community’s acceptance (Armstrong Fell, 2000). This essay will start by giving a brief trend on tattoo in regard to men’s fashion. It will proceed to focus on the perception of tattoo in our society. How do people perceive tattoos? What are they basically associated with? What influence do they have in our society? And how popular is this trend? It appears like all and sundry has a tattoo now a days. This trend which was a habit associated with bandits has surprisingly been given a second look by many. A new trend is in the offing a people try to establish themselves using tattoos (Armstrong Fell, 2000). From logos of big institutions to their own creations people are streaming in tattoo shops to have their designs put on them. Unlike the archaic way of putting these tattoos, that was very common in the past a new trend where tattoos are being administered using a machine is in the offing. This has made the whole process more comfortable and easier (Taylor, 1970). Some researchers argue that the trend in tattooing and piercing indicates a shift in fashion and a break with body art's exclusive association with lower class people and deviant activities (Taylor, 1970). In this argument, the concept that tattoos or piercings are a form of self-mutilation or a way of expressing a negative attitude is rejected (Martin, 1997). However, little evidence has been presented to demonstrate that the association between tattooing and various negative behaviors or personality disorders was unjustified in the past or has changed in the current culture. Different people have portrayed diverse perceptions on tattoos. A good example is given with yakuza tribe in Japan who normally use tattoo to identify themselves with their clan. Going by the evil deeds one has committed, they usually tattoo a ring which is black in color to indicate that (Taylor, 1970). Generally, the tattoo is used by the yakuza to indicate their unwillingness in getting in touch with other societies, in other words they just want to be. The perception in Japan, just like in many places in the world has not changed a lot. For instance, in some restaurants in Japan they usually turn down offers on those people who are tattooed (Armstrong Fell, 2000). Secondly, another perception about tattooing is that, it has been viewed by many as an impulsive or irresponsible behavior and has been associated with psychiatric disturbances in some literature. As increasingly diverse groups of people get tattoos, popular perceptions are often discordant with the individual meanings behind tattoos. Still, tattooing is often seen as a negative behavior (Armstrong Fell, 2000). Previous research has highlighted several stereotypes about those with tattoos, including being unsuccessful in school, coming from broken homes, having an unhappy childhood, rarely attending church, having poor decision-making skills, usually obtaining body modifications while inebriated, and being easy victim to peer pressure (Armstrong, 1994). Tattoos are associated with so many thins ax explained in this case study. A recent study examined the attitudes toward tattooing of 287 participants using ratings of "avatars" or virtual computer human characters. Researchers found that those avatars with tattoos and other body modifications were rated as more likely to be thrill and adventure seekers, to have a higher number of previous sexual partners, and to be less inhibited than non-tattooed avatars, and that this was more so for male avatars with body modifications (Taylor, 1970). In yet another perception on tattoo, Taylor (1968) found that among delinquent girls incarcerated in juvenile facilities, the more heavily tattooed were more aggressive, uncooperative, and unstable in addition to being more criminal in their attitude and behavior. Female prison inmates with tattoos were more likely to have been in all four types of institutionsjuvenile halls, reformatories, jails, and prisons (Fox, 1976). In a later study, tattooed women prisoners had more violent and aggressive offenses in addition to more prior convictions (Taylor, 1970). While in prison, women with tattoos were more frequently charged with violation of prison rules, with fighting, and with insubordination. In research involving college student respondents, males with tattoos were more likely to report having been arrested and females with tattoos were more likely to report shoplifting (Drews et al., 2000). Tattooed people have been found to be more likely to engage in substance abuse. Prior studies have reported strong associations between tattoos and homosexual orientation for both males and females (Fox, 1976; Taylor, 1970). With tattoos becoming more popular, stereotypes once commonly held, and sometimes supported by older literature or by studies done with particular subpopulations (e.g., prisoners, juvenile delinquents), may no longer be true. It will be interesting to see how the literature shifts as norms change, and whether or not stigmatization is slow or rapid in its catching up to reality (Fox, 1976; Taylor, 1970). What influence do tattoos have in our society? In the recent research, tattoos have been confirmed as the most recent of all the time to most parents. It has been indicated that, a good percentage of teenagers have been affected by this trend. This trend is emanating from the celebrities with whom the teens associate with (Fox, 1976; Taylor, 1970). What is even more worrying is the fact that, while imitating these people, they are also picking on other habits apart from tattoos. In one of the states, this trend has led to establishment of a law to curb this worrying yet rampant behavior. A good example is Minnesota, where the authority categorically stated that underage won’t be allowed to have tattoos even with approval of their parents. It has been confirmed that most of these teenagers are deriving pleasure from getting tattoos and is affecting their life later. They ignorantly engage in putting them to identify themselves with certain groups.   Sooner or later they realize the mistake and start regretting looking for solutions (Armstrong Fell, 2000). The end result is that, they are left with more problems than earlier thought. In Minnesota, the laws are very clear on this and it’s only grown ups that are recognized to enjoy this privilege. It is worth noting that, unless something is done to curb this behavior we are son going to have all teens adopting this behavior (Armstrong et al., 2000). Tattoos have become very popular with time. Estimates for the prevalence of tattooing itself have varied from a low of 3% in a random national survey conducted in 1990 (Armstrong Fell, 2000) to 25% of people 15-25 years old (Armstrong et al., 2000). The Alliance of Professional Tattooists estimates that 15-20% of teenagers are tattooed (Braithwaite et al., 1998). Nationwide estimates vary from 7 million people to 20 million people with tattoos (Grief, et al., 1999; Martin et al., 1995) In conclusion, the above essay is a clear indication that tattoos have become part of our lives and it is a fact we cannot deny. To see that it has been adapted as a tradition in some communities is no mean achievement. However, the society cannot bury its head in the sand on the effects the tattoo has on the teens (Armstrong Fell, 2000). Works cited: Fox, J. (1976). Self-imposed stigmata: A study among female inmates. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, State University of New York at Albany. Drews, D., Allison, C., Probst, J. (2000). Behavior and self concept differences in tattooed and nontattooed college students. Psychological Reports, 86, 475-481 Armstrong, M. (1991). Career oriented women with tattoos. Image-The Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 23(4), 215-220. Greif, J., Hewitt, W., Armstrong, M. (1999). Tattooing and body piercing. Clincial Nursing Research, 8(4), 368-385. Martin, A. (1997). On teenagers and tattoos. Journal of American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 36(6), 860-861. DeMello, M. (1995). Not just for bikers anymore: Popular representation of American tattooing. Journal of Popular Culture, 29(3), 37-52.

Case study methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Case study methods - Essay Example Researchers form part of the primary audience for any kind of case study research.   Normally, case study research is formulated to respond to a particular question (Yin, 2012). It involves collection of relevant data, which is followed by analysis to validate any findings.   In business, a case study research might involve studying a particular phenomenon in a given place like a company, country or industry.   One of the most important aspects of case study research is that it emphasizes that a phenomenon must be studied in its natural setting.   A researcher takes time to visit the natural setting of phenomenon and study the different actors as they go about their normal duties. Case study research can be exploratory or explanatory depending on what the researcher seeks to understand. Exploratory research cases aim to discover a given phenomenon or concept. On the other hand, explanatory case study research explains, tests or compares different occurrences. Clarity is essen tial in all types of case research studies.  In most questions, case study research answers questions that start with words like why, how and who. It investigates an event as it occurs in its natural setting.   For example, a researcher can decide to undertake a research that answers the question: How does Unilever treat its employees? This means that the researcher will have to visit Unilever and study the treatment of employees in its contemporary setting. In business, case study research makes use of empirical evidence to study a given subject matter.

Relationship Between Organizational Structure and Culture Essay

Relationship Between Organizational Structure and Culture - Essay Example Hence, it is arguably true that operations of any organization define its culture. Culture is thus a powerful human tool and its importance in the management of any organization is unquestionable (O'Neil, 2006, p.1). Most significantly is the fact that culture develops with time and easily passes from one group of people to another within the same setup. The way our ancestors used to speak, believe, behave, and act is tradition that passed to us with time. Similarly, the ethical behaviors condoned in a given organization, the mode of communication, the relationships between the management, customers, and employees and method of making decision in an organization are attributes that passes from the management and employees to the new employees and new managers upon joining the organization. Consistent practice of these attributes develops a culture within an organization. Hence, all old and new stakeholders adopt this cultural way of doing things in an organization hence developing an organizational culture. Moreover, it is extremely hard to change an organizational culture one it has developed because the process is long, tedious and in most cases expensive. Just as there are distinct operations in variant organizations, so there exists different organizational culture. An organization can have or a combination of cultures. Many academicians have classified organizational cultures with different characteristics. Organizational cultures depend on function, products, geography, and matrix. The classifications of organizational culture includes process culture, bet your company culture, macho culture, work hard culture, club culture, normative culture, baseball culture, pragmatic, academy culture (McNamara,2000, p.1), adhocracy work culture, collaborate work culture, and fortress culture, role culture, task culture, person culture. However, the list is not exhaustive since the difference between any two organizational cultures is very minute. Variant cultures adop ted by organization have distinguishing advantages and disadvantages. The work hard culture is dominant in large-scaled organizations. It involves less risks and fast feedback. Additionally, it has a steadfast customer help service. However, it uses specialized jargons only known to a few and involves multiple team meetings. Bet your company is dominant in organizations dealing with experimental projects. It has an advantage of making huge and important decisions over high stakes endeavors. It has a disadvantage of delayed results that can take months and years to come. It takes time to realize any feedback in this culture. The most important aspect of this kind of culture is big rewards, and quick feedback. On the other hand, a macho culture is dominant in organizations with quick financial services as brokerage firms. The culture is advantageous in that it involves quick feedbacks and high rewards. However, it is stressful to the employees and requires quick actions and a strong m entality to survive. Process culture is beneficial in the public service as it ensures consistency of results. Unfortunately, people in these cultures are obsessed with the process to the extent of neglecting the organization goals. The culture has no feedbacks, requires caution and adherence to the law. It is one of the poorest cultures. Baseball, Team Culture is dominant in advertising and investing organizations. In this culture, it is easy

Systematic Review of Research on Prepubescent Sexual Activity and Paper

Systematic Review of on Prepubescent Sexual Activity and Subsequent Abnormal PAP Smears (CIN cells) - Research Paper Example It shall first present a description of the current practice in the clinical unit, including its related policies, procedures, guidelines, reporting mechanisms, and the literature underpinning its practice. Then a comprehensive overview of a systematic review of a study related to drugs and alcohol and their relation to depression shall be presented. Two appraisal guidelines which can be used to appraise the systematic review shall be critically discussed. Similarities and differences between these guidelines shall be included. Finally, based on evidence discussed in the systematic review, advice and recommendations in my area of practice shall be forwarded. These recommendations shall be explained in relation to relevant literature. This study is being undertaken in order to establish a critical and comprehensive assessment of the current subject matter and nursing/midwifery practice. Body Brief description of unit The current practice in my clinical unit as a nurse is on dealing wi th alcohol and drug abuse patients who have a history of prepubescent sexual abuse. We routinely carry out PAP smears on these patients and find many of them to be positive for precancerous CIN cells. Many of them are also found to be depressed. Nurses who are working in units with alcohol and drug patients are involved with patients who usually have had a history of using drug and alcohol abuse. Patients in this unit are those who have used tobacco, alcohol, prescribed drugs, illicit drugs, amphetamines and cannabis, and a combination of drugs and alcohol. Nurses are the most numerous members of the health care profession and are often the ones who spend the most time with the patients. As such, they have to be equipped with the skills and the expertise in order to guide their patients towards full recovery. Working with drug and alcohol patients is a role of the advanced nurse practitioner. Advanced nurse practitioners are registered nurses who are educated and authorized to perfo rm duties autonomously and in coordination with other nurses in the advanced clinical setting (Ling, 2007). It includes the process of assessment and management of clients using skills and knowledge which may include the direct referral of patients to other health professionals, prescribing medications, and ordering further diagnostic tests (Ling, 2007). In the clinical setting where I work, we usually receive drug and alcohol patients. Upon meeting them, an overall initial assessment is carried out on these patients, including an assessment of the way they talk, the way they talk, their mannerisms, their physical demeanor, and similar qualities. An interview would then follow with the end goal of gathering as much information as possible about the patient’s history, as well as their living conditions, their eating, alcohol, drug, and possibly other habits impacting on their health. This assessment process would determine the next steps for the nurse and the patient – whether more diagnostic tests need to be undertaken, whether there is a need to refer the patient to a therapist, and whether or not the patient needs to be assessed for depression. Since this unit is involved in carrying out PAP smears, the PAP smear shall be scheduled for the patient after proper consent forms are signed and filled up. As an advanced practice nurse in the clinical unit, the role as counselor also sets in, especially if these patients are also depressed. The

Cost Management of Engineering Works in Construction Essay

Cost Management of Engineering Works in Construction - Essay Example Since maintenance work is a short term work â€Å"Term Contracts† are preferable over â€Å"Lump sum contracts†. The contract again can be sourced on a â€Å"work order† basis because the items and duration of work are not known accurately, beforehand. The preferred contractor shall carry out the maintenance work for a set period of two years as mentioned in the contract. (The University of Reading, Facilities management directorate academic building maintenance strategy 2005–2007 ) The contracted work includes maintenance of Concrete Work, Brickwork and Block work, Scaffolding and Staging, Carpentry and Joinery, Ironmongery, Steel and Metal Work, Plasterwork and other Floor, Wall and Ceiling Finishes, Glazing, Painting, Demolitions, Electrical Installation as detailed in the SOR. (Feilden, 1990) These works are done piecemeal. The maintenance is done over the entire stretch of large campus thus some sites become quite far-flung increasing the time and expenditure for completion of the work. To cater to the maintenance a large workforce is required. Now that an efficient and effective model for minimum cost maintenance work of the campus has been developed it is hoped that the model will be emulated every next time the buildings need to be refurbished. As per CDO norms the future maintenance works have been adopted on term basis. The maintenance of the campus has been allocated to outside contractors and the ways of reducing the maintenance costs are sought for at every stage. Two different price bases are being considered, This brief report summarizes and enumerates the various steps taken at each level of selection, sorting and implementation of tenders submitted by the contractors. (Information Management in a Contractor: A Model of the Flow of Project Data, Norman Fisher, Li Yin Shen, p.318). The tenderers are required to submit their tenders with the tendered trade

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Summary - Essay Example While Pennsylvania showed average tuition and fee charges as $8410 in 2005-2006, it was $3100 in Florida and $6910 in South Carolina. In fact, there was notable difference in charges as well as in the student enrollment in various institutions. A number of reasons are pointed out as the factors driving tuition charges. Dennis Jones suggests tuition setting in public institutions as closely related to the health of other institutional revenues. Apparent influences of a variety of political factors in postsecondary policy making at the state level has been observed. Various examinations revealed relationships between indicators of educational structure and indicators of political influence. Descriptive representation compares the similarities in background between elected officials and their constituents. On the contrary, substantive representation refers to the interests elected officials serve. There are various opinions on the enhancement of substantive representation and various mo dels are also developed. The model named ‘presence’ assumes minority representatives to act as stronger advocates for minority constituents (McLendon et al, 6). The panel-data model implies that pricing behavior of universities is heterogeneous and is difficult to be captured using available data (McLendon et al, 15).

Financial Crisis research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Financial Crisis - Research Paper Example During the period of late 1990s and the early years of 2000s, a considerable number of developing countries had deposited their savings in the investment and commercial banks of the United States of America. This provided a supplementary liquidity in America. The banks and other financial institutions had more funds than the avenues for the investment. The excessive liquidity convinced many financial institutions and banks to extend lending even to the individuals and institutions that did not have a favourable credit history. The attacks of 9/11 also contributed its part. Soon after the attacks of 9/11, the Federal Reserve found it reasonable to decrease the interest rates as it would motivate consumer confidence and increase consumer spending as well. In the subsequent parts of this paper, definition of recession is provided. Subsequent to that, the causes of global financial crisis segment have been included. It is followed by the portion encompassing the effects of the global fin ancial crisis. Before the conclusion part, lessons from the global financial crisis have also been provided. Definition Roland Reagan once said that recession is when your neighbor loses his job and depression is when you lose your job (Eslake, 2008). The recent wave of the global financial crises (2007-2009) substantially destroyed the international financial environment. And a considerable number of finance experts believe that after the Great Depression of 1929, the emergence of 2007 global financial crisis left negative impacts on the global economy. There are various authors who do not disagree to term it as the Great Recession. Recession has been defined as a period recording substantial decline across a particular economy by experiencing a real decline in Gross Domestic Product (GDP), industrial production, real income, employment and in other important pillars of the economy (Nueno, 2012). This represents that the aggregate picture of the economy does not look promising and the curve shows a downward tendency instead of going upward. Causes of the Global Financial Crisis Many causes engendered the global financial crisis. In the United States of America, the issue of the real estate bubble and the sub-prime mortgage loans fundamentally provided the root causes for the global financial crisis (Lannuzzi & Berardi, 2010). Furthermore, soon after the events of 9/11, the Federal Reserve did not increase the interest rates but decreased to the level of 1 percent with a financial objective of supporting the labor market. In addition to that, in the period of late 1990s and the early 2000s, a considerable number of developing countries from Asia and Africa diverted substantial amount of their savings to the commercial and investment banks in the United States of America (Shomali & Giblin, 2010). As a result, this excessive liquidity did not become a chance to support a formal and regulatory growth of the economy, but created the concepts such as innovative fin ance (D’Arista & Griffith-Jones, 2008). The provision and facility of sub-prime loans existed even before the emergence of the global financial crisis. In this regard, Udell (2009) highlights that the sub-prime loans were easily accessible to the loan seekers in the United States of America even before the global financial crisis. Basically, this type of loan is extended to those customers or clients who do not have

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Summary - Essay Example While Pennsylvania showed average tuition and fee charges as $8410 in 2005-2006, it was $3100 in Florida and $6910 in South Carolina. In fact, there was notable difference in charges as well as in the student enrollment in various institutions. A number of reasons are pointed out as the factors driving tuition charges. Dennis Jones suggests tuition setting in public institutions as closely related to the health of other institutional revenues. Apparent influences of a variety of political factors in postsecondary policy making at the state level has been observed. Various examinations revealed relationships between indicators of educational structure and indicators of political influence. Descriptive representation compares the similarities in background between elected officials and their constituents. On the contrary, substantive representation refers to the interests elected officials serve. There are various opinions on the enhancement of substantive representation and various mo dels are also developed. The model named ‘presence’ assumes minority representatives to act as stronger advocates for minority constituents (McLendon et al, 6). The panel-data model implies that pricing behavior of universities is heterogeneous and is difficult to be captured using available data (McLendon et al, 15).

The environment incomparative and worldpolitics Essay

The environment incomparative and worldpolitics - Essay Example 351). It appears that policy-planners across the globe failed to forecasted appropriately, and this was reflected by a number of decisions including that to cut â€Å"agri-research,† when it was apparently no longer needed (Roskin & Berry, p. 352). The reason this topic is interesting is because food prices were normalized for a time, following the period of the Green Revolution, but as economic conditions have fluctuated, and the human population has exploded, food prices have become volatile. 2 ) McNeill’s main concern is on climate change, and he concedes that it is a combination of natural processes and man-made effects. However, he points out the important fact that it is not one grant event or decision that would tip the scale or â€Å"switch† of natural disaster, but it is due to â€Å"incremental increases† that calamities are caused (McNeil, p. 4-5). He recommends careful attention, since the term leading up to the threshold level of temperature, emissions, or other variable will be relatively calm, but that there can be literal hurricanes following this reference point. 3) Much of the focus in other articles has revealed that the power of balance between major nations such as Saudi Arabia and the United States hinge on the subject of oil trade. Thus, certain nations may mutually benefit when transactions proceed as planned and there are no shortages, but could erupt into an explosive situation where expectations are not met, or one or more of the nations concerned has some trouble (Roskin & Berry, p. 351). 4) Kasinof (2009) reiterates that environmental issues can cause much stress for a nation. The situation in Yemen is discussed where it is reported by a collective of researchers that â€Å"70 to 80 percent of rural conflicts are over water shortages,† revealing that much of the problems of the civil state can be traced to this type of debacle (Kasinof,

Ethical Treatment of Prisoners Essay Example for Free

Ethical Treatment of Prisoners Essay Ethical Treatment of Prisoners BY MeltssaoT People in society today have rules, regulations, and guidelines to follow in order to maintain freedom, safety, structure, and self-discipline. If any of these rules are broken, there are consequences to follow. It depends on the severity of the crime on what type of punishment or consequence is given to an individual. If the crime is severe enough the individual may be deprived of their rights, freedom of movement, and sent to prison for a duration of time. If one is sent to prison then the ethical treatment of prisoners rights must be taking into consideration and analyzed. A prisoner/inmate is a person that has committed a criminal offence and depending on their criminal history he or she may be put on probation or confined to a county Jail or state penitentiary. Once an individual gets behind those block walls their lives then tend to belong to the deputies, correctional officer or warden that is employed by that facility. Within the prison system there is a division of power that exists. This power can leave feelings of powerlessness and dependency in the prisoners. We all have heard stories of correction officers using their power of authority to abuse and psychologically harm the prisoner. For example a couple of months ago in the state that I live in there was an inmate who was locked up for a minor charge of failure to appear. He was waiting for his dinner this particular evening, and the deputy almost slammed the inmate finger in the door. Of course this escalade into a verbal altercation between the two, and from there a physical fight broke out. The deputy which outweighed the inmate by over 100 pounds picked up the inmate and slammed him on his head onto a concrete floor multiple times until the inmate was unconscious. The Jailhouse officials rush this inmate to the ospital in which he went into a coma, and eventually was placed on life support. The family of this inmate was faced with a difficult situation which was either remove him from life support or leave him there to waste a away. In the end the family made the decision to remove their love one from life support, and the deputy was behind a minor criminal matter the question is did he deserve to be treated less than a human being? Did he really deserve to die? Some people might argue the fact that because he was locked up then he deserved the treatment that he got and others might voice the difference. I personally say no, because this is still a life and even though he made a mistake there should have been a correct way to go about punishment for this inmate if he really had got out of order. When law abiding citizens and correctional officers look at prisoners, it does not matter what the crime was or how severe the punishment, a prisoner is a nobody. In the United States there are many people that may agree and have strong feelings when it comes to this statement. In ethics a utilitarian may say that human beings should focus on the potential rules of an action and determine what would happen if e or she follows the rules. Utilitarian theory states the moral worth of an action should be determined specifically by its usefulness in maximizing utility and minimizing negative utility. The world as a whole has a moral code on how people should conduct themselves, on what is right and wrong. The belief of the utilitarian theory can be used in prisons to help those that really want to be rehabilitated. I am not saying that this theory will work for all, but there are some men and women that deserve another chance in life. We have to realize that everyone makes mistakes n their life, some are worse than others, but in the end everyone still deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, no matter what they may have done. I have heard stories about men that may have raped or killed a little child is sent to prison the correctional officers tend to sometime turn their heads and let the other inmates beat him or rape him until he is almost dead. I dont agree with the fact that he hurt a child but at the same time I dont think that its morally right that they allow the other inmates to Jeopardize what little bit of freedom that they may have behind hose prison walls either. The ethical solution to this is when you do have a child rapist sent to prison put those type of people in a area amongst themselves and maybe have counselors around where they can get a better understanding of this person sick mind because sometimes these people that do these type of things have had some type of trauma when they were a child. It is unethical to confine an individual to a correctional facility and expose this individual to danger. When you talk about ethics in prison, in the eyes of some that is either driving by hat facility yard every day or has never really been behind those thick masculine bars then one may say that these people are animals and they deserve to be behind those bars. Once behind those bars their life changes because they have to be told when to eat, when to sleep, when to walk and talk. If an inmate is not like by a correctional officer or if one does not follow order then they may be deprived of food or even yard time. Torture and beatings will not correct their behavior but will make them more aggressive so that choice is not the best. If any of these things should appen then this may lead to riots and in serious scenarios, killing of security guards. It is best to provide the basic needs such as food to the prisoners so that there is a harmonious reaction between the prisoner and the correction officer. The utilitarian would say that inmates should follow a morally right rule that would result in happiness in which once they are return to society they can determine what rules citizens. Learning positive rules will result to good behavior and a change of mind that life without freedom is something that one may not want to return to. In contrast..

Constitutional Framers Essay -- American History, The Federalists

The Confederation congress was plagued with problems as the former colonies struggled to form a national identity. The lack of permanent physical location and united national government led to problems of inaction, following the Revolutionary war. â€Å"Congress’s lack of power and frequent inability to act (often due to a lack of quorum or the need for a supermajority for certain decisions) demanded reform† (Wirls 58). The founding fathers agreed on the need for a stronger national government however two opposing groups argued about the nature of its composition. Federalists argued for a strong national government, with a few representatives, removed the day to day local political affairs. They desired a group of political elite leaders, free to make decisions based on national interests. In order to promote an independent nature within the senate, Federalists promoted long terms, some advocating lifetime appointments. The anti-Federalists rejected the ide a of permanent elite and instead promoted a large number of representatives with small groups of political constituents. Rather than the crà ¨me de la crà ¨me of society, anti-Federalists promoted a kaleidoscope vision; representatives would personally reflect the interests of their constituents. During the final constitutional plan for the U.S. Senate a compromise was reached between the two groups; the anti-Federalist views were incorporated in the equal apportionment and appointment by the states, Federalists promoted independence in the senate by instituting staggered six year terms. The compromise between the Federalist and anti-Federalist was reached through a series of decisions, in part helped by the fact that those against strengthening the Federal governme... ...the senate, the convention was able to move forward in forming a national government with responsibilities and rights separate from those of the states. The Federalists were able to preserve the independence of the senate through six year terms and more stringent eligibility requirements than those for the House of Representatives. The eventual formation of a separate national capital ensured the both physically as well as psychologically desired independence of the senate and congress desired by the Federalists. The members of both sides present shared a mutual understanding of the need for a senate in a stronger national system. The decisions which lead to the compromise resulted in the creation of a senate through the Constitution which included both Federalist and anti-Federalist views as well as creating unintended consequences neither side anticipated.

Call To Action :: essays research papers

Call to Action Improve nations balloting but leave control to locals Author Unknown   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   SUMMARY: A Call to Action is an article from the Houston Chronicle on Thursday, February 20, 2001 informing the nation on the controversial issue of the nations ballots system. The article begins with the announcement of next month’s Census Bureau release of the population’s data. This means that all the voting boundaries are going to be redrawn and reconfigured. It continues to talk about the amazingly close and controversial presidential election on November 7th. Difficulties erupted all over the state of Florida and throughout the United States in which the reliability and accuracy of the balloting system is questioned. Fortunately, because of the controversial ballots and ballot systems there have been numerous groups and committees organized to study and improve our out of date voting system. It says that several people in Congress are working on multiple bills being created to establish nation wide standards for ballot-counting systems. The article states, â€Å" One U.S. House lawmaker, Beaumont Democrat Nick Lampson, wants national standards for voting machines and poll closing times.† The author agrees with Lampson in that the voting machines have multiple flaws, one being the problematic punch card ballots. But he also thinks that the press would throw a fit if there was a national closing time at the polls just for the sake of avoiding early winning announcements. The National Association of Secretaries of State’s task force on election standards suggests leaving the enforcement issue to locals but have the government pay for voting machines. They also recommend â€Å"†¦more voter education, improved training for poll workers and maintaining up-to-date voter rolls†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . In the end the author feels that the communities should take on the responsibilities for reformation instead of an all-in-one government plan. He closes by reminding the reader that the nation’s President is elected through the Electora l College and the communities should supervise the voting procedure. OPINION: I agree with the author’s view on improving the voting system. I believe something needs to be done at least by the next election. In the election of 2000, Florida happened to be the center of the maelstrom. I find it hard to believe that any state that has had problems in the past with voting irregularities would continue to use the same flawed ballot system. Florida continues using a system year after year that allows people to vote twice on one ballot for the same political office, or that makes the results questionable because the paper might not be punched through enough for the machines to compute the votes?

Case Memo as a hired consultant Essay

In this assignment, students will read and analyze a case study. In response to the case study, students will write an analysis in business memo format, addressed to the Board of Directors for the company. The memo is written by the student acting as a hired consultant for the company. The case study to be analyzed, The Case of Plant Relocation, is attached. By completing this assignment, students will meet the outcome(s): identify ethical issues that arise in domestic and global business environments using an understanding of ethical concepts and of legal and business principles; develop and evaluate alternatives to, and recommend solutions for, ethical dilemmas, taking into account ethical and legal requirements and the essential mission of the business enterprise effectively communicate to internal and external business stakeholders the complexities of ethical issues, suggesting and analyzing various solutions in order to ensure appropriate business practices and accountability Requirements of Case Memo #2: Draft memo using the prescribe format (subheadings/sections) prescribed below; All sections must be comprehensive, in-depth and fully justified; Resources from previously assigned course materials or from your own research may be used to justify and support rationale; All in-text citations and resources must be in APA style; Submit the completed case in the Assignment Folder. Memorandum Format: TO: FROM: RE: DATE: Include all the following subheadings/sections in the memo: INTRODUCTION: Brief intro to subject of memo. FACTS SUMMARY: Summarize and explain the facts that are directly significant and relevant to the ethical dilemma in this case. ETHICAL DILEMMA: Discuss either/or ethical dilemma facing the company. ETHICAL ISSUES: Discuss two (2) of the most significant ethical issues related to, and arising from, the ethical dilemma and then, explain each ethical issue and why it is an ethical/moral issue, etc. ALTERNATIVES: List, explain and justify one (1) possible alternative/solution for EACH ethical issue to address and resolve the ethical dilemma and each ethical issue discussed above. Alternatives should be feasible, logical, directly related to resolving the ethical dilemma and addressing the ethical issues in the case. Alternatives are expressed in the form of propositions or prescriptive statements suggesting action and are framed by asking the normative question, what could or should the company do? Consider consequences. Identify relevant stakeholders and the effects on them, pros and cons, etc. of each alternative. Apply ethical theories in context of your evaluations, but don’t over-do this aspect. For example, teleological or consequentialist theorists would examine who the stakeholders are, both internal and external to the company, and the positive and negative consequences for each group, etc. RECOMMENDATION: Recommend one and only one (1) alternative from the two (2) alternatives suggested above. Justify and explain your choice discussing: why you recommend this alternative; how, specifically, the recommendation will address the ethical dilemma and ethical issues; how the recommendation will likely impact relevant stakeholders; pros and cons of your recommendation; feasibility of your recommendation; how the recommendation will be implemented; Apply ethical theories, resources from previously assigned course materials, or resources from your own research to justify and support your recommendation. FUTURE IMPLICATIONS for RECOMMENDATION: Discuss potential implications arising from your recommendation for: the company other businesses within the industry other industries CONCLUSION: Summarize the case and its ethical issues, implications, etc. The Case of the Plant Relocation You are the chief executive of Electrocorp, an electronics company, which makes the onboard computer components for automobiles. In your production plants, complex hydrocarbon solvents are used to clean the chips and other parts that go into the computer components. Some of the solvents used are carcinogens and must be handled with extreme care. Until recently, all of your production plants were located in the United States. However, the cost of production has risen, causing profits to decline. A number of factors have increased production costs. First, the union representing the workers in your plant waged a successful strike resulting in increased salary and benefits. The pay and benefits package for beginning employees is around $15/hour. A second factor has been stringent safety regulations. These safety procedures, which apply inside the plant, have been expensive in both time and money. Finally, environmental regulations have made Electrocorp’s operations more costly. Electrocorp is required to put its waste through an expensive process before depositing it at a special disposal facility. Shareholders have been complaining to you about the declining fortunes of the company. Many of Electrocorp’s competitors have moved their operations to less-developed countries, where their operating costs are less than in the United States, and you have begun to consider whether to relocate a number of plants to offshore sites. Electrocorp is a major employer in each of the U.S. cities where it is located, and you know that a plant closure will cause economic dislocation in these communities. You know that the employees who will be laid off because of plant closures will have difficulty finding equivalent positions and that increased unemployment, with its attendant social costs, will result. However, you are aware of many other corporations, including your competitors, that have shut down their U.S. operations, and it is something that you are willing to consider. You have hired a consultant, Martha Smith, to investigate the sites for possible plant relocation. Ms. Smith has years of experience working with companies that have moved their operations to less-developed countries to reduce their operating costs. Based on your own research, you have asked Ms. Smith to more fully investigate the possibility of operations in Mexico, the Philippines, and South Africa. A summary of her report and recommendation for each country follows: Mexico A number of border cities in Mexico would be cost-efficient relocation sites based on labor and health and safety/environmental factors. Workers in production plants comparable to Electrocorp’s earn about $3 per day, which is the prevailing wage. There is frequent worker turnover because employees complain that they cannot live on $3/day, and they head north to work illegally in the United States. However, a ready supply of workers takes their place. Mexican health and environmental laws are also favorable to production. Exposure to toxic chemicals in the workplace is permitted at higher levels than in the United States, allowing corporations to dispense to some degree with costly procedures and equipment. Mexico’s environmental laws are less strict than those of the United States, and a solvent recovery system, used to reduce the toxicity of the waste before dumping, is not required. The only identifiable business risk is possible bad publicity. The rate of birth defects has been high in many Mexican border towns where similar plants are in operation. Citizen health groups have begun protests, accusing the companies of contamination leading to illness. Philippines Conditions in the Philippines are more favorable than those in Mexico in terms of labor and health and safety/environmental factors. The prevailing wage in the Philippines is about $1/day, and young workers (under 16) may be paid even less. As in Mexico, the workers complain that the rate of pay is not a living wage, but it is the present market rate. The health and safety and environmental regulations are equivalent to those in Mexico, but there have been no public complaints or opposition regarding birth defects, cancers, or other illnesses. South Africa Conditions in South Africa are positive in some respects, but not as favorable in economic terms as in Mexico or the Philippines. The prevailing wage in South Africa is about $10/day. Furthermore, there is a strong union movement, meaning that there may be future demands for increases in wages and benefits. The unions and the government have been working together on health and safety issues and environmental protections. Exposure to toxic chemicals in the  workplace is not permitted at as high a level as in Mexico and the Philippines. Although the equipment necessary to reduce toxic chemicals to an acceptable level is not as costly as in the United States, this expense would not be incurred in the other two countries. Furthermore, there are requirements for a solvent recovery system, which also increases operation expenses. You have to decide how you would like to proceed. Your options are to select an overseas site for relocation or to simply continue all operations within the United States.

Humanae Vitae Reflection Essay

Humanae Vitae – Encyclical Letter on the regulation of birth As a Roman Catholic, I have been raised to believe what the Church has taught for centuries. As we are living in Humanae Vitae, surely challenges will arise for some people in today’s society when they read this text. Although I had difficulty seeing one statement noted in the text the way in which the Church had, I found myself agreeing with the Pope in the problems presented in terms of today’s society. Beginning with the â€Å"problem and competency of the magisterium,† Pope Paul writes at the start of the document, â€Å"†But the most remarkable development of all is to be seen in man’s stupendous progress in the domination and rational organization of the forces of nature to the point that he is endeavoring to extend this control over every aspect of his own life — over his body, over his mind and emotions, over his social life, and even over the laws that regulate the transmission of life† (n. 2). Although Human life did come from God, belongs to God, and goes back to God, I believe that we are our â€Å"own† spirits, and that we were created with choices, including the fact that we in a sense control our realities that make up the way we live our lives and the things we do on a daily basis. I do not believe it is an illusion as Pope is suggesting and further more do not believe we are bought at a price from God – although in a sense, the choices in which God gives us are the prices â€Å"we pay† to live the life in which we were granted, it is up to us as individuals. Forward looking, as the new question of â€Å"principle of totality† comes into play, I believe that the problem of sex in society today, or perhaps the way in which the younger generations view sex, is flawed. I agree that sexual activity in which Pope Paul was writing that it is wrong to diminish its message and that it does belong to the context of committed love, sealed by marriage and openness to life because it is the greatest reflection and reasoning to which the gift of sexuality was given to us. Furthermore, I wholeheartedly believe in the doctrinal principles in section II that present â€Å"a wholistic vision of man† (n. 7). The underlying joints to a faithful life are chastity and marriage, demanding â€Å"conjugal love, responsible parenthood, and conformity to the creative intention and design of God† are clear. In the section of Consequences of Artificial Methods, I gree that in limens terms, how easily using birth control and other artificial methods could open the door to marital infidelity and a lowering of moral standards, especially our generation. Today, sex has become a part of the American society that has led the young to be easily swayed in believing and succumbing to various forms of temptations, including pre-marital sex. I think a large part in this is the way in which you are raised, the kids in which you surrounded yourself with, and how much influence parental figures had in their children’s sex lives. It is consistent in the opinion of the encyclical letter that not much experience is needed to be aware of and understanding human beings and that the young need to be taught early on to not sway from the â€Å"moral law. † Instead, they need â€Å"incentives† to keep the moral law because temptation is everywhere, and without supervision and someone to be there as a guardian, I believe the child is more apt to fall victim to such evils, which could potentially have dire consequences as they move into their adult life. Another powerful statement in which I fully agree with has to do with a man who gets accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget â€Å"the reverence due to a woman† and disregard her physical and emotional equilibrium, reducing her to an instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection. In my opinion, these are very warranted and strong, loaded statements. My reasoning is that, again, I feel like younger generations of men were not raised with the same level of respect for the way in which to treat their female peers. This I contribute to a number of factors, including the media of today’s society and the parenting of the child’s adolescence. However, I believe simply because a woman uses contraceptives does not entitle the man to view the woman any differently. Rather, I believe that the man is aware of the way in which he treats women, or in other words, that he either respect women physically and emotionally entirely, or he does not. And from that point, if he does not, that man could then use contraceptives as a â€Å"tool† in a sense to further his selfishness. I think a good reasoning behind this may come also from the way in which the boy was raised and the way in which he was brought up to view women. For example, if a young boy was raised with a father who abused his mother, he may take either extremes depending on the way it effected him: A, the boy could despise his father for what he did to his mother and swear that he will always respect women and never be like his father, or B, he could revert to his father’s ways and treat future women with the disrespect that was taught by his dad. Either way, I believe it is not where you come from, it is what you do with your situation and I believe faith can have a lot of encouragement in that. In summary, a good concluding statement found in the Encylical Letter about the authority and responsibility of the Church to always declare the truth is powerfully presented in n. 18: She does not, because of this, evade the duty imposed on her of proclaiming humbly but firmly the entire moral law, both natural and evangelical. Since the Church did not make either of these laws, she cannot be their arbiter—only their guardian and interpreter. It could never be right for her to declare lawful what is in fact unlawful, since that, by its very nature, is always opposed to the true good of man. With that said, I believe having faith in today’s society can yield a better life for everyone who opens their mind to a new way of thinking. Yet, although with today’s influences and high paced life, living a faithful life may not be easy, it is rewarding and purifying. The views of the Church keep you grounded as it reminds you to fulfill your blessings given to you by God.